War On Reality Part 43 ; White House Mouthpiece Petraeus

The weight of the White House must be pressing heavily on General David Petraeus this evening as his report is shot to pieces by, it seems, everyone.

Americans, Senators, Congressmen, Democrat and Republican are latching onto that opening phrase given by the General yesterday about no-one in the White House having seen or influenced the report.

As obvious as the sun crossing the sky, if he gave a true, damning indictment of the situation in Iraq, his military career would be cut short, by Mr Bush and Mr Cheney. Of that there is no doubt.

Tell The Truthiness ; If anything is needed in Iraq, it's a 'diplomatic surge' as urged by Democrats and Republicans.

The War On Weariness

People at home may be sick to the back teeth of the war without end in Iraq, but a new health issue has become clear for those serving in this conflict.

Record numbers of troops in the field are suffering with overtiredness, leading to serious long-term health problems.

The US army appears to care very little, with shorter leave for those returning home between tours of duty.

Tell The Truthiness ; As each weary day for these troops passes, without an end in sight, the reasons for going to war become less and less clear. The fuzziness they are no doubt suffering has spread to not just the administration, which is considering a return to the draft to maintain troop levels, but to the media. Because overtired soldiers isn't as hot a story as them getting blown up.

War On Reality Part 31 ; Got A Problem? Throw Troops At It

Due to, we are told, troop rotation overlapping, there are currently more troops in Iraq than at any other time during the war.

Tell The Truthiness ; 162,000 troops and what more does Bush have planned for them?

War On Reality Part 28 ; If It Walks Like A Duck

20,000 extra troops are to be rotated to Iraq in December, but they are not part of the surge it's being claimed.

Tell The Truthiness ; If we ask the same question in December, will we get the same answer?

War On Reality Part 27 ; Eight Week Iraq Fantasy

The White House and anyone connected to the President (minus most of the GOP who are revolting) are pretty much rearranging the deckchairs in an attempt, any attempt, to buy time up until the middle of September.

Should we now take bets on how far they can string it out before it breaks, 4 weeks anyone?

Tell The Truthiness ; Keep all those supporters appearing on the Sunday shows, if you say it's going well enough times, someone's bound to agree with you, that's just mathmatical probability.

The 130 Degrees Of Tony Snow

White House press secretary Tony Snow got grilled by ABC's Martha Raddatz on the moral equality of the US and Iraq governments going on summer break while US troops stay to bake in every meaning of the word.

Tell The Truthiness ; Will the only thing surging ahead this summer be the temperatures? Well done Martha Raddatz.

Outta Touch, Outta Excuses, Outta Time?

When asked about whether troops levels when the US went into Iraq were sufficent, the President wrapped up his answer.

He told reporters gathered at the White House that he went ''round the table'' and asked all the military chiefs, including Tommy Franks and they told him they had enough troops.

Tell The Truthiness ; Is he preparing for a change in troop levels, but is making sure blame is apportioned so that he spreads the responsibility for a poorly planned war off on others?

Iraq Surge Change ; Do You Think It Can Work?

Tony Snow indicated a 'surge redeployment' today, probably in response to that report on nothing of achievement in Iraq following the famed 'surge'.

Tell The Truthiness ; Today we ask you, the reader, does anyone think a Surge Mark Two can work? Leave a quick comment and let us know.

In The Heat Of The Fight ; Everyone's Keeping Busy

Washington and the rest of the country is baking under summer heat, some seem to be feeling it more this afternoon than others.

Senator Harry Reid is saying that GOP members who have defected on Iraq are making the White House to reconsider it's
position on the war. Senator Jim Webb is hoping to pass legislation to increase the turnaround time troops get on rotation from action in Iraq.

While the President is only interested in protecting his ass by invoking executive privilege to keep questioning of aides in the attorney furore. Other Republicans are jumping overboard and hearings on Libby are being penciled in.


Tell The Truthiness ; Despite the heat, everyone seems to be keeping busy. But are they keeping cool?

Mr Potato Head ; Iraq Policy Rattles In Bush's Head

After his fourth of July speech, the US deaths over the weekend and the massive bomb that killed 150, much has been made of what the President is thinking on Iraq.

Some have said that the policy, direction, way, whatever you're calling it, has always been known in the White House. But then, some insiders say that the President keeps his true opinion of the policy to himself.

Tell The Truthiness ; Maybe the President sounds-off Barney in quiet moments on the lawn.

Levees Breaking All Over Washington, Mr Bush Swamped By Floodwaters

As predicted, another couple of GOP Senators have broken ranks and said enough is enough on Iraq policy, or lack of.

Get ready for more of the same in the coming week.

Tell The Truthiness ; We could set up a rolling news channel devoted just to this story, someone call MSNBC!

Are The Walls Coming Tumbling Down At The White House, Leaving A Bare Iraq Policy Exposed For All To See?

A number of things seem to have happened at once in the past 24 hours, though seemingly unconnected, their effect could be the change in the wind which may make the US turn it's tide of offense in Iraq.

Firstly, in Washington, two leading senior Republicans, supporters of the President's strategy (if you can call it that) in Iraq have both spoken out against more of the same in the continuing conflict. Senator Richard Lugar voiced his concerns in a floor speech that the surge in Iraq just isn't working. Plus John Warner agreed with Mr Lugar's comments.

Secondly, the UK Prime Minister stepped down and his replacement, Gordon Brown, the former Chancellor is expected to have a cooled relationship with the US and is due to announce plans to scale down UK troop numbers in Iraq. As one commentator said '' Brown can have a more remote relationship with Bush and no-one will say a word against him, because unlike Tony Blair, Gordon Brown never said he would stand 'shoulder to shoulder' with him''.

Tell The Truthiness ; We might not have to wait until September for changes, Mr Bush may not be able to leave Iraq for the next guy and just might have to begin to clean up his own mess.

Civil War? What Civil War?

The most powerful and (we assume) most well informed person in the World, President Bush said at his Valentine's Day press conference that he wasn't sure a civil war was going on in Iraq, he even said to an ABC reporter, '' you've been there, I haven't''.

He said he lives in the White House and he's not very well informed, he just goes to and from the doors of planes, helicopters, cars and buildings, smiles and gets his photo taken a lot and he reckons the people who inform him about what happens on the ground don't 'qualify' it as 'that'.

Perhaps those on the 'ground' want to 'qualify' but want to go for the 'gold', like the Olympics.

In the same way that you 'define' the phrase ' competent president'.

The Truthiness Blog Says ; Of course he knows what he's doing, he's the 'President'.

Bush Numeracy Skills Tested In Troop Announcement

Well everyone hoped against vein hope that the announcement made by President George W Bush would not contain the promise to increase by 21,500 the number of troops on the ground.

He decided to break with tradition and disappoint us with the 21,500 forces personel he's going to move into the country in a last ditch effort to improve or should that be to make things 'less bad', since 'better' is something on another planet's horizon and does not enter Iraq's or Iraqi's vocabulary.

Far though from accusing the President of not being Presidential, despite being in the job since January 2001, he responded to critics of his plan with ' if you don't like my Iraq plan, lets hear yours'.

Like a plumber who insists on replacing a seemingly fine piece of pipe with a bigger piece, then finds it doesn't quite fit and water floods out and ruins your kitchen, then you are told to fix it is to allow him to rip our yet more pipe and install a larger piece still. Then you question what the so-called expert is telling you and he rebuffs you with ' well do you have a better idea?'

You should know what you are doing Sir, you're the leader! You're the one half of the country elected to make the decisions the rest of us hope we never have to even consider.

If you are not smart enough to make those decisions, surround yourself with those who may know more than you.

If you do however consider yourself smart enough to make these smart choices, then take a balancing approach and surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you.

Not through your own choice, the people who voted in the mid-terms choose to make that decision for you and the people they elected, that'd be the Democrats, are the ones who disagree with you.

They have said what you've decided to add to the pot in Iraq is yet more oil which will fuel extra violence and disorder.

If you want this country to govern itself you have to have faith in it's leader, its government and it's neighbours who will know more about the country's needs then you or anyone else who's an outsider, be it, British, American or anyone that stomps in and says, ' this is the way its got to be.''

Have the decency to listen to other people's opinions Sir, be they in Iraq, or in the House Of Representatives.

Because at the least, it's good manners to and at the most, they might actually have a better answer to this mess than you think you do.