The Political Chase

Clinton to Bush: Too Little, Too Late

Sen. Hillary Clinton engaged President Bush on the eve of his Grand Iraq Marketing Speech by sending him a letter telling The Decider, it is “too little too late.”

Sen. Clinton accurately denounced The Decider’s deceptive intention to stage the withdrawal of 30,000 troops as part of Gen. David Petraeus plan rather than declaring it for what it is, the pre-determined tour rotation. She said, “If completed, these troop reductions would merely bring troop levels in Iraq back to the levels before you announced the ’surge’ in January of this year.”

Not relying solely on recent rhetoric from Mr. Bush or his Madison Avenue Marketing Team, she politely told the president to cease lying.

“Do not misrepresent the facts about the situation on the ground. And do not portray an unavoidable reduction in U.S. troops to pre-surge levels that would occur anyway as a marker of success.”

The complete letter is available in HTML or PDF.

The Lunch - Polls, mudslinging, campaign donations and more

Today’s Lunch features a hearty meal of polling data, deja hsu - aka Hillary Clinton, and a mud (slinging) pie tossed at (from?) Fred Thompson. Plus, Will gives the Huffington Post a (nerd) vocabulary lesson.

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White House revises Iraq strategy, begins political war with Democrats

Based on remarks White House Press Secretary Tony Snow made moments ago, President Bush is turning the current objective in Iraq on its head and redefined victory (tenth version based on my recollection) yet again. Furthermore, the White House initiated a war of words against the Democrats rather than seeking collegial solutions for the catastrophe in Iraq.

When asked to respond to Nancy Pelosi’s comment that “General Petraeus’s strategy amounts to an endless strategy for war — a war without end,” Snow gave a new definition for victory - “”Helping the Iraqis develop the capability of defending themselves and governing themselves.” (Ed. note: quoted remarks for Pelosi are the reporters words, not necessarily Pelosi’s exact words.)
Indeed if you look closely at what Snow said, Pelosi’s comments are on target.

It appears the military strategy is no longer creating a secure environment so that Iraq’s political infrastructure can achieve reconciliation and function. Instead, according to Snow’s remarks, the strategy and objective goes much further.

Snow referenced several “developmental components including: (1) provincial reconstruction teams; (2) seeks greater cooperation and interaction with regional powers and regional allies; and, (3) is a strategy that has expectations in terms of what the neighbors out to do including Iran and Syria.”

Snow also made it clear there are no time parameters.

Taking shots at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Snow accused Pelosi of attempting to “create a political framework for ignoring the success that has taken place as a result of the surge in recent months and the fact that General Petraeus’s counterinsurgency strategy has worked in ways that has surprised even the U.S. in terms of the development of strong grass roots of Iraqi action against al-Qaeda…and against other forces.”

I will provide a reference link or video later when it becomes available.

TPC Roundup - Pig in a Poke

Headlines:

• Bush will announce troop reductions by next summer
• Schumer against White House selecting Ted Olson for AG
• Speaker Pelosi says Bush’s troop plan is an insult
• U.S. officials in secret talks with Sadr army since early 2006
• Not looking good for Ted Stevens - implicated in FBI video
• Vitter’s prostitution woes mount
• Judge to hear Craig’s plea for withdrawal

TPC Most Popular (updated 12:35 PM EDT):

The Bush Administration: A Perpetual Cabal

Disagreement between Petraeus and Fallon on Iraq

Summed up in 25 words or less

The significance of Petraeus’s testimony tomorrow

Rhetoric and nothing else

Iraq

• President Bush will reportedly try to sell Americans yet another farce Thursday evening by announcing that “he understands American’s deep concerns and therefore plans to reduce the American troops presence in Iraq by as many as 30,000 by next summer.” First, it is not a guaranteed reduction in troops since Bush is insisting that conditions on the ground must warrant cuts and that events could change the plan. Second, the troops were already scheduled to come out based on tour limits; Bush will simply not replace those ending their tour of duty. Third, the military overall cannot maintain the current troop levels in Iraq and continue to provide adequate protection elsewhere. If the military does not get a mass infusion of trained soldiers by next summer, the military will break; therefore, Bush has no choice but to withdraw the troops and place them elsewhere.
• General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Croker “conceded Tuesday that the Bush administration’s overall strategy in Iraq would remain largely unchanged after the temporary increase in American forces is over next summer, and made clear their view that the United States would need a major troop presence in Iraq for years to come.” the New York Times reports.
• “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Bush appears poised to bring the country back to where it was before the election that put Democrats in control of Congress — with 130,000 troops in Iraq. ‘Please. It’s an insult to the intelligence of the American people that that is a new direction in Iraq,’” the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
• In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday, General David Petraeus said he “did not know” if victory in Iraq would make America safe.”
• “U.S. diplomats and military officers have been in talks with members of the armed movement loyal to Muqtada Sadr, a sharp reversal of policy and a grudging recognition that the radical Shiite cleric holds a dominant position in much of Baghdad and other parts of Iraq,” the LA Times reports. “The secret dialogue has been going on since at least early 2006, but appeared to yield a tangible result only in the last week — with relative calm in an area of west Baghdad that has been among the capital’s most dangerous sections.”

Replacing Alberto Gonzales

• The White House is closing in on a nominee to replace Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, with former Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson considered one of the leading candidates, administration and Congressional officials said Tuesday,” the New York Times reports.
• Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), a leading Democrat and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, commenting on the potential nominee said, “Clearly if you made a list of consensus nominees, Olson wouldn’t appear on that list. My hope is that the White House would seek some kind of candidate who would be broadly acceptable.”

Scandals

• “Analysts said the political future of U.S. Sen. David Vitter again was thrown into question Tuesday after a former New Orleans prostitute vouched in person that the senator was one of her former clients,” the Houston Chronicle reports. This is the second allegation made against Vitter, who previously admitted he was a client of the now infamous DC Madam.
• “During a secret meeting to discuss what prosecutors say was a dirty deal to keep Alaska oil taxes low, two oil contractors said they had a powerful ally coming to town who could help stress the industry’s importance: Sen. Ted Stevens,” USA Today reports. “The FBI played a videotape of the 2006 meeting Tuesday in a corruption trial against former Alaska House Speaker Pete Kott, who is accused of taking gifts and favors in exchange for supporting oil interests.”
• “Sen. Larry E. Craig’s request to withdraw his guilty plea in an airport sex sting will be heard Sept. 26, just four days before the Idaho Republican has said he will step down from his Senate seat,” AP reports. “A spokesman for Craig has said the senator is unlikely to try to finish his third term unless a court moves quickly to overturn his conviction.”

O’Reilly Mislabels Ron Paul

Take a look at how FOX labeled presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) on the O’Reilly Factor the other night - “Texas Congressman”

FOX does this kind of crap all the time.

I have to wonder how many people were mislead, thinking Ron Paul was a member of the Texas legislature rather than the U.S. Congress. Paul might represent Texas, but he is a U.S. Congressman, which is what FOX should have put on its banner.