While the "president" opened his second term boasting he had "political capital" to spend, he's now on the defensive on a range of issues. His job approval has slumped since his second-term "inauguration"; a majority of people oppose his approach to Social Security and more than 60 percent of Americans disapprove of his handling of ..>

..>energy problems amid skyrocketing gasoline prices.
"President Bush denounced the Axis of Evil five years ago and promised that he would do everything to keep its members from getting nukes. Well, North Korea just detonated one. Iran is well on its way to getting one. And Iraq, well, that's not quite the bright spot we hoped it would be."
"Redefining the role of the United States
from enablers to
keep the peace
to enablers to keep the peace from peacekeepers
is going to be an
assignment."
-Nukular ChimpChief
* * *
[2003: ] American troops entered Baghdad in battle mode, felling the Sunni-dominated government of dictator Saddam Hussein and declaring Iraq "liberated." In the wake of the city's fall, after widespread looting, an insurgency of outraged Sunnis was raging against the American occupation.
Now, skip a few years, and U.S. troops have once again entered Baghdad in battle mode. This time, they've been moving into the vast Sadr City Shiite slum "suburb" of eastern Baghdad, implanting the reluctant security forces of the Maliki government 500-600 meters ahead of them. This is called "standing them up," part of a strategy to "build up the capability of the Iraqi security forces by letting them operate semi-autonomously of the American troops."
* * *
shallow little jackal of a man
posing as a hawk.
conniving opportunist.
-Mr. Blythe
* * *
"This deployment is in support of continued progress. ...We are reinforcing success." -Chimp DoofusHead
endless war endlessly prolongs the
"emergency measures" of the authoritarian regime.
The Bush "strategy" of a "quick, decisive victory" was a compelling "idea".
"Mission Accomplished". .. ....