President Busemental

OFFAL:

It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing. All the terrorists would have to do is mark their calendars and gather their strength — and begin plotting how to overthrow the government and take control of the country of Iraq. … Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure — and that would be irresponsible. [Emphasis added.] [White House: President Bush Rejects Artificial Deadline, Vetoes Iraq War Supplemental]

What are some other ways extremists might go about plotting to take control of the country?

Iraq’s prime minister has created an entity within his government that U.S. and Iraqi military officials say is being used as a smokescreen to hide an extreme Shiite agenda that is worsening the country’s sectarian divide.

The Office of the Commander in Chief has the power to overrule other government ministries, according to U.S. military and intelligence sources.

Those sources say the 24-member office is abusing its power, increasingly overriding decisions made by the Iraqi Ministries of Defense and Interior and potentially undermining the entire U.S. effort in Iraq. [CNN: Shadowy Iraq office accused of sectarian agenda]

Respectfully, Irreverently, sir, what the fuck are We doing over there? Aside from holding Our finger in the dike.

Here is the goal, in OFFAL‘s own words:

…build a free nation that respects the rights of its people, upholds the rule of law, and fights extremists and radicals and killers alongside the United States in this war on terror. [White House.]

Either “somebody’s” not trying very hard, or “somebody” really fucked the football on this one. What makes “somebody” like that tick? What makes Senators Collins and Snowe think that, going forward, “somebody” will prove capable of implementing an effective plan to achieve Our goal? To unfuck the football.

Maybe I’m the wrong one here. Maybe the Senators’ from Maine votes don’t indicate a pro rank failure position on the war. Nonetheless, I become more and more convinced every day that the ‘more-of-the-same’ approach is for shit.

As Your Montag said the other day, “I just don’t fucking get it.”

BONUS FUN ROUND: Compare the tactics of “the Office” described in that CNN article with the tactics at the root of ‘Prosecutorgate.’ (Maybe our leaders see this type of thing as a legitimate example of “rule of law” governance, by which logic, ‘progress’ is being made in Iraq, making mine a moot argument.)