Article: Same game, same results, same madness

Football metaphors flew the air Wednesday night following President George W. Bush's latest attempt to save his failed Iraq invasion: a "hail Mary pass" or "a draw play on fourth and long" or even "a desperate gamble for the end zone."

NBC's Tim Russert tried a gambling analogy.

"I said last year that the President was taking a big gamble," Russert said. "Now he's doubled down."

You can draw many analogies out of what Bush said in his disjointed, rambling speech to the nation but a reasonable person can come to only one conclusion: The President of the United States has run out of excuses, options or rationalizations for a failed, ill-conceived, illegal and immoral action that will go down in history as a massive political and military debacle.

After opening with a rare admission of fault, saying "where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me" Bush lapsed into his usual swashbuckling style: Hinting at future military action against Iran and Syria, claiming he can win a war that can't be won and showing his always-callous disregard to the men and women who must die because of his lunacy. And he really only admitted one "mistake": Not deciding earlier to send more American troops to die in his war based on lies."

He tried to suggest that the American presence in Iraq is not a permanent one but he's lying to even hint at such things because his plan all along has been to establish a permanent U.S. presence in the Arab world. He tried to suggest the American people still support his insane actions, saying the Iraq government will lose public support in our country is they don't step up and assume more responsibility for their own future.

Does this madman really believe anyone swallows such bullshit? Every poll shows the only thing lower than the American public's lack of faith in Bush's irresponsible handling of his Irag debacle is the knowledge that the puppet government of Iraq will never, ever, be able to assume responsibility for its own security.

Bush says more U.S. soldiers must die in a vain attempt to stop sectarian violence in Baghdad's neighborhoods without once acknowledging that our illegal invasion of that country created that violence. He talks about the terrorist breeding ground that Iraq has become without admitting he created that breeding ground and fostered an increased rapidly-escalating hatred of the United States throughout the Arab world.

The President's irresponsible actions leaves the United States today under more threat of attack from terrorists, less secure than it was before the 9/11 terror attacks and hated and reviled on the world stage.

He is regarded throughout the world as an international war criminal, leading a bullying nation that fosters unrest and threatens peace on a global scale.

Although he announced his plans last night, his "troop surge" is already underway. First elements of that increase left for Iraq before the end of last year and more will follow.

Democrats talk of passing a resolution opposing the troop surge while admitting such a resolution would be meaningless. The lackluster response by Democrats to the President's imperial plans is almost as pathetic as Bush's bluster.

Instead they will talk, and hold hearings, and pontificate, and wring their hands in despair while more Americans die.

Too many more Americans will die but - like the 3,019 who have perished already - even one more death in Iraq is one too many and more blood on the hands of George W. Bush and anyone who follows, or continues to allow, his madness.

Originally published and � Copyright 2007 by Capitol Hill Blue