Don't Speak/ I Know What You're Thinking/ I Don't Need Your Reasons

David Weigel | January 10, 2007

You can skip that presidential speech tonight, everybody: The surge is a go.

ABC News has learned that the "surge" Bush is expected to announce in a prime time speech tonight has already begun. Ninety advance troops from the 82nd Airborne Division arrived in Baghdad today.

An additional battalion of roughly 100 troops from the same division are expected to arrive in Baghdad Thursday.

It is the first small wave of troops in a new White House strategy that is expected to put more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq and likely require new call-ups of the National Guard.

And the zombie National Guard! Don't forget the zombie National Guard!

Meanwhile, Brendan Miniter of the Wall Street Journal travels to Texas (mentally, at least) and discovers doom and gloom about the conservative project and the war.

Tonight President Bush will attempt to avoid LBJ's fate by presenting a new strategy for winning the war in Iraq.

Because LBJ never tried anything like this.

Comments

VM|1.10.07 @ 6:04PM|#

DAVID!

Please stop explaining. Don't tell us 'cuz it hurts!

thoreau|1.10.07 @ 6:40PM|#

Because LBJ never tried anything like this.

Hey, just because they're both from Texas, and they both had disastrous military adventures, and they both brought about massive expansions of the welfare state, that doesn't mean you should be comparing Bush to LBJ!

Comparing Bush to LBJ is an insult to, um, wait, I'm not sure which is worse. Oh, well, I guess they deserve each other.

|1.10.07 @ 6:40PM|#

Dave, I think either you fudged the cut & paste, or ABC journos dont know their battalion from a hole in the ground. I clicked the link and it says "roughly 800", not roughly 100. Battalions can vary between maybe 400 up to 1000 troops, but 100 troops is company-sized unit.

And technically, most of the 'additional' troops are not really additional, so much as a mixture of extended tours, call backs of troops that had returned, and temporary gap filling with National Guard units. There are very few actual combat troops that are visiting Iraq for the first time. Some, sure, but most will probably be in support units, while the combat troops (~1/3 of the total deployment?) are just being asked to stick around longer while people pretend to be in control of the situation.

Ashish George|1.10.07 @ 7:01PM|#

Seriously, which other Hit-and-Runner would use a 10 year-old No Doubt hit as a source for a post title?

I feel old.

Bhh|1.10.07 @ 7:06PM|#

I wonder how a constitutional amendment banning presidents from Texas would go over. Don't think we could survive another.

Thomas Ware|1.10.07 @ 7:12PM|#

And the definition of insanity is?

Oh, right, doing the same thing over and over again expeccting different results.

The roads, such as they are, are interdicted - the supply lines are cut. Sandstorm season is upon us, the airports are inaccessable - the supply lines are cut. Is anyone out there familiar with Little Big Horn?

If there is any good to come of the sacrifice of a hundred and sixty or seventy thousand of our youth, in their exuberance the uslims will drive Israel into the sea. As it should be.

|1.10.07 @ 7:21PM|#

Seriously, which other Hit-and-Runner would use a 10 year-old No Doubt hit as a source for a post title?

And I thought it only felt like ten years passing each time I heard the song.

The Wine Commonsewer|1.10.07 @ 8:32PM|#

90 troops?

That's less guys than we had in our platoon the day that basic training started.

|1.10.07 @ 9:26PM|#

Bush just said that there are two sides to this war, and one side is the people who believe in freedom in moderation?!?!

WHOOOAAA, just a minute there buddy, you've had a little bit too much freedom tonight. Yeah, you've already had Amendments 2, 3, 6, and 8 tonight. We're can't let you have anymore. Please enjoy the bill of rights in moderation.

|1.10.07 @ 9:43PM|#

I think he said "freedom AND moderation.
Funny image, tho.

|1.10.07 @ 9:44PM|#

It's not wholly implausible to say that an offensive is needed to create some stability in the near-term, to provide the space for the Iraqi political system to make some progress. A political solution among Iraqis is, after all, the only hope for avoiding catastrophe.

What is wholly implausible is that such a solutio could come to pass under the conditions Bush has created. As long as the government is fighting side by side with our soldiers, the anti-government insurgency and civil war will only get worse, causing Al Qaeda to become stronger and ever-larger areas of the country to become safe havens for them.

Bush's proposal to bring this solution about is to tell Malaki he'd better do it, or else. Or else, nothing, btw. The one thing Bush can threaten him with is the one thing he won't do - withdraw.

If we start leaving now, we can do it on our own terms, and maybe use the pullback and eventual withdrawal to change the political situation in a way that advances our interests. We could also exit the war undefeated, and likely even leave forces in country to defend the Kurds and mantain an intervention force as the need arises.

If we stick it out for another two years, we'll end up leaving just the same, but there will be a lot more Americans dead, and we'll be flying helicopters off the embassy roof.

The President's yammering about victory and success just mean that he's not able to provide the leadership we need to look out for our interests. Congress needs to step up.

|1.10.07 @ 9:49PM|#

I'm not so sure I like this guy, this President Bush.

joe,

NPR talked to John Kerry right after the speech. It sounds like they are ready to step up.

|1.10.07 @ 9:51PM|#

Poor use of pronouns and their antecedents.
By "they" I mean Congress, of course!

|1.10.07 @ 10:13PM|#

Yeah, the text of the speech says 'freedom and moderation.' I could've sworn I heard 'in'. Anyway, is there really a difference in the sentiment? I would argue no. It'd probably be the most honest thing he's said about his policies here though.

edna|1.10.07 @ 10:14PM|#

If there is any good to come of the sacrifice of a hundred and sixty or seventy thousand of our youth, in their exuberance the uslims will drive Israel into the sea. As it should be.

yeah, those jews are soooo inconvenient, having an actual liberal democracy and all. we should all certainly hope that [i]that[/i] sort of thing is nipped in the bud.

|1.11.07 @ 7:40AM|#

As a lifelong Texican, I will support the amendment banning any Texas presidents. Any true Texican would be unelectable, and those Conneticut, Andover, Yale, Harvard, family legacy boys who like to play dress up on a ranch with no cattle, all hat no cow as we say, give us a bad name. Then again I didn't even vote the guy for gov'nor.

mike in fort worth

|1.11.07 @ 8:00AM|#

Comparing Bush to LBJ is an insult to, um, wait, I'm not sure which is worse. Oh, well, I guess they deserve each other.

Well, LBJ actually encouraged black people to vote - Bush more sort of discouraged them.

|1.11.07 @ 1:20PM|#

Well, LBJ actually encouraged black people to vote - Bush more sort of discouraged them.

LBJ also encouraged deceased people to vote, too!

|1.11.07 @ 4:22PM|#

Rex, you are an unreconstructed heartbeatist.