They are already beginning the spin. Are you dizzy yet? just wait!


Those achievements are markedly different from the benchmarks Bush set when he announced his decision to send tens of thousands of additional troops to Iraq. More troops, Bush said, would enable the Iraqis to proceed with provincial elections this year and pass a raft of power-sharing legislation. In addition, he said, the government of President Nouri al-Maliki planned to "take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November."

Congress expanded on Bush's benchmarks, writing 18 goals into law as part of the war-funding measure it passed in the spring.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 74_pf.html

Bush is going to have a hard time selling his snake oil in September. Besides the continued violence the Iraq government it basically useless as far as running the country or able to get any legislation passed.

Benchmarks for Iraq is a joke. IMO. I'd be surprised if Iraq meets any of them.

Watch the news, he is already getting some on board in case the report is not so good. he will push for more troops and I want to see how the Dems will justify sending more.

Even as Bush keeps losing fans among Republicans in the Senate, don’t bet that’s going to change his mind on Iraq.

This man gives stubbornness a bad name.

He’s said in the past that he’s going to stay on course even if the only people supporting him are Laura and Barney.

And I’m not even sure they’re still on board.

But Cheney is, and the two of them have the utmost disdain for the Senate.


http://www.progressive.org/mag_wx070607


The sad part is all the dessenters in the world will not change his mind.

I have no illusions Bush will change his mind.

As I said in another post--the rhetoric will change; the course remains the same.

It is good to be right!


uly 9 (Bloomberg) -- Bush administration officials sought to lower expectations for a report this month on the Iraq war, saying it was unrealistic to expect the study would show significant progress in meeting military and political goals.

The report, which must be submitted to Congress by July 15, is just an interim assessment delivered at an early stage of the new U.S. military drive to quell sectarian and insurgent violence, said White House Press Secretary Tony Snow and Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20070 ... lll_yhlm_1


Spin doctors at work!

Their job of putting a spin to the violence in Iraq has been made a lot harder the last few weeks. The snake oil isn't a big seller right now.

IMO, the spin drs are trying to difuse all they can before the Sept report. If it is noit good, they can say that they were working on an alternate plan.

I have always said that the Bush groupo is delusional and this report substantiates my assertion.



A widely anticipated White House report on Iraq, set for release today, argues that the Baghdad government has made "satisfactory" progress toward nearly half of the political and military goals sought by Congress, while acknowledging that an equal number remain "not satisfactory," an administration official said yesterday.

The report, ordered by lawmakers as an interim assessment of President Bush's troop-increase strategy, identifies some positive movement in eight of the 18 congressional benchmarks, most of them related to military issues; finds insufficient improvement in eight others, mainly related to political reconciliation; and judges mixed results in the final two, the official said



readme

The administration's assessment comes the day after U.S. intelligence experts offered an overwhelmingly negative view of military and political conditions in Iraq, saying that Iraqi forces will remain incapable of taking charge of security for years to come and that deepening sectarian political divides remain the largest impediment to progress.

Administration assessment? Since when have they been willing to admit anything.?

I tend to believe the intelligence experts who seem closer to the truth.

I listened to the press conference today of the Pres--the spin has begun.