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Cali_Democrat

(30,439 posts)
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 08:22 PM Jun 2014

George W. Bush Won’t Weigh In on Iraq

Source: ABC

Former President George W. Bush will make no public statement on the developing crisis in Iraq, his spokesman said today.

“President Bush has vowed not to criticize his successor and does not have a comment,” Freddy Ford told ABC News in a statement.

Bush spent years engaged in the war in Iraq, while President Obama campaigned against it and eventually pulled out U.S. troops. Some Republicans have blamed Obama for the violence because they believe the troop pullout has left a security vacuum.

President Obama today ruled out sending U.S. troops “back into combat” in Iraq despite the threat from a surging army of Islamic militants.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/06/george-w-bush-wont-weigh-in-on-iraq/

44 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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George W. Bush Won’t Weigh In on Iraq (Original Post) Cali_Democrat Jun 2014 OP
I'll Fucking Bet. nt onehandle Jun 2014 #1
if we beg hard enough Enrique Jun 2014 #2
too busy contemplating his toes in the bathtub. deminks Jun 2014 #3
"“President Bush has vowed not to criticize his successor and does not have a comment,” DeadLetterOffice Jun 2014 #4
Precisely KeepItReal Jun 2014 #9
Go paint a fucking duck! brucefan Jun 2014 #5
Chickenhawk Shrub doesn't want to face his genocide. Dawson Leery Jun 2014 #6
Of course he won't, but stand by for the Cheneys. And Rummy probably. nt babylonsister Jun 2014 #7
Criticize? How about F*ing apologizing to the world? WhiteTara Jun 2014 #8
"President Bush has vowed not to criticize his successor and does not have a comment" canuckledragger Jun 2014 #10
Exactly the attitude Kerry had that gave Bush a 2nd term. Then the grades came out from Yale and 24601 Jun 2014 #14
I don't know really... canuckledragger Jun 2014 #15
Kerry had better family connections The Second Stone Jun 2014 #20
You all do realize how ridiculous this arguement (Bush vs Kerry Ivy League maddiemom Jun 2014 #27
Bush was a reasonable speaker as governor Reter Jun 2014 #24
I don't discount all the hate. There is no hate goup that surpasses DU when it comes to GWB. But 24601 Jun 2014 #37
What exactly does this little red herring sulphurdunn Jun 2014 #17
Kerry's grades did not reflect his abilities karynnj Jun 2014 #36
Well George Bush speaks Tex-Mex. So there's that! Hassin Bin Sober Jun 2014 #38
they were both the last of the all-legacy classes when grades didn't matter yurbud Jun 2014 #40
It's a painful lesson. The result of voters staying home in 2000. ffr Jun 2014 #11
and every corporate Dem in office is the anti-GOTV by doing the opposite of what they were elected yurbud Jun 2014 #41
He is afraid he will be charged with war crimes liberal N proud Jun 2014 #12
Fuck the Supreme Court or whoever it was that allowed him to win without the popular vote. Lobo27 Jun 2014 #13
Better to stay silent and be thought an idiot than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt? Thor_MN Jun 2014 #16
There was a criticism from Bush in that statement. Kingofalldems Jun 2014 #18
Who cares what that asswipe moron thinks? tabasco Jun 2014 #19
Stay the Course tom_kelly Jun 2014 #21
I can't stand how his presidency was, but I must say he's been alright since leaving office Reter Jun 2014 #22
Uh, yeah...this is an interesting point; too late to matter now. maddiemom Jun 2014 #28
“President Bush has vowed not to criticize his successor and does not have a comment,” YOHABLO Jun 2014 #23
Smartest thing he has done yet! /nt Ash_F Jun 2014 #25
Translation thelordofhell Jun 2014 #26
stay on the ranch hibbing Jun 2014 #29
Maybe a reporter will get a comment from him as he's stepping in an elevator and the door closes aint_no_life_nowhere Jun 2014 #30
Good. He should keep his f***ing mouth shut. Raphael Campos Jun 2014 #31
I'll weigh in BeyondGeography Jun 2014 #32
WTF!!! heaven05 Jun 2014 #33
"President Bush has vowed not to criticize his successor" says it all. Dubya should LoisB Jun 2014 #34
He knows deep down inside the immense damage he's caused. antiGOPin294 Jun 2014 #35
Gawd told chimpy to STFU? Amonester Jun 2014 #39
He ordered Blair to do it for him. DavidDvorkin Jun 2014 #42
He'll avoid taking any blame Marthe48 Jun 2014 #43
"Engaged"!?!?!?!??! LiberalElite Jun 2014 #44

DeadLetterOffice

(1,352 posts)
4. "“President Bush has vowed not to criticize his successor and does not have a comment,”
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 08:27 PM
Jun 2014

Translation: If he DID open his mouth, it would be to criticize.

Asshole.

WhiteTara

(29,676 posts)
8. Criticize? How about F*ing apologizing to the world?
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 08:31 PM
Jun 2014

Why isn't he in the Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity?

canuckledragger

(1,632 posts)
10. "President Bush has vowed not to criticize his successor and does not have a comment"
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 08:52 PM
Jun 2014

First off, he's not intelligent enough to criticize Obama...and has absolutely no fucking standing ground at ALL to criticize anyone's handling of Iraq and would do well to KEEP his lying mouth shut for good.

24601

(3,940 posts)
14. Exactly the attitude Kerry had that gave Bush a 2nd term. Then the grades came out from Yale and
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 09:21 PM
Jun 2014

Bush's were better. Is that why Kerry resisted releasing them?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4684384

"Now a reminder that we are not always what we appear to be, at least not in our college days. The 2004 presidential election pitted two graduates of Yale against each other: John Kerry, who was seen as the intellectual, and George Bush, famously a C student. Well, it turns out that John Kerry's grades at Yale were nearly identical to those of President Bush. Today The Boston Globe made Kerry's college transcript public for the first time. The paper had sought the information during the campaign. Late last month Kerry authorized the Navy to release his record, which included his college transcript."

"The Globe reports that the senator's cumulative grade in four years at Yale was a 76. And the number on President Bush's transcript: 77. While John Kerry declined to release his grades during the race for the White House, President Bush has made political art out of his C-student label."

canuckledragger

(1,632 posts)
15. I don't know really...
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 09:27 PM
Jun 2014

Bush Jr. has a documented history of family connections covering for him over and over again...what percentage of those grades were due to cheating and/or pressure put on certain teachers?

Although that could just be my bias showing. I really do hate the irresponsible, lying, privileged asshole.

On the other hand though, those family connections were enough to get the supreme court to steal an election for him...what are a few teachers and grades compared to that?

 

The Second Stone

(2,900 posts)
20. Kerry had better family connections
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 09:40 PM
Jun 2014

at least on the Forbes side, if not also on the Kerry side. When W was a college student his grandpa had been a US Senator and he was a descendent of one or two US Presidents.

maddiemom

(5,106 posts)
27. You all do realize how ridiculous this arguement (Bush vs Kerry Ivy League
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 11:59 PM
Jun 2014

grades) is at this point, don't you?

 

Reter

(2,188 posts)
24. Bush was a reasonable speaker as governor
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 11:30 PM
Jun 2014

He even seemed to have his own opinions, and used big words too lol. Then something happened around 1999 or 2000. Almost like early Dementia.

24601

(3,940 posts)
37. I don't discount all the hate. There is no hate goup that surpasses DU when it comes to GWB. But
Sun Jun 15, 2014, 11:10 AM
Jun 2014

letting hate replace rational thought at the level here leads to the kind of mistakes that cost elections. Interesting to study hate through the writing of the generations before us:

Reg: All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
Attendee: Brought peace?
Reg: Oh, peace - shut up!
Reg: There is not one of us who would not gladly suffer death to rid this country of the Romans once and for all.
Dissenter: Uh, well, one.
Reg: Oh, yeah, yeah, there's one. But otherwise, we're solid.

Brian: Excuse me. Are you the Judean People's Front?
Reg: Fuck off! 'Judean People's Front'. We're the People's Front of Judea! 'Judean People's Front'.
Francis: Wankers.

Reg: If you want to join the People's Front of Judea, you have to really hate the Romans.
Brian: I do!
Reg: Oh yeah, how much?
Brian: A lot!
Reg: Right, you're in.

documentary/historical source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079470/trivia?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu

 

sulphurdunn

(6,891 posts)
17. What exactly does this little red herring
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 09:28 PM
Jun 2014

have to do with Bush criticizing Obama by having his flack say he won't criticize him?

karynnj

(59,475 posts)
36. Kerry's grades did not reflect his abilities
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 04:37 PM
Jun 2014

Kerry had some very bad grades in his Freshman year. He improved them in the following three years. Bush was about the same in each and every year. (In stories on his childhood, that COULD even have been adjusting to what succeeds. One comment made about the European school he attended was that his mother was told that it would be better if he were not the best in everything - academics, sports, skiing etc. He was an over achiever in high school as well.)

In Tour of Duty - before the grades were out when asked about his college work, Kerry said he was competent, but not conscientious. He added that he had far too many extracurricular activities - he played 4 sports, was President of the Student Union in both his Junior and Senior years and he was the star debater - not just for his Yale team, but for the entire Ivy League. In his senior year, he learned how to fly a plane. The excerpts of his journal that were quoted in Tour of Duty show he was very well read and extremely good at writing, with a solid background in history.

One thing to consider is that though he was fluent in French since childhood, he got a C in his Freshman year in French. Yet, his French is good enough that to facilitate a last minute resolution of a problem on the interim agreement with Iraq between the French and the Iranians and there was no immediately available translator for the French FM, Kerry suggested negotiating in French - which all three knew well enough. In his recent visit to Brittany, he spoke to the town in French and per a French friend, his French is excellent.

His elementary and high school teachers called him as smart as they come. It really looks like the very young Kerry with the huge increase in freedom that college gave, likely blew off going to some classes. Even in his freshman year, Yale did not seem concerned enough with his grades to push him to drop some of the sports. He was chosen by Yale to give the valedictory address because of his excellent work with the debate team. His speech - rewritten and reviewed by no one in the administration - was quoted by Madeline Albright in a 2006 book on foreign policy because it impressed her and was before its time.

I watched many Senate committee meetings. Watching the meetings, you see who is dependent on their staff and really knows little beyond the questions written for them. Kerry is one, who on the SFRC, Finance, Small Business or Commerce committees, always asked focused, short, tough questions and when they were answered, his follow up questions were very good. (Senator Lugar often let him exceed time limits telling him to continue as the questions were productive.) Another clue is that his peers, in later comments or questions, often referenced Kerry's points. There is no doubt that he is a brilliant man.

In fact, most in my generation first saw him when he spoke before the SFRC. I know that my peers at Indiana University were impressed and there were more than a few comments that it seemed that he was older than the small number of years that actually divided us. I watched him in the dorm's TV room along with many others, when Morey Safer asked if he wanted to be President, no one thought the question far fetched given that he was 27.

yurbud

(39,405 posts)
40. they were both the last of the all-legacy classes when grades didn't matter
Sun Jun 15, 2014, 04:34 PM
Jun 2014

once the peons got in on merit, people started looking at little details like that.

ffr

(22,649 posts)
11. It's a painful lesson. The result of voters staying home in 2000.
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 09:17 PM
Jun 2014

What a piece of trash!

G.O.T.V. 2014

Every vote counts!

yurbud

(39,405 posts)
41. and every corporate Dem in office is the anti-GOTV by doing the opposite of what they were elected
Sun Jun 15, 2014, 04:36 PM
Jun 2014

to do on most issues.

liberal N proud

(60,302 posts)
12. He is afraid he will be charged with war crimes
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 09:20 PM
Jun 2014

Thinks if he keeps quite, they will forget he was responsible.

 

Thor_MN

(11,843 posts)
16. Better to stay silent and be thought an idiot than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt?
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 09:27 PM
Jun 2014

That ship sailed years ago...

tom_kelly

(951 posts)
21. Stay the Course
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 09:43 PM
Jun 2014

I remember him using that over and over again "stay the course." It should be thrown around now to those R chickenhawks. Tell them we should stay the f'n course.

 

Reter

(2,188 posts)
22. I can't stand how his presidency was, but I must say he's been alright since leaving office
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 11:27 PM
Jun 2014

Unlike Cheney, he never criticizes the President (that I remember any way). It's almost like he doesn't care. Almost like he was never president.

 

YOHABLO

(7,358 posts)
23. “President Bush has vowed not to criticize his successor and does not have a comment,”
Fri Jun 13, 2014, 11:30 PM
Jun 2014

In my day, we called that A COP OUT !!! He doesn't want to set himself up for criticism. Of course he's going to keep his pie hole shut

hibbing

(10,076 posts)
29. stay on the ranch
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 12:38 AM
Jun 2014

Whoops, I mean stay in your mansion in your gated community and keep your mouth shut you lying, immoral sociopath.


Peace

aint_no_life_nowhere

(21,925 posts)
30. Maybe a reporter will get a comment from him as he's stepping in an elevator and the door closes
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 01:07 AM
Jun 2014

the way he opined so brilliantly on the 2012 Romney campaign.

 

heaven05

(18,124 posts)
33. WTF!!!
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 08:04 AM
Jun 2014

"vowed not to criticize his successor". He better keep that trap shut. But you can bet darth cheney will be making the rounds tomorrow.You do the right thing Mr. President. You know how to handle this with aplomb and integrity without lies.

LoisB

(7,079 posts)
34. "President Bush has vowed not to criticize his successor" says it all. Dubya should
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 01:23 PM
Jun 2014

be on a world-wide apology tour.

 

antiGOPin294

(53 posts)
35. He knows deep down inside the immense damage he's caused.
Sat Jun 14, 2014, 03:05 PM
Jun 2014

Now if only that moron would admit that invading that country in the first place was a big mistake. But I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Marthe48

(16,692 posts)
43. He'll avoid taking any blame
Sun Jun 15, 2014, 05:46 PM
Jun 2014

Bush won't criticize his successor? And refuses to take the blame for what he did. We picked strawberries with our young grand kids last week. We kept telling them to stop running with the buckets, but they didn't listen. When the 3 year old's bucket was nearly full, she ran with it, tripped and dumped the whole thing upside down. She immediately started crying and saying 'I didn't do it! I didn't do it!' She is 3 and we expect her to act like she's 3.
I don't expect denial and refusal to take responsibility from an adult man who wanted to live in the White House so bad, he lied and cheated to get there and had violent henchmen intimidate people who tried to count ballots. Or what the hell, I guess I do.

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