Now you see how bush and the media will frame this - as closure.

The media will downgrade the insurgency in importance, and Bush's continued rule will be treated as deserved and inevitable.

This is going to be a rough week - the Dems just have to try and weather it, and stay focused on economic issues.

LOL

was found as his own escape hatch from Iraq.

As long as people think we are "winning"... Buscho will try hard to push that image for 11 months. His numbers went down after the first "mission accomplished" and violence continued, it's going to be interesting to see how this plays out the second time around.

This admin is quick to trump up victory in the press but our troops are still being disabled every day and now 40% of our military is not ready for combat...all based on a manufactured threat that was NOT imminent and has clearly NOT managed terrorism nor eliminated it.

I only see opportunity. It's time to tell the public who installed Saddam in the first place. It's time to tell them who has been trading with him all the time that he was under economic sanction. It's time to put the spotlight on his American accomplices:evilgrin:

The American press? hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! Good one! We'll never hear a peep about Reagan's and Bush the elder's role in creating this monster in the first place.

The insurgency isn't going to stop--Saddam wasn't directing it, nor are suicide bombers blowing themselves up in his name.

The more they play this up as a final triumph, the more insistence that we bring home our troops. Most of the real experts I've read on the insurgency are dubious that Saddams death or capture would make that much difference on the ground. Which means that it is still a mess, and unless they clear up all these problems that have little or nothing to do with Saddam, the line is going to be "Well, we got Saddam, why are our guys still getting blown up over there?" Give it a couple of weeks.

It's actually bad timing for the Bush campaign. Funny, I was just thinking of posting on this yesterday--"Why I hope we catch Saddam sooner rather than later." Wish I'd done it--I'd have looked claivoyant or something. But my point was going to be the above: I've been reading a lot of sources who believe the insurgency doesn't depend on Saddam and won't stop with his capture. Hence whatever triump Bush gets out of nailing the bastard is going to be fairly shortlived. "Wait, I thought they told us it was Saddam behind all those attacks!" is going to be the line.

The one thing I didn't figure, though, was having him captured alive. If they are smart, they'll be able to use an extended war crimes and human rights tribunal against him as a force for unifying Iraq and isolating the insurgents. That would be a GOOD thing, I have to keep reminding myself, despite the fact that it would also benefit Bush.

The Iraqis and the average Joe on the street are going to wonder why we are still in Iraq if Saddam is captured. The Iraqis are going to be thinking, "You captured Saddam, what are you still doing in my country?"
The situation in Iraq is going to get worse.

Then statements/questions like this may legitimately follow:

"That's great news, Mr. President! How soon will my husband (or wife or son or daughter or brother or sister) be coming home?"

Bring 'em on!

:evilgrin:
dbt

until wednesday

because on wednesday everyone will be taking the day off and going to LOTR (or if they arent, they should be)