NBC: 11 Republicans Berate Bush Over Iraq In Private White House Meeting

In a sign of the growing fissure between the White House and its congressional allies over the war, NBC News reports tonight that 11 Republican members of Congress pleaded yesterday with President Bush and his senior aides to change course in Iraq.

The group of Republicans was led by Reps. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Charlie Dent (R-PA), and the meeting included Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Karl Rove, and Tony Snow. One member of Congress called the discussion the “most unvarnished conversation they’ve ever had with the president,” and NBC’s Tim Russert said it “may have been a defining pivotal moment” in the Iraq debate.

Russert described the conversation:

(O)ne said “My district is prepared for defeat. We need candor, we need honesty, Mr. President.” The president responded, “I don’t want to pass this off to another president. I don’t want to pass this off, particularly, to a Democratic president,” underscoring he understood how serious the situation was.

Brian, the Republican congressman then went on to say, “The word about the war and its progress cannot come from the White House or even you, Mr. President. There is no longer any credibility. It has to come from Gen. Petraeus.” The meeting lasted an hour and 15 minutes and was, in the words of one, “remarkable for the bluntness and no-holds-barred honesty in the message delivered by all these Republican congressmen.”

From ThinkProgress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/09/iraq-meeting/

Monkey boy is gonna be pissed.

A shocking breach of the reality barrier.

Bush thinks he's is right and the entire world is wrong.

what a loony tune..

“The word about the war and its progress cannot come from the White House or even you, Mr. President. There is no longer any credibility."

This from REPUBLICANS!

Can you imagine the reaction by the Bushbots? Or by Fox News?

"Breaking News" banner... Top level private meeting - 11 congressmen tell the president he has lost credibility regarding the Iraqi war - candid talk with the prez.

Thanks again...details on KO now.

They usually break news like this right away.

..... when five or six senators pay a similar visit to Gin Blossom George, they'll be the same as the manager going to the mound ...... to yank the pitcher.

This is typical ...... this news is underreported and underrated in its importance.

True enough, the Republicans leaked this story (to play well with the home crowd?), but they know damned good and well that there is simply no more credibility left for this war and the surge - particularly at home. This was, in my opinion, a shot across the bow.

GOP Congressmen: Bush and White HOuse no longer have credibility on Iraq.

public relations campaign for next years election.

Do not believe the hype...they needed an excuse to send Cheney with a blood clot, all of sudden to Iraq to make sure the oil plans are taken care of, before the Iraq Parliament take a two month vacation.
How can anyone believe anything Russert/msm propagandist have to say?
Since when has Bush cared about the Democrat(repub speak) presidency, Bush 41 left a mess in Somalia for President Clinton!
This smells like a Rove misdirection spin! :eyes:

they are setting up Patreaus to be the spokesperson - as they are going to give him the credibility that he is on the ground in Iraq. This is just a smoke screen. Don't believe this. It is as you say - another Rove misdirection spin.

n/t

Until any of these alleged 11 come out and say in public what they allegedly said in private, I don't believe there's an ounce of seriousness to this report. Bush famously disregards anything said to him that he doesn't want to hear, and if these tools think for one second that their little palaver with Bush made one iota of difference in his "thinking," then they're even dumber than I think they think I am.

If any of these public servants truly think the White House has no credibility on the war, then it's time and past time for them to speak up publicly. But it won't happen, because of one simple, unassailable fact: The Elephant flies above the Eagle, and party and political considerations trump every other consideration. We can ruin our national defense, exhaust our national treasury, and squander our national prestige, but as long as it helps one Republican candidate somewhere, these cretins will keep following in lockstep behind their Daddy/Leader. They must. They have no choice. Years from now, when reminded of their slavish obedience, they will whine that deep in their hearts, they had teeny, tiny misgivings, but right now, when it counts, they won't act on it. Ever.

This story is just so much bullshit, and if NBC still had a news division, they'd never have run this.

... they'll blink before the Monkey King.