Why was Reagan better than Bush?

[Drake Tungsten]

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/007669.php

[Ted Striker]

It proves that Franks doesn't agree with Bush and even his plans weren't the greatest.

It proves Bush's "plan" for postwar Iraq doesn't exist, as Lugar said, it's just a generalization. It shows that he and Rumsfeld completely ignored the advice of the experts and tried to do it on the cheap.

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/007669.php

That's nice. I liked how Franks stuttered out his answer.

["Of course we had a plan to lead a coalition to take out Saddam"] (repeats it 4 times)

But he never says exactly what the plan is. Again, lots of generalizations.

So what was/is the plan anyway?

[Drake Tungsten]

It proves Bush's "plan" for postwar Iraq doesn't exist, as Lugar said, it's just a generalization.

WTF kind of plan were you expecting? Any plan for postwar Iraq had to be general in nature, since a specific plan is unlikely to survive the first day of real world application, let alone the years it is going to take to rebuild Iraq. General guidelines and goals are what are needed, not worthless day-by-day plans that will never happen.

So what was the plan anyway?

Ask Franks or Bush. I don't get the classified war plans, oddly enough.

[Ted Striker]

Even so, Franks doesn't want to criticize the President because he will always be associated with Iraq so of course he isn't going to speak bad about it, even though he blasts Rumsfeld in his book.

Meanwhile we have 3 GOP Senators who are saying, in Hagel's words, ""is beyond pitiful. It's beyond embarrassing. It is now in the zone of dangerous."

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

So what was the plan anyway?

Ask Franks or Bush. I don't get the classified war plans, oddly enough.

How is building a Democracy part of war plan anyway? This is post war.

[Drake Tungsten]

Meanwhile we have 3 GOP Senators who are saying, in Hagel's words, ""is beyond pitiful. It's beyond embarrassing. It is now in the zone of dangerous."

I know Hagel better than you and, while I like the guy and think he's a good Senator, he does tend to go a bit overboard in the grandstanding that is part and parcel to being a Senator. He's also jockeying to be the Republican nominee for President in 2008. He may be making a good point, but his over-the-top hyperbole isn't helping anybody and is frankly embarrassing to some of his constituents (namely, me).

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
[
WTF kind of plan were you expecting? Any plan for postwar Iraq had to be general in nature, since a specific plan is unlikely to survive the first day of real world application, let alone the years it is going to take to rebuild Iraq. General guidelines and goals are what are needed, not worthless day-by-day plans that will never happen.

Oh, let's see, getting the army up and running to provide security would have been a nice start. (Your boy Franks asked for this).

Spending the money that was appropriated for reconstruction projects.

Letting all companies bid on projects.

Making sure that Iraqis were given a large part of the reconstruction jobs.

These can all be put to timelines.

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

Meanwhile we have 3 GOP Senators who are saying, in Hagel's words, ""is beyond pitiful. It's beyond embarrassing. It is now in the zone of dangerous."

I know Hagel better than you and, while I like the guy and think he's a good Senator, he does tend to go a bit overboard in the grandstanding that is part and parcel to being a Senator. He's also jockeying to be the Republican nominee for President in 2008. He may be making a good point, but his over-the-top hyperbole is helping anybody and is frankly embarrassing to some of his constituents (namely, me).

And your explanation for Lugar and McCain? Are they also grandstanding for reelection bids? All 3 of them? And Biden too?

Why would these guys say those things 1 month before the election against their own leader?

Pure speculation on your part.

[Drake Tungsten]

Oh, let's see, getting the army up and running to provide security would have been a nice start. (Your boy Franks asked for this).

Spending the money that was appropriated for reconstruction projects.

Letting all companies bid on projects.

Making sure that Iraqis were given a large part of the reconstruction jobs.

That's a pretty general plan, Ted...

[Ted Striker]

It's alot more specific than the one you provided.

Or Bush either.

[Drake Tungsten]

Are they also grandstanding for reelection bids?

I never said Hagel was grandstanding for an election bid. He's grandstanding because he's a Senator and that's what Senators do. The fact that he wants to build his name recognition for 2008 merely gives him even more of a reason to give in to his natural urge to grandstand.

Pure speculation on your part.

The majority of this thread is pure speculation...

[Drake Tungsten]

It's alot more specific than the one you provided.

I didn't provide one...

Or Bush either.

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

I never said Hagel was grandstanding for an election bid. He's grandstanding because he's a Senator and that's what Senators do. The fact that he wants to build his name recognition for 2008 merely gives him even more of a reason to give in to his natural urge to grandstand.

Which has absolutley nothing to do with the points that all of them made, several of them factual, including:

They have only spent 1 out 18 billion dollars they were appropriated to spend.

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

It's alot more specific than the one you provided.

I didn't provide one...

Exactly my point.