The Adults are Back In Charge

Oliver Willis Is Trying to Turn Me Into A Ranting Idiot

ArchPundit September 25, 2004 0 Comment

Oh, good, the former Sec Def and current VP was giving a speech to the creationists at the Discovery Institute. Even worse, he was right:

DICK CHENEY, SEATTLE WASHINGTON, 8/14/92:
“And the final point that I think needs to be made is this question of casualties. I don’t think you could have done all of that without significant additional US casualties. And while everybody was tremendously impressed with the low cost of the conflict, for the 146 Americans who were killed in action and for their families, it wasn’t a cheap war. And the question in my mind is how many additional American casualties is Saddam worth? And the answer is not very damned many. So I think we got it right, both when we decided to expel him from Kuwait, but also when the President made the decision that we’d achieved our objectives and we were not going to go get bogged down in the problems of trying to take over and govern Iraq.” [Cheney Remarks to the Discovery Institute, Seattle, WA, 8/14/92]

Halliburton: Incompetent or Corrupt

ArchPundit May 18, 2004 0 Comment

Such a dandy choice, but reading this report on the Pentagon withholding $160 million for meals the Pentagon claims were not served suggests an either or proposition….

The auditors cited Halliburton for having inadequate methods to oversee its spending and its work with subcontractors.

So either they didn’t provide the meals or they can’t account for them properly.

The adults are back in charge, indeed.

Other recent problems:

==Allegations of a kickback scheme by two former workers in Kuwait that prompted Halliburton to reimburse the Pentagon $6.3 million.

==Faulty cost estimates on the $2.7 billion contract to serve troops in Iraq, including failing to tell the Pentagon that KBR fired two subcontractors. KBR admitted those mistakes in a letter to the DCAA.

==A separate DCAA audit that accused KBR of overcharging by $61 million for gasoline delivered to serve the civilian market in Iraq last year. Halliburton has said the charges were proper.

Me Too

ArchPundit May 13, 2004 2 Comments

Via the Stakeholder

Friedman channels me. Only I kind of got there a few months ago

I admit, I’m a little slow. Because I tried to think about something as deadly serious as Iraq, and the post- 9/11 world, in a nonpartisan fashion ? as Joe Biden, John McCain and Dick Lugar did ? I assumed the Bush officials were doing the same. I was wrong. They were always so slow to change course because confronting their mistakes didn’t just involve confronting reality, but their own politics.

I guess that makes me a little less slow than Friedman. Feint praise for myself….

What Does It Take to Be an Adult

ArchPundit May 11, 2004 1 Comment

The beginning of this administration had the irritating screed that the adults were back in charge and now things would be run right by such blowhards as Peggy Noonan.

So let’s review the record of one Adult

1) Through undermanning the invasion of Afghanistan allowed top Al Quaeda leadership (you know–the folks who actually attacked America directly) escape at Tora Bora

2) He created an insular group of advisers that refused to pay attention to the uniformed officers in the Pentagon. This created a bureaucratic echo chamber which criticism did not exist.

3) He and his team were taken in by a long time con-man who fed them faulty intelligence

4) He failed to inform the Commander-in-Chief and the Appropriate Legislative Oversight Committees of a scandal that would rock the world. He didn’t even bother with the issue until he heard the full story in the media

5) He ignored a former General and current Cabinet Member’s warning about the Abuse

6) He failed to plan for looting in “Post” war Iraq and then had the gall to insist it wasn’t serious

7) He has insulted historical allies (and no I’m not talking about France) leaving us with less international support in reconstruction

8) He underestimated troop strength in Iraq for the long haul leading to excessive burdens on our troops. This occurred even though the Army Chief of Staff warned against the troop levels being inadequate.

But The President says, he has done a “superb job”.

Is part of being an adult, denying the obvious?

It’s time for Rumsfeld to go. It’s well past time. Mr. President, restore honor and dignity to the Post of Secretary of Defense.

Too often the Democratic Party and its related committees have been to timid in taking on tough positions. But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has gotten tough lately, both on DeLay and now on Rumsfeld. Reward that good behavior and show the party where you stand–sign the petition calling for Rumsfeld’s petition and if you can, reward them with some cash. They were out in front on this issue. And they continue. There aren’t many issues in which the DCCC is leading and yet in agreement with Novak and George Will.

I’m not Atrios–I’m not as liberal as he is–in fact, you might remember I supported the war until relatively recently, but I’m damn glad to see the party showing a backbone–if you are make sure they know that as well.

Who Said It?

ArchPundit April 23, 2004 3 Comments

“The new administration seems to be paying no attention to the problem of terrorism. What they will do is stagger along until there’s a major incident and then suddenly say, ‘Oh, my God, shouldn’t we be organized to deal with this?’ That’s too bad. They’ve been given a window of opportunity with very little terrorism now, and they’re not taking advantage of it. Maybe the folks in the press ought to be pushing a little bit.”

Groan. When the Reader gets this kind of story…

Click the link to get your answer and then start hitting your head on your desk. It’ll hurt less.

In other news, the administration blithely ignores the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. The Adults are Back In Charge.

Dick Lugar Speaks

ArchPundit April 6, 2004 10 Comments

There are few people I respect more in Washington than Dick Lugar. There are issues I disagree with him on–especially in domestic affairs, but in foreign affairs I’m pretty much in agreement with the guy. We’d probably differ on Latin American policies in the 1980s, but that is another issue.

Sunday, something that has gotten far too little coverage was said by Lugar:

But when Foreign Relations Chairman Richard Lugar was asked Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” whether less than three months would be too soon to hand over political power in the strife-torn nation, he said, “It may be, and I think it’s probably time to have that debate.”

Lugar said too that the Bush administration had yet to share with him its plans for a U.S. ambassador to Iraq or how to select and protect the estimated 3,000 necessary embassy staff.

“At this point,” he said, “I would have thought there would have been a more comprehensive plan.”

Having decided Iraqis would hold elections before writing a constitution, it would perhaps be consistent for the president to hand over governance of the country before it’s governable.

Lugar, Hagel, and Biden have worked together as a strong team in trying to get the President to plan better. I think the time has come to level with the American people that we will be there for a long time. For some time now, Lugar has argued for a minimum of five years. Given all the problems with the President’s prior plans, isn’t it time to consult with some of the wise old men around Washington?

I supported this war. I now regret that, but that is pointless to dwell on now in terms of going forward (not that there aren’t political ramifications). We have no choice, but to make Iraq work now and trying to do it exceptionally fast is folly. If we don’t get Iraq right we will see a scenario unfold that is unacceptable.

A) another strong man will arise who is relatively secular and brutal
B) A Shia Republic will be formed similar to Iran, but potentially more radical
C) Partition sending Turkey and Syria into land rushes
D) Civil War that could easily provide a haven to Al Qaeda or a similar group–ironically creating a link between Iraq and Al Qaeda

I view all of these as unacceptable from both humanitarian and strategic perspectives.