Yet, at night, he weeps. (according to Vanity Fair article this month) Can you imagine? Bush in his jammies sobbing like a child as Laura lights up another Marlboro, and rolls her eyes.

egon

"OK, throw another $50 billion down the rat hole that is the Iraq occupation. It's only money . . ."

Actually, it's not money at all, it's debt to be paid off by our grandchildren. One condition the Democrats should insist upon--before they cave in again--is that Republicans specify WHOSE taxes will be raised by HOW MUCH and WHEN in order to pay for this $50 B increment.

I have to think that only the idiot soldiers mugged with Bush. The others were hiding away with wry faces. Right?
They must have been new-arrivals. Somehow I doubt you would get a similar picture with double-amputees at Walter Reed.

I think COMarc's suggestion to save that picture is a very good one. Maybe we can use it in the future. Along similar lines, I was seized today with an image of a hundred or more people holding a gigantic banner on the sidewalks of DC. In the middle would be that picture. The rest of the banner would be filled with pictures of dead and maimed men, women and children in Iraq, soldiers at VA hospitals with half their bodies blown off, caskets coming home, while Bush smiles and giggles... of course the pictures of reality have been hard to find, but it could be done. This picture of Bush should have been flagged as "obscene" by media watchdogs and Bush's face blotted out like tits and ass are (used to be) on family television.

Assbrains everywhere love Bush. Look at them grinning along with his moronic smiley face. It could be a WalMart ad. If these are "troops," who needs random dumbasses to make Amuricans believe in the "surge" or any other buttload of bullcrap. Next there should be a shot of them all keg partying around mounds of dead Iraqis. And American soldiers, for what it's worth, which ain't much.

Why don't we just start an open rebellion? I'd like to see the smile on that ass's face then.

Molotov cocktail, anyone?

Why do I hear laughing coming from the caves in Pakistan?

Numbers may be boring but it helps to put them in perspective.

There is a website where you can see how far the funding for Iraq would go to paying for other things in our society. It is very interesting:

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/Cost-of-War/Cost-of-War-3.html

He is a sociopath, that's why!!

The president is a crack-head that was probably snorting coke while on the way to Iraq. The guy must have been high to see any rosy pictures in Iraq.

Has Blackwater agreed to completely privatized the war for the additional $50 billion?

LOL ahro, maybe we should insist on random drug testing of our elected officials? I mean we all have to be subjected to it, why are they better?

One of Rove's more clever moves was to have Bush fund items for show that Bush could talk about to mislead the gullible masses. Bush could fund some project, just to make something up say "healthcare for infants," with a price tag of $100 thousand, and Rove would have him talk about that rather than some other project, say "corporate welfare for defense contractors," with a price tag of $100 billion, and that would convince the typical braindead American that the US was spending/wasting most of its money on infant healthcare and maybe we should save money by cutting that.

Maybe part of the problem is the use of base 10 so 1,000 looks too much like 1,000,000 or 1,000,000,000 or 1,000,000,000,000 and people do not fully appreciate the change in magnitude? Maybe Americans could better understand the magnitude of the budgetary numbers if they were represented in base 2, where ("=" used to stand for roughly equals):
1,000 (base 10) = 10,000,000,000 (base 2)
1,000,000 (base 10) = 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 (base 2)
1,000,000,000 (base 10) = 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (base 2)
and
1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion in base 10) = 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (base 2)

He is smiling because he just saved 20% on car insurance by switching to Geico.

The experience should remind him of the male cheerleading days on the sidelines.

Of course he is smiling. He's deranged!

Bush was never in Iraq. It was all staged, probably at a Blackwater compound in some desert near Crawford.

I'm sure he's smiling because more than a few of those unaccounted for millions and billions that have been going missing in recent years have likely been rerouted to his own offshore bank accounts.

Don't worry. Be happy. Organize a riot at a federal building near you.

what is the tab for the broken lives, bodies, minds and spirits? both there and here.

impeach the crew. do it now!

KEY POINT: "While U.S. troops spill blood to guard broken oil pipelines, the Chinese and others go merrily about the world buying up black gold on the open market."

This is no laughing matter...make no mistake about it....The CHINESE will have the last laugh and Bu$h will be finally arrested and locked up in a PSYCHIATRIC UNIT where he belongs...

"I mean we all have to be subjected to it, why are they better?"

Actually, the federal government is the first employer where I haven't had to pee in a jar as a condition of employment - since this whole insulting drug testing crap started in the 1980's anyway.

Excuse the digression, but young people mowadays probably aren't even aware that in the 1960's-70's no one would have imagined people would tolerate a urine test as a routine employent requirement.

Rights are always removed bit by bit.

"…and, wanting Bush to hang himself with his own rope, they will deny him nothing."

No. I don't buy that. In the first place Bush cannot run for office, anyway. If anyone is going to hang himself or herself, they're the Democrats who had the power of the purse, but failed to exercise it.

If I had the power to use your tax dollars for my failed pet project, I would smile too.

A Prayer:

"Please God,
-or Satan,
(or whoever this lunatic Bush in cahoots with)
Please take him back,
Very, very soon,
We can't afford,
Such insanity as his,
On this planet,
For one minute longer..."

That one may smile and smile and be a villain.....

He was a cheerleader in college. He still is. That's his role.

Please do not insult all the excellent Cheer Leaders that are out there . . .
This man is Sub Human . . .

Let him smile now -- the game is up for all intents and purposes.

Bush has the characteristic severe low browline of Java Man. This is indeed evidence that he might be recent kin to our ancient progenitors.

Correction:

" Remember when Paul Wolfowitz, then the Pentagon's resident neocon genius ?"

Remember when Paul Wolfowitz, The PNAC pro-Israeli Likud party Zionist ex-DOD insider military industrial warwonger , then the Pentagon's resident neocon genius.

Amazing, Israel has a European standard of living with national health care and Americans are dying and paying for the promotion of their grand designs along with $Billions every year in unaccounted for "foreign aid" and weapons creating new enemies for America every day.

Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of a President is the title of a 2004 book by psychoanalyst Justin Frank. The central premise of Frank's book is that President George W. Bush, as an untreated alcoholic, is in constant danger of a relapse. Further, in Frank's opinion, Bush manifests the symptoms of a dry drunk, principally irritability, judgmentalism and a rigid, unadaptable world view.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_on_the_Couch

I'd rather have a colonoscopy than have my picture circulated with that iniquitous miscreant's arm around my neck.

He's crying on the inside

Save that picture.

In the future, some of those soldiers will be dead in combat. Others will be wounded and maimed trying to recover in Walter Reed. Others will be trying to deal with PTSD and trying to adjust to life in an economy where Bush has sent all the jobs overseas. Others still will be trying to come to terms with the things they had to do while serving for Bush in Iraq, such as killing and torturing other innocent people.

Save that picture. In the future, the question of "why is this man smiling?" will be even more poignant.

.....because he is being fondled by three blonds?

He's thinking of his retirement - just as Rudolf Hess did.

I don't believe Bush was on crack or drinking when he decided to go to war. Just terminally stupid and uneducated.

Its plain Bush, and also none of his advisors, knew anything about Iraq. The fact that Bush was still clueless on the difference between Sunni and Shite years after the invasion speaks volumes. And despite doing political work for his daddy and the Republicans, he obviously knew little of the history of the last 10-15 years in Iraq either.

Iraq was a country that was proud to have thrown off its colonial rulers. It had its own revolution against the puppets of the British crown, and like any such country it was proud that it had won its independence.

Fast forward to 1991. We bombed the hell out of the cities in Iraq in the first Gulf War. Go read the accounts of people who were in Oklahoma City when McVey set off his bomb. Now picture what it must be like to be in a city where there are multiple such explosions night after night. Even if they don't come anywhere close to you, its still nerve wracking. Then remember that even when we successfully target say a telephone exchange, we still typically take out surrounding buildings as 'colateral damage.' So picture being bombed night after night. Picture living in a city where all the basic services, water, electricity, sewers etc are destroyed. Picture knowing people who had the misfortune of living near one of these targets and who are now dead. Now ask yourself, are you going to love the people who did this to your city?

Now picture a decade of sanctions. Where food and medicines are in short supply. Where a thriving middle class is destroyed by what this has done to the economy, where that former middle class has to slowly sell off its possessions to survive? Picture doctors and engineers selling their reference books because even though they've held on to them until the end thinking they'll need them again some day, instead the day has come when things are still no better and the last possessions must be sold to get the essentials of life. Picture a nation where 5000 children a month are dying because of the sanctions. Now ask yourself, are you going to love the people who did this to you?

Now listen to the morons who surround Bush, and their talk of being greeted as liberators when they arrive in the country? Think of that with the knowledge of the history of Iraq, its anti-colonial revolution, the years of being bombed by Americans, the years of sanctions by Americans. Picture that, and the idea of people throwing flowers at our feet is ludicrous. Instead the reaction was always much more likely to be "finally, after 15 years of bombing and sanctions there are Americans close enough that we can finally get our hands on them."

Know the history of Iraq, and what Bush and his cohorts planned is ludicrous. This is what happens when you put someone who got "gentleman C's" in college in charge.

Oh, and now picture Iran. Where the same idiots are saying if we bomb them, destroy the nuclear weapons plants that the country is proud of, maybe release radioactive materials on the people ... the same idiots are saying that the people of Iran will revolt against its revolution and go back to having nice complacent pro-western, pro-American rulers. Yeah right!

Comarc, you've got it wrong. Cheney runs the show and he KNEW we wouldn't be seen as liberators, he KNEW it would be a QUAGMIRE, and he KNEW that Iraq would break into a civil war. This is all part of the plan, they just wanted US to think we'd be greeted as liberators so they could get our troops in there...

Why is Bush Smiling? Because like all tyrants throughout history, he loves power and oppression. Ruining people's lives makes him happy. It's a pattern for him, too. I'm willing to bet that he'll never be held to account for all the lives he's destroyed. It's craziness!

Bush and his fellow psychopathic ilk knew clearly about the quagmire that awaited them in Iraq. Partial proof that Bush's excellent adventure in Iraq was being planned shortly after Bush took over the White House in January, 2000 can be supported by the design of Millennium Challenge 2002, the largest and most expensive "war game" in history, which ended up costing WE THE PEOPLE $250 million.

In the Spring of 2000, shortly after the National Nightmare known as the Bush Administration took over the White House, and months PRIOR to September 11, 2001, the Pentagon began its planning of Millennium Challenge.

Here is an excerpt from Malcolm Gladwell's excellent book, Blink: "According to the Millennium scenario, a rogue military commander had broken away from his government somewhere in the Persian Gulf and was threatening to engulf the entire region in war. He had a considerable power base from strong religious and ethnic loyalties, and he was harboring and sponsoring four different terrorist organizations. He was virulently anti-American...." Sounds eerily familiar to the propaganda Bush/Cheney used to sell the American Public on an ouster of Saddam Hussein to me. In fact, Gladwell adds, "This was more than an experiment. As became clear less than a year later--when the United States invaded a Middle Eastern state with a rogue commander who had a strong ethnic power base and was thought to be harboring terrorists--this was a full dress rehearsal for war."

Here's the kicker. The idea of the war game was to demonstrate the power of US military might and technology by quickly defeating a clearly inferior, rag-tag group of insurgents (Iraqis) who lacked "every toy in the Pentagon's arsenal." However, that's not what happened. Instead, the mighty US was DEFEATED roundly by the purely conventional rogue enemy under the direction of retired US Marine Corps General Paul Van Riper. Hmmmmm, sound familiar?

Clearly surprised and dismayed at its inability to defeat the primitive enemy, the US government, in perhaps a precursor to its current practice of lying with impunity, creating its own reality, and ignoring historical perspective, decided to 're-script' the chain of events that led to its defeat and, instead, declared itself victor of Millennium Challenge 2002. Unbelievable? Outrageous? I thought so too, at first, but after nearly seven years of watching this unconscionable pack of crooks and liars brazenly operate and profit from their organized crime syndicate while ordinary Americans barely survive, nothing surprises me--except the Congressional Democrats' sycophantic obsequiousness to these charlatans.

This is a true story. Google it. This just illustrates that the US under Bush was preparing to attack Iraq in the Spring of 2000. It also proves the depths the Bush Administration will reach to assault American sensibilities and deceive them into believing the myth of American exceptionalism and virtuosity while invading and occupying a once sovereign nation that never attacked us.

The bigger question is, Why are those mindless troops smiling--or even agreeing to be in a photo with the guy who would so willingly send them to their deaths? Something's wrong with this picture.

Giovanna:
had forgotten that piece of history, although I can remember following it with interest at the time..
Thanks for the refresher..
ken

Ken, I'm surprised, but glad, you had even heard of the Millennium Challenge story. Most people I know have not. Like nearly every piece of important information that casts a pall over the Bush Administration, it was essentially ignored by the abberation known as the 'mainstream media.' Fortunately, International newspapers such as The Guardian covered this one. It's sad, but with rare exception, Americans have to rely on international news organizations and cable sites such as Common Dreams to obtain real investigative journalism and reasoned opinion essays. In the US 'MSM', all we get is political and corporate propaganda and celebrity gossip. It's pathetic.

http://www.bushorchimp.com/

There is a sub-class of idiots known as Impossibly Profound Idiots whose greatest goal in life is to outsmart Mere Idiots.

When IPI's fail, they struggle with serious drooling problems.

When they succeed, as Bush has done with the American Public, they sometimes smile.

Why is THIS man angry?! If only everyone in the media had such courage.
http://rawstory.com//news/2007/Olbermann_commentary_mocks_Bush_War_today_0905.html

A nicer photo op would've been at Walter Reed,so he can see what he has done........

Cripe. What an embarrassment to the troops. I was in Iraq for a year and each time a dignatary came into town, they sent me the opposite direction. I would have asked the questions they did not want asked.
Why are we here?
Why did you lie?
Why did so many American believe the lies from the beginning?
Are you planning on only staying in the country after your out of office due to coming indictments for war crimes?
Do you feel any remorse for the death that you have caused?

bush or chimp

that should be a poll as to who you'd rather finish out the remaining time as president

The real question should be "why are these war criminal troops laughing"???

How many innocent Iraqis have you killed today, you US war criminal soldier?

It is beyond me how anyone can pose with this War Criminal in Chief.

Bring our troops home and prosecute them for war crimes.

Historical lessons, current events, and rational interpretation of intellegence have normally precluded egotism & theocracy for major decisions in our republic. Unfortunately, this is not the case now.

The current administration is manipulated by ego, the energy cartel,& the radical religious right wing to extents never before experienced in our history. The ill conceived invasion of Iraq, the plans to provide arms to some Middle East Countries, current suggestion to invade Iran, & the dreadful war on our environment are only some examples.

Unless Americans begin reacting to logic rather than rhetoric, and take back our country from this illegally placed administration now, the rights that we have enjoyed for two centuries may evaporate--and Americans we can blame themselves for this