miscalculation & accountability

[CollectiveInterest]

What have been Bush's biggest policy decisions?

Did he miscalculate on these decisions?

Should he be held accountable?

Should Congressional Republicans also be held accountable?

[J. J.]

What have been Bush's biggest policy decisions?

Did he miscalculate on these decisions?

Should he be held accountable?

Should Congressional Republicans also be held accountable?

Was his major policy policy decision perfect?  NO.  Were any president's?  NO.

[CollectiveInterest]

What have been Bush's biggest policy decisions?

Did he miscalculate on these decisions?

Should he be held accountable?

Should Congressional Republicans also be held accountable?

Was his major policy policy decision perfect?  NO.  Were any president's?  NO.

So what were Bush's greatest miscalculations?

[J. J.]

What have been Bush's biggest policy decisions?

Did he miscalculate on these decisions?

Should he be held accountable?

Should Congressional Republicans also be held accountable?

Was his major policy policy decision perfect?  NO.  Were any president's?  NO.

So what were Bush's greatest miscalculations?

I would not characterize it as a miscalculation.

There was a choice in the Iraq invasion.  Go with the troops that they had, or attempt to bring in more troops.  The only way to do it would have been to enter, advance to the Euphrates around Nasiriyah, with the Marines and the 3rd ID.  They stop and wait for the 4th ID to unload.  They didn't have enough port facilities in Kuwait to deploy both at the same time.  Then, with about 25%-33% more forces, they take Baghdad in one enveloping movement, basically keeping the Iraqi Army/allied groups from melting away.

Couple of problems.  It takes two-three months to get the 4th ID up to Nasiriyah.  3rd ID and the Marines get to sit in the middle of the desert for all that time, while being attached basically by command type raids.  While there would be more troops to secure areas, there would be more time for Ba'athist/Islamists to prepare.  It is fairly likely that the there would have been much heavier causualties at the opening.  We might have talking about 2-3 thousand dead on the road to Baghdad.

[CollectiveInterest]

What have been Bush's biggest policy decisions?

Did he miscalculate on these decisions?

Should he be held accountable?

Should Congressional Republicans also be held accountable?

Was his major policy policy decision perfect?  NO.  Were any president's?  NO.

So what were Bush's greatest miscalculations?

I would not characterize it as a miscalculation.

There was a choice in the Iraq invasion.  Go with the troops that they had, or attempt to bring in more troops.  The only way to do it would have been to enter, advance to the Euphrates around Nasiriyah, with the Marines and the 3rd ID.  They stop and wait for the 4th ID to unload.  They didn't have enough port facilities in Kuwait to deploy both at the same time.  Then, with about 25%-33% more forces, they take Baghdad in one enveloping movement, basically keeping the Iraqi Army/allied groups from melting away.

Couple of problems.  It takes two-three months to get the 4th ID up to Nasiriyah.  3rd ID and the Marines get to sit in the middle of the desert for all that time, while being attached basically by command type raids.  While there would be more troops to secure areas, there would be more time for Ba'athist/Islamists to prepare.  It is fairly likely that the there would have been much heavier causualties at the opening.  We might have talking about 2-3 thousand dead on the road to Baghdad.

What would have been the consequences of not invading?

[shankbear]

Bush made a decision to HAVE A SPINE, unlike Kerry.  It has not been a mistake to have a spine.  It is Kerry who has NO record.  Should he be held accountable for his nothing record?  Is he even qualified to be a candidate for president?

Check the facts...Kerry is spineless.

[J. J.]

What would have been the consequences of not invading?

Saddam starts up his WMD's again.  He gives/sells them to al-Qaeda who use them here and in Europe.  While we are pre-occupied with the aftermath, he takes advantage of the situation in the region.

Nasty little trick.

[CollectiveInterest]

What would have been the consequences of not invading?

Saddam starts up his WMD's again. 

Nuclear or chemical weapons?

[CollectiveInterest]

Bush made a decision to HAVE A SPINE, unlike Kerry.  It has not been a mistake to have a spine.  It is Kerry who has NO record.  Should he be held accountable for his nothing record?  Is he even qualified to be a candidate for president?

Check the facts...Kerry is spineless.

I noticed you avoided the questions and engaged in namecalling. Care to answer the questions?

What have been Bush's biggest policy decisions?

Did he miscalculate on these decisions?

Should he be held accountable?

Should Congressional Republicans also be held accountable?

[J. J.]

What would have been the consequences of not invading?

Saddam starts up his WMD's again. 

Nuclear or chemical weapons?

Yep and if you look at the recent report, Hussein wanted to restart the programs.  This was a long term menace. 

[The Duke]

What have been Bush's biggest policy decisions?

Invading Afghanistan
Invading Iraq
Cutting taxes
NCLB
The Rx drug benefit

Did he miscalculate on these decisions?

No
No
No
No
Yes

Should he be held accountable?

Yes, he should be rewarded with re-election

Should Congressional Republicans also be held accountable?

Yes, they should also be re-elected

[CARLHAYDEN]

What have been Bush's biggest policy decisions?

Invading Afghanistan
Invading Iraq
Cutting taxes
NCLB
The Rx drug benefit

Did he miscalculate on these decisions?

No
No
No
No
Yes

Should he be held accountable?

Yes, he should be rewarded with re-election

Should Congressional Republicans also be held accountable?

Yes, they should also be re-elected

Add to this his decision to try to court Vicente Fox with a bill essentially granting amnesty to illegal aliens.

[khirkhib]

The Rx Benefit did not benefit seniors.

[The Duke]

The Rx Benefit did not benefit seniors.

Hence it was the only major accomplishment that I came down negatively on.

[khirkhib]

How can you say that he didn't make some miscalculations with his invasion of Afghanistan (Didn't caputre Osama) and in his invasion of Iraq.  He got more wrong with Iraq than he got right.  He must have miscalculated a little bit witht he tax cut because it hasn't even come close to creating the number of jobs that he said the tax cuts would.

And your going to have to admit that though No Child Left Behind is a good idea somebody screwed up the math because the government hasn't been able to fully the the program as it was set out and it has become an unfunded mandate for the schools.