Quotes of the Morning: Vetoing the Line

“As you may know, yesterday, four years from Fearless Leader’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech on the aircraft carrier, Congress passed a bill that funded the troops in Iraq, but set time tables. As you can imagine Fearless Leader, who’s primary psychological drive is ‘you’re not the boss of me now’, vetoed it immediately.”
-Skippy

“Q Do you believe the timing of all this is related to the May 1st anniversary, which is coming up, in terms of --
MS. PERINO: I would certainly hope not. I think that if that's true, that it is very troubling that Democrats would be so cynical to use our troops in that way, to use troops for a political PR stunt, and to withhold money from the troops and their families. We already know the hardships that are happening from the military based on this.
And I also think that given that they say that they want to provide funding for the troops, it is curious why they didn't appoint conferees for two weeks, and I'm not sure if that had anything to do with this particular timing. I know that their on-the-record quotes are saying that it's just a coincidence, but certainly, the background chatter that they're providing to you anonymously would lead you to -- would only lead me to conclude that they are using the troops for their own political PR stunts.”
-Press Gaggle with White House Spokesperson Dana Pernio, April 26, 2007

“Yes.. Politicians using the troops for political gain is terrible. I mean, these poor soldiers are starving while Congress keeps the food off of their tables.”
-Skippy

“Bush and lawmakers are under pressure to reach agreement on a funding plan before the Defense Department runs short of money to pay for a war in Iraq that costs the government $8.6 billion a month.
The Congressional Research Service said the Army can sustain its operations ‘through most of July’ without new funding, while Bush administration officials have said the military might face a funding crunch as early as May 15.”
-Chicago Tribune, May 2, 2007

“Huh.. You’d think that the White House would at least be able to explain why the war seems to be about $17.2 billion dollars more expensive in the next two weeks than Congress thinks it is, but that is just a side issue. The primary problem here is the terrible way in which Congress is using the troops for a political statement.”
-Skippy

“For his part, Bush flew to Florida to meet with military commanders and said the Democratic proposal would turn Iraq into a ‘cauldron of chaos.’ With sleeves rolled up, Bush shook hands with troops at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., the headquarters of U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, including Iraq. Then Bush returned to the White House to announce his veto just before network news shows.”
-Associated Press, May 1, 20067

“Coincidence! Fearless Leader doesn’t use the troops!”
-Skippy

“Four years ago today, Bush flew aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in ‘Top Gun’ style, stood under a banner proclaiming ‘Mission Accomplished,’ and proudly declared: ‘Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.’"
-Dan Froomkin, Washington Post, May 1, 2007

“That wasn’t using the troops! That was.. um.. ok, heck, you’ve got me there..”
-Skippy

“Good evening. Twelve weeks ago, I asked the Congress to pass an emergency war spending bill that would provide our brave men and women in uniform with the funds and flexibility they need.
Instead, members of the House and the Senate passed a bill that substitutes the opinions of politicians for the judgment of our military commanders. So a few minutes ago, I vetoed this bill.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, May 1, 2007

“We cannot have politicians overriding the judgment of our military commanders!”
-Skippy

“The Bush administration is split over the idea of a surge in troops to Iraq, with White House officials aggressively promoting the concept over the unanimous disagreement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to U.S. officials familiar with the intense debate.”
-Washington Post, December 19, 2006

“It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing. All the terrorists would have to do is mark their calendars and gather their strength -- and begin plotting how to overthrow the government and take control of the country of Iraq. I believe setting a deadline for withdrawal would demoralize the Iraqi people, would encourage killers across the broader Middle East, and send a signal that America will not keep its commitments. Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure -- and that would be irresponsible.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, May 1, 2007

“Setting a timetable would strengthen the terrorists! Leaving Iraq could make it a target for terrorism!”
-Skippy

“In its annual global survey of terrorism released Monday, the State Department says about 14,000 attacks took place in 2006. These strikes claimed more than 20,000 lives -- two-thirds in Iraq. That is 3,000 more attacks than in 2005 and 5,800 more deaths.
Altogether, 40 percent more people were killed by increasingly lethal means around the globe.
The report partly attributes the higher casualty figures to a 25 percent jump in the number of nonvehicular suicide bombings targeting large crowds.
With the rise in fatalities, the number of injuries from terrorist attacks also rose, by 54 percent, between 2005 and 2006, with a doubling in the number wounded in Iraq over the period, according to the department's Country Reports on Terrorism 2006.
The report says 6,600, or 45 percent, of the attacks took place in Iraq, killing about 13,000 people, or 65 percent of the worldwide total of terrorist-related deaths in 2006.
Afghanistan had 749 strikes in 2006, a 50 percent rise from 2005. “
-Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 1, 2007

“Second, the bill would impose impossible conditions on our commanders in combat. After forcing most of our troops to withdraw, the bill would dictate the terms on which the remaining commanders and troops could engage the enemy. That means American commanders in the middle of a combat zone would have to take fighting directions from politicians 6,000 miles away in Washington, D.C. This is a prescription for chaos and confusion, and we must not impose it on our troops.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, May 1, 2007

“Apparently someone has forgotten that he is a politician in Washington D.C. Maybe he just doesn’t see himself that way.”
-Skippy

“Dictatorships seem orderly -- when one man makes all the decisions, there is no need for negotiation or compromise.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, January 10, 2006

“Still, you can’t argue with all of the progress we’ve been making.”
-Skippy

“Last week, General Petraeus was in Washington to brief me, and he briefed members of Congress on how the operation is unfolding. He noted that one of the most important indicators of progress is the level of sectarian violence in Baghdad. And he reported that since January, the number of sectarian murders has dropped substantially.”
-George ‘Dubya’ Bush, May 1, 2007

“U.S. officials who say there has been a dramatic drop in sectarian violence in Iraq since President Bush began sending more American troops into Baghdad aren't counting one of the main killers of Iraqi civilians.
Car bombs and other explosive devices have killed thousands of Iraqis in the past three years, but the administration doesn't include them in the casualty counts it has been citing as evidence that the surge of additional U.S. forces is beginning to defuse tensions between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.”
-McClatchy Newspapers, April 26, 2007

“Remember.. If Fearless Leader is forced to compromise with democratically elected representatives, then the terrorists have already won.”
-Skippy