George Bush Report Card

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

quote:Originally posted by mr.jaynes

And now, like Tribbles, they just keep on replicating themselves....

Yes.  And the only way to get them to stop is to give in and walk away.  We can never retaliate or deal heavyhandedly with a rouge terrorist state ever again, because it just upsets them.  What nonsense.

I never said that and you know it.

[iplaw]

So what is your point.  You've made that damned tribbles comment several times now.  What are you trying to say?

[Rico]

What report card would be complete unless praise was given for what one has done right.


Senators strike deal on immigration overhaul

By Donna Smith 16 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of U.S. senators reached agreement on Thursday on an immigration reform bill that would legalize millions of illegal immigrants and establish a merit-based system for future migrants, lawmakers said.


The agreement sets the stage for what is expected to be a passionate Senate debate over immigration and lead the way for what would be one of the most significant accomplishments of
President George W. Bush's final term.

[Conan71]

Good, so we can move beyond Iraq for awhile and deal with the big elephant which has been sitting over in the corner for the last six years.

[rwarn17588]

I've been critical of President Bush on many issues. But his conciliatory stance on immigration (i.e. amnesty) is right on the money, IMO.

[Rico]

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588

I've been critical of President Bush on many issues. But his conciliatory stance on immigration (i.e. amnesty) is right on the money, IMO.

I agree with you on this rwarn. Although many of the President's core base may not.

If it goes through his approval number may even go up.

[Conan71]

I think a lot of his core support is starting to wake up to the reality of there having to be some sort of amnesty to make this fly- not just politically, but logistically.  I'll support it, ONLY if a tighter border is the first priority in the plan and it doesn't include chain migration for extended families.

You can't just round-up and boot-out 12mm people that easily and I don't think we really need to.

I just hope it's more than a symbolic piece of legislation like the '86 reform act.  Without oversight and compliance by employers, all it really accomplished was to grant legal status to a few million or so immigrants and obviously didn't stem the tide of illegal immigration as it was thought it would do.

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

So what is your point.  You've made that damned tribbles comment several times now.  What are you trying to say?

It's a "Star Trek" analogy. Like the Tribbles on "Star Trek," there are so many of these Jihadists, with more joining their ranks quite regularly. It is as if you take out this stronghold or that (and that in no way is a bad thing, I may add), and they keep coming back with more followers.

I think in battling them, we are not just battling irregular forces in the context of war-we are battling an idea or a set of ideas. And so we must go to work on winning the hearts and minds of the followers on a village-by-village basis, and make sure we make a good case when we do. Because if we don't win their hearts and minds, the insurgents will.

[Conan71]

I caught part of Savage Nation last night as I was driving home.  Savage contends that Bush kept Rummy in office long enough so that he could get a Democratic Congress that would help him pass his immigration reform.

Oddest theory I've heard so far as to why Rummy wasn't jack-booted sooner.

[iplaw]

quote:
It's a "Star Trek" analogy. Like the Tribbles on "Star Trek," there are so many of these Jihadists, with more joining their ranks quite regularly. It is as if you take out this stronghold or that (and that in no way is a bad thing, I may add), and they keep coming back with more followers.

I know where the reference comes from, I just don't see how it applies...

quote:
I think in battling them, we are not just battling irregular forces in the context of war-we are battling an idea or a set of ideas. And so we must go to work on winning the hearts and minds of the followers on a village-by-village basis, and make sure we make a good case when we do. Because if we don't win their hearts and minds, the insurgents will.

So let me get this straight.  Not only are you not arguing for us to leave, but you're arguing for an overwhelming influx of Americans on the ground to meet with these people and attempt to educate them?

What makes you think they are in the business of diplomacy in the first place?  I think it's obvious that they aren't interested in what you're proposing at all, as they have told us as much to our faces.

I think John Wayne said it best when he said, "When you got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow."  The problem is, we don't have the will to apply that kind of pressure.  There are too many people playing politics with the situation for that to happen.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

quote:
It's a "Star Trek" analogy. Like the Tribbles on "Star Trek," there are so many of these Jihadists, with more joining their ranks quite regularly. It is as if you take out this stronghold or that (and that in no way is a bad thing, I may add), and they keep coming back with more followers.

I know where the reference comes from, I just don't see how it applies...

quote:
I think in battling them, we are not just battling irregular forces in the context of war-we are battling an idea or a set of ideas. And so we must go to work on winning the hearts and minds of the followers on a village-by-village basis, and make sure we make a good case when we do. Because if we don't win their hearts and minds, the insurgents will.

So let me get this straight.  Not only are you not arguing for us to leave, but you're arguing for an overwhelming influx of Americans on the ground to meet with these people and attempt to educate them?

What makes you think they are in the business of diplomacy in the first place?  I think it's obvious that they aren't interested in what you're proposing at all, as they have told us as much to our faces.

I think John Wayne said it best when he said, "When you got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow."  The problem is, we don't have the will to apply that kind of pressure.  There are too many people playing politics with the situation for that to happen.

Libs don't want troops on the ground in harm's way and they despise the fundamentalists.  

Here's a good solution:

Pull the troops out and send in Christian missionaries with Bible tracts.  They will be well-treated and will have the nation converted in no time.

[mr.jaynes]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by iplaw

quote:
It's a "Star Trek" analogy. Like the Tribbles on "Star Trek," there are so many of these Jihadists, with more joining their ranks quite regularly. It is as if you take out this stronghold or that (and that in no way is a bad thing, I may add), and they keep coming back with more followers.

I know where the reference comes from, I just don't see how it applies...

quote:
I think in battling them, we are not just battling irregular forces in the context of war-we are battling an idea or a set of ideas. And so we must go to work on winning the hearts and minds of the followers on a village-by-village basis, and make sure we make a good case when we do. Because if we don't win their hearts and minds, the insurgents will.

So let me get this straight.  Not only are you not arguing for us to leave, but you're arguing for an overwhelming influx of Americans on the ground to meet with these people and attempt to educate them?

What makes you think they are in the business of diplomacy in the first place?  I think it's obvious that they aren't interested in what you're proposing at all, as they have told us as much to our faces.

I think John Wayne said it best when he said, "When you got them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow."  The problem is, we don't have the will to apply that kind of pressure.  There are too many people playing politics with the situation for that to happen.

Libs don't want troops on the ground in harm's way and they despise the fundamentalists.  

Here's a good solution:

Pull the troops out and send in Christian missionaries with Bible tracts.  They will be well-treated and will have the nation converted in no time.

Although I think sending missionaries to various third world nations is an amateurist form of foreign poilicy at its worst, THAT is an even better solution to the fighting going on there! I'm glad I thunk of it!