Dubya's Dilemma: Daddy Doesn't Support the Iraq War

June 18, 2004 1:30 PM

Dubya's Dilemma: Daddy Doesn't Support the Iraq WarThe Iraqi war that has so divided Americans is also causing a rift in the family of President George W. Bush. The President’s father, George H.W. Bush – 41st President of the United States – disagrees with his son’s decisions in the invasion and occupation of Iraq, which is why the former President has not commented in public on the war. “The President and I discuss the war privately,” the elder Bush said in an interview earlier this year. “That is the way it will remain.” But sources close to the Bush family say the elder Bush thinks his son has mishandled the war in Iraq.
posted by Postroad (27 comments total)

Damn kids.
posted by stbalbach at 1:38 PM on June 18, 2004

Cut the [shrub] some slack. He's pretty busy, what with all that appealing to a higher Father, you know.
posted by scody at 1:47 PM on June 18, 2004

Newsfilter, and old news at that.
posted by keswick at 1:51 PM on June 18, 2004

I knew there was a reason I..

well...

not liked him...
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 1:53 PM on June 18, 2004

Where have you been as this is old news per this {look at the date, recall Who opposed The Iraq War} - COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Oct. 3, 2003 - The George Bush Presidential Library Foundation today announced that United States Senator Edward M. Kennedy would receive the 2003 George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service at a dinner ceremony held at the Bush Library Center on the Texas A&M campus on November 7. -
posted by thomcatspike at 1:55 PM on June 18, 2004

This technically is closer to PoliticsFilter than NewsFilter. Either way it is old. And Capitol Hill Blue isn't exactly the most respected politics site -- which is why they are publishing "news" from last year.
posted by birdherder at 2:36 PM on June 18, 2004

thomcat,

off-camera (one does not want to ruin one's reputation on Murdoch's GOPNews and on talk radio) most Capitol Hill Republicans admit that these last 42 years Teddy Kennedy -- God bless his Irish drunken unhappy heart -- has been a hell of a good legislator -- he worked with Republicans of all kinds, from Dole to Kassebaum and so many others all these years, he's being faithful if not to his wife to his constituents. one can disagree with the politics, but the man's ability is beyond dispute. no cheap Chappaquiddick joke can demean that

a bit like Clinton, one can despise the man's ethics but the political skills and sheer understanding of policy are so huge that no honest person can possibly deny them
posted by matteo at 2:37 PM on June 18, 2004

Matteo: Right on. Said it before I could. Couldn't agree more.
posted by lazaruslong at 3:17 PM on June 18, 2004

-- has been a hell of a good legislator --
Hope the fact that a “Bush” awarded this award does not take the significance of it away, he's earned it.

"The George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service recognizes an individual's or group's dedication to public service at the local, state, national or international levels."

matteo, reading past rhetoric concerning Sen. Kennedy receiving this award - could see my comment being like wise, why no links to fux news(sic). Bush Sr., has been interviewed about his feelings with this war & itself which can stand alone. Plus pretty sure the award's plan was initiated prior to the actions Bush Jr. initiated for the actual Iraqi War. Adding Bush Sr. has never spoken on the record about his defiance to his son’s war. I still can't help thinking Bush Sr. awarding Kennedy the award was a “lucky” way of telling the world & his son the future’s better ways & oneself in their forthcoming life. Some say being lucky is not your luck at all - "all in the timing."
posted by thomcatspike at 3:22 PM on June 18, 2004

the father was no dummy...and there were reasons why he never went all the way to Baghdad in Gulf War 1.
posted by amberglow at 3:25 PM on June 18, 2004

ps, sorry for my derail. My first comment; just thought everyone had heard how Bush Sr. showed his defiance to his son - read an article that debunked the notion yet was never publicized - should have thought the comment’s future out better.
posted by thomcatspike at 3:28 PM on June 18, 2004

no cheap Chappaquiddick joke can demean that

Nothings cheap about leaving a girl to die. If you think passing a bill here or there makes up for that then good for you. But for her parents and many other's there's nothing "cheap" about what happened.

and there were reasons why he never went all the way to Baghdad in Gulf War 1.

Because then we might not be in the present situation and half of the threads you post/bash/preach in wouldn't even exist.
posted by Dennis Murphy at 4:44 PM on June 18, 2004

fuck you too, Dennis. Do you have a point to make about the link, or are you just here to shit on the thread?
posted by amberglow at 4:48 PM on June 18, 2004

... he worked with Republicans of all kinds, from Dole to Kassebaum and so many others

This is very true. I worked for Kassebaum in 1995. She chaired the labor committee and Ted was the ranking member. They worked together very well and got quite a bit accomplished. Also, their offices were right next door to each other, which set the scene for a great photo that I am sure Nancy still has stashed somewhere.

Kennedy's office had what seemed like 40 or 50 new interns every few weeks throughout the summer. When their brief tour of duty was finished they would line up and have a quick picture taken with Ted on the balcony. One afternoon Nancy saw this going down and hopped in line with the departing interns. When it was her turn she walked up and Ted, who instinctively put his arm around her shoulder and smiled for the photo before he really realized who he had his arm around. I guess all of the interns got quite a laugh out of the whole deal.

A few weeks later the framed photo showed up with a message that said something like "I wish you were my intern and not my committee chair."
posted by sp dinsmoor at 5:05 PM on June 18, 2004

fuck you too, Dennis. Do you have a point to make about the link, or are you just here to shit on the thread posted by amberglow at 4:48 PM PST on June 18 ?

Touchy! touchy! Settle down toots. It'll be ok
posted by WLW at 5:23 PM on June 18, 2004

Daddy brings the smackdown on his son and people are saying its not news?

Where and when was this article first published? Its news, and important news at that, to me.

And Dennis, what about Cheney basically executing Paul Johnson himself today by declaring that the US doesn't negotiate with terrorists? What about the other 800 or so US soldiers that have died because of Bush's ill thought out and unwarranted (at least for the reasons he'd originally used) war in Iraq?

People who get all bent out of shape because some MeFite's have the gall to post Iraq FPP's need to realize one thing. The war in Iraq is front page news all around the world, its not getting better, things are getting worse and there is no way out at this point.

Iraq is news, Bush's continual fuck ups are news, this administration's continued HUA (that's Head Up Ass) policy is news, Rumsfeld is news, Ashcroft is news, the Patriot Act is news and all of it, good, bad and ugly deserves and should be discussed here.

If you don't like reading NewsFilter posts or politically oriented posts then don't read them. Its prett simple.
posted by fenriq at 5:54 PM on June 18, 2004

what about Cheney basically executing Paul Johnson himself today by declaring that the US doesn't negotiate with terrorists?

Thats a dumb statement. It's ALWAYS been our international policy NOT to negotiate with terrorists. I for one, hope it stays that way.
posted by WLW at 6:09 PM on June 18, 2004

* - Except for St. R., natch.
posted by Ptrin at 6:19 PM on June 18, 2004

Yeah, Salon had something about this last year. Bush Sr. as I understand it opposes the Iraq war methodologically more than anything else. That is, he didn't so much oppose the theoretical idea of going in and taking out Saddam as how Bush Jr. conducted the campaign to do so: alienating world opinion, failing to plan for what to do once Saddam was overthrown, the time that he chose to do so at, the justifications he used, etc. Which, to be fair, is more or less what my objection to the Iraq war was too.
posted by Pseudoephedrine at 6:28 PM on June 18, 2004

It's ALWAYS been our international policy NOT to negotiate with terrorists.

Offer not valid in Najaf or Fallujah.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:46 PM on June 18, 2004

It's ALWAYS been our international policy NOT to negotiate with terrorists.

Yeah, unless we can sell the terrorists arms in exchange for the hostages, then use the profits to fund an illegal and undeclared war in Central America.

If only Shrub & Cheney had the scope of the Gipper's vision < /sarcasm>
posted by junkbox at 10:20 PM on June 18, 2004

please, no stories from capital hill blue, it's about as reliable as Newsmax.
posted by jbou at 1:39 AM on June 19, 2004

or Drudge
posted by matteo at 6:50 AM on June 19, 2004

jbou - isnt that attacking the messenger and not the message?
posted by dash_slot- at 6:52 AM on June 19, 2004

dash_slot, sometimes its the only recourse of the damned to attack the messenger because the message has already been distributed.

Of course, its a craven attack as the messenger has nothing to do with the message, they're just a lackey carrying out their work.
posted by fenriq at 9:37 AM on June 19, 2004

here's a box of kleenex and some vaseline. go wild, fenriq.
posted by keswick at 10:36 AM on June 19, 2004

dash-slot - if you want to get the message across you need an effective messenger. Like others have pointed out the message has already been delivered, in fact I'd go as far as to say the message came across loud and clear when Snowcroft wrote an op ed opposing the war in Iraq before it started. When daddy Bush's folks were criticizing juniors war before the war even started we got the message, Daddy didn't like the idea. see, it's much more effective then Capital hill blue's gossipy style.
posted by jbou at 12:07 PM on June 19, 2004