The Hightower Report

The Hightower Report

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IRAQ: IS IT WORTH IT?

You know that George W's war policy is in trouble when he has to make a televised address to the nation to ask beseechingly: "Is it worth it?"

Then he had to rush to answer his own question, apparently sensing that millions of families across America were instinctively answering it for themselves in the negative. So Bush desperately – but not convincingly – said: "It is worth it."

By nature, Americans want to rally 'round a president who pleads for support. Their only real question is, support for what? The Bushites keep changing their answer to this one, losing more credibility with each revision. First, it was to stop Saddam Hussein from hitting us with WMD, which turn out to be nonexistent. Next, it was to install a democratic government, which turns out to be a mess, costing us 1,700 lives and more than $100 billion already. Now, in his latest speech, desperate George has resorted to wrapping himself up in the bloody flag of 9/11, saying his Iraq adventure is all about those terrorists, even though Saddam and Iraq had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11.

I sense that even Bush doubts that it's worth it. He bought into the hubris of the inept neocon ideologues who assured him Iraq would be a snap. But now Rummy is saying we'll be tied down there for 12 years or so, costing us more lives and treasure. Is it worth that?

Bush pleaded in his speech that Iraq is absolutely crucial to America's national interest. But if it's crucial, shouldn't all of us be enlisted in the war effort? And shouldn't there be a war tax to pay for it, rather than blithely shoving the rising war debt onto future generations?

These steps would be enormously unpopular, however, since most Americans really don't think Iraq is worth personal sacrifices by their own families. Consequently, Bush refuses to make such a tough political call – because he doesn't think Iraq is worth that, either.

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ROVE GETS LOOPY

Memo to George W: It's time for Karl Rove to take a cold shower.

Rove, the extremist ideologue who is Bush's political hatchet man, gets his jollies from bludgeoning anyone he considers a political enemy. Karl is a serial bludgeoner, going back to his days as a partisan thug-for-hire in Texas and moving through such recent targets as Republican Sen. John McCain, war hero Max Cleland, and, of course, John Kerry.

But, like a predator who's always seeking ever bigger thrills, Rove has now become a mass bludgeoner, attacking every "liberal" in America – a category that, for Karl, encompasses everyone who questions any aspect of the Bushites' inept war on terrorism, including their disastrous Iraq occupation.

Appearing at a fundraising event, Rove worked himself into an orgasmic paroxysm, using 9/11 as his political bludgeon: "Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11," he stated, "and prepared for war." But, with lips curling Karl declared: "Liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers."

Gosh Karl, which liberals went goo-goo soft on terrorists? Can you name some for us. Actually, I recall that prominent liberals at the time united in the call for military retaliation against those attackers, especially against Osama bin Laden. Y'all seem to have forgotten Osama, Karl. Where's he today?

But Rove wasn't through: "Conservatives saw what happened to us on 9/11 and said, 'We will defeat our enemies.' Liberals saw what happened and said, 'We must understand our enemies.'" Gosh, again Karl, maybe you guys should try a bit of understanding, since it's been four years since 9/11 and, far from defeating al Qaeda, your calamitous diversion into Iraq has made it stronger.

Keep talking Karl – you're showing the world just how loopy you really are.

The Hightower Report