Bush missed golden opportunity. He should've honored Abu Ghraib victims

in same breath he mentioned our fallen heroes. And then he should have promised to get to the god damn bottom of the torture crimes. He could have united. He could have suprised us all. Instead he said nothing. And in saying nothing, he said a lot. Instead of reaching out to the world, he reached out to what's left of his base.

This speech should've been about a big idea and not just a bunch of bluster, delivered like English was his second language. I bet in a weird way, he feels no responsibility for any of the horror because he in fact had nothing at all to do with the decisions. They were left to Rove and God.

a bush honoring a "brown" person?

He wants "Bush", "Iraq" and "plan" in as many newspapers as possible. That's all this was about. Try to get a 2 or 3 point bump in the polls. No need for policy, just need to get reelected.

times the first 11 minutes then left the room. Could not take this crap any more.

Unless You Mean "Terra-ism" :)

Edited Because I Suck

George W. Bush announced at a press conference on May 6, 2004 that he told the King of Jordan he was "sorry" about the "humiliation" of Iraqi prisoners.

However, I am unconvinced of Bush's sincerity.

I will believe he is truly sorry when he does the following:

1) Bush makes surprise inspections of prisons in Iraq, including Abu Ghraib. Meets with prisoners without the guards around to discuss their own treatment and for recommendations on other prisoners who may have been mistreated he should talk to.

2) Bush meets with former prisoners who were mistreated by the US, and the families of prisoners who were beaten to death by US interrogators. Arranges for generous compensation, on the level that the family of an American prisoner who was beaten to death during an interrogation would receive.

3) Bush announces that he was wrong to take the position that "enemy combatants," don't have the protection of the Geneva Convention, and ask Congress to pass a law saying NO PRISONER may be hurt, humiliated, stripped, or blindfolded, with harsh criminal penalties for anyone who orders such treatment.

Relatedly, Bush asks the Supreme Court to rule against him in the Jose Padilla and Yaser Hamdi cases now before the court.

4) Bush requires all prisons under US control to allow journalists and human rights organizations unfettered access.

Relatedly, Bush releases the International Red Cross from its agreement to only report its finding to the "occupying power" (the US) and encourages the IRC to share its findings with journalists.

5) Asks Congress to create a new oversight organization for prisons, whose leadership will be chosen by 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans. This organization will have unfettered access to all US prisons in the world, and the power to bring criminal prosecutions.

6) Gives medals to soldiers who blew the whistle on the mistreatment of prisoners in Iraq.

7) Encourages the prosecution of those who gave the orders for the humiliation of Iraqi prisoners, not just those who followed the orders.

MORE AT MOVELEFT.COM

http://www.moveleft.com/moveleft_essay_2004_05_09_if_bush_were_truly_sorry_about_the_prisoners_in_iraq.asp

And his assinine BASE would have had a massive collective stroke.