Is U.S. Winning in Iraq? Tony Snow Says, "I Don't Know"

[ShawnaAnn]

Is U.S. Winning in Iraq? Tony Snow Says, "I Don't Know"

By E&P Staff

Published: October 16, 2006 4:35 PM ET

NEW YORK At his daily briefing today at the White House, Press Secretary Tony Snow fielded a barrage of questions related to the recent upsurge in U.S. deaths in Iraq and worries that the Iraqi government is failing to stem the tide of violence. Suddenly one reporter put the issue squarely: “Sorry. Just the simple question: Are we winning?”​

Snow punted.​

“We're making progress,” he replied. “I don't know..."​

 

[mutantleader]

It depends on what you consider to be 'winning'.
All I know is that we are losing a great number of American lives.

 

[Borealis]

General Eisenhower wrote two speeches in preparation for June 6, 1944. One of them was for the purpose of accepting all the blame if the D-Day invasion failed. He didn't have to use it, but he certainly didn't know that before the invasion occurred.

This isn't a sporting event with a specific time limit or a numeric goal to achieve. If the left would stop looking at everything from that perspective they might actually contribute to the solution instead of exacerbating the problems.

But then, that would require them to actually do something useful.

 

[ArnautDaniel]

General Eisenhower wrote two speeches in preparation for June 6, 1944. One of them was for the purpose of accepting all the blame if the D-Day invasion failed. He didn't have to use it, but he certainly didn't know that before the invasion occurred.

This isn't a sporting event with a specific time limit or a numeric goal to achieve. If the left would stop looking at everything from that perspective they might actually contribute to the solution instead of exacerbating the problems.

But then, that would require them to actually do something useful.

Actually the left made a concerted effort to stop the debacle in Iraq before it ever happened.

That's useful.

All we can do now is let the disaster play itself out.

 

[JoshuaW]

General Eisenhower wrote two speeches in preparation for June 6, 1944. One of them was for the purpose of accepting all the blame if the D-Day invasion failed. He didn't have to use it, but he certainly didn't know that before the invasion occurred.

Your excellent analogy about Eisenhower points out a major difference between two Republican presidents.

Eisenhower was prepared to acknowledge and accept the blame for failure one day after the Normandy landing. Bush refuses to acknowledge that anything has gone wrong in Iraq, believing we will continue to support him as long as he doesn't admit his mistakes.

 

[marshlewis]

General Eisenhower wrote two speeches in preparation for June 6, 1944. One of them was for the purpose of accepting all the blame if the D-Day invasion failed. He didn't have to use it, but he certainly didn't know that before the invasion occurred.

This isn't a sporting event with a specific time limit or a numeric goal to achieve. If the left would stop looking at everything from that perspective they might actually contribute to the solution instead of exacerbating the problems.

But then, that would require them to actually do something useful.

I think people are starting to loose their suspension of disbelief in regards to the retoric used to achive this situation in Iraq. You however are still at the theater.

 

[Rik]

This isn't a sporting event with a specific time limit or a numeric goal to achieve. If the left would stop looking at everything from that perspective they might actually contribute to the solution instead of exacerbating the problems.

Ding ding, we have a winner.

 

[JoyJuice]

It's quite obvious that even the Bush admin plan for winning in Iraq is not really winning, but rather an opportunity to exit with dignity and leave Iraq with their problems.

Unfortunately, leaving with dignity won't do squat for our ever increasing terrorism problem.

 

[ElvisFan42]

General Eisenhower wrote two speeches in preparation for June 6, 1944. One of them was for the purpose of accepting all the blame if the D-Day invasion failed. He didn't have to use it, but he certainly didn't know that before the invasion occurred.

This isn't a sporting event with a specific time limit or a numeric goal to achieve. If the left would stop looking at everything from that perspective they might actually contribute to the solution instead of exacerbating the problems.

But then, that would require them to actually do something useful.

And what solution would that be? Surely you are not talking about fighting terrorism, because the war in Iraq has nothing to do with that. Solution? The left and the middle didn't want to go in to Iraq (remember, they were all for going into Afganistan), why should they have a solution for what Bush wanted, and all his parrot's backed?

 

[ShawnaAnn]

It depends on what you consider to be 'winning'.

It also depends on what "is" is, right?

 

[Borealis]

Actually the left made a concerted effort to stop the debacle in Iraq before it ever happened.

That's useful.

All we can do now is let the disaster play itself out.

Actually, they voted for it en masse before they found it politically convenient to oppose it.

 

[JoyJuice]

Actually, they voted for it en masse before they found it politically convenient to oppose it.

Sir, I see you have a Canadian flag and may not be aware of it, but in totality the Dems voted AGAINST the Iraqi war resolution.

 

[Borealis]

Ah. So they demanded a debate on it, campaigned on supporting it in the 2002 elections, then voted against it? How totally not surprising.

 

[JoyJuice]

Ah. So they demanded a debate on it, campaigned on supporting it in the 2002 elections, then voted against it? How totally not surprising.

Come on dude.

Perhaps you should avail yourself to what the function of US Congress before making such statements with regard to War powers. Debate shouldn't have to be demanded. This is not a dictatorship (I think).

Moreover, you are grasping straws.

 

[MachZer0]

Sir, I see you have a Canadian flag and may not be aware of it, but in totality the Dems voted AGAINST the Iraqi war resolution.

Actually, the vote was 296-133 by the HOuse and 77-23 by the Senate. So the Dems did not vote in totality against it.

 

[marshlewis]

If you include the majority of the majority of democratic nations, plus the polled in other nations, the Iraq war was OPPOSED!. Except in the US. So don't flaunt your troubles as if they were unexpected. LEARN for a change.

 

[susanann]

General Eisenhower wrote two speeches in preparation for June 6, 1944. One of them was for the purpose of accepting all the blame if the D-Day invasion failed. He didn't have to use it, but he certainly didn't know that before the invasion occurred.

This isn't a sporting event with a specific time limit or a numeric goal to achieve. If the left would stop looking at everything from that perspective they might actually contribute to the solution instead of exacerbating the problems.

Actually, Eisenhower stormed accross europe and conquered germany and achieved peace in europe within just 10 months after D-Day.

The FDR/Eisenhower war was a huge success and very short.

 

[reverend B]

one of the first posts in this thread made a very reasonable request for a definition of winning. the hawks that have been villifying the anti-war crowd have ignored that and prefer the emotional and bombastic rhetoric that got us into this mess in the first place. it was the simplistic musings of a small cabal of even smaller minds that thought up this foreign policy back in 1999. they did have the psychology of fear figured out correctly as a way to manipulate the u.s. population, but never counted on the complexity of the politics lurking just behind sadaam that they have now unleashed.
our president during the first gulf war understood all this, as did his advisors who are now trying to figure a way out of all this for his son.
this could have been avoided using the powell doctrine of waging war also, who was secretary of state at the time, but he was sidelined for "brighter minds" and used as a figurehead.
i for one would not expect tony snow to know much of anything, being a half-rate journalist turned administrative yes-man for which he is perfectly qualified by way of a completely skewed political agenda and the ethics to jettison fact for fanaticism. he is a model press secretary, but don't get him off the talking points. they don't write cue cards that fast!

 

[AmariJah]

one of the first posts in this thread made a very reasonable request for a definition of winning. the hawks that have been villifying the anti-war crowd have ignored that and prefer the emotional and bombastic rhetoric that got us into this mess in the first place. it was the simplistic musings of a small cabal of even smaller minds that thought up this foreign policy back in 1999. they did have the psychology of fear figured out correctly as a way to manipulate the u.s. population, but never counted on the complexity of the politics lurking just behind sadaam that they have now unleashed.
our president during the first gulf war understood all this, as did his advisors who are now trying to figure a way out of all this for his son.
this could have been avoided using the powell doctrine of waging war also, who was secretary of state at the time, but he was sidelined for "brighter minds" and used as a figurehead.
i for one would not expect tony snow to know much of anything, being a half-rate journalist turned administrative yes-man for which he is perfectly qualified by way of a completely skewed political agenda and the ethics to jettison fact for fanaticism. he is a model press secretary, but don't get him off the talking points. they don't write cue cards that fast!

Very well put Rev. B

 

[AmariJah]

"they" are "winning" because Iraq is serving as a necessary distraction from what "they" are really doing! An all out war upon the American People and a coup of the once great American Republic. Not only that Bush and all of his cronies and business partners are making a forutne off of Iraq from many diverse angles. Follow the money trail! That goes for Iraq, Iran and for the imminent coup of the Republic of the United States of America!!!
WHO OWNS THE FEDERAL RESERVE? WHERE IS ALL OF THE GOLD THAT BELONGED TO THE PEOPLE?