Bush Meets with Bloggers

President Bush spent nearly an hour this morning meeting with a group of bloggers to discuss the Iraq War. INDC Journal‘s Bill Ardolino describes his interaction and came away “surprised by Bush’s command of details in Anbar” and with a sense that he understood the nature of the problems being faced there.

Five years into this war, one would only hope.

UPDATE: Others in attendance give their takes:

FILED UNDER: Blogosphere, Iraq War, , ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Triumph says:

    President Bush spent nearly an hour this morning meeting with a group of bloggers to discuss the Iraq War.

    This shows his level of desperation.

    INDC Journal’s Bill Ardolino
    describes his interaction and came away “surprised by Bush’s command of details in Anbar” and with a sense that he understood the nature of the problems being faced there.

    I don’t know who this Ardolino guy is, but his standards appear to be pretty damn low. Bush, who clearly showed that he does NOT understand the nature of the problems in Iraq in his speech last night, gave no indication in the blogger talk that he was holding something back in yesterday’s speech.

    Ardolino says he asked Bush about the prospects for the development of national reconciliation in Iraq. Ardolino recounts the Decider’s response:

    With regard to Maliki, Bush said that he expressed to him that “a murderer is an evil person no matter which religion. Are you willing to go after murderers?”, a reference to efforts against fellow Shiites who are members of militias causing chaos in Baghdad. “The answer was, he decided to go after murderers of any stripe.”

    If this is exemplary of Bush’s high level of discourse and the command of understanding the situation in Iraq, it is pretty damn scary. This is the type of sophomoric tripe you would find from a teenager overly-consumed with hollywood movies.

    heckuvva job, Georgie.

  2. Christopher says:

    Yea, Triumph. I guess Prez Clinton running foreign policy from his desk with Monica underneath it servicing him is a much better example of understanding. Maybe if he had paid closer attention he could have stopped 9/11. Oh well.

    Bush does have an understanding of his war, a war supported by both political parties and that has continued to be funded by the congressional democrat majority (despite their rhetoric). Of course, liberals like them and you don’t like the taste of war, and would like nothing more than to hope and pretend that America can be protected by doing nothing, and to use the funds instead for the further socialization of the American economy. Maybe it is you that doesn’t understand, and must be reminded of the horrible events of 9/11. Of how our fellow Americans had to choose between a jet-fueled fiery death or a fatal leap from a hundred stories high. Those of us that support the Bush and the war on terrorism will never forget.

  3. Ugh says:

    Well put Christopher, invading a country that had nothing to do with the “horrible events of 9/11” was certainly the correct response with said horrible events.

  4. Christopher says:

    Well, Ugh, I guess your Democrat party disagreed and disagrees with you.

  5. Triumph says:

    Maybe if he had paid closer attention he could have stopped 9/11.

    Thanks for the clarification, C-Dog. I always thought it was Hilary who was responsible for 9/11, not Bill.

  6. Steven Donegal says:

    It’s too bad they don’t let Hilzoy or Digby in on those blogger calls. Now that would be fun reading.

  7. Anderson says:

    It’s too bad they don’t let Hilzoy or Digby in on those blogger calls. Now that would be fun reading.

    Fun? Only in a very, very cruel way.

    God knows, the ability to debate issues with smart opponents should be a sine qua non of the Presidency. It’s depressing to see America led by such a shrinking coward.

  8. Jay Tea says:

    Triumph, that would most likely be the same Bill Ardolino who just returned from a lengthy embed in Iraq. You know — the same place you might be able to find on a map, but only if spotted a couple of mulligans.

    J.

  9. Jay Tea says:

    More to the point, that would be the same Bill Ardolino who participated via video linkup from Fallujah, I believe.

    J.

  10. Triumph –

    I was specifically impressed by his knowledge of the work being conducted by provincial reconstruction teams and that he knew about how resources do not make it through the national to provincial to local logistical chain, much less that this chain exists. I was less impressed with platitudes about Maliki, as expressed in my post.

    Regards,

    Bill

  11. Christopher says:

    Wow, Anderson! Bush is a shrinking coward, huh?

    Aside from childish name calling, lets look at your own party: Votes for the war out of political expediency, but won’t support it. Keeps funding the war, even though they are (maybe? who can tell) against it. And they are against it for what?-political expediency? Who knows. Says the war in Iraq isn’t doing any good against terrorism even though we have not had another attack, but won’t put up their own plan.

    Hmmm…who are the cowards?