Official: White House looking for ‘war czar’
White House Unable To Find A ‚Äö√Ñ√≤War Czar’ To Own Bush’s Iraq Failures
WASHINGTON (CNN) — White House aides, with U.S. President George W. Bush’s blessing, are actively trying to hire a new point person to help pilot the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, an administration official told CNN…. “There’s an urgency to get this done,” the official said, in referring to the administration’s new security plan for Iraq. “Implementation and execution are critical now.”…. The “war czar” would report directly to Bush with the power to tell Cabinet secretaries what to do — and yet have the diplomatic skills not “to use that tone of voice,” the official said…. The official title would be assistant to the president for Iraq and Afghanistan policy implementation, the official added. The idea behind the post is to make sure “Washington is responsive to military and civilian needs” on a timely basis and reduce bureaucratic problems that have hampered war efforts, the official said.
Now here’s a job that only a masochist with an inflated self-image and a low double-digit IQ could take on. Failure is virtually guaranteed, and you can bet that at some point you’ll be hung out to dry as the fall guy for Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader’s © failed Iraq policy. Essentially, the job of “war czar” is to be a willing human pin cushion, whose main role will be to take the heat and absorb the criticism so The Worst President EVER © can get back to the business of taking over the world. So what senior military officer in their right mind would offer themselves up and willingly agree to committing ritual political suicide on an almost daily basis?
So far, the Bush Administration has apparently asked three generals if they were interested in the position, only to be rebuffed all three times (Not just “no”, but “HELL, NO!!!!”). No self-respecting military mind, no matter how duty-bound they feel, should be asked to put themselves in a position in which their main responsibility is to take a metaphorical bullet for the President on a daily basis. It’s nothing but sheer lunacy to think that this new position is anything but window dressing designed to protect and insulate Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader © from accountability for his own incompetence and criminal ineptitude.
With Bush’s plan to increase troop levels in Iraq under way and a new team of generals in place, the creation of one point of contact for all the agencies and departments involved is timely, the official said.
While implementation work “is being done now,” not enough is getting done because National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley is stretched thin, the official said.
Speaking of the pace of the job search, the administration official said the desire would be to have it filled “yesterday — if that’s not available, then the day before.”
While a candidate for the post has not been presented to Bush, Hadley has sounded out a “handful” of people who might fill the job, the official said.
The White House has insisted nobody has yet been formally offered the post.
Hadley is considering retired and active-duty military officers as well as civilians, the official said. The immediate goal is to find two or three interested candidates and then have them spend time with Bush, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, before making a final selection, the official said.
At least three four-star generals approached by the White House about the job have declined consideration, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
What strikes me as interesting is why a “war czar” is even deemed to be a necessary job? Isn’t managing the armed forces the responsibility of the President in his role as Commander in Chief? As strongly as The Worst President EVER © has advocated for his Excellent Adventure in Iraq, he now wants to abdicate responsibility and control of the conduct of his war? Is it just me, or does that idea simply defy rational understanding?
I’d wish the Administration the best of luck with their search for a flunky, because that’s exactly what they’re after. Hey, it sure beats the Hell out of accepting responsibility for your incompetence and ineptitude, eh? Why take responsibility when you can put someone else in a position where they can be made into the fall guy?
Classy, no?
