Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

Overshadowing these facts, which foretell a very long stay in Iraq, is the outrage over the U.S. wanting Iraq to agree to long-term foreign leases on 63 of Iraq's oil wells.  That leaves Iraqis in control of only 17.  When Saddam Hussein was in power, Iraq's oil was nationalized.

In many Arab nations, they feel the freedom Bush boasted about bringing to Iraq was the freedom to take over most of their valuable asset -- oil!

As for the democracy Bush boasted about bringing to Iraq, when polls were taken in Iraq, over 70% wanted the U.S. occupying forces to leave.

Therefore Iraqis look upon the claim the U.S. was fighting to deliver democracy as rank hypocrisy.

What Iraqis have witnessed is death tolls, of Iraqis estimated between 600,000 to 1 million dead, with 2 ½ million having fled for their lives and much of their infrastructure demolished, with many still in prison.

The Times article continued:

"Protestors' comments reflected both the lack of knowledge of the pact and the distrust many Iraqis feel toward their government and the Americans as a result of unmet promises since the U.S. led invasion.

"At the time, most Iraqis weren't expecting that nearly six years down the line they would still be living in a city, with spotty electricity, sewage running through the streets of their neighborhoods, military checkpoints, choking traffic, and bombs going off regularly.

"Loyalists of hard-line anti-U.S. leaders such as Sadr say that the violence would decrease if the Americans left and that Iraqis would be able to fix their own problems.  As long as U.S. forces stay, they say, Iraq never will be sovereign.

""'They will not leave,' said Abed Sahib Muhammed Hadi, an elderly man in a beige suite, 'if they wanted to leave they would never have built those huge bases.'"

Centuries ago, Rome at its pinnacle of power invaded Iraq.  Roman legions left, having failed in their ill-fated attempt to take over Iraq.  Iraqis burned everything, ending the Roman invasion.  This was one of Rome's colossal failures.  George Bush represents a colossal failure both as a U.S. president and in his illegal and deceitful invasion of Iraq.

George Bush, whose assorted failures preceded his tragic role as president, says he will miss the White House chef's gourmet meals and travels in Air Force One.  

But the hungry 10,000 people standing in line at a Los Angeles food bank frankly aren't concerned abut Bush's taste buds being deprived of those elegant White House gourmet dinners that the White House chefs serve.

Too many U.S. citizens are unemployed, 30 million are on food stamps, and 2 ½ million homes are in foreclosure with 12 million in troubled circumstances.  

With all the hell this administration has cut loose, it is sickening to hear the least popular president of all time mention that he'll miss the great meals from White House chefs and having Air Force One at his disposal anytime he chooses.

We can be grateful that Bush won't be whizzing around to Poland and the Czech Republic's borders to plant rocket launching pads on Russia's border.  This is definitely not the way to win Russian friends and influence people who want peace around the world.

We learned on MSNBC's Keith Olbermann Show on December 1 that the Bush administration was warned about the danger of banks and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac providing mortgages to individuals, paying no down payment, and without providing proof of a job qualifying them, so they could repay loans.

Now with the mortgage meltdown in U.S. banks as well as banks in Europe where Wall St. sold these bundled up worthless mortgages, the U.S. taxpayer is asked to fund the bank and business bailout to the tune of $700 billion.

Bush began his disastrous term with a budget surplus.  He leaves with a $10.6 trillion national debt while the Iraq War continues costing $10 billion a month.

Bush says he'll miss the White House chefs and their fine meals and his Air Force One trips.  How truly sad for him!

There is one thing that can be said.  With his popularity poll figures having abysmally crashed long ago, George Bush will not be missed.