U.S. to Increase Troop Strength in Iraq by 12,000. So let's see, now that the election is over Georgie and the Radical Republicans have chosen to raise the debt ceiling, squabble over intelligence reform, and now to increase the number of US troops in Iraq. As the NYT reports, "American forces in Iraq will be expanded by about 12,000 troops to provide better security as the Jan. 30 elections approach, military officials said today."

Now you can call me skeptical, but didn't we know that we'd need more troops in Iraq to provide security before the US election? If anything the situation in Iraq has gotten worse since the US election. Of course, we did, but just like with the debt ceiling and the squabbles over the intelligence bill the Radical Republicans purposefully delayed announcing until after the US elections the specifics of exactly how many troops we'd need to even have a chance of conducting secure elections in Iraq. Just think, if all of these "developments" had been announced before the Nov. elections it is highly unlikely that Georgie would have been elected in the first place. It just goes to show you the advantages that come with controlling both the White House and the Congress as well the extent to which the Radical Republicans will go to keep their slimy gripes on the levers of power.

CRANKed will be taking nominations for the next non-surprise surprise to be announced by the Radical Republicans. Prize for the winning suggestion to be announced at some unspecified future date.
posted by Idle Crank at 12/01/2004 07:49:00 PM