Bush's Iraq speech: not till 2007?

Posted: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 11:17 AM by Elizabeth Wilner
Filed Under: White House, Security

From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell and Elizabeth Wilner
Senior officials tell NBC News that the President's address on Iraq will more likely happen in early January. Advisors had said they hoped to be ready before Christmas, but that was not "locked down," and also had indicated that the week between the holidays did not make sense.

This could make two Bush speeches that 2008 presidential candidates will need to work around as a slew of them plan their own campaign announcements for January, since the State of the Union is expected to take place later in the month.

(To watch Kelly O'Donnell's video, click here.)

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Comments

Who cares about 2008 Presidential candidates? Democrat or Republican, who cares? Bush is still floundering around deciding whether he wants to, indeed, embrace reality, or keep on with his dreamy, rose colored glasses Iraq policy that's kept him afloat for the past 6 years. He is the only person in Washington DC (save for Dick Cheney) who hasn't grasped the full meaning of the 2006 election. Poor George. Can't get out of his own way.

Dave Miller, Miamisburg, OH (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 11:43 AM)

There is no action like inaction....the 'decider' can't decide....there are no clear cut, black and white choices, this is too dificult.."Ive been right all along, never been wrong, never made any mistakes, how come everyone is so mean to me? I only did what I was told to do.".........."Daddy can you come help me, I'm in trouble again?"

Little Georgie, Washington (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 11:46 AM)

Is his speech date not locked down or is the President not locked down. I did not understand that statement.

Desmond (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 11:49 AM)

This president is more concerned with salvaging his legacy - than reducing the risk our soldiers face on an everyday basis in Iraq. He's playing with real lives - and at some point is destined to face the reality of how poorly his policies have been constructed or carried out. Over the weekend I heard that only 6 people in the 1000 person US Embassy in Bagdad - speak Arabic. There is little reason to expect this president based previous experience has the leadership abilities necessary to get us out of this mess!

john burke, hillsborough, nj (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:00 PM)

I guess W is just going to keep asking people for advice and opinions on Iraq until he finds one person, somewhere, who agrees with his assessment and then hold that up as a reason to continue and justify what he is doing! It's a shame because in the meantime more lives, property and money will be needlessly wasted just to try and prove his point. What was the point afterall of this high powered Iraq Study Group if the administration was not going to listen to it? So much hype and anticipation for nothing!

Ken Klinkner, Washington Crossing, PA (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:02 PM)

It is obvious that the administration strategy is to try to run out the clock until it is out of office so they can readily blame the failure in Iraq on the incoming president. Let's help them out of office pronto by impeaching them for high crimes and misdeameanors. That way the adults can start early to clean up the mess.

Charles Potts (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:03 PM)

THE STATE OF THE UNION.. IS LOCKED DOWN. VOTERS SHOULD HAND BUSH A SUPBOENA AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO IMPEACH.. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

T. Rotter (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:07 PM)

Prolonged dithering will not do a damned thing for our troops or the Iraqis. There are no silver bullets, just bad and worse choices. Stop acting like reality is a crutch.

Ellen McLean (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:08 PM)

How many speeches has the President given on Iraq twenty maybe. If speeches could solve the Iraq issue the situation in Iraq would be solved. What this President need is action not more speeches.

Benjamin Purser, Royal Oak, MI (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:10 PM)

Forget about whether the President or his speech date is locked down. He neeeds to be locked up for perpetrating the greatest foreign policy failure in this nation's history. If arrogance, ignorance and incompetence were crimes he'd be doing time by now. R. Collins, Texas

Rick Collins (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:10 PM)

so the white house says what is not so important to release information a few weeks before christmas. i guess deferment bush has put death on hold in iraq those few days. another adm. spin, while more die and besides his meeting with those three generals and the other two were all against troop withdrawl, he knew that, we all knew that, just another waste of time, i thought he had a plan, another lie, you can tell when he lies, his mouth opens.

dewey (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:11 PM)

Bush and Cheney don't have a clue what to do with Iraq other than to try to rearrange their sentences and mini speeches to give the impression they're changing their approach to their war when they're really not. They can't change because that would be an admission that dressing up in flight suits and standing under a banner declaring "Mission Accomplished" was nothing but a show - and the show must go on. This administration is so pathetic, so tragic.

Richard Merrell, Seattle, WA (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:13 PM)

All options on the table are designed to keep us in Iraq. Did we really invade the country to give it back? Is the Iraqi government not just a puppet like afghanistan? If we really wanted to give it back the solution is really simple. Instead of Congress appropriating $130 billion "for war" appropriate $130 billion for peace. Bring the three Iraqi factions together in Wash DC and work out a solution with money as the glue, get all troops out and monitor the situation from abroad. If they continue to fight (unlikely) pull the financial plug. This will never happen because there is more profit in war than in peace. All this talking is just a smoke screen. Get real Americans The US is a predator nation. Nothing new here. History is all about WAR and more WAR.

H. Shore (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:14 PM)

Rick Collins (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:16 PM)

We all need to wake up and say flatly that invading Irag was a really idiotic thing to do. With that as a given, maybe we can conlcude that the only lotical course of action is to end this madness.

Warner Lee, Albuquerque, NM (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:17 PM)

There is only one Presidential speech to give on Iraq: "I was wrong. I am sorry. The generals will bring the troops home as fast as is safely possible."

Ed G., Olathe KS (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:20 PM)

Move all US troops to the north, including all oil producing regions and cities, declare our support for their impending notice of independance from Iraq, and let the Shiites and Sunni kill each other off. We then have an oil producing friend in the region, Haliburton gets to make some more money, and soon most troops will be home. Then we can acknowledge our real aim in the region, devoid of the hypocracy we are faced with noe.

Dave Tuten, Fort Atkinson, WI (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:27 PM)

Blame seems to be the only thing people are offering. If we just redeploy(Retreat by another name)like many people are asking the mess we are currently in will be nothing compared to mess the whole region will be in after we leave. Do people really think the violence is going to stop once we leave. If people do then they are living is a fools paradise.

M.Wiley, Tampa, Fl (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:28 PM)

Each day of delay costs the American taxpayers tens of millions of dollars from future earnings. This war is not pay as you go. Much of the funds to fight this battle are borrowed from foreign nations central banks who invest in U.S. bonds. Many of those nations have strategic national interests that are in oppositon to our own. The United States national debt currently eclipses $8 trillion and is climbing each month. In addition to squadering our future national fortune on a battle being waged to enrich U.S. and U.K. oil companies, the Bush administration is setting this country up for a massive financial crisis.

Robert Pike (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:28 PM)

I sleep better at night knowing that Iraq does not have weapons of mass destructions, I understand why the U.S.A needed to determine whether or not these weapons existed once and for all and eliminate the looming Sadam variable. Question answered and Sadam gone, I am now in favor of gradually moving out of Iraq. If the Iraqi people don't take advantage of the Democracy we have enabled them to create, shame on them.

Steve Foster, Mount Laurel NJ (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:28 PM)

Warner, At least 30% of America said the war was idiotic at the time of invasion, including myself. I had no problem with Afghanistan, and had bush "stayed the course" and got bin Ladin, then we may not be in this mess. However, some (not all) Americans already know and have known for A LONG TIME the invasion was stupid.

Mark - Westlake Village, CA (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:29 PM)

Bush has no intention of changing his delusional, tragic direction with regards to Iraq. He is just conducting the ongoing, highly publicized meetings with like-minded hawks so he can be told what he wants to hear: that his current pseudo-strategy is correct. These meetings are just a means for stalling as long as possible. They're also an attempt to throw the results of the Iraq Study Group back in his father's face. The US Congress and the American public will have to stage an intervention to stop the misadventure in Iraq. Funding must be cut as soon as possible!

Snoopy, in North America (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:29 PM)

I speak as a soldier...who will soon be shipping out to Iraq. I will go and I will certainly do my job to the best of my ability. It is hard to say goodbye to my dear wife of 25 years and my two boys who are in their early twenties. I only ask a few simple things: A clear objective; Good equipment, training, and leadership in the ranks; and the prayers and support of my neighbors and countrymen. Yes, the whole matter of policy and courses of action should be vigorously debated. Answers need to be found! But of neccessity my focus is bit more practical - just get back in one piece!

Jeff Hughes (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:33 PM)

It is funny how the US only has 5% of the world population, but has 25% of the prison population. These are US citizens put there by there own government. Why is it that we point the finger at everyone else when it comes to human rights when we are the best at taking them away. 1 in 32 Americans is currently caught up in our legal system one way or the other and people still want to make more laws. Saddam treated his people better. I support anyone that wants to fix the problems here and not point fingers. I am going to start voting Bin Laden on the write in in future elections.

D Johnson , Duluth, MN (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:35 PM)

The "Decider's" inaction brings to mind the old saying "Nero fiddled while Rome burned."

Mike Wright, Blue Springs, MO (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:39 PM)

Impeach Now.

Glenn McIntyre, Martinsburg, WV (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:44 PM)

If we left Iraq there would be no way to find those pesky WMD's! (or did dick and napoleon finally admit they aren't there?? crossed their fingers-didn't really mean it1) If one would venture to redstate.com you'll find out where the WMD's are, in Syria, Iran, ect. Trod lightly if you go over there though, if you blog too logically they will put on their brownshirts and start chanting the kool aid mantra, "life's all about me, just me, only me, how I love me". Read DeLay's reject blog http://tomdelaydotcom.blogspot.com/ It's a hoot (if you are offended by profanity, do not venture there-it is rough)

Owen Vander, Evansville, IN (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:47 PM)

If you remember, Bush has stated that he has not made any mistakes. His father has made the mistakes in always bailing him out of trouble, like he is now trying to do. Prez will not take any advice from the Iraq Study Group because then he will have to say that his daddy helped him and he will not do that. We will still be in Iraq for many years to come and all the lives that have been lost will be on Bush's head. Ask him how many funerals he has attended - answer zero. He is afraid that the familys will throw him out on his backside for killing their sons and daughters.

Brandon Makoroff, Los Angeles, Ca (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:48 PM)

I have always found it amusing, and yet quite disturbing, that Mr. Bush continually refers to himself in the 3rd person. He calls himself the 'commander-in-chief' constantly as if he is trying to convince others or perhaps himself. He calls himself 'The Decider', but can't make the right decision. He stands firmly behind his cabinet even though they have made some incredibly bad decisions. His most recent aberation is to try to connect his ultimate legacy with that of FDR. I did not know FDR, but history already indicates that Mr. Bush will never be considered in the same class as FDR. He may well be the 'commander-in-chief', but he will ultimately be judged as the one who set off the turbulence in the Middle East. His legacy is clearly linked to inept decisions and a stubborn nature that will put him in the history books not as 'The Decider', but as 'The Doofus'.

cb (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:51 PM)

Per Mike Wright--President Nero definitely fiddled while New Orleans flooded--and burned in massive fires that could not be put out (due to firefighters' engines and other equipment that had been damaged) despite being surrounded by floodwaters. Really--Nero flew from his ranch in Crawford, Texas (from which it would have made sense to visit New Orleans and Mississippi's obliterated communities, being close by) to California where he strummed some show-biz buddy's guitar. It took him over a week even to find the time to fly over and look down on the affected areas of Louisiana and Mississippi. Remember that stupid-looking photo of him looking out through Air Force 1's window? It totally betrays his cluelessness--and meanspiritedness--while looking upon a serious disaster that demolished 80% of New Orleans and much of Mississippi's Gulf Coast. Then, the idiot in the White House made the Faustian bargain of choosing Iraq over New Orleans--and the chickens are coming home to roost. This can be seen in last weekend's run-off in Louisiana's 2nd District, which includes New Orleans, where voters chose to re-elect William Jefferson in spite of his problems with having had $90,000 in "cold hard cash" in his freezer, because they were fed up with Bush Administration inaction. In spite of the fact that Jefferson had been stripped of his spot on the Ways and Means Committee, they trust him better to pull for more aid to Louisiana than his opponent. The re-election of Jefferson should be seen as a cry for help.

Olivia, Peoria, Ill. (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:57 PM)

The "decider" can't decide anything. I have never seen such an incompetent person in public service in my life. It just gets worse everyday. I never wanted an impeachment, but I think it is time for one. He is ruining the great USA.

Ann Utica NY (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:59 PM)

Wow... if he had given so much thought before invading Iraq, I may have supported this war!

Jack, Atlanta GA (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 12:59 PM)

i would venture to say that less than 5% of this country's population has been to the middle east. i am a retired Army Captain 1991 who spent a great deal of time in that region. our soldiers who are now coming home almost to the T who have spoken w Iraqui civilians recall these conversations. that Iraq had WMD throughout the country, they saw it, were victims of it i.e the Kurds. Remember the 1985 Israeli air raid on the nuke reactor in Bagdad it was being built to make the bomb to wipe out Israel. The WMD was simply moved at night prior to the 2003 US invasion to Sunni friendly Syria. it is there now on Syrian ground as they w/ cooraboration funnel the newly trained Al Quaida terrorists from south Lebannon into Iraq. Remeember, most of the Middle east region is running 30-40% unemployment w/ 5% of the population in those countries controlling 90% of the wealth. they hate us because they are so jealous of our wealth, because we work for it. Remember, in 1946 w/ Aramco and other US companies we gave them our brains and technology to drill for oil. we have US people today all over the middle east still giving them the know how to maintain and extract oil. each and every Muslim needs to stop hating us and work for their countries and make progreses go. you are just wasting your time hating America and those who help your freedom. do you want daily destruction and the ultimate destruction of the planet. is this what you really want? wake up, go to work, and fix the leadership in your country who are ripping you off. for you Americans who are criticizing the support of Iraq, if we pull out that deranged shia madman will come in just like Hitler. i recommend you spend 3 weeks in the region and you will know why Bush is fighting for freedom. I am not a Republican but a pragmatic realist

paul drennan, charleston, sc (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:00 PM)

It looks like every body has forgotten about the world in early 2001. We had the Arab and Israel fighting, Afghanistan was controlled by Ben Laden, 9/11 was in the works with more terrorist plans in the pip line, Iran& Syria were helping Hezbolah, North Korea was producing the bomb and getting pied for it, 40000 US forces were in Saudi Arabia, Us was being attacked constantly, the Moslem world hated US as much as they do now Etc. The only difference was that every thing was under rap and people felt there was no problem. People need to wake up and smell the roses, we had huge problems in the past, we have huge problems now and will have huge problems in the future. Problem is one SUPER POWER in the world and every body blames US. The world media, American media are in a feeding frenzy with Bush, they blame him for every thing and the polls go lower and they report it and blame him more and world leaders(Kofe Anna, Chavez, Carter and so on) get in the feeding frenzy. We need to stop this madness and blame game

Khayami, Bethesda MD (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:00 PM)

Obviously a liberal, Bush bashing column. Nobody with any ideas on how to get out. AHHHH memories of Vietnam........... I too agree that we made a mistake even going there, but all we have here is a bashing session much like the Clinton sex bashing of times past. It is said that a little intelligence can be dangerous....Wee these folks got nothing to worry about

Citizen, New Orleans, La (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:04 PM)

Well, I think it's nice that King George is taking a personal interest in this insignificant little war.

! (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:08 PM)

Bush has done nothing to advance the human condition. He has lied uncontrollably, he has done nothing to help reduce the human impact upon our global natural resources and he is ignoring the truth and fact by living in a cloud of denial. The war in Iraq is nothing short of criminal and he and his cronies need to be held accountable for their crimes against humanity. Bush claims to be a religious man, but if he really were, then we'd not be in Iraq with well over 100,000 notches in his belt. The reasons for our invading Iraq were totally contrived. He was banking on our support of him during our 9/11 ordeal and we believed him. (Personally, I have never believed one word he has ever said.) We now have our troops in harm's way for no apparent reason with no indication of there ever being a plan of action, a definition of what could be defined as "success". I don't know if impeachment would stop all legislation in Congress, but an investigation into Bush's actions is certainly warranted. At the very least, we should indict him after he leaves office (and NOT grant him a pardon). We need to show the world that we are sorry for our sins and seeking justice by pursuing this action, which is necessary to help begin healing the world.

Nick, Ohio (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:09 PM)

Yo Duluth....what a bunch of liberal crap.... Yea, we lock up people that break the law which naturally gives us a higher prison population than most of the world....which usually just kill or maim criminals with no trial. Matter of fact, they probably have the right idea. "Saddam treated his people better"??? So's howzabout you move out of the USA, cuz obviously you don't like it here. Don't let the door hit you in the azz. elvis

Elvis, Sarasota, Florida (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:09 PM)

We seek nothing more from our government than open, honest dialougue and not to rush to use our armed forces as a hammer. The military is a part of statecraft, a diplomatic tool to gain national obejectives. It is not to be used, like now, to nation build, to foist on others to gain some obscure objectives. We compromise the Soldiers, the equipment, the budgetary assets and besmirch our national will by this messy war. I saw a post about getting Kurd, Sunni and Shiite in the same room and bribing them to come to an agreement. Hmmm..I think that money will not solve the religious/ethnic hatred these folks have for each other. Sadly, Saddamm kept them in line w/ fear, torture, threats, etc. now that the iron glove is off the sectraian hatred and killing resumes. There is no good solution to this mess. walking away is not right, but is it wrong? We will lose face no matter what dioorection we go in, so we need a plan to extract and move onward in the world. No matter what we decide it is going to be a mess, since it was a mess before we moved in. Still- national consensus needs to be met, not the will of a stubborn President and his cabal of idealistic neocons.

Army Guy, Ft Bliss TX (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:15 PM)

Has anybody considered maybe George W. Bush is learning from his mistakes? Granted, he entered the War in Iraq really fast. Some has said that he "irrationally jumped into it without thinking about the consequences." It makes sense in my mind that he would consider all possible sides before he commits to making huge decisions that could affect hundreds of thousands of lives. Maybe if he took "a time out" 4 years ago the Middle East would be a lot different than it is today.

John Erickson, Rancho Cucamonga CA (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:22 PM)

how to run Iraq ? It appears the Saddam Hussein knew a lot more about it than we do. Although his methods seem rather ruthless, his law and order was very effective..in his eyes, killing a person who going to kill himself anyway wasn't much of a deterent...the possibility of killing his family or half of the village kept things in check......this place is not civilize and civilized method don't work.....I can truly understand why this so call "monster" did what did...a person walking the streets with a half arm or half of tongue gets the message across a little more than a judicial probation any comments ?

J ....Trona California (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:23 PM)

what i would like to hear from a gw speech is that he has brought all Americans home and has nuked the whole arab world.

sl glenn , clovis nm (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:24 PM)

Impeachment will stop the madness - remember "People should not be afraid of their Government . . . Governments should be afraid of their people."

Glenn McIntyre, Martinsburg, WV (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:28 PM)

Bush and his neocon cronies remind me of another leader back in the 1930's and 1940's. That little man also wanted to hear from his generals about what to do while the Russians were at his front door. We all know what happened to him. Why is Cheney so involved with what is being said....is he afraid of losing some of his Halliburton and KBR profits if the US leaves Iraq. Bush will not listen to anyone except those with the same mindset. He hasn't done it in 5 years, why now. His legacy? Worst President Ever

Jack (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:30 PM)

It's nice to know (sl glenn) of clovis NM has absolutely no say in our foreign policy. It's also nice to know that (sl glenn) was probably crying after the elections in november when his thieving neo-gimps lost to the Democrats.

Zorro, San Francisco CA (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:37 PM)

Citizen, do you want solutions? Try reading about those that Sen. Joe Biden presented back in Nov, 2005. http://biden.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=249188 Since we've now experienced 2006 and have seen Iraq fall into chaos and civil war, the only option left to us is to get out of Iraq as soon as possible. We can give them a carrot to stop their fighting and join hands to move into the future, by offering money and assistance to rebuild Iraq without our military presence and have very few conditions... 1. that all contractors be Iraqi, with Iraqi labor; 2. that all fighting must cease immediately; 3. that the Iraqi govt. must be all-inclusive with all sects in Iraq; 4. that Iran, Syria and Saudia Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries all pitch in to help stabilize the Iraqi powder keg through discussion and negotiation and not via any military action (although, holding that over their heads may be a wake-up call); 5. that the oil in Iraq benefit the Iraqi people and no one else. Iraq is in civil war. Whether you believe it or not, can grasp the ramifications or not... the truth and fact of the matter is this: multiple factions are killing each other at alarming rates in terrorist-style fashion. The only act we have yet to see is each side have an army. Obviously, all sides in Iraq fight in a fashion we are not comfortable with. I actually believe the conflict in Iraq will explode once we leave, but we are only prolonging this event by being there, not preventing it. We have a responsibility to fix what we've broken, but we cannot fix it at this time. Let the insurgents eventually calm down after our departure and then offer the money to help rebuild.

Nick, Ohio (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:47 PM)

Bush and Cheney are the two biggest threats to our National Security. Radical Christians are no different than Islamic Extremeist. Real Christianity has nothing to do with dictating how other nations or people need to behave, killing people if they do not agree with your point of view, not admitting your own flaws. Bush and Cheney are not God. Being Christian is all about love, peace, forgiveness and most importantly, helping those in need. We are in this mess by Neocon Choice, certainly not by true Christian values.... Jim

Jim Franklyn, Hollywood, Florida (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:56 PM)

whew...at least there is some reality trickling back into the american psyche - nice posts people. Now grasp this....if 1 second = 1 dollar, then 1 million dollars is 12 days (about) and a TRILLION is (get this...) 36,000 YEARS! That is how much this war has cost and uncurious George has increased our national debt for future generations to pay.

Peter Van Rossum, La Jolla CA (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:57 PM)

Remember when we were called 'unpatriotic' for saying things like this? Remember when we were called un-American? Traitors? Terrorist lovers? Sure feels good to vent and not have anyone (including Rush Limbaugh) be able to sound anything other than sadistically insane to criticize us, doesn't it?

Jane (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 1:58 PM)

Well, I personally believe Nancy Reagan's astrologer visited him and told him the stars were not aligned right now for him to address the American people. Yep, that has to be it. Why else would he delay speaking to us?

Still Crazy After All These Years (Sent Tuesday, December 12, 2006 2:00 PM)

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