Bush Military Decisions Based on Election Politics; NYT Buries Story

Buried in the Arts & Leisure section of the New York Times was a story today that should have been on the front pages - but wasn't, because the media simply doesn't care that the Iraq War has been waged on wholly dishonest grounds.

In a story about Paul Bremer's new book, we get this 11 paragraphs in:

"Mr. Bremer quotes a September 2003 memo in which Mr. Rumsfeld declared that 'our goal should be to ramp up the Iraqi numbers, try to get some additional international forces' and 'reduce the U.S. role.' And he writes that Colin L. Powell said this push was related to concerns that the president might have to mobilize more National Guard units, including ones from crucial states in an election year."

In other words, we now have proof that brazen election campagin/political concerns were at the root of key military decisions - decisions that were critical in whether Iraq would be secured or fall into the current chaos it is in now. I have nothing against wanting the war to have a bigger Iraqi presence - but the fact that Powell is now admitting that decisions about American troop levels and military affairs were made based on factors like electoral swing states is just disgusting.

And even more disgusting is that such a revelation is buried in the 11th paragraph of a story in the Arts & Leisure section of the New York Times - instead of being blared on the front pages.

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