Here are a few things you’ll take away after watching part 2 of Bush’s War:

• The military planning of the Iraq invasion never seriously took into account the amount of civilian unrest that would follow the ousting of Saddam. 
• Our government actually thought our military would be withdrawn from Iraq by December 2003.  That’s eight months after the initial invasion.
• We put all our eggs in the “weapons of mass destruction basket” and our strategy was shattered when they never materialized.

The series ends at the beginning of the 2006 troop surge. 

Absent from Frontline’s analysis of the Iraq invasion is Gen. Petraeus who spearheaded the new surge plan that helped reinforce our “clear, hold, and build” strategy.  Absent also is the cost of the war in American and international deaths and in economic strain.

The final words are a grim reminder of where we are today after five years of an American presence in Iraq and seven years in Afghanistan.  Are the narrators words a bit too liberal?  Should we be thinking with more optimism?  Watch and read for yourself.

NARRATOR:

Violence is down in Iraq. They are cautiously calling clear, hold and build a success. But at a cost. The troops and reserves are stretched dangerously thin. The military worries how long the surge can be sustained. In his last State of the Union address, George W. Bush made a final plea to history …

PRESIDENT BUSH:

“The mission in Iraq has been difficult and trying for our nation. But it is in the vital interest of the United States that we succeed. We must do the difficult work today so that years form now, people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment, prevailed in a tough fight, and left behind a more hopeful region and a safer America.”

NARRATOR:

Soon Bush’s war will be handed to someone new.

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Frontline ”Bush’s War” part 1 on PBS: 

After watching a majority of the two and a half hour first installment of “Bush’s War” on PBS last night, I asked myself, “Where’s Bush?”. 

He was a mysteriously absent character in the march our nation took towards war with Iraq.  For a series that had devoted itself with great detail and accuracy to document one of our nations biggest blunders, I’m a little disturbed at how blind sided I feel that I’ve misplaced blame.

It’s been easy pointing a finger at Bush all these years.  He’s essentially an educated yokel.  Blunders seem like they come naturally to a character who spoke of the internet in the plural form and confused Austria with Australia.

The truth of the situation (as Frontline reported it) showed Vice President Dick Cheney and (then) Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld throwing their weight around the White House with vicious tenacity.  

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that Bush is blameless.  He still signed his name on documents that (some would argue) illegally gave him power to make decisions that superceed the votes of Congress, the House of Representatives, and ultimately the American public (see: Patriot Act and torture bill of 2006). 

But part one of the series essentially outlined a war that was orchestrated and devised by a close knit group of high powered officials who whispered opinions into the ear of our President.  I suppose this shouldn’t be a surprise.  Bush has long been called a puppet.

Part one left us a week before the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.  Up to this point the focus was Afghanistan.  It was clearly determined the attacks of 9/11 were directly linked with Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda.  Not Iraq. 

Do you hear that people?  9/11 was never directly linked to Iraq.  I’m glad we’ve gotten the air cleared on that one.  I’m tired of arguing otherwise with the less informed.

Tonight we’ll dive right into the invasion of Iraq and the massive bumbles that will ensue.  If you missed part one (or can’t be home to watch part two tonight), PBS is airing the complete 4 1/2 hour series online at PBS.com. If you can only watch one program about the Iraq and Afghanistan war, this would be the one to catch.

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I thought it would be beneficial to let everyone know about a two part television special called “Bush’s War” airing on PBS next week.

I’m happy to hear it’s being produced and broadcasted by PBS. They adhere to the highest standards of journalistic integrity, guidelines, and practices. This translates to a program that you can feel confident knowing the information presented is truthful.

Check out their guideline on journalistic standards and practices here.

The show will air Monday, March 24, 2008, from 9 to 11:30 P.M. and Tuesday, March 25, from 9 to 11 P.M. ET on PBS.

Combined with fresh reporting and new interviews, Bush’s War will be the definitive documentary analysis of one of the most challenging periods in the nation’s history.

“Parts of this history have been told before,” Kirk says. “But no one has laid out the entire narrative to reveal in one epic story the scope and detail of how this war began and how it has been fought, both on the ground and deep inside the government.”

Be prepared for many more shows and movies focusing on the last eight years of the Bush reign. By the end of the year, Olivier Stone will be producing a full length feature movie about how President Bush came to power.

I’ll be tuned in Monday and Tuesday night to see if PBS will truely stick to the facts as we know them to be today. Or, if we’ll find the episodes fueled by the national rage over the Iraq & Afghanistan wars.

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I think everyone’s noticed the dramatic decline in news items focusing on the war in Iraq. I’d place my finger around the time Gen. Patreaus gave his testimony on the surge back in September. There was an orgy of information flying at us right before and after he took the stand.

But then we heard nothing. Or at least close to nothing.

Some would say it’s because the surge started to work. And it has. To a point. Either the surge has worked or “the enemy” has found it’s interest in another land. No matter what the reason is behind the drop in violence, Americans are still dying in the desert.

Back on the home front, it’s business as usual.

I challenge you to take a gander at the percentage of cable news spots focusing on the war in Iraq this year.

One Percent.

Last year 24% of news items covered by cable networks were about the Iraq war. Twenty-Four to One percent? Holy mother of denial.

It isn’t just your imagination. There really has been a massive drop in news coverage about the war in Iraq. I can’t really blame the media. The media is trying to give the public stories that they’re interested in hearing. Without an audience, news doesn’t have much of a purpose.

ABC News President Davis Westin agrees that new of the Iraq war shouldn’t wither away.

“It’s our job to find ways of presenting that story in the most memorable and compelling ways to our audience because they need to know what’s going on there.”

You see what he said there? It’s important to find the most “memorable and compelling ways” to present news to the public. Everyone’s in the business of entertainment.

Apparently, the war in Iraq isn’t entertaining to the public anymore. Perhaps it’s akin to watching reruns of M*A*S*H but with less of Hotlips and more of Frank Burns.

Source: Excellence in Journalism’s survey of news coverage.

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Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are still in the thick of it. As another set of primaries is about to occur on Tuesday, the celebs are coming out of the woodwork to let you know who they choose. Here’s a couple of the videos they’ve produced, one for each candidate, cuz you know… I’d hate to seem biased.

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