Can Bush get the job done?

While the US death toll in Iraq lingers just under 3,000, President Bush committed to give Lebanon $230 million to assist in the country's postwar reconstruction. The country requested $500 million. Why does our country have to foot almost half the bill, considering we're engulfed in mass debt and a war of our own?

Recently, speculation arose hinting the money wouldn't just be handed over. Randall Tobias, administrator for the US agency for international development, said, "Some will want to implement programs of their own choosing that are consistent with the priorities of the Lebanese government."

President Bush was the one who proposed the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, or he was, at least, the one who had the money to pay people to write a proposal to end that war in words he could sound out. We now know he has the power to end war. Darn egos.

Bush said at a political fundraiser Sept. 1, "If we leave Iraq before the job is done, it will create a terrorist state in the heart of the Middle East, a terrorist state much more dangerous than Afghanistan was before we removed the Taliban, a terrorist state with the capacity to fund its activities because of the oil reserves of Iraq."

The "job" is like doing laundry. The "job" has no end. An opposition will always exist.

Did you catch the end of that quote? "… terrorist state with the capacity to fund its activities because of the oil reserves..." If the "job," in this context, is to rid Iraq of terrorists, then gaining control of the oil reserves will cut off the their money supply - ending their regime.

However, he said winning the war "in large part depends on our willingness to help this young Iraq democracy succeed." Perhaps Bush's plan is to assist the Iraqi government in securing the oil reserves, but capitalism naturally branches off of democracy, meaning the independently-owned reserves technically shouldn't become government property.

This fund-raiser speech came one week before a series of speeches countering opposition to the Iraq war. He stated, "These are important times, and I would seriously hope people wouldn't politicize these issues that I'm going to talk about." Don't "politicize" words said about politics; is he serious?

Just last month Mohmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, proposed a live, televised debate with Bush on world issues. I'd order a pay-per-view to see that.

The woman who wrecked her car teaching a dog to drive could secure the democratic ticket and defeat Bush if he were running in 2008.

OK, maybe not, but luckily, he can't run again. Perhaps he'll run for presidency in Iraq after we get the "job" done and help this "young Iraq democracy succeed."