COMMENTARY: Scaife's paper calls Bush's Iraq policy 'prescription for American suicide'

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On Monday, the trade publication Editor & Publisher called attention to a stinging editorial published Sunday in the Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh, PA), owned by right-wing billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife, a Republican zealot.[1]  --  In the editorial, entitled "The War in Iraq," the Tribune-Review said it agreed with its local congressman, Jack Murtha, that "President Bush is delusional," and went on:  "'Staying the course' is not simply futile — it is a prescription for American suicide.  --  We've urged for months to bring our troops home.  Now is the time.  --  'Progress' has become such a nuanced, parsed, and tortured term that it no longer has meaning. . . . President Bush warns that U.S. withdrawal would risk 'mass killings on a horrific scale.'  What do we have today, sir?  --  And quite frankly, during last Thursday's news conference, when George Bush started blathering about 'sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don't enable you to be loved,' we had to question his mental stability.  --  If the president won't do the right thing and end this war, the people must.  The House has voted to withdraw combat troops from Iraq by April.  The Senate must follow suit. . . . America has done its job.  --  It's time for the Iraqis to do theirs."[2] ...

1.

SCAIFE-OWNED NEWSPAPER CALLS FOR IRAQ TROOP WITHDRAWAL -- QUESTIONS BUSH'S MENTAL STABILITY

Editor & Publisher
July 16, 2007

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003612271

NEW YORK -- The Pittsburgh newspaper owned by conservative billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife yesterday called the Bush administration's plans to stay the course in Iraq a "prescription for American suicide."

The editorial in the Tribune-Review added, "And quite frankly, during last Thursday's news conference, when George Bush started blathering about 'sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don't enable you to be loved,' we had to question his mental stability."

It continued: "President Bush warns that U.S. withdrawal would risk 'mass killings on a horrific scale.' What do we have today, sir?

"If the president won't do the right thing and end this war, the people must. The House has voted to withdraw combat troops from Iraq by April. The Senate must follow suit.

"Our brave troops should take great pride that they rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein. And they should have no shame in leaving Iraq. For it will not be, in any way, an exercise in tail-tucking and running.

"America has done its job.

"It's time for the Iraqis to do theirs."

The editorial said it agrees with its local congressman on this: Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha.

Scaife has been a loyal backer of Republican politicians and many conservative causes, and funded a network of investigations into President Clinton during the 1990s.

2.

Editorial

THE WAR IN IRAQ

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
July 15, 2007

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/archive/s_517212.html

Perhaps Jack Murtha put it best: The Pennsylvania congressman, among the first to make the cogent argument that staying the course in Iraq was the exercise in futility that indeed the war has become, says President Bush is delusional.

Based on the president's recent performance, we could not agree more. "Staying the course" is not simply futile -- it is a prescription for American suicide.

We've urged for months to bring our troops home. Now is the time.

"Progress" has become such a nuanced, parsed and tortured term that it no longer has meaning.

The "fledgling" Iraqi government -- how long can it reasonably be called that? -- consistently has not stepped up to the plate.

President Bush warns that U.S. withdrawal would risk "mass killings on a horrific scale." What do we have today, sir?

And quite frankly, during last Thursday's news conference, when George Bush started blathering about "sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don't enable you to be loved," we had to question his mental stability.

If the president won't do the right thing and end this war, the people must. The House has voted to withdraw combat troops from Iraq by April. The Senate must follow suit.

Our brave troops should take great pride that they rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein. And they should have no shame in leaving Iraq. For it will not be, in any way, an exercise in tail-tucking and running.

America has done its job.

It's time for the Iraqis to do theirs.