Thursday, July 13, 2006 | 7:23 a.m.
For me, a critical review of the George W. Bush presidency would seem to point to a "Puppet Presidency," one controlled by a cabal with a pre-election agenda. The Chief Puppeteer and leader of the cabal being Vice President Dick Cheney, who headed the cabal composed of Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice and the neo-cons. Even before 9/11, they had set their eyes on the overthrowing of Saddam Hussein and instituting regime change in Iraq. One can only speculate as to their reasons, for only they know for sure.
In Ron Suskind's book, "The Price of Loyalty," former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill recounts how in an early 2001 meeting the issue of Iraq was already on the table. It was obvious to him that plans were already being formulated to take Saddam out. Bush led the nation into a war based on lies that now shows there were no weapons of mass destruction, not the potential of a mushroom cloud.
Here we are, some five years later, with Iraq in the midst of a secular civil war, some 2,500-plus U.S. soldiers dead, another 19,000 wounded, and the count of the dead Iraqis - men, women and children - estimated to exceed 80,000.
There have been some letters to the editor that suggest anyone who criticizes this administration are Bush bashers. If the letter writers are so blinded by the propaganda out of the White House regarding that which has been wrought on the world by this administration, I feel sorry for them. I am glad to wear the badge of a Bush basher with pride. Yes, I am a Bush critic.
I believe history will be harsh on Bush. Many may even refer to the war in Iraq as "Bush's Folly."
Ray Harbert, Las Vegas
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