As Iraq Toll Nears 4000 -- Bush Sees a "comma"

[babylonsister]

As Iraq Toll Nears 4000 -- Bush Sees a "comma"
Greg Mitchell
Posted March 22, 2008 | 02:48 PM (EST)


As the U.S. death toll nears 4000 in Iraq, President Bush gave the country another pep talk this week on staying the course, while continuing to argue that history will wash the blood off his hands. Nothing has changed in his claim that when humans, or God, look back at this episode, it will seem like only a "comma."

Back in September 2006, I was first to trace the derivation of this "comma" reference (and a chapter about it appears in my new book on Iraq and the media).

CNN had aired an interview with President Bush conducted by Wolf Blitzer, who asked about the latest setbacks in Iraq and indications that civil war may be at hand. Bush, with a slight smile, replied, "Yes, you see -- you see it on TV, and that's the power of an enemy that is willing to kill innocent people. But there's also an unbelievable will and resiliency by the Iraqi people.... I like to tell people when the final history is written on Iraq, it will look like just a comma because there is -- my point is, there's a strong will for democracy."

Even for Bushisms, this was an odd one. Maybe he meant "coma." No, that would be too negative.

A comma as a metaphor perhaps? If so, for what? All that bloodshed as merely a comma -- a pause in a long sentence -- leading to a hopeful phrase or conclusion? Comma, "and they all lived happily ever after"? Or maybe, comma, "and then we bombed Iran"?

more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/as-iraq-toll-nears-4000-_b_92898.html

[Systematic Chaos]

1. Does this mean that when food and oil shortages kill over a billion people...

...it will be the ultimate trifecta! Three commas!

I've never gotten over when * said that. I listened to Mike Malloy that night and he was pretty pissed too. :grr:

[Demeter]

2. More Like a Coma, IMO

Wake up, Congress!

[struggle4progress]

3. 'Just a Comma' Becomes Part of Iraq Debate (2006)

By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 5, 2006; Page A19

... As he heads out on the campaign trail, haunted by an unpopular war, President Bush has begun reassuring audiences that this traumatic period in Iraq will be seen as "just a comma" in the history books ...

"Admittedly, it seems like a decade ago," Bush went on. "I like to tell people when the final history is written on Iraq, it will look like just a comma because there is -- my point is, there's a strong will for democracy." The president used a similar line at a campaign event last week in Alabama and again on Tuesday in Stockton ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/04/AR2006100401707.html

When he was jabbering like this in 2006, he'd killed about 2600 US troops, and about 90 Iraqis were dying every day. Now he's killed 4000 US troops, and over 100 Iraqis are dying every day