Moving the goalposts

Having failed so miserably to make progress in Iraq, the Administration is now attempting to redefine success. Predictably, the new success looks a lot like failure.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Bush administration Thursday rejected a bleak draft survey by a government auditor on political and military advances in Iraq, saying it set criteria for judging progress far too high.

The White House and State Department hit back after leaks emerged of a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), saying Iraq had failed to meet all but three of 18 benchmarks laid down by Congress.

[Snip]

White House deputy spokeswoman Dana Perino took pains to differentiate the GAO survey from the president's own report on the 30,000-strong troop hike in Iraq, which he must provide to Congress by September 15.

"The president must report on whether or not the Iraqis are making significant progress towards achieving the benchmarks in Iraq," Perino told reporters.

"The GAO ... is asked by Congress to say whether or not they have met them," she said, adding that the "bar was set so high" it was all but impossible for the Iraqis to meet the standards.

Gosh Dana, I guess you are right. After five years, half a billion dollars, and thousands of lives, we really shouldn’t expect our Iraq policy to have actually accomplished anything. That would be setting the bar too high, especially for this Administration.

Dear Lord, I cannot stand these fucking people.