The GAO Report Busts the Administration in Its Lies

by emptywheel

I'm anxiously waiting the WaPo's analysis of today's GAO report. You'll recall the WaPo reported last week that someone had liberated a copy of the GAO to prevent BushCO from "softening" its conclusions. But the numbers suggest that some of the conclusions were softened: whereas on Thursday, the WaPo reported Iraq had met three and partially met two of the benchmarks, the GAO has since added two more partially met objectives--on not providing a safe haven for outlaws, and on preparing three Iraqi brigades in Baghdad. In other words, over the weekend, Bush squeezed two more gentleman's C's out of the GAO.

More interesting still is the chart on page 12, which shows why Bush tried so hard to get GAO to give it some more passing grades. That chart shows shows how much more generous BushCo was in its July 2007 assessment. How else to explain that in July, BushCo found that Iraq had made satisfactory progress on eight benchmarks, whereas today's softened GAO report finds that Iraq has made satisfactory progress on only three. And BushCo gave Iraq more positive grades than GAO did on two other benchmarks.

The GAO has quantified just how much lying Bush has already been doing in his assessments of success in Iraq.

It's instructive, too, to see where there are variances.

• GAO says Iraq has failed to form a Constitutional Review Committee; BushCo says it has fully satisfied this benchmark
• GAO says Iraq has partially met benchmarks on forming semi-autonomous regions; BushCo says it has met this objective
• GAO says Iraq has failed to establish provincial authorities; BushCo says it has partially met this benchmark
• Rather than judge Iraq as failing to pass amnesty and disarmament, BushCo says simply that "conditions are not present for these benchmarks"
• GAO says Iraq has partially met its goal of three Iraqi brigades in Baghdad; BushCo says it has met this objective (on Thursday the report said Iraq had failed to meet this objective)
• GAO says Iraq has partially met its goal of "not providing a safe haven for outlaws"; BushCo is satisfied with Iraq's progress on this score (on Thursday the report said Iraq had failed to meet this objective)
• GAO says Iraq has failed to eliminate militia control of local security; BushCo gives it partial credit
• GAO says Iraq has partially met its spending goal; BushCo gives it full credit

The key part of the GAO report is not just that it shows that the surge has been a failure. It also quantifies who much BushCo is lying to us to make us believe that it has succeeded.

Comments

[lunylegume]

Diplomacy the art of telling a person to go to the devil and make seem to be their own idea .
Lying the art of being lil' bushie 'n big dicky

[Mad Dogs]

This sounds so familiar. Wait a minute! Wasn't this just how Junya managed to graduate from all those educational institutions? You know, places like kindergarten, grade school, highschool, college, grad school.

Any idea what the going rate for a grade change in DC is these days? Hence the need to restore the "ol' coffers" on the lecture circuit after our sentence is over.

[Dismayed]

Isn't partially meeting a goal like partially being pregnant?

Mr. Bush -- Let's review the idea of a goal: Cross the line, six points - don't cross the line, no points.

Reach home plate, one point. Reach third base, no points.

Through the hoop, two points. (sometimes three!) Hit the backboard, no points.

And this guy was of what value to the Rangers?

[Dismayed]

Oh, now. Provide security. One point. 500 dead Iraqis, er - no points.

Thought I'd help George and Jodi out there. Neither are too good at reaching the logical conclusion.

[Neil]

The "do nothing" Congress set objective measurements as goals and to track progress in Iraq.

Today the GAO briefed the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Senate will also call WH officials who will testify under oath to encourage truthfulness rather than Gonzalezisms. The Senate should invite the Vice President to make his case, too. He's the one who has made the point the Senate pays his salary.

[Neil]

And this guy was of what value to the Rangers?
Posted by: Dismayed | September 04, 2007 at 18:04

He was the glad hander and he was pretty good at it. Everyone got a nickname.

[Dismayed]

But he never could understand why they didn't win - So many guys got to third.

[Darclay]

Well I guess that Dark Lord is siezing, and plotting to find those weapons of Mass Delusion in Iran. See the decider has finally de cide ed to send some of the troops home. That'll work, rest em up send em off to Iran. What a load!

[masaccio]

It's important to remember the definition of the term "satisfactory" in the Interim Report:

As measured from a January 2007 baseline, do we assess that present trend data demonstrates a positive trajectory, which is tracking toward satisfactory accomplishment in the near term? If the answer is yes, we have provided a “Satisfactory” assessment; if the answer is no, the assessment is “Unsatisfactory.”

[masaccio]

Even with the lazy standard of the interim report, the report shows nothing of success. Judging like the rest of us are judged, the GAO says he is a failure.

I grew up in the Viet Nam war. The nation was in turmoil for most of my college years, demonstrations, growing more and more violent, culminating in the horror of 1968. Nothing changed. I went into the Army in 1968, and nothing changed. More anger, more violence, nothing changed. I got out, went to law school, Kent State, Jackson State, and more, jail, nothing changed. Nixon got reelected. If he hadn't overreached we'd still be at war. Nothing changed.

And nothing is changing now....

[Dismayed]

I've had the same thought, massaccio. But this time, way more overreach, and still no change.

[big brother]

IMPEACH OR LIVE WITH THE WAR. I asked my Congressperson Lois Capps at the Dems Labor Day picnic fundraier if she would support impeachment. Answer No, but don't you want healthcare? Well yeah but it would be nice to be a constitutional democracy. Only one guy has impeach on a cap no demonstrations. In her speech she complained about the WAR. As long as Bush is President there is war and more war. Endless Wars.

[Jodi]

Dismayed,

but we do know how to play ball.