I just saw on CNN that Bush is now attacking Congress for delaying funding for the troops as they are sending him bills he claims he will certainly veto. In particular, he is apparently now counting the days since he submitted the supplemental funding request for the Iraq war. Oddly enough, the 57 days that have gone by are apparently a terrible delay now, but the 86 and 119 days the Republican-led 109th Congress took in 2005 and 2006 were worthy of praise.

Bush’s speech reeks of the politics he claims Democrats are bringing to the process. While his defense of his position is entirely framed in political considerations, mentioning Democrats in every sentence, the actions taken by Congress actually create policy. They have implemented a policy shift, a deadline for troop withdrawal with ways to extend if necessary. Let’s debate this. Let’s talk about why those conditions are bad or good.

The President isn’t making any arguments defending his veto plans. There’s no attempt to make an argument that actually makes sense. It’s the same fear-mongering he has relied on since he became President. Unspecified harm to soldiers, unspecified risk to the nation, which must be true simply because he has pronounced it so.

As usual, his arguments are dishonest. The troops have funding until mid-summer. They’re not waiting for anything, as our experiences in 2005 and 2006 show. Bush is a hypocrite and a liar of the worst sort. He makes these claims that are so transparently false. He knows people will catch it, so why does he keep doing it? And since he lies so transparently on these simple, obvious issues, why should we believe anything else he says?