Bush evades the Pottery Barn rule

Published Mar 26 2008, 03:01 PM by Ian Donnis

As has been reported, Colin Powell took aside President Bush before the US invaded Iraq and told him about the Pottery Barn Rule. In other words, you break it, you own it.

We recently looked at some of the impacts of the war:

[There's] a tab in the trillions, tens of thousands dead, US troops being sent into battle without proper equipment, veterans getting shabby treatment, America's global standing seriously diminished, terrorists strengthened, and no end in sight . . .

And yet those who thought Bush is getting ready to pass this mess off on his successor seem absolutely right.

From yesterday's New York Times:

Mr. Bush announced no final decision on future troop levels after the video briefing by the commander, Gen. David H. Petraeus, and the diplomat, Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker. The briefing took place on the day when the 4,000th American military death of the war was reported and just after the invasion’s fifth anniversary.

But it now appears likely that any decision on major reductions in American troops from Iraq will be left to the next president. That ensures that the question over what comes next will remain in the center of the presidential campaign through Election Day.

Filed Under: 2008 presidential race, Iraq, National security, Terrorism

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