Pataki: Iraq obviously worse
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- November
- 29
 To no surprise, Gov. George Pataki, visiting Iraq with a handful of other governors, said things are much worse than when he first visited in 2004.
  “ … by all accounts, this (Iraqi) government has not delivered the security and stability that the people of Iraq need,’’ the governor said from Kuwait, via satellite hookup with New York reporters. “That has to change and that has to change quickly … Clearly, the situation in Baghdad is significantly worse than it was two and a half years ago.’’
  Pataki noted that, back then, he toured the streets, even stopping to get an ice-cream cone. This time, Americans weren’t allowed to leave the fortified “Green Zone’’ unless on a military mission.
 If the Iraqi government fails to turn things around soon, Pataki was asked, would he support a U.S. troop pullout? He hedged.
 “I don’t know whether they will fail,’’ the governor said, dressed in a Polo button-down shirt, sans jacket. “Let’s first see if they can’’ make improvements.
 Pataki traveled with New Jersey Gov. John Corzine, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. Like Pataki, the other govs were slated to do satellite news conferences back home. They were in Baghdad about two days and in Tikrit and met with Gen. George Casey, the top American commander in Iraq, according to Pataki aide David Catalfamo.
 Pataki said he came to thank American troops and had met with many National Guard members from New York. The governor said their morale was high.
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on Wednesday, November 29th, 2006 at 2:10 pm by Yancey Roy.
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“Having been in Iraq a little over a week ago, to me, the single most important thing we have to do right now is to hold the Iraqi government’s feet to the fire and make them start to perform,” Pataki said. “They’re failing; they’re not passing simple legislation like allocating fairly petroleum revenues. . .”
Was the Gov talking about the legislature in Iraq or New York? Substitute “New York” for “Iraq” and “school” for “petroleum,” and Pataki could be talking about the dysfunctional legislature up in Albany.
Hey George, wher’ve you been for the past 12 years?