Where's The Pony?

The premise. Uncertain Principles (02.01.06):

"This administration doesn't do policy, they do politics. If Bush says something in a speech, it's because they think it will sound good in a speech, period. That doesn't mean there's a concrete proposal in the works -- if the line in he speech is poorly received, odds are it will disappear without a trace. And even if the line sounds good, that doesn't mean there will be any follow-through -- ask the people of New York, Afghanistan, Iraq, and New Orleans about that." Show Me the Pony

The speech. CNN (05.16.06):

"Trying to navigate the election-year minefield on the issue [of immigration], Bush called for the short-term deployment of up to 6,000 National Guard troops in a supporting role along the U.S.-Mexico border." Bush calls for 6,000 troops along border

The follow-through. AP (06.30.06):

"On the deadline to have 2,500 troops along the Mexican border, the National Guard said Friday that only 483 were in position and working with the U.S. Border Patrol as the Bush administration had directed. But Guard officials said more than 2,000 others were somewhere inside the four southwestern border states, training or helping plan the deployment." Only 483 Guard Working on Mexican Border

Somewhere? As in they were somewhere inside those States because they, uhhh, lived there? Blah, blah, blah. The White House said that as "'defined by the operation, the National Guard has met and exceeded its goal of deploying 2,500 soldiers and airmen to the four Southwest border states. Progress to date is real and the Guard's efforts are making a positive difference in this national effort.'" In his May speech, George also said there'd be "a 50 percent increase in the number of Border Patrol agents", a bit of a different tune than what he was singing in February, 2005, when 9,790 border agents were cut out of the budget. Ahhh yes. But that was then, and this is now. So about that pony.