12 years later

As we mourn another year of the tragedy that took place in New York City, a larger question remains unanswered:

What have we learned?

We have learned that we can be very bitter and have revenge.
We have learned that we still believe we're the center of the universe and that we're better than anyone.
We have learned that it's better to hate than to educate.
We have learned that when it comes to revenge, we have no qualms destroying other countries in retaliation.

Harsh?

Absolutely.

The problem is - we haven't learned one thing from our history.

What we should have learned.

We have a responsibility to other cultures and countries across the marble we all live on.

We should respect one another and thoroughly learn those who disagree with us so that we can better understand their complaints against us.

We have the ability to destroy thousands of lives ... but we don't need to.

We have the ability to look in the mirror.

We have the ability to learn from our mistakes.

We have the ability to learn more about those that have grievances against us.

Contrary to what you may believe, I still deeply feel the loss our nation went through on 9/11.  It was senseless.  It was tragic.  It made me angry.  It made me question a lot about myself.  It made me reconsider how I view our foreign policy and the aftermath that would soon follow in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For when it was all said and done, our vengeance was taken out on a middle eastern country whose leader we had long since despised.  It was a convenient target even though the mission was horribly contrived and concocted.  We got our "blood thirst" temporarily satiated in the countless slaughter of Iraq's own population.  When you consider the loss of their lives - significantly pales in comparison to the loss of our nation's families on 9/11 ... if you can wrap your mind around that notion, then you're beginning to realize that we are equally burdened by our revenge spurt that happened over the last decade.

I was not in favor of our actions in Iraq, but I was in favor of going after the guy that did it - who was in Afghanistan then moved to Pakistan.  I was in favor of putting an end to the regime in Libya and I am not a fan of the despot in Syria.  Civil wars are always going to be the bane of the world around us.  I'm not one of these folks that believes we need to be interfering in the plight of every conflict that happens.  It's deeply tragic what's happening when a nation gases and neutralizes their citizens by way of chemical warfare.  It's abominable.  It's atrocious.

Just because we can do something about it - doesn't mean we always should.  I'm not sure where the line is.  As much as I'd want to put a stop to all the senseless crap in the world - I know we simply can't.  It's impossible.

What we can do is start improving the way we view the world around us.  We can educate ourselves about other cultures, we can teach compassion and sympathy.  We can set a new example of how citizens are supposed to behave - like adults - rather than petulant children who simply aren't getting their way.  Pitching a fit isn't going to resolve anything in the world.

We can stop the war drum beating, the inflaming "journalism" and eliminate the dazzling political punditry that seeks to divide us from the world than unite us.  The United Nations was founded on the principle that we can mutually meet to resolve our differences ... but as long as there are those out there that continually berate the actions of the U.N. without fully understanding the scope and cause of the organization - then the world will continue to be in peril and conflict.

We need clarity when it comes to our resolve ... but we need to be open, understanding and educated participants of the world to make that happen.

The Surge?

Bob Woodward of "All the President's Men" fame has a new book coming out in which he portrays the effects of the "Surge" as not quite being the successful juggernaut as we've all heard about time and time again.. In fact, the Surge did help at least in part -- but as Bob correctly displays there were two other major components that went into the success of downward violence in Iraq:

1.) Redeploying did help quell the surge in parts of Iraq
2.) The Anbar Awakening movement which called for Sunnis to turn against Al Qaeda
3.) Al Sadr calling for a halt to violence by his Mahdi army

So while the White House spin-meisters try to say that the surge enable the other two parts from happening .. again .. shows of their gross incompetence to understanding the volatility of the region and what the absence of power in Iraq has done to the Middle East..

The fact that there is a very prominent Shia population remains un-noticed is incredibly unfortunate.. Al Sadr is not done yet -- nor will Iran remain idle during this process.. But you can thank the Republican machine for screwing up the balance in the Middle East.. Way to go boys....

I guess that's why it's important to have someone like Palin in the Veep chair when she touts that she really hasn't paid attention to what has happened in Iraq.... Yeah, that's experience we need {end of sarcasm....}

Gee ... imagine that....

Much like what I've been saying for a long time now: Iraq doesn't want us there any longer than humanly possible..

Fortunately the administration finally realizes this as well..

But there's a line from that story that is very telling -- and very much a stepping stone in the direction I thought this was heading:

"This decision (agreement) is a sovereign one and Iran and other neighboring countries have the right to ask for clarifications. ... There are clear articles (that) say that Iraq will not be used as a launching pad for any aggressive acts against neighboring countries and we already did clarify this."

Why is this relevant?? Because the whole principle behind the "100-year base agreement" issue was to be exactly this: a launch vehicle for the United States against neighboring countries.. Foreign Minister Zebari singled out Iran which is very telling -- there's no shrouded words there -- he's saying: don't worry..

Which is important because?? Iraq and Iran will eventually become close allies..

The country we liberated will side with the axis of evil.....

How's that for a legacy??

Wrong country, wrong war, wrong enemy -- remove enemy -- watch country join larger enemy....

Chess

I realize it's waaay too much to even ask this President anything about chess.. But this is where our commander in chief doesn't have a clue that when you do something - there are repercussions for what you've just done.. Cause and effect... Causality..

And that's something Bush hasn't had to account for too much.. Because anytime he's made a decision about Iraq -- there's been no one to really tell him what the repercussions are.. He has been incredibly spoiled in that regard, but it's apparent that luck is going to give way to his legacy..

IRAQ: The Shia problem.. Yep - he got his boy Saddam out of power - but not one conservative out there has the foresight to understand the Shia problem or have any idea or concept how to resolve it.. Iran is predominantly Shia.. Iraq has a very healthy Shia population.. As things continue to develop between Iran and the rest of the world (who, by the way has a major backer in Russia on their side whom we'll talk about here in just a few) who does Bush think Iraq is going to support when the Iran issue explodes??

And therein lies Bush's first cause and effect problem: the moment he took Saddam out, he immediately destabilized an incredibly complicated and fragile balance of power in the region.. Saddam -- as big as his bark has been -- had nothing.. Why?? Because Saddam had to do what he could to keep Iran at bay.. That's why he fought with the weapons inspectors, that's why he made it seem like he was really a bad dude because otherwise - he had no protection if Iran started pouring their shared border..

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria -- all have interests not to see an expanding Iran.. So - once again: what does Bush think Iraq is going to do when Iran becomes center stage?? We're going to see a true "test" of our alliance with the newly established Iraqi government.. We don't have to look very far - because Iraqi people don't want to see Americans there anymore than they have to.. The whole "hundred year lease" debacle is evidence of that.. It's not unrealistic to expect that at *best* our Iraqi "allies" are going to forbid us access within the borders of their country.. At *worst* they'll take up sides with the Iranians and thumb their collective noses at us..

You don't think that's realistic?? It very much is and that's why Bush and McCain have such a failed view of how the rest of the world operates.. This is why they're playing checkers when they should be playing chess..

RUSSIA

The latest Russian incursion into Georgia is another failed Bush agenda.. Putin made it clear that under no uncertain terms was he happy with the agreement the United States made for the missile defense shield that is right in their backyard.. There was no negotiation, no discussion, we just did it because this administration has a habit of doing things and fail to see the causality of their actions..

Am I suggesting a correlation between the two?? Yes I am.. Because if you remember the justification for the missile shield in the first place -- it wasn't directed at Russia -- oh no -- it was meant for "the other guys.." Never mind the fact that if Russia had done the same thing in Cuba -- you'd expect the same knee jerk reaction by this administration if it was somehow going to affect our sovereignty..

Again - Bush is playing foreign policy using checkers when there's a very clear cause and effect going on as one would expect if they were playing chess..

OTHER ISSUES:

North Korea -- threatened them and eventually relented the moment we discovered that the North Koreans were more interested in maintaining the agreement they had under Clinton -- which brought food into their country -- than being completely disrespected by this administration .... only to arrive back at the place where they wanted to be in the first place..

India -- giving them the nuclear bomb -- then a good deal of our tech jobs by encouraging our companies to relocate their businesses over there ... yeah ... that worked out really well for us.. Pakistan didn't like us that much when we marched into Afghanistan to find Bin Laden ... but they were REALLY unhappy with us when we gave India the bomb.. But once again, this administration doesn't have any foresight muscle in their brains to figure out that they've contributed so much to the decay and destabilization of the region..

So -- let's pull this together.. Instead of planning your strategy 10 moves ahead like chess players do ... we have a foreign policy that is predominantly guided by the checkers mentality of "action, reaction.." That's deeply troubling in a world where we're not going to be the powerhouse we have been.. In fact, many suggest that with the Olympics going on right now, this is China's way of saying: "we're right behind you..."

And the scary thing is: they are..

So instead of leading the league of nations that look to us as a major superpower, we floundered and squandered incredible opportunities that would've kept us ahead for years to come.. In the whole host of issues we face as a nation -- our handling of our world relations is even more important now that we have to correct the wrong doings of this administration..

Exactly how many free passes does this man get??

Memorial Day .... saying good-bye

I found this image this morning in my internet travels this morning and I found myself with so many emotions.. As much as I want to lash out at the Shrub administration -- I know it will do no good as they really don't care..

And that's the tragedy in all of this..

When the Commander in Chief believes that by giving up GOLF, he's sacrificing too ... makes me look at the image once again and want to punch a hole through my monitor.. He has no concept, no idea, not even a scintilla of a clue as to what it means to sacrifice.. Not when his own military record remains spotty.. Not when he conveniently hides behind his vested oil interests.. Not when he marched into Baghdad like a bull runs through a china shop......

So pardon me for being a little upset at the fact that over 4k of America's finest paid the ultimate sacrifice when it's becoming increasingly apparent that the Shrub has led us into the wrong war in the wrong country.. Nevermind that the Shrub apologists continue to fatally defend the policies in this seemingly endless conflict.. Nevermind the fact that McCain doesn't really have much of a policy from one moment to the next..

That's why I'm glad to see that the GOP realize that they're in trouble..

That's why I'm finally glad to see that the GOP woke up from it's 7 year SLUMBER to realize: "hey, this guy is a moron..."

Maybe if only they had the guts to do something about it long before now -- we wouldn't have to say as many "good-byes" as the image depicts..

The Legacy

It would appear that in addition to making laws to make every situation fit for this administration - we're now vigorously re-writing the history to make it fit as well.. So imagine my "shock and awe" when I discovered this gem:

"Rove: Congress Pushed Bush to War in Iraq Prematurely" -- yet another insane performance by Bush's ex-top dog Karl Rove -- wherein he asserts that it was really CONGRESS who pushed Bush into war and how the President wanted to build a coalition, wait for weapons inspectors and let the process happen naturally..

Excuse me -- did he just say that it was Congress' fault??

The "Architect," The Man behind Bush's Brain -- came out swinging on the Charlie Rose show -- blaming a Republican-held Congress and Senate for PUSHING this administration into the war in Iraq.. Wow.. That's quite an assertion laid out by the Rover despite the mere fact that this is the FIRST time anyone has even attempted to suggest such an idiotic thing..

But what Rove doesn't really seem to understand: despite the ludicrous assertion that it was CONGRESS who pushed Bush into the war ... that either means:

a.) You just alienated your last best friend on earth by making such an unpopular suggestion like this, or....

b.) Bush has no spine to make decisions for himself and will cower in the corner until Congress tells him what to do....

Based on previous experience with this administration - I'd have to say that it's very highly unlikely that Bush is just going to "roll over" and be told by Congress what to do about Iraq.. Quite simply look at Bush's bravado and his "God save the Kingdom" speeches for further insight.. He's not a whupped Michael Vick puppy dog, okay??

But to get on a program like Charlie Rose - and continue to spout the company line when you have no further investment with this administration just seems completely insane.. I never thought I'd have to do another blog entry about the Rover - but when tries to re-write history in the way he wants this President to shine ... then something has got to be said.. Clearly the ploy of him working for Newsweek is to perhaps secure a press "beach head" for this administration when it finally leaves office.. At least that way - some plans have been laid out for Bush's legacy.....

.... and oh - how wondrous that legacy continues to look..

"All we need is a little more faith..."

All we need to do is trust our President..

All we need to do is trust his judgment..

All we have to do ..... is have a little more faith..

*sighs*

We blindly followed this man as he and his administration wove the most elaborate P.R. message to further their respective causes.. Where did that leave us??

- I've already blogged about the fact that Bush's unilateral policies have set forth the way science is considered in our country.. Religion is now considered an equal to science -- even though there doesn't appear to be any schematics for the electron so that we could develop electronics.. And I didn't really notice if there were any step by step instructions on how to build a gas-powered motor -- nor do I see it written anywhere that we should be justified for choosing our wars so that we protect our national interests..

- So it's no mystery that Bush once again - chose to unilaterally dismiss the U.N. demand for climate change.. After all, it's not written in the Bible that we should be worried about it -- we're not in the middle of a locust storm or anything like that, so why worry??

- And the saber rattling continues against Iran.. Bush and Cheney continue to concoct a war plan to invade Iran.. And remember, all we need is a little more faith and trusting the blind leading us into yet - another precarious regional conflict in an area WE'RE ALREADY HATED......

- But thank God we have the likes of Admiral William Fallon who honestly believes that invading Iran is a really big mistake.. "It seems to me that we don't need more problems. It astounds me that so many pundits and others are spending so much time yakking about this topic [of war against Iran]."

So please forgive me if I continue to not ride on the coat tails of faith that so many people seem to have for this administration..

I'm glad we have people of REASON and RATIONALE that are willing to address the problems we continually face.. Regardless if it's about the environment, regardless if it's about Iraq, Iran or privacy..

Are we seriously meant to believe that Jesus sat down with Bush to give him his marching orders to go into Iraq?? Do we honestly think that Jesus would be so profoundly blind about the plight of the people of the Sudan in the Darfur?? Are we expected to believe that it's in God's plan for us to invade Iran now too??

Is it really rational to believe that it's God's will for America to reign supreme -- almost in complete defiance of the teachings of the Bible to begin with the basic principle of brotherhood and thy fellow neighbor??

No -- I really don't think that's the case either..

And that's I've started to have faith in an America that continues to wake up from its slumber ... so that we can correct the extreme errant course this administration has set out for our country..

That's the faith I choose to believe in.. I just hope others follow..

"Leave my son alone!"

You'd think the above Title for this rant came from some middle America father who's son just got back from Iraq.. Or maybe it's some mother who is defending their son in the press from an unwarranted criminal charge..

Or in this case, it comes from an ex-President, speaking about his son - also a President who simply can't seem to grasp the idea that the war in Iraq was not the right answer.. It was never the right idea in the first place!! So when Bush 41 stands up to defend his son's foreign policy, it really makes Bush 43 look worse than he ever did before.. It makes him look week, incompetent and unable to defend himself..

The bad thing is: Bush 43 is weak.. Bush 43 is incompetent.. And given every possible opportunity to defend himself, he simply doesn't get the American mentality behind the war.. When the justifications for the continued war in Iraq, Bush floundered and squandered in so many ways -- it's a miracle things have been held together as long as they have already..

It's no wonder that he wants to hand this cluster over to "the next guy" so that he can dust off his jacket and continue writing the legacy he wants so that he gets painted in the most favorable light he can.. After all, when you fail so miserably in a war and by watching the country crumble with a heavily flawed economic policy the next "conflict" to be aware of is the one that's going to write about your Presidency..

So when Bush 41 stands before an audience and adamantly defends his son's myopic, distorted vision of Iraq -- I'm reminded that Saddam was not the only mad man of the world.. And if Bush 41 cared to learn the rest of the world's most atrocious leaders of the world -- he wouldn't have to play the Saddam card.. So as much as I'd like to back off and cut his son some slack -- I look at the photos of Bush's tour of a recovery unit and I shake my head..

Because there never was a viable acceptable mission that would placate the American thirst for finding those responsible for 9/11 -- only to find that Bush 43's acceptable parameters for securing Iraq had: a.) no WMD, b.) no sign of Al Qaeda, c.) no link to 9/11 (to the degree of any other middle eastern country), d.) a blow hard of a leader who liked to kill his own people -- a bad guy, true -- not unlike the slaughter happening in most of Africa or the continued purges that happen in other places like Haiti..

So - don't think that just because you can play the "Saddam is a bad guy" card when that simply doesn't apply in the grand scheme of things.. There's a lot of bad guys in the world -- and some of them a whole lot meaner and a whole lot more dangerous than Saddam could be..

Sorry - I won't leave your son alone, Mr. Bush Sr.. Not when there are over 76k Iraqi reported deaths and over 3,800 American lives -- I don't think I will ease up..

Memorial Day

I just finished watching Baghdad ER, a graphic, disturbing look at the realities and horrors of the casualties of war from the perspective of the 86th Combat Support Hospital in Iraq.. I'm not talking about casualties in the sense of when they count the lives that have been lost - I am talking about the 17,000+ soldiers that have been injured as a result of this "conflict," "war," "police action," whatever Bush is calling it these days..

I'm glad HBO showed it - and then re-showed it on Memorial Day..

*This* is what memorial day is supposed to be about: reflection.. How can we really reflect on something if we don't really understand the sacrifice, the pain, the anger and the blood that is shed for a "senseless conflict" (as quoted every single time the Chaplain recited the last rites for every soldier that died in the care of the 86th medical squadron..)

How can anyone wantonly throw their support for this war when they don't see it.. The Bush administration continues to block any attempt at showing images of the coffins coming back from Iraq - and if it's his position to maintain respect for those who died, then he's not doing enough to make this country aware of the horrors that are happening in Iraq and around the world..

We live in a society that is heavily buffered with "fluffy news," and we totally don't get to see the reality of it..

The documentary was a compilation of story after story of how each soldier came into the care of the 86th.. Every man and woman has a story to tell, the soldier who had his wedding ring removed before his fingers were amputated.. There was the man who suffered a small gunshot wound - who died after a valiant effort to get him in surgery and operated on.. The was the guy who suffered an I.E.D. attack merely by getting some food.. The guy that died a day after his 21st birthday.. The guy who lost his thumb who was trying to save money, pay bills so that he could build his family a house..

So why does the Bush administration want you not to see these stories?? Is it because they undermine the war effort?? When you have the soldiers coming out and saying "what in the hell" shouldn't that be the first clue here?? I deplore Bush's "we've got to stay the course" broken record diatribe.. It's sick watching this program knowing full and well that Bush has absolutely no idea what sacrifice is..

Bush should be made to watch this documentary and then personally contact everyone of those 17,000 soldiers and listen to them, talk to them.. Because these are the souls that he has personally placed into harms way.. When he conveniently disconnects himself like he has, then that's not what you want from your leader..

I strongly recommend everyone watch the program.. It's hard, but it's real.. And we all need a little bit of reality if we're going to understand what Memorial Day is really about..

Kudos HBO!!

Wha?

A brief chronology:

June 12-15, 2003: Plame's name starts to be circulated from the administration to Bob Woodward (the same Woodward who was responsible for exposing Watergate.)

June 23, 2003: Libby tells Judith Miller wherein he discloses that Plame *might* be working for the CIA.

July 7, 2003: Libby tells then-White House Press Secretary Ari Fleisher that Plame works for the CIA, but that information is not "widely known."

July 8, 2003: Libby was authorized by Bush and Cheney to reveal previously classified documents to the public to counter-act anyone who opposed the war.

July 8, 2003: Judith Miller meets with Libby for a 2-hour breakfast. Libby divulges Plame's name as working for the CIA.

July 30, 2003: Letter sent to CIA criminal division outling a possible crime had occurred.

September 14 & 16: White House begins denying having knowledge of the leak.

September 16, 2003: CIA concludes its investigation and refers it to the FBI for a "full criminal investigation.."

September 28, 2003: Bush adamant to go after anyone who had a part of the leak.

October 2, 2003: White House changes tone, saying they had no idea a covert agent may have been involved.

December 30, 2003: Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is appointed head of the investigation.

January 6, 2004: The administration starts offering "no comment to an ongoing investigation" sound clips.

October 28, 2005: Scooter Libby is indicted on charges (the next day, he resigns)

April 10, 2006: Bush said today: "I wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on. I wanted people to see the truth,"..

Okay..

Let's back up a second..

Does Bush have the right to de-classify information? Technically, it appears he has the legal right to do so..

Did the CIA know about Bush's declassification of the Plame-CIA documentation? It's unclear.. The inference from Fitzgerald's response to a Discovery motion lends the possibility that Bush and Cheney gave "blanket authority" over intelligence-leaks to the press.. His response does not make mention that Bush or Cheney gave their "blanket authority" as to the Plame leak..

That's significant - even though Libby's lawyers are apparently contending that there was a "'a strong desire by many, including multiple people in the White House," to undermine Mr. Wilson."

Was the "blanket authority" intended?? Apparently it was - because the administration came out over the last few days confirming that Libby had authorization to release declassified information.. Even if the outing of Plame was "purely by accident," the act itself remains negligent.. Because at some point this administration would've had to say: "Bad bad, Libby.. We told him not to do it.." But they didn't.. Moreover, when Bush admitted today that he personally authorized "information" to be leaked and declassified attempts the repercussions are slowly emerging..

Okay, okay - Bush gave the greenlight, get over it.. Even with Bush's speech today stating how he "... wanted people to see what some of those statements were based on. I wanted people to see the truth," Consider that on July 8th, 2003 - Libby supposedly gets the green light to leak declassified information.. Information that this administration said did not happen, then later it was not known that a covert spy was exposed.. Regardless - a greater question remains:

did anyone from this administration think to tell the CIA the information was no longer classified??

The CIA investigated the leak starting July 30, 2003 until September 16, 2003 when they hand the case over to the FBI for criminal charges. Patrick Fitzgerald wasn't given the case until December 30, 2003 - another 3 1/2 months after the fact. Moreover, Fitzgerald has been investigating this matter going on 2 years, which begs an even greater question:

why would there still be an investigation if the information was previously declassified by the President??

What would the point be to this whole investigation if the information was declassified?? Why didn't the administration come right out in the beginning to say: "the information is declassified, here's the memo" - move on..

No..

They didn't..

I'm sorry..

It wasn't declassified information..

It was classified..

Bush knew it.. Cheney knew it.. The CIA knew it.. Afterall, they investigated it for two weeks before turning it over to the FBI.. It wasn't for another 3 1/2 months later when Patrick Fitzgerald was called in to investigate it.. They had an opportunity to air their "declassification" stance for over 6 months and they didn't..

...and even if it wasn't classified - Plame's identity was now exposed.. It's been widely reported that Valerie Plame's identity entailed working as a front in what was supposed to be a spying operation into Iran's nuclear program.. Even if she wasn't working on collecting evidence on Iran's nuclear program, whatever protection she had, her front, the company, the intelligence she had collected - all of that was now gone.. Moreover, if her identity wasn't all that secret and if she was nothing more than a desk jockey -- then why not come out and say exactly what she did, what was her involvement and what about her role was with the CIA?? If her involvement with the CIA was so minimal that the information could be declassified and her identity revealed Mr. President - what did she do for the CIA?? Evidentially her role was a bit more substantial than is being revealed so far.. Evidentially the CIA felt that the breach was important enough to investigate criminal charges and pass it along to the FBI and a special prosecutor for further investigation..

...and even if it wasn't classified - Bush admits that the information was being leaked so that it could be used as a weapon against anyone who came out against the justification for the war in Iraq.. A weapon for those who would refute the WMD claims Bush laid out in his justification for the war in Iraq.. A slander war.. Because Wilson had the facts, his claims were supported and verified.. Bush had a slander war to attempt to smear Wilson and his wife as collaborating in an effort to undermine the American war effort in Iraq..

(problem is, Wilson had verifiable facts, Bush didn't and still doesn't..)

Consider that we have an administration that used information in retaliation against someone who was doing his job.. Joe Wilson, like him or hate him - was doing a job to try to find any sort of nuclear link between Iraq and Niger.. When he found none, he spoke out.. When he spoke out - the administration sought revenge against him and his family..

Remember when there were the voices screaming out to be absolutely sure we know what we were doing when we went into Iraq?? Remember what those voices were saying, how we should let the inspectors complete their job and how we should be patient with the process?? Why didn't we listen??

What kind of country do we live in when we're afraid of the truth, or when it guides us to destroy those who try to report the truth when it flies in the face of this administration's policies??

Is this the type of role-model, is this the type of morality we want govern over us??

Time is running out??

We've crossed the 3-year mark awhile back when we crossed into Iraq..

...now it appears we're expected to "make a government" in 2 years or less...

Condi Rice is in Iraq right now in hope to "unbreaking the deadlock" because Time is running out to form an Iraqi government...

That's real ironic - considering how long it took us to form our "more perfect union" after Paul's famous historical ride in 1775 (not 1776 like most people might think).. It took a *long* time for our government to form.. Why?? Because even though most of the folks at that time were "alike" in belief, there were still major differences of opinion.. Contrary to papular belief, this process took a long time..

...so then why is time running out??

Because the Iraqi people are fed up with the chaos, the fighting, the lack of infrastructure, the decay of their medical, housing, employment.. US companies are building Iraq again - not the Iraqi people..

And this proves - once again, that there was never an exit strategy.. In fact, you could ascribe that there was not much of an entrance strategy either.. Moreover, I've even heard reports where Bush took the advice of a very close circle concerning Iraq, even though there agencies that worked around the clock for the plan that was never considered or instituted..

Time is running out in a lot of ways, Condi..

...and that's something I completely agree with...

Looking beyond life...

I just can't do it..

President Bush recently asked Americans to "look beyond the bloodshed" for the greater good of the people of Iraq..

I'm sorry - I can't look beyond the 2,319 sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers that have died as a result of an error..

Look beyond the bloodshed??

I can't look beyond the 100k Iraqi men, women and children that have lost their lives in this conflict so far..

Look beyond the bloodshed??

How can I do that?? How am I supposed to do that?? Am I supposed to believe that the Iraqi people are better off now - than what they were going through under Saddam's rule?? What if they aren't better off?? What if they don't have electricity, running water, jobs, schools, and security in knowing that they will not be blown up tomorrow or the next day??

How is it that I'm supposed to look beyond the bloodshed towards the future, Mr. President?? What am I looking beyond towards?? A civil war?? Further American hostilities?? Another 9/11-type attack?? More privacy laws stripped so the government can know what I'm doing watching COPS on TV or by monitoring the movies that appear in my Netflix queue??

How is it that I'm supposed to be looking towards a future that has been completely been diverted by someone who honestly, truly believes that he can tell me how to think, what to believe, and what to say?? This is a better alternative to looking at the bloodshed that continues and will continue thanks in part to President Bush's comment that "some other President will be responsible for getting the troops out of Iraq..."

His actual quote: "That, of course, is objective, and will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq."

He's going to let other generations deal with the mess he started.. He's basically bowing out of it which confirms what a lot of other people have said that President Bush has had no exit strategy from Iraq.. He's washing his hands of it, and saying "someone else can deal with it.." And if we have a President who has thrown in the towel for the last 3 years of his presidency and absolves his responsibilities so "the next guy can take care of it??" What kind of president sends our troops in harms way without an exit strategy?? What kind of president leaves the responsibility of having an exit strategy for the next President who is elected into office?? What kind of president doesn't take the world as a whole and doesn't try to fix the error that he did??

Even after confessing that he had made a mistake by going into Iraq, he remains adamant that we need to remain in Iraq.. On this issue, I do agree in part - but we should not be there alone.. Our troops deserve the best support possible to remedy this conflict as quickly as possible.. We're losing life over there - and I cannot be one of those sheep that wantonly follows this President off the cliff..

I'm sorry Mr. President, I will not look beyond the bloodshed..

I will not look beyond your error that has attributed to the death of 2,319 American lives and tens of thousands of Iraqi people..

I will not look beyond the civil war that was initiated as a direct result of "Operation Iraqi Freedom"

I will not look beyond the intelligence debacle and the endless pursuit to instill your values upon the American people in the name of fear, in the name of values, and in the name of righteousness..

I will not look beyond the isolationism that you continue to employ by not having a multi-national involvement in the building and security of Iraq..

Your policy is flawed..

Your intent may have been admirable at one point in our history, but you lack the resolve to consider any and all options on the table..

Start by getting the support and guidance of the UN..

Start by getting more nations involved in the rebuilding process..

Start by finding Bin Laden like you promised and make him responsible for what happened to the 2,986 lives that were lost on 9/11..

Start by removing the supposed Constitution that was drafted by OUR think tanks and let the Iraqi people draft one to THEIR liking..

Start by not making this an American effort, but a global effort..

Start by convening world leaders to a Terrorism Conference so *really* address the issues of terrorism instead of making it a "you follow us, we'll lead the way" kind of approach..

Start by holding your word that any country that was found to have any dealings with 9/11 that they will be held accountable. If it's just rhetoric then come out and say it's so - disavow the comment and keep to telling the truth..

Start by putting the safeguards and security at our borders, our chemical and nuclear plants, critical areas of our infrastructure..

Start by dismantling Homeland Security and then completely redesign it to accomplish actual security instead of being a vehicle to spy on Americans and an incompetent responder when there is a crisis..

Start by taking responsibility and firing those people who have contributed to the debacle of the Ports deal, the Plame leak, the India nuclear policy just to name a few...

Start by leaving God to being a personal, spiritual journey instead of a politically motivated platform.. All of us can be moral without needing to make it a law that we adhere to the standards of one religion over another.. Let's not become religiously intolerant..

Finally - let's fix what has been broken.. There's so many things that this administration has done - and a lot of people don't understand what has been at play the last couple of years.. The Republicans have lauded themselves as "fixing" what happened from the previous administration.. With what I've seen thus far, I'm completely unimpressed with their performance so far.. They move the scales and adjust the figures so that it covers the downward sloping numbers on the economy, on unemployment, on Medicare and on the budget..

I'm not sold on supporting a Republican, but I am completely sold on getting this current Republican out of office and trying to right the wrongs..

No one will forget 9/11 or the 2,983 lives that were lost that day..

No one will forget the 2,319 American lives or the thousands that are lost currently in Iraq..

No one will forget the reasons we were told we went to war and no one will forget the coverups and silenced media that have been threatened to straighten up their reporting, or be incarcerated..

This is the President we're supporting and I still believe there are better options.. We need a strong country that can tell the difference between errant intelligence and solid intelligence.. We need a strong country that has very strong diplomatic ties and a country running less on the "cowboy attitude.."

Let's fix it..

Let's fix it now..

Worried about the message??

Bush is coming out saying that he's worried about the message the port deal sends to the rest of the world??

He has his Treasury Secretary saying that we don't want the US to be isolationists??

And his nephew is speaking out that opposition to the port deal is "ignorant and offensive??"

Wow..

This is blissfully ignorant - agreed young Bushie!! Your uncle, the man you claim has such heralded values - *IS* ignorant my little feeble-minded friend.. If we're so worried about the precedent this sets, if we're trying to avoid being isolationists and if we need to be less ignorant and offensive - then your uncle needs to leave the White House.. Because he has burned every European bridge that we have had since the last World War - and further more, by keeping every contract at home "where it belongs" -- guess what, Mr. Snow -- it's the policies of this administration that has ALREADY made us isolationists...

And what about Bush's continued pledge to protect our country from "the war on terror??" Let's not forget that it was *this* President, this *man* who set forth the irretractable statement on the heels of 9/11:

In his November 11th radio address: "Any government that tries to pick and choose its terrorist friends will be regarded by us as a supporter of terrorism."

He targeted Saddam Hussein..

"Bush admits Saddam did not play a role in 9/11.."

and we're worried about the message??

He recently made an unprecedented, highly irresponsible act by securing a nuclear arms agreement with India.. Why is this of any consequence?? Because India has been held in check without the nuclear option for the last 40 years when they attempted to secretly manufacture nuclear weapons and was punished as a result.. Yes, India has had the bomb for quite sometime now -- but now it's legitimized, accepted by Bush as "welcome to the party - please, have a martini.." A nuclear bomb in that region sends a very CLEAR message to the surrounding nations: that the United States believes that the nuclear non-proliferation agreement is subject to whoever wants to play.. Without any enforcement, eh - who gives a crap.. The UN is trying to piece together some sort of stance on Iran - and Bush's unilateral, irresponsible decision has basically gutted any enforcement option.. He pushed the hand instead of being patient..

Bush never consulted with the world-wide nuclear committees that oversee nations that seek to develop nuclear technology..

Bush never consulted with members of Congress about what the ramifications are for allowing India to do this..

Bush never got anything in return from India.. He never asked for anything.. No assurances.. No agreements.. No moderation, nothing.. He unilaterally recognized India as a valid nuclear partner in the world.. Considering that India has drastically benefited from the outsourcing of American jobs within the last 6 years -- maybe this was the final stake to "insure" that America has an ally in the region.. Because he's done nothing but totally screw up the middle east - and once Iran starts moving forward with their plans -- then the precedent Bush makes with India paves the way for Iran to continue to build their bomb..

For those keeping score - the world just got a LOT more dangerous..

What about that message, George?? Why is Bush peeling back all of the peace accords that Ronald Reagan worked so hard to keep?? Reagan held the peace - Bush is selling it at the highest bidder..

Bush has no foundation to question how the Dubai port fiasco sends whatever message around the world.. His actions since 9/11 is of a maverick cowboy who has no understanding of truth or basis of fact.. He's arrogant.. He's a detriment to the safety and security of the United States because UAE had a strong, a very strong connection to the hijackers of 9/11.. We reward this country by giving them access to our vital ports?? What happened to the line in the sand?? What happened to punishing those nations who had a hand in 9/11?? What happened to all of that -- rhetoric??

Snow has no foundation to presume that the port deal will make us isolationists.. Bush successfully made us completely isolated when he invaded Iraq by shunning all of the major players that *do* have significant parts to play in the role of terrorism.. We shunned France.. We snubbed Germany.. We gave the finger to the Russians and even disavowed ourselves from NATO, the UN and any other organization that was preaching: patience.... Message to Snow: "Don't talk about isolationism when your boss already has isolated us...."

To the little Bushie: take a page from your other relatives and stay out of politics.. Want to talk about "ignorant and offensive.." Think Abu Ghrab, think of ignoring the warnings of the planes hitting the targets, think of not finding WMD, think of giving your uncle some of your classtime so that he can learn how international cooperation *actually* works, think of the best way it is to protect our country and punish those who had significant dealings with the attack of our country on September 11th.. But my biggest advice to nephew Bush: aspire to be better than your Uncle because if you're looking to him to be your role-model, then I'm looking forward to nuclear winter when you're running the country..

It must be so incredibly comfortable living in ignorance and contrived facts...

Do they still wonder why nobody trusts them??

PORT SECURITY DEBACLE:

Secret agreements over port security..

The President clueless about the agreement until it was announced..

Condoleeza Rice: "The UAE is a good partner in the war on terrorism. It has been a stalwart partner and we believe that this is a port deal that serves the interests of the United States,"

The connection between 9/11 and UAE..


IRAQI FREEDOM:

Bush's 2006 State of the Union: "we are writing a new chapter in the story of self-government, with women lining up to vote in Afghanistan, and millions of Iraqis marking their liberty with purple ink"

Reality: Iraq on the brink of civil war..

Shiite Shrine bombed

For those that don't know, the Shiites have been a divisive wedge in the stability of the Iraqi restoration process.. But it's an issue that no one really seems to grasp: the population of Iraq is deeply divided.. Trying to install a template based on an American political foundation is going to fall flat on the face of the Iraqi people and ultimately on the United States..


VICE-PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY'S QUAIL-SHOOT:

Cheney's version of events are consistent.. Well of course they would be consistent considering he had almost 22 hours before having to TALK to anyone about it....

But what gets me is the person who was shot, Harry Whittington *apologized* to Vice President Cheney for any stress this may have caused him or his family...

...excuse me - what was that??

The victim of a gun shot wound apologized to the person who shot him if the event left him traumatized.....

I had sympathy for Whittington until I heard this - because it really goes to show that this administration has a certain degree of principles that turn water into wine.. Is there another Supreme Court opening happening in the future that we don't know about??

Oh wait - that would implicate this administration in another form of cronyism....


BOTTOM LINE:

Even the Republicans have serious doubts over this administration's policies and decisions.. And when the people in your boat start questioning the captain, then it's time for someone to grab the wheel and avoid hitting the iceberg....

Speaking in volumes

"Former 9/11 Commissioners: U.S. at risk.."

This article speaks volumes for a number of reasons:
1.) This administration has no clear idea of what the war on terrorism actually is
2.) This administration remains dedicated to the pursuit of Iraq no matter the cost
3.) The administration and Congress have neglected to heed the warnings of the 9/11 commission that set forth an important line of security precautions that reveal several flaws in our infrastructure and our intelligence..
4.) We're further isolated, fragmented and otherwise spread from one end of the globe to the other..

Even if this was not the terrorist's intent from the onset, all the needs to happen is to wait -- wait until we're isolated -- wait until we're vulnerable -- wait for the right time all the while keeping a consistent pressure on the peace in Iraq..

Saddam's trial will likely be a puppet show..

Iraq's ex-Prime Minister claims he was the target of an assassination attempt.. But if you read the story - you should be able to hear what the people are saying: they are fed up, they are frustrated, they are angry.. We're not talking about an uncivilized country, we're talking about an anger fueled by resentment..

All the meanwhile, we seem to have lost track of a chemist who is passionate about the "terrorist cause" and is currently developing chemical warfare to use against the Aghan/US forces.. Yeah - that's a problem..

So I have a really bad time believing Bush, the administration or any Senator or Congressman at this point who believes there are promising, good things happening right now.. It's not that I don't want bad things to happen to the Iraqi people, but no one seems to be listening to the Iraqi people.. Especially after we learn that the military has taken the liberty for planting news stories that favor the American military over there.. This is particularly disturbing because no matter how much we try to hold the country together, it's going to be completely unraveled just as fast as we're putting it together..

I said it once, I'll say it again: we're very presumptuous whenever we say "They want to be just like us..." No, Mr. Bush - they don't..

The country doesn't seem concerned anymore.. We just mosey along with our days - waiting for the next attack to happen.. *shrugs*

I guess all we can do is wait..

Losing Face...

Bush is losing his political standing regarding the Iraq war..

As if this is suddenly *astonishing* news, but it's not..

Democratic Congressman John Murtha's statements have sent a rippling effect through both parties which has stirred up the controversy surrounding the course and action for the Iraq war.. While I may or may not agree with some of his assertions, it was another blow to Bush's attempt to keep his Iraqi project afloat..

But then Bush did something earlier in the week that was just astounding.. He gave a 35 page account for his strategy to win the Iraq war.. I haven't seen this document - I have better things to do with my time, but as I mentioned in an earlier post, 2 years later, two thousand military lives lost, tens of thousands of Iraq people, a fragile government -- and our President, the one who sold the American people that Saddam had WMD and was harboring terrorists and the incontrovertible link between Iraq and Al Qaeda -- the President that has admitted failures in his abilities to handle this war and respond to disasters .... contrived the equivalent of a thesis paper on exactly what it would take to win the war in Iraq..

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE the idea that our President is actually formulating a plan - but two years after the fact does not seem to be an entirely good way to govern a country, or to run a company..

Apparently others are equally concerned:

"Two of America's allies in Iraq are withdrawing forces this month and a half-dozen others are debating possible pullouts or reductions, increasing pressure on Washington as calls mount to bring home U.S. troops."

The story continues to report that Bulgaria and the Ukraine will begin to pull out their troops by mid-December.. Australia, Britain, Italy, Japan, Poland and South Korea are all looking into plans of their own that would scale back their involvement in the region.. All of this is announced on the heels of Bush's 35-page plan where he calls upon Americans to be "patient.."

Patience..

Amazing how we didn't exercise this so called patience when attempting to determine Iraq's involvement, or (the lack therein) with the events of 9/11, the link to terrorism or even Saddam had possessed WMD.. It comes to find out, if we had been focused and patient 3 years ago - we would not be in the situation we're in today..

Patience..

Saddam's trial is being delayed again - as Saddam himself is saying that there is no jurisdiction over presiding over his alleged crimes.. He disavows the government and maintains that he's still the President of Iraq.. Reports have been circulating that in the likelihood that Saddam is found innocent - the American advisors overseeing the trial are going to make sure Saddam is charged with everything down to jaywalking.... Wow.. "How's that democracy working in Iraq, Dubya??"

Patience..

The Military has admitted to paying off news stories printed in Iraq to give coalition forces a much better slant with the people of Iraq.. We have the same phenomenon happening over here as well - people just don't recognize it because it's called Fox News.. I applaud the military for at least admitting that they are deliberately trying to slant the news -- because they are courageous enough to admit it.. Do we think Murdoch will ever do anything like this?? Eh, not so much..

Patience..

Then there are two stories which have been particularly unnerving: our government has vehemently denied the deliberate bombing of Al Jazzera -- yet, arrests have been made against those that leaked the story because the information was contained in classified material.. Wait.. Arrests were made because someone leaked information contained in classified files - that would make it true, wouldn't it??

The slippery slopes continue with the allegations of torture prisons in Europe.. As the investigations mount, our President is steadfast to say: "we don't torture.." Abu Ghraib is merely a resort in comparison from the other torture prisons that have been circulating in various news rooms.. If in fact the allegations are true - and our prisoners have been sent to these prisons -- then we have yet another lie from this President.. The nerve has been sliced with Condoleeza Rice's warning to our European allies: back off..

The battle cry is slipping, George..

Nations are not rushing to your aid, George..

Allies are backing away, George..


If anything, Bin Laden is probably smiling right now.. America is now very isolated from our allies, several of which that have spanned several decades.. Friendships and cooperation has been fractured by this administration.. With a cavalier approach to politics, foreign relations and this "war on terrorism" George Bush is simply losing ground -- quickly.. Even though we continue to sink deeper and deeper into this abyss this administration is quite comfortable and content to allow it to happen..

We're exposing ourselves to a greater threat - an invisible threat which this administration is blind to: leadership.. He can't effectively govern a country or a war like he's a Monday morning quarterback.. It's ineffective, it's negligent and it's very scary..

The United States of America needs leadership and we need it now..

Wow - we've JUST got a strategy now!!

I woke up yesterday morning to the following headlines:

"Bush Maps Out New Iraq War Strategy..."

Within the next hour it was replaced with: "Bush Maps Out Iraq War Strategy..." The exact same story, just a different tag line... hmmm...

Think about this - Bush decided two years and over 2k fatalities later that it was a pretty good time to "map out" an Iraq War Strategy...

Shouldn't we have done this before we went into Iraq??

Torpedoed

The events of last week -- finally -- revealed the inner self-defeating mechanism that this administration is employing.. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was indicted for his role to conceal the truth from the grand jury investigation.. As Prosecutor Scott Fitzgerald revealed - it has been incredibly difficult to reveal what was truthful about the outting of an active CIA agent.. Lewis Libby did his part to attempt to assure that the administration was insulated..

The problem being - the more you conceal the truth - the more it comes out.....

Libby resigned amidst indictments made on him by Fitzgerald.. Rove remains under investigation, and today (Sunday) there were calls from Harry Reid (D-Nevada) that Rove should step aside.. That sentiment was reiterated by Bush's own Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) believes that Rove's dismissal would invigorate "new blood, new energy, qualified staff" into the Bush administration...

Read into that a little bit more..

It's a Republican openly admitting that this administration lacks the fortitude and conviction to secure a qualified staff during this current administration.. It's the first time in a long time that I heard anyone in the Republican party openly expressing concerns about the people that Bush has surrounding him.. It's the first time that I've heard anyone openly admitting that key positions in this White House need to be re-evaluated..

Coming from within the party..

That speaks volumes..

Whether this administration heeds those calls remains an unanswered question.. But when Bush declares Rove to be "the architect," I'm inclined to believe that George will not heed the advice from Senator Trent Lott..

Clearly, it's growing apparent that Bush surrounded himself, insulated himself with people that encouraged the war in Iraq.. Up until this scandal, I've never even heard of Scooter Libby.. Now that all is said and done, it's apparent that Libby was incredibly instrumental in the role of National Security.. He also played a crucial role in the ''selling" and "implementation" of the Iraq conflict.. With Libby being Cheney's "architect" and with Rove being on the same radar screen - it's apparent that this administration reveled in its own blindness for the "sake of the nation.."

I dismiss the pundits and the belief that the current investigation is irrelevant.. That's absurd when we had a President impeached for exposing his personal life.. When we have an administration who is ultimately responsible for the deaths of so many in a conflict that was installed under false pretenses, then scrutiny is not only required, but necessary..

Keep in mind that I'm not debating the fact that Saddam is a bad man..

I am debating (again) that this administration went to war for all of the wrong reasons.. Now, more than ever - it's apparent that when there is such blindness and faulty information - it's remarkable that Bush has any credibility at all.. Finally, we're at a stage of this administration's tenure where the American people can see exactly how the insulation of this administration is seriously flawed in ways that are just coming out..

Libby was one of the major players in favor of the Iraqi invasion.. Rove can't be too far behind - especially since when so many ploys have the earmarks of Karl's ultimate design.. The name slandering, the scorn of disagreeing with this administration, the "you will fall in line with our platform" mentality.. Rove's signature can be felt..

And more importantly, the party supporting this administration is saying that Bush is in need of something new.. Wow.. That's really profound.. I don't doubt Lott's office got a phone call from someone from the White House or other "in-line" people that follow the "Bush-line".. It's my hope that Lott will continue his criticism of Rove, but my fear is he will eventually fall "back in line" and come out in support for Rove..

I can still hope though - that he stays where he is, because if anything - this signals a major policy shift in certain issues surrounding this administration.. If that happens, then it's a start..

I've said this probably 30 times before, but we do live in some very interesting times..

Bush is talking to God....

Never in our times have we seen such a religious purge to be pressed upon the American people.. There is a level of disillusionment that goes beyond the likes of how some regimes were able to score victories by way of the word.. Let's not forget the history of the world - and in particular the latter half of the 20th century when world witnessed the slaughter of millions for the sake of a difference in morality, a difference in belief, a difference in religion..

Now - in today's world, we're witnessing the same thing over again.. We have a world leader who has had conversations with God..

Um..

Okay..

Let's see if I have this right: We invaded Iraq because God told him to..

No, no.. It wasn't the Weapons of Mass Destruction..

God told him to..

Now God apparently is telling George that he needs to get the Palestinian people their state while giving Israel their security "...[A]nd by God I'm gonna do it."

Okay..

Take a step back..

Breathe..

Now..

I'm not against the efforts to stabilize the Middle East region.. In fact, the security of the world may come to depend on what happens on the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea.. For this, I'm in agreement.. Yet, I still look at the last 30 years and I begin to wonder exactly how possible this is given how both sides are so incredibly weary of the other.. So part of me says: "yeah, peace is good, very good.. But not let's have a party just yet.."

Meaning: peace is fragile, takes eons to work through - and every starting point in the peace process is just as vulnerable as the other steps were before.. Still - it's a step.. How long it lasts is anyone's guess..

That's not my concern..

My concern is that we have a President who admits outright that he listens to God.. Almost as dangerous as whenever Frank Sinatra dials into my head and I start singing "New York, New York..."

Listening and otherwise talking to God..

Listening..

Talking..

Okay - now I'm worried..

The leader of the free world.. The man who has complete control of the world's largest nuclear arsenal - is saying he's having conversations with God..

Competency first comes to mind..

Because anyone who is basing a policy, a long-reaching judgment, a life-or-death decision based on conversations with a deity ... needs to be called into question.. Now I'm not trying to say that religion is bad.. I'm not suggesting that people couldn't use a little bit more morality in the world.. I'm not suggesting that having faith in a seemingly complicated story is a bad thing..

I am however, concerned when people have conversations (apparently interactive) with God.. I simply cannot understand or believe how we have the single most powerful man of the world - having conversations with someone who may or may not exist!! I took theology, philosophy, history and science in school.. I doubt very seriously even the POPE admits having interactive conversations with God..

People like the Pope - derive inspiration through message of God's word, the Bible to become the basis of their decision-making capability.. That's okay.. Deriving influence and inspiration is a healthy, moral progression in life.. That's natural.. That's understandable.. That's reasonable..

Having received word from God to invade Iraq and kill tens of thousands of people does not seem to be a word from God.. In fact, it seems like an "anti-God-like" message.. It seems pretty contradictive to the whole Bible-view way of life because I doubt it very serious if God would condemn the "sacrifice" of those that have been killed..

Especially since nothing mentions in the Bible that "America is number one" or "In America, we trust" or anything of that sort.. If we really looked back at our history - we see a lot of things we've screwed up on.. God doesn't like it when we're bombing others.. God doesn't approve of such things.. So how is it that God told George to invade Iraq??

See?? That doesn't make sense.. Why would God tell George to do something completely against the morals of God?? We keep hearing how the Iraqi people are most grateful for being liberated - yet - I don't recall God telling George that he needed to install a democracy government..

Assuming that God approves of democracy versus a monarchy versus a republic versus a socialistic, versus a oligarchy..... No where that I'm aware - does God put forth: "you will assemble and make this government..." No where does it state that we should seek representative government.. No where does the Bible refer having permission to release people from tyranny..

Therefore either:
a.) We have a delusional President -or-
b.) We have a manipulative President

Either way -

We have an administration that believes it know what's "right" for the rest of us.. Based on whether we have a delusional leader or a manipulative one - the point remains that we have an unfit leader.. Many people have come forward with the "impeachment" word - and I'm in agreement.. I've lost faith in this administration's outlook and perceptive ability..

Moreover, this Republican regime is adamant about remaining hypocritical about the need to be invasive in our personal lives - yet - preaching that the government needs to get out of our lives.... We need to be moral, according to what the government says.. According to the Bible?? According to the word of God??

Shouldn't we be concerned that the government who wants to put God into our lives is the same government who can't seem to practice what God preaches??

Oblivion

Further proof that this administration had no idea what they were getting into:

U.S. concedes ground to Islamists on Iraqi law

This article really tells us a lot of things:

-The US pressured the newly formed Iraqi government to pass a Constitution as quickly as possible ....
-The US wanted to enforce "equal rights" and democracy for the Iraqi people ....
-That the Iraqi people believe their religion is more important than a Constitution....

There's more to this story than is actually understood.. But it clearly outlines that the Bush administration is diving head first into a lame-duck term for their 2nd 4-year excursion.. And this pisses me off to no end..

What upsets me more is the fact that American lives are at stake here.. I'm not oblivious to the fact that the Iraqi people are experiencing hardships under a ruthless dictator.. The problem is - is the fact that there are A LOT of ruthless dictators through out the world -- AND -- their people are a lot worse off than the folks in Iraq were under Saddam..

Yes - the painting is starting to flake off the walls..

But then I heard this week that Americans generally do not care about the press slanted one way or the other.. They buy into the "Fox hype" and paint the rest of the media as being the "liberal bias.." That's why shows like Hannity, Rush, and others are still as popular as ever..

And that's sad really..

Because I don't subscribe to every singular thing that Air America and other liberal outlets crank out.. In fact, I do consider myself to be educated enough to be able to sort through the rhetoric and make an informed decision on a given issue given the fact that the talking heads and liberal bias are in the middle of a major informational war right now..

Unfortunately - our troops, our friends, our family, our spouses are caught in the cross-fire..

........

In other news -- Bush still connects 9/11 to Iraq..

This is another curve ball to try and sway public opinion that the war was just in Iraq.. That we were keeping terrorists at bay by attacking and destroying the infrastructure of Iraq.. Well ... the military just announced that they plan on being in Iraq for another 4 years.. So - when Bush mentions Iraq and 9/11 in the same thought -- Americans will automatically assume that Saddam had a hand in 9/11..

Even though if you examine Bush's statement, he says that by going into Iraq ... we are preventing another 9/11....... Which obviously isn't the same thing -- but the speech is designed to continually mention Iraq and 9/11 within the same thought pattern..

It's almost subliminal..

...and what's scary is that most American's buy into it -- every ..... single ..... time.....

But let's look at the things that have fallen on the wayside:

-Rove
-Roberts
-Bolton
-Ohio
-gas prices

It's convenient to taint the news cycle -- but today's media is hunkered down into some sort of school-yard brawl right now, they've forgotten how to report -- which should be their first job.. They say they are -- except there is an inclusion of bias that satisfies the powers controlling the strings......

...and that's why America remains oblivious...