The Withdrawal Picture
So simple, it could be drawn by a child:
H/t Mark Thoma.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Message Sent .....
BAGHDAD - The most prominent figure in a U.S.-backed revolt of Sunni sheiks against al-Qaida in Iraq was killed Thursday by a bomb planted near his home in Anbar province, 10 days after he met with President Bush, police and tribal leaders said.But was it received?
Sunlight
I have found a terrific site. The Sunlight Foundation as a page of what it calls Insanely Useful Web Sites. Stop by and check it out. People like this give me some hope that we can take our government back.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
I Wonder
Ever wonder why Petraeus testified instead of his boss, Admiral Fallon? Maybe this is why:
Fallon told Petraeus [in March] that he considered him to be “an ass-kissing little chickensh*t” and added, “I hate people like that”, the sources say. That remark reportedly came after Petraeus began the meeting by making remarks that Fallon interpreted as trying to ingratiate himself with a superior.Fallon may not like that, but Bush loves him some ass-kissing chickenshits.
Sum Up
I'm back.
The whole Petreaus kabuki was exactly as predicted eh? Headlines on the radio news were screaming that Petreaus was calling for a reduction in troop levels! Yeah right. Back down to the previous occupation levels.
Congress. Balls in your court!
Terrible News
Two of Seven Soldiers Who Wrote 'NYT' Op-Ed Die in Iraq:
The Op-Ed by seven active duty U.S. soldiers in Iraq questioning the war drew national attention just three weeks ago. Now two of the seven, Omar Mora and Yance T. Gray, are dead. - September 12, 2007 7:25 AM ET
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
9/11 Truth
No wonder most Americans now question the official story of 9/11. Some of the most highly educated people in the country certainly do.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Just Shoot Me
From Cokie this morning on NPR, another nugget of beltway wisdom: Democrats better not go after Petraeus because the military is the only institution the American people trust.
F.U.!
Now I know it's safe to go away and not listen to the news much.
Petraeus is going to ask for ...... wait for it ....... longer ..... another Friedman Unit!
It's all so unpredictable!
Imitators
I'm gonna be incognito for a couple of days. But before going, I couldn't help but notice how Fred Thompson is trying to be Ronald Reagan.
Mr. Thompson, I knew Ronald Reagan. He was a friend of mine. You're no Ronald Reagan.
Who's on First
"When Gen. David Petraeus goes before Congress next week to report on the progress of the surge, he may cite a decline in insurgent attacks in Baghdad as one marker of success. In fact, part of the reason behind the decline is how far the Shiite militias' cleansing of Baghdad has progressed: they've essentially won."—Newsweek, September 10 issue.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Battle of Statistics
A graph prepared by the Pentagon that Petraeus won't refer to:Insurgent attacks against Iraqi civilians, their security forces and U.S. troops remain high, according to the document obtained by The Associated Press. It is a conclusion that the well-regarded Army officer who is the top U.S. commander in Iraq is expected to try to counter when he and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad, testify before Congress on Monday and Tuesday.
This is the fly paper strategy in reverse.
Like Bob Schieffer said, if you have to ask if we're winning then we're not.
Behind The Curve
I've been making the case lately that there may be a sea change in the body politics in 2008. Glenn Greenwald makes the case why:In one sense, it is quite unhealthy in a democracy for such a large majority of Americans to so distrust the political and media establishment that they even believe in advance that war reports from our leading General will be nothing more than self-serving and misleading propaganda. But in another, more important sense, when a democracy's political establishment becomes as rotted and deceitful and corrupt as ours has become -- enabling the most unpopular President in modern American history to continue what is so blatantly a senseless war for years and years, in complete defiance of what Americans want -- the one encouraging sign is that a majority realizes how corrupt our establishment is and has stopped believing anything they say.
Glenn, in his post, cites the data that supports this proposition. Things can change between now and 2008. But if the current dynamic stays in place, there are a whole bunch of Democrats who are facing a tough election, not just Republicans. These polls numbers support a "throw all the bums out" mentality for 2008. Many voters are already voting with their clickers and newspaper subscriptions. We'll see what they do at the polls.
Oly Olson
God help us if this is true:
Ted Olson a likely nominee to replace disgraced outgoing Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
AP Stupidity
No wonder voters are confused about Iraq:
From Associated Press, a graf that is revealing:Anbar has transformed from an insurgent haven partly run by al-Qaida to a chunk of Iraqi heartland safe enough for the president and his war Cabinet to spend the day. The turnaround has much to do with calculated choices by Sunni chiefs fed up with al-Qaida excesses and has little to do with affection for U.S. forces that residents still call occupiers.
Does Gearan, the reporter in this piece, understand that Bush visited a military base with a 13 mile security perimeter? Does she realize that seven American soldiers died the next day in Anbar?
Sheeesssh.
Marry Our Daughter ... Please
You've got to check this out. Be sure to click the "About Us" link.And no, this is not a joke.
I like this one in particular, 16 year old Cheyenne:We’re a Christian family and Cheyenne has had trouble with unchristian desires although at heart we know she's a good Christian girl. She needs a husband with STRONG Christian values who will provide her a STRONG Christian home and help her to live a godly life.
Damned Cheyene. How dare she have "unchristian desires" and be so troublesome such that she's only going for a measly $6000 compared to 16 year old Marissa:Marissa likes to put on airs and thinks she’s better than all of us here and who knows maybe she’s right. She’s looking for a smart, sophisticated man who knows “art” and “culture” and “style” and who can understand her better than we can.
She's going for $80,0000.
Or you can shoot down the middle for 14 year old Katelyn:Our own Little Mermaid Katie Lynn swims like a fish and isn’t happy unless she’s getting wet! She got her SCUBA ticket at 12 and she can pull more than her weight as crew on any kind of boat or ship. She tells us she’s tired of dry land and that’s she’s looking for a husband who works on, by or in the water.
Likes to get all wet eh? How would they know. Well, I guess this beats raiding a dockside bar, knocking out some gal and dragging her by the hair to the boat.
Just to note, these must be fire sale prices because one was listed as "engaged" during the time I wrote this post.
OH. And don't forget to begin filling your quiver! (This is NOT a joke)
The Right Question
This is a must watch. It's only a minute and a half, but it summarizes with a great deal of wisdom the situation in Iraq, and General Petreaus:
Now. Take a minute and a half and compare it to this piece featuring Bill Kristol:
In three minutes, you have a summary of the contrast of the state of media leadership in our country .... a view of the changes since Walter Cronkite.
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