Say it ain't so Thumper

Larry Craig is to appeal his airport lude and lascivious conduct conviction the week following the GOP Conviction in Minneapolis -St. Paul.

You coulda timed it a little better Larry, say, if you scheduled it for a week earlier, for instance. Then you coulda taken a cab from the convention center to the courthouse. It woulda saved you a trip to Minnesota.

Just a suggestion.

By the way, with all those Republicans landing in St. Paul, you gotta know the Airport Police is gonna be on Red Alert.

Here's a real winner

These ideas from RedState are sure to catch fire. You got two campaign signs one with Obama as the antichrist and the other encouraging a vote for McCain because he is the enemy of my enemy.

UPDATE: It is wingnut vs. wingnut, albeit in a polite manner, on the comment board with a fair number of commenters suggesting its a frivolous use of Religion to refer to a candidate as the devil and thus inappropriate. But Wingnut in Chief Erik Erickson posits that:

Well, I figured this was a fun way of mocking the whole Obamessiah thing, coupled with the fact that he is the left's GWB.

Ya. Bush coulda been the editor of the Harvard Law Review. But worse yet this wingnut's been shamelessly shilling for Bush to the point merging his credibility (such as it is) with Bush's. What's that say about him?

Seeing the world as it is?

Headline of the Day: McCain vs. Lincoln on Technology

Now this one really rocks. McCain and Lincoln, are they different or similar? Well they both have relied upon the telegraph for communication. So score one for John McCain! However put in proper context, this ain’t a similarity that McCain should crow about.

It seems that Abraham Lincoln was what is referred to as an “Early Adopter” of technology. Back in the day, Lincoln “eagerly embraced the cutting-edge communication technology of his generation -- the telegraph.” This instinct "coupled with his being unburdened by the old dogmas, allowed him to outperform his generals in the ability to see change and harness it to his purpose."

You see, information and the ability to communicate in real time over large areas can be powerful. Lincoln understood the power of technology, so it seems, and used it to his and our advantage. Now enter John McCain and his unwillingness to use modern technology and seeming lack of curiosity about the cutting edge technology of his day. And I am talking about the computer and the internets, among other things.

Now this critique is not leveled at McCain because he is old. It is rather a commentary on his mind set. It’s the way he sees the world that is at issue or rather the way he misses what’s going on in the world today. For example, when John starts prattling on about Russia and threatening Russia with removal from the G-8, why is he doing this? Is he stuck in the past in which Putin is the new Tsar or maybe the Kaiser? No doubt Putin is a major league A-hole, but looking at the Russia that was only gets you so far to seeing the Russia of today or tomorrow. Today markets are interconnected by modern technology that was unimaginable in the past. It would seem that one could respond to Russia's behavior, when necessary, with a myriad of modern tools. You see John, there are new carrots that you may not be aware of and that you should get to know before you pick up the stick. John’s lack of curiosity about cutting edge technology just ain’t helpful here.

So back to the point of the story, McCain vs. Lincoln on technology. Sure they both used the telegraph, but one embraced cutting edge technology with great success while the other chose the opposite path. Game, set, match to Mr. Lincoln.

UPDATE: Apparently, the geniuses at the WSJ have a different view and pick McCain over Lincoln by arguing Computer illiteracy is a good thing to look for in a President. Go figure.

Threatdown - Iran Edition - RED ALERT

Aw Shit. Not again.

I am gonna have to issue a full scale Wingnut End of the World Red Alert. This threat is way beyond Codes Lavender and Chartreuse (reserved for the radical homosexual agenda such as gay marriage in even numbered years). No this threat is at top of the Charts. This is a Code Red Squared Alert.

First from a headline titled U.S., Iran inch closer to resolution, we get the sobering news:

In Geneva, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany offered Iran a package of incentives to suspend its controversial enrichment program. Tehran has until Saturday to respond.

Now first if you are not a wingnut then you don’t now why this is frightening. Allow me to translate. It was on or near this date in history (using the Islamic Calendar, which is 11 days shorter than the common calendar) in 2006 that Middle East and Islamic Scholar Bernard Lewis forecasted that Mamoud Ahmadinejad planned to Destroy the World.

Just why was Ahmadinejad planning to destroy the world on this date two year ago, you may ask.

Well back in the day with Iran and Nukes on its mind, the UN met on July 31, 2006 and issued this demand: "that Iran suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development."

Further Iran would have one month to comply or "face the possibility of economic and diplomatic sanctions." When hearing the news Ahmadinejad responded, reportedly, that he didn’t no stinking month to respond, the UN would have his answer on August 22^nd.

Now among the counter-terrorism crowd talk of August 22^nd sets off bells. That’s because August 22, 2006 coincided with 27th day of the month of Rajab of the year 1427 on the Islamic Calendar and is an Islamic Holy Day. Now it’s good to have experts on the job and ready to respond to potential threats. But with mention of August 22^nd, clever wingnuts were off and running, too. Fortunately it was none other than Bernard Lewis who breathlessly informed the world of the significance of Ahmadinejad’s statement: Ahmadinejad would destroy the Earth on August 22nd. You take the 27th day of the month of Rajab plus Ahmadinejad and this equals no more Earth. So there you go ipso facto boom-o.

And this leads us back to the sobering news today. With Iran and Nukes at issue again, the five permanent members of the Security Council have issued yet another demand to Iran and Iran has until August 2^nd to respond. And while, I ain’t no scholar or anything (I have been book learned though), August 2nd is mighty darn close to 27th day of the month of Rajab this year (since the Islamic calender used to date holy days is 11 days shorter than the common one). And if the Earth was at peril in 2006 from Ahmadinejad, makes sense that a new deadline (get it, dead...line) near 27th day of the month of Rajab could set propeller-head crowd off again. No word yet.

And by the way, just how Ahmadinejad was going to pull this feat off in 2006, Lewis did not elaborate. Perhaps he intended a series of 100 Billion coordinated Truck bombs strategically placed around the world or maybe by launching three or four of Iran’s semi-defective rockets aimed somewhere and armed with Saddam Hussein’s missing WMDs.

Moral of the story (continuing): beware of those who try to manipulate the public will using fear. Sometimes you don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Since I am fluent in wingnutese, I generally laugh.

The Surge and the Spin

Takeaway of the Day:

“if John McCain was right about the surge, he’s in the best position to determine the future of US involvement in Iraq. Just like Gen. Petraeus – not Congress – ultimately determined the level of troops there in 2007, and George Bush knew best when he invaded Iraq five years ago.”

Rebutting wingnut spin on the Surge, i.e., Admit the Surge worked and praise it in all its glories or you are unfit for leadership. If you read this blog you know that several factors led to the decreased daily violence in Iraq in addition to the escalated troop presence.

So there you go. John McCain knows what’s best going forward in Iraq in 2008, just like George Bush knew what was best for Iraq in 2003.

Stay the Course. A Third Bush Term. George Bush and John McCain are the McSame.

Internet Awareness High in China

Internet use in China surpasses the USA. Maybe McCain may be surprised, but there is no surprise here. This is a matter of math and a growing economy.

China's booming Internet population has surpassed the United States to become the world's biggest, with 253 million people online despite government controls on Web use, according to government data reported Friday.

The latest figure on web use at the end of June is a 56 percent increase from a year ago, the China Internet Network Information Center said. It said the share of the Chinese public using the internet is still just 19.1 percent, leaving more room for rapid growth.

The United States had an estimated 223.1 million Internet users in June, according to Nielsen Online, a research firm. The Pew Internet and American Life Project puts US online penetration at 71 percent.

I take it John McCain is not one of the 71% using the internet, even though he is reportedly aware of it. It is a series of tubes.

Mittens not likable?

Back up the Buss and Hold the Press. This just in: Willard Romney may not be likable.

Prominent evangelical leaders are warning that a full scale retreat to the hills will be ordered if McCain picks Williard Romney as Veep. The reason is not Mormonism, fundamentalist Author Tim LaHaye, assures us. But get this, Flip-Flopping is perfectly understandable if you are trying to win elections in Blue states, but the rank and file just won’t get it.

Maybe Willard should give another religion speech. After all, the last one was such a hit.

Question of the Day

Headline of the day: "U.S. Headed for 'Heightened Alert' Stage. Exclusive: Major Events on the Horizon Prompt a Surge in Anti-Terror Effort."

If we find out that the next act of terrorism was planned in Berlin instead of Baghdad, who do we bomb? What country do we invade? What if the act of terrorism was planned not from Tehran, but Texas. What happens then?

Your questions for the day.

Que up John McCain and K-Lo

Headline of the Day: Census reports more unmarried couples living together

Just like the High Gas Prices this, too, is Barack Obama's fault..... unless its Bill Clinton’s Fault, probably, maybe.

Bad things happen; Don't Fall for Stupid

Yesterday, a gunman opened fire with shotgun during services at a Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Two were killed and 7 wounded before church goers tackled the gunman.

Reports indicate some acted heroically:

"Greg McKendry was a very large gentleman, one of those people you might describe as a refrigerator with a head," said church member Schera Chadwick. "He looked like a football player. He did obviously stand up and put himself in between the shooter and the congregation."

McKendry died on the scene.

Police today say that the Jim David Adkisson entered the Church with the intention of shooting church goers until he himself was shot down by Police. Some church members speculated that the shooting was in reaction to a new sign saying "Gays Welcome." Reports indicate that Adkinson targeted the Church because he had become offended by the whole "Liberal Movement" and other reports indicate that Adkinson was offended by the Church's Liberal Views.

First, thoughts and sympathy go to those affected by the shooting. Now for moral of the story. Many children were attendance and performing a play at the time. Obviously these kids will need some time and understanding as they cope with this experience.

Second, this guy was a nut with a grudge that will probably wind up on death row. He was not a terrorist.

Third, if and when a nut named Mohamed or Ali, instead of Adkisson, does something stoopid as experts predict, and innocents are harmed, use this as context. Remember, terrorism is a tactic defined by the response of its viewers. If you are not terrorized, it does not work.

And lastly, this event will most likely go unnoticed by the wingnutosphere.

UPDATE: More information is coming in that Adkisson had a grudge against all liberals and was consumer of infotainment from Savage, Hannity, et all. This is not relevant. This guy is a nut and nuts sometimes do stupid things with tragic results.

Missle Stike in Pakistan

Breaking News. Report: Al Qaeda Leader Killed.

Was killed by missile strike in Pakistan near Afghanistan Border (Not the Pakistan-Iraq Border).

No word on whether McCain will condemn the attack, like most surely he will if American involvement can be established.

Wingnut Watch

Ramesh Ponurru, author of “The Party of Death, The Democrats, the Courts, the Teachers’ Unions, Blah Blah, Blah” engages in some wingnuttery today. Apparently, Ramesh favors staying in Irak for 100 years to fight’em over there so we don’t have to fight’em elsewhere, like say…….. where they actually are. Ya know - AFGHANISTAN.

Ramesh – we’ve been in Irak for going on six years and the Taliban and Bin Laden haven’t taken you up on the offer to move to Irak and mix it up there. Which BTW, may have been McCain’s plan – i.e., wait until Bin Laden came to him in Irak.

Remember alotta these wingnuts were not born dumb, it’s just a life style choice for them.

Miserable Failure Watch - Part 1136

Just how screwed up is the Bush Administration?

Here is another example of a heckuva job brownie run amok: Monica Goodling. Today the DOJ released a report fingering Goodling for hiring federal prosecutors and judges based upon political considerations, which BTW, is a no no. From the report:

“Goodling improperly subjected candidates for certain career positions to the same politically based evaluation she used on candidates for political positions,” the report concludes. In one instance, Justice investigators found, Goodling objected to hiring an assistant prosecutor in Washington because “judging from his resume, he appeared to be a liberal Democrat.”

And in another instance, she rejected an experienced terror prosecutor to work on counterterror issues at a Justice Department headquarters office “because of his wife’s political affiliations…”

Got that. It is a time of war, matter of fact the war is called “The War on Terror” by the Bush Administration and an experienced prosecutor is turned away from enlisting in the fight in favor of a lesser qualified, but politically acceptable, candidate.

And we also learn that Goodling also tried to block a career Justice Department lawyer from getting another job because of rumors that this lawyer was gay. So she’s not just an incompetent hack, she’s also malevolent. January 20^th can’t come fast enough.

Heckuva Job Junior.

Miserable Failure Watch - Part 372

Just how screwed up is the Bush Administration? Here’s another example.

This is fucked up: an EPA order to employees to STFU.

I understand chain of command in communications and all. But here we have an EPA e-mail asking its employees not to talk to congressional investigators, reporters and even the agency's own inspector general.

EPA to the Congress: we’re not talking.

EPA to the press: we’re not talking.

EPA to the EPA: we’re not talking.

This has got to get cleaned up. We gotta bunch of heckuva job Brownies running round thinking that the purpose of the government is to serve their own special interests. But in reality, it is rather the bureaucrat that is there to work for the public interest as expressed through the will of Congress. Memo to Washington: if you are a political appointee at EPA and are responsible for, say, enforcing the Clean Air Act, which is the law of the land, ENFORCE THE CLEAN AIR ACT or get outta the way.

One (F)’d up Job

The GOP is allowing its followers to submit party platform videos. How’d you like to be the guy that has to screen all the video entries for the GOP platform page?

Along with the guy keeping assigned to keep Congressmen out of trouble while at the St. Paul Airport this summer during the Republican Convention, this has gotta be a shitty job. But no doubt, Ron Paul Fans will have a field day.

And this idea promises to be a real winner.

Budget Busted Bush Blamed

Headline of the Day: Record Deficit Expected in 2009; To reach $490M.

Let me get this straight. Clinton leaves office with a $236M budgetary surplus. And today with this report, Bush is projected to leave office with a record $490M deficit.

Wanna know why “main stream” republicans seem willing to give Obama a fair look. You can start here. GWB and Congressional Republicans have squandered the GOP's reputation for fiscal responsiblity just as they have squandered our country’s resources.

Heckuva Job Junior

ALERT - New Threat on Horizon - ALERT

Wingnuts in general and neo-cons in particular use fear quite a lot in attempts to manipulate the public will.

It may be that these types are generally prone to experience fear thus feel the need to warn others. I don’t know. But here is something else to keep some members of wingnuttia up at night.

Evidence of Abominable Snowman may have been discovered. Hair samples found in remote parts of northeast India 5 years ago have been analyzed and the:

tests at Oxford Brookes University on hairs said to be from a Yeti in India have failed to link the strands with any known species.

Ape expert Ian Redmond, who is leading the research, said: "The hairs are the most positive evidence yet that a Yeti might possibly exist.

Wingnuts are often practitioners of “The One-Percent Doctrine.” Practitioners of this Doctrine hold that if there is a One Percent Chance of an occurrence of a particular risk (Real or Imagined), it is appropriate to act as if the risk is a virtually certainty.

So wingnuts be warned 10 foot tall ape men may exist. Here is something else to be afraid of. Boo!

Compare, Contrast

I was thinking if George Bush is the new Batman, what does that make McCain?

RedState says McCain is Luke Skywalker, but if you think about it with Bush being Batman and all, McCain should be "Robin The Boy Wonder."

Just saying. POW!

A veritable train wreck – A legacy

Link of the day: Next president to find limited military options.

If we're going to fault Bush-Cheney on grand strategic terms, we will need to divide our criticism between two points: the opportunity costs involved and the strategic overhang created.

Opportunity costs, in other words means roads not taken. Things that could have been accomplished but were left unattended, all in terms of relationships, alliances, treaties, and conflicts not confronted or prevented. Yep, lots here.

Strategic overhang: the mess that Bush is handing off to the next president. The substantial “institutional ‘healing time’ involved for the Army and Marines, after Bush’s reckless consumption of “so much of America's military force during these seven long years of non-stop, high tempo, high rotation action ...," for example. The mess in Iraq and the ongoing operation in Afghanistan after years of neglect, fit here. What is the verdict?

"Whether it's simply winding down Afghanistan and/or Iraq and "replenishing the force," or shifting dollars from operations and maintenance funds to cover a plethora of Cold War "programs of record" that the Bush Administration has refused to scale back, the next administration has been handed a veritable train wreck in terms of future budgetary crises. Something will have to give."

Heckuva job Bush.

All Surge - But only the Surge?

A State Department round table discussing Iraq: Next Steps After the Surge points out that The Flip, i.e, The Sunni Awakening, came before the surge.

Now, I give a lot of credit to American commanders for supporting this opportunity, and believe me, there's been so much bad luck in Iraq it's good that there's some good luck for a change. But we need to keep in mind that this momentum towards tribal cooperation started before the surge and is causally not directly related to the surge. In a sense, I think this is good news because it suggests that perhaps this can be sustained at lower levels of American forces, which is, of course, what we all hope for.

Just pointing it out, now that McCain is crediting the increased number of troops for reduced violence in Iraq. But it isn't the only reason. The surge was aided by a truce declared by Shia Militias and a change in alliance by Sunni insurgents.

A Good Bargain? Former Sunni insurgents, aka Concerned Local Citizen’s (CLC’s) or Son’s of Iraq totaled about 103,000, of which about 15,000 entered ISF and 12,000 are in process of doing so. Each are paid $350/month by DOD. $100 paid per IED revealed. DOD has spent $173 million on CLC's (as of March 1, 2008) to implement this part of The Flip.

Instead of fighting American troops, CLC’s are providing security in Sunni dominated areas of Iraq, clearing AQI, and freeing up US troops for service elsewhere.

The additional 17,500 US combat Troops provided during the surge were effective. But no doubt, their mission would have been far more difficult had The Flip not occurred and these combat troops had to fight the 103,00 CLC’s instead fight along side against AQI. And when 80,000 Shia Militia men shoulder their weapons, too, it helps. John done forgot about this, too.

I know John McCain says that economics ain't his thing. But does the Dood have issues with math, too.

Just saying.

Equal Opportunity Wingnuttery

Olbermann off the deep end:

"Number one, FEMA-gate. With the emergency agency guilty of having given victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita house trailers containing dangerous levels of Formaldehyde, the 21^st century equivalent of the story of giving the smallpox infected blankets to the Indians..."

Michael Brown and FEMA didn't do a heckuva job. But rather the screw-ups were due to George Bush-style incompetence. Pretty sure it was not venal. So it goes.

Super Friends, Super Stupid

I wasn't planning on posting anything for the rest of the day, but after stopping by RedState and learning that John McCain is "Luke Skywalker" and that the new Batman movie "Dark Night" is based on the Bush administration and that George Bush is Batman, I couldn't help myself.

We've got John McCain on the Death Star surrounded on all sides but valiantly battling his sworn enemy.......the media. Yes the media. And if and when McCain wins the presidency, McCain/Skywalker will have torn down a wall. Not the wishy washy walls Obama talked about in Berlin that separate people of different nationalities, ethnicity, tribe or religions. McCain/Skywalker will torn down the Wall the Media has built to keep John Q. Public from seeing the truth.

And don't leave George Junior out. He's Batman and Dark Night is a conservative movie about the war on terror that is a:

"a paean of praise to the fortitude and moral courage that has been shown by George W. Bush in this time of terror and war"

Now I haven't seen "Dark Knight." But I did listen to an interview with Christian in Jail Bale and Christopher Nolan and neither of those doodz mentioned GWB or "The War on Terror" as an inspiration for the movie. These heroic pronouncements all kinda takes me back to another blast from the past. And since RedState is pondering about Walls how about this one:

You want the truth? You can't haaaaandle the truth. The Truth is that you waaant George Bush up there on that wall. You neeeed George Bush up there on that wall. And Hollywood better acknowledge that it damn sure needs George Bush up there on that wall, too......(my translation to wingnutese)

Too, bad he is utterly incompetent. Oh and btw, he ain't Batman either, minor points I know. But back to the WSJ's wingnuttery:

"........ And when our artistic community is ready to show that sometimes men must kill in order to preserve life; that sometimes they must violate their values in order to maintain those values; and that while movie stars may strut in the bright light of our adulation for pretending to be heroes, true heroes often must slink in the shadows, slump-shouldered and despised -- then and only then will we be able to pay President Bush his due and make good and true films about the war on terror.

Perhaps that's when Hollywood conservatives will be able to take off their masks and speak plainly in the light of day."

Apparently "The Man" is holding the poor Conservative Film Maker down. And when this ends and only then, will the public get it.

You just can't make this stuff up. More here.


And of course every wingnut knows that Ronald Reagan is Superman. That is, unless Fred Thompson is in the room.

Link Blast - a surge of a different sort?

Now here is a “surge” that may yield unwelcome news for John McCain. It is a surge in young voters registering to vote Virginia.

“Of those who registered to vote in Virginia during the first six months of 2008, nearly half were under the age of 25, and the majority of them were teens who had just reached voting age – 18-year-olds, along with 17-year-olds who will turn 18 before Election Day. The majority also were women.”

A new electorate in the Making? “In the 29 states (plus the District of Columbia) where voter affiliation is kept by party, the Democrats have scored perceptible gains since the presidential election of 2004 while the Republicans have suffered significant losses. To be specific, the number of registered Democrats in party registration states has grown by nearly 700,000 since President George W. Bush was reelected in November 2004, while the total of registered Republicans has declined by almost 1 million.” Check out the numbers in PA: 266K new Dem registrations and 220K fewer people registered as Republican. A swing of near 500K voters. There also some big swings in Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and Oregon.

A Bass Whupping in store? More insiders seem to feel comfortable saying things look good for Barrack and bad for the GOP. Brookings got a piece titled “The Myth of a Close Election” where some scholars are predicting a big break for Obama.

"It is no exaggeration to say that the political environment this year is one of the worst for a party in the White House in the past sixty years. You have to go all the way back to 1952 to find an election involving the combination of an unpopular president, an unpopular war, and an economy teetering on the brink of recession. 1952 was also the last time the party in power wasn't represented by either the incumbent president or the incumbent vice-president. But the fact that Democrat Harry Truman wasn't on the ballot didn't stop Republican Dwight Eisenhower from inflicting a crushing defeat on Truman's would-be successor, Adlai Stevenson.

Barack Obama is not a national hero like Dwight Eisenhower, and George Bush is certainly no Harry Truman. But if history is any guide, and absent a dramatic change in election fundamentals or an utter collapse of the Obama candidacy, John McCain is likely to suffer the same fate as Adlai Stevenson."

And Even the Party Bosses are getting bold enough to predict big win in November as Dems get ready to do the Wave. But beware of complacency they say.

On Weasels and Wingnuts

Speaking of Wingnuts, Heather Wilson is at the top of the Class. She's what the wingnuts on the NRO aspire to be when they grow up. And she is a McCain surrogate. Awesome!

She's on Hardball right now criticizing Obama's speech in Germany today. You know the one that drew 200,000 people during the overseas trip that McCain said he needed to take. No doubt Heather has her issues. She's actually saying the transatlantic relationship during the last seven year is rocking. Its bettah than ever and get this, Europeans don't gotta problem with Bush. They love him.

If C-SPAN gets their feed fixed, it has Heather's Surge Speech on file. Heather, who represents a 50-50 swing district in a 50-50 state, was actually against the Surge so she said, but she also couldn't oppose it either. She's one Hardcore Weasel. If C-SPAN fixes its feed, you can see why.

Wingnuttery abounds

Wingnuttery is flourishing today in the darker corners of the series of tubes known as the internets.

It is seemingly hard for some residents of Lesser Wingnuttia to understand that Obama just may well be a shrewd, intelligent and appealing politician. He's drawing interest from around the Globe. You may not agree with him but reasonable folks sometimes differ. But alas not for this Wingnut who labels Obama a creation of the media, an empty suit, a Chauncey Gardiner.

I’m a guessin that this fellow wasn’t born stupid, but rather made that choice somewhere down the road. Poor dumb Wingnut. I made fun of this same wingnut yesterday, too. And why not!

UPDATE: If you are a wingnut, and label Obama an empty suit, what does that make The Decider? See Pix/Vid in post below.

Bush Disaster Watch - Who knew?

Or checkout this classic from the Onion circa January 2001 - Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare of Peace and Prosperity is finally over'

"Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.

'You better believe we're going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration," said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. "Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?.......'

'.......We as a people must stand united, banding together to tear this nation in two," Bush said. "Much work lies ahead of us: The gap between the rich and the poor may be wide, be there's much more widening left to do. We must squander our nation's hard-won budget surplus on tax breaks for the wealthiest 15 percent. And, on the foreign front, we must find an enemy and defeat it.'...."

Solid prediction or satire?

UPDATE: On NPR this morning: "We are witnessing the complete intellectual collapse of the Bush Administration." So says Walrus McBolton. Um ya........Duh, we know. It has been a long burn.

The Surge Explained

The current strategy in Iraq is not something called “The Surge.” The Current Strategy, rather, is an effort to tamp down civil strife and referee competing factions in Irak, all while promoting a social order. In essence, it is a bet on the Maliki Government and its ability to form a unifying governing coalition that crosses sectarian, tribal, ethnic and other lines. When order is restored and authority established in the Maliki led central government, a functional state can emerge over time. Say in about one hundred years or maybe less.

As daily violence in Irak has decreased in the past year, we can look to four factors to explain the decrease: “The Truce,” “The Flip,” “The Cleansing” and “The Surge.”

• The Truce occurred in late 2006, when Shia leader Al Sadr issued a temporary order to his faction and its militia, the al-Mahdi army, to stand down and cease attacks on US Troops and Sunni civilians.
  
  
• The Flip occurred during the same time frame, when Sunni Leaders agreed to ally their Factions with U.S. forces against AQI and stop attacking US Troops and Shia civilians. And we pay them too, $173M and counting as of March 1^st from one estimate.
  
  
• The Cleansing refers to the exodus of millions of refugees from their homes and the partitioning of Baghdad into sectarian and sometimes walled off enclaves. Essentially formerly heterogenous neighborhoods have been violently pushed toward becoming Homogeneous neighborhoods. There are 2 Million externally displaced Iraqi civilians and another 2 Million internally displaced Iraqis.
  
  
• The Surge started in February 2007, was geared up by June 2007 and recently ended. On this page "The Surge" refers both to a shift in tactics, i.e., implementing counterinsurgency doctrine (i.e., COIN), along with the additional troop presence to bolster security at the village and neighborhood level.

Now as violence has fallen near to what President Bush refers to as “acceptable levels of violence,” we see that all the four factors are, in part, responsible for the decrease. The additional troops presence has been beneficial, but would it have yielded the same results in the absence of a change in tactics to COIN, The Flip, The Truce and The ethnic Cleansing?

Most likely not. But the decrease in violence has improved the conditions required to, say, conduct an orderly redeployment or a 100 year occupation.

So there you go.

UPDATE: Cross posted here.

Random Acts of Wingnuttery

Miscellaneous Wingnuttery:

Focus group data supposedly shows one of Obama's top vulnerabilities is his record of voting "present" 100+ times in the Illinois state senate—blue collar voters expect senators to work, not straddle. Sleeper issue is Obama's Induced Birth Infant Liability Act vote. Almost nobody knows about it but when informed the reaction is nearly always the same: momentary incredulity followed by revulsion. (Emphasis Mine).

Translation: Well nobody knows Obama position on this bill or anything about it, but we are damned sure gonna twist, distort and hype it up until everyone within within view of our pixels is hopping mad.

Further Translation: According to a well placed wingnut, this bill did not make it out committee in the Illinois Senate and it was ALL Obama’s fault.

Further Translation: I wonder if this is the same type of focus group that Fox put together before the New Hampshire primary, whose number one concern was the high number of Mexicans or Canadians or the French or god knows who that are apparently pouring over the New Hampshire border.

Feats of Wingnuttery

Someone get Erik Erickson away from the keyboard before he reeeally hurts himself, because Red State has gone off the Deep End, again in a self styled “impolite, but necessary post” that openly wonders:

“How Many Lives Lost and Americans Dead With Obama in the White House?”

“How much blood on Barack Obama's hands should he become President of the United States?”

I kid you not. They got themselves some hardcore wingnuts at RedState by raising the specter of mass casualties, soldiers and civilians alike, arising from the election of Obama. Seems that Obama's foreign policy would be so un-Bush like that alotta people would be hurt as a consequence of his un-Bush like judgment, Erik posits.

I bet the propeller was whirling supersonic as Erik typed the post. And I bet he has a slide ruler, too.

Here's one for Erik, if Obama is a "fool or ignoramus" as Erik states, what does that make "The Decider" or any idiot that shamelessly pumped up "The Decider" as he was fucking up in Iraq?

I'd say if you were the guy pumping up The Decider, then maybe your judgment ain't the sharpest. And in that case maybe you shouldn't be the one doing judging but rather STFU. Just saying. Anyway Erik may win himself wingnut of the year. He's sure to get alotta consideration.

UPDATE - Heather Wilson (R-NM), a slicker version of Willard Romney, is also playing along with today's apparent GOP talking point noting Obama is “frighteningly inexperienced” when it comes to foreign affairs and national security policy. Maybe she's auditioning for the Veep since she's soon to be outta work. Too bad.

Understanding Neconservatism

Quote of the Day:

There is …”.diversity within in Islamic world, speaking of Arabs, Persians, Africans, Southeast Asians, Shiites and Sunnis, all of whom have their own interests and agendas” – Fareed Zakaria

Often times on the internet and airwaves we see politicians and talking heads proclaiming that the world is simply divided between us and them. And further you may hear the same sort blurring the distinctions between "the terrorists" and other political factions competing for power and influence in parts of the Islamic world. But combining disparate groups of Muslims into a single group called “the enemy” is counterproductive and actually plays into the hands of “the terrorists.” And it is especially counterproductive if the speaker refers to all Muslims as "the enemy." When you hear or see someone engaged in this practice, this is a good indication that this person is either:

(a) infected with the stoopid; or

(b) trying to manipulate you by the use of fear.

These are the only two choices you get.

By separating “the terrorists” from the larger Islamic world, one de-legitimizes any claim of “the terrorists” of representing all of Islam. Seventh Century Islamic Fundamentalists living in caves, Chechen separatists and other local groups of radicals and misfits are not one step away from taking control of the larger Islamic world. Ditto the political factions in Iraq competing for power and influence within that country.

You see, a political ideology grounded in the 7^th century or based on a local political dispute just are not compelling banners for diverse groups of Muslims around the world to rally and set aside their interests, agendas and natural diversity. And in any event combing diverse groups into a single threatening category, rather than focusing on their distinctions is just plain foolish.

That’s the lesson for the day. And as the election draws nearer, no doubt the fear mongers will be checking in more frequently as we saw the other day from a McCain surrogate advocating the possibility that "the terrorists" could conquer America.

Mittens May Be Sighted Soon

Headline of the day: McCain closes in on VP.

Its gotta be Mittens, right?

UPDATE: There are more reports that Willard Romney is near the top of a very short list for VP. Mittens is currently out of the country right now (probably in France or a country where they speak French) has not been reached for verification. But it has to be Mittens.

Question of the Day

Does Rudy Guliani + 9/11 = Neil Bush

or

is Rudy Guliani just a really stoopid version of Mitt Romney + 9/11?

People Still Think Bush Sux Double Redux

How Low Can He Go?

George Bush's Overall Job Approval Drops to 21%. Disapproval at 72% with 7% undecided.

When it comes to the economy, the Decider does decidedly worse with just 18% of registered voters approving of the way Bush is handling the economy and 77% disapproving.

Apparently people still think that Bush Sux.

In related news the McCain Campaign issued a clarification as to what role George Bush would play in the McCain Campaign. Apparently it is George Bush the Elder that they meant.

Yet another Willard sighting

This time its Michigan which makes Willard "Mitt" Romney a must have as the Veep. Or at least it says so here. Seems like the series the tubes is settling on Mittens.

Week End Link Blast

High Oil Prices threaten China and emerging economies in drastic ways. If you thought high oil prices are tough to deal with in the USA, it’s worse elsewhere so it goes:

China's factories "were not built with current energy levels in mind", said Mr Jen. The outcome will be "non-linear". My translation: China is at risk of blowing up.

Speaking of Oil prices. One of the bigger wingnuts you find on the internets these days is Larry Kudlow who posits on the wisdom of George Bush, generally from time to time and specifically here.

Seems that Bush’s steely resolve alone forced oil prices down about 9 buck a barrel the other day (it couldn’t have anything to do with a speculation bubble now could it). The price after Bush’s feat of strength was then $136. This is the same Kudlow, think Thurston Howell the Third with a lisp, that excoriated the Clinton-Gore administration in 2000 for allowing the price of oil to rise to ….. get this…. near $25 a barrel. $25 a barrel is sounding good bout now.

There's a lot going on with Oil Prices that people don’t quite understand. But one thing I understand is that George Bush does not force prices down by will alone. Like I said, Kudlow is a hardcore Wingnut.

Speaking of Wingnuts. Swift Boat Activist and McCain supporter Bud Day warns that the Muslims are gonna kill us all. Said Day: "The Muslims have said either we kneel or they're going to kill us.'' Bud Day survived as a prisoner of war, but is now afraid that the “Muslims” whether it be a particular Muslim or group of Muslims I am not sure, are gonna conquer the USA. What’s it with wingnuts and fear?

And we can't forget this one: US and Iraq agree to set Timetables. I bet Bush is gonna be pissed when he learns that he is "waiving the white flag of surrender." McCain has said that timetable equal capitulation. Will he REBUKE BUSH?

Rubber meets the Road - Gramm's got to go

Compare and Contrast.

Check this Horsey Cartoon out. We have a run on the Bank circa "It's a Wonderful Life" meets the McCain/Gramm deregulatory banking system.

As Phil Gramm would all have you believe, a deregulated banking industry is super fantastic and those who have failed to reep its benefits and those who think we can do better are just whiners. Horsey may draw the cartoon but Phil Gramm was its Architect. No wonder McCain took the path of expediency and canned Gramm today.

If you haven't checked out Horsey yet he does awesome work. His stuff on the 2000 and 2004 elections is classic.

Anyway here is Gramm style economics for dummies.

Willard Romney has got his Fans

K-Lo hearts Mittens, and she don’t care much for ol’Huck who apparently is not a conservative.

She thinks Willard’s opposition to gay adoption (in Even Numbered Years, mind you) is yet another reason for McCain to pick Willard Romney as the Veep. And so does Hugh Hewitt who has a serious mancrush on Mittens. Hewitt thinks that:

“Romney's "Ms"--the message on the economy, his and his supporters' money, the Mormons and the enthusiasm they would bring to the campaign, especially in Mormon-heavy states like Colorado and Nevada, and of course Romney's ties to his home state Michigan-- make the case for choosing Romney very strong.”

But Hewitt has been pumping up Mittens from the start if I’m not mistaken. Ditto K-Lo.

What McCain is reading. Why it Matters

Go check out what McCain is reading these days. And you'll find "The Return of History and the End of Dreams," by McCain Adviser and Neoconservative Writer Robert Kagan. This is a must read post so click the link above.

Basically Kagan outlines a world that has returned to the dark power politics of the 19th century. Now you may think "Freedom is on the March," but you'd be wrong. Freedom and liberal democracy are not on the March, but rather face a pending death struggle with the rising forces of autocracy. Now I have posted on this topic here and here so this is not new.

However it is an important topic that needs to be beaten to death in the coming months. And this topic is John McCain's world view. So here it goes again:

Though some thought that with the fall of Soviet Communism, European Nations would capitalize on a peace dividend and turn away from the pursuit and practice of hard power and toward the use of cooperative soft power through the European Union and International Law and Institutions. Russia would be invited into the European Order and would be co-opted to eventually join it. China and India would benefit from globalization and increasing connectivity with the New World Order. In this unipolar world with America as the sole benevolent super power preserving the peace and with growing economic connectivity the world would get smaller, it would flatten and War among Great Powers would become a thing of the past.

But this was all an illusion.

You see what was old is now once again new. Might Makes right. Power is law, Power creates order, and the Powerful seek the Permanent Perpetuation of their Power. The world has become divided into the forces of Liberal Democracy and those of Autocracy. Great Powers, democracies and autocracies, exist and new ones are rising and will seek places of respect in the new international order. America would still be a super power but will be challenged by other Great Powers through a system of secret treaties and alliances akin to the Great Power Politics of the 19^th century. What was old, hyper nationalism for instance, would become new again. And the dreams for a new world order, a peaceful order, Emmanuel Kant's dreams, have been shattered.

The year is now 1914.

So as we follow McCain's foreign policy pronouncements and read the words of his intimates, we see that the world we knew though the 1990s was as good as it gets, so they'd say. We can do no better, we can be no more secure than what we were in the PAST. And a long slow decline, a collapse, or more favorably treading water is the way of the future as the Western Liberal Democracies will constantly be challenged the Great Autocratic Powers for dominion.

In this world today, once more it is time to chose sides. Are you with us or are you against us. History, you see, has returned and the days of Dreams of creating a world that could someday know peace have faded to black..... in John McCain's world view.

Say it ain't so Nancy

Quote of the day:

"You know, God bless him, bless his heart, president of the United States, a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people on the economy, on the war, on energy, you name the subject...."

Nancy Pelosi on The Decider.

Not just a put down, but the phrase "bless his heart" can indicate sympathy toward the subject in some parts of the country. Ya know like, "bless is heart, he tried his hardest and did his best but still finished the race in last place." Maybe some democrats may have move past feeling anger at Bush to just feel pity for this miserable failure of a guy.

APEASEMENT WATCH Cont.

Headline of the Day - Iran and U.S. Signaling Chance of Deal. The money quote:

"In recent weeks, the Whitehouse already has approved a sweetened package of incentives to Iran"

I thought Bush warned the World that this was wrong. Appeasing Iran really does not make any sense. Iran's defense spending is 1/110th of defense spending in the US of A. Why would Bush give in to Iran? I can't believe he is afraid of Iran.

I starting to wonder if Bush actually knows this is going. Maybe nobody told him.

UPDATE: Yep. Bush is losing another step and he was already several steps to slow. Here is another story with the goods on Bush's Appeasement Strategy confirming our earlier scoop about the plan to station Diplomats in Iran for diplomacy and other squishy appeasement like things.

APPEASEMENT WATCH

Has Bush decided to Appease Iran now after warning of the dangers of Appeasement? If not, why is he sending a so-called Diplomat to meet with Iran's Chief Nuclear Negotiator. Reportedly, the Diplomat is not there to negotiate with the negotiator, but rather to listen. Sounds kinda wishy washy to me.

First Condi Rice starts talking about opening up an embassy type office in Tehran now Bush has dispatched a diplomat to nuclear discussions. And get this, the diplomat is there just to listen instead of Lecture. I mean if you are gonna open an embassy type office and send diplomats to discussions, diplomacy may break out. And we can't have this. Bush has said so himself.

Looks like Bush is losing another step.

Willard Milton Romney Sighting

McCain and Mittens sitting in a tree …… well not just yet. But it is getting closer, maybe.

Headline of the Day

Prosecutor flagged by US terror watch list

With reports that there up to 1 Million people on the terrorism watch list, I guess this is should not be an unexpected occurrence. What'd be reeeally funny is someone like Doug Feith, Wolfowitz or Abu Gonz getting added to the list and shaken down at a security check point.

That'd be rich.

TFSGOTFOTE to testify

Doug Feith, called a brilliant patriot by some, and TFSGOTFOTE by others is to testify before the House Committee on the Judiciary: Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties in Congress today.

Maybe he could tell us just what measures were planned and then taken to enable Irak was to become a liberal democracy after Baghdad fell. After all the democratization piece of plan belonged to him or was residing in the brains of Doug Feith and Paul Wolfowitz. But he can't.

Today TFSGOTFOTE will be called on to talk about how torture is not torture if you change the definition of the word "torture." Congressmen will grandstand, others will play dumb and dumber and we will learn nothing.

Seriously, today the TFSGOTFOTE will try to justify torture.

Less than 190 days and counting.

Terrorist Watchlist here you come

Lance Berkman just took the lead in the Homer Run derby and just gave out about a dozen terrorist fist bumps to celebrate.

Who knew?

UPDATE: Berkman is totally screwed. ESPN's Camera just showed that Rudy Guliani is at the derby. No doubt he made a note of the fist bumps. I'd hate to be Berkman next time he tries to get aboard an Airplane. Hell be on the terrorist watchlist for sure.

LATER UPDATE: Josh Hamilton is absolutely tearing it up passing the recond of 24. 26 big flies and counting passing Berkman's 8. Maybe Rudy will forget to call in the 9-11 alert on Berkman. But Berkman still has Round 2 to come.

McCain to get a lesson about the TUBES

Well, John McCain may be aware of the internet (it is a series of tubes), but he doesn't quite know how to use it.

Click, here, to see how John McCain can learn to get on line ALL BY HIMSELF!

Wingnut vs Wingnut

Check this out from greater wingnuttia.

Compare RedState’s electoral forecast for 2008 and candor describing some of the reasons why the GOP Sux and why the GOP will lose 15 to 30 seat in the House with K-Lo channeling Limbaugh promoting the belief that the GOP can ride high gas prices to congressional VICTORY in the same election.

The difference is that Limbaugh has an added incentive to mislead his listeners with at least the allusion of victory at the polls. If the faithful give up on hope of success, then dittohead turnout goes down and potentially could affect down ballot races around the margins. So you do what you need to do to get your peeps to the polls even if it involves deception.

And of course, poor K-Lo can’t tell the difference. Because GWB would so make an awesome High School History Teacher for the young and impressionable.

McCain wants to raise taxes - unless he doesn't

Now it has been said that John McCain does not know much about the economy. In fact it was said by John McCain.

But we have since learned that this is, in fact, not true. If there is one thing John McCain knows, said John McCain recently, it is Economics, unless it is not, and then it is National Security. But in that case it would still be Economics, too. So in that event there would be actually two things that John McCain would know: National Security and Economics.

Economics has to do with Supply and Demand. Everyone knows this, including and especially John McCain. He said so much recently. However, in the past, as noted above, John McCain has said he did not know much about Economics. Now you would think that positions are probably untrue. Either John McCain knows about Economics as he said recently, or he does not know about Economics as he has said previously.

But now we have another problem John McCain wants to raise your taxes, unless, that is, he doesn’t.

You hear that John McCain is promising Billions in new spending and Billions in new tax cuts, all while shoring up Social Security and Balancing the Budget at the same time. So quite logically one would think John McCain would support some way to pay for all the new spending and all the new tax cuts, if in fact he was gonna balance the budget. His Economic Advisor, Carly Fiorina, did.

But apparently, John McCain who was against new spending and new tax cuts is now for new spending and new tax cuts instead of against them. Note to Carly he has flopped back yet, or if he has, he don’t want you talking about in public. I wonder if she’ll get kicked to the curb like his last Senior Economic Advisor, Phil Gramm, who said tough economic times were a figure of everyone’s imagination.

It is becoming pretty clear that Economics is John McCain’s thing. And in any event, It’d be a good bet that McCain will continue to be for and against the economic policies of his Economic Advisors……the very same Economic advisors that McCain has hired to help him understand economics in the first place.

One and DONE

One Wingnut’s take on how to continue the dream: a one-term pledge from McCain. Kinda Stay The Course Lite, I'd say.

Not a Terrorists Fist Bump, but....

Headline of the Day: President George Bush: 'Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter'

At the G-8 summit where pollution reduction was the topic of discussion President Bush proudly:

"ended a private meeting with the words: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."

He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock."

Now I know I'm not the only one to fine this odd. But seriously, this guy is the president of the United States of America and was even elected once, too. Not setting a good example, I'd say.

One official who witnessed the extraordinary scene said afterwards: "Everyone was very surprised that he was making a joke about America's record on pollution."

Less than 195 days left.

Link Blast 7-12 ed.

Here is a round up of links that I have found interesting from the past week that may be found in the usual places.

Wedge Issue, Arizona Style Now here’s a split between GOP factions. Is it employer amnesty to change the Arizona Employer Sanctions Law that whacks employers who hire illegal aliens; or is Chamber of Commerce Style Good Sense to reduce burdens on local businesses? Either way it puts factions of the GOP at war with each other.

And following on this intramural battle, we see prediction that the GOP is Losing the Latino Vote.

“…the right continues to distrust McCain, and championing immigration reform won't do anything to allay that distrust. Look for McCain to mention immigration as little as possible, and to emphasize border security when he does. Which means the issue has been ceded to Obama--and with it the Latino vote.”

From the mouths of Babes. Last night my daughter wondered aloud, why there aren’t solar powered cars. Well, guess what. Today Toyota has announced that: the next generation of Prius to get Solar Panels.

The Steelers are on Sale. Can be yours for $1.2B.

And it looks like Wal-mart gets nailed again. Settles an ADA claim for $250,000. After being wounded during a robbery, a Wal-mart pharmacy technician, requested to use a cane to help her move around during work. Sound like a reasonable request? Not to Wal-mart, despite the employee’s superior job performance throughout her employment, they fired her. This is Wal-mart second ADA settlement this year, having earlier settled cerebral palsy discrimination charge for $300,000.