Strategery for Victory

Bush made another speech this morning, deciding to finally come up with a Strategy for Victory THREE YEARS into a war.

Pardon me for pointing this out, but shouldn't he have had a Strategy for Victory when he STARTED the bloody thing? I mean, since it WAS "at a time and place of our choosing," after all, he MIGHT have laid down a plan or two from the get-go. But no. That would require competence.

A couple of things I noticed, though (actually from the text of the proposal, not the speech. The speech said the same thing in nearly the same words, though):

"Iraq would become a safe haven from which terrorists could plan attacks against America, American interests abroad, and our allies."

You know what that is? It's an admission that this was a completely disastrous thing to do. Because there was no danger that Iraq could become a such a safe haven before we invaded.

We CAUSED the place to become a possible "safe haven from which terrorists could plan attacks against America." We TURNED it into another Afghanistan. We invaded, and we left the borders unguarded and we let the terrorists in.

Now Al Qaeda has the chance to establish a beachhead in the Middle East, and Bush ADMITS that. Thanks to him.

"The enemy is a combination of rejectionists, Saddamists, and terrorists affiliated with or inspired by Al Qaida. Distinct but integrated strategies are required to defeat each element."

In that part of his speech, Bush pointed out that the largest group was Sunnis - NOT terrorists. The largest group that makes up what Bush calls "the enemy" is Iraqis. And they are being driven to fight by the fact of our presence. Our presence in the country is CAUSING an uneasy alliance between terrorists and Sunnis, on the principle of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

You know what I think will happen if we leave? There may well be a civil war. But - and some of you may find this a bit unsettling - if Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds finally start fighting each other, like they've been wanting to for the last century, well, let them. Not our business. It isn't worth US having a war to prevent THEM from having a war. They want one, anyway.

But what will also happen is that the Sunnis will start fighting Al Qaeda, which they aren't doing NOW. They don't like those people. Al Qaeda are maniacs who keep setting off suicide bombs and killing civilians. The Iraqis HATE them. But right now, we and the Iraqi Army are fighting the Sunnis AND Al Qaeda. But if we leave, resistance to our occupation will be removed as a rallying cry and a point of alliance, and the Iraqi Army AND the Sunnis AND the Shii'ites AND the Kurds will ALL start fighting Al Qaeda.

I don't think there is a chance in hell of Al Qaeda actually taking over in Iraq - they are grossly outnumbered and hated by the whole country. UNLESS WE STAY. Because our presence there forms a flashpoint of unity for groups that would normally be at enmity, and is enabling Al Qaeda to gain support - or at least a lack of opposition - from those who would normally hate them.

This is a disaster. Bush caused the disaster. Our invasion caused the disaster. Leaving will END the disaster.

I've got a little list

From Bill O'Reilly's website:

A Message from Bill: Media Operations that Traffic in Defamation

The following media operations have regularly helped distribute defamation and false information supplied by far left websites:

- New York Daily News

- The St. Petersburg Times

- MSNBC

These are the worst offenders. In the months to come, we expect to add more names to this list. We recommend that you do not patronize these operations and that advertisers do the same. They are dishonest and not worth your time and money.

I just sent him an email (oreilly@foxnews.com):

Mr. O'Reilly:

Please place me on your list of media operations that help distribute defamation supplied by far left websites.

Thank you for you consideration.

Iggy

According to Newsweek, some soldiers are coming forward with accusations of torture.

It's just the beginning.

The Republicans would LIKE it to be over. They would LIKE Cunningham's guilty plea to be the end of it.

But it won't be. We are likely seeing a mere trickle in a flood of corruption.

It's not just Cunningham and Scanlon - both guilty. It's not just that DeLay and Abramoff have been indicted. It's not just that Frist and Rove are under major serious investigation.

Cunningham has agreed to cooperate with investigators.

That means that there is something further being investigated that he CAN cooperate with.

MZM, Inc - one of the Defense Contractor that bribed Cunningham - is a large contributor to a PAC called the New Republican Majority Fund.


1) MZM, Inc, has ties to many Republicans politicians.

2) They have a clear, large monetary interest in influencing legislation.

3) They bribed a Congressman. That makes it pretty certain that they TRIED to bribe other Congressmen.

How much does Cunningham know about those bribes?

This is just the beginning.

Bush II: The Unraveling

Colin Powell's ex-aide has just ripped the Bush Administration another asshole, and the Bushies sound downright bonkers. Emphases mine:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A top aide to former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday that wrongheaded ideas for the handling of foreign detainees arose from White House and Pentagon officials who argued that "the president of the United States is all-powerful" and the Geneva Conventions irrelevant.

In an Associated Press interview, former Powell chief of staff Lawrence Wilkerson also said President Bush was "too aloof, too distant from the details" of postwar planning. Underlings exploited Bush's detachment and made poor decisions, Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson blamed Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and like-minded aides. He said Cheney must have sincerely believed that Iraq could be a spawning ground for new terror assaults, because "otherwise I have to declare him a moron, an idiot or a nefarious bastard."

There's more.

Bush II: The Unraveling

Colin Powell's ex-aide has just ripped the Bush Administration another asshole, and exposed a crew that sounds flat bonkers. Emphases mine:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A top aide to former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday that wrongheaded ideas for the handling of foreign detainees arose from White House and Pentagon officials who argued that "the president of the United States is all-powerful" and the Geneva Conventions irrelevant.

In an Associated Press interview, former Powell chief of staff Lawrence Wilkerson also said President Bush was "too aloof, too distant from the details" of postwar planning. Underlings exploited Bush's detachment and made poor decisions, Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson blamed Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and like-minded aides. He said Cheney must have sincerely believed that Iraq could be a spawning ground for new terror assaults, because "otherwise I have to declare him a moron, an idiot or a nefarious bastard."

There's more.

Here is Duke's resignation letter, and I am genuinely impressed. Would that the rest of the Republicans had the honesty to face up to their own actions. Note to George: This is how a Christian is supposed to handle his own wrongdoing.

Statement by Randy "Duke" Cunningham

I am resigning from the House of Representatives because I've compromised the trust of my constituents.

When I announced several months ago that I would not seek re-election, I publicly declared my innocence because I was not strong enough to face the truth. So, I misled my family, staff, friends, colleagues, the public -- even myself. For all of this, I am deeply sorry.

The truth is -- I broke the law, concealed my conduct, and disgraced my high office. I know that I will forfeit my freedom, my reputation, my worldly possessions, and most importantly, the trust of my friends and family.

Some time ago, I asked my lawyers to inform the U.S. Attorney Carol Lam that I would like to plead guilty and begin serving a prison term. Today is the culmination of that process. I will continue to cooperate with the government's ongoing investigation to the best of my ability.

In my life, I have known great joy and great sorrow. And now I know great shame. I learned in Viet Nam that the true measure of a man is how he responds to adversity. I cannot undo what I have done. But I can atone. I am now almost 65 years old and, as I enter the twilight of my life, I intend to use the remaining time that God grants me to make amends.

The first step in that journey is to admit fault and apologize. The next step is to face the consequences of my actions like a man. Today, I have taken the first step and, with God's grace, I will soon take the second.

Thank you.

The PR is Offensive

For the last two weeks or more, America has been attacked with an absurd White House PR offensive.

The good news is that the White House seems to have given up on defending the Iraq Disaster

The bad news is that they are trying to figure out who else to blame.

They are defending their own debacle by claiming that The Democrats Agreed With Them.

Please note that this claim is an admission that the thing was a giant fuckup from the get-go. If they are trying to cast blame - and they are - it's an admission that the situation warrants blame.

But, aside from the satisfaction one feels at watching arrogant idiots who swore that everything they did was WONDERFUL reduced to blaming everybody else for what they did, the fact is that the claim itself is a stone lie: Congress did not have the same information as the White House. Period. But despite the fact that this has been pointed out again and again they keep repeating it. Because lies are the only defense that they have left.

Congress had ONLY the information that the White House chose to share. And the White House ONLY shared information that bolstered their position. The doubts, the questions, the contradiction and the disagreements were never shown to Congress. So Congress could ONLY conclude Hussein had WMDs, or accuse the White House of falsifying the evidence.

Yes, it turns out that the White House DID falsify the evidence, but it is ludicrous to have expected Congress to make that claim way back when. Somebody should tell Dick Cheney that "You fucked up. You trusted us" is intended as a joke, not a serious defense.

Much of this disaster has been caused by the unwillingness of decent people to believe that the folks in the White House are as thoroughly dishonest, greedy, and evil as they did, in fact, turn out to be.

And, in addition, Congress didn't even actually vote for the war. They voted to give Bush the authority to wage war should it become necessary. They did this to give Bush a big stick to use when placing pressure on Iraq: to force Hussein to let weapons inspectors in. And this WORKED - Hussein DID let them in. But when those inspectors said that the claims of WMDs seemed not to be panning out,. Bush's response was to try and discredit them, change the conditions whereby he would start a war, kick them out of the country and invade.

Remember that: Bush started the war after those who were actually on the ground told him that they hadn't found any weapons.

And Congress didn't vote for anything LIKE that. And claiming that they did doesn't make it so.

Iraq is Bush's baby. And it's one ugly baby. It's so ugly that he's trying to claim that it actually belongs to someone else.

And, hilariously, he keeps insisting that it's GOING WELL - while trying to blame Congress for it.

Hey, George, most Americans aren't as dumb as you are: If you REALLY thought Iraq was going well, you wouldn't be trying to blame it on the Democrats. Don't you think people REALIZE that? Or are you so used to getting away with total bullshit that you haven't realized that you've finally piled it too high for anyone to ignore?

Corrupt, corrupt, corrupt

Seriously - are there ANY non-corrupt Republicans? Or is Republican corruption like Republican hypocrisy - just part of the air that they breathe?

SAN DIEGO – Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty Monday morning to conspiring to take bribes in exchange for using his influence to help a defense contractor get business.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of income tax evasion.

Cunningham, an eight-term Republican congressman, had been under scrutiny for months for his ties to defense contractors and their officials.

The screws around Rove have not stopped tightening.

2nd 'Time' Reporter to Testify in Leak Case

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A second Time magazine reporter has agreed to cooperate in the CIA leak case and will testify about her discussions with Karl Rove's attorney, a sign that prosecutors are still exploring charges against the White House aide.

A real journalist

I'll go to jail to print the truth about Bush and al-Jazeera
By Boris Johnson

It must be said that subsequent events have not made life easy for those of us who were so optimistic as to support the war in Iraq. There were those who believed the Government's rubbish about Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction. Then the WMD made their historic no-show.

Some of us were so innocent as to suppose that the Pentagon had a well-thought-out plan for the removal of the dictator and the introduction of peace. Then we had the insurgency, in which tens of thousands have died.

Some of us thought it was about ensuring that chemical weapons could never again be used on Iraqi soil. Then we heard about the white phosphorus deployed by the Pentagon. Some people believed that the American liberation would mean the end of torture in Iraqi jails. Then we had Abu Ghraib.

Some of us thought it was all about the dissemination of the institutions of a civil society - above all a free press, in which journalists could work without fear of being murdered. Then we heard about the Bush plan to blow up al-Jazeera.

There's more at the link.

Satire is dead.

This ISN'T an article in the Onion.

DENVER - Former FEMA Director Michael Brown, heavily criticized for his agency's slow response to Hurricane Katrina, is starting a disaster preparedness consulting firm to help clients avoid the sort of errors that cost him his job.

Fuck up like no one in the last hundred years, and you get a job counseling people in not fucking up.

Kill me now.

Blue Wednesday

From kos: (Go read it)

You know that red-blue map that we all saw sixteen dozen times after the last Presidential election?

According to a Survey USA today poll, it would now look like this:




Remember Howard Dean's basic strategy: Concede NO state.

In honor of Thankgiving, Bush has pardoned two thanksgiving turkeys.

By an extraordinary coincidence, they were named "Tom" and "Scooter."

Bush knew that there was no connection between Hussein and Al Qaeda.

You know the claim that the Congress saw the "same intelligence" as the White House?

That's a lie.

This is one piece that Congress DIDN'T see.

And it was something ELSE Bush lied about.

Key Bush Intelligence Briefing Kept From Hill Panel

By Murray Waas, special to National Journal
Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2005

Ten days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, President Bush was told in a highly classified briefing that the U.S. intelligence community had no evidence linking the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein to the attacks and that there was scant credible evidence that Iraq had any significant collaborative ties with Al Qaeda, according to government records and current and former officials with firsthand knowledge of the matter.

You know what I think? I think the right-wingers KNOW that the reasons we have been given about being in Iraq were bullshit. I think they KNOW that it's all about greed and money, and doesn't have a damned thing to do with Democracy or Principles or Freedom.

Because there is no other explanation for their SILENCE at the truly devastating news that the Iraqi government not only wants us out, but apparently believes that the insurgency is legitimate, and that shoot at Americans does not constitute "terrorism."

In ignoring that, they are tacitly admitting that the high-sounding words about "democracy" and "freedom" mouthed by Bush were all bullshit.

They were LIES, and the right-wingers KNOW it - and just DON'T CARE.

heh.

It's nice watching scumbags fall apart.

Jean Schmidt attacked Murtha using a statement from Colonel Bubp.

A few minutes ago I received a call from Colonel Danny Bubp, Ohio Representative from the 88th district in the House of Representatives. He asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message, that cowards cut and run, Marines never do.

Bubp says Jean Schmidt is a liar.

Danny Bubp, a freshman state representative who is a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, told The Enquirer that he never mentioned Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., by name when talking with Schmidt…”There was no discussion of him personally being a coward or about any person being a coward,” Bubp said.

Sweet.

How much longer?

Ok, so now the Iraqi leaders want a timetable for withdrawal.

The leaders agreed on "calling for the withdrawal of foreign troops according to a timetable, through putting in place an immediate national program to rebuild the armed forces ... control the borders and the security situation" and end terror attacks.

Not only that, but they say that the Sunnis have the right to shoot at us, and they refuse to define doing so as "terrorism."

In Egypt, the final communique's attempt to define terrorism omitted any reference to attacks against U.S. or Iraqi forces. Delegates from across the political and religious spectrum said the omission was intentional. They spoke anonymously, saying they feared retribution.

"Though resistance is a legitimate right for all people, terrorism does not represent resistance. Therefore, we condemn terrorism and acts of violence, killing and kidnapping targeting Iraqi citizens and humanitarian, civil, government institutions, national resources and houses of worships," the document said.

Not only that, but they insist on the release of anyone who has not been convicted in a court, and an investigation into allegations of torture.

The final communique also stressed participants' commitment to Iraq's unity and called for the release of all "innocent detainees" who have not been convicted by courts. It asked that allegations of torture against prisoners be investigated and those responsible be held accountable.

The statement also demanded "an immediate end to arbitrary raids and arrests without a documented judicial order."

The President of Iraq, with the backing of the Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds, has established a theocracy. AND called for an immediate timetable for US withdrawal. AND also said that shooting U.S. troops in the meantime is OK.

Well, George? This is the Government you said you wanted in Iraq.

You said that if the Iraqis wanted us to leave, we would leave.

So are you going to listen or are you to going ignore THEM, too? Like you ignore Americans? Will this be one more lie in the long, long litany of them?

Surely the right-wingers who are in power - super-patriots all - will loudly and angrily condemn this.

WON'T they?