“Osama bin Laden is hidin’ out, people! In other words, the man’s playin’ Peek-A-Boo!”

If you need a laugh (and I think you probably do), get a copy of Kathleen’s album. It’s available in stores and on iTunes.

(Ich bin nicht ein “shill”–she’s just really funny).

Certainly I would appoint a roving ambassador to the ME, with command authority over all diplomacy in that area.

**********************************************

Bill Clinton?

- Leon Panetta

This is what gives little hope that anything will come of this. ‘it’ is what? We’ve had all sorts of rationals for and definitions of what we are doing in Iraq. None of them are possible. We have the responsibility to do whatever we can to stop the killing, even though that will put our guys at great risk. All the other ‘it’ s need to just be ignored.
Of course, all the other ‘it’ s have some political constituency ( as does ‘do nothing’ and ‘hit the road and leave the ragheads to their fate’).
This isn’t just bush’s tarbaby. In someway we are all going to affected, remembered and blamed for whatever is left of Iraq. The nitwit is totally discredited, it doesn’t need to be proven any further. We do need to insist that someone take charge that cares only for the welfare of the Iraqi people.
Carter could do it. Somehow, let him finish out this term or make him the ‘Iraq War Czar’. It isn’t a matter of position or titles, but put someone in charge that has real knowledge and a real sense of humanity and responsibility, and not personal ambition.

Now, what again was the answer to Cindy Sheehan’s question?

So many keep speculating on what Bush will do, whether he will acknowledge finally what he has wrought. Will he grow up and do his job.

That’s the wrong question. The question now is: Will we, the American people, grow up and do our job? Whether through our representatives or through taking to the streets or something in between, will we grow up and do our job, save us from this failed president, and redeem ourselves as not only free people but as the best people in the world. It occurs to me that we are acting like Bush: hoping someone will fix it.

I’m not dismayed, though. I am hopeful because of sites like this one, because of the netroots: these internets are the streets, and we are taking to them.

Catching up on my morning reading. LindaR, your last line took my breath away. Damn straight! Torches and pitchforks on the Information Highway!

1. Our Secretary of State is disorganized, weak and has no plan to guide America’s Middle East actions.
2. America has many long time allies in the Middle East who want to help, but the administration has not communicated with them, either to solicit views, to share a plan or to organize actions against Iran or the fundamentalists who threaten them as well as us.
3. America’s failure in and withdrawal from the Middle East will cause either the collapse of the governments of many of our allies, or their reorientation towards al Qaeda and Iran if they are to survive.
4. Iran’s ability to influence events in the Middle East would be sharply reduced if the price of oil could be reduced to below $40/barrel. This is within the power of major oil suppliers if they could be induced to work together within the framework of an overall plan.
5. America could move effectively if it were to get re-engaged, set an organized course, and build allies to work towards a mutual goal. Instead the Bush administration (personified in the ME by the hapless Secretary of State) shows no fundamental understanding of ME realities and an absence of either common sense or strategic vision. [The following is my addition - RB] This is shown by the disconnected and reactive approaches taken to the entire Middle East adventure in which there are three civil wars currently brewing, one in Iraq, one in Lebanon, and one between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The clear victory by the Democrats in last month’s election amounts to a resounding vote of no confidence in the Bush administration. Ask Sen. Lincoln Chaffee who had approval ratings of about 65% at the same time he lost his election to a Democrat.

If America had a Parliamentary government, the government would have fallen November 8th, and it would have been replaced by one that was a broad-based coalition. As it is, all we have gotten is a new Secretary of Defense. Better than nothing, I guess, but we also need a new Secretary of State.

Certainly I would appoint a roving ambassador to the ME, with command authority over all diplomacy in that area. He would be co-located with the Centcom Commander (who already has the same kind of unified control of military forces in the ME), and the two directed to coordinate their activities. They would have to have mostly a free hand from the President and the two Secretaries. This would only work with a hands-on President to knock heads together when they disagreed, so with Bush in office, it would not happen.

In the absence of some strategic vision, further changes in top personnel and coordination of activities between the U.S. and our ME allies, the next two to three years looks pretty damned bleak to me.

This is not going to happen. Poppy broke down in public talking about Jeb, because it should’ve been Jeb, not W, in the White House. Our Pres has serious, serious mental problems, and is both unwilling and unlikely to face up to anything, irrespective of who is doing the telling.

Either a military coup or an impeachment is necessary to change anything before January, 2009.

-GFO

I take the moron at his words – that he will stick to the same course and leave it for the next preznit regardless of what anyone else says – Bakker or anyone else (and I believe that even if the dog starts disagreeing with him) – regardless of how dire the situation becomes – regardless of how many die (American or Iraqi).

Is there anything in Chimpy’s history as Preznit where he has listened to different, let alone dissenting, opinions?

I for one have never bought into the Chimpy Senior and his team bailing out Chimpy Junior, of which the ISG is part. Not b/c they wouldn’t try to do it if they could (and even with the beloved bipartisan tag), but either b/c they couldn’t come up with a “solution” that Chimpy Junior could stomach or simply b/c Chimpy Junior wouldn’t listen. Either way, Chimpy Junior doesn’t change course.

Shorter me: The old guard (even in bipartisan form) saving the new old guard makes for good copy (as the covers of both Time and Newsweek show) – the A team is coming in to save the day. But that doesn’t have a basis in the real world (that is Chimpy’s unreal world, but you get the point).

The report isn’t useless though, since as long as Chimpy stays his course its bad for repugs (and the schmuck from CT) and good for dems – and it will play all the way to 08. Of course that is of no comfort to our soldiers or Iraqis or others in the region. Though perhaps it will give Congress the balls/cover/impetus to change things, which is the only real hope.

Hopefully I’m wrong – my omniscience can live with that – but I don’t think so.

Where’s BigTime today?

Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Cheney.
Cheney who?

:~}

Peterr @ 180.. The latest, official Pentagon # is 100k but that doesn’t include “sub-contract” employees.

The Frontline report on contractors in Iraq mentioned that there were at least 40K. KBR alone must have more than 5K people working for it there. I have no explanation for this low figure, it’s been known to be higher than 5K for some time.