Rove's Delusional Attempt To Shift Blame

See, Karl Rove's biggest problem is that he is no leader; when he's right, he wants to be praised like some God, when he's wrong, he wants someone else to take the blame. In his latest WTF moment, he blames Democrats in Congress for the Iraq war, trying to convince us that the President never wanted to go to the war in Iraq, but it was Tom Daschle and the Senate Democrats who pushed the President into the war.

On Fox News Sunday, Rove kept to his story, even as Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) countered his argument with a quote by former Bush Press Secretary Ari Fleischer;

"It was definitely the Bush administration that set it in motion and determined the timing, not the Congress. I think Karl in this instance just has his facts wrong."

Rove disagrees and one wonders...does he really believe the crap he says?

Rove: Iraq is Congress' Fault

Is he serious?

I'll comment more when I stop laughing.

Giuliani: I Never Doubted Iraq Was Right

Displaying that very face of ignorance that has destroyed the GOP, Rudy Giuliani reminds us that despite everything, he never had any doubt invading Iraq was the right thing to do.

In the bizarro world of Rudy Giuliani, Qaddafi apparently peed his pants when we invaded Iraq, so that's why he stopped supporting terrorism (nope, had nothing to do with the fact his Libyan oil was now gold.) He claims everyone will agree that the Iraq war was the right move by Election Day.

Seriously, if you vote for this man, you deserve all the unnecessary wars you get.

Republican Senators Threaten To Cut Aid To Iraq...No Seriously

FINALLY, they get tough

Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia) threaten to cut aid to the Iraqi government if they do not move forward in political reconciliation that is so badly needed there.

Finally, the GOP has realized sending in troops is pointless unless the Iraqis themselves do some work. Democracy does not come at the barrell of a gun.

Poland's PM Pulls From Iraq

The coalition of the willing has...stopped being willing.

Poland's new Prime Minister has announced he is planning on withdrawing troops from Iraq.

Well, we still have Australia, at least for one more day.

The Illusion of Success

If the surge has produced anything, it's produced an excellent illusion that Iraq is under a great transformation. Do I think that's true? Not really. It seems to me all we did is plug a leak with our finger and the only way to keep it the leak from starting up again is to keep our finger there forever.

But that's not how the people will see it. I'm convinced of this. Americans very easily change their minds on issues and then blame the politicians who just did what they wanted. Remember, nearly two-thirds of Americans supported the Iraq war and nearly two-thirds of Congress voted for it. Now we don't want it anymore and what do we do? We blame Bush, Congressional Republicans and Congressional Democrats. We should be blaming ourselves for buying the administration's excellent work of fiction and letting our post-9/11 emotions get the best of us. Are we going to do it again? Are we going to buy the idea that this "success" forces us to stay in Iraq another five years, elect a President who will do it and then be sorry we did on January 22?

Brian Baird, a Washington Democratic Congressman, has already been convinced this farce is success. President Bush is doing an excellent job changing the Iraq debate in time for next year's election. Republicans will use this "success" as reason to stay in Iraq longer and enough people will buy it to see Democrats are agents of defeat and send Republicans back to the White House, only to regret it six months later.

Andrew Sullivan says it great after watching the Democratic debate;

The Democrats had better think through the shifting sands of Iraq with a little
more authority than they seemed to muster tonight.

To me, this "success" was inevitable and the Iraqis would've stood up against Al-Qaeda whether we were there or not. There has been little to no political reconciliation and the only thing the Iraqi government could agree on is to condemn an American defense contractor as terrorists. It is time to finally tell the Iraqis that we have done everything we can, and we've tried long enough. We need to plan for a withdrawal, not because we're defeated, but because we've done all we could and now it's up to the Iraqis. They have a certain amount of time to get their act together, because they seem to doing it just fine now, and then we're going on to other, more important, things. We are faced with the possibility of battling Iran, a country that if we go to war with it, will be the largest country we've fought since Japan. We're also faced with the possibility that Pakistan, a country of over 100 million people and nuclear weapons, may become an extremist state. We cannot be Iraq's babysitter forever. Our soldiers deserve a better mission. They deserve a mission with true results, not one to fix the colossal mistakes our politicians have made.

Houses Passes War Funding Bill

Bill requires the President to begin withdrawing troops in 30 days with the goal of complete withdrawal by December, 2008.

He will, of course, veto it.

It passed 218-203-1

Four Republicans voted Yea;
Walter Jones (R-North Carolina)
Phil English (R-Pennsylvania)
Christopher Shays (R-Connecticut)
Jim Walsh (R-New York)

Wayne Gilchrest (R-Maryland) a known war opponent, voted nay.

Fifteen Democrats voted Nay;
Tom Allen (D-Maine)- opposes all funding
Brian Baird (D-Washington)- supports funding, after opposing it in the past
Dan Boren (D-Oklahoma)
Jim Cooper (D-Tennessee)
Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) opposes all funding
Nick Lampson (D-Texas)
Jim Marshall (D-Georgia)
Jim Matheson (D-Utah)
Michael McNulty (D-New York)- opposes all funding
Mike Michaud (D-Maine)- opposes all funding
Vic Snyder (D-Arkansas)
Pete Stark (D-California)- opposes all funding
John Tanner (D-Tennessee)
Gene Taylor (D-Mississippi)

John Lews (D-Georgia) voted Present.

Happy Hour

-How could you put me on trial?I truimphed over adversity! I'm the 9/11 hero guy! Do you hate America that much? But...remember 9/11? If you put me in jail, the terrorists win.

-No, Georgia can go f*&% itself, we're Florida and we need the water so our lawns outside our McMansions can be green and lush. After all, we're only surronded on water on THREE sides, not FOUR.

-Terrorists are threatening to stage a coup in Pakistan, so it goes without saying Musharraf will have to put a Western-educated female advocate of democracy until house arrest.

-AMERICA SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY, AND WILL FIGHT TYRANTS WHEREVER THEY ARE...except South Asia.

-Gee, if we try to pull out of Iraq in the middle of the Veterans Day clearance sale, we might piss off a few dozen people in Oklahoma.

-Hey, Even Republicans see little green men.

-The death penalty is a deterrent, even when they never use it, at least that's what New Jersey Republicans say.

-Giuliani says he has experience to negotiate, but just like he when he was Mayor, he won't.

-IT'S GOING TO BE A LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG YEAR

Bush: I Get What I Want Cause We're At War

Apparently President Bush believes war means we should be a dictatorship.

State Department Turns Employees Into Sitting Ducks

Apparently we can't draft into the military, but hell, we can draft civilian employees. Said one foreign service officer;

"It's one thing if someone believes in what's going on over there and volunteers, but it's another thing to send someone over there on a forced assignment, I'm sorry, but basically that's a potential death sentence and you know it. Who will raise our children if we are dead or seriously wounded?"

Oh, like they really care. There is no limit to the number of Americans they'll send to die in the desert rather than admit they've made a colossal mistake.

Bush Reminds Us Why We Elected Democrats

I don't understand George W. Bush.

I mean I do, but I don't.

He comes out today to take shots at the unpopular Congress, but did he deliver a death blow, or did he resuscitate life into Congress.

Bush says Congress is wasting it's time investigating his administration. American people overwhelmingly want investigations of his administration, even his own impeachment. The American people are angry at Congress for what they perceive is lack of accountability from the Democratic Congress. If Bush is upset over investigations, then I guess the Democratic Congress is holding him accountable after all.

Bush complains Congress is wasting it's time passing a SCHIP bill he's only going to veto and the House will only fail to override, but, the American people like this bill and want the Democratic Congress to pass it despite what Bush says. If Bush is upset, that means Congress is doing what the people want...forcing him to accept the SCHIP reauthorization.

Simply put, Congress is not unpopular because it hasn't gotten anything done. Congress is unpopular because they're seen as Bush lackeys who fail to end the Iraq war or hold the administration accountable. The President has a 25% approval rating, when he's unhappy with Congress, Congress wins.

Giuliani Previews His Fascist Presidency

Reminding us that democracy and free speech is over should he become President, Rudy "Benito" Giuliani criticized Hillary Clinton's criticism of the president's foriegn policy;

"I think that it's important that we conduct this debate in a way that we don't interfere with the ability of the country to function in a proper way, between the now and (the election),"

-I think Mr. Giuliani seems a little bit lost on what a campaign is.

"The president of the United States is president of the United States. He's going to be president of the United States from now until the time a new president takes over. Until then, he's the only one conducting foreign policy of this country, We can have our political debate in this country. ... But nobody should be creating the specter that we're sending emissaries out around the world before someone is actually sworn in as president of the United States. I think it would be good for the country if Mrs. Clinton, Senator Clinton would correct that statement now."

-Part of that political debate is to explain why the current system doesn't work, which is what Senator Clinton says. She explained (not well I would argue) how her foreign policy would be different than the disastrous Bush policy. Yes, running for President may require criticising the foreign policy of the current President.
Clinton's campaign shot back, reminding people that a vote for Giuliani is a vote for Bush;

"Senator Clinton and Mr. Giuliani have a fundamental disagreement. She will end the war in Iraq, reverse the Bush era cowboy diplomacy and restore America's standing around the world, Mr. Giuliani wants to escalate the war in Iraq and supports President Bush's failed foreign policy approach."

Giuliani responded by doing what he does best, inciting fear in the ignorant;

"The country is at war. Sometimes it doesn't feel like a war, because it's far away. ... We have the possibility of attack on America. We know that. It happened before."

If I had a choice between a Giuliani presidency and four more years of Bush, I'm leaning toward Bush.

The Desperate State Department

Contuining with theme that this administration is great at putting the cart before the horse, they have just realized their behemouth embassy in Iraq isn't really attracting many it's workers.

Seeing that diplomats do not have any interest in serving in a country as disastrous as Iraq, the state department is FORCING some employees to go and work in the largest bullseye in the Middle East.

Has this ever happened before? Yes;

In 1969, an entire class of entry-level diplomats was sent to serve in Vietnam, and on a smaller scale, diplomats were forcibly assigned to work at embassies in West Africa in the 1970s and 1980s

Again, Iraq and Vietnam has yet ANOTHER thing in common.

Defending Stark

I am extremely outraged that Speaker Pelosi has decided to apologize for Pete Stark's remarks yesterday on the House floor.

Did Newt Gingrich apologize when Indiana Republican Dan Burton called President Clinton a "scumbag?"

Did John Boehner apologize when Georgia Republican Lynn Westmorland questioned Arkansas Demcorat Mike Ross' intelligence on the House floor last July?

Who apologizes for Rush Limbaugh attacking soldiers for taking a stand and using the freedom they so bravely fought for? Who apologizes for Ann Coulter calling Jews "imperfect?"

Why is it that the Democrats and liberals have to apologize for being harsh, but Republicans and conservatives get a free ride?

Stark's comments may have been presented better, but I'm not sorry. I've heard dozens of people, even people who supported Bush in the past, say what he said. Our government needs to stop sugarcoating their beliefs and saying what they really feel. Lord knows the right wing has been doing that.

Your Daily Dose Of Fear

The Secretary of Homeland Security reminds us why we should be scared to death to leave the house and go anywhere.

Still, I give him points for ACTUALLY wanting to be prepared for something for once.

The Truth Hurst, Redux

The truth is that Bush just likes to blow things up. In Iraq, in the United States and in Congress."

-Rep. Pete Stark (D-California)

He speaks truth, so as we do in America, attack him.

The "Do-Nothing" Congress

Here's a list of things Congress has done, or tried to do.

1.) Pass 9/11 Commission Recommendations- PASSED AND ENACTED
2.) Funding for Stem-Cell Research- VETOED
3.) Timetable for Iraq withdrawal- VETOED
4.) Raising the Minimum Wage- PASSED AND ENACTED
5.) SCHIP Reauthorization- VETOED
6.) Voting Rights for DC Representative- DIED DUE TO VETO THREAT
7.) Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act- DIED IN SENATE
8.) Immigration Reform- KILLED BY REPUBLICANS AND CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS
9.) Lobbying Reform act- STILL IN THE SENATE
10.) A bill to amend chapter 35 of title 28, United States Code, to preserve the independence of United States attorneys. -PASSED AND ENACTED
11.) Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act- PASSED AND ENACTED
12.) Veterans Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act- STALLED IN SENATE
13.) Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act- STALLED IN SENATE

It's so easy to forget about other things Congress has done when all we're focused on is Iraq. Personally, I thought the chances were extremely slim they would be able to end the war and impeach the President, so I wasn't betting on it. That's probably why I'm not as pissed at Congress as most people are.

Iraq Wants Blackwater Out

Are US troops soon to follow?

Turkey and US Headed For Divorce?

Once again another example of how other countries have the United States by the balls.

Superpower my ass.

Finally, Some Truth

I wish General Sanchez had told us this a little earlier...like say in 2003.

"failure of the national political leadership"
"living a nightmare with no end in sight."
"catastrophically flawed, unrealistically optimistic war plan" and denounced the current "surge" strategy as a "desperate" move that will not achieve long-term stability.
"Neglect and incompetence" by the National Security Council
the best the U.S. can do at this point is to "stave off defeat,"

Why General Sanchez, I didn't know you hated America and our freedoms so much? At least I assume you do, that's what people like Rush Limbaugh say about me and I agree 100% with you.