Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Clinton widening lead over Republicans; Obama falling

Many have wondered how Hillary Clinton would be able to fare against a tough Republican candidate, such as Guiliani, in a general election. The original consensus was that Clinton was too divisive and Obama would be a much stronger general election candidate than Hillary. The CNN/Research Corporation Poll, however has something different to say about that:

Hillary now beats Guiliani 50-46, up 3 points from June when she only beat him by one point, 49-48. Obama, however, has fallen when matched up with Guiliani. He now loses to Guiliani, 45 -49, while in June he only lost by 2 points, 46-48. Hillary has also greatly widened her lead over Fred Thompson, now 55-42, when back in June it was only 50-46. Obama and Thompson have stayed basically at a stand still, with it being 52-40 in favor of Obama in June, while now it is 53-41, still in favor of Obama.

This goes along with what I've been saying. Hillary is widening her appeal. The fact is, like her personally or not, she is the candidate who is most in touch with the American people as far as her ideas and policies are concerned. She, unlike many would suggest, is not some wacky liberal. She is indeed very mainstream and centrist in her views. Once people get to see the real Hillary, they like her more and more. No longer are they seeing what the GOP conservatives what them to see of her; they are seeing the truth.

This poll also shows something I've pointed out. Obama's inexperience is catching up to him. He several "slip-ups" in recent months have hurt him. Americans are looking for a leader, someone who has the experience to make the change happen. And I think, as the latest polls are beginning to show, Americans are turning towards Hillary to make that change and lead this country into the future.

The absolute saddest statement I have ever heard

The questioning of Gen. David Petraeus continued today, and perhaps the most telling question was asked when Republican Senator John Warner asked Petraeus, "Does the Iraq War make America safer?" In what I can only describe as a statement that deeply upset me, Petraeus responded by saying, "I don't know".

When the man in charge of the military in Iraq says that he isn't sure that the sacrifice of our men and women is worth it for America, it is a problem. This statement is the turning point for the Iraq War debate. No longer is it just us Democrats saying this war is not helping America, it is also Gen. Petraeus, who was put in charge by George Bush. How the hell can we ask young men and women to put their lives on the line if there is no benefit for this country? It's sickening that the General is saying this. Can you imagine how the troops in WWII would have felt if Gen. Eisenhower, on D-Day, told them that he didn't know if their sacrifice was going to benefit America. Its absolutely absurd, it's proof this war must end and end soon.

I beg anybody, regardless of political party, to tell me its okay to send troops to war if that war isn't going to make America safer. There is a right and wrong, and the distinction has finally been made, not by a "crazy liberal", but by Commander of military forces in Iraq, that this war is wrong!

The Real Story of the Iraq War(a special editorial by John Lucia)

General Petraeus and our ambassador to Iraq are scheduled to speak before committees of congress all this weak concerning the war in Iraq. Congress would do well to ask questions concerning the real story about the Iraq war and not get caught up in Petraeus' report.

The real story is the price being paid by our men and women in uniform, the Iraqi people and the country itself over WMD that did not exist. The neocons, who made up the President's Iraqi policy group, said the war would be a cake walk. They care nothing about our men and women in uniform fighting this war. Over 2 million Iraqi's have fled the country; utilities are a hit and a miss for the people and over 60% of Iraqi professional people have left the country. That's lawyers, doctors, teachers, engineers, etc. Think of what that is costing the people and the country. The people of Iraq are less safe today than they were prior to the invasion and occupation. Iraq and the region has been destabilized. The reckless decision of President Bush to order the invasion and occupation of Iraq and his failure to have a plan to deal with the situation that has follows has placed our troops in jeopardy and in the middle of a civil war. All the President can offer is to pass the problem on to the next President.

Now when the President tells Iran to stop sending people and munitions to Iraq, Iran says we did not start a war in Iraq over WMD that did not exist, you did; we do not occupy Iraq, you do with 160,000 troops; this is not your part of the world, it is ours. This is the sad situation that our men and women in uniform are exposed to.

Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy two leaders who wore the uniform of their country during their generations war and served in combat would never have committed our country and our men and women in uniform to an unnecessary war and occupation of a foreign country over WMD that did not exist.

This is the real story of the war in Iraq that is now well into its fifth year. Neither the President nor those who continue to support the war can articulate how it will end nor how many more lives will be lost in order to "win".