An Analogy Of The Iraq War

Generally speaking, when things go wrong in America, the issue is usually faced early.  However, not everything is.  This brings us to the War in Iraq.

 

During one of my travels to Alabama in January of 2005 with my wife to celebrate our 50th, I read an article in the Mobile Register Sound Off section and I quote as follows:

 

                                        

Something is not right here, folks:

      Our President has just announced there are no WMD in Iraq and we will now stop looking.  People, this

      is the reason Bush gave for invading a country.  Does anyone in this country even care?  Thousands of

      people are dead over this.  We are treating it like a footnote to a brief announcement from the White

      House.  What is even more alarming is that he says knowing what he knows now, he would do it again.

 

I saved the article because it represents my own thoughts but I never thought almost 4 years later we would still be in Iraq.  The news media failed the people and the country big time concerning this war and the people failed themselves by reelecting Mr. Bush to a second term.  Sadly, Mr. Bush is not capable of admitting his mistakes.  If ever a President needed to be impeached, it is Mr. Bush.  His own actions and words have convicted him.

 

Mr. Bush is now trying to nail down a security pact with Iraq that will keep our troops there till 2011 and beyond.  He is trying to tie the hand of the new President.  Every one should read the book, "The War Within" by Bob Woodward.  It documents how the President and senior people on his staff played politics with the war especially before the 2006 congressional elections and never told the people what was actually taking place in Iraq.  He told the people just the opposite.

 

The writer to "Sound Off" was right about this war being treated like a footnote to a brief announcement from the White House.  Our men and women in uniform deserve better from the Commander in Chief.

Petraeus: Iraq Still "Central Front"

In an article by the Washington Post, Ernesto Landono and Amit Paley report General Petraeus has said that Iraq remains "the central front" for Al Qaida and other extremists.

 

Now we have a general who is playing politics with the war in Iraq over WMD that did not exist.  Prior to the war, Al Qaida was no where to be found in Iraq, in any part Saddam Hussein controlled.  It was our reckless invasion and occupation of Iraq and the military blunder in planning that created Al Qaida in Iraq. 

 

It is indeed a sad situation for our men and women in uniform when the Commander-in-Chief and the general running the war almost 2 years after the surge still can't tell the people when and how this war will end.  In fact, despite their allegations that the surge has been a success, both say the situation in Iraq is so fragile that it can change at any minute.  To me, that is not success.  It reminds me of "mission accomplished." which Mr. Bush proclaimed over five years ago.

 

I have written before that George Bush will turn this war over to the next President instead of taking care of the problem himself.  In February 2009, one month after he leaves office, 8,000 troops will come home.  That will still leave more troops in Iraq than before the surge but Mr. Bush will be gone.  

President Bush: a "C" For Protecting America

Seven years after the 9-11 attacks, the federal government has made only limited progress toward preventing a catastropic nuclear, biological, or chemical attack on U.S. soil and stemming the proliferation of WMD abroad, according to a report issued on 9/10/08 by 22 former U.S. officials.

 

The Bipartisan Partnership for a Secure America, a panel co-chaired by Lee Hamilton, gave the U.S. an overall grade "C".  Once again, Mr. Bush's tough talk about keeping America safe are contrary to the facts.  John McCain, if elected president, will continue the Republican tough talk and we will still be in Iraq fighting the wrong war under his leadership.  McCain is a military veteran, and we should be proud of that, but he lacks common sense when it comes to fighting the people who harmed us on 9-11 and instead fighting a war in Iraq for 100 years.

 

By the way, McCain publicly said he knew how to win wars.  Has any one heard him say what war he has won?  I am surely not aware of any wars he has won.  And if he knows how to win wars, maybe he should share this knowledge with the proper authorities so we can actually win the two wars we are fighting, instead of keeping this information secret and only releasing it if he is elected President.  When you think about it, McCain is almost blackmailing the American people to vote for him to win the war.  Once again, this just proves that the Republicans lack the basis values of truth, or any other value for that matter.  

The United States and Iraq Security Pact

Over the past several weeks there have been news reports concerning a drafting of a security pact between the U.S. and Iraq.  Most reports were confusing at best and talked about american troop withdrawal; both full withdrawal and partial; training and support forces to stay; full sovereignty and a time line wanted by Iraq but not the U.S. and etc.

 

Lets try to cut through what is happening here.  Bush and Iraqi prime minister al Maliki are using our men and women in uniform for their own political purpose.  Al Maliki would like to see the U.S. continue to pour billions of dollars into his country.  Bush wants to continue this war beyond his presidency to tie the hands of the next president.  Both have made safety the corner stone for American withdrawal. 

 

Lets examine that because it is a chess game to keep america occupied in Iraq.  We are 5 1/2 years into this war and Bush and his military advisers still can't tell the people when Iraq can take over the security of their country and we are the one's training them.  If we don't know how long it takes, who does?  Al Maliki and his people certainly should know.

 

The other point, al Maliki is reported to want a date certain of when all U.S. troops will leave.  Bush does not want a time table.  If al Maliki was serious all he has to do is demand  the U.S. leave and we would have to do so.  Bush and al Maliki are both playing this con game on america.  It is way past time our troops come home from this senseless war and occupation over WMD that did not exist.

 

Get this: the N.Y. Times reported "graffiti can be seen on the walls in Shiite districts of Baghdad saying: 'Iraq for sale, see Maliki'".  It seems the Iraqi people also see what is going on.  What a shame.

John McCain's Pinocchio Nose: A Republican Symbol

The American people surely remember our inspectors in Iraq who said Iraq had no WMD stockpiled and ready to use against america or transferred to terrorists as George Bush said and in fact gave as the reason for the war and invasion of Iraq.  They also articulated that Iraq had no WMD at any time during Bush's term in office.  It is also easy to remember after our inspectors issued their report Bush and the neocons started to give other reasons for the invasion and occupation.  In other words, they told lies.

 

John McCain continued those lies on 8/26/08 according to a Fox News ticker which quoted McCain in answer to a comment by Obama.  McCain said the war in Iraq was to liberate that country --- just another lie by a neocon on why we went to war.  The neocons believe if they keep repeating the same lie over and over, sooner or later the people will believe the lie as fact.  Pretty soon Mr. McCain's pinocchio nose will be touching the ground.  The so called "straight talking express" has died a tragic death.

 

The past has always been a key to the future.  Over 50 years ago, President Harry Truman said the Republicans were a bunch of damn liars.  Well, 50 years later, they still are.  President Truman was not a seer nor did he have ESP, he just recognized a Republican liar when he saw one.  Some things never change.

Bush And Musharraf: A Losing Foreign Policy

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation on Monday, August 18 after facing the thought of impeachment proceedings.  Musharraf came to power in a military coup and President Bush embraced his leadership after the tragic events of 9-11, pouring billions of tax payers' dollars into that country in the fight against terrorism.  Mr. Bush told the American people Musharraf and Pakistan would be an ally in the fight against al Qaeda in the tribal areas where they are hiding and training along with the Taliban.

 

Our latest intelligence reports, however, not only have said that al Qaeda's operations have become stronger in the tribal areas, but Pakistan has become an unreliable ally.  Bush and Republican leaders have a history of doing business with dictators and giving them billions of dollars and over looking the sad results of that kind of relationship.

 

President Bush's reckless behavior and incompetence in fighting the real war on the terrorists who struck us on 9-11 is still being played out 7 years later.  This administration is still fighting the wrong war with the surge in Iraq over WMD that did not exist.  We are still paying the price with American lives and there is still no time table for withdrawal. 

 

Mr. Bush as President and Commander in Chief has failed every reasonable test as what it takes to protect our country and our men and women in uniform.  If the resources that were committed to Iraq were committed to Pakistan at the start, almost 7 years ago, al Qaeda as we know it would be nothing but a pain today instead of the threat our intelligence people tell us they are.  Mr. Bush's War on Terror has been not only a failure, but a myth.

Now Comes The Reckoning

Five and half years ago President Bush ordered the invasion and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist.  Iraq was a sovereign nation and Mr. Bush decided to bypass the U.N. to address a bogus problem.  Most of our major allies opposed the invasion and sat on the sidelines.  There's no need to go over all the mistakes made during the Iraq War, but one consequence we are now realizing more clearly than ever is that Bush opened the door for other nations to take the same actions against another nation regardless of a threat that was real or a threat that was manufactured.

 

Now it is Russia's turn to act the story out in Georgia.  Mr. Bush says Georgia is a sovereign nation and Russia should end the war and pull all troops out.  The U.S. still has 140,000 troops in Iraq after 5-1/2 years, so the presidents words ring hollow. 

 

I have mentioned on several occasions in the past that two can play this reckless game and now its Russia's turn.  There will be more leaders who will take their turn if this ideology is not reversed.  The day of reckoning has arrived for our reckless decision concerning Iraq.  The most frightening part is that the people responsible for the war in Iraq have convinced the American people to forget about the real reason we went to war in the first place and instead we are debating the surge --- a surge over WMD that did not exist and Americans are still dying because of that reckless behavior. 

 

Part of the silent reason of Russia's action in Georgia is the push to have Georgia become a member of NATO which Mr. Bush supports and Mr. Putin opposes.  Also a missile defense system in that part of Europe close to Russia that Bush supports and Putin opposes.  Mr. Putin is sending a message to stay out of Russia's back yard.

 

There will be more days of reckoning ahead if our next president does not change this dangerous and reckless policy and change this copy cat notion that world leaders can do what ever they want.  If that effort is not made the men and women in the Olympics will be facing each other in war instead of sports competition.  Is that what leadership is all about?

It Was Reported Here First On POLITIDOSE

For the past week or so, the news media in general has been carrying stories concerning (1) Senator McCain's flubbing the facts as he has done so many times;  (2) The Huffington Post ran comments by Zbigniew Brezezinski and Brent Scowcroft alluding to the fact that Iran will have influence in Iraq regardless what happens in Iraq;  (3)  Also reporting was comments by administration officials and military officials that more troops will be going to Afghanistan because the war is going badly there. 

 

If all of the above sounds familiar it is because you read it here in Politidose first long before the news media picked it up.  The flip flops and inaccurate statements and the derailment of McCain's straight talking express were covered in articles on Politidose dated November 5, 2007, December 18, 2007 and February 23, 2008.

 

The Iran-Iraq alliance was covered on Politidose in an article dated April 8, 2008.  The Afghanistan problem was covered in Politidose in articles dated December 13, 2007, January 19, 2008, January 20, 2008 and January 29, 2008.

 

Politidose was able to bring those stories to the American people long before our government and news media made the connection.  All this adds to the belief that it is the independent ideas and opinions found on blogs such as Politidose, instead of news companies backed by special interests and corporations, that serve to truly inform and enlighten the American people.  

2001-2008 --- A Return To A Time Of Darkness

We were taught in school that there was a time in our history's past when learning seemed to stop.  It was called "The Dark Ages."  Who ever thought history would repeat itself in the 21st century?  The past seven and half years has been a repeat for our leaders who have failed to learn and then stopped learning from their mistakes altogether.

 

The present Dark Age covers a broad spectrum and I will discuss two of them in this post that came to light just in the last few days.  Nothing needs to be said about Iraq because the problem is so obvious.  Now it is Afghanistan and Iran.

 

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Afghanistan and said more foreign fighters including al Qaeda militants are operating in Pakistan's tribal areas then in the past and they are flowing into Afghanistan more freely this year compared to last.  Attacks in Eastern Afghanistan where American forces operate along the border with Pakistan are up 40% this year.  June was the deadliest month for U.S. and NATO soldiers since 2001.

 

This Dark Age of leadership goes back to our invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 when we failed to seal the borders.  It was known before our invasion that the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan was a haven for training al Qaeda and the Taliban.  After the tragic events of 9-11, Mr. Bush said his administration would make no distinction between the terrorists and those who harbor them.  Not only did our leadership fail to carry out that policy with Pakistan, but seven years into the war in Afghanistan, our Chairman says the problem is still there and worse.

 

Now we have Secretary of State Condi Rice who just warned Iran that its latest launching of rockets was a provocative act and that the U.S. has the ability to counter them --- another example of this Dark Age of leadership failure where our leaders have learned nothing.  Our leadership has a policy of provocations and going along with the threats of Israel's leaders to other countries.  When leaders fail to learn, innocent people pay the price for their mistakes. 

 

Mr. Bush failed to learn that two can play the same game he tries to play.  That failure is darker than dark.  He played the game in Iraq over WMD that did not exist and went on to destabilize Iraq and the middle east.  Iran does not have a history of  invading other countries nor of launching a war against other countries.  Our own intelligence people said they stopped working to produce a nuclear weapon several years ago.  If they are in fact working to acquire such weapons, the U.S. can contain them like we did the Soviet Union for over 40 years.  We don't need a failure in leadership that will push the U.S. into yet another unnecessary war. 

 

This Dark Age of leadership and learning has put our country and its people in peril.  We see the economic repercussions for this failed leadership that touches the people's lives in almost every situation.  Russia was bogged down in Afghanistan for 10 years and then withdrew.  Our leadership furnished the Taliban weapons to fight Russia and they are now using those weapons we supplied them against our own troops.  We also supported Saddam during his invasion of Iran and ten year war.  We even gave Saddam U.S. intelligence gathered on Iran's military movements.  What has our country learned from those Dark Ages? ---Apparently, nothing.  

 

Can our nation escape this present Dark Age where our leaders have stopped learning.  Have we run out of leaders who understand what America is all about and how to use our military power wisely?  Hopefully the next President will answer those questions, in the way that they need to be answered.  

The Height of Hypocrisy: T. Boone Pickens

T. Boone Pickens, Texas oil man, conservative, founder of Mesa Petroleum, and who now heads the Dallas-based hedge fund, BP Capital Management LP, now says that U.S. dependency on foreign oil has reached an economic crisis point as the U.S. is dependent on foreign nations for 70% of its oil.

 

What Mr. Pickens failed to say is that American oil companies have been drilling and producing oil outside the U.S. for over 30 years at the same time they hold millions of acres they own or lease the drilling rights to in the U.S. and have left those acres idle.  Many could have been drilling for years but choose to go overseas instead.

 

It is a fact that many oil companies are in bed with foreign oil producers and now the Bush administration wants to put them in bed with Iraq and Iraqi oil.  Less any one forget Iraq is the same country that over 4000 Americans have lost their lives in an unnecessary war over WMD that did not exist.

 

The Associated Press recently reported Mr. Pickens plans to build the largest wind farm in Texas that would generate enough power to supply 20% of the nations electricity needs and wants the new President and Congress to act on this within the first 100 days.  One can wonder if Mr. Pickens will be in Washington to seek corporate welfare for this project.

 

What the next President and Congress should do is make sure the energy industry does not, in any way, hold a monopoly over the public in the Greening of America.  The U.S. can not afford to go green and then have the same problem we have today with Big Oil because of greed and control.  All of a sudden, Mr. Pickens has come to realize our country has an oil and gas problem and wants the country to reduce its dangerous dependency on foreign oil.  At about the same time, he wants to build a Wind Farm.  It seems strange that Mr. Pickens, an astute business man for over 30 years, just got educated on our energy problems.  I wonder what caused the turn around on his thinking all of a sudden?

 

Here's the facts: Mr. Pickens is a billionaire and contributed $250,000.00 to Bush 43's second inauguration.  Financial World named him CEO of the Decade in 1989.  Mr. Pickens tried to acquire several companies via the takeover route in the 1980s and made millions by buying and then selling those stocks.  They also reported he contributed $3 million to Swift Vets and POW's for Truth, the organization that Swift Boated Senator Kerry during the 2004 Presidential election concerning his military service.  Mr. Pickens was of prime age during the Korean War, but there is no mention in his Bio of serving in the military.  I have mentioned on more that one occasion I have no problem with people that have not served in the military, but there are those who have not served yet who attack those veterans that have served their country.  

 

Oil companies and their CEO's will do their best to power grab the Greening of America and retain control over energy supplies to continue their monopoly.  The next President and Congress need to make it a top priority to see that does not happen.

Our Troops in Afghanistan Deserve Better

Our men and women in uniform are still paying the ultimate price in Afghanistan and Iraq because of the mistakes and incompetence of our leaders.

 

As reported by the Associated Press, the Pentagon just announced the tour of 2200 Marines in Afghanistan has been extended an additional 30 days after insisting for months the unit would come home on time.  The 24th MEU is involved in combat operations in the volatile south in Helmond Province. 

 

Defense Secretary Robert Gates had repeatedly said he did not intend to extend the Marines in Afghanistan.  In fact when he was asked about an extension in early May, Gates said he would "be loathe to do that."  The Pentagon Press Secretary said commanders on the ground asked for the extension.  Being extended in the time of war is nothing new to the troops.  It has happened in many of our past wars, but happened for different reasons.  The extensions of tours for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are a direct result of the incompetence of our Commander in Chief who committed our country to a war and occupation in Iraq over WMD that did not exist, an unnecessary war that depleted our ready troops and reserve levels and as a result short changed our troops in Afghanistan where the real war on terror is located.

 

Our men and women in uniform will continue to serve their country with the highest honor despite their hardships and this setback.  It is hard to comprehend how our leaders have learned nothing from their sacrifice.  After all, the war in Afghanistan has been going on for over six years.

Bush, Israel, Iraq and Iran: A Deadly Combination

The Bush administration wants a security pact with Iraq on keeping U.S. Troops based there for the foreseeable future.  Bush wants this concluded before he leaves office and will tie the hands of the next President if put in effect.  Keeping American troops in Iraq will insure the U.S. of a continued war in the middle east for years to come with no end in sight.

 

An American presence in Iraq is not needed to protect the middle east or the security of the U.S., just as the war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist was not needed.  Bush has put America and our men and women in uniform in danger with his reckless policies.  Iran is opposed to the U.S. military pact with Iraq and says the U.S. wants to use such American presence as a base to attack Iran.  They are probably right.  Bush says he does not need Congress to approve such a pact.  If that is true, Congress should not fund any such agreement.

 

Now we have Shaul Mofiz a cabinet minister in Israel's government of Prime Minister Olmert saying that Israel will have no choice but to attack Iran if it does not halt its nuclear program.  The Prime Minister distanced himself from that quote.  Israel, a country that former President Carter said had up to 150 nuclear weapons is secret about their own nuclear program but wants Iran to fess up concerning their program.  Since Shaul Mofiz made a threat of attacking Iran, I guess that means Iran can launch a preempted strike against Israel to protect its people.  Two can play Israel sorry game.

 

The present leaders of Israel and the U.S. are reckless with their policies and talk concerning the middle east and seem bent on having a nuclear war in that area.  The new U.S. President needs to change our policy and relationship in the middle east and Israel and promote real peace and stability in the area.  If the new U.S. President promotes the status quo with Israel and the middle east does anyone think that will make America safer? 

 

Our Presidential candidates, Obama and McCain need to stand up and be counted on what their policies would be in the middle east and with Israel.  So far they have taken no position on Bush's plan to have a treaty with Iraq on keeping a U.S. presence there with U.S. troops.  What a shame.  The status quo with Israel and the Middle East is unacceptable. 

Bush, Israel, Iraq and Iran: A Deadly Combination

The Bush administration wants a security pact with Iraq on keeping U.S. Troops based there for the foreseeable future.  Bush wants this concluded before he leaves office and will tie the hands of the next President if put in effect.  Keeping American troops in Iraq will insure the U.S. of a continued war in the middle east for years to come with no end in sight.

 

An American presence in Iraq is not needed to protect the middle east or the security of the U.S., just as the war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist was not needed.  Bush has put America and our men and women in uniform in danger with his reckless policies.  Iran is opposed to the U.S. military pact with Iraq and says the U.S. wants to use such American presence as a base to attack Iran.  They are probably right.  Bush says he does not need Congress to approve such a pact.  If that is true, Congress should not fund any such agreement.

 

Now we have Shaul Mofiz a cabinet minister in Israel's government of Prime Minister Olmert saying that Israel will have no choice but to attack Iran if it does not halt its nuclear program.  The Prime Minister distanced himself from that quote.  Israel, a country that former President Carter said had up to 150 nuclear weapons is secret about their own nuclear program but wants Iran to fess up concerning their program.  Since Shaul Mofiz made a threat of attacking Iran, I guess that means Iran can launch a preempted strike against Israel to protect its people.  Two can play Israel sorry game.

 

The present leaders of Israel and the U.S. are reckless with their policies and talk concerning the middle east and seem bent on having a nuclear war in that area.  The new U.S. President needs to change our policy and relationship in the middle east and Israel and promote real peace and stability in the area.  If the new U.S. President promotes the status quo with Israel and the middle east does anyone think that will make America safer? 

 

Our Presidential candidates, Obama and McCain need to stand up and be counted on what their policies would be in the middle east and with Israel.  So far they have taken no position on Bush's plan to have a treaty with Iraq on keeping a U.S. presence there with U.S. troops.  What a shame.  The status quo with Israel and the Middle East is unacceptable. 

Confirmation Of The News Media Failure

In the past I have written several post concerning the Iraq war including a two part series titled, "The Rosetta Stone To The Iraq War."  My past post were about how Mr. Bush took our country to war in Iraq over WMD that did not exist and how he purposely mislead the American people.  I have not written any post lately concerning Iraq because I feel the people have finally understood just how reckless the Bush Presidency has been.

 

There is another part of the Iraq war that I touched upon concerning how the news media, especially T.V. journalists promoted the war on their own without seeking the truth or facts and aided and abetted the Bush administration in promoting the war.  Now we have some new revelations in a soon to be released book written by Scott McClellan, the Presidents former Press Secretary.  I will not rehash what he said about the President and Iraq because I covered that before but I do want to cover what he said about the news media because the same thing is going on today concerning the Democratic Primaries for that party's nomination.

 

Mr. McClellan called the news media "complicit enablers in the White House's carefully orchestrated campaign to shape and manipulate sources of public approval in the march to the Iraq war."  That my friends is the exact thing they are doing with the promotion and crowing of Barack Obama as the nominee before the process is complete and clamoring for Senator Clinton to drop out of the race.  They have chosen sides instead of covering and reporting on the process for the nomination and how there are many more issues the DNC will have to solve before a nominee can be officially chosen. 

 

Chris Matthews on Hardball ran a caption across the T.V. screen asking Is Clinton hurting the Democrats by staying in the race?  He already knew the answer because the people have already stated they wanted her to stay in the race till the process was complete.  But there he was trying to plant the seed that she is hurting her party.  He really shows his ass and how insecure and dishonest he really is.  When the nominee's for the general election is finally known you can be sure that the news media will choose sides and then go after the other guy or gal.  Journalists have already planted the seed that if Obama is the nominee and looses in the general election it will be Senator Clinton's fault.  They try to cover for Obama every way they can think of.  They have no character.  That says it all.

 

By the way, I wrote several letters to Journalists long before the Iraq war started and told them what I thought about not having the character to look for the facts concerning Iraq instead of promoting Bush's talking points.

How To Choose A Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee

Above all, the Vice Presidential nominee should be a person with leadership qualities of independent thought and military experience.  Independent thought is important because the President will need to hear unvarnished comments from his V.P. on critical issues, especially those that are not shared by the President and his advisers.  Rubber stamping a President's position on the issues does not speak well for the common good of the people or the nation.  The V.P. has to back the President after he makes a decision, but he has to be that counter balance.

 

The military experience does not have to be in uniform, although that would be preferred.  The experience could come from serving on the Armed Forces Service Committee, Foreign Policy Experience and other Military Experience that are active inside and outside of government.  That is important because if the V.P. has that experience and has independent thought he will be able to balance the thoughts given to the President by our military leaders and others.  We have a V.P. Dick Cheney who did the opposite in the run up to war with Iraq.  He manipulated the intelligence and the military facts and threat that Iraq posed for the United States. 

 

Senator Clinton would be more qualified to be President or Vice President than Senator Obama.  But neither will be the V.P. nominee in my opinion.  The Democratic Vice President Nominee will have to balance out Senator McCain's military experience because enough voters will view McCain's military experience as a problem for Democrats.  The decision to go to war in Iraq was George Bush's decision alone.  No one else made that decision but he, and he made that decision before congress ever voted for the resolution as Senator Chuck Hagel pointed out some time ago.  Both Democrats and Republicans have been responsible for funding the war since it started.  The Democratic party did try to restrict funds for the war after they took control of Congress but failed to have enough votes to do so.

 

The public really does not give much thought to the V.P. because it has not been often that a V.P. had to take control of the Presidency but we have been reminded how V.P. Cheney has abused his office and wielded power that no other V.P. in memory has had. There is no balance in the administration of Bush-Cheney.  So the people should watch closely the choice of the Democratic nominee for his running mate.  It will way something about the character of the Democratic Presidential nominee and where he will take the country.  Experience does matter.

How Did We Come To $120/Barrel Oil and $3.50/Gallon Gasoline

Early in the Bush administration, V.P. Cheney met with the Energy Corporations Executives.  Their meeting, deliberations, and decisions were secret and private and until this very day the public has not been given any information about their clandestine agenda.  Since Bush and Cheney were both involved in the Oil and Gas Industry before taking office, it is safe to conclude the secret discussions were about the price of Oil and Gas.

 

Then you start a war with an Oil producing country over WMD that did not exist, feed speculation about Oil supplies being cut because of the war, let it spill over to the OPEC countries, and then have the domestic Oil companies openly talk about prices being too low and inventory shortages and the speculation runs like wild fire which artificially increase prices.

 

Then, don't stop there: start talking about a possible war with Iran and production cut backs and the speculation drives prices up even higher.  Then American Oil says the price of gas should be $4.00/gallon and pretty soon the price of Oil and Gas doubles and then triples.  The only ones who benefit by these high prices are the Oil Producers.  They love the speculation they themselves participate in.  They also love the Corporate Welfare they receive from the Bush administration.

 

The American people need to understand what is going on here and do those things they can do to reduce their dependence on Oil and Gas.  We need a President who will take the Oil and Gas industry to task and implement more conservation measures and reduce our reliance on Oil and Gas. It is time to go back to some of the measures taken by President Carter, especially reducing the speed limit on the Interstate system.

 

It is time for us to remember there is no shortage of Oil and Gas, only speculation fed by greed.  Most of all, it is time to remember the Oil and Gas industry is no friend of the American people.  If you listen to their leaders, they never make enough profit, even when at record levels.

A Regenerated al Qaeda

I and many others have written about how Mr. Bush mismanaged the War on Terror with the unnecessary invasion and occupation of Iraq.  And now we have a report, via the Washington Post, by The Government Accountability Office that  (1) The Bush administration has no comprehensive plan for dealing with the threat posed by Pakistan's lawless tribal areas where bin Laden is believed to be hiding.  (2)  The U.S. has not met its national security goals to destroy terrorist threats and close the safe haven despite having spent more than $10 billion for Pakistani military operations in the border region.  (3)   That al Qaeda had regenerated its ability to attack the United States.  (4)   The report also supports an argument by congressional Democrats that the war in Iraq and administration bungling have helped create new danger in an area largely out of the control of any sovereign state. 

 

The Bottom line: The failure to seal the borders after invading Afghanistan allowed bin Laden, al Qaeda and the Taliban to escape to the tribal areas of Pakistan.  After that failure came the most reckless failure of all: the invasion and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist.  The fight on the real war against terror was dead.  The people will do well to remember Bush's failure as President and Commander-in-Chief and the fact that Senator McCain will continue the same policy if elected President.  The latest poll shows Bush's approval rating at 28%.  That is a tragic statement about an American President, but the worst part is that he has truly earned it---that says it all.

The Iraq-Iran Alliance

I have mentioned in several past commentaries that when it is all said and done ,and no matter how the war in Iraq ends, Iran and Iraq will be united allies.  They will enjoy the fruits of the billions of American dollars used to rebuild Iraq. Iraq and Iran as well as other countries in the Middle East, will also have even a greater advantage in the control and price of oil for years to come.---All of this because of Bush's reckless policy in Iraq over WMD that did not exist.

 

Just this past week, Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's troops were locked in combat in Shiite controlled-Basra against Iraqi forces.  At the same time, al-Sadr's Mahdi Army was making trouble all over Baghdad.  Iraqi officials have now reported that over 500 Iraqi solders, police, and civilians were killed in the Basra and Baghdad fighting, with hundreds more wounded.

 

Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki, who vowed to see the Basra campaign through to a military victory, instead came to an agreement with al-Sadr to end the fighting and agreed to al-Sadr's nine demands.  Once again, al-Sadr told his army to stand down.  That can be deemed success---for now...

 

But the fighting in Basra and Baghdad this week has exposed the weakness of the American troop surge.  Al-Sadr and his army can and do turn the heat and violence up any time they want to.  The surge did not have an affect on this operation.  It should be noted, however, that the Iraqi representatives who handled the cease fire with the Shiite in Basra and Baghdad also had to send representatives to Iran to deal with al-Sadr to help negotiate the cease fire.  In other words, al-Sadr is operating from Iran.  The American people should and need to understand just what is taking place here.

 

All the while, our troops are still dying in a country made unstable by the President's invasion.  It should also be noted to the American people that the fight in Basra and Baghdad was between al-Sadr's army and the government and not al-qaeda.  Al-Sadr does not like the way the government is handling the Shiite-Sunni problem, and he has no problem raising hell to get what he wants.

 

In other words, the civil war is still going on in Iraq and Americans are dying because of forces that our military can not control.  If Bush or McCain or any other  neoconservative Republican thinks that America is waving the white flag of surrender by bringing out troops home, then they are the ones who care nothing about our men and women in uniform.  If all our troops came home tomorrow, they will all come home just like they served, with the highest honor. 

 

If any one thinks that America, the greatest military power in the world, has to occupy a foreign country in order to keep our country safe, then our children's future is really in jeopardy.  Indeed, this country's future is in jeopardy if that is the case. Think about that.

The Inadequacy Of Being A Conservative

Senator McCain, the Republican nominee for President, is now attempting to reintroduce his and his family's military service on the campaign trail, attempting to show that he is better qualified to be President versus whomever the Democrats nominate.  Conservatives, like McCain and Bush, like to think they are tougher than their opponents on national security and protecting America.  They feel inadequate, so they try to work on the fears of the people and cry wolf.  Any American who desires to be President should have the wisdom and character to keep fear out of the campaign. 

 

The tragic event of 9-11 befell the U.S. while the conservatives were talking tough, and after seven years we still have not won the war on terror; bin Laden is still free to plot more attacks, all while George Bush, a conservative, is Commander-in-Chief. That should be a stalk reminder that trying to talk tough does not get the job done.  Most people who served in the military on active duty do not feel they have to exploit their service by trying to act tough, rather they use that experience to come up with sensible solutions to present to the American people.  

 

Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy were all combat veterans and served their country during the Cold War, but did not campaign on their service record; did not campaign on fear; nor were they critical of their opponents ability to protect our country during a crisis.  They spoke to all the issues facing the country, because they knew we faced more problems that did not require military solutions than those that did.  Today, some of our leaders and hope-to-be-leaders focus on military action above all else, and try to create an atmosphere of fear for society to live in.  In contrast, those three Presidents tried to educate the people that the only thing we had to fear was fear itself.

 

The country today has many major problems that need sound policies to deal with, and that are not involved with military solutions or tax breaks for the wealthy.  Conservatives do not have policies; they only have an ideology that calls for a military or tax solution.  The nation's current problems have not been addressed or solved because of this ideology for the past 8 years, or in the Reagan-Bush 41 administrations for that matter.  Conservatives are now scrambling around to patchwork the economy and the financial mess we have---a mess we have because of their lack of policy.

 

Senator McCain is silent when it comes to the debt that the last three conservative Republican presidents piled on our country and its people, for which we are paying for today.  He continues to go along with the fail policies regarding Iraq and Afghanistan.  He has now abandoned his past policy, and lines up with George Bush for more tax cuts for the wealthy.  The bottom line: Senator McCain and his tough military talk will not be an asset in over coming the Conservative's inadequate feelings, or getting himself elected President. 

Iraq: "The Outcome Of The War Will Merit The Sacrifice"

Those were the words of George Bush after the 4000 deaths of Americans in Iraq was recorded this past week.  Mr. Bush continues to be in denial on why he started this war and he and his supporters who want to continue this war are too small of a people to admit to their mistakes and incompetence.  As a result Americans will continue to die over WMD that did not exist.

 

Anyone who is following this war knows that American and Iraqi casualties have been going back up since the first of the year.  Bush and his administration are now trying, through the news media, to compare the deaths in Iraq to those that the U.S. has suffered in our two world wars, Korea, and Vietnam.  They do so to try to minimize the deaths in Iraq and use other wars where there is no comparison.  In those wars, the U.S. was not the aggressor nor were any preemptive wars.  Our opponents in those wars had millions of troops we faced in battle.  In Iraq, by our own count, Al Qaeda and the Sunnis and Shiite who are carrying out the civil war number less than 5,000---a great difference than the other wars that the Bush administration mentions.

 

Now in its 6th year, Bush, McCain, Cheney and the neocons intend to keep our military in Iraq for years to come.  This will be remembered as Vietnam, number two.  We are already well pass the half way point of that war.  Our men and women in uniform are being used as pawns, with 3 and 4 deployments, continually putting their lives at risk, even though Bush proclaimed over 4 years ago, "mission accomplished." The only mission Bush has accomplished, unfortunately, is destabilizing the entire Middle East and making America hated around the world.  

 

Our troops go where the President tells them, without complaint, to do their job well and serve their country.  The least a Commander-in-Chief can do for them is to make sure that they are fighting the war for the reason the war was started in the first place.  This President violated that responsibility to our troops.  

 

It should be noted with great concern the remark Bush made on March 29, 2008 at a joint news conference with the Canadian prime minister.  Bush said that we are in Iraq to establish Democracy in Iraq and the Middle East.  That statement, as we start the 6th year of war, was not the reason he gave the people for going to war in 2003.  Another bold face lie. History will not and should not be kind to Mr. Bush. He used the services of our men and women in uniform to mold the Middle East and Iraq in his own warped ideology.  He purposely misled them, and the country, on why we went to war.  Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican, said this week that Bush misled the Congress about the intelligence and about the reasons for going to war.  He also noted that Bush had already decided to go to war in Iraq even before Congress voted for the resolution he asked for. Democrats have long been saying that.  Now a well respected Republican is.  These are impeachable offenses and the President needs to be judged on that level of thinking.