William Kristol is one of the worst of the worst. He has never really faced the reality of Iraq. He is one of the architects. He was one of the loudest voices. He sees nothing but sunshine over there. What else could he see? If he saws death and destruction then he might have to admit that it was all his fault.
Jon Stewart uses an interesting tactic. Jon wonders why anyone who disagrees with the war is labeled as un-American or a cut and runner.
When you look at the craziness that is Iraq and in spite of the constant pronouncements of neocons, you have to come to the conclusion that Iraq is a mess. Over 300 people were killed or injured in another suicide bomb. Quelling an insurgency will take time. There are no shortcuts. Knowing that the Bush administration is committed to this war and without a 2/3’s vote in the Senate we are stuck. Period. So, how do we manage the Army and Marine Corp without breaking them? We need more people. We need to increase the size of both.
I don’t have an answer. I think that a draft will make more of the neocons (Romney) reconsider their position. Even if we start a draft tomorrow there won’t be any relief for our men and women in the field for some time. In my book, we need to start a pull out. We won’t be able to do that with a Republican president in the White House. So, the soonest that we could start a pull out will be January of 2009. That’s the reality as I see it.
Do you even remember this guy? Well, he has been in jail for almost 15 years. It is time to let him out and some other folks kinda want to talk to him like France and Panama. It seems that they would like to put him in jail for a little while also.
I can say this that Manuel really ticked someone off. He was clearly someone that the US supported then something happened with Reagan. We went in and killed all of his henchmen and took him to Miami. The next thing that he knows he is sitting in a prison looking at 15 years.
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From CNN.com:
Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega wants U.S. officials to send him back to his home country when he finishes his drug trafficking and racketeering sentence next month, but American prosecutors are pushing for him to be extradited to France to face another trial.
Senior U.S. District Judge William Hoeveler, the same jurist who presided over his original trial, will decide whether the U.S. extradition attempt is valid.
He said Monday that he will make his decision by August 24. A magistrate judge will separately decide whether Noriega should actually be sent to France.
Noriega, 72, is set to be released on September 9 after 15 years in prison in Miami. He wants to fly immediately to Panama to fight a conviction in the slayings of two political opponents, his lawyers have said. (more…)
Is it just me or does the inscription “Made in China” cause you to recoil a bit these days? There’s the lead in Elmo, the anti-freeze in toothpaste, the practically radioactive fish…it all makes me shudder a little bit.
With lead-laden Thomas the train engines weaving their way through our living rooms, it’s easy to forget about the nearly 40,000 cats and dogs that were poisoned in 2006 due to Chinese-exported pet food laced with tainted wheat gluten. It was ugly. Previously healthy pets began showing up at the vet with inexplicable seizures, vomiting blood, blindness, paralysis, and sudden death.
While disturbing on it’s own, this story is even more alarming because that same wheat gluten was considered “food grade,” i.e good enough for your Wheaties. Had that same wheat made it’s way into our bowls rather than Fido’s we could have been looking at one of the largest cases of mass poisoning in history.
There obviously exists a major problem in import regulation, just one more unintended consequence of the globalized market I suppose. There’s little oversight of the imports we receive from developing countries with astonishingly lax standards, primarily in the name of supporting the free market. In the past I’ve empathized with the argument that countries such as China need time to catch up with the western world’s well-developed industry, but it’s simply not an acceptable argument anymore. Those that accept this argument are likely profiting from it.
What really concerns me is how those that wish to harm us may capitalize on such oversights. No one has put it better than former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson as he stepped down in 2004,” I, for the life of me, cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply, because it is so easy to do so.” Another unheeded terrorist threat?
Come on. You had to wonder also. It sure wasn’t to be with his wife and family. It wasn’t to get out of the spotlight because Karl had been in the spotlight for a long time and seemed to like it. He likes for folks to call him the genius. So, why and why now?
Could it be that Conyers, House chair of the Judiciary Committee, and Leahy, Senate chair of the Judiciary Committee, are close to a deal with the White House in which Rove has to testify? I don’t know. I don’t have any inside information but people like Rove don’t just leave. He had many chances to leave but he leaves now. Why? To write a book? I don’t it.
The President’s announcement about Karl Rove was short and sweet. The whole thing should be read and enjoyed by all. The emphasis is mine.
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THE PRESIDENT: Karl Rove is moving on down the road. I’ve been talking to Karl for a while about his desire to spend more time with Darby and Andrew. This is a family that has made enormous sacrifices not only for our beloved state of Texas, but for a country we both love.
We’ve been friends for a long time, and we’re still going to be friends. I would call Karl Rove a dear friend. We’ve known each other as youngsters interested in serving our state. We worked together so we could be in a position to serve this country. And so I thank my friend. I’ll be on the road behind you here in a little bit. I thank Darby and I thank Karl for making a tremendous sacrifice, and I wish you all the very best.
MR. ROVE: Today, I submitted my resignation as Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor effective the end of the month. Mr. President, I’m grateful for the opportunity you gave me to serve our nation and you. I’m grateful for being able to work with the extraordinary men and women that you’ve drawn into this administration. And I’m grateful to have been a witness to history. It has been the joy and the honor of a lifetime.
I’ve seen a man of far-sighted courage put America on a war footing and protect us against a brutal enemy in a dangerous conflict that will shape this new century. I’ve seen a leader respond to an economy weakened by recession, corporate scandal and terrorist attacks, by taking decisive action to strengthen the economy and create jobs. I’ve seen a reformer who challenged his administration, the Congress, and the country to make bold changes to important institutions in great need of repair.
Mr. President, the world has turned many times since our journey began. We’ve been at this a long time. It was over 14 years ago that you began your run for governor, and over 10 years ago that we started thinking and planning about a possible run for the presidency. It has been an exhilarating and eventful time. [Read more →]
Errington C. Thompson, MD, is a surgeon, scholar, fulltime sports fan and part-time political activist. He is active in a number of community projects and initiatives. Through medicine, he strives to improve the physical health of all he treats...
