Netroots Update
This morning’s session with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and a surprise appearance by former Vice President Al Gore was outstanding.
Here is Nancy Pelosi with TPM (taking about withdrawal of our troops from Iraq):
Entries Tagged as 'Iraq'
McCain Follows Bush on Iraq
I have endlessly discussed the problems that Senator John McCain seems to have with his past. There seems to be no topic that McCain can’t distance himself from, well, himself. I’m not going to use the tired phrase “flip-flop.” Instead, I’ll say that in the year 2000, McCain really positioned himself as a maverick by taking positions that were not popular with the Right. It seems that he has changed his mind on most of those positions.
Rachael Maddow reviews how McCain loves being on the same page with President Bush on Iraq.
Are We Not Listening to Obama?
Great OpEd in the New York Times on Senator Barack Obama. It clearly needs to be read -
We have to have a talk about Barack Obama.
I know, I know. You’re upset. You think the guy you fell in love with last spring is spending the summer flip-flopping his way to the right. Drifting to the center. Going all moderate on you. So you’re withholding the love. Also possibly the money.
I feel your pain. I just don’t know what candidate you’re talking about.
Think back. Why, exactly, did you prefer Obama over Hillary Clinton in the first place? Their policies were almost identical — except his health care proposal was more conservative. You liked Barack because you thought he could get us past the old brain-dead politics, right? He talked — and talked and talked — about how there were going to be no more red states and blue states, how he was going to bring Americans together, including Republicans and Democrats.
Exactly where did everybody think this gathering was going to take place? Left field? (more… )
More later… I have a couple of trauma patients to take care of.
Did Obama Change Position on Iraq?
Senator Barack Obama has taken some heat from the left over the last two to three weeks. Well, on Thursday of last week, Obama seemed to leave the door open to changing his Iraq policy. The media went crazy over the weekend. It is was flip-flop-a-thon. “There appears to be no issue that Barack Obama is not willing to reverse himself on for the sake of political expedience,” said Alex Conant, a Republican National Committee spokesman.
From Reuters:
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama waded into controversy on Thursday over his plans to withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq, first saying he might “refine” his views but later declaring his stance had remained unchanged for more than a year.
Obama was forced to call reporters back for a second news conference in Fargo, North Dakota, after he initially left open the possibility of revising his 16-month timetable for pulling U.S. combat forces from Iraq.
“Let me be as clear as I can be. I intend to end this war. My first day in office I will bring the joint chiefs of staff in and I will give them a new mission and that is to end this war,” Obama told reporters in his second news conference.
But he added: “I would be a poor commander in chief if I didn’t take facts on the ground into account.” (more… )
Independence Day in Iraq
The 464th Armored are spending their 3rd Independence Day in Iraq. They were a part of the Thunder Run which was one of the important maneuvers used to take Baghdad. It is sad that they are back in Iraq. If we are going to fight prolonged wars then we need to have enough troops to give guys like these the rest that they need.
Senator Webb passes GI Bill
It is very hard as a freshman Senator to get anything of substance done in Congress but Senator Jim Webb of Virginia has done exactly that. He pushed the GI Bill through both houses of Congress. He attached the bill to other legislation and dared the President to veto it. Senator Jim Webb may be that rarest of politicians. One who has principles and sticks by them. He is someone who said that he supports the troops and then proved to EVERYONE that he, in fact, supports the troops.
From WaPo:
POLITICAL PROMISES are easy to make, harder to keep. So it is a testament to the tenacity of Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) and the justice of his cause that Congress has enacted a new GI Bill for war veterans. The freshman senator’s ability to work across party lines means that the men and women who risk their lives for America’s well-being will, in return, get expanded education benefits, along with opportunities for better futures.
The expansion of education benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans is part of the $257.5 billion emergency spending bill that passed the Senate on Thursday. The House gave its approval earlier, and President Bush is expected to sign it this week. The timing is fitting, considering that 64 years ago last Sunday, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the original GI Bill, which made a college education affordable for millions of World War II veterans. Today’s warriors are equally deserving, but the system, designed for a peacetime military, has not kept pace with the costs of college. Mr. Webb’s bill — The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act — is true to the original in providing full tuition, housing and living costs. (more…)
There are very few politicians that I admire. As I read more and more about these guys and gals, they really don’t resemble anything that I’m familiar with. Senator Jim Webb maybe that rare guy who promises that he will be over on Tuesday to help you built that back deck and on Tuesday he shows up to help.
I congratulate Senator Webb and Senator Hagel for getting this bill through. I also congratulate our troops for a job well done. Here’s their reward.
What’s Going On - News Round Up
I’ll repeat my top story - George Carlin died last night of heart failure.
- The Washington Post’s Michael Dobbs who runs their Fact Checker blog has given Barack Obama three Pinocchio’s for his “reversal” on campaign finance. I don’t know. I guess if I was a McCain supporter I would be furious over this. Obama has made the right decision. It will allow him to compete in all 50 states.
- Atlanta Magazine is completely dedicated to the water shortage in Atlanta in specific and Georgia in general. They even delve into the good intentions and bad ideas of the Georgia Legislature. If you live anywhere which has the potential of being water starved this is clearly worth a read. By the way, could conservatism be to blame for the current water shortage?
- The rival faction in Zimbabwe has pulled out of the election runoff because of the violence against his supporters. I continue to be amazed at the lack of coverage that this is getting in the major news papers and newscasts.
- Frank Rich has a fabulous op-ed on the forgotten war — Iraq. Although I mention the 51 deaths in a recent car bombing here on my blog, most major newscasts did not cover it. Most Americans agree that we need to get out of a rack. Therefore, we’re just waiting to sign the final papers.
- Over 800 people are missing from a capsized ferry in the Philippines. A major typhoon hit the island on Saturday. Maybe it’s just me but it appears that the Philippines may have the worst natural disasters in the world.
- Do you remember Boone Pickens? Don’t vomit. He was a billionaire who funded The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. He offered $1 million to anyone who could prove that their allegations were wrong. 10 of John Kerry’s mates have written a 13 page report refuting The Swift Boat Veterans. I wonder if Mr. Pickens will keep his word.
The Errington Thompson Show 6-21-08
Brian Katulis from the Center for American Progress is my guest. We discuss his new book, Afghanistan, his recent trip to Pakistan and, of course, Iraq. We also begin our $75 give away. We figure that it is expensive out there with food and gas prices. We want to help, at least a little bit. We will give away $75 each week for the next 4 weeks. For most cars, $75 should get you a tank of gas and a soft drink. Enjoy!!
TDS - Sugar and spice
Who would prejudge a beautiful well dressed blonde? Well, I would for one. I try not to prejudge any one but it happens. Lara Logan is a beautiful woman who has been in Iraq for over 5 years. I just didn’t think that she would bring it. I thought she would sugar coat what’s going on. NOT!! In your face!! She doesn’t pull any punches. When was the last time that the American people has seen a dead American soldier. That was one of her rhetorical questions. Jon Stewart was blown away by her frankness.
I’m a happy guy but…
Basically, I’m a happy guy. I love to laugh. I’m married to beautiful, thoughtful, supportive wife. I’m living my childhood dream. I’m a doctor. A friend of mine sent me an e-mail that touched a nerve. It was about happiness. The first paragraph reported that polls show that vast majority of Americans are unhappy with the direction of our country and our President’s leadership. The e-mail went on to berate Americans for being unhappy. We have a great economy, it said. We have jobs and a roof over our heads. It went on and on then ended with the question - what is there to be unhappy about? I thought about this e-mail for a little while then I wrote the following -
Our unhappiness is clear. We should be unhappy. When we are lied to by you’re your parents you’re unhappy. When people you trusted, people you poured your heart, soul and dreams into turn out to be con-men, you’re unhappy. Vice President Cheney stated, “There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us. And there is no doubt that his aggressive regional ambitions will lead him into future confrontations with his neighbors — confrontations that will involve both the weapons he has today, and the ones he will continue to develop with his oil wealth.” None of this was true.
When a Black man who is running for president of the United States in the 2007 is called a “Halfican” by several leading right wing commentators and there is no action taken against them, I’m unhappy. When those same commentators play a song called, “Puff the Magic Negro” sung in Al Sharpton’s voice and it’s about Barack Obama and these commentators are still on the air, I’m unhappy.
When politicians stand up and say that we need to end this war like John Warner (Republican Senator from Virginia) and then vote against timetables, troop withdrawal and giving troops some time away from the front, yep, I’m unhappy.
When the average family has 2 incomes and still can’t make ends meet, I’m unhappy. The average income for the top 20 Hedge Fund managers was $654 million last year. Average! WE have a system in place where if you are born rich you can’t lose. If you are born poor, good luck! [Read more →]
What’s Going on - News Round Up
I’m sorry but it has been awhile since I’ve done my news Roundup. Work has been extremely busy.
- Let’s start in Iraq when the US government is negotiating with the Iraqi government over our terms for stay in Iraq. First of all, I find this relatively funny. Iraqis really didn’t ask us to come invade their country. The majority of Iraqis have ordered us to leave for some time. But yet we’re negotiating to stay. Iraqi officials are calling for a significant reduction in our scope and the number of troops that we have in Iraq. The Bush administration, of course, wants us to stay and do whatever we want for as long as we want.
- Car bomb in Baghdad kills 50. Again, it seems like we don’t have enough troops to do the job adequately. We can clearly control the battleground. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough troops to cover the whole country. Just yesterday, four civilians were killed in a suicide attack in northern Baghdad.
- The underbelly of the Republican Party continues to raise its ugly head. A campaign button has shown up at the Texas Republican convention which asked the question — if Obama is president will we still call it the White House. Now, tell me racism does not run rampant in the Republican Party.
- On the campaign trail, John McCain’s delegation has labeled Barack Obama’s approach to foreign affairs in terrorism as they “September 10 mindset.” The Barack Obama campaign has responded by sending Richard Clarke, former counterterrorism czar for Clinton and Bush. Richard Clarke does not seem to back down from anyone. Clark, again, restated Obama’s comprehensive antiterrorism plan which states that he is willing to act on actionable intelligence and even to pursue Al Qaeda into Pakistan. Remember that the Republicans recoiled when Obama said that more than six months ago.
- For reasons that are unclear, at least there are unclear to me, our veterans can’t get a break. It seems that our veterans are being asked to enroll in pharmaceutical drug trials but are not being told of all of the potential side effects of those drugs. First, let me say that actual patient trials, are extremely important in developing new drugs and testing old drugs. Secondly, patients should be and must be informed of all the known potential side effects. Then, let me go one step further, every side effect is not have equal risk. The wrists or the potential of a side effect actually happening to that person needs to be related. I understand the difficulty of informed consent. It is hard to inform a patient or a patient’s family when a patient is psychotic. Yet, every effort must be made.
- DNC continues to push for John McCain’s campaign to obey the campaign laws. They are pushing for an official investigation.
Okay, we are never leaving
I wrote this for the Urban News over a year ago. I thought that you might enjoy it.
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Okay, just stop it. I’m so tired of talking points. Both sides have ‘em. On one side, we have, “we can’t have politicians telling the generals in the field what to do.” Well, our Constitution has been set up in such a way that politicians tell generals what to do. On the other side, “the American people have spoken and have put us in charge to end the war.” Well, that is sort of true. If the American people unanimously wanted the war to end, then the Democrats would govern with 70 or 80% of the seats in both chambers.
There are a few things that are clear. First, the opinion of the American people has been slowly changing over the last two to three years. We’ve lost faith in the purpose and the execution of the Iraq war. In December 2003 (Quinnipiac University Poll), 46% of Americans thought that President Bush was handling the war in Iraq well. Over the years the percentage of Americans who supported the war and supported President Bush’s handling of the war has declined. In an April 25, 2007 poll from the same researchers, President Bush had an approval rating of only 31% on his handling of the war in Iraq. A new CNN poll (May 4-6, 2007, http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/images/05/08/rel6d.pdf) reveals that 57 % of Americans believe that Congress should send the president another bill with funding and timetables. [Read more →]
Countdown - John Kerry on Iraq
John Kerry joins Keith Olbermann. They discusses John McCain’s latest slip up on Iraq. I’m unclear as to why some believe that John McCain is a expert on Iraq. He continually gets it wrong. Joe Lieberman jumped into the ring to save John McCain.
McCain: bringing troops home, not important
John McCain is a piece of work. How can bringing troops home not be a top priority for either party?
McClellan will testify
John Conyers of the House Judiciary committee would like to have a word with Scott McClellan. Unlike Sarah Taylor or many of the other former White House employees, Scott McClellan is willing and has agreed to testify before the committee. Now, this is big news. Keith Olbermann has the low down.
The Tale of Lies by the Vice President and President
We have known about the President and Vice President’s web of lies which led up the war in Iraq for some time. The book Hubris, by David Corn and Michael Isikoff, does an excellent job of documenting what was wrong and why we knew them to be wrong. The Los Angeles Times runs a story today about the findings of the Senate intelligence committee. The article had to do with the difference between what the president and vice president said and what was actually known. These facts are in Hubris but it is the first time that a government committee has come to the same conclusion.
From LAT: Statements in dozens of prewar speeches and interviews created the impression that Baghdad and Al Qaeda had forged a partnership. But the report concludes that such assertions “were not substantiated by the intelligence” being shown to senior officials at the time.
Claims that Sept. 11 hijacker Mohamed Atta had met with an Iraqi agent in Prague, for example, were dubious from the beginning and subsequently discounted. The idea that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had provided chemical and biological weapons training to Al Qaeda hinged on intelligence from a source who soon was discredited.
Bush officials strayed even further from the evidence in suggesting that Hussein was prepared to provide weapons of mass destruction to Al Qaeda terrorist groups — a linchpin in the case for war.
In October 2002, for example, Bush warned in a key speech in Cincinnati that “secretly, and without fingerprints, [Hussein] could provide one of his hidden weapons to terrorists, or help them develop their own.” The threat was repeated frequently in the run-up to war but was “contradicted by available intelligence information,” the committee says.
On post-war prospects, the report contrasts the rosy scenarios conjured by Cheney and others with more sober intelligence warnings that were being presented to senior officials.
Cheney’s prediction that U.S. forces would “be greeted as liberators” was at odds with reports from the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency, which warned nearly a year earlier that invading U.S. forces would face serious resistance from “the Baathists, the jihadists and Arab nationalists who oppose any U.S. occupation of Iraq.”
I interview Michael Isikoff about the Scooter Libby trial. I chat with David Corn about this important book. also.
Remembering General Odom
I didn’t know Lt. General William Odom. All that I know is that he was a warrior who fought against this war in Iraq. I have 3 references to him on my blog (here, here and here). The last reference was his testimony in front of the Senate a couple of months ago. I admire anyone who will stand up to this administration.
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From the Center for American Progress:
Lt. Gen. William Odom, former head of the National Security Agency under President Reagan, passed away on Friday in Lincoln, Vermont. A West Point graduate, Gen. Odom served for 34 years until retiring in 1988. Specializing in Russian and Soviet affairs, Gen. Odom earned a Ph.D from Columbia University in 1970 and taught at West Point before becoming National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski’s military assistant in 1977. In 1985, Odom took over the National Security Agency and led it until his retirement. Following retirement, he taught at Yale University and authored seven books.
In recent years, Gen. Odom was a fierce critic of the war in Iraq and our policy toward Iran. He directly confronted the most pernicious arguments for keeping U.S. troops in Iraq, pointing out that they often contradicted themselves and President Bush’s stated war aims. As Gen. Odom put it in a February 2007 article, “the president’s policy is based on illusions, not realities. There never has been any right way to invade and transform Iraq.” Gen. Odom’s clear-eyed assessment of the war in Iraq led him to the conclusion that a timely phased withdrawal was the only way to salvage American interests and credibility in the Middle East and the world.
Some of his more trenchant thoughts can be found in an article co-authored with Brzezinski three days before his untimely death. Gen. Odom made it clear that the current heavy-handed sticks-and-carrots policy toward Iran being pursued by the Bush administration will almost certainly result in an Iranian nuclear weapon. This policy, he noted, “may work with donkeys but not with serious countries.” Gen. Odom’s perspicacity and directness will be missed in the debate over Iraq, Iran, and the future of American foreign policy. (more…)
The Errington Thompson Show 5-31-08
This is a great show. My guests are Faiz Shikur from Think Progress.org and Marcy Wheeler from Empty Wheel and the FireDogLake group. I discuss the current state of affairs with Shikur. I also talk with Wheeler about Scott McClellan and his connection with Scooter Libby. Enjoy.
Countdown: McCain knows Iraq
Senator John McCain is running to be the ‘war’ President. Rachael Maddow and Keith Olbermann discuss McCain’s expertise in this area. Again, they underscore the purpose of the surge. Do you remember the purpose? Supposedly, it was to decrease the violence so that political reconciliation could take place. We are still waiting for the political lovefest.
Countdown on Scott McClellan, Part 2
The first book from a Washington insider that I remember reading was a book by former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O’Neill, The Price of Loyalty or was it Richard Clarke’s Book, Against All Enemies. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Both books painted a picture of Vice President Dick Cheney as more in charge of the White House than President George W. Bush. They also portrayed the White House as being less than truthful with the American people. The reaction from the White House was swift and severe. The White House really tried to crush Richard Clarke.
The push back from the White House is about the same against Scott McClellan. The story line is that McClellan was out of touch or not in the loop. They say he was disgruntled. What they don’t say that but was closer to the truth is that McClellan was drinking from the Bush nectar. He was reading Bush’s press clippings and believing them. I think that McClellan truly likes and admires Bush. He thought that Bush would try to govern as he did in Texas. What he forgot is that Texas is a conservative state; A liberal in Texas is a right-wing conservative in New York. So, being bipartisan in Texas is a lot easier than it is in Washington. Finally, after 9/11 McClellan– like all of the rest of us– wanted desperately for Bush to lead us out of that misery. We wanted Bush to be right. We gave him some slack. Liberals didn’t give Bush as much slack but they did give some. I’m sure that from inside the White House you would be tempted to give Bush a lot of slack.
I don’t think that McClellan is the devil or a saint. I think that he is a man who believed. Unfortunately, Bush popped McClellan’s bubble.
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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...
