ThinkFast: July 7, 2008
ThinkFast: July 7, 2008
Due to “widespread opposition to U.S. demands in talks on a formal Status of Forces Agreement,” Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is “discussing a short-term memorandum of understanding with U.S. officials” rather than “a formal agreement on the presence of American forces in the country.” Maliki’s proposal “includes a formula for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq,” a concept the White House opposes.
“A suicide bomber has rammed a car full of explosives into the gates of the Indian embassy in the Afghan capital, killing 41 people and injuring 141.”
Ohio election officials are concerned that the state’s high foreclosure rates will create problems for voters in November, potentially forcing voters with outdated addresses to face pre-election challenges, take trips to multiple polling places, or cast provisional ballots that might not be counted. Ohio ranks ninth among the 50 states for foreclosures, with one in 410 homes filing for foreclosure.
Conservative activists are “preparing to do battle with allies of Sen. John McCain [R-AZ] in advance of September’s Republican National Convention, hoping to prevent his views on global warming, immigration, stem cell research and campaign finance from becoming enshrined in the party’s official declaration of principles.”
On the trail today: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will attend a town hall meeting at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will meet with some families at James Martin Middle School “to learn more about the tough times they’re facing in today’s economy.”
The USA Today writes that security gains in Iraq “may lead to pullouts.” After the withdrawal of nearly 25 percent of U.S. combat brigades, security in Iraq continues to improve, “increasing the prospects of further cuts in American forces.”
Upon returning to work this week, Senate Republicans will be “under pressure after a barrage of radio and television advertisements blamed them for a 10.6 percent cut in payments to doctors who care for millions of older Americans.” The ads, by the American Medical Association, urge Republican Senators to reverse themselves and help pass the Medicare legislation needed to fend off the cut.
President Bush on Sunday defended his decision to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics in China, despite concerns over the country’s human rights record. “I guess I don’t need the Olympics to express my concerns. I’ve been doing so,” he said.
Five years ago yesterday, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson published an op-ed in the New York Times asserting that the Bush administration manipulated intelligence about Saddam Hussein’s weapons programs. The next day, the administration “admitted that accusations included in the president’s 2003 State of the Union address had turned out to be inaccurate.”
And finally: President Bush “kept up his tradition of informal relations” with world leaders by casually summoning Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, “a rather stiff and shy figure.” Footage of a G8 lunch “showed Bush talking to Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua and saying ‘Yo Harper! The president of Nigeria,’” Reuters notes. At a 2006 summit, “Bush landed ally Tony Blair in some trouble by calling out ‘Yo Blair!’”
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Civil Liberties Group Criticizes New FBI Profiling Authority
Nearly 40 years ago, the FBI was roundly criticized for investigating Americans without evidence they had broken any laws. Now, critics fear the FBI may be gearing up to do it again. Tentative Justice Department guidelines, to be released later this summer, would let agents investigate people whose backgrounds – and potentially their race or ethnicity – match the traits of terrorists.
Such profiling faintly echoes the FBI’s now-defunct COINTELPRO, an operation under Director J. Edgar Hoover in the 1950s and 1960s to monitor and disrupt groups with communist and socialist ties. Before it was shut down in 1971, the domestic spying operation – formally known as Counterintelligence Programs - had expanded to include civil rights groups, anti-war activists, the Ku Klux Klan, state legislators and journalists.
Among the FBI’s targets were Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and John Lennon, along with members of black extremist groups, Fidel Castro sympathizers and student protesters. The new proposal to allow investigations of Americans with no evidence of wrongdoing is “COINTELPRO for the 21st century,” said Barry Steinhardt of the American Civil Liberties Union. “But this is much more insidious because it could involve more people. In the days of COINTELPRO, they were watching only a few people. Now they could be watching everyone.”
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/02/10070/
No one will be safe. After Hoover, the Levi Guidelines were established so this wouldn’t happen again. Here are the Levi Guidelines: Were first created in 1976 by Attorney General Edward Levi. Levi’s Guidelines prohibited investigations into speech activities where there was no advocacy of violence. Levi also prohibited the FBI from engaging in disruption of protected First Amendment activity and from attempting to discredit individuals. The Guidelines specified that investigations should be limited to exposing criminal conduct and should not involve simple monitoring of unpopular political views. Investigations could only be brought where “specific and articulable facts” indicated criminal activity.”
The FBI didn’t however stop it’s covert operations; one particular operation was an infiltration of a group that was speaking out and organized politically in defense of the forests. What the FBI did to Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney was harassment and a clear violation of their 1st and 4th Amendment rights for their involvement with Earth First. They were awarded $4.4 million dollars in their lawsuit against the FBI and Oakland police. Judi unfortunately died from breast cancer in 1997 before she was vindicated of the FBI smear campaign. For the full story about Judi Barr here is the link: http://www.judibari.org/. Then, Ashcroft abandoned the Levi guidelines in 2002 and is allowing the FBI “to investigate Americans who pose serious threats to the right of individuals to speak and assemble freely without the spectre of government monitoring.” These new policies are included in the Attorney General’s Guidelines on General Crimes, Racketeering and Terrorism (”Guidelines”), and were released to the public on May 30, 2002.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:00 amRove Refuses House Judiciary Subpoena
Just last week, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) subpoenaed a big chunk of the Bush Administration to talk to the Committee about the Valerie Plame leak scandal. Among those listed to testify: Karl Rove, Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Scott McClellan, Dan Bartlett and Andrew Card.
And, predictably, Rove is the first one to thumb his nose at the Committee. In a letter from Rove’s attorney to Chairman Conyers, Robert Luskin writes:
While I understand that you would prefer– and the Congress has taken the position in the pending litigation– that Mr. Rove appear in person and assert any applicable privileges on a question by question basis, Mr. Rove is simply not free to accede to the Committee’s view and take a position inconsistent with that asserted by the White House in the litigation. Mr. Rove will respectfully decline to appear before the Subcommittee on July 10 on the grounds that Executive Privilege confers upon him immunity from process in response to subpoena directed to this subject.
Our old friend executive privilege, rears its head again.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/07/rove_refuses_house_judiciary_s.php#comments
I don’t think any of us are surprised that the little weasel is trying to get out of testifying. What I find interesting it that a few days before this letter was delivered, the FBI was looking to get the goods on Monica Conyers, the wife of John Conyers. “The Detroit political warhorse says his answer was simple when FBI agents asked him to wear a wire to ensnare onetime client, Detroit Councilwoman Monica Conyers.” “I told them to go f— themselves,” Riddle said Tuesday. He laughed. “If you want to indict my black a–, then indict me.” (Kudos to Mr. Riddle for not caving into FBI)
Riddle said he was stung to learn he is part of an FBI probe into the City Council’s approval of a $47 million contract to handle sludge removal. At the time of the November vote, he served as a political consultant to Conyers, who at first opposed the deal and then reversed course and supported it. This is starting to sound an awful lot like the Siegelman case. I think they are trying to intimidate Mr. Conyers; that is a clear signal to back off. The corruption is so profound they have tainted every agency of our government; we need to get rid of all of them and start over.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:03 amMaliki’s proposal “includes a formula for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq,” a concept the White House opposes.
Iraqis want us out. American citizens want us out. Certainly the soldiers and their families want us out. Apparently only Bush, leader of the “free” world wants us to remain in Iraq.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
July 7th, 2008 at 9:05 amYo, GDumbya! GFY
July 7th, 2008 at 9:07 amPrime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is “discussing a short-term memorandum of understanding with U.S. officials..
Short term, like ending Jan 09…
July 7th, 2008 at 9:10 amThe Iraqis have stood up, can we stand down now?
Helloooo!! …… BushCo! ……. Anybody home??
July 7th, 2008 at 9:11 amYo, Shrub!
July 7th, 2008 at 9:13 amTry to act like a World leader, even if your dumbass smart remarks are similar to a 9th grader in heat.
This is the third time I have tried posting this and I am getting beyond pissed off at your cute little “awaiting moderation” message with no explanation. I look at the garbage you have let others post and wonder just what your criteria is.
Wiretapping’s True Danger
by Julian Sanchez
As the battle over reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act rages in Congress, civil libertarians warn that legislation sought by the White House could enable spying on “ordinary Americans.” Others, like Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), counter that only those with an “irrational fear of government” believe that “our country’s intelligence analysts are more concerned with random innocent Americans than foreign terrorists overseas.”
But focusing on the privacy of the average Joe in this way obscures the deeper threat that warrantless wiretaps pose to a democratic society. Without meaningful oversight, presidents and intelligence agencies can — and repeatedly have — abused their surveillance authority to spy on political enemies and dissenters.
The original FISA law was passed in 1978 after a thorough congressional investigation headed by Sen. Frank Church (D-Idaho) revealed that for decades, intelligence analysts — and the presidents they served — had spied on the letters and phone conversations of union chiefs, civil rights leaders, journalists, antiwar activists, lobbyists, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices — even Eleanor Roosevelt and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The Church Committee reports painstakingly documented how the information obtained was often “collected and disseminated in order to serve the purely political interests of an intelligence agency or the administration, and to influence social policy and political action.”
Read the entire article:
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/06/10140/
**I agree with Sanchez. I still think this spying was going on well before 9/11 and this is what the current criminal administration has used to blackmail Congress into submission. I can’t imagine Rove and crew missing an opportunity to get as much dirt as possible on the enemies of the current administration. I am sure every little sordid detail made them clap their hands gleefully. It’s also no secret how they view dissenters. It’s been going on for years. All 9/11 did was provide them with an excuse to make these illegal activities legal.
It might be interesting if we could get some oversight to what information has been gathered by these crooks. Right now the emphasis is on oversight before they gather “intelligence” –I think we also should see just what is gathered. By keeping the average joe worrie about which of their onverwsations are being tapped, they are succeeding in keeping our eyes off their true prize — political espionage.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:14 amGauche as this is, it doesn’t compare to referring, in a formal setting, a public speech, to the President of Russia as “Vladimir.” I could see Putin cringe. A hundred ninety some days of this continuing embarrassment to the American People.
ps- What Bush really should say is, “Yo estoy idioto.”
July 7th, 2008 at 9:19 amMcCain won’t put up more than token objection. The platform will appeal to the snake-handlers while media embrace his “maverickness.”
July 7th, 2008 at 9:21 amWe can’t rid ourselves of this embarassing lout soon enough.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:22 amMaliki’s proposal “includes a formula for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq,” a concept the White House opposes.
Well, so much for leaving when the Iraqis ask us to leave!
July 7th, 2008 at 9:24 amAfghan Governor Says 22 Civilians Killed in Air Strike
An Afghan district governor said 22 people, most of them women and children, were killed Sunday when US-led coalition air strikes hit a wedding party in eastern Afghanistan, but the force insisted only militants were killed. “I confirm that 22 people, three of them men and 19 of them women and children, were killed,” said Hamisha Gul, governor of Deh Bala district in the eastern province of Nangarhar.
The US-led coalition rejected the allegations. “It was not a wedding party, there were no women or children present. We have no reports of civilian casualties,” coalition media officer Captain Christian Patterson told AFP.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/06/10146/
What Captain Patterson fails to realize is that if the district governor says woman and children were killed who are the people going to believe? Who are we going to believe when we have been told so many lies? The district governor most likely.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:26 amThis is the fourth frakin’ time I have tried to post. Two are “awaiting moderation” which is a joke because no one ever moderates and allows the post. The last time was rejected as a duplicate posting.
TP seems more interested in allowing trolls and wingnuts post that someone who likes to participate and discuss and contribute.
Anyway, I was referring to an article at Common Dreams:
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/06/10140/
My point is this:
**I still think this spying was going on well before 9/11 and this is what the current criminal administration has used to blackmail Congress into submission. I can’t imagine Rove and crew missing an opportunity to get as much dirt as possible on the enemies of the current administration. I am sure every little sordid detail made them clap their hands gleefully. It’s also no secret how they view dissenters. It’s been going on for years. All 9/11 did was provide them with an excuse to make these illegal activities legal.
It might be interesting if we could get some oversight to what information has been gathered by these crooks. Right now the emphasis is on oversight before they ther “intelligence” –I think we also should see just what is gathered. By keeping the average joe worried about which of their conversations are being tapped, they are succeeding in keeping our eyes off their true prize — political espionage.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:29 am“[S]ecurity in Iraq continues to improve.” Notice how this is accepted by comatose media as postulate? First, “security” is a pretty nebulous term; second, from the data I’ve read, violent events outside Baghdad continue at a rate pretty much unabated; third, what little diminishing in the effectiveness of the the violence is pretty much due to the Bantuization of Baghdad, the moratorium declared by al Sadr, and bribing those who were once attacking us. It’s not due to U.S. occupation troop levels.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:31 amSpy chief Alex Allan found with ‘blood everywhere’
Britain’s leading spymaster, who is in a coma after apparently being struck down by a mystery illness, was found covered in blood, according to a tenant.
Mr Allan was appointed as head of the Government’s spy network in November last year Alex Allan has been described as “very, very seriously ill” and is under police guard in the intensive care unit of a west London hospital.
He was found by Dominique Salm, a painter who rents an artist’s studio in his west London home.
According to neighbours she found him slumped unconscious with “blood everywhere”.
Doctors have run a battery of test to try and establish why the 57-year-old Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee collapsed at his home on Monday.
Government sources insist there is no evidence of suspicious circumstances, but Miss Salm’s account will add to speculation that Mr Allan may have been targeted by a foreign spy.
The painter’s mother Sally Ann Salm told the Mail on Sunday: “Some very serious people have asked Dominique not to comment on any of this until it has been fully investigated and she is doing just that. So am I.”
http://blacklistednews.com/news-304-0-11-11–.html
**Collapsed and covered with blood sounds pretty normal to me. This is really weird. GB doesn’t seem like a safe place for spys. Isn’t this the third or fourth suspicious death in the past few months?
July 7th, 2008 at 9:37 amCongratulations to ThinkProgress for having the courage to report this good news despite its political benefit to the Right. — Jabberjaw
Political benefit to the right huh? What about the benefit to the Americans as a whole?
Please. You right wing people are such freakin’ @ssholes. Us vs. Them, Liberal, Conservative, blah blah blah.
That kind of attitude is why conservatism has proven to be a complete and utter failure for this country, starting with Nixon. It has done nothing but divide this once strong nation.
Get out of your 20th century paradigm and join the freakin real world.
By the way, Jabberjaw was the absolute worst Hanna-Barbara cartoon ever.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:38 am#15 And the beat goes on Says:
This is the fourth frakin’ time I have tried to post. Two are “awaiting moderation” which is a joke because no one ever moderates and allows the post. The last time was rejected as a duplicate posting.
TP seems more interested in allowing trolls and wingnuts post that someone who likes to participate and discuss and contribute.
Anyway, I was referring to an article at Common Dreams:
The same thing kept happening to me while you were on vacation, to the tune of seven times in two days I was moderated. I almost left the site for good. Fiaz fixed the problem for the most part. Send him an email. I understand your frustration completely :)
July 7th, 2008 at 9:40 amjabberjaw Says:
Congratulations to ThinkProgress for having the courage to report this good news despite its political benefit to the Right.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Uh, sorry, there’s never been any “political benefit” to the right. Partially stopping the bleeding of a massive wound that shouldn’t have been inflicted yields no political benefit. Paying people not to kill is not brilliant and is an extremely volatile strategy. Breaking something in the first place is a huge negative; why would we give you any points to fulfill the basic obligation of fixing what you broke?
July 7th, 2008 at 9:41 amBy the way, Jabberjaw was the absolute worst Hanna-Barbara cartoon ever.
But a fake-tough Shark with the brain of a sardine and the courage of a guppy is a pretty good description of a right wing troll…
July 7th, 2008 at 9:45 amFreedom Rebel Says:
The same thing kept happening to me while you were on vacation, to the tune of seven times in two days I was moderated. I almost left the site for good. Fiaz fixed the problem for the most part. Send him an email. I understand your frustration completely :)
July 7th, 2008 at 9:40 am
**Thanks FR for keeping a clear head. I am still so angry I am spinning. I am pretty sure that for long posts I have to compose in Word because my left arm and hand are still injored and it’s hard to type without making a lot of mistakes. I will email Faiz when I calm down and see if it makes a difference. I am glad you didn’t leave because I love your contributions. ;)
July 7th, 2008 at 9:48 am#24
injored=injured
compose in word and cut and paste in TP
See!
Having the ability to preview and edit before posting might take care of some of this.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:50 amUpon returning to work this week, Senate Republicans will be “under pressure after a barrage of radio and television advertisements blamed them for a 10.6 percent cut in payments to doctors who care for millions of older Americans.”
Anyone know what the Republicans reasoning is for not stopping this cut in payments to doctors? Don’t they realize what that will do to the elderly vote. The elderly already have a tough time finding a doctor who will take a Medicare patient. If these cuts go through, it will be all that much harder. Besides, how can they morally justify cutting these payments. Do they want us to think that it is costing doctors 10% less to care for their patients these days?
July 7th, 2008 at 9:51 amI’m sure the trolls understand paying people for not committing acts of violence. They were the ones who gave their lunch money to the school bullies instead of kicking them in the nuts.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:52 am“The USA Today writes that security gains in Iraq “may lead to pullouts.”
And then what? Is the U.S. going to redeploy their troops to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan or some other “looks good – let’s invade them” target?
July 7th, 2008 at 9:54 amPaul W Says:
Iraqis want us out. American citizens want us out. Certainly the soldiers and their families want us out. Apparently only Bush, leader of the “free” world wants us to remain in Iraq.
Actually McCain wants us to stay too.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:55 amPresident Bush “kept up his tradition of informal relations” with world leaders by casually summoning Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, “a rather stiff and shy figure.” Footage of a G8 lunch “showed Bush talking to Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua and saying ‘Yo Harper! The president of Nigeria,’” Reuters notes. At a 2006 summit, “Bush landed ally Tony Blair in some trouble by calling out ‘Yo Blair!’”
He is such a public embarrassment. With all the money his family has couldn’t they have sprung for etiquette classes. Bush has no clue about socially acceptable behavior and has the decorum of a raging bull in a china store.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:55 amBy my count with “Yo Harper” we now have the chimp or his surrogates berating, abusing, humiliating or just outright assaulting representatives or the entire governments of France, the UK, Germany, Russia and Canada. Nothing on Japan yet (although daddy ralphed on the Japanese PM in 1991 so perhaps that one is already checked off on the Bush family scorecard). Look for something goofy aimed at the Italians in the next six months. After all, Chimpy has a legacy to consider.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:55 am“A suicide bomber has rammed a car full of explosives into the gates of the Indian embassy in the Afghan capital, killing 41 people and injuring 141.”
Dear TP,
How dare you misinform the public! I shall correct your story:
“A suicide bomber has rammed a car full of explosives into the gates of the Indian embassy of no matter, killing 41 people and injuring 141 who are of no concern to no one as they reside nowhere.”
Get the facts straight!
Gotta go blow Rupert,
Fred Barnes
July 7th, 2008 at 9:57 amSupreme Idiot
John McCains Health Plan: A Paradise for the Young, Healthy n’ Sassy. John McCain’s health plan is a boon to businesses who want another reason to throw out older employees.
July 7th, 2008 at 9:59 amThe Trolls can explain at any point how a vague promise of partial troop withdrawals in year six of a war/occupation the vast majority of the populace considers a mistake somehow benefits the rightwingers. The best case scenario for the BushBots is an Iraqi government friendly to Iran and a few more brigades to address the mess Chimpy’s incompetence created in Afghanistan. You boys do set your bar low these days.
July 7th, 2008 at 10:02 amAnd the beat goes on Says:
**Thanks FR for keeping a clear head. I am still so angry I am spinning. I am pretty sure that for long posts I have to compose in Word because my left arm and hand are still injored and it’s hard to type without making a lot of mistakes. I will email Faiz when I calm down and see if it makes a difference. I am glad you didn’t leave because I love your contributions. ;)
No problem. :) I hope your arm and hand heal soon, sorry to hear you are hurt.
July 7th, 2008 at 10:03 amShutup, Trajan.
July 7th, 2008 at 10:05 amMr.Roboto_2008 Says:
The Iraqi Shiites are now turning on Iran. Sorry they are disliking your allies in Tehran.
July 7th, 2008 at 10:04 am
______
Depends which Shi’ites you mean – the Sadrists and the Dawaists and the Badrists all have differing views on the subject. Iraqi Shi’ites are not a monolith.
July 7th, 2008 at 10:08 amMcWars Says:
Shutup, Trajan.
Good Morning McWars ;) Trolls coming out in full force the closer we get to the election.
O/T I hope you had a good weekend!
July 7th, 2008 at 10:09 am“But this is much more insidious because it could involve more people. In the days of COINTELPRO, they were watching only a few people. Now they could be watching everyone.”
I post, email and make phone calls under the assumption I’m being “watched”, listened to and monitored. To think otherwise would be a bit naive under the current repuke climate IMHO.
July 7th, 2008 at 10:10 amExit Stage Left Says:
“But this is much more insidious because it could involve more people. In the days of COINTELPRO, they were watching only a few people. Now they could be watching everyone.”
I post, email and make phone calls under the assumption I’m being “watched”, listened to and monitored. To think otherwise would be a bit naive under the current repuke climate IMHO.
Good Morning Exit Stage Left :)
July 7th, 2008 at 10:22 amSad but so true. It’s amazing how an administration such as ours could have done so much damage in so little time. Without the cooperation from all the other branches this would have not been easily accomplished. The Supreme Court’s future worries me also.
Thank you, FR! As well, I hope you had a great weekend celebrating what hasn’t yet gone to the dogs in this country!
July 7th, 2008 at 10:26 amFreedom Rebel Says:
Good Morning Exit Stage Left :)
Good morning Freb…I hope all is well in your world :)
July 7th, 2008 at 10:30 am#42 Exit Stage Left Says:
Freedom Rebel Says:
Good Morning Exit Stage Left :)
Good morning Freb…I hope all is well in your world :)
I spent my weekend painting and remodeling. So it was a good weekend, no complaints.
Thank you for asking :)
July 7th, 2008 at 10:38 amHey, Think Progress, what happened to your posts from yesterday afternoon? Didn’t you have something about Condi telling everyone to play nice with Pakistan because they have been such a huge help in our “global war on terror.” Besides, someone might accidently catch bin Laden before McCain pays a campaign visit so he can take creidt for the capture.
July 7th, 2008 at 10:48 amJust as conservative activists are pressuring McCain to listen to their requests, liberal activists should do the same to Obama, by making him realize that a phased withdrawal will ensure that more American soldiers will return to this country maimed and crippled for no justifiable reason whatsoever and to bring to Obama’s attention that leaving close to 100,000 troops in the region after his phased withdrawal finally takes place will do nothing to convince the Iraqis that American troops can be brought back into their country to wreak more death and destruction upon their fellow countrymen.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:05 amExit Stage Left Says:
——————————————————————————–
Freedom Rebel Says:
Good Morning Exit Stage Left :)
Good morning Freb…I hope all is well in your world :)
July 7th, 2008 at 10:30 am
I love it!! Freedom Rebel = Freb! :-)
July 7th, 2008 at 11:12 am“…security gains in Iraq “may lead to pullouts.” (emph. added)
Retired General Jack Keane who developed the “Surge” with neo-conservative Fred Kagan and who is not a commander “on the ground”, believes “the momentum we have is not reversible”.
This would be good news for the majority Iraqis (who want the US to leave), the majority of Americans (who want the US to leave) and the majority of those serving there (who want the US to leave)
But may doesn’t mean will. In fact;
“Four of the five extra brigades sent to Iraq last year have left the country; the last unit is preparing to leave this month. The extra brigades increased U.S. troop levels to about 160,000 from 130,000. Even after five combat brigades leave, about 140,000 U.S. troops will remain in Iraq.”
…which is about four brigades more than were deployed ‘pre-surge’ and a sensible choice I’m sure given that Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, the No. 2 commander in Iraq, said recently that “our progress is fragile, and we continue to work to make this progress irreversible” but the reductions being talked about here were pre-ordained in the surge-plan:
“Bringing security to Baghdad — the essential precondition for political compromise, national reconciliation and economic development — is possible only with a surge of at least 30,000 combat troops lasting 18 months or so. Any other option is likely to fail.” (Jack Keane/Fred Kagan Washington Post Op-ed, 12/27/07).
Bush will do nothing between now and January, regardless of the “success” of the ‘surge’.
This article’s lede is highly conjectural and quite meaningless.
July 7th, 2008 at 11:49 amAnd finally: President Bush “kept up his tradition of informal relations” with world leaders by casually summoning Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, “a rather stiff and shy figure.” Footage of a G8 lunch “showed Bush talking to Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua and saying ‘Yo Harper! The president of Nigeria,’” Reuters notes. At a 2006 summit, “Bush landed ally Tony Blair in some trouble by calling out ‘Yo Blair!’”
You would think someone born with a silver spur in his butt would have better manners, but nope! What a dope!
July 7th, 2008 at 12:10 pmJohn McCain has said that he’s computer illiterate. He knows what the internet is, which I suppose is a start, but do we really want someone shaping American policy who has no knowledge of the things that shape American society?
What do you think? Join the discussion!
July 7th, 2008 at 12:16 pmWTF? The Republican party has principles?!?! Since when?
July 7th, 2008 at 12:39 pmLose your home, lose your vote. We’re getting back to the foundations of democracy. The founding fathers initially wanted to restrict the right to vote to white men who owned property.
July 7th, 2008 at 1:56 pm