Warner, Levin, Reid and Hagel v. Bush –updated below–

Well, Molly,
it\’s not perfect, not by a long shot, but this one is for
you.

Warner and Levin have crafted bi-partisan language that keeps the number of
anti-escalation resolutions down to a minimum, with some hope of this one actually passing.
After all, you can\’t exactly call Senator John Warner a dove, now can you. No
one has the spine to do that and outlive the hooting.

It now needs 60 votes.

Democratic and Republican opponents of President Bush\’s troop-buildup plan joined forces last night behind the nonbinding resolution with the broadest bipartisan backing: a Republican measure from Sen. John W. Warner of Virginia. Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) announced the shift, hoping to unite a large majority of the Senate and thwart efforts by the White House and GOP leaders to derail any congressional resolution of disapproval of Bush\’s decision to increase U.S. troop levels in Iraq by 21,500. Although the original Democratic language was popular within the party, it had little appeal among Republicans. Warner\’s proposal drew support from both sides, and it was retooled last night to maximize both Democratic and Republican votes. The revised resolution would express the Senate\’s opposition to the troop increase but would vow to protect funding for the troops. The resolution does not include the Democratic language saying the Bush plan is against the national interest, but it also drops an earlier provision by Warner suggesting Senate support for some additional troops. \”It\’s been a hard work in progress,\” Warner said of the revised resolution, which will require the support of at least 60 senators to prevent a filibuster. After reviewing the Warner revisions, Reid decided the new text would take the place of the original resolution, by Foreign Relations Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), Armed Services Chairman Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) and Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.). He said the Senate will begin debating the resolution next week, provided Democrats and Republicans can agree on a way to overcome some procedural hurdles. … .. Senators Unite On Challenge to Bush\’s Troop Plan

However, even with Warner\’s unparalleled reputation, you still have spineless
pukes like Senator Cornyn refusing to sign on. What in the hell is in the water
in Arizona Texas? Of course, duster is right, and whatever it is it\’s killing Republicans. Barry Goldwater is rolling over in his grave. Twice, when McCain
turns away, too.

But the ability of the senators to come together and craft a compromise, though
anything but perfect, does send a strong signal for future endeavors to cut
funding. It\’s not going to happen in the Senate. Warner demanded to protect
funding for the troops, while Levin and Reid got an agreement that Warner drop
any suggestion of more troops.

This is a Sense of the Senate. In a parliamentary system, the Bush government
would fall. In America, what we now have to move towards is passage of this
legislation and big fat headlines blaring Senate Votes Against Escalation – Sends Bush Crushing Defeat,
numbers of 62 – 36, with 2 not voting, that is, if we get really lucky.

However, the money for the war will continue to roll on. But don\’t worry, Molly, we\’ll keep watch and we\’ll think of you when the job is finally done.

The United States of America is still run by its citizens. The government works for us. Rank imperialism and warmongering are not American traditions or values. We do not need to dominate the world. We want and need to work with other nations. We want to find solutions other than killing people. Not in our name, not with our money, not with our children\’s blood. – Molly Ivins

UPDATE (8:30 a.m. – 2.1.07): Feingold blasts Warner-Levin compromise. Via email…

\”I oppose the weak Warner-Levin resolution as currently written because it misunderstands the situation in Iraq and shortchanges our national security interests. The resolution rejects redeploying U.S. troops and supports moving a misguided military strategy from one part of Iraq to another. The American people have rejected the President\’s Iraq strategy and it\’s time for Congress to end our military involvement in this war. We must redeploy our troops from Iraq so that we can focus on the global threats that face us.\” – Senator Russ Feingold

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Obama Plays Hardball with FNC

Slander me, screw you. Ahem, I mean, you air lies about me, get used to the cold shoulder, baby.

Sources tell The Sleuth that the Obama camp has \”frozen out\” Fox News reporters and producers in the wake of the network\’s major screw-up in running with the erroneous Obama-the-jihadist story reported by Insight magazine. \”I\’m still in the freezer,\” one Fox journalist said, noting that the people at Fox \”suffering the most did nothing wrong.\” (It was \”Fox and Friends\” host Steve Doocy who aired the Insight magazine piece, which reported that operatives connected to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) found out that Obama, as a child, was educated at a Muslim madrassah in Indonesia.) Another Fox journalist called the network\’s airing of the story \”unfortunate\” for the network\’s journalists who have to cover Obama and who are being adversely affected despite not being involved in the incident. Since the madrassah incident, Obama has given interviews to ABC, CNN, CBS and NBC — pretty much every other network except Fox. Sources close to Obama acknowledged that they\’re not thrilled to play ball with Fox journalists, but they stopped short of saying they are freezing the network out. (snip) No one is suggesting the icy conditions are permanent. In fact, a thawing of sorts may already have begun thanks to two telephone conversations Fox News Channel CEO Roger Ailes had with Obama. … Obama\’s Grudge Factor

Does anyone else have a problem with the title of The Sleuth\’s article? \”Grudge?\”
Excuse me, but when someone accuses you of attending a radical madrassa
that is code for he\’s a radical Islamic wacko in training since youth,
which has the potential of scuttling your presidential hopes, I\’d say sending
a message is a more appropriate title. When Fox gets it wrong, as they do so often,
they need to pay the price, which has nothing to do with holding a \”grudge.\” FNC gets away with this stuff far too often.

Oddly enough, sometimes Democrats are complicit and do the hit job themselves. Take \”Fox \’News\’ Analyst\” Kirsten Powers slamming anti-war protesters, while getting off a shot at Howard Dean recently. Both Schwartz and Powers worked in the Clinton administration. Alan Colmes goes after Democratic Congressman Cohen over the Fairness Doctrine. Colmes and I had a disagreeable shouting match on his radio show over the Fairness Doctrine as well, because at the start he decided to lower my volume for the audience and interrupt me at every turn. Fox Democrats like Schwartz, Powers and Colmes do nothing for progressive causes and promote an image of the Democratic Party that is anything but strong.

Obama gave Fox what they deserved. They should get it from Democrats more often. When this started I doubted that Obama was tough enough to take on Fox \”News\” and other political bad guys. He\’s proven he is plenty tough.

Hillary has it right. When someone attacks you, \”deck\” them.

\”When you\’re attacked, you have to deck your opponents,\” she said, expanding on a more tepid initial response. She added: \”I want to run a positive, issue-oriented, visionary campaign. But you can count on me to stand my ground and fight back.\” - Hillary Clinton, presidential candidate

Rule number one: Never play footsies on Fox.

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The \’08 Republican Lemons –updated below–
cross-posted on Huffington Post

Boo-hoo. Republicans are depressed

It\’s tough being a Republican these days. Not only are they under siege, but
their 2008 hopefuls are all retreads, adulterers or the consummate flip floppers,
sometimes all three! Hey, but that\’s not just my judgment. Politico
has an interesting piece up today talking about the GOP Right Sees Lemons
in White House Race that\’s getting a lot of attention (including my radio
show). But one of the people quoted in it beat them to it. They quote
a Red State post that is just too deliciously negative not to pick up.

They all suck. Let\’s just admit it. Every one of the thus far announced Republican candidates for President sucks. From the lecherous adulterer to the egomaniacal nut job to the flip-flopping opportunist with the perfect hair to the guy who hates brown people to the guy we\’ve never heard of to the guy who has a better chance of getting hit by a meteor while being consumed by a blue whale being struck by lightening. They all suck. (Well, okay, Brownback doesn\’t suck at all, but I perceive no viability for his candidacy.) … They All Suck

With the field this bad, can Newt be far from their minds? Evidently not, says
\”They All Suck.\” Oh, please. Oh, please. Oh, please. Bring back Newt,
by all means. His Fox \”News\” candidacy would be a hoot to watch unravel,
er, I mean unveil.

But let\’s run down the current crop in the GOP \’08 field:

\”Lecherous adulterer\” = Rudy Giuliani, now the leading Republican
in national polls.

\”Egomaniacal nut job\” = John McCain, whose candidacy is collapsing.

\”Flip-flopping opportunist with the perfect hair\” = Mitt
Romney, as slippery and slick as they come.

\”Guy who hates brown people\” = Tom Tancredo, who merits no comment.

\”Guy we\’ve never heard of\” = Duncan Hunter, the kick off
swiftboater of Jack Murtha.

\”Buy who has a better chance of getting hit by a meteor\”
= Sam Brownback, who makes you long for Bob Dole.

The one guy who could rev up moderate Republicans and independents will not
be considered. His name is Chuck Hagel. That\’s fine with me, but it\’s once again
proof that the ideological wingnut base is killing the Republican Party.

The \’08 lemons have even
lost Rush.

Contemplating the current field of Republican presidential candidates, Rush Limbaugh sounded like a man with malaise. \”To be honest with you, there\’s nobody out there that revs me up,\” he confessed to his audience of several million conservative sympathizers on his radio show last week, \”so why should I pretend there is?\”

That likely explains Ken doll Hannity\’s new attack on all things Clinton. He\’s
even dusting off the edited clips of \”Path to 9/11,\” complete with
Dick Morris narrative (podcast here), to convince people that Hillary is bad, because she\’s
got Bill. Good luck with that one, because it will never fly. Clinton\’s husband
is a huge asset and anyone trying to conjure up negative feelings about the
\’90s after the depressing years of W. needs to up their meds.

The real clash among the GOP ideologues, which will likely be accompanied by an even greater depression, will come next week when the Sense of the
Senate resolutions are brought forth by Democrats, but also featuring several Republicans. But will
the Congress move on funds? Some believe Congress doesn\’t have the authority. They need to get acquainted with our Constitution.

Or watch Feingold.
He gets it.

So does Barack Obama, who has just offered a full redeployment plan for Iraq. That\’s right, all troops out, baby.

UPDATE (via email)… That is why today, I’m introducing the Iraq War De-escalation Act of 2007. This plan would not only place a cap on the number of troops in Iraq and stop the escalation, it would begin a phased redeployment of U.S. forces with the goal of removing of all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by March 31st, 2008 – consistent with the recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group that the President ignored.

Then take it one step further and talk to Webb. He wants
answers on Iran (h/t Crooks
& Liars) from Condi, who is just another GOP lemon, whether she ever runs for office or not.

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IRAQ: Make Yourself Comfortable

Before we can talk about this, there\’s this, but then there\’s also the most recent Iraqi troops collapse. So many screw ups, so little time. So how \’bout a game of circular insanity? Evidently, we\’re all game.

Watching Senators Cornyn and Kyl blather on about the non-binding resolutions
both sides of the political aisle want to vote on as a message to Mr. Bush this morning on C-SPAN,
I can\’t help but think we\’re watching the burning equivalent of modern day Rome.
It\’s truly pathetic. Cornyn couldn\’t wait to get to 9/11 in his stand up ruminations.
As for Kyl, he raised the \”support the troop\” canard. Reading from
a soldier\’s letter, he said you can\’t say you support the troops and not support
the war, too. The soldier is wrong. The worse thing that can be done is send
our troops into battle when what we\’re fighting for has become a war beyond
which we originally committed. When it becomes a war within a larger war, mission creep doesn\’t even begin to describe it.

Iraqi forces were surprised and nearly overwhelmed by the ferocity of an obscure renegade militia in a weekend battle near the holy city of Najaf and needed far more help from American forces than previously disclosed, American and Iraqi officials said Monday. (snip) The battle also brought into focus the reality that some of the power struggles in Iraq are among Shiites, not just between Shiites and Sunnis. The Soldiers of Heaven is considered to be at least partly or wholly run by Shiites. Among the troubling questions raised is how hundreds of armed men were able to set up such an elaborate encampment, which Iraqi officials said included tunnels, trenches and a series of blockades, only 10 miles northeast of Najaf. After the fight was over, Iraqi officials said they discovered at least two antiaircraft weapons as well as 40 heavy machine guns. … … .. Officials in the Shiite-dominated government are loath to detail internal rivalries in their community, but in the past three years there have been several clashes between rival factions, and the deaths of two senior Shiite ayatollahs have been linked to internal struggles for dominance. … Missteps by Iraqi Forces in Battle Raise Questions

Soldiers of Heaven. I wonder if Mr. Bush catches the irony.

The Iraqis don\’t know what they\’re doing. Period.

Under their noses, tunnels and all sorts of elaborate trenches were set up
and they didn\’t even get what was happening. They obviously weren\’t policing.
Then when it all hit the fan they had to call in U.S. troops and aircraft to
drop bunker busters, or the carnage would have been near catastrophic by all accounts.

Right now Congress is arguing over the effectiveness of the non-binding resolutions
being offered up by multiple camps. It may be a start, but it\’s hardly going
to get the job done, if anything is at this point. Because, it\’s wise to point out, we are not only fighting between a civil war that pits Shia against Sunni,
as well as al Qaeda elements in Al Anbar province, but we\’re also dealing with
a religious blood match between Shia.

How many levels of hell is the U.S. going to referee? Evidently, Mr. Bush wants
us to solve all of Iraq\’s internal issues. If Congress goes along with this
insanity we better make sure the next president has the spine to finish what
Bush left undone. Yeah, that\’s right, as far as Iraq is concerned, it doesn\’t look like we\’ll be going anywhere anytime soon.

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Besieged on All Fronts

From the Libby trial to the new Democratic Congress, the Republicans are under
siege. They\’re feeling it, too.

Laura Ingraham offered some prescient comments this past weekend, which I covered
on my radio show today. (Podcasts
are up.) First, she offered up a right-wing
testimonial on James Webb\’s SOTU reponse from a conservative. None of her female panel members were too happy with Ms. Ingraham\’s observations. They evidently prefer the wingnut echo chamber.

Ingraham then continued by explaining why James Webb scares the crap out of conservatives. It\’s obvious to some of us, but always good to have the other side cower.

Then Ingraham wondered out loud if Democrats had \”learned the lessons\” of past failed elections. She then said \”God forbid\” if the Democratic Party ever became a \”pro-life\” party. Never going
to happen, because our idea of being \”pro-life\” means helping the
poor, offering health care and investing in stem cell research, while not interfering
with the privacy of women and also reducing abortions, which is the ultimate goal. Frankly, I want to campaign and win in 50 states.
So if a \”pro life\” Democrat will support our party and a pro-choice
candidate, while having their own personal views against abortion, I say let
them run. If they can beat out a progressive in the primary and represent our
party, so be it.

But the trouble for Republicans goes beyond a Democratic Congress and a bad war.

The latest Libby dish makes me hope that Bush will indeed have to blunder into a pardon. It\’s yet another front on the war against the White House. They\’ve earned it.

P where and who was present? Fl just Libby and me P was anything discussed Fl my plans what I was going to do in the private sector. Talked about sports, football, both fans of the Dolphins. I don\’t remember if I brought up or Libby brought up the briefing. I said I got asked about Wilson. I said what I was asked by the OVP to say. What I recall Libby saying to me, reiterated that VP did not send Wilson. Ambassador Wilson got sent by his wife, she works at CIA, Works in CPD, I recall that he told me her name. This is hush hush this is on the QT. Libby Live: Ari Fleischer One

Read the rest of Emptywheel\’s post. It\’s riveting.

But everywhere they look, the White House and Republicans are getting hit,
including the military. I cherish the emails I get from soldiers and their families. I received this email today. I\’m not providing the name for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, it doesn\’t exactly shine a good light on some of our people either.

First, I want to thank you for doing what you do and voicing your opinion when it may not have been popular. I am writing to you as I have come across your website in researching Iraq. My fiance is a Blackhawk pilot currently serving in Iraq. He is not a Bush supporter nor a Republican, rather a West Point grad who is serving his time until he can get out of the Army. Recently, whenever we talk the discussion always leads to death. He is convinced that the leadership there (and in D.C.) is so horrible that he is put into harms way even more than necessary, considering he is already in danger by simply being in Iraq. If the weather conditions are poor, and this is brought to the commanders attention, the soldiers are called \”pussies\” and told to get out there. Our government tells me to write a letter expressing my concerns to the politicians. I have received a generic response from Clinton and none from Rep Jim Walsh or from Schumer. As my fiance says, everyone supports the troops, but no one is willing to bring them home. I want to know who will listen to our concerns? Who is going to take responsibility for taking my fiance away from me for a year and putting his life in danger? Thank You, –Anonymous–

(graphic via)

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Is McCain Electable Anymore?
cross-posted on Huffington Post

The
McCain Doctrine is not working out so well for Senator
John McCain. How the once mighty has fallen, mostly due to his own bad judgment. Ouch. (via Markos) I bet McCain never thought he\’d trail two liberals, but he may have to get used to it.

But not only has John McCain become glued to Mr. Bush, but just like him, McCain
doesn\’t seem to like tough questioning, especially when it\’s done with a follow
up.

Toward the end of the conversation, I raised my hand and asked McCain: \”Given that you\’ve said that you are \’scared to death that it\’s going to be a very hot spring in Afghanistan,\’ and given that you have also said, repeatedly, that only a substantial increase in troops in Iraq would make a real difference, why not send the 21,000 troops headed to Iraq, in what is clearly an act of desperation, to Afghanistan instead?\” During his response, McCain equated those opposing his position with \”the far left.\” \”Do you consider Sam Brownback part of the far left?\” I jumped in. The Senator flared and told me that if I\’d only let him finish his answer instead of interrupting, we could have \”a civil discussion.\” … .. Davos Notes: John McCain Bites My Head Off

But seriously, between The McCain Doctrine, which is now turning into an Iraq
build up of U.S. troops, ala what General Keane hinted at, it makes you wonder
what we\’d have in store if we elected this guy in \’08. It\’s not just that the
straight talk express has been hijacked by Chuck Hagel, but his prima donna
temperament also comes with a very short fuse.

Frankly, I\’m also a little worried about a man who falls asleep at the SOTU.
Hey, but nodding off during a Bush speech certainly isn\’t criminal.

Luckily, it will be easy to keep track of all this stuff, because my friends
Robert
Greenwald of Brave New Films and Cliff Schecter have started a campaign.
Let\’s call it the straight talk express revealed, all the way down to the bone.
The Real McCain has all sorts of videos
and postings by Cliff. Head over and check it out.

Read Sydney
Blumenthal\’s article:

McCain had trapped himself. He is now chained to Bush. As Bush\’s war has escalated, McCain\’s popularity has nose dived. Still the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, he might have made himself more acceptable to the base, but his political strategy has shattered his myth. Bearing the burden of Bush, he may have become unelectable.

As for \”The Real McCain,\” I don\’t even know who that is anymore.
Do you?

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Hillary\’s Stand Up in Iowa –updated below–

It\’s what some women have been waiting to hear for over eight years.

Hillary Rodham Clinton left caucus-goers here yesterday believing that Bubba had given her a baptism by fire in how to deal with \”evil and bad men.\” Clinton\’s quip, made during a morning rally with about 500 Iowans, drew 31 seconds of straight laughter and applause that left little doubt among attendees that she\’d made a joke at hubby Bill Clinton\’s expense. The one-liner came in response to a question shouted at the former first lady from the audience asking whether she had the mettle and experience to deal with evil and rotten men – like terrorist Osama bin Laden and the tyrants of North Korea and Iran. Clinton grabbed the mike and told the audience that the questioner wanted to know \”what in my background equips me to deal with evil and bad men.\” She then smiled, raised her eyebrows and nodded knowingly at the questioner. … HILL\’S \’EVIL\’ JOKE ON HUBBY BUBBA

\”What in my background equips me to deal with evil and bad
men\”?

I\’m sure this went over very well with Republicans, especially since it plays
right into their talking points, but what it does for Hillary I have no idea. Makes her look independent? Casts her free of Bill\’s spell?

Once again, without even showing up Bill was center stage, but this time the
joke was on him. Hillary demurred, playing coy, saying she was only trying to take advice
and loosen up, but now she was being psychoanalyzed. Perish the thought. But it was a leap the audience
made in a stand up routine that encouraged the journey. Hey, why not? She\’s waited a long
time for the shot.

However, one has to wonder if this will be the new line on Lewinsky, and if it is what good it\’s going to do her. Bubba being one of the \”bad men\” Hillary can handle. Forget the psychoanalyzing, let\’s just look at the reality, because after all Hillary brought it up. Let\’s face facts. In the end, Hillary was the last one to know.

But laughing about Bill being one of the \”bad men\” Hillary can handle? I wonder.

UPDATE (5:35 p.m.): I got to Ezra\’s post late, but I have to strongly disagree with his assessment. Look at HRC\’s reaction in the YouTube below. The audience laughs almost immediately, as HRC joins in. The girls got the joke. Besides, Clinton doesn\’t need anyone standing up for her in these instances. In fact, she may be having a moment with the girls. What woman hasn\’t been wronged by a man, sometimes more than once without leaving? I find it interesting that people completely dismiss the notion that HRC was talking about Bill. Just think if she manages to disarm the women she meets; what a boon to her campaign it will be. In fact, it\’s not a bad strategy if you think about it and also deals with a topic that many women still wonder about but would never ask her directly. The joke works for Hillary, especially if it was meant for Bill, so I simply don\’t take it as \”set your phasers to Clinton.\” A little protective aren\’t we? Save it for when it really matters. Not for some silly joke.

UPDATE (3:30 p.m.): Here\’s the YouTube and TMV has more.

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Bye, Barbaro

Kentucky Derby Winner – Barbaro

I\’ve had a love for horses my whole life. Riding used to be my greatest joy. I\’ve had many close friendships with these beautiful beasts.

Today, Barbaro lost the fight, but it was a valiant battle by horse, doctors
and everyone involved.

The injury happened during a false start at the Preakness and they\’ve been
trying to save his life ever since. Barbaro was euthanized because of a setback
and the fact that the doctors couldn\’t guarantee there would be no pain after another surgery.

What a glorious animal. What a fighter. What a winner.

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Read this remarkable
guest post, which is actually a guest plea, on Juan Cole’s blog. Read. It.
All.

This is the message we want to bring to the American Jewish community: Let us try another way. In the eyes of many, the key to this conflict lies in the US. Your support is invaluable just as the lack of it is disastrous. Israel is now refusing to negotiate with Syria, the reason being that Washington wants it so. My question is: What do you want? (snip) We want Israelis to comprehend the full scale of the oppression inherent to the Israeli occupation, and we want the Palestinians to know that behind the occupation there are humans, who are also suffering. We want both sides to understand the price of violence. Our message is simple: Peace is possible. The only way to reach peace is through dialogue and negotiations, and the only solution is a two state solution — an end the occupation, in keeping with UN resolutions. (snip) People often say “but you’re just a few good people. The majority feels differently.” But this is not the case. First of all, we’re not good people. Indeed, until not long ago, we were very bad. As soldiers we killed and maimed, we bombed and tortured. Our Palestinian counterparts stabbed, and shot and planted bombs, killing and maiming as they went. But we’ve changed. We understood that power has limits and that violence can only lead to more violence; that non-violence is better, as both a tactic and as way of life. Like us there are many more “bad” people who might change, who will change, if they’re given just a bit of hope. … … Another Way for Israel, by Elik Elhanan Combatants for Peace – Via The Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace

Some people are pushing the notion that the way to solve Iraq is through the
Israeli – Palestinian conflict. If that was ever true, and I seriously doubt
it was considering Messrs. Bush, Cheney and Rummy were always hell bent for battle, it absolutely isn’t true today. Iraq is on boil and will be set on high
until the Iraqis make peace with one another. Peace is decades away whether
we stay or redeploy. We’ve unleashed over a thousand years of hatred and bitterness
in this region, while botching the job in the process. It’s way beyond us now. Perhaps if we’d never gone into Iraq we could have solved the Middle East crisis
and Iraq could have been contained, with Saddam eventually forced into asylum
somewhere, maybe Saudi Arabia. But Mr. Bush and the cowardice of our Congress made
sure that wouldn’t come to pass.

However, after Mr. Olmert’s fiasco in Lebanon last year, someone else has to
stand up and butt in. Maybe Combatants
for Peace can do just that, because they’ve been in the middle of the violence and
know what has been wrought. There’s little to lose by letting them take the lead,
because Olmert’s government has lost all credibility it ever had. Bibi is far worse, if you ask me. However, will anyone allow them in?

All this makes me more concerned about the ’08 presidential race than ever. The winner could change the world forever and it could go either way
depending on our choice. It keeps me up at night.

Yglesias pointed something out today on Hillary Clinton that I’ve said out loud, only I’ve taken it one step further. The truth is that since Clinton is a woman she has a reflexive and automatic political protection gene that will not allow her to say outright that she made a “mistake” on Iraq, or at least that’s some consultant’s way of thinking, I believe. A woman who admits a national security and military “mistake” supposedly won’t make the grade. That reasoning is why she voted for the war in the first place, in my humble opinion, no matter all the spin she’s turning out today. Voting against the war would have made her look weak or anti-war, again, according to someone around her giving her advice. A female commander in chief must be a hawk, which for some reason, to HRC, means pro Iraq war. This concerns me because I’ve been against the Iraq war from the start and never made an argument that was weak or I couldn’t back up and I’m, well, just me. War is not just some word or pr game to spin, though you wouldn’t know it after the last few years we’ve all endured.

Yglesias…

The real question is whether we want to go through another election cycle dominated by the question of whether or not the Democratic nominee is a flip-flopper. As a flip-flopper myself, I can hardly maintain that flip-flopping on Iraq is the greatest sin in the world. But if you’re going to flip-flop then, I think, you’re better off just saying (à la John Edwards) that in light of events you’ve changed your mind. A reflexive desire to appear tough was, pretty clearly, a major factor in the mistakes of the past . . . I’d like to see a president who’s over that. …

For me it’s not the “flip-flopping.” It’s the built in obstinance to be transparent and candid, which clearly Clinton has got and I believe a big part of it is the woman thing. I’ve seen all sorts of stories recently touting her changing language. Every one I read makes me yawn. Her language hasn’t really changed. I’ve talked and written about it ad nauseam, but she’s been moving at glacial speed on her Iraq vote ever since Take Back America in June 2006 when she was booed. Her latest talking point is that if she knew then what she knows now, etc. Clinton will never go any further, though the press is poised and ready to move her when even one single word changes, regardless of whether it’s an actual shift in position or not. Short of standing up and saying she was wrong, like Edwards, or being against the war from the beginning like Obama, Clinton remains welded to a position that will make her less like a woman and more like what she believes any man would say. This fundamental insecurity to trust her judgment as a leader, minus the posturing, is troubling, though I understand it’s a judgment I cannot prove. It just seems so obvious, because she made a fundamental mistake in voting for the Iraq war. Why can’t she admit it? In my opinion, it’s nothing short of a character flaw.

Who we elect in ’08 could change the world, especially if you expand our Iraq challenges to the greater Middle East. We must be vigilant and be willing to walk away from anyone who postures for an expanded war in the Middle East. Walk softly and carry a big stick is a start, but that stick sure as hell better be on safety. Unfortunately, if you’re simply playing a role and want to appear tough, I’m not sure you can realize the danger of a bunch of guns loaded, cocked and ready in a place as volatile as the Middle East. Just as Mr. Bush.

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Dinesh Needs a Session with Webb

Dinesh, meet James Webb… WEBB on \”Face the Nation.\”

Dinesh D\’Souza is such a nat of a wingnut. His hypotheses are so wildly netted
together it\’s really hard to believe he knows anything about history, let alone
reality. I\’ve argued this before, as have others, which is why he let fly his latest rant today. Maybe if the blathering little conservative had the courage to actually fight
a war he might know why James Webb and other Democrats take offense at questioning
our patriotism and our allegiance to America with silly little articles like
this one.

Why the onslaught? Just this: In my book, published this month, I argue that the American left bears a measure of responsibility for the volcano of anger from the Muslim world that produced the 9/11 attacks. President Jimmy Carter\’s withdrawal of support for the shah of Iran, for example, helped Ayatollah Khomeini\’s regime come to power in Iran, thus giving radical Islamists control of a major state; and President Bill Clinton\’s failure to respond to Islamic attacks confirmed bin Laden\’s perceptions of U.S. weakness and emboldened him to strike on 9/11. I also argue that the policies that U.S. \”progressives\” promote around the world — including abortion rights, contraception for teenagers and gay rights — are viewed as an assault on traditional values by many cultures, and have contributed to the blowback of Islamic rage. Bin Laden, The Left and Me

Anything to get the Republican base out of political therapy. If you saw or
read about any of the NRO group session this weekend you\’d have learned one
thing. Republicans are depressed. So naturally someone like Dinesh needs to bring
out the blame the liberals meme.

But as James Webb said this morning on \”Face the Nation\”, the military
has all brands of political affiliations, including progressives. Is Dinesh
saying that progressive military types like Webb, Hackett and Wes Clark have
contributed to the \”blowback of Islamic rage\”? Lieberman tried the same drivel today on Fox \”News,\” talking about demoralizing the troops by talk of getting out of Iraq. Last time I looked Lieberman was in the chickenhawk crowd: all talk, no service, while calling dissent un-American. That\’s slapping the troops in the face. Nothing is worse than saying Americans speaking truth to power is wrong. Oh, and another question, what exactly does Dinesh mean by \”measure of responsibility\”?

It\’s really hard to take anyone seriously when they skip over two Republican
presidents and twelve years of neglect, setting his fallacious ruminations only
on Jimmy and Bill. After all, it\’s not like George H.W. Bush was doing anything
about terrorism before he handed off his presidency to Bill Clinton only to
have the World Trade Center bombed months later. Surprise! What about George
W. Bush, who has done more damage to U.S. prestige, interests and influence
in the region than all the U.S. presidents combined? Is it a coincidence that we were attacked by terrorists months after Daddy Bush handed off his presidency, and Junior took office? At least Clinton warned Junior, but both Bush\’s were basically clueless. Never mind that Reagan
deciding to leave Beirut didn\’t exactly help our situation either, but it was
the right move. Then what? Nothing. However, blaming Carter\’s abandonment of the Shah as the reason
for the Islamic revolution in Iran is why letting conservatives run foreign
policy in the Middle East is like throwing a Molotov cocktail into a room full
of firecrackers. The Shah of Iran instituted what many Iranians thought were
anti-Islamic policies, including giving women the right to vote, and replacing
the Islamic calendar didn\’t help either. Besides, the Shah also became king with our help. Iranians were
ready for revolution. You\’d think we\’d have learned by now that America can\’t
stop the people in another country from exacting their will if they\’re willing
to die for the country they want to build.

Unfortunately, we\’re still learning that lesson.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), visiting Baghdad on Friday in her new capacity as House speaker, that he would like to see 50,000 U.S. troops leave by the end of the year, Iraqi officials said. … Pelosi, Maliki Discuss Timing of Drawdown

No one trusts Maliki. But he wants his country to control its own destiny.
His very survival depends on his ability to do so. We won\’t leave tomorrow or
the next day, it\’s obvious, but planning for a way to end this disaster is where
we need to start.

It\’s annoying that Dinesh has to write another long winded, meandering piece,
this time boohooing his victimhood, but it\’s easily rebutted. Webb did it well
this morning, likely without even reading the rant. I\’d like to see the two of them in a room talking about these
subjects. I doubt if bin Laden or anyone else would doubt who had the upper
hand in the Iraq war debate. Joe could join them!

Credibility is all.

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Sunday Political Hack Pack Game

This is a two stage game. First stage, let\’s play Where are the women on the Sunday shows? The next stage is Where are the Webb – Murtha redeploy from Iraq Democrats? Answer to both questions: nowhere to be seen or heard. You had to be on the ground in Washington to see them represented.

We have the first female Speaker of the House.

We now have the first female running for president who is
not only competitive but leading in many national polls. Hillary\’s performance in Iowa yesterday should wake up anyone who took the time to watch it.

So, how many women are on the Sunday morning political talk shows?

Layout via
Duncan:

ABC\’s \”This Week\” Joe Biden – supported the war Richard Lugar – supported the war Duncan Hunter – supported the war Kevin Bacon – unsure of his opinion on war. CBS\’ \”Face the Nation\” Jim Webb – opposed war, though not in Senate at time. Mitch McConnell – supported the war Arlen Specter – supported the war NBC\’s \”Meet the Press\” Mike Huckabee – supported the war Chuck Schumer – supported the war David Vitter – supported the war Gerson – former Bush speechwriter, supported the war Kenneth Pollack – supported the war CNN\’s \”Late Edition\” Chris Dodd – supported the war Jon Kyl – suppported the war Michael Steele – supported the war Donna Brazile – unsure if she took stand on Iraq war, but is on board of wingnutty Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. \”Fox News Sunday\” Sam Brownback – supported the war Joe Lieberman – loves the war Ellen Miller – N/A (fyi, executive director of the Sunlight Foundation) NOTE: emphasis and \”fyi\” added

And once you get beyond the continued testosterone packing Sunday shows, look at all those
pro war politicians. The American people aren\’t represented on Sunday either, especially on the war in
Iraq. So I guess we should just shut up! Not.
A. Chance.

Now we just have to get the Sunday shows to quit muzzling us.

Clinton isn\’t close to making the case for her presidency, as far as I\’m concerned. But we need more women in Congress, as well as in the military. We need their voices heard on Sunday.

But just as important is having people on the Sunday news shows who represent the majority of American opinion on Iraq. They\’re stacking the deck against us. It\’s a very bad omen.

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Hillary Hits Iowa

Hillary Gets Vets

To George Strait\’s \”It Just Comes Natural,\” Hillary Clinton was surrounded
by Iowans eager to get close, get her autograph and be photographed with her.
Courtesy of C-SPAN, we got to view Hillary\’s town hall meeting in Des Moines. It\’s Clinton\’s first visit to Iowa since 2003.
I watched it.

The kids are excited.

The young girls are excited.

The middle age women are excited, too.

Hillary\’s having a party and she\’s not the only one having a blast.

… Oh, and by the way, she stayed around talking, signing and taking pictures until the room was emptied.

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Conservatives Seek \’Renewal\’ After \’Disaster\’

The village is \”sold out.\” Looking for \”renewal\” after \”disaster,\” they turn to … … wait for it … … Newt, oh, and also Jeb. Where\’s the laugh track when you need it?

Wingnut idiocy is on parade. And according to Jonah, the \”atmosphere is electric.\” Oh. My. Gawd. I\’m all aflutter.

That predicament was the topic of tonight\’s free-wheeling panel discussion moderated by Kathryn Lopez and featuring Kate O\’Beirne, Mona Charen, Laura Ingraham, and Michelle Malkin (whom I\’ll refer to throughout as Michelle, since I know her better than I do the others). Opinion on President Bush\’s state of the union address was uniform — good on Iraq and the war on terror; bad on immigration. However, there was disagreement about James Webb\’s response. Ingraham was very impressed, noting that the Dems finally have someone who can both talk comfortably about the military and appeal to the \”little guy.\” By contrast, she feels that Republicans are once again talking to the country clubbers. Ingraham sees the selection of Webb to respond as evidence that the Dems are learning. But Charen saw it only as evidence that there\’s one Dem with testosterone. The party will be defined by its presidential nominee, and it won\’t be Webb, she said. … Friday night summitry

Enjoy.

…but don\’t forget to take away the main message. Conservatives are scared of \”Webb Democrats.\” There\’s a lesson here and we need to learn it fast.

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A Lethal Cup of Tea

The next time Mr. Bush looks into someone\’s eyes and see the man\’s soul, we
all ought to make sure the testers are doing their jobs.

British officials say police have cracked the murder-by-poison case of former spy Alexander Litvinenko, including the discovery of a \”hot\” teapot at London\’s Millennium Hotel with an off-the-charts reading for Polonium-210, the radioactive material used in the killing. A senior official tells ABC News the \”hot\” teapot remained in use at the hotel for several weeks after Litvinenko\’s death before being tested in the second week of December. The official said investigators were embarrassed at the oversight. The official says investigators have concluded, based on forensic evidence and intelligence reports, that the murder was a \”state-sponsored\” assassination orchestrated by Russian security services. … … Murder in a Teapot

The Pine Bar – Closed Until Further Notice.

But was it Andrei Lugovoi, a former Russian spy who is in Scotland Yard\’s investigative crosshairs, in the Pine Bar with the cup of tea? Nobody is believing his story so far, which includes Lugovoi claiming he\’s innocent. Yeah, and so is former Leningrad regional Directorate of the KGB, now President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

But so far, 128 people have had \”probable contact\” with the Polonium-210, with only 13 of those testing at \”a level for which there is any known long-term health concern.\” No doubt they\’re checking that phrase with their attorneys as you read this post.

When the Pine Bar reopens it will likely be the most popular curiosity for
cocktails in London. Nobby, the bar manager of 25 years, will no doubt be seating
you still. However, I wouldn\’t order the tea.