Of course the election was just full of blunders and errors and wasn't meant to turn out the way it did. The Republicans are still really Republicans and it was circumstances that dictated their wrongful direction in voting. Of course the vote cast was a matter of strategy and not issues, all that went wrong was due to a lack of political insight and let's face it, hind sight is better than foresight.
First on the agenda to retake the vote is Iraq. The theme continues throughout the program so let's set some ground rules for evaluating Iraq.
RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS ORDER OF IMPORTANCE
Iraq has a relationship with the troops.
The Iraqi citizens have a relationship with the troops.
The USA has a relationship with the troops.
The USA has a relationship with Iraq
Iraq has a relationship with it's citizens
Now I could spell these out but I think breaking it down and asking oneself what relationship am I looking at here is a better idea.
1007
Hind sight Gingrich states if the president resigned Rumsfeld before the elections the Republicans would still hold the Senate and would hold 10 additional seats in the House.
That is incorrect. Any resignation before the elections would have increased the lack of confidence in the president and his 'resolve.'
I consider this news item the relationship between the USA and the troops. Not one word was spoken by Gingrich about the troops and what is best for them or the relationship being changed when Rumsfeld resigns between the battlefield and the troops. Gingrich is ony obsessed with the politics and the troops are completely invisible to the issue. Rumsfeld resignation is not about the troops or the battlefield, it is however about the election. Is this the type of party Americans want overseeing a war that has escalating casualities. One might ask where is the 'responsibility' for the disasterous war? There isn't any. There is only politics and how it plays out in elections.
1009
Brownstein states the resignation before the elections would have told the voters disgusted with the 'Stay the Course Policy' that Bush was no longer 'insulated.'
In response Mr. Bacon stated it would have been seen as waffling and would have not changed the election except to make it more blue.
They are both "W"rong and are mired in the poorest of relationships with the troops.
This administration plots every course and deployment.
Weeks ago Bush stated and was repeatedly backed by Mehlman and Snow appearing on CNN; the course in Iraq has never been 'Stay the Course.' It was always 'reaction' to the outcome of strategies tried and failed, but, it has never been "Stay the Course.' So much for Brownstein's observation.
If Republicans would have accepted that Bush was no longer insulated it would have been with statements in reaction to their poll results and his explanation of the circumstances of his Commander and Chief decisions. Republicans IF believing at all in the morality of the war would have voted with Bush and believed him in the explanation put before them.
Republicans aren't robots. They don't respond to stimuli as if Pavlov's Dog. They are thinking people that can discern for themselves that the war in Iraq is going badly either Stay the Course or not and that the war has no moral basis.
If Bush knows his constituency enough to realize many of their decisions are based in morals and values then he knew full well entering these elections that nothing was going to change by 'playing politics' with the battlefield. He knew and he stated when Rumsfeld's resignation was announced that this was not a political issue. At least he has that much right about the relationship this nation should have with the troops.
However, the Republicans in the White House don't like to shake up the base because it doesn't react well to it. Different from the Democratic base which loves change and challenge at any time, the Republicans do like consistency in leadership, after all these are the wealthy value voters that seek prosperous outcomes for many reasons after the elections. To make a sudden change before the elections is questionable on many fronts.
In regard to Mr. Bacon's assessment, he could not be more wrong. This administration would never enter into a relationship of waffling. They aren't 'built' that way. They are completely reactionary and seek to demonstrate to people that they have power over the power they hold in the Executive Branch, no matter the illusion of same. Rumsfeld resignation was a surprise to Rumsfeld. When Bush asked him to resign and already had a successor in mind it was because he expected this outcome to some degree but hoped differently.
He was hoping his campaigning would make the slightest of differences to swing the Senate his way. He campaigned primarily in Senate races and when campaigning for the House it was in tried and true Red State territory. He campaigned in all the questionable states; Montana, Virginia and Missouri. He knew how this was going to come down and was ready with a post election strategy to hold the attention of the country on his agenda. He was hoping he could leave Rumsfeld in place should the elections come his way and there was still a belief in the Bush White House. The elections proved to Bush there was no confidence in his White House and Rumsfeld was the price he had to pay.
The relationship between both these journalists is based in assessment of politics and not the best outcome for the troops. Why is winning the House and Senate by the Republicans vitally important? Are we not all equally as concerned about the troops, the people of Iraq and the best outcome for both? Or. Is there something else mudding up the relationships of understanding that allows this chaotic war to continue without end?
1012
The Baker Hamiton Iraq Study Group (click on)
I wondered at first if the Baker Hamilton Group was not a study at all but a building. (click on) You know it's the difference between Blue and Red. The 911 Commission was the 911 Commission, but, the Iraq Study Group is the Baker Hamilton Group. It sounds like an investment firm and not an issue of the day.
While we dont' know the outcome of this group's work, Senator Reid does present a good alternative and for all we know that alternative might even appear in the Iraq Study Group recommendations. Senator Reid wants a Middle East Regional Conference. It has to take place sometime and in a relationship with Iraq and the people of that country and the troops it should facilitate the quickest resolve to the fact Iraqis have to stand up and take control of Iraq.
OR.
They simply don't want it, explaining why the munitions assigned to the Iraqi National Military and Police, the ones without registered numbers in USA military inventory, went to the rebels to fight the USA occupation and each other. In trying to understand the relationships of all entities all the way around there is one topic chronically left out of the dialogue. That one topic is the possibility that the undermining of the Iraq military and police is simply a way of torpedoing Bush's established Central/Unity authority. We know the Kurds aren't the least interested and have already formed their own autonomous province.
No one ever goes there. They leave it alone thinking foolishly that the people of Iraq voted. Yeah, they voted alright. But with a gun to their heads. No different than their daily lives under Saddam.
1016
Andy is simply upset that Negron lost Foley's seat. Of course, the Foley scandal and it's e-mails were a convenient way and timed right to influence the electorate to allow a Democrat to be elected. Gee whiz, it's a shame that the discovery of Foley's 'minor' affairs were more predatory on children than simply a Gay Love Affair. It must be that Boy - Man connection that the pedophilias long to have accepted as vital to the development of the Gay Man. "W"rong. That is like saying a woman that has sexual relations even without intercourse with girls is doing them a favor. I remember developing most of my opinions about dating, boys, men and sex from piers of the same age and not MY MOTHER !
1023
Andy's bummed out over the Evangelicals bailing out of the picture.
They feel taken advantage of. They were but what they have to come to terms with is the fact this country does not hold bias against them within the framework of the USA Consitution. Quite the contrary.
The Values Voter has to come to understand the definition of government. Government is of, by and for the people. Not just one segment of people but all the people. Lady Justice wears a blindfold for a reason. Government is not the place for Value Voters to aire their demands on society. Government is a place where all laws apply to all people. Within in that definition lies a challenge to all of us. That challenge is to accept the values of others as their own. We don't have to agree. We don't have to accept them as ours, but, we do have to allow all value systems within reason to exist. There is a long history of 'acceptance' of segments of society by the Consitution through Amendments. That has empowered this country. There is however NO Amendment that excludes any human being from the equality of our laws. The equality of our laws under the USA Constitution is the morality of it. It is a far more complex morality than dictated by any church doctrines.
I have to agree that the name "Jesus" has been exploited rather than revered. The exploitation of the name "Jesus" for political gain has manifested some Big Bucks to many people including Mel Gibson. You might like the movie and consider it a great picture, however, it was used for political clout among candidates. It was not set in esteem to glorify the name of Jesus or God. The word "Jesus" in politics has become an impetus to an outcome and is watched for by journalists as well to comment on the likely outcome of a political campaign. The Value Voters need to become one of the citizens of this nation rather than a 'segment' of it WILLING to be a political pawn for the sake of gaining power to expand their Evangelical nature to all those '... under God.'
1037
commercials
1040
Michael Weare gives an assessment about the propaganda from Iraq following the resignation of Don Rumsfeld. There was the usual boasting by al Qaeda and that mess, but, the most interesting statement came from Cleric al Sadr, 'Rumsfeld's resignation is a defeat for the USA.'
Cleric al Sadr is protected by the Mahdi Army. It is the best organized army in Iraq. He isn't the head of it but they look to him as their spiritual leader and no different than their protection of the Grand Ayatollah al Sistani they protect Cleric al Sadr. Many of the relationships that brought orgnaization to the Mahdi Army is due to a dominance in the region by al Sadr's family which are rich in Ayatollah and Grand Ayatollah status. The al Sadr family was slaughtered by Saddam for it's religious allegiance to the 'conservative' side of Islam, the Shi'ites.
That said. If Cleric al Sadr is feeling as though the USA 'still' cannot protect his flock he isn't feeling very confident about asking the Mahdi Army to disband or disarm. On the contrary, as long as the USA has no ability to bring peace to the Shi'ites following the repeated slaughter of them by Saddam they will continue to stand their ground as a means of protection for their hamlets and neighborhoods. That simply plays into the USA Military plans for urban warfare of 'attack, hold and rebuild' which has yet to have any success even in the area of Baghdad. Heck the rebuild part hasn't provided all that impressive rebuilding by USA contractors eitehr.
This is not going to end and every day that passes pushes 'The Unity Government' further and further from success, but, yet we as the USA are supposed to continue to kill these citizens. It is grossly "W"rong and genocidal.
1045
Homeless Vets - this is a no brainer. There is stated to be approximately 600 homeless veterans in need of benefits because they are unable to work.
600?
I don't care if there is 6000, this is typical of the kind of treatment the veterans have received from the VA for decades.
WHERE ARE THE CASE MANAGERS? There should be minimally a dozen case managers assigned to cleaning up all these issues over the next 6 months to a year. This is Bush's idea of treating our soldiers right? Typical, negligence of those that fought and came home scarred.
This could ALL be handled easily and without delay with a minimal amount of cost to the VA. Send the Case Managers to the veterans and get them their benefits. FIND them and get them a home. Just that simple.
Typical. Bush could not care less about these men.
1050The soldier featured for a Veteran's Day Memorial segment started the segment young and vital and by the time the segment was over and he was killed in Iraq his appearance had changed to a man with bags under his eyes, showing the fatigue of battle as a daily grind. It is my guess the 'attitude' he had in the beginning when he stated "Mission Accomplished' with the destruction of Fallujah dimmed to the point where insight to the 'end' of the war caused him to accept war as his life's calling and he was becoming less immune to preventing his own demise.
In my opinion and realizing the American Soldier's experience with the Iraq War is different than the perception of the Homeland, the lack of morality of this was with it's neverending confrontation to still one new strategy after another spells defeat to these men. When they have fought a long and bloody confrontation, having the technological advantage and the capacity to wipe out villages within days, with dead and injured squad members to fly home, hoping the Commander and Chief has new recruits to take their place, the continued lack of resolve in Iraq has to take it's toll. Soldiers are not without conscience. Even the most aggressive 'grunt' with little feeling for the ? enemy ? has to ask themselves at one point, "We just wiped that town off the map, where are these ? insurgents ? coming from. These were supposed to be the nasty 'dead enders.' Like what gives already."
When a moral conscience of a soldier enters the battlefield what results is fatigue to the most seasoned and the opportunity for mistakes in judgement that lend itself to increasing their odds of death.
I am sorry, Anderson, but if watching this segment is supposed to make me angry with the ? enemy ? it doesn't, however, it makes me completely disillussioned with the purpose of this war, it's etiology and the profound lack of leadership in DC. We need to bring them home. There is no doubt this soldier fought for his country. It's that realization that brings anger and not resolve from me. That soldier's will to protect us all was misused and abused by his Commander and Chief. It is how I can support the troops WITHOUT supporting the mission. I don't care if they live for the mission. When the mission is as "W"rong as this one it has to come to an end. End of discussion.
1056
enough
