The Trail: A Daily Diary of Campaign 2008

from swimming freestyle:

"John McCain has admitted he's clueless when it comes to the economy. (Fear not - he's checked out Alan Greenspan's book from the library). He's made it pretty clear he intends to run on his military record and gung ho, never mind the facts, position on Iraq. That might be OK if he could just get the details right..."

http://swimmingfreestyle.typepad.com

Iraqis don't need to ask for our permission to fight their civil war. Let's just get out of there.

No McBush in 08!

Iraqis don't need to ask for our permission to fight their civil war. Let's just get out of there.

No McBush in 08!

Hezbollah was flushed out of southern Lebanon border areas, Hebollah leader says it was a mistake he made by starting the war with israel, UN walks in, Hezbollah tries to oust the central government and fails AND YET......the MSM story goes like this, Israel could not defeat Hebollah (meaning the all Sh'ites in souther lebanon could not be exterminated I guess), Hezbollah made Israel withdraw by firing rockets into civilan areas(meaning that terrorist rockets should have been wiped out of the face of the earth), Israel could not free Shalith (meaning that soldier can be found free in a Geneva Convention certified prison camp inspected by the Red Cross). No one believes the MSM now. MSM assumed most people are really stupid and will their SPIN. Wrong. The US election will prove this, the emergence of Iraq as a powerful, prosperous democratic nation will prove this.

what is wrong with the so called unbiased free media of today. the spin most of the print media is trying to put on the victory of the Iraqi Army is incredible.
THIS Mission is Accomplished.
Many more Missions to accomplish of course.

djah:

McCain's middle name is actually SIDNEY.

Anyone else actually interested in how the Electoral College (the only vote that counts) is lining up so far:

McCain (324) vs. Obama (205)

http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2008/Obama/Maps/Mar31.html

McCain (278) vs. Clinton (229)

http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2008/Clinton/Maps/Mar31.html

FDR didn't quit when the going got tough. I guess the definition of a liberal has changed in 60 years from courageous and inspiring, to cowardice and complaining.

"Thank God there were no liberal dreamers back in WWII. We would all be doing the goosestep,and wearing leiderhosen "

Hmmmm, Bill? Who was president then? Oh, the original liberal dreamer - FDR.
Bill, George Bush lost the war against Osama when he cut and ran from Afghanistan leaving a mass murderer free. Then the Republicans, with McCain cheering, botched the Iraq fiasco. And all McCain now promises is that he will continue to allow the Iraqis to have our kids fight instead of theirs. Subsidizing cowards is not patriotism.

edbyronadams,
Fair enough, although I remain skeptical. We shall have to see what terms are accepted.

-Paul,
Austin, TX

Thank God there were no liberal dreamers back in WWII. We would all be doing the goosestep,and wearing leiderhosen !!War is not a 1hr. video game.

McCain in '08

Bill P
NJ

What a military commander McCain is. First, he and Bush invade Iraq expecting flowers and candy. Then they push Israel into invading Lebanon and are surprised when Hezbollah whups them. Then they send Fatah to fight Hamas in Gaza and lose in 24 hours. Now they push Al Malaki to fight Sadar and are humiliated. Next, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran -- with similar results. With leaders like these, who needs enemies?

What a military commander McCain is. First, he and Bush invade Iraq expecting flowers and candy. Then they push Israel into invading Lebanon and are surprised when Hezbollah whups them. Then they send Fatah to fight Hamas in Gaza and lose in 24 hours. Now they push Al Malaki to fight Sadar and are humiliated. Next, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran -- with similar results. With leaders like these, who needs enemies?

'News reporters' on the Straight Talk Express are drinking the Kool-Aid. They are seduced by the old codger like they were seduced by Bush. I wish they had some B@LLS. I wish they would actually do some news REPORTING rather than the sycophantic blather they call news.

LOL! Botched my own Dig! Meant Saddam Hussein "Obam-"

LOL! WHICH, of the Demands was unreasonable?

How about any and ALL of al-Sadrs's demands, that are exclusive of the Saddam Hussein Bara-(Oops, too many letters!), that are Exclusive of the Saddam Hussein Conclusion! ;-)

I will feel much safer living in the Dallas Tx area (soon to be home of former President Bush), with McCain on duty than either Obama or Clinton. You don't discourage another 9/11 by running home to Mama. Osama and his boys are patient people. He'll nicely wait until our country is sick of war before he come's calling again.
We need to finish the job now. Pulling out of Iraq (which is a mess), makes a bigger mess. These people are not like the Vietmanese. They don't just want us off their land. They will follow you home. As a matter of fact, they've been to our home on quite a few occasions now. Go George, go McCain, hunt them down, and finish the job.

-Paul
Austin, TX,

and Maliki is considering the terms. One sued for peace. The other didn't.

edbyronadams,
As much as I would like to believe the current Iraqi government gained some moral or tangible victory out of this action, it is hard to see this as anything but a defeat. Maliki personally went to Basra and gave a three day deadline for the militias to hand over their weapons. Less than a week later, Al-Sadr is delivering him a list of 9 conditions, which include the retention of weapons and a return to the previous status quo. Maliki has been shown to be ineffective, while Al-Sadr has greatly bolstered his credibility with any factions in Iraq currently unsatisfied with their share of power.

-Paul
Austin, TX

"and by the way, my friends, we'll keep bombing the Ho Chi Min trail until the Iranians stop shipping..huh...what....ahhhh ..sorry...senior moment...and the Vietcong better.....

The present effort in Basra apparently did not result in an increase in US casualties and al Sadr is the one backing off. Overall it looks like a win win.

The open questions are whether Maliki informed Cheney when he was in Baghdad last week and whether the administration informed McCain and the other presidential hopefuls. Likely Cheney was informed but the candidates were not out of consideration that the war information to the Dem candidates is political fodder only.

so is McCain unqualified to be president, or is he lying about his experience and knowledge, or is he simply going senile in front of our eyes? Which is it Mr. McGoo, because you are now reminding me of Hillary, who lies when her lips move, and overstates all of her qualifications. Or Rudy G, who never did anything he remembered doing.

SHAME ON BOTH OF YOU JOHN MCCAIN AND HILLARY CLINTON. Stop the condescending lying, you miserable old-school pols.

Is McCain's middle name "Bush"?

"You guys need to stop drinking your own bathwater. McCain is right on the money. We've got a systematic approach going to clean up Iraq, and Maliki is tryint to grab some headlines prior to what else (an election) in order to show he's done something."

That's right TEXAS...let's run the country like the GREAT STATE OF TEXAS....oh wait, we are already doing that. Systematic approach or not, why would McCain be suprised that the LEADER of IRAQ would make a decision on how things are done in his country?? Seems to me like he's trying to show Americans that we can GO HOME! He doesn't need our help guarding his OIL...oh wait, we don't want to guard it, we want to STEAL it. You stop drinking your bath water....and let's get the hell out of where we're not supposed to be. Let's, God forbid, let these people run their own country....we've created enough of a mess already.

It's not Michael Shear and the WP that are the joke. They're the comedians. The "Straight Talk Express" is the punch line.

FROM McCain's new TV ad:

"Announcer: What must a president believe about us? About America? That she is worth protecting? That liberty is priceless? Our people, honorable? Our future, prosperous, remarkable and free?"

From one of Wright's sermons:

The government gives them drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America,'" shouted Wright at his congregation. "No, no, no. God damn America. That's in the Bible, for killing innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."
-------------------------------------

Both use the Pronoun "she" for America. I now some people might argue this is a traditional usage, but I think the juxtaposition of the two also demonstrates how Republican in trying to win over female voters, will play up patriotism and chivalry on the same card. Wright talks about the "she" (America) in a threatening tone--in a Freudian reading, scapegoating (blaming) specifically the "mother" figure.

You guys need to stop drinking your own bathwater. McCain is right on the money. We've got a systematic approach going to clean up Iraq, and Maliki is tryint to grab some headlines prior to what else (an election) in order to show he's done something. What other stupid things to politicians come up with prior to an election? How about withdrawing before the war is done? How about pulling the troops off of Iwo Jima, because too many folks died trying to take that volcano? How about being satisfied we retook Paris, in WWII and leaving Hitler alone? I'm glad you guys aren't making decisions for real. We'd be in REAL trouble (not just whining, complaining trouble)
Dallas, Tx

How dare the elected leader of a (sort of) sovereign nation decide to act in its interests without consulting its Imperial Saviour? Maliki can show leadership only if he asks permission from his handlers. McCain is "disturbed" by Sadr's demand that the Maliki gov'ment throw us out of country 'cause if that happened, McCain would lose his whole reason for being, much less his reason for running. Actually, that should be good news. Troops that are ordered out of Iraq would be freed up to invade Iran which should just about make McCain's day. Unbelievable.

...McCain told reporters on the Straight Talk Express ...
=============

Could Michael Shear and the Washington Post be any more of a joke?

"Sen. John McCain expressed surprise that Iraqi leader Nouri al-Maliki instigated a battle in the southern Iraqi city of Basra in recent days without, according to McCain, notifying the U.S. first."

I guess he was surprised that we weren't met with flowers, surprised that the occupation of Iraq is costing Trillions of dollars and destroying the American economy, surprised that he was willingly snookered into voting for the invasion of Iraq based on false pretenses. Well, my friend John, I've got another surprise for you. The American public is so angry at Bush and your party that no Republican can win the White House in '08.

You are surprised McCain?!?! I'm not and I don't even have the decades of military and national security experience that McCain professes.

Plain and simple, there is a power struggle going on in Iraq. The Kurds want to dominate their own region of space in northern Iraq. The Sunni and Shia "insurgents" are competing for power to control the oil reserves in Iraq. Also internal to the Sunni and Shia struggle is the type of government an entire Iraq wants. The Sunni want a government similiar to Egypt's and the Shia want a government similiar to Iran, both of which are bad news for the US.

Obama in 08!

McCain hasn't got a clue. Go back to bed, Grampa.