According to a USA Today/Gallup poll just released, a full 60% of Americans want to see a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. It's now confirmed that the President is warmongering against the wishes of a big majority of Americans. We can speculate no further. . .
Even more startlingly, the poll revealed a searing rejection of the "they'll follow us home" garbage that the Chimp and Penguin keep spewing at us. Only 22% (!!!!!!!!!!) buy the argument that our Iraqi occupation is preventing terrorist attacks on US soil.
Again, I say, who is this quarter of the country that seems to believe what these guys say, no matter what? All credibility they had when they entered office over six years ago is completely shot by all acceptable standards. The American people now see these guys for what they are: liars.
Impeach. Withdraw. Restore our country.
Obama 08
Showing posts with label Iraq War. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iraq War. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
9/11! 9/11! 9/11!
Dear Mr. President:
It's not enough for you to claim at the end of your veto that the legislative branch is acting unconstitutionally by doing its constitutional function, which is legislating (then again, nobody will EVER mistake you for a constitutional scholar now, will they?).
You always have to go that one step further, and shout "9/11! 9/11! 9/11!" like some child who's just stolen a pack of gum being dragged back into the store kicking and screaming by his mom, who wants him to return it and apologize. What's so beyond the pale here is that in repeating these lies, which makes you a war criminal, you are trying to now lie us out of the war that you lied us into?
We all know what you're doing here. You're delaying the inevitable. You want the Democrat who gets elected next year to start the withdrawal, just so you don't lose face during your term and your cronies can continue to profiteer in the meantime. Let me remind you of what's going on while you scream like a petulant child:
1---People are dying by the thousands.2---People are getting maimed for life by the tens of thousands.3---A middle-Eastern country lies in ruins, and the middle and upper classes, who could have rebuilt it, have fled, because they have the money to do so.4---A North American country, once a shining beacon to the world, is now the world's thug, prosecuting offensive, illegal wars and engaging in kidnapping and torture without due process, while covering up prisoner abuses and contriving military heroes from friendly fire accidents.
That is your legacy--death, destruction, and the ruin of democracy. And while your veto is constitutional in nature, your war crimes are most certainly not. This is the beginning of the end for you, Mr President.
It's not enough for you to claim at the end of your veto that the legislative branch is acting unconstitutionally by doing its constitutional function, which is legislating (then again, nobody will EVER mistake you for a constitutional scholar now, will they?).
You always have to go that one step further, and shout "9/11! 9/11! 9/11!" like some child who's just stolen a pack of gum being dragged back into the store kicking and screaming by his mom, who wants him to return it and apologize. What's so beyond the pale here is that in repeating these lies, which makes you a war criminal, you are trying to now lie us out of the war that you lied us into?
We all know what you're doing here. You're delaying the inevitable. You want the Democrat who gets elected next year to start the withdrawal, just so you don't lose face during your term and your cronies can continue to profiteer in the meantime. Let me remind you of what's going on while you scream like a petulant child:
1---People are dying by the thousands.2---People are getting maimed for life by the tens of thousands.3---A middle-Eastern country lies in ruins, and the middle and upper classes, who could have rebuilt it, have fled, because they have the money to do so.4---A North American country, once a shining beacon to the world, is now the world's thug, prosecuting offensive, illegal wars and engaging in kidnapping and torture without due process, while covering up prisoner abuses and contriving military heroes from friendly fire accidents.
That is your legacy--death, destruction, and the ruin of democracy. And while your veto is constitutional in nature, your war crimes are most certainly not. This is the beginning of the end for you, Mr President.
Mission Accomplished
Originally posted on May 1, 2007
Ah, it was only four years ago today that we saw you touch down on the deck of the aircraft carrier wearing the outfit that your costume-designer in chief, Karl Rove, adoringly said, "really accentuates your manhood."
And now to commemorate your pile of lies and your incompetent, unwinnable war, with its thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of missing limbs and gallons of blood, gather 'round your cronies---"Heckuva job, Halliburton! Heckuva job, Blackwater!"---and raise a glass. To quote Borat, your toast shall forever be, "May George Bush drink the blood of the women and children of Iraq!"
Impeach. Withdraw. Restore our country from the depths you've plunged it, where we devalue the lives and deaths of others, where we see human rights documents such as the Geneva Conventions as "quaint"---thanks, Alberto, heckuva job to you, too!---and torture away while whistling Dixie.
You've pissed on our military families and shat on the constitution. Heckuva job, Bushie. Heckuva, job. What a man.
We'll see the helicopters take what's left of the soldiers out in January 2009, at the end of what will forever be known as Vietnam II. It's one thing to be so freaking stupid as to repeat history, but it's another level of idiocy entirely to fabricate a situation so you can repeat it.
God help us.
Ah, it was only four years ago today that we saw you touch down on the deck of the aircraft carrier wearing the outfit that your costume-designer in chief, Karl Rove, adoringly said, "really accentuates your manhood."
And now to commemorate your pile of lies and your incompetent, unwinnable war, with its thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of missing limbs and gallons of blood, gather 'round your cronies---"Heckuva job, Halliburton! Heckuva job, Blackwater!"---and raise a glass. To quote Borat, your toast shall forever be, "May George Bush drink the blood of the women and children of Iraq!"
Impeach. Withdraw. Restore our country from the depths you've plunged it, where we devalue the lives and deaths of others, where we see human rights documents such as the Geneva Conventions as "quaint"---thanks, Alberto, heckuva job to you, too!---and torture away while whistling Dixie.
You've pissed on our military families and shat on the constitution. Heckuva job, Bushie. Heckuva, job. What a man.
We'll see the helicopters take what's left of the soldiers out in January 2009, at the end of what will forever be known as Vietnam II. It's one thing to be so freaking stupid as to repeat history, but it's another level of idiocy entirely to fabricate a situation so you can repeat it.
God help us.
Coming Out for Obama
I'm supporting Senator Obama for many reasons, but what put me over the top is his stand against and continued leadership in the US Senate regarding the Iraq War. I believe that the Iraq War is the greatest atrocity of a generation, in terms of what it has done to our military and their families, and, just as importantly, to the Iraqi people. I believe that George Bush and Dick Cheney fit the textbook definition of "war criminal," and many Democrats, fearing for their political lives four years ago, signed on as enablers of this awful, shambolic misadventure in American foreign policy. Among these enablers, unfortunately, were Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.
It's easy to dismiss Senator Clinton, because she's the consummate "finger-to-the-wind" politician, even more so than her husband, and she just joined the anti-war movement a few months ago. She expects us to forget what she has done---she didn't just vote for the resolution late in 2002, she was one of the staunchest hawks in a Congress that enabled Republicans to lay waste to our military and cause the deaths and maimings of over 30,000 American soldiers and tens of thousands (maybe even hundreds of thousands) of Iraqis.
Edwards is a little more difficult, but I must ultimately put him gently to the side as well. While he's still my "#2," assuming Gore doesn't take the plunge, saying you're sorry isn't enough. Edwards and Clinton are running all over the country saying things like "I'm accountable for my vote," or "I take responsibility for my vote." This is code language for "thanks for bringing that up, but let me dismiss that issue in one sentence."
True responsibility and true accountability often means that you face the rewards or consequences for your actions. And the consequence, for Sens Edwards and Clinton, is that they won't get my vote for President of the United States. When you see the carnage and waste (what EVIL profiteering we are seeing while Iraq burns and our own soldiers don't even have the boots and toiletries they need, much less body armor!), you have to remember that when these folks had their time in the hotseat, they wilted, either due to political calculation (Clinton) or just plain getting it wrong (Edwards, as he admits). While I admit that we can't know for sure how Obama would have voted as a US Senator had he been one at the time, we do know how Clinton and Edwards cast their respective lots.
So, while all the Dems would be a million times better than Bush, my choice is simple. While they all have great plans and records on the environment, healthcare, and helping the disenfranchised, not to mention women's reproductive rights and civil rights in general one, and only one, has an unblemished record of leadership on the number one issue in the realm of war and peace in our time---Barack Obama.
Even still, I love Edwards (and I really love the details of his plans for America), and I'll forgive him and give him my support if Obama fails in his run . But for now, I can forgive him and support somebody who's gotten this one right from the start. As angry as I've become about the war (see Anglico's blog about how Republicans treat the troops), I just can't support anybody in the primary who's got blood on his or her hands, even if it's just a small amount (Edwards) or covered with it (Clinton). I'm not trying to be vindictive---I love Edwards and can even bring myself to like Sen Clinton quite a bit sometimes, it's just how I'm making my choice.
It's easy to dismiss Senator Clinton, because she's the consummate "finger-to-the-wind" politician, even more so than her husband, and she just joined the anti-war movement a few months ago. She expects us to forget what she has done---she didn't just vote for the resolution late in 2002, she was one of the staunchest hawks in a Congress that enabled Republicans to lay waste to our military and cause the deaths and maimings of over 30,000 American soldiers and tens of thousands (maybe even hundreds of thousands) of Iraqis.
Edwards is a little more difficult, but I must ultimately put him gently to the side as well. While he's still my "#2," assuming Gore doesn't take the plunge, saying you're sorry isn't enough. Edwards and Clinton are running all over the country saying things like "I'm accountable for my vote," or "I take responsibility for my vote." This is code language for "thanks for bringing that up, but let me dismiss that issue in one sentence."
True responsibility and true accountability often means that you face the rewards or consequences for your actions. And the consequence, for Sens Edwards and Clinton, is that they won't get my vote for President of the United States. When you see the carnage and waste (what EVIL profiteering we are seeing while Iraq burns and our own soldiers don't even have the boots and toiletries they need, much less body armor!), you have to remember that when these folks had their time in the hotseat, they wilted, either due to political calculation (Clinton) or just plain getting it wrong (Edwards, as he admits). While I admit that we can't know for sure how Obama would have voted as a US Senator had he been one at the time, we do know how Clinton and Edwards cast their respective lots.
So, while all the Dems would be a million times better than Bush, my choice is simple. While they all have great plans and records on the environment, healthcare, and helping the disenfranchised, not to mention women's reproductive rights and civil rights in general one, and only one, has an unblemished record of leadership on the number one issue in the realm of war and peace in our time---Barack Obama.
Even still, I love Edwards (and I really love the details of his plans for America), and I'll forgive him and give him my support if Obama fails in his run . But for now, I can forgive him and support somebody who's gotten this one right from the start. As angry as I've become about the war (see Anglico's blog about how Republicans treat the troops), I just can't support anybody in the primary who's got blood on his or her hands, even if it's just a small amount (Edwards) or covered with it (Clinton). I'm not trying to be vindictive---I love Edwards and can even bring myself to like Sen Clinton quite a bit sometimes, it's just how I'm making my choice.
Friday, March 2, 2007
A Fantastic Proposal
In today's news, Democrats in the House are coalescing around a plan to hold President Bush and the Iraqi government to a six-month timetable for keeping their promises to quell sectarian violence.
Under the new plan, US soldiers would come home in six months if the government of Iraq doesn't take the measures it supposedly promised Bush (I say supposedly because he has lied at every step of this process, going back to his first beats of the war drum in late 2001) to stop the violence instigated by both Sunni and Shiite militias within its borders, particularly in Baghdad.
Call it a benchmark, call it a timeline, call it whatever you want---but it's past time to do something along these lines. There has been no accountability on the President's part and even less on the part of the Maliki government.
Under the new plan, US soldiers would come home in six months if the government of Iraq doesn't take the measures it supposedly promised Bush (I say supposedly because he has lied at every step of this process, going back to his first beats of the war drum in late 2001) to stop the violence instigated by both Sunni and Shiite militias within its borders, particularly in Baghdad.
Call it a benchmark, call it a timeline, call it whatever you want---but it's past time to do something along these lines. There has been no accountability on the President's part and even less on the part of the Maliki government.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Wasted
The Straight Talk Express is off the rails, for sure. John McCain now apologizes for saying the lives of 3100 service men and women have been "wasted" in Iraq. He claims he should have used the word "sacrificed" instead, after the Democratic National Committee hit out against him for his "calloused" comment.
This is ironic, because Barack Obama was lambasted by the right-wing hit machine for using identical terminology when he announced for president and referred to the "wasted" lives of US soldiers in Iraq.
For once, I agree with both McCain and Obama. Before they were chastised and backpedalled as a result, they were speaking the truth. Those lives have been wasted. Dictionary.com defines waste as "uselessly employed." That's a pretty accurate description of folks who have been sent to the wrong country to fight a war! That's pretty damn useless if you ask me.
If I were McCain or Obama, I'd amplify my comment, not backpedal from it. I'd say that Dubya has TRAGICALLY wasted American lives in Iraq and brought chaos to the Iraqi people.
This is ironic, because Barack Obama was lambasted by the right-wing hit machine for using identical terminology when he announced for president and referred to the "wasted" lives of US soldiers in Iraq.
For once, I agree with both McCain and Obama. Before they were chastised and backpedalled as a result, they were speaking the truth. Those lives have been wasted. Dictionary.com defines waste as "uselessly employed." That's a pretty accurate description of folks who have been sent to the wrong country to fight a war! That's pretty damn useless if you ask me.
If I were McCain or Obama, I'd amplify my comment, not backpedal from it. I'd say that Dubya has TRAGICALLY wasted American lives in Iraq and brought chaos to the Iraqi people.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Well, that didn't take long. . .
Democrats in the House and Senate are splintering over provisions to restrict war funding and re-visit the 2002 authorization. Bills may not get a debate outside of committee, much less a full vote. It only took a little under two months in power for the party of good to quit acting like it had a mandate and worry more about preserving its own status.
This is disgusting. Democrats were put in charge of the Congress because they FINALLY stood up to the President last year on Iraq. But now that they have the power, they still cower, like a party firmly in the minority. They are running scared, and the Republicans love it. While the Middle East burns and troops die and lose limbs, folks back home are afraid of their patriotism being questioned by Darth Vader and Puppet Boy.
There's nothing like winning the race and failing to get the prize. And the unwillingness to accept the mantle of power is disgraceful. It's times like this I think about joining the Green Party.
This is disgusting. Democrats were put in charge of the Congress because they FINALLY stood up to the President last year on Iraq. But now that they have the power, they still cower, like a party firmly in the minority. They are running scared, and the Republicans love it. While the Middle East burns and troops die and lose limbs, folks back home are afraid of their patriotism being questioned by Darth Vader and Puppet Boy.
There's nothing like winning the race and failing to get the prize. And the unwillingness to accept the mantle of power is disgraceful. It's times like this I think about joining the Green Party.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Too Close for Comfort
It's all over the news today that Vice President Darth Cheney was the object of a suicide bomber's misguided love last night in Afghanistan. The bomber was representin' for the Taliban, the former Middle-Eastern chart-toppers who are looking to make an Eddie Murphy-style comeback.
I wonder aloud how this brush with death, and not at his own hands (see---heart attack), will affect Cheney's negligence in Afghanistan in favor of overthrowing a government completely unrelated to 9/11. Will it affect the advice he gives to the Boy Prince, or will they continue quixotically on their heretofore "remarkable achievement" instead?
Holding my breath. . .
I wonder aloud how this brush with death, and not at his own hands (see---heart attack), will affect Cheney's negligence in Afghanistan in favor of overthrowing a government completely unrelated to 9/11. Will it affect the advice he gives to the Boy Prince, or will they continue quixotically on their heretofore "remarkable achievement" instead?
Holding my breath. . .
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