July 2007

That is something the wingnuts have been bolstering lately; "the insurgency is standing up to al Qaeda". While it is true, they fail to mention the other part of that equation. The Guardian has published an article explaining this (and repeating what the left has been saying):

Seven of the most important Sunni-led insurgent organisations fighting the US occupation in Iraq have agreed to form a public political alliance with the aim of preparing for negotiations in advance of an American withdrawal, their leaders have told the Guardian.

In their first interview with the western media since the US-British invasion of 2003, leaders of three of the insurgent groups - responsible for thousands of attacks against US and Iraqi armed forces and police - said they would continue their armed resistance until all foreign troops were withdrawn from Iraq, and denounced al-Qaida for sectarian killings and suicide bombings against civilians.

Speaking in Damascus, the spokesmen for the three groups - the 1920 Revolution Brigades, Ansar al-Sunna and Iraqi Hamas - said they planned to hold a congress to launch a united front and appealed to Arab governments, other governments and the UN to help them establish a permanent political presence outside Iraq.

This is much like the immigration debate here. We don't want illegal Mexicans in our country and Iraq don't want armed forces from other nations in their country. The problem is the talking heads on TV. They fail to always mention the simple fact that the insurgents want ALL foreigners out of their country.

I read the first paragraph of this AP article and my head started spinning:

Republicans dismissed as political theater a Democratic plan for an all-night session of the Senate to debate President Bush's military strategy in Iraq amid bipartisan proposals to redeploy U.S. troops.

So actually having a debate  on how to end a war that has killed 3,600 of our own soldiers is "political theater"? If that is political theater, then what do you call this?

We have lost over 3,400 soldiers since this act of "political theater".

How about a bunch of GOP senators arguing and fighting to give the "surge" time, only to say it isn't working a month later? These people are up for re-election and that makes it one very disgusting example of "political theater".

How about Mitch McConnell filibustering every piece of legislation that comes out of the Democrats? That isn't just "political theater", that is obstructionism - especially when the same McConnell complained about the Democrats threatening one filibuster on a judge.

If these Republicans don't want to do their job and debate, then they need to just leave the Senate. Debating the war isn't "political theater" to the soldiers over their fighting, nor their families. It isn't "political theater" to the loved ones of the 3,600+ soldiers that have fallen.

Then America don't want it!

In a widely expected move, Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) press department resigned en masse today.

Communications director Brian Jones stepped down, along with deputies Matt David and Danny Diaz. Research director Brian Rogers and South Carolina McCain spokesman Adam Temple are also leaving the campaign.

None of the depatures is surprising, as Jones, Diaz, David and the others were seen as loyalists of campaign manager Terry Nelson, who resigned last week. Sources familiar with the campaign insisted the departures were not acrimonious, pointing out that Jones and David will stay through the week to help ease the transition.

Perhaps him and Lieberman can just start their own party - the party of delusional loyalists to Bush (aka. The DLB).

Petraeus' report is on September 15. We got the interim report this week stating that they are only "satisfactorily" on track to meet 8 of 18 benchmarks. Now check out this news:

The White House said Friday that Iraq's parliament may take the month of August off but downplayed the impact on political reconciliation efforts seen as key to quelling deadly violence.

"My understanding is at this juncture they're going to take August off, but you know, they may change their minds," said spokesman Tony Snow, who refused to say whether there had been US efforts to dissuade them.

"You know, it's 130 degrees (54 Celsius) in Baghdad in August. I'll pass on your recommendation," he said when a reporter asked about the impact on an Iraq progress report due by September 15.

So Tony - it is acceptable for them to take off August, and one good reason is that it's 130 degrees? What about our soldiers?

Here is what should happen. The Democratic leaders of both houses should start serious debate on this issue. They should cancel our August recess and keep Congress in session to work out our problems and bring this war to an end. Oh - but it is only 90 degrees in D.C. during August.