We do have a new PLAN for IRAQ !!!

Very interesting piece of writing on the WAPO by the good writer David Ignatius. This is about the new and improved PLAN for IRAQ after the SAMO is over sometime this year.

The Pentagon is scheduled to provide Congress with a HOWGOZIT by mid September of 2007. However, today we heard some reports on the radio about the 2nd in command in IRAQ [Lt. Gen. Odierno]; the general will NOT BE READY to give a complete assessment by the month of September [he is planning to ask for more time, and he WILL get it].

But anyway, let's get back to the new PLAN for IRAQ.

No, there is NO PLAN B for IRAQ [but the incompetent administration is working on another plan]. Remember the Baker-Hamilton IRAQ Study Group?

Remember the recommendations made by those TWO OLD MEN [as Mr Baker and Mr Hamilton were called by some members of the incompetent administration]?

Enter the PLAN B-H!!! This is from David Ignatius:

President Bush said publicly last Thursday what his top aides have been discussing privately for weeks. He talked about a transition to "a different configuration" in Iraq after the surge of U.S. troops is completed this summer.

When pressed on whether he was talking about a post-surge Plan B, Bush answered: "Actually, I would call that a plan recommended by Baker-Hamilton, so that would be a Plan B-H."

Let's make sure we've got that right: This would be the same Baker-Hamilton plan whose authors were lampooned by the conservative New York Post in December as "surrender monkeys"?

The same Baker-Hamilton report that seemed to be all but buried by Bush's January embrace of a surge of 30,000 U.S. troops into Iraq?

Yes, that same Baker-Hamilton plan now seems to be official White House policy.

Administration officials insist that the president supported it all along, though you could have fooled me. Now it's back -- six months later than it should have been, with six extra months of political poison to corrode its bipartisan spirit. But better late than never.

Where is Bush heading with Plan B-H? That question is causing some head-scratching among U.S. military commanders and diplomats in Baghdad, members of Congress and foreign governments. So let us try to read the tea leaves:

Check the attached link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/25y3sr

tlrb

Jurassic Summer

Retired General Foresees Bloody Summer in Iraq

Good report here from NPR. You can listen to retired General McCaffrey anticipating what I have called a "JURASSIC SUMMER" in IRAQ.

As per the general things could get REALLY ugly during the next three months in anticipation of the "September Report."

Everybody who is somebody in Washington is waiting for the "September Report" to be given to Congress by General Petraeus, but based on what we saw during the month of May, things could get real ugly before the summer is over.

Click on the link and listen to General McCaffrey's interview on NPR.

http://tinyurl.com/yupnvk

tlrb

Cease-Fires Eyed to Stop Iraq Violence

Say what? Are you kidding me? Is the United States ready to raise the WHITE FLAG in Iraq by dealing with the enemy?

And yes I know, we are NOT having a good year in IRAQ. As a matter of facts, in less than 12 months [from 06/03/06 to 05/31/07] we have lost 1000 of our Bravest in IRAQ, [as per some press reports].

And today we learned that our military commanders are in talks with the BAD GUYS in IRAQ, dealing with cease-fires and other type of arrangements to TRY to stop the violence.

Some of our so-called military experts have said ad nauseam that there CAN'T BE a military VICTORY in IRAQ and that we need a political compromise with all the factions in IRAQ.

I know that Americans are sick and tired of the bad news coming from IRAQ [such as the data provided above, on the second paragraph], and that we need to find some QUICK solutions to the IRAQ problem.

But, I do NOT like the idea of giving a FREE PASS to any IFW involved in killing Americans.

The second in command [in IRAQ] made this comment:

"We are talking about cease-fires, and maybe signing some things that say they won't conduct operations against the government of Iraq or against coalition forces."

This is very interesting, I wonder "WHO" is going to do the signing on the IFWs side of the house. Are we going to trust the IFWs on not conducting operations against the government of Iraq or against coalition forces?

Check the AP article on the attached link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/2y5k33

tlrb

Houston, WE have a PROBLEM in IRAQ

Houston, we have a problem. Not a good month by any standards in IRAQ.

The SAMO continues, our bravest continue to search for the TWO missing GIs, but the bad guys are not sitting on the sidelines taking a break. Contrary to Shooter Cheney's belief, the IRAQ Insurgency is NOT on their last throes.

And there is NO LIGHT at the end of the IRAQ war tunnel.

We do not post good guys or bad guys body counts here, but the last SIX months in IRAQ were devastating for our troops [the worst six months of the war]. The first five months of 2007 are our WORST five months in IRAQ.

Note that I mention the TWO missing GIs, our bravest were looking for THREE, but one of the missing GIs was found yesterday. His lifeless body was recovered from a river, and his family in California were notified of his death. Now we must continue to PRAY for the other TWO.

Regardless of the rosy scenario painted by some members of the administration [and by some members of the elite media, such as the RWW radio and television talk show hosts] things are NOT looking good for the home team in IRAQ.

Everybody and his brother is talking about "wait until September." Well, things are NOT going to end in September. I expect to hear a report [from our civilian and military leaders] telling John Q Public that "things are moving right along" and that "we are making slow, but steady progress," that "we need MORE time to secure our victory in IRAQ."

Yes, the messengers of good news will ask John Q Public for "another six months."

John Q Public is NOT going to like the report, but there is nothing John Q Public can do to stop the IRAQ War Juggernaut. There are NO GOOD OPTIONS in IRAQ. But, our GIs can NOT pack and run [not at this point].

Regardless of what he thinks about the IRAQ war, the only thing John Q Public can do is to CONTINUE to support the troops and keep on praying.

tlrb

** Note: There are plenty of news to discuss, but today I will hit the road for my Memorial Day weekend trip. This is my last note for now. To all my friends, thanks for dropping by, thanks for reading, and thanks for your moral support. I will talk to you in a week or so. Have a good Memorial Day, and please display OLD GLORY with a yellow ribbon [if you have one] on Memorial Day.**

Bush grants presidency extraordinary powers

Say what? Are you kidding me? No, this is not a joke. Here is a very interesting article by Jerome Corsi from World Net Daily on extraordinary powers granted to the MAN running the White House during a declared national emergency.

Well, the MAN running the White House will have TOTAL POWER during a declared national emergency [Adios members of the Senate, the House, and all Governors - the president is taking over !!!].

President Bush has signed a directive granting extraordinary powers to the office of the president in the event of a declared national emergency, apparently without congressional approval or oversight.

The "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive" was signed May 9, notes Jerome R. Corsi in a WND column.

It was issued with the dual designation of NSPD-51, as a National Security Presidential Directive, and HSPD-20, as a Homeland Security Presidential Directive.

The directive establishes under the office of the president a new national continuity coordinator whose job is to make plans for "National Essential Functions" of all federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, as well as private sector organizations to continue functioning under the president's directives in the event of a national emergency.

"Catastrophic emergency" is loosely defined as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."

Check the link to the article and to the directive.

Article:
http://tinyurl.com/2ayt3l

Directive:
http://tinyurl.com/yqthor

tlrb

Two Long Shots Liven Up a Race

How about that? Check this article about two long shots [one from the GOP, and one from the DEM] written by David Broder from the Washington Post.

The two long shots he is writing about are members of THE FINAL FOUR !!!

Did David Broder take a look at The Lowest Rated Blog prior to writing the article? Anyway, here are some quotes.

The liveliest pair of candidates in the large fields of Democratic and Republican long shots, Bill Richardson and Mike Huckabee, are also -- not coincidentally -- the likeliest to break through into the top ranks of their parties if anyone ever does.

It helps that both of them can boast extensive experience in running a government. Huckabee spent a decade as the Republican governor of Arkansas, and Richardson is in his second term as the Democratic governor of New Mexico.

They are not the only ones with statehouse experience. Jim Gilmore was a one-term Republican governor of Virginia, and Mitt Romney served a single term as the Republican governor of Massachusetts.

But while those two are dour and determined, Richardson and Huckabee communicate a good-humored enjoyment of the chase that is as refreshing as it is rare.

In their dreams, political reporters can imagine what a race between those two would be like: two lively, loquacious politicians with strongly opposed viewpoints but a liking for people -- and a promise of a few lighter moments to relieve the tedium and the tensions of a long campaign.

Odds are it will never happen, even though Americans have tended to prefer governors over senators when it comes to picking a president. That's why no sitting senator has been elected president since John F. Kennedy in 1960.

But Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both of whom went straight from the statehouse to the White House, have taken much of the bloom off that particular rose. Huckabee, who hails from Clinton's home town of Hope, and Richardson both built their reputations in relatively small, out-of-the-way places. And as we learned with both Clinton and Bush, mastery of a state legislature does not transfer to mastery of Congress.

Nonetheless, the early going has shown Huckabee and Richardson poking their heads above the others who are striving to break out of the second tier -- seven of them on the GOP side, five on the Democratic.

And there you have it. It is time for America to start paying attention to THE FINAL FOUR, because the NEXT PRESIDENT is coming from that group.

Here is a link to the article, and if you can't open it for some reason, just do a google search under the same subject.

http://tinyurl.com/2ccxkk

tlrb

John Edwards at The Council on Foreign Relations

Today John Edwards spoke at The CFR and made a major policy speech regarding the war and the military [the speech was posted on his web site, a link to the speech attached at the end of this note].

He took no prisoners, here are a few quotes.

To the incompetent administration:

The president has played political brinksmanship over the war in Iraq time and time again. He refuses to acknowledge the futility of his approach, disregards the clear message sent by the American people last fall, and falsely claims that the only way for Congress to support the troops is to prolong the war. That's just not true. Congress can support the troops and end the war, which is exactly what the bill they sent the president last month would have done. When the president vetoed that bill, it was the president alone who was blocking support for the troops. Nobody else.

To the Do-nothing, cojoneless, Dem Congress:

Any compromise that funds the war through the end of the fiscal year isn't a compromise at all, it's a capitulation. As I have said repeatedly, Congress should send the president the same bill he vetoed again and again until he realizes he has no choice but to start bringing our troops home.

To our Awesome Military:

I am here today to announce a new pledge to America's servicemen and women, their families, and our veterans. We will stand by you just as you have stood by us. As president, I will implement a defense policy based on five major principles:
*Ensuring that our military policy is planned and executed to fulfill essential national security missions, not some ideological fancy;
*Repairing the tremendous damage done to civil-military relations;
*Rooting out cronyism and waste and increasing efficiency in the Pentagon;
*Rebalancing our force structure for the challenges of the new century, including improving our capabilities to help weak or failing states;
*And taking a broader view of security throughout our government.
With these steps, we can begin to rebuild an American military for a new century.
First, we must clarify the mission of a post-Bush, post-9/11, post-Iraq American military for the 21st century.

Note, I will be on the lookout for any major speech on the war and on the military by any of THE FINAL FOUR. Click on the link for the complete speech [it is a long one].

http://tinyurl.com/2gz4qx

tlrb

Edwards beating Romney and Thompson BIG Time

Things are looking GOOD for John Edwards on the latest Rasmussen tracker. He is beating the GOP front runners like a guitar. Check the latest numbers here:

The latest Rasmussen Reports Election 2008 survey shows former North Carolina Senator John Edwards (D) leading former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson (R) 53% to 32%.

Edwards also has a huge lead over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney 54% to 33%.

Edwards also enjoys a large advantage over the two Republicans among unaffiliated voters. Overall, the Democratic hopeful is viewed favorably by 55%, unfavorably by 33%.

Fred Thompson is viewed favorably by 39%, unfavorably by 27%.

Mitt Romney is viewed favorably by 37%, unfavorably by 38%.

In April, Edwards led Thompson by 14%. In March, he led Romney 55% to 29%.

Edwards, the Democrats’ 2004 Vice-Presidential nominee, has consistently placed third in polling among those seeking the Democratic Presidential nomination.

In general election match-ups, he is slightly ahead of the Republican frontrunner, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Edwards also holds a seven-point lead over Senator John McCain.

While trailing New York Senator Hillary Clinton, Edwards has consistently outperformed her in general election match-ups. While Edwards leads Thompson and Romney by more than 20 points each, Clinton leads Thompson and Romney by just three points each.

Of course we know it is way too early to take polls seriously, but they are FUN [specially for the front runners' camps].

And, as per my crystal ball, of those mentioned above, only Edwards and Romney will be standing after the first set of primaries.

Check the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/34wx3o

tlrb

Plan B for IRAQ - Involves the United Nations?

Very interesting article from The Guardian on what is coming to a war near you IF we see NO significant results on the SAMO. The Plan B for our surge [aka the SAMO on tlrb] calls for the internationalization of the war. This includes an expanded role for the United Nations.

I don't know why we are thinking about asking the UN for help. This administration have done the impossible to ridicule the UN [note, the UN was labeled by Neocons a "dysfunctional organization"]. But anyway, Plan B will involve our UN friends.

The Bush administration is developing plans to "internationalise" the Iraq crisis, including an expanded role for the United Nations, as a way of reducing overall US responsibility for Iraq's future and limiting domestic political fallout from the war as the 2008 election season approaches.

The move comes amid rising concern in Washington that President George Bush's controversial Baghdad security surge, led by the US commander, General David Petraeus, is not working and that Iran is winning the clandestine battle for control of Iraq.

And talking about IRAN, there is another report on The Guardian about IRAN getting ready to help BOTH SIDES of the insurgency during the summer.

The plan is for IRAN to help the Sunni and the Shia with money and weapons to be used against our GIs during the so-called "IRAQ Summer Offensive."

In my opinion that report is NOT CREDIBLE, it looks like a PLANTED STORY [and pure propaganda. Don't believe it all.

Back to the Plan B, check the link for the rest of the story [and again, don't believe it all].

http://tinyurl.com/yth7rh

tlrb

Show of force off IRAN coast

Good job to my Navy friends on the Nimitz, Bohomme Richard, Stennis, and the rest of their strike groups and readiness groups for their display of SEA POWER off the coast of IRAN !!!

I want the Ayatollahs running IRAN to sleep well at night, knowing that our Sailors are off the coast keeping things under control.

The U.S. Navy staged its latest show of military force off the Iranian coastline on Wednesday, sending two aircraft carriers and landing ships packed with 17,000 U.S. Marines and sailors to carry out unannounced exercises in the Persian Gulf.

The carrier strike groups led by the USS John C. Stennis and USS Nimitz were joined by the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard and its own strike group, which includes landing ships carrying members of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The Navy said nine U.S. warships passed through the narrow Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Merchant ships passing through the busy strait carry two-fifths of the world's oil exports.

In the past the Ayatollahs running IRAN have made a lot of noise about closing the Strait of Hormuz, however, our Navy will do whatever it takes to keep the strait open.

http://tinyurl.com/22xk9y

tlrb

Research: Muslim Americans Survey

Don't anyone panic. Everything is under control. Here is a very interesting survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. Here are a few quotes from the report:

Overall, Muslim Americans have a generally positive view of the larger society. Most say their communities are excellent or good places to live.

A large majority of Muslim Americans believe that hard work pays off in this society. Fully 71% agree that most people who want to get ahead in the United States can make it if they are willing to work hard.

The survey shows that although many Muslims are relative newcomers to the U.S., they are highly assimilated into American society. On balance, they believe that Muslims coming to the U.S. should try and adopt American customs, rather than trying to remain distinct from the larger society. And by nearly two-to-one (63%-32%) Muslim Americans do not see a conflict between being a devout Muslim and living in a modern society.

Roughly two-thirds (65%) of adult Muslims in the U.S. were born elsewhere. A relatively large proportion of Muslim immigrants are from Arab countries, but many also come from Pakistan and other South Asian countries. Among native-born Muslims, roughly half are African American (20% of U.S. Muslims overall), many of whom are converts to Islam.

Based on data from this survey, along with available Census Bureau data on immigrants' nativity and nationality, the Pew Research Center estimates the total population of Muslims in the United States at 2.35 million.

Muslim Americans reject Islamic extremism by larger margins than do Muslim minorities in Western European countries. However, there is somewhat more acceptance of Islamic extremism in some segments of the U.S. Muslim public than others. Fewer native-born African American Muslims than others completely condemn al Qaeda.

In addition, younger Muslims in the U.S. are much more likely than older Muslim Americans to say that suicide bombing in the defense of Islam can be at least sometimes justified.

Nonetheless, absolute levels of support for Islamic extremism among Muslim Americans are quite low, especially when compared with Muslims around the world.

Very refreshing to know that "younger Muslims in the U.S. are much more likely than older Muslim Americans to say that suicide bombing in the defense of Islam can be at least sometimes justified."

Check the link for more [you can have your very own copy of the report on pdf].

http://tinyurl.com/223xrw

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Video: America needs Elizabeth for First Lady!

Good Job by my friend MA on this video !!!

Click on the link and watch "America needs Elizabeth for First Lady!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKxCgfj2_78

Plus, you can click and watch other videos [to the right of the screen, search videos by OneCarolinaGirl].

And oh by the way, if YOU have anything good to show [we are talking about videos], send me a link and we will check it out !!!

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Latest Rasmussen tracker on DEM Candidates

On the DEM side of the house, candidate Hillary Clinton [the BDB] is leading the competition. As per the latest Rasmussen tracker the BDB is leading the DEM pack with 35 percent, followed by Barack Obama with 25 percent, John Edwards is a distant third with 18 percent, and Bill Richardson is showing a SOLID 5 percent [he is on the lead for the second tier pack].

Back to the BDB, she is running neck-to-neck with the GOP front-runner Rudy Guiliani and is LEADING all other GOP members.

Base on the last paragraph, are we going to see a NY-vs-NY presidential election in 2008? No way. As per my crystal ball the BDB and Rudy will be history on the first set of primaries [IF they make it that far!!!].

As per the Rasmussen tracker, a significant segment of INDEPENDENT voters are looking for a DEM other than the BDB [this could be a big problem for the BDB during those "too close to call" states].

All this polling data is interesting, but [as per my crystal ball] we continue to see the following candidates making THE FINAL FOUR: Edwards, Richardson, Romney, and Huckabee.

Read more about the Rasmussen tracker on the attached link.

http://tinyurl.com/2zylny

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Lack of Family Values On This One !!!

Things are NOT looking good for the son of Dr Laura. He is currently under investigation by the US Army for some [less-than-diplomatic] posts on the My Space web site.

The soldier son of talk radio relationship counselor Laura Schlessinger is under investigation for a graphic personal Web page that one Army official has called "repulsive."

The MySpace page, publicly available until Friday when it disappeared from the Internet, included cartoon depictions of rape, murder, torture and child molestation; photographs of soldiers with guns in their mouths; a photograph of a bound and blindfolded detainee captioned "My Sweet Little Habib"; accounts of illicit drug use; and a blog entry headlined by a series of obscenities and racial epithets.

The site is credited to and includes many photographs of Deryk Schlessinger, the 21-year-old son of the talk radio personality known simply as Dr. Laura. Broadcast locally on 570 KNRS, "Family Values Talk Radio," the former family counselor spends three hours daily taking calls and offering advice on morals, ethics and values. She broadcast a show from Fort Douglas, in Salt Lake City, last week.

Military leaders have long grappled with how to balance positive publicity and operational security with technological opportunities for troops to tell their personal stories. The Pentagon last week shut down access to a variety of video-sharing and social networking Internet sites, including MySpace, on its computer systems worldwide.

Not looking good for the Dr Laura's team and not looking good for the Family Values Gang.

Check the link for the rest of the story, but warning, this is a PG-13 stuff.

http://tinyurl.com/2z6caz

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Attorney-Gate Continues

The Decider still support the AG, and he calls the attempt by the Do-Nothing DEM team to come up with a no-confidence vote "pure political theater."

"He has done nothing wrong," Bush said in an impassioned defense of his longtime friend and adviser during a news conference at his Texas ranch.

Despite Bush's comments, support for Gonzales is eroding, even in the president's own party. The Senate is prepared to hold a no-confidence vote, possibly by week's end, and five Republican senators have joined many Democrats in calling for Gonzales' resignation.

The attorney general is under investigation by Congress for last year's ousters of eight federal prosecutors.

There is plenty of good info on this link.

http://tinyurl.com/yq4uod

Check this link for the latest "Impeach Gonzo" video:

http://tinyurl.com/2hxog7

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Score a BIG ONE for The Decider

The Do-Nothing DEM team is raising the white flag on this one. They just could not get it done and now they will be sending The Decider a war bill WITHOUT a come-home timeline.

This will show the Do-Nothing DEM team not to mess with the commander in chief [aka The Decider].

The Decider can care less about the war critics and he is going to do whatever he wants to do with the war in IRAQ. Less than 40 percent approve [ and over 60 percent disapprove] the way he is running the war in IRAQ but that does not matter. It is full speed ahead.

In grudging concessions to President Bush, Democrats intend to draft an Iraq war-funding bill without a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and shorn of at least some of the billions they want for domestic programs, officials said Monday.

The legislation would include the first federal minimum wage increase in more than a decade, a top priority for the Democrats who took control of Congress in January, the officials added.
While details remain subject to change, the measure is designed to close the books by Friday on a bruising struggle between Bush and the Democratic-controlled Congress over the war.

It would provide funds for military operations in Iraq through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. Democrats in both houses are expected to seek other opportunities later this year to challenge Bush's handling of the unpopular conflict.

Bush vetoed one Iraq measure this spring, citing a troop withdrawal timeline and additional spending that Democrats included. The rejected legislation included $21 billion more than the president requested, and while some of it was targeted for the military, most of it was for domestic programs.

Democratic officials stressed that key issues surrounding the funding measure remained unsettled, and an evening meeting of rank and file House members was postponed.

One major uncertainty involved the spending that Democrats in both houses hope to include for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, farmers hit by natural disaster, low-income children's health and other programs. While determined to avoid a second veto, they are also hoping that an appetite for spending among GOP lawmakers will prod the administration to accept more than it would like.

Another matter yet to be decided by House leaders was whether to split the legislation into two bills, one containing the war funding and the minimum wage, and the other reserved for the domestic spending.

The Do-Nothing DEM team have only one option, they can talk, talk, talk, talk. But at the end of the day is The Decider who will dictate what to do with "The IRAQ Problem." Read more about it on the attached link.

http://tinyurl.com/25tcwz

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Romney and Edwards leading in IOWA

How about that? Two of THE FINAL FOUR are leading the polls in Iowa. The numbers are in, and per the latest poll candidates Edwards [from the DEM] and Romney [from the GOP] are on the lead.

But, we have LONG way to go before the votes are counted!

Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat John Edwards are atop a poll of likely Iowa caucus voters because both presidential candidates have invested so much time organizing and visiting the state, activists in both parties said Monday.

Romney was backed by 30 percent, ahead of Arizona Sen. John McCain with 18 percent and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani with 17 percent, according to the poll in the Des Moines Sunday Register.

Edwards was ahead with 29 percent of those surveyed, compared to 23 percent for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, and 21 percent for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to the poll, which was conducted May 12-16.

Romney's strong showing is a reward for his focus on Iowa, said Iowa Republican Chairman Ray Hoffmann.

"He's been very active here, and he's got a good organization here," Hoffmann said. "Every election cycle, you can see that people who spend a lot of time here, people who have a good organization, their polls look good."

Veteran Democratic strategist Ron Parker had a similar impression of Edwards' early poll success. He noted that the strong backing for Edwards might be surprising to some who assumed the heavy attention being given to Clinton and Obama would vault them into the lead.

"I think there were folks out there who assumed the buzz was enough to create a front-runner," said Parker. "I think you have to get back to the grassroots and this shows you can't win the Iowa caucuses on name ID and buzz alone."

Again, we have a LONG way to go and we will see the LEAD shifting back and forth. The only poll that count is the one on election day. As a recap, THE FINAL FOUR [as per our crystal ball] are Romney, Edwards, Huckabee, and Richardson.

Check the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/yp8t3x

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US Target: Muqtada al-Sadr

Interesting report from The Independent on how the US tried and failed to kill the leader of the Mehdi Army back in 2004.

The revelation of this extraordinary plot, which would probably have provoked an uprising by outraged Shia if it had succeeded, has left a legacy of bitter distrust in the mind of Mr Sadr for which the US and its allies in Iraq may still be paying. "I believe that particular incident made Muqtada lose any confidence or trust in the [US-led] coalition and made him really wild," the Iraqi National Security Adviser Dr Mowaffaq Rubai'e told The Independent in an interview.

It is not known who gave the orders for the attempt on Mr Sadr but it is one of a series of ill-considered and politically explosive US actions in Iraq since the invasion. In January this year a US helicopter assault team tried to kidnap two senior Iranian security officials on an official visit to the Iraqi President.

Earlier examples of highly provocative actions carried out by the US with little thought for the consequences include the dissolution of the Iraqi army and the Baath party.

The attempted assassination or abduction took place two-and-a-half years ago in August 2004 when Mr Sadr and his Mehdi Army militiamen were besieged by US Marines in Najaf, south of Baghdad.

Dr Rubai'e believes that his mediation efforts - about which he had given the US embassy, the American military command and the Iraqi government in Baghdad full details - were used as an elaborate set-up to entice the Shia leader to a place where he could be trapped.

Mr Sadr emerged as the leader of the Sadrist movement in Baghdad at the time of the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. It had been founded by his father, also a cleric, who had confronted Saddam's regime in the 1990s and had been murdered by his agents in 1999. Its blend of nationalism, religion and populism proved highly attractive to Iraqi Shia, particularly to the very poor.

Although Mr Sadr escaped with his life at the last moment, the incident helps explain why he disappeared from view in Iraq when President George Bush stepped up confrontation with him and his Mehdi Army militia in January.

It was a very close call !!!

Having returned to Baghdad to show the draft document to Iyad Allawi, who was prime minister at the time, Dr Rubai'e went back to Najaf to make a final agreement with Mr Sadr.

It was agreed that the last meeting would take place in the house in Najaf of Muqtada's father Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr who had been murdered by Saddam's gunmen with two of his sons five years before. Dr Rubai'e and other mediators started for the house.
As they did so they saw the US Marines open up an intense bombardment of the house and US Special Forces also heading for it. But the attack was a few minutes premature. Mr Sadr was not yet in the house and managed to escape.

Check the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/22yvbd

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Only The GOP can stop the war in IRAQ

The Do-Nothing DEM team have failed miserably on stopping the IRAQ war Juggernaut. Each time they [DEM] make a move to slow down or stop the war, The Decider makes his move to continue with his war plans.

The anti-war game is driving the DEM followers crazy. They brought the DEM back to power with the condition of getting the us the F out of IRAQ. But it is NOT easy. The Do-Nothing DEM control the House and the Senate. But the White House is in hands of The Decider and his Incompetent GOP team.

Check this out.

One July morning in 1967, President Lyndon Johnson greeted a group of old political friends at the White House. It was business as usual, the weekly meeting of the most important Senate committee chairmen: Richard Russell of Georgia, Henry (Scoop) Jackson and Warren Magnuson of Washington state, Allen Ellender of Louisiana, James Eastland of Mississippi, Mike Monroney of Oklahoma and William Fulbright of Arkansas.

All Democrats and, except for Fulbright, all of them were strong supporters of the war muddling on in Vietnam. Johnson, smiling and flattering, thanked them first for their friendship, and even kidded Fulbright, who once more told him the country had to get out of the war before Congress could line up behind Johnson's ambitious domestic agenda. What was different this July 27 was that the others rather suddenly said, more or less, that Fulbright was right.

The president blew up, saying: "If you want me to get out, then you have the prerogative of taking out the resolution under which we are out there now. You can repeal it tomorrow. You can tell the troops to come home. You can tell General Westmoreland that he doesn't know what he is doing."

They failed, of course. Johnson fought on, destroying himself and his party, setting up the election of a new Republican president, Richard Nixon, who cynically kept the war going in search of the political benefits of "peace with honor."

On May 9 of this year, that scene was repeated, more or less, in the White House of George W. Bush. It was all Republicans this time, a dozen moderate Republicans came to call and warn the emperor.

It was self-defense. They are the ones most worried that they will go down in next year's election as the Iraq war sinks into deeper disaster. One of the congressman, Tom Davis, told Bush that the president's approval rating was about 5 percent in his northern Virginia district.

The visitors told Bush that not only was his presidency being destroyed, but so was his party. Between the lines, they were saying: Congressional Democrats may introduce the resolutions that will slow down the war, but only Republicans can end what the White House so foolishly began.

No, the Do-Nothing DEM team is NOT going to be the one ending the war in IRAQ. The war is going to end when the Incompetent GOP decides to end it. Speaker Pelosi and her team are NOT going to stop the IRAQ war Juggernaut.

Check the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/ysxj3f

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The only easy day was yesterday

Our troops continue searching for our missing GIs, the clock is ticking, and time is NOT on our side. Our bravest are NOT giving up. But the search is exposing our bravest and the IFWs are taking advantage.

The weather is getting H O T in the area of operation [and the worst is yet to come, summer is just around the corner]. There is no time for long breaks. For our GIs fighting in IRAQ, the only easy day was yesterday.

As expected, we had a very TUFF weekend in IRAQ. And the next weekend could be tuffer. We have the Memorial Day weekend coming up, and it could be a SAD one for many American families.

Sweat-drenched U.S. and Iraqi soldiers sprawled on the muddy farmhouse floor, taking a break from the grueling search for three kidnapped comrades. A report of a soldier shot by a sniper came over the radio.

The platoon commander ordered his men to their feet and they dashed off to help. The sniper victim's unit had no medic, but the one taking a rest did. It was the second attack of the day: A bomb buried in a field had exploded under a foot patrol hours earlier, killing one American and wounding three others and two Iraqi soldiers.

The search for the troops who went missing after a May 12 ambush is grinding down U.S. forces already strained by the push to restore calm in and around Baghdad.

Firefights erupt daily as troops search a 135-square-mile area south of the capital. Roadside bombs hit armored Humvees. The troops have taken to walking but the fields are heavily mined. Still, the military insists it won't quit until it finds the missing men, or knows what happened to them.

Check the attached link for the rest of the story [one thing to remember, there is always the possibility that the story on the link was updated or changed by the news service].

http://tinyurl.com/ypsacg

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Who Was Right -- Rudy or Ron?

Check what Pat Buchanan is writing about the GOP debate in South Carolina. There was a good exchange between GOP candidates Ron Paul and Rudy Giuliani. For a large number of GOP voters, Ron Paul made a mistake by giving Rudy an opening.

One thing to remember, of the 10 GOP candidates present for the debate, Ron Paul was the ONLY one opposing the war in IRAQ from day one. But anyway, let's see what Pat thinks about the Paul/Rudy exchange.

Hearing Rep. Ron Paul recite the reasons for Arab and Islamic resentment of the United States, including 10 years of bombing and sanctions that brought death to thousands of Iraqis after the Gulf War, Rudy Giuliani broke format and exploded:

"That's really an extraordinary statement, as someone who lived through the attack of 9-11, that we invited the attack because we were attacking Iraq. I don't think I have ever heard that before, and I have heard some pretty absurd explanations for Sept. 11.

"I would ask the congressman to withdraw that comment and tell us what he really meant by it."

The applause for Rudy's rebuke was thunderous — the soundbite of the night and best moment of Rudy's campaign.

After the debate, on Fox News' "Hannity and Colmes," came one of those delicious moments on live television. As Michael Steele, GOP spokesman, was saying that Paul should probably be cut out of future debates, the running tally of votes by Fox News viewers was showing Ron Paul, with 30 percent, the winner of the debate.

Brother Hannity seemed startled and perplexed by the votes being text-messaged in the thousands to Fox News saying Paul won, Romney was second, Rudy third and McCain far down the track at 4 percent.

After the debate, the fair and balanced viewers of Fox News voted on a poll, showing Ron Paul winning with 30 percent. So, it was a good night for Ron Paul! Click on the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/2e47zf

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Soldiers of Fortune

On a previous note we wrote about things getting tuff for our GIs in IRAQ. But what about the "Soldiers Of Fortune" and the rest of private military contractors [PMCs] involved in day to day operations in IRAQ?

Our civilian compadres are making a LOT of money [when compared to our GIs], but for our enemies in IRAQ there is no difference between an American member of our military or an American playing the soldier of fortune in IRAQ.

The soldiers of fortune are NOT having a good year in IRAQ [as a matter of facts, this could be the worst year in IRAQ for the soldiers of fortune].

At least 146 contract workers were killed in Iraq in the first three months of the year, by far the highest number for any quarter since the war began in March 2003, according to the Labor Department, which processes death and injury claims for those working as United States government contractors in Iraq.

That brings the total number of contractors killed in Iraq to at least 917, along with more than 12,000 wounded in battle or injured on the job, according to government figures and dozens of interviews. The numbers, which have not been previously reported, disclose the extent to which contractors — Americans, Iraqis and workers from more than three dozen other countries — are largely hidden casualties of the war, and now are facing increased risks alongside American soldiers and marines as President Bush’s plan to increase troop levels in Baghdad takes hold.

As troops patrol more aggressively in and around the capital, both soldiers and the contractors who support them, often at small outposts, are at greater peril.

The contractor deaths earlier this year, for example, came closer to the number of American military deaths during the same period — 244 — than during any other quarter since the war began, according to official figures.

Two good links here. Check the article on the NYT [on civilian contractors deaths], and check the article from the San Diego Union Tribune [on the prospective PMC training facility in the San Diego county].

NYT Article

San Diego Union Tribune Article

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Jimmy Carter HAD IT with GWB

Updated 5/21/07 at 0830 Pacific Time:

Jimmy gave a mea culpa this morning. He had a "foot and mouth" moment. Link to the article attached.

http://tinyurl.com/23fb5u

__________________________________________________

What was Jimmy smoking? Or what was Jimmy drinking?

Our 39th president is taking no prisoners on this one. He blasted GWB on his global [or lack of] policies and labeled the GWB's administration the worst in history .

Can you believe it? GWB worst than Nixon? GWB worst than Carter?

"I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history," Carter told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in a story that appeared in the newspaper's Saturday editions. "The overt reversal of America's basic values as expressed by previous administrations, including those of George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon and others, has been the most disturbing to me."

Carter spokeswoman Deanna Congileo confirmed his comments to The Associated Press on Saturday and declined to elaborate. He spoke while promoting his new audiobook series, "Sunday Mornings in Plains," a collection of weekly Bible lessons from his hometown of Plains, Ga.

As I have said before, I consider the current administration NIXONIAN [no accountability and dirty tricks] and JIMMY CARTERESQUE [incompetence and lack of performance].

But, not only was he slamming GWB, he did a good number on Tony Blair:

Asked how he would judge Blair's support of Bush, Carter said: "Abominable. Loyal. Blind. Apparently subservient."

"And I think the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world," Carter told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Jimmy, what was you drinking [or smoking]? Don't stop here, check the attached links for some good reading [including the response from the White House] and have fun!

http://tinyurl.com/yt3qna

http://tinyurl.com/2ao4c8

http://tinyurl.com/2f5y7u

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The Decider is praising the Immigration Compromise

The Decider is praising senators of both major political parties [this could mean trouble] for coming up with a potential solution to the "illegal immigrants" problem.

We are talking about BIG immigration policy overhaul, but NO amnesty [note that amnesty is becoming a bad word].

The Immigration Compromise will grant LEGAL status to approximately TWELVE million people after they entered the country illegally. Plus, it would increase border security [more jobs at Homeland Security], and would create a program for TEMPORARY workers [this is mainly for the farm areas].

No, this is not an open invitation for OTHERS to come to the border and cross to the USofA illegally, the plan would overhaul the requirements for new immigrants, and take measures to stop illegals from getting a job in the USofA [we need to read the fine print on this one].

But we have a tuff road ahead, this Immigration Compromise could be DOA. The bill must get thru the Do-Nothing DEM congress [debate to start Monday in the Senate] and must pass with the help of the Incompetent GOP minority [the current plan is disliked by a large number of members of congress].

If this plan survives in both chambers of congress [and is then signed by The Decider], it could be a significant achievement for this failed administration. Check the link for more.

http://tinyurl.com/25dvzn

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Tuff weekend ahead of our GIs in IRAQ

Here we are, it is Friday, and we are receiving bad news from the IRAQ war front. This is becoming routine [the IFWs are busy during the weekend].

The hunt for our missing GIs continue [but time is not on our side].

Reality check here, we do NOT have a good record finding missing GIs alive in IRAQ, but the search must go on [and we must pray for their safe return].

Check this from the AP.

U.S. soldiers fought exhaustion and braced themselves for the worst Friday as the military pressed forward with a six-day-old search for three missing comrades believed captured by al-Qaida in Iraq in an ambush south of Baghdad.

Even if the three are dead, soldiers said that the families back home needed to know what happened and that the attackers must be punished.

"We'll find them. I'll tell you what, they're going to wish they never did this thing," Lt. Col. Michael Infanti said.

Infanti, commander of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, gave an impassioned pep talk to soldiers at a patrol base who were exhausted from the search.

"I can't tell you they're alive, and I can't tell you that they're not," he said. "This ain't over. This ain't over by a long shot."

Thousands of soldiers have been involved in the search, backed by aircraft, intelligence agents and dog teams.

Many troops from the 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, their faces burnt from the sun after scouring fields and villages for any clues, said a glimmer of hope kept them going.

"It's knowing that there's a chance that they're still alive — and even if they're not alive, their families deserve to know what happened to them," Staff Sgt. Dustin Parchey said at a dusty forward base near Mahmoudiya, some 10 miles east of where the ambush occurred Saturday.

But while Parchey worried about his fellow soldiers, the 29-year-old from Lewistown, Pa., defended the strategy of having remote outposts like the one where the three Americans were captured and four comrades were slain.

As we have said before, we support the SAMO, but things are NOT going to get any easier in IRAQ. As we used to say in one of my units, "the only easy day was yesterday."

Click on the link for the article.

http://tinyurl.com/yossjo

Thanks for dropping by The Lowest Rated Blog, and thanks for reading.

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One DOWN and one to GO

It is hasta la vista baby for World Bank President Paul D. Wolfowitz as he resigned [not yet, but effective June 30]. But there is no reason to cry, the man is getting a sweetheart deal from the bank's executive board.

Wolfowitz is the latest of The FOGs to go down in disgrace.

Wolfowitz was part of THE CABAL ruining the country for all of us [him, Rumsfeld, Gonzales, Shooter, and the rest of the losers have given BAD advice to our president].

With Wolfowitz out of the way, we have ONE pending. We still have the Attorney-Gate on our hands and now the DEM controlled Senate is planning to show their discontent with the AG by sending him a NO-Confidence vote [it is a meaningless vote, anyway].

I have said before that the AG is NOT going to leave, but the pressure is building and some of the members of the GOP just can't wait for Gonzales to hang his gloves. The DEM team likes to have a good punching bag, and they have a good one on AG Gonzales.

Today is Friday, this is a good time for unexpected announcements [such as the AG leaving].

Check the link for a good report on Wolfowitz' Adios.

http://tinyurl.com/2fgw3o

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Bad news for Rudy

Well, we have BAD news for Rudy. The leader of the FFWs is now on record saying NO WAY JOSE to Rudy in 2008. The FFW leader James Dodson will NOT vote for Rudy because of his support for abortion rights [and his three marriages].

And we just wonder WHO is going to be next [possibly McCain with his two marriages]. This also eliminates Newt with his three marriages. We can now imagine a Rudy/Newt ticket with SIX WIVES fighting for space in the White House.

Religious conservative leader James Dobson said on Thursday he would not vote for 2008 Republican presidential contender Rudolph Giuliani under any circumstances because of his support for abortion rights and his three marriages.

Dobson, head of the influential Colorado-based group Focus on the Family, said Giuliani was not suited for the White House. Dobson said he would be willing to sit out the November 2008 election if Giuliani is the Republican presidential nominee.

"I cannot, and will not, vote for Rudy Giuliani in 2008," Dobson wrote in a commentary posted online at the Web site worldnetdaily.com.

Given a choice between Giuliani and the Democratic nominee, he said, "I will either cast my ballot for an also-ran -- or if worse comes to worst -- not vote in a presidential election for the first time in my adult life."

It is all DOWN HILL for Rudy now, after this "non-endorsement" by a very influential member of the GOP.

As I have said before, I consider the following top-tier candidates NON-ELECTABLE based on all the baggage they carry, and due to voters bias:

Rudy, McCain, Hillary, Obama.

Click on the link for the complete article.

http://tinyurl.com/28j6qv

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The Lowest Rated Blog

Thanks for dropping by The Lowest Rated Blog.

I was asked about the change on the title of this blog. Simple, this is the lowest rated blog on the web, and we are proud of it. Plus, the "old title" is used by several blogs.

On The Lowest Rated Blog we try to have fun. We thank the incompetent politicians ruining our country for providing us with plenty of material for our commentaries.

We use a Sardonic style of writing here, so, if you don't have a sense of humor [or if you can't stand Political Satire] the best thing for you to do is to avoid this blog.

This blog was created based on another Internet forum. Click on the link for more info on The Lowest Rated Monologue.

Click here to view my profile.

tlrb

The Immigration Compromise

About time. We have [finally] a compromise on the immigration bill [see prediction number 3 on my previous note - at least one of those predictions was right on the money].

But anyway, we do have a deal in the making here between the Do-Nothing DEM and the Totally-Discredited GOP.

As I have said ad nauseam, this administration is Nixonian and Jimmy Carteresque, but at least the management is trying to do something with the MILLIONS of illegals residing in the US.

There are [estimated] 12 million illegal immigrants now in the United States. Hopefully The Immigration Compromise is NOT too little, too late. Check this out.

The compromise came after weeks of closed-door negotiations that brought the most liberal Democrats and the most conservative Republicans on immigration issues together with Bush's Cabinet officers to produce a highly complex measure that carries heavy political consequences. It still faces a long legislative struggle and its passage by the Senate or House is far from assured.

The plan would create a temporary worker program to bring new arrivals to the U.S and a separate program to cover agricultural workers. Skills and education level would for the first time be weighted more heavily than family connections in deciding whether immigrants should get permanent legal status. New high-tech employment verification measures would make sure that workers are here legally.

So, score one for the incompetent administration !!! Hey, with less than two years to go, there is still hope for the team running this country.

Click on the attached link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/yoencz

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P R E D I C T I O N S 2007

Okay shipmates, I was asked by one of our friends for an update on the 2007 predictions [posted on the Lowest Rated Monologue on 12/12/06, click here and read note number 5166 of the the original post].

To tell you the truth, we are NOT doing too HOT on our 2007 predictions. Take a good look [I post and you decide], this is what I wrote:

Here are my TEN predictions for 2007 [all based on heavy-duty metaphysics, extrapolation, and the award- winning cfs proprietary guessing indicators].

1. DEMOCRATIC PARTY. Citing personal reasons, senator Hillary Clinton surprises everyone by announcing that she will NOT run for president of the United States in 2008. Several DEM insiders will enter the race for president but there will be no clear front runner. The leadership moves full speed ahead with their political platform with the goal of maintaining control of the House and Senate during the 2008 General Elections.

2. REPUBLICAN PARTY. Potential 2008 Presidential Election candidates make their rounds on the Sunday news shows. Senator John McCain announces that he is running for president of the United States and immediately becomes the front runner, and is endorsed by a large number of GOP senators.

3. PRESIDENT BUSH. President Bush continues to suffer on the polls, but works hard on saving his presidency and saving face in Iraq. He is not willing to go down in history as a war loser. He brings back his idea on revamping Social Security with the addition of the personal savings accounts. He continues to work on his plan for non-legal residents working permits.

4. THE ECONOMY. The Bad News Bears continue to run for cover. After a slow start during the months of January and February, the economy is back with a vengeance. Job numbers go up, interest rates remains low, inflation remains under control, investors' sentiment remains up, and Americans will feel good emotionally and economically.

5. MIDDLE EAST PEACE. The mess continues in the Middle East. United States, with the help of our European friends will be fully engaged in the Middle East with the goal of creating the Palestinian State next to Israel, and bringing peace to the war thorn region of Lebanon. Israel will refuse the peace plan because it calls for too many concessions from part of Israel.

6. UNITED STATES TROOPS IN IRAQ. Some of the ISG and pentagon recommendations are reluctantly adopted by potus. We have a new course on the war. Things under control before Christmas 2007. Number of troops in Iraq will be below 100,000 by December 2007. The BWT will get back to using their mantra of "We are making progress in Iraq."

7. IRAQ CIVIL WAR. Things get real ugly after the Iraqi Prime Minister IS KILLED by one of his insiders. But a compromise takes place. Plenty of concessions to members of the insurgency, including some members involved on killing Americans. The Iraqi government officially requests that the United States and the rest of the coalition members LEAVE Iraq by the end of 2008.

8. SADDAM HUSSEIN. Saddam he is already sentenced to death. However, his victims will not have the satisfaction of watching the butcher from Baghdad hanging. Saddam, with the help of Iraqi insiders, will kill himself before the official hanging takes place.

9. AXIS OF EVIL. The rest of the Axis Of Evil continues to violate Nuclear Weapons Laws. The BWT will continue to "Give Diplomacy A Chance" and we see no risk of an armed conflict between the United States and Iran or North Korea in 2007. Iran will continue to push the envelope and will announce that "we are now a nuclear power." Potus will be pressured to act by the rest the hard core conservatives, but based on his lessons learned during his adventure in Iraq, this time potus opts for giving peace a chance.

10. THE MARKET TRIFECTA. We continue to be bullish on the US Market, and we predict a good year for the top Three US Stock Market Indexes. We are going for the GOLD with The DOW, The NASDAQ, and The S&P 500 Indexes making moderate GAINS in 2007.

Thanks for reading all the 2007 predictions. We will get back to these predictions from time to time and will do our final analysis during the month of December 2007 [just prior to Christmas 2007]. Have a very productive 2007. Caveat Emptor; do not bet your home on these predictions.

As you can see, I have a LOT of crystal ball cleaning to do [prior to publishing the 2008 predictions]. Expect to make those 2008 predictions public in early December. Stay tuned.

tlrb

Romney and Edwards leading the pack

As per the latest Zogby Tracker [check the link at the end of this note] Mitt Romney is leading the pack on the GOP, and John Edwards is leading the pack on the DEM side of the house.

As I have said ad nauseam, these two candidates are part of what I have called THE FINAL FOUR.

As per my crystal ball, I see Romney, Huckabee, Edwards, and Richardson surviving the first rounds of primaries and making it to THE FINAL FOUR.

Plus, I have said ad nauseam not to be surprised to see Romney and Edwards fighting for the GOLD in the finals.

Anyway, things are looking GOOD for candidates Romney and Edwards as per this tracker.

Republican Mitt Romney has pushed from a distant third place into a small lead in Iowa, the continuation of progress he has shown since the first of the year in the Hawkeye state, while Arizona Sen. John McCain has has remained steady and one-time front-runner Rudy Giuliani has slid substantially, a new Zogby International telephone poll shows.

The telephone survey also shows that on the Democratic side of the aisle, the race in Iowa is remarkably stable – former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards continues to hold a small lead over Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois.

Now check this about "The Romney's Bounce."

Romney’s jump comes as his organization in Iowa develops, and as Giuliani has wrestled with the abortion question and reports that he might downplay corn-fed caucus-goers in favor of GOP voters who will choose their favored presidential candidates in the weeks immediately after the Iowa caucuses. Romney is performing quite well among the very conservative and the conservative, while Giuliani has lost significant support among those likely voters – this coming after Romney’s strong performance on the CBS newsmagazine program 60 Minutes

One thing to remember, we are way too early into the 2008 campaign and we will see the leaders of the pack shifting back and forth. The big test is during the first set of primaries, specially during Super Duper Tuesday.

Other candidates are collecting a LOT of money and are doing OKAY as of now. However, at the end of the day I do not see Rudy, Hillary, McCain, or Obama making THE FINAL FOUR. In my opinion, NONE of these candidates are ELECTABLE.

Yes, I know this is a TUFF call to make at this point of the game, but I want YOU to know where I stand.

Check the link for the complete article.

http://tinyurl.com/229zp4

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Taking the fight to the enemy

So far so good in the past 48 plus hours in IRAQ with no reported GI fatalities. Right now our GIs are involved in a full court press type of search for our missing GIs [check the attached link for their names].

There are US [and IRAQi] troops searching everywhere.

There is no place to hide in the city of Baghdad, and this is keeping the IFWs on their toes. This is exactly what we needed to do a long time ago, and this is the main purpose of the SAMO plan.

Our troops must do whatever it takes to keep the enemy on the run, in this way they will have no time to re-group and conduct attacks against our GIs.

So far so good, but no light at the end of the tunnel [not yet].

Click on this link for a report from the Defense Link.

http://tinyurl.com/ywwpp9

Click on this link for statement from General Cardwell on the missing GIs.

http://tinyurl.com/yw92e2

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More attacks on the GREEN ZONE

This is becoming routine and this is not good news for the good guys. The IFWs continue their hit and run attacks on the GREEN ZONE. This is supposed to be the safest area of IRAQ. Check this out.

Mortar rounds hammered the U.S.-controlled Green Zone for a second day Wednesday, killing at least two people, wounding about 10 more and raising new fears for the safety of workers at the nerve center of the American mission in Iraq.

About a dozen shells crashed into the 3.5-square-mile area of central Baghdad about 4 p.m., sending terrified pedestrians racing for the safety of concrete bunkers.
Motorists abandoned their cars and sprinted for cover. Sirens wailed and loudspeakers warned people to seek safety.

No American casualties were reported, and the two dead as well as most of the wounded were Iraqis, U.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said.

An Iraqi security officer said one of the dead was a driver for the staff of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose office is in the Green Zone. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information.

Both the intensity and skill of the attack were noteworthy. The shells, believed to be 122mm, exploded in rapid succession over about a three-minute period.

The blasts were relatively close to one another, suggesting an experienced mortar crew using more than one launcher.

So far so good for the IFWs conducting the attacks, but soon or later they will be caught and will suffer the consequences. Click on the attached link "for the rest of the story."

http://tinyurl.com/2dwrsm

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Rudy made a LOT of money too !!!

This is the battle of the rich for the white house in 2008.

We already talked about money-men Edwards and Rommey.

Enter Guiliani. The man is making a cool-million each month.

As per the AP:

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani reported a whopping $16.1 million in earned income over the past 16 months, including millions in speaking fees.

The former New York mayor also reported $13 million to $45 million in assets, including his share in Giuliani & Co., a partnership that provides an array of consulting services.

So, Rudy is beating Edwards to the punch, but he needs to continue collecting millions in speaking fees if he wants to catch up with the richest of them all [Romney].

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That's a LOT of money !!!

That is a LOT of money, by any standard. John Edwards continues to talk about "The Two Americas" [he is living in the best of the two]. However, this man is in touch with what is happening to the little guy.

Check this from the AP.

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife reported $29.5 million in assets, including millions of dollars in a hedge fund he worked for part-time.

The couple also reported investment income of nearly $6 million over the past 16 months and earned income for Edwards of $1.25 million.

His biggest single source of earned income was his $479,512 salary from Fortress Investment Group, the hedge fund for which he was a consultant last year.

Edwards has made fighting poverty a signature element of his campaign. He has said his work for a fund that generally caters to the wealthiest of investors was designed to educate him about the relationship between poverty and wealth and should not overshadow his work for the poor.

Note, as per my crystal ball the money-man John Edwards is one of The Final Four [and so is the other money-man Mitt Romney].

Recap on The Final Four: Edwards, Richardson, Romney, and Huckabee [and we could see both money-men in the finals].

Here is the article.

John Edwards

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Another NEOCON going down

Oh boy, it is BAD news to be a FOG !!!

No, we are not talking about weather conditions here, we are talking about the "friends of George" [GWB that is]. This time it is one of the IRAQ war architects that is in DEEP trouble at the World Bank.

Right now the head honcho of the World Bank is looking for a sweetheart deal in order to quit his post. He is willing to go, but the man is living by the Neocons' Mantra:

Never accept the fact that you screwed up big time.

At one point America will get tired and will hold HIM and the rest of the incompetent gang accountable for their fubar tactics [but not this time].

Embattled World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz is negotiating an agreement to resign, according to an official familiar with the talks.

His departure would include an acknowledgment from the bank that he doesn't bear sole responsibility for the controversy surrounding a generous pay package for his girlfriend, the official said.

The negotiations were taking place as the bank's board resumed deliberations over Wolfowitz's fate Wednesday afternoon.

The official said Wolfowitz wanted the bank to accept some responsibility for conflicts of interest cited against him by a special bank panel. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the delicate state of the negotiations.

It was not clear whether the bank's 24-member board would accept Wolfowitz's terms. It is up to the board to decide what action should be taken in the matter.

Pressure on Wolfowitz to resign has grown since the bank panel report, released Monday, regarding his handling of the 2005 pay package of bank employee Shaha Riza.

Wolfowitz has maintained that he acted in good faith.

The bank panel said the board must consider whether Wolfowitz "will be able to provide the leadership" to ensure that the bank achieves its mission of fighting poverty around the world.
Before taking over the bank nearly two years ago, Wolfowitz was the No. 2 official at the Pentagon and played a lead role in mapping out the U.S.-led war in Iraq.

The White House, which picked Wolfowitz for the World Bank post, indicated for the first time on Tuesday that it was willing to consider new leadership.

Check the attached link for more.

http://tinyurl.com/yqr9hc

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Pacifist and Unpatriotic

Some of my friends are totally against the war in Jihadistan and the war in IRAQ. No problems, I do respect my friends [I do respect their opinion], and I do not consider them pacifists or unpatriotic.

And on the same subject, let me share one of my favorite urban legends.

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

-- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials

"All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

This tactic continues to work [some are using different words, but the results are the same].

But there is more on this [TRUE] urban legend. Click on the link and read the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/83nt

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Chuck Hagel on Attorney-Gate

The DEM team looks forward to having Alberto Gonzales as the AG for the long run, because he makes for a good punching bag. However, members of the GOP are looking forward to the day the AG resigns, because the man exemplifies what is WRONG with the current team running the country from the white house.

Sen. Chuck Hagel on Wednesday became the latest Republican to call for Alberto Gonzales' resignation, saying revelations about a sick bed visit to his predecessor has undermined his moral authority to lead the Justice Department.

Citing dramatic testimony a day earlier that revealed that Gonzales, then the White House legal counsel, tried to undermine the department he now leads, Hagel demanded the attorney general's resignation.

"The American people deserve an attorney general, the chief law enforcement officer of our country, whose honesty and capability are beyond question," Hagel, R-Neb., said in a statement. "Attorney General Gonzales can no longer meet this standard. He has failed this country. He has lost the moral authority to lead."

President Bush continued to stand by his longtime friend and adviser. Asked about Hagel's comment on Gonzales' moral authority, press secretary Tony Snow replied: "We disagree, and the president supports the attorney general."

Hagel has hinted at seeking his party's presidential nomination but has not officially declared his candidacy. Another GOP contender, Sen. John McCain, last month called for Gonzales' resignation.

Hagel's harsh words came in response to testimony Tuesday by James Comey, deputy to Gonzales' predecessor, John Ashcroft. Comey said that Gonzales pressured an ailing Ashcroft to approve the legality of President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program. Ashcroft — critically ill with pancreatitis at the time — rebuffed Gonzales, Comey recalled.

The White House went ahead with the program without Justice Department approval, Comey said. Faced with the resignations of Comey, Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller, Bush relented and changed the program to address Justice's concerns.

The story plus the dustup over the firings of at least eight federal prosecutors inspired Hagel to demand that Gonzales step down.

"Alberto Gonzales should resign now," Hagel said.

But, as we have said here ad nauseam, the AG is not leaving. He is protected by his boss, and he will stay in his job. Read more about it on the attached link.

http://tinyurl.com/yuonex

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DEM controlled Senate fails again

The DEM team just can not get it done. They have failed [and failed miserably] to stop the GWB Juggernaut when dealing with the IRAQ problem.

Today the DEM team suffered their latest DEFEAT when legislation to cut off money for combat operations was REJECTED.

The vote was a loss for Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., and other Democrats who want to end the war. But the effort picked up support from members, including presidential hopefuls previously reluctant to limit war funding — an indication of the conflict's unpopularity among voters.

The proposal lost 29-67 on a procedural vote, falling 31 votes short of the necessary votes to advance. Of the 67 senators who opposed Feingold's proposal, there were 19 Democrats, 47 Republicans and Connecticut Independent Joseph Lieberman.

Of the 29 supporting, 28 were Democrats and Vermont Independent Bernard Sanders.

The Senate also narrowly rejected a proposal by Republican moderates intended to challenge President Bush'war policy, after Democratic lashed out against the proposal as too weak. The 52-44 vote fell eight votes shy of the required 60.

Check the link for the rest of the story.

http://tinyurl.com/yv52e7

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The Ban On Military Blogging

Good report here from PBS on the ban on military blogging, here you can listen to an interview with Matthew Burden [author of The Blog Of War] on the new rules on military blogging. Again, thanks Bob for the good link.

PBS Interview - Ban on military blogging

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VA chaplains in HOT WATER

Good article here about the VA and Chaplains [thanks Bob for the link]. This is not supposed to be happening in any hospital [definitively this is NOT supposed to be happening in our Veterans Affairs Medical Centers].

This could be an isolated incident, or this could be the modus operandi for some of the chaplains working in government installations. And because of THIS incident the VA is about to be sued in federal court - and this case could become a class-action lawsuit [we are talking about mucho money in fines here].

Anyway, check what happened to a US Navy veteran [David Miller] at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iowa City.

Navy veteran David Miller said that when he checked into the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iowa City, he didn’t realize he would get a hard sell for Christian fundamentalism along with treatment for his kidney stones.

Miller, 46, an Orthodox Jew, said he was repeatedly proselytized by hospital chaplains and staff in attempts to convert him to Christianity during three hospitalizations over the past two years.

He said he went hungry each time because the hospital wouldn’t serve him kosher food, and the staff refused to contact his rabbi, who could have brought him something to eat.

Miller, an Iowa City resident and former petty officer third class who spent four years in the Navy, outlined his complaints at a news conference in Des Moines on Thursday. The event was sponsored by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an activist group based in Albuquerque, N.M.

He described the Iowa City facility as an institution permeated by government sponsorship of fundamentalist Christianity and unconstitutional discrimination against Jews.

Miller has been classified as 100 percent disabled because of chronic painful problems with kidney stones, and he has repeatedly visited the center as a patient and outpatient.

The hospital’s chaplains and staff, Miller said, have the attitude that you either accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior and you are saved, or you are damned.

Now, the chaplains that I worked with in the military were aware of my feelings about ORGANIZED religion, and never bothered me [all of them were good shipmates]. So, it is possible that this is an isolated incident.

Check the link for the rest of the story.

Chaplains and the VA

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Attorney-Gate continues

Attorney-Gate continues, and the GOP leadership [other than GWB] is asking for the AG's head. But the AG is NOT going to leave his post, and this is good for the DEM leadership [they love to beat on the AG].

Anyway, after the resignation of the number two man on the DOJ [Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty], several GOP members are calling for AG Gonzales' resignation.

Check this out.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers from both parties defended McNulty and rapped Gonzales' leadership of the Justice Department.

Sen. Arlen Specter, top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, called McNulty a "professional" and then added: "It's embarrassing for a professional to work for the Department of Justice today."

"It is hard to see how the Department of Justice can function and perform its important duties with Mr. Gonzales remaining where he is," said Specter, R-Pa.

House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., questioned whether McNulty was being made to take the blame for the department's botched handling of the firings.

"With this Justice Department, the buck always stops somewhere else, and the fall guy is always the last guy out of the door," said Conyers.

But again, the AG is not leaving, he is fully supported by his good friend, our commander in chief.

Bottom line is this, AG Gonzales will survive Attorney-Gate.

Here is the rest of the story.

Attorney-Gate

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The War Czar position is no longer OPEN

A lot of retired generals just SAID NO to the new position of WAR CZAR [some of them have talked about this position in public, no, but no thanks was their answer].

So, here we go again, ANOTHER active duty general is stepping up to the plate.

Is he stepping up to the plate or was he PUSHED?

Anyway, the commander in chief have FINALLY found someone willing to TAKE THE BLAME on any screw up happening in IRAQ or JIHADISTAN.

Enter Lieutenant General Douglas Lute.

President Bush has chosen Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, the Pentagon's director of operations, to oversee the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as a "war czar" after a long search for new leadership, administration officials said Tuesday.

In the newly created position, Lute would serve as an assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser, and would also maintain his military status and rank as a three-star general, according to a Pentagon official.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Bush had not yet made an announcement.

Creation of the new job comes as the administration tries to use a combat troop buildup in Iraq to bring a degree of calm so political reconciliation can take hold.

The White House has sought a war coordinator to eliminate conflicts among the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies — and to speak for the president at times.

The addition will help Stephen Hadley, Bush's national security adviser, who monitors hot spots around the world.

Bush's move is part of a lengthy reshuffling of war leaders. Yet critics have questioned whether a new coordinator will help so late in the Bush presidency or will instead add confusion in the chain of command.

One thing for sure, anytime we come up with a CZAR [for anything] it is almost TOO LATE. What happened to the DRUG CZAR position? And what happened to the war on drug?

But this time it is different [famous last words] and the WAR CZAR position is expected to be a total success.

Here is the rest of the story.

This position is no longer open !!!

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Job Opportunity is now CLOSED

Well, shipmates it is TOO LATE to apply for this job opening. The IFW Taliban group fighing the good guys in JIHADISTAN is now under new management. During the weekend the good guys were able to place the old MULLAH at room temperature, giving another IFW the opportunity to advance in rank.

And today, the senior IFW Taliban Leader, MULLAH OMAR announced that the vacant post is no longer available. The brother of the killed MULLAH is now the leader of the IFW Taliban group now located somewhere in the mountains of JIHADISTAN.

Read on.

Mullah Dadullah, the feared Taliban commander killed at the weekend in battle with U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, has been replaced by his younger brother, a Taliban spokesman said.

Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar appointed Mullah Bakht Mohammad to take the place of the insurgents' top operational commander in the south, Taliban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf told Reuters.

The death of Dadullah, the main architect of suicide bombings, kidnappings of foreigners and Afghans, beheadings and a rise of violence in southern Afghanistan, was seen as the biggest blow to the Taliban since the start of the insurgency.

Read more about it, click on the attached link.

Take this job and shove it !!!

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General Speaks Out on Iraq

General John Batiste [US Army, Retired] continues to make waves. The man quit the US Army after 30 plus years because he was sick and tired of the incompetence of those running the war from their chairs in Washington [The BIT].

Here is a good article.

John Batiste has traveled a long way in the last four years, from commanding the First Infantry Division in Iraq to quitting the Army after three decades in uniform and, now, from his new life overseeing a steel factory here, to openly challenging President Bush on his management of the war.

“Mr. President, you did not listen,” General Batiste says in new television advertisements being broadcast in Republican Congressional districts as part of a $500,000 campaign financed by VoteVets.org. “You continue to pursue a failed strategy that is breaking our great Army and Marine Corps. I left the Army in protest in order to speak out. Mr. President, you have placed our nation in peril. Our only hope is that Congress will act now to protect our fighting men and women.”

Those are powerful, inflammatory words from General Batiste, a retired major general who spent 31 years in the Army, a profession sworn to unflinching loyalty to civilian control of the military. Many senior officers say privately that talk like this makes them uncomfortable; when you pin that first star on your shoulder, they say, your first name becomes “General” for the rest of your life.

But General Batiste says he has received no phone calls, letters or messages from current or former officers challenging his public stance, although he occasionally gets an anonymous e-mail message with the heading “Traitor.” Having quit the Army in anger at what he calls mismanagement of the Iraq war, he says he chose a second career far from Washington and the Pentagon so that he could speak freely on military issues.

“I am outraged, as are the majority of Americans,” General Batiste said over sandwiches in a blue-collar diner here. “I am a lifelong Republican. But it is past time for change.”

But I just wonder, is anyone listening to General Batiste [or to the other generals] talking about the incompetence of the team in charge of running the war [The BIT]?

Read more about it

Watch the VoteVets.org political ad

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A Terrorist Disneyland

As I have said before, we are in IRAQ for the long run. Regardless of the reasons for LIBERATING the country [WMDs, nuclear rods, setting Jeffersonian Republic, or any other useless excuses] we are in IRAQ now and it is way too late to run.

Check what a so-called al Qaeda "expert" is saying about what is going to happen IF/WHEN our GIs pack and leave IRAQ.

A U.S. troop pullout from Iraq would leave the country as a potent launchpad for international terrorism and Washington would be forced to go back in within a couple of years, a leading al Qaeda expert said on Tuesday.

Rohan Gunaratna told a security conference at Lloyd's of London insurance market that Iraq, like Afghanistan in the 1990s, would become a "terrorist Disneyland" where al Qaeda could build up its strength unchallenged.

If U.S., British and other coalition troops withdrew from Iraq in the next year, he said, "certainly the scale of attacks that would be mounted inside Iraq, and using Iraq as a launching pad to strike other Western countries -- countries in Europe, North America - would become such that after two or three years, the U.S. forces will have to go back to Iraq."

Why do we have so many of those experts floating around, where were the "experts" prior to 9/11/01?

Anyway, we must continue fighting the IFWs "over there" because I don't want to see our GIs fighting them "over here."

Good news - this month we have made some significant moves and our GIs are capturing the IFWs by the hundreds [that is placing them under arrest or placing them at room temperature] and the best is yet to come.

America, hang in there, victory in IRAQ is around the corner. At one point WE WILL declare total victory and move on.

Click on the link for more on the terrorist Disneyland.

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DEMs looking for IRAQ War Deadline

Here we go again. The discredited DEM leader of the Senate will try again to get his IRAQ War Deadline approved by his compadres and his comadres, and then signed by the commander in chief.

U.S. Senate Democrats want to spell out a time frame to withdraw combat troops from Iraq, but might offer President George W. Bush power to waive the deadlines, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on Monday.

"We've not, on this side of aisle, lost sight of the fact the American people have concluded the president's Iraq policy has failed and we're demanding a new way forward," said Reid, of Nevada, who a few weeks ago concluded the Iraq war was "lost."

In an attempt to again gauge Senate sentiment for placing end-dates for U.S. involvement in a war now in its fifth year, Reid has attached two Iraq amendments to an unrelated water resources bill the Senate is debating.

One would wind down U.S. involvement early next year by prohibiting combat funds after March 31. The other would call for troop withdrawals to begin this year and set a goal of finishing by March 31 next year. But Bush could waive the dates, Reid said.

Reid added that he and fellow Democrats were prepared to pass a bill to fund the Iraq war that is "very, very close" to a bill Congress sent Bush last month, which he vetoed.

The White House restated its opposition to a bill that includes timelines for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq, saying it sends the wrong message to the troops, as well as allies and enemy forces.

It is not going to happen, the commander in chief is not going to sign any bill setting artificial deadlines [he is willing to accept some benchmarks, but NO DEADLINES].

And yes, we know that a LARGE majority of Americans are looking forward to the day our troops leave IRAQ for good, but no way Jose it is not going to happen "by March 31 2008."

Deadline, what deadline?

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