Shape up or...

Can you believe it? Four Democratic Senators visited Iraq and apparently told them, "either shape up or America will be leaving." At least that is the way it was reported in the news. I'm sure that is not precisely what they said, but apparently they did say that if Iraq doesn't form a broad based national government soon the Americans would probably pull out. This is a threat to Iraq? Nothing they would like more for us to get the hell out of their country. What arrogance! We illegally and immorally attacked their country, killed probably at least one hundred thousand of them, including women and children, totally disrupted their society and culture, are busily trying to steal their oil, establishing permanent bases there, and so on, and our Senators have the gall to insist they should "shape up." Not only that, they had the effrontery to say that we (Americans) are about to "run out of patience." What the hell do they think the Iraqis are about to run out of, with no electricity, water, etc. I don't know about you, but I know what I would tell them if I were an Iraqi. America doubtless will pull out soon, but not because of the failure of the Iraqis to establish a viable administration. We'll get out because we have lost, have exhausted and virtually destroyed our military, and are going bankrupt while "staying the course." This was the most foolish, stupid, idiotic, unnecessary, illegal, immoral, unconstitutional "war" ever conceived. And those responsible for it are war criminals and should be treated as such.

Now we have he case of "Baby Noor." While I think it is wonderful that our soldiers found this little baby who needs medical attention desperately, and arranged for her to be flown to the U.S. for free usually very expensive medical attention, and will thus give her at least a chance to live (she will probably never walk), does no one see the rampant hypocrisy involved? We have killed probably at least one hundred thousand of her countrymen, and at the moment have stepped up our bombing campaign fivefold to kill even more, but we are so compassionate we are trying to help this one little baby? Surely the world is mad.

Howard Dean apparently took Wolf Blitzer to task over the Abramhof scandal. Blitzer, another news toady for the Republicans, tried to insist that this was not a Republican scandal, but that Democrats had been on the take as well. Dean, however, pointed out the truth. Abramhof gave nothing to Democrats. Nothing. A few Democrats did get money from Indian tribes but this money was not linked to Abramhof, it was given directly by the tribes. Blitzer's (and others) attempts to try to lump these donations in with those of Abramhof is just another cheap attempt by the Republicans to obfuscate and deny their "culture of corruption."

Senator Feingold has reportedly said he would not rule out impeachment if it is found that Bush did indeed break the law with respect to the spying without warrants. If someone of his stature is now talking about possible impeachment, and if the Conyers group goes ahead with their investigation, you know we might be finally getting close to something. I like Feingold. And I don't care if he is a Jew. What I would care about is if he is an uncritical supporter of Israel who would do nothing to improve the lot of the Palestinians and would allow the Israelis to continue stealing Palestinian land and water. Until some American President is allowed to curb the Israelis there will never be peace in the Middle East.

Tomorrow the fireworks will begin over the Alito nomination. There is no way the Democrats should accede to this appointment. He may be a fine legal mind but he is obviously the candidate of the far right fundamentalists who believe they can dictate what they believe to all the rest of us. I think this is not going to be any fun.