Stop him before he kills again

What is this all about? Bush is reportedly going to send more troops to Iraq for a "surge," "bump," or "escalation," depending upon who you talk to and when. He is going to do this in spite of the fact that only 11% of Americans are in favor of doing this, virtually all of the Generals are not in favor (he is removing the ones that don't cooperate), the Democratic majorities are opposed, as are many Republicans. So what is he up to? Even though I have been convinced for years that he is marginally retarded, he must be aware that what he is doing is insane. Or is it? I think he is actually maneuvering himself into a situation in which whatever happens he (at least in some sense) "wins." Think about it. If Democrats or others oppose sending or funding this so-called "surge" he will be able to blame them when the miserable Iraq failure becomes too obvious to cover up. On the other hand, if he gets the troops, he can prolong the "war" until the next election at which time he can just dump the failure onto someone else's watch. Clever, no? This is more likely Rove or Cheney's idea than Bush's but he is, after all, the front man for this political con game. And make no mistake about it, this isn't about "war," it's about politics. Bush/Cheney and the neocons are using our troops for their own political ends.

I was wondering why Negroponte, who has arguably one of the most important posts in the Administration (head of all intelligence units) would resign to become an Assistant Secretary of State under Condi Rice. This made no sense to me. Stephen Pizzo, in an article entitled "White House Chess," (in Smirking Chimp), has come up with a speculation that makes perfect sense even if it may prove to be pretty unbelievable. Pizzo argues that the only reason Negroponte would agree to this is because he wants to become Secretary of State. The scenario goes as follows: Cheney will resign for reasons of health, Bush will appoint Condi as Vice President. Negroponte will become Secretary of State. Pizzo offers perfectly good reasons why this might happen that I do not wish to review here. I urge you to read his article. Remember, this is only speculation. But it is well worth watching.

Keith Olberman made an impassioned comment about Bush's idea of "sacrifice." If you didn't see it, or haven't yet seen it, you can find a video of it on Truthout. It is powerful and well worth watching.

Bush is supposed to announce next week what his plan is for "moving forward" (more accurately described as "staying the course") in Iraq. With virtually the entire world opposed to sending in more troops will he actually do it? And if he does what does that tell us about his opinion of anyone but himself? There is a deep psychological problem here such that reason, common sense, empathy, and even basic human values have no place. Bush, I believe, is not only marginally retarded but a genuine sociopath. Can no one or anything stop him before he kills again?

Dennis Kucinich is absolutely right. Cut off any funding for this phony "war" other than those funds needed to bring our troops home safely. Is anyone listening? Perhaps the Pelosi/Reid letter is just the first "shot across the bow." I sincerely hope so.