Disgusting Democrats, Reprehensible Republicans

First, I am truly pleased to learn that Anna Nicole Smith's body is not going anywhere soon. I was really worried about that.

As near as I can make out Feith's excuse for his indecent behavior has to do with his argument there is nothing wrong (or illegal) about people reviewing Intelligence assessments. I guess one might agree that is true. However, when you not only review the intelligence but then change and distort it to fit your preconceived idea of what it should reveal, and then pass that on as THE intelligence to your superiors, and they then act on it as if it is true, it would seem to be a different matter indeed. And, when your office exists for no other purpose than second-guessing intelligence to make it fit what you desire, I should think the question of legality is simply moot. This is not complicated. It is perfectly obvious this is what happened. Feith's office insisted there was a relationship between Sadam and the terrorists even though the CIA intelligence knew that was not so. And Cheney repeatedly insisted there was such a relationship even though there was no evidence of such a relationship. When Feith's office presented the CIA with their interpretation of the evidence the CIA objected to 50% of their claims. They offered to footnote their objections. Feith's interpretation was forwarded with no footnotes included. I guess this is what was meant when one of the neocons insisted that they were creating their own reality. They have done the same thing with scientific evidence. I guess there is nothing illegal about reinterpreting scientific evidence about global warming, or paying scientists to argue against global warming. BUT THERE OUGHT TO BE!

The Democrats, now in control of the House, have decided to spend three or four days debating a non-binding resolution opposing the "surge" (which, of course, has already begun). Bush has announced that he is aware of the debate and doesn't really care what they do (I mean, it is non-binding and he is going ahead with his plans anyway). How many more American and Iraqi lives will be lost during this four day complete waste of time? Not content with this dismal procrastinating they have now developed a strategy of "slowly bleeding" the administrations ability to continue their "war." Slowly bleeding our troops while they sit in their comfortable air-conditioned offices and cowardly refuse to take meaningful and clear action to bring this stupid, unnecessary "war" to a swift conclusion doesn't seem to matter to them. After all, our troops volunteered to be slowly bled to death for the benefit of Bush/Cheney, Halliburton, Exxon, and whoever. As far as I am concerned both the House and Senate are simply beneath contempt. They are every bit as complicit in their war crimes as Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Rice and the rest of the neocons. What can one say except STOP THE FOOTDRAGGING AND BULLSHIT AND DO SOMETHING! DO IT NOW, NOT NEXT WEEK OR NEXT MONTH OR NEXT YEAR. NOW!

Democrats, it is said, are afraid to cut off funding because they fear they will be accused of not supporting the troops. What nonsense. Who are they afraid of, the 27% of loony Americans who still support Bush/Cheney? Bringing the troops home from a lost cause, after they have performed splendidly with faulty equipment and excruciatingly poor leadership, is not not supporting the troops. It is quite the contrary, supporting them in the best way possible. They have done what they could, done what was expected of them, they cannot be expected to perform miracles. They cannot make the Sunnis and Shiites like each other. They cannot bring about a political solution on their own. There is no military solution for the problems in Iraq (or Iran, or Saudi Arabia, or Israel, or Palestine, or Syria or anywhere in the Middle East). The neocons dream of controlling the Middle East, of empire, of being able to impose a solution to long standing problems at the barrel of a gun, is truly a pipe dream.

What is wrong with us? In some cases there are very commonsense solutions to some of our problems. You want to solve the problem of overcrowding in our prisons? Legalize marijuana. You want to conserve energy? Turn off all the damn lights in our skyscrapers at night. You want to reduce the cost of drugs? Stop the pharmanceuticals from their incessant advertising of drugs we don't need (and even those we do need). You want to conserve oil? Make the automakers build more efficent cars and trucks. You want to save the salmon? Breach some of the dams. You want to stop global warming? Cut down on carbon emissions. I acknowledge these are not all as simple as they may appear. But they are all eminently possible if we just have the will to do them.

Putin is right. The U.S. has grossly overstepped its bounds. The world is suffering for it. It didn't begin with the Bush/Cheney administration. But under their stewardship it has for the first time reached genuine crisis proportions. They should either resign or be impeached. Even more appropriate, perhaps they should be committed. The Republicans have it within their power to do something to stop Bush/Cheney. They are more interested in power than patriotism or country. History is not going to treat them kindly. They don't care, like Bush, they will all be dead. What a marvelous attitude. Good for our corporate masters if not for the country. "Get rich, sleep 'til noon, and screw 'em all."