Life in Babble-on

John McCain keeps on insisting that things are improving in Iraq. He was able, he says, to visit a market, the American people are not getting the full story of our successes in that troubled land, it is still possible to win, and babble on and on. Lindsey Graham, who accompanied McCain on this stroll through Bagdad, boasted that he bought five rugs for five dollars (so, you see, things are going well, business is brisk). Another one of McCain's entourage reported that it was just like a summer market in Indiana (this has to be the mother of all babble). Of course Bush and Cheney continue their non-stop babble about how we can still achieve victory, things are going well, Pelosi is a dirty dog, Congress has no business butting in on Bush's "war," when the Iraqis stand up we will stand down (never), we have to fight them there or we'll have to fight them here (absolute babble), and the same old tired and worn babble they have employed for years. There seems to be no end in sight. What do you suppose Graham wants with five cheap rugs? Things must be pretty bad in Indiana in the summer. Does anyone believe this anymore?

The Democrats have already caved in. Levin now says we will never cut off support for the troops (that might end the war and Democrats would be blamed for it - a fate for Democrats, I guess, worse than death). Aside from the persistent aim of stealing Iraqi oil, this "war" has long since been divorced from any reality other than the political. Both Democrats and Republicans are now using our troops for their own political ends. Democrats want to keep this as Bush's Republican "war," and Republicans want to string it out until after the next election so they can blame it on someone else. Our troops continue to die and/or come home maimed for life while being used as pawns in this terrible travesty of human behavior. Too bad there is not an objective scale of human misery such that when it reaches a certain point there has to be an accounting and severe penalties become automatic and irrevocable.

Anyone out there believe that Alberto Gonzales is going to keep his job as Attorney General? I won't be surprised if he fails to show up at his April 17th grilling. There is a story about a gambler who died. His funeral was being attended by many of his peers. The Preacher was carrying on about how it was that "our good friend, so-and-so isn't really dead, he's just gone on to a better place," when from the back of the room came a voice that said, "eight to five he's dead." That's how I feel about Gonzales. Cheers, chins up, stomachs in, pip pip, and all that. Better days are coming (I hope).