watch this space
McCain is soft spoken and humbled. He told Tim Russert on Meet the Press this morning that his position is "pretty much" more troops or get out in the "critical" and "crucial" next few months, although he actually used the word "nuanced" to caveat Russert's formulation. Now, McCain can get away with using the word nuanced while Kerry couldn't, but I don't think there's any way we're sending more troops at all, let alone in the next few months.
I predict McCain won't run.
I further predict that if Hillary Clinton does run, she will have to decide by early next year at the latest and, given the climate, she is smart enough to know she'll have to be fully supportive of, even a leader of, the phased withdrawal option.
Clinton/Obama looks like a winning ticket to me.
Let's talk Iraq. Rumsfeld is out. Cheney remains. This morning President Bush's Chief of Staff, Josh Bolten, told George Stephanopolous on This Week that a "full speed ahead" policy in Iraq can include a willingness to constantly change tactics. I'm no nautical expert, but wouldn't the most likely outcome of this "strategy" be capsize? Seriously, Bolten followed Senators Biden and Levin, both of whom said their first priority would be to change course by calling for a phased withdrawal within months and the convening of some sort of non-U.S.-led multinational group to help stabilize Iraq diplomatically.
It seems like the Bush Administration's only problem with signing on to something like the Biden/Levin approach would be if it included a "fixed" timetable for withdrawal. Even the humbled neo-cons are no longer uttering "cut and run" in an effort to besmirch the Administration's critics. Bill Kristol on Fox News Sunday instead described the choice as pursuing victory and "cutting our losses." But, as Kristol acknowledged, it was clear which way the Administration was leaning in its move to swap Gates for Rumsfeld.
I've never cared much for labels; so, I have little patience for what to call where we're heading in Iraq: something less than "victory," but something more than "defeat." I predict President Bush will cooperate with Democrats to salvage his legacy. I'm not sure why the re-sent the Bolton nomination to the Senate. Perhaps in the tumultuous aftermath of the elections and Rumsfeld's ouster, the remaining die hards, like Cheney and Bolton, need some token bones thrown their way to demonstrate that it may still be possible for them to save face.
If I'm wrong, however, and the die hards are die nevers, and if Bush throws his lot with them and abandons any attempt to salvage his legacy, I fully expect investigations, impeachment, and war crimes prosecutions.
I'm off to watch McCain on Meet the Press. More later.
Well, damn! Somehow, I made the blogroll over at vapoliticalblogs.com. I'm not sure how this happened. I wanted it to happen before the elections and assumed the fact that it didn't meant I had to do something myself to make it happen. Anyway, I was getting anxious about changing my URL as obsolete. I hung onto it, because I haven't yet decided what to re-re-dedicate this blog to. Now, I have another reason. I can only hope my being on vapoliticalblogs.com's blogroll means I'll attract more visitors. So, consider this an open thread. I'm entertaining suggestions for the next mission of this blog. Thanks.
Uh, oh, Tom. You better hope Chairman Waxman doesn't decide to begin cleaning house too close to home.
"The Democratic congressman who will investigate the Bush administration's running of the government says there are so many areas of possible wrongdoing, his biggest problem will be deciding which ones to pursue. 'I'm going to have an interesting time because the Government Reform Committee has jurisdiction over everything,' Waxman said Friday, three days after his party's capture of Congress put him in line to chair the panel. 'The most difficult thing will be to pick and choose.' Waxman complained that Republicans, while in power, shut Democrats out of decision-making and abdicated oversight responsibilities, focusing only on maintaining their own power. In contrast to the many investigations the GOP launched of the Clinton administration, 'when Bush came into power there wasn't a scandal too big for them to ignore,' Waxman said."
To the eligible voters of our district who allowed this tragedy, shame on you.
To Tom Davis who has governed badly and campaigned disgustingly, you are going to wish you'd lost.
To Andy Hurst who stepped up, challenged the bad guys, and campaigned heroically, bless you.
To the people who supported and/or voted for Hurst, we'll get 'em next time.
Stay tuned for the re-re-dedication of this blog....
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It is becoming increasingly clear to just about everyone except Bush that the war in Iraq is a disaster. It's tragic that more people didn't get this before the 2004 election. Tuesday's elections represent an important opportunity to tell Bush that immediate change is imperative. Even if you prefer Davis over Hurst, for whatever reason (except for those few who still support Bush's folly), you MUST do the right thing and vote for Hurst. You do not want to be on the wrong side of this issue. If Saddam Hussein is convicted and sentenced to death tomorrow, the chaos and carnage will be ratcheted up even further. Everyday we remain in Iraq is inexcusable. Bush must be stopped. An overwhelming Democratic victory on Tuesday will embolden the last few Republican stalwarts who, as was done in Nixon's final days, will privately tell Bush enough is enough. We don't need investigations. We don't need impeachment. We definitely can't wait for January 20, 2009. Please vote for Hurst.
