Iraq Celebrates Six Years of American Generosity

Hello Papamoka Readers! I must be brief today so I thought I would share some quick thoughts on the illustrious six year anniversary of the Republican-led Iraq war and our miserably long and expensive occupation.

It was so gratifying this morning to hear that thousands of Iraqis are celebrating by burning American flags across the nation in street demonstrations. It warmed my heart when I heard the interviews with dozens of Iraqis complaining about us as occupiers and murderers. It made you proud to be an American. For my Republican friends, that's called sarcasm, and I do hope they are listening.

Recent Iraqi Polls are depressing in the way they highlight how we aren't even seen as a helpful security force anymore. Both Sunnis and Shiites credit Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and the IRAQI SECURITY FORCES with the peace and security they enjoy. Isn't that nice? We don't get any credit for risking our lives and spending billions we DESPERATELY NEED HERE AT HOME!

So, they don't give us any credit for the peace and they want us to go home. I say let's give them what they want and get the FREAK out of there. We should stop wasting our billions on those miserable, ungrateful people and haul ass home. WAKE UP President Obama! Stop listening to Secretary Gates and the Republican military machine. Get us out of that thankless country!

Our young men and women should not be risking their lives for such ungrateful people. We've paid our dues. We've made up for the miserable mistakes of George "the screw up" Bush and Dick "the dark lord" Cheney. The billions we've spent over past years to clean up their mistakes is enough. Let's get the HELL OUT NOW! SIX YEARS IS ENOUGH! We've wasted enough money!

I just finished watching another news report, this time on BBC News, featuring more Iraqis cursing America for their six years of misery. We spent over $1 TRILLION - of money that we now desperately need - on that miserable dust bowl of a country and all we get is cursed for trying to help. What a freaking nightmare!

The Republicans are great at spending our money on unappreciative foreigners, but scream bloody murder when we try to spend it on ourselves. Screw the GOP! I wish those Republicans who led us into the worst mess in American history would fly over there and face those Iraqi street demonstrators. They might just learn how INSANE and out-of-touch they've been over the past eight years.

The Iraq War was a Bush, Cheney, Oil Industry, macho, military-industrial-complex, arrogant, STUPID IDEA! We would be better off today if we had just let Hussein run that miserable country into the ground. They didn't deserve American lives, American money, or American help. America has suffered enough losses. I say SCREW THE REPUBLICANS AND THE IRAQIS!

I hope every Republican realizes just what a debacle their elected leaders created for the world. They've killed and wounded countless Iraqis, thousands of Americans, and practically bankrupted the U.S. all for nothing. Let's stop fooling ourselves, let's put an end to the ungrateful misery that is America's - or the Republicans - attempt to help Iraq. It's been six awful years, and all a horrible waste of lives and money.

Michael Boh
Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor
from Our Rants & Raves Blog

Florida Abandons McCain GOP Ship

There is in fact a high price to pay for over the top negative campaigning and in the case of the Presidency of the United States it is 27 Electoral College votes in Florida. Late reports are that even Governor Charlie Crist, once a contender as John McCain’s Vice President has to distance himself from the McCain campaign. Governor Crist does not have a choice if he wants to continue his political career in the State of Florida.

Losing the State Governors full political support is a direct link to losing the state even though the state of Florida has voted Republican since the election of JFK some forty plus years ago. Governor Crist is concerned about the economy in Florida and he should be, that is what the people of the state elected him for. Over at the Miami Herald they have this to say on it…

Florida Republicans cast blame as McCain trails in polls

John McCain's plunging poll numbers in Florida have top Republicans second-guessing and starting to distance themselves from the campaign.
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS AND MARC CAPUTO

For the first time in more than a decade, Florida Republicans are considering the almost unthinkable: Their presidential nominee could lose the state.

The economy, an unpopular president, a strong opponent, and the inability of John McCain to reverse poll numbers despite repeatedly revising his strategy has top state Republicans looking for someone to blame.

''There are a lot of folks who have never been in a foxhole before and are clearly nervous,'' said Brian Ballard, a major McCain fundraiser. ``There is some finger-pointing going on a little bit too soon.''

Even Gov. Charlie Crist, who helped deliver Florida for McCain during the primary, said he will spend the final weeks before Election Day minding the state's weak economy rather than campaigning for the Arizona senator.

''When I have time to help, I'll try to do that,'' Crist said last week, after he flew around the state with McCain running mate Sarah Palin. Saturday, he skipped a McCain football rally and instead went to Disney World.

Once considered a potential running mate, Crist had pledged to do all he could for McCain and spent several days this summer campaigning for the Republican nominee in and outside Florida. He faults the tough economic times for McCain's difficult time in Florida, where he trails rival Barack Obama by about 5 percentage points in the polls.

SNIP and Tan

Crist has stressed the need to focus on the economy and, close allies say, has grown troubled with the negative direction of the McCain campaign as it focuses more on Obama's connections to 1960s radical William Ayers, rather than on pocketbook issues.

''Everybody runs their campaign the way they think is the best to run it,'' Crist said last week. Asked about the Ayers attack, the governor raised his eyebrows and said: ``It is what it is.'' - Miami Herald

You have to agree with Charlie Crist when it comes to voting your pocketbook! One of the largest industries in Florida is tourism and all of the money flowing into the state treasury from people visiting Florida and paying the sales tax on all the goods they carry back home. When the economy tanks in the rest of the nation, peoples first reaction is not “Let’s go to Disney World”. Expensive vacations are the first items chopped out of family budgets when times get hard.

Even Bill Gates of Microsoft and Fortune 500 Magazine fame has to make some cutbacks in the family budget after being kicked off the top of the list of billionaires in the world. He’s had to cut back so much that he just might have to retract his bid to buy Iceland that declared bankruptcy this past week. MS Word on the street is that his Island Buyer Realtor had it on the Multiple Listing Service and Bill was in the market for an island retreat for his family. Over at Reuters they have Bill’s dirty laundry airing…

The magazine took another look at the fortunes of some of the billionaires on its Forbes 400 list to assess the effect of the worst financial crisis since the 1930s Depression and released a select list naming some of those hit hard.

But while 17 billionaires on Forbes list lost more than $1 billion in the past month, Buffett managed to boost his wealth by $8 billion to $58 billion, pushing him ahead of Gates, whose fortune fell to $55.5 billion from $57 billion.

Gates had been ranked No. 1 on the Forbes 400 list for the past 15 years with his Microsoft fortune. - Reuters

Getting back to my rant, it is one thing when a multi billionaire loses a couple of billion in wealth, Bill has another $55 billion towards his retirement. Recent losses in the stock market are destroying many middle and lower class voters retirement portfolio’s. Questions at the kitchen table now revolve around the oldest of us “Baby Boomers” having to work a couple of more years to recoup the losses. We can’t retire at 62, not even 65, 68 is close but 70 is probably the new target date to retire.

Gates can afford to lose a couple of billion and still pay cash for Iceland if he wanted too. Middle and lower class voters have to rethink retirement when they lose 18% of their investments in one weeks time.

Make no mistake about it, this election will be about the economy and that finger points to John McCain’s new best friend George W. Bush. Florida relies heavily on retirees spending their golden years and retirement funds in all of the counties across the state. Charlie Crist is right to distance himself from the McCain campaign.

Papamoka

Say Hello to MSYahoo

When it comes to corporations strong arming their way through any competition Microsoft is King. Once more Microsoft will obliterate yet one more great internet tool for all of us to use and insert themselves as the new messiah of the Internet. All the news about Microsoft buying Yahoo are officially over with the meeting of all the executives to find some common ground to get the deal done.

Pass out the billion dollar paychecks to all the Yahoo executives and wait for your Yahoo email account to suddenly become a Hot Mail account. Latest news from the New York Times on Yahoo being bought out by Microsoft…

Microsoft, Yahoo Execs Finally Meet

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 14, 2008
Filed at 5:42 p.m. ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. met with Yahoo Inc. to discuss the software maker's unsolicited takeover bid earlier this week, a breakthrough that could be the first step toward a friendly deal between the two rivals.

The meeting occurred Monday near Yahoo's Sunnyvale headquarters, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke Friday on the condition of not being identified because the preliminary talks haven't been formally disclosed.

No investments bankers attended Monday's meeting, nor was there any discussion about whether Microsoft is willing to raise its offer, initially valued at $44.6 billion, or $31 per share. Yahoo's board already has rejected that bid, arguing the company's Internet franchise is worth more.

Although it's unclear whether Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer and his Yahoo counterpart, Jerry Yang, attended Monday's meeting, senior management from both companies were on hand. - New York Times

I’m doing my best to help out Bill Gates with his latest email tracking software but this situation calls for my full attention and yours as well. Bill sent me a personal email from his old Netscape email account and asked my thoughts on the new name for the former Yahoo. I’ve been scratching my head over it but this is what I have so far.

Yarightthebastid’sofferedusmoremoneythanGodcouldcountwaaahoooo!.com

Msminefuhrerhoo.com

Mswemadethemadealtheycouldnotrefuseboohoo.com

Yawesquashedthemhoo.com

Msborgyouwillbeassimilatedyahoo.com

Micascrewyooo.com

MicroYoowillonlyseewhatwewantyoutoseesoft.com

Yawewillownalloftheinternethoo.com

Let me know if you come up with some other names for the new Microsoft division soon to be formerly known as Yahoo. I’m under a hot deadline because Bill wants to come out with five versions and new releases that will lock up and close you out within the next year.

Papamoka

Cross posted at MichaelLinnJones.com and Bring It ON!

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