A Storm May Be Gathering in the East

Hello Papamoka Bloggers! Michael Jackson's death - may he rest in peace - came at a fascinating and highly uncertain time geopolitically, distracting us from a darkening political storm in the Middle East.

I'm talking about the clear rejection of religious fundamentalism in Iran - despite the government coup, which I will ignore to make a point. When you combine it with the anti-fundamentalist victory in Lebanon a few weeks ago, the two are very significant. Sadly, they may also represent bad news. Why? I have a theory.

President Obama's speech in Cairo went a long way to encourage moderates in both Lebanon and Iran to get off their backsides and vote against the mullahs. Of course, the Iranian government helped by giving it's electorate every indication their votes would count. They even held a few debates. Amazing, what were they thinking?

Those victories prove to many Middle East experts that people want more freedom, and that things may start to change even more - if Egypt begins to fracture, watch out. The problem is that whenever moderates stand up to extremists all kinds of bad things can happen, such as in Iran. Change that spins out of control can be disasterous, such as when the entrenched leadership begins to feel threatened. The way they are feeling today in Iran, and possibly even Eqypt.

Don't get me wrong, I realize the status quo doesn't work, and we all loved it when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down, but it's clear the Middle East is a powder keg and once ignited it could lead to worldwide conflict. One very dark sign is the growing Iranian-Russian-Chinese alliance - in various forms. Another is the possibility of a fundamentalist crack-down across the Middle East, igniting chaos. I'm convinced that's why more leaders aren't speaking-out. Nobody wants to be responsible for open conflict and mass murder.

Bush was the beginning. He lit the Middle East fuse with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - two places ill-equipped to handle Western democracy and the freedoms that come with it. Nevertheless, his actions started the pieces moving across the board. Sadly, despite his potential for domestic success, Obama's legacy will most likely be seen through the same presidential prism of the Middle East. Did he control events in the Middle East after Bush, or did he allow them to spin out-of-control?

You see, there is one very hard-to-predict variable. He is the very hard-headed, right-wing Benjamin Netanyahu. I would like to think that he's a Nixon-China kind of guy, but my gut tells me he's more from the Bush-Iraq school. If I were to see the glass-as-half-empty, I would guess he's the George W II. That to me is a terrifying prospect.

He's already ignoring the significance of the Iranian-Russian-Chinese alliance (a typical neo-con), as well as Obama's request to control settlement construction and focus on the Road Map. Instead, he seems to be taking his marching orders from the Republicans and the far-right in America.

Personally, I think he's in bed with the Bush-Cheney branch of the GOP, who are all pushing Israel to bomb Iran before it has the chance to threaten the existence of Israel - no matter what Obama says about it.

If Israel bombs Iran, then President Obama and the Democrats will lose their entire agenda - both domestic and international. The Republicans would use the conflict to divide, conquer, win votes and take back power. Right or wrong, as usual they would maneuver to benefit from the chaos. Poor Obama would be forced to spend his time and energy cleaning-up another conflict created by an irresponsible, paranoid and pernicious far-right.

Of course, the scariest outcome is that America could be dragged into a regional or world conflict. One clear sign of chaos would be a potential threat to President Mubarak in Egypt. Don't scoff at the possibility. It may even be secretly supported by Russia and China; the two powers who would love to see America's primary African ally on the Nile fall to extremists - at least the kind they could do business with.

Despite all my hope for Obama and my glass-is-half-full mentality, I'm terrified of the uncompromising and paranoid extremists embodied by the neo-con Republicans, Netanyahu and Ahmadinejad. President Obama and Secretary Clinton must pull off a diplomatic miracle soon to make sure the international far-right doesn't get another war.

Netanyahu must be made to tow the line. Ahmadinejad must be undermined to prevent Israel from using him as an excuse. Obama must lead and control events in the Middle East to prevent more conflict.

I also think Obama needs to act quickly to fire most of the Bushies still in government - especially those within the DOD, STATE and INTELLIGENCE. He should not trust them. They represent a possible shadow government operating within his own Administration. Unless he acts quickly to make sure that he has full control, anything is possible. This is something that has been worrying me since he took office.

It's clear that President Obama is a change agent. Now we need to make sure the change is the right change. There are hot spots throughout history involving change - think the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Kristallnacht and 9/11, and I think we may be witnessing another one about to hit - for good or bad.

Let's hope that while most Americans are spending this weekend mourning the death of the King of Pop, a potential Earth-shattering clash isn't brewing in the Middle East between East and West. Let's hope that President Obama can control the international far-right agenda led by the GOP and Netanyahu, and that angry religious fundamentalists don't light the world on fire.

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

American Fear

Hello Bloggers - As many of you already know, I've been on the "Save American Justice" bandwagon lately hoping for leading Democrats and Obama to take a strong position against the Bush lawbreakers since the inauguration. Unfortunately, I may be giving up on convincing our Republican friends based on numerous recent debates.

To be blunt, I'm having trouble meeting ANY Republicans - yes, I mean ANY - that are willing to admit that Bush went too far. They always defend Bush as honest at first, but when pressed with the facts they always turn to a "laws and the Constitution be damned" response. The "he kept us safe" and "that's all that matters" argument always prevails. Many finish with "the ends justify the means" even if they don't always realize they're saying it.

No matter what I say to them, our nation's founding principles of justice, humanity, and fair play during wartime mean very little to today's frightened Republican minority. They are completely uninterested in fair play these days. They seem almost brainwashed.

Our nation's "rules of engagement" have been pretty much the same since George Washington fought the British. Our founding father was a great example of fair play, despite the atrocities committed at that time. A few Americans have been charged with war crimes during past wars, but so far America has been considered a role model on how to act during times of crisis. American presidents have been pretty great leaders, representing our higher ideals during conflict, by and large.

America helped create the international conventions that guide civilized modern conflict. We always fought to protect civilians and war prisoners on all sides for decades. We didn't waiver on our principles in the past despite enemy atrocities and crimes. We always took the high road, hoping to serve as a good example of what is right in the world. Until Bush and his sheep-like Republicans, we were a shining example of good in the world - that "shining city on a hill" that Reagan liked so much.

The Republicans I've been talking to recently all seem willing to do "whatever it takes" to keep us safe. They all seem unconcerned with past rules of engagement. They seem to feel that "everything has changed in the world." I'm sure our forefathers would disagree with them if they could share some of their horror stories. I don't care what you say, but this nation has faced horrible enemies for over two centuries, and I'm sure we can handle a few thousand religious, pirate-like zealots, without abandoning our principles.

Bush and Cheney somehow brainwashed a large part of America into profoundly changing their national mindset. "9/11 changed everything" is a phrase they use far too often, and one that should be eliminated from our national debate. Their "war on terror" is also counterproductive.

The conservatives I've debated seem perfectly comfortable with the idea of torture ("on Americans if necessary" was said), eavesdropping ("on AMERICANS too" was mentioned), open-ended suspension of habeus corpus, soldiers on our streets, detention camps, neighborhood informants, private armies, and even genocide against those who they say "threaten our existence." It's very black and white with them. There is a rancid, ugly fear out there today, and it's mostly coming from Republicans. Let's hope our democracy holds; a potential dictator could have a field-day with today's Republican minority.

Bush, Cheney and the irresponsible right-wing media have helped turn a large chunk of Americans into pathetic, frightened cowards. Yes, if that applies to you, that's what I consider you - a COWARD! Yes, I said it, a COWARD!

That's what I've been calling my Republican friends who espouse undermining our national principles out of fear. You see, I would rather we risk our lives, and remain brave Americans, than sacrifice the best of what this nation is about - justice and human decency - out of fear. YES, I said it, and I mean it. OUR LIVES, ALL OUR LIVES, EVEN YOURS! For God's sake Republicans, grow a pair! Trust me, I'll feel the same way if we're attacked again. Being attacked will change NOTHING! NOTHING!

Just like our soldiers, we need to stand-up for what we believe in. Our nation needs to be an example for good in this world. No matter how bad they get, we need to stay above it. We need to always treat our enemies as human beings. Justice should not be sacrificed at the alter of fear. I will never stop fighting to preserve our national honor and system of justice. We need to fight to remain a just and honorable nation.

Michael Boh

Papamoka's Left Coast Contributor

from Our Rants & Raves Blog

American Depression Starts!

How do you put it in simple terms to tell the people that your government as you know it has sold America out for personal gain? How do you tell someone that loves John McCain that he sold you out too? How do you instill the common sense it takes to see the coruption of the last eight years played into the downfall of America's economy?

Don’t hold your breath to hear this news on the networks. The facts of the current financial crisis in the American banking world were told to the leaders of Congress and they were speechless. When was the last time you heard of a politician that had no words. All of the policies of the last eight years has crippled America financially and that responsibility rest at the feet of George W. Bush. And it rests at the feet of people like John McCain that wanted less regulation of our financial markets not just this past week but for decades in the Senate.

This is not good news my friends. This is the end of the never ending growth in America simply because there were no rules to make more money for the sake of making more money that was instilled by Republican policy over the last eight years. Those that made this situation possible have already taken the rewards of the fatted calf and can ride this depression out. Millionaires have that safety buffer to do so, do you?

Over at the New York Times they have this to say on a speechless Congress on hearing the news of our actual state of the union…

Congressional Leaders Stunned by Warnings

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN
Published: September 19, 2008

WASHINGTON — It was a room full of people who rarely hold their tongues. But as the Fed chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, laid out the potentially devastating ramifications of the financial crisis before congressional leaders on Thursday night, there was a stunned silence at first.

Mr. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. had made an urgent and unusual evening visit to Capitol Hill, and they were gathered around a conference table in the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“When you listened to him describe it you gulped," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York.

As Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut and chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, put it Friday morning on the ABC program “Good Morning America,” the congressional leaders were told “that we’re literally maybe days away from a complete meltdown of our financial system, with all the implications here at home and globally.”

Mr. Schumer added, “History was sort of hanging over it, like this was a moment.”
When Mr. Schumer described the meeting as “somber,” Mr. Dodd cut in. “Somber doesn’t begin to justify the words,” he said. “We have never heard language like this.”
“What you heard last evening,” he added, “is one of those rare moments, certainly rare in my experience here, is Democrats and Republicans deciding we need to work together quickly.”

Although Mr. Schumer, Mr. Dodd and other participants declined to repeat precisely what they were told by Mr. Bernanke and Mr. Paulson, they said the two men described the financial system as effectively bound in a knot that was being pulled tighter and tighter by the day.

“You have the credit lines in America, which are the lifeblood of the economy, frozen.” Mr. Schumer said. “That hasn’t happened before. It’s a brave new world. You are in uncharted territory, but the one thing you do know is you can’t leave them frozen or the economy will just head south at a rapid rate.”

As he spoke, Mr. Schumer swooped his hand, to make the gesture of a plummeting bird. “You know we’d be lucky ...” he said as his voice trailed off. “Well, I’ll leave it at that.” - New York Times

In one day this election for President has changed from continuing the policies of Hoover or electing a new deal leader in Roosevelt. I think you all know who is following Hoover and who is following the footsteps of FDR.

I’m shocked, I’m pissed off, and I know that it was not the Democrat Party that sold America down the drain for the sake of making more and more money from the bottom of the food chain in the American economy. Getting past all of the blame we as a people need to move forward, change the way America deals with the markets, change the way we do not care what our political leaders are doing to our nation. Now is the time for change and now is the time for fresh blood in the Congress and in the White House. America and it’s people deserve to be saved just as much as the big banks and Wall Street firms that the Trillion Dollar bailout is going to fund.

Pick a candidate, McCain that follows the policies of Bush that caused this disaster or Obama that is offering a new path out of the disaster? It’s your choice but make sure you vote your wallet if you have not already sold off all of your investments because inflation is about to skyrocket here in America.

Un Freaking believable! Hat tip to Memeorandum for this post!

Papamoka

American Flag Burning in Iraq

One military death in Iraq is one to many. As the war mongering political right of American politics goes then 19 dead is progress? Explain that fact to the 19 mothers and fathers of the kids killed in the war for Daddy by President Bush. My humble heart felt prayers go out to the parents of the children killed in Iraq but somehow the media spin is that their deaths was a sign of better days to come in Iraq. I don’t get it. One death is to many in my eyes and it should be shouted at the tops of the lungs of anyone thinking that this is not okay.

When you analyze the number of deaths of your own troops as a measure of progress then true diplomacy is dead. When was the last time you heard or read about the Republican Bush lead administration talking about diplomacy to end the non stop violence in Iraq? You have not read about it because it is not happening. Kill them all and let God sort them out is the only policy that President Bush has to offer and he isn’t backing down from that stance any time soon. In times of war, each side sees God as on their side and in both circumstances both sides are wrong if stronger minds do not have a voice to end the conflict. War is madness when either side refuses to negotiate peace. Till that time comes the body count grows on both sides. History teaches us that the ones with the bigger weapons always win but in this case that isn't likely. The Iraqi people are fighting a religious war and we are there for nation building in a society that wants nothing to do with politics. Those two things just do not go together.

Over at the New York Times they have this piece on the current war dead and how much of a relief that only 19 American Military people were killed in Iraq…

U.S. Deaths in Iraq Fell Sharply in May
By ANDREW E. KRAMER
Published: June 2, 2008

BAGHDAD — American casualties dropped in May to their lowest monthly level — 19 — since the invasion in 2003, the United States military said Sunday, though officials said they were reluctant to highlight the number as a milestone.

There have been troughs in American casualty rates before, only to be followed by rising numbers of fatalities. Just on Sunday, one American soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. The military has instead focused on falling rates of enemy attacks, among other indicators, as a measure of improving security.

Even amid the news of declining deaths, efforts to negotiate a long-term security pact that would set out how long American forces stay in Iraq suffered a setback on Sunday when the Iraqi government criticized proposals from American negotiators and vowed to reject any deal that violates Iraqi sovereignty.

Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has been under political pressure to resist some American demands. Street protesters loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, for example, burned American flags on Friday to oppose the deal, and Mr. Sadr promised that his followers would stage regular protests through the summer. - New York Times

When it comes right down to it, the current election cycle for President of this nation comes down to your willingness to accept any number of military dead for the sake of a land that has no American respect. Our troops could leave there tomorrow and the same tribal wars that have gone on for thousands of years will break out. One has to face the facts that Baghdad is not Washington D.C. or Crawford, Texas.

While the dissenters of an American military presence in Iraq burn our flag in Iraq we have to accept the fact that Iraq is not Boston, Chicago, Memphis, or Kansas City. Changing political philosophy in Iraq is tantamount to converting a lion to a vegetarian. It just isn’t in the works to happen at any single time in our lifetime. All of the unrest in Iraq is now due to the vacume or loss of an absolute dictator under Saddam Hussein and that is the battle that the people of Iraq must come to terms with. Our military presence in Iraq only instigates more hate against America even though we toppled the bastard that oppressed the thoughts and freedoms they now feel they must instigate against our troops. Freedom is a double edged sword and sometimes it swings against the people that gave them the voice to speak.

I’m supporting our troops, I’m just not supporting the reason they are in the line of fire. God bless them and keep them safe. One soldiers death is too many for my thoughts when diplomacy is always an option.

Papamoka

Bite Me Big Oil!

For the first time in 32 years the Congress is actually doing something about the real energy crisis here at home in America. I’m not talking about supply and demand. I’m talking about the reality that our nation is ruled by OIL. All hail his Majesty the King paid for by a generous donation by Exxon Mobil, Texaco, Chevron and Shell etc, etc.
America has a demand problem and as the largest market user of all oil based products in the world there is a market to manipulate when the ones producing the product are netting mega billions a quarter. I’m funny that way, billions of dollars in profit’s a quarter, hmm do you think they are using that profit for the greater good? I don’t think so either. Trillions are to be made on the open market and when you have billions of dollars piling up quarter after quarter it posses a ledger problem that becomes an accountants nightmare. If it isn’t spent on “Research and Development” or other purposes investing in the corporation then those profits are taxable. Then again, maybe not given all the subsidies to the oil companies under W.

In a recent post here titled Saudi Arabia… Screw you Wall Street I talked about this very issue. Saudi Arabia has the ability to supply the market and the facts were revealed in the linked story that they can produce a barrel of oil for just $2! Supply is not the problem! Saudi Arabia is pissed that Wall Street is pointing the finger at them. Then again it’s a far stretch from $2 to the current market price of oil isn’t it? Who want’s to be the bad guy in this latest news buster, the guy in the white robes or the guy in the nice dark blue or black business suit? Frankly, it’s a toss up there but two guys in whatever form of dress mugging you is still a mugging.

American vengeance is a funny thing and when you as a President threaten our pockets with a veto on legislation that will only hurt the billions of profits of your base big oil supporters then we have a problem with King George once again. Two hundred and some odd years forward of the original American Revolution.

House Brushes Aside Veto Threat, Passes Energy Bill

By Jonathan Weisman and Steven Mufson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, December 6, 2007; 5:24 PM

The House today brushed aside a fresh White House veto threat and handily approved a sweeping energy bill that would raise automobile fuel efficiency standards for the first time in 32 years while mandating the generation of electricity from more renewable energy sources.

The 235-181 vote sends the measure to the Senate, where Republicans hope to strip it of tax hikes on the oil industry and renewable electricity mandates before a final version goes to President Bush. The White House objected strongly to the bill on multiple fronts, saying Bush's advisers have recommended a veto.

But with energy prices soaring, lawmakers from both parties expressed strong support for dramatic action, especially on auto efficiency standards that have not changed since the 1970s. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) called the package"nothing less than our nation's declaration of independence from foreign sources of energy."

Snippet and flick it…

The bill also includes appliance and light bulb standards that would effectively phase out the incandescent light bulbs invented by Thomas Edison by the middle of next decade.

To finance tax incentives for hybrid cars, ethanol production and renewable energy development, the bill includes $21 billion in revenue increases , including a rollback of $13.5 billion in tax breaks for the five largest oil companies. - Washington Post

King George and his cronies are looking at the death of big oil just decades down the road and they are having to change their shorts. Even though King George Bush has said over and over again that we need to raise the CAFÉ standards he must have done so with his fingers crossed behind his back. It is official with this up and coming veto that this President was never an American President. He has been nothing but a puppet of his friends and screwed his own people for the sake of a dollar. Not his personal dollars but he got to have a neat office that his Daddy had once, nice car, and all the benefits of being the Deciderer in Chief. Vacation benefits are huge too. Take the first seven years off and work the last one. He only has to work the last year because he by accident found the United States on a freaking map finally! He circled it with a crayola burnt umber if you were wondering.

I laugh at people that say that the price of oil is market driven. While two people at the gas pumps each spit on the pumps, one a Democrat, the other a Republican, one of them is right and the other is just pissed at the market. Both are making the same wage and both are spending more than they can afford just to put gas in the car to get to work. One voted for a Democrat that wanted change eight years ago and the other voted for a self proclaimed American King in disguise. Both have a son in uniform in Iraq. Both are on the edge of losing their homes. It does not matter what either one thinks anymore because we have all been sold out by the King.

Market forces in any field without control will rape all of the people without political recognition no matter what party you vote for in the middle and lower classes. There was a reason why the Democrats held control of both houses for so long. They never sold the middle and lower classes out as well as President Bush has done in two terms. They never trashed the Constitution and used it to wrap the days catch down at the lake because it was yesterdays news.

If maybe really but not for real elected twice President Bush, veto’s this energy bill and his veto is not overturned, then we will all know whom is voting for your future families energy needs. Look to the political Right side of the aisle to find the millionaires club that could care less about you as an individual person coming up with excuses why we still do not need a realistic energy policy. Then check out the largest contributors to their past campaigns and as always follow the damn money.

It all points back to the fact that the Republican servants in our American Congress will protect the money flow from big oil. It’s a huge amount of cash to swallow your pride. George Bush has proven the fact that his time in the White House is a precursor to a President in the steps of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. With so many lost under the footsteps of the Bush millionaires now running our nation it is inevitable that this will scenario must change come the next Presidency. It has too! That is why we all must vote.


Just keep repeating $2 to produce a barrel of oil! Voting Republican next election?

Papamoka

Cross posted at MichaelLinnJones.com and Bring IT ON!

Feel free to link to this post... or steal it! I won't tell anyone if you won't.

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Revolution Forward 231 Years

America was born out of the desire of freedom from an oppressive government across the Atlantic that taxed our lives into oblivion. Today we are so much closer to that same ideology because our own government is allowing the powers that be to obliterate the middle and lower classes of America. By our leaders doing nothing while our people struggle to pay for gasoline in their cars to get to work and do nothing while we are soon to be frozen in our homes they are feeding the greed or feed mentality of its own existence. Somebody should get a Sharpie and cross out “We the people” and scribble in “We the corporations” on the Constitution.

Every which way you look those charged to defend the people are to busy looking out for what is best for them alone. Ignoring problems such as immigration simply because it might offend immigrants is the topping of the cake that is the do nothing at home Bush plan. We have become a nation of those that have and those that have not. The have not’s will pay the ultimate price to ensure that the haves continue on the path of continued wealth. While the rest of us wonder how to pay the electric or the heating bill this winter, Washington will discuss the dilemma over a couple of meetings and come to mutually assured destruction (MAD) consensus that no plan at all is needed if both sides blame the other in the failure to resolve it.

Is the nation as a whole just imploding with displeasure over the lack of reactions to OUR people’s needs by all levels of our government? Maybe if we renamed our nation the United States of Iraq we might get the attention of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Over at Reuters they have the latest polling numbers on President Bush performance as well as the Congress…

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Deepening unhappiness with President George W. Bush and the U.S. Congress soured the mood of Americans and sent Bush's approval rating to another record low this month, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

The Reuters/Zogby Index, which measures the mood of the country, also fell from 98.8 to 96 -- the second consecutive month it has dropped. The number of Americans who believe the country is on the wrong track jumped four points to 66 percent.

Bush's job approval rating fell to 24 percent from last month's record low for a Zogby poll of 29 percent. A paltry 11 percent gave Congress a positive grade, tying last month's record low.

"There is a real question among Americans now about how relevant this government is to them," pollster John Zogby said. "They tell us they want action on health care, education, the war and immigration, but they don't believe they are going to get it."

The dismal assessment of the Republican president and the Democratic-controlled Congress follows another month of inconclusive political battles over a future path in Iraq and the recent Bush veto of an expansion of the program providing insurance for poor children.

The bleak mood could present problems for both parties heading into the November 2008 election campaign, Zogby said.

Washington is losing its peoples faith in its ability to govern. Check the polls over at Reuters to see the peoples discontent in the government. If we as a people accept it as a fact that it is our governments job to only take care of just one class of people then we deserve what we get. If our leaders think that the security of Iraq is more important than your town USA then we have a problem and the polls show that. Then again you could bitch loud and clear at your elected leaders in an email or letter or even a phone call.

If you asked several of your co-workers if they have ever contacted their Congressional Representative or Senator I would be willing to bet that 99.99% would laugh as if you were nuts for asking. Most people honestly believe that the government does not work for them. Government is for business and politicians, or they simply believe that their government does not care about them as an individual and they are partly right! There is a very large disconnect from Washington and our nation. Our leaders do not care about us because we do not tell them to do so. We, the people that elected them think our job is done once we vote and it is not. It is up to us to tell them the issues we care about and are passionate about. If we do not speak to them directly then they are flying blind and thinking that they are doing one “Heck of a job”.

We may not need a revolution to step back from the brink of chaos in our American society but simply to vote in mass displeasure. Vote for change and vote out the elitists that cater to special interest groups. Stop voting for the people that the main stream media tells you whom is best for you. Get involved and contact your leaders in our government and that includes the President. Please send letters with lots of picture cues for the President. He likes lots of pretty colors in the pictures too.

Papamoka

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Republicans Selling Fear and Lies

Don’t tell anyone but the Republicans are blaming Bill Clinton for everything from the Black Death in the 1500’s to our current Military being over stretched. Let’s just add to the list of things to blame former President Bill Clinton like bread turning green with mold and lets blame him for $3.00 a gallon gas too!

You know what pisses me off about Republicans is the fact that they totally ignore the fact that President Clinton was the first President in modern times to balance the federal budget and show a surplus. President Clinton was a true American President and NOT an I’m busy with Iraq, I’ll call you back in 2008 President.

Did Bill Clinton trim the military budget, the answer to that question is yes and no. He proposed reductions in the military spending because our nation was at peace with the world and his State Department actually did diplomatic work rather than chucking the bird as the limo passed by. The Congress approved that budget which just happened to be led by Newt Gingrich who was the creator of the Contract with America.

I was over at Memeorandum today and found this great piece by the Carpet Bagger Report that is covering this same issue. President Clinton is not to blame for what the current resident of the White house has done for the last seven friging years! This is a must read for political junkies like me…

Republicans blame the wrong president for overstretched military
Posted November 10th, 2007 at 12:20 pm

Of all of Bush’s misstatements from the 2000 presidential election, one of the most obviously-false attacks was on military readiness. Indeed, then-Gov. Bush blamed Clinton and Gore directly for “hollowing out” the military. “If called on by the commander-in-chief today, two entire divisions of the Army would have to report, ‘Not ready for duty, sir.’” BC00 campaign aides later acknowledged it was a bogus charge, but that didn’t stop Bush from repeating it. A lot.

And now, seven years later, the next batch of Republican presidential hopefuls are doing the same thing.

Here’s the top story out of Iowa: Rudy Giuliani told an audience at Iowa State University that the American military needs to be bigger, and he lashed out at Bill Clinton for cutting the military during the 1990’s.

“Our military is too small to deal with the Islamic terrorism threats,” Giuliani said, “but it really is too small to deter would-be aggressors to even think of challenging us. And that’s due to Bill Clinton.”

Does this make any sense? What threats are we incapable of dealing with? And if they exist, why hasn’t Bush/Cheney done anything about it? We already spend more on the military than most of the world put together — who else does Giuliani want to invade? (Oh wait, don’t answer that.) - The Carpet Bagger Report

Let me get this straight in my head, Rudi Giuliani is selling fear and telling you what to be afraid of because of Bill Clinton? What year and what Presidential election is going on again? Wasn’t President Clinton seven years ago? Anyone else shaking there head on that one? What about George W. Bush Rudi? Rudi has a serious problem and it is called credibility. The only message he has is to tell the people what to be afraid of and how his private company going Federal from the White House can protect you. Anyone smell bovine gas? I’m smelling something and it isn’t something an air freshener can cover up.

I’m thinking that diplomacy from the Mini-Republicans like Rudi and Fred (I’m acting like a real candidate) Thompson is out of the question based on their comments on the campaign trail. In their minds the only solution is more war and more military action. The only problem with that theory is that our military is in fact stretched out to the max and none of them really care about the military and our men and women fighting for their lives for missions that they sent them on.

The Carpet Bagger Report has it right on the money. Rudi does not have anything new to offer other than telling you “Me Too!” from the Bush Doctrine of more war for the sake of more war.

Rudi Giuliani is a joke as a candidate for President. Get elected to the Senate before you want to play in the big kids playground Rudi. Maybe then people will actually take you serious.

Papamoka

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I'm adding The Carpet Bagger Report to my favorite's on the site here and I hope he returns the courtesy.

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