Pissed! At My Own Party

I heard on the radio some hack identifying democrats as the cut and run party. Well, why the hell not? The GOP already has us labeled and are way out in front of Dems on Iraq once again. Its like a prize fight and the GOP keeps punching and we keep standing there like idiots.

But Dems are not for cutting and running in Iraq. I think we are for stating goals and objectives, giving time lines, and getting Iraq through its elections and preventing civil war between the Sunnis and the Shiites.

There, I said it. Joe Schoe for San Diego, sitting at his desk job, and I've created a coherent Iraq policy statement for the democrats.

Not all Dems want this strategy, to be sure. Some are cut and run types. Some see disaster either way so why not leave now. But generally speaking Dems want to stay and make Iraq as right as we can within limits.

SO WHY THE HELL CAN'T RIED AND THE DEM LEADERSHIP MAKE A STATEMENT CLAIMING THIS!!!???

Why let Rush/Rove and the GOP noise machine once again label democrats as cut and run pussies?

Because this is the stratagy of the GOP noise machine on every issue. Take democratic extremeists and portray them as mainstream.

At no point in this Iraqi debacle have the feelings of mainstream America been aliened so closely with mainstream democratic sentiment with regards to Iraq. Yet the GOP is allowed to continually spin Dems as the cut and run party and MSM continually shows war protesters as democrats, which they are, so the country gets the impression that Dems are 60s radical war protestors.

John Kerry had the same problem, always hemming and hawing, not stating goals and marching toward them.

If you ask me, the Dems could have the GOP on the ropes on Iraq. Call for a plan that makes sense to the American public. Show the Dems as the party that has common sense and a plan in Iraq.

Have some balls!

Oh well, back to baseball.

Bush Clueless On Iraq?

Well, at least his speech making the last few days make him appear that way.

We all know what's happening there. The insurgents are doing their thing. The government has come up with a draft Constitution that favors theocracy. The Sunnis and Shiites are gearing up for a power struggle and probably a civil war.

I other words, its a complex, fluid situation where peoples lives are on the line. We need to make the right moves regarding our involvement and our leaders need to show leadership.

So what does Bush say in a speech in Real Red Idaho yesterday?

You probably can guess:

"Stay the course."
"Must be determined."
"Free the Iraqi People."
"911."
"Terrorism."

That is not what the American people want to hear.

What we want to hear are the plans and goals of the operation going forward, something like this:

1. Iraq is tough, the insurgency is strong, but our soldiers are determined and so are the American people to bring a functioning government to Iraq.

2. We are making progress with elections in January and a constitutional draft this week.

3. We don't want Iraq to enter into a civil war. We want Iraq to have a representative government with rights for all its people while acknowledging the strong role of Islam and other religions.

4. We have two elections to get through in Oct and Dec to create the structure needed for a permanent Iraqi government.

5. We will also continue to train more Iraqi troops.

6. When the country is stable and on its way, we will begin pulling out. That could be as early as next year. Lets hope so.

That was not hard for me to write, Mr. President. I did it sitting at my desk here at work.

Yet, its what I need to hear from you. Its what Americans, our troops in Iraq, the Iraqi people, the Middle East, and the world needed to hear from you.

Please sir, put the pom poms down and lead.

BTW, my speech writing services are available for a large fee.

More Irony in Iraq

With the Iraqi Constitutional draft now complete, its pretty clear that Iraq, once secular country that primarily practiced Islam, but had other religions, will become an Islamist country complete with women as second-class citizens and Islamic law trumping common law.

The irony is, this is exactly what the right-wing in this country are after, the main difference being only in the flavor of the religion.

So what has taken 5 years and counting to accomplish in the US, was accomplished in Iraq is just two and half years. And while in the US still struggles with the "Conversion", in Iraq it was relatively easy.

Dump the secular dictator, tip the elections toward the religious extremists, have them dominate the constitution and bingo, Theocracy government, as if there are not enough of those in the Middle East as it is.

So of course, you have Bush touting the draft of the Constitution as a great event, because ultimately, the goal of his party is to create a theocracy here in the US.

Think of Iraq as practice. Certainly not the correct religion, but its a start.

Will the Ironies in Iraq ever cease, probably not.