What the GAO's report on Iraq left out

Thanks to Paul at Powerline for pointing this out:

(1) the GAO analysis is tied to benchmarks set by a Democratic
Congress and (2) these benchmarks are not terribly germane to judging our
progress in this war.
Consider what Congress did not include. There's no
benchmark relating to driving al Qaeda out of Anbar province or for enlisting
Sunni tribesmen in the fight against al Qaeda. There's no benchmark relating to
killing foreign terrorists or stopping them from entering Iraq. There's no
benchmark for curbing Moqtada al-Sadr's militia or limiting his influence. Yet
al Qaeda, foreign terrorists generally, and Sadr represent (along with Iran) our
main enemies in Iraq. Only the Democrats could "benchmark" a war effort without
reference to how we're doing against our enemies.

This comes from a mindset that there is no military solution to this war. Tell that to General Grant and General Washington in our country's fight for freedom. Military success will inevitably bring political success. This latest doom and gloom report by pencil pushers in Washington is just another setback we have to ride out, as we have so many throughout this war.

A relevent quote comes from Brian at the Weekly Standard-"we can't hold the bums in Baghdad to a higher standard than the bums in Washington."

More-Bill Krostol calls the report, and the Washington Post's knee-jerk reaction to it, A Pathetic Preemptive Strike.

Sea Links

Japan recently launched a 13,500 ton "helicopter carrying destroyer" which bears more than a passing resemblence to light aircraft carriers of Western navies.

France Challenges the Royal Navy.

The Great Aircraft Carrier Race Begins.

First LCS mission package ready for delivery.

Aegis BMD info leak in Japan.

Stealthy Land-Attack Destroyer Already Obsolete?

Gulf Navies Make Contingency Plans.

US Navy Eyes the Black Sea.

Commander of Russian Navy Visits USS Bataan.

Little Remus Does the Deed.

High Speed Vessel 2 Swift Conducts Crew Turnover.

Global Fleet Station Salutes Honduran Navy.

From Russia With Love.

Japans Secret Aircraft Carriers.

Koreans fret over Japanese carrier.

Canada's submarines re-emerge as potent international force.

Al Qaeda Hunt in the South Pacific.

Brazilian Sub Visits Mayport on First Deployment to U.S.

Katie, Don't Go!

Dick Durbin, Carl Levin, Brian Baird, none of the antiwar Democrats would listen to me. Now Katie Couric is breaking ranks and headed to Iraq:

Couric will anchor the CBS Evening News from Baghdad next Tuesday
and Wednesday, then from Damascus on Thursday and Friday.
Couric will travel
throughout Iraq to talk to military and civilian leaders, soldiers and average
Iraqis, spending most of her time outside of Baghdad. CBS News would not reveal
many specifics of her plans in advance because of competitive and safety
concerns. The trip, in the works for six weeks, anticipates the surge progress
report by Gen. David Petraeus that is expected the second week of September.
"You can't help but get a very detached perspective when you're not there
and you're not witnessing things firsthand," Couric told The Associated Press on
Tuesday. "I'm curious about very basic questions regarding living conditions,
about how much fear there is in the street, about how the soldiers really are
doing."

This sounds like something a really intelligent, accomplished journalist would say! How can you do this Katie? We want to hear about Lindsey, and Paris, and Alberto Gonzales, not real news! You're breaking my heart.

All kidding aside, I don't agree with some who scoff that this is all to boost the CBS Evening News sagging ratings. This is what reporters are supposed to do, and had they done so all along, this war might be already won. But some just don't get it.

Are You Poor?

According to the Census Bureau people who possesed the following items were defined as poor (via Murdoc):

• Forty-three percent of all poor households actu­ally own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.
• Eighty percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, in 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
• Only 6 percent of poor households are over­crowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.
• The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
• Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 31 percent own two or more cars.
• Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.
• Eighty-nine percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and more than a third have an automatic dishwasher.

We don't have an automatic dishwasher or a half bath ( unless you count back behind the shed in an emergency!). I suppose I am below the poverty line! Funny, my Mom use to pick cotton as a share-croppers daughter when she was young. They had nothing, but still insists if they were poor they never realized it!

I wonder if owning only 1 SUV counts as being poor to the government?

John Edward's SUV Sanctuary

He seems to be giving a good home to all those SUVs he wants Americans to part with, at his multi-million dollar mansion! Scroll down for photo.

Al Sadr calls Ceasefire

Apparently, like some Democrats, he sees the political winds shifting. From Bill Roggio:

Sadr's aides were out in force, calling for the Mahdi Army to lay
down its arms. "We declare the freezing of the Mahdi Army without exception in
order to rehabilitate it in a way that will safeguard its ideological image
within a maximum period of six months starting from the day this statement is
issued," said Sheik Hazim al-Araji, an aide of Sadr, while reading a statement
from Sadr on Iraqi state television. The statement was backed up by Sadr's
spokesman. "It also includes suspending the taking up of arms against occupiers
as well as others," said Ahmed al-Shaibani, Sadr's spokesman.

Admittedly, Sadr has changed his mind before, but each time he flip-flops on fighting with the Coalition, he continues to lose face among the Iraqi's. Good object lesson there.

Chop a Tree, Save the Planet

Something you don't often hear from Greenpeace, but there it is:

Trees are the most powerful concentrators of carbon on Earth.
Through photosynthesis, they absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in
their wood, which is nearly 50 per cent carbon by weight. Trees contain about
250 kilograms of carbon per cubic metre.
North Americans are the world’s
largest per-capita wood consumers and yet our forests cover approximately the
same area of land as they did 100 years ago. According to the United Nations,
our forests have expanded nearly 100 million acres over the past decade.

I'd been going with the propaganda given all my life by the environmentalists, that all the trees in the world were being chopped down and we're all going to suffer for it. As many trees now than 100 years ago and expanding? Who knew?

We are All Democrats Now

This from the Rush Limbaugh newsletter pretty much sums up what I think of the Sen. Craig scandal:

Larry Craig's behavior is an individual's behavior, not that of an
entire party. The difference is how the parties (and the media) react to
scandals. You will not find any prominent Republicans saying Craig didn't do
anything wrong, but if this were a Democrat, the whole party would be jumping to
his defense. There is a double standard, and there is hypocrisy, but it's not on
the right.

Without defending this guy's action, almost everyone in the GOP is jumping on the skin-Craig-alive bandwagon, something you don't see from the Left when a similar incident occurs in their Party, who without fail get a pass from the MSM no matter how bad their actions are. I wish the Right would at least go slow in passing judgement and not give our enemies in the Media any more ammunition to slander our Party.

Update: Tom Delay, quoted at Blogs for Bush nails it-""There are scandals that need to be addressed. Republicans address them, Democrats re-elect them." Check out the link for examples.

SC Loves Books

While the Media is getting a good belly laugh over Miss South Carolina stuttering her way through a pageant question, a Spartanburg teacher is creating a passion for learning among her students:

Last week marked the second year of Spartanburg High School's
summer reading program, an innovative approach to literacy that is the
brainchild of Kathie Bennett, an international flight attendant and mother of a
local high school student...

Here's how it works: Students pick a book from a selection of
eight and voluntarily read it over the summer. When school reconvenes in the
fall, some of the books' authors visit to read and discuss their work.
As
extra incentive, students who have finished their books -- and produce a paper
or other project -- are given four points that can be used in any class to raise
their grade. It's a win-win deal, with a bonus lesson in free-market economics.
Work and be rewarded.

I think this is great! One of my teenage nephews has the passion as well, for history just like his handsome uncle! His favorite subject so far seems to be the Classical Greeks, so I occasionally send him books on the subject, just to keep his interests alive.

MiLinks

Japan and the F-22A.

DARPA Grand Challenge vs. European Land Robot.

You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat.

Procurement spending continues upward climb.

Team Tests Propulsion System for Multiple Kill Vehicle.

Iraqi Security Forces Five Year Plan.

Navy's 'Ring Of Steel Bomb' Flattens Obstacles.

Chinese Type 99A2 Tank Arrives.

India hikes combat jet purchase figure to 200.

Pakistan Test Fires New Cruise Missile.

RAF Typhoon Block 5.

Navy's Low Collateral Damage Bomb.

MRAP v Superbombs.

B-52s Recreate Historic B-17 Flight.

B-52 Bombers To Remain In Service For Foreseeable Future.

Iran develops 2000lb smart bomb - official media.

Pentagon cuts armored vehicles due in Iraq in 2007.

Fly the Flag Day

This was sent to me by my friend John Burtis:

On Tuesday, September 11th, 2007, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States . Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this anniversary of our country's worst tragedy. We do this in honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.

Action Plan: So, here's what we need you to do...

(1) Forward this email to everyone you know (at least 11 people). Please don't be the one to break this chain. Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11 and let those sentiments guide you.

(2) Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11.

Honestly, Americans should fly the flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.

Thank you for your participation.

God Bless You and God Bless America !

Castro will vote for Clinton-Obama ticket

I thought he was dead! From Reuters:

"The word today is that an apparently unbeatable ticket could be Hillary for president and Obama as her running mate," he wrote in an editorial column on
U.S. presidents published on Tuesday by Cuba's Communist Party newspaper,
Granma.

Granma? Actually, this could really happen if Washington passes their Amnesty for Illegals legislation. He could just fly over, vote, and then fly back to Cuba.

The Last Battle of the Vietnam War

Robert Tracinski muses on the parallels of Iraq and the lost cause of Vietnam:

In political battles--and all too frequently in war
itself--victories are rarely complete, defeats are rarely final, and the real
significance of a battle is often not evident for years, even decades
afterward.
America's defeat in Vietnam, for example, was seemingly a triumph
for the anti-war left, which had long proclaimed the war to be unwinnable
quagmire. Yet the years following that defeat--the era of American retreat and
"national malaise"--proved so traumatic that the American people have never
wanted to repeat them. Thus, what the anti-war radicals regarded as a
vindication ended up discrediting the left on foreign policy for a generation.
You could say that they won the political battle over the war--but they lost the
peace.

The article echoes something I wrote earlier, that a consequence for victory in Iraq would be vindication for our Vietnam vets. Right after the First Gulf War, the senior President Bush declared "we've finally licked the Vietnam Syndrome", or something to that effect. Yet, many felt afterwards the war wasn't a total victory, with Saddam still a threat to the region. Now things will be different, thanks to our brave and brilliant troops, and a President who never gave up hope.

Official: Everything is Bush's Fault

That includes bad movie sequels, according to the NY Times (via Libertas):

“Fans who tolerate the repetitiveness and ideological
bankruptcy of the Rush Hour franchise, for example, may be testaments to
the power of hope and a need for familiarity at a time when the Iraq war
continues unabated, pensions and polar ice disappear, and Al Qaeda videos enjoy
wider distribution than Sundance winners.”

Another reason for Democrats to prematurely end the Surge, I guess. Notice they also managed to blame global warming. I guess that comes from a consensus of movie goers?

Adios, Gonzales

Harold Hutchison says Gonzales was "Betrayed by the Right". I tend to agree, but I always wonder why in Washington it's dog eat dog when theoretically the politicians are working for the same boss, namely us!

It was amazing to see Bush stick up for the Attorney General, with words he seldom uses to defend his own reputation, like "months of unfair treatment" and "good name was dragged through the mud". The president takes attacks on his friends, whether justified or not, very personal, as we see. When Congress starts the mudslinging for whatever petty reason or on the scantiest of evidence, Bush digs in his heels and refuses to budge. Then, Cabinet members who have likely worn out their usefulness to the administration, such as Rummy, Gonzales, even Rove, stay around longer than they should. Because of all the partisanship, the attackers actually defeat their own purpose.

For instance, my 8 year old nephew has a habit of asking for something, then when I fail to concede to his whims immediately, he nags me about it. I warn him that the constant badgering makes me want to do what he asks even less, but he can't help himself, so we get nowhere until he gets yelled at. Both of us dig in our heels, much like Washington, too proud to bend a little.

"Real American Hero" no more

First they bumped off Captain America, now this via Wizbang:

But of course, in the liberal land of Hollyweird, a Real American
Hero is just unacceptable. Nope, it's gotta be a global hero. G.I. Joe will be a
global operation, not an American one, and G.I. Joe now stands for Global
Integrated Joint Operating Entity:
The studio's
live-action feature film version of G.I. Joe will no longer revolve around a
top-secret U.S. special forces team but rather an international operation.
In a follow-up to their confirmation that Stephen Sommers will direct G.I.
Joe, Variety offers this new description of the team: "G.I. Joe is now a
Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity,
an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle
Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer.
The property is closer in tone to X-Men and James Bond than a war film."

They've pretty much castrated James Bond too. I actually bought my first true GI Joe with the real hair a few weeks ago at the Southeastern Toy Soldier show for $15 bucks. Scared to play with it though, it was made in China!

The Left Coast has pretty much seceded from the Union in their minds and attitudes. No love lost here.

Russia: Another Reason for the Surge

Last week the President made the correct argument that if US troops were withdrawn prematurely from Iraq, we can expect a death toll of civilians on the scale of the post Vietnam Conflict, when millions were slaughtered and hundreds of thousands forced to leave their homes by the victorious communist forces.

Another incentive for continuing the Surge until General Petraeus deems the security situation has improved sufficiently is because of recent provocations undertaken against the West by Russia Vladimir Putin. Cold War type bombers sorties using ex-Soviet aircraft against NATO countries and US Pacific bases have increased alarmingly. Recently a Russian submarine was ordered by the Kremlin to lay claim on rich Arctic oil reserves, in defiance of Canadian, Dutch, and American claims to the region. Putin continues to bully ex-Soviet countries from her old empire, including Ukraine and Georgia.

We recall how the Russian communists under Brezhnev were emboldened after the US retreat from South East Asia in 1975. Even while negotiating peace with then-President Jimmy Carter, the Russians took advantage of our weakness to support the rise of radicalism in Iran, and to invade Afghanistan. All this has carried over to our present day, and is the cause of much of the instability in the Middle East.

For America to fail now and appear impotent before a resurgent Russian Bear can only add to our current woes. By standing firm in this latest trial of democracy, we might outlast another dictator from Moscow as did under President Reagan, while this renewed threat is in its early stages.

Fighting the Government, Ignoring Terrorism

The Democrats wonder why Americans don't trust them on National Security. I mentioned something about this over the weekend with even Hillary conceding as much. Now they are calling for the Military to arrest the President, i.e. the Huffington Post is calling for a Coup (via Hot Air because I think the original post will likely disappear):

I ask General Pace to do two things. One is to relieve the
President of his command as Commander-In-Chief. The other is to place the
President under military arrest... Whatever the ultimate consequence, the impact
of such a courageous and noble act on behalf of his nation, would be
significant.

To the Left, treason is "courageous and noble". They will fight to the death at any hint, whether real or imaginary, the government is invading their so-called rights, but ask them to die for their country when it is seeking to salvage these rights from foreign attackers like the terrorists, and they get all holier than thou. Here is another such post from Salon, though not nearly as inflammatory, but on the same line:

I think the American people understand when someone is showing
cowardice, and I think they understand when someone is voting against his or her
principles, and they reward that with electoral losses. And they should reward
that with electoral losses.
So the fact that after the Iraq war vote in May,
when the Democrats capitulated to a president who's at 28 percent in the polls
pushing a war that's at 30 percent in the polls, the fact that the Congress'
ratings in the polls dropped by 15 percent in the next two weeks should have
been a signal to them that they should stop thinking about right and left and
start thinking about right and wrong.

The author starts off by saying the public considers the Democrats as "cowards". But his reasoning is because they don't stand up to Bush, not that they don't want to defend us from the attackers of 9/11, or win the Iraq War, which James Clyburn concedes "would be bad for us".

Until the Left realizes that to govern they must live in the real world, and "defend and protect" this country, not from dissenting political views ( which is what democracy really is, right?) but from real military threats, then they will continue to wonder why America has largely abandoned the Left since the Vietnam Era.

5 Consequences of Victory in the Surge

Most now realize the consequences of defeat in Iraq. Even the Liberal NY Times and Presidential wanabee Barak Obama have acknowledged genocide as a probable outcome were the US to withdraw prematurely from the conflict. What is often overlooked is the prospect of victory, and a wide-spread outbreak of peace if General Petraeus and his battle-hardened forces were to succeed in stabilizing the country:

1). A stable and prosperous Iraq with the best trained Army in the region and an inexperienced but dedicated democracy. Rather than supporting terrorism, or at best sympathetic to radical Islam as in the days of Saddam, the new nation has become a stalwart partner in the War on Terror.

2). Hope for the return of a pre-Revolutionary Iran. Such a transformation of Tehran’s rogue regime need not come by outside force. Much like the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, a “domino effect” of democracy could very well sweep the Middle East were it to succeed in Iraq.

3). The fulfilling of the hopes of the Camp David Accords. With Iran and Iraq on the side of the forces of freedom, and once again an ally rather than a rival, who would be left to support radical groups in Lebanon, Palestine, and elsewhere?

4). Radicalism in Europe would be tempered, if not ended altogether. This would transpire especially if the radicals base of support in the Middle East is defeated.

5). The Vietnam generation would be vindicated . Specifically that America can defeat a Third World counter-insurgency and it is possible for democracies to export freedom to those who never experienced it.

Admittedly, all this speculation is a best case scenario of a US win in the Middle East, but with global tragedy the likelihood of an early withdrawal, shouldn't we should hope for the best possible outcome?

Breakthrough in Iraqi Politics

Here is some potentially good news, though not if you're against the war, from Yahoo/Reuters:

Iraq's top Shi'ite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish political leaders
announced on Sunday they had reached consensus on some key measures seen as
vital to fostering national reconciliation.
The agreement by the five
leaders was one of the most significant political developments in Iraq for
months and was quickly welcomed by the United States, which hopes such moves
will ease sectarian violence that has killed tens of thousands.

This is happening faster than I thought, but is very welcome. As I've said before, progress on the military front will automatically spread to the political side.

Chris Wallace Slams Bill Moyers

The quote "I guess, Bill, reporting is easier when you don’t worry about the facts.".

Fighting for Democracy

It is a common consensus forced on us by the Media that the President ordered US troops into Iraq to takeout the "supposed" WMDs, then later changed the reasoning to forging Democracy in the Middle East. Not so, bringing freedom to Iraq was always the primary goal, as this February 2003 speech by Bush proves:

Acting against the danger will also contribute greatly to the
long-term safety and stability of our world. The current Iraqi regime has shown
the power of tyranny to spread discord and violence in the Middle East. A
liberated Iraq can show the power of freedom to transform that vital region, by
bringing hope and progress into the lives of millions. America's interests in
security, and America's belief in liberty, both lead in the same direction: to a
free and peaceful Iraq.

The only one changing their story seems to be the Left.

Thanks to Mona Charen.

Spirit of 2007 in Iraq

I have mentioned in the past when considering the trials and criticism the new Iraqi Government is undergoing, the trouble our own new Republic underwent when transforming itself from a British Colony to a self-sustaining Democracy. Investor's Business Daily echoes that analogy in a recent Editorial:

We're thankful the French didn't follow Obama's philosophy before
helping us win our independence from King George. Our desire for independence
was not unanimous. Many wanted to stay part of the British empire.
Our
squabbling continued long after independence was won. The Articles of
Confederation failed, and we squabbled until we formed our current government
under our current Constitution, which we're squabbling about to this day.
Political reconciliation? Like in the current Congress?

The writer's mentioning Sen. Obama was concerning his recent statement that "no military surge can succeed without political reconciliation and a surge of diplomacy in Iraq and the region." I completely disagree, still continuing the American Revolution analogy. Military victories on the battlefield encouraged the above-mentioned French to side with us, and to give us arms to continue the war. Later, a military win on the battlefield of Yorktown induced the British to leave us alone long enough for us to work out our differences, and create the world's oldest Constitutional Democracy.

It's not uncommon that politicians have selective amnesia when considering history, like the recent furor over Bush's Vietnam analogy, but it is regrettable for our troops who are in harms way.

Update-Maliki is right, via Austin Bay: “There are American officials who consider Iraq as if it were one of their villages, for example Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin. They should come to their senses,”.

Honest News

Good news from the past week, concerning Iraq, Afghanistan, and the overall War on Terror:

Gen. Pace Denies He'll Recommend Cutting Troops Strength in Iraq.

Rep. Brian Baird: Our troops have earned more time.

IRAQIS PROTEST TERROR in a rally at the Saudi Embassy.

Iraq Report: Targeting the networks.

"Al Qaeda is on the verge of a humiliating, devastating strategic defeat".

Commander says Iraqi citizens turning against insurgents.

Pakistan: 250 Militants Killed in Recent Fighting.

Iraqi citizens, police stand up to Al-Qaeda attack.

Iraq Report: Al Qaeda Counteroffensive.

The National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq and strategic redeployment.

Vietnam: a lesson in fouling up the endgame.

Iraq Vets Respond to the New York Times seven.

"Now, more than ever, Britain must stay in Iraq".

Operation Lightning Hammer in Diyala ends.

The eastern Afghanistan offensive.

The unseen impact of Petraeus’s strategy.

Michael Yon: The Paradox of Counterinsurgency.

Bush: Iraqis Will Democratically Choose Their Leaders.

Hillary says terrorism helps GOP

In her own words, from the NY Post:

"It's a horrible prospect to ask yourself, 'What if? What if?' But
if certain things happen between now and the election, particularly with respect
to terrorism, that will automatically give the Republicans an advantage again,
no matter how badly they have mishandled it, no matter how much more dangerous
they have made the world," Clinton told supporters in Concord.

First of all, terrorism helps no one, not even the terrorists, but I get what she's saying. If we were to have a major attack on our country like 9/11, the American public would instinctively look to Republicans to protect them. What an astounding concession from a Party seeking to lead this country! And then you hear Democrat Congressman James Clyburn admitting that if America wins in Iraq "It would be bad for us".

I'm just astonished that this is OK with so many people in this country.

More-Mrs. Clinton continued “So I think I’m the best of the Democrats to deal with that,”. Don't worry! If we pull out of Iraq prematurely as many desire, and she's elected President, she'll have to "deal with that", meaning many more terrorist attacks. Wonder if she'll be lobbing cruise missiles on London or New York, using the same anti-terror strategy as her husband?

Breaking: Is Castro Dead?

If true, my first thought is, what Hollywood Star or Politician will be at the funeral?

What the NIE actually said

Bill Roggio expounds:

Most significantly, the NIE states that shift from a
counterinsurgency role to a counterterrorism and support role, or the “strategic
redeployment” of US forces, would squander the progress of the past year and
lead to further instability in Iraq. “We assess that changing the mission of
Coalition forces from a primarily counterinsurgency and stabilization role to a
primary combat support role for Iraqi forces and counterterrorist operations to
prevent AQI from establishing a safehaven would erode security gains achieved
thus far,” the NIE concluded.

Those who call for a premature pullout believe that will be the end of it, terrorist problem solved. In fact, giving Al Qaeda victory in Iraq will only be the beginning and I can't imagine any Party or individual will not get blamed for all the fallout that a resurgent Muslim Radicalism will bring, not only in the Middle East, but into Europe and America as well. Then there's a nuclear Pakistan and a soon-to-be nuclear Iran to contend with, likely passing on WMDs to any terrorist so inclined to further the cause of jihad.

This Op-Ed was rejected by the New York Times

But not by the Weekly Standard. It was penned by Iraq War Vets in response to an Opinion piece disparaging the Surge, written by members of the 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division which appeared in the Times:

The 2nd Brigade is responsible for two dangerous areas of Baghdad:
Adihamiyah and Sadr City. Airborne troopers there have seen the worst al Qaeda
and the Mahdi Army can throw at them and the Iraqi people. But the whole story
is that the Iraqis and soldiers in their sector have not yet been fully affected
by the surge of troops and operations, which have barely been in place two
months.
Currently, American and Iraqi Forces are clearing sections of
southern Baghdad before turning north to the 82nd Airborne's neighborhoods. As
such, the portrait these soldiers painted, while surely accurate and honest, is
more representative of pre-surge Baghdad: sectarian strife, lawlessness, and
indiscriminate slaughter.
This is not, however, the picture elsewhere in
Iraq, or even most of Baghdad.

Please read the rest, to get the whole story of what's really happening on the ground, something the Gray Lady conveniently left out.

Democrats Ordered Bush to Write Petraeus Report

There's much outrage from the Left that the White House will be placing its own "spin" on the upcoming report from General Petraeus concerning conditions in Iraq. Those who do so attempt to criticize the general's efforts and of our brave fighting forces without telling us that the President is required by law to write the report set forth by the Democrat Congress, not to mention the Constitution! View From Above explains:

It is obvious from even a cursory glance at the legislation, that it is the
President who is responsible for producing the report to Congress, NOT
Petraeus...

"The President shall submit a second report to the
Congress, not later than September 15, 2007, following the same procedures and
criteria outlined above... (a reference to the interim report required of the
President not later than July 15, 2007) --HR2206 (page 27)"

Granted, the 2007 supplemental funding bill for the Iraq war
does include a requirement for testimony by General Petraeus before the Congress
-- a requirement which the White House never suggested would be
refused...Nevertheless, it is very clear that the report to Congress is to come
from the President...

So, unless we want to go back and change the Constitution (Article II, Section 3), which mandates the President has the responsibility of explaining to Congress actions carried out under his administration, as is his duty as Commander in Chief.

Currently, we also hear rhetoric, from the likes of Republican Senator John Warner that despite the Surge, the supposed failures of the Maliki government to bring reconciliation means that all success by Petraeus is null and void. I think this too is a dead end strategy for the defeatists, so look for this argument to fizzle out in the coming weeks and months as security within Iraq improves.

More "League of Democracies" Talk

Surprisingly from Japan! I was thinking, that since the UN is now almost wholly dominated by dictatorships and corrupt socialists, the democracies should be ashamed of continuing their association with such a bankrupt organization. And I considered this from the Bible "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" Talking about marriage, but same difference.

Why We need Maliki

Max Boot offers us more lessons from Vietnam, including this one:

In the early 1960s, American officials were frustrated with
Ngo Dinh Diem, and in 1963 the Kennedy administration sanctioned a coup against
him, in the hope of installing more effective leadership in Saigon. The result
was the opposite: a succession of weak leaders who spent most of their time
plotting to stay in power. In retrospect it's obvious that, for all his faults,
we should have stuck with Diem.
Today we should stick with Mr. Maliki,
imperfect as he is. He took office little more than a year ago after his
predecessor, Ibraham al Jaffari, was forced out by American pressure for being
ineffectual. The fact that we are bemoaning the same shortcomings in both
Messrs. Jaffari and Maliki suggests that the problems are not merely personal
but institutional. The Iraqi constitution, written at American instigation,
gives little power to the prime minister. The understandable desire was to ward
off another dictator, but we shouldn't now be complaining that the prime
minister isn't able to exercise as much authority as we would like.

I agree, and might I add the Iraq Prime Minister is no less "beholden to religious and sectarian leaders" as declared recently by Hillary Clinton, than the rest of Washington is to lobbyists and other special interests groups.

American heroes by Freedom's Watch 3

From FreedomsWatch.org:

Laura Youngblood lost 2 family members to al Qaeda terrorists, first her uncle Henry a New York City fireman who lost his life on 9/11, and than her husband Travis died fighting for our freedom in Iraq. Listen to why Laura believes Victory is America's only choice.

Greenpeace Finally Makes Sense!

Sea Links

Costs of Select US Navy Programs as of June 2007.

Meet Japan's New Destroyer (Hint: it's really a carrier!)

NATO ships en route to Cape Town.

U.S. Builds Diesel Subs Again.

Just An Ocean Away: HMS Ocean gets 30m refit.

Second batch of German fuel cell submarines arrives.

The Royal Australian Navy Carrier Strike Squadron?

India orders six Scorpene Subs.

US officials confirm Taiwan Sub Buy.

More Sub Propulsion Sillies.

New destroyers enhance European navies.

John Paul Jones Sharpens Anti-Submarine Skills During Valiant Shield.

Air Force Osprey Goes Navy.

Ruling Allows Navy to Continue Using Low-Frequency Sonar.

Littoral Combat Ship Making Headlines.

Australia plans new submarines.

Russian carrier in full service, says state TV.

Why China Must Rule the Waves.

Video: Russia's Bulava SLBM.

India looks at US Littoral Ships.

How Canada Wins on the Cheap.

Does it also do windows?

Information Dissemination is a great Milblog on things pertaining to naval affairs, a subject which is near and dear to me having grown up near Charleston, and with my life-long fascination of ships and the sea. If you have the same interests, I insist you check this site regularly.

A recent post on the troubled LDP-17 San Antonio class, was very informative as usual, but brought up some disturbing facts:

...the USS New Orleans (LPD 18) is
going to cost around 350 million over budget, another black eye on the
program, despite these costs being a direct result of the original first in
class CAD screwup. How does someone balance 1.1 billion dollars in contractor
screw ups and 1.5 billion in Hurricane costs, in what is now a 15.5 billion
dollar program for 9 ships when the original plan called for 12 ships...

The San Antonio class is a 25,000-ton expeditionary warship
(making it approximately twice the size of the next largest LPD in the world)
designed to operate 25 miles off a defended shore, and in a nuclear environment.
The ship has a radar cross section equal to or smaller than a DDG-51/79 with
whipping hardening for its hull girders; shock hardening; blast hardened
bulkheads; fragmentation protection; and nuclear blast
protection...

The San Antonio class will be armed with two 21-round RAM
launchers, two 30mm guns counter-boat guns, and has the space and weight for 16
VLS cells, which could carry either 64 ESSMs or 32 ESSMs and eight land attack
missiles (which would represent more firepower than most of the worlds
frigates)...

First of all, the primary purpose of amphibious ships is to ferry troops from Point A to Point B, and to care for their needs while in theater. What we have here is a heavy cruiser that also carries Marines. This may explain the $350 million cost overrun.

As for the nuclear protection, wouldn't a more likely threat be cruise missiles and mines from Third World countries, which it will doubtless operate against? Kevlar armor strategically placed, plus watertight doors should suffice, and greatly cut down on the price, perhaps allowing more storage for extra troops and their equipment.

The post also mentions "more firepower than most of the worlds frigates". My thought is, isn't this the purpose of frigates and destroyers (of which we soon will have 60 Arleigh Burke Aegis ships) to protect weaker vessels like amphibs? This putting all our eggs in one basket is a dangerous precedent, and was where the Aircraft Carrier was headed toward the end of the Cold War, ie. more defensive than offensive. So much was spent on protecting the flattops from the new cruise missiles at sea, with F-14 Tomcat superfighters, billion dollar anti-missile cruisers, and equally pricey Los Angeles class submarines, there was very little offensive punch left, that is until the advent of precision weapons in the 1990's.

Summing up, the San Antonio class with so many add-ons distracts from the warship's original purpose to carry troops, and has ballooned the cost of the program. Further, this likely is the cause of so many faults discovered in the design, thus delaying its entry into full service. This is the multi-mission mindset of the Navy gone amok, and the US Fleet will continue to see its ship numbers spiral down further until there's no going back.

I'm sure it is desirable to have as much defensive weaponry and armor as possible to keep our sailors safe, but there is also a price to pay for being too-defense minded. Didn't we learn anything from the battleships lost at Pearl Harbor in 1941, that no ship is unsinkable, and that numbers do count in wartime?

5 Signs the Surge is a Success

Taken from an interview of General David Petraeus by Ralph Peters:

1). Violence in Baghdad and elsewhere is reduced by half from last year. The former Al Qaeda base of Anbar has seen attacks lately fall to 4 a week, down from hundreds.

2). The new strategy allows Al Qaeda in Iraq no reprieve. As soon as one city is cleared of insurgents, the troops follow them into the next stronghold.

3). The terrorists' former Sunni allies are breaking ranks, mainly from shock over Al Qaeda's extreme brutality against fellow Muslims. Petraeus is taking advantage of the Tribe's disillusionment by reaching out to our former enemies (though not the terrorists).

4). The General is giving Iraqi's free reign in rebuilding their country, both politically and materially. Rather than engaging in huge reconstruction projects with US contractors, the citizens are working to restore their own infrastructure.

5). Instead of keeping to themselves behind massive security barriers, US and Iraqi Troops now intermix with the populace, providing a greater sense of safety.

American heroes by Freedom's Watch 2

From FreedomsWatch.org:

Iraq war veteran Andrew Robinson was on his second tour of duty when he was wounded by an IED in June of 2006. Andrew lost the use of his legs. Listen to why Andrew believes Victory is America's only choice.

Bush's Speech

The President's speech before the Veterans of Foreign Wars yesterday garnered much attention mainly for his reference to Vietnam, but it was his parallels to Iraq and Japan which stand out:

• • At the outset of World War II there were only two democracies
    in the Far East -- Australia and New Zealand. Today most of the nations in Asia
    are free, and its democracies reflect the diversity of the region.
  • In the aftermath of Japan's surrender, many thought it naive to
    help the Japanese transform themselves into a democracy. Then as now, the
    critics argued that some people were simply not fit for freedom.
  • Some said Japanese culture was inherently incompatible with
    democracy.
  • Others critics said that Americans were imposing their ideals
    on the Japanese.
  • It's interesting what General MacArthur wrote in his memoirs.
    He wrote, "There was much criticism of my support for the enfranchisement of
    women. Many Americans, as well as many other so-called experts, expressed the
    view that Japanese women were too steeped in the tradition of subservience to
    their husbands to act with any degree of political independence."

  Listening to the President's speech, it's amazing how alike the two periods really are. When you think about it, the rise and fall of nations since the dawn of time hasn't changed very much, only the players.

American heroes by Freedom's Watch 1

From FreedomsWatch.org:

Iraq war veteran John Kriesel lost both legs in a blast near Fallujah on December 2nd, 2006. It was near the end of his second tour. Listen to why John believes Victory is America's only choice.

Petraeus' Challenge

Columnist Hugh Hewitt weighs in on America's Man in Iraq:

...no other American general has ever been tasked with such an
assignment in our history --to both win the war and persuade the public that the
American forces are doing just that. The deep political division in
America has made it almost impossible to conduct the argument much less persuade
a war opponent of the need to win not just in Iraq but across the many fronts in
the war. The Petraeus Report is not just a summary of the success of the
surge, but also an opening to a return to serious conversation about the
stakes. This is why I am hoping the Adminstration is working long and hard
to figure out how to maximize the audience for the general.

Well, he's been compared to Patton, Creighton Abrams, and US Grant. I feel if any man has the credibility to speak the truth about the war to the American people, it will be Petraeus. Use him to full advantage Mr. Bush!

More-From the Washington Post "Democrats Refocus Message on Iraq After Military Gains".

And Ralph Peters admits Petraeus looks like the miracle Iraq needed.

5 Most Formidable Presidential Candidates

My own list, in terms of Likability, Power (ie. money, friends), and Experience:

1). Rudy Giuliani wins in the Experience category hands down, mainly for restoring law and order to New York City before 9/11, thus preparing it for the trials ahead. Rudy also wins top marks for Likability and scores favorably in Power.

2). John McCain is here mainly for experience and some Likability for his service to this country in the Vietnam War. He also gets top marks for his stand for Victory in Iraq, a gutsy move in today's political climate. If not for his support of Campaign Finance and Amnesty Immigration, McCain would be the top candidate for 2008.

3). Hillary Clinton makes the list mainly for Power, thanks to close ties to Hollywood, the Media, and rich liberal lobbyists. She does well in terms of experience, but lowest in Likability. She would place 2nd save for her waffling on her Iraq vote, and might be first if her name wasn't Clinton.

4). Mitt Romney scores well on Experience and Likability. He does less well in Power since Americans know little about him except that he's a Mormon. Maybe next time, Mitt!

5). Fred Thompson finishes out the Top 5 strictly for Likability, though this might change if he actually starts running. He has the least experience of all candidates in the Top 5. Amazing that he even made the list.

Honorable mention goes to Mike Huckabee who won 2nd in the Ames Straw Poll, who's another unknown, and Barak Obama, who might have made the list if he would just stop speaking.

MiLinks

How to Defeat an EFP.

Russia Builds Highly Effective Pechora SAMs.

USA blocks decision on Taiwanese F-16 deal.

Australia orders 250 additional Bushmaster infantry mobility vehicles.

Israel reveals procurement plan.

USAF Gets BATMAV Micro Air Vehicle.

RAAF Super Hornet buy excites interest.

How Canada Wins on the Cheap.

Upgraded M-1 Replaces Future Combat Tank.

Laser-Guided Maverick Missile Makes a Comeback.

India Test-flies Combat Helicopter.

WARPLANES: The F-35 Edge.

Air Force's commitment to new bomber a matter of debate.

Canada Converting LAV-III's to Infantry Carriers.

MRAPs Bite the Dust.

CIA Critiqued for Pre-9/11 Faults

Here we go again. Via Yahoo/AP, the top findings:

• U.S. spy agencies, which were overseen by Tenet, lacked a
  comprehensive strategic plan to counter Osama bin Laden prior to 9/11.

  The CIA's analysis of al-Qaida before Sept. 2001 was lacking.

  The CIA and the National Security Agency tussled over their
  responsibilities in dealing with al-Qaida well into 2001.

  The CIA station charged with monitoring bin Laden — code-named
  Alec Station — was overworked, lacked operational experience, expertise and
  training.

  Although 50 to 60 people read at least one CIA cable about two
  of the hijackers, the information wasn't shared with the proper offices and
  agencies.

Luckily, since then the CIA seems to have gotten its act together, as there's been no more attacks. Meanwhile, our legislature has been steadying attempting to sabotage any work Tenet and his successors have put in place to avert another attack, including the Patriot Act, Warrantless Surveillance, and reforming of FISA.

So, how's Congress doing its job, America? Not so good say 76% of you!

Update-Glenn Reynolds declares "Well, Duh"!

False!-Police Ammo shortgate blamed on Iraq

The AP is at it again with a bogus story to further their anti-war, anti-Bush message. Here's the reality via Media Mythbusters:

According to two spokesmen for the world’s largest ammunition
manufacturer, which runs the military’s ammunition manufacturing plant and
separately, is a major supplier of law enforcement ammunition, it is a massive
and unexpected increase in law enforcement ammunition demand that is causing
delays in law enforcement ammunition delays, not the war.

Read the whole article for details from the "two spokesmen" mentioned.The AP and other legacy news are desperate as the Petraeus Report to Congress nears completion. Look for more skewed and false reporting from the MSM, but recall my advice: Wait for General Petraeus.

5 Turning Points of the British Empire

Here are 5 pinnacle dates in the Rise and Fall of the largest empire in all history:


1). Defeat of the Spanish Armada(Aug. 8, 1588)-The first but far from the last time the English overcame a European land power during the Age of Sail. The near-invincible reputation of the Royal Navy was established which endured through 4 centuries.

2). The Capture of Quebec (Sept. 13, 1759)-The British led by General Wolfe, secured Anglo-Saxon domination of the Northern Hemisphere, thus allowing for the rise of the American nation.

3). Siege of Yorktown (Sept. 28-19 Oct., 1781)-With the defeat of Cornwallis by George Washington's rag-tag continentals, the Empire lost its greatest asset in the 13 American Colonies, and sowed the seeds of a future commercial and military rival.

4). Battle of Waterloo (June 18, 1815)-The final defeat of French dictator Napoleon led to a 100 years of relative peace, and prosperity unseen in world history. Known to posterity as the Pax Britannica, and the Victorian Age.

5). The Battle of Jutland (May31-June 1, 1916)-The British Grand Fleet of Admiral Jellicoe failed to win a decisive victory over the German Navy led by Admiral Scheer, thus leading to 3 more years of attrition warfare at sea. After the conflict, the worn Royal Navy was soon displaced by the burgeoning rivalry from the American Fleet.

"Senator Warner, Don't Surrender To Al Qaeda"

A message to Sen. John Warner and Congress, from Vets for Freedom.

Karl Rove's Greatest Achievement

In a move to deceive the Germans before the impending Normandy Invasion of June 1944, General George Patton was appointed as commander of the fictitious 1st Army Group in Northern Britain. Patton was considered America's foremost tactician by the Nazi's, and while they kept their storm troopers in Northern France for the threat posed by "Old Blood and Guts", Eisenhower prepared to strike the vaunted Atlantic Wall further south. Patton was the Germans' bogeyman.

Likewise has the soon-to-be former Bush Advisor Karl Rove become a diversion for many Democrats. President Bush has managed to get almost everything he needs from Congress to fund the War on Terror, while Liberals look for conspiracy theories by The Architect. They sought to jail the advisor on numerous occasions, including over the Valerie Plame Affair to the firing of Democrat Judges by Attorney General Gonzales.

Now that he will soon be gone from Washington, the Left laments that he will be "stronger than ever", when that Rove is loosed from the White House, to advise the GOP Presidential Candidates. This then, is his greatest accomplishment: he has become the Democrat's bogeyman. As Sun Tzu once declared "To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence".

Update-Too funny! Now the Media has a conspiracy that they are apart of a conspiracy. If you can't trust yourself...

Levin Upbeat after Iraq Visit

I warned him not to go, now he sounds like a Hawk! From Detroit Free Press:

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin says he saw
“credible and positive results” from the surge of troops in Iraq ordered by
President George W. Bush but remains skeptical about whether military successes
will lead to political resolutions in that war-torn country.
Levin, a Detroit
Democrat who spent two days in Iraq with Virginia Sen. John Warner, said visits
to bases in Mosul and Baghdad showed that the military aspects of the surge
policy have shown progress in reducing violence and giving political leaders
time to reconcile between divergent factions.
"We are also encouraged by
continuing positive results – in al Anbar Province, from the recent decisions of
some of the Sunni tribes to turn against al Qaeda and cooperate with coalition
force efforts to kill or capture its adherents,” Levin and Warner said today in
a joint statement.

All kidding aside, I agree with the Senator in that now internal security is increasing, it should give a breathing space for the political differences to be ironed out. Also read:

Analysis: Iraq Report May Shift Climate.

Britain will not face 'Saigon moment', says army chief.

And KnoxNews reports "Media coverage of Iraq drops. That's the best sign of any that there's progress". (Thanks Glenn Reynolds!)

Retroclip: Schwarzkopf's View of Saddam Hussein

McCain's League of Democracies

The Senator spoke on the subject to a group of bloggers. This is via the Weekly Standard:

When the questions turned to other hostile regimes--i.e. Syria and
Iran--McCain returned to his proposal for a League of Democracies. "We
need to get together with other like-minded countries. Every time we try and get
together and doing something at the United Nations, it's blocked by China and
Russia....there's a chance that we could impose meaningful economic diplomatic
and trade sanctions" if we work with new, friendly European governments. He
singled out Sarkozy and Merkel in particular.

I love this idea, as the UN has become so impotent in handling any world problem in the modern age, most notably terrorism, hunger in Africa, and the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict. The goal of the Useless Nations is taking diversity into absurdity, with dictatorial regimes treated as equal to liberal democracies who actually care about their people.

5 Metrics of the Petraeus Report

Austin Bay reveals what he thinks our man in Iraq, General David Petraeus, will report to Congress on September 15. His list includes 13, but here are the Top 5:


1). Number of trained and equipped Iraqi troops and their level of training
2). Number of qualified Iraqi senior and mid-level military officers (key measure: can they plan and lead their own ops?)
3). Number and locale of police precincts judged competent and minimally corrupt (and don’t mention Chicago to me — I know minimally corrupt applies to places in the US — like every Texas border town)
4). Number of “extremist violence” related incidents (incline, steady, or decline) and location of incidents
5). An assessment of the “demonstrated commitment” of key sheiks and local leaders in terms of cooperating with security forces and development teams – perhaps analyzed on a neighborhood by neighborhood level.



Do read the rest. Here's hoping the Congress and the rest of America will give our troops a fair hearing. Because, if we get Iraq wrong, then likely the whole War on Terror is in jeopardy.

McCarthyism in the Global Warming Debate

Of course, you remember the McCarthy Era? Senator takes a serious issue, Soviet spies in Washington, inserts rumor, innuendo, exaggerations, and outright lies to further his career. In the end, a former manageable problem makes martyrs out of Leftists and ultimately destroys the Senator's career.

Al Gore and his supporters are the McCarthy's of this era, because they seek to stifle debate and claim unquestionable consensus by scientists on Climate Change. Some have even called for Nuremberg style trials for those who doubt their theories, which brings to mind the career destroying Congressional Investigations from the early 50's. An employee of the Weather Channel called for the decertification of meteorologists who denied the validity of man-made Global Warming, which is similiar the black listing of Hollywood writers due to the HUAC Investigations from the same time period.

Rather than proving a consensus on Climate Change, or even encouraging debate on a real problem, Gore and his intolerant followers are defeating their cause. Americans are quick to reject bullying (which is why we have spent most of our long history in bringing down dictators), as well being adverse to closed minds. While the former Senator and Vice President may be helping his yearnings to the White House by pandering to the Left and Hollywood ( who should know better from history), for most Americans climate change is becoming a non-issue.

*Footnote-A Boston Globe Oped recently mocked Newsweek for suggesting there is a consensus in the scientific community on Global Warming. In an article from 1975, the Left leaning news mag reported on a similar false affirmation on "Global Cooling"!

*More bullying-What does the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict have to do with the Global Warming debate?

Let Petraeus Speak!

Wes Morgan, an embed blogger with our troops in Iraq, has an interesting proposal concerning General David Petreaus' September 15 report to Congress on the war:

...Petraeus should, on national television and for a full hour,
deliver an unclassified version of the detailed, operational-level Iraq brief
that he gives to Congressmen and government officials straight to the public. At
no time since the invasion have the American people been given the chance to
hear the commanding general’s perspective in a direct, informative,
operations-based way, but given how strongly they seem to want to believe in
Petraeus – the polls say that Americans have tremendous respect for the general
despite having tremendous misgivings about the war and the surge – I think
that’s exactly what they need, want, and deserve.

I couldn't agree more! One of the events I sorely missed early in the war, were the personal, off the cuff briefings by the Commanding General, as Norman Schwarzkopf understood. Stormin' Norman realized early on the importance of morale and keeping public support in wartime, and often had the Press eating out of his hands. In stark contrast was General Franks, who preferred to delegate such "trivialities" to his subordinates. Now we wonder why the Media and so many Americans are against the war.Somebody talk to us!

Goose Creek-FBI Cautions Against Common Sense

Apparently they say throw reality to the winds on this case of the 2 Muslim bomb suspects caught near the Charleston Naval Weapons Station:

The FBI is urging people not to jump to conclusions in the case of
two men accused of having pipe bombs in their car, saying the allegations may
not be true.
One former federal prosecutor said the agency's statement was
"highly unusual."

This whole case has been unusual, as the Feds are going to great lengths to distance themselves from using the "T" word. Lets review the facts as we know them:

1. The 2 "Islamic" youths were caught speeding near the Goose Creek NWS, a military base that supports nuke subs and also imprisons terrorist suspects.



2. They were said to possess a laptop computer which they tried to hide from police.



3. The car contained elements to build a pipe bomb.



4. The "naive youths" once lived in the same home of a convicted terrorist supporter SamiAl-Arian.

Hmmm...Maybe you're right FBI! I'll cleanse my mind of all this evidence and think happy thoughts!

McCain's Comeback

Senator John McCain appears to be making a comeback of sorts in his presidential aspirations. Like our brave and brilliant troops on the frontlines he has so staunchly supported, the Senator is often considered down for the count, only to turn the table on his enemies. The Vietnam Vet and former POW has much going for his campaign, and also much in the negative.

In the minus, he supported Campaign Finance Reform, which many insists limits free speech and has given us this too-early election cycle. He also supported the recent so-called Amnesty Bill, which further placed McCain in the dog house for many Americans.

A plus is his support for finishing the struggle in Iraq, which may also work against the Senator as far as his friends in the MSM are concerned. McCain, along with Fred Kagan and General Jack Keane is the driving force behind the new Troop Surge, which seeks to bring peace and security to the embattled Middle Eastern nation.

If this new and risky strategy the Senator has staked his campaign on prove successful, and all indications point to this fact, might we not soon see a Free Iraq and a John McCain White House? If so, it would be the biggest comeback since the Truman Election of 1948.

Edwards calls Coulter Names for Name-calling

This is too funny, from ABCNews blog:

"We know these people. We know their game plan. They're going
to attack us personally," Edwards said. "They attacked Elizabeth personally,
because she stood up to that she-devil Ann Coulter. … I should not have
name-called. But the truth is -- forget the names -- people like Ann Coulter,
they engage in hateful language."

I normally wouldn't care, and I'm sure Ann doesn't, except he thinks the Left is somehow above getting personal in an election, and then immediately proves himself wrong! I'll miss John, he's so pretty and so funny!