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This Is What Democracy Looks Like
www.NationalView.org's Note From a Madman
June 15, 2008
Iraq News
The Bush administration, John McCain-McBush and the pair's mouthpieces, which
include Charles Krauthammer of The Washington Post and Fox News Channel, not
only think that the Iraq war going well, but that none other than Iraqi Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his Cabinet are doing a great job.
Why, it's almost as if former FEMA head Michael Brown were in charge there and
President bush were offering him yet another "and Brownie here - you're doing a
heck-of-a-job" compliments.
The ultra-conservative Krauthammer even had a question for Senator Barack Obama
in his "Make the Election About Iraq" article which appeared this past week in
the Washington Post, as well as other syndicated newspapers around the nation:
"...does (Obama) not read the papers?"
-Krauthammer
When one takes a peek at the US casualty rate in Iraq, one should ask Mr.
Krauthammer that very same question.
As 2007 grew to a close, President bush was touting the "low" killed in action
rate of our soldiers on the ground in Iraq. December 2007 had "only" twenty-five
US service men and women lose their lives in Bush's war, an average of less than
one soldier killed per day (0.81). Members of the Bush administration were
screaming the praises of their actions while explaining to any and all Sunday
morning talking heads that we are winning in Iraq, even though they still saw no
end to our efforts there.
But something funny (as in scary, not '"ha!ha!") has happened there since the
"good news" of December 2007: The US death count has erupted upward - again.
Even with the lower killed in action count of May (21 killed in 31 days) figured
into the mix, an average of 1.17 US service members have lost their lives each
and every day in Iraq since the new year. In 166 days, 195 have lost their lives
and - get this - an additional 1,098 service men and women have been wounded in
action. And the "wounded" number only included the first four months of 2008!
Other news from Iraq has seen a rise in Iraqi-on-Iraqi violence as well. As 2007
closed down, Iraq casualties were decreasing from the THOUSANDS to the HUNDREDS
each month. Since the beginning of this year, 3,623 Iraqi military and civilians
have lost their lives.
In the mind of a Bush, that, too is, somehow, "progress".
Here are just some of the headlines in just two incomplete days from Iraq:
06/14/08 Reuters: Roadside bomb kills traffic policeman, wounds 6 others in
Samarra
06/14/08 Reuters: Roadside bomb kills three Iraqi soldiers in Dhuluiya
06/13/08 Reuters: Gunmen kill 3 people near Tuz Khurmato
06/13/08 Reuters: Roadside bomb kills 1 person, wounds 3 in Yusufiya
And if these headlines weren't enough to make one ill, the next one ought to
really make your stomach churn:
06/13/08 AKI: Child terrorists behind growing number of attacks
"An al-Qaeda cell composed of children under the age of 16, known as "Children
of Paradise", is believed to be responsible for a growing number of attacks in
Iraq."
So much for winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqis, I guess.
President Bush's deniability has been, however, true to form. Even as March 2008
closed with nearly one-thousand Iraqi casualties (980), the highest total of
Iraqi deaths since August 2007 when 1,674 Iraqis lost their lives, the White
House put out the following as part of their April 10, 2008 WhiteHouse.com web
page on Iraq:
"Neighborhoods once controlled by al Qaeda have been liberated. Sectarian
violence is down dramatically, and civilian and military deaths are also down."
-The White House from http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/
I guess that President Bush doesn't read the news papers either. But we all knew
that already.
In the end, the Bush-McCain-McBush "Stay the Course" plan for Iraq is in place.
Even today, the former (Bush) is trying to put the next administration in a
position where they'll have no choice but to keep US forces in Iraq - and keep
our treasury in the red - for years, decades and maybe even a century to come.
(That's McCain-McBush's idea.) How much damage can President Bush and the
mouthpieces of the Bush administration do in the six months which remain for him
and his Administration of Diminished Responsibility?
Too much, and it may be irreparable.
-Noah Greenberg
Spoilers: An Election Reality
Let me see if this makes sense. Come November 5th Obama or McCain will be
elected president. Any one else running will be a Nader - a spoiler on whichever
side they represent. So now some women (and men, too) who wanted Hillary are
going to vote Green, not vote or vote for McClain. It is possible for McCain to
thus get the Presidency. He will appoint Judges who will get rid of Roe vs.
Wade. He will veto any pro woman’s rights programs. He has previously voted 100%
of the time against woman’s rights. .
These women, as accused by the “white males,” are running on emotion and the men
love it. It just proves to them, what they have been saying since the cave days.
"Women are irrational and emotional and have no right to make the hard decisions
necessary to run this world.” The women are not doing what is best for their
country or themselves. Have you ever heard the expression “cutting off ones nose
to spite the face?” What a better world we would have if Nader had kept his ego
out of the 2000 race.
-Keith A. Dewey
And On the Other Side
It's always easy for men--the group that has had the power forever--to tell
others not to have identity politics. Well, for the African Americans and women
who voted identity politics, that was a dream they'd had all their lives. It's
not surprising some can't get it, but Pat Thompson gets it so right: There were
people voting for Hillary who were alive when women still didn't have the vote.
As for the assertion about how Hillary votes or doesn't vote. One thing's for
sure: She doesn't abstain from voting and she doesn't vote "present." Every
politician has some weasel in them. Including Obama.
-Victoria Brownworth
A Letter From Rep. Robert Wexler
Dear Sandy,
Our campaign for accountability for the Bush administration is making legitimate
progress.
I am pleased to announce to you that the House Judiciary Committee has met my
public call for Scott McClellan's immediate testimony with action:
Today, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers officially invited Mr.
McClellan to testify under oath on Friday, June 20th at 10AM.
After all of our hard work pushing for impeachment hearings for Vice President
Cheney – the McClellan hearing provides our cause with a legitimate opportunity
to showcase the crimes and violations of this Administration for the American
people, the mainstream media, reluctant members of the Democratic party, and
sensible Republicans. This hearing provides us our first genuine opportunity to
enter the public consciousness and change the dynamics that have prevented true
accountability for Bush and Cheney.
Mr. McClellan was a major figure in the Valerie Plame/CIA scandal, as well as a
leading propagandist for the Bush White House's deliberate attempts to hide the
true costs of this war from the American public. As such, Mr. McClellan will
testify under oath (and be subject to perjury charges should he lie) and be
asked about the following matters:
What role did President Bush, Vice President Cheney , and key administration
officials take in the effort to reveal the identity of covert CIA agent Valeria
Plame Wilson – thus destroying her network and putting lives in jeopardy?
What role did President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and key administration
officials take regarding the firing of U.S. Attorneys or political reasons?
What role did President Bush, Vice President Cheney, key administration
officials take in conspiring to blatantly break U.S. and International laws
prohibiting the use of torture?
I call on Mr. McClellan to immediately accept this invitation and testify under
oath as he previously agreed to while being interviewed on national television.
During the hearing I will have roughly five short minutes to question Mr.
McClellan and undercover the illegalities committed by this Administration –
which is why it is critically important that every representative on the
Judiciary Committee hears your voice. Please let them know that you demand
answers to these questions.
Nor should it stop there: Karl Rove has thumbed his nose to the Judiciary
Committee's subpoena – joining Harriet Miers, Joshua Bolton and Vice President
Cheney's Chief of Staff David Addington as the only Administration officials in
history to claim Congress has no power to even bring them before a committee to
be questioned.
I have called for Karl Rove to be held in inherent contempt and for the other
renegade officials to appear as required by their subpoenas, or be forced to do
so by the House Sergeant of Arms.
What the Judiciary's request of McClellan proves is that if we stay vigilant –
if we call loudly and repeatedly for accountability - that we become very
difficult to ignore.
Please stay tuned. I hope for more developments soon.
With great respect,
-Congressman Robert Wexler
Send your comments to: NationalView@aol.com
-Noah Greenberg