Thursday, April 03, 2008

Political Impatience

A Rambling End-of-the-Week Rant

A great impatience is what I feel. Every time I am doing something mind-numbing around the house, I will turn on the TV and learn the most recent score for bowling pro, Barry Obama. Or what the last poll says about how Pennsylvania Democrats will vote three weeks from now. Or what McCain's nickname was in high school. As the MSM portrays it, every day is a slow news day. However, it's not the case that nothing is happening. It's just that what's happening is not being reported. Every high school journalism student knows when that you don't have the resources, the talent, the nuts or the guts to go out and get the news, the thing to do is to publish a poll.

While the media is amusing itself with this domestic bullshit, our government is getting away with Bushit in Iraq. A major change in our war occupation policy has occurred while the press has looked the other way. Keep in mind that this is the same ol' press that steeped us deep in the narcotic brew of patriotism as we were being stampeded into this unprovoked invasion of Iraq.

What is happening, of course, is the reverse and exact opposite from the recommendations of the Baker-Hamilton Commission. Instead of drawing down our forces, Busheney are intent on forcing
our next president into maintaining an unending presence in Iraq by fomenting protracted conflict. They are doing this by abandoning their occupation in favor of a new policy of active participation in the on-going violence of Iraqi politics.

A surprise is awaiting my fellow Americans. We have been complaining about our peerless combat forces being compelled to serve as referees in the Mesopotamia bowl. This war occupation has been billed as a championship play-off between good versus evil - a game without rules or a time clock. But soon Americans are going to wake up to a stark new reality. Our referees are taking sides in the unfathomable chaos of Iraqi politics, actively engaged in picking winners and losers.

In fact, far from being the self-described 'Commander-in-Chief', Bush has turned over Iraqi policy to General Petreaus. Petreaus, Commander of the Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I), in turn, has abdicated control of events to our erstwhile puppet, Maliki (of all people). Maliki is prime minister of the government of the Green Zone (GOGZ), nothing more. Talk about the cart going before the horse? The GOGZ horse has been leading the MNF-I cart around by its handles for the last ten days.

Maliki sent his Badr militia (dubbed the 'winners'), wearing the GOGZ uniform as a convenience, into the localities controlled by the Sadrists (deemed the 'losers'). Things didn't go as planned. Like his patron, George Bush, Maliki went into Basra light, cheap and unprepared. As a matter of fact, despite a sizable participation of American Forces (land and air), GOGZ forces deserted, refused to advance unless escorted by Americans, or subjected themselves to kidnapping.(NYT) Eventually, Maliki's people had to sneak, back-channel, to Iranian agents in order to obtain a truce. In the meantime, more broken pottery, collateral death, and squandered hearts and minds were rendered all around Basra and Sadr City.

John McCain, Busheney’s anointed successor, was surprised by all of this. What is with this guy? Having just visited and been de-briefed by the MNF-I and the GOGZ, McCain had no inkling as to what was about to happen? One has to wonder what exact dog-and-pony-show he was shown during his junket? What he can remember without his attendant, Joe Lieberman, at his side?

This guy is ready to take over on day one? This guy is the one we elect to field the 3:00 AM phone calls for the next four years?

Time is wasting. We are waiting on the Clintons to face up to the moral imperative of their political destiny. This pathetic and incompetent warmonger, McCain, is crying out to be taken on and taken down. McCain’s nomination is just encouraging Busheney into smashing even more pottery and lives in Iraq. We can’t wait 290 more days to start withdrawing from the open wound we have inflicted in the Middle East; nor can we wait 290 more days to begin healing the self-inflicted wound in our own international reputation. Bill & Hill can’t lead. Far from leading, they are miring us down in their narcissistic world. They need to follow or be told to get out of the frigging way. The real world can’t wait.

Barry O. can mop the floor with Johnny Mac. It’s so painful to have to wait weeks and weeks longer than necessary for this clean-up to start.

Antonio Campbell

Our regular weekly search for a redeemable Republican turns up with a live one!

A Republican for Obama!

Antonio Campbell is the spokesman for the Republicans for Obama. Campbell, who grew up in Chippewa Township, MD, is a 42-year-old adjunct professor of political science at Towson University in Baltimore. Campbell is a committed Republican who has run for office under the GOP banner and voted Republican in every presidential race except 1992. He’s now working as the spokesman for a small national group called Republicans for Obama.

Campbell entered the Army after high school and then returned to attend Geneva College. He transferred to the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, and then moved to Maryland, where he received a master’s from Towson University.

Before switching from the Democratic Party in 1996, Campbell said he was a typical conservative western Pennsylvania Democrat who worked for U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-14, Forest Hills, and former U.S. Rep. Ron Klink, D-4, Murrysville. He said he became a Republican after moving to Maryland and finding the Democratic Party there far too liberal.

Since becoming a Republican, Campbell has unsuccessfully run for Congress and Baltimore City Council. He also worked on President George W. Bush’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns.

This year, of the Democratic choice, Campbell said,
I’m definitely not voting for Sen. Clinton . . . My gut feeling is what Obama says, he believes, that if he says something, he means it. At the end of the day, it’s who you trust in the big chair.
But, if the Democrats nominate Clinton, Campbell made it clear he will vote for McCain.