What our enemies and friends are learning from the Gov't Shutdown

It's sad to see but this shutdown is going to show countries like Iran and North Korea how they will need to deal with our Country in a crisis. This Shutdown and Debt Ceiling crisis is not good for our President and the Congress as our enemies are going to learn a free lesson in dealing with us when our Countries have a major crisis like Iran acquiring a Nuclear Bomb. They get this knowledge without having to pay anything for the lesson. It's a damn shame and a sad day for America. Someone is going to need to be the adult in the room and it isn't going to be Speaker John Boehner. He is forcing the President's hand as the crisis of Syria did when he drew a red line regarding the use of Chemical Weapons and couldn't get the Congress to support him. What idiots the Tea Party Representatives are. They don't really care about our Country and they should fold their hands in this crisis. The Country needs to get rid of all these Tea party nuts and some consequences should also take effect with the dumb people who voted them in!

Who will become President?

Seems like the big question will be answered very soon. The polls say it is a statistical dead heat. I hope not. We are so divided as a country right now that it seems incomprehensible that we could continue this way. Not since the North and South played out this madness, in the late 1800's, in what has been referred to as our Civil War, have we been so divided. And if you look at the divisions on a map of the U.S. between Mitt Romney and President Obama, you can see this data suggests we are fighting this war all over again. The fact that President Obama is said to have only 39% of the White vote, plays into this argument. One thing I will say in closing about this election. Whether we as the voters get the president we want or the President we don't want, we will get the President we deserve! We have a population where over 40% believe our President was not born in America, even though the evidence contradicts that reasoning. That same % believes the President to be a Muslim, while the clear evidence is that he is a Christian. This same group of people do not believe in the science of Evolution nor do they believe in Global Warming/Climate Change. We sure do need a better Educational system, as this is proof of it! God help us all or at least let's hope that survival of the fittest prevails!

Ending the gridlock: Market comments for Sept. 2nd

It looks like a very bad day for the markets worldwide. The August Unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.1%, but the US Non-Farm Payroll number came in at 0 (zero). That was the lowest number seen since 1945. Also troubling was a decrease in Hourly earnings for workers from +0.5% in July to -0.1% for August.

The issue we have in our economy is that there is no demand for Goods and Services. Therefore the Unemployment rate has no hope of recovering until there is more demand. Cost cutting does not increase demand. Debt reduction does not create demand. Giving more money to banks does not create demand. Giving incentives to business to hire will not necessarily create demand. Decreasing taxes for the wealthiest Americans doesn't create demand.

What creates demand? Why haven't the Bush Tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans created demand, as many have argued it would? It's real simple, people who are wealthy already have pretty much what they want and desire, so there is no need. Middle Class Americans and the poor have many needs and the more disposable income they have, the more their needs would be satisfied by purchasing goods and services. We have more of a political problem right now because the Republicans and Democrats are at a logger jam and it seems the Republicans are saying no to any compromises.

How do we get them to work together for the good of the country? They seem to only be interested in serving there Corporate donors, who donate to their political campaigns and own these folks lock, stock and barrel! There doesn't appear to be any way to get them to come to agreements for the common good. But I believe the reason for this is that they are complacent to the plight of average Americans and until they have skin in the game, they won't work together. "The real question we should be asking is, "How do we get them to get skin in the game?" I have an idea that I think would work and I want you to think about this seriously for a minute.

What if there were a sudden significant drop in the Dow, say 1000 points in a day, followed by a second day of another 750 points? Do you think it would get their attention? I can tell you this, it would get the attention of the wealthiest Americans who own most of the stock anyway. They would be demanding action, just like when the banks collapsed. It would get the President to sit with Congressional leaders and get them to take some actions for the good of the country. We need a real crisis that gets us to all come together.

This could be created by all of us selling some of our stocks and as it builds up steam others would add more in panic selling. This could do it. The Fed has tried to protect the market when it should have allowed the market to fall as it should and by now these problems would have been addressed. Instead, our problems are still ahead of us. I really believe this will happen anyway down the line, but we could help it along by selling stocks en masse. Anyone can help this along by selling their stocks, either today or early next week, especially just before the President speaks on Thursday night. Remember, if you sell your stocks, you can eventually buy them back cheaper if what I am saying will happen does happen. You can help your country right now. And tell your friends to do the same! ACT in honor of Labor Day!!

Sarah Palin: Is she running?

So she spoke yesterday and had people wondering again if she is going to run for President. Did she give a deliberate clue or was there an error in the use of her language? You see she said "I can win!" responding to questions from reporters. She didn't say, "I could win". There is a difference in meaning. The question is though did she make a deliberate statement of intention of running or did she mean she "could" win if she ran, and hasn't made up her mind.

I think it was an unconscious reflection of her intention. How would you interpret her use of can versus could?

The last word on the Senate Healthcare Legislation and the affect it has had on theirstock prices

Well the data is now complete with today's action. As you can see from the 2 charts above, the Senate Bill has been a good thing for the Health Insurance companies and their shareholders and not so good for average Americans. I don't know where these two stocks go from here but I will track them until a Final Bill is passed by both the House and Senate and ready for the President's signature. I will not post any more on these two companies or the topic until then. I will return to writing about the stock market, politics and news items of personal interest but for now that's it on this topic.

I want to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas as we are only a few days away. Whatever your faith, it is a time to enjoy loved ones and try to forget about other pressing matters. Remember to be generous to those in need more than just for Christmas as many need help. Local Food Banks are a good place to give as are local Shelters for the homeless.

545 People

This was sent to me this morning via email and I thought so much about the message I had to post it here. Please read it all the way to the end. Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

545 PEOPLE
By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme
Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes..

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget.. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to..

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

What you do with this article now that you have read it.......... Is up to you.

This might be funny if it weren't so darned true. Be sure to read all the way to the end:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.


Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts
Anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to
think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him
till
He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
It’s time to apply
The inheritance tax.
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75
cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges/IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage
Tax
Sales Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility
Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the
world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.


What in the hell happened? Can you spell 'politicians?' And I still have to 'press 1' for English!?

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 100 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!

GO AHEAD - - - BE AN AMERICAN!!!
Attack life! It's going to kill you anyway.

"It's Your World, Pay Attention"

The morphing of language by President-Elect Obama's writers.

So I went to President-Elect Obama's transition page and saw a piece on the "deepening recession". Please do not use this language as it is easily morphed and reminds people of "Depression" The alliteration is too anxiety producing. Some suggestions you might try are the "worsening recession", or the "continuing recession" and you might try some messages which don't define the problem, but instead, give us some suggestions as to how we can help slow it down or reverse it. In those situations feel free to use some positive alliteration. Thanks!

Capitulation: In the stock market and the Bush Administration

Well 24 hours can sure make a difference. Futures are down on the Dow over 550 points as the Nikkei dropped 10% in overnight trading, or should I say dumping. Things are looking and feeling like a 9/11 in the markets. So this might be the final capitulation today and Monday, all as we approach the final 11 days before the election.

It will be difficult for anyone to be a buyer of stocks today or Monday, but the biggest shift may be that there will not be buyers of stock for a very long time. So what are stocks worth? No one will know for a while. This economic catastrophe brought to you by the Bush/Cheney Administration. You remember them. They brought you such old favorites as the WMD concerns and invasion of Iraq, the bungled aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the trashing of the Constitution and now the economic collapse of the western world. This will be remembered as the Bush legacy. We have no leadership as we don't believe our President any more.

Do your best today not to let events manage you. Go for a walk today and don't look much at what is happening. This is not a day to sell even though that might be what you want to do. It's too late for all practical purposes. I pray you all can get through this whole.

UPDATE: Noon PST
The simple answer is most likely not. Why? Because the Hedge Funds will be selling in the last 45 minutes of the market today, as they want to get this behind them. Watch the Dow drop sharply 10-20 points in every few seconds, if they are selling. This will set up Monday for a big selloff. We didn't get today the bounce up into the positive that Hedge Funds wanted. The Volume for the day is low compared to previous sessions, so unless there is a lot of dumping, today is not going to represent the market bottom. The Dow at Noon is down -175 to 8,510. We will know in an hour.

UPDATE #2 At 1:00pm PST Market close

Well we did not reach capitulation today and so must wait for another day. The Dow closed down
-317 to 8,374 with an acceleration in selling at the close. The volume was disappointing today, compared to yesterday and the day before. There was the initial drop of about 500 points at the open but the scare never materialized. Unfortunately means we wait for another day. Much can happen over a weekend so be sure to check back for Monday's outlook.

Near the end of the market drop and the beginning of restored confidence

We are closer to the end of this market drop than we were a week ago. Back in the Fall of 2002 through to March of 2003 we hit the bottom of about 7,200-7,400 level on the Dow. That is the bottom and with each day and another notch on the Index marking the time, we keep getting closer to the end of this market crash. As the Dow approaches the 8,000 level it will be a time to start selectively buying stocks again. We can all help shorten this downturn by the actions we take collectively. That means not over reacting to news. The volatility we have recently seen as determined by the VIX Index, are a result of investors emotional swings of fear and greed to the extremes.

Many have asked me when do I believe that confidence will start to return to financial markets. My answer is very simple. It's November 5th, if Obama gets elected President. If McCain gets elected confidence won't return for a very long time, years is my best guess. There are 12 days left before the election so make sure you vote early and avoid the lines in States where voting early is allowed.

What was the first warning shot fired in the financial crisis?

The first warning shot in the financial crisis of 2008 happened actually in the late 1990's and while there was an initial reaction to the event, little if anything really changed on Wall Street. What was that precipitous event? It was the failure of the Hedge Fund, Long Term Capital Management (LTCM) which lead to a massive bailout by other major banks and investment houses.

LTCM was founded in 1994 by John Meriwether, the former vice-chairman and head of bond trading at Salomon Brothers. Board of directors members included Myron Scholes and Robert C. Merton, who shared the 1997 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics. The company had developed complex mathematical models it used to make investment decisions. Initially enormously successful with annualized returns of over 40% in its first years, in 1998 it lost $4.6 billion in less than four months and became a prominent example of the risk potential in the hedge fund industry. The fund folded in early 2000.

But do you think Congress or Wall Street learned anything back then? Nope! That was when Congress was controlled by the Republican Party and occurred during the post Lewinsky investigation, by then rabid Special Prosecutor Ken Starr. So to say the impeachment attempt by the Republican led Congress was a distraction to events surrounding Long Term Capital Management, is an understatement. It was a casualty from a divided country where Congress was consumed over a sexual matter, where a President who was embarrassed by it, lied about it to the Public. I don't blame just Republicans, I also blame the Democrats and the American people including me, who did not press our elected officials to investigate this matter more fully at the time and even years later.

The cost to our Nation is just starting to be understood. Think what might have been prevented in the current Financial crisis had Congress and Wall Street done a complete investigation as to what caused the financial meltdown of Long Term Capital Management. We have only recently come to understand the interconnection to many of the worlds problems.

Bailout: Wall Street or Main Street? Who to believe

The predicate for this $700 Billion dollar bailout plan is that it isn't to bail out Wall Street, it is needed to bailout the economy. Well let me point to previous calls by the President and Wall Street as to what determines the health of the economy. There are 2 things that determine the health of the economy. It is Corporate spending and Consumer spending. In fact, we have been told around Thanksgiving each year that it is the Consumer which determines nearly 67% of that equation and Corporate spending the other 33%. One could make a very good argument to give the $700 Billion to Consumers instead.

Yes, business needs to be able to borrow to get the goods and equipment necessary for their businesses to function. And our economic system is based upon consumption. However the Government doesn't tax consumption. Maybe it should and we need to reshape the tax code. As more and more of our population retires we won't have enough Income from the rest of the population to tax adequately to get the necessary funds to keep this ship afloat. Maybe indeed it is time to change the tax code to a Consumption Tax and away from an Income Tax. That way everyone pays including illegals and those who cheat on their taxes.

Which single issue will determine the Democratic nominee and ultimately President?

It comes down to that single issue. Which issues do we select the next President on. Here are some choices and you can vote in my mini poll on the right side of the page.

• Iraq war
• Economic recovery
• Healthcare
• Immigration reform

There are several possible outcomes and the calendar plays an important role here as does which States are left to vote in the Primaries. Which candidates are the best match-up?

Let's take the first one: Iraq war. The best match-up is McCain versus Obama.

John McCain wants us to stay in Iraq until we've won and has supported the President's strategy. Obama wants to get troops out and was never in favor of the war in the first place. Hillary now says she wants our troops to come home but had voted to give the President the authority to go to war in Iraq.

Economic recovery: Best match-up Hillary or Obama vs. McCain

McCain wants to make tax cuts permanent and both Hillary and Obama want to let them expire so that the wealthiest pay their fair share. They also both want tax cuts for middle class Americans.

Healthcare: Best match-up? First you must decide do you want Hillary's plan which includes penalties for those that don't purchase health insurance and fines they buy it or Obama's which is similar to Hillary's except no mandates. Both want to look for ways to reduce costs but no one really wants Universal Healthcare where our taxes pay for the Healthcare system and the Insurance companies become extinct and not in business anymore as we know them. Johm McCain wants to manage costs down by dealing with the Insurance companies to get them to contain more costs. We have been unsuccessful doing this since Managed Care (HMO’s) came into existence 15-20 years ago, and I don't think any will be successful in working with Healthcare providers. The system doesn't work. But Hillary claims her plan is Universal Healthcare, and it isn't. Many will be disappointed no matter which person is elected on the basis of this issue, as all have problems.

Immigration Reform: All the candidates are basically the same on this issue. All want tighter borders and all want the current system to be reformed so that legal immigration is easier than illegal immigration. And all want those undocumented (Illegal entry) persons to get at the back of the line of those that have been waiting and to pay a fine to get on the path to return.

So as you can see there isn't much difference in who you vote for in the remaining Primaries unless the main issue is the Iraq war. If you combine the Iraq war and the economy there are clear distinctions between the Republican position promoted by McCain and the position of Obama. The choice seems like a simple one. The economy is tied into the Trillions of real dollars that will be spent in Iraq, on the cist of the troops there and the cost of taking care of the nearly 30,000 seriously wounded Veterans that are returning with so much need for help. It also contributes to the price of Oil which has gone from $20-$24/barrel to $105/barrel under this President. That is a fact and it is killing the economy.

Obama wins Wisconsin and Hawaii by wide margins!

Yes it's true, Barack Obama has maintained his momentum and won the Primary, over Hillary. Thank you Wisconsin and Hawaii! Yes many hope Obama can help change America. We agree that much needs to be changed. Today was proof of that. Today the Supreme Court decided NOT to decide the issue as to whether the President has violated the law when he authorized a bypass of the FISA Court to listen to our phone calls. You see the next President is important to this country and we need to get behind Obama and support him to help us make the change. Will the change be what we all want? No! But it will be as our Founding Fathers wanted, a majority can make some positive change to deal with the issues of bankruptcy of our country, sacrifice by those who can afford to help the country. It is up to us to have the courage to vote our heart and our spirit. He is the one!

Emotions on the rise as Democratic race heads towards a Train Wreck. Read why!

Over at The Moderate Voice today there is a good post on the potential Train Wreck that can happen in the Democratic race for President at the Convention, written by Robert Stein. I strongly suggest a visit there by clicking here.

Rev. Pat Robertson endorses Rudi. Why?

Why did Pat Robertson endorse Rudi Giuliani for President? It is obviously NOT because Rudi dressed in Drag a few times. It is obviously NOT because of his pro-choice earlier position. So what is it? It's most likely because Rudi is the Warrior candidate of both Political Party's and the one candidate most likely to get us to the great battle of Armageddon, which most Christian Fundamentalist preachers and their flocks want to create, so that they can get to see God sooner. They are the Muslim world's reason for being so radical. They see this as a campaign started by the "Crusaders". And you know what, they are right as these Right Wingnuts are not interested in keeping the world whole, but rather in destroying it for all the evil they see everywhere.

If there ever where a reason NOT to vote for Rudi, we just got it! Do us a favor would you Pat? Stay out of politics with your hypocrisy!

Republicans need to win but that victory comes at a price

The Republican Party is at a critical choice point. They have, with few exceptions, supported this President and his Iraq policy valiantly. But if the Republicans have any chance to save their Party in the next election and possibly its future in more distant elections, they would be wise to abandon this President's Iraq policy and join with Democrats to try to salvage something of a bipartisan effort to end this war.

There was a song in the Wizard of Oz sung by the Scarecrow, which seems prophetic at this moment in time. That song, "If I only had a brain", metaphorically should haunt Republicans to rise above the fray, work as they have in past Administrations and difficult times for our country and work for the common good. There is no common good extending this war past the next year or two. It is inevitable we will be out of Iraq at some point in the future. Now is the time to join forces with Moderate Democrats like Senator Jim Webb of VA and others and work out a new course of action for Iraq. Senator Warner and others, who have served as Republican leaders of distinction, deserve our respect and our ears to hear their calls for moderation in policy. But those calls have fallen on the deaf ears of this President who has disgraced his Party and will go down in history as one of the worst Presidents we have had. But I will leave that call to historians. For now, it is time to seize the moment and save the Party.

Incompetence and arrogance; the Bush/Cheney legacy.

You've heard this slogan probably 100 times over the past few years. "We'll stand down when the Iraqis stand up!" Sound familiar? Well here's the latest information on that front and I quote, "Last week, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace, said the number of combat-ready Iraqi battalions able to fight independently has dropped from 10 to six in recent months despite an increase in U.S. training efforts."

Now can you see there was never any intention of us leaving Iraq. I like what I heard from Senator Biden which I will paraphrase here. He said if the Administration is so bent on staying in Iraq, have them pack up their sons and daughters and join their parents and fight the war themselves.

Is your frustration with this President and Vice President and their minions as exasperating to you as it is for me? In all my years on this planet having remembered Presidents from Eisenhower to this President, I could never have imagined the level of stubbornness and arrogance and disregard for the rule of law, not only internationally but also the Constitution and the laws to protect us. We must act as a nation and impeach both of them so that no president in the future will ever get us into a war with lies again.

We still have a year and a half to prove we deserve our freedoms. These 2 so called leaders deserve to be impeached. Aren't there any courageous members of Congress willing to advance Articles of Impeachment?!

Oh, and while I'm at it, why does the President pass an Executive order 5 years after the war in Iraq to order not to use cruel and unusual treatment of prisoners? Isn't that like closing the barn door after the horses have left? To me, this is confirmation that they encouraged and condoned torture all these years in violation of our laws and also the Geneva Convention. Anyone have the courage to turn these 2 over to the World Court for prosecution on War Crimes?

So let it be written, so let it be done!

War in Iraq: When all else fails President continues to redefine "success"

Redefining success in Iraq seems to be a sport that many of us can play. Our President has had a head start on us with 4 plus years experience in this area and is considered a Black Belt in this sport. For example, at the early stages of the Iraq invasion here's a list of what success was defined as:

* Removing Saddam Hussein from power (accomplished)
* WMD's and their growing threat to America (unsuccessful)
* Saddam Hussein's suspected connection to Al Qaeda (incorrect then, correct now)
* Human Rights abuses by Saddam Hussein (well documented then, now we write a new chapter of our own abuses i.e. Abu Ghraib)
* Rooting out any terrorists who may have found safe haven there under Saddam's rule. (We found a way to attract a lot more recently: Just stay there with no plan to leave!)


Then after the invasion and we were there for a while we changed the definition of success to:
* Mission accomplished
* Help Iraqis build a democratic government
* Elected government
* Ensure that one brutal dictator is not replaced by another (Where's a good dictator when you need one? :)

Lately Bush has defined success as follows:
* Demanding more from Iraq's Elected Government.
* Sectarian violence down
* An acceptable level of violence
* Either we'll succeed, or we won't


Now I would like to add my own definitions of success in Iraq:
* If we stay in Iraq they won't throw us out until their Army or Militias are strong enough! Then we will know the training has been successful.
* As long as I (Bush) am President, we haven't lost. I still have until Fall of 2008, unless they impeach me.
* As long as gas prices are high, Americans won't even be thinking about Iraq.
* As long as I can keep a volunteer Army in place, Americans will be satisfied and won't really mess with my (Bush) Administration. Hope they keep enlisting!

Feel free to leave one yourself.

The real reasoning behind the Surge" of troops in Iraq

BritsThe question as to why the "surge" was really needed in Iraq hasn't made sense to many Americans, as the politicians in Washington have worked to show their objection to the President's plan. Since I know we don't get straight talk from this Administration about anything, I decided to do my own investigation into possible reasons and I came up with a very interesting hypothesis, which is based on real facts.

The reason for the surge, is to bolster U.S. forces in Iraq. This is true. But the real embarrassment for the Bush Administration is the reason this is taking place. That being that Countries supporting the mission in Iraq have withdrawn troops to the tune of about 17,000 in Iraq and the region. And the recent announcement by the Brits of further withdrawal of their forces would require the U.S. to increase its troop size just to be able to do the same job as when we had more coalition support.

The President won't say that the reason he has had to deploy more troops is because other countries, while limited in numbers and in actual support mission roles, have decreased their support of the U.S. mission in Iraq. They fabricated and inflated the idea in the first place that they had built a coalition and now they can't admit that that coalition is abandoning the U.S. because they don't support the idea we should be there any longer. That's the truth that hasn't been told until now! It is an embarrassment to them.

Want to see who supports us and with how many troops? Go to this web site and read for yourself: Global Security Org

Senator Specter (R-PA) asks Justice Dept who's in charge? Give me a break!

What's wrong with this picture. Senator Arlen Specter today asked the Justice Dept. to basically propose where it sees the President's authority as it comes to his discretion as Commander in Chief related to matters of war. Sir, have you no shame!? The intention of your communication was to serve notice on the President that he is only one of the "Deciders" Constitutionally mandated to decide such matters. However, your approach sir, leaves me flat and raises serious questions for you and the Senate and Congress to deal with. That being, sir, this President and Vice President will take whatever power they deem fit. The real question to you and the rest of your colleagues is this, Are you going to allow them to dictate terms or are you going to tell them you, the Senate and Congress, are also in charge. They way you did this showed weakness in my view, as it will give them a heads up to where you're thinking on this matter is with no consequences to them. Instead, vote to cut the funding, which is your right and let the President & Vice President fight you on that issue, as it is clear Constitutionally, only Congress controls the purse strings.

I know you mean well Senator, but the lack of oversight these past 6 years has you thinking from a weak position. It is neither fitting of you or any Senator for that matter, but sir, you have already won a brave fight over cancer and deserve to be more assertive, to the point of aggression, to curb and heal these two arrogant leaders.