Reaction co-blogger Heraclitus has one here. … [Read more...] about The future of Iraq — a round-up

There was so much misguided outrage on the right over Kerry's botched joke, with desperate Republicans looking to use it to attack the Democrats more broadly on national security just days before the midterms, but the real outrage is that Dick Cheney, one of the prime architects of the Iraq War, and one of its most virulent defenders, seems to be so removed from reality and at … [Read more...] about Cheney: “full speed ahead” on Iraq

Wouter Bos (left) and Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende (right) For those who are interested in the Dutch elections: we're on fire here as well. Our elections are not just for a couple of seats, but for all seats and about our entire government coalition. Our current coalition is one between the CDA and the VVD (my party). The polls show that the race between the largest … [Read more...] about Dutch Elections

Disturbing news from The Times: THE SPECTRE of a nuclear race in the Middle East was raised yesterday when six Arab states announced that they were embarking on programmes to master atomic technology. The move, which follows the failure by the West to curb Iran’s controversial nuclear programme, could see a rapid spread of nuclear reactors in one of the world’s most … [Read more...] about The Arab world goes nuclear

By most indications, the trial of Saddam Hussein for killing more than 140 Iraqi Shi'ites in the town of Dujail in retaliation for an assassination attempt, has been a mockery. Saddam is undoubtedly guilty of this war crime, as he is of the more devastating Anfal campaign against the Kurds in the late 1980s and the Shi'ites in 1991. But the trial, which was supposed to … [Read more...] about The Impending Saddam Verdict

Both Democrats and Republicans are preparing for war by sending hundreds, even thousands of troops to the frontline: a legal war that is. In Pennsylvania, the Republican Party has opened a “recount accountâ€? and set aside $500,000 to pay lawyers who will answer telephones on Election Day and monitor polls to see whether officials demand proper voters’ identification. In … [Read more...] about Preparing for War

The New York Times reports that GOP candidates will - these last days of the campaign - focus on the economy. Their main message will be that the unemployment rate has dropped due to the tax cuts. There is, in my opinion, one major problem: the economy is not the main issue these US elections: it's Iraq. The Bush administration has messed up everything about Iraq, it was only … [Read more...] about It’s Useless, Stupid!

President George Bush recently threatened vowed to keep Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in place during Bush's remaining two years in office — which wasn't the greatest sign that there will be any new approach to the war in Iraq. But it's now going to be difficult for the White House to suggest that those clamoring for Rumsfeld's election are just partisan Democrats, … [Read more...] about Military Papers Monday Will Call For Rumsfeld’s Resignation

No joke. On Monday an editorial calling for Donald to step down will be in four major military publications. MSNBC has the entire editorial. … [Read more...] about Military Pubs To Ask Rumsfeld To Resign

I'm unable to post from the road due to the wireless not connecting and dial up taking too long (10 minutes to wait to be able to post this). My own posts will resume early to mid-afternoon today. Check back since our cobloggers will likely have some things to say. … [Read more...] about Keep Checking For New Posts

As much as I used to enjoy Olbermann's commentary, I fear Alan Stewart Carl is correct about how Keith has gone wrong. … [Read more...] about The Left’s Limbaugh

Just yesterday I was stunned to read Ralph Peters give up on Iraq. Ralph Peters, a former US army officer and regular contributor to the New York Post and Fox News, has been one of the strongest advocates for the war in Iraq all along. But he was, after all, just a pundit. More along the lines of a Citizen Smash than anything else: a center-right hawkish independent who … [Read more...] about The Neo-Con Circular Firing Squad Begins

Quite possibly. … [Read more...] about Is America globalization’s big loser?

I know this is terribly self-serving of me, but I wanted to let you know that I've had an article published at The National Interest online: "The Battle over Narrative, Post-Midterms". The direct link to the article is here. And here's how it opens: Let’s assume that the Democrats win back the House but not the Senate. Let’s also assume that the situation in Iraq continues … [Read more...] about The battle over political narrative

The scandal surrounding allegations by a man who says he was a gay prostitute that had an intimate business relationship with national Evangelical religious leader the Rev. Ted Haggard continues to grow one day after Haggard's resignation. The story is significant given Haggard's national stature, his role in counseling President George Bush and his being in the forefront of … [Read more...] about The Rev. Ted Haggard Scandal Deepens Amid Partial Confession And New Questions

Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr., in a column on Pennsylvnia's Patrick Murphy, a 33-year-old Democrat, Iraq war veteran and son of a policeman who is trying to take the congressional seat held by Republican Michael Fitzpatrick.And Patrick Murphy is closing with an advertisement saying that when it comes to Iraq, his opponent and President Bush "have no idea how to fix … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: E. J. Dionne Jr. On Changing The Political Subject

Tom Watson looks at it all in his post Return of the Nativist. … [Read more...] about Immigration, The Minutemen And The Arizona Elections

George Soros has been dethroned as the country's top political donor:Bob Perry, the Houston homebuilder who led the drive to discredit Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's war record in 2004, has replaced George Soros as the biggest donor in U.S. politics. Perry, 74, has given at least $9.2 million to groups backing Republican House and Senate candidates, Federal … [Read more...] about Soros Is No Longer Top Political Party Donor

I drove 8 hours yesterday from Southern California to Northern California and one of the motifs on conservative talk shows was this: they were still hammering on the theme of John Kerry's bungled joke (a truly dumb move on Kerry's part since his joke was actually scripted and he didn't learn his script) despite Kerry's apology. To listen to some of these talk show hosts, the … [Read more...] about Karl Rove Selling Bush Cigarettes

...."Shhhh..." … [Read more...] about A Republican Candidate To His Former Mistress