Comments Posted By ed
Displaying 91 To 100 Of 205 Comments
Wow. Ask for simple respect and dignity and you get the scrapings from the shallow end of the gene pool acting terribly offended. The attitudes of some responsers above remind me that I made a good decision getting the hell out of the Democratic party.
Comment Posted By ed On 28.12.2006 @ 12:05
Wonderful tribute. President Ford was a gentleman and played the game of politics hard and well. I admired his ability to get along with political opponents. Today's atmosphere of non-cooperation, open hostility and gotcha strategies would be beneath Jerry Ford. We need politicans that are willing to put country above party and ambition. We need new Gerald Fords.
Comment Posted By ed On 27.12.2006 @ 09:59
OBAMA FAILS RELIGIOUS TEST: SCHLUSSEL
I have argued Mr. Moran, been banned by Mr. Moran, and have offered endorsement of his positions at times. He can be hard-headed and cantankerous sometimes, but he has never even implied anything racist in all of the reading I have done here.
Comment Posted By ed On 21.12.2006 @ 14:22
WHY HILLARY WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT
One small addition to this excellent analysis. Modern presidental politics seems to require a "likeability" factor. Ms. Clinton lacks this factor to the nth degree.
Comment Posted By ed On 19.12.2006 @ 16:07
JOINT CHIEFS QUESTION IRAQ TROOP "SURGE"
The American military has had great success throughout our history doing what it is designed to do - in the old military parlance, they bust things and kill people. Very successful in that scope of things. Success in fixing the politics of other countries, no so much. Your last sentence has been a position of many for a long time. The only thing that can hold a coalition of Sunni, Shia, and Kurds will be what held it together before - a despotic strongman, ala Saddam Hussein.
More troops will be more targets. A "surge" in troops will result only in a surge of deaths and injuries. Bush is determined to "stay the course" and that is what he will do, albeit with another "brand name" and faux changes.
Middle Eastern history provides no hope for democratic changes or governments. Turkey is as close to a democracy that we will find near the area, and does not meet anything like American standards of democracy.
We gave it a noble try. It is past time to admit that our Iraq adventure did not work and that we need to withdraw American troops just as quickly as it is safe to do. Lastly, the Middle East has been an unpalatable mess at least since colonial forces left, so spare me the sad songs about "we must stay or the Middle East becomes a terrible mess."
Comment Posted By ed On 19.12.2006 @ 12:15
JONAH GOLDBERG NEEDS A PIE IN THE FACE (METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING OF COURSE)
Excellent. I once nominated Rick to replace J. Goldberg, but alas, I have no influence in the media. It is frightening that whacko right AND left wingers get the audience they do. Pinochet and Che - if you praise either, pin a whacko sticker on your shirt.
It is not a concern to me that Iraq may become a gathering place for terorists. They have and will gather somewhere, so we can't make decisions on that metric.
Comment Posted By ed On 15.12.2006 @ 11:43
B. Poster
Thoughtful response, as always. Thank you. Did you listen to the President today at the joint press conference with Prime Minister Blair? This speech is exactly the same as he gave a year ago. Iraq will be a beacon of freedom in the Middle East, and we won't leave before that. He is determined to do nothing but what has already been done. I don't think impeachment, let alone conviction, will occur.
The only possible solution I see is to divide the country into three autonumous areas: A Shia, a Sunni and a Kurd area. These entities would soon clean up the terrorists and the militias that do not belong there. Sure Iran would be the de facto leader of one area, but better than the entire country being under their thumb.
The Democrats will trade G.W. Bush for President Cheney? You have more faith than I do. Thanks again for your thoughts.
Comment Posted By ed On 7.12.2006 @ 19:06
BPoster:
You put your finger directly on the middle of the problem. There are no more American troops to use in Iraq and Iraq is so unstable, it cannot be a functioning government as now comprised. Bush's news conference today made it abundantly clear he is determined to continue "staying the course". He will feign new actions, but do nothing different. Kicking the can to the next president is all that will happen. The next President will have to withdraw the troops and take the blame for whatever happens afterword. Bush's cowardice is beyond reprehensible.
Comment Posted By ed On 7.12.2006 @ 16:42
THE ISG REPORT: NOT EXACTLY "BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS"
From the ISG: "The group’s recommendations for the way forward in Iraq focus largely on building a broad international consensus for helping the nation, pushing Iraq to meet a set of rather ambitious deadlines for internal progress, and gradually reducing the U.S. troop presence there while boosting support for Iraqi army control of the security situation."
Good G*d, that was the Bush plan - "We'll stand down when they stand up. Here are the internal deadlines we have for Iraq - Constitution, elections, etc. We have a coalition to help Iraq."
Our President looked like hell this morning at the ISG press conference. I fear he has spun such an imaginary world re: Iraq for so long that it has left him frozen and unable to move, now that everyone, including Laura and the dog, sees Iraq as a failed adventure. There are essentially no more troops to add in Iraq and any withdrawal of troops concedes the clusterf**k analysis. I fear we will "stay the course" for the rest of President Bush's administration, with the evermounting death, destruction and expense of this misadventure. Our President cannot admit failure in any meaningful way. Perhaps Congress will find the guts to cut off funding for this mess, but I would not rely on that much fortitude from the incoming Congresspeople.
If Bush and Cheney had any fortitude or decency, they would resign post-haste. We were promised a billion dollar democracy in Iraq. Instead, we have a 350 billion dollar civil war with no end in sight. We will, as a nation, spend decades and trillions working our way out of this boondoggle and its aftermath. I fear the 9/11 hijackers have won a far larger victory than they could have ever imagined.
Comment Posted By ed On 6.12.2006 @ 14:58
ALL YOUR SMOKING ARE BELONG TO US
Why would even the most fanatical of busybodies care if you smoke
in an exhaust-spewing car?Because they are BRIBED by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Comment Posted By ed On 16.11.2006 @ 12:44
and others. Someone should have them investigated and jailed.
