The McCain Doctrine and John Edward's stand against Iraq will be a make or break issue in the Presidential elections of 08. After all, it’s only a year until the Iowa caucus folks! But I mention this only because the current occupant of the oval office has seen fit to stay the course militarily even though he is calling it something different as of Wednesday evening when he addressed the nation. I most definitely heard the word “November” when he was speechifying Wednesday evening, which means we will not be out of Iraq this year, if he has any say about it. He even had the brass ones to use that time-honored phrase about fighting them there so we will be safe forever and ever here. We will have lots of wiggle room because McCain and Edwards are at opposite ends of the Iraq War spectrum. Anyone else who tosses his or her hat in the ring will be able to choose a spot somewhere in-between.
McCain is the over-the-top-hawk on what needs to be done in the clusterfuck that is the Iraq War. He most likely would feel real comfortable sending roughly 28 million troops over there to quash the 27 million Iraqi’s, all of them possible insurgents, into dust. There we go, problem with sectarian violence is solved! Obviously McCain, like Bush, doesn’t listen to the higher echelons of military minds, like the out-going head chief of Central Command, John Abazaid, who testified before the Senate recently. General Abazaid told John McCain directly to his friggin face that not only did he NOT have the troops to escalate the war in Iraq, he did not think it would make one ounce of difference in the outcome of the war.
But Johnny wants to show his nads and wave his dick around, actually asking for more troops than Bush did Wednesday night puts him in the catbird seat with the few remaining hawks and Neocon followers who still support the war at any cost…just so long as we win, baby..whats a few more dead people, we have to win!
Another possible Republican hopeful is Sam Brownback, who was actually IN Iraq Tuesday, talking to the troops and generals. He was also chatting up the truely important fuckwits in this war; The Iraqi government officials themselves. Brownback said after his little chit-chat with the Iraqi officials, and I quote from a Guardian piece:
``I do not believe that sending more troops to Iraq is the answer. Iraq requires a political rather than a military solution,'' Brownback said after meeting with top Iraqi officials in Baghdad. ``I came away from these meetings convinced that the United States should not increase its involvement until Sunnis and Shi'a are more willing to cooperate with each other instead of shooting at each other.''
I must say dear reader; I stand with the honorable Mr. Brownback on this premise. Fuck the Iraqi’s until they can grow the hell up and figure this sectarian shit out without resorting to torturing and blowing each other up, kidnapping elected officials and generally murdering hundreds of their fellow countrymen every month. He continues his train of thought, based on his discussions with these Iraq leaders below:
``Instead of surging troops, we must press the Iraqi government to reach a political solution,'' he said. ``We cannot achieve a political solution while a military solution is imposed. The best way to reach a democratic Iraq is to empower the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own nation building.''
Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney have come out for an escalation of the troop strength, but cover their asses by saying they wouldn’t use the same insane methods that Bush has been using and they would expect the Iraqi’s to tow the line and get their security forces up to speed quicker than a speeding bullet. As one talking head said the night of the “speech” by Bush; The President is going for “double or nothing” now in Iraq.
This isn’t a game of chance people and it's damn sure not Vegas. It’s a life or death dance with very high human stakes involved, both American and Iraqi. The coalition forces weren’t even mentioned by Bush during his speechifying Wednesday night. The latest line out of Britain has them drawing down their troop numbers until they are all out of there asap. Don’t blame them do you? I certainly don’t.
Now we come to Hillary “the hawk” Clinton. Ms. Rodham-Clinton said late Wednesday evening that Bush can go fuck himself, not exactly in those words but I think you catch my drift. She has jumped from the hawk party wagon after hearing Bush wax poetic about his “new plan” that is really identical to his old plan. Her exact words, according to a Newsday article were: "Based on the president's speech tonight, I cannot support his proposed escalation of the war in Iraq,"
John Edwards puts it right out there; Do not fund the escalation. Under any circumstances. His website has this up with his response to the Shrub’s speech:
"The situation in Iraq demands a political solution — the Iraqi people must take responsibility for their country. Escalating the war in Iraq, which our own generals agree won't help, sends the wrong message to the Iraqi people, to the region, and the world. In order to get the Iraqis to take responsibility for their country, we must show them that we are serious about leaving, and the best way to do that is to actually start leaving and immediately withdraw 40–50,000 troops. Once the U.S. starts leaving, the Iraqi people and other regional powers will be forced to step up and engage in the search for a political solution that can bring an end to sectarian violence and allow reconstruction to take hold, creating — as should have been done long ago — Iraqi jobs for Iraqis."
I think that is pretty straightforward on how Edwards stands on Iraq. Now bear in mind, Edwards does have the luxury of NOT being an elected representative right now, so he doesn’t have any direct or current constituents to piss off or answer to by taking this hard left on the War. He is also calling for people to phone their elected representatives and tell them the same thing- No more money for the war. He is even asking people to sign a petition against the escalation of the war here.
There are a host of republicans against the escalation of the war and increasing the troops. This is the biggest problem for the Warmonger-in-Chief. Condo was calling up the party’s headliners Wednesday evening asking them to hold off judgement until they all had a “sit down” meeting with Bush himself. Steven Hadley was kissing some Republican ass as well, trying to calm down the party faithful and stem the tide of the rats leaving the sinking ship.
Personally my dear reader, I don’t see having a “Come-to-Jesus” meeting with the Republicans having much of an effect on their opinions on the war, but I could be wrong. The fact of the matter is this; They will be running again in 08, Bush will be clearing brush on his ranch in Crawford, relaxing with Laura and the dog..and bailing the twins out of jail or trouble. Robert Novak went out on a limb this week making this statement on the conservative website HumanEvents.com column:
“President Bush and McCain, the front-runner for the next presidential nomination, in pressing for a surge of 30,000 more troops, will have trouble finding support from more than 12 out of 49 Republican senators”
Doesn’t look very good for the Decider-in-Chief does it? Lets hope he wakes up and smells the car bombs and IED’s very soon, for everyone’s sake. Its political chest-thumping we need, not military power to even attempt to solve the sectarian hatred and violence occurring daily and hourly in Iraq.
And just to add some perspective about how the "people" actually feel about the escalation and sending more troops to their deaths, aka the "surge", E&P has the lastest Gallup Poll numbers:
"But a new Gallup poll, taken over the past four days, finds that "the American public in general opposes the concept of an increase in troops in Iraq." Asked directly about the idea, 36% back it and 61% oppose. Of that, only 18% "strongly" support the idea. Gallup also notes that the same poll shows that 54% want a complete pullout within 12 months."
tags: War on Terror, Iraq, Bush, Politics, McCain Doctrine, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Federal Fuckwit at the Helm
