sane time sane place

Recently ex-PM Netanyahu was interviewed on CNN by Glen Beck. It was a nauseating display of neo-con ignorance on Beck's part, and unabashed chutzpah from Netanyahu. The two agreed that the biggest threat in the middle east is Iran. Beck asserted that "talking" with Iran and Syria is simply a stupid idea. If I decipher their logic correctly, the point is that if you have diplomatic relations with an evil regime, it gives that regime an appearance of legitimacy. Legitimate or not, the evil regimes control their respective nations and their militaries. Consider a simple analogy: as we enter the holiday season, shoplifting will increase. Do security experts recommend ignoring potential thiefs?...No the experts advise engaging the would-be looters.

The part of the interview that nearly made me ill was Netanyahu's insistance that the US do something about the growing nuclear threat posed by Iran. Israel has some of the best military hardware in the world- we provided it. They possess one of the most professional military forces in the world. Netanyahu said that an Iranian nuke would not threaten the US, but could wipe out Israel. His suggested solution- US military action against Iran. Horseshit Benjamin- if you feel threatened by Iran, attack them yourself. Israel should stop whining and take control of their own destiny. The US should stop doing the heavy lifting for Israel.

When will common sense return to Americans? After watching the devastating effects of group think for over 6 years, the pundits criticize the Democrats for disagreeing with one another. The intra-party differences that have been displayed by the Democrats should be perceived as a welcome change, not seen as evidence of a lack of unified vision.

There are two quotes that should be remembered. Will Rogers said that he did not belong to an organized political party, that he was a Democrat. The second is that the biggest difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Democrats will at least entertain the notion that they may be wrong.

Watch for the change in major threat. The war on terrorism, once it emerges into its post Iraq phase, will not be a cash cow for the defense industry. China will be re-spun from an economic ally in the global economy, (never mind that they are still Communist, oppressive, and totalitarian), to a dangerous military threat. Protecting America from a militarily robust Communist nation will necessitate major defense spending. Arms race The Sequel coming soon to TV screens nationwide.

Curious George strikes again. It appears that when the president praises an individual for outstanding service (heckuva job Brownie!!) it is a signal that the individual will be sacked. With Rummy the president really blew it. Apparently no one told Bush that a November surprise is most effective when revealed before the election. There were close contests that might have gone to the GOP had Bush asked for Rumsfeld's resignation prior to Tuesday's thumping. One can assume that Cheney objected to the resignation, but where was the boy genius Rove?

It never felt so good to be so wrong. My predictions were off by a country mile. I'm not convinced that there was no electronic tom-foolery, it just wasn't done in a manner which could overcome the changes in the last few months.

There is much work to be done. The middle class is in need. Corporations have to be reigned in, and their political power diminished. And there still is a mess in Iraq. I want the new government to address the problems, but they also must investigate the dung heap of misdeeds carried out by the Bush administration. The legal and constitutional sins committed by the neo-cons cannot be swept under the carpet. There are too many neo-cons who deserve to be simply-con's (as in convicts).

The games have begun. It did not take long for voting glitches to start rearing their annoying heads. This will be an interesting adventure in the saga that is the corruption of the US system of elective government. Although the polling data would suggest that the GOP will loose control of the House, I predict that it will not happen. There are people (to include Dick Cheney) who have struggled for 30 years to amass the unfettered executive power that exists at the present. This power will not be relinquished easily. If the GOP lose control, there is the spectre of investigations and legal problems stemming from the corruption that permeates the Bush administration. I am sticking to my personal predictions- the Democrats will be allowed to pick up a net gain of 8 seats in the House and 3 in the Senate. Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia will go to the GOP, and Maryland is a distinct possibility. Happy democracy everyone!!!!

Tit for tat. It seems that the two presidential candidates from the 2004 election are trying to torpedo their respective parties in the week preceeding the mid-term elections. Monday it was John Kerry who was removing his wingtips from his mouth. Wednesday president Bush dropped a stink bomb on the republican candidates. They do not want people thinking about Iraq. They want to talk about tax cuts, gay marriage, and Nancy Pelosi. So why then would the decider in chief declare his intention to keep Cheney and Rumsfeld in their current positions?

Stating that Rumsfeld will stay on because he has been doing a fantastic job is an example of horrible timing. It didn't need to be communicated before the election. The president should have waited until after the polls closed. Rumsfeld is intimately tied to the mess in Iraq, and has very poor approval ratings. There have been a number of republican candidates who have expressed their disapproval with the Secretary of Defense.

Stating that Cheney will remain in his position, is bizarre. Presidential candidates choose their running mates before a presidential election. After being elected, the president cannot fire the vice president. The vice president can resign (Agnew). The president could ask for the vice president's resignation. It shows that Bush does not understand, or chooses to ignore the tenets of our form of government. They have been a CEO or corporate administration, and as such view the other two branches of government as being below the executive on the chain of command.

The media were asleep at the wheel about Bush's endorsement. They should have immediately questioned why a president would say that the vice president would not be leaving his post after two years of a four year term.

Bush has been running around the country stumping for republican candidates. Maybe he has forgotten that even though he is campaigning, he is not running for election himself.

John Kerry should be banished from the Democratic Party. In 2004 the GOP did an effective job of whipping up dislike for the Senator from Massachusetts. He became a mobilizing force for the opposition. It doesn't matter that he probably won the election, he demonstrated that when he conceded without challenging the irregularities in Ohio and other places. I think that he even disappointed his running mate.

Considering the above facts, the Senator from Massachusetts should have pledged to stay out of the public eye until after the election a week from today. He should have understood that fact more than anyone else. Instead, he makes a public appearance and makes a complete ass of himself. It is difficult to believe that a wealthy veteran would make a comment which could only be construed as meaning that only the undereducated serve in today's military. Kerry has said that he botched a joke aimed at the Bush administration. Perhaps he meant that if you didn't study hard, and become as educated as possible on a subject (Iraq) you could wind up stuck in a situation which seems pretty hopeless. The poke at Bush being that he didn't study the situation enough to realize what the post invasion realities would be. Now Bush is stuck in a situation which alienates him from mainstreet America at an increasing rate. The anology is too complex to be delivered clearly and succinctly.

I;m not irate about the Kerry situation based on how it might affect the election. I firmly believe that the results of the election are in the hands of people other than the electorate. My personal prediction is that the Democrats will be allowed to capture 8 seats in the House, and three in the Senate. The GOP will win the three close contests in Missouri, Tennessee, and Maryland. I'm furious because Kerry has given the "puppetmasters" a convenient reason for victory come November 8th. When the American people are slack-jawed that the GOP miraculously pulled off victory, they will be told that everyone can just thank Kerry.