Surge protector

We liked it better when the Democrats were just hiding behind the skirts of Jim Baker and his Iraq Study Group and saying nothing about Iraq. Sure, it wasn't a Democratic profile in leadership or anything. But it was far preferable to the bizarre sight of the Great and Powerful Harry Reid going on national teevee Sunday and endorsing the idea of sending more troops:

"If it's for a surge, that is, for two or three months and it's part of a program to get us out of there as indicated by this time next year, then, sure, I'll go along with it."

This qualified support, contingent on toothless guarantees and based on a naive optimism that things will go largely as planned if executed competently is vaguely reminiscent of something ... hmmm ... oh yeah, Reid's vote to give Bush a blank check to invade Iraq in the first place.

It is nothing less than astounding that Reid would even consider trusting Bush to keep good on a promise, any promise, let alone one wherein Bush was able to escalate troop levels in Iraq so he could do what Bush is clearly so loathe to do -- withdraw from his optional war, effectively admitting defeat to himself and to the judgment of history with which Bush is so obsessed. In fact, if Harry Reid would like some advice about why Bush can't be believed or trusted, Harry Reid need look no further than, well, Harry Reid. Asked about Bush on election day, Reid said:

"I don't think he's emotionally capable of even thinking about governing from the center. I think the man is a perfect example of what I studied in school, the Acton theory, power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely. He's corrupt. Not in the sense of stealing from people. But corrupt in the sense of having an arrogance of power. He controls the White House. He did control the House and the Senate, seven members of the Supreme Court were Republicans. And this man is arrogant with power. And I'm not sure, that no matter what happens today, that he's going to change that. I don't think he has it within him."

It wouldn't be a shocker to see the Harry Reid Democratic War Room and Media Message Development Center, Amplifications and Clarifications Division, put out a statement Monday trying to explain what Harry really meant to say, whatever that is. Meantime, with any luck, the mainstream media -- and the public -- will ignore Reid's inexplicable Sunday talk show mutterings and instead cast their attention to Colin Powell, now firmly in the cut and run camp and scoffing at the surge mentality.

Comments

[texex]

Sounds like a Celebrity poker Tournament.

Bush (Joker high): I'll bet six battalions.

Harry (Royal flush): I'll fold.

The Saudi King (4 Kings): I'll see your six GI battalions and raise you three Sunnis.

Iran (4 Kings, also?!?): And I'll raise another six Shia.

Coalition forces (pair of dunces...er, deuces): We're tapped out so we quit. Thought this was table stakes only.

Osama (a 9-11high): We're in all the way.

Bush quietly to Gates: "We got any National Guard left I can bet? I really think I have 'em on the run here. Victory is gonna be real soon."

Bush: Call; read 'em and weap.

[Paine]

Is it possible--just possible--that Harry is being clever? That he's putting Bush on the spot? That he's putting that low-priced hooker McCain on the spot, too?

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

It's year number four, and I have just one question:

How many more? How many more will die? How many more will be disabled?

The VA budget has been shorted, or cut, over the past 6 years under Bush & Co. - and is now 30 Billion behind...how much longer are veterans going to suffer until their sacrifice is truly respected and they get the funding they need?

If we truly want to "Support The Troops", then we'll fully fund the VA and bring them home NOW!

[texex]

Too, too long unless there is a double impeachment.

[Carl Stephenson]

NO...Harry is not being clever,he is being a politician..The people will end this war..
Not any politician even a democrat..
So lets get busy.

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

Why the streets of American are not already filled with protestors, like most of Europe, is really beyond me?

How bad does it have to get...to get Americans to put down the remote control, get up out of the lazy boy and do some basic activism?

Where are all the moderates from the middle that say they are so mad?

[The Penguin]

JLA, they voted Democratic in the last election.

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

I agree "Penguin" BUT it would have been a lot better IF MORE HAD VOTED...

...and my question was/is "Why aren't the streets of America's major cities filled with protesters (like most of Europe)?"

Registering and Voting is our basic civic duty - going beyond and taking public action is activism!

[The Penguin]

True, it could have been better but how different would the results have been? The bottom line of my point was that unlike our European brethren, we didn't need to wear out shoe leather and invite impatient, gung-ho cops to pelt us with tear gas to instigate change. Instead, we expressed our dissatisfaction at the polls and told the GOP Congress that staying the course -- whatever the hell that was -- was unacceptable and that they bore full culpability. If Europeans want to march and protest, bully for them -- and same for those silly folks in the Middle East who shoot rifles in the air at the drop of a hat. (Bullets gotta land somewhere.) But seems to me, we did our protesting nice and peaceably on the first Tuesday of November.

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

We agree "Penguin", and your point is well taken - it would have been far more productive if we had "worn out shoe leather" walking more precincts for GOTV (as oppossed to "protesting") - both, would have been best!

Well, maybe will do things better, at least a little better, next time?

To start winning we need a change in leaders at the NSDP and in CC first, and a lot more staff...Tom Collins, Liz Foley and Justin Gilbert need to do the right thing and just respectfully resign!

Then we need to start putting our money where our mouth is...investing in the many Caucus', Clubs and Precincts!

Then more people will join and we can build our numbers, but not until then...nobody is going to waste their time, talent and money on a losing team - and we've been losing way too long in Nevada!