College conservatives race baiting, again

Attacking student minorities in college, how clever. A quick glance on the website of "The Primary Source" sheds some light on team that finds it hysterical to poke fun at black students. It was a real crowd pleaser for the young wingnuts who just loved the neighboring BU college Republicans and their plan to give a white student scholarship, presumably because there are just too many blacks in their mostly-white enclave? What is so interesting about propping up racism wherever it pops up in universities as this group does? Tufts needs to figure out how to get these students out a little more because boxing yourself into a corner at 20 years old doesn't bode well for the future. Read More......

Colin Powell says we are losing in Iraq

It seems Colin Powell has found his conscience again. You might recall that Powell misplaced his integrity about 6 years ago when he decided to put his career aspirations ahead of his country and character.

Powell is now feeling brave enough to tell us what we already know. From the International Herald-Tribune:

The former secretary of state Colin Powell said Sunday that badly overstretched U.S. forces in Iraq were losing the war there and that a temporary U.S. troop surge probably would not help.

Powell goes on to tell us that the one strategy that might work is the strategy that we've already been following, to no effect, for going on four years now:

Powell quickly added that the situation could be reversed. He recommended an intense coalition effort to train and support Iraqi security forces and strengthen the government in Baghdad.

Funny, but I don't think recommending what we've already tried quite makes up for being the man who sold this lie of a war to all of us in the first place. Read More......

Senator Reid's game

I've been thinking for a few hours about the news that incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will support a brief increase in the number of US troops in America IF that increase is only temporary, and if it's tied to a larger plan to start bring US combat forces home by 2008.

This is interesting. At first I was a bit concerned that Reid was endorsing John McCain's plan to increase troop levels by tens of thousands. More troops is not the answer. And letting McCain off the hook by endorsing his plan wouldn't strike me as wise. But, Reid may not be endorsing McCain's plan at all. He may be forcing Bush and McCain to endorse his.

Reid may be using the troop increase as a backdoor way of getting a firm commitment to end our combat engagement in Iraq by 2008. By giving our commanders on the ground what they want - if in fact they want more troops - Reid and the Democrats are seen as supporting our commanders rather than undercutting the war effort, and ultimately being blamed by the Republicans for losing the war. But at the same time, Reid is giving our generals, and our commander in chief, one last change to fix things. And if they don't, we're out of there - the public will know that Bush has lost this war, Harry Reid gave him a fair shot, and it was the Democrats that finally got our troops home safely.

That's not a dumb idea. I'm still unsure about all of this, and just thinking out loud. But I'm very intrigued by giving the president what he wants, but in reality forcing him to accept what we, and the American people, want - an end to this entire debacle. Read More......

Update on Senator Johnson's health

He's improving, which is great.

At some point, it may be healthy to have a discussion as to why the Republicans should trying to steal the election results. The American people voted to change the House and the Senate, they voted for new leadership in Iraq, they voted to boot out the Republicans. They didn't vote for a single Republican governor to hand the Senate back to the very people who got us into this war, who lost New Orleans, who invaded the privacy of Terri Schiavo's hospital room. If the situation arose where a replacement were needed for any Senator at this point, the American people have spoken. No one governor should overturn the will of the majority of Americans. That's called stealing an election. And while it's something the Republicans are quite good at, it's wrong. Read More......

More mass kidnappings in Baghdad

Meanwhile, the decider wants to think things over during the holidays and make sure he has rounded up enough "yes men and women" to prop up his continuing failed policies.

An official of the Iraqi aid group said the assailants abducted 20 to 30 employees and visitors, but left women behind. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.

Police, however, said they did not know how many people were kidnapped at the office in Andalus square. They said the gunmen arrived at the office in five pickup trucks.

Read More......

President Stubborn

Today's Washington Post examines the President's stubbornness. Note to the media: Bush's stubbornness is not a virtue. That character flaw is causing a lot of people to die:

The perception of Bush as unusually stubborn has defined his tenure to some extent, much to the consternation of adversaries and sometimes even allies. But Bush was deeply influenced by the fate of his father, whose decision to break his no-new-taxes pledge as president helped doom his reelection. The lesson: Stick to decisions regardless of shifts in political winds.

The seemingly unshakeable confidence in the rightness of his positions has helped the current president weather political storms that might overwhelm others. For a man who presides over an unpopular war, just lost Congress and faces a final two years with constrained options, Bush gives little sign of self-pity. At holiday parties for friends and family in recent days, he has found himself bucking up others depressed by the turn in his political fortunes. "Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks," he told one friend visiting the White House. "There's a lot we can get done."

Um, it is as bad as it looks. Worse even. The problem is that Bush can't see it. He's too stubborn. Read More......

Sunday Talk Shows Open Thread

Newt gets top -- and solo -- billing with Russert. Is Gingrich the GOP's anti-McCain for 2008? Otherwise, it's a real mix, although Iraq has to be the issue. You'll see that there is a good representation of Democrats in the line-up: Kennedy, Reid, Reed, Sestak, Leahy...it is a new world:

FOX NEWS SUNDAY...: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.); Frederick W. Smith, president of FedEx Corp., and Morrill Worcester, president of Worcester Wreath Co.; and retired Marine Corps commandant Gen. P.X. Kelley.

THIS WEEK (ABC...: Sen. Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.); Rep.-elect Joseph A. Sestak Jr. (D-Pa.); Gen. Jack Keane, former Army vice chief of staff ; and actor Isaiah Washington.

NEWSMAKERS (C-SPAN), 10 a.m.[EST]: Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.).

FACE THE NATION (CBS..): former secretary of state Colin L. Powell.

MEET THE PRESS (NBC...: Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).

LATE EDITION (CNN), 11 a.m. [EST]: Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.); Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi; Shibley Telhami, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution; Danielle Pletka, vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute; John D. Podesta, president of the Center for American Progress; Vali R. Nasr, adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; and retired Army Lt. Gen. Daniel Christman.

Okay. So watch, monitor, mock, and otherwise provide commentary. Read More......

Blair in Baghdad

When will Bush go over? Since things are going so well, I suggest a friendly walk about town as well to help win over the hearts and minds and build that personal connection with the local population.

Mrs Bush whined this week how the media only covers the negative aspects, so why not a deep fact-finding mission for the entire Bush clan? Let them give the media a whirlwind tour of all of the great things happening. I'm not talking about another 90 minute fly-by tour of the Green Zone, but a real honest to goodness visit in Iraq. C'mon, put up or shut up. Bush can lead a media crowd with the likes of Hannity, Rush and everyone else who is eager to get the word out and show the world just how peaceful it is and how well everything is working. Of course, they won't, because they know they're liars and the whole lot of them are wimps. Read More......

Open thread

It's late, slow weekend, didn't feel like another substantive post. So, I was watching reruns of the new "Night Stalker" on Sci-Fi. Someone please tell me that this show is still on. It's amazing. Read More......