Sunday night open thread

Video unearthed by Grand Theft Country - Darth Cheney in 1994, explaining why invading Baghdad and getting rid of Saddam wasn't a great idea -- and how it would create a quagmire.

Because if we'd gone to Baghdad we would have been all alone. There wouldn't have been anybody else with us. There would have been a U.S. occupation of Iraq. None of the Arab forces that were willing to fight with us in Kuwait were willing to invade Iraq.

Once you got to Iraq and took it over, took down Saddam Hussein's government, then what are you going to put in its place? That's a very volatile part of the world, and if you take down the central government of Iraq, you could very easily end up seeing pieces of Iraq fly off: part of it, the Syrians would like to have to the west, part of it -- eastern Iraq -- the Iranians would like to claim, they fought over it for eight years. In the north you've got the Kurds, and if the Kurds spin loose and join with the Kurds in Turkey, then you threaten the territorial integrity of Turkey.

It's a quagmire if you go that far and try to take over Iraq.

More at E&P;. Read the rest of this post...

Tommy Thompson drops out

He finished 6th out of 11 in the Iowa straw poll, so I guess that was the signal for Tommy to take his ball and go home.

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, a campaign official said Sunday.

His campaign released a statement saying the Republican is leaving the campaign trail several hours after WITI-TV in Milwaukee reported that Thompson told one of its reporters he was withdrawing.

The campaign statement said Thompson intends to take sometime off before returning to the private sector and his nonprofit work.

It said the 65-year-old says he's comforted by the fact that he thinks he made a difference for people during his campaign.

Read the rest of this post...

Gonzales is shaping Iraq's Justice System. Yeah, Alberto Gonzales.

Ok, this is like a bad movie. The embattled lying Attorney General flew into Baghdad because, get this -- he's helping with that country's fledgling system of justice. Well, if Gonzales is involved, the Iraqis don't stand a chance. But, let's be real. Gonzales is in Iraq for p.r. reasons and, of course, he's getting the perfunctory briefing from the Iraqi spin machine:

Gonzales got an update from Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and also planned to meet with Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, and other U.S. and Iraqi officials, the statement said.

So, expect to hear from Gonzales that he's seeing "progress" and "the surge is working." It's actually pathetic that the Bush administration thinks having Gonzales join their public relations offensive will help them with their Iraq spin. But, then again, the Bush team does know how to manipulate the traditional media. Read the rest of this post...

The place is here and the time is NOW

NOTE FROM JOHN: I am proud to welcome our newest guest blogger for August, John Bruhns. John is an Iraq war vet, and will be writing about the war for the next month. The Hill did a big story about John a few weeks ago. More about John:

John Bruhns joined the Reserves while earning his BA at DeSales University. After graduating from college and as his time in the reserves was coming to an end, 9/11 occurred and he reenlisted in the Army for active duty as an Infantryman. He invaded Iraq on day one the invasion and served there for one year. He was stationed in West Baghdad with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. John Bruhns was awarded the combat infantry badge and was honorably discharged in 2005.

Here is John's first post:

The news reported that more American soldiers were killed in Iraq. It has now gotten to the point where it sounds so simplistic. As if it is expected or natural. I wonder if most Americans are aware of just how tragic this whole mess really is - I doubt it. My guess is that if they were they would be out in the masses in solidarity to protest this travesty that was forced upon us by the Bush Administration.

This is just wishful thinking - for now.

As I look out the front window of my home I count the number of miniature American flags posted in the front lawns on my street. It is almost as if my neighbors are engaged in a contest to see who is more patriotic or more American. Images such as these bring me to the realization of the disconnect between the American people and the reality of the situation in Iraq.

Our troops are exhausted, our military has long been past the breaking point, daily life in Iraq is just plain bloody, the Iraqi government lacks the ability to unify, and this list goes on and on.

Sooner or later something will have to give. And it will be a sobering wake up call for Americans who have been complacent for so long. How naive it is to think that we can carry on the war in Iraq eternally without it effecting us directly.

Do you feel a draft coming? I'm not sure - but a draft will surely get the attention of the American people. Especially those who share the mentality of "I support President Bush and the war on terror - as long as it isn't my kids going to Baghdad."

Should that tragic day come, when we return to a military draft, Americans who sat back and did nothing to stop this war will only have themselves to blame.

It's not too late. Take A Stand.

John Bruhns
Iraq war veteran Read the rest of this post...

It's hard work - Bush has taken 418 vacation days, that's nine weeks a year

[NOTE FROM JOHN: Bush has been taking 9 weeks a year vacation. That's more than the French, who get around 6 weeks a year. Nine weeks a year, folks. On your dime. No wonder the Iraqi parliament is taking the month off - they've learned from the best.]

That's why George W. Bush is on track to break the Ronald Reagan's record for taking the most paid time off on your dime. I guess you could look at it this way -- the more he's on vacation, the less damage he can do to the country. (Houston Chronicle):

On Thursday, Bush left for a weekend in Kennebunkport, Maine, and his family's summer compound, Walker's Point. On Monday, he heads to his Crawford retreat, where he has spent all or part of 418 days of his presidency, according to Mark Knoller, a CBS News White House correspondent and meticulous record-keeper.

...The presidential vacation-time record holder is the late Ronald Reagan, who tallied 436 days in his two terms. At 418 days, and with 17 months to go in his presidency, Bush is going to beat that easily.

...A recent survey by Yahoo Hot Jobs found nearly half of American workers did not take all of their vacation days last year.

Nice to know he's getting tanned, rested and ready while men and women are working in 110-degree heat in Iraq and getting blasted by IEDs.

Remember, the president also told Nebraska resident Mary Mornin, in her late 50s, and raising three kids -- one mentally challenged this in 2005:

MS. MORNIN: That's good, because I work three jobs and I feel like I contribute.

THE PRESIDENT: You work three jobs?

MS. MORNIN: Three jobs, yes.

THE PRESIDENT: Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that. (Applause.) Get any sleep? (Laughter.)

Listen to that classic here. Read the rest of this post...

US 41st in infant mortality worldwide, 42nd in life expectancy

Atrocious.

A baby born in the United States in 2004 will live an average of 77.9 years. That life expectancy ranks 42nd, down from 11th two decades earlier, according to international numbers provided by the Census Bureau and domestic numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics....

Forty countries, including Cuba, Taiwan and most of Europe had lower infant mortality rates than the U.S. in 2004....

"Even if we focused only on those four things, we would go along way toward improving health care in the United States," Murray said. "The starting point is the recognition that the U.S. does not have the best health care system. There are still an awful lot of people who think it does."

We're number.... 42! Read the rest of this post...

Sunday Talk Shows Lineup

Romney is on Fox this morning. This was probably going to be part of his coronation, but he lost big last night, even though he technically won the Iowa Straw poll. 31% against no real opposition after dumping millions into the non-binding event is a disaster for Mitt. Basically, the Iowa Straw Poll is a chance for Republicans with money, like Mitt, to literally buy votes. Mitt paid for a lot of votes, but didn't get his money worth. No one else spent like Romney this year. Not even close. He's going to need all his smarmy flip-flopping spin to get out of this one. But, that's why he's on FOX. And, Huckabee is now surging. Surging.

Also, Russert has Markos on debating Harold Ford. Markos and Susan Gardner wrote a very powerful op-ed in yesterday's Washington Post titled "How We Won the Mainstream." They were responding to diatribe from Ford and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley about the need to be centrist (which for most of us means spineless). Last year, when voters across the country elected strong Democrats, Ford ran like a Republican, an ugly homophobic Republican -- and he lost. Now, Ford leads the Democratic Leadership Council, which isn't Democratic and provides no leadership.

Here's the lineup:

ABC's "This Week" - Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, and Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio; actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

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CBS' "Face the Nation" - Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

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NBC's "Meet the Press" - Democratic Leadership Council Chairman Harold Ford Jr.; Markos Moulitsas, founder of the Daily Kos Web site.

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CNN's "Late Edition" - Mahmud Ali Durrani, Pakistani ambassador to U.S.; Reps. Duncan Hunter, R-California, and Joe Sestak, D-Pennsylvania; former Sen. Jim Talent, R-Missouri, campaign adviser to Mitt Romney; Rep. David Dreier, R-California, campaign adviser to Rudy Giuliani; former Gov. Buddy Roemer, R-Louisiana, of John McCain's campaign; Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.

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"Fox News Sunday" - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann Romney.

Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

let's get things going. Read the rest of this post...

Christian boot camped charged dragging teen girl behind truck

I've done a lot of research on these Christian boot camps. They're horrendous. The ones located just across the border, out of reach of American laws, are even worse. While I'm sympathetic to the idea of a book camp for kids who may need a good kick in the butt, these groups are horror stories. Kids doing death marches. Kids getting multiple tropical diseases at once and the camps doing nothing about it. Absolutely horrendous. Oh yeah, these same camps often treat gay youth to "cure" them. 30 mile runs and multiple tropical diseases to cure gay youth. It's inhuman. More here.

NOTE FROM PAM: Charles Eugene Flowers, the head of San Antonio-based camp (Love Demonstrated Ministries), refers to himself as "the commandant." BTW, the camp has been hailed in the past by the White House Office on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

One of the coalition partners, Love Demonstrated Ministries (LDMI), is a faith-based organization which focuses on youth offenders, gang members, and high risk youth. Over the past three years, 135 of 165 young offenders entering its Life Skills and Parenting Camp have graduated from LDMI, a success rate of 82 percent.

Tying a girl to a van with a rope then dragging her for falling behind the group during a morning run -- is that part of the "success"? Read the rest of this post...