US envoy to meet Iranian nuke negotiator

In a break with past Bush administration policy, a top U.S. diplomat will for the first time join colleagues from other world powers at a meeting with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, The Associated Press has learned.

In the administrations own words, isn't this appeasement?

Former White House press secretary Snow dies of cancer

Sad news this morning, as the former White House press secretary dies of cancer.

Brit Hume tribute to Tony Snow.

McCain your problems are Psychological; Obama says no they're not

Lieberman explains his reasoning about recent attacks on Obama

Lieberman:

When asked about concerns he is creating the impression that Obama would not be a friend to Israel, Lieberman responded: "It's my way of thinking that if I've concluded, as I have, that John McCain is best for our country, then why wouldn't I do that?"

Ah that explains it! Nothing but pure propaganda! No truth to his attacks at all.

McCain camp flip-flops on alledged Obama flip-flopping about telecom immunity

This is getting good! Who is running John McCains campaign? Didn't get in new leadership? If John is not running his own campaign then you are truly seeing an incompetant man! This is not the first time he has said something that shows him to be out of touch with what is actually going on!

First of all, I expect McCain's camp to spin and attack Obama. They want to distract and paint him as someone that can't make up his own mind, someone that is worse than John McCain! Then John speaks...

First the attack...Today, the U.S. Senate will approve legislation providing the immunity Barack Obama supposedly opposed, and despite his promise, he will not support a filibuster. What Barack Obama will do is show that he's willing to change positions, break campaign commitments and undermine his own words in his quest for higher office. Typical attack spin! I expect something like this!

John:

My understanding is that he is still opposed to providing that immunity. I strongly support it. ... Senator Obama and I are still in strong disagreement on the issue of immunity for the telecommunications corporations.

Ok, John, riiigggghhhttt!

Yesterday was a bad day for McCain

As the Jed Report stated, it should have been a good day for McCain with the FISA bill passing and and many democrats dissapointed with Obama's vote, however, that was not the case. It was an awful day for John. How so?

I encourage you to go to The Jed Report.com where Jed discusses further the 10 reasons why it was a bad day for John.

Obama challenges some of the media myths.

It is just 3 minutes of a speech he gave. However, an outstanding 3 minutes it is. He challenges three things in particular the media has touched on in resent days and weeks!

• End the war in Iraq.
  
• Develop an alternative energy economy.
  
• Fix our broken health care system.
  

McCain: The Iraqis are not asking for a timetable for withdrawal

What better way for someone not to have to deal with a subject than say it is not true! Amazing.

He said in an interview on July 9, 2008:

Q: Senator, with Iraqi leaders now calling for a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawals–

McCAIN: Actually, the Iraqis are not. The Iraqis were widely reported as short a time ago as a couple of weeks ago that there would be no status of forces agreement, and Maliki would say that, and it got headlines, and of course it turned out not to be true.

In John's spin, what he is saying is this; But they did not say timetables. They said obvious and specific dates for the withdrawl of foreign troops from Iraq. You see nothing was said about timetables!

How will McCain balance the budget?

I kid you not, this is not doctored in anyway. Listen to him ramble on and repeat some things more than once!

When will John McCain bring out troops home?

Chris Matthews: George Will says McCain victory means war with Iran

Impeachment Article to be Introduced Thursday

Dennis J. Kucinich:

There can be no greater responsibility of a Commander in Chief than to command based on facts on the ground, and to command in fact and in truth. There can be no greater offense of a Commander in Chief than to misrepresent a cause of war and to send our brave men and women into harm’s way based on those misrepresentations.

Petraeus prohibits phrase ‘We’re winning’ in connection with Iraq.

It is common knowledge that General Petraeus won’t let folks use words like ‘triumph’ or ‘victory’ or say ‘we’re winning.’”

Yet that won't stop the pundits from using them!

Graham: “We’re winning because John McCain understood Iraq better than anybody else.” [CBS, 7/06/08]

Lieberman: “Now, his policy is working. Iraq is succeeding.” [ABC, 7/06/08]

McCain: “Senator Obama refuses to acknowledge we are winning in Iraq. He refuses. He called it spin. Is General Petraeus spinning the American people? I don’t think so. I don’t think so.” [MSNBC, 6/13/08]

It is good to note this one very important detail that is missed in all of this. Graham, Lieberman, and yes even John McCain are not fighting the war in Irag. General Petraeus is!

When these three men speak about Iraq in such terms as they do, remember they are doing so for political reasons!

So who is on General Petraeus side of the issue! Seems to be Obama.

Obama counters to McCain's Energy Attack Ad

McCain Gets Testy With Vet Over GI Bill

The questioner is a vet himself.He asks McCain about his voting against expansion of healthcare benefits to veterans for the years 2004-2007, years in which we have Iraq and Afghanistan veterans adding exponentially to the VA rolls.

McCain answers him by saying, that he has been endorsed by “all the organizations” and then launches into an explanation of his resistance to the Webb GI Bill that provided educational assistance to veterans.

So much for answering him. Not only did he not answer the question he brought up the wrong bill!

The questioner tried to get McCain back on the issue at hand. The questioner reiterates that his question went to healthcare–not educational–benefits, McSame reiterate that all the veterans’ groups love him! Once again not answering his question.

McCain: I’ve received every organization in America, their awards…[questioner says something-inaudible] Now, sir, I don’t…I don’t know what you’re referring to nor do…[questioner continuing-inaudible] Sir, I’m responding to your question and then I will let you speak again, if you’d like, but you oughta…the way we try to conduct these is let people finish and then I will go back to [audience applause] to you…I’ll go right back. So I don’t know what bill you’re referring to or what you’re referring to and I’ll be glad to have you refer to it. But the reason why I have a perfect voting record from organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and all the other veterans’ service organization is because of my support of them, but if you can go ahead and respond if you want to. Go ahead. Give him the microphone back.

Q: I’ll respond by saying this: that you do not have a perfect voting record by the DAV and the VFW. That’s where these votes are recorded. And the votes were proposals…they were proposals by your colleagues in the Senate to increase healthcare funding of the VA in 2003, 4, 5 and 6, for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and you voted against those proposals. I can give the specific Senate votes, the numbers of those Senate votes, right now.

McCain: Well, I thank you and I’ll be glad to examine what your version of my record is. But, again, I’ve been endorsed in every election by all of the veterans’ organizations that do that. I’ve been supported by them and I’ve received their highest awards from all of those organizations, so I guess they don’t know something you know. So I thank you very much and I will continue to be proud of my support for the veterans of this country and proud of their support.

He never answered his question, just using the same ole rheteric that all VA organizations love him. That of course is not true.

McSame quotes Bush on the economy

McSame, used the same cite as Bush did eighteen months ago.

In addition to small business, the other bright spot in our economy are our exports, which are estimated to be growing at over 7%. I’ll expand markets for our goods and services. 25% of all the jobs in this country are linked to world trade. In five states alone-Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and believe it or not, Colorado - over 5 million jobs depend on open markets. My opponent believes America would be better off by refusing opportunities to sell in growing foreign markets. But protectionism not only puts a hidden tax on almost everything you buy, but it undermines American competitiveness and cost jobs. 95% of the world’s consumers live outside of the United States. Our future prosperity depends on opening more of these markets, not closing them. Five years ago, the outdoor footware company Crocs was started by a couple of entrepreneurs with a great idea, ingenuity and drive. This former small business now employs 600 people in Colorado alone and sells over 50% of its products in 90 countries around the world. Building barriers to Crocs or any American company’s access to foreign markets will have a devastating effect on our economy and jobs and the prosperity of American families.

So much for distancing himself from George W.

If the McCain campaign is such a disaster, how could he run the country?

From the NY Times:

After a period of relative calm on that score, it is becoming clear that his campaign is once again a swirl of competing spheres of influence, clusters of friends, consultants and media advisers who represent a matrix of clashing ambitions and festering feuds. The cast includes the surviving members of Mr. McCain’s 2000 campaign, led by Rick Davis and Mark Salter; a new camp out of the world of Karl Rove, led by the recently ascendant Steve Schmidt; and on the periphery, the ever-present Mike Murphy, Mr. McCain’s strategist in the 2000 presidential race who has been dispensing advice to the candidate to the annoyance of the other camps, and is the subject of intensifying rumors in Republican circles that he is about to re-enter the campaign.

Mr. McCain is uncomfortable firing people or banishing them entirely. His orbit remains filled with people who have been demoted without being told they are being demoted, like Mr. Davis, who continues to hold the title of campaign manager even as Mr. Schmidt manages the campaign. Yet, Mr. McCain inspires uncommon loyalty in those who serve with him — hence the willingness of Mr. Murphy to consider coming back into the McCain campaign, despite his own rather brutal history of enmity with Mr. Davis.

I mentioned something similar in one of my earlier blogs when McCain mentioned the third party groups and their efforts to smear Obama. He said he has not control over them. If he can't control Republican groups, how can he control or run the country?

Joe Sudbay of Americablog feels the same as do I:

'Put McCain, who has never managed or run anything besides his campaign, to the same test Obama set for himself: Watch how McCain manages his campaign for clues as to how he will govern. If that's the test, McCain has already failed. Big time. The country can't afford a President whose management style borders on mayhem.'

Cheney deleted inconvenient truths from climate report

From MSNBC:

Vice President Dick Cheney's office pushed for major deletions in congressional testimony on the public health consequences of climate change, fearing the presentation by a leading health official might make it harder to avoid regulating greenhouse gases, a former EPA officials maintains.

When six pages were cut from testimony on climate change and public health by the head of the Centers for Disease Control last October, the White House insisted the changes were made because of reservations raised by White House advisers about the accuracy of the science.

But Jason K. Burnett, until last month the senior adviser on climate change to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson, says that Cheney's office was deeply involved in getting nearly half of the CDC's original draft testimony removed.

I whole heartedly agree with Chris in Paris from Americablog when the blogger simply wrote, 'The truth has no place in the Republican party.'

Now that the Iraqis are talking about a timetable, what's McCain got to say?

Today, his top foreign policy adviser declined to criticize Maliki or distance McCain from him. And they sought to portray Maliki's comments as consistent with the Republican nominee's long-standing position.

"Senator McCain has always said that conditions on the ground -- including the security threats posed by extremists and terrorists, and the ability of Iraqi forces to meet those threats -- would be key determinants in U.S. force levels," said adviser Randy Scheunemann, who criticized Sen. Barack Obama's "constantly shifting positions" on Iraq.

McCain turned his fire on Democrats, including Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, accusing them of endangering Americans by advocating a specific timetable for withdrawal.

"It would be an unconscionable act of betrayal, a stain on our character as a great nation, if we were to walk away from the Iraqi people and consign them to the horrendous violence, ethnic cleansing and possibly genocide that would follow a reckless, irresponsible and premature withdrawal," he said in a California speech.

Here's what McCain had to say in 2004 when speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations:

Question: "What would or should we do if, in the post-June 30th period, a so-called sovereign Iraqi government asks us to leave, even if we are unhappy about the security situation there?"

McCain's: "Well, if that scenario evolves than I think it's obvious that we would have to leave because -- if it was an elected government of Iraq, and we've been asked to leave other places in the world. If it were an extremist government then I think we would have other challenges, but I don't see how we could stay when our whole emphasis and policy has been based on turning the Iraqi government over to the Iraqi people." (Council of Foreign Relations, 4/22/04)

So, he has flip-flopped on his views about Iraq. Now we can't leave, an 'unconscionable act of betrayal.' Even though Iraq is a sovereign nation!

McCain agrees with Clark!

Taken from MSNBC the Verdict:

From the National Journal Feb 15, 2003;

"I absolutely don't believe Military service is necessary"(speaking about it being a qualification to be commander and chief).

NPR May 1, 2004;

"Some of our greatest Presidents have not had military experience."

Minneapolis Star Tribune, Nov. 7, 1999;

"The question I ask myself every morning while shaving in front of the mirror is: Ok, John, you're an incredible war hero, an inspiration to all Americans, but what qualifies you to be President of the Untied States?"

He actually agrees with General Clark that being a prisoner of war does not necessarily qualify someone to be commander in chief!

Is it just me, or is anybody else bothered by the fact that he refers to himself in present tense as being 'an incredible war hero?' Recognition is suppose to come from others.

McCain camp attacks General Clarks record

First of all, General Clark never attacked McCains record. Not at all. He praised it. He said in answer to a question, does getting shot down and made a prisoner of war, qualify one to be President. He said no.

From MSNBC, the Verdict:

Orson Swindle fellow McCain Prisoner of war,

"General Clark probably wouldn't get to much praise from this group. I can't speak for them, but we all know that General Clark, as high-ranking as he is, his record on his last command, I think, was somewhat less than stellar."

Wonderful! Accuse Clark of attacking McCain's record then turn right around and attack General Clark's record.

Bill Moyer: Iraq was about oil

Bob Barr: Bush has Systemically Assaulted the Bill of Rights

Watch video

Sixth straight month of Job loss

Senator McCain said the economy is good...

Kerry: McCain Unfit to Be President

Associated Press:

“John McCain … has proven that he has been wrong about every judgment he’s made about the war. Wrong about the Iraqis paying for the reconstruction, wrong about whether or not the oil would pay for it, wrong about Sunni and Shia violence through the years, wrong about the willingness of the Iraqis to stand up for themselves,” Kerry, who supports Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

“If you like the Bush tax cut and what it’s done to our economy, making wealthier people wealthier and the average middle class struggle harder, then John McCain is going to give you a third term of George Bush and Karl Rove,” the Massachusetts senator added, echoing an Obama campaign talking point.

“John McCain has changed in profound and fundamental ways that I find personally really surprising, and frankly upsetting. It is not the John McCain as the senator who defined himself, quote, as a maverick, though questionable,” Kerry said. “This is want-to-be president John McCain. The result is that John McCain has flip-flopped on more issues than I was even ever accused possibly of thinking about.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Was A Republican?

The Raw Story:

TALLAHASSEE - A black Republican group has put up billboards in Florida and South Carolina saying the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican, a claim that black leaders say is ridiculous.

The National Black Republican Association has paid for billboards showing an image of the civil rights leader and the words “Martin Luther King Jr. was REPUBLICAN.” Told about the billboards, the Rev. Joseph Lowery let out a soft chuckle that grew stronger as he began to think more about the idea. “These guys never give up, do they?” said Lowery, who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with King. “Lord have mercy.”

”That was not the Martin I know and I don’t think they can substantiate that by any shape, form or fashion. It’s purely propaganda and poppycock,” Lowery said. “Even if he was, he would have nothing to do with what the Republican Party stands for today. Do they think Martin would support George W. Bush and the war in Iraq?”

Amazing. Yet this will be effective. You say a falsehood enough times, some people will believe it.

McCain campaign, not doing so well

From Yahoo News:

John McCain calls himself an underdog. That may be an understatement. The GOP presidential candidate trails Democrat Barack Obama in polls, organization and money while trying to succeed a deeply unpopular fellow Republican in a year that favors Democrats.

McCain also doesn't seem to have a coherent message let alone much of a strategy despite securing the nomination three months earlier than Obama....

McCain's troubles are so acute that he recently gave senior adviser Steve Schmidt "full operational control" of the day-to-day campaign and, effectively, scaled back the duties of campaign manager Rick Davis. The shift in responsibilities came after weeks of Republican quibbling that McCain had not adequately made the transition for the fall.

First he has tried to say Obama is nothing more than Jimmy Carter! Now with his fake outrage over what his campaign said about General Clarke's comments, all of that withhopes to get a spike similar to the one that George Bush received after being down by 17 points to Dukakis!

John McCain and the Republicans are grossly under estimating Barack Obama.

Obama fist bump story debuncked

Yet another lie that made it's way through the media and went from coast to coast.

Watch the video to see what really happened.

Edwards, Rove to face off in UB debate

Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain might not burn up the campaign trail around Western New York this election year, but the University at Buffalo may have scheduled the next best thing.

GOP strategist Karl Rove and former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards will debate the issues of the presidential campaign Sept. 26 as part of the university’s Distinguished Speakers Series, The Buffalo News has learned.

As surrogates for the parties’ standard bearers, the two also could square off more than once at other locations around the nation.

“We’re working on something like that for our Distinguished Speakers Series,” said Bill Regan, UB’s director of special events. “We’re not really sure of the format yet. But we do think they are scheduled to do it at least once together before they come to UB.”

Obama, I will end the war

Fox News lies about Obama's voting record

Obama voted for a resolution that strongly condemned attacks on General Petraus. Yet Fox News hosts make the exact opposite claim! Watch it!

Mullen: No troop increase in Afghanistan, until Iraq

McCain lies again, said he never has said he was not an expert on the economy

Looks to me that the straight talk express is talking very crooked. He thinks if he denies it enough times, people will get the point that they were not suppose to know he said it in the first place.

He accuses Obama as a man that cant be trusted. How can you trust McCain when he is on record time and again saying one thing then denying he said it in the first place!

Another GOP Senator pleads with Barr to quit

Of special interest in this front-page article on CNNPolitics.com:

Barr said a GOP senator recently approached him to ask that he drop his White House bid, a request that has come from more than one Republican since he received the Libertarian Party nomination in May. The senator’s plea­ fell on deaf ears. (­Barr would not reveal the lawmaker’s identity).

“What they say is, ‘It’s not that we disagree with what you’re doing, Barr. It’s not that we don’t understand. We do understand, and we actually agree with what you’re saying, but we don’t want to vote against a Republican because that might help the Democrat,’ ” Barr said of the talks he has had with those who want him to quit.

If Glenn Beck were President

Taken from the Glenn Beck Program which is part of the Premiere Radio Networks said the following and I quote,

"If I were President of the United States, I would go on national television and say 'ladies and gentlemen of American the Supreme Court has said that we don't have Guantonimo so that is over. We are going to release all of them but I want you to know that from here on out we will not have prisoners, we will shoot them all in the head. If we think they are against us we will kill them.'"

The 10 Most Awesomely Bad Moments of the Bush Presidency

1: "Mission Accomplished"
2: 9/11
3: Abu Ghraib
4: "Brownie, You're Doing a Heckuva Job"
5: Bush and Condi's Excellent Gaza Adventure
6: The Terri Schiavo Affair
7: Colin Powell's Bogus WMD Presentation at the U.N.
8: North Korea Conducts a Nuclear Test
9: Alberto Gonzales' Congressional Testimony
10: Bush Gets Re-elected

For a more indepth report of each moment, I recommend going to Alternet.org.

22 Year CIA Analyst Fired 4 Refusing to Falsify Iran Intell

Webb Spokesperson: Um, No, We Didn't Attack McCain's Service

I can tell you that Senator Webb has never spoken with Senator Obama about this issue nor has he spoken to Wesley Clark. Senator Webb's comments were not targeted at McCain's military service. He has consistently called for politicians not to insert politics into military service. This is the exact same argument that he used against Lindsay Graham last year in their Meet the Press interview regarding objections to giving troops adequate dwell time at home.

Senator Webb has never, and would never, demean the service of anyone who has stepped forward to serve our country. To the contrary, he was calling on those on all sides of the debate to refrain from implying that their political views are representative of the military writ large.

Starbucks To Close 600 U.S. Stores

Starbucks Corp. has announced it's closing 600 underperforming stores in the United States.

The Seattle-based premium coffee company also announced Tuesday it expects to open fewer than 200 new company-operated stores in the United States in fiscal 2009.

The company says it will try to place workers from closed stores in remaining Starbucks.

Senator McCain said the economy is going well.

Countdown special comment to Obama

Trying to have it both ways on terror

On Sunday, Lieberman credited McCain with helping to keep America safe from terrorist attack since 9/11:

We're in a war against Islamist extremists who attacked us on 9/11. They've been trying to attack us many, many ways since then. We've been very fortunate as a result of 9/11 reform legislation, which Senator McCain championed; a lot of good work by people who work for our country that that hasn't happened.

The White House echoed his warning the next day:

But we need a president who's ready to be commander in chief on day one. Senator McCain is. Incidentally, Senator Clinton said that over and over again, and she was right. She's ready--she was ready to be president on day one.

Why? Because our enemies will test the new president early. Remember that the truck bombing of the World Trade Center happened in the first year of the Clinton administration. Nine-eleven happened in the first year of the Bush administration. John McCain is ready to take the reins on January 20th, 2009. He doesn't need any training.

John McCain deserves credit that there hasn't been a terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11 and (2) We need McCain as president because there will be a terrorist attack on U.S. soil in early 2009.

Does that make sense to you? It can't be both ways!

Media continue to falsely claim Clark criticized McCain's service

Bush gives McCain credit for the GI bill he opposed.

Can we trust McCain

As the video explains, the McCain camp is saying Obama cannot be trusted and is asking and telling America to trust him. He will give you the straight talk on all issues, but is that true? Can McCain be trusted?





His many, "I was either for it or against it, or against it before I was for it:"

1. A grass roots lobbying bill he once supported. The bill was McCain/Fiengold. Yes that is right, he is now against campaign finance reform of a bill he once cosponsored.

2. He is now against the immigration bill he introduced with and supported about a year ago.

3. In 2006 on Hardball, "I think Gay Marriage should be allowed." Then immediately after the commercial said, " I do not think Gay Marriage should be legal.?

4. Abortion 1999, supporting Roe v Wade publicly, but privately, he opposed it sending a letter to the National Right to Life Committee. In the 2000 election platform he was instrumental in changing it to include exceptions for rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at stake. May 2008, ABC News tells us McCain will not support Roe v Wade.

5. Flipped about storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.

6. Military action against Rouge States, flipped.

7. Negotiating with North Korea is not acceptable. That is until President Bush did it last week.

8. Negotiating with Castro was agreeable for him in 2000 but not now in 2008.

9. Talking to terrorist was OK when Colin Powell went to Syria. Was OK when McCain said sooner or later we would have to talk to Hamas, but now he is saying no way. It is appeasement.

10. Unilateral action against terrorists in Pakistan. He claimed Obama showed confused leadership when he mentioned it, yet he didn't say the same thing about Bush when he actually did it!

11. Warrantless wiretaps, McCain said 6 months ago, "Presidents need to obey the law." They don't have to obey the law now.

12. Torture detainees he was against, except for the CIA. Holding prisoners indefinitely at Gitmo, wrong in 2003, right in 2008.

13. Iraq war:

• The right course 2004
  
• Stay the course 2005
  

Yet today, McCain has ALWAYS been a Rumsfeld critic.

14. Tax cuts for the rich. In 2001, "Could not in good conscious support them. Now he can. So much for 'good conscious.'

15. The Estate Tax. In 2006 he said he agreed with President Roosevelt who created it. Now in 2008, the Estate Tax is "most unfair."

16. This month is not for privatising Social Security, "Never has been." In 2004 he said he didn't, "see how benefits would last without it."

17. February claimed he would balance the budget in years. In April, make that 8 years.

18. May of 2008 glad to look at the Windfall Profit Tax. Then in June he brushed it off as being Jimmy Carter's idea.

19. In 2000 he said no new offshore drilling because it would take years to develop. This month he now says it will be very helpful in the short term.

20 Bush fundraisers McCain called 'coyotes' in 2000. Now in 2006 they co chair McCain fundraisers.

21. Jerry Falwell an agent of intolerance in 2000. Rev. Hagee in and out this year.

22. 1983 opposed Martin Luther King Day. Today, not as much.

23. 1986 opposed South African Divestment. He praised it this month!

24. Defended South Carolina's Confederate Flag in 2002. Calling it, "A symbol of heritage." Two years later he called it "an act of political cowardice not to say the flag should come down!" Quote: CBS News October, 15, 2002;

"Everybody said, 'Oh look out, you can't win in South Carolina if you say that.'"

25. Evolution. In 2005 alternatives to evolution should be taught in school. Flipped over what he said in 2000.

What does the McCain camp say about his positions? They 'evolve.' Yet, they also say we can't trust Obama because he goes back on his word. How many times has McCain did that or will do that yet again?

Clark won't back down

There are many important issues in this Presidential election, clearly one of the most important issues is national security and keeping the American people safe. In my opinion, protecting the American people is the most important duty of our next President. I have made comments in the past about John McCain's service and I want to reiterate them in order be crystal clear. As I have said before I honor John McCain's service as a prisoner of war and a Vietnam Veteran. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in Armed Forces as a prisoner of war. I would never dishonor the service of someone who chose to wear the uniform for our nation.

John McCain is running his campaign on his experience and how his experience would benefit him and our nation as President. That experience shows courage and commitment to our country - but it doesn't include executive experience wrestling with national policy or go-to-war decisions. And in this area his judgment has been flawed - he not only supported going into a war we didn't have to fight in Iraq, but has time and again undervalued other, non-military elements of national power that must be used effectively to protect America But as an American and former military officer I will not back down if I believe someone doesn't have sound judgment when it comes to our nation's most critical issues.

Good for him!

What Clarke really said about McCain

The video is from The Jed Report.

Clarke:

"I dont think riding in a fighter plain and getting shot down is a qualification to be President."

The McCain campaign came out and said Clarke was questioning McCains military service. And as Jed said the media fell in lock step with the McCain interpretation. They fell in lock step despite the fact that the comment was taken out of context.

Truth is, Clarke was not talking about John McCain at all. He was refuting a statement made by the host of Face the Nation. The host had just criticized Barack Obama for not having the same military experience as John McCain.

The media didn't add the fact that during the interview, Clarke constantly reaped praise on John McCain for his military service. This could be part of the McCain camp spin or manufactored out rage used for their own purposes.

It is dishonest, as are many things that have come out of the McCain camp such as Obama is being endorsed by Hamas. And if Obama is elected President cities will be blown up.

Clarke is questioning McCains credentials to be President, not his military service.

I also want to add, if being shot down in a plane, and being held prisoner is a qualification for someone to be commander and chief, dare I say if Obama were to be such a person, and McCain was not the hero he is now, the McCain camp would spin this to their advantage as well and say, no, getting shot down does not qualify one to be commander and chief.

Hunt for al Qaeda "undermined by bitter disagreements within the Bush administration" and Iraq War

The Republican talking points seem to be more and more that you cannot trust Barack Obama when fighting the terrorists. Yet the truth of the matter is, the USA was attacked on the watch of a Republican President and Congress! Add to the fact, Bush and his top aides have continuously screwed up the anti-terror efforts:

The story of how Al Qaeda, whose name is Arabic for “the base,” has gained a new haven is in part a story of American accommodation to President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, whose advisers played down the terrorist threat. It is also a story of how the White House shifted its sights, beginning in 2002, from counterterrorism efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan to preparations for the war in Iraq.

Just as it had on the day before 9/11, Al Qaeda now has a band of terrorist camps from which to plan and train for attacks against Western targets, including the United States. Officials say the new camps are smaller than the ones the group used prior to 2001. However, despite dozens of American missile strikes in Pakistan since 2002, one retired C.I.A. officer estimated that the makeshift training compounds now have as many as 2,000 local and foreign militants, up from several hundred three years ago.

Publicly, senior American and Pakistani officials have said that the creation of a Qaeda haven in the tribal areas was in many ways inevitable — that the lawless badlands where ethnic Pashtun tribes have resisted government control for centuries were a natural place for a dispirited terrorism network to find refuge. The American and Pakistani officials also blame a disastrous cease-fire brokered between the Pakistani government and militants in 2006.

But more than four dozen interviews in Washington and Pakistan tell another story. American intelligence officials say that the Qaeda hunt in Pakistan, code-named Operation Cannonball by the C.I.A. in 2006, was often undermined by bitter disagreements within the Bush administration and within the C.I.A., including about whether American commandos should launch ground raids inside the tribal areas.

These are the same ones that say they will make us safer. Do you feel safe?

Lieberman and the Bush administration create a "politics of fear"

Be afraid:

The White House on Monday said it agreed with Sen. Joe Lieberman’s (I-Conn.) warning that terrorists could test the new president with an attack next year.

Lieberman, who has ruffled Democratic feathers with his outspoken support of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), said on “Face the Nation” that “our enemies will test the new president early.”

Asked about that statement, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Lieberman could be right.

“I think Sen. Lieberman, unfortunately, could be right,” Perino stated, noting that there continue to be extremists determined to attack the U.S.