David Corn

The M$M has failed in so many ways.

The M$M has been failing for many years.

My son joined the Virginia National Guard upon completion of his tour of duty in DC. His logic was he didn't want to get shot in Iraq and the VA Guard had been there twice already.

Anyway, my comment was he should be more concerned about what he is required to do to others than what they do to him and I couldn't live with it either way.

I don't believe there are only 4,000 US Casualties. This number is brought to you by the people who counted the Florida votes. The same ones who counted tons of WMDs in the hands of Saddam. The same accounting team that tells you the Surge is working and violence is down (as they pay the tribal Sheiks with cash and weapons to use against us later on). How is the violence down if the body count in 07 was up? How is it down if we lost 7 men in the last 48 hours?

How is 4,000 a realistic number when we have killed 2million Iraqis in the past 17 years? Why does the DOD say we have 30,000 wounded when 300,000 have applied for disability and assistance from the VA?

There are now over 6 million Iraqis displaced and driven from their homes, but less than 250 accepted in the United States. They should apply for sanctuary in Mexico where they can walk across the border and practice IED bombing in Crawford Texas.

4,000 Dead in Iraq.
4 Dead in Ohio.
When will the bad news End?
Why does our Nation have a moral obligation to be behind all of the bad news on Planet Earth?

It's not just the dead soldiers who have been let down by the lack of coverage from Iraq, it's also the American people. The lack of coverage of what exactly is going on in Iraq have lead many to the very false assumption the surge is working.

Geof01,

"How is 4,000 a realistic number "

It is a construct, a made up number.

The real number is much higher.

Sorry capt but I really must disagree with you.

The M$M has not failed. They have succeeded in a conspiracy to deprive of us a free and truthful press. They have succeeded in creating a monopoly of information. They have succeeded in keeping us in the dark as they provide an essential service to the Pharma, Global Corporations, the Sports Industry and the Political Parties.

But they have certainly failed the people!

4000 dead but at least it is mission accomplished: We disarmed the WMD, brought democracy and transformed Baghdad, I mean mission accomplished... We followed them over there so they don't follow us over here. Bring it oN! Smoke em out of the caves. Make the world safe for democracy. Presidential Daily Briefing, Aug 6 2001. Worst President Ever. Had enough? No? Vote McSame.

Thanks capt, I meant to imply the construct notion. I might believe 12,500. 4,000 is less than the number of military suicides in 3 years during peace time and it has now been 5years of war.

Neil, don't forget we are still in a 4/11 world.

When Cheney has us attack Iran on 4/11 the whole scene changes and the stupstakka start their patriotic march all over again.

And before we have to deal with McLame we still have 302 days of the big sex scandal to deal with (a bush and a dick in the white house screwing the people)

And Obama better beef up security. No one suspected Dallas was any more than a parade. Everyone was excited about Bobby in California. And on April 4th, 1968 I turned 18, buried my grandfather and watched them gun down King.

So I wouldn't be surprised if they shot Obama. I would be surprised if they don't.

http://www.democrats.org/page/content/mccaindebates/

McCain on Iraq

I meant to say "A pre 4/11 world"

The MSM is guilty of letting the people down. I will agree on that. They are providing the public with buggy whips when the public is riding spaceships. Blogs are part of the remedy. Citizen journalists and independent news gatherers are the best hope for honest coverage of world events. Huge news corporations simply can't maneuver quickly enough to keep up.

As for the seeming lack of interest in the war lately, I never thought it could happen, that Bush would preside over an economy bad enough to take our minds off this totally wrongheaded war. But that seems to be the case for millions of average Americans, including me. I have gone from worrying that my 18-year-old son will be drafted to worrying that he'll never be able to buy a house.

Almost makes you brace yourself for Bush to sit by grinning while some other catastrophe comes along to distract us from the ones already on our plates.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but back when the official number of dead was reaching 3,000, wasn't the unofficial estimate already putting the number around 10,000? Lord only knows how high it really is now.

HAS THE MEDIA LET US DOWN?

"The vast bulk of the country believes they were deliberately deceived about the nature of the threat posed by Iraq. And a principal reason why we ended up in Iraq is because the Bush administration was permitted to spew all sorts of falsehoods about the Iraqi threat while the media uncritically passed along those falsehoods, depicting Bush officials as Serious, honorable national security protectors whose word could be trusted and whose knowledge was beyond questioning.

And now -- by their own admission -- they're doing exactly the same thing with McCain. These Iran/Al Qaeda episodes occurred when McCain was traveling around the Middle East with his closest ally, warmonger Joe Lieberman -- who has already explicitly advocated an American military attack on Iran -- and it involved McCain's repeatedly making patently false assertions in order to tie Iran to Al Qaeda and to exaggerate wildly the Iranian threat, exactly the sort of deceit that misled large majorities of Americans into believing that Saddam was responsible for the 9/11 attacks."

http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/greenwald/~3/257020901/

"The Press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of the government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government. And paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people."

~ Justice Hugo L. Black - (1886-1971) US Supreme Court Justice - Source: New York Times v. Unites States (Pentagon Papers) 1971

(this is what I meant)

The latest nbc News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that 76 percent of voters want the next president to take a path different from President Bush's and that 17 percent want something similar.

76%

Hmmmm

Pande is right - DMW party.

Bottom line, from the very beginning of this war the media's coverage has sucked.

A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murder is less to fear.:

Marcus Tullius Cicero - (106-43 B.C.) Roman Statesman, Philosopher and Orator.

DMW?

D = Dead
M = Man
W = Walking

The DMW party. I think Pande has it about right.

while not wanting to give the MSM a pass on coverage but hasn't the press been sorta shut out of war without sucking up to the powers that be. I don't know I could be wrong.

Yo soy un demócrata amarillo del perro.

Yo soy Hussein Horsedooty

also since I am a mental midget where does the date 4/11 come from?

Yo soy un demócrata amarillo del perro.

Yo soy Hussein Horsedooty

The "dead man walking" talk makes this all the more funny:
"Dr Death" Kevorkian plans to run for Congress

Having voted for Senator Obama in my state primary, perhaps I am a bit biased, but:

What is Senator Clinton thinking?

Her two options seem to be as follows:
a.Lose the nomination, alienating many along the way.
b.Win the nomination, but with such acrimony as to make a general election impossible both for her and down-ballot Democrats. Right now, it looks like the Democrats are on their way to veto-proof majorities in both houses. She can queer all of that.

If she drops out immediately, she has a chance in 2012, if Senator Obama fails in 2008.

But if she continues, there will be no hope for her nomination in 2012 if Senator Obama loses or 2016 if Senator Obama wins. Talk about DMW. She will be the quintessential pariah.

The Clintons are ruthless, but they are not stupid. I just don't see the play in their staying with this.

Tom

link ^^
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080324/pl_nm/usa_politics_kevorkian_dc_1;_ylt=AmirihvTFC0iiiZf2VpIUQQE1vAI

Tom,

Check out:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-daou/three-myths-about-the-dem_b_93089.html

Three Myths About the Democratic Race.

*****

This is what some people are actually thinking.

On the 4/11 - I think it was a typo of 9/11 but as always I might be assuming too much.

Cheney On 4,000 Dead Americans: They Volunteered

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/24/cheney-on-4000-dead-amer_n_93109.html

Kind of goes with the "So" comment from a day or two ago.

(add this)

Wrapping up a nine-day overseas trip to Iraq, Vice President Dick Cheney was asked, in an exclusive interview with ABC News, about the effect on the nation of today's grim milestone of at least 4,000 U.S. deaths over the five-year Iraq war.

Noting the burden placed on military families, the Vice President said the biggest burden is carried by President Bush, and reminded ABC news that the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan volunteered for duty.

"the Vice President said the biggest burden is carried by President Bush, and reminded ABC news that the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan volunteered for duty"

Is THAT the most contemptuous statement?

Is he trying to get in the news cycle?

and they are still beating the drum as hard as ever for war with Iran

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-03-24-cheney-mideast_N.htm?csp=34
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Cheney late Sunday that Iran's military buildup "is endangering the stability of the region and the entire world" and that no option should be taken off the table concerning Tehran's nuclear program, according to a statement from Barak's office.

These warmongers are INSANE!

Americans - in general are not all that swift if even a small percentage would ever consider McCain - more war - fewer jobs - weaker dollar.

I am still dumbfounded from 2000 & worse 2004.

Captain,

I think you are wrong about Senator McCain and a weak dollar. I know that Jack Kemp is one of his economic advisors, and I know Mr. Kemp is a big proponent of a strong dollar. I just googled it, and Senator McCain even has a link on his website to one of Mr. Kemp's articles on the strong dollar.

I went to the HuffPo link you provided, but it looks like it was written by a Senator Clinton surrogate. Further, it does not change any of my conclusions.

I think the strongest argument Senator Clinton can make is that Senator Obama won all the states that will probably go Republican in November, anyway. But even if the nominating race is closer than we think, or she can win the popular vote, or she can win the big state vote, or she has almost as many elected delegates, if she gets the nomination - deservedly or not - it is Armageddon for the Democrat Party.

I find it not a little ironic that America's First Black President may be the one responsible for tearing asunder the coalition of Democrats.

Tom,

I meant weaker dollar as in the result of failed GOP policy, not the "weak dollar" as a policy.

I should try to be more clear.

"like it was written by a Senator Clinton surrogate"

Yes, that's why I wanted you to read it, not that it should convince you.

I can't believe some people think like that?

Not to mention the "calling something a fact" doesn't make it so. I think that guy is nuts.

I wanted to share how crazy some people think - nothing more. Just sharing what some people are saying about why Clinton is doing what she is doing.

(insane in my book)

Dream ticket - who for VP in a Barack Obama administration?

Barbara Boxer? (that would be cool)

Russ Feingold? (might be too honest)

One of the other original candidates? I doubt Edwards but Dodd? (seasoned and a good guy)

Obama - Boxer? Two firsts?

If Obama picks some DLC type I will be disappointed but would still support the ticket.

I fully expect to be frustrated and P.O.ed about more than a few things no matter who wins the top slot. In some ways Kucinich is not far enough left to please me.

Maybe a Jim Webb VP?

Aha. DMW party is for the zombies.

Here's a funny thought:

McCain / Clinton vs. Obama - ___________

Good question on the VP selection for Senator Obama.

Senator Webb seems to be the most logical choice - from a swing state and pro-military, and he couldn't be branded as a hawk.

Perhaps Governor Strickland of Ohio, although he was a Hillary supporter.

I think the best choice would be Governor Richardson. Both great energy experience and great foreign policy experience. That would also be a final shiv to the Clintons. Poetic justice, as it were.

Jim Webb is the most logical and Dynamic. He was Secnav, he's a Vet.

He's got the War strategy pinned down and the country could feel easier.

Finally, Jim Webb is a plain talking brilliant man. perfect for Obama.

But if he doesn't want the slot, I would brave the crazy winds of republican slander for Russ Feingold.

Living in NM Bill has been a pretty good Governor.

He would be a good VP choice. As would Webb.

I bet Obama makes a darn good choice. He might surprise us.

Still many miles to go before that bridge is crossed.

BTW - I would be capt Hussein (as I post on Stephanie Miller live blog) but the darn typekey/moveable type is bear for me to get working smoothly and changing my handle has not sounded like fun (yet)

And this afternoon, Clinton campaign manager Terry McAuliffe sent a pitch to potential donors that begins:

"Dear Friend, Do you think Bill Clinton is like Joe McCarthy?

"Of course you don't. Neither do I. But Barack Obama must because this past weekend, his campaign compared President Clinton to Joe McCarthy. Joe McCarthy!" the fund-raising appeal continues. "Ever since we won in Ohio and Texas we have been seeing these kinds of personal attacks from the Obama campaign....Well I'm not going to stand for it, and neither should you. There's no better way to fight back than to show your support for our campaign in the face of these attacks."

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/03/clinton_seeks_c.html

*****

"Dear Friend, Do you think Bill Richardson is like Judas?

"Of course you don't. Neither do I. But Hillary Clinton must because this past weekend, her campaign compared Governor Bill Richardson to Judas, JUDAS?"

(the old shoe on the other foot test)

[...]

But a hallmark of the Iraq war is the high wounded-to-killed ratio, partly because of advances in battlefield medicine, enhanced protective gear worn by soldiers and reinforced armored vehicles.

There have been about 15 soldiers wounded for every fatality in Iraq, compared with 2.6 per death in Vietnam and 2.8 in Korea.

*****

So 60,000 wounded. That is likely close to being right. Very early on in 2004 there was a piece in the "New Yorker" where a hospital administrator from Germany is quoted as saying they handled about 1,000 a month. Five years - 60 months about 60,000 wounded.

And for what? To prove Bush isn't a liar? That his failed policies and lack of a plan for victory demand more deaths and more wounded until victory is sublimated by the sheer force of our military?"

What is victory? Bush leaving office before we get out of the hell hole?

Hi Capt,

There are a whole host of us, who have vacated Craig's Place while the primaries are going on....Clinton Trail Mix doesn't taste so good. ;0)

Anyway, we are recognisible by our Obama Hussein Omama name additions.

As for Victory? I think there is no victory at all. Selfishly, my son has done 3 tours now in country. He's out of there for 2 more years before he's required to start rotating into the Middle East again.

Victory for me would be to have that just about over with before he goes back.

I have to agree with Tom on this one, if I was to pick a "dream" VP for Obama it wouild be Richardson. Aside from his foreign policy credentials, it would be one hell of a way to win over hispanic voters who backed Clinton in the primary and would be wary of voting for Obama in the general.

Oh, and welcome to all the newcomers. Capt is pretty much our frontman, and there are a number of us who come and go. The more people capable of lucid thought, the merrier..

Rockin,

Or should I say "Cookin!"

Over at Stephanie Miller many started using Hussein as a middle name because at the time people were making a big dealio of it.

I am capt - Hussein on MoJo too.

See Krugman

03.23.08 -- 11:50PM
By Josh Marshall

Krugman has two very good points in tomorrow's column. 1) The eerie silence on the campaign trail about what financial crisis we're currently struggling to make our way through and 2) The fact that John McCain's primary economics advisor, former Sen. Phil Gramm (R), is probably as responsible for setting the stage for this crisis as anyone in the country through his legislative role in the deregulation of the financial services industry.

Also, highly inspiring is the fact that another of McCain's advisors is Kevin Hassett, he of "Dow 36,000" fame, sort of an avatar of boom market snake oil, if you will. More generally, as Kevin Drum notes, if you think McCain's foreign policy is 'Bush Redux, Just More Nuts', well, then wait till you see his economic policy.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/185148.php

Clinton 'misspoke' about '96 Bosnia trip
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080324/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_bosnia

Misspeaking is getting confused once during a speech, repeating the same in a press conference afterwards is dishonesty.

http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/03/7742_the_clinton_cam.html

The Clinton Campaign's New Math

Unless something truly monumental produces lopsided victories for Hillary Clinton in the upcoming primaries, her chances for the Democratic nomination rely on superdelegates overturning the will of Democratic voters. Knowing this, her campaign has regularly identified criteria upon which the superdelegates might choose Clinton over Obama, some of which directly reflect the voters' intent (pledged delegate count, popular vote) and some of which are essentially judgment calls (electability, readiness). The campaign's problem is that the former criteria currently favor Obama and the latter don't lend themselves to a slam dunk consensus. In fact, they have so far been rejected by the majority of Democratic voters, who think electability and readiness are either better found in Obama or are trumped by Obama's ability to usher in change. If superdelegates were to cite Clinton's electability and readiness in order to coronate a nominee, it could drive voters out of the party.

But the Clinton campaign has found a new angle: imaginary electoral college votes. It is sending surrogates out to push the idea that superdelegates should vote for the candidate who would have come out ahead if the primaries were awarding electoral college votes instead of delegates.

*****

Sounding a bit crazy to me.

Paul Rieckoff of IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Vets of America) said in an interview last evening that coverage of the war on TV news has been reduced to about 3% of air time compared to an average of 15% during 2007. What does that say about our culture and the advertisers who buy air time when they'd rather offer us salacious drivel about the old Gov of NY wearing "over the calf black socks during sex" or that the new Gov of NY did lines of coke in the local Days Inn? What a travesty! And we're still not allowed to see the flag-draped coffins returning from the War.

This will have to be quick. We are just landing, and are under heavy sniper fire. I expect to dash onto the tarmac and then to safety. No stopping for photo-ops or ridiculous little girls reading me poems. Yessirree, I am a jenyoueyn American hero.

Well, must run. Off to restore peace in Northern Ireland. Then cure cancer and invent time travel.

Here is a legitimate question that deserves legitimate debate and discussion.

If the Iraq War is so unpopular (which it is) and John McCain is the biggest supporter of the war, perhaps not just among candidates but among all government officials (which he is), why is he in a statistical dead heat with both of the Democrat contenders in an average of all of the tracking polls?

"why is he in a statistical dead heat with both of the Democrat contenders in an average of all of the tracking polls?"

Most people don't inform themselves much beyond the mainstream media sound bites, and the media has a fetish for inserting McCain's name into the G.I. Joe theme song. Seriously, how many ways can they sneak in the phrase "war hero" immediatly after his name regardless of what the subject is?

fascinating question, Tomcantu. Since I read it almost an hour ago I have been searching for an answer. The best I can glean, and it's not a very good response, I really do believe that most citizens are probably operating from fear, the old "we have to fight them there so we don't have to fight them here" mentality. BushCo have convinced a lot of people they are in imminent danger and many are willing to give up all their rights to believe they are safe. Meanwhile, though, we don't even have enough troops left in at home to respond to natural disasters. And never mind the crumbling infrastructure.