Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

boo hoo.

OJT.. On The Job Training for Mr Obama continues as the President with the minimal experience has another opportunity to gain experience.

Again we must not be to hard on him - The MSM is only now removing the cloak of protection that helped elect him.

What is the cost? Ah lets let Barack answer that one..

Thanks Sturge.

OS......not much help, sorry.....i was in and out of the room and didnt catch parts of it.....

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it...and that goes for not learning from the mistakes of others.

Bug the entire country with listening devices powered by solar cells, destroy all of the poppy fields, drop food and literature and get/stay the heck out of there. Nobody has ever been able to deal with those people or that terrain...it's time to go!!!

As for other folks who didn't learn from the mistakes of others, Tom DeLay did not learn from the mistakes of Tucker "Fluffy" Carlson. That was the single, ick-iest "dancing" I've ever seen on that show...and it trumps Fluffy's lap dance.

Prez Obama was very engaging on Letterman, so let's hope that calms down the common folk who parrot the Faux rhetoric. Good for MoJo for calling out Republicans to denounce it.

Yeah I know, I did the same thing although I missed Craig's appearance altogether. Looking forward to Imus on Fox Business- I have a TV in the kitchen. Did I read that Craig won't be able to appear then? That would be a real shame.

"Memoirs: Bush said he’s taking a different approach and will focus on 12 decisions he made as president."

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/1626979.html

Hey, he didn't say they were good decisions. Can anyone guess which 12? Nash?

And 12 decisions in 8 years, jeez, that's 1.5 decisions per year in office. No wonder he spent so much time in Crawford recouping. The poor man must have been exhausted.

Until these numbers change I don't see pulling the plug as having a long term effect on the presidents popularity. http://willnevergiveup.wordpress.com/2009/09/19/aug-unemp-his/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/opinion/22herbert.html?th&emc=th

"The Hard and Bitter Truth"

"As President Obama tries to decide what to do about Afghanistan, reality is insisting that he take into account the worn-down condition of our military after so many years of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the soaring budget deficits and sky-high unemployment numbers here at home in a country that is hurting badly and could use its own dose of nation-building.

Mr. Obama, in the face of these daunting realities, is said to be re-thinking his plans to ratchet up American involvement in Afghanistan. One can only hope."

Oh, yeah, and show Karzai and his dirty clan the door.

And on that note, Happy 1st Day of Autumn!

"Any populist furor could be avoided, the thinking goes, if the government borrows instead from the banks."

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/fdic-may-borrow-funds-from-banks/

You know, I think they'll be plenty of "furor" to go around anyway...or maybe just more fear, but this is my favorite line...

:...Bair would take bamboo shoots under her nails before going to Tim Geithner..."

ahhhhhh..... LOVE the smell of fall.... my favorite season.

Craig & Blue.... brilliant posts....

Diane Rehm's first hour today is on this topic.... I'll be glued to NPR....

Actually, if he wants a detached, honest appraisal he should invite Gen Powell over for lunch.

Nash, speaking of Chinese youth:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125357000531429127.html#mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

mornin'

Another equinox so soon? Boy oh boy, does time fly or what? I hve noticed that the leafes (pronounced leaf-ez) on the small maples are turning. Another year of avoiding doing any significant work in the back yard flower beds. Maybe a bush hog next year.

Yes, in Afghanistan, Obama is caught between the missed opportunity of the past and the dim uncertainty of the future. Get the hell out strikes me as the prudent course. Oh, there will be political hell to pay, and the natterers at Foxx will scream to their 3 million viewers about how Obama lost that war. Small price to pay.

Oh, I forgot to add - Tony, we can only hope ...

Bob, when you shake the post birthday celebration off ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/science/earth/22coal.html?_r=1&hp

The new "clean coal" push. btw, this is onw hell of a big power plant - 1300 kw & HUGE stacks and cooling towers. This is the link to it from Wiki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountaineer_Power_Plant

Well first, when you go on five shows in one morning you had better get your facts right: http://www.rr.com/news/topic/article/rr/9000/8994292/FACT_CHECK_Coverage_requirement_enforced_with_tax

And of course my post from yesterday on Afghanistan http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/me-and-imus.html#comment-261590

Craig, you'll have to explain why election troubles should mean a hold on more troops. The idea was to do a better job protecting Afghanis from Taliban violence and in that regard, we have been successful. The other reason was to show the tribal leaders we're not wimping out. To a degree we have done that too. Thanks however for blasting that drone idea. Obama will need a better game plan than that....

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261642

rather a poor read of consequence.

We have been in Afghanistan for almost eight years. Now the Army is telling us that the strategy we have been pursuing for those eight years has been a failure, and that we need a new one if we are going to succeed.

How come the Army didn't notice that a few years ago?

your opinion is your own, Max, and you are entitled to it. Winning a war in Afghanistan will make Iraq - which we won?? - that's debatable - look like a walk in the park. Your nation building optimism is naive - Afghanistan will likely look in 10 years as it looks today, no matter what we do there. McChrystal himself set out SOME of the difficulties there:

"In a confidential assessment of the war prepared for President Obama, General McChrystal wrote: “The weakness of state institutions, malign actions of power brokers, widespread corruption and abuse of power by various officials and [the American-led NATO force’s] own errors have given Afghans little reason to support their government.”

Doesn't exactly argue for a few thousand more, now, does it? Our troops there don't change those factors.

Bob Herbert on Afghanistan

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/opinion/22herbert.html?hp

NATIONAL CITY, Calif. — ACORN officials in San Diego have fired an employee caught on video providing advice about human smuggling to a couple posing as a pimp and a prostitute.

David Lagstein, the group's head organizer in San Diego, initially said Thursday that he believed Juan Carlos Vera did his best to deal with a challenging situation and would not be disciplined. But three hours later, Lagstein reversed that decision.

He said he reevaluated the videos posted online in which Vera was secretly filmed answering questions about smuggling people into the U.S. through Tijuana. Lagstein said after further discussion with supervisors and state ACORN officials he decided Vera's conduct was "unacceptable."

Note that ACORN officials knew all about Vera calling his detective friend at the time of firing. Let's call it second thoughts as Vera's file debut was rather appalling. Does that answer your question Rez? And as you know, this is hardly the only crap, but hell, Iranian nukes, capitulation in Afghanistan, healthcare are all more important than an organization that tries to sign up new Democratic voters as one of their main missions. Perhaps they could do more good in Afghanistan...........

CJ, it's simple - remember Iraq, remember the surge? Same shit, different day - only we don't have the vacuum of an overthrown government to fill.

From Herbert's piece.

"The president’s handpicked point man in the war zone, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, wants more troops and a stepped-up commitment by the United States that would lock us into the conflict indefinitely, with nothing like an exit strategy in sight, or even a conception of what victory might look like."
Have a familiar ring?

I suggest you read beyond Herbert. Got to run, but we can debate this later. So you think life in Iraq is worse than under Saddam?

Obama used Afghanistan as we all saw against Hillary. He made it HIS war with a thousand speeches on the importance and why Iraq was preventing victory in Afghanistan. He was elected with everyone knowing his game plan. He promised more European help explain Bush couldn't sell what HE COULD. Afghanistan is the central war on terror and his general McChyrstal was going to tell us what we need to do. What, did Obama think the general was NOT going to ask for those tropps Obama promised before he was even elected?

Any way, yes fortunately, it is just your opinion too.....

Tiptoe and Blue -- oh I am SO glad DeLay went on Dancing With the Stars. That was the biggest laugh I've had in MONTHS! I want Dick Armey shaking his butt across the stage next.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261650

Typical NYT crap. Aren't we leaving Iraq after the surge brought stability? After Obama and Biden denied such tactics could work in Afghanistan, he tried his version of a surge there.....it didn't work, so he sent McChrystal.

I would be careful basing anything on the NYT editorials. That really isn't a news source. It's an often wrong opinion source.....later.

what's all this about a "sturge" in afghanistan......I don't like the sound of that even a little bit..........

http://books.google.com/books?id=bQKTtmfvBLUC&pg=PA136&lpg=PA136&dq=razor+fight+at+the+st+louis+cafe&source=bl&ots=cjsUnVk0KU&sig=XWXErtV7mq0SOz5Yry8urspCRPc&hl=en&ei=IdG4SpOpBqCwtgfkzpz3Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=razor%20fight%20at%20the%20st%20louis%20cafe&f=false

Hey max.....when you get there, scroll back to the top of the article.....about price fox and the razor fight among other things.......

"So you think life in Iraq is worse than under Saddam?"

In some ways yes, in some ways no. That was not the reason we went into Iraq if you will recall. Something about WMDs. Taking out a brutal dictator was Bush backfill for a war he lied us into.

You need to read beyond whatever RW sources you read - if you think that stability has been brought to Iraq, think again. We have had 123 combat deaths in Iraq this year - long after the surge supposedly brought stability to Iraq. Yes, that number is less than in years past, but then, our combat mission has changed there. We could reduce that to zero by leaving. And civilian deaths from car bombs and gunfire has "stabilized" at about 12 per day - what a garden spot. I guess we should celebrate deaths at a rate of 4 less per day than during the first year of the war, but somehow I don't feel the need to bake a cake.

http://www.iraqbodycount.org/database/

I do read beyond the Times editorials, and I suggest that you drop the condescension. You attack the messenger rather than refute the message - Herbert is more right than wrong this time - he has history on his side rather than the dervish rewrite of history attempted by the RW hacks of the Bush-Cheney, WSJ, Weekly Standard cabals.

Sturge - that would be "surge". You should be OK.

Oh, and lest I forget - I do not support Obama's postion on upping the ante in Afghanistan, and never have. I do recognize that Afghanistan may have once been much more important in the war on terror (a concept I think is marketing and little else) than was Iraq, but Bush screwed that up so badly there is no fixing it - but I don't support spending our troops' lives to protect a corrupt regime or believe that anything we do there will make an iota's difference in our security.

Oh, and those were McChrystal's comments, not the NYT's. How inconvenient of Herbert to point them out. As to my comments, you can support the fool's errand, but I don't.

pogo you are beating your head against a brick wall arguing with Mad Max. He is only gonna bring his set of facts or opinions to the argument. He is a serial revisionist.

HD, I know, but hey, if I weren't doing this I'd be doing something else. Remember, everybody has to be somewhere, and no matter where you go, there you are. :-)

NewPogo, even high school students might see the tremendous problems were Saddam in power today. What does history tell you? With Iran at the nuclear threshold, I rather doubt Saddam at this point as Biden said long ago, would be sitting still. I listed many of my sources yesterday and your cheap shot of RW is rather silly. My posts on Afghanistan used RW sources? Ha, that's a good one.

We have how many traffic deaths each year? How many die in US hopsitals due to preventable infection? It is really a tiring game for LWers to constantly depict miltary deaths as needless when it serves their talking points. Obama had called Iraq lost and was willing to pull out leaving many US deaths in vain, not to mewntion Iraqi deaths. . If that were the case, America would not be in Iraq or anywhere for that matter.

It is funny that you post your opinions and those of Herbert (who is right more than wrong?) with such confidence and then get rattled when others find such assertions beyond common sense. I think Craig is right to blast Obama's latest alternative to more troops.

Only more security will allow the kind of civilian help we need in Afghanistan. I guess Obama was wrong that he could get more international help. He did claim Bush could not do what he would do. Really? This is indeed the most dangerous area in the world and your valuation of preception in light of a profound retreat is amazing given the rhetoric Obama used to beat Hillary with Afghanistan. It is also rather lame to use history when it serves you. We threw out the Taliban once with under 3000 US troops. I rather doubt the future is just the replay of history, do you? If history is the guide we WILL retreat, ignore threats and get caught in WW3.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/science/earth/22coal.html?hp

And now the Left is crying this project will cause earthquakes. I did point this project out when debating "clean" technoligies. You all laughed and said bad Clinton and Obama for proposing anything to reform coal.
Show of hands that hopes an earthquake ends this idea......... See what happens when Liberal articles of faith are questioned. As a Liberal without such a religious view of politics, I find this test exciting. There have been others that work. Isn't this an attempt at progress?

Afghanistan "Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here"

I really have no idea what the best course of action in Afghanistan would be. I know they broke the Soviets aka The Soviets Vietnam. I don't know if it's because we have lost our taste for war 8 years out. We may have protected Iraq's Oil Fields but Pakistan has nukes... The Center of our National Security appears to be on the Afghan -Pakistan border.
World War II lasted 5 years, well the fighting anyway. I just think Americans are tired of pouring blood and treasure into these two wars, and not seeing a return on the sacrifice.

I like Craig's idea of bribing them, that is what works in that part of the world they call them "Tributes"

There is talk McChrystal would resign if his plan isn't followed. Does anyone know if that rumor is true? They serve at the President's bequest, not the other way around.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2009/09/mcchrystal_to_resign_if_not_gi.php

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261627

Ping

Your guy had eight years of "on the job training" and the back up of daddy's totally screwed up friends and still managed to eradicate a surplus, kill hundreds of thousands of people who never did a damn thing to us, and still be an abject failure.

Obama looks practically saint like by comparison.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261659

Ye road aplles are big today Dooty......

Facts? Can't you people stick with what our President has been crying for over a year? Maybe you all should have had this arguement before the election. Or maybe you should listen to Obama hand-picked General.

Naw.....maybe Brezinski will suggest we bait the Russian back into Afghanistan so we can arm more militants. History is rather a strange guide.....

I had breakfast the other day with a retired Marine pilot and whose son is now on the way home for his 30 day break from Afghanistan. We talked about what is working and what is not working there. Eugene's son has told him that bribery works the best. What is interesting is that the son said the most effective bribe is Viagra. I know. I am just reporting the conversation.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261663

I can't even guess how many behind the door disputes Obama is having with the CIA and military. He is counting on them going along with his shifts in missile defense, Afghanistan, Iraq, investigations, missile defense funding, etc.

Obama is in his most delicate moment now with the DOD and Patraeus and McChrystal hold some cards.

Back to work.......

"So you think life in Iraq is worse than under Saddam?"

Of course it is, Max. Women can no longer walk down the streets. The country is in chaos with no safety and hundreds of thousands dead. And don't get started on those "rape rooms" -- there have been some rapes by our own troops since we invaded the country. I think it was a war crime to hang Saddam, too. We can't get rid of every dictator in the world and we can't occupy the Middle East.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261667

Brilliant. We need Obama to launch Operation Viagra: the new approach in Afghanistan.

Maybe FDR could have bribed Hitler and we could have avoided 120 million deaths.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261669

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. I am glad it is the minority opinion, one not even held by Obama or Hillary. Your facts are exaggeration at best and I suggest your explore Totten's blog before making claims. He is center/left and can give you a first hand comparison between life with Saddam and the present. To say Iraq was better off with Saddam is amazing. Truely amazing.

You do know that Hillary would likely disagree with you. Yes?

Forget Afghanistan .... I'd be happy just to get up, and not see Ping torturing the English language every morning.

Thought for the day :
" Make a wish, it might come true. "

Afghanistan isn't a simple proposition.

"The idea was to do a better job protecting Afghanis from Taliban violence and in that regard, we have been successful. The other reason was to show the tribal leaders we're not wimping out. To a degree we have done that too. "

Max,

The idea was to catch or kill OBL who is now comfortably ensconced in Pakistan making audio tapes. If he hadn't been in Afghanistan initially, we never would have gone near the place (i.e. see Bush substitution of easier and oil rich Iraq).

Get the hell out of both places and bring our people and money home where they belong.

Speaking of Afghanistan.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090922/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_migrant_camp

Our approach in Afghanistan is wrongheaded interventionism, as it was in Iraq. Justifying the decision by pointing to Saddam's death and what he might be doing today had we not invaded the country and led to his killing is what I call speculation and what they call rationalizing in the psych world. You posted sources yesterday? I don't go back to read yesterday's posts to get authority for what you or anyone else posts today. You want to support your argument today? Post the links today.

WW3? What a load of crap based on nothing.

Nothing I've read suggests that we ever threw out the Taliban - they retreated,assimilated for a while and regrouped, and now they seem to be alive and well today and in control of a large part of the country, thank you very much.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-09-11-voa10.cfm

That's a funny throwing out. The security you tout with civilian help would have to be achieved before it could be maintained - which is bought only through the deaths of our troops and destruction of the country followed by the maintenance of our troops there since the Afghan government is incapable of providing such security in its own land. Yes, the MIddle East is dangerous - and we haven't done shit to make it less so - unless you call a state of war less dangerous than what existed before.

And yes, history does come in handy when it supports an argument about what to do today or tomorrow. RWers like yourself seem to ignore its lessons under the mistaken belief that we can cure that corner of the world of its religion-based ills. We are no more capable of doing that than the Crusaders were - we just have better weapons.

I'm curious as to how you continually refer to yourself as liberal. You come across as a socially liberal neocon who supports foreign interventionism and domestic corporatism - and that's just today. Just how do you define liberal? I've never seen a liberal who beats the drums of war as loudly as yourself. there may be other causes you support that are traditionally thought of as liberal, but I can't recall them being discussed here with you.

But thankfully, I have to hit the road - people to see, things to do. and LUNCH (Solar, :-)) to eat. Everyone have a good one

Who is bribing your Congress Critter: Open Secrets

http://www.opensecrets.org/

Pogo -
Thanks for that coal story. Talk about spittin' in the ocean.

" That is, under normal circumstances fluctuations tend to be short and small. When a drastic transition approaches, conditions fluctuate between greater extremes, and the fluctuations take longer to pass. "

2 years ago , Georgia & the region were in extreme drought. Areas west of Atlanta have just received over 20 inches rain, and the forecast calls for rain through Sunday.

http://radar.weather.gov/radar_lite.php?rid=ffc&product=NTP&loop=yes

Andrew Sullivan has a link to a pro staying in Afghanistan article while thinking that the reasons given are just plain wrong.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/09/the-case-for-more-war.html

Do I get a trophy or something? I made The Week magazine’s Best Opinion.. http://bit.ly/TumjQ

Craig got "Best Comment" award for THE WEEK

http://www.theweek.com/article/index/100711/A_newspaper_bailout

Good review of "Capitalism - A Love Story"

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion/475969/i_capitalism_a_love_story_i_an_early_review

There are spoilers, but I still want to see the movie.

Pogo,

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261678

Just when I was getting to feel real proud of you for this rant ......you go and sneak in the Lunch thing......I would never do that to you...hehehe

Afghanistan:

I will stand by what I have been saying since we went there.
We are there so it will make it easier to get to the oil in Iran, and to prevent China, Russia, and Venezuela get their hands on it.

We give our much needed money to Karzai, and his gang: The Taliban there don't ride mules, or horses, or anything else: They ride in the back of new pick-up trks, that are given to them by some of the ones that we support.

We are supporting the Taliban, by the way of crooked politicians that we give money to....they in turn want to keep this fight going so they can get more, and more cash.....we need to pull out of that entire area, and stop giving money to other countries for the want of getting their hand on all of the oil in the world.....in the end it is a war that his really about money GREED by the huge Corporations....and we are the suckers that put in the congressional corp. thieves..........the two party system does work....but for the corps.....we need to stop thinking that a libertarian or someone else will never be elected....the lesser of two party's.....is just going to just as evil...as the other.....they won't give up the our team is better team mentality ...and do the right thing.....

We are bribing them all ready. I wonder how much money goes to the war chiefs that are supposed to keep the Taliban at a safe distance ...remember last weeks ambush? Bad return on our money to me......getting our kids killed......but what are slaves for....

Laughs......did I misread or did Pogo just tell someone to stop being condescending.........LOL.... I knew that I'd get a laugh if I just popped in.......Wow......:)

Biz calls.....have a great week....:)

10:25 a.m. Atlanta sewer system has broken down and is dumping raw sewage into the Chattahoochee River.

11:55 a.m. Atlanta Watershed Management Commissioner Rob Hunter told reporters that the plant sustained "tens of millions of dollars of damage." Hunter said the wastewater treatment plant, which he said is the largest in the Southeast, has pumps to remove flood water. But in this case, the pumps couldn't withstand what Hunter described as "unprecedented flood levels" from the river. The commissioner said the damage to the plant won't impact the city's drinking water and said it should not damage water flowing from the river.

http://www.ajc.com/news/minute-by-minute-updates-143387.html?imw=Y

Re : Newspaper bailouts .

One wonders if Rupert and friends will belly up to the bailout .

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261669

You are so right Patsi, and I'm glad you said it.

http://www.theweek.com/article/index/100711/A_newspaper_bailout

Way to go Craig! Glad to see they're noticing how aware and on the mark you are.

"You do know that Hillary would likely disagree with you. Yes?"

BS, Max...you don't speak for Hillary Clinton. Even though she voted to give the president authority to act IF it became absolutely necessary, she gave a powerful and lengthy speech about why he shouldn't do it.

"The idea seems dicey, at best"—not just because of "the cost in these times of rising federal debt and the public's growing fatigue with bailouts." The bottom line is that "newspapers that owe their lives to the government are probably not worth having."'

... is it possible that this administration just wants to 'own everyone'?

Chloe,

I think that Patsi is right on also. I can never figure out the disconnect that some people have about Iraq...we kill, take over another country, have proof of the false reasons to do all of this...and still they defend our actions....( team mentality- to me) no matter how convincing that the evidence points against these actions.....

Anybody think this could be the work of Cheney & his cronies? Somebody trying to push Obama into a corner on this issue?

Hil'ry seems to be taking an even-keeled approach.

Patsi - And wasn't the best/oddest part when DeLay had a special moment with Bruno. I think he was aiming for Carrie Ann & missed. "Wild Thing," indeed.

Craig - Congrats on having a quotable quote.

rr - When do the leave turn up there?

Hi Solar, I think what you're talking about is just rationalization by many. People do that a lot. Look for reasons and justification to do and think what they want to do in the first place. They lie to themselves and then end up lying to the rest of us too.

@Craig: Only for the week? The people who brought this honor should go back and read the posts for, oh, I don't know, the past four years, maybe? Nevertheless, as the Dave the Lennox guy would say, "atta boy, Craig."

I'll repeat my question from late last night: Is anyone else concerned about the "convergence of failure" being pushed by both McChyrstal and the right-wing? This morning's editorial pages were filled with the Cal Thomas's of the world talking about failures. For the Bush years, the right wing pushed "fear." Now, IMHO, they're pushing "failure" as their mantra.

This is dangerous territory if a significant portion of the population and the US military truly believe the country is failing and more failure is just around the corner.

"Hil'ry seems to be taking an even-keeled approach"

Yeah, but Hillary 'has' to do what the boss tell's her to do.

What I read -
Reuters

Silicon Valley reinvents the lowly brick

Ordinary bricks are fired for 24 hours at 2,000 degrees F (1,093 C) as part of a process that can last a week, while Calstar bricks are baked at temperatures below 212 F (100 C) and take only 10 hours from start to finish, Kane said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE58K47220090921

Blue....
the trees are beginning to turn color up here already.... it's being said that because of all the rain we had in June and July it will make this year's foliage eye popping..... I'd say it will look spectacular around here at the time Rick and I fly off to California (Oct. 2nd).

Chloe,

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261697

Thanks, thats what I wanted to say in the first place, but did no want it to sound like the rest of my post...cos I think that is exactly what religion does....and did not want to sound like a broken record...record..record......see.

c'bob - Haven't thought of the show "Make A Wish," in ages; used to watch it after school.

The women of Afghanistan would probably prefer we give their men salt peter, instead.

Eprof -
That smoking pile of wreckage next to the remains of "consumerism" is
the gospel of failure.

Remember the repugg stance that Obama was a weakling on defense?
I do, and of course it was the silliest thing ever, because even though Obama promised to end the Iraq war (which entailed repositioning troops around The Region), he always was a hawk on Afghanistan and always promised to go in there all the way until he had his own "mission accomplished" even if it took ...forever, I guess.
All of us who voted for Obama knew this from the start; the true peace candidates were ridiculed and trashed as goofy crackpots. I see no reason to be upset with Obama over Afghanistan---we are getting exactly what we voted for.

One more account of failure in our system, CBob.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261693

The speech I actually linked here once before Patsi? I think I know that speech very well and ironic it is seen now in more sympathetic light. Obama saw no repemption in that speech. Bill Clinton later remarked that in his estimation, Saddam would never have complied as Hillary hoped and force would likely have been used were he the President. Well, that was in his first comments to media several months later.

Hillary never said Iraq was lost and was quite upset Obama used Afghanistan during the campaign against her to show more centrist Liberals and Independents he was tough on terror.

Yes, Hillary must toe the line now with hardly a mention of her as the UN party unfolds, but the new spin on the missile defense shift is justified using Hillary's regional alliance. The question is not whether Obama can lift positions he opposed during the primary, but whether his strategic vision now has credibility and resolve.

Obama backed himself into the corner in Afghanistan suggesting his words would bring allies aboard. He talked about pulling "the force in Iraq" into "the battlefield in Afghanistan and Pakistan". And quite incredibily, the WH last week told Israel supporters in the halls of Congress that with US forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Gulf, we will encircle Iran with a closer missile defense than any in Poland. This would certainly move more military into the region and make new US installations and platforms targets along with the countries they sit in. What popular regional support does he have for this besides our ally Israel?

Hillary is certainly no fan of Brezinski and company and she keeps her mouth shut over his last comment, but who doesn't think she is fuming?

I wonder if Obama will ask Abbas if Palestinians are ready to accept Israel's existence. I wonder if Obama mentions that electing more terrorists into a warring Palestinian administration is a great idea or that continued indoctrination of Arab children including recent claims that the US caused 9/11 refutes the idea of co-existence. I think Obama will have to say this at some point as Rice seems incapable.

One might think that the CIA and the DOD are having some real uncertainties about Obama. I for one am still holding my breath....

The film last night made a very good point, of all the "isms" we've toyed with in the past 150 years. Consumerism is the only one that won.
Now it lies in intensive care with a tube down it's throat.

Happy birthday Dexter

Government awards $550 million in renewable energy grants

http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE58L2YP20090922

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261696

Cheney pushing Obama into the corner? How about Obama putting himself in the corner by hyping McChrystal months ago when asked what his Afghanistan policy will be. Tactics can change but when there is strategic reversal, it is wild to pretend this is merely tactical change. Drones to the rescue is shockingly desperate, don't you think?

Wow, playing the Cheney card in the debate of where we go in Afghanistan. The same card might even be used in the debate on investigating the CIA. There is a whole deck of cards, but unfortunately these issues are not political poker, but global issues with more consequence than elections.

My favorite card of course is the joker......

Dex....
how right you are concerning what Obama said during the campaign and candidates such as Kucinich being trashed for their "let's just get the hell out" stance....

and Happy Birthday.... I love how many Virgos there are on this blog....

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aOUSk9eA89mw

Better late than never.....good move Obama. Germany could make Iran blink tomorrow.

Yep, Hillary does toe the line, but then you have to pick your battles wisely...... http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j0_WWFY5CACq0zLIHY03N12ZVZlQ

Yep and Happy Birthday too Dex. Liberals said nothing during the election because they knew Obama needed "his" war to convince Independents and Hillary supporters he wasn't a dove. Obama isn't a dove or a hawk. I just hope he isn't a deer.

There's been several fish kills going on in the Southeast. The biggest one seems to be on the Neuse River. 50 million dead fish.

11 days in, the shortsightedness of Republican government thinking is becoming clear. -

" Some answers may become part of a $200,000 mystery.

That is the high-end estimated cost of six Neuse River monitors that were all used in this region — and all became casualties of state budget cuts. And that figure does not include the budget cuts that shrank the Neuse River Rapid Response Team in half, from four members to two. "

http://www.enctoday.com/news/kill-48135-nbsj-river-neuse.html

U.S.-led invasion: All Arabs Kurds
Was right 48% 40% 87%
Was wrong 39 46 9

Liberated Iraq 42% 33% 82%
Humiliated Iraq 41 48 11

Presence of coalition forces:
Support 39% 30% 82%
Oppose 51 60 12

Attacks on coalition forces:
Acceptable 17% 21% 2%
Unacceptable 78 74 96

ABC poll from several months back. Other polls show the same thing. Yes, Iraqis think life is better without Saddam, yet some Liberals think their view is the correct one. Of course bad things still happen, even new ones. Unfortunately almost all predictions regarding Iraq have been wrong, but imagine Obama meeting Saddam today at the UN. I guess we see what we want to see.........

Oh and for nuance beyond this narrow poll, see Totten who has gone to Iraq a number of times and has brought back fantastic journalism and an honest view from both soldiers and Iraqis.

Several million pigs live on the watershed of the Neuse River.
Notice the statements from the state officials, them pigs never get mentioned as part of the problem.

-------------
Based in Virginia, Smithfield has embarked on aggressive acquisition strategy to fuel its growth. While the company has production facilities across the US as well as overseas most of its operations are in the southeastern region of North Carolina. Smithfield raised 14 million hogs in 2006.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2009/4/29/25022/7708

The group who gave the casualty figures for Bosnia and another country, not sure which one, was praised for its accuracy.

Then they gave the figures for Iraq and were denounced by the very same groups who praised the other figures given above.

This group gave these figures I believe at the time and I might have to find the link later today if I can to confirm them, but this is what I believe I remember.

3 Million Iraqis displaced.
2 Million left Iraq and are in surrounding countries.
1 Million are still in Iraq though they are displaced from their homes.
Estimated 1 Million Iraqis killed, men, woman and children all civilians.

And the end is not in sight for them. This is anything but a victory for the Iraqis.

And the only reason Bush\Cheney signed that status of force agreement is because the Oil Companies got the Oil rights back they had before Saddam kicked them out.

Are all those deaths including our soldiers worth the blood that they spilled for the Oil Companies worth it.

I don't think so.

And to now want to engage Iran in another war for wanting to protect itself from our Imperialism and possible occupation to steal its resources will only bring more hatred of Americans by those in the Middle East.

That is if we as a country don't collapse first from our folly.

Oh and by the way, Iran don't need to develop a Nuke, they can just buy one from Pakistan.

Of course as we are all aware of this would mean the total destruction on Iran if they bought and used one. As well as destroying the Oil and Gas Fields that we want to steal.

Ap,

Both of your posts are right on the money. I would be tantamount to putting a bulls eye on their backs: If the Iranians did get, and fired a nuclear weapon.....puff....all gone.....they know this. The Greed that the oil corps have and the lust for it will be what we go to war for in Iran.....Obama is not showing to be any different than any other corp president....but I still will hope that the corps don't get their way.....And a great comment about the oil companies getting the oil right back that they had before Saddam took them away.....this is what all the anti-war people should be saying....all of the time...and repeated by all dems.....but they voted for the war also........

Solar...

Its sad that the few, the greedy will destroy our country from the inside.

The same people that rally against health care insurance reform and banking reform want to take us back to before the Constitution was signed.

Today it is the haves against the have nots. The haves don't give a damn about our country, its me, me, me all the time.

The have nots say its about the people and not the corporations. Since giving the corporate the rights of an individual was the hair that broke the camels back.

If this isn't turned around soon it will be to late and we will become a third world nation being ruled by a few.

If that happens I can firmly believe that there will be another revolution and that blood will end up being spilled on our streets and in our cities and states just like we read and see happening in Iraq today.

Of course as usual I'm the doom and gloom person on this site. I deeply fear for the safety of President Obama and his family as the fear and hate mongering grows stronger with each passing day.

On the Republican Party condones and even helps too incite that hatred with no regards to the consequences that will occur.

Boner should worry about violence since it could happen to him as likely as any democrat since the nuts who hate the Government hate both parties.

Just because they stoke the fires doesn't mean that they won't get burned. Once the flames erupt the fire will be very hard to put out if at all possible.

Their playing with fire and they will get burnt.

Got to run now, later maybe.

Ap,

You had me, until the doom and revolution thing....long, long way to go for that to happen....about Obama, nothing new here...we all knew that he was probably going to be in danger when he became the first blk potus.....and he should be taking better precautions imo....

"Actually, if he wants a detached, honest appraisal he should invite Gen Powell over for lunch."

flatus, wholeheartedly second the motion. it's way past time for input from some of those whom the bushies muffled or discredited or both. powell would be two birds with one beer invite.... bipartisanship and military mojo.

"Atlanta sewer system has broken down and is dumping raw sewage into the Chattahoochee River"

oh sh*t, there go the best oysters in the world. at least for this season. the chattahoochee and flint rivers converge to form the apalachicola river which
feeds into the apalachee bay, the home to the mother of all oysters.

oh to sit once again on the deck at posey's in st marks slurping and swilling those little mothers and a pitcher of draft. (matters not anyway since posey's is closed now due to health concerns from last year's hurricane)

Craig- congrats on the quote. Personally I think you should get 2 awards- really liked the "virus" line on Imus.

Happy Birthday Dexter!

Hunt for clues to sea life deaths at Farallones

Anchovies have disappeared, and scientists don't know why. The researchers on the vessel believe that, in their absence, birds and mammals like humpback whales that eat krill are thriving while the ones that are eating only fish are in trouble, and the whale excrement served as evidence.

"We've had an extraordinary number of dead animals," said Jan Roletto, the research coordinator for the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. "It seems to be that the animals that suffered the most were the animals that forage on anchovies."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/09/22/MNTP19P9H4.DTL

CBob

What mystifies me is the inability of conservatives to understand the concept of "FOOD CHAIN".

You wipe out the ones on the bottom ... you die.

"I don't know what it means, but it's not good," Jahncke said. "There are a lot of changes happening, and none of them have a clear explanation.
.......... But wild fluctuations are now almost normal, according to the researchers, .......... "
------------------------------
" That is, under normal circumstances fluctuations tend to be short and small. When a drastic transition approaches, conditions fluctuate between greater extremes, and the fluctuations take longer to pass. "

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261687

Hah, jax, I calls 'em as I seez 'em. Max was being condescending in that he was suggesting I only read the NYT and suggesting that his opinions are more well informed as he is much more widely read.

"Patsi - And wasn't the best/oddest part when DeLay had a special moment with Bruno. I think he was aiming for Carrie Ann & missed. "Wild Thing," indeed."

Yes! Hilarious -- kicks just keep gettin' harder to find.

"The commissioner said the damage to the plant won't impact the city's drinking water and said it should not damage water flowing from the river."

Pat, you're exactly right about the damage downstream of the plant--it will be absolutely catastrophic--much more significant long-term effect than in the Atlanta area.

Texas Educators: Neil Armstrong Not a Scientist

http://www.livescience.com/space/090922-neil-armstrong-texas-textbooks.html

Flatus -
Millions in fed money for the repairs. I sure hope they use those Republican principals , and don't ask for Federal Disaster aid.

So far this week, the Birthday Bunch includes CBob and Dex. Congrats to them!

Now, who else is lurking out there?

Then we have Craig earning an award.

Question of the week: Will CQ give him a special bonus?

France adopts law that lets entertainment goons take your family off the net if one member is accused (without evidence) of violating copyright

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/09/22/france-adopts-law-th.html

a big happy one to the b-day boys!!!
and congrats to craig.

flatus, you mentioned a cq bonus. wondered if that strange survey at the top of the blog when i linked in today has anything to do with merit/incentive bonus calculations or if cq (or the economist) is simply counting the house. did anybody think it odd?

Bob, I don't know what you can realistically do to protect against a multi-century event such as is occurring in that area.

Protecting against that type of flooding is like King Canute trying to stop the tides.

Where I was in Florida, we spent tremendous amounts of money elevating the pumps for our sewage lift stations and equipping each with automated starting diesel generators. The damned things looked like lighthouses, they were that high.

But, everything ends up at the sewage plant where, after processing, the effluent must be introduced into a river or pumped into the ground. In either case it must be essentially sterile.

In this case, the obvious choice is pumping it into the river, something that is straightforward until the river towers over your plant with the waters rising to the point where they flood everything destroying motors, generators, and all the associated electronics.

I wouldn't be surprised if turns out being weeks or months before everything is running properly.

FWIW, the big city sewage supervisors I've met have been true professionals taking tremendous pride in their work.

I agree with Craig. Obama's Afghan War is not working. So, what does he do? He pulls a page from Bush's playbook. Raise the terror alert. Arrest a couple of people, board the subways and trains in New York, check backacks to remind the people that he has no choice but to increase the number of troops being deployed. Maybe he needs to be reminded how well this worked out for Bush.

Flatus....
my birthday is Sept. 11th.... but I don't make a big deal out of it because of obvious reasons.....

CBob.... I read a very fascinating book last year about the great white sharks that show up every year at the Fallarones.... all those cormorants not breeding is bad news, IMO....

And to you, too, Renee!

Clinton founds the Global Initiative , and DeLay makes Dancing with the Stars.

They didn't call him "Hot Tube Tom " for nothing.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=biofuel-diatoms&sc=WR_20090922

Novel approach to Solar and Oil.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261740

That comment didn't make any sense at all.

I would have prefered DeLay dancing with immates, but that didn't happen.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261731

Not true NewPogo, you started by calling my sources RW. When you say things as you did this morning that are fairly unsupported opinions, don't throw a hissy because you find my return volley a bit abnoxious. It's nothing personal, just my style at times. You already know I think you're a pretty smart dude, so I hold some of your rants to a higher standard. I do apologize for speaking for Hillary at times. You are right, I should qualify such remarks as I have no tunnel into her mind . Malcovich perhaps, but not Hillary.

Happy Birthday Bob. I enjoy some of your links and if we lost all power next week, I have no doubt you would still crank out the food....

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261723

Yes, and aliens might invade and turn us all into food products.

Flatus -
These extreme rain events are a look at the future. I can name a dozen from just the last 2 years. Hell I was blabbing about one last week.
None of them from a dying hurricane.
Each one is a multi-century event for it's location. They all seem to be able to put down a foot of rain in 6 or 7 hours. Or more, ........ it was raining 3 inches an hour for 6 hours at Marble Falls, Texas 2 years ago.

I first starting paying attention to these things 3 years ago. Late that fall, British Columbia and Washington State were setting all time rain records, mixed in with all this storminess, was of these that hit Mt. Rainier. Tore the crap out of the park.

A steady rain began falling around 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 5 and continued through mid-afternoon on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. Varying amounts of precipitation reached the ground throughout the park from Carbon River to Ohanapecosh. Nearly 18" of rain was recorded at Paradise.

http://www.nps.gov/mora/parknews/november-2006-flooding.htm

"cos I think that is exactly what religion does....and did not want to sound like a broken record."

You never sound like a broken record Solar. Sometimes, you just have to repeat certain things until you feel those you're talking to hear it.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/09/obamas-afghan-war-not-working.html#comment-261740
Always good to see you her ubns. Haven't seen you around in a while.

BTW Solar, I think you're right about that being what religion does (from that same post).

Live webcasts twice a day for the Clinton Global Initiative taking place

http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/ourmeetings/meeting_2009_annual_webcast.asp?Section=OurMeetings&PageTitle=Webcast

Agenda Tues - Friday

http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/ourmeetings/meeting_2009_annual_agenda.asp?Section=OurMeetings&PageTitle=Agenda&Agenda_2009=22

...I apologize if this has already been linked. A sure best seller:
(I assume this is by CQ David Corn)

In a soon-to-be-released book based on taped interviews, Bill Clinton discusses his presidency, while dishing on Al Gore, Maureen Dowd, and GOPers
"At one point in the conversation, Gore told Clinton that he was still traumatized by having been caught up in the fundraising scandals of the 1996 Clinton reelection campaign, and he indicated that he blamed Clinton. Clinton could hardly believe this, and he told Branch that Gore was probably in shock from the election or unhinged, remarking, "I thought he was in Neverland."

The 707-page book, titled The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President, is a fascinating read, full of the most inside information on the policy fights, political tussles, and personal controversies of the Clinton years. I haven't finished the book, but here are other intriguing portions that caught my attention:" http://ei.motherjones.com/20090922_clinton_07.html

Millet gumbo & cornbread

Yum.

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