More on ABC's Pro-Hillary Debategate Scandal

ABC news and Charlie Gibson were essentially dismissive last night of their highly controversial performance during Wednesday's debate. Nevertheless, the damage was done not only to journalistic integrity, but Barack Obama. This from CNN's Situation Room:

OBAMA: Forty-five minutes before we heard about health care, 45 minutes before we heard about Iraq, 45 minutes before we heard about jobs, 45 minutes before we heard about gas prices. Now, I don't blame Washington for this because that's just how Washington is. They like stirring up controversy and they like playing "got you games" getting us to attack each other. And I have to say, Senator Clinton, you know, looked in her element.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

BLITZER: All right, Jack, what do you think?

Does he have a point?

CAFFERTY: Well, yes he does, except for this. More than 10 million people watched that debate last night. I think it won its time period in the ratings. All the print critics -- Shales and the rest of them -- trashed it pretty good. And he makes valid point. They spent the first 45 minutes rehashing old ground and -- but one of the things we got out of that first 45 minutes that I thought was interesting was when George Stephanopoulos, the former press secretary for President Clinton -- what kind of objectivity is ABC News showing having him moderate the debate?

But when he pinned Hillary Clinton down and said, is Barack Obama electable, can he beat McCain? And she said yes, because all the reports I've read is that she's been saying that he can't win privately. And he got her to acknowledge that, yes, he probably can. So that was a good moment.

But the rest of that first half hour, 40 minutes, was pretty lame.

Related Links:

• ABC Debate Transcript
• ABC Debate Performance was "Shameful"

ABC Debate Performance was "Shameful"

The reviews are in, last night's ABC debate was disgraceful:

All night long, every time I'd think about the ABC "debate" (sic), three reactions rose up - 1) grind my teeth to an angry pulp, 2) let my head explode, or 3) type something to let the steam out.

This morning, I still can't believe I was able to make it through 45 minutes of the broadcast.

This was topflight journalism at its worst. This was ABC's old, flimsy history with threadbare sizzle packaged as news. It was a tabloid debate with tabloid questions. Matt Drudge come to life on a respectable stage. From what I subsequently discovered, they actually, eventually got around to real issues - after over an hour. But watching it for a mere 45 minutes made me feel almost seedy. I wanted to shower to get the smarm off. I love news, I admire professional journalists, I cherish the Mainstream Media, even when they flounder, because it is the core of democracy. But this was embarrassing. This was pathetic. This was just a cheesy press conference with cheesy questions.

Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos should be ashamed. I'm sure they have all of their reasons wrapped nicely with a bow, explaining why they asked what they asked and why it was proper and good and noble. Sorry, it wasn't. They put this on in prime time across the nation, and turned it into a slimy, Fox Network reality show. A cross between "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?" and "Temptation Island." Something like, "So, You Want to Be President?!"

This was a disservice to America

Here's another view from the Huffington Post:

In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia. They, and their network, should hang their collective heads in shame.

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the health care and mortgage crises, the overall state of the economy and dozens of other pressing issues had to wait for their few moments in the sun as Obama was pressed to explain his recent "bitter" gaffe and relationship with Rev. Wright (seemingly a dead issue) and not wearing a flag pin -- while Clinton had to answer again for her Bosnia trip exaggerations.

Then it was back to Obama to defend his slim association with a former '60s radical -- a question that came out of rightwing talk radio and Sean Hannity on TV, but was delivered by former Bill Clinton aide Stephanopolous. This approach led to a claim that Clinton's husband pardoned two other '60s radicals. And so on. The travesty continued.

Is Bruce Springsteen Unpatriotic for Endorsing Barack Obama?

Since Barack Obama's patriotism has come into question, shouldn't we then also question the patriotism of those who endorse him:

Bruce Springsteen made his choice for Boss today: Barack Obama.

The rock icon from New Jersey shunned the senator from his neighboring state, and sang out for the man from Illinois in an endorsement on his fan Web site.

"I've been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand," Springsteeen wrote to his legions of faithful. "Sen. Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest."

Celebrity endorsements often don't have much of an impact in political contests, but the backing of a rock legend who is a hero to the working class could actually help in upcoming Pennsylvania, where Clinton's stronghold remains among working people.

"He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years," Springsteen writes, "a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that's interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where ‘…nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone.'"

The endorsement is terrible timing for Clinton with several new polls finding Obama creeping farther ahead, in spite of Obama's "bitter" gaffe that insulted some of those blue-collar folks Clinton has been targeting on small town Main Streets in the Keystone State.

"Critics have tried to diminish Sen. Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships," the Boss says.

And he makes a direct pitch to his millions of fans.

"Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President."

Below is the letter as it appeared on The Boss' Web site...

Read the entire letter by The Boss endorsing Barack.

ABC Philadelphia Democratic Presidential Debate Transcript 4-16-08

ABC showed blatant bias against Barack Obama during tonight's Democratic presidential debate (read the entire transcript). They spent much more time attacking Obama on the Wright matter and the "bitter" controversy. But the shocking part was repeated questions implying Barack Obama is unpatriotic:

NASH MCCABE (Latrobe, Pennsylvania): (From videotape.) Senator Obama, I have a question, and I want to know if you believe in the American flag. I am not questioning your patriotism, but all our servicemen, policemen and EMS wear the flag. I want to know why you don't.

MR. GIBSON: Just to add to that, I noticed you put one on yesterday. But -- you've talked about this before, but it comes up again and again when we talk to voters. And as you may know, it is all over the Internet. And it's something of a theme that Senators Clinton and McCain's advisers agree could give you a major vulnerability if you're the candidate in November. How do you convince Democrats that this would not be a vulnerability?

SEN. OBAMA: Well, look, I revere the American flag, and I would not be running for president if I did not revere this country. This is -- I would not be standing here if it wasn't for this country.

And I've said this -- again, there's no other country in which my story is even possible; somebody who was born to a teenage mom, raised by a single mother and grandparents from small towns in Kansas, you know, who was able to get an education and rise to the point where I can run for the highest office in the land. I could not help but love this country for all that it's given me.

And so what I've tried to do is to show my patriotism by how I treat veterans when I'm working in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee; by making sure that I'm speaking forcefully about how we need to bring this war in Iraq to a close, because I think it is not serving our national security well and it's not serving our military families and our troops well; talking about how we need to restore a sense of economic fairness to this country because that's what this country has always been about, is providing upward mobility and ladders to opportunity for all Americans. That's what I love about this country. And so I will continue to fight for those issues.

And I am absolutely confident that during the general election that when I'm in a debate with John McCain, people are not going to be questioning my patriotism, they are going to be questioning how can you make people's lives a little bit better.

And let me just make one last point on this issue of the flag pin. As you noted, I wore one yesterday when a veteran handed it to me, who himself was disabled and works on behalf of disabled veterans. I have never said that I don't wear flag pins or refuse to wear flag pins. This is the kind of manufactured issue that our politics has become obsessed with and, once again, distracts us from what should be my job when I'm commander in chief, which is going to be figuring out how we get our troops out of Iraq and how we actually make our economy better for the American people.

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator, if you get the nomination, you'll have to -- (applause) -- (inaudible).

I want to give Senator Clinton a chance to respond, but first a follow-up on this issue, the general theme of patriotism in your relationships. A gentleman named William Ayers, he was part of the Weather Underground in the 1970s. They bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol and other buildings. He's never apologized for that. And in fact, on 9/11 he was quoted in The New York Times saying, "I don't regret setting bombs; I feel we didn't do enough."

An early organizing meeting for your state senate campaign was held at his house, and your campaign has said you are friendly. Can you explain that relationship for the voters, and explain to Democrats why it won't be a problem?

SEN. OBAMA: George, but this is an example of what I'm talking about.

Is Hillary in a Free Fall?

Despite a stall in the national polls for Obama in recent weeks over the exaggerated "bitter" scandal, Obama is surging again. And he is within striking range in Pennsylvania. Superdelegates are watching, including Jimmy Carter and Al Gore. This is the latest ABC/Washington Post poll:

Sen. Barack Obama holds a 10-point lead over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton when Democrats are asked whom they would prefer to see emerge as the party's presidential nominee, but there is little public pressure to bring the long and increasingly heated contest to an end, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The fierce battle, however, appears to have taken a toll on the image of Clinton, who was once seen as the favorite. And Obama has widened his lead since early February on several key qualities that voters are looking for in a candidate and has narrowed sizable advantages for Clinton on others.

He now has a 2-to-1 edge on who is considered more electable in a general contest -- a major reversal from the last poll -- and has dramatically reduced a large Clinton lead on which of the two is the "stronger leader."

While Clinton retains a big edge over Obama on experience, public impressions of her have taken a sharply negative turn. Today, more Americans have an unfavorable view of her than at any time since The Post and ABC began asking the question, in 1992.

This from First Read:

The Washington Post’s headline for the poll: "Democrats Willing to Let Battle Continue." From the article: "While Clinton retains a big edge over Obama on experience, public impressions of her have taken a sharply negative turn. Today, more Americans have an unfavorable view of her than at any time since The Post and ABC began asking the question, in 1992. Impressions of her husband, former president Bill Clinton, also have grown negative by a small margin."

Meanwhile, a new set of state polls from the L.A. Times/Bloomberg in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Indiana, also have bad news for Clinton -- as Obama leads in two of the three states (IN and NC), while Clinton's lead in PA is only five points. "In all three states, Clinton was seen as better-equipped to handle trade and healthcare policy. But she does not appear to have been as persuasive in making a core argument of her campaign: that she would be better-prepared to lead the nation's military and foreign policy. Asked who would be better as commander in chief, voters in North Carolina chose Obama, 45% to 28%; in Indiana, Obama was chosen 37% to 29%. Only in Pennsylvania did voters prefer Clinton as commander in chief, 44% to 39%.”

“There are some ominous signs that the party will not easily unify after a long and contentious primary fight. Fully 30% of Clinton supporters in North Carolina said they would switch to McCain if Obama was the nominee (only 14% of Obama backers would defect if Clinton was the nominee)."

Gore and Carter want Hillary Out of the Race?

Hillary's destructive attacks on Obama are only serving to hurt party's chances at winning in the Fall. This explains why two Democratic Party icons might be looking to getting her out of the race before she does more damage. This article is from FOX:

MEGYN KELLY, CO-HOST: Well, he may have served as Bill Clinton's vice president, but according to a new report in "The Scotsman" newspaper, Al Gore wants Hillary out of the White House race. And get this, he is reportedly working in cahoots with former president Jimmy Carter to make it happen. Could this be true?

FOX News political analyst Kirsten Powers joins us now with some answers. All right, Kirsten. So this is a newspaper that's broken some real political news in the past. They broke the story of Samantha Power who worked for the Obama campaign and she got booted for calling Hillary a monster. They say they're working together. They've already, quote, "held high-level discussions about getting Hillary out."

POWERS: No.

KIRSTEN KELLY, FOX NEWS POLITICAL ANALYST: No?

POWERS: No. And I think — and also, they didn't really break the story. Samantha Power just happened to be talking to them when she said stuff. So it's not like you had some great sources. It's just not true. Gore's office has been trying to get this retracted.

There's just nothing to it. And even if — let's just pretend it was true, it wouldn't work. Hillary Clinton is not going to listen to Al Gore and Jimmy Carter. They don't have the zero sway over her. If she gets out of the race, when she gets out of the race, it will be because she decided to get out. And she simply will not do it because of anything Al Gore or Jimmy Carter says.

KELLY: All right. But let me ask you this, because "The Scotsman" says that a source close to Carter told the newspaper that, in fact, they are having these discussions. So they say at least one person has reported. Indeed, there's been a talk.

POWERS: Yes, well, Gore's office says there aren't and I know people ...

KELLY: But what are they ...

POWERS: No, I know people who are close to him, and I've talked to them and it is not happening. Now, I can't speak for Carter and maybe he thinks he has that kind of sway, but he doesn't. The other thing that they say and I've heard other people speculate that whoever Gore endorsed, and then all the other superdelegates would fall in line.

And this is why they might want her out. This from Americablog:

Here's what Hillary says on her campaign Web site:

Today, Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of another prominent Montana leader, Yellowstone County Commissioner Bill Kennedy.... Kennedy said Sen. Obama's remarks last week at a San Francisco fundraiser solidified his support for Sen. Clinton.

Here's the truth from Kennedy today, April 15:

“I had been leaning toward Hillary for months,” Kennedy said. “I actually decided to endorse her two weeks ago.”

In other words, he decided on April 1. Obama made the bitter comments on April 6. So, she lied.

It's not just the lies, but how bad Hillary sucks at lying. The lies are amateurish.

If that were not enough of a reason. Then there are the numbers:

Barack Obama is maintaining his lead over Hillary Clinton among Democrats nationally in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking, with a 51% to 40% margin in the April 12-14 average.

Hillary Clinton's Rev. Wright Bob Johnson Pulls a Ferraro

Just when the Clinton campaign was enjoying Obama's latest gaffe, they're supporters start saying dumb things. Ok, if we've had over a week of media hype over Barack's comments it is fair to now blast the Clinton people for these race-baiting comments. Of course, none of this has anything to do with solving the serious economic crisis we're going through:

The billionaire founder of Black Entertainment Television says Barack Obama would not be a leading presidential candidate if he were white and that the Illinois senator's campaign has "a hair-trigger on anything racial."

The Charlotte Observer reported on its Web site Monday that Bob Johnson, one of Hillary Rodham Clinton's top black supporters, was commenting on remarks previously made by Geraldine Ferraro, another Clinton supporter.

"What I believe Geraldine Ferraro meant is that if you take a freshman senator from Illinois called 'Jerry Smith' and he says I'm going to run for president, would he start off with 90 percent of the black vote?" Johnson said. "And the answer is, probably not."

Will the press force Clinton to renounce Johnson just as they called for Obama to renounce Rev.Wright:

Obama campaign spokesman Dan Leistikow called Johnson's remarks "just one in a long line of absurd comments by Bob Johnson and other Clinton supporters who will say or do anything to get the nomination. The American people are tired of this and are ready to turn the page on these kind of attack politics."

Johnson, who owns the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, is a longtime friend of both Hillary Clinton and former President Clinton.

In January, Johnson seemed to refer to Obama's acknowledged teenage drug use while introducing Clinton at a South Carolina event. He said the Clintons "have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues -- when Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood; I won't say what he was doing, but he said it in his book -- when they have been involved."

The American people are sick of Hillary's smears. The press just loves it:

On Monday, with the Pennsylvania primary just days away, Hillary Clinton continued to hammer Barack Obama over his comments that small town Americans "cling to guns or religion" because they are "bitter."

But the audience at a forum put on by the Alliance for American Manufacturing didn't appreciate her line of attack.

"I understand my opponent came this morning and spent a lot of his time attacking me," she said at the beginning of her remarks here.

Many in the crowd responded with audible groans, and a few shouted, "No!"

Obama spoke to the same forum earlier in the morning and ribbed Clinton for doing a shot of whiskey in front of TV cameras on Saturday in Indiana.

Clinton continued, "I know that many of you, like me, were disappointed by the recent remarks he made."

This time, a louder, sustained chorus of "No!" emanated from the audience. Clinton soldiered on.

"I am well aware that at a fundraiser in San Francisco he said some things that many people in Pennsylvania and beyond Pennsylvania have found offensive," she said.

This time, a smaller smattering of jeers.

It was only when Clinton concluded her opening remarks by attacking President Bush that she received a warm round of applause.

The Clinton campaign later said the disgruntled reaction to her remarks came from Obama supporters in attendance.

Several audience members told CNN after the speech they came to the forum to hear each candidate talk about trade issues, and were not interested in the political back-and-forth of the Democratic primary race.

When Clinton focused on policy and expounded on enforcing trade agreements, creating new jobs and standing up to China, she received some hearty ovations.

Transcript: 60 Minutes Exposes Corrupt Iraqi Government

I ask again. Why are American troops fighting and dying to defend a hopelessly corrupt Iraq government? Someone should ask George Bush this question:

Electricity is still in short supply, medicines are available mainly through the black market, and there are long lines for fuel in a country that has the third largest oil reserves in the world. One of the biggest problems is corruption, which is robust even by Middle Eastern standards. According to U.S. and Iraqi officials, bribery and outright theft are flourishing in virtually every Iraqi ministry, and some of those ill-gotten gains are being used to kill American troops.

[...]This story begins 18 months ago, in the fall of 2006, when correspondent Steve Kroft first reported that more than a billion dollars from the previous Iraqi Defense Ministry had been wasted, stolen or misappropriated. The money was supposed to supply the new Iraqi army with desperately-needed equipment to fight the growing insurgency. But according to audits conducted by the Iraqi government, and to Judge Radhi al Radhi, Iraq's top anti-corruption official, millions were misspent on old and antiquated equipment and the rest simply disappeared.

Judge Radhi told Kroft that he estimated that "more than half" of the $1.3 billion had been stolen. "As we hear from some friends abroad, that they never heard of such corruption and embezzlement to such a degree," he said.

Radhi, who was imprisoned and tortured under Saddam Hussein, obtained arrest warrants for the former minister of defense and his top aides, who all fled the country. As Iraq's commissioner of public integrity, Radhi had one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. He launched investigations against 20 current and former ministers, alienating the political establishment to the point that parliament tried to fire him. He had 30 body guards and received constant death threats.

To the remark that lots of people would like to see him dead, Radhi told Kroft, "I don't care. That's their problem."

That was in 2006.

Today he's living with his extended family living in a small apartment with donated furniture in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. The most public figure in Iraq's battle against corruption had finally been driven out of his job and his country and is now a refugee seeking asylum in the United States.

[...]Mattil says shortly after the unclassified report was leaked to the press last summer, the State Department decided to make it classified.

Asked for what reason it was classified, Mattil said, "The embarrassment factor, I would think."

But the State Department's decision to try and bury the report didn't change the facts in Iraq. In some cases, Mattil says the corruption involves outright theft of government funds, or bribery, with some of the money finding its way into the hands of insurgents or Iraqi militias.

"In other cases, it is the militias and insurgents themselves who control some of the ministries, who are involved in the corruption and funding their activities through these actions," Mattil said.

Asked if this is known and condoned by Prime Minister Maliki, Mattil said, "It's known and tolerated by the prime minister and other officials within the government."

Read the entire transcript of the broadcast...

Obama Bashes Hillary on her Sudden Pro-Gun Stance

Obama is fighting back against Hillary nauseating pandering and opportunism. She tried to take advantage of the criticism of Obama over his "bitter" remark. Now Barack is turning the tables on her. These remarks were made yesterday in Steelton,Pennsylvania:

Obama, who still holds a nine-point advantage over Clinton in the nationwide Gallup Poll, is battling back fiercely against Clinton, trying to regain the offensive after the disclosure of remarks he made at a San Francisco fundraiser that suggested working-class people are bitter about their economic circumstances and "cling to guns and religion" as a result.

On Sunday, Obama reiterated his regret for his choice of words at the fundraiser but suggested they had been twisted and mischaracterized.

He said he had expected an assault from Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain, but had been "a little disappointed" to be criticized by Clinton, mocking her vocal support for gun rights and saying her record in the Senate did not match her words on the campaign trail. The issue is likely to arise again Monday when both men address the annual meeting of the board of directors of The Associated Press in Washington.

"She knows better. Shame on her. Shame on her," Obama told an audience at a union hall here Sunday.

Obama noted that Clinton seemed much more interested in guns since he made his comments than she had in the past.

"She is running around talking about how this is an insult to sportsmen, how she values the Second Amendment," Obama said, referring to the U.S. Constitution amendment that covers gun ownership rights.

"Hillary Clinton is out there like she's on the duck blind every Sunday. She's packing a six-shooter. Come on, she knows better. That's some politics being played by Hillary Clinton," he said.

Clinton has told campaign audiences that she supports the rights of hunters. Saturday, she reminisced about learning to shoot on family vacations in Scranton, where her father grew up. She's also said she once shot a duck in Arkansas, where she served as first lady.

More from his speech yesterday:

"I just have to remind people of the track record," Obama said, noting Clinton accepted campaign contributions from PACs and drug and insurance industry lobbyists, which he does not.

"This is the same person who took money from financial folks on Wall Street and then voted for bankruptcy bill that makes it harder for folks right here in Pennsylvania to get a fair shake. Who do you think is out of touch?" Obama said.

"This is the same person who spent a decade with her husband campaigning for NAFTA, and now goes around saying she's opposed to NAFTA," Obama said, referring to the North American Free Trade Agreement that is widely unpopular in blue collar communities.

Obama is a victim of his atypical politician plain talk. Unlike Hillary, he doesn't depend on talking points. This is (as a talk show pundit pointed out this weekend) politicians always mince words. You get in trouble for speaking your mind honestly. The media jumps all over it every time. This from Alternet:

So now, Barack Obama tells the truth about conditions as we know them -- that the countryside and the small towns are dying in many places in our country, and that the corporatocracy doesn't care enough to do a thing about it. He points out that immigrant-baiting, gay-baiting, gun-baiting, and religious pandering have helped to destroy those towns and that countryside, that those being destroyed have been cynically enlisted by their very own destroyers to provide the votes that help accomplish the destruction. And this is what Senator Hillary Clinton says about it: "Senator Obama's remarks were elitist and out of touch. They are not reflective of the values and beliefs of Americans."

From Senator Clinton's remarks, I infer that to actually see what has gone on in the US in the last 20 years is unAmerican. It doesn't matter who you are, where you were born, what you pay in taxes, what else you might have contributed to the culture, how you vote, who you support. If you don't support fundamentalist religion, job outsourcing, and free access to guns, then you are not even American.

Transcript: S.O.D. Robert Gates on Face The Nation 4-13-08

Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, appeared on Face The Nation this week. He tried to spin the fiasco in Iraq. His answers nonetheless are very lame. Read the entire transcript:

SCHIEFFER: Are you worried about the strain on the military troops there, what Colin Powell said just the other day, that we're basically maxed out right now, the American military. You've got problems in Afghanistan. I understand the situation in Pakistan grows worse. What do you feel about that?

Mr. GATES: Obviously I worry about strain on the force. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Joint Chiefs, we all worry about the strain on the force. We all know that these 15-month tours have been very difficult on our soldiers. We know that the longer tours for the Marines have been very difficult for them. But the generals will tell you, these young men and women are amazingly resilient and determined, and I think that Admiral Mullen has said just this week that this--that there's a spring in their step because they know that they're being successful. So, yes, they're under
strain, but they're determined, and, frankly, the decision to go back to 12-month deployments, the increase in the size of the Army and the Marine Corps, there are a number of measures in effect to begin to relieve that strain.

Enough troops in Afghanistan? It's a lie:

SCHIEFFER: Mr. Secretary, do you have enough troops available to do what is going to need to be done in Afghanistan? Because we hear the Taliban grows stronger by the day. Aren't you going to have to reduce those levels in Iraq in order to get troops to Afghanistan?

Mr. GATES: I think we have sufficient forces in Afghanistan for this fighting season in 2008. We've deployed 3500 additional Marines there. The French have committed to send a battalion, which will allow us to send additional forces to the southern part of the country. I think that there is a requirement to have more forces in the longer term, and, frankly, I'm confident that we will have lower force levels in Iraq in 2009 that will enable us to be more helpful in Afghanistan.

SCHIEFFER: Do you want more help from NATO? Is NATO doing what it needs to be doing?

Mr. GATES: I always want more help from NATO.

SCHIEFFER: And do you have any idea that you're going to get it?

Mr. GATES: Well, I think that several countries stepped up to the plate at the Bucharest summit, the French foremost among them. But there are a number of countries that are increasing their commitment. And I think, really, an important element of the Bucharest summit was that, when NATO took over this mission in Afghanistan two years ago Riga, they really didn't know, I think, in many respects what they were getting into, that this was going to be a tough fight and it was going to last awhile. What's amazing is, knowing what they know now, every single NATO head of
government signed a commitment that NATO--that Afghanistan was NATO's most important operation and we were determined to win there.

Go to Links below which contradict what the Secretary is claiming:

• Greatest Threat to America: An Overstretched Military
• Study: U.S. troop Morale up in Iraq, those in Afghanistan Depressed
• Intelligence Chief: Taliban Making Gains in Afghanistan
• Do We Have a Government at the Steering Wheel?
• UN Survey: Afghan Opium High in 2008
• Study: Afghanistan Could Fail as a State
• Cease-fire in Iraq Unravels as Death Toll Mounts
• Poll: 64% Say Iraq War "Not Worth It"
• Millions of Iraqis Lack Water, Healthcare: Red Cross
• Water Makes US Troops in Iraq Sick
• Newspaper Exposes Shocking War Profiteering in Iraq

U.S. Troops Die to Defend Iraqi Soldiers Who Won't Fight

This is the biggest reason why we shouldn't be in Iraq. Why are American troops fighting and dying to defend a country in where it's troops won't defend their country. The Iraqis are totally dependent on the U.S. And as long as we stay there that won't change:

The Iraqi government has dismissed about 1,300 soldiers and policemen who deserted or refused to fight during last month's offensive against Shiite militias and criminal gangs in Basra, officials said Sunday.

Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said 921 police and soldiers were fired in Basra. They included 37 senior police officers ranging in rank from lieutenant colonel to brigadier general.

The others were dismissed in Kut, one of the Shiite cities where the fight had spread.

Last month, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered the security forces to confront armed groups in Basra, Iraq's second largest city.

But they met fierce resistance and the attack quickly ground to a halt as fighting flared across the Shiite south and Baghdad.

Since then, government officials have revealed that about 1,000 members of the security forces - including an entire infantry battalion - had mutinied, on some cases handing over vehicles and weapons to the militias.

This might be part of the reason why Iraqi troops won't fight. This also reminds us that American soldiers are dying to defend a government that is hopelessly corrupt and inept:

An $833 million Iraqi arms deal secretly negotiated with Serbia has underscored Iraq’s continuing problems equipping its armed forces, a process that has long been plagued by corruption and inefficiency.

The deal was struck in September without competitive bidding and it sidestepped anticorruption safeguards, including the approval of senior uniformed Iraqi Army officers and an Iraqi contract approval committee. Instead, it was negotiated by a delegation of 22 high-ranking Iraqi officials, without the knowledge of American commanders or many senior Iraqi leaders.

The deal drew enough criticism that Iraqi officials later limited the purchase to $236 million. And much of that equipment, American commanders said, turned out to be either shoddy or inappropriate for the military’s mission.

An anatomy of the purchase highlights how the Iraqi Army’s administrative abilities — already hampered by sectarian rifts and corruption — are woefully underdeveloped, hindering it in procuring weapons and other essentials in a systematic way. It also shows how an American procurement process set up to help foreign countries navigate the complexity of buying weapons was too slow and unwieldy for wartime needs like Iraq’s, prompting the Iraqis to strike out on their own.

Such weaknesses mean that five years after the American invasion, the 170,000-strong Iraqi military remains under-equipped, spottily supplied and largely reliant on the United States for such basics as communications equipment, weapons and ammunition, raising fresh questions about the Iraqi military’s ability to stand on its own.

Just Call Hillary Clinton - Panderer-in-Chief

Hillary Clinton has now lost all sense of decency. She could be surpassing her husband as a sleazy panderer. Whether its taking a shot in a bar or implying she is pro-gun, toughness on crime, or boosting the military. She is whatever you want her to be:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton outlined a plan Saturday to keep more military-related manufacturing in the United States, calling it an economic and security priority.

Speaking at a plant here that builds transmissions for military vehicles, Clinton said she would limit the Defense Department's ability to buy foreign-made products, in part by making the agency consider the impact on U.S. jobs when it awards contracts.

What she doesn't mention is that her husband's anti-military, anti-worker policies (i.e., NAFTA) help decimate the defense industry and American jobs.

She is also a crimefighter. Just in time for the Pennsylvania primary:

Because black Americans are disproportionately higher users of crack than are whites, many groups want to end policies that punish crack users much more harshly than powder cocaine users, who are predominantly white.

Clinton said she would pay for the $4 billion initiative with savings to be identified by a commission she will assign to "identify unnecessary and outdated corporate subsidies for elimination." Critics of deficit spending generally urge campaigns to be more specific in saying how they will pay for new programs.

"Clinton Becomes A Gun Lover":

Hillary Clinton appealed to Second Amendment supporters on Saturday by hinting that she has some experience of her own pulling triggers.

[...]"You know, my dad took me out behind the cottage that my grandfather built on a little lake called Lake Winola outside of Scranton and taught be how to shoot when I was a little girl," she said.

"You know, some people now continue to teach their children and their grandchildren. It's part of culture. It's part of a way of life. People enjoy hunting and shooting because it's an important part of who they are. Not because they are bitter."

The ultimate elitist pulls the classic pandering tactic--tell people what they want to hear. Don't give people bad news because they might not want to hear it:

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton managed to co-opt Mr. Obama’s message of hope and optimism, beginning a speech in Valparaiso, Ind., by talking about how positive and “fundamentally optimistic” Americans are.

“We don’t get bogged down and looking back – we’re always looking forward,” she said, as heavy applause nearly drowned out her words. “Whatever obstacle we see, we get over it. Whatever challenge we have, we meet it. We’re the problem-solvers, we’re the innovators, we’re the people who make the better future.”

For the third time since Mr. Obama’s remarks were made public Friday night, Mrs. Clinton criticized him at length, saying his comments seemed “kind of elitist and out of touch.”

Food Shortages Herald "New Era Of Hunger"

The writing is on the wall. We are headed for a worldwide depression if something isn't done soon. We need to wake up before for its too late:

A third day of riots in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, had by Friday paralyzed the city with looting and violence.

The demonstrations began earlier in the week, in protest against rising food prices, and turned into riots.

The looting has made access to food even more difficult, doing little to ease widespread hunger among Haitians.

[...]There have been riots in Bangladesh, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mozambique and Senegal. Rising prices have hit poor countries like Peru (and even developed countries like Italy and the United States).

A confluence of problems are driving the problem. They include soaring petroleum prices, which increase the cost of fertilizers, transport and food processing; rising demand for meat and dairy in China and India, resulting in increased costs for grain, used for cattle feed; and the ever-rising demand for raw materials to make biofuels.

As of December, 37 countries faced food crises, and 20 had imposed some sort of food-price controls. The U.N.'s World Food Program says it's facing a $500 million shortfall in funding this year to feed 89 million needy people.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick warned that prices could continue to rise for several years.

"This is not a this-year phenomenon," Zoellick said.

On Friday, the Group of 24 Developing Countries urged advanced nations to step up financial aid to help them deal with the severe impact of higher food and energy prices and the turmoil in global financial markets.

The G-24 said that coordinated international action is needed to prevent the emergence of a larger crisis, and agreed the International Monetary Fund has an important role in responding to the current crisis. They also urged the IMF's sister institution, the World Bank, to increase advice and financial support.

Jean-Claude Masangu-Mulongo, chairman of the G-24 and governor of Congo's central bank, said the world was facing "an unprecedented financial crisis that began ... in the heart of the system, the United States, and is spreading."

Transcript: Obama Indiana Speech 4-11-08

This speech was giving in Columbus, Indiana at a high school. Some excerpts below or read the entire transcript:

So, I have been running for President for about 15 months now. This is a town hall meeting, but I'll make some remarks at the outset and then we'll and then we'll open it up to questions and comments from people.

I've been running for president for about 15 months now which means there are babies who've been born and are now walking and talking since I started running for president. When I started to run, some people asked me, "Barack, why are you running this time, you're a relatively young man, why are you running so soon?"

And I had to explain that I wasn't running because of some long-held ambition or because I thought it was somehow owed to me,

"I was running because of what Dr. King called the fierce urgency of now, the fierce urgency of now, because I believe there is such a thing as being too late, there's such a thing as being too late, and that hour is almost upon us.

We are at a defining moment in our history and I know there are a lot of young people here today and so I want to speak to them as well. There are moments in the life of every generation where we've got to stand up and be counted and I think this is one of those moments.

Our nation is involved in two wars, one war that we need to win in Afghanistan, against Al Qaeda, those who killed 3,000 Americans and have declared war on us.

Another war that I believe should have never been authorized and and should have never been waged, A war that has cost us billions of dollars and thousands of lives. And a war that has not made us more safe.

Meanwhile here at home our economy is struggling and after seven and a half years of George Bush's economic policies, we now realize that pain trickles up. Because for a long time it was only people on Main Street who were having a tough time.

The economy was growing, the stock market was doing great, corporate profits were up, but this was the first economic expansion in U.S. history where the wages and incomes of ordinary families actually declined during an economic expansion. Because this wasn't a balanced economy, it wasn't good for everybody.

And all across Indiana, people are working harder and harder just to get by. They haven't seen a raise, but their costs of everything from health care to college to gas at the pump have gone up, so it's harder to save and it's harder to retire. And now people are worried about losing their homes because of the home foreclosure crisis and even those with good credit are having trouble because the financial markets have frozen up.

You've got 47 million people without health insurance and if you've got health insurance you've seen your co-payments, deductibles and your premiums going up and up and up.

And despite the slogans, we've got millions of children who are being left behind, unable to compete in a global economy [skip] aren't providing them what they need.

Transcript: ABC News Interviews George Bush

Here is the full transcript of Martha Raddatz of ABC News interviewing King George. Does he sound as detached from reality as ever? Judge for yourself:

RADDATZ: All during that period -- April, May, June, July -- when things were really going downhill, people were talking about there being civil war.

BUSH: Yes.

RADDATZ: .You were saying, 'We're winning. We have a plan for victory. We are winning,' up through October.

BUSH: Well, there was -- I also recognized -- I think if you'd go through the -- kind of fully analyze my statements, I was also saying, "The fighting is very tough, it's -- you know, the extremism is unacceptable. The murder is unacceptable."

And you know, it's very important to be realistic.

RADDATZ: But the overall thing -- when you say, "We're winning," you know what the American people hear. You know how that will play.

BUSH: Well, yes. I think we -- and I wanted -- that's as much trying to bolster the spirits of the people in the field as well as -- look, you can't have the commander in chief say to a bunch of kids who are sacrificing either, "It's not worth it," or, "You're losing." I mean, what does that do for morale?

I'm the commander in chief of the military as well, obviously, as, you know, somebody who speaks to the country. And if you look at my remarks, they were balanced. They weren't Pollyannaish.

RADDATZ: But you weren't talking about a new strategy. I mean, I remember going to some strategy tactic things with you. You weren't talking about a new strategy publicly.

It's one thing for the troops and boosting morale. I totally understand that. But do you think you lost credibility with the American people? Do you think that's one...

BUSH: Yes.

RADDATZ: ... of the reasons you couldn't sell this?

BUSH: I think the quickest way to lose credibility with the American people is for them to think the president makes decisions based upon the latest public opinion poll or what's good for a political party.

Dangerous Cattle Virus On U.S. Mainland?

Just another issue to worry about. And given this administration's track record on food safety we need to worry:

The Bush administration is likely to move its research on one of the most contagious animal diseases from an isolated island laboratory off Long Island to the U.S. mainland near herds of livestock, raising concerns about a catastrophic outbreak.

Skeptical Democrats in Congress are demanding to see internal documents they believe highlight the risks and consequences of the decision. An epidemic of the disease, foot and mouth, which only affects animals, could devastate the livestock industry.

One such government report, produced last year and already turned over to lawmakers by the Homeland Security Department, combined commercial satellite images and federal farm data to show the proximity to livestock herds of locations that have been considered for the new lab. "Would an accidental laboratory release at these locations have the potential to affect nearby livestock?" asked the nine-page document. It did not directly answer the question.

A simulated outbreak of the disease - part of an earlier U.S. government exercise called "Crimson Sky" - ended with fictional riots in the streets after the simulation's National Guardsmen were ordered to kill tens of millions of farm animals, so many that troops ran out of bullets. In the exercise, the government said it would have been forced to dig a ditch in Kansas 25 miles long to bury carcasses. In the simulation, protests broke out in some cities amid food shortages.

"It was a mess," said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., who portrayed the president in the 2002 exercise. Now, like other lawmakers from the states under consideration, Roberts supports moving the government's new lab to his state. Manhattan, Kan., is one of five mainland locations under consideration. "It will mean jobs" and spur research and development, he says.

The other possible locations for the new National Bio-and Agro-Defense Facility are Athens, Ga.; Butner, N.C.; San Antonio; and Flora, Miss. The new site could be selected later this year, and the lab would open by 2014. The numbers of livestock in the counties and surrounding areas of the finalists range from 542,507 in Kansas to 132,900 in Georgia, according to the Homeland Security study.

Big Money Funding Obama as Well: Ties his Hands

Money is the root of all evil in American politics. It is the reason why, if elected President, Barack Obama won't be able to effect the change he sincerely seeks. Those big donors supporting the Illinois Senator expect something in return. Even a candidate meaning well is forced to sell his or her soul. It is why the last 2 Presidents have been scum:

Sen. Barack Obama credits his presidential campaign with creating a "parallel public financing system" built on a wave of modest donations from homemakers and high school teachers. Small givers, he said at a fundraiser this week, "will have as much access and influence over the course and direction of our campaign that has traditionally been reserved for the wealthy and the powerful."

But those with wealth and power also have played a critical role in creating Obama's record-breaking fundraising machine, and their generosity has earned them a prominent voice in shaping his campaign. Seventy-nine "bundlers," five of them billionaires, have tapped their personal networks to raise at least $200,000 each. They have helped the campaign recruit more than 27,000 donors to write checks for $2,300, the maximum allowed. Donors who have given more than $200 account for about half of Obama's total haul, which stands at nearly $240 million.

Obama's success in assembling bundlers offers another perspective on a campaign that promotes itself as a grass-roots effort. While the senator from Illinois has had unprecedented success generating small donations, many made online, the work of bundlers first signaled the seriousness of his candidacy a year ago and will be crucial as he heads into the final Democratic primaries with a lead against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.).

The bundler list also sheds light on those who might seek to influence an Obama White House. It includes traditional Democratic givers — Hollywood, trial lawyers and Wall Street — and newcomers such as young hedge fund executives, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Chicago-based developers and members of the black business elite. One-third had never contributed to a presidential campaign, much less raised money.

California cash
The list includes partners from 18 top law firms, 21 Wall Street executives and power brokers from Fortune 500 companies. California is the top source, with 19 bundlers. Both Illinois and Washington, D.C., have six, and five hail from New York.

CNN Poll of Polls: Clinton Lead Over Obama Down to 4 Points

Here comes Obama. If he wins in Pennsylvania it is over for sure:

Sen. Hillary Clinton's lead over Sen. Barack Obama in the crucial primary state of Pennsylvania has dwindled to 4 points, a CNN average of recent polls calculated Thursday shows.

The New York senator now holds a 4 point advantage over her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, 46 to 42 percent. Twelve percent of likely Democratic voters there remain unsure.

Recent CNN "poll of polls" suggest the race in Pennsylvania is tightening before the state's April 22 primary. A poll of polls calculated two days ago showed Clinton with a 6 point lead in Pennsylvania, and a poll of polls last Friday showed her on top by 11 points.

All those lies are taking their toll:

"A lot of the way this whole campaign has been covered has amused me," he said. "But there was a lot of fulminating because Hillary, one time late at night when she was exhausted, misstated and immediately apologized for it, what happened to her in Bosnia in 1995. Did y'all see all that. Oh, they blew it up. Let me just tell you. The president of Bosnia and Gen. Wesley Clark -- who was there making peace where we'd lost three peacekeepers who had to ride on a dangerous mountain road because it was too dangerous to go the regular, safe way -- both defended her because they pointed out that when her plane landed in Bosnia, she had to go up to the bulletproof part of the plane, in the front. Everybody else had to put their flack jackets underneath the seat in case they got shot at. And everywhere they went they were covered by Apache helicopters. So they just abbreviated the arrival ceremony. Now I say that because, what really has mattered is that even then she was interested in our troops. And I think she was the first first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt to go into a combat zone. And you woulda thought, you know, that she'd robbed a bank the way they carried on about this. And some of them when they're 60 they'll forget something when they're tired at 11:00 at night, too."

Sen. Clinton did not apologize, like Mr. Clinton asserted, she simply indicated that she mispoke when describing the Bosnia incident.

While the former president may have been amused by the whole incident, his telling of the course of events wasn't quite accurate. Hillary Clinton actually made the comments numerous times, including at an event in Iowa on Dec. 29, amd an event on Feb. 29 and one time -- bright and early in the morning -- on March 17.

Sen. Clinton wasn't as quick with her apology as President Clinton may remember either. In fact, it took a week for her to eventually correct herself, first talking to the Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board on March 24 and again apologizing the next day in Greensboro, N.C.

Victory for Protestors: Olympic Torch Forced to Take Detour

The Olympic ceremony first started by Nazi Germany was forced to retreat yesterday. It was the latest blow to the neo-Fascist regime in China's propaganda parade:

The nation’s only chance to see the Olympic flame up close became an elaborate game of hide-and-seek here on Wednesday, as city officials secretly rerouted the planned torch relay, swarmed its runners with blankets of security and then whisked the torch to the airport in a heavily guarded motorcade.

The closing ceremony to mark the flame’s only North American stop was also effectively canceled in the face of thousands of protesters and supporters, who waited for hours in vain along the flame’s announced route.

Instead, officials decided that the flame would leapfrog protesters and travel on a central avenue about two miles away.

There, surrounded by uniformed officers and police on motorcycles, it was run in stop-and-start fashion toward the Golden Gate Bridge, chased by a throng of surprised residents and members of the news media.

“It was like the slowest car chase ever,” said Annie Ingamells, 42, a Briton who caught a glimpse of the flame with her daughter Ruby. “I guess that tactic worked.”

About four miles into the route, the torch was placed on a bus and taken to San Francisco’s airport, where it will fly to Buenos Aires, the next stop on the flame’s beleaguered international tour.

Now Obama is on board:

Barack Obama joined Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday in calling for President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Clinton had commended British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for announcing that he will skip the August ceremonies in China's capital, and called on Obama and likely Republican presidential nominee John McCain to join her in urging Bush to do the same.

Obama did later in the day; his campaign issued a statement in which, for the first time, he urged Bush to boycott the festivities.

Activists are urging world leaders to stay away from the ceremonies to underscore concerns about China's human rights record, its handling of recent unrest in Tibet and its relationship with Sudan.

Obama said a boycott "should be firmly on the table," but that a decision should be made closer to the Games.

"If the Chinese do not take steps to help stop the genocide in Darfur and to respect the dignity, security and human rights of the Tibetan people, then the president should boycott the opening ceremonies," he said. "As I have communicated in public and to the president, it is past time for China to respect the human rights of the Tibetan people, to allow foreign journalists and diplomats access to the region, and to engage the Dalai Lama in meaningful talks about the future of Tibet."

The protests have even forced the Olympic games authorities to speak up:

IOC president Jacques Rogge said Thursday the turmoil surrounding the Beijing torch relay and the politically charged buildup to the Summer Games posed a "crisis'' for the Olympic movement.

Rogge urged China to respect its "moral engagement'' to improve human rights and to fulfill promises of greater media freedom. He reaffirmed the right of free speech for athletes at the Beijing Games.

IMF Forecasts World Economic Slowdown

The economic crisis is worldwide and requires international cooperation to deal with. So why are U.S. politicians acting like its just a domestic issue that requires domestic governmental action. The global markets have become bigger than any one governments ability to regulate. In other words, America no longer controls it's economic destiny:

The world economy will slow sharply this year, according to an International Monetary Fund forecast, with the United States sliding into a recession amid housing, credit and financial slumps.

The International Monetary Fund, in a World Economic Outlook released Wednesday, slashed growth projections for the United States - the epicenter of the woes - and the global economy as a whole. Even so, growth in China and India will remain strong, even as the two nations are expected to post lower growth rates in 2009.

Economic growth in the United States is expected to slow to a crawl of just 0.5 percent this year, which would mark the worst pace in 17 years, when the country last suffered through a recession, the global finance body said. The United States will not fare much better next year; the IMF projected the U.S. economy will grow by a feeble 0.6 percent in 2009, when measured by an annual average.

"The U.S. economy will tip into a mild recession in 2008 as the result of mutually reinforcing cycles in the housing and financial markets," the IMF said.

Looking at other countries, the IMF trimmed its projection for Germany, with economic growth slowing to 1.4 percent this year and weakening to 1 percent in 2009. In Britain, growth will slow to 1.6 percent this year and next. France also will see growth decelerate to 1.4 percent this year and 1.2 percent next year.

Japan's economy will expand by 1.4 percent this year and 1.5 percent next year, which would mark a loss of momentum from last year. Canada's growth would slow to 1.3 percent this year and pick up slightly to 1.9 percent next year.

Global powerhouse China, which barreled ahead at an 11.4 percent pace last year, would see growth moderate to 9.3 percent this year and then strengthen a bit to 9.5 percent next year. India, which grew by a blistering 9.2 percent last year, is expected to grow by 7.9 percent this year and 8 percent next year. Russia, which logged growth of 8.1 percent last year, will see growth moderate to 6.8 percent this year and then 6.3 percent next year.

While the IMF is worried about the dangers of weakening global economic growth, it also expressed concern about the potential for inflation to heat up around the world, given sharp increases in energy and other commodity prices. "Risks related to inflationary pressures have risen," the fund said.

Many private economists and members of the U.S. public believe the country has already fallen into its first recession since 2001. For the first time, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke acknowledged last week that a recession was possible.

And it doesn't help that oil prices keep setting new record highs:

The upward trend in energy prices showed no sign of abating Wednesday as gasoline set yet another record at the pump and crude oil topped $112 a barrel for the first time in the futures market.

The national average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas rose 1.2 cents to a record $3.343 a gallon, according to a survey of gas stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. With the peak summer driving season still to come and gas following crude higher, the fuel may well reach the retail price of $4 a gallon that the Energy Department has been forecasting.