A week that inspires

The past few days have not made me breathe any easier or feel any better about those who are in charge being in charge. It started with Rumsfeld throwing his splendid tantrum during his press conference at the Pentagon on Thursday. Even though this administration has mismanaged the entire operation from the outset, those who question are supposed to "back off" and "realize it's difficult. We're looking out into the future. No one can predict the future with absolute certainty."

Hmmmm. I seem to recall predictions of troops being greeted as liberators being made with absolute certainty. I recall being told there were WMD's with absolute surety. I recall being told Saddam had attempted to build nuclear weapons with absolute certainty. Now we are not making proclamations with absolute certainty and we have never been "stay the course" either. Lets all open our hymnals and sing from the same page.

Also on Thursday we learned that the Army will experience an $18Billion dollar shortfall for fiscal operating year 2008. That's a slap in the face. The Army has born the brunt of this war in both personnel and materiel.

Gen. Peter Schoomaker, the Army chief of staff, had requested $138 billion for FOY 2008. He has informed both administration officials and Congress the Army needs the money to replace and repair equipment used in Iraq, and to pay for other costs of the war, while still covering the day-to-day expenses to run the Army. Rumsfeld would not confirm the numbers Thursday and said any budget discussions are not final. He suggested that some money for the Army could come from supplemental budget requests. "It is very difficult to know what ought to go in the budget and what ought to go in the supplemental," Rumsfeld said.

Then on Friday, Pentagon Press Secretary Eric Ruff blatantly played politics in a news conference. He said that al Qae'da was stepping up attacks against Americans in Iraq because they wanted to have an effect on the outcome of the upcoming midterm elections. His words were measured to imply electing Democrats would please 'the terrorists who want to kill us all' (TM). "It would seem that if they can increase the violence, they can increase opposition to the war and have an influence against the president," Mr Ruff said. He actually cast the struggle by Iraqi insurgents as a "battle for the hearts and minds of the American people." He also said Iraqi insurgents "know this is a battle for the resolve of the American people. And if they can influence elections and get the American people to get tired of this war through their attacks, I think they see something."

When pressed, Mr Ruff said there were other explanations for the spike in violence, including heightened insurgent activity during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and stepped-up US military operations in Baghdad.

Rumsfeld was right about one thing: "It's a political season," he said. "And everyone's trying to make a little mischief out of this, and turn it into a political football."

Even the Pentagon.

The Politics of Fear - our latest installment

It is indicative of the desperation that hangs in the air of Republican campaign headquarters throughout the land.

"Five years ago," reported the Boston Globe, "shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the White House admonished television networks against using video messages from Osama bin Laden."

That was five years ago. Now, facing a 16% congressional approval rating and the inevitable loss of control over at least one chamber of congress, the RNC is running a new ad showing video of bin Laden and his chief deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. In the video, they can be seen threatening the United States with phrases such as 'kill the Americans' and saying that attacks so far are 'nothing compared to what you will see next.' The ad concludes with the words: 'These are the stakes. Vote Nov. 7.' (Note: I did not import the video to this post because I am not giving it the exposure.)

The fearmongering might not work this time. This is being floated to a population that has been exhorted to bravely go shopping, stock up on duct-tape and plastic wrap, and told that "no one could have imagined" only to have the lie put to that assertion when it was revealed that someone did imagine, months before, and warned them about it, too boot.

"Americans need to ask themselves if they can trust the GOP leadership," said DNC Press Secretary Stacie Paxton, "which has failed to keep us safe, when Osama bin Laden is still on the loose, Iraq is in the middle of a civil war, and North Korea is testing nuclear weapons. People are looking for leadership, not fear-mongering."

I don't think we will see a huge amount of success from this tactic this go-round. It's one too many trips to a poisoned well.

These are the people who want you to believe that only they can make you safe. (If you believe them, you are dead wrong.)

The fearful, weak and cowardly among us were born with that propensity and inclination. I can't change them. I pity them; but I will not accomodate them.

If you want to wallow in fear, I can't stop you, but please stand aside. Some of us have a life to live, a culture to salvage and a Constitution to rescue; defiantly.

Countering the spin

If you listen to the Republican political ads, they would have you believe that the American people must stay with Republican control of the congress or terrorists will kill us all.

They want you to believe that only they can make America safer.

I think we should examine that record.

They abandoned the Agreed Framework, and North Korea detonated a nuclear device.

Osama bin Laden is still free, releasing the occasional video to remind us he is out there, taunting. Bush said he doesn't think about him. Remember that? Osama was the one who orchestrated the attacks on the Cole, the embassies and September 11. He lives a free man today, with all that blood on his hands.

Iraq creates new terrorists every day. Sixteen intelligence agencies say so.

The war in Afghanistan is being lost by neglect, becaue we are bogged down in Iraq.

And New Orleans was left to drown.

Yes. These are the people who want you to believe that only they can make you safe.

If you believe them, you are dead wrong.