Shuck Bush

30 October 2008

I wonder how much damage the Bush administration can do between election day and the 20th of Jan. 2009 when a new president is sworn in. A new security agreement is in the works with the Iraqi government to keep American troops in Iraq until 2011. At this point in time that agreement is stalled by the Iraqi government. If something isn’t passed by the 31st of Dec. 2008, the UN mandate expires and American troops will be confined to their bases and then returned home. To me that would be a blessing.

As it is the Bush administration has trashed the constitution and a lot of repair would be needed if a democrat is elected. The separation between church and state has been run over as the administration can bypass laws that “bar giving taxpayer money to religious groups that hire only staff members who share their faith.” When Congress balked, Bush issued an executive order making the changes he wanted on his own. Bush has done what no other president has done to break down the wall of separation between church and state.

A statement by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said that, “the United States would hold fully accountable any country or group that helped terrorists to acquire or use, chemical or biological weapons.” It was much stronger, as it went beyond the cold war notion that a president could respond with overwhelming force against a country that directly attacked the United States or its allies with unconventional weapons. If a military crisis should arise I shudder to think what the US response would be. We’ve already attacked in Syria under such a premise. Gates also wants to modernize the nation’s nuclear arsenal. I’m OK with modernization but not any kind of expansion. Since a new president must conduct a review of the nation’s nuclear posture, it seems that Gates is advocating a specific agenda for the next president. Bush has approved an expanded deterrence policy. What we need is a new nuclear test ban treaty and that the United States and Russia should conclude another agreement limiting their arsenals.

29 October 2008

I am watching the last week of political stumping and waiting for negative campaigning to end. Here in Seattle, I’m fed up with the state political races and the tone of the TV ads. Once again the republicans take first place when it comes to the negative stuff. Nationally, are Americans going to move forward with Obama or continue the status quo with McCain? We seem to have been exposed to campaigning forever.

I would love to see a forward thinking young man like Obama be our Commander-in-chief rather than McCain, who to me, seems lacking in judgement. Once again, in the back of my mind, I try to envision Sarah Palin as president should something happen to McCain were he elected. I don’t even want to go there! So here we are playing the waiting game until election day.

27 October 2008

One of the biggest fear tactics is now taking place. The Clarion Fund, a non-profit organization which supports John McCain has sent out 28 million DVD’s in the swing states. These DVD’s are an anti-Islam documentary and were added as supplements to Sunday editions. “The DVD is a 60-minute expose of militant Islam called “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West” and is ideologically slanted toward painting Muslims as evil and bent on the destruction of the United States”. Many mainstream religious groups have labeled this DVD highly divisive. Of course the premise is that John McCain, with his military background, would be a better Commander-in-Chief should a new confrontation take place. Not true! I give McCain due credit for being a war hero but he spent five years of that war in a prison camp.

With Palin deriding Obama for believing in open dialogue with possible enemies, it’s frightening to think how she would react if, by any chance, she was thrust into being president and a military situation arose. Is this another republican tactic to play distraction games during the campaigns and elections? I think that it is a typical GOP tactic of fearmongering. I for one would prefer Obama over McCain should a security crisis happen just before the election. With Powell in his corner, Obama would have far more stable support than a hot head like McCain. I do not think that Obama would be soft on defense should the occasion arise. For the Clarion Fund, the truth may be irrelevant. Getting the candidate of their choice elected is all that matters.

23 October 2008

The Iraqis want changes in the security agreement with the U.S. They are worried that there will be too much opposition for it to pass as it is now. Right now the pact is for our troops to stay in Iraq until 2011 and possibly longer. It’s OK with me if we go home tomorrow. The money that is being spent on the wars is much needed here at home. I can see taking a stand in Afghanistan if the government there joins the fight against the Taliban who really have a foothold there, but Iraq, forget it.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff warned the Iraqis that they will not be able to handle insurgent and terrorist violence after Dec. 31 without the help of the American military. In my opinion these are police matters not U.S. combat troop responsibility. For the most part, recent flair ups seem to be more civil war like than Al Qaeda operating. The U.S. doesn’t seem inclined to make more changes in the pact and if the Iraqis refuse to ratify it, so be it. Right now, the draft of the pact sets a timeline for American troop withdrawals from Iraqi cities by next June and complete withdrawal from the country on Dec. 31, 2011, but open to adjustments in the schedule depending on conditions in the country.

The United Nations Security Council resolution that authorizes American troop operations in Iraq expires on Dec. 31 which means that if the Iraqis don’t accept the new pact offered, we’re out of there which suits me fine.

20 October 2008

Let’s face it, the next president is going to have a lot on his plate. If it’s Obama, he’s going to have to right a lot of wrongs. A Christian aid group that makes religious belief a condition of employment is the recipient of a $1.5 million grant. The Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel is a little known office which interprets laws, made this grant. This office also allowed a detainee interrogation techniques and a warrantless eavesdropping program which almost started a mass resignation of top law enforcement officials. A lot of their work remains secret but no doubt there will be more rulings as the Bush administration tries to get policies that they favor, before a new administration arrives.

Since the Bush administration had a very broad view of executive power and a tendency to bypass Congress, will make it important for the next president to review legal opinions right after the November election. President Bush and Sen. John McCain, support the efforts of religious organizations to win federal grants while Barack Obama, says that some forms of discriminatory hiring would be impermissible if he were to win the presidency.

The next president faces a failing economy and if McCain becomes president, he no doubt would have to deal with confrontation over spending with a Democratic Congress called back into special session with the goal of passing a new economic stimulus package, all this while the Bush administration is still in office. Transition in the 77 day period between Election Day and Inauguration Day is going to create difficult challenges before they even have a chance to recover from a long campaign. I can only hope that the person we choose to be president, is capable of handling the mess that he inherits.

16 October 2008

Shall I let my preferences show? I think McCain is getting like a broken record. He can’t seem to get Obama’s connection to William Ayers out of his craw. Obama very clearly explained that he had no direct connection with Ayers and kept his cool but McCain would not let it go and insisted that Ayers gave a fund raising event in his home for Obama which is not true. Obama suggested that during the days leading up to election, they concentrate on the issues but McCain seems to be desperate and returned to character assassination from time to time during the debate. In my opinion, Obama once again came out ahead in this debate.

One of the questions dealt with their choice of VP and whether they had the qualities to be president. To me, McCain’s response about Palin was laughable, calling her a “breath of fresh air”, as if being a “breath of fresh air” alone would make her presidential material. Today’s political commentators should be very interesting. McCain kept his promise to aggressively attack Obama’s judgment, experience and character. I found this negativity on his part very off-putting.

15 October 2008

If the U.S. and Iraq do not reach an accord, U.S. troops may not stay beyond. Dec. 31st. It would take an extension of United Nations mandate that expires at the end of the year. That extension would have to be voted upon by a Security Council vote which may be complicated by governments that are opposed to the U.S. led war. In my opinion, this would be an ideal way to get our troops home.

Legal jurisdiction over U.S. troops and immunity for possible crimes has been a sticking point in the negotiations. Iraq’s most influential Shiite cleric, Ali Sistani has said he will not endorse any document without the support of Iraq’s population and political factions. If negotiations or a U.N. extension fall thru, U.S. troops would be confined to their bases and have to withdraw from Iraq.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says that he is reasonably optimistic that things will be resolved in the near future. I sure hope that he is wrong. Bush administration officials blamed Iranian meddling for keeping Shiite leaders from going forward. Never thought I’d say hurrah for Iran.

14 October 2008

As McCain watches his campaign go downhill he does a quick change of strategy. After a slew of negative TV ads and campaign speeches is he going to be mister “nice guy”? Is his “maverick” image being put in the background? In his most recent speech he is stumping “fight.” He is now fighting for his country as the underdog, and change in Washington. Will the undecided buy this “new” McCain?

Wednesday’s Presidential Debate will tell the tale. Will he continue demeaning Obama’s character? What will Palin do in her stumping? We have 23 days to see if the campaign changes. McCain is not consistent enough to win my vote. He seems to be grasping at straws. In my opinion, it’s a desperation ploy.

13 October 2008

We are helping the Taliban by continuing to fund the Iraq war and send more military to Iraq while the Tailban is getting a stranglehold in Afghanistan. The Karzia and the Pakistan governments have done very little to control the Taliban in the border areas of their countries. There is known to be high-level corruption in the Karzia government. Under pressure from the U.S., Karzai named a new interior minister on Saturday.

Afghanistan has a $4-billion-a-year opium trade with much corruption involved. A 50,000-strong international security force is seen as the weakest link in the battle against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. I don’t know diddly-squat about battle strategy but I think that U.S. combat troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan are no longer needed. What we need are a lot of small striker brigades to get at criminal groups like Taliban and Al Qaeda. Combat troops do not encourage confidence from civilian populations. Someone needs to be responsible for the rebuilding of the Afghanistan’s shattered school system and infrastructure.

10 October 2008

American intelligence agencies report that Afghanistan is in crisis. There has been a breakdown in the central authority, some of it stemming from corruption in the government of President Hamid Karzai and the inability to control the rise of Taliban influence there. Militants are launching more sophisticated attacks from Pakistan.

Decision-making in the Bush administration to invade Iraq took the focus off the real terrorist center, Afghanistan. We are now paying for that decision. We are planning to send more troops to Iraq in the Spring when the real need is in Afghanistan. More poor decision making by the Bush administration.