One Bush Mess Even Obama Can't Fix

The first 10 months of the Obama administration has been primarily tasked with fixing the incredible amount of damage caused and left by the Bush Administration. Obama has been quite successful in doing so in a myriad of areas yet perhaps there is one mess even he can't fix.

Successes of the Obama administration thus far are many. When he took office the economy was on the brink of depression, the banking system was crumbling and the auto industry was about to destroyed forever. Despite the wasteful deficit spending of the Bush Administration. President Obama had to make tough choices to spend more money to fix the leaking roof on the house of our economy to protect the structure. The stimulus has been very successful in doing that. The Banks are now lending again, the stock market has recovered 50% of the losses it occurred under the Bush recession, the auto industry has been saved and even sparked by the incredibly successful cash for clunkers program.

In the area of foreign policy again there is a long list of successes by Obama in fixing damage caused by the Bush Administration. Our credibility is being restored by the ending of torture, working to close Guantanamo Bay, winding down on schedule our occupation of Iraq. There are positive steps reigning in Iran on its nuclear program. Israel and the Palestinians are at least talking again, and we are now getting cooperation from countries all over the world including Russia and China.

But that leaves Afghanistan. Though going into Afghanistan was the right thing to do, as that is where those that attacked us were located, 8 years of neglect by the Bush Administration have created a quagmire that may never be navigated. The new government of Afghanistan is corrupt and ineffective. While we were wasting our resources in a war of choice in Iraq we have let things in Afghanistan deteriorate causing us to lose the will and the trust of the Afghan people. It is clear the window of opportunity in Afghanistan closed during the Bush Administration. So Obama is left with a list of choices that are all bad options. It would take years, lives and money we don't have to start that war all over and start from scratch again. Keeping the status quo is clearly not working, causing even more distrust and American lives, and just pulling out is not an option either as we cannot allow that country to become a safe haven for terrorists once again.

President Obama has done an effective job fixing the messes left by the Bush Administration. But Afghanistan is not fixable. It is time to limit our presence to a base or two for which operations against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan can be carried out. Leave the stability of the rest of Afghanistan to the Afghans to figure out, thats what the people of that country want, thats what the people of this country want.

OH 18: Jeanette Moll shows Troops Are not Important to her

In a press release yesterday candidate for the 18th Congressional District in Ohio, Jeanette Moll made it clear that concern about our troops and the real serious issues in Afghanistan and Pakistan are not important. In fact she claims Zack Space should instead listen to wacko Tea Party screamers like she has been listening to rather then checking on our troops in harms way.

She said this about Space's Trip to Afghanistan: "While other members of congress held town halls, Zack Space got as far away from you as he could get."

Thank goodness we have leaders in Congress that are dealing with real issues and showing concern about our troops over playing political games like Moll clearly does.

Jeanette spend all your time hanging out with nut job Coach Dave like you did yesterday or at another "tea Party" protest in Zoar this weekend who I still can't figure out why they are protesting the fact that 95% of Americans taxes were lowered this year? Meanwhile our Congressman will be working on real issues and supporting our troops.

Murdoch's Wall Street Journal Commits Treason

Treason:the crime of giving aid or comfort to the enemies of one's government.
Every since Rupert Murdoch purchased the once proud Wall Street Journal, it like all his tabloid rags has moved further and further away from journalism and more toward right wing propaganda. Today they went so far they have crossed the line into Treason against the Government of the United States.

Apparently to avoid allowing Americans to see the string of foreign policy and anti-terrorism's successes, they choose to falsely quote an American General to imply the Taliban are winning in Afghanistan. They ignore the fact that the head of the Taliban was successfully killed in Pakistan recently, by giving aid and comfort to the enemy by telling them falsely that they are winning.

Today the misquoted General Stanley McChrystal and the Pentagon made it clear that the Wall Street Journal completely and utterly mis-characterized his statements thus propagating this lie and treason against our country.

How much longer will Rupert Murdoch be permitted to damage our country, put our service men and women at risk all to promote his right wing agenda.

It's time this Australian tabloid hack be sent back to the outback.

The "Surge" in perspective

John McCain wants to make the discussion on Iraq all about the "surge." It is fantastic that violence is down, its wonderful that causalities are down, but lets put this all in perspective.

On September 11, 2001 we were attacked by terrorists under the orders and training of Osama Bin Laden who was in Afghanistan sheltered by the Taliban.

With the support of the world the United States responded, driving the Taliban out of power and putting al queda on the run. We had the enemy that attacked us cornered.

Then the President of the United States, lied to the citizens of our county, and to the world and unilaterally attacked another country who had not attacked us, nor was a threat to the United States. Senator John McCain voted for and supported this disastrous decision.

This attack created chaos in Iraq, it created an environment for al queda to thrive in a country where they never were able to before. It caused us to lose the trust and the respect of the world. It has cost hundreds of thousands of lives, milions of dollars and has had a serious effect on our economy. It allowed Iran to become more defiant and have justification for pursuing it's nuclear program. It has stressed our armed forces to the breaking point and because of the lack of available sufficient forces, the Taliban has regained power in much of Afghanistan and al queda is as strong as in 2001. Bin Laden, the man who attacked us continues to be at large taunting us with his video and audio tapes, and it remains a matter of time before the next attack. All the while John McCain applauds these policies.

The surge did one thing, was to calm the chaos Bush created with McCain's approval. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the real enemy is, we are incapable of doing what needs to be done.

McCain and the war mongers like to say, that how we got into the war is old news, it's the success of the surge that matters. I disagree. Having a President lie us into war and making the United States responsible for war crimes, is never old news. We were once the example for the world about honor, truth, and trust. That is all gone. What is even more scary is the thinking that created this disaster, is the same thinking McCain expresses with comments about leaving troops in Iraq for 100 years and shows in his sick humor singing "Bomb, bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran."

Perhaps it's not about the past, it is definitely not about cleaning up some of the mess we created. It is very much about the future and the judgement of the man that will lead our country into it. Shall it be a man that supported every step of Bush's disastrous war and wants to continue similar policies, or the man that opposed it from the beginning and wants to lead our beloved country to a position of respect around the world once again.