Vox’s posts tagged iraq

KCRW's Left Right & Center 7/25/08: Obama Overseas, McCain Campaign, The Poll Truth, Mortgage Bill

nobody@vox.com(Left, Right and Center) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:47:31 +0000

Obama Overseas, McCain Campaign, The Poll Truth, Mortgage Bill

Photo on the left is from LA Times front page 7/25/08. Obama appears before a crowd of 250,000 fans in Berlin.

Photo on the right: Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. makes a campaign stop to talk with small business leaders, Thursday, July 24, 2008, at the Schmidt's Restaurant and Banquet Haus in Columbus, Ohio. At left is Dan Young, owner of Youngs Jersey Dairy. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Obama’s obvious overseas success may be a triumph of visuals over substance; will it come back to haunt him? The panelists agree that this campaign should be a walk for a Democratic candidate, so why are the polls on McCain and Obama so close? McCain’s week has been as bad Obama’s has been good – by anyone’s standards, he and his campaign have floundered. And the mortgage bill: is it socializing the downside, a banker bailout, a necessity that even free marketers must go along with for fear of a complete US economic meltdown? **This week, we invite our bloggers to weigh in on the promised discussion of media bias **– which we promised but didn't get to during the program.

Volunteer bloggers Andi and Marisa pulled these notable quotables from today's show -- feel free to use them in your blog but please remember to credit KCRW's Left, Right & Center:

Obama's Foreign Adventure

Tony Blankley concluded that Obama "looked like the President of the United States" and is "dubious of McCain's ability to do the same". He added that "McCain was lucky to get as little coverage as he did this week...[because he] looked smaller and less presidential."

Why is this Race so Close??—PLEASE ADD YOUR COMMENTS TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION!!!!!

Robert Scheer stated that “Republicans have brought us disaster, they betrayed conservatism, they’ve bankrupted our economy so there is a lot for a leftist, populist candidate to campaign on….we need to hear that voice from Obama.”

Our allies abroad have heard Obama’s voice and are once again excited about American politics, they know we “ have an incredibly attractive candidate, this guy’s being cheered on as a rock star in Berlin, now THAT is a projection of American values!”

Domestically speaking, Tony Blankley noted that “the more the public gets to know [Obama] the lower his numbers drop.” Blankley thinks “it’s a combination of skin color, his internationalism, his arrogance and the media coverage which says we’ve already selected a president for you” that is hindering Obama’s lead in the polls. Robert Scheer agreed with Tony Blankley’s statement that “there is a racial issue with Obama; the fact that he doesn’t have a white father.”

Mortgage Relief Bill

Robert asks “How is this going to help people with their mortgages?” This is just a “bailout for the bankers, there has been no accountability….we’re losing control of our economy.”

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What does "stoic" mean?

nobody@vox.com(Fragmentally Yours) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:39:10 +0000

Well, if you ask Merriam-Webster, they'll tell you it means "one apparently or professedly indifferent to pleasure or pain". I guess, in a way, that's true.

But, what it really means is that so long as you don't take everything so seriously that everything affects how you feel you remain stoic. In other words, you can be in pain, or dying, or ill and still be happy. It's a matter of accepting what is, what you can change, and what you can have no effect on. For example, people think I don't care about the environment. It's not that I don't care, it's just that there is no way that the 3% of the world population that does care about it is going to change anything.

You're not going to change 4 or 5 billion people's efforts. Sure, maybe half or more of the world's population claims to care about the environment, but they're not doing anything about it. The best way for me to effect change is to make sure I do my part, and those around me do their part. Trying to join activists in their efforts has other negative effects. I'm not going to join Green Peace and halt ships and hurt thousands of people's livelihoods. Their efforts aren't working, and they will never work. Each of us has to carry our own weight.

What about the war in Iraq? Do I care? Of course I do. At the same time, I'm glad those whack-jobs are being kept busy over there instead of over here. I think the brilliance of our military's efforts is completely missed. It's called a red-herring, and it's been used throughout history. In this case it worked. The war really has nothing to do with Iraq. So, anyone that says, "we're in Iraq and Iraq was never involved." Yeah, so? They got your attention on Iraq, didn't they? They also got the terrorists attention over there. There are more terrorists dying there than Americans dying. War is always a trade-off.

People will try to convince you that there have been no terrorists attacks on our soil since 9/11 because of the extraordinary security measures put in place domestically. Yeah, right. We're still as lack-luster in areas of security as we have ever been. The security holes were shifted, not plugged. Do you really have that much faith in our corporate world to believe they've implemented and enforced all of the new security measures? If you do, you're a fool. The truth is that the terrorists are simply distracted right now. Additionally, their lines of communication have been disrupted. While there are terrorist cells already in the U.S. we know that they don't do anything unless they're told to. Right now, they're not getting the orders. Their leadership is too busy, and blood-thirsty in Iraq to bother -- or, in some cases, they have no way of communicating to the cells here.

I find it interesting that people accuse our government and leadership of being inept, but they somehow believe we're safe because of them. We're safe because our military keeps us safe. Not because of some security policy here.

What does this all have to be with being "stoic"? Simply, it gives my perspective as someone who remains stoic. Our military has kept us, and others safe for over two centuries. I trust those men and women, I trust their direct leadership (Generals, Sergeants, etc.). I can't change a terrorist's mind. I also can't have any effect on people who hate us. I won't provoke them, but I also accept that it doesn't take any provocation to make them want to kill us. You can't negotiate with them. Accept this, and that no amount of talking to them is going to change their views, and you can just live your life. You'll welcome the protection our military offers.

I do care. But there is only so much I can change. And activists have their own agendas because, invariably, it's the over-zealous nutjobs that work their way to the tops of these organizations.

My first post was mostly rambling. Bear with me; or not.

I fully expect the first response to be criticism of how I rambled, instead of the content itself. Don't care, I've accepted it and moved on.

I remain stoic.

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U.S. Expands Visa Program for Iraqis [this is long overdue]

nobody@vox.com(TruthTeller998) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:45:37 +0000

The 10-fold expansion of a system to help threatened Iraqi employees obtain U.S. visas and ultimately citizenship comes after criticism over delays.

U.S. Expands Visa Program for Iraqis
The New York Times
By ALISSA J. RUBIN
Published: July 25, 2008

BAGHDAD — The American Embassy in Baghdad announced Thursday that it had expanded tenfold its program to help Iraqi employees of the American government here, who faced threats for their work, to obtain visas and ultimately citizenship in the United States.

Although the program was established by law in January, it has become a practical reality just in the last two to three weeks as guidelines have been finalized and the embassy has brought in staff members and started processing applications.

The decision is the latest step in the administration’s attempt to answer sharp criticism over its failure to help even those Iraqis who have made the American presence in Iraq possible by serving as translators and supervisors on embassy projects, for the American military and for the Agency for International Development. But critics in the refugee relief community noted that the State Department had promised several times that it would try to speed up the process, and that it had not come through.

State Department officials attribute the gap between words and deeds to a cumbersome refugee resettlement system that includes fingerprinting, job checks, name checks and interviews.

The program will allow 5,000 Iraqis to go to the United States for each of the next five years. Each person can take immediate family members, who include spouses and children. More distant relatives, including siblings, parents and grandchildren, can apply under another program. So the actual numbers emigrating will probably be considerably higher. The average Iraqi household is estimated to have about six people...

Full Story Here

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My New Morning Radio Show

nobody@vox.com(concretebob) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:50:16 +0000

Most of you know I spend my day in a pickup truck monitoring construction procedures at a power plant somewhere in central VA. I have my laptop, wireless card, a few books and the FM radio.

I am usually listening to country music, cause I love country music. However, with the current political climate, I have been scanning the dial for alternatives to the usual fare, until Glenn Beck comes on, and then Rush.

Yesterday, I hit the seek button and found 93.1 The Wolf, a country music station I had not heard before. The song playing was one of my favorites, "I Don't Even Know My Last Name" so I left it there and listened.

The song finished and over the airwaves came the voices of two of the most Southern individuals I have ever heard, besides my friend Tankerbabe.

The morning show on 93.1 is called Rick and Bubba. They are AWESOME. It's morning FM conservative talk radio. No games, no yuck it up, just straight talk from two Americans who absolutely get it, interspersed with great country music.

Today, imagine my surprise as I listened to these two fine individuals interview one of the smartest men in the country, none other than Dr Walter E Williams, Professor of Economics at George Mason University. It was great.

Then, in between doing some work stuff, I happened to hear Rick and Bubba talking about this piece of internet lore and wondering if it was genuine. Since it was posted on Blackfive by someone I know personally, I immediately called the show, spoke to a very nice young lady and encouraged her to visit Blackfive and verify the authenticity. I then sent them the link to that post and also this post, which is another report on the messiah's visit to our brave military fighting the War on Terror.

I offered to provide any information they needed to verify to their listeners that the stories are indeed actual emails from deployed military.

Since any information on the internet is susupect, any time you know for a fact that the story is true, every attempt should be made to spread the accurate information, with as much diligence as we provide to discounting stories that are not true.

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Jackasses of the Day: Stephen Hadley and Ray Hunt

nobody@vox.com(Geology Byotch) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:37:58 +0000

The US government is supposed to have policy that is supposed to be, that US oil companies can not engineer deals with Iraqi provinces until the Iraqi government has enacted legislation that makes sure that the country’s oil is fairly divided amongst said provinces.

(Does that sentence confuse you? It confuses me. I will try again.) Let us say that the oil resources in Iraq are an apple pie. The leaders of each province are sitting at the table waiting for their slice as right now, the pie has not been cut. The US wants the Iraqi government, who is slicing the pie, to make each slice the same size more or less. But there are issues with the recipients, so the pie was placed back on the windowsill to cool off some more (in the old days, that is what people who baked pies did to cool them off. Just watch Oh Brother Where Art Thou, if you don't believe me).

Right now, that legislation is stalled in the Iraqi Council of Representatives.

A week ago, four Democratic senators asked Harold Geisel, acting inspector general of the state department to investigate their suspicion that whilst the pie was cooling off in the window sill, a bear came along and stole a couple of hunks out of the pie. That bear has a name, and it’s the Kurdistan Regional Government. (Shocking!) They have made deals with Hunt Oil Company of Texas and others (five). Hunt was the first to get a hunk of pie. The Iraqi Oil Minister is ornery about it and says the deals are illegal.

Now here comes the finger-pointing.

Hunt Oil Co said it was the US State Dept who told them they could go ahead and have some. Sourcewatch says that Hunt Oil is one of the biggest donators to the Bush family campaign machine. And CEO Ray Hunt is….on the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. (Om…WHY haven’t we rained hellfire and brimstone down on this administration yet?)

(Asst to Dubya for National Security Affairs, Stephen Hadley and Sec of State Condoleeza Rice had left the window open too far.) When asked about it in a letter by Sen Barry Levin, Stephen whined in a letter to him, that they did not "believe that seeking termination of the… contracts…would successfully resolve" the situation (specifically, there were news reports that State Department employees had advised Iraq on no-bid technical contracts, which would enable oil companies to sneak in the back door and get some) and Condi said "The United States government has stayed absolutely out of the matter of the awarding of Iraqi oil contracts. It's a private sector matter." (That’s called being in denial.)

jackass of the day and dubya, early summer 2008: yeah, we're chumps & we get away with it

There’s just all kind of fingers already sticky with the fruit from this pie.

On the left is a photo of Hadley walking behind his good buddy.

Below are photos of the letter Carl Levin sent to our Jackass of the Day. Enjoy your morning read. The grey swaths highlight the hogwash details.

Hadleyletter1

Hadleyletter2

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29 Palms: An Oasis of Murals Part II

nobody@vox.com(Raven Jake) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:57:11 +0000

Raven Jake and the Chemehuevi

It may be a bit unrealistic to think you're going to see all of the murals in one day. I understand that tours are available, and one day when it isn't 110 degrees, I might just take one. Still, it's nice to linger over a work of art and just think on it a bit without rushing off to bag as many as possible. But if you just can't wait, then get up early in the morning, 'cause there are a lot to see.

Here's what Action 29 has to say about their project: The initial intent of the mural program was to spur local economic activity and to give the community of Twentynine Palms a sense of pride; consequently, the community has seen an economic rebirth. In the last thirteen years, Twentynine Palms has grown substantially, had dozens of new businesses

Bill Keys and Raven Jake

open, seen hundreds of new homes built, and perhaps the biggest project to date, the NuWu Indian Casino will open its doors in early 2009. Additionally, the murals have become a sub attraction to Joshua Tree National Park, which is located adjacent to the community of Twentynine Palms. Joshua Tree National Park has an estimated 1.5 to 2 million visitors annually, many of who come from Europe and Asia.

Mural #1: Bill and Frances Keys. The Keys were pioneer homesteaders who settled at the Desert Queen Ranch in what is now Joshua Tree National Park. Bill Keys, born George Barth in Russia in 1879, came to Twentynine Palms in 1910. He was a cattleman, gold prospector, assayer, and an ingenious homesteader who could find a use for just about anything. Visitors who take a Park Service tour of the historic Desert Queen Ranch can see that resourcefulness today. This 14-foot by 80-foot mural was painted by Dan and Peter Sawatzky of Chemainus, B.C. 73365 29 Palms Hwy. at Pine Street (Plaza Furniture). Dedicated: November 19, 1994.

DANGER! This mural is going to be demolished thanks to a new Walgreen's drug store. Action 29 is trying to get $20,000 together to get this wall moved. If you can help in any way, make sure you call them up: (760) 361-2286.

Bill Keys

Mural #2: Early Life at the Oasis of Mara. The life-giving springs of the Oasis of Mara supported Native Americans and early settlers, and its famous fan palms were the source of Twentynine Palms’ name. In this 17- by 80-foot rendering, Chemehuevi Indians gather and work in and near the water, a woman offers the exquisite baskets for which the tribe was known, and first surveyor Col. Henry Washington and his assistant conduct a desert survey in 1855. This mural was painted by Ron Croci of Honolulu and Robert Caughlan III of San Francisco. 73777 29 Palms Hwy. at National Park Dr. (29 Palms Liquors). Dedicated: March 25, 1995.

Oasis of Mara

Raven Jake with a Jackrabbit

Mural #4 (now #21): Our Neighbors in Nature II.
The original nature mural painted on this wall in 1995 became a community favorite, but the harsh desert sun faded the colors over the years beyond repair. So in 2006, nature artists Larry and Nancy Cherry Eifert of Port Townsend, WA, returned to paint a new ecology lesson of Mojave Desert flora and fauna on the 13-by-86-foot wall. This time, they featured the wildlife of the beautiful 49 Palms Oasis, located in Joshua Tree National Park a short hike from the Twentynine Palms city limits. 73484 29 Palms Hwy. at Desert Queen. Dedicated April 22, 2006. There is a

good-sized "pocket park" here; a nice place to chill out and while you're there you might see what the 99 cent store has to offer.

Our Neighbors in Nature II

Mural #5: Desert Storm Homecoming & Victory Parade. The Marines first came to Twentynine Palms in 1952. Since then, the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center has trained thousands of proud Marines, many of whom were deployed during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. When the troops came home from the Persian Gulf in 1991, more than 40,000 people crowded into the city for “The Mother of All Victory Parades.” This 18- by 101-foot work is by artist Chuck Caplinger of Twentynine Palms. 6177 Adobe Road (Napa Auto Parts). Dedicated: October 15, 1995.

Desert Storm Homecoming

Mural #6: “The Flying Constable” Jack Cones. Twentynine Palms’ most beloved lawman, Jack Cones, will be forever airborne in this 16- by 60-foot tribute. Elected in 1932, he was the law here until his death in 1960. He earned his lofty nickname by patrolling his 2,800-square-mile jurisdiction in a Piper J-3 Cub. Mural artist Tim O’Connor of Twentynine Palms came to admire the constable after hearing stories of Cones’ exploits while taking flying lessons at nearby Cones Field in the early 1970s. 6308 Adobe Road (Crossroads Christian Bookstore). Dedicated: January 27, 1996.

Jack Cones

Mural #9: Johnnie Hastie & The 29 Palms Stage. Starting in 1938, Johnnie Hastie provided public transportation from the desert to “down below.” He built his first bus from a used 1928 Chevrolet truck, adding a wooden body, seats for 12 passengers and a sturdy roof to haul cargo. During winter a stove onboard provided warmth from wood that his passengers had gathered. When tires and gas were rationed during WW II, Johnnie filled endless shopping requests in Banning, hauling ladies dresses, restaurant and mining supplies, even live chickens. This 13-foot by 32-foot mural was painted by Tim O’Connor of Twentynine Palms. 73339 29 Palms Hwy. (Superior Automotive). Dedicated: February 15, 1997.

Johnnie Hastie

Mural #10: Frank & Helen Bagley and The Bagley Store. Homesteaders Frank and Helen Bagley arrived with their three sons on Thanksgiving Day 1927. They had filed on a 160-acre homestead, setting up house in an 18- by 18-foot garage, which soon became the town’s first general store when local miners and homesteaders began asking them to lend out or pick up supplies. The Plaza, which grew up around Bagley’s Market, soon became the social center of the community--offering food and sundries, gas station, post office, notary service, library, and the first telephone switchboard. This 12- by 100-foot mural was painted by Dan and Janis Sawatzky of Chemainus, B.C. 5653 Historic Plaza. Dedicated: April 26, 1997.

Frank & Helen Bagley

Mural #11: Bill & Prudie Underhill and The Desert Trail. After serving in WWI, the urge to homestead brought Bill Underhill to Twentynine Palms in 1928. He helped build roads and the first public swimming pool, and was active in the first American Legion Post 729. Establishing a weekly newspaper, The Desert Trial, he published its 4-page inaugural issue on April 18, 1935, proclaiming “Watch Twentynine Palms Grow!” In 1941, Bill married Prudence Mason of Pasadena, who helped with the newspaper. Together they built the first indoor movie theater, drive-in theater and roller rink. This 10-foot by 40-foot mural was painted by Susan Smith Evans of Palm Desert, CA. The Desert Trail, 6396 Adobe Road. Dedicated: November 15, 1997.

Bill and Prudie Underhill

Mural #13: Flash Flood. Before construction of the flood control channel in 1969 by the County of San Bernardino, with the assistance of local engineer Bill Hatch, raging flash floods used to flow down from 49 Palms Canyon in what is now Joshua Tree National Park. The water would wash out the main road (now 29 Palms Highway), rushing east around Donnell Hill and into the center of town. While business owners lamented this deluge ruining their stores, local children would joyously ride the waves in their inner-tubes and handmade boats. This 18- by 40-foot mural portrays the famous flash floods of the 1940s. Painted by artist Art Mortimer of Santa Monica, CA. 6248 Adobe Road (Peking Inn). Dedicated: June 13, 1998.

Flash Flood

Desert Wildflowers

Mural #15: Desert Wildflowers. This third nature mural portrays beautiful Mojave Desert flora and wildflowers in full-color portraits of reds, yellows, whites, blues, and purples. Each spring the desert valley comes into bloom, with desert primroses, desert lilies, lupine, encelia, verbena, blooming cacti, yuccas and Joshua trees. Some years produce more prolific blooms than others, depending upon the amount of rainfall in the preceding winter season. The background for this 12-foot by 60-foot mural are the rocks of Joshua Tree National Park. Created by Dan Kelly of Yucca Valley, CA. 73617 29 Palms Hwy. (Hart’s Furniture). Dedicated: May 20, 2000.

Desert Wildflowers Mural

Mural #16: “Valentine’s Day”. This trompe l’oeil mural tells a story about an artist who fell asleep while painting a mural. Manifested from the artist dreaming about Cattle Days in Hidden Valley, a rodeo bull named Valentine is metamorphosed into reality next to the scaffolding. Named for the white heart shape on his head, Valentine also bears the McHaney gang brand, as if he traveled out of the historical scene in the mural. Waiting for the artist to awake, along with a patient vulture, Valentine will soon have his day. Created by art illusionist John Pugh of Los Gatos, CA. 6219 Adobe Road (Crossroads Christian Bookstore). Dedicated: October 25, 2000. Note: the photos don't do this one justice: this is more than a concept piece, it really is extraordinary.

Cattle Days in Hidden Valley

Raven Jake and Iraqi Freedom

Mural #20: Operation Iraqi Freedom. On March 21, 2003, the First Marine Division crossed from Kuwait and began Operation Iraqi Freedom. This mural is dedicated to the men and women of the Armed Forces, especially the Marines and Sailors from Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms. Marines from MCAGCC are depicted in this 100-foot mural in scenes taken from actual photographs, including the historic toppling of the 40-foot bronze statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad by 1st Tanks Battalion and the rescue of Shoshana Johnson and the seven POWs by 3rd L.A.R. Painted by Don Gray of Murietta, CA. 6464 Adobe Road (CCI Computers). Dedicated: January 31, 2004.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Native Woman

Mural #22: Native American Woman. Action Council for 29 Palms, a globally recognized non-profit mural organization, is proud to announce the appearance of Makoto Hashigami from Tokyo Japan in April 2008. Hashigami has scheduled two weeks to work on a mural at the Oasis of Mara, which is located on the grounds of the historic 29 Palms Inn. His mural portrays the Oasis of Mara as it might have appeared before the area was settled, with a Native American Indian woman holding firmly the ponds valuable water. Since its inception in 1995, Action Council for 29 Palms has used murals to beautify the community of Twentynine Palms, and along the way, it has become a symbol of hope to other aging communities around the world. In fact, several times a year other small communities wanting to know how to establish a community mural program contact this organization.

Hashigami resides in Tokyo Japan, but visits the desert paradise each year. While visiting Twentynine Palms, he discovered the mural program and asked to be apart

Oasis of Murals

of its growth. After working with Hashigami for well over a year, Action Council for 29 Palms has confidence in his astonishing talent. Action Council for 29 Palms believes Hashigami’s ability will be well displayed and worthy of the location selected.

Hashigami began painting the Mural at the Oasis of Mara on April 27, 2008 and finished in just under two weeks. 73950 Inn Ave, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 (760) 367-3505 www.29palmsinn.com Dedicated: May 10, 2008.

After a hard day's mural hunting, the best thing to do is to head over to the 29 Palms Inn for some refreshments. Make Makoto Hashigami's lady the last one on your list and enjoy the sunset.

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Is it Possible there is ONLY an Appearance of a China/Russia Alliance?

nobody@vox.com(theway2k) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:42:24 +0000

China-Russia Strategic 2008

1913Intel.com has picked an essay from Stratfor.com relating to bilateral relations between China and Russia. (Thus I have accomplished part of my due diligence of giving credit to who credit is due.)

Now you really need to read this essay by Peter Zeihan entitled, “China and Russia’s Geographic Divide”.

BUT before you do read Zeihan’s essay you need to have some thoughts in the back of your mind.

Consider that Russia (as the USSR) was a fomenter of instability in the Middle East during the Cold War rallying Mohammedan Nations with huge arms sales in the Islamofascist quest to wipe Israel off the map. Fortunately American sold weaponry (with Israeli innovation) was far superior to the old Soviet weaponry. It was fortunate because the little slice of Land known as Israel repeatedly defeated invading Mohammedan Armies from the North, West, South and (kind-of) East. So much were the Israeli victories that Israel re-attained some of their ancient heritage which America and the West is currently pressuring Israel to give up.

With the end of the Cold War and the downfall of Soviet Communism, the large installments of weaponry have not been forthcoming from Russia. On the other hand America was attacked by Islamofascist terrorists on American soil which has led America to become embroiled in an anti-terrorist Global War on Terror (GWOT) concentrated mostly in the Middle East.

Russia has taken this opportunity to trade technology more than weaponry. Sadly this has been with rogue nations Iran (primarily) and Syria. It is Russia that is aiding Iran with nuclear training lying to the world that Iran is going nuclear for peaceful purposes. Thus Russia has made every effort in the U.N. Security Council to water down harsh sanction to Iran just as Russia did with Iraq when Iraq was the recipient of technology. There is no smoking gun on WMD in Iraq but it is fairly common knowledge that Russia Special Forces smuggled the chemical WMD out of Iraq just prior or during the American invasion and HUGE amounts of weapons grade uranium was recently transported to Canada for peaceful processing.

Then there is China. China is also on the U.N. Security Council and its story is similar to Russia. China has been selling weapons in exchange for oil to Iran. And I suspect to old Saddam Hussein as well under the table so to speak (On the link scroll down to “What did Iraq buy with the money?”).

Thus there is the appearance that Russia and (still Communist) China are in cahoots for oil reasons AND geopolitical reasons to offset the hegemony of America. Like I said though, it is an “appearance.”

Peter Zeihan demonstrates with a little history and a little observation of China and Russia’s National Interest such an appearance of an alliance might be more illusion than reality.

Now you are prepared to READ “China and Russia’s Geographic Divide.”

JRH 7/23/08

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KCRW's Left Right & Center: Reading List--7/25/08

nobody@vox.com(Left, Right and Center) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:54:40 +0000

Obama Al Maliki AP pic

Here are columns by Tony Blankley and Robert Scheer, both about Barack Obama, which we'll be discussing on tomorrow's show. (Other topics TBA, but probably the housing bill that's moving fast to help prevent total mortgage meltdown.)

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

BLANKLEY: The GQ statesman

By: Tony Blankley

OP-ED:

Watching Sen. Barack Obama glide through his foreign trip so far, nervous Republicans and other patriots have to hope that American voters will not view him through the eyes of a Hollywood casting director. Because one could not cast a man, who can better visually portray a worldly statesman?

Obama on the Brink

Posted on Jul 22, 2008

By Robert Scheer

Barack Obama is betraying his promise of change and is in danger of becoming just another political hack.

AND here's a special report from FOX News -- about John Bolton's comments:

Fox News

Bolton: Bush Paving Way for Obama Admin.

by Major Garrett

I wanted to share an interview former Bush United Nations Ambassador John Bolton did with Fox about the administration's decision to send the State Department's No. 3 diplomat, William Burns, to meetings this weekend in Geneva to discuss an incentive package aimed at deterring Iran for building and deploying nuclear weapons.

Bolton is on the outside looking in at an administration he barely recognizes. A hard-liner on Iran, Bolton sees only folly in attempts to negotiate Iran away from what he considers its single-minded obsession with obtaining nuclear weapons and using that leverage to make itself an even bigger player in the Middle East.

More importantly, Bolton appeared to concede Obama will win the White House. He went so far as to say Bush's Iran moves could take the Iran issue off the table for McCain and give Obama a boost in credibility on national security he believes is unfounded but will nevertheless occur.

The interview occurred Wednesday and I apologize for the late posting.

Tony Snow's funeral set me back professionally and emotionally yesterday and I'm playing catchup on several fronts as a result.

This is the Bolton verbatim:

"This is not going to be a one time meeting. I can tell you what the State Department will say the day after the meeting: 'It went really well, we made a lot of progress, now we've got a process going, surely we should go to the next meeting.'

In any event it's the Bush administration legitimizing the Obama presidency's policy. It's like Senator Obama already has a transition office in the West Wing.And, I think, it will make it very difficult for congressional Republicans and Sen. McCain to continue their critique of the weaknesses of the existing administration policy.

The problem is that the negotiations with Iran have already been underway for 5 years. This is not a new idea. It's not a new idea when Sen. Obama proposes it, it's not a new idea for the us to sit at the table. After 5 years of negotiation, the only consequence is that Iran is 5 years closer to nuclear weapons. Iran is not going to give up its pursuit of those weapons voluntarily, the diplomatic options have been tried and failed and our real options are now, unfortunately, quite limited.

I think the State Department is doing its best to ensure a smooth transition toward the Obama administration. So, I have little doubt that an interest section is highly likely before the end of the Bush Administration. Once again, Tehran will read that as a weakening of the administration's resolve and will use it to their advantage."

Again, this interview occurred Wedneday. The Bush administration confirmed work on creating an interest section in Iran on Thursday.

On the eve of Obama's overseas trip, this criticism from a former Bush insider suggests John McCain may have less latitude to criticize Obama on Iran. He may have lost ground in criticizing Obama on Afghanistan due to his endorsement of sending more troops there this week - after Obama called for the same thing on Aug. 1, 2007.

Mentioned in Today's Show: David Brooks editorial in New York Times:

Playing Innocent Abroad

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/opinion/25brooks.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=david%20brooks&st=cse&oref=slogin

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Elaine Donnelly is not a lesbian.

nobody@vox.com(Q) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:53:02 +0000

Elaine Donnelly is not a lesbian.

Elaine Donnelly

Elaine Donnelly thanks you for your support.

Congress holds hearings on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Eric Alva and Elaine

07/23/08: Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) questions Elaine Donnelly.

Elaine airs her dirty laundry.

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