What ever you do Senator, don't give up. Read this on Iraq.

[TayTay]

Whatever it takes, however long it takes, keep talking about Iraq. There is a Gold Star Mother in my town, newly minted in June of this year, and the best present we could ever give her is to see that her other son doesn't wind up in this war. (Cuz the f*cking deferment to get out of the Marines is rescinded for the surviving son.)

http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/11/on_the_ground_i.html#more

First of all, and most importantly, we are doing no good here. There is nothing we can do at this point to end the fighting. It has become systematic throughout the country. The corruption is indeed as they say in the press. It is impossible, even if America wanted to, to reconstruct anything because the men that could and should assist have been fired by those who are corrupt and in power. Additionally, those that do want to make a change are hampered by a constitution that is, at best, a joke. The Iraqi constitution is an amalgamation of old and new, federal and central. The result is an inability to get anything done at the provincial level, with regards to reconstruction, because most decisions are made by the central government. Nothing can be enforced because of federalism. Thus the mess is structural, cultural, and created by the United States.

I do not say these things lightly. I have witnessed this first hand, through meeting locals. I have also done much research on the structural issues. I am also so fed up with this mess. I honestly came to this country hoping, despite my politics, to at least do some good. Yet, now all I want is for us to get out as soon as possible. I do not speak in isolation. Nearly every military and civilian I work with feels the same aimless drift here. Especially since the election, we are all waiting and hoping that something will be decided soon. We all hope that we are not held hostage to political games in WashingtonWe all know that this is a fight not worth fighting and with no possible chance for “victory”. Thus, we hope for change as soon as possible so that we may get out before a sniper finds us, or an IED destroys us. We see that it is only going to get worse for us.

Whatever you do Senator Kerry, just keep talking about Iraq. We have to get the hell out of there.

[Democrafty]

1. Ahem...

http://blog.johnkerry.com/2006/11/jk_on_the_blogs_3.html

[whometense]

2. My,

that is gratifying.

[ProSense]

3. Hirsh: All the King's Horses…

All the King's Horses…

It's too late for Jim Baker, Nancy Pelosi or anyone else to put this Humpty Dumpty back together again. But if Iraq is hopeless, there’s still time for Afghanistan.

WEB-EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY
By Michael Hirsh
Newsweek
Updated: 2:45 p.m. ET Nov 14, 2006

Nov. 14, 2006 - This is a tale of two headlines. One comes from the marble hallways of self-satisfied Washington, where a newly humbled George W. Bush is recommending drapes to a newly cocky Nancy Pelosi, and the town anxiously waits for the sage Jim Baker to fix the mess made by the Bush family’s black sheep, who also happens to be president of the United States. The headline is: "Will Bush Talk to Iran and Syria about Iraq?" Apparently that's a big part of the Baker plan, judging from the long, convivial dinner he had the other week with Iran's ambassador to the U.N., Javad Zarif, which according to an informed source was all about Iraq.

To the folks who've been screaming it's not a "full-blown civil war," get the hell out! Our troops don't belong in the middle of a full-blown civil war!