While You Were Campaigning...

With April joining a long line of "deadliest months" for U.S. soldiers in Iraq, and on the day before the five year anniversary of Mission Acommplished, one would think that Iraq would be front and center in presidential politics.  One would be wrong.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, a former first lady who hasn't driven a car or pumped gas in many years because of Secret Service restrictions, joined a blue-collar worker at a filling station Wednesday to illustrate how the high price of gasoline is squeezing consumers.

It should be noted that this photo op to show concern for the little people's pain included "a Secret Service motorcade consisting of six gas-guzzling Suburbans, two squad cars and a green SUV."

And Barack Obama:

...took his campaign today to a slightly different setting -- a lunch and a discussion with working families at a park in Indianapolis.

Credit where credit is due:  they weren't saying they were fine with staying in Iraq for 100 years or singing about bombing Iran, but neither were they putting any focus on wanting to get us out of Iraq. Considering that this war is costing us lives every day and billions of dollars every week, it's not an issue that should be relegated to a throwaway line in the daily stump speech, tucked between pseudo fixes for the energy crisis or sandwiches in the park.  

And in case you missed it, four more U.S. soldiers were killed today in Iraq.

•  Gas Guzzlers

  It continues to amaze the hell out of me when people who own Hummers and other titanic vehicles complain about the price of gas.

  by Swordopolis on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:02:39 PM PDT

  •  Bad News

    Hillary takes 2 point lead in North Carolina

    http://www.southernpoliticalreport.c...

    overall a 17 point swing in 2 weeks

    by Steven R on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:21:35 PM PDT

    •  Now up 2%, If Hillary does win NC...

      then i really don't know what will happen to supers.  I think watching what those who have already commited do is most important. The law of averages dictates obama will get enough out of the remaining to catch 2025, but what happens if he starts losing some of his quiet support.

      by kubla000 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:27:51 PM PDT

•  If we could start striking against McCorporate..

  I think we would hear a lot more about the 100 year war he is hoping to put us through. Sad thing is, he isn't going to have to live through it, we will and our children will have to.

  by LogicaLizE on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:02:53 PM PDT

•  I recommend Wiscmass's diary on V-Iraq day

  http://www.dailykos.com/...

  It's so good, I can't stand to look at it.  

  by Inland on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:03:04 PM PDT

•  I'd like Obama to start every event, speech....

  interview with naming that week's dead and asking for a moment of silence.  Every event, every day.  

  by joesig on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:03:26 PM PDT

  •  I would rather

    he didn't.  It's a nice idea, but it would be using the names of fallen soldiers in the context of a political campaign.

    by SadTexan on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:06:47 PM PDT

    •  Those soldiers are dead because of political

      campaigns.  It would be a reminder that there are real issues out there.  A real war where people are dying.  A real war where the surge is not a success.  Let the press move the conversation away from the war and back to trivia...but give them a reminder first.

      by joesig on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:11:50 PM PDT

      •  And yet

        some of the families of soldiers who died in Iraq protested at an installation in Northern California that placed markers for all the dead, with their names. They claimed to be offended that it was being used for a political purpose.  So, it is a double-edged sword.

        The same effect could be achieved by simply stating how many have died so far, that day, etc.

        Peace.

        by not a cent on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:36:14 PM PDT

        •  Then there's...

          ...simply staying silent as an option.  Hmm.

          by pakaal on Thu May 01, 2008 at 02:21:12 PM PDT

    •  Agreed

      We can't have the wingnutosphere using any more "we don't honor the troops" arguments. As soon as the general comes, Barack can hammer McCain hard on Iraq consistently.

      If you can't dodge the sink, stay out of the kitchen!

      by T B J on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:13:19 PM PDT

    •  Not necessarilly names

      But an acknowledgement of there deaths. Every day. That the country is looking the other way and shouldn't be when we have people dying. That the country needs to live up to its promises to these people. That we way we treat them and their families is abominable. Every day.

      by dbrog on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:14:37 PM PDT

      •  Just the moment of silence

        in honor of the losses (possibly with a mention to the number of dead soldiers) of the day would have similar effect without being exploitative.

        by Nick Blas on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:28:42 PM PDT

        •  I'd settle for that. My larger point is that

          the press can't be allowed to choose all topics of discussion.  There's nothing wrong with mentioning, say, that there's a war on.  That we are heading for more record deficits.  That the economy is not technically in a recession by the barest of margins.  

          It doesn't have to be all trivia, all the time.   The candidate can take the initiative.

          by joesig on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:35:36 PM PDT

    •  And that exactly what media would do,

      claim Obama was using the fallen soldiers for political gain. The irony of it would not be noticed by Wolf Blitzer.

      by Skid on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:32:16 PM PDT

  •  I would rather he read the names of Iraqis killed

    It might actually work.  The 58,000+ names of US military killed in Vietnam in a memorial did not teach us a thing - but maybe a memorial for the two or three million Vietnamese killed would have an impact.

    And the surviving families of the Iraqi people will not object to having the names of dead Iraqis read.  

    by dancewater on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:22:46 PM PDT

  •  I'd rather see Barry stand with Webb and Harkin

    and get the real "CARE" and real "Support" our vets need and deserve. The wounded, the battered, the ones fighting, the ones needing jobs, the ones wanting education...

    I do IGTNT and cry daily for our losses, including the ones not mentioned.

    by deMemedeMedia on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:29:51 PM PDT

•  Barbin, I answered your Q on t/earlier thread n/t

  by Kab ibn al Ashraf on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:04:12 PM PDT

•  Well, who wants to talk about a mistake?

  You know, the GOP would love to blame the war on the Democrats.

  Anyone else remember when the Democrats won the House and Senate because of the anti-war sentiment??

  by MikeTheLiberal on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:04:35 PM PDT

•  In a related matter a boisterous gas pump

  had to be wrestled onto the ground and taken into custody by HRC's Secret Service Team

  by JML9999 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:05:02 PM PDT

  •  Who promptly guzzled up all the gas.

    In a related matter a boisterous gas pump had to be wrestled onto the ground and taken into custody by HRC's Secret Service Team

    by JoeW on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:08:58 PM PDT

•  Hillary Clinton should kick back a few shots

  of pure diesel

  to show how much she cares.

  by Richard Platypus on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:05:04 PM PDT

•  Watching Michelle Obama's interviews...

  I think I like her more than her husband.

  How about an Obama/Obama 08 ticket?  Oh hell yes.

  by BigBensBeermaster on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:06:22 PM PDT

  •  Sorry - Cannot Happen

    The Twelveth Amendment begins:

    The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves;

    Running mates cannot be from the same state.

    by Its the Supreme Court Stupid on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:14:49 PM PDT

    •  If Hillary can move to NY to become Senator...

      ... why can't Michelle move somewhere to become Vice President?

      by Joe Beese on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:20:24 PM PDT

      •  My post was kinda tounge-in-cheek

        But she is an amazing woman on TV and in person (met her at a rally once)

        I never knew that about the 12th ammendment.  

        Would it apply to newlyweds?

        by BigBensBeermaster on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:26:30 PM PDT

        •  It isn't about being married, it is about

          domicile.  This actually came up in 2000 when Village Idiot selected Cheney as his running mate.  Cheney was living (and voting) in Texas at the time.  He flew to Wyoming and resumed his domicile there, thus getting around this problem.

          by Its the Supreme Court Stupid on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:30:41 PM PDT

          •  So basically its meaningless...

            Seems like all you have to do is own a second house out of state.

            by BigBensBeermaster on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:33:41 PM PDT

            •  Not exactly meaningless.

              Domicile is a fairly well defined legal concept.  Basically, you are a domiciliary of one state until you abandon it by departing with the intention of not returning.  You may have residences in several states, but you only have one domicile.

              There is a whole body of law which has built up for determining domicile, as it is necessary for tax, voting, probate or federal jurisdiction purposes.

              by Its the Supreme Court Stupid on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:49:22 PM PDT

              •  The more you know!

                Thanks for enlightening me!

                by BigBensBeermaster on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:20:35 PM PDT

  •  Michelle is AWESOME

    She was actually the reason I decided to support him. And the opposition to war. She is very accomplished but very humble and fiercely protects her family. I'd love to see a debate between her and Bill Clinton. I think she'd wipe the floor with him. And it still pisses me off how her 'never been proud' line was so BLATANTLY MISAPPROPRIATED as she said she was 'really proud'. This is a woman who's roommate at Princeton wanted to move so she wouldn't bunk with a Black person.

    by heartsandflowers on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 09:58:39 PM PDT

•  I thought we lost five today?

  Obama doesn't wear a flag pin, but he's still wearing Ryan's bracelet.

  Obama does need to talk about Iraq.

  Rachel Maddow did get irate on MSNBC the other night.
  She asked why the was still talking about Wright when soldiers were being killed in Iraq. They didn't answer.

  by redtex on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:07:57 PM PDT

  •  Unfortunately

    we did.  And so it goes.  

    by commonweal on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:11:06 PM PDT

•  Alternate title

  "While you were looking at/angry at pictures of Miley Cyrus..."

  by Soundpolitic on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:08:25 PM PDT

  •  Hey that's important...

    ...we must preserve the purity of those who in three years will be dying in the desert.  Why allow them to take off their clothes before we have to send a Medevac for them?

    by Jay Elias on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:10:31 PM PDT

•  You're right about the gas-guzzlers

  Secret Service SUVs can be seen criss-crossing Washington on any given day, escorting all manner of officials.  Why aren't all of these vehicles green?  

  It's not just a cost issue, although the savings would probably feed New Orleans for a year.  But, with a dwindling gas supply, whatever one person or organization wastes reduces the amount left for all of us.  Time for lifeboat rules.

  by Deep Harm on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:08:25 PM PDT

•  Who came up with that stupid ass

  Clinton photo op?!?!  Honestly?!?!  Who?!?!

  by audiored on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:08:36 PM PDT

  •  The Obama campaign?

    Who came up with that stupid ass Clinton photo op?!?!

    by JoeW on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:09:55 PM PDT

•  not easy being green

  Was that "green SUV" just the color green or was it a hybrid? Or better yet, burning a year's supply of corn?

  by enoch needles on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:08:49 PM PDT

  •  Probably just color

    Probably equipped with an Electric Cannon or other Toys
    for protection

    

    by JML9999 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:14:46 PM PDT

    •  off topic

      love your sig.

      And now that I re-read it, it isn't really off topic at all....

      by clammyc on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:17:47 PM PDT

•  With no due respect to the candidates...

  Americans don't care all that much about Iraq.  The only time they were excited about it was the first few days of us bombing the country into the Stone Age.  As soon as it was obvious that the war wasn't going to be a "told-you-so" winner, they all just went back to watching American Idol and the like.  The antiwar movement was and is ignored.  

  by steve expat on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:08:55 PM PDT

  •  We didn't even pay attention to WWII

    It may not seem like it from our rose-tinted view of history, but average Americans didn't pay much attention to WWII either. In William Shirer's book "The Nightmare Years" he talks about how he finally came back from the United States after having spent 15 years in Europe and being absolutely shocked at American apathy.

    We have the luxury of fighting our wars far, far away, where only a select few are confronted with the grim realities of war.

    So our apathy is a persistent, American trait. Chiding the media isn't going to change that, I'm afraid.

    by Lord Sphere on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:30:29 PM PDT

    •  Interesting

      Until Americans are hit DEEP in the pocketbook, I suppose they won't give a crap.  That day will come soon I think (although I've been thinking it for a long time).

      by Steve EVfuture on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 09:35:32 PM PDT

  •  SADLY you're correct

    but there are quite a few people who ARE upset. We have anti-war protests every other week in San Francisco. It's why W won't set foot in the city..something about not getting filmed being protested against. I wonder if people are really putting 2 + 2 together. 342M/day for "wars" + Wall Street Corruption + Corporate Welfare/Gov't Bailout/Gov't Kickback [low taxation on the rich and for large corporations] = Economy in the tank. We know the Rethugs want war cuz they're getting rich off it. The Dumbocrats are too which is why they've completely rolled over and rubber-stamped everything Bush puts in front of them. These are the people we elected [sometimes]. We need different people if they are not going by our values that put them in office.  

    by heartsandflowers on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 10:06:01 PM PDT

•  American involvement is coming to an end

  American involvement is coming to an end and the Iraqi Government seeing that is finding the will to (try to) organize themselves for it just as so many of our wise Democratic leaders said they would.

  by apostrophe on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:09:23 PM PDT

•  As a matter of fact

  I did miss the fact that four more U.S. soldiers died today. Where the hell am I supposed to get news like that? From the news media?

  by MeMeMeMeMe on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:10:00 PM PDT

  •  Bunches happening

    http://icasualties.org/...

    or Gates humming bars of 'Barbara Ann'
    while bombs hit Sadr City and terror attacks up in Afghanistan...several diaries with comments
    http://www.vetvoice.com

    Well, at least, Mullen was in Kansas today and does NOT want to bomb China. Gee, ToTo...

    by deMemedeMedia on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:18:43 PM PDT

  •  lots of Iraqis killed too...

    way more than 4 or 40 - probably 400 died today from the effects of war.  

    I read somewhere that 100,000+ Iraqi kids die every year from malnutrition and pneumonia and diarrhea.

    Not that any Americans are noticing...... but here is a picture of one who died recently, from direct US violence.

    Lots more where that came from.

    by dancewater on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:28:53 PM PDT

•  Just used my remote to censor Malveaux

  interviewing [badgering seems a better descriptive verb] Michele and Carolyn Kennedy on AC360.

  I'm off to Boston Legal.

  by deMemedeMedia on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:11:33 PM PDT

•  Obama should offer a swap --

  He'll teach Hillary how to pump gas and serve coffee in exchange for bowling lessons.

  Ed

  By the way, the average savings from the 'gas tax holiday' would be something on the order of $12-15 for the average driver -- for the whole 'holiday.' (I read that on Daily Kos! Amazing what you can read there, eh?)

  by Ed Drone on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:12:49 PM PDT

  •  Actually Ed, That is pure genius!

    I think it would make a great snark that would be played over and over again and a completely undermine her faux blue collar cred.  

    You should email the campaign.  Maybe you'll get a t-shirt.

    by audiored on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:21:31 PM PDT

  •  She can't bowl either.

    I guess she tried on Ellen Degeneres' show and gutterballed it too.

    by Skid on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:36:47 PM PDT

•  It Matters

  If they say were out Jan. 21 that works for me.
  jo6pac

  by jo6pac on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:12:57 PM PDT

•  Every Dem Tomorrow

  and each Dem candidate need to talk about the 5-year anniversary of "Mission Accomplished!"

  by CityLightsLover on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:13:01 PM PDT

•  "credit where credit is due"....

  setting the bar a bit low, Dr. Barbin ;-)

  But I guess that is where we are at now....

  by clammyc on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:16:12 PM PDT

•  I know it's the stump speech

  But I just saw Obama promise again to end the war in 2009.  It was the big Bloomington event.

  by John DE on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:16:23 PM PDT

•  Boston Legal and Democratic Delegates...they have

  a "Wolfe Blitzer"...you know the best political team...covering the 'trial'.

  by deMemedeMedia on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:21:21 PM PDT

•  Master Servant of CorporateAmerica Beauty Pageant

  So goes the Master Servant of Corporate America Beauty Pageant.

  At its highest level, the MS of CABP is staged once every four years in that mighty land of the Incorporated and Off-Shored - The Corporate States of America (CSA), formerly known as the USA.

  Get ready people. Time to dial a vote, donate a dollar. And look! Here comes our first lovely contestant now, John McPain! Of the McBleed dynasty. Step right up John McPain and tell us what you plan to do with your four years of Master Servitude.

  John McPain: "Well, people, I plan to wage war. One hundred years of war, a thousand years, whatever it takes to destroy Godless Communism, I mean kill Indians, I man smash the ungrateful citizens of this great land, I mean put Iraqis in their place. That’s what I really mean. And what are Iraqis, after all? Oil pumpers. That’s we what want them for, that’s what we want them to do. I mean, really, Shia? Sunni? Kurd? Muslim? Who knows? Who cares? Just pump the oil for us, Boys. Be good sports."

  Thank you! Thank you, John McPain. Now let’s go to our second contestant of this great American night, Barack O’Bomba!

  Barack O’Bomba: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Host. With my four years as Host of this great nation, excuse me, of course I mean, as Master Servant, I plan to, well first let me say, I should say that John McPain has it all wrong. Why do in a hundred years, a thousand, what we can do in two years, two short years. We can do it. Yes, we can! In two short years as Master Host, I mean, Servant, I will cut the number of US soldiers in Iraq in half! I will cut them in half. That’s what we call withdrawal, I mean, redeployment, I mean - I oppose the war! I oppose this war that I vote for every chance I get to fund it. Yes, I do. And I’ll tell you why. It’s because I oppose it! I think I should be the one to run the war. I mean end it. I will manage it. I will manage it one oil well at a time, oil terrorists be damned, whoever they are. Yes, we can!

  Excellent words, Barack O’Bomba and John McPain, thank you, thank you both. And yes I believe either one of you would make an excellent Publicity Host, and so I thank you for running for Master Servant, for running alongside me, as it were, thank you both.

  There you have it, America. It’s your choice now. You have to choose. Mr. McPain or Mr. O’Bomba - the next great Master Servant of the Corporate States of America.

  Master Servant of Corporate America Beauty Pageant

  The Great War

  Iran Accuses US of Invading Iraq; US Issues Denial

  by Tony Christini on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:23:45 PM PDT

•  Over 40% of voters cite the economy. . .

  while 17% cite Iraq as the single issue they most want the candidates to address.

  Obama and Clinton are both politicians, and they'll give the public what they think the public wants.

  If you think the wrong issues are receiving attention you might want to think about replacing the electorate instead of the politicians -- that's an idea I can certainly go along with.

  by LarryInNYC on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:23:51 PM PDT

  •  Many Americans don't know anyone serving.

    That unfortunately reduces the occupation's importance issue-wise. Media does a crap job of covering it too.

    by Skid on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:41:09 PM PDT

    •  Media is doing a stellar job.

      That unfortunately reduces the occupation's importance issue-wise. The media's task now is to bury the occupation of Iraq as much as possible.

      Fear-mongering for the coming attack on Iran, and spewing the regular Military Industrial Propaganda IS the rest of their job, along with ignoring republican transgressions and talking about Democratic transgressions until the next transgression.

      Media is humming along just fine - for their employers.

      by xxdr zombiexx on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:02:17 PM PDT

    •  you are so right...

      I can't even tell you how many people tell us that our  son-in-law,  an Army reservist serving his 3rd deployment in Iraq,  is the ONLY person they know who is in Iraq or who has been in Iraq!!!   The ONLY person!!  

      by worriedgranny on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:30:58 PM PDT

      •  McCain needs to promote enlistment to his

        supporters since he supports the "war" and moreso unfortunately so that soldiers such as your son-in-law don't have to serve so many redeployments to Iraq.

        by Skid on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:38:54 PM PDT

•  If the press weren't so assinine,

  Obama would prefer to be talking about real issues, including the war(s).

  by Integrity is fundamental on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:27:12 PM PDT

•  Hillary Leading in North Carolina - IA poll

  http://www.internetnewsagency.com/...

  by TalkSense on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:27:14 PM PDT

  •  Don't freak:

    Insider Advantage's Matt Towery on that poll (from your link):

    ""I believe when all is said and done, Obama will likely carry North Carolina; or if he loses the race, it will be by just a few points.

    "Our polling generally does not indicate the eventual compression of black voters that Obama usually enjoys just before Election Day. If that happens, my guess is that he will pull this out. However, this poll is clearly an indication of reaction to the latest statements by his former pastor; and it forces Sen. Obama to split resources between Indiana and North Carolina."

    Lots of work to do. Donate now. Get some sleep. Hit the streets and/or work the phones in the morning.

    by hyperstation on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:25:17 PM PDT

•  Hillary riding around in an pickup with

  9 SUV's full of Secret Service trying to "connect" with the common person?  Give me a break.

  This was her "riding in a tank moment"!

  by Kyman on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:32:57 PM PDT

  •  Yes, and the guy had to borrow the truck

    from his boss in order to have a big enough vehicle to fit Hillary, her SS detail, and an aide.

    I wonder what kind of vehicle that guy really drives.

    by Brooke In Seattle on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:38:13 PM PDT

    •  They said a "smaller truck"...I bet it was a

      ford 150...No back seats!

      by Kyman on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:22:30 PM PDT

•  A Man of the People

  Spending real time with working families strikes a deeper cord with me than taking a quick photo op as a publicity stunt.  Ask the guy getting gas if he got more of out the photo than shaking hands and posing for three minutes.  

  Then go ask the working families who had lunch with Obama.  You'll get a totally different answer.  A positive answer. That's the difference between the two.  

  If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.

  John F. Kennedy

  by bodhiman on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:40:57 PM PDT

•  Gas tax "holiday" issue is key to Iraq, terrorism

  and the economy.

  Obama opposes the gas tax "holiday" pander scheme of the Clinton/McCain/Burson-Marsteller candidates, a scheme the involves borrowing $20B from China to pay Saudis $20B for oil so US can produce more global warming and owe $20B plus interest to China.

  US is in Iraq to secure the Middle East oil supplies we need to fuel our inefficient cars and trucks and our bad energy habits.

  If we want out of Iraq, we have to cut our oil use which means cut our gasoline use. Instead of "gas tax holiday" we should have a "don't drive the car holiday".

  How much of the $20B will find its way to via the Saudi financial labyrinth to al-Qaeda we can only guess. It will certainly be used to keep the oppressive regimes in power in the Middle East which fuels terrorism against the US (remember Rev. Wright's "chickens home to roost"?)

  So only Obama of the three presidential candidates has shown the courage and leadership on the energy issue as he did on Iraq.

  by Tuscany on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:45:03 PM PDT

•  As an Army Retiree..I gotta disagree with you...

  ...when two-thirds of the American people were supporting Bush's march to war on Iraq along with most of the Congress back in 2002, the remaining one third of us were doing our homework and knew it was a mistake---a mistake over 4000 of our troops have paid for, not to mention hundreds of thousands more in mental and physical wounds, along with their families and countless, COUNTLESS Iraqi women, children, and men and a country destroyed.

  Obama is doing exactly what he needs to be doing...campaigning to win the White House...I believe he is our best hope in bringing this thing to an end and bringing our troops home and ending the occupation.  

  I say that not because I believe Obama is the next Messiah as some folks intimate, but because HE was one of those one third of the American people who knew invading Iraq to be a mistake and why it was a mistake.  And, HE is the only candidate who can claim that.

  (BTW, Your article seems to imply that neither candidate cares and that I don't believe.)

  by Donise on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:55:40 PM PDT

  •  I NEVER BELIEVED THAT BS

    Especially when Colin Powell was at the UN giving his infamous WMD speech. Did anybody with any authority and knowledge behind the scenes REALLY believe him? They just rubber-stamped the whole thing, told the corporate media what message to put out and what to suppress and people just ate it up like ice cream. I was disgusted and I couldn't understand the virtual blackout of unbiased information. See I was in London in April of 2003 and even though Tony Blair fell lockstep with Bush the media did NOT hold back reporting the dissent. BBC aired live footage of the 'collateral damage'. And let me tell you seeing a 6 year old with their leg blown off really pissed me off. There was a march in Hyde Park with 1 million people protesting. Blair knew he was going to leave office so he didn't care but I had to tell people I was Canadian for a while.

    by heartsandflowers on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 10:13:30 PM PDT

    •  Wow, thanks for sharing...heart wrenching all! nt

      by Donise on Thu May 01, 2008 at 03:55:21 AM PDT

•  It's all Wrevernd Wrights Fault.

  He caused all the pundit talking heads to talk and that got us distracted from George Bush's Not-so-excellent Middle East Adventure.

  Wright attacked america, viciously and without warning. Thousands lay dead, and smoke hangs over our cities like a cloud.

  And while that happened bad things happened in reality.

  I have been paying attention to the many intelligent diaries about Obama and Obama and Clinton and Obama and Wright and Clinton, and Obama and while I did, I learned that Rev Wright damaged or maybe ruined america.

  He has too much freedom of speech and he misused it.

  So.... what's this got to do with the troops?

  Nothing.

  I am just trying to fit into DKos and yammering on about Wright is the new fad. I'm just faddin' - I don't even know what the Wright controversy is about and I DON'T CARE. It's gonna pan out to nothing but hot air and flying spittle.

  Issues are still occurring, amazingly enough. It's as if the candidate process isn't part of reality.

  Actual things are happening and people aren't talking about them.

  DynCorp is using armoured cars to ship hookers into Baghdad.

  (Too bad a regular DynCorp employee got shot to death because the hookers had his seat in the armoured car. Candidate bickering is far more important than this trivial crap...even if it did get reported in a Senate Hearing. Nobody cares about those either.)

  by xxdr zombiexx on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 07:58:40 PM PDT

•  and in case you missed it,

  lots and lots and lots and lots more people were killed in Iraq today, and most of them were Iraqis.  One was a toddler, pulled from the rubble.

  by dancewater on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 08:14:11 PM PDT

  •  Those Dumbocrats took IMPEACHMENT off the table

    effectively nullifying ANY attempt at slowing the Bulldozing from the Bush administration.

    by heartsandflowers on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 10:15:32 PM PDT

    •  Dumb?

      NO I just think they were "too smart" for those of us who believed they would have actually the sand to remove funding for this war, because that's the only way they could do it.
      Gutless?  Yes, but Dumb?  I dont think so.

      by Tx LIberal on Thu May 01, 2008 at 04:55:03 AM PDT

•  to be honest w/ everyone

  i did miss the 4 dead today in Iraq.

  by nrimmer on Wed Apr 30, 2008 at 09:51:21 PM PDT

•  Four more dead American soldiers today...

  ...and dozens and dozens of dead Iraqi civilians and 30 suicide attempts and 18 successful American veteran suicides today and every day. Great war, Mr. President, this is really supporting the troops.

  by boffo on Thu May 01, 2008 at 12:07:46 AM PDT

•  missed opportunities

  For better or for worse, the Iraq war is off the radar.  That is just a fact.

  When we got a democratic congress in 2006 with a clear mandate to end the war, we should have.  We did not.  That will always be the lasting shame of Democrats in congress - including Clinton and Obama.

  Now?

  The American public is scared about the economy and healthcare.  They will not listen to any rhetoric on Iraq - simply because we promised to deliver and we did not.

  The politicians are simply adjusting to that reality.

  by cynic on Thu May 01, 2008 at 03:35:51 AM PDT

•  Obama: First thing I'd address is war in Iraq

  ON the Bob & Tom show this morning, Tom asked him if he was president today what would be the first he'd do. His reply was that he would call together the JCS and figure out how to start bringing our troops home and that he would want to see us out of Iraq in 16 months. His 2nd priority would be healthcare, 3rd a comprehensive energy policy.

  Don't know about anyone else, but he nailed my priorities in the order I'd like to see them addressed.  

  by Boisepoet on Thu May 01, 2008 at 08:46:33 AM PDT

•  Whadya think, national embarassment?

  I keep wondering how the war in Iraq could possibly not be number one on everyone's list of concerns (as any nation's ongoing war should be).  Considering the amount of crap I got from everyone from right around September 12, 2001 to just a year and a half or so ago, I'm guessing one (stupid but still reasonable, IMO) reason would be that people are so caught up in the fact that they backed the wrong horse and there are thousands of Americans dead because of it, they'd prefer just to ignore the problem now. I'm sure there's a nifty psychological term for this, just can't come up with one right now. Dissociative disorder or something.

  by pakaal on Thu May 01, 2008 at 02:19:51 PM PDT