Barak yesterday showed he could keep his head. Hillary can do the same about Iraq.

It is obvious that the President is out of touch, the VP is engaged in a damage control, John McCain is the adopted hero heir, in the pattern of Petain and Von Hindenberg, with two Senator handlers and VP over sight. "We are on the precipice of victory..." did I hear that today from the President. Precipice? National treasury, maybe; Victory..I don't think so.

The Iranian President took the ride to the Green Zone in a car. I took that ride twice in 2004. It is the longest 10+k in ones life. Our heroes, white hair whities, take a helicopter and division of troops to get there.

We have 158,000 troops holding a leaky wall of passion. We think 140000 can do it. But this is a hold. Holding is not five years of progress.

Our allies have left politely. Our supported government won't take action but will take our treasury. Our General said so. One Admiral has resigned over it. The Arabs are not producing more oil to reduce our costs. Gates knows no more intelligence about Iraq than when he did was with the CIA.

This is home run time for the comeback kids!

Stand up and slam it, Hillary, and the Presidency is deservedly yours.

If you waffle, Barak Obama will clear the bases.

Your runner up prize will be to return to the Senate and remove the White House staff members and charlatans who hold seats in the Congress. Herculean, but an honorable job for a single hitter.

Let's refocus....there are very serious tremours in our financial system that is off the Cheney radar scope (his gold is held by friends in the Gulf) and is on his scope in Iraq (at behest of his money holders). A disaster of this size is without colour and race is only the competition to the bottom!

The opinion from Iraq's "commander in the field" is really a response to the question: Can you hold the front til past the election? After that "the commander in the field" is to sort for himself.

The other inputs from the JCS is a response to the question; what can happen that will hold us in office in Washington another four years under John "Petain" McCain while we consolidate our fortunes and cover our tracks.

Note: National security and personal wealth are for the limited protected party members. They are neither for "common defense" of the perfect union nor ordained as so.

Glenn;

Am afraid we have become advocates of various red herrings in the widenning chaos of expanding conflicts of interest that mar all participants. It appears more impossible to understand what behind the scenes, over the horizon and/or beneath the surge is really going on. Worldwide we are the blinded fool and domestically the solicitor's johns available widely for a financial and posterity mugging with little risk to the looter. Only our national security, principles, George Bush and our heirs are not for sale because they have become in conflict and of no value. Each day at all levels of this government another Yalta, Munich or Faustian deal is cut as it has since the spring of 2004 when Iraq was lost and another term was bought from an ever available Lucifer working on behalf of all gods on all fronts. No media participant or government official or influence peddler or senior military officer has been left without stain.

The same cabal that hides along K street. People, once the primary circus ends, will realize McCain is a trojan horse of a once hero. They will then stop the foolishness.

Let's look hard at what is under John's tent. It is empty. He is a once hero, a place holder, a Petain or von Hindenberg, protecting against the rage toward his former enemy and current President. The myth makers if they can successfully get the Florida and Ohio voters fooled again will place a four year road block in accountability. Sort of like the Ford Administration - old goof in the White House while the apocalypse takes hold off shore and on Wall and Main Streets. Maybe like Ford with Rummey and Cheney can get away with abandoning some troops in the field. David Brooks is delusional on this one.

Afraid, our hearts have become hardened, our minds fixed. Money and modern media now have outrun strategy, ideas and even dialogue. We among the Democrats are in the world of Karl Rove where massive media plans execute to produce gains at the margin. It is where a series of very costly zero sum battles will be fought until someone collapses. Welcome to Verdun. Will Denver be a Versailles?

Our terms for what we expect of a President's ability or character don't come in a sex or color classification, do they?

Their only value in the media comes from the day you were paid by the word, are you still? Are the hits on this blog valued by color or sex? Seems the issue is in the questioner.

John McCain is a product of educational benefits for service. His were a preservice investment (US Naval Academy) gained thru inheritance.

He may not understand the concept of service first.

His Marine Corps son may desire to advise him inconjunction with a lecture on the meaning of sempre fi.