There are so many reasons this whole sorry episode is a farce, below are a few.

Isn't Bush Petraeus's boss, how many times do you against your bosses primary goals and expect to get anywhere in your career? Look at Colin Powel, disgraced by following his executives orders at the U.N. and had to resign to not disgrace himself further. Petraeus is Bushes water carrier by definition and role. Duh.

It was bad for the Iraqis before we invaded due to the hardships imposed by meathead Saddam and the sanctions against him, was a catastrophic disaster after the invasion, and will continue to be a disaster after we leave. Look at Afghanistan, the Russians were there for 10 years, and we have been there for who the fuk knows how many years, and the place is still fukked up.

xititjur99s question, paraphrased here, --if progress is being made, then logically why aren't we starting to pull out?--, so clearly demonstrates the foolishness of the warmongers argument. The reality is that the rate that instability is increasing has been slowed in some targeted, isolated areas, but security/stablity continues to nosedive. The neighborhood continues to burn down, but progress is being made because we saved two mailboxes.

I could go on, but why? The outcome of this farce called the Petraeus report IS A DONE DEAL. Our involvement in this war (we started) will go on as long as Bush is president. The press defers to the executive today like when you become president you're a fukkin god or something. No amount of common sense or rationality will turn this around while the meathead in chief is in charge. This is about DELAY until meathead leaves office and can cover his ass by saying I didn't "lose" the war, it was the poor smuck who came after me that "lost" the war.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/09/business/main3244774.shtml

Texas' Hunt Oil Co. and Kurdistan's regional government said they have signed a production-sharing contract for petroleum exploration in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, the first such deal since the Kurds passed their own oil and gas law in August.

So the Kurds are operating as a seperate entity, ignoring the Iraqi central government, or what little of a central government there is. Bushies though are finally getting some oil contracts out of the war.

Oh happy fukking day.

Surprising intellect?

What does that mean, like I thought he was as dumb as a rock, but look, I found someone who can read!

As another comment stated, his lack of command of spoken language makes his claim of voluminous book reading suspect. But even if he does actually read, without curiosity or an ability to overcome preconceived notions or an ability to process information in new ways, you are left not with intellect, but with empty knowledge devoid of understanding.

Intellect is not a red herring, it should be one of the qualities we measure and elect our leaders on, along with honesty, compassion, and maybe most importantly wisdom.

Now a days, if you could get 2 out of 4 of those qualities in a presidential candidate, it's a homerun.

Shooter please go to www.ImSuchaDumbAss.com where you too can join other patriots who gave up thier right to file lawsuits.

Now I don't know, but the previous behavior and associates of Shahin make that plausible in my mind. Why isn't it plausible in yours? - Golden

It is entirely possible to me that you are a fukkin' terrorist disgusied as a Muslim hater in order to cover up your nefarious terror plots. Since I have about the same level of info on you that you have on the associates of Shanin, isn't possible? Isn't it POSSIBLE? DAMN IT, ISN'T IT! ADMIT YOU ARE A POSSIBLE TERRORIST. ADMIT IT! ISN'T IT POSSIBLE? Ok probably not plausible but possible. Alot of things are

--p o s s i b l e-- but not --p l a u s i b l e--.

Extremists like some in this letters section, as well as all types and flavors of religious extremists, all have great conviction, which is a wonderful thing. They also have great ignorance in equal measure and the large gap between their conviction and their ignorance is filled with dead, mutilated and tortured bodies.

I think the reason is clear.

William Westmoreland, the commanding officer in Vietnam, stated the draft at that time was "discriminatory, undemocratic and resulted in the war being fought by the poor man's son." 59 percent of draft-aged men in fact received deferments or exemptions. However in this day and age I don't think discriminatory draft is an option any longer.

If a draft is instituted without exceptions or defrements (marriage, college, etc) then the war would end immediately. No one within draft age or with sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, or grandkids within draft age would support this war and in fact actively, very actively oppose it. The chickenhawks would run for the hills or disappear.

Do you think Cheney would have acted the chickenhawk during the Vietnam war if he was disallowed from deferments? Do you think Bush would have acted the chickenhawk during the Vietnam war if he was disallowed from getting a guaranteed non-combat role in the National Guard?

Sometimes I want the draft to return just to shut up all the chickenhawks. Petty I know.

First it was the environmentalists, then the lawyers, now it's the bicyclists ruining everything for God fearing Americans.

For God's sake... who's next? Yoga teachers?

Mr Pill, Who's next? Really, who's next?