JackHughes is absolutely right. bodacious is absolutely right. USERNAME is absolutely right.

BadgerBlue and Timelagged WOULD be absolutely right if we could have any assurance whatever that something so simple as democratic elections would rid us of these vermin.

I'm no longer convinced it will be that easy. I don't think, and haven't thought for at least a year and a half, that Bush et al. are going to go quietly when it's their time to go.

As I've said MANYMANYMANY times, think: another 9/11, martial law, suspended Constitution, suspended elections, and now: private armies. Like Blackwater: reputedly 180K-strong.

If I turn out to be wrong, so be it. You can laugh at me and point fingers at the conspiracy freak all you like. I might even be able to laugh at myself a bit, though it will be a laugh of relief more than anything else.

Right now, I see only MORE reasons to think I'm right than I did when this thought first occurred to me.

He's not leaving. The Neocons have NOT worked this hard for this long, and seized this much power in this many areas, simply to give it up just because "We the People" say so.

As I said previously, the trouble with this administration is that they make paranoia seem reasonable.

I agree, the attempt to take over the government probably wouldn't succeed for long (I should have said so in my original post), but I still contend that the likelihood is high that they'll try it.

I doubt it too. But I can't say it's impossible. And neither can you.

I mean, my God, could you ever have predicted 10 years ago that any government of the USA could have gone as far as the Neocons ALREADY have?

Don't get too complacent.

Karl Rove is one of the few people I've ever seen whose voice got HIGHER in pitch as he aged. Usually one must get well into old age before that happens.

And Joan - you're a lot cuter than your cartoon caricature. But hey, that's just me...

All the replies here have good info, except that I'd recommend Joan reread Sen. Levin's remarks about the removal of Maliki. They were a leeeeeetle bit harsher than your take on them suggests.

However, as a total side issue, I wonder if anyone would offer some clarification as to Allawi's right to hire a registered lobbying firm. I guess most people would say, hey he's got the money, he can do it.

But it's my understanding, admittedly a layman's, that the First Amendment "redress of grievance" provision applies only to American citizens.

Anyone care to tackle that one?