I am all in favor of benchmarks for what a government should accomplish, and for real consequences if it fails to.

It's a good idea for the Iraqi government, too.

Bush isn't lying when he says "it makes sense to have benchmarks as part of the discussion." That means NOTHING. He's always happy to "listen," he "looks forward to the debate." But when the debate and discussion are done, he'll do whatever he wanted to do in the first place.

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

And beyond that, F. Scott Fitzgerald is said to have come up with this gem: "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function."

Can't quite process these two items properly -- my grey matter is threatening to explode at the the thought that Dubya, Tony Snow and others in this administration might actually be frickin' geniuses!

BOOM!!! Shoot, there go millions of brains across the U.S., splattered against our computer monitors.

With the 11/06 vote of "no confidence", Howard Dean would have been president for the last six months.

Ahhhh, to have that alternate universe machine.

The Iraqi people have suffered more casualties than we have. So true, but he forgot to say who was responsible for this disaster. Afterall who invaded whom?

We are at war with east asia, we have always been at war with east asia.

I love that all one must do to show the absurdity of the regular output from the Bush administration's Ministry of Truthiness, is to quote them directly.

Great stuff, disturbing that it's real, but great to see it cataloged.

Thatcher

Majors

Blair

and soon, Gordon Brown

would be our PM's

Consequences have never been the strong suit of this administration... at least when the consequences are unfavorable to them. Sure, the consequences for being competant but not loyal are dismissal, but that applies to others. When it looks as though this administration is losing, the game must go on at all cost until they are ahead.

You do know that F. Scott was a serious alcoholic who died of that disease. It is also well quoted that holding contradictory positions and functioning is also a sign of schizophrenia.

There is a ponderous miasma surrounding the issue of consequences, benchmarks and the Bush Administration. This is a cabal that has escaped consequences for:

1.Illegal Wiretaps

2.Weapons of Mass Destriction

3.Ties from Sadam to AlQuaida

4.Torture

5.Extraordinary Rendition

7.Abu Graib

8.Guantanamo

9.Habeas Corpus

10. Valerie Plame

11. Yellow-cake

12. Libby

13. Whore-mongering Assistant Secretary of State

14. National Security Adviser with Al Quaeda-is-here Memo ignored.

15. Katrina Disgrace

16. Haliburton Grand Theft

17. Delay and Abramoff incest with Rove

I don,t know, before I go any further, I may deteact a pattern here to share with Tim. I wish he'd have had it to preface an article on consequences.

Because I have searched every series of tubes on the internet and can't find it. But here it is:

When is the next scheduled election for the Iraqi Parliement or its ministers or president?

How long is Maliki in office? Until year X? Until some no confidence vote? Until he is assassinated by the Sunnis, crazy Al Quaida guy, the CIA?

I ask this not just because there is a serious issue as to whether he represents or serves all Iraqis, let alone enjoy their support, but the more serious question of "Does anyone believe that any country wide election could be held now or at any foreseeable time in the future?

If the level of violence has reached such a level that nationwide elections are no longer possible, can we really call the current Iraqi government a democratically elected government? How do we know it represents the will of the people if the will of the people are no longer capable of choosing whether to support or reject it?

Democracy is not frozen in amber. It is a dynamic system which fluctuates according to the changing will of the people it is elected to serve. We are talking about public servants here, not kings or dictators.

In most European countries the people are free to lose confidence in their government at any time. In our country, it is fixed and we are stuck and or fucked by our choices for fixed periods of time.

In Iraq it now appears that neither option is available to the Iraqis. They have no opportunity to toss out the current government and no fixed election date could possibly be scheduled, let alone carried out.

Unless someone could argue otherwise, we are no longer supporting a "democratic freedom loving government" but a handful of people serving spefically selfish and minority interests, with little or no authority or influence outside the Greenzone and totally and completely dependant upon the US to maintain what power or influence they have.

In other words, the ultimate definition of a puppet government.

Somewhere former South Vietnamese President Thieu only wishes he had it so good.

Cheney is currently on a carrier in the Persian Gulf, telling Iran they'd better not get to big for their britches or he'll sick the U.S. Navy on 'em.

Somebody put a leash on that maniac!!

Because I am convinced that there is nothing Bush will EVER agree with Congress on. He will Veto everything that is not 100% his way.

For one thing, whenever he and Congress don't agree, it's always reported like the burden is on CONGRESS and not the White House! The majority of Americans side with Congress, but our press still writes the story like all of this arguing over benchmarks is all Congress' fault.

And the stupid fucking "support the troops" slogan STILL is being wielded by Republicans!!! STILL??? After everything the Republican party has done to the troops, THEY are the troop supporters??? Will a Democrtat PLEASE grow a pair and call Bush out? Call Bush out!!! The troops do not have Bush' support. Never had it! This is the guy who dodged the draft. This is the guy who said "Bring em on."

Bush supports the troops the same way a butcher supports cattle.

The Democrats are going to get blamed for everything by our press. Our press loves Bush, and hates it's readers. Bush and Cheney belong in fucking jail.

It's time to impeach. period. Impeach impeach impeach. Fuck em. They are going to accuse us of not supporting the troops anyway. Call them out and kick their asses. If they want a culture war, I think we should give them one. As long as the GOP continues to tow Bush' line, there is nothing good about them. NOTHING.