A Suggestion from a Soldier

A soldier friend had a great suggestion: phone cards are the very best holiday card for our thousands of soldiers deployed. A phone card can help a soldier connect with his or her family back in the states, and that's priceless.

What if we in the progressive blogosphere collected phone cards for soldiers this holiday season and then sent them to some of our brave men and women deployed in Iraq?

What do you think?

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Bush Limited Edition Holiday Calendar

Micro-targeting is not all it's cracked up to be, otherwise, I (member of the DPG executive committee, WIN List officer, 2004 chair of Georgia Women for Kerry/Edwards who has never ever voted in a Republican primary voter etc.) would never ever have gotten this email today:

Dear Amy,
As a strong supporter of our President and our Party, I wanted to make sure you had the first opportunity to have an official 2008 RNC calendar featuring President Bush.
The images in the calendar span the entire seven years of George's Presidency. I hope they will remind you of what's great about our country and how high the stakes are for America in the upcoming elections.
To receive your limited edition 2008 RNC calendar, please make an online gift of $25 or more to the RNC today.
Amy, grassroots leaders like you are the backbone of the Republican Party. Your continuing commitment to the RNC is critical to keeping the White House in Republican hands and regaining our majorities in the U.S. House and Senate in the 2008 elections.
So please take a moment to make a secure online contribution of $25 or more today and you will receive your calendar from the RNC in a few days. Thank you for your ongoing support of our President and our cause.

Best wishes,

Laura Bush

Right. It's is a little insulting, isn't it, that they assume that because of where I live, where I shop and what kind of car I drive, that I must be a "strong supporter of the President and our Party?"

Amazing, isn't it, that anyone would enjoy reflecting on these seven long years? I was going to break down and buy the calendar for some of my friends as a yearlong reminder to vote for a Democrat in November of 2008, but then I realized that the RNC didn't exactly choose the pictures I had in mind. Plus, why buy theirs when I can make my own?

Here's my version of the George W. Bush 2008 Commemorative Calendar:

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A Perspective From Mars

I get that this is a Georgia political blog, but this war impacts Georgia. We have many bases here, and many troops there. Most of our congressional delegation (including Marshall and Barrow) support the President on the war, as do both of our senators. So, on the heels of last night's declaration that we are in Iraq to stay, grant me just one more post.

James Fallows at The Atlantic.com has a great "man from Mars" perspective on the speech and on the various responses to it. It is well worth the read. He crowned John Edwards and Michael Ware (CNN reporter) the "stars" of the night, and I would have to agree. I don't know how many of you saw the CNN coverage, but Ware was on with Anderson Cooper, and he took on the President like a laser guided missile, tearing apart his argument sentence by sentence, from the perspective of someone who has been reporting from the ground in Iraq for a very long time. Here's a portion:

How long has John Edwards been sounding like this? Wow!
Of the three Democratic responses to the president in this hour on CNN -- Jack Reed, Barack Obama, plus Edwards -- Edwards was by a mile the most impressive. To apply the Man from Mars perspective: if you'd heard of none of these politicians before, based on this sequence you'd immediately assume that Edwards was the dominant one from either party (including the actual president)...Those crisp arguments were all, and only, what Edwards presented. I don't have a transcript, but the gist was: we're patrolling a civil war, nothing matters without political progress, and that's not happening; it's shameful to keep making the link to 9/11 that does not exist, etc. Compared with the last time I'd seen Edwards handling foreign policy questions on live TV, he has come a very long way in knowledge, ability and confidence..
From Obama, the opposite surprise: when did he start sounding like a Senator? So many vagued-up sentences and so little pith? Is this why people have been saying that he's not been doing so well in the debates?
And of course, I have no idea how Hillary Clinton would have sounded in this lineup...

Remember when Anderson Cooper made his break to the big time, thanks largely to his genuinely-outrage-seeming, borderline-impolite questioning of federal officials about Hurricane Katrina? "Brownie" and others would say: we're doing our best. Anderson Cooper (and others) would say: what the hell are you talking about?? There are bodies floating down the street!
That was Michael Ware's approach to the claims in Bush's speech. Is Iraq returning to normal life? Oh, sure, if normal means living in the dark most of the time, huddling for fear of being shot, etc etc etc. There are moments in journalism that can't be faked, when reporters on the ground are so disgusted by what they hear from remote official spokesmen that they just can't contain themselves. That was Ware's reaction this evening, and in a way it was the most important response to the speech.

Over the last month, John Edwards' message has become more clear, more focused and much less guarded. I am thrilled to hear him speaking truth to power, calling it like he sees it and again, leading. A President is, first and foremost, a leader.

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Are We in Iraq Forever?

Last night, Daryl and I went to a local restaurant for a quick dinner, and our waiter recognized me as "Tyler's mom." Jeremy, in his early 20's, is a friend of my son's, and Jeremy told us he'd just joined the Marines. His recruiter told him that, most likely, he's headed for Baghdad after he finishes his Paris Island training next month. No real surprise there, but, as I listened to Bush tonight, I didn't think about some generic soldier-I thought about Jeremy.

Tonight, the President said that we will be in Iraq for the foreseeable future, much as we are in Korea. I have believed for a long time that if this administration had it's way, we would be in Iraq from now on (how else can we babysit the middle east's oil?). Tonight, Bush said as much. I wonder what that will mean for Jeremy? Will his tour be much longer than expected? I'm not fine with that, and neither is John Edwards, who spent some significant campaign treasure to make that point tonight. There is an alternative to Bush's plan. Here's what John Edwards spent his two minutes saying:

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Edwards Tonight: Unprecedented Address to the Nation

As Tina pointed out earlier today, John Edwards has purchased two minutes of airtime on MSNBC to address the nation following President Bush's remarks about Iraq. Unlike Clinton and Obama, the Edward's campaign doesn't have millions to burn. But, true to form, John Edwards is taking a bold step and doing what is right as opposed to what is easy. He knows that Bush will stand up for the status quo. John Edwards will be standing up for us. Be sure to tune in to hear what Sen. Edwards has to say. This would be a GREAT time to chip in a dew dollars to defray the cost of this address. I don't know what two minutes of national airtime on MSNBC costs, but it ain't cheap. But, it is about time someone stood up for us.

Will you help? Click here to contribute. And tune in tonight. Here's full information:

Tonight, after President Bush makes yet another argument for continuing the war in Iraq, John Edwards will speak directly to the American people in a nationwide address on MSNBC.Our campaign has bought airtime on MSNBC immediately following the President's address at 9 p.m., and John Edwards will challenge the President's remarks with a strong call to the nation to end the war now.Please watch in that timeframe—and forward this e-mail to your friends, asking them to watch as well. Each of us has a responsibility to make sure that President Bush and Congress understand that the time for excuses has run out. John Edwards will deliver a strong message tonight on our behalf. It's time to end this war and bring our troops home.Buying this kind of airtime is expensive. But we believe that President Bush's address must be countered with a strong voice in opposition to the failed policies that have kept our troops in harm's way for far too long. Tonight, John Edwards will continue to lead, and make the case to the nation that we cannot wait for an election to change course in Iraq—we as citizens must make Washington understand that the time to end this war is now.Don't miss John's address tonight on MSNBC, immediately following the President.President Bush will be on every network for free tonight. Our campaign will have to pay for the time on MSNBC so that John Edwards can challenge the President's failed policies. Please consider making a contribution to the campaign—to help us meet the costs of paying for tonight's address—and to help John's campaign continue to grow.

www.johnedwards.com/action/contribute/iraq-address

Thanks for all you do,--Joe Trippi Senior Advisor, John Edwards for President

September 13, 2007

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A Shoe-In for Peace

To the degree that fashion is a reflection of the public mood, peace is now officially cool, even among higher income Americans. I know this because yesterday when Daryl and I were shopping in Atlanta, I came across several pairs of Donald J. Pliner shoes decorated with jeweled peace signs. For those not familiar, Pliner is an American designer of high-end shoes, belts and handbags. His shoes are pricey, at least for my budget, with many pairs ringing up in excess of $250.00. Note to Congress and the President: when peace signs show up on $250 sandals, it's a signal that you're out of step.

Actually, I was for peace before it was cool. My favorite piece of jewelry is a specially made peace sign pendant with tiny diamonds my husband gave me for an anniversary gift three years ago. I get more comments on that quarter-sized pendent than anything else I wear. Trust me, those comments have changed some over the last three years. The polls reflect it, too. Public sentiment is no longer with this war.

Some in Congress are fond of saying that this is "George Bush's War." That's true, but with every day that passes with Democrats in Congress failing to act to do what they can do to force the President's hand to bring our troops home, the war belongs more and more to them as well. It seems as though all this administration has to do to keep Democrats in check is to call them names. As long as this war goes on, why do we think that anyone who is now in Congress can be elected President?

And, no. I did not buy the sandals.

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Support the Troops - End the War

Leading, once again, Sen. Edwards has a new website, "Support the Troops, End the War" where he calls for a day of action on Memorial Day to do both. Sid, over at Cracker Squire, points out that there is a Washington Post piece about this effort, and he notes that this may be a risky strategy. Cracker Squire: Edwards campaigns to make Memorial Day an antiwar statement -- This is risky and could backfire.

Maybe Sid's right, but Edwards has made it clear from the beginning of this race that he will not be doing what's safe- he'll be doing what he thinks is right. I appreciate his courage and his leadership. There is no issue facing the American people that is more important than Iraq. Besides, this is a two-prong strategy- Support the Troops and End the War. There not a lot controversial here.

Here are some of the things he suggests we do to Reclaim Patriotism:


1. Get local, get active, and get outdoors. Walk the streets of your neighborhood. Get everyone you know to sign a petition to your local government body—for instance, your town or city council or neighborhood association—to pass a resolution requesting that Congress use its funding authority to support our troops and end the war. Bring the petition to the next meeting. Share your plans here.

2. Send our troops a taste of home. Go shopping with your kids, your friends, your neighbors, and buy a whole bunch of stuff that would make a soldier happy to receive (check for restrictions). Then go through a site like Anysoldier.com, OpGratitude.com, or TroopCarePackage.com to send your package to a soldier in Iraq. Take photos and tell us about it.

3. Gather in public. On Memorial Day, get your friends, kids, co-workers, neighbors, aunts, uncles, grandfathers, grandmothers, and anyone and everyone you know together to publicly support the troops and end the war. Be sure to check with your local authority for any permits you need for public gatherings. Contact local media to publicize your event. Make sure you conduct yourself respectfully—both for those serving in Iraq and the memory of the brave servicemen and women that Memorial Day honors. Share your plans here.

4. Pray. Organize a prayer vigil for our troops at your house of worship. Tell us about it.
Make your voice heard in Washington. Call President Bush at (202) 456-1111 or email him at comments@whitehouse.gov. Call your Representative and U.S. Senator and ask them to use their funding power to support our troops and end the war. Tell us about it.

5. Get vocal. Buy a bunch of poster-board and markers. At a picnic or with family and friends, make signs that say “SUPPORT THE TROOPS - END THE WAR.” Bring them to your local Memorial Day parade. Then take a digital photo of yourself and your family or friends holding up the poster and tell us about it. We’ll include it in a “Democracy Photo Album” on our site.
Greet a vet. Before Memorial Day Weekend gets started, get in touch with the Yellow Ribbon Fund and volunteer to provide welcome-back services and mentorships to injured soldiers returning home. Tell us about it.

6. Say thank you. Send a thank-you note to our troops through organizations like Let's Say Thanks, A Million Thanks, or Operation Care Packages. Better yet - gather folks together to write thank-you notes at a picnic. Tell us about it.

7. Help an injured vet. Before Memorial Day Weekend gets underway, contact your local VA Hospital and learn how you can volunteer. Tell us about it.

8. Light up the night. Get your friends and family together and organize a Memorial Day candlelight vigil to support our troops and end the war. Share your plans here.

This is cross-posted at Georgia Votes Edwards

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Saxby Needs to Check His Vision

You know that "amazing progress" Sen. Chambliss "saw" in Iraq? Well, apparently his fellow Republican, Sen. Olympia Snowe, did not see the same " amazing progress." Though she was on the same trip, she found "little to be cheerful about." Check the story on the Kos.

Apparently, Snowe actually observed the situation in Iraq while Chambliss just read his talking points. I agree with Kos- Georgia deserves so much more than this fool in the Senate. We need a good, viable candidate in this race-yesterday. And, no, we do not have one yet.

Any takers? I will personally raise your qualifying fee.

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Edwards Leads-Again

John Edwards is making leading on tough issues a habit. He was the first presidential candidate to call for universal health care and to put forward a comprehensive plan to make it a reality. He was the first to apologize for his vote to authorize the war in Iraq, and the first to say that we need to get out troops out of Iraq. Now, today, after months of political "if I had known then what I know now" double-speak, Hilliary Clinton is also calling for a March 2008 time line for withdrawal.

And on Thursday, Edwards was the first candidate to pull out of the Nevada presidential debate because it was sponsored, in part, by Fox News. His principled stand on this and other issues could've come with a big price tag- he could've been the only candidate to miss the debate in this key early primary state of Nevada. But sometimes when you do the right thing, others ultimately follow, and on Friday, the Nevada Democratic Party pulled the plug on the debate, pointing to the participation by Fox.

Edwards has the strength of character, the courage and the vision to lead on all of these issues. I want a leader to be President, not a politico who checks a poll and then decides what he believes.

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BREAKING: While U.S. Plans Surge, UK Plans to Bringing Troops Home

So, are we about the be a coalition of one? Thanks to Tina for this information, breaking from CNN:

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will announce on Wednesday a new timetable for withdrawing British troops from Iraq, with 1,500 to return home in several weeks, the British Broadcasting Corp. reports.

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For the Record

Congressman Marshall's plan to vote no on the war resolution falls in the category of the 50% of his decisions I disagree with. I would like to tell you that I am surprised by his choice, but I am not. I don't agree with this, but in the past, I have heard him make the case that you don't criticize and analyze a war while you are in it because it is demoralizing to the troops. I don't know how you get the cart out of the ditch unless you acknowledge that it is, indeed, no longer on the road. I think that his resolve on this issue is related to his military service and background, not his political ambition. I think that he really believes that he is doing the right thing by not opposing the Commander in Cheif while we are at war. I could not disagree more.

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Edwards Tonight on "Larry King Live"

Tonight at 9 pm, John Edwards will be Larry King's guest tonight and will discuss his plan for drawing down troops in Iraq. One of the things I like about Edwards is that he not only has a vision for where the country needs to go, he has concrete plans to get us there. That appeals to me. If you agree that it is time for a genuine exit strategy, then Sen. Edwards suggests that you call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and say so.


Here are the four planks of his plan to get us out of Iraq:

1. Stop the escalation and force an immediate withdrawal by using funding caps to restrict the total number of troops in Iraq to 100,000, which would require an immediate draw-down of 40,000-50,000 combat troops without stranding or underfunding a single soldier still in Iraq. Any troops beyond the 100,000 level should be redeployed immediately.

2. Block the deployment of troops that do not meet readiness standards and that have not been properly trained and equipped. American Tax dollars must be used to prepare and supply our troops, not escalate the war. It is simply wrong to send our troops into harm's way without all the training and equipment they need.

3. Make it clear that President Bush is conducting this war without authorization. The 2002 authorization did not give Bush the power to use U.S. troops to police a civil war. President Bush exceeded his authority long ago. He now needs to end the war and ask Congress for new authority to manage the withdrawal of the U.S. military presence and to help Iraq achieve stability.

4. Require a complete withdrawal of combat troops in Iraq within the next 12-18 months without leaving behind any permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.

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The Broken Egg Problem

Today, Jim Lehrer interviewed President Bush about Iraq policy, and the transcript is well worth reading. Unfortunately, it only underscores the fact that Bush's Iraq policy makes absolutely no sense. Consider this exchange:

MR. LEHRER: Is there a little bit of a broken egg problem here, Mr. President, that there is instability and there is violence in Iraq - sectarian violence, Iraqis killing other Iraqis, and now the United States helped create the broken egg and now says, okay, Iraqis, it's your problem. You put the egg back together, and if you don't do it quickly and you don't do it well, then we'll get the hell out.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Yeah, you know, that's an interesting question. I don't quite view it as the broken egg; I view it as the cracked egg --

MR. LEHRER: Cracked egg?

PRESIDENT BUSH: -- that - where we still have a chance to move beyond the broken egg. And I thought long and hard about the decision, Jim. Obviously it's a big decision for this theater in the war on terror, and you know, if I didn't believe we could keep the egg from fully cracking, I wouldn't ask 21,000 kids - additional kids to go into Iraq to reinforce those troops that are there.

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The Bush Team Must've Written This

Our vet gave us some medicated shampoo for our new kitten, Gracie. Just as Bush's "new way forward" speech was written by people who have never fought a war, the directions on the shampoo were written by folks who have never had a cat!

Here's the what we're to do:

1) Completely wet the cat.
2) Thoroughly lather the cat.
3) Leave the lather on for ten minutes, and
4) Do not allow the cat to lick itself while lathered.
5) Rinse thoroughly.

Any volunteers?

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Sacrifice?

Can we just vote now?

According to the BBC, in a few days, Bush will address the nation and tell us that he wants to send more troops, 20,000 or more troops, to Iraq. The mission, dubbed "surge and accelerate" would send troops into Iraq, not to train Iraqi military or police, but instead to secure Baghdad. In the face of evaporating public will for prosecution of this war, in the face of the 3,000th American casualty and 1000 Iraqi deaths every month, Bush will ask the nation to "sacrifice."

When did Bush learn about sacrifice? When he was ducking his own military service?

How can someone who has never known sacrifice ask this of a nation? The troops serving in Iraq know sacrifice. The families of the dead and wounded soldiers know sacrifice. The Iraqi people know sacrifice. Bush? He has grown up in the lap of luxury and has now appropriated the riches of this nation and the lives of our soldiers, and for what? To line the pockets of those who profit from this war. He is ignoring the will of the American people and the advice of his own military commanders. He is not behaving like a President. He is behaving like a tyrant with the most powerful military in the world at his disposal. He is the madman driving the streetcar, and Congress must pull the brake.

If this does not drive the American people into the streets, what will?

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Saxby's Double-Speak

Senator Chambliss is on record in the Athens Banner Herald opposing a time line for withdrawal from Iraq, instead saying that the criteria for victory has changed. Here's what he had to say. If you can follow his logic, you're doing better than me:

"The degree of how bad it's going is where (Democrats and Republicans) might disagree," Chambliss said after Friday's fall commencement at the University of Georgia, for which he gave the keynote address. "From a military perspective, we are winning the war."
But a successful military operation does not ensure victory - "we can't say that about any other war," he said. "In this conflict, victory means training the Iraqi military to the point where they're able to protect the Iraqi citizens from the threat of an outside force ... and train the Iraqi police until they are at a point where they can protect citizens from domestic threats."
American troops continue to take out bad guys every day, "but that doesn't win a war for us," said Chambliss, who sits on the Senate Armed Services and Select Intelligence committees, as well as the Agriculture Committee."

What? Are these the same Iraqi police who recently stood by as worshipers were pulled out of a mosque and burned to death? This meaningless double-talk is just one of the reasons the right candidate can so beat this guy.

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