I was happy to see Senator Webb’s response to President Bush’s State of the Union address and the Democrats’ plan to get out of Iraq.  Like many of you, I wish that this would be sooner rather than later; however I believe that the next President should pay attention to the real problem causing terrorism and unrest in our world.  For example, although President Bush mentioned global poverty in the State of the Union, he failed to mention how his administration plans on eliminating the problem.  Instead of spending so much money on the Iraq war ($340 billion), we should be spending at least some of this on global poverty in order to discourage more terrorism and wars.  According to the Borgen Project, in reality only .16% of our federal budget is spent on development assistance, the least among wealthy nations.  We should let our representatives know that we want this percentage to be higher than the 50% we spend on defense every year.

I have been a Bush supporter in general and a Republican specifically.  But I no longer support this war.  I don’t feel that Bush has a true plan to win this war and don’t believe the surge of troops will do much except to get more soliders killed.
That being said I am also WAITING for the Dems to do what they promised and what people said they would do.  End the war.  So if you intend to keep your promise you made to get elected and take over the majority in Congress AND if you truly intend to “show him the way” then just when do you plan to get off your collective Dem asses and do so. When do you plan to lead?  I don’t think you honestly have any intention of doing anything until after the 2008 Presidential elections because you are afraid your actions may fail and that is not why you were elected.  Get off your asses and end the war.  You have the votes to do what is right so do it.  Lets see your 8-12 Presidental candidates demand the war end now and let see Teddy demand the war end now….bring it to a vote and get it done…...not a chance.  I see nothing but hiding from the leaders in the Congress.

I’ll believe in our political deliverance when a candidate starts attacking the American people for embracing lower middle class values.  All of our policies and institutions are at the comic book level.

Jim Webb’s closing line in the Dem rebuttal…
  “we will be showing him the way”... was SOOO
  “on the money”.  I, for one, think he means
  exactly what he said.  But, it is likely too
  late to stop The Decider from looking for
  more WMD.

The people who still believe bush are as dumb as the rock they live under.They must be under the age of sixty are at least some of them would have served in vietnam,do any of you republicans remember?The same B.S.is going on in front of you and you can’t get what little brain you have around it.Yes i served in vietnam in 1966/67 and know what kind of Spin you rep. put on WAR!
You have idiots supporting idiots!They should invoke the draft up the age to 50 and draft you and your children,then you would have a different perspective on this unnessary WAR!
IMPEACH THE DICTATOR/MONARCHY

Nice, someone who could stymie the evangelical get-out-the-vote machine. Would make a good running mate for Gore (or..?)in ‘08.

So Jim Webb is going to save the day, ha, ha. Get real and stop polishing turds. The democrats are not going to pull the troops out of Iraq, not today, not ever. Dems have the power to stop the war and they have done nothing because it would not please their corporate bosses. Jim Webb and the rest are corporate butt kissers.

About Bush starting another despicable war (this time on IraN), recall Bush blamed false intelligence for his “mistaken” view about the dangers Iraq posed.  Hello World!  Anybody Home?  We’re being treated to the similar vague accusations now against Iran.  No evidence, you’ll notice.  Hey Bush!  After you blamed faulty intelligence for your evil attack on Iraq, aren’t you concerned you might make another “mistake” against Iran?  Aren’t you the least bit curious about why your Iraq intelligence was false?  Why no investigation?  Aren’t you the least bit concerned your Iran intelligence might also be false?
    But not to worry, folks.  Bush is busy “fixing the facts” around the policy.  Notice: at first he was shaking his missiles against what was going on inside Iran.  Now he’s got a better idea.  Accuse Iran of operating inside Iraq.  Now he can create his second evil war by claiming his attack on Iran is just an extension of his war on Iraq.
  Fool me once, shame on er..ah… someone or other.  Fool me ah.. let’s see….ah…

Not one step back from the war on international terrorism ... who is Webb kidding?  Does he think re-deploying the troops out of Iraq will strike a blow against terrorists? 

He thinks the President should end the war, just like IKE ended the Korean war ... except we did not pull the troops out of Korea & because we have remained in place the ceasefire has held for some 50 years.

Just because Webb & his relatives served, doesn’t mean he speaks for the military.  My grandfather served in WWI, my father served in WWII, Korea & Vietnam (KIA 1969), I served for 28 years & spent 2005-2006 in Iraq, and my son is currently in the US Army.  Most of the people I served with in Iraq were proud to serve and committed to the mission, and would not agree with Webb’s viewpoint.

Enough of the great communications!  We need someone who will encourage us to think.  Webb could be one of the people to do that.  Pelosi may be another, though I question her ties to Israel.

When I hear of the outrageous lies and obfuscations of the Republicans in high office, I shake my fist in anger.  When I hear the namby-pamby vacillation and spinelessness of most Democrats and the pablum comments and refusal to take a stand that most Democrats adhere to, I shake my head in frustration. 

At last, comes someone with the convictions, and the courage of those convictions, as well.  If only Hillary, Joe Biden, and most of the other Senate Democrats (I exclude firebrand Ted Kennedy from this group of appeasers), plus House Speaker Pelosi had any deep-seated convictions that they were willing to stand up for, the country might have a chance of being saved from these crooks and liars that now run it. 

Hurrah for Jim Webb!!!  We need many more like him to speak the truth to those in high office, and to truly, truly represent the wishes of the American people.

well, the pattern is definitely in plain site, lie,lie,lie,lie. c’mon congress!, wake up, you can’t believe a word that the bush administration burps out of whichever end!!! get this guys attention, impeachment?, why not, he has murdered over 3000 american troops, do whatever it takes to shut him down, cheney says we can’t be stopped, refering to the administration, well, with that kind of attitude, what are they going to try next? looks like they are figuring on selling out the country to the highest bidder, plus trying to kill off the military, these guys records indicate exactly who they are, bullies, and bullies are always cowards, congress must step up to the plate, get our kids home.

louis stroud

While everyone is busily patting Jim Webb on the back, I have to ask: doesn’t anyone see the huge irony and flaw in his speech?  Here is Webb speaking from some sort of moral high ground because he served in Vietnam.  That was a war fought on exactly the same basis of lies as Bush’s adventure on Iraq, and fought for the same reasons (excluding oil): to support American imperialism and enrich the American military-industrial complex.  And let’s not forget that “Vietnam” was vastly more destructive…between three and four million Indo-Chinese killed, 60,000 Americans killed… than the Iraq fiasco has been.  If Webb had any integrity (or at least historical perspective) he would have said: “The same people lied to me about Vietnam as have been lying to us about Iraq.”  And why didn’t he say this?  Because the ruling classes in America want us to see Iraq as an “error in judgement” by one very incompetent administration rather than what it is, part of a century-long exercise in American imperialism.

Richard Viguerie Blasts Bush’s Speech

Conservative pioneer and Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com Richard Viguerie has done a great job of identifying the disappointments in President Bush’s State of the Union address. (Thanks to Chris)

The Hotline: The underlying message in this State of the Union Address was directed toward the Democrats: In effect, we can work together–let’s make a deal. The underlying message directed toward the conservatives was: You have no place else to go. Among the other omissions in the President’s speech:

? He did not acknowledge any mistake in pursuing the liberal, big government policies that have driven the Republican Party from power on Capitol Hill.

? He did not announce any changes in personnel in a conservative direction.

? He did not announce that he will veto any increase in discretionary spending.

? He did not call for the downsizing or elimination of any government programs.

? He did not call for eliminating the corporate welfare shelled out to big business.

? He did not announce that he will veto any legislation that contains ‘earmarks.’

? He did not launch a serious war on the institutionalized government corruption between big business, their lobbies, Congress, and the Administration.

? He did not announce any significant initiatives to protect traditional moral values.

Accordingly, conservatives must continue to declare their independence from the Republican Party. We must act as a Third Force in American politics, seeking to draw both major political parties to the Right. Conservative principles and goals take precedence over partisanship. We will support Democrats and Republicans alike when they do the right thing, and oppose Democrats and Republicans alike when they do the wrong thing.

“Tonight we are calling on this President to take similar action, in both areas. If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will be showing him the way.”
-
^Quote: Sen. Jim Webb the Democratic response to the “State of the Union”

I think after six years of “bonehead” i.e. Bush, to expect him to have the capability to use diplomacy or wisdom to see the errors of his ways??... I’m very skeptical to put it mildly!

Democratic party…stop pleading and cajoling and get about to the effort of “showing him the way” as you put it.

Cut the money off. Unplug the life support to this war monger before he starts yet another one.

Reclaim your powers as an equal branch of government. Start hearings on his abuses of the constitution/public trust…. and even if it’s only his last day in office impeach him!

Senetor Webb,

It was a big mistake when making comparison of King George to some previous presidents. Our present King is a most excellent ones we have never had in our history or I can say that the world civilization will never find one another King liked ours. We’re very lucky and we have to tip our hat to him.

Viva our King. Down with the devil !

January 27 / 28, 2007
Targeting Iran: Why Can’t Americans See What’s Coming?

By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

Part I

The American public and the US Congress are getting their backs up about the Bush Regime’s determination to escalate the war in Iraq. A Massive protest demonstration is occurring in Washington DC today, and Congress is expressing its disagreement with Bush’s decision to intensify the war in Iraq.

This is all to the good. However, it misses the real issue—the Bush Regime’s looming attack on Iran.

Rather than winding down one war, Bush is starting another. The entire world knows this and is discussing Bush’s planned attack on Iran in many forums. It is only Americans who haven’t caught on. A few senators have said that Bush must not attack Iran without the approval of Congress, and postings on the Internet demonstrate world wide awareness that Iran is in the Bush Regime’s cross hairs. But Congress and the Media—and the demonstration in Washington—are focused on Iraq.

What can be done to bring American awareness up to the standard of the rest of the world?

In Davos, Switzerland, the meeting of the World Economic Forum, a conference where economic globalism issues are discussed, opened January 24 with a discussion of Bush’s planned attack on Iran. The Secretary General of the League of Arab States and bankers and businessmen from such US allies as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates all warned of the coming attack and its catastrophic consequences for the MIddle East and the world.

Writing for Global Research (January 24), General Leonid Ivashov, vice president of the Academy on Geopolitical Affairs and former Joint Chief of Staff of the Russian Armies, forecast an American nuclear attack on Iran by the end of April. General Ivashov presented the neoconservative reasoning that is the basis for the attack and concluded that the world’s protests cannot stop the US attack on Iran.

There will be shock and indignation, General Ivashov concludes, but the US will get away with it. He writes:

“Within weeks from now, we will see the informational warfare machine start working. The public opinion is already under pressure. There will be a growing anti-Iranian militaristic hysteria, new information leaks, disinformation, etc. . . . The probability of a US aggression against Iran is extremely high. It does remain unclear, though, whether the US Congress is going to authorize the war. It may take a provocation to eliminate this obstacle (an attack on Israel or the US targets including military bases). The scale of the provocation may be comparable to the 9-11 attack in NY. Then the Congress will certainly say “Yes” to the US President.”

Part II

The Bush Regime has made it clear that it is convinced that Bush already has the authority to attack Iran. The Regime argues that the authority is part of Bush’s commander-in-chief powers. Congress has authorized the war in Iraq, and Bush’s recent public statements have shifted the responsibility for the Iraqi insurgency from al-Qaeda to Iran. Iran, Bush has declared, is killing US troops in Iraq. Thus, Iran is covered under the authorization for the war in Iraq.

Both Bush and Cheney have made it clear in public statements that they will ignore any congressional opposition to their war plans.

For example, CBS News reported (Jan. 25) that Cheney said that a congressional resolution against escalating the war in Iraq “won’t stop us.” According to the Associated Press and Yahoo News, Bush dismissed congressional disapproval with his statement, “I’m the decision-maker.”

Everything is in place for an attack on Iran. Two aircraft carrier attack forces are deployed to the Persian Gulf, US attack aircraft have been moved to Turkey and other countries on Iran’s borders, Patriot anti-missile defense systems are being moved to the Middle East to protect oil facilities and US bases from retaliation from Iranian missiles, and growing reams of disinformation alleging Iran’s responsibility for the insurgency in Iraq are being fed to the gullible US Media.

General Ivashof and everyone in the Middle East and at the Davos globalization conference in Europe understands the Bush Regime’s agenda.

Why cannot Americans understand?

Why hasn’t Congress told Bush and Cheney that they will both be instantly impeached if they initiate a wider war?

Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He was Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page and Contributing Editor of National Review. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Refreshing.

This appears to be a man with moral values and convictions.  By speaking the truth, he will be able to stand face to face with the mentally corrupted lier’s of the Bush administration and embarrass them even more, in front of the entire population of the earth.

Go get ‘em Mr. Webb.  You are a breath of hope for a gasping and staggering American population that is about to go down for the count. And when we finally lift our bloodied, mangled faces from the canvas and look to our corner, please be always standing there for us.

For our children in Iraq, who are needlessly taking bullets in the neck and belly for us, please don’t let them open their blood soaked eyes and see any more of Mr. Bush grinning in their corner.  There is be a God to help us get there, and someday HE will ask Mr. Bush why he invaded attacked Iraq.  By then, the truth better flow because eternity is a long time to burn for a lie.

Just lie and keep on lying.

Republicans have a winning political tactic that’s worked like magic for decades: Just lie and keep on lying.

But now the magic is wearing a little thin. So many of their lies have been exposed as lies that millions of Americans are beginning to doubt their credibility. The problem with lying about everything and getting caught at it, people begin to suspect that you might be lying all the time. When that happens, the lies you are telling now to cover up earlier lies begins to erode your political support.

Shaken but undaunted, Republicans will continue lying because it’s become an irresistible habit which they hope will keep them in office and out of prison.

Webb, a former Marine Corps officer in Vietnam, seems to have the guts and straightforward manner to provide effective leadership.

We need people like him now.

Maybe the article below that explains Marine Corps leadership traits and qualities will provide some insight on Webb:

Navy SEALs and Marines use positive human traits and virtues for success

By Steve Hammons
American Chronicle
January 26, 2007

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=19773