Politics Plus

When Obama was running for President, he stated his intent to try to win the war in Afghanistan.  In his defense, I think that few knew just how much the total incompetence of the Republican Bush Regime had made the war unwinnable.  Nevertheless, Obama has failed to adapt to that situation.  Part of the problem is that he is working with other countries and has committed not to leave them hanging.  But conditions on the ground have gotten so bad that our allies are  tiring of this senseless conflict.

President Nicolas Sarkozy of France suspended military operations as part of the American-led coalition in Afghanistan on Friday and said he was considering an early pullout of his nation’s forces after an Afghan soldier shot and killed four French soldiers on a base in eastern Afghanistan.

A Western official said Mr. Sarkozy’s threat could lay bare “real cracks in the coalition” at a time when the alliance is seeking a cohesive position to assure the Afghan government of its long-term commitment and to push the Taliban insurgents to negotiate a peace deal rather than continue fighting.

It was the second fatal attack in a month involving an Afghan soldier opening fire on French troops and came at a time when American forces are deeply concerned about increasing numbers of killings of American and other allied forces by the Afghan soldiers they fight alongside and train. It also comes as many European countries with troops here are facing unprecedented economic pressures at home and adds to public questioning of the value of continued involvement in Afghanistan.

If France, the fourth-largest troop-contributing country after the United States, Britain and Germany, were to reduce its numbers more than planned it could spur other countries to follow suit, leaving the Afghans feeling less secure, said Western and Afghan officials… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <NY Times>

When Crawford Caligula initially invaded, there were two announced goals: to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and to overthrow the Taliban.  Instead of following the primary goal, the Bush Regime installed one of their oil company buddies, Hamid Karzai, to turn Afghanistan into a puppet state and to facilitate another Republican pipeline scheme, but they lacked the competence to secure the route to build it.  If Karzai were not corrupt beyond measure, he would never have colluded with Republicans to screw his own people.  The people of Afghanistan perceive us as an invading enemy, because Bush shunned authentic freedom for their nation.

Now that the very troops we are training are turning on and killing the soldiers that are training them, it is time to recognize the futility of this war and work out a final withdrawal with our allies.  Since Obama eliminated Osama, the stated goals of our invasion have been met.  The Taliban is not in power.  Osama is dead.  Bring the troops home!

The anti-Constitutional decision, known as Citizens United, instituted by five extreme activist Injustices, has been much in the news of late.  I considered joining the fray sooner, but decided to wait until the birthday of if this ignoble atrocity.  To make matters worse, Citizens United just hit home for me, as I have been bombarded with television advertising from faux-moderate Teabagger, Rob Cornilles.  Today I learned who is paying for it from a DCCC email.  Here it is in part.

We knew it would come to this. Voters in Oregon’s vote by mail only election have already started to receive ballots and sure enough Washington Republicans have swooped in with a television ad buy distorting Democrat Suzanne Bonamici’s record with half-truths, mistruths and lies.

 

Now we’ve learned her Republican opponent Rob Cornilles has received thousands of dollars from the billionaire Koch Brothers’ business PAC. This Oregon special election race is in its final throes and we need to have Suzanne’s back.

 

Be part of our people-powered movement and fight back. Help us raise $30,000 for Suzanne by Monday’s media buy deadline for her immediate rapid response operation.

 

Please contribute to Suzanne today for her rapid response operation before Monday’s media buy deadline.

That’s right.  Rob Cornilles is a Koch sucker. The five filthy fascists pictured above made this, and the pollution of other elections all over this nation, possible.

There are things Congress can do, if Democrats can get sufficient traction in Congress to overcome Republican obstruction, but the way to permanently undo this travesty requires a Constitutional amendment.  I’m sure you must have seen Robert Reich’s excellent video by now, but here it is just in case.

You can tale action at Amend 2012.

In the meantime, please join me in wishing Citizens United a very crappy birthday.

There can be no doubt that Republicans want to use their big intrusive government insert themselves between a woman and her doctor, when she is pregnant.  If that isn’t bad enough, they also want to insert themselves between husband and wife in bed, as shown by Republican opposition to birth control.  Fortunately for women, Barack Obama has stepped into the gap to support women.

Today, in a huge victory for women’s health, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that most employers will be required to cover contraception in their health plans, along with other preventive services, with no cost-sharing such as co-pays or deductibles. This means that after years of trying to get birth control covered to the same extent that health plans cover Viagra, our country will finally have nearly universal coverage of contraception.

Opponents of contraception had lobbied hard [fanatics delinked] for a broad exemption that would have allowed any religiously-affiliated employer to opt out of providing such coverage. Fortunately, the Obama administration rejected that push and decided to maintain the narrow religious exemption that it initially proposed. Only houses of worship and other religious nonprofits that primarily employ and serve people of the same faith will be exempt. Religiously-affiliated employers who do not qualify for the exemption and are not currently offering contraceptive coverage may apply for transitional relief for a one-year period to give them time to determine how to comply with the rule.

Twenty-eight states already require employers, including most religiously affiliated institutions, to cover contraception in their health plans. The only change is that now they must cover the full cost… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Think Progress>

You can be certain that no Republican President would have done this, because Republicans do not support women’s rights.  Republicans do NOT represent you.

Thinking about the many criticisms of Obama coming from those, who would have us stay home or waste our votes on candidates who cannot win, thus helping the Republican, consider that in every case, a Republican would do the same things you are criticizing, if not worse.  In addition, the Republican would have made the wrong choice in the many decisions where Obama has done the right thing.  Therefore, the choice between Obama and a Republican is a no-brainer.  In January 2013, either Obama or a Republican will be President.  Wishful idealism will not change that fact.  There are no other possibilities.

Some say that what a person does at home is private and should not be made a part of political discussions.  To an extent I agree, but when that candidate is making his morality a campaign issue and has a history of condemning others over moral issues, it is an issue, not because of the moral lapse, but because of the hypocrisy.

Dredging up a past that Newt Gingrich has worked hard to bury, the GOP presidential candidate’s second ex-wife says Gingrich asked for an "open marriage" in which he could have both a wife and a mistress.

In an interview with ABC News’ "Nightline" scheduled to air Thursday night, Marianne Gingrich said she refused to go along with the idea that she share her husband with Callista Bisek, who would later become his third wife.

The explosive interview was airing just two days before the presidential primary in South Carolina, a state with a strong Christian conservative bent, and as Gingrich tries to present himself as the strongest alternative to front-runner Mitt Romney.

In excerpts of the interview released ahead the ABC broadcast, Marianne Gingrich said her husband conducted his affair with Callista "in my bedroom in our apartment in Washington" while she was elsewhere.

"He always called me at night and always ended with `I love you,’" she said. "Well, she was listening."

Marianne Gingrich, who was Gingrich’s second wife, said Gingrich told her "Callista doesn’t care what I do."

"He was asking to have an open marriage and I refused," she said. "That is not a marriage."

She also said Gingrich moved to divorce her just months after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

"He also was advised by the doctor when I was sitting there that I was not to be under stress," she said. "He knew."… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <Boston Globe>

We need to remember that the request came six years after the affair began, and while this was going on Gingrich was leading the charge to impeach Bill Clinton.  The de-facto head of the Republican Party jumped immediately to Newt’s support.

Limabugh [sic], who could fairly be described as a proud chauvinist, said, “I don’t understand why the media’s pretending to be so upset” about Gingrich’s behavior with his ex, Marianne. Limbaugh went on to read a “great note” from a “good friend of mine,” which posits that Newt and not Marianne — whom Gingirch left shortly after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis — is the real “victim” here. Moreover, the fact that Gingrich asked for “permission” to cheat on his wife is “a mark of character, in my book,” Limbaugh continued [Limbaugh delinked]:

LIMBAUGH: I got a great note from a friend of mine. “So Newt wanted an open marriage. BFD. At least he asked his wife for permission instead of cheating on her. That’s a mark of character, in my book. Newt’s a victim. We all are. Ours is the horniest generation.” […] That’s from a good friend of mine, “Newt’s slogan ought to, ‘Hell, yes, I wanted it.’” (laughing) I’m sharing with you how some people are reacting to this.

It’s worth noting that Gingrich had been having an affair for several years before he asked “permission” to cheat on his wife.

Rush Limbaugh married his fourth wife in 2010… [emphasis original]

Inserted from <Think Progress>

That do as I say, not as I do attitude is so Republican.  Limbaugh’s attitude reflects Newt’s well, because Newt had been appalled that Marianne would insist on having him all to herself.

Then came the Republican debate.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich slammed CNN host John King for asking about an explosive ABC News report claiming the White House hopeful asked his former wife for an "open marriage" before they later divorced.

"I think the destructive, vicious, negative nature of much of the news media makes it harder to govern this country, harder to attract decent people to run of for public office and I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that," Gingrich said.

"Every person in here knows personal pain. Every person in here has had someone close to them go through painful things. To take an ex-wife, and make it two days before the primary a sign question in a presidential campaign, is as close to despicable as anything I can imagine," Gingrich said… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <CBS>

Where was his indignation, when he was condemning Clinton?

Keith Olbermann covers this and other Republican candidates with Ken Vogel on Countdown.

Patriotism made him do it?  Really?  I’ll have a load of that for the front lawn.

Of course the Theocon take on this is that Gingrich has repented and changed his ways.  I certainly agree that people are redeemable, and no matter what they have done they are capable of reform.  However, I see absolutely no evidence that Newt has reformed in any way.  He is still lies about the affair.  And he still has the same haughty attitude, condemning all who do not share his pseudo-Christian values.

Nevertheless, Republican Supply-side pseudo-Christians only count the sins of Democrats and always excuse their own.  So for the moment, I think Newt’s newties are safe.