Inappropriate Appropriations
Okay, so there was a Democratic landslide in November. Finally! A massive public repudiation of George Bush and the war in Iraq. And yet, the Democrats are planning on passing a $160 billion funding bill that would keep the war going! It’s enough to make you want to… to… run for president, if you happen to be Dennis Kucinich.
KUCINICH: Someone has to rally the American people, to let them know that the money is there right now to bring our troops home. Democrats were put in power in November to chart a new direction in Iraq. It’s inconceivable that having been given the constitutional responsibility to guide the fortunes of America in a new direction, that Democratic leaders would respond by supporting the administration’s call for up to $160 billion in new funding for the war in Iraq.
Inconceivable? That’s putting it charitably. I can think of a few other adjectives! Kucinich has some good things to say, check out the interview.
http://www.truthdig.com/interview/item/20061212_rep_kucinich_running_president/
Now is the time to hold the Democrats’ feet to the fire — especially, Nancy Pelosi. Is she your representative? Have you contacted her recently? Maybe now would be a good time.
Regarding the report from the Iraq Study Group… hmmm. What did we expect? A good analysis from Bob Herbert, below. The report makes clear that the war in Iraq is a lost cause, yet tries to salvage what was undoubtedly the underlying objective of the war — strategic control of Iraq’s oil.
It’s spelled out in Recommendation No. 63, which calls on the U.S. to “assist Iraqi leaders to reorganize the national oil industry as a commercial enterprise” and to “encourage investment in Iraq’s oil sector by the international community and by international energy companies.” This recommendation would turn Iraq’s nationalized oil industry into a commercial entity that could be partly or fully privatized by foreign firms.
It’s all there in black and white, and all you have to do is download it and read it. (Google Iraq Study Group)
Or, just check out Antonia Juhasz’s explication in the LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-juhasz8dec08,0,4717508.story?coll=la-opinion-center
On the important humor front:
Folk songs of the Far Right Wing
http://folksongsofthefarrightwing.cf.huffingtonpost.com/
Couple role-plays the political way. Warning: sexual content
http://www.glumbert.com/media/roleplay
Best,
Liam