Garling Gauge

The $320,000,000 Signature

Jack Gardner, now ex-Coalition Provisional Authority, signed a whopping voucher for Iraqi salaries.

Virtual Iraq For Traumatized Veterans

Iraq virtual reality simulation hopes to help our service persons with P.T.S.D. Let’s hope it works.

U.S. Soldiers Torturing Animals

Your tax dollars at work

Support the war in Iraq? Then these videos are for you.

U.S. Soldier in Iraq throws a puppy off a cliff

Read more about it here, here, and here.

U.S. Soldiers throwing rocks at an injured dog

U.S. Soldiers throwing a flash bang at a farmer and sheep

Oh ya, they torture people too

• Iraq War: Why Defunding is Politically Viable
• How Republicans Think (and why others have to die for it)
• Five-Year Anniversary of Iraq War
• New Abu Ghraib Torture Photos

Kill more puppies: Support McCain in ‘08

Update: Motari found?
Image: http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/apr_bush_mccain_070425_ms.jpg

Bush: House Construction, Not War, Hurt Economy

“I think actually the spending on the war might help with jobs.”

If you thought President Bush was out of touch and fooling himself (and some Republicans) about the Iraq war… there’s now definitive proof.

Bush on Today

Is it November yet?

Iraq War Is Over (if you want it)

If you want it

We have the power to end the war in Iraq if we collectively decide to use it. Elect a Democrat in ‘08.

War is over (if you want it)

Merry Christmas.

See also:

• Iraq War: Why Defunding is Politically Viable
• Christmas With The ‘08 Candidates

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Ron Paul Jettisons Iraq War

Iraq war forced to walk the plank.

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has turned the Iraq war into jetsam. Literally.

Tea Party Reenactment - 12-16-2007

Attending a Tea Paty Reenactment in Freeport, Texas, the ‘08 underdog chose to symbolically dump the Iraq war first from a slew of choices despised by libertarians and others. Forgoing the United Nations, the Homeland Security Department, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Reserve amongst others, Paul tossed a blue barrel labeled ‘Iraq War’ overboard.

From his writings and rhetoric it is easy to see why.

• Ron Paul on Another War Against Iraq
• Questions that won’t be asked about Iraq
• Bombed If You Do, Bombed If You Don’t

Ron Paul on Now With Bill Moyers - October 4, 2002

John McCain and Ron Paul debate Iraq War

House of Representatives Iraq War Resolution debate

Some of Paul’s libertarian principles are appealing, but others are certainly not.

Ending the Iraq war: Great! Following the Constitution: Wonderful! Focus on Civil Liberties: Stupendous! The ramifications to ending important social programs, not helping the people of Darfur, no health care for everyone, myopic drilling of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and focusing solely on the individual instead of working together as a nation to solve national problems: Scary

We’re with you part of the way Dr. Paul, but you also mask selfishness with liberty.

Ron Paul: Partially right.

Vote for a Democrat.

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More on Ron Paul, Iraq War, 2008 Election, Politics

• Iraq War: Why Defunding is Politically Viable
• Ron Paul Supporters Dominate in Michigan
• Ron Paul Hurt By Chuck Hagel Drop Out
• Ron Paul Driving Sean Hannity Crazy

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How Many Killed In Iraq? Dana Perino Refuses To Say

Helen Thomas rocks

Doyen White House reporter Helen Thomas stuck her neck out against Bush spokesperson Dana Perino on Friday, Nov. 30th, 2007. See the video.

White House briefing

This isn’t the first time Thomas acted as the voice of America.

“It is not accurate to say the United States is occupying Iraq.”

Regular Americas are also perturbed with the White House response.

YouTube enables Americans to voice their opinions.

Let’s make it clear, however, that Thomas’ views are well established and reflect those of many Americans.

“This is the worst president ever. He is the worst president in all of American history.”

Helen Thomas has also questioned the President himself on the issue.

Helen Thomas & President Bush

Considering that journalists are those from whom we rely the most on getting the news from which we base our opinions, the opinions of those journalists matter. As the senior most White House reporter, the views of Helen Thomas are backed with considerable experience. Thomas’ sincerity colliding with White House spin is nauseating to say the least.

Even if the media had a so-called liberal bias (which studies show is not true), it’s telling that those most in the know on world events would lean to the left. It’s also notable that academia is widely held to have a leftist slant. Let’s see here… If the majority of those with the most knowledge on human events and those with the most knowledge of specific disciplines have a penchant for liberalism, one wonders how intelligence and knowledge connect with policy positions.

Given that new studies show that liberals are smarter than conservatives, it makes sense Thomas would be frustrated with a conservative ‘Imperial Presidency’.

As Slashdot explains:

“Scientists from NYU and UCLA report in Nature Neuroscience that the brains of Democrats and Republicans process information differently. This new study finds that the differences are apparent even when the brain processes common information, not just political topics. From the study, liberals were more likely to be accurate and showed more brain activity in the region associated with analyzing conflicts. A researcher not affiliated with the study stated, liberals ‘could be expected to more readily accept new social, scientific or religious ideas.’ Moreover, ‘the results could explain why President Bush demonstrated a single-minded commitment to the Iraq war and why some people perceived Sen. John F. Kerry… as a flip-flopper.’”

“We have an Imperial Presidency.”

Perhaps much of the problem deals with Vice President Dick Cheney thinking he’s the president. A little Freudian slippage speaks volumes.

Cheney speaks as if he’s the president.

Cheney admits Iraq and the 9/11, 2001 terrorist attacks are not related.

“People have consistency tried to confuse them.” People have consistency tried to confuse them? Are you insane? You’re the one confusing them! This drives me crazy.

Keep it up Helen, we love ya.

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More on Dana Perino, Politics, Iraq War, President Bush, Dick Cheney

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Condoleezza Rice: U.S. Funds Iraqi Insurgency

….blah…blah….Yes….blah…blah….

Testifying at a congressional hearing on the Iraq war, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice admitted that U.S. funding for the Iraqi government is being siphoned off to fund the insurgency.

Iraq Hearing with Secretary Rice

Chairman Waxman: “Is money that’s being taken from corruption, through corruption, from the Iraqi government funding the terrorists that are killing our troops?”

Rice: ……blah blah ………Yes……….blah blah…………

Bonus: Waxman raps Rice’s State Department

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Category: Iraq war
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Extra! Extra! Read All About It: Joe Biden Leads the Newspaper Pack

Posted during Democratic Primary. 

For news on Biden as VP, click HERE. 

Biden beats the press

Good news from the Biden campaign. Luis Navarro, presidential campaign manager for Joe Biden, sent an email to supporters on October 22, 2007 claiming the first newspaper endorsement of any Democratic candidate this ‘08 election cycle:

BREAKING NEWS: Joe Biden First Democrat to Receive Newspaper Endorsement

I write with exciting news today — the latest evidence that our efforts on the ground in Iowa are working.
The Storm Lake Times endorsed Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination for president making Joe Biden the first Democrat nationally and in Iowa to have received a newspaper endorsement for president.

The Storm Lake Times concluded, “Biden is our choice for the nomination for the powerful personal story he shares, for his deep knowledge of international affairs, and for his long record of exemplary service in the United States Senate.” We’ve included the full endorsement below.

A national exhale of executive branch exasperation has created a wind behind the backs of the Democratic presidential field this election cycle. With several viable Democratic candidates to choose from, animated primary voters who understand we can’t afford another Republican president are placing their bets on who can best the GOP nominee next year.

So far Sen. Hillary Clinton’s display of strength during wartime has propelled her to the top of the Democratic polls, a full 20 points ahead of her closest challenger, Sen. Barack Obama.

This election cycle the Democrats are sick to death (sometimes literally) thanks to President Bush, and animated. The historic significance of Hillary Clinton’s gender, and Barack Obama and Gov. Bill Richardson’s race makes this an even more exciting time for the U.S. political party with the largest tent.

Even so, Sen. Joe Biden stands out from the pack, not for his biology or newness, but for his depth of foreign policy experience at a time when a doyen leader most needed.

With less buzz and money than the leading Democratic candidates, Biden has been focusing his efforts on Iowa arguing that ideas trump campaign coffers.

Joe Biden: The Iowa Factor

Biden has been using targeted focus and new technologies to win over the Iowa electorate, but according to polls he needs to step it up a notch. Fed up with incompetent Republicans, Democrats and others are concerned about the electability of the Democratic nominee and Biden needs to play his electability trump card. And soon.

Republican frontrunner Rudolph Giuliani’s has bluffed his way to the top of the polls since day one spouting his “I’m best suited to defeat Hillary” warcry. Biden needs to take a look at Rudy’s playbook and intercept. As written in a previous article, Biden needs to repeat the mantra “I’m the most electable” till his face turns blue.

Biden’s electability and presidential attributes are duly noted in this except from the Storm Lake Times endorsement:

How electable is Biden? How electable is a woman, or a man of color? Biden is somewhere south of 5% support among likely Democratic caucus-goers in Iowa. Remember that Jimmy Carter and John Kerry came out of nowhere. Polls can change quickly with such a small sample. The results are inevitable only if we place our bet with the big money and big machines. Biden has neither. He has a world view of America as an idea, a desire to restore our core values of freedom with shared responsibility, and a pragmatic view of foreign relations that seeks to bring nations together to find solutions short of misguided and ineffective wars.

We also find Biden to be a person of integrity. When he last ran for president 20 years ago, Biden lifted a line from a British politician’s speech — whether conscious or not. Biden did not run and hide and deny and hedge. We recall it as if it were yesterday. In Davenport, he immediately admitted he was wrong, quit the race and thanked Iowans for their patience with him. We will never forget the classy way in which he ended that race. What appeared to be his major political foible is to us one of his strengths: humility, and a surprising lack of vanity. That’s something we’ve been lacking with the current occupant of the White House.

It’s hard to go wrong with any of the candidates. We stand with Joe Biden because he has all the professional skills and, more important, the personal strength to get the job done unlike any other candidate.

With the most sensible plan for the insane situation in Iraq, the clout to take on President Bush’s top general, a campaign based on telling truth to the American people, and time to play his electability hand, Joe Biden could just be the one to beat.

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See also

Category: Joe Biden

Iraq War: Why Defunding is Politically Viable

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Five-Year Anniversary of Iraq War

President George W. Bush remarks on the passage of a House resolution authorizing him to use military force in Iraq during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room Thursday, Oct. 10, 2002. White House photo by Paul Morse. -White House website

“This is a debate and a decision that all Americans can be proud of.”

Feel proud?

It has been five years since the Congress enacted a resolution to authorize the Iraq war. Yes, it has been five long years, and five years ago yesterday President Bush stated:

I would like to thank the members of the House of Representatives, just as I thanked Speaker Hastert and Leader Gephardt a few minutes ago, for the very strong bipartisan vote authorizing the use of force in Iraq if it becomes necessary.

The House debate was conducted in the best traditions of the United States Congress. It was spirited, it was civil, and it was informed. This is a debate and a decision that all Americans can be proud of.

To commemorate the anniversary of this foreign policy disaster, ThinkProgress in its wisdom posted the following graph with the prefice, “Here is the list of 133 House members who courageously voted no” to granting President Bush military power all those long years ago:

In light of the anniversary, the Garling Gauge offers this tiny pictorial montage of the Iraq war. While those authorizing the war presumably had good intentions, all wars are crimes.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES

Abu Ghraib

Shame on us.

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Iraq War: Why Defunding is Politically Viable

ACLU

http://www.vaiw.org/vet/index.php
http://tinyurl.com/yqxg9t