DISQUS

A large percentage of Americans are bitter because they can't afford to vacation in Hawaii. via Cokie Roberts.

Besides being extremely militaristic on foreign policy, McCain is merely going high-profile issue to issue without any sort of underlying philosophical platform. That's why he has no problem with flip flopping at all, including fundamental issues such as tax cuts or off-shore drilling. For God sakes, he's considering a pro-choice running mate.

I won't be needing coffee to wake me up today.

I never know these things until either you or Juan Cole write them. Your post on 'what kind of person steals dirt?' is for me most memorable. So I was reminded of it reading a Klein post today about someone stealing window boards off an abandoned house in Detroit then putting them on another abandoned house.

So coy those deft guys are.

There is only one way McCain gets my vote. If he is able to pull Congress back from vacation, he will be considered, in my mind, to be all-knowing- able to bring houses, peace and cars to all Americans.

Does Barack Obama make Dubik his Petraeus -- trotting him out to say "The general said we can turn it over to the Iraqis in a year; I say we trust the general"?

Exactly. Many fellow dirty hippies have passed off the recent related Obama statement as old news or obvious. But the leading emphasis on relying on general feedback rather than on the withdrawal itself is ominous. As your allusion describes, just because it's Obama making the argument rather than Bush won't necessarily make the outcome different. Sometimes you just have to read the argument on its face.

Oil corporation-ladened Republicans arguing that Obama isn't sensitive to $4/gallon gas brings a very special sense of fascination, along with 'Obama is lucky to be black'. Only those two assertions feel dream like. The other stuff is just Republicans trying to hold onto policies that are collapsing all around them.

As bit of a geezer, I've been fascinated by the fantasy-ticket possibilities that have floated around. I think my favorite was Reagan-Ford in '80. This year, I find the Obama-Clinton ticket talk unbelievable. I cannot think of a single scenario in which Clinton would want to be VP or Obama would choose her.

Webb is a great politician whose understanding of war and the prison complex make him special. However, his misogynistic views from years back make him unqualified for VP this year. Particularly in a year in which sexism is such a highly charged issue. He'll have to address and reconcile those statements before any national run.

Would you agree, historically, that one of the realities we have to deal with is some sort Iranian influence in the region?

Webb is great. That a state shouldn't influence the affairs of a border state under hated occupation is idiocy.

I guess we'll just have to re-elect him in 2012, huh?

<sigh>. From Juan Cole, a passage from the Mission Accomplished Bush speech.

' . . . major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. . .</sigh>