Support for his plan?

Yea, he needs to pay better attention to what is going on... I think he was surprised to find that the surge was working and the presence needed from the US by the Iraqis was not just a "US" desire.

clipped from www.washingtonpost.com Mr. Obama in Iraq Did he really find support for his withdrawal plan? Wednesday, July 23, 2008; Page A14 THE INITIAL MEDIA coverage of Barack Obama's visit to Iraq suggested that the Democratic candidate found agreement with his plan to withdraw all U.S. combat forces on a 16-month timetable. So it seems worthwhile to point out that, by Mr. Obama's own account, neither U.S. commanders nor Iraq's principal political leaders actually support his strategy.

A twist about some of the people if Iraq

A nice article about some Iraqis making a difference... good stuff considering most of the things we hear about their county. Looks like there is more and more good news coming from there. I love it!!

clipped from onthescene.blogs.foxnews.com 10 Iraqis You Should Know by Baghdad Bureau By David Mac Dougall & Ghalib Tawfiq, Baghdad Bureau After years of reporting from Iraq, viewers are familiar with some of the most common personalities connected with events here: from Saddam Hussein to Prime Minister Maliki; Moqtada al-Sadr to Ayatollah Sistani. But what about some other Iraqis making an impact in their chosen professions? Nashat Akram, Dr Ala Bashir, Hussain al Shahristani, Dana Abdul Razzaq, Maysoon al-Damluji, Zaha Hadid Dana Abdul Razzaq: Iraqi Olympic athlete Hassan Abdulrazzak: Author / playwright Nashat Akram: Star player on Iraq’s national soccer team Suhair al-Qaisi: Iraqi journalist for Arabiya TV Dr Ala Bashir: Plastic surgeon Ayad Jamal al-Din: Shiite member of parliament Maysoon al-Damluji: Women’s rights activist Nadhmi Auchi: Businessman & philanthropist Hussain al Shahristani: Minister for Oil Zaha Hadid: Architect

Hmm, what do our politicians do when things change??

Pretty good article, what will the candidates do with what is going on TODAY... it is fine to remember what happened back then, as it helps (or should) from repeating mistakes.

I think it is good to see what they will do now that situations have changed and are they really paying attention.

clipped from www.realclearpolitics.com June 21, 2008 The Facts in Iraq Are Changing By Michael Barone As we enter the second half of the campaign year, facts are undermining the Democratic narrative that has dominated our politics since about the time Hurricane Katrina rolled into the Gulf coast -- most importantly, the facts about Iraq. All of this matters because the rejection of the Republicans in the 2006 elections was a verdict on competence more than ideology. The Republicans seemed incompetent at relieving victims of Katrina, producing success in Iraq and even policing the House page programs. The Democrats could not do worse and might do better. But in the 19 months since November 2006, some important facts have changed. When asked why he changed his position on an issue, John Maynard Keynes said: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" What say you, Sen. Obama?

Let's see it!

I would like Congressman Udall to accept this request. It would be good for Colorado to see the exchange of ideas this way and the struggle that takes place to help people REALLY know where they stand. I fear he will not accept though--a real debate with the tough questions seems to scare Democrats these days.

clipped from www.bobschafferforsenate.com May 9, 2008 — Schaffer Proposes Debates   For Immediate Release: Friday, May 9, 2008    SCHAFFER PROPOSES SEVEN "LINCOLN-DOUGLAS" STYLE SENATE DEBATES OVER SUMMER   Awaits response from Boulder Congressman Udall   ENGLEWOOD – Colorado Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer today proposed a series of seven “Lincoln-Douglas” style debates with his opponent, Congressman Mark Udall (D-Boulder), that would be held between Memorial Day and Labor Day this summer.

"Obama was SELECTED; NOT ELECTED"

An interesting article... and a pretty good premise. As usual Ann has laced this article with some very good satire to drive the point home. Check out the entire article for more.

clipped from anncoulter.com OBAMA WAS SELECTED, NOT ELECTED June 4, 2008 Words mean nothing to liberals. They say whatever will help advance their cause at the moment, switch talking points in a heartbeat, and then act indignant if anyone uses the exact same argument they were using five minutes ago. When Gore won the popular vote in the 2000 election by half a percentage point, but lost the Electoral College -- or, for short, "the constitutionally prescribed method for choosing presidents" -- anyone who denied the sacred importance of the popular vote was either an idiot or a dangerous partisan. But now Hillary has won the popular vote in a Democratic primary, while Obambi has won under the rules. In a spectacular turnabout, media commentators are heaping sarcasm on our plucky Hillary for imagining the "popular vote" has any relevance whatsoever.

$4 for Gas is CHEAP

REALLY good article about gasoline prices... I just clipped a small bit of it so please check out the entire article...

These higher prices will show you exactly how powerful the market is, and how quick things can change when you are paying attention to supply and demand.

clipped from www.slate.com On the environmental front, people concerned about greenhouse-gas emissions should be cheering today's oil prices. Expensive motor fuel is the only thing that will lead consumers to use less oil and make the switch to hybrid vehicles, smaller cars, and public transit. Higher oil prices are convincing automakers to change their fleets. Earlier this week, Nissan Motor Company announced that it will begin selling an electric car in the United States and Japan by 2010. Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive of Nissan, made it clear that fuel prices were a factor in the company's decision to build electric cars, telling the New York Times that "the shifts coming from the markets are more powerful than what regulators are doing."

Czech President Klaus ready to debate Gore on climate change

Czech President Klaus ready to debate Gore on climate change
Posted on : 2008-05-27 | Author : DPA
News Category : Environment

Washington - Czech President Vaclav Klaus said Tuesday he is ready to debate Al Gore about global warming, as he presented the English version of his latest book that argues environmentalism poses a threat to basic human freedoms. "I many times tried to talk to have a public exchange of views with him, and he's not too much willing to make such a conversation," Klaus said. "So I'm ready to do it."

Klaus was speaking a the National Press Building in Washington to present his new book, Blue Planet in Green Shackles - What Is Endangered: Climate or Freedom?, before meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney Wednesday.

"My answer is it is our freedom and, I might add, and our prosperity," he said.

Gore a former US vice president who has become a leading international voice in the cause against global warming, was co-winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Gore's effort was highlighted by his Oscar winning documentary film An Inconvienent Truth.

Klaus, an economist, said he opposed the "climate alarmism" perpetuated by environmentalism trying to impose their ideals, comparing it to the decades of communist rule he experienced growing up in Soviet-dominated Czechoslovakia.

"Like their (communist) predecessors, they will be certain that they have the right to sacrifice man and his freedom to make their idea reality," he said.

"In the past, it was in the name of the Marxists or of the proletariat - this time, in the name of the planet," he added.

Klaus said a free market should be used to address environmental concerns and said he oppposed as unrealistic regulations or greenhouse gas capping systems designed to reduce the impact of climate change.

"It could be even true that we are now at a stage where mere facts, reason and truths are powerless in the face of the global warming propaganda," he said.

Klaus alleged that the global warming was being championed by scientists and other environmentalists whose careers and funding requires selling the public on global warming.

"It is in the hands of climatologists and other related scientists who are highly motivated to look in one direction only," Klaus said.

Interesting article... I think if something is supposedly so important that there should be debates on it as it helps people learn. We should be wary of people "selling" us ideas with the beginning premise "the debate is over" ... when there has been no debate