I've signed up for the We Campaign because I believe that by working together, we can solve the climate crisis. Will you join me? Just click on the link below to sign up and add your voice to the million-plus call for an end to global warming

www.wecansolveit.org/join

The We Campaign is an effort launched by Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection to promote solutions to the climate crisis. It's an urgent issue, but the climate crisis is also solvable if we work together and unite our leaders around solutions like renewable power and enhanced energy efficiency. We can leave the next generation a healthy climate.

Once you have joined the We campaign, think about creating an account on My Community and join the We Action Team:

http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/group/WeActionTeam

I've signed up for the We Campaign because I believe that by working together, we can solve the climate crisis. Will you join me? Just click on the link below to sign up and add your voice to the million-plus call for an end to global warming

www.wecansolveit.org/join

The We Campaign is an effort launched by Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection to promote solutions to the climate crisis. It's an urgent issue, but the climate crisis is also solvable if we work together and unite our leaders around solutions like renewable power and enhanced energy efficiency. We can leave the next generation a healthy climate. Please add your voice by joining the We Campaign today:

www.wecansolveit.org/join

My name is Asher Heimermann and I am the host of a live internet radio broadcast show called "Asher Speaks Live". My show brings; authors, elected officials, candidates, and local celebrities "on air" as special guests to talk about their life and current events.

Asher Speaks Live attracts about 200 and 300 listeners each month. We discuss the latest national and political news as well as topics such as; news, sports, weather, and much more. Asher Speaks Live is a new innovative approach.

Noted guests on Asher Speaks Live include Larry Nelson, George Phillies, Kat Swift, and Judy Stock, just to name a few.

Archives of Asher Speaks Live can also be heard on my official website that is located at www.asherheimermann.com as well as my profile on MySpace, which can be found at www.myspace.com/aheimermann.

Please feel free to contact me for more information or to inquire about booking to be a special guest on the Asher Speaks Live radio program. You are welcome to visit my website to learn more about me and my radio show.


Mr. Asher Heimermann
asher@asherheimermann.com
http://www.asherheimermann.com
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/asher

I have officially endorsed Senator Barack Obama. I have posted my endorsement on my blog, which is is located at www.ASHERHEIMERMANN.com and click on Blog.

Please feel free to comment on the endorsement and to vote for the Senator in the 2008 Presidential Poll that is on the right side of the blog.

If you have any questions, please e-mail me at asher@asherheimermann.com. Comments should be left on the blog.

If you didn't see "The Penguin" rising above the law on Larry King's "Heart-to-Heart" from The Bunker this week, then you missed quite a revealing interview. We had it wrong all along... and The Dick is still right! Not only has he not made any mistakes, but he's do it all over again!

My favorite part was when he straightened up that penguin neck, attempted to pull the wedgie out of his crack, and sheepishly confided in Larry about the nightmare he had the night before Dubya had his pooper scooped.

The Dick's eyes glazed over as he recalled that Friday night when a wet dream became a horrific nightmare. In case you haven't ordered your copy of the transcript text-messaged directly to your cell phone... one sentence at a time... (I so wish LK hadn't discovered text messaging and ring tones... Now he's pimping it every chance... Must be over his Medicare max for his upcoming 14th bypass surgery...)   Read More »

This week I am disucss the growning power of bloggers in NY State, STRONGLY urge all of you to fight global warming but helping plant trees worldwide, talk alot about Iraq and cowardly Chickenhawk Republicans, and discuss local elections in Michigan and Washington State. I also continue a new feature that started with an unexpectedly recommended Daily Kos.

This last two weeks saw a major flexing of the muscles by local bloggers in NY State, bringing down a sleazy Republican operative who has been active since the Nixon years. This is all about how bloggers are the real investigative journalists of the 21st century. I mentioned last week the very strange battle going on in NY State that the MSM has largely been showing only one side of. The MSM told a story that Governor Eliot Spitzer has abused his power to have Republican Joe Bruno followed by state troopers. But it turns out that this may be another Whitewater fraud. The troopers were there at Bruno's request and there is a suspicious campaign by a particular pair, Michael Caputo and Roger Stone, to smear Spitzer. The question that the Albany Project and Daily Gotham is raising is whether Joe Bruno is behind this campaign. Michael Caputo, the frontman of the smear campaign, swore up and down that he had no ties to Roger Stone and Joe Bruno. Roger Stone, who was once a Nixon operative, worked for Joe Bruno. Turns out that Roger Stone is INDEED behind Michael Caputo in a scandal called "emailgate". Here are the stories I posted last week which now are background to the REAL story that broke since then on The Albany Project and Daily Gothm:

The Strange Case of Michael Caputo

Bruno, Stone and Caputo: Emailgate

Caputo Responds

Caputo Speaks

Caputo's comment in response to a posting on Daily Gotham

And a related story.

NOW we come to the meat of it. Michael Bouldin and Liza Sabater of the Daily Gotham traced the precise connections that link Michael Caputo and Roger Stone, showing both of them are liars. Read through it...it really shows how blogging works at its best and what the MSM SHOULD have caught.

Very soon after the Roger Stone/Michael Caputo connection broke on The Albany Project and Daily Gotham, Roger Stone apparently went into a rage. And who did he take it out on? Eliot Spizter's elderly father. Stone called Spitzer's father and threatened him viciously. Stone then claimed that he had not been home at the time but rather had been at a play. Problem is, the play he claimed to be seeing was closed that night, showing him to be not just a liar...but a really, really bad liar. Some think that once his link to emailgate was revealed, Roger Stone may be losing it.

Roger Stone was subsequently fired by Joe Bruno...though this leaves unanswered the question as to whether Bruno knew what Stone was doing. There are also some legal issues that may soon be raised by all of this...but more of that later.

So three cheers for the people who uncovered this! Now, for those familiar with my work, I do write for Daily Gotham, but I wasn't involved very much in this story. But my collegues at DG did!

Now here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS: The Year of Tree Planting

COWARDLY REPUBLICANS RUN AWAY: Too afraid to face their constituents

THE ARTICLES THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE 2

NY STATE FOCUS: Chickenhawk Republicans dissing our Veterans

WASHINGTON STATE FOCUS: Electing True Progressives

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Jerry McNerney Speaks Out About Iraq

MICHIGAN FOCUS: MI-7 and MI-9 heat up

Last week I started something without even realizing it. I posted my second ever recommended diary on Daily Kos called "The Articles They Don't Want You to See." The success led me to even start it as a new blog, as well as a regular Daily Kos article.

The response was good enough that it is clear I should try and make this a weekly thing. The idea is to highlight articles/infromation/videos, new or old, that are important, under-reported and/or forgotten. And to provide YOU to post articles that YOU think need more attention. Last week I focued on Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain as well as a Republican Congressman named Vito Fossella (also called Bagdhad Vito or Bush's Lap Dog) in NYC and his challenger, Steve Harrison. This week I will review last week's articles, YOUR suggestions from last week, and present a new set of articles that I think deserve more attention. And if you think I forgot anything, please post in the comments! New articles come first, last week's articles are at the end.

I think one of the things that is really important to remember is that there ARE sane Republicans out there. Problem is, the Republican Party has gotten so extremist that those sane Republicans are fleeing the Party as fast as they can. So last week I brought up in the comments my article on how Bush might just be the death of the Republican Party.

Now let's look at some of the absolutely terrible Republican presidential candidates. What a bunch of extremist losers, aren't they? Last week I covered Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain (see the bottom of diary for a review). This week let me add Brownback (Senator Taliban) and Huckabee (Always willing to lend a hand to rapists).

Sam Brownback:
aka Taliban Brownback

Brownback has a name that just CAN'T win the Presidency. I find it hard to believe people will vote for "President Brownback." Too much like "President Skidmark" or something.

But someone clued me in to a particularly scary article from Rolling Stone showing what a damned Christian fundamentalist nut case Sam Brownback really is. This guy is NOT mainstream Christian. He is the American Christian equivalent of the Taliban.

In particular Sam Brownback believes a woman should be forced to have a baby, even in the case of rape or a danger to the mother's life. Sounds like Brownback believes a woman should die for a rapist's right to choose who has his baby.


Mike Huckabee:
aka Soft on Crime Huckabee

It seems Mike Huckabee will go out of his way to get a rapist off the hook. Which then allowed that rapist a chance to rape someone else. Mike Huckabee: Soft on Crime.

Huckabee also seems to be raising something of a sociopath for a son. Huckabee Family Values!

And this from a man who may be more of a fundamentalist fanatic than Brownback! Mike Huckabee, or is that "Taliban Mike," wants to declare jihad on fellow Americans. Taliban Mike wants to throw out the Constitution and create an Christian version of an Iran-style theocracy.

What's with these Republicans?? The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution for a purpose. Throwing it away and establishing a theocracy goes against everything America has ever stood for. The Taliban Twins Huckabee and Brownback should just move to Iran and let America stay free.

As to Iraq, the war nobody wants that has no purpose and no exit strategy...Huckabee has decided to go John McCain one better. McCain was the engineer who gave us the current escalation that has mired us even deeper in the Iraq civil war. But Huckabee wants more. Mike Huckabee wants a FURTHER escalation of American troops and money into Iraq. Bush fails. McCain multiplies that failure. Huckabee wants an even LARGER failure.

Here is a good summary of "what's wrong with Mike Huckabee" (from the National Jewish Democratic Council).


How about a little more on the Vito Fossella (aka Bagdhad Vito)/Steve Harrison rematch for 2008:

Let me just say that Daily Gotham got the scoop on Steve Harrison entering the race against Vito.

And Vito is running scared already. Seems he was so spooked by Harrison last time, he came out nasty and brutish within a day of Harrison declaring, leading a Daily Gotham blogger to declare that Vito Fossella, aka Bagdhad Vito is Freaking Out. Problem is, Vito Fossella is already in debt from last time around. Sounds like Harrison was softening up Vito last time around, leaving him weak and in debt for 2008. By contrast, I have heard from the inside that Harrison had some money left over from last time (donated at the very last minute, so not able to spend it).

Here's an article on Vito Fossella breaking campaign finance laws.

But if you really want to know how bad Vito Fossella is, you can read my article titled
Vito Fossella: Bush Lap Dog, Social Security Flip Flopper, and Friend to Criminals.

And I will end this week's Vito Fossella/Steve Harrison Rematch segment with a quote from Steve Harrison on Iraq:

"What are we doing in Iraq? Saddam is dead, we found no weapons of mass destruction, and we know that Iraq didn't attack us -- we need to get out."

-- Steve Harrison, Democratic Candidate for Congress


Joe Bruno's eMailgate:

Finally, there is a very strange battle going on in NY State that the MSM has largely been showing only one side of. You will read in the MSM that Governor Eliot Spitzer has abused his power to have Republican Joe Bruno followed by state troopers. But it turns out that this may be another Whitewater fraud. The troopers were there by Bruno's request and there is a suspicious campaign by a particular pair, Michael Caputo and Roger Stone, to smear Spitzer. The question that the Albany Project and Daily Gotham is raising is whether Joe Bruno is behind this campaign. The torturous scandal of Emailgate may hit Bruno in the face if this story spreads. Here are the relavent stories:

The Strange Case of Michael Caputo

Bruno, Stone and Caputo: Emailgate

Caputo Responds

Caputo Speaks

Caputo's comment in response to a posting on Daily Gotham

And a related story.

Curiouser and curiouser.


ARTICLES FROM LAST WEEK: (with minimal comment)

Rudy Giuliani:
Firefighters hateRudy Giulianai

Firefighters REALLY hate Rudy Giulianai

And, it also seems like he wasn't all that great of a leader (from dKos), according to his own former emergency management director, and Bush's 2002 choice to plan for preparedness for WMD attacks.

And let's not forget Rudy Giulianai is a typical Republican Chickenhawk.

John McCain:
My own summary of what's wrong with John McCain


Mitt Romney:
Mitt Romney: abortion flip flopper

Mitt Romney is as big a Chickenhawk as Rudy,

Mitt Romney: Abusive Pet Owner.


Vito Fossella:
Vito Fossella: Part of the Bush/Abramoff culture of corruption,

Really Corrupt!

What the NY Times has to say about Vito Fossella.

And, for comparison, here is what the NY Times said about Steve Harrison, Vito's 2006 and 2008 opponant.


YOUR ARTICLES FROM LAST WEEK:

Rudy Giuliani:
Rudy Giuliania's Five Big Lies,

Harper's Expose on Rudy the Egomaniac (subscription required...but also recommended!)

Rudy Giulianai: AWOL from Iraq panel,

Rolling Stone says Rudy Giuliani is worse than Bush

Rudy's Abusive Approach to Crime

Rudy Raw

Rudy Wants MORE War

Giuliani's Homeless Policy Rejected by the Courts

Rudy Ignores the Courts on his Homeless Policy

John McCain:
All you need to know about John McCain

Vito Fossella:
Vito Just Doesn't Get it

Sorry if I missed anyone!

Seem to be getting a second wind with the newsletter, partly because I can draw on things I write elsewhere. Also I have largely abandoned the more detailed local stuff I used to write. I can offer to people that if they want to write some local stuff, with all the proper html formatting, and submit it to me, I will consider using it here with full credit. Want to get word out about your state, city, neighborhood, just contact me. But it has to be ready to be cut and pasted! If you do submit something, please put "Progressive Democrat Newsletter Submission" in the subject line. Otherwise I am likely to miss it.

This week I am focusing once again on Fox News, keeping antibiotics effective and a critical election THIS YEAR in Mississippi. I also present a new feature that started with an unexpectedly recommended Daily Kos diary as well as some local actions for Michigan, NYC and Indiana.

Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

FOX ATTACKS BLOGGERS: Fight Back

NEW FEATURE: The Articles They Don't Want You to See 1

KEEPING ANTIBIOTICS EFFECTIVE: Actions that really work!

MICHIGAN FOCUS: Election Protection

NYC FOCUS: Election 2008

INDIANA FOCUS: Progressive Indiana Caucus

MISSISSIPPI FOCUS: Important!! Katrina and Insurance, Update and Action

Vito Fossella (NY-13) is a Corrupt Republican Congressman in NYC. In 2006 he was nearly defeated by a grassroots challenger with only $100,000 and no support from the DCCC. That challenger, Steve Harrison, is ready for a rematch. Only this time Fossella is already in debt from last year, Harrison is getting an earlier start, and the DCCC are already considering supporting Harrison.

Vito Fossella likes using the term "independent" and he and his followers actually got angry when I called him a Republican. But he IS a Republican and he VOTES like a Republican. I think it is time to review Vito Fossella's record. From the DCCC Vito Fossella Corrupt Republican:

FOSSELLA: Supporting Oil Companies, Not Americans

* Rep. Fossella voted against cracking down on the oil and gas industries price gouging.
* Rep. Fossella voted for the GOP energy bill that gave billions to oil, gas and nuclear industries.
* Big oil and gas industries have given Rep. Fossella $62,700. Any surprise?

FOSSELLA: Supporting Halliburton, NOT Supporting Our Troops

* Rep. Fossella voted to continue awarding contracts to Halliburton even if the Pentagon's own audit processes found that more than $100 million of their contractor's costs in Iraq were unreasonable. No surprise that Halliburton gave Fossella $1,500.
* Rep. Fossella opposed expanding access to the military's TRICARE health insurance program to thousands of Reservist and National Guard members, even though 20 percent of all Reservists do not have health insurance, and 40 percent of Reservists aged 19 to 35 lack health coverage.
* Rep. Fossella voted against granting a bonus to grant a $1,500 bonus to every American service member serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including National Guard and Reserve forces.

FOSSELLA: NOT Independent...Republican Lap Dog

* Fossella received $15,000 from House Majority Leader John Boehner's "Freedom Project" PAC.
* Fossella has taken $1,000 from GOP Whip Roy Blunt.
* Fossella received $5,000 from GOP Whip Roy Blunt's "Rely on Your Beliefs" PAC.
* Fossella voted with President Bush 89% of the time.
* Fossella voted the GOP party line 92% of the time.


Here is a newspaper artilce onVito Fossella's Corruption:

Bay Ridge's four-term Republican congressman has been dipping into campaign funds to finance pleasure trips to exclusive resorts in Florida, Colorado, Nevada and California, according to published reports.

Rep. Vito Fossella violated federal law when he took $53,142 from his campaign war chest to pay for fun-filled trips to the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and the Lodge at Vail, according to the Daily News.

The trips often included his wife and two children, the News reported.

In addition to the alleged misuse of campaign funds, the congressman took $11,000 from political consultants and corporate sponsors for "fact-finding missions," including a $5,000 stay at Turnberry Isle Resort near Miami, which he charged to a political consultant's credit card.

Fossella also failed to disclose a free roundtrip to Miami on the private jet of the late Richard Adeo, cited by federal authorities as a Gambino crime family associate.

He even sent out a taxpayer-funded mailing in which it appeared that Muppets Elmo and Rosita were endorsing him -- a no-no in the public TV world

And, just for the record, this is what the NY Times said about Vito Fossella in 2006:

Fossella [is] anything but the independent fighter for constituents that he claims to be in this campaign. He has been a real water-carrier for the Bush administration and the Republican leadership, staunchly backing the war in Iraq while at the same time denying health benefits to National Guard and Reserve members who make up much of the American force there.

The congressman...has been unsympathetic to environmental concerns and has opposed a woman's right to choose. He does his constituents no favors by his support for privatizing Social Security. He has voted to protect gun makers and sellers. While Mr. Fossella has lately sought funding to deal with health problems related to to the attacks of Sept. 11, he has largely been missing on important local issues. His Democratic colleague, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, who represents the Sixth District, has often been left to advocate Staten Island's many transportation needs, including the North Shore rail.

Mr. Fossella has offered only lame excuses for improperly using his campaign funds for skiing holidays in Vail (including lessons and equipment), as well as vacations in Florida -- transgressions first reported by the Daily News. He has received donations from a lobbying firm with ties to Jack Abramoff. Earlier this year, he was fined a reported $60,000 for misusing his taxpayer-funded official mailing privileges.

And, by contrast, this is what the NY Times said about Steve Harrison, who is running against Vito again in 2008:

Mr. Harrison...is an attractive alternative to Mr. Fossella in his own right. Mr. Harrison has a presence in both sides of the district; he resides in Brooklyn, while his mother and sister live on Staten Island.

As chair of Community Board 10 in Brooklyn, he demonstrated leadership as he oversaw one of the city's largest efforts to contain overdevelopment through rezoning. He has a good command of the issues, and a feel for the concerns of the district. Mr. Harrison surprised many with his passion and keen intelligence in a series of debates with Mr. Fossella. The distinctions could not be clearer. We endorse Mr. Harrison for Congress.

You can help defeat Lap Dog Vito (NY-13) and other NY State Republican Incumbents by donating to the official Daily Gotham Act Blue Page.

Tonight, you must make it a point to tune into MSNBC's Keith Obermann as he does a "special comment", (as only Keith-O can do), into the emerging story about the multi-layer cover-up in the tragic death of Pat Tillman.

Most of us know the story of how this NFL star passed on a multi-million dollar contract to play for the Phoenix Cardinals in favor of joining the Army Airborne Rangers and volunteering to go fight in Dubya's War for Oil… eeerrrr… fight the Taliban in the "war on terror" in Afghanistan. Tillman's death was first reported by the Army as "killed in action". Later… MUCH later… a new report concluded that his death was due to "friendly fire". It took the Tillman family a year, working tirelessly in search of the "real" story behind their hero's death, that the truth slowly started to emerge… after the Army and the Bush Administration had milked this tragedy for all it was worth as a recruiting tool to beef up the sagging numbers in all branches of the military. Were it not for the three courageous Airborne Rangers that went public on committed abuses they witnessed, we might still believe Pat's death was just another "unavoidable and unfortunate case of being accidentally killed" by his own teammates.

On C-SPAN this morning, I watched them drag The Rummy out of mothballs to testify along with former Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Myers, former U.S. Central Command commander Gen. John Abizaid, and former U.S. Special Operations Commander Gen. Bryan Douglas Brown… that there was "absolutely no cover-up by the Army, the Pentagon, or the Administration" about the cause of Tillman's death, I couldn't help but reflect back on a similar story that has become such an integral part of my like as a songwriter and journalist: The "alleged" suicide of one Colonel Ted Westhusing.

I don't want to steal any of Keith Obermann's thunder, (not that I could…He's the Grand Rant-Master, in my opinion). So I won't go into my diatribe on the Pat Tillman case in today's Daily Rant. I will let you sit back tonight and listen to Keith fill you in.… but I will ask you to keep in mind the eerie similarity to a story I have been researching since November, 2005.   Read More »

TSA is going to allow disposable lighters back on planes.

This is completely moronic, and everyone should contact TSA to stop it.

TSA says they want to allow screeners to spend more time searching for actual threats, such as... well, see today's story about people testing the system using blocks of cheese and wires. That's fair, but lighters may be crucial in igniting a bomb. That threat hasn't just gone away. Remember that Richard Reid was stopped from blowing up his shoes because he was dumb and tried to do it with matches. If he had used a more reliable Bic, he would have succeeded.

TSA also brings up the fact that they confiscate over 22,000 lighters A DAY. And that it runs over $4 million to dispose of them.

But I have a solution for the government to this problem that allows us to continue to keep lighters off planes, ends the senseless disposal of these lighters, and may please smokers (at least in a small way):

Continue to confiscate lighters. Instead of disposing of them, make them available to the public/passengers as they leave their destination airport. So you lose your $2 lighter at Dulles to security, but when you're making your way out of the airport to grab a cab in Miami, you pick up a lighter that was left at that airport.

I can't see how it couldn't cost less to have someone man a lighter give-away booth near airport entrances/exits at major airports around the country than it does to simply dispose of 11,000,000 lighters a year. Certainly it's better for the environment as well to keep so many full lighters out of landfills.

In the Year 2000 I was but a lad of 2.........2345678, or something, and i found myself listening to the Presidential debates on N.P.R.

I remember thinking, " this Bush guy is not going to win, no f'n' way, he is a buffoon!" WOW, WAS I WRONG!! Oh wait, no I wasn't. I stayed up all night watching the returns on the polls, I saw the "Gaff" of calling Florida for Gore(rightful President) I SAW Bush react to that news by Lunging for the phone!! Wonder who he called?...Anybody hazard a guess?...Anybody?
His brother was in the room with him, so he is out....Let see....Theresa LePore?, or, Diebold?, or maybe.... Katherine Harris?

We have the Evidence on film Archives SOME WHERE! Of the Bush Reaction, Him shaking his head and saying "thats not right", Then reaching for his phone. Why no Investigation?

Now we have the Quagmire of the Occupation of Iraq, and don't be fooled the only WAR there is of terms and Rhetoric.
Bushco., as I will now refer to them, Is sacrificing OUR children in A vain attempt to Secure PROFIT. What he couldn't run an oil company, so he'll try an oil Country? Is hoping that the Saudi royal Family Bails him out?, AGAIN!!

And speaking of Saudi's Let us not forget, Osama....WHERE THE HELL IS HE!?!

Maybe the Feds can't find him cause he isn't wanted for the right thing....

Link


MURDER OF U.S. NATIONALS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES; CONSPIRACY TO MURDER U.S. NATIONALS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES; ATTACK ON A FEDERAL FACILITY RESULTING IN DEATH

USAMA BIN LADEN

Photograph of USAMA BIN LADEN

Aliases: Usama Bin Muhammad Bin Ladin, Shaykh Usama Bin Ladin, The Prince, The Emir, Abu Abdallah, Mujahid Shaykh, Hajj, The Director

DESCRIPTION

Date of Birth Used: 1957 Hair: Brown
Place of Birth: Saudi Arabia Eyes: Brown
Height: 6'4" to 6'6" Sex: Male
Weight: Approximately 160 pounds Complexion: Olive
Build: Thin Citizenship: Saudi Arabian
Language: Arabic (probably Pashtu)
Scars and Marks: None known
Remarks: Bin Laden is left-handed and walks with a cane.

CAUTION

Usama Bin Laden is wanted in connection with the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. These attacks killed over 200 people. In addition, Bin Laden is a suspect in other terrorist attacks throughout the world.

REWARD

The Rewards For Justice Program, United States Department of State, is offering a reward of up to $25 million for information leading directly to the apprehension or conviction of Usama Bin Laden. An additional $2 million is being offered through a program developed and funded by the Airline Pilots Association and the Air Transport Association.

SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PERSON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FBI OFFICE OR THE NEAREST AMERICAN EMBASSY OR CONSULATE.





How bout under remarks: Needs Kidney Dialysis on a regular basis?!?

Under Caution, they do not Even mention....um..let see...KILLED 3000 AMERICANS ON AMERICAN SOIL!!

Maybe cause He did not do it? Is that what they are trying to say?


Bastards, Throw em' all out!! Liberal is NOT a dirty word!

Gun ControlMy party have become a bunch of pussies on gun control. The fear of the NRA appears to be greater than any fear of the party's traditional base, the unions. That's sad.I am not anti-gun; I'm anti-easy-ownership.
Yesterday's shooting rampage at a mall in Kansas City was, like VA Tech, not preventable, but certainly could have been lessened if the Assault Weapons Ban had still been in place. At VA Tech, Cho used 30 round clips. Anything over 9 rounds was illegal for sale or purchase under the ban. In Kansas City, the weapon itself was illegal for sale or purchase under the ban. And let's please be clear, such weapons and the 30 round magazines have no purpose what-so-ever other than to kill a lot of people very quickly. There is no rationale that even justifies such weapons or magazines for self-defense purposes.
Advocates of the mental health community say that reporting the names and information of those who have been involuntarily committed should not be reported to the FBI system for gun background checks because it will stigmatize them and could lead to the information being released (that is, privacy concerns). Sorry guys, I sympathize with the mental health community and believe that there should be parity for patients in their treatment, BUT... 1) they would only be stigmatized on an individual basis when one attempts to purchase a gun and is denied, and 2) the idea of a privacy concern is absurd since the courts are the ones with the power to involuntarily commit an individual.
CIA/George Tenet/TortureFormer CIA director George Tenet says in his interview with 60 Minutes that the CIA does not torture. They did use "expanded interrogation techniques." But Tenet says those aren't torture. Sorry, George, I do believe you became the fall guy, the scapegoat, for the Administration for going to war, but I think you are wrong on this. Waterboarding is torture, plain and simple.
Want to use "expanded interrogation techniques"? Here's one that I guarantee will work better than anything you've tried that actually physically hurt these guys - put them in a nice, warm room with a bunch of ice cold water bottles. Spread microphones around the room, and then force each of them to take 3 ecstasy pills. You'll learn all you need to learn after about 45 minutes.
Iraq/War FundingThe president will veto the war funding bill this week because it not only includes deadlines but also because it establishes, under the law, benchmarks for the Iraqis to meet. This last part contradicts the president's own position on making the Iraqis meet benchmarks. I guess he doesn't want the force of law behind it because there's little wiggle room at that point.
John Edwards, over the weekend, said the president will veto the war funding bill and that Congress should "send him another one" with timelines, "and when he vetoes that one, they should send him another one" with timelines. This, and with last week's debate, I'm liking Edwards more and more.
When the president vetoes the war funding bill, everyone should remember, this also happens to be the 4th anniversary of MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

This week I had the chance to meet John Kerry...and got the day wrong, so I missed it! Read about my son's take on it here. But coming up soon I will be reviewing the new book coming out March 26th by John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry. The upshot is it is WELL worth buying and reading, though it may not grab you at once. By the third chapter I found I was referring to it frequently and thinking about it alot. More on that later.

Some notes on the Presidential race in 2008. The Republicans continue to flail, with Veteran John McCain disliked by Veterans groups and Rudy Giuliani, the 9/11 candidate if there ever was one, completely vilified by the firefighters union. So far I just can't see any of the Republican candidates doing well. But a lot can happen!

On the Democratic side I have seen such a fury of We Clark events and emails, that I have for some time been convinced he will declare soon. Mark my words. All calculations to date are about to be thrown into disarray by a Wes Clark announcement. Personally I am currently leaning Edwards or Obama, and somewhat underwhelmed by Hillary or Wes Clark, but overall I am impressed that ALL the Dems are so much better than ALL the Repubs. I feel all the Dems are qualified in their own ways and would do a good job. I just happen to think Edwards or Obama would do somewhat better. Even the worst of the Democratic Candidates, Biden, has been showing far more promise and spine than I had expected.

So expect Clark's entry and let's just hope the Dems don't self destruct because for now it looks really good for us in 2008.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

THE GLOBAL WARMING SWINDLE

FIREFIGHTERS SAY HELL NO TO RUDY GIULIANI

GETTING OUT OF IRAQ

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Focusing on Iraq and Our Veterans

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

NYC FOCUS: Getting out of Iraq

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Volunteering in San Diego

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

IOWA FOCUS: Democrats Working Hard and Keeping Promises

INDIANA FOCUS: Jobs!

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

LOTS going on this week. If you watched Fox you would know that Libby was found not guilty. Of course, if you are in touch with reality you would have ALSO heard that he was found GUILTY of four charges. The one charge that never was leveled at him that SHOULD be was treason. Imagine if the chief of staff of Al Gore had done the equivalent during Clinton's administration. The Republicans would have gone berserk and screamed "treason!"

Meanwhile, Bush travels to Latin America and is greeted by this: (from BBC News)




In Brazil, more than 10,000 protesters (according to BBC news) turned out in the capital of Sao Paulo to protest the arrival of America's appointed President, Georgoe Bush. I wonder if our good friend, Francis Holland, is participating :-)

This is a time when world opinion is solidly against America. This is dramatically show by a recent poll that showed that people view America as marginally MORE destabilizing a force than North Korea and only slightly less destabilizing than Iran. To the world, America is part of the Axis of Evil.

This is played out in Latin America as well. In Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador, strongly anti-American, socialist presidents have been elected by democratic vote and are extremely popular. Throughout Latin America, including in Brazil, Peru and Chile, leftist governments have been voted into office. In Nicaragua Daniel Ortega, the boogie man of the Reagan era, has been elected President.

We are not popular in the world, not even in our own backyard. Brazil President Lula's own party is protesting Bush's arrival!

But I am not so worried about this trip. Sure people hate us in Latin America thanks to Bush's stupid and insane foreign policy. But at least he isn't visiting Chile. The president of Chile is a women. And we know what kind of creepy groping Bush is known for when meeting a woman head of state:



At least we are spared a similar groping incident in Chile, at least on this trip.

Meanwhile, related to the same embarassing Bush trip, there's a great story on dKos about Mayan priests in Guatamala who plan to purify a sacred Mayan site after President Bush visits and are calling his visit an "offense for the Mayan people and their culture."

What deep revulsion Bush invokes worldwide!

Here's this week's newsletter. Don't forget to visit an advertiser or two to get me a few more cents income. And if you want more political and cultural commentary, visit Culture Kitchen, my other main blog.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

MEDIA ACTION: Taking on Ann Coulter's Hate Speech

NATIONAL ACTION TO GET US OUT OF IRAQ

IMPEACHMENT!

NY STATE FOCUS: Getting us out of Iraq!


NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

IOWA FOCUS

MICHIGAN FOCUS

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS


VIRGINIA FOCUS: Getting us out of Iraq!

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Gettingus out of Iraq!

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

As Bush's popularity falls even further, the Republicans left in the Senate are already having trouble. This comes from the DSCC, an organization that I am not always fond of, but this time they have it right:

Across the country, a rising number of GOP senators facing reelection in 2008 are finding themselves in deep trouble.

Republican Woes

In New Hampshire, Sen. John Sununu has seen his approval rating drop five points to 45% as voters there have becoming increasingly fed up with his equivocation on Iraq. A few weeks ago, the DSCC's committed supporters helped us launch an ad in the Manchester Union-Leader (NH) telling Sununu's constituents how he had obstructed Senate debate on Iraq.

In North Carolina, a recent poll revealed that only 35% of likely voters plan to vote for Sen. Elizabeth Dole.

In Texas, Senator John Cornyn's approval rating has dipped to 44% and in Kentucky, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is under 50%.

Within these numbers lies a revealing insight. Four months after Republicans' overwhelming defeat at the polls, Republican senators still don't get it. America has had it with George Bush. And yet, the overwhelming majority of GOP Senators continue to do the president's bidding on Capitol Hill.

GOP Senators are once again putting narrow party loyalty over the will of their constituents - who will increasingly be looking for new leadership in their states. That is why the DSCC is hard at work ensuring that come election time, GOP incumbents will be faced with an exceptional crop of Democratic challengers.

An Opportunity in Colorado

In Colorado, where Republican Senator Wayne Allard is retiring, we're putting on a full court press to pick up the seat. The first Republican to announce his candidacy for the seat is oil lobbyist Scott McInnis, who has angered many residents with his efforts to open up much of Colorado's Western slope to energy interests. Meanwhile, the DSCC is actively recruiting popular Democratic congressman Mark Udall as our candidate.

You can help take some of these states by donating here.

If we keep up the pressure, this trend will continue. Parts of this issue are dedicated to continuing to bring up impeachment around the nation. I think that is one way to further split the Republican Party, because if there is enough talk of impeachment, Republicans will have to choose between their own political future and their loyalty to Bush.

I continue to feel good about 2008, though of course so much can happen before then.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

JOHN McCAIN AND GEORGE BUSH

MEDIA ACTION: Swiftboating Tennessee style

MEDIA ACTION: Taking on Fox

STAYING THE COURSE (humor)

MIDWEST FOCUS: Impeachment

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

NYC FOCUS: Taxpayers deserve to know

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Congressman McNerney

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Impeachment

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA FOCUS: Impeachment

VIRGINIA AND DC GROUPS AND EVENTS

Busy week! I continue to be impressed with the pace and quality of legislation by Democrats in the House. The Senate is lagging a bit, but that is partly because the Democratic majority in the Senate is razor thin...and it includes Lieberman who, though a solid Democrat on many issues, is too close to Bush on other issues and seems to be making his career on enabling some of Bush's worst ideas. The plan for escalation in Iraq can be considered a McCain/Bush/Lieberman collaboration and the consequences in money and lives lost will be on their heads.

I also should add that Presidential hopefuls Vilsack, Edwards, Obama, and Richardson are all calling for withdrawal from Iraq and urging Congress to act decisively. Sounds good! I think Democrats have finally regrown their backbone and, more importantly, enough of them are showing it that it is far harder for the media to ignore.

Here in NY State we had a wonderful special election for the 7th State Senate district where the nastiest possible dirty tricks by the anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-stem cell research Republican candidate failed...the Democrat won, flipping a seat from Republican to Democrat. The netroots and progressive grassroots played a large role in this win, making it a continuation of the excellent progressive/grassroots-moderate/mainstream coalition that won so big in November. I should note that some long time readers of this newsletter were in the thick of things! The newly elected State Senator, Craig Johnson, graciously thanked the netroots for all the help. And you can read about what it felt like to be in the room with Craig Johnson and his campaign on the night of victory. Apparantly it really kicked ass.

Here is this week's issue:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

BRING THE TROOPS HOME

THE EXXON/MOBIL-REPUBLICAN AXIS OF EVIL

FLORIDA THROWING AWAY THEIR DRE MACHINES

JUMPSTARTING THE SOUTH

BLACK HERITAGE ENDANGERED

NYC FOCUS: Fighting Wal-Mart

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA FOCUS: Running for Delegate

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

MICHIGAN FOCUS

IOWA FOCUS

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Jobs and Internships

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA DARWIN DAY EVENTS

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

Been sick and busy, so relatively short newsletter this week. Hope it is still useful to you!

I will begin just by saying good bye to Milly Ivins. This is directly from Culture Kitchen:


The poor man who is currently our president has reached such a point of befuddlement that he thinks stem cell research is the same as taking human lives, but that 40,000 dead Iraqi civilians are progress toward democracy," from a July 2006 column urging commentator Bill Moyers to run for president.

And now this week's newsletter.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

ENERGY POLICY: Dublin Leading the Way?

AMERICA'S FAILURE TO FIGHT TERRORISM: Ethiopia Leading the Way?

JUMPSTARTING THE SOUTH

SUPPORT STEM CELL RESEARCH IN THE SENATE

FLORIDA STORMS

IOWA FOCUS: Governor Chet Culver and Congressman Dave Loebsack

MIDWEST PROGRESSIVE GROUPS

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA DARWIN DAY EVENTS

CALIFORNIA GROUPS

URGENT NT STATE ACTION: Two special elections

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

I continue to feel good about the Democratic Congress. So far they have been keeping their promises and THAT is a good thing. I already discussed the House Democrats, aided by a handful of moderate Republicans, who passed a minimum wage increase, voted to roll back oil company subsidies, voted to reduce the interest on student loans, and voted to implement the 9/11 Commission Recommendations. But I have been wondering how our Senators would do.

Now we are getting our first glimpse. The latest great thing done by the new Democratic majority is to sharply snub Bush's insane "surge" idea for digging us deeper into the Iraq quagmire. And, yet again, the Democrats have managed to do it with some bipartisan support showing that the Democratic majority has allowed more moderate Republicans to finally assert their independence from the far right wing branch of their party.

From Citizens for Legitimate Government: (complete with their editorializing)

Senate Panel Votes Against Bush on Iraq 24 Jan 2007 The Democratic-controlled Senate Foreign Relations Committee dismissed President [sic] Bush's plans to increase troops strength in Iraq on Wednesday as "not in the national interest," an unusual wartime repudiation of the commander-in-chief [thief].

'There is no strategy.' Senators start rebuke of Iraq strategy 24 Jan 2007 Democrats took the first step toward a wartime repudiation of President [sic] George W. Bush today, convening a Senate committee to endorse legislation declaring that the deployment of additional troops to Iraq is "not in the national interest." Sen. Chuck Hagel, of Nebraska, is the only Republican on the committee to announce support for the measure. "There is no strategy," said Hagel of the Bush regime's war management. "This is a Ping-Pong game with American lives... And we better be damn sure we know what we're doing, all of us, before we put 22,000 more Americans into that grinder."

Senate panel debates rejection of troop increase 24 Jan 2007 Brushing aside President [sic] George W. Bush's plea to give his new war strategy a chance, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate moved ahead on Wednesday with a resolution opposing his plan to send more troops to Iraq.

Minimum wage increase (now being blocked by Senate Republicans despite it being supported by some House Republicans), scaling back oil company subsidies, implementing the recommendations of the independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission, promoting stem cell research, cutting interest rates for college loans...shit, I am pretty damned happy with the Congressional Democrats now that they are being given a chance to do something. It will be tougher in the Senate because we have not only a tighter split between the parties, but also the Lieberman effect, which may work to our advantage for some issues, but not for issues related to the war. But if nothing else we are showing that Democrats do support working Americans while Republicans, at least in the Senate and White House, are opposing help for working Americans. So much for "compassionate" conservativism.

Next we get a pretty bold statement from Harry Reid. Here is the statement Senator Harry Reid has made regarding Bush's insane "surge" plan:

In his State of the Union address, George Bush once again said that he intends to escalate our involvement in Iraq's civil war by sending 21,500 more troops to the region.

Congress will vote soon on the president's plan, but my position is clear: No Escalation -- No Way...

On Election Day, America spoke with one voice about its desire to end the war in Iraq. I know that's one of the primary messages you were sending when you worked so hard to get Jon Tester elected to the Senate in Montana.

In the weeks and months since the election, I and other members of Congress from both parties have urged President Bush to heed the will of our nation and propose real change. Regrettably, the president has chosen to ignore the will of the American people. Concern about the president's escalation strategy is non-partisan. It is opposed by Democrats, it is opposed by Republicans, it is opposed by top military leaders, and it is opposed by an overwhelming majority of the American people.

Adding additional troops has already been tried and it has already failed. In fact, it seems as though every year president Bush announces a major strategic shift that is nothing more than a repetition of the same failed tactics all over again, shrouded in new packaging for the media. America doesn't need another White House P.R. campaign -- we need a real change of course in Iraq.

Democrats, Republicans and the bipartisan Iraq Study Group have all offered President Bush a roadmap to turn Iraq over to the Iraqis, begin the phased redeployment of American troops and end our open-ended commitment.

While the president continues to ignore the will of the country, Congress will not ignore this president's failed policy. Congress will soon hold an up or down vote on the president's plan, but my position is clear: No Escalation -- No Way...

Congress will do nothing to jeopardize the safety of our troops, but we will exercise our Constitutional authority to hold the president accountable for a change of course that turns Iraq over to the Iraqis and allows for our troops to begin coming home. The time for more troops in Iraq has passed.

They and their families have served our nation courageously and sacrificed enough.

Hold him to it. Remember this statement and remind him of it anytime the subject of the surge comes up. But most importantly, write the media and express your support of Reid's stand against the "surge."

Now, this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

RECOVERING FROM KATRINA

2008 PRESIDENTIAL RACE: Some thoughts

THE BUSH VIEW (humor)

FLORIDA FOCUS: A Message from CFO Alex Sink

OHIO FOCUS: Election Fraud Convictions

NY STATE FOCUS: Two Special Elections, Two More Chances to Win

NYC GROUPS AND EVENTS

CALIFORNIA FOCUS: Looking Forward to Darwin Day

CALIFORNIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

VIRGINIA GROUPS AND EVENTS

NEW JERSEY FOCUS: Democrats 2000

NEW JERSEY GROUPS AND EVENTS

IOWA FOCUS: Minimum Wage Increase

MIDWEST GROUPS AND EVENTS

"Whatever you voted for, it was not failure."

- George W. Bush, State of the Union, 1/23/2007

Just this once, the president is right - everyone who voted for the war in Iraq voted for success. They voted for victory... or rather, Victory - capital V, whatever that means. Where Bush went seriously wrong was in determining what Victory would actually mean.

My plan for moving forward - and out of - Iraq requires first using a very Republican tactic - redefine victory. This should not be that difficult because it only means returning to the original sense of what success and victory in this war really meant. Consider the reasons (stated and evolved over time) for going to war, and consider them a checklist for deciding if victory has been achieved:
Topple the regime of Saddam Hussein... Check. Regime is gone; most high ranking officials are in custody; three, including Hussein, have been executed. That's one step toward victory.
Remove weapons of mass destruction... Check. Since there turned out to be no weapons of mass destruction, this one turns out to be the easiest of all. That's a second step toward victory.
Bring democracy to Iraq... Check. As the president noted in his speech last night, in 2005, the Iraqis went to the polls - not once, not twice, but three times - to set up a temporary government, to ratify a constitution, and finally to elect their first permanent government.By the three primary goals for invading Iraq, we achieved the outcome originally expressed by the will of Congress in the resolution authorizing the use of force. Since then, success and victory have becoming moving, unrealistic targets.

To attain victory under the current mindset, we need to bring absolute stability to a country that, in the past millennium, has only seen stability under the thumb of colonial powers (the British) or authoritarian dictators. This current version of Victory is misguided, yet it is easy to see where it came from - It has been well reported that before the invasion, Secretary of State Colin Powell stressed what he called the "Pottery Barn Principle" to the president, and the warmongerers at his sides (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Feith). Powell's idea was simple: You break it, you buy it.

And that's precisely what happened. Iraq was broken, and we bought it. We own it. And that redefined Victory for the hop, skip, and a jump three steps noted above. Since late 2003, an insurgency grew that led to an influx of foreign jihadists (but not as many as Bush would have the American people believe), and sparked the sectarian violence that has led at least the capital of Baghdad into civil war.

Here's where the president has erred again: While we broke it and we most certainly bought it, we should have no obligation to continue to pay for it over and over. Consider Powell's "Pottery Barn Principle" again. If I go to Pottery Barn and drop something, I - being the responsible citizen I am - take the broken item to the counter and pay for it. But once I've paid for the broken item, the cashier drops the pieces, which shatter into even smaller shards. With a shrug, the cashier rings it up again and asks me to pay again. Should I pay twice for something I broke only once?

Of course not. And yet, in Iraq, we now spend $8 billion a month - yes, $8 billion a month - while nearly a hundred of our brave men and women are killed every month. Just as we should not pay twice for something only broken once at Pottery Barn, we should not continue to pay with tax dollars and American lives for something that is largely no longer our responsibility.

This being the case, we should redefine Victory to be what it was when we started. The president said no one voted for failure, but rather for Victory, and as I see it, Victory has been achieved... but this does not mean our involvement should or must end in Iraq.

We began by redefining Victory, now comes the second part of my plan: Redefine the mission.

The president's new strategy - which is not a strategy at all, nor is it a plan, nor is it a "list of actionable items" - is to push more American troops onto the streets of Baghdad and into the middle of the civil war being waged there. First, there is nothing new in the president's plan - this has been tried before, and as recently as last year. Result: Initial quick success, followed by failure. The president expects things to be different this time. In that, he is wrong.

For us to be able to withdraw from Iraq, we must, as I've said, redefine the mission. Since we have attained Victory as originally conceived, the original mission as originally conceived by Congress as been completed. My plan does not technically require a redefinition of the mission; rather, it requires a new mission entirely. But to get there, we have to dispose of a few non-issues that the president seems to believe exist.

First and foremost is the idea that if we leave Iraq now, the "terrorists will follow us home." This simply isn't the case. Are we the skinny, nerdy kid who peeks out the school door then runs to his bike and races home hoping the bullies don't see him? I never thought so before, but the president sure makes it feel that way. The president's argument can be junked for two reasons: first, the insurgency's main goal is to stir sectarian strife and topple the democratically-elected Iraqi government. If we remove our troops from harm's way, the insurgents are going to continue doing what they have been doing... against the Iraqis. The second reason the president's argument doesn't hold water is that it ignores a simple three letter question - "How?" How are these terrorists in Iraq going to follow us home? The president and his administration, and especially DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, like to make the point that our security is far, far better today than it was on 9/11. They like to note there hasn't been another attack within the US since then. And not for a lack of trying by terrorist groups. So this begs the question, is our security that much of a joke that guys using $20 worth of materials to create a road-side bomb are going to extricate themselves from Iraq to a country with lax security that will allow them on-board a flight to the US without notice (are those who move country to country waging jihad likely have to legit passports or visas? doubtful), and make it here safely to do us harm? This just isn't the case. Our security isn't as good as it should or could be, but it has improved since 9/11.

The president also notes that if we leave Iraq, its influential neighbors will gain control of the country. This means Iran... and Saudi Arabia (though Bush won't say so himself). But this argument fails to see that this is already, by and large, the case today. This argument is inconsequential to my plan, so I'll just leave it at that.

Let's redefine the mission now: The US military mission in Iraq should be transitioned immediately to two primary roles: 1) training, and 2) strict border patrol.

The first role, training, is under way and should continue.

The second role, strict border security through heightened patrols, fundamentally shifts the focus of our mission from Baghdad to the borders. This the central focus of the plan because it would require the Iraqis to shift their strategy (if they even have one now). Under my plan, our forces would withdraw from Baghdad, turn over control of the "green zone" to the Iraqi government, and redeploy to outlying bases near the borders with Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. The role at the borders will be to stop any movement of terrorists, insurgents, or supplies into the country (or out... since we don't want them "following us home".)

Our military and diplomatic leaders in Iraq should insist that the Iraqis transfer troops from secure areas, such as southern Iraq, into Baghdad to replace the redeployed American troops. They should also strongly recommend the formation of a third set of Iraqi forces to be trained over the next year - an Iraqi border patrol, that will replace our troops at the borders, while the Iraqi army and police continue to grow and take on quelling the violence in Baghdad. If the Iraqis are not able to do that, then they will simply have to duke it out themselves. There is certainly some weight to be given to the idea that things will truly need to hit rock bottom before they begin to get better in Baghdad.

I'm aware, this isn't fully and completely fleshed out, but then neither was the rationale for going to war or the mission once there. We are left with no good options, but I think this is better than anything the president and his neocon brethren have come up with. The plan doesn't bring all of our troops home immediately, but it does move them out of harm's way.