Friday, May 16, 2008

Bush's Appeasement Remarks

George Bush's appeasement remarks to the Israeli Parliament were nothing less than political trash talk and were inappropriate at the least. If he is going to campaign for his "home boy," McCain, he should make remarks like that at home, not in another country. It's obvious he was using that stage to appeal to Israeli supporters at home.

I have written this before, but I will do it again. Bush has an aversion to diplomacy. Somehow, he equates it with appeasement or weakness. Being willing to open a dialogue with countries, not terrorists, that you oppose does not mean that you give in to their demands. It means that you meet them face to face and present your concerns and hear theirs. In the event that there is some middle ground that you can agree on, then you discuss it. If you never sit and talk with them, you will never have the opportunity to win them over or at least settle some differences. We negotiated with the Russians throughout the Cold War.

McCain has tried to distance himself from Bush on the campaign trail, but it's obvious that Bush is campaigning for McCain. They are soul buddies. McCain is totally in bed with Bush's war in Iraq and, I am sure, welcomed Bush's remarks to the Israelis. He didn't have to make the statement and be accused of dirty politics. Let the man, who is already known for his dirty politics, say it for him. The Republicans are very good at this sort of campaigning. The Swift Boat Veterans are a good example.

Ultimately, this kind of politics may fail the Republicans this year. They have lost special elections in the last few weeks, some of which were for traditionally Republican seats. George Bush's campaigning may be good for the Democrats, because the American people appear to be fed up with his shotgun diplomacy, his poor and corrupt management and his awful and unnecessary invasion of Iraq.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

"Bush links optimism for Mideast reform to democratic Israel" ??

When I saw the above headline, I had to post a comment. This is yet another example of the Bush naivete. His statement, basically summarized, is that Israel's stable democracy in the midst of a hostile area should be an example to the surrounding countries. Thus, it gives him an opportunity to sell democracy to her neighbors.

Who is this man kidding? Does he really think that the Arab countries want to learn anything from Israel's example? In reality the only thing Israel's neighbors want to hear from her is that she is folding her tent and moving out. If he thinks that he can sell anything to the Arab world using Israel as an example, I wish him luck.

It is truly a shame that he waited until the last few months of his presidency to try to use diplomacy in the Middle East. I suppose that he didn't want to be the only President in his era not to try to bring some sort of peace to the region, especially since he is responsible for the destabilization of so much of it. Unfortunately, he will fail. He does not have diplomatic experience, and apparently, neither does anyone in his administration. His track record with the Arab world hasn't been stellar. As my mother would have said, I don't expect they would trust him any farther than I can throw a bull by the tail.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Hillary, Enough is Enough!

Hillary Clinton should quit. It's that simple. There is no need for her to continue a losing battle, when the Democrats need to be working on McCain and making clear the issues that separate the two parties.

Two years ago it appeared that she would be the nominee. Then, suddenly, this upstart from Illinois came on the national scene, and it became very clear that he could motivate the voters in a way that she could not. It must have been very disconcerting to see the nomination slipping from her grasp. It is quite like the veteran athlete, who can't give up his dream, so he continues to fight on even as his age begins to take a toll on his skills. Still he continues to tell himself and everyone who will listen, that he can still do it. He still has some good years left, if only a team will give him the chance. Sadly, he becomes a shadow of his former self. The fans forget the glory years and see a has been, who has outstayed his welcome.

So Hillary fights on, telling her supporters that she can still do it. She can still win the nomination and be the best one to take on John McCain in the fall. Yet, her support continues to erode. In desperation she plays the race card once again, saying that Obama can't get the blue collar white vote. She pulls out all the stops and embarrasses herself, when she doesn't know how to operate a coffee machine in a "stop and rob." She throws more of her personal money down the black hole of her campaign funding. Why? Her pride and her refusal to admit that she has lost that on which her heart had been set.

As I watch and listen, I almost feel sorry for her. She can't admit that she has lost. She seems to be trying to convince herself almost as much as the voters, that she can still do it. Just like the old ball player who finally realizes that he simply can't do it any longer and must walk away from the glory of the spotlight, Hillary must throw in the towel. She must put on a happy face and provide the support that Obama needs to defeat John McCain and the war mongering, big spending Republicans in November.