On the Road: Douglas County
Feb 23, 10:10 AM CST
Last night I headed east to the Douglas County Central Committee meeting. About 50 Democrats came to the local headquarters to talk about issues affecting the Party, including how we can begin to organize the county’s 354 precincts for next February’s caucuses. I could sense a lot of excitement for our Presidential candidates as well as the new way Nebraska Democrats will be voicing their preference.
There were a few exciting announcements:
-The County Party is interviewing candidates for the position of Executive Director. They have talked to a number of highly qualified candidates.
-The County Party’s annual Truman Dinner was a tremendous success.
-The Young Democrats of America will hold a national meeting in Omaha from May 18-20. It speaks to the quality of Young Dems in this state that they’ve attracted such a high-profile gathering.
Please feel free to use this as an open thread. Have a great weekend!
– by vanhorn | Send this to a friend
I heard that Bush used some kind of formula that says we need so many troops to control so many civilians. This sounds like a reasonable strategy, until you remember that the big reason the radicals are going terrorist is that they hate seeing infidel troops on Muslim soil. These radicals love being killed for their cause, so an increased threat of death will not deter them as much as it would a human being. So “more troops” causes “more terrorists.” Besides, American troops should guard Americans, not Iraqis. There are a lot of potential problems, so to me, to say that the surge will definitely work is something Bush cannot know.
The real reasons we are sending 20,000 more troops into Iraq are mostly to prevent Bush from being remembered as the least intelligent president of all time. (As in, started a war by mistake, that de-stabilized the least stable part of the world.) And it’s not just to save Bush, it’s to help salvage the reputation of the party that has backed him.
The surge will direct blame away from Bush. It was a natural choice: Generals complained that Rumsfeld didn’t give them enough troops. The Democrats took the congress, so Bush had to change his tack before they took the war out of his hands. If this sickens you, it should… I heard a Republican congressman on CSPAN say that the Democrats were the ones using the troops as pawns… ugh, so stupid… but I digress. So as a stall tactic, Bush cans Rummy and does something Rummy wouldn’t do.
If the surge helps or appears to help, it will make Bush look good. If the surge doesn’t work, he is no worse off than he was, and perhaps more of a hero for sticking to his guns, especially to law-abiding Iraqis, who would appreciate that he tried everything he could to prevent the breakup of their nation. And while America waits for the verdict, Bush’s term expires and he gets to pass the buck.
And who knows, we just might “win,” though even the concept itself is hazy…
If the opposition to the President’s dumb war is able to stop the surge or reduce troop numbers, then Bush will be able to point his finger at them the rest of his life, and say that Iraq was a fiasco because the Democrats wouldn’t let him command.
I wish the President would just surge himself into Baghdad.
— Tony Maloley Jr Feb 23, 07:00 PM CST #
Obama, speaking at a massive outdoor rally in Austin, Texas, said British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s decision this week to withdraw 1,600 troops is a recognition that Iraq’s problems can’t be solved militarily.
“Now if Tony Blair can understand that, than why can’t George Bush and Dick Cheney understand that?” Obama asked thousands of supporters who gathered in the rain to hear him. “In fact, Dick Cheney said this is all part of the plan (and) it was a good thing that Tony Blair was withdrawing, even as the administration is preparing to put 20,000 more of our young men and women in.
“Now, keep in mind, this is the same guy that said we’d be greeted as liberators, the same guy that said that we’re in the last throes. I’m sure he forecast sun today,” Obama said to laughter from supporters holding campaign signs over the heads to keep dry. “When Dick Cheney says it’s a good thing, you know that you’ve probably got some big problems”
— vince powers Feb 24, 07:03 AM CST #
Where are the open threads you promised us? We have to start new topics wherever they fit I guess. Here’s one . . .
The illustrious Congressman, that man-of-the-people, that voice of reason, that good buddy of the Decider, Adrian Smith came to Holdrege this week to view the damage from our recent ice storm. The only problem is, all the power has been back on for weeks, most of the tree limbs have been picked up, and life is pretty much back to normal by now.
Where, oh where, was Adrian when we needed him? I guess he was too busy learning how to find his office in Washington to be bothered with the annoying problems the people in Nebraska’s 3rd CD were facing.
— Brian T. Osborn Feb 24, 10:32 AM CST #
I ceased posting a daily open thread because there was very little (to no) activity for a period of several weeks. I’ll try to post an open thread on the weekends and a couple during the week, and see how that goes.
By the way…just so everyone knows…I didn’t change my last name. There are now two Erics in our office.
Oh, and Brian…give poor Adrian a break. He still hasn’t been able to find the boys room in that big scary office building the Club for Growth makes him go to everyday.
— Eric Fought Feb 24, 11:53 AM CST #
— Brian T. Osborn Feb 24, 11:58 AM CST #
— lisa kelly Feb 25, 08:22 PM CST #
— Steve Hollister Feb 26, 06:58 PM CST #
— Brian T. Osborn Feb 26, 08:30 PM CST #