`election night '

[benevolance]

The house was pretty much a sweep and it is down to three states for control of the senate...Looks like Virginia went Democrat....Ditto for Missouri...So it will come down to Montana and the Democrats have a lead there with 3/4 of the ballots returned.

It is refreshing to see the people use their voice to make changes happen...It is days like this that you have a inkling of hope and trust in deomcracy.

But I cannot understand why it took America 6 years to see Bush and his cronies were a disaster waiting to happen.

But the main thing to focus on is that the people are unhappy with Bush and they want change...The incumbent republicans will have to change their platforms and distance themselves from Bush and the "Let's get the job done no matter how long it takes in Iraq" dogma...Else they are going to be on the outside looking in...

I think it was made clear that the country does not want war...And does not approve of continuing or expanding offensives in the middle east

Dunno if it is too much to hope for that maybe just maybe some of that war money would be spent on making this country a better place to live.

[glenn kangiser]

I must have been asleep--- Did somebody hear the fat lady sing?  

[John Raabe]

The fat lady is definately clearing her throat!

I heard an interesting analysis last night from David Brooks. He said it was likely this election marked the end of the "Rove Era" - a time when the parties played to their core constituents (the most committed, and most partisan). He saw this result as the electorate wanting to move back to a more moderate and balanced center.

I just hope the Dems can do that and not go down the partisan route of vindictiveness. Lord knows they're even better than the Republicans at shooting holes in their feet.  

That said we do need some serious investigations   and the house will be working on this soon (Spring should be interesting). The key will be doing this in a clear headed balanced way and not to make it merely political.

[glenn kangiser]

Somehow I don't see Bush rolling over and playing dead. :-/

[John Raabe]

This will be an interesting two more years. Has there ever been a lamer duck?

[benevolance]

you knew Rummy was going to retire

He had no choice really....I mean his strategy was unwavering...He was calling for more money, more troops and longer occupation over in Iraq...

Losing control of the senate and the house meant that this was not going to get approved without considerable trouble.... Whereas in the past he just got unlimited funds to go play war....

So if anything the Election was a smashing success in that it might mean less american lives are lost and more troops get to come home sooner than later without the body bag

The worst thing about the war was that no matter how long they occupy Iraq you cannot change a whole society and force them to do what you want...in 2020 if you pull the troops out the people there still have to want to live the way you have forced on them for the last 15+ years or they will go their own way as soon as you leave

Meaning there is no way you can ever predict a timetable and that was one of the hugest errors in the war strategy...No real expectation of being able to withdraw....No timeframe....No winnable solution

Now people are talking about losing the war....Hell they have already lost....There were no weapons and Sadaam did not blow up the twin towers...Thousands of American troops have died for a lie....I cannot see that as anything but a loss.

So maybe just maybe America will get out of Iraq....And gee maybe start to work on building the economy up say in this country instead

[glenn kangiser]

There was never an exit strategy because there is not a plan to exit.  National Guards are getting ready for a second tour.  Rummys replacement is an old Bush family buddy.  I don't see any radical changes happening.  The military was ready to mutiny if Bush didn't get rid of Rummy.

The puppet masters may change the puppet show a little but they still have control of the strings.

As corporations leave Iraq because it is impossible to work there without a death wish, we may see a slight decrease of our interests there but probably not much chance of our guys getting out because of the mess we have there.

[Amanda_931]

Interesting essay/blog from the (basically libertarian, I understand) Karen Kwiatkowski on Rumsfeld.  A couple of the middle paragraphs quoted below.

I'm waiting to hear a reaction from an acquaintance who seems to believe that The President (when acting as president) is like a priest saying mass.  He cannot be wrong. He is the direct instrument of God, or The People--or something, although I don't think he thought that of Clinton.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwiatkowski/kwiatkowski165.html

I remember in early 2001, many in the Pentagon hoped very much that Rumsfeld's can-do attitude and political history would allow him to do what cautious cost-cutting of the Clinton years failed to do – shake up the military-industrial establishment towards faithful service in a truly post–Cold War world.

Instead, Rumsfeld did his part to ensure that neoconservative conspirers of the Reagan era, so comfortable fighting fake wars, playing overthrow-the-dictator games in vulnerable countries around the world, and offering fake security advice, could re-establish a new Cold War. The Bush War on Terror, while unsophisticated, illogical, and end-times-ish, has become a bellyfeeling and bank-account-filling New Cold War.

[benevolance]

America could use a decade or so of cost cutting...Record deficits and record debts...

We could use to scale back on wepaon design and new tanks boats and planes..

Bring home the troops and  try to avoid fighting a trivial war in the middle east for a decade.

Spend the money balancing the books investing in the American economy American companies that will employ people in America....

Simplistic I know...But it would work....The military and the Iraq  war has gotten billions and billions in funding under bush...

Hell they could have put america to work just re-paving the roads and upgrading infrastructure...It would cost less and nobody would die...

I laugh when people say it was not about the oil....