The Kerry Comment Affair - or "What Chutzpah!"

Let me see if I've got this right.

Let's assume for the moment, that Sen. Kerry, suffering from whatever delusion inducing medication in vogue at the moment (for which he will seek rehab qua absolution - preferably with a bottle of Stoli), actually said what the President and the Republican party say that Sen. Kerry said. I don't think that's what he really said, but just suppose he did insult our troops.

The ones who are killing our troops every day, who sent them to war without a plan, without armor, without supplies, and without sufficient numbers, the one's whose only plan is "stay the course" no matter how obvious it is that the course isn't working, the one's responsible for the deaths of 2,800 American men and women and for the horrific wounds of tens of thousands of others,

These people, who are responsible for murdering our troops, are demanding that Kerry apologize for insulting them?

Oy vey.

Don't Listen to Me: Listen to Them

Here's what the United States Central Command has to say about Iraq. This chart, labelled Iraq - Indications & Warnings of Civil Conflict, indicates that the civil climate in Iraq is just short of total chaos. . . and has been getting worse consistently since Februry.




This chart was prepared for a classified briefing of the USCC held on October 18, 2006, and a copy was leaked to the New York Times. The arrow marked "pre-Samarra" refers to the bombing of a Mosque in Samarra in February this year.

497,000 Missing Weapons Can't Be All Gone.

That is 497,000 semi-automatics, assault rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers - one out of nearly every four sent by the US led "coalition" to arm Iraqi forces -have gone missing. Others were delivered with no spare parts or manuals.

No one seemed to think it might help to keep track of the serial numbers.

Who's arming the insurgency in Iraq?

We are.

The Military Commissions Act of 2006 - Kucinich Says. . .

This is the first of what I expect will be many posts by me on S. 3930, the Military Commissions Act of 2006. That's the craven piece of legislation that allows the US to torture and secretly try so-called "enemy combatants" that was enacted by Congress on Sept. 29, 2006, and signed by the craven President. The House agreed to the bill by 250 ‑ 170. The roll call vote is recorded in Roll No. 508 if you want to see how your representative voted.

For this post, I just want to quote from Dennis Kucinich:

Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Oh), Congressional Rep. from Ohio's 10th District is one smart guy. I remember 1978 when, despite the screams of shock & alarm from Wall Street, Mayor Kucinich saved the the City of Cleveland by declaring the City bankrupt. I had the opportunity to meet and speak with him once in the summer of 1980. I remember he was a warm, instantly likeable guy, with a deep intellect, a strong sense of direction, and an honest concern for John Q. Everyperson.

I don't know whether he would be a good president, but I think the country (and the world) would be better off if more people in our governement thought as he did. Everyone should support his plan for a Department of Peace.

Anyway, Dennis had this to say about the Military Commissions Act during floor debate before its passage:

[The bill] cast[s] a wide net, in defining unlawful enemy combatants, that would include any American supporter of a national liberation movement which is seeking to overthrow a US Government-supported despot.

For instance, with such a loose definition, the thousands of Americans, many of whom are church clergy, who provided support to the armed and unarmed opposition to the deposed dictatorships of El Salvador and Nicaragua, could have been designated as unlawful enemy combatants.

This hypothetical could occur, since 1) it would only take a determination by the President or Secretary of Defense that the opposition to a US-favored dictator was engaged in hostilities against the US, and 2) the act of solidarity by the American clergymen supported the opposition group.

* * *

The [bill] could make similar solidarity actions in the future a crime. Those crimes should not be triable by military commissions. They would be new crimes and expose Americans to prosecution simply for supporting unfortunate people in other countries who are struggling for their freedom.

* * *

If those who think the so-called war on terror is about ideas such as good versus evil and democracy versus thuggery, then [this bill] sends the wrong message about the true values of Americans. Let's stand up for the principles that this country was founded upon. Let's stand up for the Constitution, for the land of the free, for the home of the brave.

Cong. Rec., H7941 (Sept. 29, 2006).

In other words, if you were to support the democratic resistance of Pakistanis to rule by the current US supported dictator, the President can throw you in jail, torture you, and hide you away so that noone ever knows.

Dalai Lama Quote of the Week

The environment where you are doing the meditation should be properly cleaned. While cleaning, you should cultivate the motivation that since you are engaged in the task of accumulating great stores of merit by inviting the hosts of buddhas and bodhisattvas to this environment, it is important to have a clean place. You should see that all the external dirt and dust around you is basically a manifestation of the faults and stains within your own mind. You should see that the most important aim is to purge these stains and faults from within your mind. Therefore, as you cleanse the environment, think that you are also purifying your mind. Develop the very strong thought that by cleaning this place you are inviting the host of buddhas and bodhisattvas who are the most supreme merit field, and that you will subsequently engage in a path that will enable you to purge your mind of the stains of delusions.

--from Path to Bliss: A Practical Guide to Stages of Meditation by H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, translated by Geshe Thubten Jinpa, edited by Christine Cox, published by Snow Lion Publications

The Dalai Lama Quote of the week comes to you with my thanks to Snow Lion Publications (which sends them to me).

Getting the Job Done. . .

It seems that George Bush has stopped staying the course on staying the course. Apparantly, his handlers think it makes him sound out of touch and inflexible. The policy isn't changing though. Just what it's called. Yes, they really have that little respect for the intelligence of the average American.

Bush's new catch phrase is "get the job done." As in "we're going to go right on wasting the lives of Americas bravest, killing thousands, injuring tens of thousands of soldiers until we get the job done."

I'll bite. What's the job?

We went to Iraq to prevent Saddaam from using his WMD's. There are no WMD's.
We went to Iraq to remove Saddaam from power.
Mission Accomplished.

So what is the job? It can't be nation-building. Bush swore during the election that he would not engage in nation building. . . that nation building was the stuff of liberals and Democrats like Bill Clinton.

So tell us Mr. Bush. What job do we have to do? What has to happen for you to say "the job is done"? What do we need to do to leave Iraq? They are killing our children. They are killing each other. They don't want us there. They want us there even less than we want to be there. Every day makes matters worse.

Just tell me. How do we get the job done if we don't even know what the job is?

Dalai Lama Quote of the Week

There are many types of meditative stabilisation, but let us explain calm abiding (samatha) here. The nature of calm abiding is the one-pointed abiding on any object without distraction of a mind conjoined with a bliss of physical and mental pliancy. If it is supplemented with taking refuge, it is a Buddhist practice; and if it is supplemented with an aspiration to highest enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings, it is a Mahayana practice. Its merits are that, if one has achieved calm abiding, one's mind and body are pervaded by joy and bliss; one can--through the power of its mental and physical pliancy--set the mind on any virtuous object one chooses; and many special qualities such as clairvoyance and emanations are attained.

--from The Buddhism of Tibet by the Dalai Lama, translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications

The Dalai Lama Quote of the week comes to you with my thanks to Snow Lion Publications (which sends them to me).

Farewell CBGB's - We Barely Knew Ya

This is it. This weekend. The long-awaited punctuation mark. The admission. An era has come to a close. An era that ended long ago. But now we have a date that we can mark its passing.

CBGB's closes this weekend CBGB's & OMFUG - Country, Bluegrass, Blues & OMFUG.

I won't be there for the final auld lang syne. But that's okay, I never made it there when it meant something to be there. 1976-1979, American Punk Rock created itself on the Bowery (where else could it happen?) - Blondie, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Ramones, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Television and more - bands that influenced generations and will continue to influence generations - all started in this marvelous little dark, dingy cellar-like hole in the wall.

1976-79 I was in college in Western New York - a good five hour drive from CBGB's. By the time I arrived in New York City in 1982, the scene was already over. Everyone knew about it by then. Everyone that mattered. The A&R people had caught on, the progressive radio stations (WLIR, WPLR to name two), college radio most of all.

But I went all the same. My friends played there. Friends of my friends played there. There was always the dream that lightning would strike twice - that CBGB's would lead in the next new musical wave. Perhaps it didn't happen per se, but I don't think there is a band in New York that can claim it got started without playing CBGB's. And hardly a band that didn't call Hilly looking for a gig.

I remember sitting backstage at CBGB's - my first visit there. Sitting on a ratty reddish couch and thinking to myself "Wow, Debbie Harry probably shot up right here." Yes, I'm a Blondie fan. But more than that, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of history. History was a palpable thing there.

I may not have spent much time at CBGB's, but there was a hardly a week went by I didn't check out the Village Voice to see who was playing there.

A good friend of mine played CBGB's a few weeks ago. I'm glad they made it . There will never again be a band that can say. "We played at CB's"

It's a little piece of New York City history, gone forever. A victim of avarice and changing times. I hear that it is going to be rebuilt as a museum in California.

But for me a little piece of what made New York, New York is gone forever. Another little piece of rock & roll history and culture is gone forever. New York is an island and CBGB's was a part of the whole, a piece of the main. The close of CBGB's leaves New York the lesser for it. And me.

Speaking of Mark Foley - Let's Not

As far as I can tell, there is no Mark Foley scandal.

First, Mark Foley's secret has been exposed.
Second, Mark Foley has admitted his culpability and accepted responsibility.
Third, Mark Foley has resigned his seat in the House.

Where's the Mark Foley scandal?

This is the Dennis Hastert scandal.

Mark Foley did not mastermind the cover-up. He ought to have admitted to his problem earlier. He should not have waited til he was caught. But he at least has the excuse of his sociopathy to fall back on.

Not so Speaker Hastert. This scandal is all his own. What did he know and when did he know it. Is Speaker Hastert lying to protect his position? Or are the Speaker's own aides lying because they enjoy losing their positions, influence, lifestyle, friends, patrons and careers.

This is about a cover-up, and as cover-ups go, maybe it's not as important as some of the other issues facing the country.

Yes, I think it exposes bitter hypocracy among the Republican leadership. But how many minds is that going to really change?

I've said it before. It's the war stupid. If Hastert can still support the war with the tens of thousands of innocent civilian deaths, and hundreds of thousands of refugees, why should he give a damn about the morality of communications between a fellow-traveler and a page?

Face it. Every Republican can not be and should not be tarred with the taint of Mark Foley. Yes, a couple of high level Republican leaders, who knew and stood by doing nothing, deserve to be royally well roasted on their own petard - with a little mint jelly on the side.

But that's Dennis Hastert, maybe a few others. The rest?

They support torture, indiscriminate wire-tapping, and an unjust and unpopular war. They are making the world safer for terrorists and America less free for Americans. They are spending this Country into the sewer. They are selling our economic future to Communist China. They allowed North Korea to get the bomb. They have done nothing about the genocide in Darfur.

Those are the issues that face this Country. The Foley story is the best thing that could have happened to the Republicans - here's a paranoid conspiracy theory for you: the Republicans leaked the Foley story. Not the Democrats. The Republicans controlled the timing. They were saving it for a rainy day. The Country was beginning to pay attention to the issues. The Country was starting to realize the Democrats may be right after all. Whoops - here comes a scandal involving a Republican congressman and the issues fly from the front pages. This is an issue that will not change people's minds.

Democrats should get off the Foley story and get back to the real issues. It's easy to take a scandal that's been served up on a silver platter. Yes, it gets good press. But take advantage of it too much and the cynicism of all involved shines through. It's obvious why Democrats are making such a big stink out of this - it's like the old joke about why dogs lick themselves - because they can.

But if that's the big issues in the minds of Democrats, then they deserve to lose the election. And the strategy of playing to the scandal is only going to turn off voters to both sides.

Americans want to hear about issues. Not mud-slinging.

There are plenty of great issues out there. Democrats should do very well in this election if they focus on issues. Foley though, is not an issue. It's a distraction. It's a distraction that only benefits the Republicans.

Sure, with enough hue and cry and sturm and drang, maybe Hastert will resign. But at the end of the day, I would rather have a Democratic house, with a Democratic Speaker, than a Republican House led by a Republican other than Hastert.

The Buck Stops Here! Right Here. Right here on the other side of this line from me.

Dennis Hastert, quoting a famous Democrat, has stated that "the buck stops here" with regard to the ongoing Mark Foley scandal. Speaker Hastert, and Republican strategists and sympathizers generally may be able to quote Democrats, but, to paraphrase another famous Democrat:

"Mr. Speaker, You're no Harry Truman."

The buck may stop at Speaker Hastert, but not before it survives these hurdles:

(i) questions about whether the Democrats kept the story secret so it could be leaked a few weeks before election day (that's right Democrats should be blamed for covering up a Republican cover-up - the irony seems so entirely lost on them);

(ii) efforts to smear one of Mr. Foley's victims as a prankster;

(iii) gay-baiting;

(iv) absurd denials (if a sixteen year old page knew Rep. Foley's missives were improper, how can the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the greatest country in the world - the second in line to the President - not think they merited investigation).

(v) Congress members publicly accusing their own aides of dishonesty and negligence (it's so much fun watching them eat their young - if only the Crocodile Hunter were here to commentate).

(vi) Presidential declarations of support for Hastert;

(vii) investigations by the FBI, the House ethics committee and god knows who else.

The buck may stop with Dennis Hastert, but not until its been passed around a lot.

Where's George'o?

9/11
"Mr. President! The Country is Under Attack!"
"Not til I finish reading My Pet Goat"

Katrina
He wasn't even AWARE of it until three days after it became a disaster.

October 9, 2006
North Korea successfully tested a nuclear bomb about 2 hours ago.

I'm wondering. Has anyone bothered to wake the President? Or do I know more about this (and am I more concerned) right now than the Commander in Chief of the so-called "Greatest Country in the World".

You Heard it Here First!

Here's a scoop on every single new reporter and editor in the country.

It's the Democrats' fault.

That's right. It's the Democrats' fault. Two days from now, maybe three, that will be the headline.
I guaranty it. I stake all of my worldly goods on it.

Tomorrow the news will be: North Korea Holds Successful Nuclear Test: Wags it's Tongue at USA and Extends an Open Hand to Iran.

Tuesday: It will be Bush's fault. He completely failed to bargain in good faith with the North Koreans. He allowed hard-liners in his administration (read Cheney/Rumsfeld) to sabotage negotiations that administrative (gag) moderates such as Condi Rice thought might bring results.

Wednesday.

Wednesday it will be the Democrats' fault.
North Korea's timing was INTENDED to influence the elections by embarrassing the Republican Party and its President, thereby allowing obstructionist, weak on defense, weak on terror, tax and spend democrats to take over the Congress, thus weakening America's ability to withstand the spread of North Korean hegemony all over southeast asia. etc. etc. etc.


Remember, you heard it here first.

Goodnight, and Good Luck.

See Hastert Run, Run Dennis Run

How could I have missed it? It was so obvious. Thank goodness we have the good and rightous Dennis Hastert and his allys to point it out.

It's the DEMOCRATS' fault.

Republican Mark Foley, sent inappropriate e-mails to a Republican page, who told his Republican sponsor, who told the Republican Majority Leader, who told the Republican Speaker of the House, who chose to do nothing about it. Giving the Republican Mark Foley almost an entire year to continue targeting underage boys for his sexual adventures.

Oh, and the Chief of Staff for the Republican Majority Leader

But it's the DEMOCRATS who leaked the news (allegedly). We're the bad guys.

Lots of things can arguably be blamed on the Democrats. Reasonable people can differ about who is responsible for such things as Iraq, the Economy, the War on Terror etc. (though anyone who disagrees with me is entirely wrong and should burn in the deepest level of Dante's inferno for all time for the mere presumption).

But THIS is ludicrous.

Paul Weyrich spoke to CNN this morning. Two days ago, Weyrich condemned Dennis Hastert and called for his resignation. Yesterday he and Hastert spoke and Weyrich is once again a Hastert supporter.

Weyrich's expressed concern (almost certaninly the argument he heard from Hastert) over "where will it end?" If Hastert goes, what about Reynolds? Alexander? Who else?

Well, in my humble opinion, every one of the hypocrites involved should go. Every one who knew and did nothing was an enabler who permitted Foley to continue targeting children.

Why would they do this? They were afraid they would lose Foley's vote. As simple as that. They put counting votes ahead of the welfare of children (let's keep in mind, the scandal involves Foley's contacts with pages - who knows who he's been talking to outside of the ranks of Congressional aides).

They deserve everything they get, and if more than one of them has to lose a seat over this, they should have thought about it befor putting they put children at risk.

Were they really willing to put votes ahead of children? Of course they were. These are the same people leading the charge in support of a war that has killed a 100,000 or more people in Iraq, the same people who refuse to do anything about the 400,000 DEAD and 2 1/2 MILLION REFUGEES in Darfur, these people are expected to give a damn about the physical well-being and mental health of the few victims of a pedophile? Give me a break. These people care about nothing but retaining power.

Speaking of which Dennis Hastert said to day that he's taking the responsibility for this disgusting episode. He said "the buck stops here" (quoting a popular democrat incidentally). He also said he would not resign from the office of speaker and would run for the position next term.

It seems that Dennis Hastert believes being responsible does not include the taking the consequences for being irresponsible. But then he just rushed a statute through the Congress that forgives torturers. So it's not really a surprise that he doesn't believe in consequences for those who are politically allies.

Sometimes, you have to take your lumps. The Republican party has been hoisted on its own petard. If Dennis Hastert survices this fiasco, the Party will, for a generation, have lost the moral authority to declare itself the party of family values.

Hastert ought to stop worrying so much about being speaker, and start wondering whether he will even be able to retain his seat.

Who's the hero?

For shame.

Shame, shame, shame, shame.

The family of the page whose e-mails from Mark Foley first broke the scandal, issued a press statement today.

They called their son a hero for having the courage to report what he received. I agree.

They asked the press to respect their privacy. They deserve it.

They expressed concern that their son might be overwhelmed, eaten up and spit out, by the current storm of publicity. I think they should be.

They commend the Republican leadership of the House for doing everything possible and appropriate to investigate Mark Foley's "overly-friendly" e-mails. I. . .

They said what?

That's right, They asked everyone to believe that the response of Republican leadership was proper, and they even called the e-mails "overly-friendly".

Overly-friendly? I've heard that word before somewhere. I think I've actually heard it a lot - mostly from Republican leaders who say they saw no need to investigate further.

Hey, bozos. YOUR SON knew the e-mail was improper and should be investigated further and HE'S ONLY 16 YEARS-OLD.

How can it be possible that a 16 year old could see this problem and lawmakers who have made their careers stressing "family values" and their tough stand on pedophelia couldn't. How is it that lawmakers who are so quick to express their concern over "inappropriate" contacts with underage children that they will trample over the freedom of adults to speak with each other, can be so blind to the something that was obvious to a child.

As I wrote last night, they didn't know, because they didn't want to know.

But for the PARENTS of that 16 year old to support such obvious perfidy?

Sometimes, some people can take party unity too damn far, but when the PARENTS of the VICTIM of a PEDOPHILE, absolve the VERY PEOPLE WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE BOY, they take pary unity to an unbelievable, and to me, disgusting level.

If your child could see it. You should too. To call your boy a hero, and than side with the men who enabled the man who made your son a victim is a travesty.

I feel sorry for this boy. He was smart enough to understand Mark Foley's advance. I hope he's not smart enough to recognize his parents' hypocracy.

That's funny, he doesn't look like a Collie.

Thank goodness we have smart, careful, deep-thinking politicians like state lawmaker Rep. Frank G. Lassee, Republican member of the State Assembly for the great state of Wisconsin.

Rep. Lassee said Wednesday that "he planned to introduce legislation that would allow school personnel to carry concealed weapons." State lawmaker suggests arming teachers, principals, CNN.com, posted: 2:11 p.m. EDT, October 5, 2006. Rep. Lassee apparantly is "worried about a recent string of deadly school shootings, suggested arming teachers, principals and other school personnel as a safety measure and a deterrent." Id.

That's right, our schools will be much safer when there is a gun in every classroom. The way to stop school shootings is NOT to keep guns out of the hands of lunatics and criminals. The solution is to make guns even more easy for them to get their hands on.

Lassee, GO HOME.

Rep. Foley and Speaker Hastert

How quickly they change their tune.

First House Speaker Hastert denied any knowledge of Rep. Foley's reprehensible conduct.

Then Speaker Hastert had no recollection of being informed of Foley's conduct by the chairman of the Republican National Committee - but had no reason to deny it happened.

Today, Speaker Hastert - whose head has been called for by no less a conservative bulwark than the Washington Times - says he's done nothing wrong because his office was only aware of a few "overly-friendly" e-mails. Speaker Hastert was not aware, his office says, of the sexually explicit messages sent by Mark Foley.

The man interrupted a vote on the House floor to engage in cybersex with an underage boy.

Events of the last three days indicate that even a cursory investigation by the Speaker would have turned up evidence of Mr. Foley's conduct. The "overly-friendly" e-mail was unequivocally a "smoking-gun." Anyone reading it should have immediately recognized that some inquiry was required. To quote President Bush, Speaker Hastert "is a smart, savvy guy."

Does anyone think, for one moment, that if Speaker Hastert had received the same "overly- friendly" e-mails from a democrat, they would not have been splashed across the front pages of every newspaper the next day?

If Speaker Hastert didn't know about Mark Foley's conduct, the only reason is that he did not want to know.

Ignorant News Anchors Are Not Funny. They're just Ignorant

"Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance" is the title of a (1983) documentary directed by Godfrey Reggio, to a stunning musical score by Philip Glass. Among other things it introduced a vast audience to the music of Mr. Glass, one of the late 20th Century's most notable composers.

"Koyaanisqatsi" is a visual concert of images. There is no plot in the traditional sense. The film uses extensive time lapse and slow motion photography to make comparisons between different types of physical motion to allow us to the similarities of movement between these natural forces and learn more about the world around us. The film progresses from purely natural environments to nature as affected by man, and finally to man's own manmade environment, devoid of nature yet still following the patterns of natural flow as depicted in the beginning of the film, yet in chaos and disarray. Through this the film conveys an environmental message, which is that human life is out of balance; crazy; in turmoil; disintegrating; and calls for another way of living.

On its release "Koyaanisqatsi" was hailed as visionary by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Since its release, the influence of Koyaanisqatsi, has become unmistakable in television advertisements, music videos, and movies.

The reviews for this film were overwhelming: Prepare to experience a truly remarkable filma cinematic masterpiece so extraordinary that it regales the senses, stimulates the mind and actually 'redefines the potential of filmmaking (The Hollywood Reporter). Celebrated director Godfrey Reggio, innovative cinematographer Ron Fricke and Golden Globe-winning composer Philip Glass have created a 'spellbinding [film] so rich in beauty and detail that with each viewing it becomes a new and different film (Leonard Maltin). Unique profound mesmerizing and thought-provoking (Boxoffice), Koyaanisqatsi contrasts the tranquil beauty of nature with the frenzied hum of contemporary urban society. Uniting breathtaking imagery with a hauntingly evocative, award-winning score, it is original and fascinating (People) one of the greatest films of all time (Uncut).

So where's the beef?

About 25 minutes ago, Jennifer Westhoven and Robin Meade had a good laugh, on air, that (i) Amazon.com had recommended the film to Jennifer as something she might enjoy, and (ii) that neither of them could pronounce the title.

Leaving aside the leering, unprofessional and inappropriate, sexually laced repartee which CNN anchors seem to enjoy so much. This is just one more example of the ignorance of the cue card readers that CNN pushes upon us as reporters. (Here's another from two minutes ago, Robin Meade on Scarlett Johansen's comment that she would rather be known for attributes other than her looks: "Hey, whatever gets you on the cover works for me (giggle giggle)." Woops, there goes another year of women's lib down the tubes).

Ignorance is not funny.
Ignorant news reporters are even less funny.
When CNN execs stand up at conferences on the state of the News media and complain that the media are not doing their job, they should start by aiming their sights at their own product.

When the only choices for somewhat complete reportage are the right-wing bias of Fox media or the mind-numbing inanity of sexual innuendo and plain ignorance of Robin & Co. I think that the greats of the field - Morrow, Brinkley, Huntly etc. must be rolling in their graves.

Thank goodness that BBC World news still maintains some semblance of British dignity.

What National Intelligence Estimate?

Over the last several days, George Bush has been reminding anyone who will listen that we had not invaded Iraq before the al-Qaeda attack on September 11 (or when they attacked the US Cole etc.).

The purpose of this little bit of pointless information is to direct attention from a National Intelligence Estimate - the combined wisdom - of sixteen separate U.S. Intelligence agencies - that unequivocally states that the war in Iraq has increased the spread of Islamic jihadism, provided the terrorists with improved training facilities, and generally made the US less, rather than more safe.

Bushy-boy did fail, has failed, is failing, and will continue to fail to understand how to defeat terrorists so long as he continues to fail to understand them. A critical point made by the NIE that five years after the fact Bush still hasn't managed to wrap his meager intellect around.

So instead of admitting that his strategy has failed, Bush continues to run around calling names pointing fingers, and misrepresenting the position of anyone with a different strategy from the one that is so obviously failing on every level. Hey, insisting on a different strategy is not the same thing as cutting and running. I would not have started this war, but now that we are in it I know we have to win it. I just don't think we're going to win it his way.

Big deal. He's blowing it. This is not news. And it hasn't been news for a long time already. But the media outlets still treat it like it is. The combined investigative talents of the New York Times, The Washington Post, the LA Times, the Chicago Trib, the Christian Science Monitor, CNN, Fox News, the Networks, Jon Stewart and etc. etc. are all busily investigating "what did the NIE really say" and "what does it mean" and blah blah blah.

But Frank Rich got it exactly right. None of this is news:

The supposedly shocking key finding in the N.I.E. — that the Iraq war is a boon to terrorism — isn’t remotely news. It first turned up in a classified C.I.A. report leaked to the press in June 2005. It’s also long been visible to the naked eye. The latest New York Times/CBS News poll, conducted before any revelations from the N.I.E., found that nearly half the country believes that the Iraq war is increasing the terrorist threat against America and only 12 percent thinks the war is decreasing that threat. Americans don’t have to pore over leaked intelligence documents to learn this. They just have to turn on the television.

Tonight on “60 Minutes,” Bob Woodward will spill another supposedly shocking intelligence finding revealed in his new book: a secret government prediction that the insurgency will grow worse next year. Who’d have thunk it? Given that the insurgency is growing worse every day right now — last week suicide bombings hit a record high in Baghdad — the real surprise would be if the government predicted an armistice. A poll released last week by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland found that about 6 in 10 Iraqis approved of attacks on American forces. Tardy investigative reporting is hardly needed to figure out that the insurgency is thriving.

The Meaningless Debate over the Latest N.I.E., NY Times, Oct. 1, 2006.

What more needs to be said?