John McCain has made numerous mistakes in describing current events and past history.  Some of those "mistakes" might really be lies.

Ok, so what we all hoped (believed) what was claimed and derided by many (including myself) turned out to be true. John Edwards is not perfect and had an affair. Yes, it's true he admitted it today. Yes, he and Elizabeth Edwards discussed it before his campaign, yet pursued a false and misleading deception during the whole campaign. Yes, it was a lie. A major lie? I think  not. Equivilant of David Vitter? Maybe, but then David Vitter's wife who had been so threatening and critical of Bill Clinton for his infidelity, then appeared beside him on national TV looking like a woman you'd find on any city street offering sexual relief to male passersby.

Watching Hardball and it's republican shill filling in for Chris Mathews and then watching the one of three journalist's I consider respectable and honest and hearing the same questions on Olbermann I heard on Hardball I offer an answer, and something just as shocking as the Enquierer's story on Edwards. Only I am not the one to pursue this I leave it for those better then I. More after the fold.

Let me start by saying I am a HUGE Obama supporter.  I started supporting him as soon as he entered the race in early 2007.  My previous diaries will attest to this.  I made calls for him in Iowa, New Hampshire and elsewhere, and went door to door for him in Pennsylvania.  I am no "concern troll."

I am writing because I feel Obama made a serious strategic mistake in the past month, after running an incredibly strong campaign through the rest of the primaries.

Obama learned early on that campaigning counts.  Obama built strong organizations in caucus states and made sure to visit these locations several times.  Hillary ignored these states, and Obama racked up enormous vote margins and delegate totals as a result.  Yet after Obama's thrilling North Carolina blowout and near Indiana win, his campaign made a  significant mistake.  (explained below the fold).

Barack Obama is running one of the most impressive primary campaigns in American history by most quantifiable performance indicators.  He has raised more money, from more people than in any other primary campaign ever.  His website is superior to any other politician's; Barackobama.com features the most powerful social networking tools and demographic information database available in politics.  He has mobilized America's youth to turn the lever for him at an unprecedented rate.  Perhaps as importantly, Obama's team has mastered the arcane art of the caucus, trouncing his opponents in nearly every single state caucus beginning with Iowa.  Most strikingly, he has accomplished all of this as a half-black Washington newcomer, beginning his national campaign just two years after stepping into the Senate for the first time as a guy that most Americans knew little to nothing about.  

   

We've been waiting for this forever.  For Hillary Clinton to finally admit that her vote for the Iraq war was a mistake, and that being human is one of the reasons why she made that mistake.

And we're going to keep on waiting for that until the last star in our universe fades into nothingness.

Michelle Obama said today that this is the first time in her adult life that she is proud of her country.  Pundits are going ballistic. Pat Buchanan said the comment was "like a stab to the (gut)."  The consensus appears to be that the comment was at best a gaffe, and at worst a really terrible, unimaginable slap in the face to patriotic Americans everywhere.

I disagree.

Let's take a look at what has happened in America over the last 25 years.  We suffered through Ronald Reagan, George the First and George the Last. We've listened to Rush and his legion of imitators take over radio. We've watched, enraged and frustrated while the Congress was hijacked by creeps like Phil Gramm, Tom Delay, and Newt Gingrich. We've suffered through Iran-Contra, the Savings and Loan Bailout, $100 dollar a barrel oil, ruinous foreign policies, the disaster of 9/11, and the launch of the least moral war in our history. We've heard a Democratic President lie, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman...."

i'm tired of hearing elected representatives suggest that questioning bush's plan for prosecuting the war in iraq is anti-american, hurts the troops, and gives aid and comfort to the enemy. this is a lie. sending our troops to iraq is the biggest foreign policy mistake in US history, and democrats should stand tall and firm against anyone who questions our patriotism.

If President Bush Continues To Insist On Sending Our Loyal Innocent Military people into Iraq, we should start keeping a count of how man innocent Soldiers he's responsible for getting killed.

I was challenged by iconoclastic cat to write a diary that would pretty much amount to "war gaming" the Iraqi response to the inevitable escalation of troops and what I would think would be the most likely scenario.  As there are a large number of moving parts here, I am going to take a stab at it, and will have to make some assumptions based on recent news and other items that are either general consensus or educated guesses about the events currently in Iraq and the surrounding area.

As there are many out there who are way smarter than I am and much closer to the situation, I welcome comments and criticisms (well, more of the former, of course) to my hypothesis.  Right off the bat, I will give you a "well, duh" short answer that this escalation will result in much increased violence, death of tens of thousands and retaliation.

That being said, I will start with a few assumptions and educated guesses on my part in order to provide at least some semblance of a foundation, and will try not to make this too long of a diary.  So, here is my first shot at launching my political pundit career....

So, President HeadUpHisAss is reportedly "pleased with progress towards a new Iraq strategy" that includes throwing more of our troops needlessly into harm’s way in order to "save his legacy".  And whatever threats or bribes that have been thrown at our military commanders who, up until just a few days ago, were pretty much unanimously, not to mention very vocally against an escalation (because, let’s call it what it is) now has some of our top commanders suddenly having a change of heart.

Of course, we all have to wait until next year to hear details of a "new way forward" that will no doubt be something that is vastly different from anything sane or rational.  Since any troop level increase must be "tied into some sort of plan" (gee, thanks douchebag for that sensationally insightful comment), one only has to look at the news of the past couple of days to see that it doesn’t matter if we put another 10,000 or 50,000 or 500,000 troops into Iraq.  

To put it more bluntly and slowly – Our.  Continued.  Presence.  In.  Iraq.  Is.  Making.  It.  Worse.

Much.  Much.  Worse.

Jimmy Carter was the latest to use the M Word. The former president said he believes the "occupancy of Iraq and all the consequences of it are a big mistake." This echoes John Kerry's infamous 1971 question: "How do you ask a man to die for a mistake?" Hmm...perhaps recalling a few details about the Vietnam "mistake" might shine some light on the Iraq "blunder."

At a White House ceremony where he signed the $417 billion defense spending bill for the 2005 fiscal year, Bush uttered these despicable words:

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

He wasn't posing as his rascally but lovable alter-ego, the Comedian-in-Chief, when he said this. He was completely straight-faced and solemn. And nobody laughed at his words.

Before G.W. Bush did admit learning from 'our' mistakes (while still denying anyone occured precisely), Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice did it, in London, Friday, 03-31-2006
«...I know we've made tactical errors, thousands of them I'm sure, but...».

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld defended ...his planning for Iraq, and doing so revealed an insider tip on strategic War plans, in general :

« Such plans inevitably do not survive first contact with the enemy.» ( interview by S. Hennen, in Fargo, N.D., Tuesday, April 04. - Defense Dep. transcript /WashingtonPost)

It's Richard Cohen. Surprised?

This morning, the Washington Post published John Edwards' admission that he did the wrong thing in 2002.

This is the right thing for all Democratic leaders to do.