Bush's New, New Lie
ALTERNET
by Christopher Scheer
http://alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18626

For months we've been encouraged by spinmeisters in Washington to believe that there is something momentous about the so-called handover. The national media, too, has relentlessly trumpeted the event so often and so simple-mindedly as a watershed moment that it has taken on the hue of history in the making. In reality, the United States plans to send new troops to Iraq. It is building 14 "enduring" bases in the Tigris and Euphrates river basins. And we have appointed tough-guy Reagan-era hatchet man John Negroponte to run the world's biggest embassy in the same building that currently houses the CPA. The United States will continue to control all the money, all the military forces (U.S., Iraqi, foreign mercenaries) and all the key political appointments in Iraq. To call this "limited" sovereignty is a bit like describing the situation in Iraq as "volatile."

100 Mistakes For The President To Choose From
CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS
http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=64326

Recent Comments From Jude At iddybud Blog

Difference between Kerry and Bush is clear:

"When I was in the Navy, the captain of the boat was in charge and the captain always took responsibility. Today I have a message for the men and women of our Armed forces ... I will take responsibility for the bad as well as the good.'' --Sen. John F. Kerry today at Colton High School in California

Think about that seriously, good readers. Bush couldn't bring himself to make a simple apology, which would have been incredibly powerful on his nation's behalf. We decent people of America are sorry...he's supposed to be our first-line representative. The Iraqis weren't looking to Scott McLellan with hopeful eyes or ears. They were looking to Bush. They probably didn't even notice the squeaked-out limp after-the-fact apology forced by the King of Jordan today.

I realize our troops have had to dig up their POW-comrades' cut-up body parts in shallow sand-graves in Iraq. The savagery of our enemy has been abhorrent. The answer is not this appalling cruelty in return....not if we mean what we say about winning the Iraqi heart and trust in the good faith of our intentions. Convincing Iraqis of our good faith is already a challenge when you're bombing a nation to rubble. Torturing prisoners who may or may not be guilty of a damned thing? Definitely worth an immediate apology. If we're truly "better" than savages, then there should be no question. Once again, why couldn't Bush bring himself to do it on Arab television? I submit that Bush doesn't have the character of the kind of leader we so desperately need in this post-9-11 world.