The danger of self-determination is that we just can't control it!

The collective neocon nutcases that comprise the thinking man's club housed in Charles Krauthammer's brain are not happy with Nouri Al-Maliki and his government.

Our mission in Iraq as proposed by Bush et al was to get rid of Saddam Hussein and allow the Iraqis the opportunity to determine their own future. I remember the early promises of the Iraqi elections to approve the constitution and later to create the new gov't. headed by Maliki's coalition. Numerous right wing pundits and Republican congressmen held up their purple fingers in solidarity with Iraqis as they took the early steps to self-determination and democracy.

Unfortunately, it has become a rather messy and confusing business in Iraq. Maliki and his band of brothers and sisters are displeasing Charlie and his brain trust. Not surprisingly, Maliki's coalition is weak and has no control of sectarian forces that are killing each other and innocent bystanders. And probably the worst part, and Maliki keeps talking to the Iranians.

From the beginning, the neocon impulse to invade Iraq was a failed venture in seach of unintended consequences. Maliki's failures are our failures. We put the events into motion that got him elected him. If Charles and his keyboarding green berets have their way, they would disappear Nouri and replace him without another Iraqi leader who promises to do our bidding. Unfortunately, we don't get do overs after we invade a country and invite them to self-determine their future.

Charile and his ilk continue to redefine what constitutes success time and time again in Iraq. The goal posts have been moved so many times, you can break your ankle in all the holes on the neocon playing field. This time he doesn't want to move the goalposts. He wants to fire all the players on his team, find new players and start the game all over again.

Meeting benchmarks in Iraq: a .167 batting average. Not bad for a utility infielder, lousy for a country in turmoil.

I have a very simple question. Which version of reality would you believe? The General Accounting Office's (GAO) or the White House's version of progress in Iraq?

The GAO has leaked its report assessing progress in Iraq in advance of the White House's scrubing of Petreaus's and Crocker's assessment. Not surprisingly, the "reality-based" GAO reports that "Iraq has failed to meet all but three of 18 congressionally mandated benchmarks for political and military progress. The report concludes with "While the Baghdad security plan was intended to reduce sectarian violence, U.S. agencies differ on whether such violence has been reduced," It goes further and states. "While there have been fewer attacks against U.S. forces, it notes, the number of attacks against Iraqi civilians remains unchanged." It also finds that "the capabilities of Iraqi security forces have not improved."

"Overall," the report concludes, "key legislation has not been passed, violence remains high, and it is unclear whether the Iraqi government will spend $10 billion in reconstruction funds...."

I can hardly wait for the White House's assessment, that shall I say, will be a tad bit "faith-based."

Let's Throw Him Under a Bus

The masters of blatant hypocrisy, conservative Republicans, want poor Larry disappeared faster than Mark Foley can check into a rehab center.



Mitt Romney's campagn website took down Senator Craig's endorsement a hour after the story broke about the Senator's funny business in a bathroom stall. Right wing bloggers and talking heads are calling for him to resign the Senate. Poor Larry is becoming radioactive. It's hard to find anyone willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Isn't funny that David Vitter, caught in the DC Madam debacle, didn't receive the same treatment by his fellow right wingers? Allegedly, little David frequented houses of ill repute in DC and New Orleans and had a particular fascination for diapers. Why is Larry's fall from grace more worrisome to the conservative brotherhood than David's sordid trysts?

It is rather obvious. In the right wing pecking order of sinful behavior, homosexual sex is far worse than paying for hetero sex. A virile hetero man can make mistakes and ask for forgiveness from his God and family particularly if he only strayed into another pasture. If Senator Craig is gay, he is no longer welcome on the farm! Homophobia reigns supreme among these Republican crazies.

Poor Larry will have to disappear just like Mark did. After all, there are no spots available for gays in Heaven or in the Republican Party.

Hooray! Poverty Rates Down by .3%

The Census Bureau just reported that levels of poverty in the US declined last year from 12.6% to 12.3%. This clearly is a victory for the Bush’s tax cuts imposed in the first year of his first term. Everyone knows if you cut the taxes of the wealthiest in the country, everyone benefits. Its obvious to any reader of the Weekly Standard, the Wall Street Journal and the National Review that cutting taxes leads to wealth building for everyone. It may have taken 5 and half years, but those tax cuts are paying big dividends now! A .3% decline is a clear example of the positive affects of trickle down economics.

For those who don’t know, the poverty line in this country is operationally defined as a family of four living on less than $20,444 a year. Low unemployment was linked to this modest decline. Unfortunately, those who live without health insurance increased last year from 15.3% to 15.8%. Folks living on the margins may have found some minimum wage jobs but without health coverage. In real terms, grinding poverty in this country still affects 1 out of every 10 families and 1 of every 4 children. And 47 million Americans cannot afford health insurance.

Maybe we need another tax cut for wealthiest in this country and we can bring poverty levels down another .3%!

Who speaks for the poor? They don’t write checks to political candidates. They don’t have lobbyists. And they don’t vote. And Bush’s fellow travelers in the Justice Dept. and in many states run by Republicans made every attempt to discourage poor people from voting in the past Presidential election.

Few Democrats and no Republicans are discussing this issue. To his credit, John Edwards is at least reminding the electorate about the two Americas-those with and those without. When will a candidate, any candidate running for congress, the senate or the Presidency ever focus our attention on trying to tackle the grinding poverty that continues unabated in this wealthy country? It took Bush's tax cuts 5 and half years to cut poverty by .3%! How shameless!

"Craig"back Mountain

Larry Craig, senior Senator from the great state of Idaho and in the picture between Trent Lott and John Ashcroft, was arrested and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct. He “paid more than $500 in fines and fees, and a 10-day jail sentence was stayed. He also was given one year of probation.” The incident occurred in a public restroom at the Twin Cities airport in June. Roll Call broke the story a few days ago. The details are rather sordid and pathetic.

Once again, we have a Republican Senator with a voting record that reflects a consistent disregard for the rights of gays to marry or engage in civil unions. He voted against a law that outlawed discrimination against gays who seek fair treatment in the workplace or housing. David Vitter likes hookers and diapers and Brokeback Craig likes public restroom anonymous sex. At the same time both men wrap themselves in the mantle of Christian Conservative values.

How repressed are these guys? They must live a dual existence. They somehow put on a self-rightous public face and hide a very private, troubled soul. Apparently, they have been doing it for so long, they really have accommodated to this bifurcated lifestyle. One wonders how many more of them are there? I also wonder if the Singing Senators will request a replacement?

It really is sad that Senator Craig must seek affection in an airport restroom. It's just the blatant hypocrisy that gets me. This would not be a story unless Craig and others did not expend their political capital denying rights to the gay community in this country. His private life is his own business unless he breaks the law or he uses his position of power to deny the rights of those who are margenlized and demonized by his fellow political travelers.

Why Do They Ask Questions Like This?

Let me see...South Africa is somewhere east of Nordstroms. Iraq is pretty close to the Gap.

The "Highest" Form of Male Bonding

Has anyone seen the recent ad for Viagra? It debuted recently on the NBC Nightly News. I guess our friends at Pfizer (makers of the wonder drug) know the demographics of who watches Brian Williams read the news.


This is wrong on so many levels! First, when the boys break into song I thought they would be heralding why they like their beer, love their new riding lawnmowers or how much affection they have for their four-wheel trucks.

No way. They are singing because they have overcome their collective erectile dysfunction with a magic drug-Viagra! I have some close male friends, but I rarely discuss my various levels of flaccidity or firmness with them. It just isn’t something guys in there 50s talk about. And I would never consider putting together a jam session to sing about why my soggy daily newspaper is slowly emerging as a folded up Sunday New York Times.

The very best part of the whole commercial is when the announcer cuts back to the ED bonding session to find the boys getting into their various modes of transportation. Apparently they are in a hurry to get somewhere. Tires are spinning out and dust is flying. Perhaps their Des Moines Registers are becoming the Sunday Times of London. And they need to make a delivery.

The wonder of modern pharmaceuticals! Not only does Viagra help with ED. It’s a magnet for friends and makes you a better guitar player, singer and fast driver. Most importantly, you become the editor of your own Sunday newspaper with all the ads thrown in for good measure. Viva Viagra!

Throw Something, Anything on the Wall and See if it Sticks

Yesterday Bush offered Vietnam as a cautionary tale for those urging troop withdrawals today.

"Three decades later, there is a legitimate debate about how we got into the Vietnam War and how we left," Bush said. "Whatever your position in that debate, one unmistakable legacy of Vietnam is that the price of America's withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens whose agonies would add to our vocabulary new terms like 'boat people,' 're-education camps' and 'killing fields....Here at home, some can argue our withdrawal from Vietnam carried no price for American credibility, but the terrorists see it differently. We must listen to the words of the enemy."

In 2004 when asked if the growing insurgency in Iraq was comparable to Vietnam, Bush responded, "I think the analogy is false. I also happen to think that analogy sends the wrong message to our troops, and sends the wrong message to the enemy. Look, this is hard work. It's hard to advance freedom in a country that has been strangled by tyranny. And, yet, we must stay the course, because the end result is in our nation's interest.

A secure and free Iraq is an historic opportunity to change the world and make America more secure. A free Iraq in the midst of the Middle East will have incredible change. It's hard -- freedom is not easy to achieve. We had a little trouble in our country achieving freedom. And we've been there a year......And we're making progress."

In 2004, is was a false analogy, In 2007 Bush's speechwriters, desperately looking for rhetorical hooks, have come up with killing fields, boat people and re-education camps as the new neo-con battle cry.

Last month, another set of speechwriters repeated over and over again that we needed to remain in Iraq to defeat Al-Qaeda whose leaders were living in the caves in Northwest Pakistan.

Ignore history. Delete last week's talking points for new ones. Throw something on the wall to see if it sticks. Desperate men resort to desperate measures.

Any military historian will argue that Vietnam is nothing like Iraq. I would contend there are many parallels but NOT in the way Bush and his sycophants are trying to argue. Most importantly, our involvement in Vietnam was flawed and doomed from the beginning and our continuing efforts to reinvent our Iraq policy will fail as well.

Our secret "incursions" into Cambodia indirectly led to the killing fields. Our efforts to install, support and defend a corrupt military and unpopular gov't. in Saigon for over two decades gave the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong plenty of enemies needing reeducation or reasons for American sponsored Vietnamese to get on boats and flee. Vietnam in the minds of most Vietnamese was a war fought for liberation and unification. In minds of the vast majority of Iraqis we are fighting a war of occupation. History tells us that we clearly are on the wrong side.

In regards to the apparent buzz about the successes of the surge, permit me to offer a few simple reminders. I am not surprised that our military has been able to reduce levels of violence and kill many of the worst of the insurgents. The purpose of the surge, the goal of the surge, the justification for the surge was to create enough stability for the civilian Iraqi government to go about the important business of reconciliation among Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis. Reducing the level of violence in Baghdad and outlying Sunni Provinces was intended to create enough stability in the near term for Maliki et al to get their house in order. We do not have the troop levels or a trained and reliable Iraqi military to sustain in the future successes we have achieved in the in the past few months. The political benchmarks have not been met or will never be met.

So we have some military success and no political progress. Fatboy predicted that the surge ultimately is a cynical effort to keep the war going until the next US President is inaugurated. I also predict that many neo-cons will quietly look for ways to disappear Maliki and find fellow travelers who will follow orders delivered by strategists at the American Enterprise Institute housed in Bush's fuhrerbunker. Rumors are already swirling about a possible coup to dissappear the Maliki gov't.

By the time Petreaus makes his report, Bush and his sycophants will declare the surge a success and demand another six months to advance the political goals not attained in the past six months.

I will not be surprised to hear Bush's speechwriters come up with a new analogy, not to Vietnam or Korea, but to the Whiskey Rebellion on 1794. After all, Iraq, like early America, is a weak democracy that needs strong leaders to establish order out of chaos. Keep throwing, something will stick!

….just another murder in my little piece of heaven.

At 2:30 AM yesterday a 22-year-old locally known rap artist, Bryan A. Couch, was shot and killed during a robbery attempt that went very bad. It happened about 6 blocks from my house.

Mr. Couch did not have a police record. Apparently, Mr. Couch attempted to run away from the two assailants who shot him twice in the back. He was rushed to a local hospital and later died.

Last year, 89 homicides were reported in Cincinnati, the highest number ever recorded since the Cincinnati Police Dept has maintained annual statistics.

Guns and gun violence are destroying a generation of young African Americans in Cincinnati and in other urban areas in the USA. As John Edwards talked about the two Americas-those who have jobs, health care and a future and those who live at the margins with no health care, nominal employment and very limited education and skills. I suggest that there is a third America comprised of young people that have been thrown away by their families, the criminal justice system and our schools. This third group is disproportionately comprised of young men of color who are disconnected from our mainstream culture. Their support systems include gang membership, street codes, and territoriality. Their world is very narrowly defined in designated inner city neighborhoods where they struggle to survive through petty crime, drug dealing and hustling. It is a harsh, violent world where most conflicts are resolved with guns.

I am sure there are many sociologists and criminal justice experts who can provide some insights into how this violent street culture has emerged. They may be able to point to some of the root causes. Most city police can describe the consequences of this culture everyday as they send more body bags to the morgue. As doctors at hospitals try valiantly to treat the wounded, it seems to go on in an unrelenting manner. Almost everyday, some young person is shot intentionally or is caught in crossfire. Thankfully, most are only wounded. Sadly, some end up dead like Mr. Couch.

The carnage goes on at such a pace we no longer pay attention. Frankly, it only receives a brief mention by the local media. The future of our 401Ks and the volatility of stock market is far more pressing. The ongoing news from Iraq overshadows other depressing news.

And if we did pay attention, most of us, regardless of how well meaning, just don’t know what to do or how to respond. This violent urban world seems alien and dangerous. The rules are unclear. The faces and the locations blur together.

I contend that many of these young people are the after thoughts of the crack epidemic that overwhelmed many cities in the mid 80s. Many are the children of crack addicts that grew up in foster homes, with various relatives or on the streets with their parents. They lived in fractured violent places ignored and unloved. They are the throwaways with felony records, limited skills, and many psychological scars. Crime becomes a way of life. Incarceration is not a deterrent. Other families have been there and it becomes a right of passage. For some, incarceration probably provides the most structure and stability they ever have had in their lives. Once out of jail, choices and options are very limited. The cycle starts all over again.

I acknowledge that I may be oversimplifying the complexity of the problem. Institutional racism, the changing economics of our country, and divestment in our urban centers all contribute to the problem.

Unfortunately, I walk my dog or drive by the places where these young people are murdered. I see the remnants of the police yellow tape, the wilted flowers, or the gang markings as mementos. I cannot ignore it. It eats at me. It makes me sad. I extend my deepest sympathies to Mr. Couch’s family. What can I do? What can we all do? These are OUR children killed in the prime of their lives.

“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

It's Time for Foreign Policy Amnesia!

Perhaps Dick's heart medications were working a little better in 1994. Apparently, more oxygen was getting to his brain.

Match the Perversion with the Traditional Values Republican

Can you match the pictures of the traditional values Republicans with their particular perversions?

1.____
2.____
3.____
4.____
5.____
6.____

A. Mr. Ted Klaudt, a former Republican State Representative from South Dakota, was indicted recently for raping underage girls.

B. Mr. Robert Allen, a Republican State Representative from Florida and co-chair of John McCain for President in Committee in Florida, was arrested for soliciting oral sex from an undercover officer in a public restroom.

C. Mr. Mark Foley resigned a few months ago after he admitted to soliciting underage male pages in the House of Representatives.

D. Mr. Glenn Murphy, newly elected as President of the Young Republicans Federation, is accused of sexually assaulting another man on July 29, 2007, while he lay sleeping in his bed.

E. Michael Flory, the former head of the Michigan Federation of Young Republicans, admitted today that he sexually abused a colleague during a national convention here last summer and pleaded guilty to sexual battery on the day he was to stand trial for rape.

F. Mr. David Vitter, Senator from Louisiana, admitted that he used the services of a Washington DC escort service and paid for services at a New Orleans house of prostitution on numerous ocassions.

Send your answers to HadleyTD@gmail.com. I will send you the correct matches by e-mail. For those who correctly match the perversion with the pictures, you spend way too much time watching cable news!

New Neighbors are Very Special!

It’s always interesting to go through your mail when you have been away for a few days. Other than the ubiquitous bills, promotions for various credit cards, and shopping bibles from the likes of Pottery Barn, Renovation Hardware, or Crate and Barrel, one of the very special postcards that we receive on a regular basis is the notification of sex offenders that have moved into our neighborhood.

This is one of the those advantages about living in my little piece of heaven close to downtown Cincinnati. We don’t receive these special announcements everyday. Nevertheless, these postcards do seem to show up in our mailbox on a regular basis. The local constabulary has become our pen pals alerting us that some sex offender has taken up residence within miles of our home.

If you have a special interest in learning more about your new neighbors, there is website at www.familywatchdog.us that will provide you with a map of their residences and their pictures, descriptions and criminal histories. You just type in your zip code and, wah la, like map quest you can find out far more than you really want to know about your new, special neighbors.

When I typed in my zip code, the map located all the residences of sex offender types including rape, sexual battery, offense against children and other. I learned that over 223 sex offenders have taken up residence within a few miles of my lovely home! No wonder those special postcards just keep coming and coming!

Now don’t get me wrong, I do have my bona fides as a good knee-jerk liberal. Fatboy is a firm believer in second chances, probation and rehabilitation. Most importantly, the vast majority of the convictions that trigger a sex offender label do not involve children. These men need a place to live and an opportunity to make their lives whole again.

Is this the kind information included in the real estate listings for properties in my neighborhood?

Here’s a recent listing: Four bedrooms, 2 and half baths, newly remodeled kitchen, wonderful views of downtown Cincinnati and friendly neighbors including doctors, teachers and 6 sex offenders.

The Amazing Power of African Americans!

Florida State Representative Bob Allen (R-of course) was caught trolling for a same sex encounter. Earlier this month he was arrested at Veteran's Memorial Park in Titusville for soliciting an undercover male officer inside the restroom after offering to perform oral sex for $20.

Allen, who also served as the McCain campaign's co-chairman in Florida, has decided that he would come out of this scandal looking better if he is perceived as a racist rather than as a homosexual.

State Rep. Bob Allen told police he was just playing along when a undercover officer in a public restroom and the legislator give him oral sex and $20 because he was intimidated, according to a taped statement and other documents released Thursday.

Large groups of black males intimidated Mr. Allen so much he felt compelled to offer his services for oral sex! It truly is amazing how many special powers African Americans possess. They can compel most white people to do anything. Here are some other examples:

Oprah Winfrey is known to have such amazing powers that millions of white people turn on their TVs in the afternoon to watch Oprah tell them how to live their lives, how to lose weight and what books to read!

Condoleezza Rice is known to have such amazing powers that she actually can hold W's attention on one subject for more than 5 minutes.

Tiger Woods (almost African American) is known to have such amazing powers that he has hordes of upper middle class white males follow him around every Saturday and Sunday for hours. And they must remain silent!

Barrack Obama (more African American than Bill Clinton) is known to have such amazing powers that he can ask white people for money and they eagerly hand over millions of dollars for the pleasure of hearing his voice.

Michael Jackson (not African American anymore!) WAS known for his amazing powers to induce white people to pay him millions of dollars for his recordings and his concerts. Unfortunately, Mr. Jackson has become so intimidated by little, white people that he no longer has those powers.

Yes, there is clear evidence that African Americans have amazing power over white people. No wonder white people are completely helpless when it comes to figuring out why African Americans are 38% more likely to receive the death penalty than whites.

-Or that that African Americans have twice the rate of infant mortality than whites.

-Or that black children are twice as likely not to be covered by health insurance than white children (Hispanic children still remain nearly three times as likely to be uninsured as white children).

-Or that African Americans are twice as likely to be victims of violent crime than whites.

Next time I need help, I won't ask a white person. They clearly are victims here.

Fatboy Tom Takes in Aida

Yes, Fatboy went to the Cincinnati Opera last evening to see Verdi’s Aida. In short, it was an amazing experience on many levels. I am still trying to digest everything from last night’s production. First, the entire performance with four acts and three intermissions lasted about 4 hours and half when you include the standing ovation and multiple curtain calls at the end.

Giuseppe Verdi knew how to put together a show, as Samuel Goldman would say. I am a neophyte and rube in terms of knowing and fully appreciating high culture, particularly opera. As someone who likes to cook and eat, Aida is the Thanksgiving Dinner of Grand Opera. If you are willing to open yourself up to the whole experience, you really need to loosen your belt so that you can breathe again. Aida is incredibly delicious and very filling. After four and half hours, you can't take anymore!

It is grandiose, bombastic, and rich with lots of whole cream and sweet butter. My arteries were clogged with arias, incredible orchestral sounds, choruses, over the top costumes, wild animals, and staging than rivals a Siegfried and Roy show in Las Vegas. I will be digesting it for a long time.

Although I am not worthy to evaluate the tonal qualities of all the performances, I must admit that I was completely enthralled with American soprano Lisa Daltirus who played Aida. Although her voice was not as powerful as others, her emotionality and passion created a remarkable and nuanced performance. I felt her despair and growing hopelessness as the Opera progressed.

Set in an idealized time in the land of Pharaohs, obelisks and happy slaves, Aida’s message continues to be very relevant today. Aida had to choose between her personal passions and the obligations she had to her father and country. Her dilemma is compounded because she is a slave beholden to the Pharaoh’s daughter. Aida was confronted with existential choices that overwhelmed her.

As a contemporary African American women, Lisa Daltirus, must negotiate through a world that struggles with the artifacts of oppression and racism. The parallels between Aida’s and Lisa’s choices are profound.

Great tragedies are often simple narratives with protagonists that are confronted with life changing choices. The narratives are incidental. It’s the choices played out in front of us by the singers and through the music that makes Opera such a great art form. Even Fatboy can find an artistic performance transcendent and timeless.

I was part of an audience of black, brown and white faces, young and old ticket holders, and Opera junkies and novices. I am a better person for attending Aida last night. Cincinnati is a better place for producing it.

The Air is Very Thin in Colorado

One of the very bright stars from the ranks of Republican presidential contenders, Congressmen Tom Tancredo from Colorado, offers some stern words to the Islamic extremists.

Mr. Tancredo is one of the Republican candidates who is made from Adam's rib because he doesn't believe in evolution. I think the next time Italy beats the USA in World Cup soccer, we should seriously consider strafing the Vatican!