Author: Gareth

The Iraq Study Group calls for a phased withdrawal. The overhwelming majority of Americans realize that this war is unwinnable and we need to get out.

Bush’s response? Send in more troops.

The generals on the ground (the ones who Bush claims to be listening to) are against this idea. Colin Powell, his own former Secretary of State, says we’re losing, we need to draw down our forces, and that the Army is “almost broken” and no surge is sustainable. Most telling, every single one of the Joint Chiefs are against this plan.

But “I listen to the generals” Bush is forging ahead.

Even conservative hosts like Joe Scarborough are asking the question — “How can he be ignoring his own generals who are actually fighting this war”…and, most amazingly — “If Clinton had done this, wouldn’t we be considering Impeachment?” Watch the video here (Quicktime movie) — including another commentator who floats the idea that Bush is “delusional.”

Here’s what drifts through my head…. two scenarios, and I’m not sure which one is worse.

One, Bush *is* delusional and completely out of control. He’s not listening to anyone except the voices in his head, or his hand-picked cabal of NeoCons. More men and women are going to be fed into the meat grinder of Iraq because after 6 years of constant outrage (and consolidation of Executive power), nobody in this country has the will (or the power) to stop him.

OR

This is another brilliant Rove maneuver — The NeoCons know that Democrats are not going to be pursuing Impeachment, because of fears of it taking all of their energy, and possibly also causing a PR image backlash, which would hurt them in in the 2008 Presidential election. So Bush is under orders to force the issue — MAKE them Impeach, so that the Democrats can be painted as partisan and interested only in “payback” and the “politics of personal destruction.” Start a feeding frenzy which can be shown in the worst possible light.

As I said, I’m not sure which scenario is worse….because gods help us, I think that the second one would actually work on the American people.

Folks– for the Yule party this Friday evening, there’s a slight change in the directions to our house: The city is doing construction on Kasold, so it’s now blocked between the light at Peterson and the bridge over I-70.

You’ll have to come around into our neighborhood the back way: Go to our house the way you usually do, but when you reach the intersection of Peterson and Kasold, continue to head West (straight if you’ve been coming down Peterson, Left if you were headed down Kasold).

Peterson will go up over a hill, where there is a roundabout intersection with Monterey Way. Turn Right.

Monterey Way will head North and make a 90-degree turn to the right, at which point it becomes Grand Vista (which is the road that you would have turned onto from Kasold if you were headed to our house the old way). Simply follow Grand Vista, and our street, Morning Dove Circle, is the last left before you reach the now-closed Kasold.

Easy Peasy.

Hope to see you there! Some drinks and munchies available, feel free to bring more!

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the Hall
Not a creature was stirring, not warrior nor thrall.
And I in my armor, my shield and my helm
Was drunker than anyone else in the Realm.
I staggered upstairs and fell into bed
While four quarts of mead were ablaze in my head.
Then up from below came the sounds of a brawl
So I grabbed up my axe and ran down to the Hall.
I missed the last step and crashed down in a heap
Thinking, “Why can’t those low-lifes downstairs go to sleep!”
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But two brawny strangers, wielding mallet and spear.
I said to myself, “We’ll soon have them beat!”
Then I noticed ten warriors laid out at their feet.
I gave out a yell and leapt into the fray…
I’ll always regret my poor choice of that day.
For the one laid his hammer to the side of my nose
And up, up, up to the rafters I rose.
Then came a lone frightened voice from the floor,
“Those are no mortal warriors — that’s Odin and Thor!”
Then they looked at each other and they said, “Battle’s done.
Now they know who we are, it no longer is fun.”
Then Thor raised his hammer, and his elbow he bent,
And with a loud crash, through the ceiling they went.
I crawled through the Hall and flung open the door,
Not really sure that I’d seen them before.
The snow bathed in starlight, the moon like a glede,
I saw them ride off on an eight-legged steed.
And I heard them exclaim, ‘ere they flew out of sight,
“TO HELA WITH CHRISTMAS, WE JUST LOVE A GOOD FIGHT!”