1/07/2007

Brief Thoughts For the Week

This week is the week that Mr. Bush will be annoucing his new policy on Iraq. After much fanfare, the Baker Group report was filed away like all the other commisions before it. Why the President did not order this "comprehensive" review is beyond me.

All indications are that the President would be ordering more troops to Iraq to insure "victory". Apparently, part of the new way forward entails replacing Generals. As for General Abazaid, who I understand is retiring, there is no one more qualified than him. He knows the region, he speaks Arabic and has as keen an understanding as anyone. The first spin was that he was retiring. Now, it is being said that he is being replaced. I would submit that he was given an impossible job and tried to make the best of it. As for General Casey, he was sent to Iraq with the specific mission of turning a lousy situation around--especially in light of Abu Gharib. I read that he is being named the new Army Chief of Staff. To me, that's a promotion--and I congratulate him. So, I am not sure what replacing General Casey truly means. But, I suppose that ordinary folks like I are not supposed to question the wisdom of such decisions. All I know is that there are over One Hundred Forty Thousand Troops in Harm's Way. All of us have a duty and an obligation to support them no matter what. But, we have to also realize that too many mistakes have been made which will hunt us for years. I hope that as "adults" take charge (as Juan Cole said), maybe the situation will turn for the better. Let's see what Wednesday brings.

I also watched Meet the Press. On Meet the Price, Joe Biden annouced that he's running for President. Right now, on the Democratic side, we have Joe Biden, Tom Vlasack and John Edwards who have officially announced and are off to the races. Of course, Senators Clinton and Obama are thinking about it. So, the field is getting to be quite interesting. I hope that they have compelling ideas, because the country is hungry for it.

As I start the new week, I remain hopeful and optimistic. It is not easy, given the state of our economy, our world and the reality on the ground. I see no other way.......

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