The Truth is out there?

It appears that the very definition of "truth" is in the mind of the person speaking at the time in these congressional hearings. Yesterday, Mr. Gonzales spoke his version of the truth about his bedside conversations with Ashcroft and stated that the subject of the conversation was not the NSA Program that conducts domestic eavesdropping. But instead alluded that the subject was some other program which he would not describe to them.


This seems to conflict with Mr. Comey's testimony and he was even in the room at the time! Mr. Comey, whom was acting head of the DOJ while Ashcroft was in the hospital, states that Gonzales asked him to reauthorize the domestic eavesdropping program and he turned him down. Then soon afterwards he paid a surprise visit on Ashcroft to pressure him to overrule his acting head of the DOJ. This would be a simple case of two different versions of the truth, but now Mr. Mueller, then head of the FBI, agrees with Mr. Comey as he spoke with Mr. Ashcroft after the meeting and was told the same thing from him.


And now that everyone on the hill is upset enough to start seriously looking at calling a special prosecutor we get a calming voice from our illustrious FOX correspondent now Press Secretary for the white house saying that its all simply a matter of using different words to say the same thing. He goes on to say that its all a mistake because sensitive issues require complex terminology and congress just can't seem to handle big words. Well maybe he didn't say the last part, but he alluded to it! But to summarize he makes the statement that "misinterpretations" and "misleading remarks" are bound to occur when discussing sensitive issues. I'm sorry, but that is a truck load of foul smelling fertilizer he is trying to get the people to swallow. Congress is perfectly capable of going into a classified hearing to discuss sensitive topics.


But the problem here is that Mr. Gonzales didn't state that fact. He simply lied to cover what was said. Whether that was a bonehead mistake to protect something sensitive or that he was trying to cover his rear we can't tell until the truth of the matter comes out. But the fact still remains. If he couldn't discuss the topic then he should have said so. Instead he chose to fabricate some loophole in terminology to make it appear he didn't discuss the Domestic Eavesdropping Program, because let's say he referred to it as "Program 916" instead at the hospital. So there, he wasn't talking about the eavesdropping program!


Mr. Snow states today that "Does Bob Mueller once use the phrase 'terrorist surveillance program'?" Snow asked. "The answer is no. He talks about 'an NSA program.'" So was he there to give him a floral bouqet and a card? Again NO! These symantics while somewhat acceptable when trying to explain to your wife why you where out late at night are NOT acceptable when under oath in front of a congressional hearing. Sorry, Mr. Snow... no points for you this round.


Article - http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/27/gonzales/index.html


Respectfully,
Wynter

Spinning the September Assessment

This week the white house and the pentagon appear to be in full spin mode! First came the statements saying "Wait till September!". And now they are trying to downplay the September benchmarks and saying "... I need at least until November." from Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno when he was asked about the September assessments. So let me get this straight. We had originally thought that by September we would see some improvement in Iraq at some measureable level so we all agreed on a set of benchmarks for that point in time. Now what they are trying to say is that we can't assess the benchmarks adequately at the September point in time. But instead we need more time to get the numbers together... Let's say... hmmm.. sometime in November? I wish I had used that one when the teachers asked for my term paper!

This assessment is simply a summary of where the country is in relation to the set of benchmarks that congress and the white house determined Iraq should be at by that point in time. As Jack Webb would have put it, "Just the Facts, Maam." We all could guess by this time that there are going to be some areas where we will be sorely lacking in the assessment. For example, the oil revenues being shared equally throughout the country. That is to be expected. But to have the spin doctors try to say that "we can't really assess things at this time so call us back next month" is beyond belief.

What is needed at this time is for the administration and the pentagon to be realistic about the situation and start telling us the truth about the current situation. Putting the president up to the podium at some Ohio Plant and spouting off about how great our boys are doing in Iraq is no longer working. The people of this country are not buying what he is selling any longer. If this administration would only be honest with congress about this war I believe we could get form a plan to resolve this situation. Some people may be out of a job, but the time this is over. But at least we will reach the light at the end of the tunnel a great deal faster.

Article - http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/20/congress.iraq.ap/index.html


Respectfully,

Wynter

Second Assessment not going to Congress

I wonder what the thinking is at the pentagon these days? In for a penny in for a pound? JCS Chairman General Peter Pace is looking at the option of sending in a "second surge" of troops if needed. I know they like to make contingency plans for every possible situation, but a second surge of troops is pretty far fetched. Given the current state of this country, I think a second surge would be hard for anyone to swallow on the hill or even at the white house.


"Pace said earlier in Baghdad that the U.S. military is continuing various options for Iraq, including an even bigger troop buildup if President Bush thinks his ''surge'' strategy needs a further boost.
Pace said the chiefs of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force are developing their own assessment of the situation in Iraq, to be presented to Bush in September, that will be separate from a report to Congress that month by Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander for Iraq."

- Quoted from Times Article - http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Iraq-Pace.html?_r=1&oref=slogin


Telling it as I see it!
Wynter

Watch out Abbas! Bush is trying to help!

Okay... we have the democrats in the senate hammering the president over his bad iraq midterm report card. And its resonating so much that the some leading republicans are actually putting forth their own plans to the president to start executing a pullout. So what would you think Bush would do under so much pressure even from his own party to do something quick before the election next year! He shrugs it off till september and tells everyone to look at the problems Abbas is having with his Palestinian State!


I'm sorry... But WHAT the &#@& is he doing? I know its a standard political distraction tactic. But at the same time, I can hear everyone screaming from the hill saying, "NO! Don't touch it!", like frantic parents of a clumsy child in an expensive china shop. Let Israel and the U.N. work on that touchy subject. Or better yet send a diplomat, but not Condi as she has enough to do selling your failed agenda to congress. Anyone, but someone from the Bush administration! Maybe Bill Clinton can spare a few moments from the campaign trail with Hillary. We don't want to cause another war in the middle east? Do we?

Article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/16/us.mideast.ap/index.html

It's a bit cynical I'll admit. But tell me I'm not right?

Calling it as I see it,
Wynter

Well here we go again! The mid-term report is on the table aka "Initial Benchmark Assessment Report" and it's looking a bit like junior is a bit shaky in some of his courses. But he is at least passing Study Hall! The problem Bush has to face today is that he accepted the idea of having Benchmarks months ago. And now he has to face the public and admit he isn't really doing a great job! But of course, like every other teenager that pulls out a "D" in Social Studies his parents "the public" won't be letting him borrow the car anytime soon.


I could go on and on over "why" we got in this mess and the stupid mistakes Bush has done to get us here. But that's not very productive. There will be plenty of time to put him in prison after everyone is back home. What we need to do is come up with a plan to resolve this mess. But if we want his grades to improve he really needs to admit he screwed up and start following his parents advice for a change.


1 - No more "go it alone" in Iraq - The issue here isn't that we are there, but that no one else is! Early on he gave excuses as to why he didn't want the U.N. involved, but they are exactly the type of group we need providing management of this situation. Bush is still thinking that we are going to just leave a force of personnel and stay in Iraq as we did in Korea. Well I am sorry to say that this country is a little less friendly to that idea so we best think realistically. Sorry George, no air bases this time!


2 - More diplomacy - We do have a Secretary of State? Right? So why is she always parading around Congressmen pushing Bush's agenda and arguing with the neighbors? She should be knocking on doors in the Middle East and pushing cooperation and support from all of the countries surrounding Iraq. Condi is not doing her job. Forget trying to spin the bad news, Condi. I think the Congressmen knows already. We know Syria isn't exactly fun at parties and Iran would more than love for us to fall flat on our faces in this situation. But that is exactly the reason we need a diplomat here. They are perfect at making a sour situation turn out a little less volatile. We already have seen what happens when you use force as a diplomatic tool. So Condi, get back to work!


3 - Changing the Direction - George really should have gotten this message a long time ago when things started to degrade badly. The pundits were right! I know it's easy to quarterback the game if its almost over, but every coach in the NFL knows that if it's the 2nd half and you are losing 21-0 that it's time for a new plan! There is that word that George can't get his head around... "losing". Okay, I understand. Let's say that instead you are just not "winning" the war as planned? Is that any better to swallow. Just like that kid who brings home the bad mid-term report, we have a president that can't come to terms with the fact he may not graduate this year. So you can't go "poof" and everyone plays nice and you have a blossoming democracy in the Middle East to exploit. At least you could go for basic safety and stability of human life? Isn't that a worthy goal? As they say "Rome wasn't built in a day!". But Baghdad sure can go to hell in one... Let's start by pulling back more and letting the Iraqi units handle the face to face issues. And if we can bring in the U.N. with promises that they can work side by side with us in planning the strategy then maybe we can stop the shooting war and get back to rebuilding.


Article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/12/us.iraq/index.html

Respectfully,
Wynter

Wynter's State of the Union

Okay... for those that have been living under a rock for the past seven years, welcome to Hell Republican-style. Our current Commander-in-Chief, whom you all know, has enjoyed many years of destroying our way of life from ignoring Habeas Corpus and padding the Supreme Court to Domestic Spying and redrawing the Three Branches of Government so that he is on top all the time. Hail to the Chief!

So for this installment of Wynter's Ravings and Ramblings, I am dedicating it to King George in his interesting attempt to circumvent the Congressional Hearings on his good ole friend Alberto Gonzales in the Dept. of Justice with their investigation into the alleged firings of Federal Prosecutors for Political Reasons. Now they are not saying he couldn't fire someone, or that he couldn't fire the whole lot of them. They are concerned that those specific Prosecutors were fired because they didn't hunt down and jail more democrats in their areas of the responsibility. But the focus of today's g is that George is trying to annex the Executive Branch of Government from anything to do with Congress. Now that, my friend, is pretty brazen. I guess if Dick can say that he isn't really an entity of the executive branch then George can say he doesn't have to answer to Congress on anything he does either. Well I guess we will see as it looks like this town isn't big enough for both Congress and the White House. I'll bring the popcorn and meet you at the O.K. Corral later this month!

Reference Article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/11/prosecutors.taylor.ap/index.html

Wynter's Prediction: This will lead not just to a Constitutional Showdown in the Supreme Court, but it will be one of the grounds for an upcoming Impeachment Hearing. Now I want to see that Televised!

Till next time!

The Wynter Dragon