Yeah, it's only a matter of time. It's starting to look like the republican era of political dominance is coming to an end, so is Glorious Leader and his Most Evil Minion, Darth Cheney drumming up another conflict? One that will satisfy their bloodthirsty supporters, and in their minds at least, stave off a possible string of political set-backs up to and including handing the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue over to anyone with a "D" after their name?
On the eve of President Bush's Middle East trip, five Iranian patrol boats charged at three U.S. Navy ships entering the Persian Gulf Sunday in what the Pentagon described as a "serious" provocation.
...
Iran played down the incident as a "regular and natural issue. . . . That's something normal taking place every now and then for each party and it [the problem] is settled after identification of the two parties," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali Hosseini told the Iranian News Agency IRNA. Similar incidents in the past were resolved when the two sides identified each other, he said.
But U.S. officials rejected that claim. "This is not something that our vessels encounter on a daily basis," McCormack said. U.S. military officials said Iran would have no question about the identity of U.S. ships.
Clearly the Irani official is talking out his ass, something that they are wont to do with reckless disregard for the truth, but the 1600 Crew is also not unwilling to ratchet up what would have once been referred to as an "incident at sea" back during the Cold War. The old Soviet Navy used to love to play this shit all time when they could, and it was never much of a cause for anything other than message traffic and some bellicose talk at Embassy receptions, I think. Beloved Leader would love to start yet another war before he heads back to Texas... I'm sure he thinks it will be the deal closer to retaining political power for his republican brethern, and money for his cronys.
What it ought to be is a one-way ticket to Impeachment. There is nothing that is not premeditated about any of this. I have to wonder what ADM Fallon at CENTCOM had to say about the incident, with any statements from him conspicuously absent, I'd say he's not playing the "go to war" fearmongering bloodlust card that the NeoCons are so fond of. IMHO, anyhow. And thats gotta piss off the Bushies, in a big way.
The Barack wave is getting interesting. The "fear and loathing" it's generating on both sides of the aisle is getting palpable, isn't it? Seems that HRC is beginning her "lash-out" campaign immediately if not sooner, and the republicans who speak in dog-whistles? Well they never met an African-American yet that they wouldn't defame as soon as look at. So it's no surprise to see this lede in the ComPost...
Exploiting a deep well of voter revulsion over partisan gridlock in Washington, Sen. Barack Obama is promising to do something that has not been done in modern U.S. politics: unite a coalition of Democrats, Republicans and independents behind an agenda of sweeping change.
...
"Words are not actions," Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday night during a Democratic debate in New Hampshire, as she called for a "reality brake" on her rivals' rhetoric. "As beautifully presented and passionately felt as they are, they are not action."
"He believes he's a game-changer, but I don't believe the game has changed," said Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, dismissing Obama's transformational pledges as naive. "It's captivating. It's intoxicating, but it's not going to last."
So there's the bi-partisan trashing of the message (nice, Hillary... you're such a tool), I guess that makes Obama the embodiment of The Empty Suit's promise of "Uniter, not Divider"... but I have a slightly different take, and I hope I'm wrong.
Obama is the new version of the DLC for the New Millenium... call him the Millenial DLC Candidate; and that worries me. It looks like he's riffed on Edwards populism and message, while burnishing his rhetoric with his incredible speaking ability.
So is it Obama, Oh-Eight or Obama Oh, Wait? Time to watch and see.
