Scott McClellan, Pinhead or Patriot? By The Mental Pugilist

The media world has been a buzz this week over former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's Scathing book of the current administration. What was surprising was that such a book would come out from a Bush loyalist while the President was still in office! So what gives? Scott McClellan was responsible for putting forward the Bush administration's public stance during the build up to the Iraq war. He is a Texan who goes back to the President's days as the governor of Texas. The book itself does not seem to reveal anything new about the white house stance and why we invaded Iraq. It seems to verify what many people suspected about the manipulation of intelligence that lead up to the invasion. I remember right before the war started , I wonder why we where going into Iraq? A more appropriate target seemed to be Iran, which is the greatest proliferater of terrorism in the middle east! Strategy suggest if you have three targets (Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan) you go after soft targets before you hit the hard target.
This might have been the case. I am an avid listener of talk radio and have herd various analysis from O'reilly, Gallagher to Ingram postulating why he wrote the book. They speculated on his motivation ranging from money to being a disgruntled employee. It was funny the tactic they used against Scott McClellan. They all attacked his credibility and his reputation instead of his argument. They made jokes about his physical characteristics and why he had not said anything about his misgivings while at The White house. This is a technique often used to persuade you about the fitness of the author. Attack the messenger not the message!
I never herd anyone utter that maybe the reason he spoke out was because he had a crisis of conscious. Funny the never mention that! It is interesting to not as late as 2007, McClellan was on Bill Mahr defending the Iraq war. What changed in less than a year? I don't buy the argument of money being the motive or his editor made him change the book to a spicier version. He is from a rich Texas family!
So do we consider Scott McClellan as a patriot or an opportunist? I say that if we had more Patriots inside the White House and the CIA who had spoken out before the invasion, things might have been different. The idea of creating two democracies on each side of Iran in the hopes it will spread is a noble endeavor but is it worth the blood and treasure we have spent? In the end history will be the judge. I just wish the White House would have been more honest to the American people about the motives to invade Iraq. Then again they wouldn't have been able to sell the war! Anyone who speaks the truth is a patriot!

MEMORIAL DAY! ALWAYS REMEBER! By The Mental Pugilist

This day is a day that our country takes a pause to remember those who have answered the call of duty , past and present, and have payed the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The day carries extra significance when our country is at war. I never had the opportunity to meet my two grandfathers in person. Both had died during WWII and the Korean war. Both are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Growing up, I have vivid memories of honoring memorial day and how my father , who's dad was killed in Korea , would always break down and cry. I wasn't old enough to understand why he would always break down. Know that I am older, I have had the opportunity to research my grandfather and the circumstances surrounding his death and his ultimate sacrifice.
Growing up, I only herd of him in passing and with little detail. I researched him and found out he was a Sargent in the 32nd Infantry 7th Infantry Division. He was a tank commander. It struck me because he was only 26 when he was killed in action. I often think what bravery it must have taken to fight on foreign lands ,at such and young age, in honor of America and are way of life. I often think of what was I doing at 25-26? worrying about graduating college, or my final exams. Where I was going to have my next beer!
All the things I was worried about and my worries today seem really selfish compared to our soldiers of yesterday and the ones who fight and die today! It is true to say ones sacrifice for the greater good of ones country than for ones self is truly special! It represents something greater than I can describe in this blog. I hope on this memorial day all of use remember those men and women who serve and their sacrifices are remembered no matter what your political leanings are. To my grandfather, who I never meet, Second lieutenant Melvin Mahar , I pause to remember you today! He was wounded at Inchon landing and six months later returned to Korea where he payed the ultimate sacrifice! God bless the troops and God bless America!

Bush "Appeasment", Well where in the world is Bin Laden?

During President Bush's recent visit to Israel, he made a speech in front of the Kisnet. The Kisnet is Israel's equivalent to our congress. During the speech he said " some people act as if we can talk to rogue leaders and make a cleaver argument that would change their minds" He evoked the images of Hitler's tanks rolling into Poland and a American congressman who stated that if he only had a chance to talk to Hitler, war could have been avoided. Bush later went one to tell the Kisnet that historically appeasement has never worked. The media picked up on his statements as referring to Barack Obama's admission that he would talk to the president of Iran directly. The following week ensued and I watched the various political talking heads debate the meaning of Bush's statements and the positives and negatives of Obama's approach to direct talks with our enemies compared to the current approach of little or no talk. On Sunday morning, I saw Richard Angle interview Bush about his statements in Israel. Angle asked him about his comments and if they where directed at Obama? President Bush responded by stating that his views haven't changed but, the political season has! He went on to explain that we need to fight terrorism aggressively an bring them to justice. He leaned forward and told Angle that the people who killed 3,000 Americans on 911 could not be reasoned with. I thought about it for a moment and have these questions for my fellow Americans to ponder, especially in light of the war in Iraq and the upcoming election.
Where do we stand right know since 911? Are we any closer to defeating this so called Al Qaida? Are we any closer to capturing or killing OBL? Did Osama Bin Laden die in 2001 as Benizer Bhutto claimed in an interview with David frost just before her assassination. If so, why are there still tapes of him coming out threatening America? Who benefits from keeping him alive? What does Iraq have to do with the people who brought the most devastating terrorist attack ,in our nations history, to our shores? Why does the current Administration say in the same breath that we must continue the fight and bring these people to justice but are so nonchalant with the hunt for OBL? Who is making these OBL tapes? Why? Are we as Americans to believe that the most sophisticated army ever none to man can not capture one Person because of his location in a remote third world country. Are we to believe that the worlds most advanced military is being held back by a third world country from going into there land and bringing out OBL because of political sensitivities? Are we that stupid?

So what in the world is going on? No one seems to want to answer the above questions. When I hear Bush , who I voted for twice, pop off about there is no way we can negotiate with these rogue regimes, I want to yell at my TV " your way sure has not worked!" We are at the same spot as we where on September 12th, 2001!!!! No trials! No one has been brought to justice!
What I do like to hear from Barack Obama is that if we have actionable intelligence on the where abouts of OBL, he would not hesitate to send our troops in to Pakistan or any other country he is hiding in and bring him out.
Upon reflection, It makes me think that someone inside our government is using The Boogie man and the threat of terrorism to drain our country of treasury and blood! For what purpose?
I am not sure! If we where truly trying to defeat terrorism we would have invaded Iran not Iraq! Hint: watch the BBC documentary "The Power of Nightmares"!

O'Reilly doens't get Hillary's racism tactic! By The Mental Pugilist

Bill O'Reilly, the wiley late night talk show pundit, does not seem to get the not so subtle ploy Hillary Clinton is using to ensure her nominee as the Democratic race heats up. Over the weekend, she stated that she has more support from the working class white voters than Barack. This statement was analyzed by many pundits over the weekend including Mr. O'Reilly.
First off, let me say I am a fan of O'Reilly and regularly watch his show. This one he got wrong! His argument was that Hillary was only stating a mere fact. How can a statement of fact be considered racism? Mr. O'Reilly is right that this statement might be a fact but, he fails to realize you need to look at the context in which this and other statements have been made.
Barack Obama won by double digits in North Carolina which sealed Hillary's fate. Mathematically she can not catch him in the delegate count. The only way she can win is to convince super delegates that she is more electable than Barack in the general election. Now take her remarks in this context above. Why would she mention "whites" in her statements? The AP article didn't. They characteristics of her supporters have no bearing on the public who are voting in the primaries because mathematically it is already over. So who where these statements for? The super delegates! She sees , in her demented mind, that the only path to her nomination is to plant a seed of doubt in the super delegates minds that in the general election working class whites will not vote for Barack. While she doesn't come out and say why, you get the inference. It is because he is black. Hillary is probably not a racist but, is using this fear to try to win the nomination. It is well documented that she will stop at nothing in order to have her pointy shoes in the white house. It is pretty shameful tactic that all Americans should be mad about. She is willing to fracture the Democratic party in half to ensure her pants suit lives on.
Mr. O'Reilly keeps saying he doesn't think quoting and AP story or stating a fact can be considered racism. Bill Clinton tried the same tactic in South Carolina reminding voters that Jessie Jackson won the state years ago. While his statement might be true, it has underlying effect of diminishing Barack's win in the state and plants doubts about Barack Obama's electability to the super delegates.
Mr. O'Reilly let me help you out. If you where a coach and you had a choice to pick one of two teams to coach in a tournament. You knew nothing about each team. The tournament organizer informed you that team B consisted of all black players and team A did not. Would that be a racist statement? It might be a fact but the back handed implication is that the team with all the black players where better players. They would have a better chance at winning! Its the same thing. Why would the tournament organizer even have to mention race? Its the same tactic the Clintons are using.
You really shoudn't be suprised coming from Hillary Clinton. Ask the people in upstate New York!

When will the pants suit sing!! By The Mental Pugilist

Last Tuesday's primaries in Indiana and North Carolina proved that Hillary has no traction! The primaries where held after she claimed a resounding victory in Pennsylvania. Not so much! Hillary proclaimed that her campaign was resurrected and vowed to fight on. Barack summarily discarded Hillary in North Carolina with a thirteen point victory. In Indiana, she narrowly held on to the victory. Barack Obama now holds a delegate lead that any saine person can see is insurmountable but, then again we are dealing with the Clinton's! I prayed for Barack to win both states in order for me to be spared the images of Bill putting his leg up on a bench and lecturing us on how great the nineties where. Or having to see Hillary read a top ten list on the Letterman show with her fake joker smile. Or seeing Chelsea at another gay bar being swooned by buff boys in assless chaps!! But the race goes on.
When will Hillary hang up her pants suit? I think you might have to order the jaws of life to pry her and Bill away from the power grab they seek. They are willing to burn every bridge down in order to secure the nomination that is rightfully theirs! Right! The big reason she is staying in is that if she dropped out know , she would be personally responsible for all her campaign debt. She won't stand for that! She will hold on until the convention in order for the Democratic party to pick up the bill for her lackluster campaign.
Hillary's strategy is one that will not work and will divide the party even more. She keeps whispering in the ears of super delegates "Obama is unelectable because he is black!" Hillary says it in the delicate wording of how well she does with middle to lower class whites! This strategy will not only fail but, will make people in the Democratic party wish Hillary and Bill where just a bad dream. The Democrats will pray the two headed monster won't raise its ugly head for the 2012 Presidential race.
One thing I have learned from the campaign is that Hillary Clinton and George Bush have one thing in common. They both do not have an exit strategy!!!