Operation Iraqi Freedom

Apparently the freedom part wasn't for the Iraqis, but for the folks who took the reconstruction money and ran. Some $600 million dollars are unaccounted for, and twenty seven separate criminal investigations are ongoing, with more sure to follow.

No wonder things are so Cheney'd and Bremerized over there. Meanwhile, the "success" of the Afghanistan mission is rapidly being shown for the Potemkin-like charade it is. Yesterday, Barbara Ehrenreich made reference to this, among other things, while suggesting the sane advice of perhaps listening to some female/feminist points of view before blasting away at enemies real and imagined.

Bush, of course, has no time to consider anything remotely resembling complex thought when a campaign is ongoing. There are far too many carefully vetted hands to shake, and charges of profligacy to be made, although such words might ring hollow from a man who doesn't mind overspending to the tune of almost $450 billion dollars, who doesn't mind keeping the costs of Iraq off the books for purely partisan political purposes, who promises to subsidize drug companies to the tune of over $500 billion dollars a year (and who threatens those who want to speak the truth with dismissal). No, Bush is busy doing what he does best--reciting carefully scripted lines that don't want for even the sound of tinkling silverware.

Say what you want, but in ten years, or twenty years, I can't imagine there will be anyone who will admit to having pulled the lever for George W. Bush. The guy is stinking up the joint so bad that years of open windows and fumigants will be required to reduce the stench to managable levels.