Wow, talk about meat for our food fights.

1. Did someone at the White House really out a CIA undercover agent??

We all know the background to this one, but if it turns out to be true (I am still sort of unsure what exactly happened) it would certainly put a big cloud over my head concerning my efforts to be supportive of what we are doing even if I bitch once in a while.
The CIA are the wrong people to screw with right now. They have a lot of problems but from what I read they are doing their damndest to get as much intel as they can and get it right. Outing their undercover types is not a good way to support these efforts.

2. As of 4:30 PM today certain polls indicate the Cali recall may actually fail. Circus Maximus may be just that after all. The events of the last 4-5 days have been rather hilarious in my opinion. I don't know if Arnold will or might have been a satisfactory governor, we may never know now. But, he has certainly demonstrated a lack of spin control of pretty epic proportions and/or his intel was sorely lacking to have been blindsided so effectively in the last week of the campaign.

3. The Israeli attack in Syria on a terrorist training camp.

This one baffles me. To be blunt, I have been on both sides of this fence for most of my life. My mother's parents were both Jewish but "assimilated" or whatever the word is and left the faith to pursue their lives as sort of "non-denominational" folk.
It was never, ever discussed but known.

Therefore, from a young age I have been at least aware of the situation that these people have faced and for the most part have been on "their" side. I was raised a Protestant (military style) and never had anything to do with the Jewish faith but I understood the history and a lot of it was not pretty.
I supported Israel in their last war but have not been very happy with their actions since then. But that is too long a story to tell.

To fast forward to today, honestly I could see them taking out Arafat or however many Hezbolla operatives they can but as stated, I am baffled why they would muddy the waters by attacking Syria at this particular juncture. We too have been focusing on Syria as one of the bad guys as related to our situation in Iraq and I presume have a lot of intel operations going on to retrieve people we want to talk to who are probably in Syria and perhaps we may even find some WMD in Syria if we listen to the Israeli intelligence community. For them to take this action at this time seems rather counterproductive.

And then, President Bush declined, I read today, to object to the action and I fear he had rather little choice.

Let's hear from the gang.
Bill

 

to modify a quote from the sniper in Saving Private Ryan:

"put me within a mile of [Arafat] and we could end this...war in a month"

 

The appearance is that it was retribution for disagreeing with the administration. Intersting article.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...0.html?cnn=yes

 

Let me be the first to say that if and hopefully WHEN they find out who did it and it was indeed done specifically as “retribution” then that person should face the full extent of the law and if it is indeed considered treason then the death penalty. I don’t care if it is the President or the guy parking cars…

IF, and I stress if, this was something that actually did happen and come from the White House, specifically President Bush, then impeachment proceedings are in order.

Now here is what may really blow some of your minds as far as what you think of me and my views. Since this “may” involve the White House I feel strongly that this is something that should be handled by an “independent prosecutor”.

The only time I ever support an independent prosecutor is if there is credible evidence that suggest a strong possibility that a crime may have been committed by someone in the White House. I supported that with President Clinton, and I do now regardless that there is a Republican President.

In my view it is the only way to maintain credibility…

 

My God, could this be a Gomer Pyle moment: "Archibald ***, Archibald ***" (said in a high pitched nasally voice similar to citizens arrest, citzens arrest...)

Just joking, I do think some heads will roll, but I doubt it will get very high up.

Bill, In regard to Israeli strikes on Syria. Wonder if this is some kind of trade off with the US. We can't strike at Syria now, public opinion and world opinion are running nip and tuck against US expansion of military actions in this section of the world. We might have some serious suspicions about Syria's role in terrorism, Iraq, etc. Not enough good solid proof to do anything ourselves in light of the situation. But, what's to say we don't ask Israel to start paying back some old debts by softening up the Syrian landscape.

Now California, Ha, who the hell knows?

 

Question 1: Yes, there was a deliberate, extensive leak. This leak would have to have come from someone with fairly high security clearance as well because they actually gave quite a lot of detail, beyond just the name of the agent.

A British journalist reported yesterday that he has confirmed with 6 U.S. journalists that it was indeed Bush's senior political advisor Karl Rove, who'd contacted them. We'll see.

I can't immagine the Whitehouse or anyone in the administration actually allowing Karl Rove to take the fall for this though. If the President's top political advisor is committing felonies with a clear conscience, imagine what he's been whispering in Bush's ear

Question 2: This is the BIG day. We'll have to see what happens today. There really isn't any way to predict who is going to win or if Davis will actually be recalled. California is the most ****ed up state in the Union and this is another fine example of why.

When you look at the polls, I think it's important to consider that California is strongly Democratic in their voting. I'm willing to bet that quite a few who were polled and said they'd vote for Arnold don't even get past their hang over before the polls close. It's one thing to answer the phone and say I'm voting for Arnold. It's quite another matter to actually go out and do it. I also know what it's like to have a celebrity Governor.... It's not a pretty.

Whoever wins, California is still ****ed. They have too many programs resulting from public referendums and not enough taxes to pay for them because of other public referendums. Changing Governor's is not going to fix their problems.

I'd personally like to see Davis recalled, followed immediately by the recall of the new Governor, just to show them all how screwed up their system is.

Question 3: I have way to much to say on this subject to get into it now. Bombing terrorist camps in Syria does nothing productive. It only escalates the conflict. The suicide bombings are not going to stop until Israel stops treating the Palestinians like dogs. Israel pushes thousands of people off the land they consider to be given them by God and forces them to live under the worst conditions immaginable. Think about what your outlook would be if you were raised in a refugee camp since birth, the Israelis are the ones that put you there and if you kill them, you get a special place in heaven.

It's going to continue and probably get a lot worse because everyone thinks God is on their side.

 

"GOD" I often wonder is there really a GOD!! and if there is why does he continue to let this nightmare continue.!!!????

 

Buck,

I know there is a GOD. How else woud an ecological system as complex as ours exist otherwise. I doubt very seriously that it has anything to do with random chance. I mean think about it from this standpoint. Was it random chance of compounds, chemicals, microscopic organisms coming together to create trees or the other millions of species of plant and wildlife? I don't feel it was, it's just way too complex and balanced of an ecosystem overall to be random. I mean in all seriousness what would the odds be on that one anyway? As far as GOD letting this happen or letting it continue that is whole other story there. I can't see it continuing for much longer though. We are either going to wipe out the human race by violence against each other or make the planet unsustainable for human life. Either way, I often ask myself the same question and always find solice in knowing that the daily news is merely unfolding into the devine plan. Another thing question I ask myself is "If GOD does exist why would I question my makers intentions since he obviously knows more about what will happen than I?"

Anyway that's my take on the situation. I have given up on trying to figure out the whys and what fors.

 

cgorris: I do understand your way of thinking and i respect it. But as for there being a GOD i am not so sure. Nature has its own way to put it all in perpective as in the way a diamond forms from a piece of coal. A bacteria forms and then grows, a planet forms etc.... To let all this suffering go on and on really come on. It is really hard to think one GOD could do all you say... I am R/C and went through the church and the motions, (communion,conformation etc..) now with all the scandals and filth in the church.....

 

I understand and can respect your opinion there. But like I said who are we to question Gods actions? I mean I am taking the side of a God does exist of course and since I take this stance that is why I have to believe that in his own time it will be revealed and not until then. Kinda think of it like this. Your Mother and Father created you (in a sense) and how many times did they say don't do this or that and wound up we found out the hard way.

 

I believe less and less each day and even more so due to both my mom and dad died 10 months apart not to long ago. but i will try and restain myself.

 

Sorry to hear about your parents but yet still another reason to keep the faith. Afterall, there is no harm in believing and having faith in something. The truth is that if everyone had faith and believed the world would not be going through the trying times that it is.

 

If this statement cant be accurate. It implies that both the Isrealis and Palastinians do not beleieve in a god. Both say yheyare fighting for their god. Thay can't have it both ways.

Just so you know where I'm coming from....I don't think it is the belief in a god that makes someone good or kind. That type of behavior is learned and comes from something other than religion. If religion were the basis of kind deeds, then Atheists and Agnostics would be the only A@#holes around. I don't mean to imply that Atheists or Agnostic are A@#holes oly that since they don't believe in a god then according to your theory they would be the only ones.