You might get a truer picture of what is really happening in Iraq.

Our soldiers are fighting and dying to provide security for a country where the parliament has decided to take the summer off. That's what is really happening in Iraq.

"Sustainable stability" is just the latest code phrase for "we are never going to leave this place."
Smithers | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 5:10 pm | #

We ARE stability. Just ask the South Koreans.
Kermit | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 5:20 pm | #

Read Michael Yon for what is REALLY going on Smithers.

However, I'll agree - it's silly for them to take the month off when there is so much work to be done. After all, many of the benchmarks missed WERE political ones.
Jim W | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 5:25 pm | #

it's silly for them to take the month off when there is so much work to be done.

Yea, those silly Iraqis.
Smithers | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 5:29 pm | #

they learned it from our crack staff of legislators, who'll also be off for the bulk of the month.
Jim W | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 5:58 pm | #

http://badgersforward.blogspot.c....com/ index.html
Here's another excellent Milblog written by a Captain in Anbar province. He's been there awhile and has seen the change from the most dangerous area to one of the most peaceful.
As for the Iraqi pols. They do kind of remind me of some people a little closer to home. I find it amusing that our congresscritters have the balls to point their fingers at their Iraqi counterparts and bemoan their lack of progress. Besides renaming some post offices and trying to ram bad legislation down the throats of the people, what exactly have they accomplished? And they don't have mortars and homicide bombers to contend with! Dirtbags!
maxxdog | 07.30.07 - 6:23 pm | #

Maxxdog, they got plenty done. The democratically controlled senate and congress passed the Iraq spending bill. YOu know, that bill that they opposed and demanded that timelines be attached to it? the one they said they'd never support, but when they got into office, all that changed and they completely abandonded their base by passing it instead of manning up and standing by their principles and defunding this "unjust war"...

Oh, and they also attached minimum wage legislation to that iraq spending bill, so now high school kids are making 5.85 per hour instead of 5.15 per hour.

yep, those dems in power - living up to the 14% approval rating...one day at a time.
Jim W | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 6:31 pm | #

"Sustainable stability" is just the latest code phrase for "we are never going to leave this place."
heh, I wonder if we should finally pull our troops out of Germany and Japan? It's only been 60 yrs. hehe
maxxdog | 07.30.07 - 6:50 pm | #

Now to be fair maxx - we have finally pulled out of Germany (the base the Logicial Husband was stationed at was closed in 2006) and the German government is crying for us to come back!

LL
The Lady Logician | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 7:06 pm | #

LL, I stand corrected.
maxxdog | 07.30.07 - 7:30 pm | #

Speaking of links
http://foreign-and-domestic.blog...c.blogspot.com/
Here's the blog of one of our very own Red Bulls, just back from 16 mos in Iraq. I believe he lives in Savage. Go over and welcome him home if you would be so kind, please.
maxxdog | 07.30.07 - 7:45 pm | #

"yep, those dems in power - living up to the 14% approval rating...one day at a time."

liar.
some made up name | 07.30.07 - 8:36 pm | #

What did he lie about SMUG????

LL
The Lady Logician | Homepage | 07.30.07 - 9:20 pm | #

But, but, he just did! He lied I tell you!
When you have no real arguement just throw out the liar accusation. Typical!
I really despise liberals! I'd say hate but I wouldn't want to offend.
Putz!
maxxdog | 07.30.07 - 9:59 pm | #

prove me wrong SMUG. I dare you. Prove to me that they have done SOMETHING more than nothing. Prove to me that the american public approves of the job they are doing. Prove it. Pretty please with sugar on top.
Jim W | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 7:42 am | #

Zogby America Poll. July 12-14, 2007. N=1,012 likely voters nationwide. MoE ± 3.1.

"Overall, how would you rate Congress' performance on the job . . . ?"

7/12-14/07 Excelent/good 14%
Fair/poor 83%
Unsure 3%
SB | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 9:14 am | #

I'll try to stay on topic if you will.

But what does the Congress of the longest and most stable democracy in the world have to do with the Parliament of the shortest and least stable democracy in the world?

I fail to see the connection here.
Smithers | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 10:47 am | #

They both started out pretty much the same way. We just had a little more initiative and much better leadership.
Kermit | 07.31.07 - 11:07 am | #

They both started out pretty much the same way.

I think the founding fathers would beg to differ.
Smithers | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 11:56 am | #

I think the founding fathers would beg to differ.

Explain why you would think that they would differ.

I see in BOTH cases where a tyranical dictator was oppressing the people...and in both cases the government was over-thrown...one key difference is that we helped out Saddam while we didn't have much help from anyone.
SB | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 12:05 pm | #

Explain why you would think that they would differ.

Because the founding fathers of the United States did all the "heavy lifting" for the foundation of this country themselves. They were especially motivated to make it happen as it was their necks literally on the line if things should not work out. They had no foreign super power that kept their enemy at bay while they put off their political problems and took a vacation.

Basically, the United States was not "installed" at the point of a gun by another country.
Smithers | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 1:31 pm | #

and in both cases the government was over-thrown

The British government was never over-thrown. The colonists just stopped cooperating with them.
Smithers | Homepage | 07.31.07 - 1:37 pm | #