Bush Three Is Wrong -- Is Clinton Three Any Better?

I had once considered John McCain an ultimately acceptable choice for president.

I thought that, compared to the other Republicans in the field earlier, McCain was a man who had lived a serious life. He had faced serious problems and offered respected solutions to issues such as campaign finance reform. McCain was a war hero, a US Senator and maverick in a party that often didn't know what to make of people like John McCain.

But mavericks don't make it to the highest echelons of the GOP. That is how we got stuck with this Bush. In order to ascend to the highest ranks of the Republican Party, you have got to realize that the current size and scope of the budget of the federal government is the greatest opportunity for the personal enrichment of the upper class in this country since the turn of the previous century or the period around World War II. As much as any industry that brings its products to market, selling your goods and services to the US government, and particularly the military, is a chance to make staggering and heretofore unseen profits. The current budget of the US Defense Department is the most shameful misappropriation of American tax dollars in our nation's history.

There are cycles in American history wherein the richest and most powerful people who actually own and run this country make there greatest effort to elect a true corporatocracy candidate. They literally steal the election, if need be. They install their witless, pliant factotums and they start skimming. They order even more expensive things we don't need. They relax regulations to the point where there are essentially no regulations at all. They might even start a war, if the can get away with it. If questionable people happen to be in the country taking flying lessons without learning how to land and you don't bother to investigate them, you increase the chances you may get away with it.

There are periods in American history when the haves just knock the have-nots to the ground and say,"Enough." They push the government into greater debt. They sign unconscionable mortgages for future generations. They lie and tell the American people that to get out of the convoluted military quagmire would only threaten us more. Threaten our children. Their future.

When their friends run into trouble, they bail them out. No, I mean we bail them out. They decide. We simply do the paying. Bill Clinton killed welfare as we knew it. Maybe its time had come. I was hoping that both Clintons would have condemned the Bear Stearns deal in the harshest terms. No such luck.

John McCain has changed. He drank the Kool-Aid, the one they served as baby formula in the Bush home all those years ago. McCain will be Bush Three. I was wrong about him. He has velcroed his lips to the ass of the elephant and he's gonna keep kissing until a second term would end.

But, if Bush Three is wrong, terrifyingly wrong, then is Clinton Three any better? Who do you think really has the guts to stand against the most potent special interests who truly care more about the dollar than the flag? We don't have a draft in this country in order keep politics out of military policy. For too many Americans, the truth is that, "My child isn't over there. That's all I care about." The fact that there has not been one great, national day of protest against this war will surely come back to haunt us all.

Who will end this war?

Obama will end this war.

I encourage the Democrats of the state of Pennsylvania to cast their vote tomorrow for Barack Obama.

I sweated this a lot. I admire both Bill and Hillary. But the shame and disgrace of how we have treated our own fighting men, not to mention many innocent people in Iraq, weighs more heavily on me now.

This country is in deep trouble. We not only need something effective, we need something new. I believe Obama will bring that more that Mrs. Clinton.

Comments

[garbovatwins]

Unfortunately for your country, the only candidate who will end your war is not even shown on your news. You are correct when you say you need to end this war. You need to end all wars. Every human on your world needs to join in ending wars that destroy life. You then need to come together as a planet to wage a global war against yourselves and the damage you are causing the living being that gives you the only home you have. There is no issue more important than this for your species. Your world is speaking to the universe, and it is listening.

[JohnnySorrow]

Help us, Obi Wan. You're our only hope.

[Rachel36]

ROTFLMAO. "People of earth unite".

[jellero]

mccain would be bush five, not three. we need to flush out the whole mess of bush/repub­lican/corp­orate corruption,maybe obama can do that. j

[Dolphin]

Finally we get to know who your candidate is and I totally agree, it must have been painstaking to make a choice. Between plague and colera.

I am not all that sure Barack Obama is the one who will change everything to the better just because he says so.

All the same I hope you are right, Alec, and that your stomach feeling helps others who still have doubts.

Most of us have.

[c1ee]

Indeed, scepticism is a virtue. As an Obama supporter, I am (at least try to be) vigilant Obama doesn't get a free pass. If he stuffs up, if he does something that makes me doubt his sincerity and where his heart is, then i will call out on it. It is the job of the electorate to call out on the politicians if they start getting too arrogant or out of touch. I think HuffPo has become too blantantly anti-Hillary in recent weeks, and they should really clean up their act if they want to ensure the long term viability and reputation of this site.

[thegaygardener]

"He has velcroed his lips to the ass of the elephant and he's gonna keep kissing until a second term would end."

Wow! There is so much to admire in this post. Thanks Alec! I have felt for a very long time that the one way to insure a McCain victory would be for the Democrats to nominate Clinton. It's not just "the baggage" (Which hasn't ALL been "vetted"!)
Its just their obvious disappointment that Clinton will not be the nominee. For Christ's sake, Rush Limbaugh had Republicans in OH changing parties just to vote for her. And I'll bet the same thing has gone on in PA! They KNOW that someone with the "negatives" of Sen Clinton (which are now at an all time high!) And someone that a majority of likely voters do NOT TRUST is unelectable! Hell, in the "trust" polls Clinton came in third, after Obama & McCain!! I'm quite sure that you'll catch sh** for this but thanks for throwing your support toward really; our only hope, Sen Barack Obama!

[justus949]

Alec, you said,
"Who will end this war?

Obama will end this war."

Yes, and Tinkerbell on your left shoulder is waving a wand of pixie dust to make it so.

[eggcream]

Alec wrote>>
" The fact that there has not been one great, national day of protest against this war will surely come back to haunt us all.

Hi, there HAVE been national days of protest for this "war" but the media will not report on it because they are told not to!!
When were they you ask...
Feb 15, 2003> Sept. 25, 2005> June 26, 2007> Oct 28 2007> March 19 2008>and many more.....
Check out http://www.unitedforpeace.org. It's the place to find out about protests all across the country.
Peace to all...

[pattyfish]

Obama is the only one close to the reasonable choice to end the war.

...the people need to end the war...by forcing the elected officials to end it..

[CAPTAINSKIPPY]

And no Bay of Pigs, no Gulf of Tonkin to complicate things?

[Gilda]

I don't believe we should be telling any voter in the primary tomorrow how to vote. Hillary
may win but Obama will pick up enough delegates to best her (again)
The war in Iraq is a tough call. Can we just pick up and leave at this point?
What about the refugees in Iraq?
Who is going to control the profits of this oil rich country? I want our troops home now too
but who knows what Bush/Cheney have put in place to make it almost impossible. Who decides
what contractors must leave? This war is not just about our troops but corporations who have
a lot invested to reap big profits. There needs to be a bi-partisan senate panel appointed to
look at the how we can extract ourselves from this war, and not leave this country to implode
from within. This panel needs to travel to Iraq and meet with leaders there and see what are
the most urgent problems. Troops have put their lives on the line everyday under the worst commander-in-chief in history. Our only mission in Iraq now should be diplomacy and humanitarian assistance.
Yes, it's true, Barak Obama is the one to do this, I wish he would ask Colin Powell to serve in his administration.

[tiredoflies]

Why the hell would anyone want the treasonous Colin Powell back in any administration. He looked directly into the camera and lied to Americans about the WMD and the mobile chemical labs to help promote Bush's call to war.

[Macready]

totally agree with you tiredoflies . . . Colin Powell . . . no way . . he behaved disgracefully . . . he lied big time for the chimp . . . he is a disgrace and does not belong in any future administration . ..

[c1ee]

I saw Bush's war from Frontline. They really painted a sympathetic picture of Powell. I couldn't help feel sorry for him, while at the same time sceptical whether he really is this saintly as they were portraying him to be. The facts they were presenting seemed to indicate he was the lone voice of reason in the GWB house of chimps. Nevertheless, i accept it is inexcusable he didn't refuse to make that UN presentation. He should have resigned there and then, that would have saved his legacy, but now it is probably irreparable. I blame the chimp in chief. A fine man brought down by such sheer idiocy.

[Dajo]

Alec said,

"""I had once considered John McCain an ultimately acceptable choice for president. """

Sorry Alec, I didn't need to read any further . Your judgment is flawed . I would never consider him. Hillary and Obama are the only people running worth consideration.

[bannelee]

I agree that Obama's a great choice.That said,I think Clinton is,too.Though some people say her negatives are high,i can't help but to remember how the repubs dredge up ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that they can find from however long ago,however trivial,and make it a scandal.They've already done Hillary during her husband's 2 terms.They haven't BEGUN with Barack's!

[c1ee]

And you must see it's a concerted effort. They want Obama out of the way, they want to go up against Hillary. Doesn't that just seal the deal for you who you think should be the democratic nominee?

[JohnnySorrow]

Well, you should have read further. Then, your post may have had some relevance.

[Dajo]

I read further as you suggested. I was correct in my assumption that I need not read any further. I have read Alec's posts in the past soI have a good handle on his thought process. You don't need a phD to figure out Alec.
In that respect, Alec is representative of the vast majority of Americans. That said, I am hopefula Democrat will win the White House.

[Serena67]

!

[todayslies]

Go Alec!

[cylindar]

Yeah, your right, and I hope the good people of Pennsylvania are in tune with that wisdom.

[akaJohnQ]

I heard on the news today that the U.S. Army and Marines have once again lowered their standards for enlistment. They are now accepting poeple with felony convictions, including drug dealers and people convicted of sex crimes. Some with manslaughter convictions have been allowed to join. The Bush administration is determined to continue the Iraq war with enlistees, no matter how low they have to go to find them. These people are simply unfit to serve. It's getting to where our honorable, respectable, patriotic, law abiding G.I.'s not only have to protect themselves from the enemy, but more and more, they have to worry about what other service members might do to them. This president has totally wrecked our military.

[helenbedd2]

I agree 100%. I really think that Obama is what this country needs to start feeling good about ourselves again. Watching Bill Maher on Friday night, I was glad to see that they were able to find some Pennsylvanians who were smarter than what the media is trying to portray them as being.

I'm hoping that tomorrow will reflect that.