Ah, so that's it.

"One of the problems we have as a government is our inability to keep secrets."
— Vice President Dick Cheney

Here's the thing.

Why does Bush feel comfortable asking our soldiers to die to protect our freedom when he assumes the rest of us Americans would rather give up our freedom than die?

I gotta wonder: if our soldiers are expected to give up their lives to protect the idea of freedom, then hell, maybe we should too, right? Shouldn't we be willing to take a little bit of mass destruction, so long as our freedom remains intact? Isn't that what everybody's always hootin' and hollerin' about? So some of us die, maybe a lot of us die. But isn't it hypocritical to ask our soldiers to die for our freedom when, clearly, we'd rather give up our freedom than die?

Comedy tonight!

If any of you have little or nothing to do tonight, may I suggest you head down to the Comedy Studio in Harvard Square, where I'll be doing some standup.

Show starts at 8 PM.

Progress?

So now we learn that former President Ford (R.I.P) was critical of Bush's Iraq policies almost from day one. Until just recently, criticizing Bush's handling of Iraq would have got your phone tapped. Today it gets you a National Day of Mourning.

So that shows some progress, I suppose.

Bush Laughs at our Troops

Today during a press conference, the President laughed off how bad things are in Iraq. I heard it. You heard it.

When asked by a British reporter whether he is "still in denial" about the conditions in Iraq, Bush replied, "It's bad in Iraq. Heh Heh."

I'm sorry. But why is he laughing?

Where are the Democrats?? Attack, Democrats!!!

Who Woulda Guessed?

Panel: U.S. underreported Iraq violence

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer 46 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - U.S. military and intelligence officials have systematically underreported the violence in Iraq in order to suit the Bush administration's policy goals, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group said.

In its report on ways to improve the U.S. approach to stabilizing Iraq, the group recommended Wednesday that the director of national intelligence and the secretary of defense make changes in the collection of data about violence to provide a more accurate picture.

The panel pointed to one day last July when U.S. officials reported 93 attacks or significant acts of violence. "Yet a careful review of the reports for that single day brought to light 1,100 acts of violence," it said.

"The standard for recording attacks acts as a filter to keep events out of reports and databases." It said, for example, that a murder of an Iraqi is not necessarily counted as an attack, and a roadside bomb or a rocket or mortar attack that doesn't hurt U.S. personnel doesn't count, either. Also, if the source of a sectarian attack is not determined, that assault is not added to the database of violence incidents.

"Good policy is difficult to make when information is systematically collected in a way that minimizes its discrepancy with policy goals," the report said.

A request for
Pentagon comment on the report's assertions was not immediately answered.

Some U.S. analysts have complained for months that the Pentagon's reports to Congress on conditions in Iraq have undercounted the violent episodes. Anthony Cordesman, an Iraq watcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said in a November report that the Pentagon omits many low-level incidents and types of civil violence.

Strap one on, Dems!

See, now this is when the Democrats have to really go on the attack. Tonight. Because according to AP news:

WASHINGTON -
President Bush told a Shiite political leader on Monday the United States is not happy with progress in Iraq and sought the cleric's help to curb extremists and terrorists trying to undermine the struggling new democracy.

What the Dems need to do now is immediately make use of the old Republican trick. Attack Bush for using words that hurt troop morale and aid our enemy. How dare Bush criticize the wonderful job our troops are doing in Iraq!!

A Humorous Good Time 4 U

Got nothing to do this Saturday night?

Well, then, come on down and see some great comedy with yours truly!

It's the Charles River Comedy Fest
at the famous* American Legion Marsh Post #442

Plus cheap drinks! All for a measly five bucks!

Sat: 11/25 @ 8 PM
5 Greenough Blvd
Cambridge, MA
617-576-2646

* I have no idea why it's famous.