Lifted Directly from Digby.....

I do know that when someone speaks like a fool and acts like a spoiled child and appears to be "intellectually uncurious" and has never done anything in life that would give you a clue that he knows how to govern or lead -- well, it's not a good idea to make that person the most powerful person on the planet. If we've learned nothing else, I hope we have learned that.......
The past six years have been a tragedy and we desperately need some thoughtful, intelligent, competent leadership to set this right.

Read it all

Once again, the easiet way for me to come up with new posts is to cut'n'paste my own comments elsewhere!

I like the fact that the word "christianist" exists (even if I'm unlikely to use it with the precise meaning that Sullivan intends) because I think its important to differentiate between what Christianity means as expressed in the Gospels and what Christianity means as expressed in current public discourse.

One of the overriding themes of the New Testament is that of hypocrisy. Judge not, lest you be judged, when you pray, pray in secret, render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, don't speak of the speck in your brother's eye when you have a log in your own..etc.

The degree to which politically active Christian sects stray from these ideals is the degree to which I want a label to separate their beliefs from my own.

Call me selfish but I hope that "christianist" makes Oxford's English within ten years.

A response to a comment at GG's

Where do you find support for the idea that "training the Iraqi army" is a feat still within our grasp?

Who'd's response actually brings to light one of the more serious problems affecting us as Americans.

Contrary to some of the accusations levelled by the more serious, libelous warmongers, Americans feel at home travelling anywhere in this country and have no trouble understanding that our loyalty and the "providing for the common defense" that we all share operates on a national level. I can fly to Birmingham, Alabama one day and Chicago, Illinois the next and while I might feel uncomfortable getting into serious political debates in barrooms in those places, I can reasonably expect to come away from such a conversation alive.

In Afghanistan and Iraq, however such confidence is totally misplaced. Tribal/Religious identity trumps nationalism and we as Americans just don't get it.

That's why Who'd and others who think similarly think that "a sovereign Iraq able to truly act like one, including quelling sectarian violence, and resisting the influence of Iran is actually achievable. Nothing in their immediate experience suggests otherwise.

That's why I pray vigorously that at some point in our near future, we can put adults in charge of our foreign policy and give the frat-boys a well deserved time-out.

Revisionist History

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Nixon Library.

I learned two things.

1: The truth is whatever someone is willing to say it is.

2: Or not.....

Thank you

I'd just like to take this opporunity to thank American voters all over the Country for restoring my faith.