Stick to Your Guns

Three days later and the media (both right and the rest) are still freaking out about Retired General Wesley Clark's comments on McCain from Sunday's Face the Nation. (I bet Bob Schieffer is giggling with glee still).

Not interested in taking whatever points they may have scored from misconstruing Clark's remarks, McCain's campaign has roped Senator Jim Webb into the whole thing because he said McCain should calm down and that politics should not be mixed with the military. Dear Barbara.

For those who may have missed it, Clark simply said this:

With the nut-nut being, he praised McCain's service, but said that he had not had executive responsibility or served as a wartime squadron leader. Both true. Clark added that riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down are not qualifications for being president. Again, true.

But the best part? Clark isn't backing down. Last night he issued a press release, as well as appearing on MSNBC to defend what he said. Here's a snippet from the press release:

John McCain is running his campaign on his experience and how his experience would benefit him and our nation as President. That experience shows courage and commitment to our country - but it doesn't include executive experience wrestling with national policy or go-to-war decisions. And in this area his judgment has been flawed - he not only supported going into a war we didn't have to fight in Iraq, but has time and again undervalued other, non-military elements of national power that must be used effectively to protect America. But as an American and former military officer I will not back down if I believe someone doesn't have sound judgment when it comes to our nation's most critical issues.

And here is the comment from MSNBC (and yes I am enjoying that someone finally helped me figure out to inbed video - thanks Chad! - I am techno illiterate!)

And what, you may ask, do I wish McCain and the media had been focusing on the past three days? How about the 29 US soldiers killed during the month of June?

52

That is the number of US soldiers killed in Iraq from April 1, 2008 to April 30, 2008. The war doesn't seem to be getting much "play" these days so I think it is important to continue to highlight these things. April 2008 was the deadliest month in the war since last September.

Yesterday also marked the fifth anniversary of Dubya's ridiculous Mission Accomplished speech. Yes, if the mission was to have thousands of Americans die, oil prices to skyrocket, the US to loss its shirt economically-speaking in Iraq and the country to be so tired of this unnecessary war that they now mostly try to forget it is happening, then yes, the mission has been accomplished.

Speaking of the money we are pouring into Iraq, CNN reports that the US has spent more than $47 billion on reconstruction in Iraq since 2003 (when Bush played dress up in the flight suit). Senators Levin and Warner are questioning when Iraq is going to start paying for some of the reconstruction themselves, considering that by estimates from the US State Dept and the Iraqi Oil Ministry, the country is expected to bring in AT LEAST $100 billion in oil revenues from 2007 through the end of 2008.

Finally, in case you missed this, a 30-year old soldier, husband and father of two died in Afghanistan Tuesday. Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell was on his SEVENTH tour of duty. This is wrong on so many levels. First, while I know that the guy signed up for this, does anyone really sign up for that? And even if he had made it home alive and healthy, would he have ever been the same person again? 

Maybe I am just in a bad mood today, but this war and the current administration make me sick (and that is me saying that after my cup of starbucks to cheer me up). Now everybody join me in a rousing chorus of Lee Greenwoods seminal hit "Proud to be an American."