What will they do????????

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE


GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN'S ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY THAT SHE WILL BE STEPPING DOWN JULY 26TH HAS SENT A COTTAGE INDUSTRY REELING.

TODD S. PURDUM WAS SEEN STOMPING HIS FEET, HURLING CURSES AND SOBBING INTO HIS DIRTY JOCK STRAP INSISTING THAT HIS VANITY FAIR HIT ARTICLE WOULD HAVE MADE A BEST SELLER AFTER HE PADDED IT OUT WITH ADDITIONAL JACK OFF FANTASIES.

LAURA FLANDERS ALSO WAS INTENDING TO PUT HER MEAGER WRITING TALENT (NON PLURAL) TO USE IN DASHING OUT ANOTHER WATCH-ME-TRASH-WOMEN-WHILE-I-PRETEND-I'M-A-FEMINIST. REACHED FOR COMMENT, FLANDERS INFORMED SHE WAS "AT MY WIT'S END! I'M TOO OLD TO WHORE IT ON THE STREETS! DON'T ARGUE WITH ME, I'M TOO OLD! AND TOO UGLY! HAVE YOU NOTICED HOW WEIRD MY FACE HAS GOTTEN IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS? HAVE YOU! IF I DON'T HAVE PASSABLE LOOKS, WHAT DO I HAVE!!!!!"

WE LEFT HER IN HER 'FEMINIST' QUANDRY AND HEADED OVER TO MSNBC WHERE KEITH OLBERMANN STOOD ALONE AMONG THE PSUEDO LEFT IN REFUSING TO WALLOW. OLBERMANN INSISTED HE HAD AT LEAST 2 YEARS WORTH OF GOVERNOR PALIN'S PANTIES AND INTENDED TO SNIFF THEM "STRAIGHT THROUGH THE 2012 ELECTIONS."


FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Despite the for-show hype, US troops haven't really pulled out of Iraqi cities. That revelation came from the top US commander in Iraq when he was being interviewed by Judy Woodruff for yesterday's NewsHour (PBS):

GEN. RAY ODIERNO: Well, what we have is we have U.S. forces in joint coordination centers all over Iraq, inside of the cities, and they are there doing training, advising, assisting, and they also are coordinating with the Iraqis. So we have these relationships that are built from the lowest levels up to the highest levels that allow us to communicate. And if they need assistance, they can ask, and we will provide that.JUDY WOODRUFF: So they're not technically out of the cities. They're still there, but they're working side by side with the Iraqis?GEN. RAY ODIERNO: That's right, but we're at much lower numbers. These are just small advisory and coordination cells, and they're not related to combat formation, such as brigades and battalions. Those are now outside the cities. But we have coordination cells that work very closely with the Iraqis to enable them and train them and advise them and coordinate with them.
Technically? That's right, Odierno immediately agrees. The non-change was the subject on NPR's Morning Edition earlier today:

David Greene: So 130,000 that's a big number -- the number of US forces remaining in these forward operating bases outside the cities and we'll probably be there until next fall. What exactly does this withdrawal mean? Is anything really different?

Thomas E. Ricks: I don't think it really is that different. I think politicians are trying to make more of it, especially Iraqi politicians, then is really warranted here. American troops are going to continue to fight in Iraq, they're going to continue to die in Iraq. In fact, I suspect, in the areas around Baghdad, the so-called 'belts,' you're going to see some real fighting this summer.

David Greene: One of the Iraqi politicians you're speaking of is probably Nouri al-Maliki. He's made some pretty significant pronouncements of optimism saying, 'We've got this covered.' Let's play out a scenario, if things don't go that well in the city, can he reach out and say to the Americans, 'I need you back?'

Thomas E. Ricks: He can pull the Americans back and, in fact, that's happened several times. This is not the first time the Americans have tried to transfer security responsibility to Iraqi forces. We tried it several times, it hasn't worked several times. Now we look back and say, 'Well that was a rush to failure.' So the question now is: Are Iraqi forces up to the job? And the answer is: nobody knows.

David E. Greene: You joined us on this program back in March and you said at the time you thought we might be half-way through this war. Is that about still where we are?

Thomas E. Ricks: Yeah. I might have been a bit optimistic.

David E. Green: Optimistic?

Thomas E. Ricks: Yeah, I think we have a lot longer road ahead of us in Iraq than anybody in this country seems to think. It worries me that Americans have turned their eyes away from Iraq and have almost gotten bored with it. The old 1960s slogan was: What if they gave a war and nobody came? Now we're in a situation: What if they gave a war and nobody paid attention?
David Greene: A lot of Americans would be shocked to hear we're less than half-way through this war Certainly President Obama seems to be sending a different message. You also said something about the president. You said that Iraq was going to change Obama more than Obama changes Iraq. Uh, what's your sense so far? Have you seen him adapting since taking office?
Thomas E. Ricks: Well, yeah. I think in fact, he has broken more campaign promises on Iraq than on any other area. He campaigned saying he would take a brigade out a month from the day he took office instead he's keeping troop levels about where they were during the entire Bush administration. Instead of getting out quickly, he's actually is looking at getting out rather slowly. Bush said the mission was accomplished when it wasn't and Obama's saying we're going to get the combat troops out. Well guess what? There are no non-combat troops in the US military. There is no pacifist wing in the military.

David Greene: So what does that mean when he says get the combat troops out?

Thomas E. Ricks: It's a meaningless phrase. Either you have troops there or you don't. If American troops are there, they will be involved in combat. In fact, American troops who are advisers to Iraqi units are going to be vulnerable.

Not all politicians are attempting to spin this into another wave of Operation Happy Talk. US House Rep Dennis Kucinich explained the reality of the 'pull-back':

The withdrawal of some U.S. combat troops from Iraq's cities is welcome and long overdue news. However, it is important to remember that this is not the same as a withdrawal of U.S. troops and contractors from Iraq.
U.S. troop combat missions throughout Iraq are not scheduled to end until more than a year from now in August of 2010. In addition, U.S. troops are not scheduled for a complete withdrawal for another two and a half years on December 31, 2011. Rather, U.S. troops are leaving Iraqi cities for military bases in Iraq. They are still in Iraq, and they can be summoned back at any time.
This is not a great victory for peace. On May 19, the Christian Science Monitor reported that Iraqi and U.S. military officials virtually redrew the city limits of Baghdad in order to consider the Army's Forward Operation Base Falcoln as outside the city, despite every map of Baghdad clearly showing it wih in city limits. In afact, according to Section 24.3 of the "SOFA" U.S. troops can remain at any agreed upon facility. The reported reason for this decision is to ensure U.S. troops are able to "help maintain security in south Baghdad alon gwhat were the fault lines in the sectarian war."
This troop movement should not be confused with a troop withdrawal from Iraq. In reality, this is a small step toward Iraqi sovereignty as Iraqi security forces begin assuming greater control over security operations, but it is a long way from independence and a withdrawal of the U.S. military presence.

Also issuing statements were insurgent and resistance leaders. Campbell Robertson (New York Times) reports that they issued statements which "all commanded Iraqis to continue fighting the American military until it has left the country completely; nearly 130,000 troops remain. The statements also insisted, in unusually clear language, that Iraqis not turn their violence on one another."


RECOMMENDED: "The cause of the violence"
"Biden protested in Iraq"
"I Hate The War"

"Iraq snapshot"
"The economy and voting"

"California earthquake (financial)"
"Econmy and stocks tank"
"more troubles for gordon brown"

"gordon brown should resign for the good of the party"
"Gail Collins and her ugly unibrow"

"This is a 'pull-out'?"
"Notes"

"Crosby, Stills and Nash"
"LGBT"

"Dan Choi"
"Dan Choi"

"The administration just doesn't get it"

"The tortured and torturing logic of the White House"
"World Can't Wait, ACLU"

"Mohammed Jawad and torture"
"Barry O needs the adoration of the crowds"
"THIS JUST IN! HE NEEDS HIS FANS!"