Trying to figure out what to do - I am thinking about making some changes to this site, but I haven't figured out what yet. I will keep you updated.  ¶ 9:17 AM

  Chaos in Iraq - Despite the declaration of the President Bush the Younger that we are going to turn over control of Iraq to some type of an Iraq government come June 30th, this weekend's tragic events make in more and more likely that the US will have to retain control. If the Shitte Muslims, who make up 60% of Iraq, are turning against us (and presumably whatever government we set up), then Iraq requires even more US attention and control, not less.

It is easy to feel that things in Iraq are spinning out of control after this weekend. Hopefully, we can restore order and convince the majority to turn on the violent minority, but doing so will require even greater control, as well as, the establishment of a government that can be viewed as legit by the vast majority of Iraqis.  ¶ 3:34 PM

  Is Southern Dominance of the GOP a Problem for the Future? - That is the premise of this post from Mark Schmitt. It is a interesting idea. If Bush loses, the Dems pick up the Senate and Tom DeLay faces legal problems, all of which seem possible, if not probable at this moment in time, the Southern GOP could find itself in a lot of trouble.

I for one would be pretty happy about that.  ¶ 1:32 PM

  Did You Know? - That the Afghan government has postponed elections until September?

The reasons behind the delay seem sound, and I am not particularly worried about the Afghanis not having an elected government for another 3 or 4 months, but I do think that it casts a pall over the likelihood that the US will be able to turn Iraq over to any kind of acceptable government on June 30. If the Afghans can't even hold safe elections two years after they were liberated and the Taliban routed, can we expected an Iraqi government to prosper in the much more uncertain and volatile atmosphere that is Iraq today? I don't think so.  ¶ 9:49 AM

  The Difference in How Parties See Terrorism - I think Peter Beinart of The New Republic has it exactly right in this op-ed. Democrats see terrorism as non-governmental based and, at its roots, based on societal problems. Republicans see terrorism as contected to rouge government (ala Iraq, Iran and North Korea).

I think that by now the non-governmental view is prevailing, but I don't think that this view has yet implanted its way firmly into the Bush the Younger's White House paradigm.   ¶ 9:37 AM