Let the debate begin. Seven and a half years late might be better than never.

Like much of the World, I'm trying to calibrate my reaction to President Obama's prime timer last night on the end of combat operations in Iraq.  And since what is blogging if not therapy writ wide open and unedited for everyone to go rooting around in, here's a few thoughts.  

Most importantly, it's about time we started debating what our 7+ years and $1Trillion+ in Iraq truly boils down to.  Or whether we're truly at long last on our way "home" from that War.  Every available metric paints a lousy current picture - the best rundown I've heard was on Harry Shearer's "Le Show" this weekend.  Save the only one that everyone in support of going to War still mentions straight up - no more Saddam Hussein.  Instead of getting stuck there, I'd suggest that we all should think back to the actual "debate" that came prior.  Take the ol' chestnut defined as the "Pottery Barn" rule attributed to then Secretary of State Colin Powell.  Supposedly, "if you break it, you own it."  Set aside the fact that no such rule exists at Pottery Barn and you're still left with us shattering that "rule" even beyond it's false meaning.  So here we are as combat troops are redeploying.  And over there?  We did, indeed, break it.  And now we do not actually own it.  Much worse, we had to pay for the cost of doing so.  Those that do now own it, I think, could be defined as exactly the sort of people we would have preferred not have possession after said breakage.  I believe that Nuri al Malaki, Ahmed Chalabi and the others still wrangling over the results of an election from six months ago don't care about democracy.  For them it's the spoils of victory that are still worth fighting over.  And thanks to the grand wisdom of Richard Perle (ooh, I just got a chill), Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld (to touch on just a few obvious raw nerves), that's who we've now got to work with in place of Saddam in Iraq.  So yes, now let's at long last have that enduring historical debate.  Oh, and we will.  For decades.

In terms of Obama's speech, I think he struck the tone that we should expect from him.  Elegiac.  Frustrating in its willingness to give up too much to the presumed opposition.  Painted deep deep into a policy corner.  For all his obvious intellect, I'd bet Barack plays crappy poker.  In the past I've claimed he's a chess man.  But it's more obvious - he's a baller.  Put up your best defense and he'll shoot right over the top of you.  He uses deception only insofar as a fake pass or the political equivalent.  No cheating and if he's bluffing about how strong he feels or where he's going, a smart opposing player will see it telegraphed.  Right now, Obama's legs are still strong.  And the opposition should be seen as a joke.  That, however, might be exactly the wrong lesson to take into halftime of this term.  These midterms are going to be almost as brutal as the prevailing momentum's forecasting, I think.  Calling this play right now is a baller move.  Because no one's on the lookout for a finesse game right now.   But it could show that the game Obama's playing isn't nearly as dominant as people thought just last season.  Enough with the basketball analogy.  It does, though, still constitute my assessment of where this speech and this policy choice fits into the larger picture for the Obama Administration.  They may truly be a one-term Presidency.

My only other comment right now is to say that no family that's had to endure a deployment wants to be told that we owe Dubya some credit now.  Or ever.  Hearing that revisionist crap tumble from the Bushies, John McCain, John Boehner and all the lesser chickenhawks is just salt in the wounds that aren't going away.  And there are lots of wounds out there.  A million and half military personnel have been deployed in Iraq.  The ballpark number I heard reported this weekend of post-action mental issues is 30% of those people.  So over 400,000 people would have something to say about the wisdom of giving Dubya credit for what he did to them.  'Nuff said about that.

Well, like I said - this debate is just starting.  I hope we all get a chance to let some of it out, while actually taking the time to listen across the divide.  Be well.

And you thought Mrs. Paul's Fishsticks were full of crap...

Wolfie's almost out. Screw that prediction - he's gone and forever tarnished. The ink's just not dried yet on that "liberator". Which leads me to bet that Gonzo's also headed on a greased skid toward the exit as an unceremonious document dump Friday afternoon. The astonishingly candid James Comey testimony yesterday finally cooked his goose. Remember - you heard it here first.

I'm one of what I assume to be a few paltry dozen Americans not working for a doomed campaign to have watched last night's GOP Debate in its entirety. Then I took a shower. Even if you're one of those Bushie trollers out there waiting to pounce on my honest opinion, I'll call it straight. These are the worst Presidential candidates on either side - in toto - of my generation of duopolistic options. But MAN how do you follow the act currently on stage (translation: those loyal Bushies) if you're these doofuses? There were so many ugly moments of homophobia, fearmongering, and outright assholery that it doesn't even pay to recap. If you've got a fave, let me know. Personally, Ron "Not Mrs." Paul's strikes me as the only wingnut with balls in that cluster. Not that it will do anything for him.

Hope all the ridiculously hypothetical questions you get today feature how much ice cream sundae you'll be able to eat. Rock on.

The Longshot Flameout on my List - Simon Cowell

I don't know about y'all, but I definitely missed the money put on Don Imus in the high profile race to the exit pool. Gonzo has certainly always been the odds on favorite. And now Paul "Greet Me As a Liberator" Wolfowitz is getting heavy action for his latest round of screw-ups at the World Bank. But Imus? HE's the new Michael Richards? Sure, he's a cantankerous crank without a single proper cliche` mixed in with all the white man bluster. He's a stupid, ex-druggie-drunkie DJ, with an occasional gift for gab. HE's done over one particularly ugly soundbite. I only hope that this changes the playing field somewhat. Just imagine: Glenn Beck, Hannity, Rush, O'Reilly, Malkin, Coulter - the whole horrid bunch and their supporting minions risking truly losing jobs for sexist, racist, homophobic, or just plain moronic remarks. So long as advertisers continue tolerating FOX, they've always got a safe house. Maybe not as safe as last week, though.

For those of us paying attention, the New Brew Crew is in St. Louie this weekend for a rematch of the 1982 World Series. Harvey's Wallbangers are sorely missed by a few of us (I think I saw "Stormin'" Gorman Thomas sleeping at a bus stop a week ago). But if you care about young teams with a dang good shot at surprising a bunch of peoples, Milwaukee's worth a looksie.

One bit of trivia for everyone to share amongst themselves this weekend. My wife's recent birthday allowed me to focus on the static and realize that she shares her birthday with boatloads of famous people. You know those audio buttons we all hear on the radio or in the background of our daily media - "And today William Shakespeare would have been 417, but would need to split his cake with American Idol Kelly Clarkson, who turns 22." On the other hand, my birthday is shared by a listful of losers. Jan Michael Vincent is my date's notable name. That's just sad. "Airwolf" was ruinous dreck.

Hope your own 80s flashbacks include a World Series victory today. Rock on.