The LuLac Edition #443, March 19th, 2008

PHOTO INDEX: VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY AND FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON.

THE WAR AT 5

The Iraq War turned five today and it made me think back to the early run up of the war. I thought about this as I watched Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O'Brien debate a veteran on WYOU TV news tonight about who was right on the war, Senator Obama or Clinton. I will concede that Senator Obama showed pretty good judgement in not supporting the war at the start. I felt the same way because I remembered what a quagmire Vietnam became. But Obama was not in D.C. at the time getting the briefings from the White House. They turned out to be lies. But despite that, there were many in Washington who thought this Bush administration would have the same type of talent and resolve to win the war like Bush 41 did. After all, it was the same Washington GOP wisemen, right? They were there to advise the new President, correct? True. But the neo-cons led by Vice President Cheney chose to do it their way disregarding the advice of old Bush hands and instead sending a military into harm's way unprepared for battle. Let us not forget we did win the short part of the war but we were unable to transition that victory into peace. The war which was supposed to be fought in military style now became nothing more than a series of assassinations of American troops that left us powerless. In other conventional wars, we fought in combat. Here, our troops got ambushed by misguided and insane suicide bombers that took great joy in killing themselves and our troops. After five years, here's what we got for our efforts:

4,000 dead, assassinated by cowards not willing to fight hand to hand.

30,000 maimed and disabled. Then when they returned to the U.S., the "if you're against the war, you're against the troops" administratioin puts the injured in hospitals understaffed and filled with germs. They also try to screw "the troops" out of their benefits and bonuses.

600 billion spent on a mission with no clear end. That money in America could've done wonders but the GOP puts the fear of God into a guy making $30,000 a year saying the stinking liberals are going to raise his taxes to waste money on social programs. Yet Mr. Joe Sixpack who loves Bush doesn't mind his tax dollars going down a sink hole in the Mideast.

Yep, this is what 5 years has produced. That's why I don't care who was right, who was first or how many days we should wait to withdraw. Clinton or Obama, nuances aside will end the war and get us back on track.

In the meantime, Dick Cheney, in response to the fact that two thirds of the American people think the war is wrong says, "so?" All of you know the affinity I have for government and politics, and especially for the men who toiled in the shadows of the Vice Presidency. We've had alcoholics, men not gifted with great brains or rhetorical skills. And we've even had a few who just sat around and waited for the President to die. But we never had a Vice President like Dick Cheney. Calling him "an arrogant bastard" would be an insult to all bastards who ever lived. Let's see him visit the home of a disabled or fallen military person and justify this war. Won't happen because as we learned in grade school, bullies and bastards are pretty much cowards.

CLINTON WOWS!!

Former President Bill Clinton wowed them in Wilkes Barre. Mr. Clinton gave a spirited campaign speech in favor of his wife and was in rare form. Speaking with no notes, he highlighted Senator Clinton's positions, ability to do the job he did and pointed to some of her contributions. This was the Bill Clinton the Hillary campaign needs, articulate cheerleader in chief who will not get bogged down in semantics. When Clinton gave his first national address as the Keynote speaker at the 1988 Democratic convention, he was so boring and long winded he had to be pushed off the stage. He has learned his speech making lessons well in two decades and is the secret weapon the Hillary campaign should deploy often. A reminder to all, when President Clinton left office, there was a huge surplus. There was no deficit. Today, well that's another story. For that reason alone voters should overwhelmingly elect a Democrat. And if given the constititional chance, they'd elect Bill Clinton. He is a rock star and a patriot. And you won't convince anyone who saw him today in Wilkes Barre otherwise.