Got Some Things to Talk About Here Beside the Rising Tide

1. Ned Lamont trounces Joe Lieberman fairly strongly in the Connecticut primary, sending a clear message from the "rabid venom-spewing lambs" in the blogosphere that change is afoot regarding the war in Iraq.
2. Lieberman mulls over the idea of running as an Independent, and Harry Reid announces he would seek to strip Lieberman of his committee appointments if that happens.
3. Yesterday, British and US agents uncover a terrorist plot and declare a red status for Homeland Security--a status that Press Security Tony Snow said the president had approved the day before.
4. Lieberman announces his intention to run as an Independent to little fanfare as the current White House Administration rally behind the idea of attacking Iran and renewing the vigor behind the war on terror.

As the Church Lady might say, "How conVENient!"

I've no doubt that there are people out there hell-bent on destroying the United States, and the current Bush agenda gives ample kindling to that fire. But why wait till these people are on planes to swoop in and arrest them? Why not make the arrests once the plot was uncovered rather than risk lives by waiting so long? Why start making your case to invade another country when an exit strategy (hell, a measurement of success) hasn't been drafted for the war you're currently in?

Why? Because it's an election year, my friends, and this year the House seats and a third of the Senate seats are up for grabs. The Connecticut primary is just the start--the litmus test of how the warmongers will fare this year, and they failed. They failed big time. If a 3-time incumbent loses the race in his home state and faces an unlikely prospect of winning a 4th term AND that incumbent was once the Vice-Presidential nominee for the DEMOCRATIC party, what chance will the Republicans have?

Very little. And the Republicans know it. And they're scared. So they're pulling out all the stops:

• Iran is now the "single threat" to democracy in the Middle East and to the United States. Let's forget that we were dealing with Iran in the 1980s to undermine Saddam Hussein and sowing seeds to invade them in the 1990s. Or that a member of the Office of Special Plans under Douglas Feith was indicted for sharing state secrets with Iranian officials to drive the country into war with Iraq. Suddenly, Iran is a threat.
• Lebanon and Israel have erupted again into war over control, hostages, and military prisoners, while Israel continues to deal militarily with Hamas over questions of legitimacy and land borders in Gaza. The U.S. vetoed a resolution from the United Nations condemning the Gaza actions, and states that Israel has a right to defend itself against the Palestinians—despite the fact that the current Gaza conflict began when Israel seized two Palestinians.
• It is interesting to note that Hezbollah is supported by Iran and Syria—the two countries Bush has been focusing on this year to broaden democracy in the Middle East.
• Oh, did you know we’re supporting Israel with jet fuel and bombs in our quest to solidify peace? Yeah, I thought you might not. Those New York Times reports in July slipped through the cracks in our mainstream media.
  

Given what we know now about the PNAC’s desire for upheaval in the Middle East dating back to 2000 and their need for a catastrophe EXACTLY like 9/11 to rally support, and what we know about the manipulation of intelligence by our own officers to support an attack on Iraq, is it any wonder that I have to question the timing of our current terror alert with the general election coming up in November? The Republicans have already dusted off the ultra-conservative aces in the hole--flag burning, estate tax, and gay marriage—yet Bush’s approval rating continues to sink, Republican support continues to fracture, and Lieberman lost his bid for reelection in the Connecticut primary. The death knell for partisan, war-supporting, deficit-spending, big money politics has sounded, and the people of this country are awakening to the corrupt stink of what’s been left behind.

So don’t forget to put your deodorant in your checked baggage, don’t forget to whisper a quick prayer to God or whomever to protect you and your family and your country, and don’t forget about the troops in Iraq who would love to take a break from the oppressive heat and see their families again as soon as someone can figure out how to make it happen.

Most importantly, this November (or earlier for the primaries), don’t forget to VOTE!