It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad White House

Via Avedon Carol’s Sideshow, take a look at Steve Clemons report that Cheney is attempting to force a military showdown with Iran:

“Multiple sources have reported that a senior aide on Vice President Cheney’s national security team has been meeting with policy hands of the American Enterprise Institute, one other think tank, and more than one national security consulting house and explicitly stating that Vice President Cheney does not support President Bush’s tack towards Condoleezza Rice’s diplomatic efforts and fears that the President is taking diplomacy with Iran too seriously.

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This White House official has stated to several Washington insiders that Cheney is planning to deploy an “end run strategy” around the President if he and his team lose the policy argument.

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The thinking on Cheney’s team is to collude with Israel, nudging Israel at some key moment in the ongoing standoff between Iran’s nuclear activities and international frustration over this to mount a small-scale conventional strike against Natanz using cruise missiles (i.e., not ballistic missiles).”

Now, normally Joe Klein’s endorsement of this report would be enough to laugh it off. Mercury Rising has been reporting on the march toward war for a very long time. For Israel to involve itself is to start a regional war, with Arabs and Muslims unified across sectarian lines, including a number who are Israeli citizens. However, Colonel Pat Lang has also endorsed the report, and he’s not a tool.

BTW, Pat Lang mentioned that supply lines to US troops in Iraq are weak, such that rations are short. That’s a very bad sign, since if there’s an attack on Iran, the supply lines in the south would be cut and the northern supply lines would become more tenuous.

Here’s a military review of the British experience in Iraq in the early 20th century. It’s worth reading to see how many of their mistakes we have repeated.

Smart Men, Foolish Choices

Over at FDL, I just ticked off a lot of people, which I didn’t want to do, but knew was unavoidable given the subject.

One of the few non-ticked-off folks left this for me:

LnL @ 202

Thanks, PW, for your adult statement.

The Dems do not have the numbers to override a veto or to succeed at impeachment.

No rhetoric, no breath-holding, no ranting, no foot-stamping can change the numbers.

Dems do have the numbers to conduct investigations and oversight in congressional committees. They must compile the record documenting the wrong-doing of this vile administration.

The rest is theater and I wish Dems did it better.

In many cases, it probably isn’t theater. It may well be honestly held, albeit misguided, belief. Let me explain.