What's wrong with me?

I think the Iraqis should decide.
Joe

I feel like I'm in Bizzaro World; Joe Biden not looking like a total loon and me actually agreeing with him. The funny thing is, before I read Biden's deal or O'Reilly's column, I was over at Celtic Dragon's blog asking if it wouldn't be better to create a United States of Iraq (with all of 3 states). Thanks for posting Biden's bit; I wouldn't have seen it otherwise.

As Joe D. said, the Iriqis have to decide what they want to do. Biden's comments may sound reasonable,(for a change) but we are not in charge of setting up their government. They have voted.

Goblue: Let me try to talk you out of voting for the Democrat. As we were discussing on my blog about our schools, if the Democrats get back a majority, the Teacher's Unions will only get more powerful, vouchers will never have a chance and the public schools will only get worse.

There are many reasons... I could go on. Read my blog "In Novemver, what is at stake?"

I hope you don't mind, but you did ask for someone to set you straight.

Yeah, amazing how senators can occasionally bring themselves to tell the truth now and then. Of the fairly wretched candidates for gov., I'm rooting for Reilly, simply because he's the only guy with serious experience in government who's used to taking heat and getting things done. Hey, if he can help nail big tobacco, he has a shot at dealing with the legislature.

Vouchers are silly. Public schools will keep sucking until they're no longer compulsory. Just imagine! No longer making attendence required! But still having a lot of the funding depend on number of kids attending. Yes, schools'd have to be there, but the kids wouldn't be forced to go. A voucher that nobody will take (because they're already full, and the voucher doesn't pay for anywhere near the real cost) gets you precisely nothing. Think more radically. Not all of the teachers' union argument is wrong, btw - the main point is "geez, if you're embarassed by how bad the schools are, then write legislation to fix the schools, already."

In a sterile environment the United States of Iraq makes sense. But this is not sterile environment. Correct me if I’m wrong, didn’t Iran send some of their terrorists into Iraq to undo what ever good they saw us accomplishing? The intent was to cause chaos and civil unrest. It worked. What makes everybody think that Iran is going to abide by this plan? A democracy in Iraq is the last thing Iran wants to see. What do we do about Iran? And what do we do about those Iranian terrorists still in Iraq?

We still need a presence in country just as we needed a presence in Germany and Japan after WWII for their protection as well as our own. That presence has been in effect since 1945 and remains today.

Joe B.’s has merit but he is still putting forth a time table for retreat (2007). If I were an Iranian, that’s how I would see it. Come 2008 (election year?) Bush and Co. take a bath at the polls when Iran upsets the apple cart.

Good plan Joe. Cut legs out from under the Repbulicans.

Iraq's been at war with Iran before. If they set up their "United States of Iraq" and have their armed forces ready, it shouldn't be a problem. Plus, they could always call on help from an ally (us). But you're right, we would probably have to keep at least a small presence there (we have everywhere else).