John Edwards and George Bush

If anyone is wondering what ex-Senator (D-NC) now-presidential-contender John Reid Edwards stands for, he made it clear yesterday in New Orleans. Edwards picked New Orleans as the venue from which to make his announcement that he’s running for Prez in 2008. He said he announced from New Orleans to show “he is not a candidate of Washington”. He said he picked a slow news week in order “to draw more attention to what is often a well-scripted ritual”. Edwards said, "The biggest responsibility of the next president of the United States is to reestablish America's leadership role in the world, starting with Iraq," He called for the United States to reduce its troop presence in Iraq. "We need to make it clear that we intend to leave Iraq and turn over the responsibility of Iraq to the Iraqi people,” he said. Edwards favors withdrawing 40,000 to 50,000 troops from Iraq as a signal to Iraqis that the United States intends to turn over responsibility for the conflict to the government in Iraq. He said he would roll back some of the tax cuts given to the wealthiest Americans by the Bush administration. He proposed a windfall profits tax on the oil industry. Edwards said, “Additional money will be needed to pay for vital domestic needs”. "I think it's also really important that we be honest with people," Edwards said. "We've gotten in a deep hole, in terms of our deficit. We have investments that need to be made." He cited help for middle-class Americans, anti-poverty programs, universal health care and energy initiatives as examples of alternative uses for money now being funneled into Iraq. Edwards reiterated his chagrin at having originally voted for the war in Iraq. “At the end of the day, I voted yes and I should not have," he said. "I'm the one who's responsible for that." The insane president of the United States George Bush, on the other hand, met with his national security advisers (VP Cheney, Secretary of State Rice, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, General Peter Pace, National Security advisor Stephen Hadley and Hadley’s deputy, J.D. Crouch) at his ranch in Texas. He said the administration was making “good progress” in revising his strategy in Iraq. That’s Bush-speak to say, “We haven’t found the right words yet to tell Americans that I intend to escalate the war in Iraq, but I WILL escalate the war in Iraq. Bush said, “I fully understand it’s important to have both Republicans and Democrats understanding the importance of this mission,” Bush fully understands nothing except that he intends to escalate the war in Iraq and sees no reason why he can’t do whatever he wants to do. Bush said he intended to consult with Congress when it convenes next week before presenting his plan to the nation. Bush will not consult with Congress or anyone else. He will go before Congress and the American people and tell them he is escalating the war in Iraq. End of discussion. Bush said, “I’ve got more consultation to do until I talk to the country about the plan." Bush is confident his speechwriters will find the right words for him to announce that the war in Iraq has been escalated. But he doesn’t care if Congress or the people understand his position. We’ll see. In the end, the war in Vietnam petered out in September 1974 when Congress refused more funding for the South Vietnamese army. The funding for the war in Iraq depends on Congress. No matter how the fascists in the Bush administration shake and dance, fume, and rant and rave, neither they nor George W. Bush can pull funding for the Iraq war out of their collective ass. The war in Iraq and how or whether it goes forward, escalates or winds down is up to Congress.