Leaving Iraq Later rather than Sooner

Obama's speech today to a group of our troops was worth watching. Ever since GWB started using the military as his fallback audience it has been difficult for me to watch these spectacles but this time it seemed genuine. As if President Obama actually cares about them rather than using them as a readily available, and pliable audience or as a means of obtaining money from Congress. I was thrilled to hear that he wants to give them a raise. It is criminal what we pay contractors and what we pay our troops. I'd like it if the President would take a pledge to remove the contractors as soon as possible.

For those of us who have absolutely resented our presence in Iraq since the moment we entered we cannot get out soon enough. The date put forth by President Obama is August 2010 and since I was hoping for more like April 2009 I am a little disappointed. But I must be happy that progress is being made and I take hope in the fact that his desire to leave 25 to 50,000 residual troops there until 12/31/2011 may be talked down by the Democrats in Congress. At least according to Nancy Pelosi who was being interviewed by Rachel Maddow.

I noticed that Newt Grinch was running his mouth again today. He has aspirations of rising again as the new/old Republican leader. Apparently this rise from the ashes will start by him suggesting to the American people that Bush and Obama are essentially the same person. I mean Bush came up with the original big rescue plan for the banks (what a nasty big spender!) and Obama voted for it. And as Grinch points out President Obama is continuing down the road attempting to save our economy by more nasty spending. So you can see how this administration is just exactly like the last one. I guess if the American people buy that message than they really do deserve to go down the tubes.

Bobby Jindal is apparently still in hiding and I, for one, don't blame him one bit. If I was him and watched the tape later I'd have called my buddy Dick Cheney to find out exactly where that undisclosed location actually was! I waited in anticipation for John Stewart's take on the speech. His comparison of the entrance and the presentation as being very similar to Mr. Rogers was exceptionally on point. I'd also like to compliment him for suggesting that our President had to fight the urge to turn around and play Whack a Mole with Nancy Pelosi. An excellent an analogy that doesn't need to be explained if you watched the speech.