3,000 by the end of the year?

[radfringe]

As of 12/14/06:
Since war began (3/19/03): 2941
http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/

49 since December 1, 2006: average of 3.5 per day

If the current rate is constant, the number of our troops who have died for bush's war will reach 3,000

Will Tony Snowjob shrug it off as "just a number"?
Will bush add another "comma" to his 'scorecard'?

Interesting segment on Lou Dobbs yesterday on 'The Foreign Policy Leadership Vacuum'

Transcript snip: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0612/15/ldt.01.html"

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has rejected a key recommendation of the Iraq Study Group. Now, Secretary Rice told "The Washington Post" she does not support any U.S. engagement with Syria and Iran. Rice said the compensation required by Syria and Iran for talking about Iraq might be too high. She said she does not want to trade away Lebanese sovereignty or allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.

Some elected officials apparently believe that they can do a much better job at diplomacy than Secretary Rice. An increasing number of lawmakers are organizing their own freelance missions to engage foreign countries.

Bill Schneider reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice over): First the voters expressed no confidence in President Bush's leadership in the midterm election. Then a bipartisan committee of the national establishment in the form of the Iraq Study Group issued a similar no-confidence vote.

So what's happening? Freelancers are rushing in to fill the vacuum. Some of whom want to take over after President Bush. Four senators went to Baghdad to complain about weak leadership in two places.

SEN. JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: There has to be leadership from the political leaders here, frankly, as well as the political leaders back home in the U.S.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Good to see you, sir. How are you?

SCHNEIDER: Likely 2008 contender John McCain offered his own policy prescription.

MCCAIN: I believe that there's still a compelling reason to have an increase in troops here in Baghdad and in Anbar Province in order to bring the sectarian violence under control.

SCHNEIDER: Four senators are defying the White House by going to Syria to meet with President Assad.

SNOW: We have discouraged members of Congress from doing this.

SCHNEIDER: Senator Dodd's response? "Members of Congress need to go to hotspots, not just garden spots."

Senator Kerry's spokesman said, "If Ronald Reagan could talk to the evil empire, surely United States senators with the responsibility to American troops can visit Syria."

Oh, by the way, Dodd and Kerry may run for president in 2008.

New Mexico governor Bill Richardson may run, too. The former U.N. ambassador met with North Korean officials in Santa Fe to discuss how to end the nuclear weapons crisis.

Ten members of Congress, six Democrats and four Republicans, went to Havana to talk with acting president Raul Castro about a new opening to Cuba now that Fidel Castro may be dying.

Is all this freelancing undermining the president's authority?

SNOW: No, the president is in charge of foreign policy. It may cost some people their credibility.

SCHNEIDER: White House to freelancers: You stand warned.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER: Freelancers to White House: You stand warned.

It's the president whose credibility may be suffering -- Kitty.

PHILLIPS: This is a lot of air miles, Bill, but are they getting anything done?

SCHNEIDER: Well, they are -- they say that they've made some progress, they've gotten some factual information to bring back both to the State Department and to the White House. It's hard to see progress in the immediate aftermath of these visits, but they claim they've gotten some valuable information.

While Schneider is trying to spin this as "election opportunism" - it's more than that. If bush's leadership were not in disarray there would be no "opportunity" to use it as an issue.

Sen. Bill Nelson recently returned from a trip to Syria and Arlen Spector is next to visit Syria against the mis-administration wishes:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1153AP_Specter_Iraq.html

-- snip-- In recent days, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asked Specter in a telephone call not to go to Syria, the senator said. But Specter, who had acquiesced previously to similar requests, said time was up.

"I deferred to them a year ago, and I deferred to them last August," Specter said. "And if there were any signs the administrative policy (in the Middle East) was working, I'd defer to them again."

While bush refuses to consider the ISG report, followed by 'waiting for pentagon report', followed by 'waiting for Gates to settle in at the DOD', and 'not wanting to be rushed' - can we really afford to 'wait' for more spinning?

When the number of our troops killed in Iraq hits 3,000 - is this enough to put impeachment back on the table? Congress can make visits to Iran, Iraq and Syria. Congress can make recommendations, and apply pressure on bush, but Congress has no power to "come up with a plan", nor to implement one.

As we are often reminded - bush is the Commander in Chief, he's the decider and that means the outcome and direction of the Iraq war is in his lap. It's his responsibility to come up with a plan. So far, his plan seems to be waiting around for some sort of divine intervention and creating new slogans.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

1. Plan a die-in

Inside your congress persons office Friday December 29

[Paladin]

3. Now You're Talking

It's becoming abundantly clear that the only way we're going to bring this travesty to a close is to take to the streets, lots and lots of us. Count me in.......

[radfringe]

2. can a turtle twiddle it's thumbs?

[radfringe]

4. kick