McCain is Planning on Surging to an Election Win. Let's not be Enablers.

[IDemo]

Admit it, he's got nothing else going for him but war, glorious war. He's a war hero and a former POW, and, as Barack has made part of his stump speech, he should be honored for that. But in his mind, the decision to invade Iraq was the correct one. Still. In fact, we might just be there for 100 more years. But that wouldn't be because the surge isn't working, you young whippersnappers! The only permissible talking point about Iraq these days -- that an additional 30,000 US troops has somehow worked a miracle and brought a “win” into the realm of possibility, will be shouted from McCain headquarters, repukian rooftops and Fox microphones incessantly from now through November. Imagine Tim Russert's balloon-like face filling your TV screen and announcing “It will be difficult, if not impossible, for Democrats to argue against the success of the surge.” Not a pretty image, is it? Hell, another Daisy commercial may even be in the offing.

Because Johnny has already admitted he don't know much about economics, the other elephant in the room, the warhawk position is all he's got. Focusing on the “success” of the surge will become the central theme of his campaign. Well, that and the threat of al-Qaeda in Des Moines.

Not that most here feel McCain couldn't be defeated by any reasonably sentient animal, but let's remember there are vast swaths of voters for whom sentience is not a particularly valued personal quality. It tends to interfere with things like political or religious dogma, creating internal conflict and a tug-of-war between the mind and the bumper sticker. It is for these non conflicted citizens that the McCain camp will paint an image of war as the highest expression of American greatness.

Let's not sit back mutely and allow him to use an outrageous lie for his own political benefit.

If we plan on siphoning just a few of those votes away from Johnny, it becomes important to set the record straight on surge success. The fact is, what exists now in Iraq is not a country waiting merely for a political kumbaya moment between a few stubborn holdout factions, but a nation in tatters and on the brink of complete and utter destruction. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has just grudgingly extended a cease fire of his Mehdi army for six months. This cease fire has been the largest single factor in the diminishment of violence, but may end at any time. Sunni militants have received backing both from the US and from independent Saudis.

Shia and Sunni alike are receiving American backing, including cold hard cash, but if they agree on only one thing, it is that they would both be happy to see Americans leave their soil.

The Kurds, in the only reasonably peaceful area of the country, have fallen under attack by Turkey, with Uncle Sam's silent blessing. Quite a curious stance for an America which has spouted off regularly about real or imagined incursions into Iraq by Iran.

As many as one million Iraqi civilians are dead. As many as one million Iraqi civilians are dead.

Close to 4,000 US soldiers have given their lives, and 30,000 have been wounded.

Over 4.2 million Iraqis have become refugees.

Iraq's water, sewer, and electric power infrastructure is in tatters.

There is no reason that the hard truth of the matter – that the surge is an unmitigated failure, should not become a core part of the Obama (presumed) campaign. It does not have to devolve into an “attacking the troops” dialog, nor should it, for this is not about troops on the ground. The entire war, including the lead-up, bombing, occupation and surge, has been America's biggest single political disaster in history, and in embracing it, McCain has become the water-bearer for Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld. Expecting anything less than eight more years of this insanity would be, well, insane.

As many as one million Iraqi civilians are dead.