John McCain read a foreign policy speech yesterday. It is anybody's guess who wrote it, but reality was MIA. He is still trying to tell us that his support of the surge is responsible for our progress in Iraq, and he paints a pretty picture. It goes something like this: "The surge is working," Iraq is stable, the Iraqi army is ready but, and it is a big but, if we agree with his assessment of stability in Iraq and urge Bush to bring the troops home, it is a reckless retreat. I don't get it.
The most humorous coverage came from Keith Olbermann. Who else? In the middle of McCain's speech NBC News interrupted to bring news of an assault on the green zone.
I have never heard McCain mention the 4.5 million refugees; the vulnerability of the green zone; the number of civilian deaths. I have heard him say we should bomb Iran!
Penn is not gone: He is out, he is an adviser, he is back! The Colombian government fired him because he hadn't delivered Hillary's support and for a day Hillary fired him. We now learn, thanks to the NY Times, that the old Bill Clinton crew supports the free trade agreement with Colombia. (Why am I suspicious that, absent Barack, Hillary would join Penn, Wolfson, Joe Lockhart, Bill Danvers, Donna Shalala, Leon Panetta and Wal-Mart in supporting this trade deal with all the vigor Bill pushed NAFTA?)
Later today we will post the video of Hightower speaking at the Barrymore.
The surge is working. Yah, sure Johnny.
