Death in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that another British soldier has died in Afghanistan, the soldier was from the " 3rd Battalion, The Rifles " BBC News reports that this is a suspect friendly fire incident. Thus as of the 21 December the UK has lost 242 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, of that total in the revise info due to recent deaths, the UK has lost 209 of soldiers in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents, the last two deaths are the other incidents. There is a need for a fast and clear investigation of these two cases, they have to discover how the deaths occurred and how to make sure there are no more friendly fire deaths, this is the 21st Century after all, we should have the technology to prevent these kind of deaths.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the British soldier that was killed due to an friendly fire incident, the soldier was, " Lance Corporal Michael David Pritchard of the 4th Regiment, Royal Military Police " Our thoughts are with the family of LCpl Pritchard's family.

Obama's Polls

RCP: Reports on the average of polls on President Obama's approval ratings. RCP reports Obama has 49.5% approval rating, while the negatives stand at 44.8%. Thus can Obama improve his ratings for next year, Obama can not afford to lose the House or for Republicans to take more seats in the Senate, if the above happens his Agenda is dead on the Hill. Also the economic recovery is not like the Reagan years, a deep recession followed by an economic boom of the 80s, the recession could be a slow recovery followed by a low level of job recovery. Thus my prediction that the Republicans will take a lot of seats in the House if not take control and make deep gains in the the Senate that makes the Obama Agenda a dodo on the Hill. Thus my stated prediction that Obama will either not run in 2012 or lose his bid for re-election.

The Stage is SET - Iran

Fox News: Reports that the Obama Administration is setting the stage for sanctions against Iran next year. This is not new to readers of this blog, Iran will be a major crisis next year folks, on the one hand you have the internal protests in Iran that could bring down the Tehran government, you have that very government seeking the nuclear bomb, its their only ace in the hole, you will have tough UN sanctions on Iran, that could bring down the regime. Thus it only takes an actor in the crisis to miss read the event and you could have internal and regional war in the Middle East.

Democrat to Republican, The Next Political Wave ?

The Hill: Reports on the move by House Democrat, Congressman Griffith to cross the political road and become Republican. This should worry the House leadership, if Blue Dog Democrats feel that their political careers face going down the toilet they might decide to flush the Obama Presidency down the toilet to save their necks. It only takes a few Democrats in the House to change their votes on health care to have this effect, President Obama should stay close to D.C over the Christmas break, stroke a few egos more powerful than his own, Blue Dog Democrats. One can feel it the air, the Democrats could even lose the House next year.

Protest in Iran and the funeral of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri

The Times: Reports on the confrontation between the protesters at the funeral of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri and the Tehran Government. The dissenters in Iran need the Army or the security forces to change sides, as long as the security structure is loyal then the Government is on firm ground. Lets recall there is a lot of Chicago politics in Tehran at the moment, the Government of President President Ahmadinejad is keeping the security forces sweet through using oil money to keep them loyal. Also the regimes knows if it falls, the structure in Iran will fall, a few people at the top are very afraid that the mob could lynch them if they fall from power. Thus power structure created by Ahmadinejad will not give up without a blood bath, its their necks on the line, in the literal sense of the word. Thus the march by Tehran to get the nuclear bomb, its their ace in the hole, they will use their control of the media to make the UN demands for Iran to stop a threat to the security of Iran, thus Obama has two worries, that Israel will strike in the new year or a major bloodbath in Tehran and terrorists with the bomb. Obama thinks 2009 was bad, wait till next year Mr President, Iran more that health care could define the Obama Presidency.

Obama on Health Reform

The Obama Administration sees the end of the Republican filibuster as a big win, they are making a big mistake, they now own the project, President Obama stated the following on the end of the Republican filibuster, " The United States Senate knocked down a filibuster aimed at blocking a final vote on health care reform, and scored a big victory for the American people. By standing up to the special interests -- who've prevented reform for decades and who are furiously lobbying against it now -- the Senate has moved us closer to reform that makes a tremendous difference for families, for seniors, for businesses, and for the country as a whole....For those who have insurance, reform will mean greater security and stability. No longer will people with preexisting conditions be excluded from coverage. No longer will people who are seriously ill be dropped from coverage. And no longer will families be allowed to go broke because they’re forced to pay exorbitant out-of-pocket expenses.... Many people recall the enormous fights around the Patient's Bill of Rights that never got done. Well, you know what, the Patient's Bill of Rights is embedded in this health care bill and -- to make sure that all Americans who have insurance right now are getting a fair deal from their insurance companies...Small businesses and those who don’t get insurance through their employer will finally be able to get insurance at a price that they can afford with tax credits to help. And Medicare will be stronger and its solvency extended by nearly a decade. Seniors will get more assistance with prescription drug costs than they're getting right now. And finally, these reforms will help the inexorable and unsustainable rise in health care costs that are overwhelming families, businesses, and the federal budget...The Congressional Budget Office now reports that this bill will reduce our deficit by $132 billion over the first decade, and by as much as $1.3 trillion in the decade after that. So I just want to be clear, for all those who are continually carping about how this is somehow a big spending government bill, this cuts our deficit by $132 billion the first 10 years, and by over a trillion in the second. That argument that opponents are making against this bill does not hold water. " The one thing the President and his ego has forgotten is that the health debate is never a winner in the long term, the costs of keeping people alive is always on the up, that is due to the costs of new drugs and new medical developments. Thus if Obama really thinks the US Government is going to make real saving in health he needs to come to the UK. The cost of NHS is always going up, and at the end of the day there is the rationing of care, its harsh but real, and when the US voter wakes up to that the Democrats will be in real trouble in 2010 and 2012.