Iowa

Fox News: Dick Morris set's out the path for Obama and Edwards to stop Hillary Clinton in Iowa. Lets hope both Obama and Edwards take the time to read this very good article.

The Paper Trail

The Politico: Reports that the Clinton Library will release more documents on the role of Hillary Clinton in the Bill Clinton White House. Let me guess nothing damaging will be released and even the low grade negative stuff will get a release on Friday afternoon, taking out the rubbish!!

George Tenet Review

Have just finished At the Centre of the Storm, My years at the CIA by George Tenet with Bill Harlow. One fault that stands out is the opinion that intelligence gathers should gather intelligence and then leave the decision to policy makes. On the whole agree with the view but also like Intelligence providers to help with policy. But would recommend reading, very interesting book and if your a political geek fun to read between the lines, after all this is about Intelligence.

Bill Clinton and 2008

Bill Clinton should follow the example of President George H.W.Bush and keep out of Presidential Elections if the candidate is your son or your wife. The bad performance of Hillary Clinton at a recent debate is not helped if she is seen running for help from her husband. Bush 43 kept Bush 41 out of the public eye. The one thing that Hillary Clinton does not need is recall the bad memories of the 1990s. The impression that Hillary Clinton is using her husband to keep secret her advice to him will not help her with the public. Think Lady Thatcher and the same question, you get the idea. Bill Clinton is a master politician but that is not the point, Hillary Clinton is running, and if the impressions starts to gather followers that she is weak then she is finished as a Presidential Candidate.

Seattlepi.com: Click to see Bill Clinton as First Defender.

Elite Papers and Pakistan

IHT: A very interesting article in the Tribune, in many ways has the same arguments as mentioned is this blog, the Tribune states the following, " Musharraf's move to seize emergency powers and abandon the Constitution left Bush administration officials close to their nightmare: a U.S.-backed military dictator who is risking civil instability in a country with nuclear weapons and an increasingly alienated public. " The USA Foreign Policy is snookered to use a snooker term, a undemocratic government but a government needed for the War on Terror and more important has the bomb.

Washington Post: Does not have any real answer to the problem of Pakistan, the best it can come up with is this, " No one pretends that there are easy answers in Pakistan, where nuclear weapons and growing extremism could come together in the ultimate nightmare scenario. " The only answer they have is to have a go at President Bush, that is a lot of help at present.

No Elections in Pakistan ?

BBC: Reports that the planned elections in Pakistan could be on hold for over a year. This is not good, Democracy what ever its faults is still the best system, when a government tries to undermine the Democratic process it plays in to the hands of the extreme elements in society. As my previous Blog on this issue, temporary rule to get some peace is one thing, to block the Democratic Process is a bad idea. The problem is what next, Pakistan is a key Ally in the War on Terror. Thus sanctions are out, we need this government to work with us, there are British troops in Afghanistan. A very thorny issue over the next days, weeks, years for the West.