Mistakes in Process if not the Result - Blair on Iraq

The Times: Reports that former UK PM Tony Blair will admit mistakes in the lead up to the War in Iraq if not the result. This blogger supported the Iraq War, this was due in part to the presentation of the Tony Blair and the UK Government that Iraq was a threat to the UK and its military bases. But to be honest by 2003 it can be argued that Iraq was winning the PR war, the sanctions had a negative impression on voters, also the RAF in the No Fly Zones had to take constant flak from Iraq. The UK was lucky not to lose any brave pilots due to these missions. In 2003 it was now or never to finish the threat of Iraq and thus against public opinion this blogger supported the War. If one discounts the intelligence information that was false when it comes to Iraq; all powers believed that Iraq was a threat; its the after War planning that really lets Tony Blair down, the UK won the war but lost the peace, at the end of the day the UK was forced out of Iraq, not by the terrorists but the Iraqi Government and the USA, the UK was seen as weak, it wanted to make deals and not fight, the USA at the end of the day found the UK a hindrance to its operations. The post war planning is the real trial of Tony Blair.

Real Politics of Health Care Reform

Politico: Reports on the comments of Democratic Senator Mary Landreiu, the Senator stated that health care reform could be on its death bed. Lets be honest folks, the Senate has just one wish, that the liberals drop their campaign for health care reform, the Democrats want to keep control of the House and Senate in 2010, the one way to make sure that the Republicans take over is for Democrats to do an end run around the wishes of the voters. Please Democrats do that, then Republicans can take over and the Obama Presidency will be over in 2012.

Health Reform Bill and Liberals

The Almanac of American Politics: Reports that Speaker Pelosi has stated that she has the votes to pass health care reform, the article stats the following, ".....muster enough votes to pass the Senate version of health care reform if the upper chamber agreed to adjust the bill through the reconciliation process. " The moderate and conservative Democrats in the Senate don't need the headache of this process, if the Senate goes along with this deft plan the Democrats will be handing over Congress to the Republicans in 2010. The last thing Obama needs is after the State of Union that was about jobs is to go back to the issue of health, its a vote loser. Lets hope the Chicago White House buries this idea as the mob buried informers, never to be seen again.

Liberals vs Obama on DEFENSE

Fox News: Reports that Speaker Pelosi is causing heart burn to the Obama White House, the liberal Speaker wants to freeze defense spending, the Obama White House wants to freeze domestic spending. It is a fact of political life folks, that liberals spend like drunk sailors with the credit card of the nation, but the one area they always want to cut is defense spending. The Obama White House wants to reconnect with independent voters, in factor in the Mass vote was the appearance by the Obama White House that it was weak on national security. Its a charge that Republicans throw all the time and its the charge Democrats never win the long run. Thus Oval has to make sure that Speaker Pelosi tows the White House line, no cuts in defense spending.

Obama and the STATE OF THE UNION

The White House has released excerpts of what President Obama will say in his 1st State of the Union as President. Here are some of the most interesting parts to this blogger!, " We face big and difficult challenges. And what the American people hope – what they deserve – is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds and different stories and different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared. A job that pays the bill. A chance to get ahead. Most of all, the ability to give their children a better life. " This is a bit rich from this President, the STAR has only reached earth due to the Mass vote, he has to talk to Republicans now or his Agenda is dead on the Hill. Also the stress of jobs is a good move, but the next nine months has to be about jobs,jobs,jobs, not telling the American people that they should learn to love the Obama health care reform bill. It seems that the Liberals in the White House and in Congress have not got the message with the election of Senator Scott Brown, thus Obama is still stressing health care, the President states the following in the speech, " By the time I’m finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance. Millions will lose it this year. Our deficit will grow. Premiums will go up. Co-pays will go up. Patients will be denied the care they need. Small business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether. I will not walk away from these Americans. And neither should the people in this chamber. " Is POTUS asking the House to pass the Senate Health Care Reform Bill, this would force moderate and conservative Democrats over the cliff, does Obama want to lose the House in 2010. The President is targeting Independent voters in the speech, Obama states the following, " Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it’s time for something new. Let’s try common sense. Let’s invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt. Let’s meet our responsibility to the people who sent us here. " Its President Obama who has been fighting the same tired battles, hence health care, he is still fighting the issue after the Mass vote. The White House still has some political reality thus they see that the US voter is fed up with how Washington works, thus this statement by the President, " I’m also calling on Congress to continue down the path of earmark reform. You have trimmed some of this spending and embraced some meaningful change. But restoring the public trust demands more. For example, some members of Congress post some earmark requests online. Tonight, I’m calling on Congress to publish all earmark requests on a single website before there’s a vote so that the American people can see how their money is being spent. " It has taken President Obama a year to get to this point, depends are how foolish the American voter is, one has to come to the conclusion that Obama is no Bill Clinton, he is not that good a politician.