What Political Surprise Will October Bring

Here we are going into October, in one of the most important elections in many years, and many are waiting for the dreaded "October" surprise to occur, which can change fates in a matter of days.
What will the nature of the surprise be? Another skeleton falling out of Obama's closet? A former POW or captor coming out with horrible details of McCain's treasonous actions while a POW? A Bidenism? A another pathetic Palin interview with verbal slippage? bin-Laden releasing another last minute tape to scare America and secure McCain's election? What do you think it will be?
Personally I thought it would be an Iranian attack on American assets which would lead to a military action, thereby bringing "terrorism" back to the fore and giving the edge to McCain, due to his supposed experience. It may still happen, but seems less likely each day.

This story on October surprises was at Yahoo News by GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer:
Heading into the final weekend of the 2004 presidential campaign, John Kerry was feeling good about his chances of winning the White House.

The Democratic nominee thought he had bested President Bush in their three prime-time debates. He also felt he'd convinced Americans his military and foreign affairs experience left him better equipped to end the Iraqi war. Then Osama bin Laden weighed in with the most recent "October surprise" to land with a thud on a presidential campaign. Kerry believes bin Laden cost him the presidency by issuing a videotape that criticized Bush and warned U.S. voters that "your security is in your own hands" in the election. And the Massachusetts senator thinks that's instructive for both Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain during the final month of their campaign.

From Henry Kissinger's declaration that "peace is at hand" in Vietnam a month before the 1972 election, to a report just before the 2000 vote that George W. Bush had once been arrested for drunken driving, last-minute sensations have demonstrated the potential to reshape a race. "It changed the entire dynamic of the last five days," Kerry said this week of the bin Laden tape. "We saw it in the polling. There was no other intervening event. We saw the polls freeze and then we saw them drop a point, because all the security moms, it agitated people over 9/11." Kerry added, "Whenever you're close to an election, things have more impact, you don't have time to respond, you don't have time to change the dynamics backwards."

That certainly was the concern in 1980, the election year that spawned the term "October surprise." In a twist of fate, the name grew out of a fear that never was realized. Republican Ronald Reagan was challenging Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter in 1980. Precisely a year before Election Day, a group of Islamic radicals had stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, and seized American hostages.

President Carter worked throughout the campaign to secure their release, including launching an ill-fated rescue mission in April 1980 that killed eight U.S. servicemen. Critics say the Reagan team was so concerned that Carter would gain a boost by winning their release just before the election, that his campaign manager and others negotiated privately with the Iranians to ensure that did not happen. It didn't, and Reagan ended up beating Carter. The 52 hostages were released Jan. 20, 1981 — the day the former California governor was inaugurated as president. At least three books on the subject have the term "October surprise" in their title, although no conspiracy was ever proven. Even though the month has just begun, the specter of an October surprise has already factored into the 2008 campaign.

Obama's campaign had to bat down reports that his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, was going to release a book this month. Obama distanced himself from Wright earlier this year after the preacher, among other things, suggested the U.S. government was capable of planting AIDS in the black community.

McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, stopped cooperating with lawmakers investigating her firing of the state's public safety commissioner after one joked that the findings could amount to an "October surprise" for the vice presidential nominee. Sen. Hollis French, a Democrat, later apologized for the remark. Palin was to debate her Democratic rival, Sen. Joe Biden, on Thursday.

U.S. intelligence sources, meanwhile, have warned about the potential for another attack by bin Laden and al-Qaida terrorists, seen by some as a potential boost for McCain. The Arizona senator and Vietnam veteran has argued he has stronger national security credentials than his Democratic rival, a freshman senator from Illinois. The same concern was voiced last spring by Harold Ickes, then an adviser to Obama rival Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In emphasizing the credentials of the New York senator and former first lady, Ickes said: "We don't know enough about Senator Obama yet. We don't need an October surprise. And (the chance of) an October surprise with Hillary is remote." From Obama's perspective, an October surprise may have begun a month early: The turmoil in U.S. financial markets that erupted in September triggered criticism of McCain's leadership and economic understanding, and polls showed Obama starting to open a lead in key battleground states.

That movement could be reversed in the two remaining presidential debates — or by a true October surprise. Kerry said any surprise deliberately engineered by one of the campaigns would be a risky endeavor. "I think the media has grown much more suspicious of it because of the recent experiences," he said, "so I suspect there'll be a lot of scrutiny and maybe even some backlash."

It is going to be a long October, as we wait for the "surprise" to come!!
Have a Great Thursday!!

Green Zone Attacked

This story coming out of Baghdad, indicates that even with al-Sadr's extension of the ceasefire, that there are terrorists who can get close enough to launch rockets or mortars into the "famous, safe" Green Zone.

Rockets or mortars hit the U.S.-protected Green Zone early Saturday, just a day after powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his Mahdi Army militia to extend its cease-fire by another six months.

Nearly 10 blasts could be heard in the sprawling area along the Tigris River that houses the U.S. and British embassies, the Iraqi government headquarters and thousands of American troops. It was not immediately clear whether there were casualties. Maj. Brad Leighton, a U.S. military spokesman, confirmed the Green Zone was hit by indirect fire, the military's term for a rocket or mortar attack, but could not provide more details.

The flurry of attacks followed a substantial lull in such violence as security has increased in the capital over the last half-year. Earlier in the week, the U.S. military blamed Iranian-backed Shiite militias that have broken away from al-Sadr's block for the rocket attacks. Iran denies that it sponsors extremists in Iraq.

Is this new uptick in violence and indication that the gains made by the Surge, are at their pinnacle, and we are now going to see a descent back into the violence before the Surge! For our Troops, and the Iraqi civilians, I hope this is not the case, but as of today, it does not look good for them!


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al-Qaeda Backlash?

Did the assassins of Adbul-Sattar Abu Risha, turn the tide against al-Qaeda operatives in Iraq?

Some 1,500 mourners called for revenge Friday as they buried the leader of the Sunni revolt against al-Qaeda, who was assassinated by a bomb after meeting with President Bush earlier this month. An al-Qaeda front in Iraq claimed responsibility for the blast that killed Adbul-Sattar Abu Risha, 37, and three companions. A statement posted on the Internet by the Islamic State of Iraq called Abu Risha "one of the dogs of Bush" and described Thursday's killing as a "heroic operation that took over a month to prepare."

This could be the proverbial "straw that broke the camels back", as al-Qaeda has caused thousands of deaths since the beginning of the insurgency and they may have over-stepped their bounds by killing this sheik.

I am not sure how this will work out for the people in this region of Iraq, but the foundation of revenge attacks against al-Qaeda have been sown and only time will tell whether that is good or bad for Iraqi's and for our troops, who are stuck in the middle of this violence!



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Musharraf Rejects U.S. Attack

In a story I was just reading, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf said Tuesday that talk of U.S. military strikes against al-Qaida in Pakistan only hurts the fight against terrorism, and his troops bombarded militant hideouts in their strongest response yet to a month of anti-government attacks. Ten suspected militants were killed.

May we please have the President, Congress, and the presidential hopefuls refrain from telling our enemies any further plans that we may have for them. We have Obama, saying would attack inside Pakistan without their permission, and the President agreeing, that he would also attack if their were "actionable" intelligence, and it goes on and on. We dis' one of our few allies left in the world and telegraph to our enemies what we will and won't do.

For once will the politician's stop playing with the lives of people with their comments. Even if they are going to do something, could you just keep it to yourself, so that it might have a better than "snowballs chance in hell', of actually succeeding. Bush couldn't keep quiet on bin-Laden, and he's still running free, "if he's still alive", and then Iraq, and border security, airport security, there is not one area of the "terrorism war", that either he or his political enemies have not babbled on about, to every media outlet in the world.

My God, if we have one secret left in this country, except who Really leaked the name of Valerie PLame, if would absolutely amaze me!

Think about it folks, Obama, Bush and others are talking about attacking a sovereign nation, and not just any nation, but a "friend" in the war on terror. Perhaps there is more that Musharraf could do, but this is a leader who is fighting it out on his streets daily, with terrorist's who have tried to assassinate him several times, so we should understand his trepidation, as to how much his countrymen will allow him to do without revolting. He bombed areas today, left alone in the past, but he may need a little more time to get things done, and if we were "true" friends we would allow him that time. After all if it just success that we want we would have already gone in, and we would leave behind another country that we wrecked, because of our "intervention"!

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Israel Responds To Rocket Attacks

What a twisted world this continues to be when many call on Israel to stop attacking “innocents” in the Gaza Strip. This completely ignores the fact that the Israeli’s are trying to protect their citizens from continued rocket attacks from the Hamas militants. It is Hamas that started these rocket attacks and it is Hamas who can stop firing the rockets and Israel would in turn stop attacking targets in Gaza. To put the onus of stopping the fighting on Israel is ridiculous. They are merely doing what any nation that comes under attack would do, which is to defend itself, and any government that did not respond would not be in power very long.
The White House on Friday urged Israeli’s and Palestinian’s to spare “innocents” from attacks, but said it expected that Israel would defend itself from rockets launched at it by the Islamist movement Hamas. You think, why make any statement if it is going to be a nonsensicalstatement like that, If “innocents” are injured in attacks by Israel it is only by accident as they attempt to stop the people firing the rockets, whereas the “innocents” being attacked by Hamas are intentionally targeted.
No matter what happens it seems that Israel is always supposed to be the ones to stop fighting first, which makes absolutely no sense when rockets continue to rain down on their citizens. Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas is obviously not strong enough to force Hamas to stop attacking Israel with the rockets.
An Israeli woman was killed on Monday by a rocket and Israel warned Hamas ,of which Prime Minister Ismail Haniya , is a prominent member that neither he nor any of the Hamas leadership were immune from attack.
They should in fact be primary targets as they allow the militants to continue assaulting Israel with the rockets. Perhaps if some of the leadership was killed it might encourage them to commit to a ceasefire with Israel.
We should not issue statements like the one mentioned above from the White House which almost equates what each side is doing as the same. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that we stand with our friends. And Israel is a friend that has taken a great deal of punishment from many of the nation’s of the world over the years. They have had many of their innocent citizen’s killed by militants, suicide bombers, etc.,. America has long stood by them in their time of need and we should not be giving anything to the militants in the form of words or encouragement that their cause is just, or in anyway makes them doubt our resolve to stand by Israel.
There are innocents on both sides, but while Israel is defending itself, the “innocents” on the Palestinian side allow the militants to use them as human shields, and many actively support Hamas, so they bring the death and destruction on themselves by this misguided support for the terrorists in their midst.
I hope Abbas can convince Hamas to stop firing their rockets, but until they stop Israel must be allowed to protect its people from this reign of terror and we need to give them our full support.

Exotic Animals,PETA And Another Day In Iraq

I have just been reading the Iowa Press-Citizen story concerning an upcoming show at the Sycamore Mall which incorporates exotic animals in its’ show and the trouble that is being caused by People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who want the city council to intervene and stop the show.
According to the story a letter was sent to the council by Lisa Wathne, a captive exotic animal specialist who alleges that the show seriously mistreats the animals. She says in her letter that staffers with the show were untrained and intentionally cruel to several animals.
This from a group of well meaning whack jobs who believe that animals deserve not just equal treatment as humans, but better treatment than humans. They think that the major problem on this planet is the is the life form known as humans and that the planet would be better off without us. While that would indeed be a boon for the planet, but it would not be so hot for everyone of us. There is no logic in that form of thinking and that is why these people should be ignored.
I do not believe in being cruel to animals and believe everything should be done to make animals comfortable and respected, but the bottom line is that they are still animals. We use them for food sources, clothing, entertainment, companionship in some cases and that is the state of the world. PETA can do their boycotts, petitions, etc., but they are a crazy minority and should be treated accordingly.
There was a comment by Kevin Digmann, the Sycamore Mall Manager, that he had checked out this show which has performed at other malls across the country, and found no such abuses.
G.W. Exotic Animal Memorial Park, based in Wynnewood, Okla., is scheduled to produce its "Mystical Magic of the Endangered" show May 30 to June 3 at Sycamore Mall.
Jennifer Ross of Sycamore Mall's management said the show's feature act, Joe Exotic, will perform magic tricks to spread a message to school-age children about the dangers of drugs and drunken driving as well as the importance of saving the environment. The show features animals such as lions and tigers that people can pose with for photos for donations to benefit endangered animals.
The council will discuss the letter at its work session Monday and decide whether to discuss a new ordinance at later meetings, assistant city manager Dale Helling said.
I for one believe this is going to be a great show and plan to attend and support the people who care for such beautiful creatures, perhaps even get a photo with my astrological symbol; the Lion. How cool is that, I think way cool!! Let us all turn out and enjoy the show, and let PETA know that you can take care of animals and still enjoy them, without being a monster.
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In another story there have been more american deaths in Iraq. U.S. and Iraqi troops searched house-to-house and combed fields with their bare hands Saturday after American troops and their Iraqi interpreter came under attack in the notorious "triangle of death" south of Baghdad, leaving five dead and three missing.
The military said the patrol was struck in a pre-dawn explosion near Mahmoudiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad — an al-Qaeda area where two U.S. soldiers were found massacred after disappearing at a checkpoint nearly a year ago.
A nearby unit heard the blast and the search was launched after communication could not be established with the patrol, the military said. Shortly after the blast, a drone observed two burning vehicles.
An emergency response unit arrived at the scene and found five members of the team dead and three others missing.
Checkpoints were established throughout the area, while helicopters and jets buzzed overhead. AP Television News footage showed Iraqi soldiers picking through cattails and other weeds as they searched fields and canals for clues.
The military refused to specify whether the Iraqi interpreter was among those killed or missing and would not give more details about where the bodies were found.
One possible reason is that this interpreter could have been in collusion with the terrorists.
An Iraqi army officer who was familiar with the search said he saw five badly burned bodies inside a Humvee at the site, suggesting the remains may not have been recognizable. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information.
He also said joint U.S.-Iraqi forces had sealed off the area and were conducting house-to-house searches, rounding up dozens of suspects. The military declined to comment on detentions but said troops were looking for suspects.
The Iraqi officer said U.S. troops singled out seven suspects out of as many as 50, including a wounded man who was hiding in a house and confessed to participating in the attack. He said most of the houses searched near the attack contained only women and children because the men had fled, fearing arrest.
The attack occurred at 4:44 a.m. about 12 miles west of Mahmoudiya, a town of about 65,000 in a Sunni area dubbed the "triangle of death" for the frequent attacks against Shiite civilians and U.S. and Iraqi forces.
It has been quite awhile since american soldiers have been kidnapped rather than killed. On June 16, 2006, two American soldiers — Pfc. Kristian Menchaca of Houston and Pfc. Thomas Tucker of Madras, Ore. — went missing after their Humvee was ambushed at a checkpoint near Youssifiyah, north of Mahmoudiya.
Their bodies were found days later, tied together with a bomb between one of the victim's legs. But the remains were not recovered until the next morning, after an Iraqi civilian warned that bombs had been planted in the area.
A third soldier, David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was found dead at the scene of the attack.
Also Saturday, the military announced the death of an American soldier from a bomb attack Friday near Iskandariyah, 30 miles south of Baghdad.
At least 30 Iraqis were reported killed or found dead elsewhere in Iraq, including a Sunni physician shot to death on his way home from work in the northern city of Mosul.
The last U.S. soldier known to have been captured was Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie, whose name is also spelled Ahmed Kousay Altaie, an Iraqi-born reserve soldier from Ann Arbor, Mich., who was abducted while visiting his Iraqi wife on Oct. 23 in Baghdad.
Sgt. Keith M. Maupin of Batavia, Ohio, was taken on April 9, 2004, after insurgents ambushed a fuel convoy. Two months later, a tape on Al-Jazeera purported to show a captive U.S. soldier being shot, but the Army ruled it was inconclusive proof of Maupin's death.
Both are still listed as missing.
We have been told that as the “surge” takes place there will be an uptick in violence as we take the fight to the insurgent terrorists, so this attack should be no surprise. They are rooting the rats out of their hiding places and so do not listen to the nightly newscasters who will surely portray this attack as another sign that we are failing instead of showing that the plan is working. It is sad that our troops die, but if they can end this insurgency then their deaths will not have been in vain. They will be remembered as the heroes that they are for they defend our country by fighting in a distant land. May their families know how that we grieve with them and mourn the loss of these brave young men.