"And how badly are you doing when you lose to Animal Planet? Sheesh."

In KO's case it is perfectly understandable that Flower, Zaphod and all the kids would bury him. I would much rather watch Shakespeare help one of the kids eat a scorpion or centipede than watch and listen to KO.

Unfortunately, Keith is doing stuff right lately. He's won a few times in the demo. He gets around a million total viewers every night. He has enough clout that his girlfriend was hired as a reporter at WPIX-TV. He's so damn powerful. As I keep saying, he frustrates me greatly, and there isn't a damn thing I or any of us can do about it. God, I hate him.

I still contend that once the election is over, Keith's ratings will plummet especially if Obamanation wins. No one is going to watch Keith attack FNC every night and as Obamanation fails, even moonbats will get sick of hearing Keith as Obamanation's minister of spin. I think Olbermann will begin to fail even if McCain wins. I don't think many people are going to be able to take Keith seriously when he pulls the same crap on McCain that he has pulled on Bush. Bush makes a pretty easy target, but it will be hard to smear McCain night after night.

I would have agreed with you in the past Factor but I think we underestimate the sick depths of venality his fan base sinks to at our own peril. I still think that you are probably right but I also think possibly we could be surprised.

Of course, since the world's leading authority on Orallmoron, Robert Cox,has predicted he is cruisin for a bruisin it may make no difference who wins.

All of the news channels will see a ratings loss after the election when thigs settle down.

The strong will survive and the weak will be axed. God forbid, if obama wins, Olbyonesidedkanoby will only be able to blame Bush for obamas short comings for so long. He will sink fast.

When McCain wins, the far leftists (the ones that don't hang themselves or od) will continue to tune in to him for their nightly 'McBush is evil!' and 'O'Reilly said this!' fix. Oh, then there's his Brittany Spears/Lindsay Lohan olbsession........

"I still contend that once the election is over, Keith's ratings will plummet especially if Obamanation wins." (The Factor)

"I would have agreed with you in the past Factor but I think we underestimate the sick depths of venality his fan base sinks to at our own peril. I still think that you are probably right but I also think possibly we could be surprised." (Grammie)

I'm sort of caught in the middle on this one; but I do think that Olbermann's numbers will drop back below 1 million a night once the election cycle is over. Right now, he seems to be straddling that line. Unfortunately, I don't think they'll plummet the way we'd all like to see. However, he does seem to me a bit more hysterical than usual- to the point that he's now on some prominent people's radar screens (Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, F&F, White House). And with O'Reilly's relentless negative coverage of NBC's bias, I don't know how much longer Olbermann will be able to get away with his schtick. If something has to give, maybe it will be Kief's job.

Like I've been saying in 8 months KO and the rest of the Liberal media are going to be facing some hard times..with the loss of Bush Countdown,Hardball heck all of MSNBC,The Daily show,the Colbert report,SNL and the rest will be face with two possible decisions...

If Obama win do they do hours and hours of Obama a## kissing or do they dare go after him?

If McCain wins can they generate the same level of hate as against Bush?

I think the answer to both is no..they can't go after Lord Obama he's one of them and they won't be able to turn McCain into Bush 2 it just won't work.

What we will see is a raise in FOX's ratings again as they'll be the only opposition voice against the possible coming Dem controlled Government while KO and company will be forced to become just Government mouth pieces with no one will want to watch night after night.

Unlike Rush or O'Reilly who have proven they can be successful no matter whose in charge KO and his kind can only function in one gear....bashing Bush and that was only good for 8yrs. LOL!!!

Well, BOR isn't a partisan nor is he conservative. He's independent and fair-minded. Some of his positions are conservative, others are liberal, some libertarian, etc.
But I digress.

"Wll, BOR isn't a partisan nor is he a conservative."......Yeah! Not at all like that partisan conservative Keith Olbermann.

"He's independent and fair minded"......Ditto! Just like Rush.

"Some of his positions are conservative"......I was just starting to suspect that myself.

"Others are liberal"......Especially his liberal ideas about how to use a telephone!

Countdown's ratings are like a Ponzi scheme. Abnormally high short terms gains that are doomed to collapse. Keith's Howard Beale moment will come when his increasingly bombastic spews no longer generate additional viewers.

Wat to go, mikeh! You really ripped mikec a new one! (sarcasm on high) LOL!

Not to make Mike feel unwelcome--even though he took apart my comment in an Olby way (take pieces of an article or quote and snark in response)--but why did you register him, Bob? I guess we had to have at least one dissenter.

MikeC,

When all commenters are on the same side it gets boring. That is why we need "dissent" like that which MikeH provides. It's not good that he is the only one. MikeH is the only dissenter registered on OW because virtually all of the lefties were saboteurs who were not interested in honest debate.

lefties were saboteurs who were not interested in honest debate.

by rico

mikeh doesn't debate anyone. He comes here to tell us we're all wrong, to type 'needless deaths' and to avoid all things olbermahn!

Anyone notice how much live programming MSDNC has on Memorial Day compared to Fox and CNN?

Clearly, MSNBC does not care about covering the true meaning of Memorial Day. it's just a day off for everyone !!! yipee.

nothing but Repreats of Dateline and headliners and legends....

It just goes to the core of what truly rots at the news leadership at NBC.

Al jazeera @ 30 rock
Obama headquarters @ 30 rock

J$

You should put your video wizardry into motion. Obama now speaking in New Mexico at 330pm EST....he's actually giving a good speech.

Fox and CNN covering it....MSNBC in repreats.....
I think it goes to the heart of what MSNBC is all about...Schlock news coverage overall and ---- on a day as solemn as Memorial day...they are in friggin repeats !

msdnc could give a rats ass about anyone who has served, period.

Well you know, at MSNBC, nothing says "Memorial Day" like sexual predators and prison rapes.

"Well you know, at MSNBC, nothing says "Memorial Day" like sexual predators and prison rapes." johnny dollar

Well with the mindset at MSNBC some there probably do view our People in uniform in the same light.

I laughed when I saw Obama's Memorial Day speech. What a joke. I don't know how anyone can take that clown seriously.

Actually, Fidel Castro thinks Obama would be a great president. Fidel and Barry are both Marxists, so when Obama goes to Havana to meet with the Castro brothers, they probably will have a lot to talk about.

http://tinyurl.com/4yazg7

First Matthews, then Olbermann, then Hamas, now Castro....who's next? Hugo Chavez? Achmedinijad? B. Hussein Obama is really racking up the anti-American vote!

Still waiting for OBL to endorse so obama can say he's like an uncle....

"Still waiting for OBL to endorse so obama can say he's like an uncle...."

Maybe he is an uncle.

Unfortunately, plenty of people take Obama seriously. Hopefully, one to two terms of him won't be too bad. :-\
Also unfortunately, tonight (Tuesday) will be another night of around a million total viewers for Man on Fan and a close demo race. These things are for certain in the next few months:
1) Willie Randolph will not be fired as NY Mets Manager.
2) Omar Minaya will not be fired as NY Mets General Manager.
3) Cablevision will not add the channels I want (i.e. Fox Business Network).
4) Keith Olbermoronn will not be fired/let go by the totally-in-line-with-Oralmann GE/NBC brass. :'(

Obama sees dead people? These blog posts are rich. The Obama gaffe machine is running at full steam. What a moron.

http://tinyurl.com/6kboqy

http://tinyurl.com/3nglk5

Yep, SNOBamessiah messes up again.....

"On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes — and I see many of them in the audience here today — our sense of patriotism is particularly strong."

###
I was not aware that yesterday was Veteran's Day.....I suppose my visit to my grandfather's grave to place a new American Flag was my error......sorry SNOBamessiah!

.....Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service......

Scary that a nominee for President of The United States and his campaign is not aware what Memorial Day is about.....

Obama is so out of it. He has no clue how most Americans live or what they believe. Anyone who is friends with a terrorist (among other malcontents) just might not be up on what mainstream America thinks. Clueless idiot.

Speaking of clueless idiots, I am watching F&F and the John Dean-call girl theory is being discussed. LOL. Olby's chiclet-toothed hero unmasked.

Will this be covered tonight on COUNTDOWN.....

"McCain: How about traveling to Iraq, Barack?"

http://tinyurl.com/44pyly

###
With the good news regarding Al Queda and the extremists on the Shia side seeing military AND political defeat in Iraq at the hands of our brave American soldiers and the Iraqis, SNOBamessiah has talked himself into a box....His claim of defeat in 2006 will come to haunt him as progress continues and I hope Senator McCain keeps the pressure on him to reconcile his predictions in 2006 and what occurred under Bush's leadership since....

SNOBamessiah is willing to meet with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad....is he willing to meet with General David Petraeus?

Another really bad SNOBamessiah gaffe (lie)....on Memorial Day, no less!.....

"In one of his more egregious and easily demonstrated lies, made even more so by the day he decided to let it loose on, Obama has rewritten WWII history such that the allies liberated Auschwitz.

"...Obama also spoke about his uncle, who was part of the American brigade that helped to liberate Auschwitz...

"Auschwitz of course is in Poland. It was liberated by the Red Army on Jan 27 1945. Poland, on most maps is usually placed to the east of Germany, although we may need to investigate the geography textbooks the Messiah used as a child..."

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/265103.php

###
Oh my....The Americans did not liberate Auschwitz!.....This is a huge error and yet another gaffe by the neophyte.....

SNOBamessiah is willing to meet with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad....is he willing to meet with General David Petraeus?

I love this question. Great one.

Cee, apparently B. Hussein thinks his relatives were Commies, which does not surprise me.

Philly.....SNOBamessiah was lying all the way back in his anti-war speech in 2002!.......

"My grandfather signed up for a war the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, fought in Patton’s army. He saw the dead and dying across the fields of Europe; he heard the stories of fellow troops who first entered Auschwitz and Treblinka. He fought in the name of a larger freedom, part of that arsenal of democracy that triumphed over evil, and he did not fight in vain."

###
Those of us who have a real knowledge of American History know that our brave troops in WWII DID NOT liberate Auschwitz or Treblinka!.....THE RED ARMY liberated these concentration camps! I cannot believe no one has called SNOBamessiah out on this huge gaffe in a speech he claims shows his intelligence and judgement regarding international affairs!

Good point, Cee! I am glad Olbywatch and other blogs are here to help expose the lies.

I hope Sean Hannity, Rush and Gibby read this thread today. MSM will never speak of this.

Obama is about to deliver a speech about the Auschwitz and Treblinka gaffe. This ought to be a doozy.

Another explanation, shocker!

More OlbyFodder: Fat Ass won 452,000 to 273,000 in the demo Friday night. Expect trumpeting tonight and more questions along the lines of why BOR's face is red. Mine certainly is. >:-(

The stats I use are generally the quarterly data although I sometimes I use annual or monthly data. Data on a given night is irrelevant because it is event driven.

In this case, the blue blogs were frothing over the RFK thing and Keith was out pandering to the Kossacks for viewers while Bill was off (E.D. Hill subbing).

For fans of the movie Patton, it is kind of like when Patton won his first victory in North Africa only to discover that Rommel was in Berlin with an ear ache and had not actually led attack which Patton had repelled. Yeah, he won in the demo but he beat E.D. Hill not Bill O'Reilly.

E.D. wasn't on that night. It was a repeat. Good analogy, by the way. :)
By the way, while the blue blogs were frothing, the rest of us were going about our lives, some were out for the night.

I didn't notice I said "by the way" in back-to-back sentences until I submitted. Sorry for the redundancy.

As for the "ratings wins" for Olby last week, one BOR was on vacation. Two they were in the L + SD category which, on more than one occasion, Bob has made the point that those ratings are bogus as far as ratings go. I'd like to know the times BOR has been bested bt Olby in total viewers and in the actual 25-54 category. My bet is if that has EVER happened you could count the number of times on one hand.

Wow Cee, in reference to your 12:25 post, I must have missed the disdain you MUST have felt about McCain's relatively recent on camera gaffe about 'Al Qeada fighters being trained in Iran', ..... a gaffe that anyone with even a thread of objectivity would certainly deem far more relevant than one of accidently confusing Auschwitz with Buchenwald.

MikeH, I seriously doubt that recent terrorist history has been documented as much as WWII. Books, documentaries and movies are available to grade-schoolers on up, including those in Hawaii, where the Pearl Harbor attack occurred. Didn't Obama go to school in Hawaii? Hmmmm...

More problems for Obama and the Auschwitz gaffe?

http://tinyurl.com/3lrmd2

MikeH is "the" SNOBamessiah apologist extraordianaire...

...nice defense of the learned effete elitist who is aware of the motives of his fellow Americans in worshiping The Lord or buying their "six-shooters" for hunting (another Snobamagaffe)....use Senator McCain's switch of a word, Shia for Sunni, to defend the savior from his inability to tell a story about a relative accurately....good logic....

Read your history books, Mike, there is a big difference between Auschwitz and Buchenwald....the first being that NO AMERICAN TROOPS ever saw the victims of Aucshwitz while over 20,000 laborers were emancipated by the allies from the various camps in Buchenwald.....The USSR liberated a few thousand surviving victims in Auschwitz months before because that camp was ONLY FOR EXTERMINATION while the Buchenwald facilities were forced labor....One was in Soviet occupied POLAND, while the real camp in SNOBamessiah's imagination was in Germany.

A touching family story is usually an accurate one....especially when one uses AUSCHWITZ time and again....from his 2002 ANTI-WAR speech he claimed HIS GRANDFATHER spoke with fellow troops who had visited AUSCHWITZ and TREBLINKA.....again these were in Soviet invaded POLAND....His inability to know basic WWII history in a speech he cites as poroof of his intellect and judgement is a very queer thing and once again shows his lack of heft both as a leader and person.

Interesting how he has been trying to buck up his Jewish support and while trying to use ASSOCIATIONS to illustrate what a good guy he is and sensitive to PTSD in veterans, he will argue that chosen associations with anti-American radicals like Wright and Ayers are not applicable....well once again we see the hypocrisy that is SNOBamessiah's....

Mike, you are like all of the cult members I have meet this year....any negative word against your candidate evokes demogoguery and attacks on John McCain....I never before defended the jokes against McCain regarding his Shia/Sunni mix-up....but alas, I find a real mistake by the elitist liberal from Chicago and his fans become crazed!

And lastly, Mike...try to defend your candidate regarding his refusal to visit Iraq and meet with General Petraeus and The Iraqi Leaders in order to assess the great progress.....He is stuck in 2006, along with the other democrat party leaders, when he predicted the war was lost and the US would surrender Iraq to the forces of totalitarianism .... Why will he not have an honest assessment of the what the troops, the Iraqi government and the Iraqi forces are accomplishing in Iraq?....Does it go against his agenda to only use the war for political traction?

It is a long time until Novemeber, and HRC still has to be dealt with too....And SNOBamessiah is showing is lack of knowledge and judgement....He "misspeaks" daily AND he refuses to visit Iraq with John McCain, a fellow Senator and American....what nice issues that can be brought up time and again.....

BTW, do you know what the latest casualty numbers are for May in Iraq, Mike?.....How is the violence goin in Iraq so far in 2008 compared to 2007 and 2006 since SNOBamessiah declared MISSION FAILED!?

And MikeH....what about this.....

"Al Qaeda web sites are making a lot of noise about 'why we lost in Iraq.' Western intelligence agencies are fascinated by the statistics being posted in several of these Arab language sites. Not the kind of stuff you read about in the Western media. According to al Qaeda, their collapse in Iraq was steep and catastrophic. According to their stats, in late 2006, al Qaeda was responsible for 60 percent of the terrorist attacks, and nearly all the ones that involved killing a lot of civilians. The rest of the violence was carried out by Iraqi Sunni Arab groups, who were trying in vain to scare the Americans out of the country.

"Today, al Qaeda has been shattered, with most of its leadership and foot soldiers dead, captured or moved from Iraq. As a result, al Qaeda attacks have declined more than 90 percent. Worse, most of their Iraqi Sunni Arab allies have turned on them, or simply quit. This 'betrayal' is handled carefully on the terrorist web sites, for it is seen as both shameful, and perhaps recoverable."

http://tinyurl.com/54xh3r

###
SNOBamessiah claimed defeat in 2006......along with the Democrats who promised America would be out of Iraq by 2007....George Bush stood up to the weak willed defeatists and look at what has happened to fundamentalist terrorist Islamists in Iraq since....they are utterly defeated....

And now....SNOBamessiah IGNORES this triumph and refuses to recognize the good work in Iraq that continues in the name of honor, freedom of thought and religion...all with the sacrifices of our brave American troops, the Irqi security forces and our ally, the ELECTED Iraqi Government....No....for you and SNOBamessiah Iraq is only a static ERROR and surrender the only option....

6 months to go until the election and already SNOBamessiah wants to ignore the war....he won't be able to ignore it for ever!

Drip, drip, drip....the real SNOBamessiah continues to leak out......

"Obama supporter accuses Jews of 'McCarthyism'"

http://tinyurl.com/65qzhg

###
Wow....one day "the Jews" are the man's friends, the next day "the Jews" are out to get him like Olbermann's overused bogeyman?....Which is it now....I thought the SNOBamessiah campaign was going to be about "unity."

And this latest poll just warms my heart:

"McCain Seen as Candidate Most Likely to Reach Across Party Lines"

"McCain is seen as the more uniting candidate by men and women, young and old, white voters, conservatives and moderates. Obama is seen that way by African-Americans, other minority voters, and those who are politically liberal.

"Some of this perception may stem from the fact that McCain is perceived as closer to the political center than Obama. The Republican candidate is perceived as politically conservative by 45% of voters, moderate by 31%, and liberal by 17%. Obama is seen as politically liberal by 72%, moderate by 19%, and conservative by 3%."

http://tinyurl.com/6yjcqo

###
I like these foundations being formed in May....SNOBamessiah, the out-of-touch liberal....McCain, the scrappy "common guy" moderate.....

SNOBamessiah...."MISSION FAILED!" McCain....."HONOR, VICTORY!"

"Al Qeada web sites are making a lot of noise about "why we lost in Iraq".

Your problem remains that the Iraq War never had much to do with Al Qeada in the first place. Sunni/Shia rivalries were always the main problem....and remains the problem today. Fluctuations in violence levels have not changed that in any way.

And Cee, your wholesale adoption of the rather silly McCain talking point about Obama 'going to Iraq with McCain' magnifies your own shallowness. Two politicians going to Iraq are not going to learn anything other than what they are are briefed about at fortified bases by mission commanders. They WON'T be strolling down the streets of Baghdad. They WON'T be doing sidewalk cafe chats with the locals.

What they WILL see is a lot of rooftops and sand that isn't going to give then ANY real insight about how close we are to the day our troops can come home.

If you really want to understand the very nuanced story what is actually happening in Iraq, the one to really listen to is someone like CNN's Michael Ware, ..... and not ANY politician.

the one to really listen to is someone like CNN's Michael Ware, ...

by mikeh

WOOW! This is VERY telling. Listening to the defender of the enemy, ware. The coward who paid money for "sniper videos" of our own troops getting killed. Nice. Thanks for that tid bit, mikeh. A good one for future reference.

"The coward who paid money of "sniper videos" of our own troops getting killed."

Yea, the "coward" who risked his own life many times going out and finding the REAL story....unlike all his 'brave' colleagues who stayed safe and snug as a bug-in-a-rug either embedded or in the fortified Green Zone.

It's called "aiding the enmy" mikeh. You know, helping the terrorists. Of course you condone it. He sings your song. That's all that matters, right?

I'm still laughing at your "I knew it all along" comment on the other thread. Forgive me.....

"It's called "aiding the enemy" mikeh."

Aiding he enemy is exactly what YOU do every time you defend the failed policy that has empowered Iran like never before but has done nothing to diminish Al Qeada.

Also, there is no better validation for something I have said than to be told that YOU are "laughing" at it.

has empowered Iran like never before but has done nothing to diminish Al Qeada.

by mikeh

Would you happen to have anything besides your opinion to back this?
"Never" and "nothing" are strong words to use when you have nothing to back them with. Except mike malloy's and olbermahns opinions chirped through you. Oh, and the other military expert you like to quote, bill maher. Any HARD evidence?

Would you happen to have anything besides your opinion to back this?"

Gals you asked:

.......Saddam Hussen was Sunni.....Iran is largely Shia.....Shias hate Sunnis......Iran hated Saddam's Iraq.....President Bush didn't know the difference between Shia and Sunni.....Saddam hated and feared Shia dominated Iran.....Iran and Iraq were enemies.....they fought a long war to a standstill with millions dead.....we've now eliminated Iran's enemy for them.....Iran is now empowered like never before.

And NONE of that is just my "opinion" jack!

Wait, hasn't it been you that's said countless times that Iran is NOT a threat? What's changed?

What about "nothing to diminish aq?" Did you forget that one?

"Iran is now empowered like never before." MikeH (OW resident SNOBamessiah excuse machine)

SNOBamessiah said Iran was a tiny threat, MikeH....how can that be.....oh yes, he decided to change that....Sorry, like the flag pin and Reverand Wright, Snobamessiah wants another try at what he believes! he, he, he.....

And lookie here MikeH....SNOBamessiah has changed his mind again....

"Surprise: Obama suddenly considering trip to Iraq

"Senator Barack Obama said today that he is considering visiting American troops and commanders in Iraq this summer. He declined an invitation from Senator John McCain to take a joint trip to Iraq, saying: 'I just don’t want to be involved in a political stunt.'

"In a brief interview here, Mr. Obama said his campaign was considering taking a foreign trip after he secures the Democratic presidential nomination. No details have been set, he said, but added: 'Iraq would obviously be at the top of the list of stops.'

'I think that if I’m going to Iraq, then I’m there to talk to troops and talk to commanders, I’m not there to try to score political points or perform,' Mr. Obama said. 'The work they’re doing there is too important.'

"Just so we’re clear, a 'political stunt' would be letting McCain cow him into a joint trip to Iraq. Letting McCain cow him into a solo trip? Not a stunt. It’s amazing how a townhall meeting carried across the dial on cable news can concentrate the mind, I guess. He’s doing the right thing so I’ll resist the hackiest spin on this ('if he’s this much of a pushover for McCain, what will he be like against…'), but I am sincerely surprised that he’d bow to this sort of pressure so quickly. His flag-pin stance is stupid but there’s a certain ballsiness to it if he’s willing to stick with it and absorb the political consequences because he believes in it. Which … he isn’t. Same here with him backing down after initially objecting to an Iraq trip, same with his ballyhooed speech on race, which could have been given any time after declaring his candidacy last year had he felt deeply about the subject but wasn’t delivered until the Wright thing had become so toxic that he had to do it to try to save his own ass. It’s the Clintons whose every move is supposed to be calculated for political effect; as we’re learning, Obama can beat them at that game, too. Exit question: How high will the RNC counter go?"

http://tinyurl.com/57wz5y

###
Oh well....SNOBamessiah scambles to try to recover from refusing to go to Iraq....Wow....what leadership! I thought he did not need to go to Iraq according to his defenders, like you MikeH....I guess now you will say it is a good idea....

Too bad in has been over TWO YEARS since he has gone to see the great progress for himself! And his rhetoric is that of 2006....MISSION FAILED!

BTW, Iran's influence is a reason we need a strong, DEMOCRATIC ally in Iraq and we need to stay there until that process is complete....SNOBamessiah does not believe that...he wants to pull out and surrender Iraq to the extremists in Iran and the extreme Sunnis as seen in Al Queda (who is nearly defeated and you NEVER addressed that great accomplishment)....

So MikeH....your neophyte, effete leftist anti-war candidate is going to Iraq (I wonder if he can show us where on a map....seems like he has trouble with geography lately)!.....Do you still disagree with that decision?.....

"Two politicians going to Iraq are not going to learn anything other than what they are are briefed about at fortified bases by mission commanders." MikeH

I am glad he has decided to follow Senator McCain's advice to get the information FIRST HAND. How about you, Mike? Another good issue for people to evaluate.

I hope they put the pencil-necked elitist in full combat gear...he'll look worse than Dukakis did in the tank! Good stuff.

"Your problem remains that the Iraq War never had much to do with Al Qeada in the first place." MikeH (OW resident SNOBamessiah excuse machine)....

On my usual course on the web today I come across this excellent rebuttal to the radical left's (and SNOBamessiha's) poor logic:

"WHENEVER retreat-now activists or their favored presidential aspirant are confronted with our progress in Iraq, their stock reply is, 'Al Qaeda wasn't in Iraq in 2003.'

"Well, I happen to agree with Sen. Barack Obama and his supporters on that count: At most, the terrorists had a tenuous connection with Saddam's regime. But it's 2008, not 2003. And our next president will take office in 2009. It's today's reality that matters.

"It's as if, in June 1944, critics had argued from facts frozen in June 1939. ('Why invade Normandy? Hitler's content with Czechoslovakia.')

"In the course of a war - any war - the situation changes, enemies evolve and goals shift. A war to preserve the Union becomes a war to end slavery; a war to defeat one set of totalitarian systems empowers a new network of tyrannies. It's a rare war whose end can be forecast neatly at its outset.

"If we nonetheless quit Iraq in 2009, the defeated remnants of al Qaeda will be able to declare victory, after all. The organization will be able to re-launch itself as the great Muslim victor over the Great Satan. We'll have thrown away a potentially decisive triumph and revived the fortunes of the fanatics who brought us 9/11.

"And the above only detailed the defeat of al Qaeda. Far more is happening in Iraq, all of it good: Muqtada al-Sadr and his thugs have suffered a series of lopsided defeats; Muqtada's hiding in Iran, afraid to return; a democratically elected government has finally taken charge in Baghdad - and gained enormously in popularity.

"Iraqis look forward to the next round of elections (to the dismay of every Persian Gulf autocracy). Crucial legislation has been refined, passed and implemented. Iraq's economy is booming - and its government has begun paying its own way.

"Want more good news? Iran has failed in its bid to take control of Iraq. And our military leaders are drawing down our troop levels according to a sensible plan, with the prospect of more troop cuts to come.

"What don't the critics like? Democracy? The defeat of al Qaeda? Muslims turning to the US military for help? Troop cuts? The dramatically improved human-rights situation? What's the problem here?

"The answer's simple: Admitting that they've been mistaken about Iraq guts the left's argument for political entitlement. If the otherwise deplorable Bush administration somehow got this one right, it means the left got another big one wrong.

"So be prepared for frequent time-machine trips until November. The encouraging reality of today's Iraq will go ignored in favor of an endless mantra of "Al Qaeda wasn't there in 2003 . . ."

"The bottom line? Al Qaeda let the war's opponents down."

http://tinyurl.com/6rtl2f

###
As the good news continues this summer, I think McCain should remind people of SNOBamessiah's contention in 2006 that failure was going to occur under the policy....MISSION FAILED!....But the reality on the ground is 180 degrees from that and that shows SNOBamessiah is not fit to be CIC.....

This issue can be the Achilles heel of the Democrats...They are whimps and cowards when it comes to defending freedom and democracy from totalitarianism...defeatists and pessimists when it comes to facing enemies of our country AND OUR ALLIES! (Iraqi included!)......The American people must be reminded that SNOBamessiah and the left are not capable of keeping us safe from terrorists as well....They are only capable of cheap political use of such issues for their own benefit...like in 2006....MISSION FAILED!

SNOBamessiah's lack of interest in the war by not getting first hand information in Iraq shows the level of commitment he has to defending freedom and democracy in Iraq....Too bad he is now wavering on visiting Iraq now that McCain has challeneged him to do so....

"RNC clock gigs Obama on Iraq"

http://tinyurl.com/6yu9vn

"Obama’s First Day In Iraq Was January 7, 2006. 'Anti-war U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's first day in Iraq did nothing to change his view that if the country's various factions can't achieve political peace, no amount of U.S. involvement will bring stability. ‘If we don't see significant political progress ... over the next six months or so, we can pour money and troops in here until the cows come home, but we're not going to be successful,’ Obama told reporters in a Saturday [January 7, 2006] conference call.' (Eric Krol, “Obama: 'Everything's Up For Grabs' In Iraq,” Chicago Daily Herald, 1/8/06)"

###
We are not going to be successful?....poor SNOBamessiah...he was wrong....look at all of the progress in both Sunni-Shia reconciliiation, decreasing violence and troop deaths AND Al Queda is almost defeated!....NOT SUCCESSFUL?....

"Muqtada al-Sadr and his thugs have suffered a series of lopsided defeats; Muqtada's hiding in Iran, afraid to return; a democratically elected government has finally taken charge in Baghdad - and gained enormously in popularity.

"Iraqis look forward to the next round of elections (to the dismay of every Persian Gulf autocracy). Crucial legislation has been refined, passed and implemented. Iraq's economy is booming - and its government has begun paying its own way.

"Want more good news? Iran has failed in its bid to take control of Iraq. And our military leaders are drawing down our troop levels according to a sensible plan, with the prospect of more troop cuts to come."

###
What a poor judgement back in 2006....

MISSION FAILED!

More bad news for SNOBamessiah and MikeH (OW resident SNOBamessiah excuse machine)....

"Iraq 'stepping back from the abyss,' U.N. chief says"

"'If we were asked to use just one word to describe the situation in Iraq today, I would choose the word 'hope,'' Ban said at the Stockholm, Sweden, conference. "Iraq is stepping back from the abyss that we feared most.'"

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/05/29/iraq.conference/index.html

###
According to SNOBamessiah in 2006, FAILURE was supposed to happen in Iraq unless we pulled out IN SIX MONTHS!.....he, he, he....

Now even the UN is hopeful and what does the radical left in The US want to do.....

the same thing they wanted to do in 2006.....SURRENDER!

MISSION FAILED!

I hope they put the pencil-necked elitist in full combat gear...he'll look worse than Dukakis did in the tank! Good stuff.

by cee

LMAO!

Mmm..the last time I checked, SNOBamessiah was a member of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ (T.U.C.C.)....Look at what was just preached from that pulpit this past weekend....

"…We must be honest enough to expose white entitlement and supremacy wherever it raises its head.

"I said before I don’t want this to be politica because, you know, I’m very unpolitical (mocking tone, huge laughter).

"…When Hillary was crying (gesturing tears, uproarious laughter from audience)–and people said that was put on–I really don’t believe it was put on.

"I really believe that she just always thought ‘This is mine’ (laughter, hoots). ‘I’m Bill’s wife. I’m WHITE. And this is mine. And I jus’ gotta get up. And step into the plate. And then out of nowhere came, ‘Hey, I’m Barack Obama.’ And she said: ‘Oh, damn!’ WHERE DID YOU COME FROM!?!?! (Crowd going nuts, Pfleger screaming). I’M WHITE! I’M ENTITLED! THERE’S A BLACK MAN STEALING MY SHOW. (SOBS!) SHE WASN’T THE ONLY ONE CRYING! THERE WAS A WHOLE LOTTA WHITE PEOPLE CRYING!

"I’m sorry. I don’t wanna get you in any mo’ trouble. The livestreaming just went out again…"

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/5/29/9431/74527

###
This leftist blog asks a good question...."WHAT IS GOING ON AT TRINITY?" Another good question is, "Why does SNOBamessiah still support such an organization?"....

I think I know why...and the unity candidate is quickly becoming the disunity candidate.....polarizing both along ideological and racial lines....

HRC is still there dems to save your White House chances....I would take it if I were you!

And let's just complete today's truth about SNOBamessiah...the compassionate and kind savior of our country.....

"Obama played hardball in first Chicago campaign"

"As a community organizer, he had helped register thousands of new voters. But when it came time to run for office, he employed Chicago rules to invalidate the voting petition signatures of three of his challengers.

"The move denied each of them, including incumbent Alice Palmer, a longtime Chicago activist, a place on the ballot. It cleared the way for Obama to run unopposed on the Democratic ticket in a heavily Democrat district.

"'That was Chicago politics,' said John Kass, a veteran Chicago Tribune columnist. 'Knock out your opposition, challenge their petitions, destroy your enemy, right?' Kass said. 'It is how Barack Obama destroyed his enemies back in 1996 that conflicts with his message today. He may have gotten his start registering thousands of voters. But in that first race he made sure voters had just one choice.'

[...]

"'It's not the tactics of 'let's all people come together and put your best ideas forward and the best ideas win,' ' Kass said. 'That's the spin, that's in the Kool-Aid. You can have some. Any flavor. But the real deal was get rid of Alice Palmer.'

"'There are those who think that registering people to vote and getting them involved in politics and then using this tactic in terms of denying Alice Palmer the right to compete, that these things are inconsistent. And guess what? They are. They are inconsistent. But that's the politics [Obama] plays.'"

http://tinyurl.com/3g4fl9

###
So the next time SNOBamessiah disciples like MikeH claim the moral high ground, change, unity and a fresh future through the miracle of the man.....remember...he's just as low as any politican before and is running from his past as a radical leftist ideologue.

cee, you're pissin' in the wind. mikeh will completely ignore most of what you post even though they're all valid points.

He may pick out one little tid bit, usually the least important part and say, "I have a better question!"

He has already taken Scotty boys book as gospel truth, totally overlooking the fact that what Scotty boy is doing now is EXACTLY what he slammed Richard Clarke for doing when he released HIS book. Fox News had quote after quote of McClelland criticising Clarke and his motives for his book this morning.
>>>

"Well, why, all of a sudden, if he had all these grave concerns, did he not raise these sooner? This is one-and-a-half years after he left the administration. And now, all of a sudden, he's raising these grave concerns that he claims he had. And I think you
have to look at some of the facts. One, he is bringing this up in the heat of a presidential campaign. He has written a book and he certainly wants to go out there and promote that book. Certainly let's look at the politics of it. His best buddy is Rand Beers, who is the principal foreign policy advisor to Senator Kerry's campaign. The Kerry campaign went out and immediately put these comments up on their website that Mr. Clarke made."

--- Scott McClellan ... White House press briefing

OS: "Wait hasn't it been you that's said countless times that Iran is not a threat. What's changed?"

Nothings changed (again). Another thing that never changes is your pathetic selective reading comprehesion skills.

I've never claimed that Iran isn't a threat at all. My claim has always been that the threat level doesn't begin to warrant attacking them.....and that attacking them would cause us FAR more problems than it could possibly solve....just like Iraq has done.

When you find you've dug yourself into a hole, the first step towards getting out of that hole is to quit digging.

People like you want to keep right on digging.

"cee, you're pissing in the wind. mikeh ill completely ignore most of hat you post....."

Cee always 'pisses in the wind', ..... and that's exactly why I ignore most of his posts. Cee's own words are the worst enemy of his own causes, ..... because any reasonable and objective person reading his ridiculous over-the-top rhetoric will see little more than a cartoon character come to life....just like some now famous reverends we are now all familiar with.

And finally OS, your contention that someone cannot become enlightened and change their mind is as absurd as most of your other rhetoric. McClellan should be commended for realizing that he was wrong and trying to help right those wrongs.

There is no shame in admitting you have made a mistake, and that is but one of your president's shortcomings that continues to damage the country I love.

"As a community organizer, he had helped register thousands of new voters. But when it came time to run for office, he employed Chicago rules to invalidate the voting petition signatures of three of his challengers.

"The move denied each of them, including incumbent Alice Palmer, a longtime Chicago activist, a place on the ballot. It cleared the way for Obama to run unopposed on the Democratic ticket in a heavily Democrat district.

>

"Iraq 'stepping back from the abyss,' U.N. chief says"

>>More "over the top rhetoric?"

"Obama’s First Day In Iraq Was January 7, 2006. 'Anti-war U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's first day in Iraq did nothing to change his view that if the country's various factions can't achieve political peace, no amount of U.S. involvement will bring stability. ‘If we don't see significant political progress ... over the next six months or so, we can pour money and troops in here until the cows come home, but we're not going to be successful,’ Obama told reporters in a Saturday [January 7, 2006] conference call.' (Eric Krol, “Obama: 'Everything's Up For Grabs' In Iraq,” Chicago Daily Herald, 1/8/06)"

>>More "over the top rhetoric?"

One more thing, I see you have picked up on the left wing blog buzz word, "enlightened." I love it!!! Believing as gospel the OPINION with NO FACTS of someone who has turned their back on Hillary and now, Bush. I think he would make a fine (d).

Cee's own words are the worst enemy of his own causes,

by mikeh

This from someone who has said:

"I don't defend Olbermahn!"
"I was driven to defend him by you guys!"
"This is nothing more than a hate site!"
"There's nothing to win in Iraq!" Most recently...

OS: "Believing as gospel the OPINION with NO FACTS"

I just gave you a group of FACTS regarding Iran/Iraq and the war at your own request and all you responded with was an inane and totally WRONG assertion that I had said something I hadn't in the distant past.

You throw around these silly buzz words of "OPINION" vs "FACTS" as if you thought you actually have a record of posting anything but OPINION yourself.

"Believing as gospel the OPINION with NO FACTS"

I was refering to S-Mac, you're new hero.

"I don't defend Olbermahn!"
"I was driven to defend him by you guys!"
"This is nothing more than a hate site!"
"There's nothing to win in Iraq!" Most recently...

Which one of these is "wrong?"

I feel an "it was not on this thread so it doesn't matter" or "it was a long time ago" excuse coming.....

Mike H, what is it about people feeling good about someone backstabbing their ex-boss all for the sake of selling books?

"McClellan should be commended for realizing that he was wrong and trying to help right those wrongs" shows me that McClellan truly hasn't an ounce of loyalty either to the country or to his boss.

If he had any integrity at all he would have said something years ago when he first supposedly "knew" the president was preaching his propaganda to the country. Why didn't he then? The answer is either one of these two reasons and neither one of them shows the man to me anywhere near one who should be commended:

1) He knew of it, but felt the prestige (power, fame, money, etc.) he'd get from his position was worth more to him than his country, and the money he'd make from his book was more important too, or 2) He never knew about it, but decided he'd come up with a grabber of a lie to help sell his book.

Either way the man threw not only his president under the bus, but his country as well. There's absolutely nothing to be proud about this man, and as usual with someone who demeans the president, he's looked at like a God from the anti-American left for backstabbing the president.

It's just another "he/said, she/said" quote, where none of it will be proven or disproven, but it sure as hell will sell a lot of books.

Nowadays, nobody wants to read a book about somebody who lived a straight and cleancut life, but man, write one about some lowlife who raped and pillaged the village, but then (weep and faint) saw the evil of his wrongs and went straight...BEST SELLER!

McClellan, at the very best, is a mouse with no character or backbone. At the worst, he's a traitor to his country.

No different than Obermann, except that Olbermann CAN and SHOULD be held accountable for all the treacherous things he's said against this country, but neither "man" should (God forbid!) be commended for what they do and did.

Just two pussies hiding behind their mama's skirts and mad at the world because they were never breast fed. Mike, they make me sick, and for the life of me I can't understand how you could feel otherwise. Especially for one who served.

Save the "commending" for the real Americans who stand up against all odds to fight against the anti-American leftists who would like nothing more than to see this country fold under any kind of pressure.

MikeH has no integrity....he claims he does not respond because of my rhetoric?....Oh my....most of my posts are quotes with links, unlike his which are no more than the putrid talking points of the SNOBamessiah campaign machine.....As I read the news I come across so many narratives that show the poor judgement and missed predictions of the radical left and I place them here in rebuttal to MikeH's lies and misconceptions...and his response....he ignores them....will he ignore this gem as well?.....

U.S. Cites Big Gains Against Al-Qaeda

"While al-Qaeda misplayed its hand with gruesome attacks on Iraqi civilians, Hayden said, U.S. military commanders and intelligence officials deserve some of the credit for the shift, because they 'created the circumstances' for it by building strategic alliances with Sunni and Shiite factions, he said.

"Hayden warned, however, that progress in Iraq is being undermined by increasing interference by Iran, which he accused of supplying weapons, training and financial assistance to anti-U.S. insurgents. While declining to endorse any particular strategy for dealing with Iran, he described the threat in stark terms.

"'It is the policy of the Iranian government, approved at the highest levels of that government, to facilitate the killing of American and other coalition forces in Iraq. Period,' he said."

http://tinyurl.com/6rxntf

###
Who's policy has made all of this happen since 2006?

Who is the Commander-in-Chief?

Who said we had failed in 2006 and wanted withdrawl of US Troops by 2007?

Who said, "Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union… In Iran they spend 1/100th of what we spend on the military. If Iran ever tried to pose a serious threat to us, they wouldn’t stand a chance."?

IF IRAN....? It is obvious SNOBamessiah has not been in Iraq in 2 years and does not understand that Iran poses a serious threat to Americans and our Iraqi allies everyday!

SNOBamessiah said this totally showing all his ignorance of something called asymmetric warfare....The great threat to our soldiers helping to protect freedom and democracy in Iraq that Hayden mentions above....SNOBamessiah totally dismisses this threat as "tiny." Yes, in the SIMPLISTIC thinink of the empty suit, in the evaluation of comparing Iran to the USSR (a ridiculous comparison), it is tiny....but to the Iraqi who wants to vote in an election for hhis/her government, to the soldiers protecting them, to the worshippers of all faiths in Iraq that DO NOT WANT A RADICAL ISLAMIC THEOCRACY LIKE IRAN.....the terrorist and guerilla tactics employed by Iran ARE A HUGE THREAT....sorry SNOBamessiah, you are incorrect again....

So I await Mike's response....How has SNOBamessiah showed any judgement in calling for withdrawl in 2006 from an ally under threat from a neighbor? SNOBamessiah PREDICTED defeat in 2006 and the article above shows the exact opposite! SNOBamessiah predicted "endless civil war." Is there a civil war in Rraq currently?

Now that Al Queda is being defeated, what about the SHIA (did I get the right word....Shia/Sunn....oh how that is soooooo important) extremists who want domination and influence in Iraq?....shall we retreat, surrender and give up like SNOBamessiah wants, or continue the path to victory over totalitarianism like the article shows?.....

Silence, I am sure from the resident leftist apologist, MikeH.....

He, he, he....the democrats believe Iran's good behavior is why the violence in down now...listen to their foreign policy expert, Nancy Pelosi...

"Well, the purpose of the surge was to provide a secure space, a time for the political change to occur to accomplish the reconciliation. That didn’t happen. Whatever the military success, and progress that may have been made, the surge didn’t accomplish its goal.

"And some of the success of the surge is that the goodwill of the Iranians-they decided in Basra when the fighting would end, they negotiated that cessation of hostilities-the Iranians."

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/265341.php

Oh my....First Ms. Pelosi says the surge did not work, then she says it worked because of the good-will of the Iranians?.....Gee, I am so impressed by the radical left's acumen regarding foreign policy!

MISSION FAILED!

MikeH

Let me see if I've got this straight?

Your arguing the following point: Iraq was "has empowered Iran like never before but has done nothing to diminish Al Qeada." This because "the Iraq War never had much to do with Al Qeada in the first place. Sunni/Shia rivalries were always the main problem....and remains the problem today. Fluctuations in violence levels have not changed that in any way."

When asked for facts to back that up your replied:

"..Saddam Hussen was Sunni.....Iran is largely Shia.....Shias hate Sunnis......Iran hated Saddam's Iraq.....President Bush didn't know the difference between Shia and Sunni.....Saddam hated and feared Shia dominated Iran.....Iran and Iraq were enemies.....they fought a long war to a standstill with millions dead.....we've now eliminated Iran's enemy for them.....Iran is now empowered like never before. And NONE of that is just my "opinion" jack!"

I hate to break it to you but this is a mixture of fact and opinion spiced up with a good deal of hyberbole.

I would take issue with your simplistic formulation that "Shias hates Sunnis". The fact is that in most of the world they live side by side with each other just as Protestants and Catholics due in the Europe and the U.S.; just as Hindus and Muslims do in India. A more accurate statement might be that there is a historical tension between Shia and Sunni that can be and often is exploited by politicians in the Middle East.

There is no basis at all for your claim that "President Bush didn't know the difference between Shia and Sunni". This is not a fact and as an opinion it is simply wrong. How is that people on the left can, on the hand, accused the Bush family being cosy with the Saudis and have strong connections to the oil industry in the Middle East at the same time claim Bush is ignorant of the Middle East. Regardless, this is not a FACT.

Underlying all of this is the fact that while there is a tension between Sunni and Shia there is also a tension between Persians and Arabs and Kurds and Arabs. You've completely failed to note that about 5.5 mm people in Iraq are Kurds, that Kurds are mostly Sunni but include some Shia, that there tension between Arabs and Persian pre-dates the tension between Sunni and Shia. You also have failed to note other distinctions like separate groups like the Marsh Arabs and so forth.

So while you do offer some facts all you have written are not facts and your randomly assembled hodgepodge of "facts" and "opinion" and "hyerbole" do not actually lead to a conclusion of any kind let alone YOUR conclusion that "Iran is now empowered like never before."

Do you disagree that Iran views the U.S. as their enemy?

Would you agree that the U.S. armed forces were FAR more powerful than the Iraqi military under Saddam?

So how did Iran's position IMPROVE when instead of dealing with Saddam's tin soldiers to their west and the rag tag Taliban to their north, they are not dealing with the full force of the U.S. military SURROUNDING THEM in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Gulf where we have TWO aircraft carriers? Your notion that Iran is now somehow in a stronger military position is absurd. Meanwhile, the U.S. has successfully brought the pressure of the world community to bear on Iran - through a UN sanctions regime, global consensus on confronting Iran's nuclear programs and the IAEA.

You also say "Fluctuations in violence levels have not changed [Sunni/Shia rivalries] in any way." This statement is interesting. Your point appears to be that despite the decrease in violence the Sunni-Shia problem has not changed. In other words, this is your roundabout way of acknowledging that the effort to decrease the level of violence in Iraq has succeeded, right? Your point is that this doesn't matter. This just does not make any sense. Are you saying that when Sunni and Shia rivals sit down to negotiate their differences rather than take the streets in armed conflict those are equivalent? That makes no sense.

As far as I can tell the main purpose of the invasion of Iraq was to do the following:

1) Get U.S. troops out of Saudi Arabia to undermine al Qaeda which was using this issue to raise recruits.

2) Establish a strong U.S. military presence in the center of Iraq while removing a dangerous and unstable dictator who had a history of attacking his neighbors then use this presence to keep pressure on Iran, project power throughout the region, and protect the interest of our allies in the Middle East including the Saudis, Kuwaitis, Israelis, etc. all while setting the stage for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

3) Set the stage for toppling the Iranian regime which will in turn undermine Assad in Syria, as well as Hezzbollah, and Hamas which can then help improve the situation in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon and Syria.

A side benefit of this strategy has been al Qaeda concentrating its forces in Iraq which puts them in a position to be destroyed by U.S. forces. I like this approach which is why I continue to believe that the invasion of Iraq was the least worst option facing the U.S. at the time and made more imperative by what happened on 9/11 which showed the world just how dangerous a small group of terrorists can be.

Finally, while you are dismissive of McCain calling on Obama to go to Iraq because they will not "learn anything" you might want to check your fax machine because the latest Obama talking points are that he is considering going and that there would be value in going because it would be an opportunity to hear directly from the troops on the ground.

A statement we WILL NOT see on tonight's COUNTDOWN with Keith Olbermann.....

"Barring any major attacks tomorrow, knock wood, May 2008 will have seen the fewest monthly U.S. deaths in Iraq since the beginning of the war."

http://tinyurl.com/425jhl

###
Nope...no celebration or announcement of that piece of good news from the radical left....Why?....Because in 2006, they, with one of them being SNOBamessiah, claimed there was only failure in store for the US in Iraq if George Bush and John McCain had their way .....

Again, I ask MikeH.....How was the good Senator from Illinois correct in his judgement and predictions in 2006?

"It may be politically advantageous for the President to simply define victory as staying and defeat as leaving, but it prevents a serious conversation about the realistic objectives we can still achieve in Iraq. Dreams of democracy and hopes for a perfect government are now just that – dreams and hopes. We must instead turn our focus to those concrete objectives that are possible to attain – namely, preventing Iraq from becoming what Afghanistan once was, maintaining our influence in the Middle East, and forging a political settlement to stop the sectarian violence so that our troops can come home.

There is no reason to believe that more of the same will achieve these objectives in Iraq. And, while some have proposed escalating this war by adding thousands of more troops, there is little reason to believe that this will achieve these results either.

http://obama.senate.gov/speech/061120-a_way_forward_i/
.

###
No "achievements?"...and if there are results we have the IRANIANS to thank, according to SNOBamessiah's fellow democrat Mensa member, Nancy Pelosi! (see a post above)

Oh well....I don't expect a mea culpa by MikeH.....the fact that troop levels are decreasing, Shia and Sunni are accomidating politically and we defeated Al Queda in no uncertain terms are simply inconvenient.

I see obama backing out on his trip to Iraq. I don't see how he can spin this news. One possibility would be a photo-op with some troops returning home. Would he be desperate enough to try and take credit?

U.S. Cites Big Gains Against Al-Qaeda/WaPo
http://tinyurl.com/6rxntf

While al-Qaeda misplayed its hand with gruesome attacks on Iraqi civilians, Hayden said, U.S. military commanders and intelligence officials deserve some of the credit for the shift, because they "created the circumstances" for it by building strategic alliances with Sunni and Shiite factions, he said.

Hayden warned, however, that progress in Iraq is being undermined by increasing interference by Iran, which he accused of supplying weapons, training and financial assistance to anti-U.S. insurgents. While declining to endorse any particular strategy for dealing with Iran, he described the threat in stark terms.

"It is the policy of the Iranian government, approved at the highest levels of that government, to facilitate the killing of American and other coalition forces in Iraq. Period," he said.

I would point MikeH to this line: "building strategic alliances with Sunni and Shiite factions"