theBlueHighwayman says: Another Year with Bush

Ramblings from the Road

In the weeks after the election there was elation at the results. Everywhere I went there was a new feeling of hope things would improve. It was the first time I’ve listened to CONservative Radio and totally not cared about what they were saying. I found the will to impeach Bush to be secondary to wanting a solution in Iraq. Now that Bush has slapped America in the face this will likely change. Bush and Cheney certainly deserve to be impeached more than any other officials in American history. What’s more it may be the only way to stop the maniac in the White House.

Last night I went from my hotel in Harrisonburg, Virginia to a nearby Texas Roadhouse Restaurant to see if the TVs would be tuned to Bush’s speech. All ten screens stayed tuned to ESPN and basketball games. I sat at the bar drinking my beer listening to two soldiers saying good-bye to their friends wondering where these two were headed. No one seemed to care about the speech maybe, like me, they caught the rebroadcast.

Bush’s speech was in no way surprising, we all knew what he would say. I’ve been of the opinion for months he would attack Iran. Last night he left no doubt that would be the case. One doesn’t position two aircraft carrier battle groups in the Persian Gulf for show! Is there anyone who thinks all this power is meant for Sadr and his militia in Iraq? Of course not, this idiot plans to bomb Iran. The surge in Iraq only makes sense in the context of an Iranian operation. The extra troops are to secure Iraq against Iran’s inevitable response to such an attack.

Today I spoke with a college student in Caldwell, West Virginia and asked about his impression of the speech. He answered it was just more of the same. His younger brother like my nephew is in JR ROTC. We both know how they will grow the Army over the next few years. In the ROTC class they bring in Iraqi veterans to tell these young boys how great it is to be in the military.

One conversation I had the week before Christmas with a retired Senior Military Official was very illuminating to say the least. This person still has contact with Military Officers on active duty and is also a personal friend of Collin Powell. I didn’t tell this person I blogged at the beginning of our conversation all they knew was that I was a truck driver. We spoke on a variety of topics from the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima to Iraq and John McCain. At the end of our conversation I promised not to reveal the rank or name of this person. I’ve also decided not to reveal their sex, length of service or location of our conversation.

I expected a total Republican but when mentioning Bush their opinion reflected most of America. I asked what the options were in Iraq for Bush and they liked the Biden proposal to split the country into a loose Federation. Basically though any option now is not a good one. The plan to surge was almost laughable and like Powell the thinking on this with most of their contacts is that it won’t accomplish anything. I put forth the hypothetical of what would happen if Bush just flatly refuses to change anything in Iraq. The answer took me by surprise when they said “there’s never been a coup d’etat in the US but the feeling is there, not saying it would ever happen just that the feeling is there.” I don’t know who this statement was in reference to but took it to mean present day officials. It did indicate a level of dissatisfaction not expressed to this person in their entire career. We both were saddened that this Christmas would be yet another one with soldiers being wounded and dying for a nebulous cause.

We spoke of Iran’s getting a nuclear weapon. This person said it was inevitable Iran would have a bomb after all who would listen to a country that has more nuclear weapons than all the rest of the world put together. They also pointed out that we are the only power to have ever used not one but two nuclear weapons against another nation. An act that deeply shamed both of us no matter what the rationale at the time.

The conversation turned to John McCain running for President. I was again amazed at the words I heard. My new friend said “McCain would be the worst person to be President”. I agreed with the statement especially after seeing McCain state “No one can tell the president what to do”, on Hardball. We would have another more dangerous cowboy in the White House.

In the movie Gladiator, one character asks the General (Russell Crowe), if he thinks the enemy will fight as they await the return of the emissary. Just at that moment a headless rider on a horse returns and the General answers “they say yes”. Last night the Democrats saw that headless rider come back from the White House in answer to working with Bush to end partisanship. I’ve a feeling impeachment may be the only way to save America.