This afternoon, I was returning a rental car at the Hertz office on King David St. in Jerusalem, where I'm running a program for my American law students.  Suddenly, tens of police cars and motorcycles zoomed by, sirens blaring.  "Is this because of Obama's visit?" I asked the person at the desk.  "No," she replied in Hebrew.  "A terrorist attack."  What I didn't realize was that the attack was a block away.

The almost successful attack and Afghanistan gleans more the military observer.

THE PRICE OF TEA IN CHINA, THE PRICE OF GAS IN IOWA
.
WHAT'S THAT GOT TO DO WITH MCBUSH POLICY ON ISRAEL, IRAN, IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN?

DUBYA DETERMINED TO HIT $200/BBL, $6/GAL BEFORE HE GOES

It's A Family Thing: He Promised His Daddy & His Friends

What rational reason could the United States have for attacking Iran, at this point?

Or Iraq, in the first place?

(continued)

this is my original cartoon

Here is a recap of last night's episode of The Daily with Jon Stewart. It was a particularly good episode so while I haven't done one of these recaps in a while I feel this one is worthy.

It starts off with Jon reacting to Charlie Black's statement that a terrorist attack would help John McCain rebound in the polls. Jon then explains to the audience why terrorism helps Republicans by writing a complex formula on a chalk board. I'm not going to spoil the ending but its pretty good.

Jon also goes after Barack Obama and MoveOn.org's ads for pandering and making even people that agree it cringe. He also goes after John Cornyn's absurd "Big Bad John" commercial in Texas and they even do their own parody with "Big Jew", an elitist Jew who drinks lattes and plays chess for fun.

The interview is James Harding, the editor from the Times of London. Weigh in with thoughts, comments and opinion below:

"Certainly it would be a big advantage to him," says Black.

What?!  Are you serious?  Is Black and McCain actively hoping for a terrorist attack so that they could win?  How could any American loving individual root for an attack just so they could win political points?

The lives of Americans are more important than any politicians career.

I think the American people a sick and tired of this already.

From The Jerusalem Post, word from John Bolton that Israel is likely to attack Iran in the window between the November general election and the January inauguration.

OK there may have already been a diary of this with the video clip, but I cannot find it if there was. Kristol's comments have become famous today and for good reason.

Bill Kristol said yesterday on FOX News Sunday that President Bush is more likely to attack Iran if he believes Sen. Barack Obama is likely to be elected President. He added that if McCain were elected Bush might feel that it would be "more appropriate" to let him make his own decision as commander in chief.

Not only does this reinforce the notion that McCain and Bush are joined at the hip when it comes to middle east foreign policy, but it also suggests that military decisions by the Bush admin. might be influenced by political poll numbers! That is absolutely unbelievable... the tone with which Kristol says "its difficult to base... on guesses about poll numbers" is astonishing to me and from the looks of even others like Hume on the panel I may not be alone.

If you missed it check out the clip below and weigh in with your thoughts / opinions:

Watch out they are willing kill people just for winnig an election

What more compelling an issue for a military candidate running on national security as his main claim to fame than a spanking new breaking geopolitical military crisis suddenly tearing up the news cycles?  You can bet an Israeli attack on Iran would bump FISA, public financing, lobbyist hijinks, health care and even a plummeting economy way, way, way back toward news oblivion.

I have been watching this campagan very closely lateley, and something stricke me in Mccain Camp reponse When Obama ask for cease fire on family

To mark the death of Tony Schwartz, who created the "Daisy" ad, Halperin embeds what he says is the ad on thepage.time.com. Rather than the ad itself, you get a clumsy 2008 mash-up, with an overtly southern voice warning that Obama, Hillary or Edwards are all too weak, inexperienced and politically correct (!) to protect America, and would permit "a nuclear 9/11." I wonder how long before ole Halperin realizes his mistake. Here's the youtube of the ad in case it's gone quickly: http://www.youtube.com/...

A person I think of as loving and kind (we both volunteers at the same humane facility) forwarded me the following Obama right wing attack that is obviously making the rounds in the conservative community... (excerpt and link below the jump).  
 

I am asking for your help in evolving an effective response(s) to this email point by point and/or the "personal responsibility" meme. I want to be able to counter this type of crappola...concisely and effectively.    

An aide to the McCain-backing Senator from Connecticut tells The Page: "If the Obama campaign thinks they are going to intimidate Joe Lieberman with these sleazy tactics then they are sorely mistaken."

41 years ago a tragedy occurred. During Israeli's Six-Day War, the USS Liberty was attacked and 32 U.S. sailors were killed. Did Israel know it was a U.S. ship before they attacked? Did John McCain and his father among others help cover it up? The truth may shock you.

Will the United States attack Iran? For the last year, the Bush administration has been saber-rattling, raising fears about Iran similar to its efforts six years ago to demonize Iraq. It is possible Bush might launch a war as a last gasp effort to change the conversation and help John McCain's election prospects or as a parting shot before the Neo-cons lose control of the government. Preventing a war with Iran is essential if we want to elect Obama and progressives to Congress (as well as prevent the world from devolving into militaristic chaos).

Ok, I know even talking about Hillary at this point could be considered beating a dead horse.  But I couldn't help but try to share this wonderful analysis done today by Poblano at fivethirtyeight.com.  

Poblano attempts to figure out who's attacking who more often, using scientific means rather than spin.  He essentially counted the number of Press Releases by a candidate which were headlined with another candidate's name, assuming that is an attack.  You don't see the McCain campaign singing the praises of Obama too often, so this methodology sounds good to me!  The results speak for themselves...

As Obama heads squarely into the nomination, my thoughts have turned to the general election.  Given the complete lack of intellectual honesty of the Bush administration, and its irrational focus of seeing every problem in the Middle East as a nail to be pounded down, I have been wondering about the impact an attack on Iran might have on the general election.  I pose this more to get insight from the varied and informed voices on the KOS.