ccording to the Sydney Morning Herald, this past Tuesday, our president told Australia's deputy prime minister that "we're kicking ass" in Iraq. Does anyone, anywhere, whatever their views of the rightness of our war or not, believe that? Sad thing is, President Bush probably is the standard bearer for such a conviction. If we are achieving such supremacy and effectively tackling the enemy, how come the Chief Executive didn't even leave the airfield, where he landed in Iraq, for his latest 'photo op with the troops. By the way, like him, or not, I feel these brief, staged visits with our forces are most effective, politically, for him. The young men and women arrayed around the president seem so smart, bright and patriotic. The Iraqi photo-op was at the airfield that bears the Marine nickname "Camp Cupcake". It is exceedingly well protected.

As the campaign heats up watch for the Republicans to start claiming that if you vote for the Democrats you're voting against the troops. An effective lie. Watch too how the Republicans will claim that whatever the Democrats say or do, they... or we ...are unpatriotic. A damned lie.

Do you see the Democrats, who are, of course, in the majority now, doing anything substantial to bring about an end to the war? Despite the fact that we are living in a time when the people of the United States are sick of and sickened by the fighting and dying in Iraq. With each passing day the public grows more exasperated by the inaction of the Democrats and appalled at the dishonesty of the Oval office occupants.