“enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests in the area of responsibility.” AND “Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples [in the region]“

Uh – ya think?  More bluntly – our AIPAC-formulated Israel policy is the dead albatross around our neck that is dooming our Middle Eastern foreign policy.

Although all of the blocs that made up the Iraqi national legislature have frayed somewhat since the last round of elections at the end of 2005, virtually all of the major players are expected to return when the dust settles this time… most likely including al-Maliki as the prime minister.

As happened four years ago, you can expect the major Shiite religious parties to join forces with the dominant Kurdish groups to form a ruling coalition, shutting out all but a few token Sunnis as well as secular Shiite politicians like the former U.S.-installed interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi.  Although there was a much-ballyhooed split between Maliki and the other religious factions last summer, several savvy observers noted right away that a reunion was inevitable.

I wrote at the time that the strategy behind the frenemies-style breakup seemed to be to diffuse the public unhappiness with the Shiite-dominated government’s lack of results in delivering basic services:

… Maliki would pick up votes from those who didn’t want to elect a sectarian slate [again], while the Hakim-Sadr-et al. group could pose as running against the Maliki regime… even though (surprise!) everyone would wind up in effect reelecting Team Shiite, with Maliki on top.

For better or worse, judging from the early voting returns and the political jockeying that has already begun, this analysis from last August seems to have been on target.

The difference this time is something that may not bear fruit until the next parliamentary elections, whenever those might be.  By apparently unifying behind Allawi’s slate, the fragmented losers from the 2005 elections — Sunnis of all stripes, as well as secular Shiites — will in effect make him the clear, singular leader of the political opposition.

Given the rampant corruption and ineptitude of the current (and likely to be re-installed) Iraqi government, that could be a favorable spot to hold.  If the next few years aren’t much of an improvement over the last four, and voters choose not to be fooled again by a faux split among the religious Shiite parties, Allawi would be uniquely positioned to ride the wave of political resentment.   (What would happen then is something even I can’t begin to guess.)

(Cross-posted at Firedoglake.)

*Update 3/11/10* We should retaliate for the snub by cutting off their annual $5B handout.  Ingrates.

*Update 3/15/10* The Empire Strikes Back.  Let’s see if Obama wusses out.

The original Colonel Reb

Tasty!

On a business trip to the South and the Mid-Atlantic.  The good – collard greens & Bruce’s Green Hot Pepper Sauce.  The bad – driving out of Ronald Reagan airport onto Jefferson Davis Blvd.

Better not forget the extra foam, barrista, this gun has a hair-trigger!

Regardless of how lame the Obama Administration has been, the recent and upcoming SCOTUS rulings on gun control should be a wake-up call about how wrong the Naderites were about how there is ”no difference between the Democrats and Republicans.’  Shrubya had 8 years to replace retiring liberal and moderate justices with reactionary activists.  The result?  Sometime this summer you are going to wake up one morning in a country where all gun control laws have been abolished.

You can get a preview of things to come by watching the gun nuts parade around with their weapons in our restaurants and national parks.  I bet it won’t be long before we have some dramatic shootout, where one of these unhinged, delusional vigilantes tries to stop an armed robbery and blows away some poor coffee patron.  Or maybe a couple of these loons will shoot at each other, thinking they are stopping a robber!  Hard to guess, but I’m sure it will happen soon, and sure it will be bloody.

Given the current extremists in the court, my guess is that we are one lawsuit away from a similar overturn of Roe v. Wade.

So stop your whining, suck it up and work hard to make Obama successful, now and in his next run – because we are just one Scalia or Thomas heart-attack away from an appointment of a real justice and a non-loony majority.

Meanwhile fellow Hillbilly Senator Lamar Alexander suffers either from an excess of hypocrisy or senility as he decries using the reconciliation process to pass legislation that the party of the minority plans to filibuster.

Why the hell are my tax dollars going to fund the folks in the states these idiots represent?

*Update*  This just keeps getting worse!  Democrat-in-Exile sent me this tip: Redneck Asshole Senator Inhofe is trying to intimidate climate scientists with McCarthyite witch-hunts.

I can just hear World Overlord Dr. Ali Abdussalam Treki cackling in glee!

Tip of the ‘Nose to Game Buddy!

Has Mr. King taken over the Pombo mantle of Congressional venality?  How does an evil dumbfuck like that get elected anyway – they can’t be that stupid in Iowa, can they?

For the short term, I think Pelosi should strip Mr. King of his congressional staffers and aides, since he his needs can all be satisfied by K Street.

*Update 2/26/10* Please show your appreciation for Mr. King by donating to one of his two Democratic challengers in the Iowa 5th District, Matthew Campbell or Mike Denklau.  I prefer Mike, but I think Matt might have the edge in $ and seems more Iowan.  They said we couldn’t unseat Pombo here in CA, but McNearney is in Congress and Pombo is off shagging sheep, so it can be done!

*Update 2 2/26/10* Seems to be the day for asshole Republican Congressmen. Trent Franks believes African Americans were better off as slaves then they are today – some tortured argument involving abortion.  Let’s fund whomever runs against him!