percentage for re-election of any incumbent in Congress. What a strange distinction. I'm sure she's proud.

Paccione just announced. She's going for the seat and the way the Republican scandals are rolling in, we seem to be getting ready for "the perfect storm", part deux. God, I hope, anyway.

Repugs would rather lose than compromise their principles. Staying out in the wilderness for over thirty years after they caused the Great Depression never made them change their tune. As a matter of fact, they spent that same thirty years trying to stop every atempt to get this country out of that depression they caused.

Most of us in the audience were not buying about half of what he was selling but I thought it took great courage for him to talk to us.

The Institute for Peace is considered non-political/non-partisan (ha ha) so he really did have to walk a fine line with what he said.

I got the distinct impression he thought Bush was full of shit and was literally buying more time, on the backs of American lives.

He also mentioned that Petraeus is doing something brand new in Iraq--he's moving the American military off of the fortified bases and into Iraq neighborhoods so their presence is felt more with the insurgents.

The big question I had (but we ran out of time to ask him questions) is do the Iraq civilians really want us in their neighborhoods? Are we putting American soldiers in more harm's way by moving them off the FOP's and into the heart of the civil war?

He seemed to indicate that this was an all or nothing strategy at this stage and that Petraeus knew it.

He also said there is no chance of a military solution, at this stage in Iraq. The only chance for peace is a political solution and he sees the Bush administration making small overtures to start reaching out to Iran and Syria, as recommended by the Iraq Study.

Make it yours.