CNN iReport

So, al of the sudden John McCain "gets it".  This late in the race he finally decides to mirror what most of America is saying about President Bush.

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"Spending, the conduct of the war in Iraq for years, growth in the size of government, larger than any time since the Great Society, laying a $10 trillion debt on future generations of America, owing $500 billion to China, obviously, failure to both enforce and modernize the financial regulatory agencies that were designed for the 1930s and certainly not for the 21st century, failure to address the issue of climate change seriously," McCain told the Washington Times when asked to name his criticisms of the current president.

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"Those are just some of them," McCain said, laughing.

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Sorry, McCain, but I fear it's too little too late. It has already been shown as true that you have voted with Bush 95% of the time during 2007 in a variety of issues including the war and government spending.  To come out now and denounce those actions is nothing more than political back pedaling and America isn't stupid enough to fall for it. Not any more. The Bush administration made damn sure of that. Speaking of the administration...

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In the interview, McCain also took swipes at the president for supporting a massive Medicare program, the administration's repeated invocation of executive privilege to sidestep oversight, and Dick Cheney's powerful role as vice president.

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"I don't agree with Vice President Dick Cheney's allegation that he's part of both the legislative and the executive branch," McCain said.

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No, really? Of course the Vice President of the United States is part of the executive branch!!!  As the first in line of succession to the presidency the veep HAS to be part of the executive branch. But Bush allowed Cheney to play the field. Why? Kathy Gill has an excellent article on this here:

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The Bush administration has brought America to its knees and, worse, has make us the target of several terrorist groups that, for the most part, had no genuine interest in us. Out military is over-exhausted and entrenched in a war that can not be won (seriously. First off, our enemy isn't in Iraq and secondly, you can not win a war against an intangible human emotion. You can wage a war against terrorist and terrorist organizations but you can not win a "war on terror". There will always be those who wish to instill fear unto others - that's what makes them terrorists.  With the Taliban and Al Qaeda you can drive them underground, diminish their forces but you can not  destroy their ideal, unfortunately. No matter how many you drive out, more will come later.)

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Furthermore, the Bush Administration (and McCain) helped shape what has become the greatest financial recession this nation has seen in nearly 80 years.  Will we recover? Yes, we will. We'll probably be back on our feet financially within the next 2 years but it'll be tight and the ripple effect will carry on for some time, but we'll recover.  Will we be safe? That's another question entirely.

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Bush Sr. had a working relationship with a man who would later be seen as a terrorist, a murderer, guilty of genocide and inhumane tortures. The Bush Sr. administration funded and armed this man, allowed him to gain control and attack his enemies. Oil was very much a part of these actions; Bush Sr. was trying to "secure the national interest" (and personal gain of wealth). In essence, America made this man, already a powerful man in his country, a giant that could be neither challenged nor toppled. That is, until Bush Jr came into office and took him out.

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Yes, America, under the first Bush administration, funded, armed and supported Saddam Hussein. An agreement was made in return for oil, and that agreement was broken by Hussein. Revenge came years later when Bush got another go at Hussein through Jr, and we all know where that went.  America created the problem; political unrest, genocide, torture, rape... we steered Iraq into dark and dangerous times and they know it. More so, the Taliban and Al Qaeda know it. If you want to know why we were attacked, that is the reason why.  Many have asked why we attacked Iraq and Hussein when Bush had admitted in 2001 that Al Qaeda and bin Laden were behind the attacks. I've been thinking of this for years and have finally come to what is, to me, the only logical answer: we had to.

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We (Bush Sr) put Hussein in power and we were punished for it. Blood for blood, an eye for an eye. To make it right, we (Bush Jr) had only once clear choice: remove Hussein from power and reestablish a government which would satisfy both. We've done it before in Cuba, South America, etc. This isn't a John Grisham conspiracy theory... it actually makes sense.

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Of course, this would mean that Bush secretly met with and/or negotiated with members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda and possibly bin Laden himself.

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What does this have to do with McCain? Look at it this way: either way, we're screwed. If McCain follows suit and plays the Devil's game with Iraq we may be setting ourselves up for more attacks. If not, and he storms in, he may be throwing rocks at a hornet's nest. In either event, a hatchet is not what we need here. We definitely don't need someone like Palin messing with foreign affairs in a situation like this. Without being cruel, it's way over her qualifications. So where does that leave Obama and Biden? Granted, Obama doesn't have the foreign affairs experience I would like either but he has a great intellect and analytical calm that may allow him not only to analyze the situation but find a soluble resolution as well.  Palin doesn't have the intellect and McCain doesn't have the temperament to handle a situation as pressing as this.

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That leaves foreign policy experience and, as it would happen to be, Biden. Biden does have some experience and would be a good counterpart to Obama's presidency.  Basically, to put it in a nutshell, McCain and Palin are too accustomed to storming in with bravado and shouts, using "shock and awe" to win a battle with little forethought to the future whereas Obama and Biden prefer a more peaceful resolution that can be attained by precise attacks and planned strategies. Ask any military leader: there is a time to go in guns-a-blazing and there is a time for proceeding with caution. The time of chest pounding and testicular profiling as passed. We need precision and planning.

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In closing, there are some who will stand firm to the thought of when we are at a time of war, we need a war leader. This is true to a fault. The problem with war leaders is all they know is war. If you want the war to end and peace to resume, we need to look to a leader who not only sees the importance of war but the virtue of peace. McCain has not shown me he has this balance. If you are concerned with the safety and future of America, I urge you to look back to the past and re-evaluate the candidates. America is in need leadership with a new mindset, one who can look past the war and see the future. Do we want peace and prosperity or do we want a 100 year war in Iraq because of the mistakes of a previous administration?