And where would your gas pipeline through Afghanistan run in order to be delivered to the US and Europe? Afghanistan is bordered by 5 nations, none of which have a care to particular care to support the US or Europe's natural gas needs. Your the ignorant one from the sound of your comment. We don't need the various "stan's" gas or oil, we only need them to be able to sell it without the single route through Russia (where they make money and can turn it off in a whim). Oil and Gas revenues keep these countries stable, AND THAT IS IN THE INTEREST OF THE US. I know it's hard for your strategically stunted brain to comprehend, you've been force fed the notion that the US needs every last drop of oil on the planet, when that is far from the reality of it. Your deep seated disdain for projected US military power is blinding you. The Chinese oil pipeline (and gas in the future if they so choose) is a good enough alternate to keep these cash flowing into these countries and provide stability. If the US was planning a pipeline at one time, its purpose was surely to funnel money to these countries as natural gas is plentiful and much easier to get else where.

The last thing the US needs is more expensive natural gas when we get it so much cheaper from Canada and Mexico LINK  let alone from an expensive 2000 mile pipeline in central Asia. Oil is another thing entirely as the price justifies the cost of a pipeline.

The US production of natural gas out paces the consumption of the resource. So why do we by it? Who the hell knows, but looking at the list of countries we buy it from, I'd say it is to stimulate their economies, for the same reason we produce steel and still buy abroad.

Sorry for my laziness.  I do have a habit of picking up a point and running with it without clarifying that I may not be attributing my direction of thought to the person that caused the original point to be made.  Just lazy writing.  Beyond that....

I disagree.  I know it is one of the popular whipping boys for those who hate bush (he is evil, he is stupid, he is so smart, he was manipulated, etc.), but it is clear that if Cheney was calling the shots, we would not have had the domestic garbage we did.  The one argument I do buy about Bush was that it was personal between him and Saddam (due to the hit put out by Saddam on Bush Sr.).  But then he is human, if misguided in some respects.

Seconds, not minutes.  And thank god for that.  Are you a Clancy fan?  If so, I would recommend The Sum of all Fears (the movie sucked).  I would prefer a president who does not jump up and "bomb, bomb, Iran" and starts thinking about the situation and the first move.

Wrong again.  Bush did all he could, but that was in the hands of the governor and mayor.  The US may be strange in that respect, but the president cannot go into a state unless asked.

Well, I did say almost always disagree with you.  No argument.  But I think this was Bush's decision again (trying to be Mr. Nice Guy).  It was and IS a bad decision, and one that I totally disagreed with.

As my license plate once read; "Don't blame me; I voted for Mc Govern." In the primaries I voted for Hillary. Still, did it ever occur to you that Obama is a hell of a lot better than GeoW?

In some respects yes.  He is a known idiot that wants to take away our liberties, where Bush did it surreptisiously.  So what is worse?  Dying by the hand you know?  or the one unseen?  Good question.

But moot as there is still the 25th amendment.  And while you are in the majority for the moment, a 51-44 percent preference of Obama over W is not encouraging for Obama.

As would I have done if I had been a Democrat and US citizen.

In what respect?

Though the 25th should have been invoked during the last administration, thank the good lord it wasn't.  GW's redeeming factor was that he was defense against Cheney.

He mastered the TelePrompter.

Arguably he's trying to end the wars Bush started and includes their costs in the budget rather as supplements. He at least broached the Gitmo disaster, though I feel he's bungled it. Though he has done a poor job in healthcare, it will pass with flaws but it will be improved on. The economy is tediously  returning. No miracles but better.

LOL - and Obama's one redeeming factor is Biden!  AT least Cheney was not a total idiot - cant say that for the last 2 democrat VPs.

 Great come back.

See, I don't think Biden is an idiot; i think his major issue is he doesn't know when to shut up, his tendency for loquaciousness goes beyond absurd at times. Then again, he was re-elected consistently in his state - so I guess the people there were confident in him. 

~AJ

Yes, he loves to talk but what politician doesn't? Sometimes  he's guilty of gaffs, but he is far from mean-spirited like shotgun Cheney who is literally undermining national security efforts. 

Sometimes?  I would like to see your definition of "often".

And Cheney is undermining nothing.  He is squawking a low - just like the whiners Clinton and Carter.  What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

I'm curious as to how you would justify the criticism from the former VP of the current Prersident - versus the current president allegedly criticizing a former president. How is that ethical and right again?

~AJ