Iraq is strategically vital in the Middle East and US forces in Iraq were at a point we could have begun to transition into a smaller sustainable but still influential occupation that looks more like our decades-long military presence in Germany, Japan, or Korea.

But both Republicans and Democrats have adopted the narrative that getting out of Iraq and moving away from Bush’s liberal interventions is a good thing.

The problem is both parties – minus the radical (blame America always) left and radical (America-first Ron Paul libertarians) right – hold onto the same liberal strategic goals that Bush pursued but have removed the necessary liberal interventionist means to achieve those ends. See the Arab Spring, especially Libya, or the announced withdrawal date in Afghanistan.

Bush rationally applied the means necessary to achieve America’s strategic ends in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, while balancing American activism with diplomatic sensitiveity to long-term sustainability. Obama, in his rush to be the anti-Bush, took away the necessary means to achieve our ends and the diplomatic balance that Bush worked so hard to maintain.

Here’s a great ad running now by Romney campaign:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8F10sxXXtpQ

In general, this is what I think Romney should do tonight:

1. Only briefly summarize the timeline of Benghazi and exactly what the administration did and said. Use only non-debatable points. No questions to Obama.

2. Be presidential…not petty as Obama is likely to be.

3. Review all shortcomings of Obama foreign policy with emphasis on appearing weak.

4. Tie foreign policy to strength of US economy. All the diplomacy in the world fails when USA is weak economically. When we are strong economically, foreign policy works just fine…eg. end of Cold War because we buried USSR with strong military based on strong USA economy and winning of WWII because of our economy (we had great tacticians but so did Japan and Germany). This approach plays to Romney strength and differentiates him from Obama.

Obama ‘Punting’ on New EPA Rules Until Post-Election

A new report from Senate Republicans warns that the Obama administration and the EPA are delaying implementation of painful new regulations until after the election.

The report from the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works’ Minority Staff, “A Look Ahead to EPA Regulations for 2013,” points to a “slew of job-killing EPA regulations that the Obama-EPA has put on hold until after the election but will be on the ‘to-do’ list for 2013.”

“As the economy has continued to falter over the past year, Team Obama has been delaying rule after rule that will eliminate American jobs, drive up the price of gas at the pump even more, impose construction bans on local communities, and essentially shut down American oil, natural gas, and coal production. They don’t want this economic pain to hit American families just before the election because it would cost President Obama votes.”

The report goes on to state: “It’s pretty clear that if President Obama secures a second term, the Obama-EPA will have a very busy next four years, moving full speed ahead to implement numerous major rules and regulations that he has delayed or punted due to the upcoming election.

“The radical environmental left may not need to worry, but what about American families, who are working hard in tough economic times, trying to make ends meet?

“As the nation struggles to recover from a lagging economy in the coming year, Americans could also be grappling with a regulatory onslaught from the Obama-EPA that will strangle economic growth, destroy millions of jobs, and dramatically raise the price of goods, the cost of electricity, and the price of gas at the pump.”

The “punted” regulations include:

–Greenhouse gas rules that will “virtually eliminate coal as a fuel option for future electric power generation,” and inflict new permitting costs on more than 37,000 farms.
–New ozone standards that would cost $90 billion a year.
–Regulations on hydraulic fracturing that will have “serious impacts on domestic energy production.”
–Expansion of federal control “over virtually every body of water in the United States, no matter how small.”
–Storm water regulations that could include “mandates on cities to change existing buildings, storm water sewers, and streets.”
–Reductions in the sulfur content in gasoline that could boost prices by 9 cents a gallon.
–Clean Water Act rules that “could require expensive new construction at power plants to lower fish deaths.”
–Other regulations would affect coal ash, farm dust, oil and gasoline spill prevention, and more.

“This report is a wake-up call on the economic pain that the ‘abusive’ Obama-EPA plans to inflict next year,” said Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, ranking member on the committee. <<

Source: Newsmax.com (because the NY Slimes et al. don't think the destruction of our power industry is "news fit to print.")

An Urgent Message for America

It’s a half hour long, but well worth your time. He wants it to go viral, and I agree. This is on a par with Yuri Bezmenov’s videos.

Here’s the YouTube link.

The city of the future:

Jerusalem shone with brilliance like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

The implications are clear.

Still, almost all women love humour and those that don’t are worthy of a wide berth. This contest has turned around because of women. Thank God they’re coming to their “senses.”

http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/

Over two billion dollars spent and for what? For control of the information we receive. Because Democrats are result rather than process oriented, they more quickly seize the organs (like that phrase) of communication (I was tempted to put reproduction. It would be apt.)

Obama was sold on not only his intellect but his character. Both have been solidly damaged and the American people are definitely embracing Romney as the candidate of intelligence and character. It’s those larger issues which resonate and a “gotcha” moment is more of a prosecuting attorney method which doesn’t fit. In fact, the opposite may be true. Well did the Founding Fathers give the biggest proportion of power to the judgment of the people.

The following websites show the second run for Congress by Sean Bielat and the extraordinary self-control of Andew Breitbart, which in the end, destroys the supposed victory of the screamer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN5cIRRHT5s&feature=player_embedded

http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/10/dont-get-mad-get-even/