http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com With a keyboard on loan from God, I welcome you to the Office of the Independent Blogger. "Independent" in the same sense that Ken Starr was, meaning "not very independent" indeed! Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:52:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This Bob Woodward article about the Bush Administration's relationship with the military leading up to the "Surge" (titled "Outmaneuvered And Outranked, Military Chiefs Became Outsiders") reads very much like a President doing the right thing well, albeit a little clumsily. http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/09/07/profile-of-a-surge/ We are sending a billion dollars to Georgia in support of their democracy, have pledged our assistance to them and Ukraine in future matters, and Dick Cheney is over there right now re-affirming our alliance. We must stand with our allies and it's good to see us do just that. http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/09/06/got-to-be-strong/ McCain's campaign has maneuvered brilliantly into a dichotomous struggle between person and country, as Obama has been caricatured as a me-first phony while McCain presents himself as a man who has given everything to the United States of America. Will this move work? Maybe. Maybe not. But it is, I ... http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/09/04/the-frame/ A friend asked me today why at least one prominent Democrat seems to abandon the party in times of war to support the Republican candidate for President. I immediately thought back to John Connally, Zell Miller and Joe Lieberman and couldn't find functional equivalents for the Republicans. Why? Because Democrats ... http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/09/02/republican-eloquence/ This New York Times article and this NYT article are great success stories for the American government and people. First: Two years ago, Anbar Province was the most lethal place for the Americans in Iraq, with a marine or a soldier dying here nearly every day. The provincial capital, Ramadi, was ... http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/09/01/success-stories/ A Hurricane is headed toward the Gulf Coast -- and New Orleans -- and has therefore disrupted the Republican National Convention, essentially canceling the first night of the event and likely canceling the second. I can't imagine how much work is going on in the White House to prevent another ... http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/08/31/do-it-again/ David Gergen called Hillary Clinton's speech tonight her "finest hour in politics" and I must say that I agree. It was a phenomenal speech that had me on the verge of tears at various points. And I felt a surge of emotion before she took the podium, too, as the ... http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/08/26/finest-hour-in-politics/ This article speaks for itself. Despite a campaign that attacked corporate and special interest lobbyists as evil and banned their money and participation, Sen. Barack Obama has done little, if anything, about their pervasive, free-spending presence at the Democratic convention in Denver, ethics watchdog groups say. "I think he could have sent ... http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/08/26/change-transcends-ethics-or-something/ John McCain has been endorsed by "Daddy Yankee." The crowd goes wild while I consider whether or not this is the silliest story I've ever read. http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/08/25/gasolina/ Overall I appreciate Senator Obama's choice of Senator Biden because the man is a great character and a good thinker with a great life story that ought to give everyone hope. This New York Times article about Biden demonstrates his ability to "bounce back" from hard times and this Newsweek ... http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/08/23/biden-time/ This might be the most significant news story of the general election campaign to date. U.S. and Iraqi negotiators agreed to the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces by the end of 2011 and are nearing resolution of other issues, Iraqi officials said. Among the outstanding issues is whether U.S. military personnel ... http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/08/22/withdrawal-symptoms/ I'm not buying the reports about Chet Edwards being Barack Obama's running mate. We'll just have to wait and see. http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/08/22/chet-mix/ John McCain was asked how many homes he owns by a reporter and answered that he didn't know and would have his staff respond to the question. (It must be nice to have an exceptionally-rich wife whose money allows you the luxury of never having to look at your bills.) ... http://officeoftheindependentblogger.com/2008/08/21/broken-homes/