Tactics Ammunition Drudge This! Articles Archive Policy Archive Weblog Archive Cons With Cons Search This Site
An Evolution has begun. Politicalstrategy.org has officially closed down. Look for DailyNewsOnline.com to rise from the ashes, a powerful new site you won't want to miss. Click here to find out more! Click here to join the mailing list and be notified when the DailyNewsOnline is launched!
[However, Kennedy adjusted the numbers to account for undecided black voters, who overwhelmingly vote for Democrats, and said the runoff election currently stands in Blanco's favor. With that adjustment, Blanco would get 53 percent of the vote, compared to Jindal's 47 percent]
Republican Primary Trial Heat (among Republican voters): Cecil Underwood 30% Robin Capehart 8% Sarah Minear 8% Dan Moore 3% Monty Warner 3% Doug McKinney 2% Other 3% Undecided 43%
Democratic Primary Trial Heat (among Democratic voters): Joe Manchin 46% Darrell McGraw 11% John Perdue 5% Jim Humphreys 4% Lloyd Jackson 3% Jim Lees 3% Spike Maynard 2% Robin Davis 2% Other 1% Undecided 25%
"Generally speaking, would you say things in this country are heading in the right direction, or are they off on the wrong track?"
Right Track: 38% (42%) Wrong Track: 50% (44%)
* * * * *
Ipsos-Reid 9/16 - 18
"Generally speaking, would you say things in this country are heading in the right direction, or are they off on the wrong track?"
Right Track: 37% (39%) Wrong Track: 57% (56%)
* * * * *
Fox News 9/23 - 24
Who should control congress?
Democrats 41% Republicans 36% Neither/Unsure 23%
* * * * *
Democracy Corps 9/14
Who should control congress?
Democrats 47% Republicans 42% Neither 1% (unch) Not sure 11%
Friday, March 28, 2003
Perle Gets Whacked Due to Gross Lack of Ethics
Richard "Beelzebub" Perle has finally begun to see his comeuppance. No, not for his crimes against humanity. That's too ambiguous for a meaningful court of law. Instead, it is the conflict-of-interest bug that has bitten him in the ass:
Don't get too excited though. During a disgraceful Rumsfeld-Perle-Wolfowitz copulation-fest, Rumsfeld proudly declared that his partner-in-crime would remain close to home, retaining a position on the Defense Policy Board. So I'll go out on a limb and bet that Perle's evil influence will remain intact.
In case you haven't heard, Perle was involved in a controversy stemming from his abortion of duty and integrity as a public servant, not unlike the rest of the Administration. The story was publicized in a New Yorker magazine article that claimed Perle had contact with controversial Saudi-born businessman Adnan Khashoggi and a Saudi industrialist. Of course this contact created reasonable suspicion that Perle was using his position in the government in order to benefit financially in the corporate world. Naughty bastard!
Anyway, it was this article that led Perle to refer to its author as a "terrorist". Ironic and typically hypocritical since Perle himself is a well-known terrorist.
Glenn Hubbard, Chairman of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, January 23, 2003 Karen Hughes, White House Counselor, April 23, 2002 Harvey Pitt, Chairman of the SEC, November 5, 2002 Lawrence Lindsey, Bush's top economic adviser, December 6, 2002 Paul O'Neill, Bush's Treasury Secretary, December 6, 2002 Mary Matalin, Dick Cheney's top public relations strategist, December 13, 2002 Henry Kissenger, Head of the 911 Commission, December 14, 2002
So who do you think is next? Thomas White and Dick Cheney come to mind, but only time will tell.
US Lacks Force for Baghdad Street Fight - UK Source
"U.S.-led forces in Iraq can encircle the capital in days but lack the ``overwhelming force'' needed to wage warfare in the streets of Baghdad, a British defense source said on Friday."
"He said the level of resistance witnessed by British forces in the south during the first week of war, especially around Iraq's second city of Basra, showed the U.S.-led campaign to seize control of Baghdad would be hard fought."
"The key thing is that U.S. forces do not want to get involved in downtown fighting. It's all about applying pressure with the result of the regime falling,'' the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "Basra is very interesting to watch as a precursor, an example of how Baghdad will be tough to crack.''
"But with British forces focused on southern Iraq, the Americans to the north lack the punch to win a street fight in the capital, stronghold for Iraq's elite Republican Guard, said the defense source."
It seems that every source outside of the Bush Administration and the Pentagon report a situation for US forces that is far more questionable than early predictions and in direct contrast with the daily briefings provided by Ari Fleischer.
In fact, with the propaganda machine in overdrive, there is only one way to tell what is (probably) true and what is a gross distortion if not an outright lie. It's simple, if the source of any news is the US or British Government, intelligence or military intended for public release, it is probably garbage. If the source is a non-Fox affiliated journalist, information not intended for the public, or otherwise not in the best interest of the US/UK coalition, the truth-factor rises exponentially.
The following are instructions to military/intelligence analysts not in the employment of the U.S. Government.... -- SOURCES --
The initial assault by the coalition was completed about two days ago. We are currently in a consolidation phase that will be marked by relatively few significant operations in the south. You will be seeing the following activities:
1: Re-supply 2: Attacks on pockets of resistance 3: Redeployment of forces 4: Active reconnaissance, particularly on the part of the Iraqis, who lack air recon ability.
Units will be showing up in different places than you last tracked them. You will hear about fighting in places you thought were pacified days ago. You will hear about supply problems, because these will be filtering back to HQ and will be in the process of being solved. You will possibly be hearing about supply units getting lost and killed in mine fields or in encounters with stray Iraqis. Also, you will be seeing "counterattacks" by Iraqi armored scout vehicles that are out there looking to map U.S. positions. Expect also exfiltration by Iraqis in isolated pockets moving east and north in an attempt to escape and rejoin main Iraqi forces. This process will result in encounter engagements, that will include short, sharp firefights and occasional deployments of helicopters and AFVs depending on size and location. These should not be mistaken for major battles.
The major question in the south is what the final deployment of the British units will be. Most of them are in pretty good shape, having seen relatively limited high-intensity fighting and having moved relatively little. They have also been in pretty good supply. There is more than a division of Brits down there -- wherever they go will represent a major axis of effort in the future.
There is some evidence of probes under way toward Al Kut or northwest toward the main line of resistance. This is tactical probing of the lines. No major assaults will be carried out until greater force is bought to bear. The Marines will need to have additional armor before assaulting Al Kut, for example. This may be where the Brits go when they finish in the Basra area.
One issue will be air strikes. The weather is clear. If there are no massive strikes in the Karbala-Al Hillah-Al Kut area, this will indicate either that there are no major forces in the region, or that there are and no major assault is planned. Watch the air strikes and watch the mix between tac-air and strat-air.
The action in the north is in its very early stages. We will likely see a heavy airlift consisting of C-17s and C-130s bringing in troops. The question to look for: Are they bringing in equipment or supplies, or are those on the ground already? No major operations can be expected in that region for several days. Try to figure out what the mission is up there. At this point, the 173rd is providing security for the air fields. Where the follow-on troops go will be the key.
Over the next 24 hours, expect to see a large number of media stories with two themes -- the logistics foul-up for the 3rd ID and Marines and that the fighting was much heavier than reported. The former will result from inexperienced reporters who have seen what they think is chaos in resupplying units, coupled with interviews with troops griping about the service. In addition, when interviewing combat soldiers on a badly needed break, griping and heroic bullshit are ancient rights and traditions. Reporters listening to this will conclude that all rear-echelon personnel are hopeless screwups and every engagement was the Battle of the Bulge. With reporters present, the tales will become mighty indeed. Investigate reports with a jaundiced eye.
REPORT ANY INFORMATION OF ACTIVITY, REGARDLESS OF HOW SLIGHT, FROM THE DESERT WEST OF THE EUPHRATES BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH OF BAGHDAD, EXCLUDING THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE EUPHRATES FROM KARBALA TO KUWAIT. WATCH THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN DESERTS CAREFULLY.
0945 GMT - Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf says coalition bombing killed seven and injured 92 in Baghdad on Thursday.
0800 GMT - UK military spokesmen say local Iraqi soldiers shot at 1,000 to 2,000 civilians trying to escape Basra.
0650 GMT - UK Prime Minister Tony Blair tells the BBC the war against Saddam will take time and have its "tough and difficult moments."
0617 GMT - US marines report capturing an Iraqi general in Nasiriya on Thursday, a BBC reporter says.
0607 GMT - Thousands more US troops are moving in to join the battle for the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriya, backed by heavy artillery.
0500 GMT - BBC reporters hear more explosions in Baghdad, and say Thursday night's bombings among the heaviest so far.
0059 GMT - US military spokesman at Coalition Central Command says air strikes and cruise missiles have destroyed a major communication centre and command-and-control centre in Baghdad.
0000 GMT - UK Prime Minister Tony Blair begins talks with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, on the role of the UN in Iraq after war.
Combat Report - March 27, 2003 (Second half of day)
1915 GMT - The Iraqi defense minister said troops were prepared to defend Baghdad and admitted that coalition troops would soon surround the city.
1907 GMT - US ambassador walked out of UN debate after Iraqi ambassador accused US of trying to exterminate Iraqi people.
1718 GMT - Arab news channel al-Jazeera showed pictures of a US Army Apache attack helicopter which it said had been shot down over Iraq.
1700 GMT - Bush and Blair made a speech about their plans for the future. Bush said that both countries were committed to freeing the people of Iraq "however long it takes." Blair said that two dead British airmen shown on Arabic TV had been executed. They also said that they would work with the UN to clean up Iraq after the war.
1330 GMT - More fierce fighting going on between US Marines and Iraqi forces near the town of Nasiriya.
An Evolution has begun. Politicalstrategy.org has officially closed down. Look for DailyNewsOnline.com to rise from the ashes, a powerful new site you won't want to miss. Click here to find out more! Click here to join the mailing list and be notified when the DailyNewsOnline is launched!
Sun Tzu Files 
and 
indicate whether the poll numbers are up or down from the previous poll. Incumbents are in italics. (prior results in '()')