“I have the feeling that things are better. Statistics show a drop in security incidents,” Kouchner told AFP after a working lunch with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari on the last day of his two-day visit to Iraq.

There is “an improvement in the situation in Iraq,” he said.

Kouchner also voiced satisfaction at efforts by the Iraqis to take charge of their own country, saying they were making “progress.”

I had to laugh at that.

“When it comes to the economy, 47% of voters trust John McCain more than Barack Obama. Obama is trusted more by 41%. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey also found that, when it comes to the War in Iraq, McCain is trusted more by 49% of voters. Obama is preferred by 37%. McCain has an even larger edge—53% to 31%–on the broader topic of National Security. These results are little changed from a month ago.

Obama enjoys a 43% to 39% advantage when it comes to government ethics and reducing corruption. McCain has a 44% to 38% advantage on taxes.”

A majority of voters oppose tax increases, and almost two-thirds oppose an increase in capital-gains tax rates. Both positions have been the central policy of the Obama campaign.

The war is not popular, however, Americans do not favor an immediate withdrawal and apparently don’t trust Obama to get that correct. The 12-point gap on Iraq and the 22-point gap on national security shows McCain how he can defeat Obama, and it shows why the McCain campaign has emphasized Obama’s lack of effort on both Iraq and Afghanistan to get his own information rather than just pandering to MoveOn.

Now that Obama has broken with Trinity United, it will call his judgment into question yet again. How adept would a President Obama be at diagnosing foreign crises? Acknowledging TUCC’s issues this late underscores the growing notion that Obama is lacking the judgment and experience necessary to b president.

Obama and the Democrats have a big problem against McCain.

Congrats on your trip to Denver!

I also dropped a message for you at Daily Kos!

…and my opinion, the way to do that is to show that every major “promise” that was made by the dems in the last election cycles-including Obama’s, should he win the general- was not kept.

That’s the selling point. The dems talk big, but don’t/can’t follow through.

Other than your support of Obama, and immediate wihdrawal from Iraq, we are on the same page.

I would like to see us leave Iraq but in a way that demonstrates to our enemies that the US has the national will and military capability to fight terrorism and state sponsors of terrorism in a theatre that al-Qaeda itself considers to be the central front in the war. I also want the troops to leave knowing that the Iraqi people and government know that we are a force for good and freedom, and that they have an ally dedicated to their stability, freedom and success.

Leaving in this way will improve our credibility in the world and more importantly, prove our resolve to weaken and undermine and defeat those who wish us and our allies harm.

I also agree that both political parties would be improved if the black voters in this country were to become independent. If Republicans actually felt that they has a realistic chance to win a significant share of black independents, they would feel more empowered than ever before.

If Obama wins, the chance of black voters leaving the party is slim to none, and the activist, far left, big government, high taxing wing of the party will be firmly in control.

Get Clinton in the VP slot for us McCainiacs.

:)

I just can’t.

You’ll get to make history!!

WOO HOO!!!

THIS ABSOLUTELY ROCKS!!

So thrilled.

You know you’re going to have to find a computer to give us those on-the-ground reports.

Craig, this rocks!!!

You are gonna have to take a computer with you. Give us the inside lowdown.

Where’s the honor in that?

He’s going to disappoint more people in the future when, not if, he moves to the “center.” That’s fine with me.

—

I’m not a Dem or Repub. I honestly believe there should be (mostly black) left leaning and/or conservative alternatives to influence the “main” parties. I feel “we” bargain away our power too easily: behaving like it does not exist. It does. Billary got a taste of it this year.

—-

Whether our troops leave Iraq fast or slow they’ll be honored.

Pamela, thank you for your honest & sincere response to my query. I asked because I’m shopping for a new political affiliation, & because I don’t really have an opportunity to talk to any Black republicans.

Even though we are not a monolithic people, I think your sentiments reflect those of a majority of AA’s (of a certain class). I can’t disagree with a majority of what you said. My personal exception would be that I prefer gov involvement in certain circumstances, & I think the military should be for defense rather than to try to take over the world (I’m not saying you said the military should take over the world-k?). Like yourself, I have been to 20+ countries & our gov support really seperates us from 3rd world nations, imo. In 3rd world countries you can really get the idea of what “you’re on your own” means. I know so many immigrants who appreciate so much about our country. I have been to countries without compulsory education & I’m glad that we have it. I’m glad that my tax dollars help rebuild towns that have been devastated by natural disasters. If we could get socialized medicine, I wouldn’t have much else to complain about. I also believe that people must pursue education or else they won’t get one. It’s all about self-determination. Yet I wouldn’t want the educational resources to be doled out based on tax base alone.

I would also discourage abortion, but I believe in personal choice. I believe in marriage, though close to 75% of Black females are unmarried. To me, it seems like many repubs don’t know any black people. My stereotypic image of them is someone like Mitt Romney, who would refer to the whole race as “you people,” because, even as a politician, businessman or organizer of a large event, he wouldn’t have met or gotten to know any people outside of his demographic. Yeah, he knows they exist because he’s seen them on tv or heard others talk about them, but he isn’t in the least bit curious to get to know about the diversity that exists among God’s children. They have no interest in anything outside of their white world, unless it involves finding the cheapest labor pool in a Brown country. Am I wrong?

You failed to mention that the article you posted is an EDITORIAL.