Strange things are happening, president Bush may turn out to be a secret Obama supporter. The white house sent out an email referencing an article in which Iraq prime minister agrees with Obama timetable pullout

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/ 2008/07/white-house-acc.html

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanma rtin/0708/White_House_blasts_out_Maliki_ proObama_story.html

This election isn't about Obama. It isn't about Hillary Clinton, either, or the lack thereof.

Its not about your hurt feelings, your sudden devotion to all things female-equality (even though apparently symbolic support is more important than legislative), your foot-stomping toy-throwing threats to take your vote and go home lest your demands are met, or your quixotic quest for attention (sorry, "teaching the Democratic party a lesson").

Its not about your liberal ideals, the voice of the netroots, the ideology of the left, or withholding your donation until the nominee jumps as high as you want him to (I'm looking at you, Kos).

America has had a culture of extremes for so long I'm beginning to think that moderation (especially in the political process) is something that we just can't recognize when we see it.

Our country and our economy is crumbling around us. But that's not even the real reason for this diary.

The rest of the world is depending on us to realize that the planet's most vulnerable moment is not the time to start gasping in hysterics because Obama left his magic problem-solving wand back in Fantasyland.

Its your choice to determine if you care more about the ability of a politician to stroke your ego, or about what happens to our country (and by extension, the world, since we're doing a great job of messing it up far beyond our reasonable sphere of influence). And frankly speaking, none of us really have the luxury of deciding our principles are more important than our economy, the war, the environment, and the lives of Iraqis and Iranian civilians.

Maybe you honestly think that Obama's going to be just as bad as McCain (despite any evidence to the contrary, like actual policy). Vote for him anyway. Hedge your bets. The world is full of choices between options you probably aren't completely in love with. Learning that is a skill most people get comfortable with before they're out of high school - election years aren't a free pass.

If you want immediate, complete reform, take it to the streets. Light up that Molotov cocktail, strap on your AK and overthrow whatever you need to overthrow.

Or, work within the system with what we have. What we have is a perfectly good, centrist candidate who can at least approach complex issues with a sharp stick and poke at them, and who's savvy enough to take advantage of the anti-Bush sentiment to gain some extra seats in the legislature at the same time. There's not a damn thing wrong with that and in a lot of ways its better than other election years. Because a sympathetic legislature is how things get done. Not voting third party to make a point, not holding your breath until UberLiberal McCandidate rises from the Potomac River, and not clinging to a candidate that didn't get the nomination.

So the concern trolls, the ones who flock to any diary asking "well, what has Obama done/said about X?" like you're making some kind of point - you should really put up or suck it up. I expect to see your keyboard commando butts out there leading the the revolutionaries in the charge to storm the White House, or voting for Obama in November.

Obama's comments about Suharto demonstate a sad lack of understanding about the Suharto years, his war crimes, and American complicity.

In 1960, during Sukarno's rule of Indonesia, he allowed the PKI, the Communist Party, to participate in the government and took a neutralist stand during the Cold War.  Neither of these positions sat well with American leaders who decided to suport General Suharto in a bid to seize power from Sukarno.

The U.S. supplied arms and advise and by 1965, Sukarno had been pushed into the background and Suharto became Dictator of Indonesia. After Suharto took power, he decided to eliminate the PKI and the Chinese living in Indonesia.  Over 600,000 people died and the slaughter is an act of genocide.

Der Spiegel:

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki supports US presidential candidate Barack Obama's plan to withdraw US troops from Iraq within 16 months. When asked in and interview with SPIEGEL when he thinks US troops should leave Iraq, Maliki responded "as soon as possible, as far as we are concerned." He then continued: "US presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/worl d/0,1518,566841,00.html

A recent post over at Pam's House Blend notes the sudden departure of one of the more "interesting" voices from the Yes on 8 side of the Prop 8 battle:

"I no longer feel comfortable being allied with the people running the Prop. 8 campaign ... I have made a tentative decision not to publicize the disturbing information that caused me to end my promotion of man-woman marriage in the United States. But there is very little that I know about those subjects that a journalist, blogger, or activist cannot find out through diligent googling ..."
      -- former proprietor of the disturbing blog "Gays Defend Marriage," David Benkof to Truth Wins Out's Wayne Besen, July 14

A journalist, blogger or activist I may not be, but a googler?  Pardon me, but as Harvey Lime might say ... googling is my forte.

I was a supporter of Howard Dean in the Democratic primary contest in 2004.  I volunteered as the "Senior Outreach Coordinator" for the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, from August 2003 through January 2004.

I considered myself to be a "Deaniac" as no presidential campaign had caught my attention, fueled my hope and inspired my participation since the 1976 Jimmy Carter campaign.  Dean's progressive stands on LGBT issues and his early opposition to the war in Iraq made me a true believer in Howard Dean.

I made some wonderful friends on that campaign, and I still follow Howard Dean as Chair of the Democratic party.  He has done a marvelous job as party Chair.  His 50-state strategy took back congress in 2006, and it now appears that his strategy is going to be another winning one in November.

(cross posted at dailykos, but I come in peace!)

BBC is reporting that Senator Obama has arrived in Afghanistan. Other than Afghanistan he is planning to visit Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain.

US Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama has arrived in Afghanistan, at the start of a campaign-season international tour. The countries he is also expected to visit include Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain.The Illinois senator flew to the Afghan capital, Kabul, as part of an official congressional delegation.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7515 179.stm