And since Hizbollah is a terrorist/insurgent group, not a nation-state level military organization, it means they won. Period. What did you expect them to do, roll into Jerusalem and take over the city? Honestly Jay, you’re just kind of dumb and way out of your league when trying to talk about these things.

“Israel made concrete strategic and diplomatic gains in its decades-long quest to pacify its northern border”

Funny, Israelis would disagree with you, given the public backlash against both their military and political leaders, the demotions, the sackings, etc. Oh, and given the fact that Hizbollah wasn’t stopped from launching rockets with relative impunity. It was a political failure, as you admit, but also a concrete military one, as you know but won’t admit. Simple question: Did Israel stop the Katyushas? Answer: No.

“Hezbollah knows after what happened, that another armed conflict against Israel would spell their destruction”

Hizbollah is actually doing better than ever. They embarrassed the IDF, they shamed the political leadership of Israel, and they continue to roll in the cash sent overseas from Iran but more significantly places like Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

As for the DPRK, I’ve shown I’m a lot better on the facts than you sugar-plum. But it’s cute when you try and play tough Conservative Foreign Policy He-Man (TM). The DPRK has no fear of a Bush-led US. I really can’t name one country in the world that does, to be honest. He’s turned us and our military into a global laughing-stock.

As for Jindal, he won in LA, so good for him (the state is a lot redder after Bush let New Orleans drown, which undoubtedly helped him). He’s a promising young politician, and one who has little future on the national stage in the party of Thurmond and Helms. I wish him well. Honestly, I do. My point wasn’t that a woman or person of color can’t win as a Republican on a state level, but that they’ll never pass the inherent bigotry of much of the Republican base when it comes to a national election. Simple as that. Just ask Mitt Romney, who’s campaign was sunk by a Republican whisper-campaign about his religion, not a Democratic one.

Look, I’m going to give you a little education and then I am going to sleep. You’re confusing political victories and strategic victories. Yes, Hezbollah gained politically. But what you’re missing is that Israel made concrete strategic and diplomatic gains in its decades-long quest to pacify its northern border while Hezbollah’s freedom to fight Israelis abroad was severely limited. In addition, Hezbollah knows after what happened, that another armed conflict against Israel would spell their destruction because the Israeli military wouldn’t make the same mistakes again.

As for the DPRK, they were demonstrably not nuclear under Clinton

You keep telling yourself that sweetheart. Do a little research.

It’s because they wouldn’t play with the Republican base. Are all Republicans racists and bigots? No. Would the selection of a black, un-married woman or an Indian man work out with the Republican racists and bigots who are a vocal majority of their base?

Again. Explain Jindal’s election in Louisiana. Please. Explain it.

Break from identity politics.

As for the DPRK, they were demonstrably not nuclear under Clinton. Under Bush II, they either have become so or are very close. I haven’t been there myself, nor have you, but odds are they’ve been happy to keep the wool pulled over Bush’s eyes for the past eight years and pretty much do what they wanted to.

As for Condi, Jindal, etc., I asked you a simple question — why were those two names not considered “top tier” possibilities? It’s because they wouldn’t play with the Republican base. Are all Republicans racists and bigots? No. Would the selection of a black, un-married woman or an Indian man work out with the Republican racists and bigots who are a vocal majority of their base? Absolutely not. Again, this is a fact, and I realize you have a hard times with those.

Oh, but it’s always fun making you squirm and wet your pants, scooter. TTFN.

Are you talking about the same thing I am? And who are “most people”? You and Bruce? Please.

but you’d have to be an idiot to think that Israel’s actions didn’t firm up a huge amount of pro-Iranian, anti-American/Israeli sentiment. And it pleased Syria to no end.

Yeah, and stirring up anti-American/Israeli sentiment is so difficult. Of course, Israel’s actions have nothing to do with Secretary Rice. You ignored what I wrote about that.

It’s obviously impossible to tell exactly what’s going on in the DPRK, but even if they aren’t nuclear, they’re certainly a lot closer than they used to be. Thanks Condi.

Oh. Now it’s “impossible to tell.” In your prior comment you said they had gone nuclear. And no Jaim, they are not “a lot closer than they used to be.” They were continuing to do it right under the nose of the Clinton administration despite his and Carter’s Chamberlain-like deal. It was only because of Secretary Rice that sanctions were imposed on NK and that we actually have in place the enforcement of the new agreements.

And another, huh? Condi had nothing to do with the dismal state Iraq is in?

Well, there’s no point in responding to anything else you said when you make a completely false statement that Iraq is in a “dismal state.” Try and keep up with the news ace, and then come back and discuss the issue.

a Middle East that is more chaotic

Once again, your grasp of the obvious is pretty stunning. The Middle East is far more stable than it was 5-6 years ago. Get educated dude.

Most Dems don’t really care about Condi’s personal life,

Then why are Democrats and liberals the only ones talking about it?

Like Romney’s Mormonism, for example, it’s hardcore Republican bigots, not Dems, who’d raise way too many red flags for a Condi veep-slot to work.

Horseshit. You see, the problem is, people such as yourself and many other liberals like you are the ones that adhere to identity politics. Enlightened Liberal earlier said that Bobby Jindal couldn’t work as a VP choice because “he’s too brown” and I had to remind the un-enlightened one the Jindal was elected in a state (Louisiana) that hadn’t elected a non-white to the Governors mansion since Reconstruction with 54% of the vote in a four way race. It’s the ideas that matter.

So let me ask you this — if she’s been so brilliant as SoS, why hasn’t she been taken seriously as a veep for McCain?

Uhh….because she said back in March or April that she didn’t want to run for office and said she was going to go back to Stanford.

Again, only the ‘tolerant’ left has any interest in whether or not Rice is a lesbian. Why?

Plus, in true Jay fashion, I freaking KNEW you’d say that Rice is no worse than Albright.

Actually, that’s not what I said at all. Madeline Albright was a lousy Secretary of State. Rice has been far superior. It’s not even close.

Huh? Most people, including Israelis, consider themselves to have been defeated by Hezbollah in that war. Not that there weren’t losses on both sides, but Israeili military leaders were shamed by the fact that they performed so poorly against the insurgents. Further, when Israel was bombing civilian buildings in Lebanon, there were mass anti-American and anti-Israeli protest marches in, of all places, Baghdad and Tehran. I’m certainly sympathetic to the plight of the Lebanese, but you’d have to be an idiot to think that Israel’s actions didn’t firm up a huge amount of pro-Iranian, anti-American/Israeli sentiment. And it pleased Syria to no end.

It’s obviously impossible to tell exactly what’s going on in the DPRK, but even if they aren’t nuclear, they’re certainly a lot closer than they used to be. Thanks Condi.

And another, huh? Condi had nothing to do with the dismal state Iraq is in? Here’s another clue sparky — her job was to make progress in getting the Iraqi government to stand on its own. Today? At best Iraq will be a strong ally of the Iranians for decades to come. This will be the true measure of her legacy as a diplomat — a Middle East that is more chaotic and hence, more dangerous to American interests, than ever before (not to mention gas prices, which are probably an even bigger deal to most Americans than any long-term stability in Iraq). In simpler terms, the Rice/Bush II foreign policy has done two things Iran could never have accomplished in its wildest dreams — destroy their enemies to the east (Taliban) and to the west (Saddam, Baathist/Suuni dictatorship). Granted, the Taliban and Saddam were bad guys, but adults understand that the world is a complicated place. When you start knocking over certain chess pieces, other ones come to greater power. (And the Taliban is coming back with a vengeance in Afghanistan anyways, since we’ve pretty much botched that war to hell as well.)

And your reading comprehension is weak as usual. Most Dems don’t really care about Condi’s personal life, but do care about the fact that she’s been pathetic as both the head of the NSA and as SoS. Like Romney’s Mormonism, for example, it’s hardcore Republican bigots, not Dems, who’d raise way too many red flags for a Condi veep-slot to work. So let me ask you this — if she’s been so brilliant as SoS, why hasn’t she been taken seriously as a veep for McCain? Again, it’s the racists and homophobes in the Republican party, not the Dems, who make her selection an impossibility.

Oh, and I didn’t even get around to mentioning Pakistan. Yeah, things aren’t going so hot there either.

Fact is, the Bush II regime has been the worst practicioner of American foreign policy since perhaps. . . . Well, no. Ever. They’re children pretending to be adults. They have hurt our country immensely, and only some of that damage will ever be fully undone.

Oh brother. Does the left never get tired of whipping out this myth? Of course, we know that the ‘deal’ President Clinton and Jimmy Carter struck with North Korea was in the vein of Chamberlain. They snookered hundreds of millions of dollars from the Clinton administration in return for promising not to develop nuclear weapons. A promise they promptly broke and why not? We never insisted on any kind of program that would verify they were in compliance. In short, it was a failure. It was only when Rice stepped in and urged sanctions against NK that real progress was made. Just a couple of months ago NK finally turned over the documents they were supposed to and we watched as a 60-foot-tall cooling tower at its main reactor complex in Yongbyon North Korea was destroyed. NK has threatened to start up their nuke program again, but it’s foot stamping. They’re not going to get de-listed as a state sponsored terrorist state until they allow officials in to verify their nuclear program — something the Clinton administration failed to do.

Iran is much more powerful and dangerous now.

In what way? And how does that reflect on Secretary Rice? The United States doesn’t even hold formal diplomatic relations with Iran.

NO progress has been made in Palestine-Israel relations.

Total nonsense. Unfortunately for Rice and Colin Powell before her, they both had to clean up the absolute mess left by Madeline Albright. Rice has had difficulties in large part because she is not favoring either side and getting them to bend is extremely difficult. It was Rice however, who persuaded the Israelis to withdraw from settlements in Gaza and the West Bank in 2005.

Lebanon is slowly being taken over by Hizbollah

Right. Syria pulled all of their troops out in 2005 after a 30 year presence. Hezbollah attempted to wage war with Israel in 2006 and found out very quickly how stupid that was. They now have a democratically elected President in Michel Suleiman and will have a democratically elected government that will include Hezbollah, but the notion that it is being “taken over” by them is absurd.

Iraq is a military operation and as such, Rice doesn’t have much to do with what is going on there.

Sorry Bruce, but you fall way short. Secretary Rice has done pretty well in her role as Sec. of State. Your accusation that she’s the worst in 50 years, doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.

Republicans would have too many questions about her personal life, specifically the fact that she isn’t married.)

It’s funny how left wingers would say such things, but it only appears to be the left that’s interested in whether or not Rice is a lesbian.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=YFY&q=liberals rice lesbian&btnG=Search

Iraq? Disaster. A disaster with no clear exit strategy.

Iran? Now a major player alongisde Israel and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, much more powerful than they were in 1999. They have a new Shia-aligned ally to their west as well, called Iraq, as Adamenijad and al-Maliki are very close friends (sorry, not in the mood to be a good speller today).

North Korea? Has gone nuclear under Rice’s watch.

Russia? Where to begin? Russia has pretty much decided to thumb its nose at the US and will defend its future incursions with a simple statement: “Well, you invaded Iraq, so we get to invade whomever we want as well.”

Those are just for starters. But please, I could use a few laughs this morning. Someone please explain why the woman who was head of the NSA on the morning of America’s worst domestic security lapse ever was then promoted to Sec. of State in the first place, and then allowed to remain in office given such a horrid, dismal track record?

(Aside from her incompetence, she’d never get the veep nod. Republicans would have too many questions about her personal life, specifically the fact that she isn’t married.)

*big buisness, evangelicals, & in-bread rednecks.

You and I both know Frankie hasn’t been “all right” for quite some time now.

Who does that? Seriously, who has ever advocated that?

That’s a good left wing talking point. Of course, when you ask people WHY she’s supposedly the worst Sec. of State in the last 50 years, all I’ve ever gotten in response is, “Well….because she is!!”

So Bruce, pray tell. Why? Can you explain?

Are you talking about the “Russia expert” who was a deer in the headlights when Russia invaded Georgia? The worst f*cking SecState in the last 50 years? THAT Condi Rice?

Oh my God, Frank! Are you all right?

Kiss the ardent Hillary supporters Buh-bye…..

I’m not following the “logic” here, duh…Kiss the ardent Hillary supporters buh-bye because Ms. Hutchinson’s positions on the issues are so much like Ms. Clinton’s? Because Ms. Clinton’s supporters will vote for McCain because there’s a blonde (well, maybe) haired woman on the ticket? Because Clinton supporters will vote for any non Penis-American?

I think I’m beginning to understand why Republicans lose the women’s vote year after year.

So what you’re saying is that you support abortion at random?

Her last name is Rice , and she is not working for the Obam campaign …

Forcing a woman to do something against their will. That’s Frankie for ya.

Right. He won 54% of the vote in a four way race and is the first non-white to serve as Governor in Louisiana since Reconstruction.

EL gets the “Stupid Comment of The Day” award.

She could gather not a few Afro – American votes, and quite a few successful educated “working professional” women’s votes …

Her last name is Rice , and she is not working for the Obam campaign …