just what we expected

Now that the mid-term elections are over, the President is engaged in the traditional role associated with lame duck Presidents, spending the sh*t out of taxpayer dollars travelling the globe, hoping to push the interests of Haliburton, eh, I mean the United States everywhere he lands, (as well as catching some great duty-free shopping and authentic exotic cuisine).

(Just you wait, in coming years, he will recount stories beginning with "when i was in Vietnam...").

In any case, having been successful at convincing the American electorate of the virtue of his ideas, he is off to convert the world.

I wish him success.

The focus of his current trip is the situation in the mideast. He will be attending a NATO summit that should address the war in Afghanistan. Later in the week, he will meet with the King of Jordan and the Iraqi Prime Minister to address the status of the war in Iraq. (This week marks a new phase in US coverage of the mideast, drawing a distinction between the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan---the war in Iraq is quickly being termed a civil war---a term that would make it politically more palatable to stage a US pullout). I've said it before but I think it bears repeating, we will see an escalation of sorts in the Afghan conflict, (which will be high profile), coupled with a de-escalation, (lower profile) in Iraq, capped by a declaration of victory as a country with no strategic or economic importance celebrates its freedoms while the oil-producing Persian Gulf falls under the shadow of Iran.

Good show George.

Stay focused. Stay informed. Be vocal.