It lacked the added virtue of being true

Clinton, still learning about the internet’s stubborn memory.

What Richardson Said

His Portland speech is here.

The first item of note is that he called Wright’s remarks “deplorable”. Shame Obama can’t say that himself.

Mixed in with the platitudes and hot air, he dropped into Spanish to say, Este es un hombre que nos entiende, y nos va a respetar. (This is a man who understands us, and is going to respect us.) Framed in the context of Richardson the “hispanic” (who is just as “hispanic” as Obama is “black”) the message is clear. Respeto is an important concept in latin culture. So yes, Obama’s proxy was pandering directly to hispanics, and the understood message is he’ll give you what you want. That’s red meat to people who grew up in a culture of dependency as did all of Mexico’s lower class. And it’s not the middle or upper class that is crossing the border illegally.

It’s at least consistent with his desire to grant drivers licenses to illegal aliens.

Another Heart-Pounder

from Michael Yon in Nineveh.

There are no guarantees, but this could be the endgame for major combat operations in Iraq. Combat is likely to heat up in Mosul and western Nineveh by about May. There likely will be some reports of increased US and Iraqi casualties up here, but this does not mean that we are losing ground or that al Qaeda is resurging – though clearly they are trying. If there is an increase in casualties here as we go into the summer of 2008, it is because our people and the Iraqi forces are closing in. We have seen just how deadly al Qaeda can be. This enemy is desperate. They know they are losing. They are not likely to go out easy. The enemy is smart, agile and adaptive. Likely they will land some devastating blows on us, but at this rate, our people and Iraqi forces appear to be driving stakes through al Qaeda hearts faster than al Qaeda is regenerating.

Read Yon and you know what’s going on in Iraq months before people who rely on the MSM.

Update:

Instapundit passes along this email from Michael:

“It’s important to contextualize the fighting in Basra. That the Iraqi Army apparently is fighting JAM is important; a largely Shia Government of Iraq is in command of the Iraqi Army. The Iraqi Army is fighting Shia militia. This is not bad news.”

At least Petraeus is saying it

Why the Bush administration hasn’t beaten the drums about Iran’s involvement in Iraq for all these years is beyond me. It’s not like it’s been a secret. Apparently our best General thinks it’s time to talk about it.