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This took place early August. Was not recorded in American media. Was big news in the Mid East…

The arrival of Prince Bandar was secret, shuttled in and out of Russia without fanfare. The meeting went like this.






Putin: “Your proposals about oil and gas, economic and investment cooperation deserve to be studied by the relevant ministries in both countries.”

Bandar covers the Syrian misunderstanding.



On Egypt:



On Iran:

Bandar: “About Iran’s role in the region, especially in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, Bahrain and other countries. We hope that the Russians would understand that Russia’s interests and the interests of the Gulf states are one in the face of Iranian greed and nuclear challenge.”


Regarding Turkey.


Concluding remarks.

Bandar: “In light of the course of the talks, things are likely to intensify, especially in the Syrian arena, although we appreciate the Russians’ understanding of Saudi Arabia’s position on Egypt as well as their readiness to support the Egyptian army despite their fears for Egypt’s future. The dispute over the approach to the Syrian issue leads to the conclusion that there is no escape from the military option, because it is the only currently available choice given that the political settlement ended in stalemate. We believe that the Geneva II Conference will be very difficult in light of this raging situation.”

More analysis can be found here….

If there were not radical republicans, there would be no fiscal cliff. We had a deal, modeled on the Boyle Simpson Plan, that balanced cutting expenses with raising revenue. Obama, Mitch, and John Boehner all signed off on it. They just had to take it back to their members and get their approval….

That was 3 cuts to 1 part revenue enhancement.

The Tea Party Republicans said no; it had tax increases on the top one percent. They could not vote for any tax increase on the top one percent. Bottom 99%? No problem; they were totally on board with taxing poor people. Just no tax increases for the top 1%….

And so, sequestration was brought into the agreement and …. here we are… Trying to stave off sequestration….

We have this crises because of the Tea Party Republicans. (Remember, the regular Republicans were all on board).

The Tea Party Republicans are the ones currently pushing Boehner not to agree… If we go over the fiscal cliff, it is solely because of these Tea Party Republicans, many of whom were voted out this past November for being too radical and basically nuts.

It sits between two giants… Iran and India. One is Shiite, the other Hindu… both hostile.

Currently this region is the current global hot seat. Some due because of Navy Seal Team 6, the rest due to Iran’s nukes.

However, as often happens when people get angry over a disturbance and hostile words begin to flow, if a member of the correct authority shows up, order is quickly re-established and no violence breaks out. On the other hand, if there is no authority intervening, words pile on words to create hostile feelings, and sooner or later, a physical threat provokes a defensive reaction and boom, a fight breaks out….

The US is the authority that can choose to make the difference.

A couple of things to note. Iran is rattling sabers rather loosely which means they are more worried over consequences within their country, than outside their country… If reading the Shiite tea leaves correctly, there is strong internal pressure within Iran to go tough against the outside.

The pressure is so strong, that Iran leadership seems to be flailing, … signing off on anything that could make it look like leadership was standing up for themselves and not being whooped on by the global community.

There is little Iran can do…

Here is what they’ve tried.

Three bombings. India, Georgia, and Thailand, aimed at Israel diplomats.

Boasting over a very difficult to believe breakthrough of their new technology. Such boasting is rather similar to those of Kim Jong-il….

Pre-empting the EU’s future cutoff, Iran cut off oil sales to 6 countries there.

But these threats seemed calculated for Iran’s domestic consumption. All three bombings were totally bungled, (perhaps by design). The countries cut off of oil, already had a ban in place of not buying any new Iranian oil since last month, and no oil is to be accepted by the EU after July 1st…. And the videos showing Mr. Ahmadinejad loading his new super de- duper nuclear fuel rods without radiation protection, strain belief…. (yeah right they were real)….

Elections are being held March 2nd and there are some serious domestic problems in Iran that warrant the distraction these foreign adventures cause.

In it’s own backyard, regional influence is running away from Iran. Perhaps it’s support for Syria has something to do with that. When the Assad regime fails, Iran will lose it’s supply line to the Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

No longer afraid of Iran, Saudi Arabia announced it would fill Iran’s vacuum with their oil. Even after Tehran called the Saudi move a hostile act, Saudi did not back down, but stuck to its guns in defiance of Iran.

Iran cannot do business with or obtain credit from any reputable international bank, nor can it easily insure its ships or find energy investors…

In the last six weeks, the Iranian rial has declined dramatically against the dollar, adding to the economic woes Iran is now confronting. This stems from America’s penalties on Iran’s Central Bank and on those dealing with it…..

Grain is sitting on ships that won’t unload their cargoes in Iranian ports because suppliers haven’t been paid.

Iranian oil is being stored on tankers as Iran’s buyers demand discounts to purchase it..

Those buying Iran’s oil, are not paying dollars. India is buying oil with rupees and barter, which means Iran might be receiving Indian goods it does not want or need….

All this with elections due in 16 days……

The Iranian problem is creating distance between the West and India. India has refuse to follow the West’s sanctions on Iran’s oil. That is understandable. When you exist in a land where your closest neighbors hate your friend, sometimes what is in your own best interest, is to put a little distance between you and your friend…. That is all India is doing. I mean even we would do that if we found ourselves in that same position…

And between these two I’s, lies Pakistan. A nation rebuffed that it’s ally didn’t confer and trust them and entered and captured Osama Bin Laden on their own. It appears Pakistan has gotten over that.

It is in the process of opening itself to India, creating another reason India would not want to appear too open to the West’s suggestion. Today three agreements on customs cooperation, mutual recognition and redressal of trade grievances were signed between India and Pakistan.

Pakistan is expected to add India to its most-favored status list, as India drops Pakistan from its own Negative List. In a huge trade agreement, Pakastani products will be open to market of 1.2 billion people. Both of India’s central banks have plans to open bank branches in Pakistan, and energy agreements that supply electricity to Pakistan and petroleum to India, are on the boards to be filled out and signed….

In the middle of all this, Afghanistan’s leader Karzai is visiting Pakistan to shore up relations. Sidelined by the US in its talks with the Taliban in Qatar, Karzai will attempt to shore up support in case a coalition government with the Taliban is forthcoming.

Soon a meeting will take place between Karzai, Pakistan, and the Iranian President, just two weeks before his election in which it is expected to create a joint communique demanding that the Taliban come to the negotiation table, so that region can get over conflict for a while, and get down to the business of rebuilding through trade among its neighbors.

Photo Courtesy of the horse’s mouth

Closing remarks of FDR’s declaration of war:


Yesterday the Japanese government also launched as attack against Malaya.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Wake Island.

And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.



Senate Republicans plan to block debate on virtually all Democratic-backed legislation.. Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader, and Sen. Jon Kyl, the Republican whip, added the signatures of all members of the Republican Senate caucus to a letter that promises to implement the plan.

What does this mean?

It means we are in stalemate. It means our Senate has become incapable of governing. It means historically that we have reached that point in Roman History and Star Wars chronology, where a charismatic leader (or Sith Lord) can make a case that we are better off with having a dictator than a squirmy republic, and the population agrees and goes along with him/her…

Those of us who have studied history (apparently a minority these days), know that our nation’s experiment with Democracy was viewed with curiosity, and that bets were made on how short we’d last in that capacity. After all, not since Rome created the position of Ceasar, had Democracy flourished to any extent upon the civilized world. It was inherently flawed.

Apparently they were right. As the Republican party today now proves.

Basically one can view today’s politics as a cancer versus one’s own body. You have healthy cells (Democrats) and cancerous ones ( Republcans)… The healthy ones try to carry on life as we know it.. The cancerous ones are only interested in creating more cancerous cells. They have no capacity to understand that if a body dies from their indulgences, they stop living too. Far too focused on just one thing, they spread their poison.

Of sure,… they cry buckets when America undergoes radiation treatments as we did when we voted in 2008. and large amounts of cancerous cells are picked off. But like a determined cancer, when remission is over, they return with a vengeance.

There is some hope. We had this before. When America debated slavery, we had some Southerners who defiantly insisted they would never waver…. 618,000 died as a result. But we finally eliminated it.

I don’t think there is any politician now who would advocate returning this nation back to that economic model. So… history is the final judge, … Progressives were on the right side of the argument. Obstructionists were on the wrong. Would America have been better off if we’d just settled it in the Senate, instead of killing 618,000 of our citizens?

Progressives were again, on the right side of Civil Rights. Obstructionists were on the wrong.

Progressives were on the right side of supplying Great Britain during their battles with Hitler. Obstructionists were on the wrong.

Progressives were on the right side of lavish governmental spending to create the Interstate Highway System. Obstructionists were on the wrong.

Fortunately America grew beyond that obstructionism. The difference then, as to now, is that we had a viable fourth estate, a free and honest press that published both sides of every issue fueling discourse and the flourish of new ideas.

Today we have propagandist rags. Telling us half. their half. There is no watchdog, there is no one minding the candy store.

The Tea Partiers and Democrats have their work cut out these next two years: Their primary job: stopping Obstructionism dead.

Otherwise we may just wind up with Afro American as our first Caesar. That’s what America wants.

The news is out, meanwhile the delegates are on their way to Denver, and the 08 campaign now turns a page into a new chapter….

This morning’s announcement puts Delaware (is that a state?) on the map, due to one of our state’s longest serving 1961 Archmere Academy’s alumni…

Some of us are not surprised, and our record shows it.  The bedrock for this decision was laid as far back as January 3, 2008…..  Those who followed Biden through out Iowa, knew as far back as then, that Barack’s people were very interested in him….  Most particularly because of Biden’s final stand, when  the Obama campaign reached out to Biden with a deal, that if any of their excess delegates were not needed in a certain caucus, they would vote first for Biden, if then afterward all of Biden’s supporters would then go stand with Obama.

Biden, to his credit (as well as the credit of all America), said he appreciated the offer but would have no part in such a deal….. ( They next went to Richardson  who said sure why not… the difference between them was 1%)  But it was Biden’s principaled refusal which pricked up the ears of the Obama organizers…

Today as the conventions approach, even before the announcement, the most skeptical gradually have come to the conslusion that there could be no other viable alternative:  It had to be Biden.

So what does this choice bring to America?   It brings real hope that America will turn itself around over the next four years…

Competency, the ingredient thoroughly lacking over the last eight years, will again be in charge….

Competency?  You might well ask.  How so?

Three areas:  all areas in which a Vice Presidency needs to be effective, if America is to continue to be effective.

One.  Knowledge of the Constitution:  Simply knowing what is right….and what is wrong.  Biden has stood on the side of, and fought for the Constitution each time it has come under attack.  As member of the Senate Judicial Committee he has both approved and disapproved Court judges, always voting with the Constitution against Republican attempts to water it down.

Two.  Respect among foreign leaders.  Most recently he has just returned from Georgia. At other times Biden has sat across the table from certain Communist premieres,  Balkan war criminals, and persecuted refugees.  Today his Balkan plan is working, compared to an Iraqi plan that may work one day ( a hundred years from now), but currently isn’t.  Most telling of Biden’s international respect, occurred late last fall, when riots erupted in the streets of Pakistan, both opposition leaders, Bhutto and Musharraf, placed calls to Joe Biden for advice; not to Bush, Cheney, Rice or anyone in the State Department.   That last fact is priceless.  Both sides upon asking themselves, just who out there can give me the best advice….. turned to Joe Biden.  Meanwhile the rest of the world daily continues to turn away from the current Republican leadership.

Finally, most importantly, knowledge of how to move bills through Congress… Joe biden has deep long term connections on both sides….  If there is anyone in America who can get both sides to work together, it is Joe Biden….

But only if the anti America bloc of 30 + Republican Senators can be diminished to 29.

And this is where we come in.   Obama-Biden cannot be expected to be able to make the change alone.  They  must have a Congress that will support them. 30 Senate Republicans have held up government for two long years.  Therefore it is not a big stretch to say that every sane American’s duty is to elect far less Republicans to Congress in November, no matter for which House they are running for. In Delaware, this specifically means we need to replace Mike Castle….

For Delaware (and the rest of America as well), this specifically means we need to replace Mike Castle.

“For if you always do what you always did, you will always get, what you always got….”

It’s Here.

America is choosing a new leader. It’s time we choose a good one. Those vying tor the opportunity, must fight until one wins….

What are they fighting for? The right NOT to retire at 72? The right for a post-menopausal women to lead us all? The right for our president to actually have pigment?

Not really. They are fighting for our survival. In case you didn’t know, we are in rather dire straits, similar to the late 1920’s, but we still have time. Fortunately for us, things have not absolutely crashed yet…. We are close, sometimes within hours….but we haven’t crashed yet… We still have most of the infrastructure of a society with which to rebuild this nation.

Some who have done well, will say this is malarkey. Just pessimism being canned for a political run….. Others who have been unfortunately set aside as their employment passed them by on its trip overseas……may agree with my assessment.

The question of who can bring us out….Who can figure the way out and then lead us there……is the one we need to ponder….

Our answer needs to be someone who can communicate. Someone who can take reality and explain it back to us in a way America can understand.

It needs to be someone who is smart; smart enough to know their own limitations and thereby surround themselves with people of differing viewpoints, in order to grasp the all encompassing breadth of their advice….

It needs to be someone who can represent our nation’s interests across the world’s stage. Who will be looked up to as truly representative of those ideals America once stood for, and not someone tainted with imperialist aspirations…….

It needs to be someone who understands the wealthy, who knows how their wealth is created and maintained, as well as someone who has walked among the poor, shared their concerns, and vowed to make a difference in their lives.

It needs to be someone who understands American blood is precious, who respects each volunteered drop, and spends it wisely only on matters dire to our nation’s survival…..

It needs to be someone who finally understands that fossil fuels are a dead end, who can work with energy companies so as less is consumed, they don’t go bankrupt. But understands that our nation’s survival will depend on our advancing beyond the limitations being imposed by those shackles fossil fuels bind us to.

The next president needs to understand that we understand that deficits DO matter……And that Americans need to begin whittling down that extraordinary amount…….and put this nation in the position where we can one day lend money to other nations, instead of borrowing from them…..

The next president will need to put people to work…..Cutting taxes is not enough……We will need, either through private enterprise, or government impetitus, to give people jobs….

It needs to be someone who understands this country can never succeed if we remain a bunch of blathering idiots.  Our educational problem can only be fixed by the sacrifice of brave men and women, willing to march into public schools to make a difference.  The next president needs to make every citizen understand,  that failure here, is not an option.

The next president will need to worry about massive defaults as our banks continue to write off assets that over time turned into liabilities……

The next president will need advisers who are practical. Political philosophy has caused us great pain. Practical applications based on what works, are the cause celebre of the next administration…..

The next president will need a majority in Congress. No more Republicans messing up Congress…..;please…..

(and…..drumroll…. here is where you hear who the best person for that position is.)

Nope, not from this writer…………. Instead, this writer assumes you are wise enough to make up your own mind….. If you truly aren’t…….. well sometimes our country does makes collective mistakes….occasionally every two hundred and ten years, we vote in a whopper….. But this time, on November 4th 2008, each of us needs to focus our attention upon which direction our country America needs to take.

Once a consensus has been formed about where we need to go,……..the winning candidate who subscribes to it, will have no other choice but to follow it……..

Because that……. is what we do.