Deny Deny Deny

The cornerstone of the Bush Administration, deny, deny, deny: Rove, Scooter Libby, Valerie Plame, warnings of Katrina, Global Warming, the August 2001 Presidential Daily Brief "Bin Laden To Attack Within US", no WMD in Iraq, Walter Reed, not enough boots on the ground in Iraq, no Al Qaeda in Iraq, military use of torture, Abu Ghraib, rendition of prisoners, Halliburton and Blackwater running amok, a recession, negative job growth, and the list goes on.

Seems John "McSame" McCain has adopted this strategy. Why represent the United States when you can represent only the most vocal Right Wing extreme faction of the Republican Party? Deny what the majority of America thinks.

We see Iraq open to change, Iraqi PM al-Maliki and UK PM Gordon Brown are on board for an eventual withdrawal of troops in Iraq. What does McCain say? He knows what Iraqis want, al-Maliki does not. Deny what the majority of Iraqis and Americans want.

We see climate change taking a hold on Earth, melting polar ice caps, stronger storms. Globally, drinking water will be a big concern. What does McCain do? He backs the Big Oil position again and again. Drill for more oil. Drill off-shore. Drill in Alasaka. Out of 535 Members of Congress, John McCain is the only one who chose to miss every single key environmental vote scored by the League of Conservation Voters last year. Deny what the majority of the world sees as an eminent problem.

How about McSame on torture, he being the 5 1/2 year POW from Vietnam. Did he vote against the US military use of torture, Hmmm, no. Look at Guantanamo where the first war crimes case since WWII is starting. The judge refused to allow the prosecution to enter evidence that was obtained under duress in Afghanistan. Information gathered by torture is useless. Deny what the military, the Geneva Convention, the courts and all religions stand for.

So John, put the denial away. You're 72, grow up. The reality is the war has been mismanaged, has no objective, and without goals, can go on forever. The funding for it has depleted our domestic abilities to address real problems, as well as, any emerging security issues abroad. The climate, and the way we treat Earth, is a big issue and must be dealt with now. We can't wait for a new Oil Industry-backed report that debunks climate change. It's for real. Torture is not condoned in any sense: in the military, in courts, among the religious. It's a hideous weakness. It is useless and sends the wrong message.

We, as America, have to be a leader in the world when it comes to lofty goals such as security, climate and torture. We have to see them as the complex issues that they are, acknowledge them, and engage them and come up with initiatives that reflect our enlightened humanity. To deny them and push them under the rug is a disservice.

We know better. We now have to do better. John McCain, get out of your fantasy world, get out of the way and let real leaders make real decisions that have real solutions for real Americans.