[Ferraro] ignited a flap by telling a California newspaper that "if Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position."

"And if he was a woman he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept," Ferraro said.

Source: Clinton supporter defends Obama race remarks

I think "US out now" as a simple mantra neglects to consider the full range of possible disasters... there would be an Iraq civil war. [..]

People often allege that the US military isn't doing any good in Iraq and there is already a civil war. These people have never actually seen a civil war and do not appreciate the lid the US military is keeping on what could be a volcano. [..]

If there is a civil war now that kills a million people, with ethnic cleansing and millions of displaced persons, it will be our fault, or at least the fault of the 75% of Americans who supported the war. [..]

If a regional guerrilla war breaks out among Kurds, Turks, Shiites and Sunni Arabs, the guerrillas could well apply the technique of oil pipeline sabotage to Iran and Saudi Arabia, just as they do now to the Kirkuk pipeline in Iraq. If 20% of the world's petroleum production were taken off-line by such sabotage, the poor of the world would be badly hurt, and the whole world would risk another Great Depression. [..]

People on the left often don't like it when I bring this scenario up, because they dislike oil; they read it as a variant of the "war for oil" thesis and reject it. But working people [..] get to work on buses, and buses burn gasoline. If the bus ticket doubles or triples, people who make $10,000 a year feel it. Moreover, if there is a depression, the janitors and other workers will be the first to be fired.

Source: Juan Cole in Informed Comment

The Republicans want Ideas? I'll give them some:
Social Security - the current system works. Stop trying to bilk it for your rich buddies. Keep your hands off of my parents' and my money you money grubbin' greedy bastards.

Iraq - The war is a failure. Our national security problems are worse. We are now a power in decline. The way to strengthen America is to develop and execute an exit strategy for Iraq; refocus the war on terror on Osama Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda and homeland security; and re-engage the world as a more humble and civilized member of the family of nations.

Accountability - George W. Bush is an illegitimate President whose actions as President have violated the US constititution and Federal criminal statutes. We call for the following:
* An impeachment inquiry based on the Downing Street Memos and other publicly available information which establishes that Bush may have knowingly lied to the country and deceived the Congress to obtain an authorization to go to war in Iraq. We believe his actions constitute high crimes and misdemeanors and that he should be removed from office and prosecuted thereafter.
* An open ended inquiry into the abuses at GITMO, Abu Ghraib, Bagram, and the policy of outsourcing torture to third countries. Those responsible for approving this policy will be prosecuted for violating US law and international law (the Geneva Conventions are part of US law). We suspect that the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense and the current Secretary of State as well as a host of underlings have been complicit in these crimes. All acts of soldiers which constitute crimes under US law will be imputed to their superior officers and civilian leaders. Any soldier who committed such an act and desires to confess will be granted immunity from prosecution.
* An open ended inquiry into the actions of the Bush-Cheney campaigns, Karl Rove, Jeb Bush and others who perpetrated a massive fraud which affected the actual vote tally and overall outcome of the 2000 and 2004 US Presidential elections. A fraud committed on the electoral process is a fraud committed against the Constitution. This group activity will also be prosecuted as a conspiracy under the RICO statutes.

Source: khyber900 on Daily Kos

Detainees coming back after weeks or months in prison talk of being forced to eat pork, not being allowed to pray, being exposed to dogs, having Islam insulted and generally being treated like animals trapped in a small cage. At the end of the day, it's not about words or holy books or pork or dogs or any of that. It's about what these things symbolize on a personal level. It is infuriating to see objects that we hold sacred degraded and debased by foreigners who felt the need to travel thousands of kilometers to do this. That's not to say that all troops disrespect Islam- some of them seem to genuinely want to understand our beliefs. It does seem like the people in charge have decided to make degradation and humiliation a policy.

By doing such things, this war is taken to another level- it is no longer a war against terror or terrorists- it is, quite simply, a war against Islam and even secular Muslims are being forced to take sides.

Source: Riverbend's latest post