"What IS scary is how quickly the media and the DNC have orchestrated their divide and conquer techniques against the executive branch - at the risk of their own lives."

Hi Lindy,

You have read what you wanted to read into this line, Lindy.

This line was not about political assassination at all.

This line was about the fact that at any moment, a nuclear bomb may go off in one of our major cities - and instead of letting the President do his job now (which he is doing very well) - they are trying to make him have to waste time on "spin control" and try and pin some sort of blame on the administration for
9/11.

This above line illustrates how the lust for power will blind even during wartime and the past week's concerted efforts to disable and damage Bush's presidency.

When Rumsfeld gives a press conference and discusses grave threats to the infrastructure and American people - right now - the media is polling people on whether or not they think Bush knew more than he has revealed about 9/11.

The distraction will cost lives. Daschle wants an independent investigative body to take up the time of our law enforcement agencies - in a flagrantly political bid to distract Bush and put him on the defensive for something he shouldn't waste one minute of precious time upon. Off the top of my head I can think of a dozen better ways the congress can be spending their time - the least of which is approving the backlog of judicial nominations awaiting confirmation daily, so as to save taxpayers money and keep our promise of "equal justice for all".

One biological attack with an infectious agent could kill millions. One nuclear device - a tnt bomb covered in high-level radioactive waste - could kill tens of thousands in any populated areas, and do so slowly by means of cancer and other radiation induced illnesses. The odds any evacuation would occur - the damage would be done.

"I am appalled at your train of thought!
WHO has given up their power and the Constitution to allow these "high tech lean national security forces" be the end all and be all for American military might?
The JCOS are now antiquated??
They no longer serve their functionds as heads of their own military branches??
Why SDAI, you'd sell your own Mother down the road!"

No one has given up their power or the Constitution. The Bush administration has beefed up a diminished executive branch, damaged in deed and morale by the previous President. This administration is an experienced one and use the office to its full potential. They are not discovering the keys to the washroom or wasting any time with interns and cover-ups.

The authority of the Executive Branch and the Executive Order - is the greatest tool a President has - and is fully authorized by the Constitution.

The President can choose to utilize armed forces other than the typical military to achieve goals and secure national interests. In the case of Afghanistan, our non-military forces, of which the Special Activities Directorate, in conjunction with other Executive Branch controlled elements, were the first engaged with the enemy and achieved a tactical victory and securing a foothold in a manner the marines simply could not do - Semper fi and all.

It is the Presidential perogative to utilize the vast array of special divisions of Agencies which answer to the Executive Branch and the Cabinet.

The JCOS are antiquated. Their positions and responsibilities are linked to the pre-satellite, WWII era, wherein they functioned effectively to help consolidate information and orchestrate order from the various detached military arms of our government.

Again, now they are high ranking lobbyists whose primary job is to insure their branch gets a sufficient cut of the defense dollars - a huge amount of money is at stake and the JCOS after four decades of budgetary battling - are best suited to sneaking to congress and threatening ouster for members whose constituencies they are not serving well, if they allow cuts to pass.

Rumsfeld can't be blackmailed like a lowly congressman or senator. He is tied directly to the success or failure of his CINC. If Bush's military exploits fail - he will take the heat.

The JCOS don't like Rumsfeld - they don't like the politics of the "lean, high-tech special forces based military".

Do you really think that Rumsfeld wants an Iraq operation to topple Saddam to fail? Do you think Bush does? Of course not.

Think it out. Read between the lines.

The JCOS simply see a conflict as a way to ask for a bigger slice of the pie - a pie they have already been given seconds and thirds on with Bush's budget!

But this is not enough - especially if a pet project is being shelved - and the contractors - and the payola which so many contracting decision-makers receive along the way of huge government contracting is threatened.

The military pet projects - are the one which threaten success - by expending vast sums of money for systems which are also out-of-date and not suitable against the war we are waging - a war on terrorists.

These dollars are better spent beefing up these special forces and for ever-more-advanced tools which can win the new wars of the 21st century.

I am not selling anyone down the road - and the JCOS arguments with Rumsfeld - are a perfect example of why Eisenhower used his farewell address to warn about the military-industrial complex wielding too much clout. (Something you so often love to reference ;-)

These contractors - via the JCOS - are trying to demand the Executive Branch keep feeding them their monthly five billion dollar checks - even if that money is better spent elsewhere.

All military spending is not created equal. If the JCOS hid in a bunker for ten years and not a peep were to be heard from them for all that time - the only one's lamenting their absence would be the CEO's of Lock-mart (200 Billion for the JSF), Boeing et. al.

Best wishes,

SDAI-Tech1