The US mid-term 'surprise'?
In the second of an occasional series, a conspiracy theory that might actually have something in it is invited to take a bow. U.S bloggers have been speculating about the ' surprise' coyly hinted at by columnist Ronald Kessler, on conservative site News Max.
''In the past week, Karl Rove has been promising Republican insiders an ‘October surprise’ to help win the November congressional elections.”
Well, October has been and gone and the only surprise so far seems to be how nasty the pre-elction campaigning is. Actually, scratch it - no, that isn't a surprise. Perhaps the surprise is how many conservatives are turning on Bush and his administration?
In today's Guardian report, 'Neocons turn on Bush for incompetence over Iraq war' neoconservative, Richard Perle who was a member of the influential Defence Policy Board that advised the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and a 'leading hawk' in the Reagan administration has a go, ( as do fellow former Pentagon adviser Kenneth Adelman, Michael Rubin, a former senior official in the Pentagon's Office of Special Plans, and David Frum, a former Bush speechwriter, in a Vanity Fair article) . The Guardian report says
''Mr Perle, a member of the influential Defence Policy Board that advised the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, in the run-up to the war, is as outspoken in denouncing the conduct of the war as he was once bullish on the invasion. He blamed "dysfunction" in the Bush administration for the present quagmire.
"The decisions did not get made that should have been. They didn't get made in a timely fashion, and the differences were argued out endlessly," Mr Perle told Vanity Fair, according to early excerpts of the article. "At the end of the day, you have to hold the president responsible."
At the moment, the expected ''surprise'' seems to be the conviction and sentencing to death of Saddam Hussein, whose trial is expected to conclude November 5th - 48 hours before the US mid-term elections. ( A while back in early September, I thought it might be catching Bin Laden, still apparently lurking in Pakistan, but I daresay he is too convenient a bogey to be bagged just yet. But you never know. Maybe it'll be a double bonanza!)
Pray though, that it isn't the announcement of war with Iran. It might be the alleged ''thwarting'' of another ''spectacular''. But is it all a trick by master-tactician Rove, who is hoping to spook the Democrats?
Heaven knows, there's been a few unwelcome surprises for the Republicans. Like this one. Enjoy the revs, Rev.
Who knows? We'll have to see. Meanwhile, my favourite barking mad guest conspiracy theory of the month is the idea that the next terror attack can be predicted using this handy chart ( click on it to enlarge)
Cunningly using numerology, the mysterious links between the Saudi Arabian dialing code, the New Zealand Emergency phone number and the number of days between 9/11 and other terror attacks... it comes up with November 2nd 2006 as the next date for an attack. Oops.
''In the past week, Karl Rove has been promising Republican insiders an ‘October surprise’ to help win the November congressional elections.”
Well, October has been and gone and the only surprise so far seems to be how nasty the pre-elction campaigning is. Actually, scratch it - no, that isn't a surprise. Perhaps the surprise is how many conservatives are turning on Bush and his administration?
In today's Guardian report, 'Neocons turn on Bush for incompetence over Iraq war' neoconservative, Richard Perle who was a member of the influential Defence Policy Board that advised the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and a 'leading hawk' in the Reagan administration has a go, ( as do fellow former Pentagon adviser Kenneth Adelman, Michael Rubin, a former senior official in the Pentagon's Office of Special Plans, and David Frum, a former Bush speechwriter, in a Vanity Fair article) . The Guardian report says
''Mr Perle, a member of the influential Defence Policy Board that advised the defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, in the run-up to the war, is as outspoken in denouncing the conduct of the war as he was once bullish on the invasion. He blamed "dysfunction" in the Bush administration for the present quagmire.
"The decisions did not get made that should have been. They didn't get made in a timely fashion, and the differences were argued out endlessly," Mr Perle told Vanity Fair, according to early excerpts of the article. "At the end of the day, you have to hold the president responsible."
At the moment, the expected ''surprise'' seems to be the conviction and sentencing to death of Saddam Hussein, whose trial is expected to conclude November 5th - 48 hours before the US mid-term elections. ( A while back in early September, I thought it might be catching Bin Laden, still apparently lurking in Pakistan, but I daresay he is too convenient a bogey to be bagged just yet. But you never know. Maybe it'll be a double bonanza!)
Pray though, that it isn't the announcement of war with Iran. It might be the alleged ''thwarting'' of another ''spectacular''. But is it all a trick by master-tactician Rove, who is hoping to spook the Democrats?
Heaven knows, there's been a few unwelcome surprises for the Republicans. Like this one. Enjoy the revs, Rev.
Who knows? We'll have to see. Meanwhile, my favourite barking mad guest conspiracy theory of the month is the idea that the next terror attack can be predicted using this handy chart ( click on it to enlarge)
Cunningly using numerology, the mysterious links between the Saudi Arabian dialing code, the New Zealand Emergency phone number and the number of days between 9/11 and other terror attacks... it comes up with November 2nd 2006 as the next date for an attack. Oops.
posted by Rachel at 7:41 am
Both sides seem to have suicidal tendencies. John Kerry's freudian slip (even Howard Dean begged him to shut up already and just apologise) and now Richard Pearl slamming Bush and the Army Times slamming Rumsfeld.
If Bush would only have dropped Rummy a year ago, Repubs would be laughing. Bush's loyality to Rummy is inexplicable...
I thought it might be a Dem rout- but after Kerry, I changed my mind. Now Richard Pearle and Army Times weigh in and it's anyone's guess.
As they do no have electoral roll in the same way as here (you have to remember to register to vote months in advance of election- and registration on the roll not used for other purposes like here)it will all come down to which local parties did the best job in motivating their people to register and get off their ass on the day.
I did wait until today to give you a day's grace for the possible crossing of the International Date Line. My great hope is that the terrorist Central Planning Committee would immediately see that the American Public might suddenly sweep the Republicans back into office by having a terrorist attack before the election. Of course, I'm not sure that these folks are genius' level either. But then, what do i know? I loath both American political parties.
Nice post Rachel...
Perhaps the October surprise was a few more million dollars in Rumsfeld bank account!
Donald Rumsfeld
BTW
I do try to find different perspectives on things, I suspect that's why we are here really, I know you do....
But you don't deserve to be hassled by this jealous person, at all....
Wishing you well.
Kris.
Well Rove better hurry up as it looks like the GOP will cretainly lose one of the the senate or house to the democrats; severly limiting his chances of forging a great new war.
Although, double bet conspiracy theory time, Democrat administrations in the US historically are more warlike than Republican ones.
I'm still here(East Finchley)on November 4th.
Rachel, keep the faith!
Blog1
Blog2
Remember, remember the 5th of November 2006
Actually it's no surprise that the neocons are turning on Bush. I was in the States back in April and it was already apparent back then that both they and the Christian Right were desperately trying to distance themselves from the White House.
Bush is deeply unpopular with the people, his approval ratings are about as low as they can go, and these people had the mid-terms and then the next Presidential election to think about. Right now their President is their biggest liability.
Take a look at the news coverage of where Bush has been campaigning the last few days. Normally the President would be sent to the marginal districts where his appearance might swing the vote. Bush has been campaigning pretty much exclusively in staunchly Republican areas. Basically, they are putting him where he can do the least harm.
Ahhh, maybe Rove thought the Saddam trial was going to finish sooner than it did. Maybe the Saddam execution was the October suprise?