"This is a farewell kiss, you dog"

During a surprise visit to Iraq, Bush had not one, but two size 10 shoes thrown at him by Muntadar al-Zeidi, a reporter for Al-Baghdadia television. Unfortunately Bush ducked and wasn't hit by the shoes.
It was also unfortunate that the reporter called Bush a dog, an insult to dogs and dog lovers everywhere. In Iraq, throwing shoes at someone is a sign of contempt. People threw shoes at the statue of Saddam when it was toppled after the 2003 invasion.
Bush should probably stick to giving speeches at A&M, one of the few places where people can still stand him. Two faculty members organized a small protest when he was chosen to deliver a commencement address on Friday, but county Democratic chairwoman Maggie Charleton said his visit wasn't worth making a fuss over. ''I don't like George W. Bush. I don't think he's been a good president," she said. "But, you know, in a little while, he's going to be gone. Not a moment too soon, thank goodness. Why bother?"

Freedom and democracy in Iraq

Try telling that to the women in the country, particularly in Basra, Iraq's second largest city. According to the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 133 women were killed in Basra last year. 47 of those deaths were honor killings and 79 were for violating Islamic teachings. Women are strangled, beheadded, or mutilated, often in front of their children, for crimes as minor as wearing a head scarf that isn't the right color. This sign was seen in a downtown market place: "We warn against not wearing a headscarf and wearing makeup. Those who do not abide by this will be punished. God is our witness, we have notified you." The people who commit these crimes against women are seldom caught. Before the invasion, Iraq was one of the most westernized countries in the Middle East where women had a relatively large amount of freedom. Now they live in constant fear. Another legacy of GWB.

Bill Richardson

It looks like the likely democratic presidential nominee will not be Richardson, but Clinton, Obama, or Edwards. He is however the only one of these four who promises to get all the troops out of Iraq in 2009 if elected. He has set up a web site http://www.2013istoolate.com/ explaining why the United States can't afford to wait 5+ more years to withdraw from this war which is costing us billions of dollars and thousands of lives. He is asking for donations of $20.13. TV ads are also starting today to bring attention to this issue.