Tony Blair seems to be taking a page from the American candidates playbook and announced that next week he will announce his resignation. After that he'll stick around for 7 weeks while his replacement (expected to be Gordon Brown) is selected.
Source: BBC NEWS | Politics | Brown to be PM 'in weeks' - Blair
So what if they had a debate and no one came? Right now that's the question that Fox News and the South Carolina Republican Party better be asking themselves because right now only 3 out of the 10 Republican candidates meet their May 15th debate requirements.
Isn't the whole point of a debate to show people all the candidates and let them decide who they like? This is a chance for the lesser known candidates to raise their profile and there's really no reason to start excluding them at this point.
The candidates possibly not eligible are:
And don't forget that MSNBC will be broadcasting a Republican debate tomorrow night.
Source: Political Wire: Most May Be Excluded from GOP Debate
Politics site "The Hill" has the answer for three Ohio Democrats (as well as a few others).
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio): “I have a cup of tea. I’m a black-tea drinker, but light-black, and I drink it out of porcelain china teacups. I have teacups from all over the world. In Ohio I drink out of special Russian teacups. They’re so beautiful. At home here [it’s] English bone china. In the office I use special cups that are Anchor Hocking.”
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio): “I’m pretty good with cottage cheese and fruit every morning. I eat pasta a lot. It’s the Italian in me.”
And what about newly elected Zack Space? Well he takes the typical freshman approach...
Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio): “Nearly every day, a slice of Armand’s pizza.”
Source: TheHill.com - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) eats chocolate ice cream every day.
Got the following email from the Duncan Hunter campaign this afternoon.
Presidential Candidate Duncan Hunter calls for Sen. Reid to Resign
(Alpine, California) April 27 . . . Rep. Duncan Hunter called Wednesday for Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada to resign his post as Senate majority leader. The call came after the Senator's remarks that the war in Iraq is already lost.
Hunter, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee and a candidate for President of the United States wrote in a letter that Reid's comments "can have no effect but to demoralize the brave men and women, who are honorably fulfilling their mission in Iraq, and to encourage our adversaries." Hunter continued, "Even if you sincerely believe it to be true, your pronouncement of failure will undoubtedly be used by terrorist leaders to rally their followers - inevitably leading to increased attacks on U.S. and coalition forces."
Hunter wrote "In my opinion Sen. Reid, is having a demoralizing effect on our troops and, in effect, is encouragement our adversaries. I think it's appropriate for Sen. Reid to resign his position as the leader of the United States Senate."
Reid made his remarks Thursday, prompting an angry backlash from Republicans. Senate Democrats also appear embarrassed by Reid's comments and have not publicly issued statements expressly agreeing with Reid's remark. In his letter, Hunter said that lawmakers need to give the surge of troops a chance. "Currently, there are about 146,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. When the reinforcement operation is at full strength, this number will stand at approximately 157,000. How can anyone, including a United States Senator, possibly declare as a failure a reinforcement operation that is less than fifty percent complete?" added Hunter.
Hunter wrote that he has always considered Reid a friend, but that "my highest obligation is to our forces in uniform, especially during this time of war."
"Given your position of leadership within the United States Government, I find your pronouncement of failure irresponsible and disserving to America's armed forces. In light of the fact that this statement has both been used by our adversaries and has exhibited a marked lack of leadership to U.S. troops, I call on you to resign your leadership position," concluded Hunter.
Hunter said "General Petraeus made it very clear that while we are making progress, he portrays this as a difficult challenge and didn't try to sugar-coat the issue and the problems that face the American forces there," and noted that comments like that made by Reid provide incentive for U.S. adversaries.
"It must come as a shock to our enemy to have an aide come into their safe house and tell them that Senator Reid has declared that, in fact, they are winning and the war is lost," Hunter said. "I think it's highly irresponsible for the leader of the U.S. Senator to have said that and, just speaking for myself as the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, I think that the leader of the Senate should step down from that position."
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Why exactly should Reid resign? Because he actually dared to say what a lot of people are starting to think? I'm also getting sick and tired of the whole semi-fascist "belittling the troops" argument. I'll risk a treason charge from Mr. Hunter and suggest that it hurts our troops far more to send them to war based on bad intelligence and without proper planning than to suggest that such a war can't be won.
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