IF I WERE ELECTED

UNDERSTANDABLY, I HAD ONE DEAR FRIEND OBJECT TO MY WRITING OF YESTERDAY. THEY FEEL WE SHOULD NOT BRING OUR TROOPS HOME AS YET. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS, AND I FURTHER AGREE AN IMMEDIATE PULLOUT WOULD BE DISASTROUS.
BUT, WHEN TWO PEOPLE HATE EACH OTHER, THE ONLY WAY TO RESOLVE A DISPUTE IS TO INTRODUCE A THIRD PARTY, ONE WHO IS NEUTRAL AND WHO'S ONLY AIM IS TO BRIDGE THE GAP. THAT IS WHAT IS WOULD DO. IT WAS JUST DONE IN NORTH KOREA, IT SHOULD BE DONE IN IRAN AND IT CAN BE DONE IN IRAQ.

THIS IS NOT A CONVENTIONAL WAR AND THEREFORE IT CANNOT BE WON. WHY? BECAUSE EVERY PERSON, MAN, WOMAN OR CHILD, WALKING THE STREETS IN IRAQ IS A POTENTIAL SUICIDE BOMBER. THESE ARE NOT VISIBLE TROOPS OUR SOLDIERS CAN FIGHT, THEY ARE ORDINARY CITIZENS CARRYING HATE AND BOMBS. WE CLAIM TO BE THERE TO HELP THEM REBUILD HAVING DISPOSED OF THEIR DICTATOR BUT THEY DON'T WANT OUR HELP, THEY WANT US OUT!!!!

IF ELECTED, I WILL GET SOME THIRD PARTIES INVOLVED. I WILL FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT IT TAKES TO HAVE ALL SIDES AGREE ON A COURSE OF GOVERNMENT THAT WILL AT LEAST END HOSTILITIES, AND THE, I WOULD WITHDRAW.

WAR MY BELOVED FRIENDS IS NOT AN ANSWER TO A DISPUTE. IT IS A WAY OF THINNING THE POPULATION. DISCUSSIONS, AS FORMIDABLE AND HOPELESS AS THEY MAY SEEM, ARE THE ONLY WAY.

THESE ARE TURBULENT TIMES AND THEY REQUIRE DIPLOMACY, NOT TROOPS OR EVER GROWING FISCAL DEFICITS. I HAVE SAID IT BEFORE AND WILL REPEAT, UNLESS YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED THE HORRORS OF WAR, UNLESS YOU HAVE CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN THAT MIGHT SOMEDAY BE DRAFTED, IT IS EASY TO SAY, "PRESS ON, SEND MORE TROOPS, SPEND BILLIONS MORE".

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE, I WANT TO REPORT THAT ALMOST ALL THE CABINET POSTS I INTEND SELLING HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. JUST A FEW MORE LEFT TO SELL UNLESS YOU CAN THINK OF A NEW POST YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY. WHEN I COLLECT ALL THE MONEY FOR THESE POSTIONS SOLD, I WILL HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO ALMOST OBLITERATE THE DEFICIT, BUT, HONESTY IS MY MIDDLE NAME. I WILL NOT USE THIS MONEY TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT, I WILL "POCKET IT" AND STILL REDUCE THE DEFICIT. INCIDENTALLY, THE TRADE DEFICIT THIS PAST MONTH WAS THE LARGEST IN OUR HISTORY.

THIS COUNTRY NEEDS THE DEFICIT REDUCTION PARTY--- IT NEEDS ME TO LEAD IT !