Milestones

Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death this weekend and Bush calls it a "milestone". I wasn't so sure yesterday what exactly he is referring to. I guess no one really expected that Saddam Hussein would be found innocent. I think it would have been a milestone to catch Osama Bin Laden. But Hussein?

The only thing that is crystal clear after this weekend: Karl Rove and his friends have made their homework again. The verdict comes just 2 days before the mid term elections – 3 years after they pulled Mr. Hussein out of a hole. The timing of the verdict seems to be at least questionable. Not so for the president. A New York Times headline makes that clear today: "Bush Trumpets Iraq Verdict to Rally Support: Some polls suggest the Republicans might be making gains in the final hours of the campaign."

Even though Rove and his GOP-buddies apparently worked well, it will hopefully be too late this time. Just in case the president has forgotten what a lot of voters in America might also remember from the last couple of days, I would like to assist him by providing my personal "milestones" from last weekend:

1. A Republican authorized website published details that are suitable for making a nuclear device.

2. Key publications of the U.S. Army ask for Donald Rumsfeld to resign.

3. Reverend Ted Haggard the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, a Republican adviser and supporter of the anti-gay marriage movement, admits meeting with a call boy and buying crystal meth.

That Bush doesn't mention any of this in his last minute speeches is clear. He also forgets to mention that last October was the 4^th deadliest month for American troops in Iraq since the beginning of the war. I guess also Bush has to acknowledge at some point that there comes a time when you cannot cover hard facts, scandals, and hypocrisy with “milestones” any more…