No End in Sight

Herbert: "The president is on vacation. He's down at the ranch riding his bicycle and clearing brush. The death toll for Americans has streaked past the 1,800 mark. The Iraqi dead are counted by the tens of thousands. But if Mr. Bush has experienced any regret about the carnage he set in motion when he launched the war, he's not showing it."

"George W. Bush has no strategy, no real plan, for winning the war in Iraq. So we're stuck in a murderous quagmire without even the suggestion of an end in sight."

"The president, ensconced in a long vacation, exemplifies the vacuum of leadership on this crucial issue, which demands nothing less than the sustained attention of the wisest men and women the U.S. has to offer. They could be politicians, academics, civic or religious leaders, corporate executives - whoever. The longer they remain on the sidelines, the longer the carnage in Iraq will continue." [NYT]

We went in without a strategy or a plan...now, over 2,100 coalition soldiers (1,835 US soldiers) have paid the ultimate price. The families of these brave individuals just want to believe that their deaths had a reason, a purpose...a greater good. Which leads me to:

Cindy Watch: Day 6. Cindy Sheehan: "The President says he feels compassion for me, but the best way to show that compassion is by meeting with me and the other mothers and families who are here. Our sons made the ultimate sacrifice and we want answers. All we're asking is that he sacrifice an hour out of his five-week vacation to talk to us, before the next mother loses her son in Iraq. He says he is spreading peace. How can you spread peace by killing people?" [MediaMatters] [TruthOut1] [TruthOut2] [PNIOnline] [Buzzflash]