China locks down the first major oil deal in Iraq[1]. U.S. companies, such as Exxon, have been lobbying for years before the Iraq invasion to end sanctions and secure contracts to improve their production, but to no avail[2].  Considering the severe reservations Iraqis have with ceding sovereignty of their oil fields (especially to U.S. companies), U.S. oil companies have been unhappy thus far with their arrangements in Iraq[3]. However, they seem to be willing to give some of these deals to the Chinese.  China, from the time of the first Gulf War, moved a net exporter to importing roughly twice of Iraq's total oil production, China is certainly interested global oil markets to continue feeding their growing economy[4].

Yesterday, I posed this riddle as a comment, and the response was quite positive.  It was suggested that it get greater exposure, and so I am making it a diary.  This was going to be a short diary, because there's a simple answer to this riddle.  However, I like to put some content in the diary like one is supoosed to do.  You will have to go below the fold for the answer while I go off on a tangent.

On Tuesday, Paul Begala posted an article on the Huffing Post (that's what I call it because that's often what I think they must be doing over there), in which he called for the Democrats to go seriously negative on McCain.  Now I don't have much of a problem with that, but he said something else that struck me as odd.  He claimed that after Hillary suspended her campaign he sent a check to the Obama campaign with the memo "FOR NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING ONLY" on it.

Hmmmm

My Boston Globe, which gets thrown into the yard about four o'clock every morning, has a story under the headline

US set to return control of Anbar Province to Iraqis

Almost the same headline appears on their web site:

US is set to return control of Anbar Province to Iraqis

But, the difference isn't just in the word "is."  The dead tree story purports to be by Robert Burns, writing for the discredited AP, while, on the web, it's credited to Erica Goode, reporting for the New York Times News Service.

Indeed, while the reports were obviously prompted by the same news conference in Baghdad (which explains why the accompanying image is of an exploded car in Baghdad--reporters still don't actually visit Al Anbar), the similarity pretty much ends at the headline.

Here, I'll show you.

In case you missed these powerful words from Two of our Countries Dedicated Veterans of the Current Occupation Theaters.

Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan can be Proud of these two, your brother and sister Veterans, as can the Families of All who are Serving and have Served, for You All are the Only Ones Sacrificing as this Country refuses to understand that Sacrifice!

The 'Honorable Cause' is the protection of your brother's and sister's as they protect you, in any conflict theater this nation sends those that serve it, wrong or right!

This Country must Now make it Right for All of You, it has Shirked It's Full Responsibility for far too long, from Korea to the Present Day, that must End!!

By Donna Smith

DENVER -- There are many images I will never forget following this week at the DNC. But I haven't been inside the real halls of power most of the week.  An activist's view probably isn't what a delegate or certainly not what a VeryImportantPerson might expect. But I think perhaps my view was just fine.

The police presence has been incredible.  It takes an awful lot of riot sticks, tear gas guns, rope and body shields to make sure the Dem's perimiter's are secure.  I used to live in Denver, and this is one of the images that just doesn't mesh with my view of the city.  And I'm not at all sure it was all entirely necessary.

It makes me think Denver has either become a very unsafe city or that we have so many pissed off people in the country that even the Democrats have to brace for the attack of the non-ruling class. And since I keep hearing everyone say "It's necessary," with regard to the intense security, I suspect that it's what the city's leaders felt necessary from a wide variety of perspectives.

The protest rally I attended was filled with good music, powerful messages and people trying to have their voices heard and acknowledged during the Dem's convention week.

Despite the lack of discussion on the conflict in Iraq at the DNC, rest assured that Barack has a plan. Read all about it below the fold...  

The sweat equity (literally) of Alan Grayson supporters paid off Tuesday night when he announced to a standing-room-only crowd at campaign headquarters in Orlando that he had won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House District 8.  

Right now, on radios and televisions, websites and blogs across the land, the cry is going out: the province of Anbar is safe, thanks to the brave efforts of Coalition forces and their Iraqi partners. Iraqi security forces are ready and waiting to take over. This will free up American troops to rotate out of country and into the once again restive theater of conflict in Afghanistan.

In reality it's... not quite going down like that .

Let's check the news together below the break.

Well, this is the kind of thing that gets lost in the hoopla of the Convention:

WASHINGTON: Three U.S. soldiers killed four handcuffed and blindfolded Iraqi prisoners with pistol shots on the bank of a Baghdad canal last year, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Obama's lightning-strike response to charges he lacks the experience to be president is, in essence, 'At least I have more wisdom than my opponent(s).'

The signature exhibit in his case is the vote on the Iraq War. He spoke out against it before entering the senate. Hillary, like McCain, voted for it. As the war has proven to be a blunder of epic proportions, the logic goes, all the years of experience of his colleagues ain't worth but a fraction of his native wisdom. As an Obama surrogate put it in a public memo:

Barack Obama has a very simple case. On the most important commander in chief test of our generation, he got it right, and Senator Clinton got it wrong.

So what does Obama say about Biden's vote for the Iraq War? And does Obama value Biden's experience?

Casualties, financial costs, etc. Show your local neo-con these statistics when he starts saying it was worth it.

The War that has gone on for around half a decade has cost us much in blood and treasure, and popular opinion around the world. This war isn't just unjustifiable, it's fiscally irresponsible, morally wrong, and continually deepining the financial wounds in the American Economy, with a shower of salt upon them to add to the pain.

Glenn Greenwald's current piece in Salon nails the bizarre disconnect at the heart of John McCain's plan for America:  

McCain will move the US to a posture of global military confrontation.

McCain will continue and expand the Bush tax cuts, particularly for the rich.

Is he insane?

No, not that Fay- Faye Armitage. She handily won her primary last night for FL-07.

U.S. House of Representatives - District 7
279 of 279 Precincts Reporting (100 percent)
Name Votes Vote %
Faye Armitage (D) 17,977 64%
Clyde Malloy (D) 10,142 36%

This is why we need your help to get the attention of the DCCC. We needs lots more money to help defeat John Mica. Faye's overwhelming victory shows that voters want candidates who are true PROGRESSIVES.

DONATE NOW

In a bold leap forward in his nationalistic rhetoric, John McCain yesterday warned the World to get off America's lawn. Addressing the American Legion Convention in Phoenix, McCain complained about Barack Obama's Berlin speech of last month. Obama had declared that by working together the nations of the world could more effectively address international terrorism and other problems we face in common. You'd have thought that was pretty uncontroversial, but you wouldn't have reckoned with John McCain's slick presidential team. It decided that what Americans want to see is more confrontation with the rest of the globe, in the guise of "leadership". It turns out that America also wants to be reminded yet again that McCain was once a POW.

From McCain's speech:

My opponent had the chance to express such confidence in America, when he delivered a much anticipated address in Berlin. He was the picture of confidence, in some ways. But confidence in oneself and confidence in one's country are not the same. And in that speech, Senator Obama left an important point unclear. He suggested that the end of the Cold War proved that there was, "no challenge too great for a world that stands as one." Now I missed a few years of the Cold War, as the guest of one of our adversaries, but as I recall the world was deeply divided during the Cold War -- between the side of freedom and the side of tyranny. The Cold War ended not because the world stood "as one," but because the great democracies came together, bound together by sustained and decisive American leadership.

Steve Benen wonders "Why would a man running to be Leader of the Free World publicly reject the notion of international cooperation on global challenges?"

McCain seems to have gotten Obama's speech backwards. Obama talked about taking on global challenges -- counter-terrorism, global warming, counter-proliferation, the international drug trade -- and encouraging Europeans to join with the United States because, "No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape responsibility in meeting them."

[...] As Obama described it, encouraging our allies to follow our lead ultimately serves our interests, and the interests of free people around the globe.

McCain perceives this as lacking "confidence in America." I'm afraid today's bizarre criticism says more about McCain's twisted worldview than Obama's faith in American strength.

'Bizarre' is one word for McCain's hyper-nationalistic chest-thumping. He went on in his speech to insist that oppressed people around the world "do not resent or resist America's democratic influence in the world". Nope, no resentment at all - especially not in the neocon proving ground for exporting democracy, Iraq.

Let’s consider the following hypothetical.  Your grandfather likes to smoke in his bed.  He’s been told over and over again that it’s neither hygienic nor safe.  But grandpa tends not to listen to anyone and does what he wants regardless of the potential consequences to either himself or those around him ...  

There's one argument for Barack Obama's readiness to be commander-in-chief that Keith Obermann raised once or twice, but otherwise, I haven't heard a lot of, that I'd like to hear repeated, and OFTEN:

Has anyone else noticed, that the Bush administration is co-opting Barack Obama's foreign policy positions, and that this undercuts the Republicans' argument?

A U.S. Army First Sergeant described as a murderer in today's NYT seems to be the same one that led the unit involved in last years New Republic / Beauchamp controversy.

In July 2007 a U.S. soldier under the pseudonym Scott Thomas wrote about the war in Iraq at the The New Republic's Shock Troops blog. Scott Thomas described some disgusting behavior by his fellow soldiers. Such included running over dogs with Bradley fighting vehicles and playing with a child's scull found in a mass grave.

---
crossposted at Moon of Alabama

I've been following the Democratic convention as much as I can, and I think I have a different perspective on the speeches I've heard, because I listened to them on the radio.  Michelle Obama, Ted Kennedy, and Hillary Clinton were all inspiring.  I believe that HRC did just what she had to do, and I am sure Barack Obama will be great as well, but at this point, I think it is necessary for the most committed among Democrats to begin thinking about what comes next, specifically next week.  It is time to start framing the GOP Convention they way the GOP and its lackeys, the media, have tried to frame this one.

For me, I think it can be summed up in three words: Kill and Drill.