We will never retreat from negotiations.  I have openly expressed my view of the Soviet system....But this doesn't mean that we can't deal with each other. We don't refuse to talk when the Soviets call us imperialist aggressors and worse, or because they cling to the fantasy of a Communist triumph over democracy. The fact that neither of us likes the other system is no reason to refuse to talk. Living in this nuclear age makes it imperative that we do talk. Our commitment to dialogue  is firm and unshakeable, but we insist that our negotiations deal with real problems, not atmospherics.

President Ronald Reagan's  Jan. 16, 1984 Address on US-Soviet Relations.

http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/a...

  1.  1992: McCain Voted Against Proceeding On A Vote On The 1992 Energy Bill. McCain voted against proceeding to the bill to encourage energy conservation and increase domestic energy production. [1992 Senate Vote 150, 7/23/1992]

  2. 1999: McCain Voted Against Funding for Renewable Energy Programs. McCain opposed an amendment that would increase funding for energy supply and research and development activities for renewable energy sources by reducing unnecessary Energy Department contractor travel expenses.  McCain voted to kill an appeal made by the chair that this amendment was out of order, effectively voting to kill the amendment.  [1999 Senate Vote 171, 6/16/1999]

  3. 2001: McCain Voted Against Establishing Renewable Energy Tax Credits. McCain voted against establishing tax credits for investments in renewable energy technologies, incentives for new energy efficient residential construction and tax deductions for increased energy efficiency in commercial buildings. [2001 Senate Vote 125, 5/21/2001]

  4. 2002: McCain Voted Against Renewable Energy Mandate. McCain voted against an amendment to require utilities to generate 10 percent of electricity from renewable energy facilities by 2020. [2002 Senate Vote 55, 3/21/2002]

  5. 2002: McCain Voted To Allow Exemptions From Renewable Energy Standards. McCain voted for an amendment that would exempt retail electric suppliers in states that have state renewable energy standards from the federal renewable standard in the underlying amendment . [2002 Senate Vote 58, 3/21/2002]

  6. 2002: McCain Voted To Allow Exemptions From Renewable Energy Standards.. McCain voted to allow the Governor of a State the ability to waive certain provisions of the Federal mandate, if the provisions would adversely affect retail electric customers of the State, with respect to the application of the Federal renewable portfolio standard. [2002 Senate Vote 59, 3/21/2002]

  7. 2002: McCain Voted Against Proceeding On A Measure To Provide $14.1 Billion In Energy-Related Tax Incentives. McCain voted against a motion to invoke cloture on measure that would overhaul the nation's energy policies, restructure the electricity system and provide for $14.1 billion in energy-related tax incentives. [2002 Senate Vote 77, 4/23/2002]

  8. 2002: McCain Voted Against Phasing Out MBTE And Voted Against An Ethanol Mandate. McCain voted against keeping a renewable fuel program, including the phase-out of MTBE in the energy bill. [2002 Senate Vote 78, 4/23/2002]

  9. 2002: McCain Voted Against Alternative Fuels Tax Credits. McCain voted to strike provisions in the 2002 energy bill relating to alternative vehicles and fuel incentives. [2002 Senate Vote 91, 4/25/2002]

 10. 2002: McCain Voted Against The 2002 Energy Bill. McCain voted against the passage of a bill that would overhaul the nation's energy policies, restructure the electricity system and provide for approximately $15 billion in energy-related tax incentives. [2002 Senate Vote 94, 4/25/2002]

 11. 2003: McCain Voted For Waivers Of Ethanol Mandates For States That Can Meet Clean Air Standards Without Adding Renewable Fuels. McCain voted to allow states to waive the ethanol mandate in the renewable fuel program if the EPA Administrator determines, after a public notice and comment period, that implementation of renewable fuel requirement is not necessary to meet Clean Air standards, because States or regions can meet standards without adding renewable fuels. [2003 Senate Vote 203, 6/3/2003]

 12. 2003: McCain Voted to Allow Governors to Waive Ethanol Mandates. McCain voted to add language to the 2003 energy bill that would make a state subject to ethanol requirements only if the state's governor elected to participate. [2003 Senate Vote 204,  6/3/2003]

 13. 2003: McCain Voted to Allow the President Exempt States Or Regions From Renewable Energy Mandates McCain voted for an amendment that adds language that would give the president authority to exempt a state or geographic region from the ethanol requirements of the underlying amendment for 30 days if the Energy secretary determines the requirements have caused or will cause the average cost of gasoline to increase by at least 10 cents per gallon. The Frist amendment would require gasoline refineries to use 5 billion gallons of ethanol or other alternative renewable fuels annually by 2012, phase out the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and eliminate a requirement that gasoline sold in regions with high levels of air pollution contain 2 percent oxygen by volume. [2003 Senate Vote 206,  6/4/2003]

 14. 2003: McCain Voted To Limit The Ethanol Mandate To The Midwest. McCain voted for a measure that exempts States in East Coast, West Coast, and Rocky Mountain region from ethanol mandate, while leaving mandate in place in Midwest. [2003 Senate Vote 207, 6/5/2003]

 15. 2003: McCain Voted Against Requiring Gasoline Refineries To Use 5 Billions Gallons Of Ethanol Or Other Alternative Renewable Fuels Annually By 2012. McCain voted against an amendment that would require gasoline refineries to use 5 billion gallons of ethanol or other alternative renewable fuels annually by 2012, phase out the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and eliminate a requirement that gasoline sold in regions with high levels of air pollution contain 2 percent oxygen by volume. [2003 Senate Vote 209, 6/5/2003]

 16. 2003: McCain Voted Against The 2003 Energy Bill. McCain voted against passage of a bill to overhaul the nation's energy policies, restructure the electricity system and provide for approximately $15 billion in energy-related tax incentives. It also would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to set a new CAFE standard within 15 months to two years. It would encourage the use of alternative energy and require utilities to increase their reliance on renewable fuels. [2003 Senate Vote 317, 7/31/2003]

 17. 2004: McCain Voted Against Phasing Out MBTE And Establishing Renewable Fuel Standards. McCain voted a measure that would require that gasoline sold in or introduced into the United States contain renewable fuel in specific amounts, beginning with 3.1 billion gallons in 2005 and increasing each year to 5 billion gallons in 2012. [2004 Senate Vote 73, 4/29/2004]

 18. 2005: McCain Voted Against Requiring Refiners To Use Renewable Fuels Like Ethanol And Phasing Out The Use OF MTBE. McCain voted to kill an amendment that would require refiners to annually use 8 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2012, grant liability protection for ethanol manufacturers, phase out the use of the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether and eliminate the oxygen content requirement for reformulated gasoline. [2005 Senate Vote 138, 6/15/2005]

 19. 2005: McCain Voted Against An Amendment Requiring Refiners To Annually Use 8 Billion Gallons Of Renewable Fuels By 2012, Grant Ethanol Manufacturers Liability Protection, And To Phase Out The Use Of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) As An Additive. McCain voted against an amendment that would require refiners to annually use 8 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2012, grant liability protection for ethanol manufacturers, phase out the use of the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether and eliminate the oxygen content requirement for reformulated gasoline. [2005 Senate Vote 139, 6/15/2005]

 20. 2005: McCain Voted Against Renewable Energy Mandate. McCain voted against an amendment that would mandate that renewable energy sources must produce at least 10 percent of the electricity sold by electric utilities by 2020, a minimum of 2.5 percent must be produced beginning 2008 through 2011. [2005 Senate Vote 141, 6/16/2005]

 21. 2005: McCain Voted Against Major Energy Legislation Providing $18 Billion In Energy Related Tax Incentives. McCain voted against final passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.  The bill would overhaul the nation's energy policy and provide for approximately $18 billion in energy-related tax incentives. [2005 Senate Vote 158, 6/28/2005]

 22. 2005: McCain Voted With Senate Republicans To Slash $20 Million from Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program for Farmers.  McCain voted for a budget package that almost entirely eliminated the popular and successful Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency program for farmers, cutting it from its current $23 million to only $3 million.  The Energy Efficiency program had doled out more than $66 million in grants for 400 clean energy projects in Rural America since 2003, including ethanol plants. These projects, valued at over one billion dollars, include bio-energy projects, wind power, and energy efficiency improvements. [2005 Senate Vote 363, 12/21/2005; "Senate Passes Deficit Reduction Act Of 2005: Renewable Energy Programs Cut," Environmental and Energy Institute, 12/19/05]

 23. 2006: McCain Voted Against Extending The Renewable Energy Production Credit; The Measure Also Included $290 Million For Renewable Energy R&D On Solar, Wind, Geothermal, Biomass, Hydropower. McCain voted against an amendment that provided an additional $500 million for LIHEAP and $3.5 billion for other energy programs. The amendment extends the renewable energy production tax credit and clean renewable energy bonds programs for four years. The amendment provided for the following funding: Biomass cellulosic fuels ($250 million), Cellulosic biomass ethanol conversion assistance ($250 million), Renewable energy R&D Solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydropower ($290 million).  [2006 Senate Vote 42, 3/14/2006]

Uh, Senator?  That would be "Asif Ali Zardari," not "Kardari."

See here:

The Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Persian: ???? ???????? ?????? ?????? , Sepáh e Pásdárán e Enqeláb e Eslámi) is an ideologically motivated branch[1] of the Islamic Republic of Iran's military.[2]. In Iran the name is commonly shortened to Sepáh e Pásdárán (Army of Guardians), Pásdárán e Enqeláb (???????? ??????) (Revolutionary Guardians), or simply Pásdárán (????????) ("Guardians") or Sepah (Army).

"WE ARE SOLDIERS STILL" Lt. Gen. Harold Moore & Joe Galloway  Pg#25

Vietnam historical Museum in Hanoi: The high point for us (Moore' touring party) was not the exhibits but finding a huge mural stretched across on e wall that was both a timeline and a map of Vietnam's unhappy history dating back well over a thousand years. There on the wall we saw thick red arrows dropping down into Vietnam from the north, depicting half a dozen invasions and occupations of Vietnam by neighboring China, and some of those occupations lasted hundreds of years before Vietnam patriots and rebels drove them out, again and again. The Chinese section of the timeline stretched out for fifty feet or so. The section devoted to the French and their 150 years of colonial occupation was depicted in about twelve inches. The minuscule part that marked the U.S. war was only a couple of inches.

General Giap asked why the U.S. leaders didn't read the history of Vietnam before supporting the French and then later invading their country. Damn good question.

"MUGGED BY REALITY" John Agresto

Mr. Agresto's book delves into the reasons why Bush went into Iraq and the reasons why we will not achieve the results Bush desired. Fundamentally, the Bush people had no knowledge of the depth of beliefs held by the fanatical Islamic forces opposed to Bush's world view. Bush and his minions never got the message that the Islamist believed killing civilians in order to kill the infidels was proper and right as Allah would take care of the innocent victims.

The Iraqis are waiting for us to leave. Once we are out of the way they will set about the business of finishing the great chasm that has existing between the Shiites and the Sunnis since the year of Mohamed's death in 632 AD.

The book is too long and too involved for me to paraphrase its contents. If you want to see the end results of Bush's blunder in exporting Democracy you should obtain a copy of this most important study. You may recall Bush stating he doesn't read books. Obviously many of the important military decisions made by our leaders over the last fifty years didn't do their research before venturing out into unknown waters.

The books I listed are tied together by the same theme, know thy enemy.

Another must read book about the Iraq debacle.

"RESURRECTING EMPIRE" By Rashid Khalidi. "Western Footprints and America's Perilous path in the Middle East.  Beacon Press