Note: I didn't say I wanted John Kerry to win; I said, "Why."
I'm far more interested in "why" than "what."
"What" is dross; it fills the airwaves and newspapers, and I consider it all white noise or, as Bob Dylan said of Time magazine back in the day, "an adult comic book."
"Why" is fun, exciting, surprising, and interesting: that's where I hang out.
The reason Kerry will win is that the CIA and the Pentagon are going to steal the election for him.
Not because they necessarily agree with his politics and plans; rather, because he will leave them alone.
Bush intends to create a national intelligence czar, overseeing the CIA and the Pentagon's intelligence operations, and seizing control of their finances.
Not a happy thought to the entrenched powers-that-be atop the nation's spy shops.
Just as the long knives of the institutional memory arm of the CIA came out earlier this month to publicly disembowel Michael Kostiw, new CIA director Porter Goss's nominee for the agency's powerful number three position, they will strike again, under deep cover and cut out from any possible linkage, to deny Bush an election victory.
Consider yesterday's Washington Post headline: "Turf War Stalls Intelligence Bill; Pentagon Allies at Odds With Advocates of New Director."
The military is not happy with Bush's plans.
Last week, a secret letter to Congress from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard B. Myers, opposing the unlimited powers of the proposed new intelligence czar, was leaked to the New York Times.
Yeah, right: "leaked" might not be quite the right word.
This past weekend's Financial Times story on the subject was headlined "Victorious Kerry Would Sack Head of Intelligence."
You don't think the Cold War veterans of the CIA were ecstatic as they read that?
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
fascinating, very interesting reasoning, I still think Bush will win by mor than most think, but we will see - thanks!
2 - Kurt Nordstrom
Got my tin-foil beanie on, so I'm doin' okay... ;)
3 - JR
I don't agree with this prediction, but it's clear that the shake-up is irritating a few people. Still, I think (hope) you're being a bit too cynical. We will know soon enough... or we'll have something to speculate about for the next couple of decades.
It does bring up an interesting dilemma: if the "reforms" so offend the operative agencies that they refuse to do their job, what have we gained? Perhaps government reorganizations require a nuanced approach, lest we just make things worse.
4 - Adam
So it will be the first election decided by a digital war between the CIA, and the right-wing producers of the electronic voting machines...
5 - Pandora
I pray the country will be delivered from evil and that it might be saved by the grace of, God. Let Bush lose. Amen.
6 - Lono
Zogby (of the Zogby poll group) was on the Daily Show tonight. When asked about who was going to win, he said... without hesitating or any qualifiers... Kerry.
I know that doesn't mean much to y'all on the right. To a guy like me though, it honestly helps me sleep at night. Speaking of which, I should be sleeping now. Work tomorrow!
7 - Chuck Lacey
Sounds like the author was full of bull.
8 - RJ
"Zogby (of the Zogby poll group) was on the Daily Show tonight. When asked about who was going to win, he said... without hesitating or any qualifiers... Kerry."
No surprise. Zogby is a Democrat, and his numbers ae ALWAYS off.
Jon Stewart and his mindless minions may have been pleased by this. But the reality is far different from what the elites want it to be...
9 - reality
wow....so now that you were so WRONG ....tell us WHY! It's been years and we're still waiting...