There will be no links or photos in this post. This is just a bunch of predictions and thoughts. We'll see how they come out:

- We're in Iraq for 2-5 more years. Even if we started withdrawing tomorrow it would take at least a year to get out. Still that's better than General Petraeus's ten years or the neo-cons century. What President Bush started he certainly will not finish.

- A third party candidate will enter the race (probably next year). I think Chuck Hagel will be a part of it and Michael Bloomsberg will either run or bankroll it. Altho the country is pretty receptive to change, it will not go third party in this time.

- I'm still amazed by the lack of focus on how corrupt and inefficient this administration is. With the combined wars we have over $750 Billion in defense with little results and we're seriously in huge debt. Yet, our obsession with entertainment and sports goes on and on.

- Every time I hear another in the endless talking points on why we can't leave Iraq and then I hear a report of more American or Iraqi deaths, my heart sinks. This war has gone on for more than we were in WW2 and for far less noble a cause.

- I wish any of the leading current Republicans running would tell the truth. Something like: 'The American people are right. This war is a quagmire, there's no solution and the longer we stay the worse it gets. i can't say that because the current President is from my party.'

- At the current rate, Democrats will have a veto proof majority in Congress and no matter who is president, the war will draw to a close faster rather than sooner.

-We have some serious issues to tackle. Most state budgets are consumed by health care and education. If real change isn't implemented within 5-6 years, we'll have no money for roads, economic development, environment, etc.

-Every congressman, president and candidate who claims to 'support the troops' should attend a funeral and visit a hospital every day until they get the damage that is being done to the military and our youth. We all support the troops. Some want to bring them home. Others want to defend America. Let's bring them home and defend America.

-If Americans don't revolt if Bush/Cheney bomb Iran then we will have earned the results of compounding our mistakes.

-The world is not black & white. There are sensible conservatives and sensible liberals who understand that.

-If Al Gore were president, things would be different today. Possibly, very different.