http://www.wikio.com/search=Ricardo Sanchez Wikio - Ricardo Sanchez http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=62965984 Once the most powerful and feared patronage army in Mayor Richard Daley's political organization, the scandal-plagued Hispanic Democratic Organization is now officially extinct. The group, known in political circles as HDO, filed paperwork Tuesday closing its campaign committee, state records show.... Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:33:57 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=62965984 2008-07-03T16:33:57Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=62809291 Leslie Sanchez AC360° contributor and GOP Strategist Sanchez urged the need for seriousness in the debate, especially about Iraq, while acknowledging that “political theater” exists on both sides of the discussion. “It's something we need to be very cautious of since it establishes the wrong perception... Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:38:50 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=62809291 2008-07-02T22:38:50Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=62673386 And by the way, it's not Ricardo Sanchez he's playing, this is fiction, folks. Anyhow, this guy ... ... is a graduate of Valley Stream Central High School, and so... Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:52:27 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=62673386 2008-07-01T18:52:27Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=62195038 If you go to Page 17 of the national edition of the June 25 New York Times, stop at a story headed “Bipartisan Group to Speak Out on Detainees,” then scroll down to the ninth paragraph, you will find the following statement by retired Major General Antonio Taguba: “There is no longer any doubt as to [...] Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:44:16 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=62195038 2008-06-27T14:44:16Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60961116 However it turns out for John McCain this fall -- and so far he's running his general election campaign the way Gen. Ricardo Sanchez ran counterinsurgency ops -- the Arizona Republican is sure to carry at least one battleground state by a landslide. That state is called Iraq. Last week, the Pew Research Center released the results of a survey of more than 24,000 people in 24 countries. Result: From Japan to Tanzania to Germany to Russia, the world has "more confidence" in Barack Obama than in his Republican rival to "do the right thing regarding world affairs." But Pew did not poll Iraqis, whose opinions about the choice America makes should weigh at least as heavily with us as the collective wisdom of, say, Brazil. Whom would they prefer as the next U.S. president? Constraints of time and money being what they are, I have not gotten round to phoning 1,000 Iraqis to get their views on Obama-McCain. But I did sit down last week with four key provincial Iraqi leaders, Sunnis and Shiites, who -- without actually endorsing Mr. McCain -- made their views abundantly clear. "The Iraqis are really fearful about some of the positions the Democratic Party has adopted," says Sheik Ahmed Abu Rishah. "If the Democrats win, they will be withdrawing their forces in a very rapid manner." Mamoun Sami Rashid al-Alawi, the governor of Anbar province, agrees. "We have over a million casualties, thousands of houses destroyed," he says. "Are we going to tell [Iraqis] that the game is over? That the Americans are pulling out?" Messrs. Abu Rishah and Awani, both Sunni, have possibly the toughest political jobs on the planet. Sheik Abu Rishah inherited the leadership of the Iraq Awakening movement when his brother was killed by al Qaeda last September. Gov. Awani's immediate predecessor was kidnapped and killed by insurgents, and he has survived more than a score of assassination attempts. Today, the governor speaks with a mixture of confidence and foreboding. He insists al Qaeda has been vanquished. But, he adds, "Iraq is in a strategic location and has huge resources. There are a lot of eyes on Iraq." Later in the conversation, he makes his point more precisely. "Liberating Iraq is a very good dish. And now you are going to hand it over to Iran?" A sense of incredulity hangs over the way Iraqis see the U.S. political debate taking shape. The governor tells a moving story about their visit to Walter Reed hospital, where they were surprised to find smiles on the faces of GIs who had lost limbs. "The smile is because they feel they have accomplished something for the American people." But the Iraqis came away with a different impression in Chicago, where they had hoped to meet with Mr. Obama but ended up talking to a staff aide. "We noticed there was a concentration on the negatives," the governor recalls. "The Democrat kept saying that Americans have committed a lot of mistakes. Yes, that's true, but why don't you concentrate on what the Americans have achieved in Iraq?" The Iraqis are even more incredulous about Mr. Obama's willingness to negotiate with Iran, which they see as a predatory regime. "Do you Americans forget what the Iranians did to your embassy?" asks the governor. "Don't you know that Ahmadinejad was one of [the hostage takers]?" Here Hussein Ali al-Shalan, a Shiite from Diwaniyah in southern Iraq, offers a view. "For a long time, Iran has felt like Iraq is theirs. Our fear [about U.S. negotiations with Iran] is, you will be giving them something that we believe would prolong our agony. We are not against Iran. We have to coexist and work toward our mutual interests. The question is, is this possible at this stage? That's why we need the army to give a final push so the Iraqis can feel the fruits of our democracy." It's not just Iran. "There is no other country that supports us," says Gov. Awani. "What is happening in Iraq scares everyone," by which he means the neighboring autocracies that have something to fear from a successful democratic model in their midst. That only makes America's ambivalence toward its democratic creation that much stranger to the Iraqis. Will the next administration abandon both its principles and its friends in the region? For what? The administration and the Iraqi government are now wrangling over a status-of-forces agreement -- evidence that Iraq has reached a point where it can once again act like a sovereign nation. But the Iraqis leave no doubt that they want a deal, not least "so Iraq would be able to protect U.S. interests in the region," as Sheik Abu Rishah puts it. Having lost 4,100 Americans for Iraq, the Iraqis are offering to return the sacrifice -- assuming only that the alliance endures. Throughout our interview, the men did not stop fingering their prayer beads, as if their future hinges on their ability to make their case to the American public. They're right: It does. Which is why Iraq, all but alone among the nations, will be praying for a McCain victory on the first Tuesday in November. WSJ online Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:45:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60961116 2008-06-17T17:45:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60970886 Why Iraqis Back McCain Wall Street Journal - June 17, 2008 However it turns out for John McCain this fall — and so far he’s running his general election campaign the way Gen. Ricardo Sanchez ran counterinsurgency ops — the Arizona Republican is sure to carry at least one battleground state by a landslide. That state is called Iraq. Last week, the Pew Research Center released the results of a survey of more than 24,000 people in 24 countries. Result: From Japan to Tanzania to Germany to Russia, the world has “more confidence” in Barack Obama than in his Republican rival to “do the right thing regarding world affairs.” But Pew did not poll Iraqis, whose opinions about the choice America makes should weigh at least as heavily with us as the collective wisdom of, say, Brazil. Whom would they prefer as the next U.S. president? Constraints of time and money being what they are, I have not gotten round to phoning 1,000 Iraqis to get their views on Obama-McCain. But I did sit down last week with four key provincial Iraqi leaders, Sunnis and Shiites, who — without actually endorsing Mr. McCain — made their views abundantly clear. “The Iraqis are really fearful about some of the positions the Democratic Party has adopted,” says Sheik Ahmed Abu Rishah. “If the Democrats win, they will be withdrawing their forces in a very rapid manner.” Mamoun Sami Rashid al-Alawi, the governor of Anbar province, agrees. “We have over a million casualties, thousands of houses destroyed,” he says. “Are we going to tell [Iraqis] that the game is over? That the Americans are pulling out'” Messrs. Abu Rishah and Awani, both Sunni, have possibly the toughest political jobs on the planet. Sheik Abu Rishah inherited the leadership of the Iraq Awakening movement when his brother was killed by al Qaeda last September. Gov. Awani’s immediate predecessor was kidnapped and killed by insurgents, and he has survived more than a score of assassination attempts. Today, the governor speaks with a mixture of confidence and foreboding. He insists al Qaeda has been vanquished. But, he adds, “Iraq is in a strategic location and has huge resources. There are a lot of eyes on Iraq.” Later in the conversation, he makes his point more precisely. “Liberating Iraq is a very good dish. And now you are going to hand it over to Iran'” A sense of incredulity hangs over the way Iraqis see the U.S. political debate taking shape. The governor tells a moving story about their visit to Walter Reed hospital, where they were surprised to find smiles on the faces of GIs who had lost limbs. “The smile is because they feel they have accomplished something for the American people.” But the Iraqis came away with a different impression in Chicago, where they had hoped to meet with Mr. Obama but ended up talking to a staff aide. “We noticed there was a concentration on the negatives,” the governor recalls. “The Democrat kept saying that Americans have committed a lot of mistakes. Yes, that’s true, but why don’t you concentrate on what the Americans have achieved in Iraq?” The Iraqis are even more incredulous about Mr. Obama’s willingness to negotiate with Iran, which they see as a predatory regime. “Do you Americans forget what the Iranians did to your embassy'” asks the governor. “Don’t you know that Ahmadinejad was one of [the hostage takers]?” Here Hussein Ali al-Shalan, a Shiite from Diwaniyah in southern Iraq, offers a view. “For a long time, Iran has felt like Iraq is theirs. Our fear [about U.S. negotiations with Iran] is, you will be giving them something that we believe would prolong our agony. We are not against Iran. We have to coexist and work toward our mutual interests. The question is, is this possible at this stage? That’s why we need the army to give a final push so the Iraqis can feel the fruits of our democracy.” It’s not just Iran. “There is no other country that supports us,” says Gov. Awani. “What is happening in Iraq scares everyone,” by which he means the neighboring autocracies that have something to fear from a successful democratic model in their midst. That only makes America’s ambivalence toward its democratic creation that much stranger to the Iraqis. Will the next administration abandon both its principles and its friends in the region? For what? The administration and the Iraqi government are now wrangling over a status-of-forces agreement — evidence that Iraq has reached a point where it can once again act like a sovereign nation. But the Iraqis leave no doubt that they want a deal, not least “so Iraq would be able to protect U.S. interests in the region,” as Sheik Abu Rishah puts it. Having lost 4,100 Americans for Iraq, the Iraqis are offering to return the sacrifice — assuming only that the alliance endures. Throughout our interview, the men did not stop fingering their prayer beads, as if their future hinges on their ability to make their case to the American public. They’re right: It does. Which is why Iraq, all but alone among the nations, will be praying for a McCain victory on the first Tuesday in November. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:55:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60970886 noreply@blogger.com (Lieutenant Fishman) 2008-06-17T14:55:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60933383 Bret Stephens: However it turns out for John McCain this fall -- and so far he's running his general election campaign the way Gen. Ricardo Sanchez ran counterinsurgency ops -- the Arizona Republican is sure to carry at least one battleground state by a landslide. That state is called Iraq. Last week, the Pew Research Center released the results of a survey of more than 24,000 people in 24 countries. Result: From Japan to Tanzania to Germany to Russia, the world has "more confidence" in Barack Obama than in his Republican rival to "do the right thing regarding world affairs." But Pew did not poll Iraqis, whose opinions about the choice America makes should weigh at least as heavily with us as the collective wisdom of, say, Brazil. Whom would they prefer as the next U.S. president? Constraints of time and money being what they are, I have not gotten round to phoning 1,000 Iraqis to get their views on Obama-McCain. But I did sit down last week with four key provincial Iraqi leaders, Sunnis and Shiites, who -- without actually endorsing Mr. McCain -- made their views abundantly clear. "The Iraqis are really fearful about some of the positions the Democratic Party has adopted," says Sheik Ahmed Abu Rishah. "If the Democrats win, they will be withdrawing their forces in a very rapid manner." Mamoun Sami Rashid al-Alawi, the governor of Anbar province, agrees. "We have over a million casualties, thousands of houses destroyed," he says. "Are we going to tell [Iraqis] that the game is over? That the Americans are pulling out?" Messrs. Abu Rishah and Awani, both Sunni, have possibly the toughest political jobs on the planet. Sheik Abu Rishah inherited the leadership of the Iraq Awakening movement when his brother was killed by al Qaeda last September. Gov. Awani's immediate predecessor was kidnapped and killed by insurgents, and he has survived more than a score of assassination attempts. Today, the governor speaks with a mixture of confidence and foreboding. He insists al Qaeda has been vanquished. But, he adds, "Iraq is in a strategic location and has huge resources. There are a lot of eyes on Iraq." Later in the conversation, he makes his point more precisely. "Liberating Iraq is a very good dish. And now you are going to hand it over to Iran?" A sense of incredulity hangs over the way Iraqis see the U.S. political debate taking shape. The governor tells a moving story about their visit to Walter Reed hospital, where they were surprised to find smiles on the faces of GIs who had lost limbs. "The smile is because they feel they have accomplished something for the American people." But the Iraqis came away with a different impression in Chicago, where they had hoped to meet with Mr. Obama but ended up talking to a staff aide. "We noticed there was a concentration on the negatives," the governor recalls. "The Democrat kept saying that Americans have committed a lot of mistakes. Yes, that's true, but why don't you concentrate on what the Americans have achieved in Iraq?" The Iraqis are even more incredulous about Mr. Obama's willingness to negotiate with Iran, which they see as a predatory regime. "Do you Americans forget what the Iranians did to your embassy?" asks the governor. "Don't you know that Ahmadinejad was one of [the hostage takers]?" ... The Shia are also concerned about Iran's designs on the country. I am not too concerned about Obama's negotiating with Iran. He will achieve noting but giving them the gift of time. He will reach no agreement with them but cause the religious bigots think they are on a mission from God which leaves little room for compromise and a great deal of compromise would be necessary to reach any agreement with a US administration, even a Democrat one. The Iraqis have legitimate concerns about being abandoned after they have achieved so much with our help. They really have no one else to turn to. The Democrat position is like abandoning a toddler who is just starting to walk on its own. Their willful blindness and their desperation for defeat risks destroying some really significant accomplishments. No wonder the Iraqis feel more secure with McCain. BTW, it is touching that the Iraqi delegation would visit wounded troops to express their appreciation. It is too bad Obama has not had closer contact with those who know much more about the situation in Iraq than MoveOn. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:22:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60933383 2008-06-17T13:22:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60879685 However it turns out for John McCain this fall -- and so far he's running his general election campaign the way Gen. Ricardo Sanchez ran counterinsurgency ops -- the Arizona Republican is sure to carry at least one battleground state by a landslide. That state is called Iraq. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 05:22:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60879685 2008-06-17T05:22:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60432838 If any conservative douchebag, on hearing you level some well-placed criticism of the Bush administration, accuses you of Bush Derangement Syndrome, just repeat back to them the words of their Dear Leader (discourtesy of Gen. Ricardo Sanchez , Sour Grapes, Ret.): "Kick ass! If somebody tries to stop the march to democracy, we will seek them out and kill them! We must be tougher than hell! This Vietnam stuff, this is not even close. It is a mind-set. We can't send that message. It's an excuse to prepare us for withdrawal. There is a series of moments and this is one of them. Our will is being tested, but we are resolute. We have a better way. Stay strong! Stay the course! Kill them! Be confident! Prevail! We are going to wipe them out! We are not blinking!" Well, gee, Bush sounds pretty deranged to me! This hysterical, incoherent pep talk to his national security advisors in a video conference in 2004 is something that you would perhaps hear from a physically abusive red-faced, red-necked Texas football coach in a high school locker room, his team already down by three TD's by halftime, one later pulled over for driving drunk and caught with loaded firearms while headed in the direction of the home of his victorious counterpart. We'll be hearing more and more quotes such as this in the years to come, especially after Bush struts out of the White House, richer and more arrogant than ever, still enjoying Secret Service protection, drawing a government pension at our expense that he neither needs nor deserves. Quotes that were carefully kept from the ears of an apathetic public but which now, years after the fact, sound frightening. How different it would have been if these quotes, if Bush's famously unstable mindset, a year into a war designed to last the rest of his "presidency", were made public when it would've counted (2004, don't forget, was a general election year). Yet such quotes are only coming out well within the last year of Bush's reign of terror, dwindling months of power in which the consensus is that he will indeed attack Iran just for the hell of it. Because not only is it the Republican thing to do, making revelations only after contributing to an already legendary clusterfuck but doing so mere months before said administration will themselves be out of power and largely unable to launch political reprisals. It will be like several old men bickering in a nursing home, their years of potency long since spent, spitting words and saliva at eachother over faded reputations. Deranged delusion are probably the two words that best characterize the rise of the neocons that reached its apex when clowns like Antonin Scalia helped to hoist George W. Bush over the gated White House. Scalia, who told critics of how the Supreme Court had conducted itself over the unsigned recount ruling to "get over it", today sounded a lot like his boss and as an "activist judge" himself. When the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that detainees at Guantanamo Bay were entitled to habeus corpus protection (entitling them to challenge their detention in civilian courts), Scalia offered a scathing and somewhat deranged criticism of the wisdom of his peers on the bench: “America is at war with radical Islamists. Our Armed Forces are now in the field against the enemy, in Afghanistan and Iraq.” “The game of bait-and-switch that today’s opinion plays upon the Nation’s Commander in Chief will make the war harder on us. It will almost certainly cause more Americans to be killed.” “Today the Court warps our Constitution.” “The Nation will live to regret what the Court has done today.” Yep: there’s no douchebag like a Republican-American douchebag. What Scalia seems to be forgetting is that he’s talking about men who have not been sentenced, much less convicted, much less tried, much less even charged. Whatever happened to “Innocent until proven guilty”? Is the Magna Carta, like stare decisis , like due process of law, like the Constitution and the Geneva convention, mere "quaint notions"? How is it helping to track down and defeat terrorists if we’re detaining innocent men? Only ten of 202 Gitmo prisoners released in '04 turned out to be guerilla fighters (and we probably helped create them rather than interrupt their activities). Of course, these deranged quotes barely begin to scratch the surface, barely beginning to shed some much-needed light onto a pack of hateful, dangerously delusional men and women who pursued not truth, justice and the American way but corporate profits and a wholly fabricated legacy over human life and dignity. Fri, 13 Jun 2008 01:47:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60432838 2008-06-13T01:47:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60081538 Those who belittle McClellan for being a day late and a dollar short are missing the point. However faint his whistle, that he blew it at all showed growth on the part of a man trained as a parrot. Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:24:20 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Ricardo+Sanchez?rinfoid=60081538 2008-06-10T16:24:20Z