Politics and Culture

I don't believe in conspiracies, but this sounded a little fishy to me. I'll say it's just a coincidence to keep my unblemished record of non-paranoia. Anyways, three governors recently chose to take cheap shots at the president with the following poll-tested idiocies:

First Ted Strickland:

I remain concerned for the continued and unprecedented sacrifice our men and women in the Ohio National Guard bear in relation to the ongoing conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere," wrote Mr. Strickland. "As Governor of Ohio, I will continue to press for assurances that every Ohio Soldier is provided with the most up-to-date equipment and that every Ohio Soldier receives appropriate training. As I have expressed earlier, our Soldiers and their families deserve nothing less."

He asked for a "timely" response to his request for Mr. Bush's assurances that Ohio soldiers will be provided with the most modern equipment, including individual body armor systems, M-4 rifles, and other weapons systems, night vision devices, and up-armored type vehicles, as well as proper training using that equipment before deployment.

What? Does Strickland have any evidence that any soldier has not received these things? No, he just wants to create a buzz. When he's called on it, he'll say something like "I just wanted to make sure because I care."

Soldiers will get what they need for the mission. I got body armor and I wasn't even a front line soldier. The M-4 is just a shorter M-16. Night vision? Everybody? What kind of person thinks a commander will send soldiers on a night mission without being able to see?

And all Humvees in Iraq are up-armored if they go outside the wire.

And they train for three months before leaving. If Strickland was so concerned he should have sent a letter to his generals telling them to get ready.

Grace Napolitano and Bill Richardson:

They're both tired of illegal immigration and want it to stop now!

Gov. Janet Napolitano has accused the Bush administration of undermining security along the Arizona border and demanded that the State Department stop recruiting Border Patrol agents for duty in Iraq.

In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Napolitano and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said the State Department is "using U.S. taxpayer dollars to protect another country's border to the detriment of our own."

"This administration needs to decide whose security is more important, America's or Iraq's. We believe America's comes first," Napolitano and Richardson wrote.

The letter was in response to a State Department contract to have Virginia-based DynCorp hire 120 individuals with Customs and Border Enforcement experience. They are to stay in Iraq for one year, during which time they'll train Iraqis in the security of their country's border.

The State Department says the Bush administration is committed to improving border security both in the U.S. and Iraq.

Just kidding. They've resisted every effort to secure their border thus far. Lou Dobbs, the sometimes correct, sometimes credulous CNN commentator does.

But Napolitano has angered Republicans by vetoing anti-immigration legislation, including a proposal that would have allowed state and local police officers to enforce federal immigration laws.

Richardson has broached controversial immigration issues before. Since taking office in 2003, he has signed legislation to allow illegal immigrants to get a driver's license in New Mexico and for children of illegal immigrants to qualify for in-state college tuition.

Hey, why didn't Napolitano use the National Guard on the border before Bush did last year?

Napolitano

Richardson

Strickland

Who's next? Maybe Kennedy will send a letter asking for more lifeguards.