Prepare Ye The Way!

No, I'm not a day behind.

I know it's not Sunday.

I also know that powerful Republicans and pundits, alike, have begun offering The Marching Morons plausible excuses for a November BushCo defeat.

Excuse #1: That Quirky, Unpredictable Youth Vote

Young people registering by the tens of thousands in battleground states

By Martha Irvine, Associated Press, 9/20/2004 06:47

Highlights:

Michigan- nearly 100,000 young people have registered in recent months;
Wisconsin- even more new young voters than in Michigan;
New Mexico, Ohio, and Florida- clear signs that more young people are interested in this election;
Wisconsin- more than 109,000 new young voters;
Minnesota, New Hampshire and Wisconsin- voters can register on Election Day (Think Jesse Ventura).

Polls of Likely Voters "often miss young people because the population is so mobile."

Hans Riemer, the [Rock The Vote] organization's Washington, D.C., director, says that in the past week as many as 20,000 people a day used the site to register. --snip--

One political scientist says he's particularly interested to see what happens this time in . Data has shown that young people are particularly likely to take advantage of same-day registration.

''It leaves the door open for a surprising outcome,'' says Donald Green, a political scientist at Yale University and co-author of ''Get Out the Vote: How to Increase Voter Turnout.'' LINK

Excuse #2: That Quirky, Unpredictable Al Qaeda

Ridge warns al Qaeda may disrupt U.S. elections

CTV.ca News Staff

U.S. Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge is warning that al Qaeda could try to attack America "in an effort to disrupt the democratic process."

"We've had intelligence that al Qaeda intends to launch more attacks against the homeland. Credible reporting now indicates that al Qaeda is moving forward with its plans to launch a large scale attack in the United States," Ridge said Thursday.

The threat, however, was vague. And the government is not raising its colour-coded alert status, he said.

"We lack precise knowledge on the time, place and method of attack," Ridge admitted. LINK

Excuse#3: Those Quirky, Unpredictable Republicans

Senators slam administration on Iraq

By Barbara Slavin, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Senators from both parties accused the Bush administration Wednesday of incompetence in its efforts to rebuild Iraq and said the United States could lose the war unless it improves security and gets more money into the Iraqi economy.

Among those harshly criticizing the White House at a hearing were the two top Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Chairman Richard Lugar of Indiana and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

Of the $18.4 billion Congress approved last year for Iraqi reconstruction, only $1.1 billion has been spent because of violence and other problems. Hagel called that record "beyond pitiful and embarrassing; it is now in the zone of dangerous."

Even Lugar, who is not usually given to strong rhetoric, said the failure to inject funds into the Iraqi economy quickly was "exasperating for anybody looking at this from any vantage point." LINK

Excuse #4: That Quirky, Unpredictable Coalition Of The Willing Willful

British Envoy to Italy Stirs Waters with Bush Barb

ROME (Reuters) - Britain's ambassador to Italy has called President Bush (news - web sites) "the best recruiting sergeant" for al Qaeda, Italian media reported Monday.

The comment, made at a closed-door conference at the weekend, was denounced by one leading Italian newspaper editor, who issued an open letter snubbing the veteran ambassador, Sir Ivor Roberts.

Roberts was quoted as telling an annual Anglo-Italian gathering in Tuscany: "If anyone is ready to celebrate the eventual re-election of Bush, it's al Qaeda."

Corriere della Sera newspaper said Roberts also told the meeting of British and Italian policy-makers: "Bush is al Qaeda's best recruiting sergeant." LINK

Once upon A Time...

British troops in the Gulf

Published: 14-March-2003
By: Julian Rush

A quarter of the British army is now in the Gulf, ready for action at any time.

Total strength has swelled to some 45,000 men and women including Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force personnel. LINK

And they lived yadayadayada...

Britain to cut troop levels in Iraq

Jason Burke, chief reporter
Sunday September 19, 2004
The Observer

The British Army is to start pulling troops out of Iraq next month despite the deteriorating security situation in much of the country, The Observer has learnt.

The main British combat force in Iraq, about 5,000-strong, will be reduced by around a third by the end of October during a routine rotation of units. LINK