And, "up" is most definitely the new "down"

War Is Peace

By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Monday, March 20, 2006; 1:21 PM

Yesterday marked three years of war in Iraq -- but not to President Bush. To Bush, it was "the third anniversary of the beginning of the liberation of Iraq." In fact, as Nedra Pickler noted for the Associated Press, Bush didn't use the word "war" at all in his brief remarks.

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Bush's avoidance of the word "war" in the context of Iraq is the rule, not the exception. In the carefully chosen lexicon of White House speeches, that particular word is almost exclusively reserved for the "global war on terror."

So there is no war, except for the war that never ends, and we're winning.

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More at the link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.html

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On this well-publicized day, the President of course neglected to talk about the plight of the returning Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan (remember that war? My Army buddies jokingly call it "Forgot-istan"). We need Americans to think about the struggles of the tens of thousands of Troops that have been wounded, and the hundreds of thousand Troops that will seek mental health care. The President said nothing today about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, long wait times at the VA, or the growing problem of homelessness among Iraq veterans.

The President's been staying the course for three years now. That is not working. Most Americans don't even know what the course is. We need an honest assessment of the war and a real plan for the future, not a public relations campaign.

And if you want to do something with your frustration this week, support Iraq Vet Tammy Duckworth. She is running for congress in Illinois and has a critical primary tomorrow. Tammy is not a professional politician. She was a decorated helicopter pilot in Iraq, and an advocate for veterans at home. Now she needs help from people all over the country (and from both parties). Send her money, tell a friend about her, write a letter to the editor. There is not one member of Congress who has served in this war. If she wins in November, Tammy would be one of the first. If you want to support the troops this week, help send one of them to Congress.

More at the link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-rieckhoff/happy-stinkin-anniversar_b_17583.html