<Supposedly a bunch of carriers have been deployed into the Middle East, and nearby locales such as Greece.

The chimp is over there supposedly working on a Palestinian state according to the court reporters. Don't believe a bit of it though - he's there to meet with the Israelis and Saudis on some real business. Is he selling an Iran attack? I wouldn't be shocked.

If they go after Iran they almost have to do it by end of July. Because the Olympics are in August, they can't do it then. And the election is too close after the Olympics. >

two carriers in the gulf at present.

definitely trying to sell some sort of attack on iran. i see pros and cons with the midyear timing. one big con i see is that an attack BEFORE the olympics will enrage china, and china can decide to stop buying treasuries and take their losses as they complete their pivot to eurasian and internal markets. the US market is enslaved to the chinese 'low level everyday necessities of life' product manufactures for the time bieng anyway. the chinese have become the sole manufacturers worldwide for a wide array of daily use household goods. they know the overall US market will dry up over time anyway, as it's going broke and oil will continue to climb in price. then too, iran is a client state and an increasing source of oil and natural gas for china and in the future it will be less about money per se than ACCESS to diminishing crude supplies. who can even get some at any price.

on the pro side, it would allow time for a propagandized ramp up of hostilities. give them sufficient time to spin the war as being all iran's fault. make US actions seem inevitable and necessary, vital for the nations security. time to effectively brainwash the american public. assuming that is stil possible.

and so on.

for certain, as the possibility of a november obama/congressional blowout grows, and mccains performance to date can't be giving the republicans much hope, especially facing the most formidible campaign team they have faced in decades, the likelihood of an attack on iran grows ever stronger.

high stakes no limit poker using billion dolllar ships.

<an 18% approval rating. I sense the Dems will be tasting their own blood this november, as well >

nope.

the reason is all those bush vetos and republican fillibusters (a RECORD amount), that have so far been flying under the radar, will come home to roost. with the person that gives the democrats their bare senate majority, joe lieberman, openly campaigning for mccain, this will not be a hard sell. and it WILL be sold when the time is ripe. gonna be a LOT of nasty republican truths emerging into the light.

<McCain is running away from bush - as much as is possible>

ha ha. mcoldcoot is going to be literally screaming in rage and frustration as his infamous 'hugging daddy bush' photo becomes indelibly imprinted in the american psyches by the activities of thousands of progressive activists inserting it into every media. as abu gharib has shown, the power of a picture can be potent indeed.