The candidate should innoculate himself from the October Surprise by

[styersc]

making the case right now that Osama bin Laden is no longer the central problem and his capture will/would be too little, too late.

We had our chance in Tora Bora and Bush's incompetence let him escape. Since then the hydra has grown many heads and grown as a multi-leveled threats. Attacks in Bali, Africa, Saudi, Baghdad and Kurdish northern Iraq are all a result of al Queada's adaptation to the chase for bin Laden- an adaptation that they were able to pull off because Bush was so slow to make bin Laden the number one target. The Iraq war was an attempt to cover-up this failure but twop failures don't make a success.

If (when) they get bin Laden the fight is not over- it will be as meaningless as Uday and Qusay and Saddam and all the 52 playing card characters. Had we gotten bin Laden when the getting was good, then it would have aided us in eliminating the threat but that opportunity was squandered.

Bush will try to hold up bin Laden as a trophy and a reason to re-elect but we should begin to stifle that foolishness right now!!!

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. I think they all should. I have been thinking this for months. As

Chris Matthews said,"He's 6'4", on dialysis, and riding on a donkey."

I really and truly hope that someone says it. :hi:

[krkaufman]

2. YES, agreed.

I've been chatting/typing about this, as well, except Osama *does* matter.

My question is... If we think we can go after and capture him now, 2 years after we diverted all of our resources from Afghanistan, why didn't we do it 2 years ago when we still had focus, had Al Qaeda on the run, and had the entire international community behind us?

We need to make Osama's capture before November an *EXPECTED* event in America's eyes; anything less is treasonous.

The elective war in Iraq was a dereliction of duty on the part of the Commander in Chief; he walked away from the fight whilst Al Qaeda's leaders remained free and able to regroup.

[Seldona]

3. I agree 100%.

Because catching Bin Laden will only make things worse. (Not that I do not endorse throwing this guy into the deepest darkest hole we have mind you)

But in the fundamentalist world there is alot of talk about martyrs.

Catching him will certainly make him one of those.

Saddam's capture didn't change things one bit.

And neither will Bin Ladens.