European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 13, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                June stars and stripes Page 17 opinion Cable needs More talk of less of poles for the Ive never worked the if youre wondering what that youre probably one of the millions of americans who regularly tunes t out is abcs political Chester talk show Scarbor Ough hosted by former Florida re publican Joe scar in a segue More Wor thy of Tony sopranos Bada Bing club than a political scar Borough recently had the following Exchange with his political analyst Craig Craw Ford Scarborough have you seen Fred Thompsons wife Crawford Scarborough you think she works the pole the two then proceed to chortle like Leer ing High school losers whose Friday night action is relegated to and discuss How the former Tennessee Republican Sena Tor and present gop flavor of the month is no Robert for the a woman who works the pole is a and for the Thompsons is gorgeous and much younger than her but a stripper she in Shes an accomplished attorney and Media consultant who worked for one of Washington most High powered in not sure How Scarborough utterance would be received in but Back Home in North make that kind of comment about a mans wife and till be the last thing you remember till you Wake up in intensive there Are several mysteries the first is Why Scarborough would make the mental leap from work out mimicking strippers moves which hed discussed with a previous to ask ing Crawford if hed seen Thompsons no one had even mentioned the the second is Why a political talk show is so hard up for guests it has to bum airtime debating exercise in the Wake of Don Imus ill advised re Why would a pundit particularly one on the same network think of airing such a Boorish comment in some Scarborough priggish question is even More surprising because at was a Shock we tend to expect More from our elected even former first now whats in the water Over at Man by in beginning to wonder if Chris Matthews show hardball int some secret double so Scarborough male and men have sex on the in sure Tim Russert and even Bob Schieffer but there grownups you dont hear them Al luding to the hotness of Ann see them smirking about Cindy almost As bad As Scarborough question was is abcs defense of a network spokesman spewed the usual blather comment taken out of irresponsible to suggest that Scarborough was employing sexual but All the defences fall if Reg ular Joe was referring merely to exercise Why didst he ask if Thomp son does which hed discussed with his previous or even pilates the Only thing out of context was Scarborough Bottom line its unseemly for two Politi Cal pundits to sit on National to in this Day and age and make sexual allusions to a Candi dates in its downright Jeri Thompson is not running for presi Dent her husband Hes fair game Shes Scarborough Towel snapping fantasy said much More about him than it did his republicans should be Cring ing that kind of comment from a former gop official yanks the party Back to its clubby male this incident is reminiscent of another tennessean forced to fight duels Over his Lovely wife Andrew Jackson still made it to the White if Scarborough wants to return to the Days when such disputes were de hed better Hope a certain Tennessee gentleman Doest decide to Settle it in the traditional manner pistols at then that would be one episode of Scarborough country Worth Bronwyn Chester is a Mcclatchy Tribune news service Anbar Awakening should give Iraq naysayers pause by Kevin Ferris the Philadelphia inquirer heres one problem with washing tons Wari lost chorus it too often drowns out the accomplish ments of those who Are actually trying to but it consider the recent reports of the Anbar a movement by sunni sheikhs who have rejected a Laidas vision for Iraq and aligned themselves with army Sean Macfarland was in Anbar province most of last part of the 1st Marine expeditionary Force commanded by Richard who wanted to be More aggressive in challenging a Laidas control of in an email interview from his current Post in Macfarland described the birth of the Awakening As a chemical reaction needing two compatible ingredients and a the ingredients were some frustrated sheikhs who were Frozen out of the Provin Cial government due to a bad decision to Boycott the first and a new Bri Gade combat team in he the catalyst vicious attacks by Al Aida in last Macfarland started establishing combat outposts in Al Aida what his troops called Rama Dis heart of local sheikhs especially after Macfarland took their advice about where to place iraqi police in the Reward was an increase in local tribesmen joining the the new stations and a wave of failed tacks against the outposts soon had Al Aida worried about losing its Safe Mac Farland these new iraqi police were not susceptible to murder and intimidation because the in substations that we established near Homes provided Protection to their Macfarland they had the support of their tribes behind them what was worse for the the is knew exactly who was bad and where to find Al Aida hit a police station with a massive fuel enhanced truck kill ing a few officers and wounding Many oth the police were offered the Chance to Retreat to the safety of a but they they insisted on staying put to show that Al Aida could not Macfarland they raised their Flag again in a moment somewhat reminiscent of iwo and began to actively patrol again that very of that attack and the killing of a sheikh finally brought other local leaders the manifesto they drafted and presented to Macfarland had three main themes fight work with coalition troops and iraqi Security uphold the Rule of Law and work within the framework of the the results could not have been More Macfarland when a tribe attacks on soldiers and marines in that area dropped to Zero almost the decision to confront Al Aida in its neighbourhood strongholds meant increased casualties until the enemy was which Macfarland likens to events in Baghdad As coalition and iraqi forces fight to assert Al Aida fought us to the last redoubt in he we should expect the same in As the Awakening continues to spread throughout the sunni there Are Les sons for Macfarland though this sunni based movement is not applicable to All regions of there Are local solutions to be had if we Are willing to look for our avowed is beatable in when we arrived in Alanbar last the conventional wis Dom was that the province was a lost cause he i never believed and now we see that is not that message needs to reach Washington and inspire an Awakening Kevin Ferris is Philadelphia inquirer commentary Page prickly City by Scott Stantis we going id do win Vou you cant