As If They Didn't Foul Up Enough, Bush Administration Questions Scotland's Move Toward Indepence

Considering the Bush Administration has NO experience whatsoever in functioning in an independent nation (not given their raid on the U.S. Constitution and the Magna Carta where in the year 1215 the concept of habeas corpas came into being), I really don't think they should be giving advice to Scotland. Do you?

Remember all the happy horseshit about independence we got for Afghanistan and Iraq? Yet look what they do with Scotland:

THE US government has made a dramatic intervention into Scottish politics after a senior diplomat said the Bush administration would “probably” prefer independence not to happen.

Lisa Vickers, the new US consul in Scotland, questioned the effect of separation on American energy firms and criticised the SNP’s anti-Nato policy. She also speculated about whether an independent Scotland would become a member of the European Union.

The official’s comments are controversial because independence looks set to be one of the key issues during next year’s Holyrood election campaign.

An opinion poll last week found a majority of Scots favoured breaking up Britain and revealed the SNP was ahead in the popular vote.

The Nationalists’ flagship policy is to hold a referendum on independence during their first four-year term in government. Their election hopes were boosted in recent weeks by a £100,000 donation from businessman Sir Tom Farmer and encouragement from the leader of Scotland’s Catholics, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who said he expected independence “before too long”.

But the independence debate has taken an unexpected turn in the light of the comments made by Vickers, the US government’s “voice” in Scotland.

In an interview with the Sunday Herald, she said the US would “probably” prefer the UK to remain united and insisted there were “various elements” of the SNP’s independence policy that had not been fully explained.

Gee, I wonder what "our senator from Scotland", Arlen Specter has to say. [Clinton impeachment reference here; Specter voted no on impeachment.]