Obama - Bringing People Together

Obama is bringing people together - Ann Coulter and Andrew Sullivan loathe his policy in Afghanistan.  Ann is funnier; Andy has the requisite swipe at Palin.

I feel obliged to object to this from Ms. Coulter:

Our troops are the most magnificent in the world, but they're not the ones setting military policy. The president is -- and he's basing his war strategy on the chants of Moveon.org cretins.

Groan.  Her larger theme is that Obama's support for the war in Afghanistan was entirely a product of his desire to appear tough while opposing the war in Iraq, which is certainly my view as well.  However, neither Gen. McChrystal nor Gen. Petraeus are MoveOn poster boys or anything resembling cretins, and it is their strategy that Obama has adopted.

Well.  Ask a general how to win a war and he is more likely to tell you how to do it then not to do it.  Fortunately, we have a genius in the White House who understands that (and everything else).

Comments

[narciso]

Sometimes Ann gets a little too cute by half, as for Sullivan, seriously TM you have to stop linking him, he hasn't said anything intentionally that's made sense in six months
and I'm being charitable. True, neither has Krugman, Klein, Weigel et al, but he's a special case

[Thomas Collins]

If this "Obama's war" theme catches hold in GOP ranks, it is going to backfire big time. It matters not a whit that Obama's policy may be largely driven by politics. Steele and now Coulter are playing with fire.

Anyone who opposes expanded efforts in Afghanistan is welcome to make his or her arguments. The persuasiveness of such arguments is not increased by references to "Obama's war" or by jibes at neocons (such as those taken by Coulter in her op ed piece).

[jimmyk]

However, neither Gen. McChrystal nor Gen. Petraeus are MoveOn poster boys or anything resembling cretins, and it is their strategy that Obama has adopted.

I think Ann was just being a little sloppy with language. By "war strategy" she probably meant the policy decision to focus on Afghanistan, not the particulars of how the generals choose to achieve the ends set by the president.

[NK]

Patraeus is a patriot and he has taken command of Af/Pak Theater in the hope of wining before Barry O pulls the plug. Same for Mattis taking the CentCom, and Gates is trying to be the grown up at the Pentagon in order to keep the Moveon crowd from irreparably injuring our national security. BUT -- if the dems get wiped out in Nov. and/or Barry O is re-elected (God forbid), Barry O and Move On will dismantle the military. The only reason Barry O keeps up military appearances is to keep him viable for 2012. Once that is no longer in the cards, he fulfils a personal dream to end the US as a military power. Scary, but true.

[Old Dad]

But what about the Trig Question??????

[Neo]

(By the way, Democrats: WHERE'S OSAMA?)

[Captain Hate]

If this "Obama's war" theme catches hold in GOP ranks, it is going to backfire big time. It matters not a whit that Obama's policy may be largely driven by politics. Steele and now Coulter are playing with fire.

This is what happens when you have a complete lack of leadership at the top of the party. These Repukes make me as sick as the commiecrats; playing politics with the troops is *not* what the good guys do. Rush can shut his yap also with his Repuke-centric shilling for Steele.

[Danube of Thought]

Democracy Corps (Carville) poll:

The poll gave Republicans a 48%-42% advantage in the generic congressional ballot. It found Democrats trailing Republicans on key economic issues including jobs (42%-38%), the overall economy (44%-39%) and the deficit (43%-30%). A majority (50%-43%) also favors tax cuts over “more investment,” i.e., more federal spending.

The poll put Obama’s job approval at just 45%, with 51% disapproving. His handling of the economy (45%-51%) and the oil spill (43%-50%) were also viewed negatively. By 49%-45% most people believe his policies are making the recession worse, not better. That margin is particularly strong among independents, 52%-38%.

[Danube of Thought]

My view of Afghanistan for the past nine years has been that our national interest goes no further than ensuring that it not become a safe haven for terrorist training again. I don't think that a limited mission of that kind would require either nation-building nor large numbers of troops. In that regard I guess Bite-me has adopted my strategy.

[gsr]

The Marxist-Moooslim in Chief has got to go.

[Jane says obamasucks]

Is anyone else stunned by this Russian spy swap? Why is it happening so fast? Why was Russia more upset about the fact that they were caught than Obama. Why were they not interrogated since their job was recruitment?

maybe I've been reading too much Mitch Rapp, but something about this is really fishy.

[Neo]

Having some vague concept of America's national interest -- unlike liberals -- the Bush administration could see that a country of illiterate peasants living in caves ruled by "warlords" was not a primo target for "nation-building."

I really have to agree with Coulter on this point. Iraq may take 10 or 15 years of "nation building," but Afghanistan is like dragging a 16th century cavemen into the 21st century .. an easy 25 to 35 years of "nation building."

(By the way, Democrats: WHERE'S OSAMA?)

Of course, if they happen to stumble onto UBL, they will most likely declare "victory" and leave the Afghans to muddle it out among themselves.

[narciso]

More Dan Silva or Christopher Reich, the one who clued me on those troublesome Utaibis, the former has had two novels set in Russia,
the latter had a character specially in the last, who was a sleeper Russian agent

[Neo]

With the recent discovery of vast material resources (i.e. world's largest supply of lithium), I expect Afghanistan to go through a "Nigeria" or "Congo" phase .. and it will be at least as ugly as the poppy "warlords" are now.

[narciso]

thirty, thirty five years ago, much like with
Iran, Afghanistan was moderately civilized by some standards

[Neo]

thirty, thirty five years ago, much like with Iran, Afghanistan was moderately civilized by some standards
Almost all of that was destroyed in the civil war.

[Captain Hate]

(By the way, Democrats: WHERE'S OSAMA?)

I think the grandchildren of the worms that ate him are as dead as he is. Nobody took McDivot seriously when said that campaign garbage; just like nobody has taken him seriously his entire worthless life and now he's President. What a country.

Btw, I was reading "Revolution 1989" today and hadn't realized the Rooskis killed 1M Afghanis and created an additional 3M refugees. Those commies always had such a light hand.

[narciso]

Interesting how RT is featuring the likes of Mslizz Shabazz, the 'David Duke' of the New Black Panthers, you would think we would counter program with some Chechen activists,
if there were any alive anymore

[centralcal]

Comparing congressional Republicans to dangerous teen-age drivers and binge-spending drunken sailors, President Obama held no metaphor back as he hit the campaign trail for the first of two stops in pivotal mid-term Senate states.

Is there anyone left - even in lefty la-la land that believes this bunk anymore?

[narciso]

Actually it's more like Bueller trying to reverse the 3,000 miles on Cameron's father's Ferrari

[Clarice]

Obama just traded 10 spies for 4 political prisoners in my opinion.

Maybe we could invite him in for poker match.

[Jane says obamasucks]

I dunno. First of all I can't believe he had any stake in any political prisoner in Russia. He doesn't care about stuff like that.

And he gave up a lot of potential intelligence to get this done at lightning speed. I wonder where an investigation would have led.

[MayBee]

We've been following those people for 7 years.
If I had to guess, I'd say Russia told us they were ready to get rid of the people they were holding, and so we rolled up this group to create an exchange.

[Clarice]

I do, too, Jane. Normally, I agree with MayBee but this time not. The story is one of our FBI in Peace and War types spooked Chapman who called daddy and was about to flee. Now, it's possible this was not an act of stupidity by the agent but part of a plan. That, I don't know.

My hunch is that (a) Obama doesn't want anything to interfere with his reset plan and is stupid enough to think this will do it and (b) or the gig was deliberately blown because it created a lot of problems for Obama and friends in academia, the press, govt.

[matt]

The Telegraph is reporting that Cameron's government is planning on the biggest change in the National Health Service in 60 years. He wants to eliminate the bureaucracy.

So as Obama sprints headlong towards Frankencare, the UK is finally beginning to make some serious structural changes.

The U.S. and the UK; heading in opposite directions on health care. LUN

[Old Salt]

"Fortunately, we have a genius in the White House who understands that (and everything else)."

That's temerity, with a dash of veiled respect, I expect.

[Clarice]

Jeff Stein, the waPo's spy watcher, says the exchange is unprecedented. My ex spook friend suggests something very vile is going on.

[Jane says obamasucks]

My hunch is that (a) Obama doesn't want anything to interfere with his reset plan and is stupid enough to think this will do it and (b) or the gig was deliberately blown because it created a lot of problems for Obama and friends in academia, the press, govt.

My mind isn't any where as generous. I don't think Obama cares a whit about Russia in the reset sort of way. I think that is manufactured. My conspiratorial self thinks Obama has something to lose if these people talked. What, I don't know. It was in his best interest to get them out of the country quickly and that he did.

[Twitterisshit]

The kids aren't going to get his benefits and be President, which really isn't fair, but when it's time for Congress and dems to pay, we'll probably see one from Russian background, it makes sense. O was, after all, an orphan or adopted or whatever so he got nationality, which is important for sleeper Russian agents and informants.

[MayBee]

Good points, both of you.
The White House is trying to sell it as proof the reset button is working.
I do wonder if their US connections will continue to be investigated. They had met with some big Dem donors, I do recall. So maybe there was something to just getting them out of the country and quiet.

[narciso]

It makes for a false equivalence, like Daniloff for Zakharov back in 1986, or Abel for Powers, in 1961

[Jane says obamasucks]

Also,

Obama can't brush his teeth without thinking about it for 3 months, so why was this decision so fast?

[Clarice]

Also they had contacts at various universities and were assigned to recruit students who were going to work for the CIA. Among the schools were Harvard and MIT.

Lazaro was a university lecturer.

His "wife" was an El Diario/LaPrensa reporter.

I like the way the instant MSM meme was that this people were buffoons who got nothing. The buffoons were the journos who fell for that,aiding the fas spy shuffle.

[Clarice]

Patrikov, the big Dem supporter and Hillary fan was a contact to Ms Chapman.

[narciso]

Remember that was the part of the Myers case, which was raised by the counterintelligence agent, and coincidentally your's truly, that never went anywhere,

[Clarice]

The recruiting? In this case people were told to recruit students in D.C. which surely meant returning to SAIS, where they'd done so much successful trolling before, including in the Myers' case.

[Rick Ballard]

Jane,

Think of Gazprom as a funding vehicle for the BOzo campaign utilizing spies (and fellow travelers) as funnels into campaign coffers. Try and identify a move by BOzo that doesn't mesh with Gazprom interests.

[Pagar]

If you really want to know why Obama supports the communists, Trevor Loudon has hundreds of articles such as this One that show that Obama owes every thing to the Communists.

"As a leader of the Communist Party USA's Mexican American Equality Commission, Los Angeles based activist Rosalio Munoz, enjoys a level of political influence that would be envied by most U.S. Congressmen or Senators - if they had the slightest inkling of its extent."

IMO, no one outside of Kenya would ever heard the name Obama if it would not for the support of the American/global Communists.

[narciso]

Russia's more nationalist now, like the bad competent czar, Alexander 111, or his grandfather, who founded the Third Section
of the Chancellery, the first real secret police. But Medveyev is GAZPROM, think of the
real life version of the caricature of Cheney

[Jane says obamasucks]

Gazprom

What is Gazprom?

Pagar (good to have you back BTW) I'm more in your camp, and I admit to more than one thought that we had a Manchurian president on our hands. But lately I'm a little bit certifiable.

[narciso]

It's the 'privatized' Russian National Oil Company, think of Exxon Mobil and Halliburton on steroids

[Jane says obamasucks]

Hmmmm Rick, now that is very interesting. I tell you, I think this man has no intention of losing in 2012.

[Rick Ballard]

It's a tad worse than that, Narciso. Gazprom has a deciding vote in Russian foreign policy and a very deep interest in maintaining the illusion of scarcity engendered by the Peak Oil nonsense as well as in scuppering deep water exploration.

I would bet at least $1 US that Gazprom also has access to KGB archives regarding Barrack Hussein Obama of Kenya as well as the imposter Barry Dunham. They can make Barry dance to any tune they call.

[PD]

LeBron to Miami. Looks like Obama didn't get his wish, despite commenting *seven* times that he'd like him to go to the Bulls.

Maybe LeBron can expect an audit now. "Haven't you reached the point where you have to say to youself that you've made enough money?"

[narciso]

This fellow in particular would seem to make your point, quite clear, in the LUN

[laura]

Narciso,
What a bunch. Elena Karpel looks like an icon of Soviet planning.

[bgates]

Vice President Biden told a Cleveland audience today that NBA superstar LeBron James will remain with the hometown Cavaliers.

The comment came at a fundraiser the veep attended on behalf of Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, who is running for the open U.S. Senate seat in Ohio.

“LeBron James is coming back and Lee is going to Washington,” he said.

The way things are going, I'm surprised he didn't end up with the Nets (because it was just purchased by a Russian billionaire. Trying to be topical.)

[Janet]

Ol Joe...God luv him. Always wrong, never in doubt.

[narciso]

There's no looks about it Laura, she was a born apparatchik, Soviet Price Committee, wth

[narciso]

"we really dodged a bullet there" I tell ya,
(facepalm)

[narciso]

btw, back in the day, we PNGed Russian diplomats like the ones supposedly in contact
with Murphy and co, not just their flunkies

[Parking Lot]

((My conspiratorial self thinks Obama has something to lose if these people talked. What, I don't know. It was in his best interest to get them out of the country quickly and that he did.))

for one thing I bet they all voted for Obama.

I question the timing of the Russian president's visit ...

[Captain Hate]

Vice President Biden told a Cleveland audience today that NBA superstar LeBron James will remain with the hometown Cavaliers

To hell with LeBron; he's been dead to me since game 3 against the Celtics. Just another egomaniacal choking dog with huge skills but no heart. I hope he takes his slut mother with him. Good riddance.

[MarkO]

In fairness, Obama has brought together a great number of us. All in vivid opposition to him.

[bunkerbuster]

``I would bet at least $1 ... They can make Barry dance to any tune they call.''
You're on, Rick. Wager in haste, repent at leisure. I guess that explains all the time you've got on your hands. lol...

[24 hour test flight okay, all 11]

It would be neat if one of them worked the torturers, I mean doctors, I mean independent contractors, that tortured, I mean helped prisoners, in Af/Pak from John's Hopkin's that has a spy history like Plame/Joe and O, son informant.

There is no such thing as an x spook, especially when they have children, adopt, give up for adoption. The student angle is good. The way to do that would be CNCS. there are a bunch that can be compromised early on and their is overseas work for them now too. Maybe that was the thing to do. Rural areas, etc............

[Captain Hate]

Why can't typhuspad work it so the dimwit trolls and the CIA/Luciferian dipshits just talk among themselves at the children's table.

[Rob Crawford]

for one thing I bet they all voted for Obama.

Likely more than once.

[24 hour test flight okay, all 11]

CNCS is for kids. Go back to playing with balls. They like you.

crack is bad, quit

[Frau Gaswerk]

Gazprom even hoovered up Gerhard Schroeder to work for them, an unprecedented, tacky and questionable move for a former German chancellor. There was/is a lot of Bent Willie in Schroeder; his four wives, however, were better looking than Hillary!.

[narciso]

I saw this Bergmann character is not your typical Russian, in other LUN news, you may
have been mild in your comments

[Ignatz]

--However, neither Gen. McChrystal nor Gen. Petraeus are MoveOn poster boys or anything resembling cretins, and it is their strategy that Obama has adopted.--

Has he?
If Ike had told FDR he had a strategy to invade Normandy and he needed 200,000 men and 5,000 ships to succeed and instead he got 100,000 men and 2,500 ships, just enough to fail, would that constitute actually adopting the strategy or just playing politics with it?
I guess we'll find out.

[Ignatz]

--There was/is a lot of Bent Willie in Schroeder; his four wives, however, were better looking than Hillary!--

Frau, I have yet to own a pooch that wasn't better looking than Hillary.

[Stephanie]

A Cavalier response that is full of awesome.

LUN

[narciso]

That's what I had LUned earlier, Stephanie, just goes to show you, there's this screed by a former Agency analyst, Susan Hasler, actually a novel, called Intelligence, get it, which is borderline truther on Iraq, Atta, all those little things that EJ Epstein
among others have inconveniently pointed out, which she applies the ole Alinsky model to

[daddy]

Haven't read a word of this thread, but this OT I find fascinating:

">http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/07/100707-science-proton-smaller-standard-model-quantum-physics/"> National Geographic---Proton Smaller Than Thought—May Rewrite Laws of Physics..

"Protons, among the building blocks of atoms, are even smaller than we thought—and the unexpected discovery may alter some of the most trusted laws of physics."

"For years the accepted value for the radius of a proton has been 0.8768 ...an essential value in equations that make up the 60-year-old theory of quantum electrodynamics, a cornerstone of the Standard Model of particle physics."

Can anyone say "GUT check?"

[daddy]

And if I might recommend this from Matt Ridley, British Science Writer:

">http://www.australianclimatemadness.com/?p=4223"> Matt Ridley - "Down with Doom"

I linked from an Aussie site instead of where it's appearing in full on the Huffington Post. The story at the Aussie site is incomplete, but I admire Ridley in that his books are apolitical evolutionary/genetic science, and he recognizes and to his personal detriment he courageously calls BS on the run amuck PCness that passes for Science nowadays in the agenda driven MSM's and Brit science community.

He is an old Dawkin's supporter etc, but I would love to have a drink with this guy and see what slings and arrows are now coming at him due to his calling BS on the PC orthodoxy of the Day. If you do wind up having to read an evolutionist, read his Genome. Simply for his courage at calling BS, he deserves a read more than any of the rest of them. Good job Matt Ridley.

[North to the EuReferendum.]

REDDi, get set, go!
==========

[Northeast to the EuReferendum.]

Hey, it's really worth following the four euroskeptic professors in their battles in the German courts. These guys predicted the demise of the Euro at its inception, and they are in court about it now. See at Richard North's EuReferendum, with a link to the latest from Ambrose Evans-Pritchard.
============

[Who dat catess grinnin'?]

Light Higgs Boson exists. See the proof in bricks and mortar.
===============

[ProfessorsforVienna]

Zoo animals get extra food like ice cream. The traffic chatter is so O is birther. Captain Crack likes balls? There all kinds, but the air is too tempting? Strokes for you.

[dissident]

The initial calls of Steele resignation were just a gut reaction to use anything to knock Steele off his feet. Ann is actually making a thoughtful, nuanced position here.

[Brass or iron in them andurils?]

And then there were three.
===========

[Melinda Romanoff]

Thanks, kim. Good ones, I need to read more Lubos tonight.

[De Minimus.]

I suspect the heat generated from your magnificent moment is immaterial.
=========

[Melinda Romanoff]

I wasn't implying a kinetic (heat) element to the moment, but its influence on the entire energy equation. I would venture that any measurements like that could be dismissed as entropy, and rightfully so.

But we could be creating an ideological "eddy" for the morning and I need to get some things accomplished, or no checkee.

[Convictedforwhat?Forced deportation]

We need to do the Russian American North Pole thing again. Everyone was happy, environment got national security and funding for agencies like Geo spacial intelligence agency, etc. Funding for 'emergency' -national security- priorities like food,,health, water, etc. all got moved into 100s of billions in funding.

Why would O with his birth certificate be worried about foreign aid or North pole funding?

[Danube of Thought]

Minus 17 at Raz today.

[Captain Hate]

A Cavalier response that is full of awesome.

I like the LUN even better. I said before this magical look-at-me tour that the Cavs would be better in the long run by having Gilbert and not LeBron than vice-versa (there was a question of whether he'd buy the Pistons since that's his home town); I guess we'll find out.

[Jeff]

Ahhh ...

the "Strategy" put forth by McCrystal was for 40,000 troops ... he got 30,000 4 months later ...

So, No, Obama is still controlling the execution of the strategy by starving its resources ... just like Move.On wants ...

[Clarice]

I'm told that a Fox commentator suggested that if the Russians had held out a few minutes longer, O would have thrown LeBron into the swap.

[J]

I think you are premature in assuming that the general(s)will run this war. Petraeus is assuming he can handle obama and lead him to the right actions. Obama and the left do not change their patterns of behavior, and despite Petraeus and Mattis being good, tough, smart generals, we have a president AND a congress dedicated to our defeat on the battlefield, and that will be a hard thing to overcome. Wait and see.

[narciso]

That snippet in the overnight, about Hasler, indicates exactly why we are in this mess, on the intelligence side, they had the same withering contempt for the previous administration, throw in McCarthy, Drumheller,
that we have for this one, the same fundamental misunderstanding

[Yah, melinda, mas tarde. Even Ben knew about the electricity in the air.]

Bodes ill for all, eh, n?
=========

[Jane]

we have a president AND a congress dedicated to our defeat on the battlefield, and that will be a hard thing to overcome. Wait and see.

Maybe, but maybe Petraeus has Obama by the balls. Can he risk losing 3 generals in a row in Afghanistan? I think not.

[Ranger]

About that Democracy Corps poll, Jim Geraghty at NRO Campaign Sopt found this deep in the internals:

When asked about “a socialist,” 33 percent of likely voters say it describes Obama “very well,” 22 percent say “well,” 15 percent say “not too well,” and 25 percent say “not well at all.”

In other words, 55 percent of likely voters think “socialist” is a reasonably accurate way of describing Obama.

[PDinDetroit]

Captain Hate - I like the Cav's Chances. I remember well the 2004 NBA Finals where the "five-game sweep" occurred. The Lakers were heavily favored due to "star quality", but a bunch of "regular players" beat them (Detroit Pistons).

LUN

[narciso]

It's not surprising that famously anti-Israeli
nutbar Gordon Thomas, is among the ones who
give it a thumbs up. It has the requisite jab
at our Dark Lord Cheney (sarc) digs at the OSP, that seem to come right from the Larouchite Kwiatkoswki

[PDinDetroit]

Maybe, but maybe Petraeus has Obama by the balls. Can he risk losing 3 generals in a row in Afghanistan? I think not.

Well put Jane.

In a staring contest, my money is on the guy with Medals on his Chest not Moobs.

[narciso]

And if he thinks McChrystal got on his nerves, Mattis will be on him, like Lee Ermey
with a new recruit in "Full Metal Jacket"

[PDinDetroit]

Here is s story to brighten the day, 9 year-old David Crankshaw scores a hole in one a few weeks after starting the game of golf.

LUN

[Ranger]

Totally off topic, but via Instapundit:

http://volokh.com/2010/07/09/doma-case-and-the-tenth-amendment/>DOMA case and the Tenth Amendment

Balkin is right to point out that the new federal health control law could be found unconstitutional by any court which applies the Tenth Amendment as seriously as did Judge Tauro.

[Jane]

That is a great story PD. How fun for that kid.

[fdcol63]

Has anyone seen this, which is supposed to be Obama's MySpace page?

http://www.myspace.com/barackobama

Says he's 52. But I thought he was born in April 1961? Which is it? LOL

[Captain Hate]

PD, it would've been a 4 game sweep if Kobe hadn't hit a buzzer-beater in game 2. A team of castoffs (Billups, Rasheed, Ben & Rip) came together as a team and became a force in the league until Larry Brown gave into his gypsy ways and Joe D unfortunately replaced him with the hapless Flip Saunders.

[jimmyk]

Petraeus has Obama by the balls.

The presumption being that Obama has balls.

Yes, Obama needs Petraeus more than Petraeus needs Obama. But that's only true until the 2012 election (assuming Obama plans to run again).

The other factor is that Obama doesn't really care that much about any of this, except to the extent it furthers his domestic agenda and enables him to stay in power while continuing to improve his golf game. So that might enable Petraeus to carry the day.

[Jane]

Balkin is right to point out that the new federal health control law could be found unconstitutional by any court which applies the Tenth Amendment as seriously as did Judge Tauro.

Ranger,

Personally I'd rather have gay marriage than Obama care so bring it on.

[Pagar]

"25 percent say “not well at all.”

IMO, he is 100% Communist, any tendency toward socialism is only because he can't get the backing to go pure communist yet.

[matt]

John Fund in the WSJ is saying the Dem's expect to get blown out in November and are planning a very aggressive lame duck session. I am calling it the Kamikaze Congress. LUN

[narciso]

Didn't these folks saw, this doesn't work on the West Wing, in the LUN