Back To The Mire

Obama is sending even more troops back to Iraq, and he may send more after that. Between this and the impending trade debacle, progressives must be wondering (not for the first time!) whatever happened to that nice anti-war chap they gushed for in 2008.

As to this new strategy, or whatever it is, the "lily pad" concept of multiple US bases is not the same as the "oil spot" strategy of focusing on civilian security in specific areas, with the goal of expanding those areas over time. Metaphorically, lily pads don't tend to grow (much), unlike spreading oil spots.

That said, no marketing maven would use an "oil-spot" label on a strategy for salvaging Iraq unless waving red flags at the "no blood for oil" crowd was part of the sales pitch. Stay with "ink spot".

Of course, if the strategy is to start in one place and expand over time, the White House could label this program "Operation Breaking Wind". Just trying to help...

Comments

[maryrose]

First. Yes

[narciso]

background to this:

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-06-11/the-rise-and-fall-of-america-s-favorite-iraqi-sheik

[narciso]

why is enemy action, too out of their range of options:

http://www.the-american-interest.com/2015/06/11/potus-no-complete-strategy-to-fight-isis/

[narciso]

paging joe wilson:

http://libertyunyielding.com/2015/06/11/islamic-state-has-seized-enough-radioactive-material-to-build-their-first-wmd/

pat lang, seriously TM

[Jeff Dobbs]

TM:
Metaphorically, lily pads don't tend to grow (much), unlike spreading oil spots.

See Spot. See Spot Run.

(hey, maybe i'll use some of the dialog from that book in the secret service thread)

[narciso]

an interesting notion, although many of the MIT would defect to IS, if they haven't already

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2015/06/11/ted-cruz-now-that-erdogan-has-lost-the-elections-perhaps-we-can-do-business-with-turkey-against-isis/

[Balad no more.]

So, is Qatar pronounced 'cotter' or 'catarrh'?

[glasater]

'gutter'

[That's how he bowls.]

Thanks, great mind.

[Extraneus]

Vox: Saying "You Guys" Is Sexist, You Guys

[Ben]

Again, the subtleties twixt Rumsfeld and Bush doctrine recedes into the catacombs of historic memory.

Thanks for the mammaries.

[NKonChrome]

Speaking of memories, so we are back to the 2010 future with basing agreements with the Iraqis. Fine I'm for that. Of course it would have been better to do in 2010 with a SOFA, before ISIS formed a giant nuke army. Effin' idiot.

[Ben]

"If Congress approves the Trade Promotion Authority, aka Fast Track, it will grease the way not only for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but for two other toxic trade agreements now in the pipeline—the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Trade in Services Agreement.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is basically the same as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, except that it covers a different set of countries.

The Trade in Services Agreement is mainly about deregulation of financial services, but it also has a section on “movement of natural persons.” In other words, TISA would cover immigration.

Notice which countries are not in any of the three proposed agreements. The BRICS countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa would retain sovereignty over their economies after United States, the European Union and their satellites give them up.

Even if I’m wrong, and even if all three of these agreements are good ideas, there is no reason not allow Congress time to study and debate what’s in the agreement before coming to a vote.

The fact that the Obama administration is unwilling to do this is, in itself, an indication that there is something wrong with these agreements. So is the fact that it puts silly restrictions on access to information about the agreements and the right of Congress and other to reveal details of the agreements—and then mocks critics for not discussing "

https://philebersole.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/more-toxic-trade-agreements-are-in-the-pipeline/#more-60365

"Giant nuke army" Who's the idiot?

[Porchlight]

David Burge ‏@iowahawkblog 23h23 hours ago

Don't worry, they won't be wearing boots

Mark Knoller @markknoller JUST IN: Pres Obama authorizes deployment of up to 450 addtl US military personnel to train, advise, and assist Iraqi Security Forces.

[NKonChrome]

will they stay at the Baghdad Hilton?

[Ben]

As the crisis in Ukraine has dragged on, mutual animosity between Russia and the West has become more entrenched. A median of just a quarter of NATO publics now say they have a favorable view of Russia. Meanwhile, only 12% of Russians give NATO a positive rating. And Russians’ favorable views of the U.S. and the European Union have plummeted by more than 30 percentage points since 2013, before the beginning of the crisis. Half of Russians say NATO is a major military threat to their nation. And Russians overwhelmingly oppose Ukraine becoming a member of either NATO (83% oppose) or the EU (68%)

http://www.pewglobal.org/2015/06/10/nato-publics-blame-russia-for-ukrainian-crisis-but-reluctant-to-provide-military-aid/

Confusing, isn't it?

[sbw]

Khobar Towers

[Captain Haiku]

Iraq depolyees
Wearing Tevas so there are
No boots on the ground

[glasater]

Dear "That's how he bowls"

Thanks :-)

[Jeff Dobbs]

You guys (<------trigger warning).

So, watching the click counter - more people have clicked TM's Cosmo link than anything else put up this week.

::shakes head::

[Porchlight]

C'mon, hit, no one clicks the links.

[Beasts of England]

It really is a Cosmo link! (I hovered - didn't click)

[jimmyk on iPhone]

"Vox: Saying "You Guys" Is Sexist, You Guys"

@iowahawkblog: Instead of addressing Vox with problematic sexist "guys", please use gender-neutral "dipshits"

[Jack is Back!]

You mean there are rules we need to obey or go into the firepit?

[Porchlight]

I bet you didn't inhale, either, Beasts.

[MarkO]

Is it defamation of Bill Clinton to mention Spotted Dick? Of course, Jane merely spotted one.

Not our Jane, of course.

[Janet]

please use gender-neutral "dipshits"

or knuckleheads.

[lyle]

Are these troops armed?

It's a fair question, alas.

[Dave (in MA)]

I though it was merely bent.

[Extraneus]

Always liked the term dipshit. I don't know why.

[Jack is Back!]

I love Spotted Dick. Its a stodgy pudding and at the Sunday Roast it was the perfect after lunch indulgence. Of course, I was in London and not Florida.

[lyle]

Is this the quag thread?

[Beasts of England]

I inhaled with all my might, Porch!! Back in the day, though. No mas, no mas! :)

[Beasts of England]

The stem 'quag' is only available during Republican administrations, lyle. How dare you!! ;)

[Jane]

Don't get jealous but I'm sitting here calmly waiting for Caro and Daddy to arrive. Ha!

[MarkO]

JEALOUS!!!!!

[lyle]

If you don't post pictures, it didn't happen, Jane.

[DebinNC]

Can't imagine dinner guests with more interesting stories than Caro and daddy. Hope you're feeling much better, Jane.

[lyle]

You mean daddy's advance team hasn't already shown up to see that his lodging, libations and special bowl of M&M's (no brown ones!) are satisfactory, Jane?

[DebinNC]

I wonder if BOzo has banned the use of "troops", because the msm never reports him sending any anywhere. "Military personnel" but never "troops".

[Steve]

"Titles Are Not Accomplishments" - Carly Fiorina Ad

http://commoncts.blogspot.com/2015/06/titles-are-not-accomplishments-carly.htm

[Jane]

So those are who those guys were lyle?

[Jane]

The last thing anyone needs to see here is a pix of a battered woman!

[Beasts of England]

lol, Jane!! Very jealous, as well! Y'all have a big time...

[Dave (in MA)]

Jane: http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2015/06/radio_host_arraigned_on_charge_of_assaulting_trooper

[daddy on iPad]

Well I arrived in Strubridge after a nice drive down from Dartmouth, but listening to Howie Carr the last 2 hours on Jane's Boston Tlalk Radio station hollering about Boehner and McConnel and Ryan on the TPA vote, has got me so damned wired up I can't see straight#%^

Think Il will find a nearby tavern to cool off and then give Jane a call.

[Extraneus]

.

[boris]

If Steve's link doesn't work try this one ...
http://therightscoop.com/dude-carly-fiorinas-new-ad-destroys-hillary-clinton/

[Heteronormative Microagressive Ignatz]

I assume Ramirez is a white hispanic.

[Old Lurker]

Don't sweat it Daddy. Ryan says you are not to believe everything you see on the internet and the bill will be made public, perhaps even to some reps, after they vote on it.

Not to worry.

Or to quote James: "F**k Ryan..." and the rest of the scumbags too.

And our GOPe leaders who brag that Congress is getting more engagement on this and still can vote it down in final form...well that sounds as believable to me as Obama promising the Iran sanctions can just snap back in place if they cheat us.

F em all indeed.

[lyle]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/trade-secrets-1434045940?tesla=y

Taranto attempts to clear the air re TPP and TPP:

Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican, takes a slightly—but only slightly—longer view. In that same Hannity interview, he says it’s not trade agreements he opposes, but trade agreements reached by Obama. “My knee-jerk reaction, without even knowing any details on this, is: Are you joking? Are you kidding me? We’re going to give this president—? Why not wait a year and a half? God help us, hope we will have a Republican president. Why not wait a year and a half?”

There’s an answer to that, too. The TPA bill would apply for five years after its enactment, or until mid-2020—nearly the end of Obama’s successor’s initial term. There are enough antitrade Republicans that it’s unlikely a TPA bill could pass in 2017 (as it certainly cannot now) without some Democratic support. Pro-trade Democrats would have the same partisan motive to reject TPA that pro-trade Republicans do now.

Distrust of Obama may be entirely justified, but if Republican lawmakers make that the deciding factor now, it could well be to the detriment of his GOP successor.

I respect Taranto a great deal but I take issue with "antitrade Republicans." They should be named "anti-trust-Obama Republicans." I agree with many here, if that treasonous halfwit wants this, it CAN'T be good for the country. Full stop.

[lyle]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/bye-bye-american-history-1433978690?tesla=y

Paging rse.

[Jane]

Where the hell are you Daddy?

[maryrose]

Jane
Count me as jealous also
It is so great that the three of you can get together and share adventures
How's the house sale going

[Jane]

Why am I also not in that tavern?

[clarice]

Ramirez is a half Japanese-American Hispanic.

[lyle]

Close enough for whitey designation by the MFM, clarice.

[Jane]

Dave, if I was staying I'd apply for her job!

[Heteronormative Microagressive Ignatz]

Excellent little vignette of the great Christopher Lee.

[Jane]

Open house is next weekend Maryrose. Nothing but a party will be going on here this weekend.

[Heteronormative Microagressive Ignatz]

So he has white and yellow privilege.
Even worse.

[DebinNC]

Ramirez is in a class by himself.

[Dave (in MA)]

Dave, if I was staying I'd apply for her job!

Put the FL place on the market!

[Jeff Dobbs]

Naught bin adventures....

Peter said:
"they won't be wearing boots." They can send those poor ROTC candidates in red heels.
Reply | 2 hours ago on Back To The Mire

[Jane]

Can someone get the coordinates on Daddy. I sure would like to be in a tavern right now.

[Threadkiller]

The decision this week by Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brian Kemp; to remove a candidate from the Georgia ballot for being ineligible is a stunning contradiction to his refusal to exercise that same power three years ago, when the decision would have immediately led to a national crisis. Secretary Kemp upheld the decision of Judge Michael Malihi who found:

“the respondent’s failure to produce competent evidence… was dispositive in concluding he does not meet constitutional and statutory qualifications.”

Yet these same government officials turned a blind eye to the Rule of Law in 2012 and allowed the acting President of the United States to evade this same judicial oversight governing eligibility for ballot access.

Because Barack Obama is not an Article II natural-born Citizen, the controversy surrounding his ineligibility to serve as President of the United States was a nationwide scandal that forced him to constantly address the issue. With Obama never vetted for the 2008 Presidential elections, citizens concerned about the Constitutional safeguard in Article II Sect. I Clause V sought compliance for the 2012 elections as their right under Georgia Law and as their civic responsibility to defend the Constitution against a usurper.

Initially, Judge Malihi’s Order on Motion to Quash Subpoenas held out hope for the cause of justice affirming the Defendant failed to provide any legal authority to support his motion to quash the subpoena to attend:...

http://www.birtherreport.com/2015/06/complicity-candidate-removed-for.html

Figures.

[Extraneus]

Mexico's deportations of Central American migrants up 79 percent in first 4 months of 2015

Data from Mexico's National Immigration Institute say that 51,565 immigrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were deported between January and April, up from 28,736, during that period in 2014.

Well, last year they probably only deported those who didn't agree to quickly transit the country up to our border. Is that the case this year, too?

[Jane]

Ahhh so Obama lied about the data breach. Apparently it included every Federal employee, every retired employee and perhaps even every past employee.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Jane, my best tracking efforts place daddy at Teddy G's.

But I don't have an NCIS level of confidence in my methods.

[Extraneus]

Isn't it amazing that the SSNs of gov't employees weren't encrypted? How hard is that?

Hint: it's easy.

[Jane]

Seriously Hit? I'm calling.

[daddy on iPad]

Why Jane, I'm at the Cracker Barrel. It was a tough call between it and Wendy's but I figured the way I'm dressed, at Wendy's they might arrest me as a suspected convict on the run, so I choose the Cracker Barrell and waitress Flo just showed me how to find Sturbridge Hills road on my iPhone since Garmon couldn't d#%^ find it.

Howie's taking a ,top of the hour break, so I think if I step out now and drive 200 feet on Charleton Rd,then take a hard right turn on Hall Road I'll be close enough to holler "Kayrooo."

Is Flo correct?

[maryrose]

Jane
He lies about everything

[henry]

Ext, not if they use SSN as the primary key field (which I'm pretty sure they do).

[daddy on iPad]

(907)231-1422

[Jeff Dobbs]

I can't tell for sure, Jane. Might be Darkhorse?

[Jeff Dobbs]

Oh well - i wasn't tracking to a restaurant.

[Jane]

Get over here Daddy or I'll come get you - I have 2 beers sitting in the freezer for a 6:00 arrival. Go out the back way, go all the way down Hall turn right, - hell just call me

[Jane]

Hit you were about a mile off, but brilliant anyway. He must have taken the wrong exit to land there. The pub he should be at is within walking distance from my house.

[Beasts of England]

I don't remember this level of coordination for the Atlanta soirée, even though we were coming from two different states and hotels, and then meeting at a third hotel for dinner... ;)

[Jeff Dobbs]

I still tracked your every movement, though.

[Heteronormative Microagressive Ignatz]

Someone kidnapped Pelosi Galore and and substituted Stepford Nancy;

Pelosi said she thinks “there certainly is a relationship between climate and weather conditions — climate conditions in the world.”

“However, the reason we have a drought in California is because we don’t have enough rainfall and that’s a cyclical phenomenon,” she said.

Can't be on the up-n-up. What's her angle?

[Beasts of England]

I figured as much, Jeff - that's why Steph and I passed on the strip club tour. She was more upset than me. :)

[Extraneus]

I bet you're right, Henry. Isn't it typical to use a surrogate key these days? Or even the unique result of the encryption algorithm?

[Extraneus]

Walker talks up a Walker/Rubio ticket.

http://hotair.com/archives/2015/06/11/scott-walker-quite-a-few-people-have-suggested-a-walkerrubio-ticket-to-me/

[Beasts of England]

What time do we all start prank-calling daddy? :)

[Jeff Dobbs]

Text him some pics, Beasts. You know the ones.

[henry]

Ext, most commercial apps used it as a key until the Y2K thing, & fixed it then. Custom apps (all govt stuff) follow their own rules -- see ACA back end.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Ext:
Walker talks up a Walker/Rubio ticket.

Heh, I don't often go into HA comments - but this one was worth it (as people were discussing their favorite Prez and VP tickets, Perry came up)...

Last time around Perry couldn’t remember which federal agencies he wanted to eliminate. But I see this as a feature not a bug as he may eliminate a whole bunch just to be sure he got the ones he wanted.

VorDaj on June 11, 2015 at 6:25 PM

[Beasts of England]

You are a very naughty boy, Jeff.

[Heteronormative Microagressive Ignatz]

That HA comment is funny.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Alllllriiigggghhhhhht.

Poker night. Let's go try out that new keypad on the clubhouse door.

TCFAB!

[Neo]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hackers stole personnel data and Social Security numbers for every federal employee

If this were a Republican President, there would be calls for blood in the streets,

but with a Democratic Obama Administration … Hakuna Matata.

Methinks, I misunderstood the meaning of the “Most Transparent Administration in History”

[Heteronormative Microagressive Ignatz]

Paul Ryan inserts language limiting immigration and climate change leeway in TPP.

[Beasts of England]

Leaking the SSNs is pretty darned transparent, I guess.

[Jack is Back!]

Well, I am impressed. Carly was very frank, not a stumbling idiot and pretty good off the cuff. Presidential? I'd vote for her. She is still number 4 in my matrix behind Walker, Rubio, Cruz (yes) and Fiorina. But she is moving up.

[Extraneus]

How can Ryan and the Republicans have been so foolish as to end up with a "trust us and Obama" trade deal?

Wait. What am I saying?

[DrJ]

TK, from the old, dead thread:

I am looking for a Don Cheapo clamp on fluid flow meter.

Sorry, I have no experience with clamp-on flow meters. FWIW, these days a large diameter "pipe" for me is 250 micrometers (that's a quarter of a millimeter).

[Beasts of England]

Your Top 4 are the same as mine, JiB. Ronco could slice and dice all those permutations and combinations and I'd be happy with the resultant ticket.

[Jack is Back!]

TK,

None of them are El Cheapo but here is the eBay offereing. The ones we used back in the day were the price of a Mercedes.