In this election cycle, many have compared Obama's relative lack of experience to John McCain's long service in the military and in the U.S. Senate. We don't believe there has been any President since George Washington that has been fully ready for what awaits them when they step into the Oval Office. It's true that from an experience standpoint Obama is probably more equipped to fight an insurgence from Wisconsin than a war against terror but our opinion was formed more by his ever shifting foreign policy statements than by his experience in government.
Yesterday, we watched The One Named O deliver what was billed as a "major foreign policy speech" (read the full text here). While peppered with focus group bullet points like "misled us into a misguided war," "fight a war that hasn't made us safer," and our favorite "redeploy our troops," Obama's Iraq new strategy sounds curiously familiar saying that he will "consult with commanders on the ground" regarding troop levels in Iraq. In fact, it sounds an awful lot like a strategy proposed and implemented over a year ago.
"Troop levels will be decided by our commanders on the ground, not by political figures in Washington, D.C."Obama's new strategy for Iraq even embraces the surge and its tactics.
It has been 18 months since President Bush announced the surge. As I have said many times, our troops have performed brilliantly in lowering the level of violence. General Petraeus has used new tactics to protect the Iraqi population. We have talked directly to Sunni tribes that used to be hostile to America, and supported their fight against al-Qaida. Shiite militias have generally respected a cease-fire. Those are the facts, and all Americans welcome them.
All of this has got to be driving the DailyKooks and the MoveOn.Ogres absolutely mad. Not only does Obama acknowledge the hated surge, he complements General Petraeus on his new tactics. If you'll remember, just last year the MoveOn.Ogres were branding the creator of the surge a traitor in a New York times full page ad (view it here).
Why the change? Well, interestingly enough Obama seems to have taken the advice of the same magazine that published his least favorite political "satire" - The New Yorker. In a July 7th article (read it here) the New Yorker's George Packer opined that Obama's 16 month withdrawal plan wouldn't fly in the face of the reality of today's Iraq and wondered whether he would "publicly change course" - Tuesday Obama did.To make matters worse for the lunatic fringe, Obama proposes his own surge into Afghanistan and perhaps even Pakistan.
Look, we're not against a troop surge in Afghanistan if the "commanders on the ground" deem it necessary. It's important that the United States win any military conflict we are engaged in. The threat of military force must remain credible and overwhelming. Therefore, anything less than victory is unacceptable in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Obama seems to be advocating invading a sovereign nation (Pakistan) that is cooperating with us (at least on some levels) while relying on hot air alone to constrain the very real threat of a nuclear Iran that has a track record of non-cooperation and belligerence towards the west. We don't believe for a second that The One Named O would authorize a strike into Pakistan under just about any circumstances and we'd bet you that the rest of the world and especially terrorists like Bin Laden don't believe it either. By the way, someone should remind Obama that Pakistan already has nuclear weapons, Iran probably does not - at least for now.
Foreign policy is not based entirely upon the events in Iraq, Iran or Afghanistan. Obama brought up the U.S. dependence on foreign oil. He's right - our dependence on foreign sources of energy is a national security issue. However, you can't take anyone seriously when their solution to our foreign oil dependence doesn't include domestic drilling. Like it or not our country runs on oil and other carbon based fuels and no amount of money will change that fact over night. NIMBYs, environmental groups, and their allies in Congress are directly responsible for our country's foreign energy dependence though drilling and refining restrictions, and the costs and red tape associated with building nuclear power plants. Domestic oil production has to be part of the solution.
Worst of all, Obama cites as his most pressing national security threat "the long-term threat from climate change." It's hard to believe that a seemingly rational man would make changing the weather his top national security priority. Climate change may be a political reality, but its causal relationship to man's use of carbon based fuels is disputed at the very least. Moreover, it's science based on consensus not empirical evidence and can only be considered theory.
The fact is, there are people in this world who want to hurt Americans simply because we are the most successful nation in the world. You can't buy them off and you can't talk them to death. They have but one objective, the annihilation of innocent life in a free society - ours. That's not theory or a political reality, it's is and nearly always has been a proven fact of our existence.
We cannot afford another war fought in the fog of politics from the White House. We cannot afford a President whose foreign policy shifts with the winds of political expediency. And we simply can't afford a President whose top national security threat is a concept based on theoretical science and political coercion. In short, we cannot afford Barrack Hussein Obama II - he is unfit for command.
-----Post Script-----
Yeah, we know that this is site is called EyeOnAlbuquerque. We get it. However, we've got enough problems around here without having to deal with national debacles. So, until we're safe from national politics here in EyeLand, we'll be talking about national and state issues that affect us as well.
21 comments:
So you think we can afford another bumbling republican retread with a rah-rah mentality and an angry "us against the world" stuck-in-the-new-cold-war mindset?
You guys had your big chance with Junior. How's that working for ya?
We can't afford J. Sidney...or much of anything, thanks to your boy.
I'll take the guy that plans to be alive for another 40 years, thanks.
President Bush.
Barack Hussein Obama.
Does Senator Obama not deserve to be addressed using his elected title just as President Bush is? Or are you just one of those extreme right wingers brimming with paranoia who must emphasize the name Hussein to instill fear in others? This act is getting old.
We are needing someone in the Whitehouse who respects, and upholds the U.S. constitution. George W. Bush has proved that he doesn't know how to read. Also, Bush & his administration have really screwed things up for the United States. I'm leaning more towards Obama. we need fresh blood, and a real leader for this country! McCain appears to be all "words". He seems convinced that "all is well" to be at war in Iraq (I couldn't disagree more). He will continue the flawed policies that we currently have, and had to live with too long!
It seems that some think we need a General in the Whitehouse (I don't). Neither Bush, McCain, or Obama meet that requirement anyway. It would be nice if Bush or McCain were able to listen to the people instead of feeling we should inquire what the field commanders think first (they are not leader material). We now have a military (police) state mentality rather than having a military to protect us. Obama's my man!
Hussein is his middle name, but we arent supposed to use it.
He lived predominately with his White relatives and attended exclusive schools in , among other places Hawaii, yet we are only to see him as poor,struggling and Black.
He pontificates at length about change, but we aren't supposed to ask "to what end?"
We arent supposed to pay attention to things like this weeks change on his web page where they scrubbed all the anti-troop surge verbiage that had been up there for weeks.
Senator Obama gives great speeches, but I'll take the guy who has experience any day of the week.
Take away his script, his adoring sycophants, and the liberal media and Senator Obama is a contrived phenomena.
I am with Joe, Obama is not the real deal, just a good actor. He won't even wear an American Flag pin. He barely became a senator, and already wants a presidency????? He is power hungry and not taking the steps to become a quality leader. This is the bite that he will choke on. I am not necessarily a McCain supporter, but I have to vote for the lesser of two evils. I have yet to meet a military person that comes back and says we need to pull out now. They all say that they are accomplishing a lot of good things, and that it will just take time. It's embarassing to see so many Americans wanting to cut and run. Then again, they are also the ones that want to elect a Barrack Hussein Obama to presidency. If you think things are bad now, it could get a lot worse.
In his latest commercial, Obama cites a nuclear device falling into terrorists' hands as the most pressing national security threat facing the country.
Bush can't correctly pronounce the word "nuclear."
Eye, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but you really offer nothing to support your argument "unfit for command."
As Presidents go, I'd argue that you really don't know what you've got 'till they're already in the Oval Office.
Intelligence, the ability to listen, change and adapt, to surround one's self with people who are truthful and capable...these are the type of qualities I'm looking for. Honestly, I think both candidates possess these and either is fit for command.
It's the current buffoon I'm not crazy about because I've seen none of the above qualities in him.
But to tell the truth, trotting out worn-out partisan bs is getting pretty old. Many folks are waking up to the fact that the problems this country faces won't allow the luxury of the type of petty political tactics we've wallowed in for the last 20-30 years.
Rove works for FOX now, get used to it...move on.
"I am with Joe..."
"He won't even wear an American Flag pin."
"It's embarassing to see so many Americans wanting to cut and run."
You and Joe deserve each other, I hope you're very happy together. Please don't breed.
If you think things are bad now, it could get a lot worse..........
I agree, just wait until John McCain gets in there.............
... but then .... it could get better ......... of coarse, only if you wear a flag pin .... then you are truly a patriot
mccain called religious nuts like pat robertson "agents of intolerance". and now he panders to them. he voted against the bush tax cuts two times. and now he supports them,,,, all politicians flip-flop.
-- those of us with college degrees vote for democrats far more than we vote republican. the more knowledge one attains, the more likely one is going to vote for a democrat.
I think its pretty hilarious that The Eye takes the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth at face value when its pretty clear that they were the biggest fraud in the history of American politics (aside from possibly the man they helped get re-elected in 2004.) John Kerry was awarded a Silver Star and three Purple Hearts in Vietnam while Bush was AWOL from the national guard duty his daddy got for him and we were to believe that it was Kerry, not Bush, who was unfit for command?
Kerry betrayed US soldiers by actively trying to get them out of a pointless war that the US Govt never had the political will to actually try to win? What kind of idiot believes this kind of bullshit?
Additionally, I know that right wing Limbaugh zealots like the Eye were monomaniacally focused on Hillary Clinton during the primaries but Obama has supported an increased focus on Afghanistan & Al Qaeda (you know, the group that actually attacked the US, unlike Iraq who was completely contained before Bush decided to blow it up and claim it was part of the "war on terror") from day one. In fact, Obama is saying that he agrees with Petraeus and Admiral Mullen (chairman of the joint chiefs) because they're now agreeing with the position he's held all along: that the US should withdraw from Iraq and finish what we started in Afghanistan.
Finally, it takes a truly deluded mind to imagine that global warming isn't caused my man at this point. The *vast* majority of climate scientists in the world believe it to be so and if you look at the much ballyhooed petition of non-believing "scientists" you will quickly see that most of them only have a bachelors degree in a non-related field such as Botany.
What other theories do you doubt? You realize that in scientific terms the only thing more solid than a Theory is a Law right? You realize that gravity is still a theory right? Evolution? Quantum Mechanics? Relativity? Aerodynamics?
Taking the war to Pakistan is perhaps the most foolish thing America can do. Pakistan has 160 million Arabs and a nuclear arsenol. Pakistan also has the support of China. The last thing the United States should do at this point and time is to violate yet another state’s sovereignty.
"Take away his script, his adoring sycophants, and the liberal media an [President Reagan] is a contrived phenomena."
Yeah and BTW we are far from the most successful nation. The greatest, sure, be we got a long way to go to be called the most successful.
Can this be true? I have never read his books but thought I would post to see if the following information is correct. If true, I am concerned as you should be too, not becuase of the race issue but because of the underlying ideology vs what he is telling the american public. If true why would he make money on promoting race hatred and not prescribe to one of tolerance and acceptance of all colors as equals??
The following I was told are a few lines from Obama's books; In his words!
From Dreams of My Father: 'I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.'
From Dreams of My Father : 'I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race.'
From Dreams of My Father: 'There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.'
From Dreams of My Father: 'It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names.'
From Dreams of My Father: 'I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself , the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'
From Audacity of Hope: 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'
If anyone has read the above books please correct me if the above is incorrect. Thank you
Maybe we should all do a write in campaign for Mayor Chavez. That probably won't work once word get's out that he fires his young male associates after he has a torrid affair with them. The Isotopes are having a tough year so maybe Marty should go play for them since he swings both ways.
Thanks for posting this and well said.
So let's have some equal airtime....we've had the stupid morph of "Obamination" now it's time for "McPain"....
Why is everyone drinking the Obama
kool-aid????
Step away from it a minute and THINK!!! What is his experience, what is his voting record and most of all read between the lines of his glorious speeches....
Even if you determine that he is not a muslim you HAVE to conclude that what actually is, is a TAX & SPEND LIBERAL....
Tax and Spend Liberal=Rape and Pillage Conservative.
If Obama gets in the White House he'll be on his hands and knees praying for foregiveness from the people and countries around the world who don't Like, don't Care and Hate us! He'll be wanting to talk with the Taliban, Al Quida, the NK's and that nut case down South of us, Hugo Chavez etc . . . and He'll be crying a river on national TV and we're suppose to sit back and except it . . . Hell No! We'll have Amnesty for all illegals and our taxes will go up even more and our Borders will still be open!
We are the Land of the Free because of the Brave!!! That's what made our Country Great! Not falling to the Left. Taxes will go up and the rich will take it in the shorts even more; the so called rich already pay close to 80% of the taxes already (Fact) We need to cut spending in Congress first! Pork Barrel projects and spending in general.
He will lead the charge on NO oil exploration, oil drilling and research and oil will will soar over $250.00 a barrel and $7-8.50 a gallon!!! I agree, drilling isn't going get us out of this problem, but it should be part of the solution. We have close to 250-300 years worth of our own energy (Oil Shale, Oil, Coal) and we import it from someplace else and fall to the wimms of others! That's crazy. We should be building enrgy plants and oil processing plants on the East and West Coasts and also pipelines; dodn't give me this BS about ruining the environment crap, That's a big pile of Horse Crap! Like the Alaska Pipeline??? The Reindeer and other animals love the thing and it has a slight impact on the area!!! We should be doing a lot of research and using our own energy (Oil, Oil Shale, Coal until we can get the R & D of these project on line! Getting a oil refinery up in 2-4 years, Oil drilling to produce oil 3-5 years, BS. We can have a working refinery up and running in a year and a half and oil flowing in that time also. We can do it because we're the US of A!!! We lead and others follow!!! It's time for a lot of you Environmentalist Whackos and Far Left Liberal Slidders to sit down in your corner and Color . . . Use the BIG FAT Crayons and stay in the lines! lolol
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