EDITORIAL: Political war folly

Obama clearly believes that imitation is the highest form of praise. Obama would be the third Bush term and a continuation of the mistakes except for a ruinous tax policy. Obama would drive investment off shore and stifle growth with grandiose spending plans. IMAGINE another pointless economic stimulus plan for $50-80 billion dollars. The first one worked so well we need another.

There is a big difference between time horizons or foresight horizons and timetables. Foresight horizons are "how far ahead, and how much, the strategist thinks he can foresee". Time horizons deal with complexity and the uncertainty with regard to how far one can see. Timetables have nothing to do with complexity and uncertainty. They set specific dates for specific actions. Since Obama and the Congress felt the surge would fail, they cannot claim the surge for the prediction on their time tables, so one must wonder what actions would establish the dates on their timetables. Their only objective was to get out of Iraq before the election so they wouldn't have to deal with it and blame the failure on Bush. It didn't work and it won't work and Obama can't claim credit for it. Not wanting the war and not wanting to lose the war and voting against the war is just another one of those vulnerabilities in the type of leadership we will decide on in the next election. Bush knows about time horizons, General Petraeus knows about time horizons, John McCain knows about time horizons, Obama knows about timetables and the Congress knows about timetables.

So once more into ther breach....Anybody ant to let me know what WE win in Iraq? Anybody? Feel free to make me laugh again soxconn with stability in the Middle East. Just a point about Iraq. The VERY first thing the Iraqi Provisional Gov't did was ban economic assistance from Israel. The country was ruined, broke and in chaos but keep out the jews was their VERY first thought. Mull on that thought for a while and let me know if we really want anything to do with this country and how much of an ally they will be in the future.

Soxconn gives a good exposition on the difference between "horizons" and "timetables". The editorial page writers should take note. Overall the editorial itself was shallow and disappointing.

Of course there is a difference between a time horizon and a timetable for withdrawing our troops. Soxconn explained it very aptly. B.O. is just playing with words, changing the meaning of what he says as necessary. He isn't blowing smoke, folks, we are just too dumb to understand what he REALLY means... yep.

I swear I have read the quote in the article of Bush at Fort Bragg a number of times and I don't see where he "didn't want a surge". He remained consistent as he does to this day in insisting that commanders on the ground, i.e., the military will make troop level decisions. What we win is another democracy. We win as much as we have won in Bosnia. We won more than we ever did by bombing asprin factories or empty tents. We win a battle against al Qaeda. The only "convergence" here between Bush and Obama is the simple fact that once we win we can do whatever we want with our troops. Bush and Obama and McCain all want the troops out of harms way. Hopefully we all do. We can accomplish that by turning tail and running and then waiting for our pursors to catch up - the Obama plan, or by winning the battle prevailing militarily and politically - the Bush plan that McCain will maintain. Lucky for us Bush is Presdident when we need a win and not Obama.

So after like 800 billion - can u believe it - 800 BILLION dollars !!!!! What do we get out of Iraq ?? They hate us, our soldiers die every day, yet we r told that we saved them from Saddam Hussein. I guess w ecan leave after all the oil wells are in place and all the oil lines and tankers are in place and Bushie and company have all their money safely in the off shore bank accounts !!

Junglejim, you are repeating the same old democrat talking points we have heard from day 1. If we must discuss oil, maybe you should do some research and see what it would be like to live without any oil. Y'all seem to think oil and money are only important to republicans. Under B.O. we would all have a lot less of either, assuming, of course that you actually work for a living.

So what did we get for our $600 Billion so far? I know anyone who doesn't kneel down and kiss Bush's foot for the war in Iraq is a Democrat=communist America hater but just what do we get out of this war? Or is that also being a traitor to ask in the new so called conservative world?

"Or is that also being a traitor to ask in the new so called conservative world? " from kc Once the Congress and the President decided on war in Iraq it's not being a traitor to ask what we got out of it. But to be elected to the US Senate when we are at war and saying anything he can think of to undercut the moral of the troops and our countries war effort is traitorous. His behavior should lead a logical thought type person to wonder what type of irrational and anti-American actions he will perform next.

Couple of thoughts: Rogue American says "But to be elected to the US Senate when we are at war and saying anything he can think of to undercut the moral of the troops and our countries war effort is traitorous." And yet Chuck Hagel commented yesterday that "...each American has a right to question our policies in Iraq and should not be demonized for disagreeing with them" Please: enough with the careless half-brained overuse of the word 'traitorous' and all its derivatives. Try thinking and reading opinions from both sides of the aisle for once.

Your too late coach. These so called conservatives have so poisoned their political discourse they are not capable of anything else. They will attempt to smear Sen Obama endlessly. If they have to run on the last 8 years their total bankrupcy and incompetance will stand out clearly. You so called conservatives like Rogue disgust me no end. I can't wait for the Republicans to be crushed in the coming election so the Republican party I grew up with can re-emerge.

"You so called conservatives like Rogue disgust me no end" from kc. Good. And if you ever wake up and start thinking about why Obama the clown is unfit to be President, I won't hold your disgust against you.

"And yet Chuck Hagel commented yesterday that "...each American has a right to question our policies in Iraq and should not be demonized for disagreeing with them" from coach. Hagel is in the same boat with Obama the clown. It's one thing to debate on the floor of the Senate pro's and con's of the war. And I've never had a bad word to say about any member of the House or Senate who argued against the war or even voted against it while it was being debated. But any elected member who has tried to undercut our nations war effort after the decision was made to go to war, should be demonized for their words and actions. Hagel too. What they have done is anti-American.