The Morning Plum
* Pentagon leaks have left Obama feeling railroaded and have stiffened his resolve to take the time he needs to get Afghanistan right.
* He also wants to know how long a troop increase will take to get results, suggesting he may recognize that public patience is short or that he wants out.
* A good read: Obama’s tenure is shaping up as more Lyndon Johnson than JFK.
* George W. Bush takes new steps to ensure that he’ll keep having an impact on the world. And a former Bushie describes him, reassuringly, as engaged: “He responds to the news.”
* Shocker of the Day: Anonymous White House aides who have long wanted to lure Olympia Snowe with a “trigger” deal now leaking that they think the trigger is better on the merits.
* Special bonus Shocker of the Day: Republican governor currying favor with a crowd of Tea Partiers says Obama is leading the contry towards socialism, and everyone treats it as big news, even though that’s the official position of the RNC.
* For some reason, Senator Patrick Leahy imagines that Joe Lieberman may face discipline for blocking the majority party from bringing health care to a majority vote. Riiiight!
* Uh oh. Rahm Emanuel had a “frank” exchange with leaders of abortion rights groups who are opposing the health reform bill’s inclusion of the Stupak amendment. One imagines the meeting wasn’t really much fun, given what we know about Rahm’s tendency to be “frank” with the left.
* ICYMI: Media Matters, which was perhaps Lou Dobbs’ leading antagonist, issues a statement on his departure: “This is a happy day for all those who care about this nation of immigrants and believe in the power of media to elevate the political discourse.”
* And here’s the Understatement of the Day: “In many ways, Michele Bachmann is the ideal political creature of the Tea Party era.”
This blog’s homepage is here. RSS feed here. Twitter feed here. Email me here.
” Pentagon leaks have left Obama feeling railroaded and have stiffened his resolve to take the time he needs to get Afghanistan right.”
Well good – the leaks served a good purpose then. Somebody tell Joe Klein.
“Special bonus Shocker of the Day: Republican governor currying favor with a crowd of Tea Partiers says Obama is leading the contry towards socialism, and everyone treats it as big news, even though that’s the official position of the RNC.”
Yeah, Gov Goodhair is nuts.
Perry looked to me as Koko the Ape.
Why can’t Republicans just disagree? Why do they always have to make everything a struggle between freedom and tyranny? Glad to see you bringing this up Greg. It absolutely is the official position of the Republican Party.
Murdoch in Britain…
“Gordon Brown has “the most enormous personal regard” for media magnate Rupert Murdoch, Downing Street said today amid reports that the prime minister telephoned him directly to complain about the Sun’s criticism of his government’s handling of the war in Afghanistan.
The pair spoke on Tuesday at the height of a row over Brown’s misspelling of a dead soldier’s name in a handwritten letter of condolence to the victim’s grieving mother Jacqui Janes, published by the newspaper alongside her accusations of disrespect.
Rupert Murdoch insisted earlier this week that he regrets the way his papers have turned against Brown – but believes they are right to do so…” http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/nov/12/gordon-brown-rupert-murdoch-misspelling
These leaks from the Pentagon are insane. I’m surprised people have the nerve to go through with them. They could go do jail indefinitely for leaking sensitive information like that I would think.
“Why can’t Republicans just disagree? Why do they always have to make everything a struggle between freedom and tyranny?”
What else have they got?
NewCorp is a cancer to this planet. They are trying to influence the globe. They control media outlets in every major media market in the world.
Tomasky with a good piece on the Washington Times… http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky/video/2009/nov/12/washington-times-newspapers
Plus, Chris, that’s how they’ve gotten the crazies fired up for the mid terms and thus Greg was able to upset everyone yesterday with his post on the poll that showed that GOP voters are more enthusiastic about voting in the mid terms.
That’s why – they think it’s a matter of life and death for their idea of America.
I got a big laugh out of the the friend saying about George W. Bush: “he responds to the news”.
It reminds me of the old line about how some old very sick person is doing; “he is able to sit up and take nourishment”.
Sounds like there is some delusional hope that Bush’s brain might be able to get out of bed, some day.
I love this quote from the Wash. Post piece.
“With this decision, he’s really going to own this war, and he’s going to be sending young men and women to their deaths. ”
I am pretty sure the President would tell you he “owned” this war on 1/20/09. I know the reporter of the story did not say this but he included the silly quote.
The Right isn’t going away.
We either have to make sure we marginalize them totally or else bring them into the tent.
One or the other – they aren’t going away or getting any quieter.
““With this decision, he’s really going to own this war, and he’s going to be sending young men and women to their deaths. ””
I didn’t hear anything like this when Bush invaded Iraq for no damn reason but a pack of lies.
Frak the WaPo.
“Sounds like there is some delusional hope that Bush’s brain might be able to get out of bed, some day.”
That statement by his friend was in the category of “damning by faint praise.”
LOL!
@ Tena, understood, but it’s one thing to feel pushing your agenda is a matter of life and death, but, like you say, they have no agenda. They are actually running their campaigns, organizing their base and framing their discussions not around their policies or proposals but around the notion Obama is a socialist enemy of the state.
Enthusiastic they may be, but the official position of the Republican Party is indeed Obama is an enemy. Just imagine, like Greg points out this isn’t news, if the MSM actually reported it like it’s not news but actually the official stance of the GOP and then asked them to propose alternatives of their own. Freedom and tyranny aside, what would the Republicans do differently??
I think we agree on this Tena, I just wish Repubs were pushed back more on their behavior, which is appalling to say the least.
“hey are actually running their campaigns, organizing their base and framing their discussions not around their policies or proposals but around the notion Obama is a socialist enemy of the state.”
I totally agree. That’s it – right there. They have “organized” their batshit base on that idea alone.
Chris – you can run a political party on the idea of secession, but you can’t run it very far.
Either they come up with something other than “Obama is Hitler” or they will have about 3 million voters left in the country – max. That’s about the size of Rush’s audience.
I love those Pentagon leaks. It lets us know what they are really up to over there, and more importantly, it allows me to gauge how our President responds to such pressure. I think those high level war mongering leakers, are doing it to try and find new work for their Mercenary/Contractor associates, who are going to have to get off the Iraq gravy train, soon. I think that the request for more Troops in Afghanistan is more about taking care of the war profiteers, than anything else.
People need to keep reminding the public, that Bush/Cheney turned down the previous Commander in Afghanistan, when he urgently requested thirty thousand additional Troops, in May of 2008. General McKiernan asked fo 30,000 more Troops early in 2008, and without doing and without hesitation, Bush/Cheney said no. Keep that in front of the public, because the Republicans are attacking President Obama for not giving McChrystal everything he asked for, at once.
President Obama is evaluating the request. Bush/Cheney just said no to the same type of request, early in 2008
Liam – “, it allows me to gauge how our President responds to such pressure”
He doesn’t.
That’s one of the huge values of having a very confident president with a naturally calm approach to things.
Not sure if this got mentioned on an earlier day…suit filed by ex NY Post employee alleging abusive and sexualized work environment and this…
“She also claims the Obama cartoon was part of a concerted effort by the paper’s management to undermine America’s first black president. The lawsuit alleges that Charles Hurt, the Post’s Washington bureau chief, once told her that the goal was “to destroy Barack Obama. We don’t want him to succeed.”" http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/11/new-york-post-discrimination-lawsuit
@ Tena, totally agree. That’s why when the MSM acts like it’s big out of the ordinary news for Repubs to to behave like Perry did, they’re just wrong. Repubs have been behaving that way since Obama first ran for president. In fact, it’s not news when they say stupid stuff like Perry did, it’s their official platform. Greg is absolutely right on this. I wish he would push back more than he is.
” A good read: Obama’s tenure is shaping up as more Lyndon Johnson than JFK.”
Hey! Here’s a thought – his tenure is shaping up as more Obama than LBJ or FDR.
My Question Of The Day.
If God is all powerful, shouldn’t it be able to protect itself from being pushed of the edge of a coin, without the help of
Some Crazy Palin The Arse?
Yup Yup, You Betcha!!!
God works in mysterious ways, Liam.
Very damn mysterious.
LOL!
“Hey! Here’s a thought – his tenure is shaping up as more Obama than LBJ or FDR.”
Thank you Tena!!! For some reason our society always has to portray people as the next” ” whether it’s sports politics or whatever. Why is it so hard to believe that Obama might be unique. He certainly has a far different background than any of his predecessors.
rukidding – “Why is it so hard to believe that Obama might be unique. He certainly has a far different background than any of his predecessors.”
Well he also has a completely – I mean completely – different style than any other president I can recall.
The Orly Taitz-led grassroots protest against FOX and Bill O’Reilly swells to “perhaps 2 or even 3 million patriotic Americans”, estimates Sean Hannity… http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2009/11/11/taitz_fox/index.html
@Tena
“Well he also has a completely – I mean completely – different style than any other president I can recall.”
WORD!
Boy Orly Taitz is a hot tranny mess.
How did she get this far?
I believe Orly is simply milking her 15 minutes of fame…but are we all not getting tired of all the poseurs and fakers who are stretching that 15 minutes beyond what Warhol had in mind…Palin..Levi Johnson…Carrie Prejean…at least it appears Joe “the fake” Plumber has had his run.
Even though I may have a different desire in Afghanistan than what the President comes up with, this is what gives me the patience and the fortitude to support his decisions.
“But even those who disagree with the president’s policies will recognize him as a man who thinks through his decisions, reads his briefing papers and studies the lessons of history. Wednesday, before he left Arlington, Obama paused to read the most powerful texts imaginable, the names on grave markers. He stopped at the grave of Ross McGinnis, a Medal of Honor recipient. Born in Pennsylvania, McGinnis, 19, wound up in Iraq as a machine gunner, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment. An insurgent threw a hand grenade into his Humvee. He threw his body on it, absorbing the explosion. His four platoon mates survived.
Obama bent over McGinnis’s grave, but the traveling press pool could not tell what the president was doing, much less what he was thinking.”
“at least it appears Joe “the fake” Plumber has had his run.”
I think you’re right about Joe. Thank the gods and goddesses.
Orly,however, is a kind of standard crazy person who haunts courts. There’s a kind of crazy that people get where they almost have a fetish about courts and lawsuits.
The Court of Appeals in Dallas had its own pet crazy lady. Betty Minyard Stein filed one hand-written lawsuit and then appealed it to the Court of Appeals, after another. She finally won one appeal, which didn’t help the situation with trying to keep her out of the courthouse.
Orly is that kind of crazy – it’s more about the lawuits than it is about Obama. I’m really still surprised she’s gotten so much media coverage.
Ambassador Eikenberry is really raising red flags. It appears something has changed for the worse regarding Karzai, if that’s even possible.
“But Eikenberry’s last-minute interventions have highlighted the nagging undercurrent of the policy discussion: the U.S. dependence on a partnership with a Karzai government whose incompetence and corruption is a universal concern within the administration. After months of political upheaval, in the wake of widespread fraud during the August presidential election, Karzai was installed last week for a second five-year term.
In addition to placing the Karzai problem prominently on the table, the cables from Eikenberry, a retired three-star general who in 2006-2007 commanded U.S. troops in Afghanistan, have rankled his former colleagues in the Pentagon — as well as Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, defense officials said. McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, has stated that without the deployment of an additional tens of thousands of troops within the next year, the mission there “will likely result in failure.”
““But even those who disagree with the president’s policies will recognize him as a man who thinks through his decisions, reads his briefing papers and studies the lessons of history. Wednesday, before he left Arlington, Obama paused to read the most powerful texts imaginable, the names on grave markers.”
I honestly believe, Imsinca, that Obama cares about our individual men and women in the military in ways the preceding Administration did not and never would have. He’s cognizant of the real impact that this war has on our military and on the rest of country. He’s not the “deciderer” in that way – he doesn’t just do whatever the hell his gut tells him or his generals.
He’s in charge and he cares. That’s what matters to me.
Agreed Tena, I’ve noticed since his trip to Dover, he has really begun to internalize his decision, and that is a good thing for our troops.
On a side note, Hannity apologizes to Stewart and viewers for their little “inadvertant” mistake the other night.
“Now on his program last night he mentioned that we had played some incorrect video on this program last week while talking about the Republican health care rally on Capitol Hill. He was correct. We screwed up. We aired some video of a rally in September, along with the video from the actual event. It was an inadvertent mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. So Mr. Stewart, you were right. We apologize. But by the way, I wanna thank you and all your writers for watching.”
Dang, Greg, it’s like you wrote this before you had your morning coffee. Cranky, cranky.
Go Jon Stewart! When have we ever heard Hannity apologize for one of those “mistakes”?
@Tena & Imsinca…I agree with your observations about Obama’s thoughtfulness and his care about the actual individuals who have to make the sacrifices in foreign lands. I think perhaps he got this from his Maternal Grandfather…who had a large influence in raising him and was a WWII Vet and shared his experiences with a young Obama.
He’s also a very bright man and a student of history…anybody who doesn’t see the parallel between Afghanistan and Vietnam is simply not paying attention. On top of all of this Obama is reading Matthew Hoh’s apt description of the situation and now our Ambassador has pointed out how corrupt the Karzai government making partering with them a very dubious choice.
Does anybody besides me remember the corruption of the Diem regime in Vietnam and how poor JFK had to squirm as Buddhist Monks set themselves on fire in protest of that government.
Bring the troops home now! Unlike moronic bilgey suggests this is not about winning or losing…we are not on a conquest and this is not a freaking football game. Real live families are depending on the Pres to make the correct decison.
“Does anybody besides me remember the corruption of the Diem regime in Vietnam and how poor JFK had to squirm as Buddhist Monks set themselves on fire in protest of that government.
Bring the troops home now! Unlike moronic bilgey suggests this is not about winning or losing…we are not on a conquest and this is not a freaking football game. Real live families are depending on the Pres to make the correct decison.”
I do.
And I remarked to someone here a few weeks ago that I hope we don’t get stuck in Afghanistan propping up yet another illegitimate puppet government.
At least Obama is taking his time.
Tena said: “Go Jon Stewart! When have we ever heard Hannity apologize for one of those “mistakes”?”
In this case, having been busted so publicly and so obviously, he simply had to “apologize” – even while lying through his teeth with “inadvertent”. Media Matters gives just some of the prior instances… http://mediamatters.org/research/200911110019
And Krugman blogs on FOX Business following the FOX News model… http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/the-agony-of-fox-business/
Obama isn’t all hot to be a War President, like Commander CooCoo Bananas.
Tena:
“Bring the troops home now! Unlike moronic bilgey suggests this is not about winning or losing”
Why don’t you smoke a little more dope and see if you can come up with what it’s REALLY about, you nauseating moonbat nouveau-riche neo-hippie?
“Why don’t you smoke a little more dope and see if you can come up with what it’s REALLY about, you nauseating moonbat nouveau-riche neo-hippie?”
:p
First off, I”m a bonafide original hippie. I went to the Bay Area in 1969. I was at Altamont.
In the second place, I may be nouveau-riche, but Mr. Tena ain’t.
As for being a nauseating moonbat? I hope I make you projectile vomit without stopping.
@bilgey
“Why don’t you smoke a little more dope and see if you can come up with what it’s REALLY about, you nauseating moonbat nouveau-riche neo-hippie?”
This shows the intellectual level of your discourse bilgey…not a SINGLE FACT to support any of your bullcrap…just more ignorant name calling…which pretty much defines you..an ignorant name calling loser.
When you resort to simple ignorant name calling that is all we are left with to reply to your posts…again presents some FACTS along with you opinions and we’ll have something to discuss besides what an incredibly deranged loser you are…
“I honestly believe, Imsinca, that Obama cares about our individual men and women in the military in ways the preceding Administration did not and never would have. He’s cognizant of the real impact that this war has on our military and on the rest of country. He’s not the “deciderer” in that way – he doesn’t just do whatever the hell his gut tells him or his generals.”
Each day I think there is surely some low to which some of the folks here can’t sink, and yet each day as the sun rises you do just that.
You can’t just disagree with Bush’s decisions. He has to be stripped of humanity. There is no shred of evidence for your disgusting statement and mountains of it against.
I can’t imagine what a miserable person you are.
All, check this out, especially you, Tena:
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/republican-party/local-official-contradicts-rick-perrys-claim-that-obama-admin-is-dropping-illegals-in-texas/
“You can’t just disagree with Bush’s decisions. He has to be stripped of humanity. There is no shred of evidence for your disgusting statement and mountains of it against.”
That’s your opinion. In my opinion, and I’ve watched Bush a lot longer than you have – he is incapable of feeling empathy for another human being.
I saw it Greg.
What can I say?
You want to know what kind of person Bush is? When asked what he thought the woman he was about execute would say to him if she could, Bush pursed his lips and said: Please don’t kill me.
And then he laughed.
He’s a straight sociopath – no empathy.
Tena:
“First off, I”m a bonafide original hippie. I went to the Bay Area in 1969. I was at Altamont.”
Well groovy for you!
It does beggar the question of why you’re so personally worked up about subsidized on-demand abortion, I reckon you’re well past the stage of having to worry about that personally, right?
And if you have daughters, then maybe you can forgo your next haute-couture dress to pay for their procedure yourself, rather than taxing the paltry paycheck of the woman who works at 7-Eleven in order to make ends meet to fund it.
But all that’s neither here nor there…you still haven’t enlightened us as to what Afghanistan is REALLY about.
Or do you even know?
rukidding:
“When you resort to simple ignorant name calling that is all we are left with to reply to your posts…again presents some FACTS along with you opinions and we’ll have something to discuss besides what an incredibly deranged loser you are…”
…quack-quack-quack!…ignorant!
…quack-quack-quack!…deranged!
…quack-quack-quack!…ignorant!
…quack-quack-quack!…loser!
…quack-quack-quack!…ignorant!
I do so enjoy our converations here, rukidding. I can’t THINK of any other time that I would have the opportunity to speak to REMF Pogue moonbat moral eunuch loser.
Hey…you did osculate amk’s fundament yesterday while he was slagging General “MethCrystal”, (as he so imaginatively dubbed him).
I wouldn’t want you to have missed an opportunity to display your moonbat loyalty by supporting one of your betters while he was busy metaphorically shooting an American soldier in the back.
All the “Moonbats” are with the far right wingers.
The Washington Times is owned by the Cult Leader; Rev. Moon.
Tony Blankley used to run that Far Right Wing Rag for cult leader Moon, and Monica Crowley currently works for that same rag.
The Far Right Wingers are real “Moonbats”, literally!
“He’s a straight sociopath – no empathy.”
At least we’ve accomplished one thing, then, conclusively establishing that that there is no shred of credibility to anything that Tena says.
What an awesomely wise and mature group of moonbats Mr. Sargent has gathered here.
Bman,
You are seriously on a roll. I almost feel sorry for these bats.
Isn’t that sweet. Quarterbrain is sending mash notes to Bilgey, who lives permanently on a ship with three hundred other men. Yet, when SBJ asked for some support for his life style from those two, the shunned him, just like Larry Craig would have.
All the “Moonbats” are with the far right wingers.
The Washington Times is owned by the Cult Leader; Rev. Moon.
Tony Blankley used to run that Far Right Wing Rag for cult leader Moon, and Monica Crowley currently works for that same rag.
The Far Right Wingers are real “Moonbats”, literally!
All the “Moonbats” are with the far right wingers.
The Washington Times is owned by the Cult Leader; Rev. Moon.
Tony Blankley used to run that Far Right Wing Rag for cult leader Moon, and Monica Crowley currently works for that same rag.
The Far Right Wingers are real “Moonbats”, literally!
Take your antipsychotic medications again, Liar, you are rambling and repeating yourself again.
I should think that even though Greg doesn’t mind you polluting his blog with your ravings he would mind you cluttering up with the same cut and paste drivel over and over. But, to each his own.
@liam: “Yet, when SBJ asked for some support for his life style from those two, the shunned him.”
I don’t believe I’ve asked anyone at all to “support” my lifestyle. In fact, that’s precisely the type of stuff that I am opposed to! No one needs to support my lifestyle – I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks. It is absolute folly to try and force people to support a “lifestyle.” I’ve been asked why I don’t support gay marriage and one reason is because I think many gay people are trying to demand that their partnership be recognized as legitimate. I think that’s ridiculous – you can’t legislate someone else’s opinion about your relationship or lifestyle.
Please, Liam, don’t mention me when you’re trying to bash other conservatives. Of course we (conservatives here on The Plum Line) don’t agree on everything, but you are misrepresenting what happened in our conversation. You don’t appear to understand – to any extent whatsoever – my opinions.
SBJ,
You are a blatant liar. You recently tried to persuade QB to be more accepting of your lifestyle. You asked him if he knew of any gay couples, and when he told you no, you asked him if he would get to know some, that were in long term monogamous relationships, like you and your partner. You said that if he did, he might become more understanding or acceptable of gay couples. He replied that he did not have the slightest interested in getting to know any gay people.
You were trying to convince him to support you lifestyle, and he told you that he was not about to try and understand you.
So stop lying about not trying to get his support. You did.
You are such a liar, Liam! We were talking about morality – recall? I asked him to get to know a gay couple for perspective. I explicitly told him I was NOT looking for “acceptance” – I’m not even sure I know what that means. And he never wrote that he was not about to try and understand me.
Stop it you old ****
SBJ,
I have had to pull up your comments before, when you denied making them, just to prove what a liar you were. You were trying to get QB to accept your lifestyle, and he told you that he was not about to. Deal with it.
You said, today, that you and the other two Right Wing Wackos on this blog, just differ on somethings. We know what they are. You are gay, and the other two Right Wing Wackos consider you to be a Deviant Sub-Human. If they could have their say; you would be locked away.
That is the big difference that you are trying to gloss over. You are gay, and they are homophobes. Nice of you to try and dilute that big difference, just so you can keep on trying to get accepted by those Right Wing Wackos. Well you match the Wacko part all right. I suggest that you take a page out of Blazing Saddles, and take yourself hostage to convince them that you really agree with how they view gay people.
Liam – seriously.
Dude, you’re beginning to sound like Chuck Norris…
SBJ,
That is just another one of your tired old ploys to try and misdirect, after you have been exposed for the lying Right Wing sycophant which you are.
@Liam:
Brilliant!
*Sigh* I knew it was only a matter of time until Greg became a washington post hack.
Liam the Liar,
You are lying again. I recall sbj asking me why I consider him immoral, and explaining why that isn’t an accurate characerization. I don’t recall him ever asking me to accept his lifestyle — or anything else — in fact, I am pretty sure he said just the opposite.
See, the difference between me and you is that, unlike you, I don’t hate everyone who disagrees with me or who does something I don’t agree with, or treat them as “Deviant Sub-Humans.”
I can tell it frustrates you that you can’t get conservatives to take your hate bait.
Quarterbrain,
So you have changed your mind, and are now going to seek out some gay people and get to know them, and treat them as equals? Good to see that I have convinced you to stop being such a knee jerk hater.
See SBJ, I got QB to agree to something, that he turned you down on. Contact him, so you can put him in touch with a gay couple.
My work here is done. Pardon me while I don my Flight Suit.
Mission Accomplished!