Meanwhile, the chirping of crickets has been the Democratic response More like the clucking of chickens |
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Written By:
James E. Fish
URL:
http://faroutfishfiles.blogspot.com/
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??? Bush has been completely ignoring what scores of retired generals have been saying about Iraq for years now. In fact, he didn’t like what his generals in Iraq were telling him, so he demoted them and replaced them with Petraeus. But suddenly the Democrats must do what four generals say in some letter? Explain to me how that makes any sense.
Plus, as we all know, the president will soon receive a bill that contains all the funding he asked for (+ some language he doesn’t like). All he has to do is sign it. |
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Written By:
Anonymous Liberal
URL:
http://www.anonymousliberal.com
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Good grief, AL.
Who has been claiming that the generals should be listened too and it is Bush & company who aren’t doing that and should be?
Question: Should they follow their own advice?
My goodness .... |
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Written By:
McQ
URL:
http://www.qando.net/blog
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AL,
Not just any four generals (and most definitely not retired generals): the current Chiefs of Staff for each of the branches of military. Major difference there.
In addition, you undercut your own point when you mention "retired generals". Why should the President listen to retired generals (some with axes to grind) when he has scores of current generals fighting the battles now on whom to rely?
The reason for the appointment of Petraeus to Iraq had two major components:
1) Previous general not accomplishing enough satisfactorily to the President (i.e., fired for cause; Even Bush bashers would have to agree firing the top general in Iraq represents a change of course).
2) Petraeus is literally the author of our counterinsurgency doctrine.
I thought Dems wanted to end the culture of corruption. Why, then, does a wartime emergency spending bill have to be larded up with $21 billion (more than 20% more than the original amount requested for funding)in pork ("some language he doesn’t like")?
Are you ok with your taxes going up so $21 billion in funding that shouldn’t be spent gets added on to wartime supplemental bills? Really? |
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Written By:
A fine scotch
URL:
http://
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Why, then, does a wartime emergency spending bill have to be larded up with $21 billion BRIBES TO GET VOTES |
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Written By:
James E. Fish
URL:
http://faroutfishfiles.blogspot.com/
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Advice from retired Generals should be taken with a grain of salt because, Generals are always prepared to fight the last war. After the conflict starts wise nations replace their hide bound Generals with Colonels and Majors who have the flexibility to adapt to new situations. World War One was a good example of the failure to follow this course of action. The carnage on “The Fields of Flanders” was the result of the failure to replace leaders who had not adapted to the new reality of artillery and the machine gun. |
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Written By:
James E. Fish
URL:
http://faroutfishfiles.blogspot.com/
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Preserve us from retired generals, retired presidents, and other has-beens.
None of these seers ever says anything like, "You know, I really blew it when I let the Ayatollah go back to Iran." If they had even a modicum of humility or perspective, I might be inclined to listen to them.
The envy of small men is large indeed. |
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Written By:
MarkD
URL:
http://
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Petraeus is not an unknown commodity. He demonstrated results in the past with his tactical acumen. And, in addition, these tactics are variations on classic tactics for this type of warfare.
I have not heard of one "retired general" who has criticized his work, either in the field or in his written work.
Unanimity is exceedingly unusual in this era of extreme political unease between Republicans and Democrats. But unanimity is exactly what Petraeus (and, incidentally, GWB with his appointment) achieved in his Senate confirmation.
There is now only one real question: Does our Congress have the will to give Petraeus and his troops a fair chance in the field to test these tactics?
I hope and pray they do. But I wonder. |
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Written By:
vnjagvet
URL:
http://www.yargb.blogspot.com
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