Friday, June 25, 2010

Obama commands "no discord"?

I'm wondering if it's wise to have a General like Petraeus around and have the President say (from THIS article):

"I am going to be insisting on a unity of purpose on the part of all branches of the U.S. government," the president said. "Our team is going to be moving forward in synch."

Obama said he does not anticipate further firings beyond Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top war commander hired a year ago to turn around a war then sliding into quagmire. He was fired Wednesday for sniping at civilian war bosses in a magazine article. (Z: 'civilian war bosses'?)

"I'm paying very close attention," Obama said of his war council. "And I will be insisting on extraordinary performance moving forward." (Z: WHAT?)

That struck me as odd........Shouldn't Petraeus be suggesting things which might not be in Obama's expertise? Maybe being on the ground gives a clearer view than from the Ivory Tower? It gets scarier:

"When he gets on the ground, he will assess the situation for himself, and at some point he will make recommendations to the president," Defense Sec Robert Gates said. "At the end of the day, the president will decide whether changes are to be made in the strategy."

I hope that that UNITY doesn't mean OBAMA'S WAY OR THE HIGHWAY (like it does when he's displaying his understanding of what 'bipartisanship' means)...because I'm thinking that as little as I trust Sec Gates (less and less every day), I do trust Petraeus to carefully observe conditions on the ground, to know what's best, and make recommendations that might differ from how Obama feels......that might not be UNITY but it sounds like wisdom to me. We have a president who never served, never ran a company, and thinks wars can be won when you tell your enemy when you're giving up!

God Bless America and our soldiers............PLEASE. By the way, did anybody see Brent Bozell on TV Thursday evening showing video after video of leftist media types like Blitzer and Gregory, etc., call Obama's moves re McChrystal and Petraeus "Brilliant"? The next day, they were saying "He couldn't have done anything else...he really had no choice." Extremely brilliant.

Thanks to Brooke for the cartoon at the top........(if you can't read it, click on it to enlarge!)

z

17 comments:

The Born Again American said...

If the Communist-N-Chief wants unity, tell the jerk to loosen the rules of engagement... I know our U.S. soldiers could defeat these barbarians with one hand tied behind their back, but both hands and blindfolded makes it a little difficult... It's called
"collateral damage" and if I'm going to hell for saying this, so be it... There is not one of those people over there that's life is worth that of one American soldier... Oops, call it late term abortion, I thought Obama was all for that...

Right Wing Extreme said...

TBAA,
roflmao

The Born Again American said...

GeeeeeZ,
It looks like Petraeus reads your blog, I just saw on Drudge that he's going to loosen the R.O.E.

Ducky's here said...

All he's doing is abandoning the "team of rivals" idea that the intelligentsia like George Will and The Krautzenjammer Kid were talking up as a positive.

Seems the pundit class is as big a load of dilettantes as Obama.

Ducky's here said...

Leftist types like Blitzer the Mossad asset?

Come on, z, knock on the door once in a while.

Z said...

Blitzer is one of the biggest pro Palestinian on CNN...and that REALLY goes some, Ducky.
I know you don't watch FOX, but you don't watch CNN, either?
ONLY moveon and KOS?? :-)

As for "team of rivals", please read my post again. One doesn't need rivalry to define NEW IDEAS, nudges in a differing direction that your Dem president with no experience favors.

Born Again, "late term abortion"...sublime. (WHERE IS BEAMISH!!? HE"D LOVE THAT!)
Hey, I'd love to think Petraeus reads my little blog !! HAA!!
Wait..."Loosen the R.O.E. in ...OUR FAVOR, or........" (smile) NO MORE MIRANDAS? I HOPE!
Maybe we'll even say "Hey, we've decided we're NOT going to let our enemy know when we're leaving!"

LIBERALS OF AMERICA..THINK: What part of telling our enemies do you think is a good idea?

Mustang, our brilliant Marine buddy blogger, suggested that maybe Obama ought to meet with Gold Star Mothers and have them explain why giving a date of departure might SUCK? (oops..pardon me, but.............)

Anonymous said...

I think Petraeus had to have told Obama he would have to change the ROE in order to take this command, and have this news about the ROE come out this morning.

Obama really didn't have a politically sound alternative did he? Just wondering if the Petreous acceptance could have been conditional based on how much authority he would have to make this kind of decision.

Thank God this ROE change seems likely.

Obama can say anything he wants. He needs success in Afghanistan, and couldn't afford to be in the position of having a lesser appointee to this command.


Pris

Z said...

from HERE: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/25/petraeus-modify-afghanistan-rules-engagement-source-says/

A military source close to Gen. David Petraeus told Fox News that one of the first things the general will do when he takes over in Afghanistan is to modify the rules of engagement to make it easier for U.S. troops to engage in combat with the enemy, though a Petraeus spokesman pushed back on the claim.

Troops on the ground and some military commanders have said the strict rules -- aimed at preventing civilian casualties -- have effectively forced the troops to fight with one hand tied behind their backs.

The military source who has talked with Petraeus said the general will make those changes. Other sources were not so sure, but said they wouldn't be surprised to see that happen once Petraeus takes command.

Petraeus spokesman Col. Erik Gunhus disputed the claim Friday, telling Fox News it's too soon to tell whether Petraeus would change the current rules. But he said it is one of many issues he'll take under consideration during his assessment after he's confirmed and after he takes over command in Afghanistan.

Z: they can't CONFIRM that we're going to be releasing BOTH our soldiers' hands to FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES? Oh, darn. (WHAT???)

Anonymous said...

Z, it seems like, re the ROE, the prevailing wisdom is our troops can't be expected to fight this war with one hand tied behind their backs. Gee, ya think?

So, I believe this change is comprised of loosening the constraints which our troops are now fighting under. At least this is how it's being reported on Fox.

Pris

Anonymous said...

Sorry Z, I was typing when you posted your comment.

What, so now the Petreous command is backtracking on this? Good grief, the news isn't even day to day now, it's hour to hour!

Pris

Z said...

Pris, just shows we're of the same mind so often!
If the ROE change isn't true, I believe we need to LEAVE TOMORROW.

Anonymous said...

Hey, Quack-quack, Dr. Charles Krauthammer has more brains in one hair on his head than you have in that vacant skull of yours.

Silvrlady

Anonymous said...

Z, I hope this change is true, we can't have our troops fighting from a defensive posture.

It's costing American lives unnecessarily, and that's so wrong, and even surreal when we think about it. It's unthinkable.

Pris

Always On Watch said...

I hope that that UNITY doesn't mean OBAMA'S WAY OR THE HIGHWAY (like it does when he's displaying his understanding of what 'bipartisanship' means)

I think that we all know what BHO's idea of unity is. He's the "big boss" and wants everybody to know it, too -- never mind that he has no expertise in military matters.

Chuck said...

I think there is another reason why hiring Petraeus may not have been a smart move for Hussein, there has been rumors that he may want to run for President. Obama may have just given him a great stage to perform from...

Z said...

really, Chuck? Petraeus sounds rather shy to me, but you could be right...he seems like a really fine man to me. I'll be HE didn't vote for O, like McChrystal says he did (I've always wondered if that's true!)
xx

MathewK said...

"And I will be insisting on extraordinary performance moving forward."

Off course, that's zero the liberal for you, brilliance will materialize because he simply said so.

And isn't that why liberal morons voted for him, because he was the lord and messiah, why? Well, just because.

Isn't that so ducky boy, i know you've revealed the inner racist and turned against him now, but i'm sure you voted for him with the fervor of a school girl at her first rock concert, legs tingling and all that.