The U.S. has hit rock bottom when the Italians are giving combat and reconstruction advice.
“Italian Defense Minister Ignacio La Russa raised expectations that Italy may send another 1,000 soldiers to Afghanistan, according to a report in Corriere della Sera.
Asked if Italy would send 1,500 more soldiers to Afghanistan, La Russa told the paper: “I can say that it is a hypothesis, a maximum figure which we are not going to attain.”
But asked if the “reinforcements will total 1,000 troops,” La Russa replied: “Let’s say yes.”
La Russa also told the paper that more important than the number and breakdown of troops is “the new strategy.”
“ ’Til now, the Americans thought that areas had to be made safe before starting reconstruction,” he said. “Now, they’ve come round to the view that both operations should be carried out in parallel. Which is what the Italians have always done, delivering security and benefits at the same time. We agree with the plan and the American attitude has changed. We are no longer mere agents; we are co-participants in a joint operation.”
We hope Franken keeps coming up with ideas/votes like this – In a way. he is copying the cheapo Grover-esque BS of coming up with bogus things to vote on.
Cheney’s status a draft dodger and chickenhawk par excellance is highly symbolic. It explains so much. The losers who rally to him are nearly all a needy lot.
Tweety elevates Cheney as tough because he was a bigger draft dodger than Tweety was – so by an indirect transitive , Cheney helps Tweety’s self esteeem.
Tweety yesterday was surreal. The ‘enemy camp’ and ‘troll’ then then his fixation on Cheney as ‘tough’ and whether anyone was man enough to take him on. Cheney still remains Tweety’s self esteem yardstick – a fellow draft dodger who managed to become the Right’s symbol of manliness. Why MSNBC gives Tweety a tv show to act out his insecurities on air and force an audience (albeit small) to be his free encounter group escapes me. Yesterday was on par with this HRC meltdowns. It’s no longer entertainment and is just plain creepy.
Susan Rice’s rote recitals about this whole policy have the same blank vacuity as Cher Condi’s. She doesn’t have the chirpy Up With People smile down so more media training is warranted. Hang in there Obama Administration. She can get there with just a little more ‘handling.’
Neither McChrystal/Patraeus have a chance at a national election unless they were vps. Ws Clark and others were far better candidates and they were still bad. Powell had a shot, but he would have failed had he gone for it. Different skills. Patraeus has a poor stump speaking style and McCRystal is a very bad speaker and has a lot to answer for when he lied to Congress about Tillman.
re Obama – bad policy and we were saddend by the speech and only took heart that it did not make sense so that means Obama may have some ulterior unstated plan to pursue once he has the politics figured out.
Dr Leo Strauss says
The U.S. has hit rock bottom when the Italians are giving combat and reconstruction advice.
“Italian Defense Minister Ignacio La Russa raised expectations that Italy may send another 1,000 soldiers to Afghanistan, according to a report in Corriere della Sera.
Asked if Italy would send 1,500 more soldiers to Afghanistan, La Russa told the paper: “I can say that it is a hypothesis, a maximum figure which we are not going to attain.”
But asked if the “reinforcements will total 1,000 troops,” La Russa replied: “Let’s say yes.”
La Russa also told the paper that more important than the number and breakdown of troops is “the new strategy.”
“ ’Til now, the Americans thought that areas had to be made safe before starting reconstruction,” he said. “Now, they’ve come round to the view that both operations should be carried out in parallel. Which is what the Italians have always done, delivering security and benefits at the same time. We agree with the plan and the American attitude has changed. We are no longer mere agents; we are co-participants in a joint operation.”
http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1209/lets_say_yes_21fc7f08-dd0b-4851-8c5f-a54fbb7c6eb1.html
Comment says
We hope Franken keeps coming up with ideas/votes like this – In a way. he is copying the cheapo Grover-esque BS of coming up with bogus things to vote on.
Comment says
Like we said before we think Franken was overrated as a comic, but we bow our heads in praise for his excellence at provoking GOP stupidity:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/senate-gopers-its-al-frankens-fault-were-being-attacked-for-votes-against-anti-rape-amendment.php?ref=mp
Comment says
We would not be surprised if kessler hyped threats to get media attention – as he did with bogus controversy w/ Bush gals:
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/secret-service-director-threats-against-obama-not-up.php?ref=fpa
Comment says
We just were pretty amazed at how expensive Roquefort cheese was – even at the supermarket. Like most things, it’s Bush’s fault:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/28/AR2009012804071.html
WW says
‘Joy and pain is like sunshine and rain.’
Comment says
Charles Johnson often encouraged readers to examine what it means to be an American or a murikun:
http://www.thesmartset.com/article/article12020901.aspx
Comment says
Maureen Dowd makes some good but banal points in this column – But she “projects” herself so much – She probably wrote this in Jackie’s sitting room.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/opinion/02dowd.html?em
Comment says
Do you recall Lieberman taking a dive in his debate with Cheney ?- The smoke of Diablo wafted thru the TV studio that night.
Comment says
Cheney’s status a draft dodger and chickenhawk par excellance is highly symbolic. It explains so much. The losers who rally to him are nearly all a needy lot.
Comment says
Tweety elevates Cheney as tough because he was a bigger draft dodger than Tweety was – so by an indirect transitive , Cheney helps Tweety’s self esteeem.
Btw – Pat Buchanan – It would be interesting to see him in the middle of this debate – to see him square his current russophile thinking with his nazi apologetics:
http://thefastertimes.com/russia/2009/09/06/the-war-for-europes-memory/
Dr Leo Strauss says
Tweety yesterday was surreal. The ‘enemy camp’ and ‘troll’ then then his fixation on Cheney as ‘tough’ and whether anyone was man enough to take him on. Cheney still remains Tweety’s self esteem yardstick – a fellow draft dodger who managed to become the Right’s symbol of manliness. Why MSNBC gives Tweety a tv show to act out his insecurities on air and force an audience (albeit small) to be his free encounter group escapes me. Yesterday was on par with this HRC meltdowns. It’s no longer entertainment and is just plain creepy.
Comment says
A chicknhawk says sorry;
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200912020032
Dr Leo Strauss says
Susan Rice’s rote recitals about this whole policy have the same blank vacuity as Cher Condi’s. She doesn’t have the chirpy Up With People smile down so more media training is warranted. Hang in there Obama Administration. She can get there with just a little more ‘handling.’
Comment says
Neither McChrystal/Patraeus have a chance at a national election unless they were vps. Ws Clark and others were far better candidates and they were still bad. Powell had a shot, but he would have failed had he gone for it. Different skills. Patraeus has a poor stump speaking style and McCRystal is a very bad speaker and has a lot to answer for when he lied to Congress about Tillman.
re Obama – bad policy and we were saddend by the speech and only took heart that it did not make sense so that means Obama may have some ulterior unstated plan to pursue once he has the politics figured out.
srv says
Options:
A) Magical COIN strategy implemented in 18 months.
B) Obama has taken the hook, McChrystal returns in a year and asks for 60000 more troops:
1) Obama says yes after another period of “dither”
http://www.thedemocraticstrategist.org/ac/2009/10/military_strategy_for_democrat.php
2) Obama says no, massive drama, Petraeus resigns and begins march to electoral coup
C) McChrystal has been bought off and everyone is just going through the motions at the expense of a few hundred souls.
None of these options reflects well on Obama.