Obama-rama-ding-dong-a-lama

[Peace Bitch]

the problem with Obama's speech wasn't the sentiment or what he said...it's that he was nonspecific and didn't outline any action plan. I love Rachel Maddow's response!

[Bee]

Is there a clear reason why the National Guard hasn't been there since day one? Or even MONTH one? I just don't understand why this country has all these resources and there's still fuck-all being done. I mean, find a fucking way, right? They truly can't say that everything is being done that could be done. It's like our defense budget should be called our offense budget, since a ton of it is being spent occupying countries with no standing armies! Obama is going to be hanged on this oil spill. There is no way I see him being re-elected.

[pancakefrompele]

One of my friends recently posted a very poignant opinion of America concerning the BP oil spill. He was referencing disaster movies, such as Independence Day and Armageddon, in which the government creates this awesome machine, device, etc. and eventually saves the planet from ultimate destruction. However, he asserted, if the U.S. can't plug a freakin' oil leak, I don't have much faith that it could actually be successful in avoiding a worldwide disaster like an asteroid. In reality America would simply send a nuclear bomb filled with hair into space to knock an asteroid off course. Talk about brilliant ideas.

[Peter]

So, apparently General McChrystal might resign over his Rolling Stone article. Interesting.

[Damien]

One of my friends recently posted a very poignant opinion of America concerning the BP oil spill. He was referencing disaster movies, such as Independence Day and Armageddon, in which the government creates this awesome machine, device, etc. and eventually saves the planet from ultimate destruction. However, he asserted, if the U.S. can't plug a freakin' oil leak, I don't have much faith that it could actually be successful in avoiding a worldwide disaster like an asteroid. In reality America would simply send a nuclear bomb filled with hair into space to knock an asteroid off course. Talk about brilliant ideas.

Funny video!

[Barbarella]

So, apparently General McChrystal might resign over his Rolling Stone article. Interesting.

I hope he doesn't resign, I hope Obama fires his ass!* What an idiotic thing to do.

*not really, I know it's better that he resigns, I'd just like to see some balls out of this admin.

[secretsekertary]

This whole thing is so strange. The generals have been sort of pouty bitches since the end of GW Bush administration, saying things off the cuff. It's really unprecedented, and repeated!

[Steve SFM]

I hope he doesn't resign, I hope Obama fires his ass!* What an idiotic thing to do.

*not really, I know it's better that he resigns, I'd just like to see some balls out of this admin.

The protocol for something like this is that the general offers his resignation and then the president accepts or rejects the resignation.

But anyway, I love how the wingnuts are praising McChrystal who, you know, committed an offense that made him subject to court-martial. Guess all that military honor stuff goes out the window when the president has too much melanin.

[SMMY]

this is how I fantasize about how tomorrow's meeting between them goes

[ontheindianside]

I'm not usually the kind of person who would defend McChrystal, but I get the sense that the outrage is over his criticisms of Obama and other administration officials, as well as other things he said that don't have anything to do with how he's handling the war. Have the guy resign because he's not doing a good job or because he's committed atrocities (which he has, obviously), but don't do it because he criticized people with power. Free speech aside, everybody makes fun of Biden.

[eresos]

but my concern is that is shows major laps in judgement and character and if he is willing to speak as he did then what other mistakes is he indeed making.

[Peter]

I was listening to NPR's Morning Edition while driving in to work today, and there were a couple people from the Center for a New American Security on the air, both disagreeing and both making good points. One guy said, more or less, that we can't lose sight of the fact that the President is the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, and that this is insubordination. McChrystal should, therefore, be let go, if only out of respect for the chain of command. The other guy said that it's not quite so clear: do you let McChrystal go in light of his comments and risk having to rebuild relationships with everybody in Afghanistan?

My thinking on the matter is that while I support the General's ability to speak his mind, he clearly needed to do so directly to the President, not to Rolling Stone. Furthermore, it's not as if Afghanistan is going all that well. Hamid Karzai's government is a magical combination of ineffectual and corrupt. His family more or less runs Kabul similarly to how a mafia family would, and almost nine years in, we're still dealing with the Taliban. Now, I'm not saying that any of those issues are simple to fix, but it doesn't feel like we're making the progress that we should be, by this point. Maybe a change in command would be helpful.

[JayPeaches]

I completely object to the idea of McChrystal (wtf kind of name is that?) being fired over comments made to the media. It really goes in the face of freedom of speech and I think it'll just give the right wingers more fuel for their Socialism Bonfire.

[SMMY]

McChrystal is out and Petraeus is his successor.

ETA - I totally agree with Kari. His assignment was not a political one and he treated it as if it was. If he really objected to the White House's handling of the war (which is odd, since it was pretty much his plan), then he should have resigned.

[Peter]

I agree with Kari, as well. Still, it will be interesting to see just how quickly McChrystal will be hired on as a commentator on Fox News.

**Edit to add: OSNAP the best part of that statement to the press was the guy shouting "Mister President, is this war winnable?" as he was walking off. Good question, press dude.