BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE
AT A BABIES 'R US TODAY, AN INCREASINGLY FAT ROBERT PARRY INSISTED THAT THE LOSSES TUESDAY NIGHT STEMMED FROM HIS AFFAIR WITH THE PRESIDENT.
BARRY O, PARRY INSISTED, HAD SPENT "FAR TOO MUCH TIME COURTING ME AND GETTING TO KNOW MY NOOKS AND CRANNIES, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, SPREADING THE BUTTER, IF YOU GET MY MEANING, DOING SOME HEAVY TILLING, IF YOU CAN FOLLOW ME, THAN HE DID HELPING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY."
AS PARRY TRIED OUT STROLLERS -- MAINLY TO REST ON, HIS EXPANDING BELLY IS TAKING A REAL TOLL ON HIS BACK, HE EXPLAINED -- HE SAID HE'S READY TO FORGIVE BARRY O "IF THE EXPERIENCE HAS PROPERLY HUMBLED HIM. OUR BABY NEEDS A DADDY."
Barack has his own problems. Spencer Ackerman (Guardian) reports, "The Pentagon has denied that the US strategy against Islamic State (Isis) is in disarray after a series of setbacks as the war known as Operation Inherent Resolve stretches into its fourth month."
The argument that Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby made today was that the Syrian government, particularly Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is not benefiting from the 'focus' the US government is placing on Iraq.
Focus?
As Akerman points out:
US military officials frequently describe their strategy as “Iraq first”, reflecting what some in the administration suggest is a more realistic ambition, compared to the complexity of the neighbouring Syria conflict. The US has renewed its mentorship of the Iraqi military it built during the 2003-2011 occupation. But the administration is signaling that a counteroffensive to oust Isis from Iraq, led by the Iraqis and backed by US airpower and Iranian-supported Shia militias, will not proceed until spring 2015.
Until spring of 2015?
Barack plans to keep bombing and pretending that's a 'plan'?
Long after Barack leaves the White House, Iraqis will have to rebuild.
And what Arabic social media is noting, though the western press has avoided, it is the Sunni areas that are being destroyed with these bombings. When the bombing finally ends, it is the Sunnis who will be living in destroyed, shelled neighborhoods. There are many Arabic commentators on social media who don't feel this is an accident but part of the continued persecution of the Sunnis.
Changing topics . . .
Who in the world do you think that you are fooling?
Well I've already done everything that you are doing
-- "Two Kinds of Love," written by Stevie Nicks, first appears on her Rooms On Fire
The always laughable (and always sexist) Kevin Drum wags his tiny cock-lette at Iraq and figures out there's no 'plan.' Did the universe just offer a collective "Duh!" How many weeks, how many months have we been pointing that out?
I was going to be kind and ignore David Zucchino's nonsense for the Los Angeles Times.
But his ridiculous report is what 'enlightened' Kevin Drum.
So let's note that it's a miserable 'report' that's ahistorical and embarrassing.
The article fails to address that the military has been without a head. In the US, we call it the Secretary of Defense (currently Chuck Hagel). In Iraq, they call it the Minister of Defence. And from 2010 until his ouster this summer -- four long years, Nouri al-Maliki refused to nominate anyone to head the Ministry of Defence (it was a power grab -- Ayad Allawi was the first to rightly call it that).
So for four years they had no one.
But, even more importantly, the Los Angeles Times has reported on the Defense and Interior Ministries (Interior is a security ministry, it is not parks and wildlife -- Nouri also refused to nominate anyone to head that ministry).
Ned Parker -- often on his own, often with others -- repeatedly reported on the corruption and crime in the ministries. He did spectacular reporting, in fact, on one particular floor in the Interior, the corruption there.
With all that to build on, Zucchino's article was disappointing.
He's a strong reporter and he'll do strong reporting again, I'm sure.
But Kevin Drum finds a stitched together article that fails to get at the realities -- which includes ignoring Nouri not wanting training from the US (for those who've forgotten, Barack was told to find other uses for the money the White House planned to spend training the Iraqi police in 2012) -- wonderful and inspiring.
Kevin would, wouldn't he?
He did, after all, cheer on the Iraq War.
Which makes you wonder why Mother Jones keeps trying to turn him into a star (he's too ugly for TV), why two women running the magazine and website are bound and determined to turn an elderly White man into a media star instead of devoting those resources to men of color or women?
Related, every now and then FAIR and others will gripe about how those people who were wrong about Iraq in 2003 continue to be respected voices in the media. But they never have the guts, do they, to point out all the 'left' voices (like Drum) who cheered on an illegal war and yet are employed by left sites like Mother Jones?
If FAIR's really worried about accountability, they need to call on Mother Jones to ditch Kevin Drum who helped sell the illegal war.
Just last June, FAIR was whining about CNN bringing back on pundits who cheered on the Iraq War -- so when does FAIR find the guts to call out Mother Jones for hiring Drum?
Until they do, they look like whiny, little hypocrites.
There should be much more anger that a supposed left publication like Mother Jones is providing a forum for these pundits who got it wrong than the supposedly 'neutral' or 'mainstream' or 'middle' CNN.
RECOMMENDED: "Iraq snapshot"
"Aretha"
