BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL AID TABLE
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White House spokesperson Josh Earnest made a rather significant appearance on America's Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum (Fox News) today.
Bill Hemmer: You said this week you're confident in the strategy and you just heard Senator McCain and other critics say you don't have a strategy. In a sentence, what is it?
Josh Earnest: Our strategy is to support the Iraqi security forces in doing what we will not do for them. The United States is prepared to train them, to equip them and to back them on the battlefield with coalition military air power as they take the fight to ISIL in their own country. The United States is not going to be responsible for securing the security situation inside of Iraq. But we will stand with the Iraqi central government, the Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi people as they do. We can also supplement that effort by trying to shut down every avenue of financing that ISIL has. We can try to stem the flow of foreign fighters to that region of the world to try to shut down the pipeline of people who are traveling all across the world to take up arms alongside of ISIL. We can work to try to counter the violent, [sic] inciteful messaging that they're to incite people to carry out acts of violence -- we can try to counter that. This is a comprehensive strategy and what we're going to see is we're going to see areas of progress -- areas like the success we had in driving ISIL out of Tikrit --
Bill Hemmer: Okay, okay, okay --
Josh Earnest (Con't): -- we took an ISIL leader off the battle in Syria but there's no doubt that we've sustained some setbacks in Ramadi as well.
Those are stunning remarks on the part of the White House spokesperson when you grasp what happened Monday: Joe Biden rushing to kneel before Haider al-Abadi and kiss the Iraqi prime minister's boo-boos and wounded pride over the remarks of US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter who, on State of the Union (CNN) Sunday, spoke with Barbara Starr about the fall of Ramadi to the Islamic State.
Secretary Ash Carter: What apparently happened was that the Iraqi forces just showed no will to fight. Uh, they were not outnumbered. In fact, they vastly outnumbered the opposing force. And yet they failed to fight they withdrew from the sight and uh that says to me and i think to most of us that we have an issue with the will of the Iraqis to fight ISIL and defend themselves now we can give them training, we can give them equipment, we obviously can't give them the will to fight.
Instead of backing the Secretary of Defense, the White House chose to dispatch Joe Biden on a You've Got A Really Fine Penis, Sir, An Impressive One Even mission to reassure the pathetic Haider al-Abadi.
For Immediate Release
May 25, 2015
Readout of Vice President Biden's Call with Prime Minister Al-Abadi of Iraq
Vice President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi today to reaffirm U.S. support for the Iraqi government’s fight against ISIL. The Vice President recognized the enormous sacrifice and bravery of Iraqi forces over the past eighteen months in Ramadi and elsewhere. The Vice President welcomed the Council of Minister’s unanimous decision on May 19th to mobilize additional troops, honor those who have fallen, and prepare for counter-attack operations. The Vice President pledged full U.S. support in these and other Iraqi efforts to liberate territory from ISIL, including the expedited provision of U.S. training and equipment to address the threat posed by ISIL’s use of truck bombs.
Josh Earnest remarks today sort of negate all the groveling and ass kissing Joe Biden did on Monday.
And that could be a good thing -- provided this is the new road the White House is taking. It could be a very bad thing if they intend to stab Earnest in the back a few days on down the line.
They need to be consistent -- one of the traits this administration has struggled to exhibit.
If the remarks stand, you can be sure pouty Haider al-Abadi will be stomping his feet, his lower lip trembling and jutting out as he sobs and sobs.
He's been indulged more than enough as it is.
Earnest's remarks are also of interest because they were made on Fox News.
The White House really needs to get over their petty grudges.
Fox News has a huge audience, Barack used to blather on about no red states, no blue states . . . and claim he could work with others. He wants to be seen as mature then he and his administration needs to stop the attacks. Fox News is a platform to reach millions of Americans and the White House is a fool to pass up the chance to utilize that platform.
The always ridiculous Nancy Pelosi (I can say it, she allegedly represent my Congressional district) was on Taking The Hill (MSNBC) days ago speaking with host, Iraq War veteran and former US House Rep Patrick Murphy and insisting that the US was winning the propaganda war on social media and the Islamic State was losing.
There's something surreal about Nancy Pelosi going on MSNBC to insist that the propaganda war was being won -- then again, where else to make such a claim?
If they want to win the spin war, the White House is going to have to engage with the media and that does include Fox News.
Bonus points to Earnest and the White House for selecting the frame and angle for the appearance (realizing that facing the sun -- outside -- would give Earnest a gravity that he sometimes lacks). Yes, Josh has lovely eyes. But forcing him to squint throughout the appearance gave his remarks an appearance of conviction that they might have otherwise struggled to convey visually.
In terms of getting a message out and how they presented the message, Josh Earnest and the White House were a success.
Most probably either nodded along or sighed and shook their head while Earnest spoke. I doubt many picked up the problem -- the ongoing problem -- with his remarks.
Let's review them one more time and see if you can figure out what's missing as he explains the White House's strategy or 'strategy' to combat the Islamic State.
Josh Earnest: Our strategy is to support the Iraqi security forces in doing what we will not do for them. The United States is prepared to train them, to equip them and to back them on the battlefield with coalition military air power as they take the fight to ISIL in their own country. The United States is not going to be responsible for securing the security situation inside of Iraq. But we will stand with the Iraqi central government, the Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi people as they do. We can also supplement that effort by trying to shut down every avenue of financing that ISIL has. We can try to stem the flow of foreign fighters to that region of the world to try to shut down the pipeline of people who are traveling all across the world to take up arms alongside of ISIL. We can work to try to counter the violent, [sic] inciteful messaging that they're to incite people to carry out acts of violence -- we can try to counter that. This is a comprehensive strategy and what we're going to see is we're going to see areas of progress -- areas like the success we had in driving ISIL out of Tikrit --
Bill Hemmer: Okay, okay, okay --
Josh Earnest (Con't): -- we took an ISIL leader off the battle in Syria but there's no doubt that we've sustained some setbacks in Ramadi as well.
Did you catch it?
No?
I think a number of people did catch it but we'll toss out a hint real quick: Next week, the month of June begins.
Did that help?
Josh Earnest is outlining what the White House will do and won't do in the fight against the Islamic State. They will help Iraq as it attempts to stand up to the Islamic State, they will do that via war planes dropping bombs -- among other things. They will also target financing of terrorism and the influx of foreign fighters into the region.
Okay.
But it was June of last year that US President Barack Obama told the American people that there was no military answer for Iraq's problems, that the only way forward for Iraq was a political solution.
RECOMMENDED: "Iraq snapshot"
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