BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL AID TABLE
FADED CELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O LAUNCHED A FRANTIC CAMPAIGN TO SAVE HIS TRADE BILL.
BUT EVEN RUNNING TOPLESS DOWN PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE DIDN'T SAVE THE BILL.
AS IT APPEARS TO BE DEAD, BARRY O STOMPED HIS FEET AND INSISTED, "GUYS! GUYS! I STILL HAVEN'T PUT ON MY CROTCHLESS PANTIES! GUYS! GUYS!"
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
The Washington Post's Eugene Robinson offers some consolation, "Don't feel bad if you’re confused about what the United States is trying
to accomplish in Iraq. President Obama doesn't seem to know, either -- or else he won't say."
Yes, no one gets Barack Obama in trouble more than Barack and his own mouth and his declaration Monday ("We
don't yet have a complete strategy because it requires commitments on
the part of the Iraqis.") continues to haunt.
In June of last year, he sent US forces into Iraq to determine what to do.
Apparently, their efforts were in vain since all this time later Barack still doesn't know what to do.
"We
don't yet have a complete strategy because it requires commitments on
the part of the Iraqis."
Many have noted over the ensuing months that Barack's 'plan' was less
than a plan -- so much less than a plan. And on Monday, Barack chose to
agree with his critics.
It was June of last year when Barack announced that the only solution to Iraq's crises (plural) was a political solution.
Yet his 'plan' ended up being to send US troops into Iraq as 'trainers' and to have US war planes bomb the country daily.
The political solution would, apparently, have to wait.
And it has which has rendered any US efforts useless.
From time to time, State Dept officials such as Brett McGurk or Antony
Blinken will try to insist that efforts to get Sunnis to join in combat
against the Islamic State qualifies as a political solution.
No, it doesn't and, no, Barack was not referring to that on June 19,
2014 when he declared a political solution the only answer for Iraq.
What can't be discussed by the White House, gets aired on CBS This Morning (link is video):
Gen Ray Odierno: Well I think first I would just say that you've got
to understand why this is happening. And my thought is we had this in a
good place three or four years ago and-and Iraq was safe, the economy
was growing, we turned it over to the Iraqi government. I believe it's
because the Iraqi government has not been able to bring all the
different groups together. Until you solve that problem, in my mind, it
doesn't matter how many people you put on the ground --
Charlie Rose: That's right.
Gen Ray Odierno: And so my worry is: Could I put 150,000 soldiers on the ground and defeat ISIS? Yes. But then --
Charlie Rose: If you put 150,000 --
Gen Ray Odierno: But then what?
Charlie Rose: If you put 150,000 on it, it would defeat ISIS?
Gen Ray Odierno: Yeah.
Charlie Rose: But then what? But then what?
Gen Ray Odierno: You have to solve the political problem.
Charlie Rose: It would go right back to where we are. A year later
it would be right back to where we are today. So I believe before we
even consider anything like that, we need to solve --
Gen Ray Odierno: The political problem.
Charlie Rose: -- the political problem.
Gayle King: But do you think -- General, do you think we're leading towards ultimately boots on the ground?
Gen Ray Odierno: I-I think what we're trying to do -- Listen, in
order to solve this problem, you need the Arab communities to solve this
problem. The United States cannot solve this problem by itself. We
need the Arabs to step up. We need them to understand we have extremism
here and they have to help us and include the Iraqis --
[cross talk]
Gayle King: And why haven't they done that?
Gen Ray Odierno: Well again, there's this underlying -- there's this
underlying throughout the Middle East, there's this underlying Sunni -
Shia issue. Iran, Saudi Arabia -- Sunni - Shia issue -- that's playing
out. And that's what's making it more difficult for us and for anybody
else to help them defeat this threat.
Gayle King and Charlie Rose are two of the hosts of CBS This Morning.
The third host is Norah O'Donnell who also took part in the interview.
She raised some issues I'd like to get to next snapshot but we don't
have time tonight.
Our point above is that General Odierno can and will talk about what is needed while the State Dept stays silent.
A political solution is needed, a unified government that is not targeting Sunnis.
This effort should be led by the State Dept but it's not leading on it,
it's not helping with it, instead the White House has tasked the State
Dept with using diplomatic channels to try to bring in more trainers and
war planes from other foreign countries.
The political solution is not being addressed.
It's being ignored.
Ray Odierno is correct that a political solution is needed and it is the only thing that will change anything.
RECOMMENDED: "Iraq snapshot"
"Readout of Deputy Secretary Blinken's Meeting With..."
"The immediate responses to Barack's announcement"
"iraq tweet"
"Iraq Tweet"
"Iraq in a Tweet"
"Tweeting Iraq"
"Iraq Tweet"
"Iraq Tweet"
"Tweeting Iraq"
"Iraq in a Tweet"
"Iraq Tweet"
"Tweeting Iraq"
"Call it a - uh - dance off!"
"THIS JUST IN! NOAM WEIGHS IN!"
