Random musings du jour ~ Im watching this hearing on the tube, and I have to say, boring as he often is, I think John Kerrys handling the GOP Senators exceedingly well (Bob Corker needs to stuff a cork in it). And I think I know what theyre up to. I believe the GOP is trying to set up a military campaign thats custom-made for themselves politically, rather than to the threat posed by ISIS. If Obama wants to use drones, theyll demand boots on the ground. If Obama asks for a coalition of 25 countries, they wont settle for anything less than 26. If Obama doesnt give a precise price tag for the campaign in advance, theyll hang it around his neck and accuse him of being just another tax and spend liberal. Ironic, that a Republican Senator asked for a price tag in advance, isnt it? How soon they forget. My gut tells me that their bravado is nothing more than quicksand. The GOP Senators in this dog & pony show would be all too happy to watch Barack Obama get bogged down in another war in the Middle East, which they could then exploit for political effect. And the timing would be just right for them. The mid-terms are seven weeks away, the general election is barely two years away. And these Republicans are doing their damnedest to push this president to either go big or go home. Because the odds are, if he goes in guns ablazing like Bush did without thinking, then hell likely end up in the same sort of quagmire. They obviously detest how he and Kerry are laying out a more cautious, focused approach, because they too know that it will both increase our chances of success, and decrease the likelihood of getting bogged down in Iraq. And not coincidentally, decrease their chances of taking control of the White House in 2016. I think its a sad situation indeed, that a popularly re-elected president has to deal with such a hateful rabble as the likes of the current Republican Congress; men and women whose primary goal since Day One has been to force failure upon this president. And its also tragic, that even as hes dealing with the most barbaric, bloodthirsty army of extremists since the Third Reich, he has to simultaneously deal with Senators and Congressman whod like nothing more than to see his efforts to protect the innocent go up in smoke. Im not sure whos worse, the butchers who crucify and behead innocent men, women and children, or the politicians who place such crimes second to destroying the man whos taken it upon himself it is to stop it. I have confidence in this president to handle international affairs far, FAR more than I did in his predecessor, but I do worry about him being set up by the GOP. Should he launch this war and suddenly find himself stymied by a Congress that will only fund certain aspects of it, or only on certain conditions – basically, as per their agenda only, then he could be walking into a trap. But hes anything but stupid, so I have no doubt that he and his advisors have considered that. Still though, I think President Obama has to do SOMETHING about this leftover mess from the Bush era. Its just a damned shame he doesnt enjoy the same level of cooperation from the opposition that Bush did.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 20:23:37 +0000
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