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  • From: rayzentz AT aim.com
  • To: bobford79 AT yahoo.com, homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Change ? Hardly ..
  • Date: Fri, 05 Dec 2008 12:05:56 -0500


You are surprised?



I figure the pullout, removal of all troops, should happen right after we
pull out of Germany, or Japan.  After all, We have had troops there for over
60 years now.



Ray


-----Original Message-----
From: bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>
To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 5:42 am
Subject: [Homestead] Change ? Hardly ..




>From the WSJ , referencing an article in the NYT rag, all concluding what
hose of us who were honest with ourselves said all along. BO already
cknowleding thousands and thousands of troops will remain in Iraq for who
knows
ow many years.
Watch for some of his swooning cheerleaders to once again make excuses. Just
tart calling him "Bush light" .......................
--------------------------------------------------------------------
'Muted by Reality' Now that Obama has won, we could be in Iraq for a hundred
ears.

y JAMES TARANTO
Barack Obama was elected president a month ago and does not take office for
nother 6½ weeks. But his most fervent supporters already have reason to be
isappointed in him. Witness the headline of a "news analysis" in today's New
ork Times: "Campaign Promises on Ending the War in Iraq Now Muted by Reality."
"As he moves closer to the White House," the Times reveals, "President-elect
bama is making clearer than ever that tens of thousands of American troops
will
e left behind in Iraq, even if he can make good on his campaign promise to
pull
ll combat forces out within 1
6 months." That itself is a big "if," as the Times
cknowledges:
That status-of-forces agreement remains subject to change, by mutual
agreement,
nd Army planners acknowledge privately that they are examining projections
that
ould see the number of Americans hovering between 30,000 and 50,000--and some
ay as high as 70,000--for a substantial time even beyond 2011.
e may be in Iraq for a hundred years! The Times notes that "there always was
a
ension, if not a bit of a contradiction, in the two parts of Mr. Obama's
ampaign platform to 'end the war' by withdrawing all combat troops by May
010":
To be sure, Mr. Obama was careful to say that the drawdowns he was promising
ncluded only combat troops. But supporters who keyed on the language of
ending
he war might be forgiven if they thought that would mean bringing home all of
he troops.
mm, here is what the Times editorial page said about the subject when it
ndorsed Obama back in October:

he unnecessary and staggeringly costly war in Iraq must be ended as quickly
and
esponsibly as possible.
hile Iraq's leaders insist on a swift drawdown of American troops and a
eadline for the end of the occupation, Mr. McCain is still talking about some
ll-defined "victory." As a result, he has offered no real plan for extracting
merican troops and limiting any further damage to Iraq and its neighbors.
r. Obama was an early and thoughtful opponent of the war in Iraq, and he has
resented a military and diplomatic plan for withdra
wing American forces. Mr.
bama also has correctly warned that until the Pentagon starts pulling troops
ut of Iraq, there will not be enough troops to defeat the Taliban and Al
Qaeda
n Afghanistan.

It is awfully generous of the Times to forgive Obama's supporters for
believing
hat they read in the Times.
It must be said that not everyone is surprised to find Obama's campaign
promises
muted by reality." Those of us who were paying attention to reality before
Nov.
never took Obama's pledge to flee Iraq seriously. Although it is especially
epugnant to seek political gain by promising to lose a war, it is also common
or presidential candidates to make unrealistic promises, especially on
foreign
olicy, and disregard them once elected. (Remember how George W. Bush was
going
o stop "nation building" and Bill Clinton was going to get tough on the Red
hinese?)
Obama thus is carrying on a long tradition of making empty and irresponsible
romises. While he may deliver victory in Iraq, his war against cynicism has
lready been lost. .......................


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