Overheard in the locker room last night before the President’s speech, from some twentysomethings: I’m not going to watch Bush tonight. It offends me to hear him. I’ll just listen to Al Franken tomorrow and he’ll tell me all I … Continue reading →
Here’s a hard-hitting article to mull over before listening to tonight’s State of the Union address. The author, J. Peter Mulhern, may be unduly pessimistic, but he’s certainly profoundly skeptical about both sides of the fence in American politics today, … Continue reading →
When I read this article, entitled “Iraqi rebel army expressing siege mentality,” I found myself doing a double-take: this is the AP? The piece seemed relatively upbeat about, of all things, the “surge,” the new commanders of US forces in … Continue reading →
Leftists often criticize our present intervention in Iraq by bringing up the point that the US supported Saddam back in the 80s against Iran in the ill-fated—and ultimately stalemated—war that cost many Iraqi and Iranian lives. For example, see this … Continue reading →
In my recent post about how poorly our own Civil War had been going for the North even as late as the spring of 1864, I mentioned the incredibly high casualties in that war compared to what we’ve suffered so … Continue reading →
I’ve written before about Peter Braestrup’s book Big Story: How the American Press and Television Reported and Interpreted the Crisis of Tet 1968 in Vietnam and Washington. It describes how the media got the Tet Offensive wrong. Braestrup’s conclusion is … Continue reading →
I wondered about it a few days ago: what’s to stop the terrorists/jihadis/insurgents in Iraq from running away in the face of the proposed surge, and living to fight another day? The answer seems to be “nothing, at least for … Continue reading →
Recommended reading on a Sunday: this article by Barry Casselman, comparing Bush and his new proposals for the Iraq war to the situation Lincoln faced in the spring before the 1864 election. Bush, Lincoln–huh? you say. Well, read it. Casselman … Continue reading →
Here’s a wonderful headline that caught my eye, from, of all things, the Voice of America: “Some Iraqis express doubts about new US strategy.” Why, goodness gracious me my, they do? I’m so astonished I hardly know where to begin. … Continue reading →
I like Joe Donnelly’s style. Who’s Joe Donnelly? A very freshman US Congressman from Indiana, one of the Blue Dog Democrats (in fact, being a freshman, Donnelly might better be called a “blue pup”–and no, I didn’t make the term … Continue reading →
You think I sing a repetitious dirge “Iraq, Vietnam; please let the two diverge!” But here’s some news: the Democrats they urge, “Oh Mr. Bush, don’t recommend a surge!” And why? They say we’re surely on the verge Of failure. … Continue reading →
Yesterday I wrote about the limitations Congress might face in opposing a “surge” of American troops in Iraq if–as rumor would have it–such a surge is part of Bush’s new Iraq policy to be unveiled next week. Today I read … Continue reading →