It's a Commander Ew - in - Chief Thing

Dear America,

First, this just in:

"Peace will not be preserved 

by pious sentiments expressed

in terms of platitudes 

or by official grimaces 

and diplomatic correctitude."  

Winston Churchill

good, right?

Being of a calculated mindset is often admirable within the context of war; in politics, it only makes someone appear weak -- compromising on a general's wishes, capitulating to your ideological base, while heightening the inherent risks of war unnecessarily.
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What was the one thing he said that was spot on -- and to my delight, reflecting a sentiment of mine from yesterday -- "America, it is time to focus on nation building here at home."

That was nearing the end of one of his shortest evening addresses he ever made.  In less than 15 minutes, he came to certain forgone conclusions  taking us from his first words as to why we got in it, what was in it for us, who we were mad at, and what we had to do to get our peace back -- morphing quickly into being all about Bin -- even quoting a soldier sending a message "we don't forget...as long as it takes."  We will find you.

Now, as much as I love hearing from our soldiers, for the president to use this one-liner here seemed a wee bit strained, contrived, and, as it would turn out, only the first of many moments when G went 'ew.'

The problem with last night, after all the hype, after the suspense was allowed to build, after pundits and commentary from in and around the beltway tried to surmise every angle the president might attack and give assurances, we are left with nothing more than what was told in premature pontification:  roughly 30,000 troops coming home, beginning with ten this summer, twenty-some next summer, just in time to meet up with his run for a second term.


Oh but wait, there's more; there is something new, and I almost forgot.

"And next May, in Chicago, we will host a summit with our NATO allies and partners to shape the next phase of this transition.

We do know that peace cannot come to a land that has known so much war without a political settlement. So as we strengthen the Afghan government and security forces, America will join initiatives that reconcile the Afghan people, including the Taliban. Our position on these talks is clear: They must be led by the Afghan government, and those who want to be a part of a peaceful Afghanistan must break from Al Qaeda, abandon violence, and abide by the Afghan constitution. But, in part because of our military effort, we have reason to believe that progress can be made."

wow. In Chicago, you say.  Host a summit.  Is that like Organizing for Afghanistan in America?  And including the Taliban, you say.  Talks with the Taliban, with allies and partners, to shape the transition, taking place here, in America, in Chicago; you have invited the Taliban over for lunch in Chicago to have a talk.  Allies, and America, will break bread with the Taliban, next May, in Chicago, at a summit. Feeling awfully Elle Woods like in this moment.   [while I know it is neither here nor there -- but Taliban, is of course italicized to remind us how to pronounce it -- like our president who dons an accent on the fly like no other.]


Now re-reading the objective outlined by our president, in simply this one part, is mind blowing if we hang on every word for any amount of time, so follow me:  "peace cannot come...without a political settlement"...so we will "strengthen the Afghan government and security forces" and "reconcile the Afghan people, including the Taliban."   While, "our position on these talks is clear" -- "the Afghan government" will lead [here in Chicago?] and "those for peaceful Afghanistan must break from Al Queda, abandon violence, and abide by the Afghan constitution." [wow, let's not stop with a tall order, shall we]  ...and finally..... "but, in part because of our military effort [my surge], we have reason to believe that progress can be [giveth or taken away, after my surge]."

Talk about a whole lot going on; you know, Mr. President, I am not sure this region has ever known real peace, or life without one violent evil thread up against another.  This is what they do over there; there is never settlement, never peace, no matter where you turn.  Because, talk about division, talk about generational bigotry and hatred -- this region pits Sunni against Shiite, Iranians against Iraqis, radical terrorists against their own people, men against women, and so on and so on and so on.  Without a certain Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Live in Peace, anyway you wish, PEACE is simply not possible -- and it will never be -- until they separate mosque and state [which will NEVER HAPPEN].

details, right?

The thing is, this speech last night, was hardly about the Commander-in-Chief leading his troops, imploring his fellow Americans to follow suit, exuding a bold fresh confidence in every way.  This was a smooth operator, setting the tone for the campaign ahead -- it was swift action, returning to the cool calm of a guarded leader, reminding his followers to not lose faith in him.

We all know that you are ignoring the general's recommendations; and by doing so, not only is Afghanistan "the Good War" as in the words of your last campaign -- but it is without a doubt now, all yours.  You own this war, like you own the economy -- with thanks to Debbie Wasserman Schultz.  This is all on you.

As careful and calculated of a man you are, this posture surprises me; for in the event things begin to unravel, this position does not allow for you to go back and point a finger to anyone else but you.  I guess, ironically, that would mean that perhaps for the very first time, you are truly taking this Commander-in-Chief thing to heart.  Wonders never cease.

"What we can do, and will do, is build a partnership with the Afghan people that endures – one that ensures that we will be able to continue targeting terrorists and supporting a sovereign Afghan government."

endures?  only until the draw down begins -- which is funny, as that is right now.

or, is that endures, up until 2014?  for if you do not have your act together by then, your toast.

And I wonder...just how is this all sitting with the Afghan "women and girls" our president speaks so highly of just a few short moments ago?   I wonder, in this early morning hour, sitting at my desk, tapping my little heart out, just how does a woman, a mother, and just a girl, cope... when in the midst of everything their world throws down?

All the while, here I am, gazing out my window with the morning fog bringing in a soft sense of calm; and even in the midst of magnificent tests of resiliency and strength in my own little world,  the evidence of a beautiful life lives all around me.  I am left only imagining the reality yonder;  nothing can compare with a day of awakening to chaos every morning in Afghanistan.  Nothing.  I feel almost guilty for being so lucky [which is crazy talk, if you only knew my yesterday and the day before that and the day before that...if you see me walking down the street...walk on by...walk on by ..its just a song to reflect my ever changing mood.  that is all]

But my road is nothing in comparison, now is it?  And here ends my sentimental portion on the day.

I was born in the United States of America -- from there on out, everything is considered gravy.

So, venturing to move forward from here and speaking of more ew spewed, how about this line:

"For there should be no doubt that so long as I am president, the United States will never tolerate a safe haven for those who aim to kill us. They cannot elude us, nor escape the justice they deserve."

and on that note, he wants four more years of ignoring the fact that Pakistan gives them shelter.  In this moment, it comes off like a puff of the chest; but then again, maybe his base ate it up.  I think, as far as being presidential, anytime a president says "as long as I am president" you just gotta go ew.  I mean, c'mon, it was cheesy and didn't go down easy.

"And even as there will be dark days ahead in Afghanistan, the light of a secure peace can be seen in the distance. These long wars will come to a responsible end." 

but you just said a moment ago:

"We do know that peace cannot come to a land that has known so much war without a political settlement."

Without a political settlement -- which is totally and unarguably up in the air as we speak -- and like you said, peace cannot come without it.  So about this "responsible end"  -- somewhere over the rainbow -- with all due respect, sir, what is that?

And I suppose you would also say it is really a dumb, long a$$ war requiring a responsible end starting today, but couldn't, as your real tongue was tied.

Then, with astonishment, you whip up a frenzy of global governance initiatives -- leading with a wide range security/police force agenda, the outpouring of revolution taking place in Libya and in turn a call for further support, while centering our endeavors upon the American Rule of Law and a virtuous common denominator of Self-Determination --  all in nearly one breath. oh the things you do with that mouth.

And now to my favorite ew on the day:

"Now, we must invest in America’s greatest resource – our people. We must unleash innovation that creates new jobs and industries, while living within our means. We must rebuild our infrastructure and find new and clean sources of energy. And most of all, after a decade of passionate debate, we must recapture the common purpose that we shared at the beginning of this time of war. For our nation draws strength from our differences, and when our union is strong no hill is too steep [click this. c'mon it'll be fun], no horizon is beyond our reach."

love love love Diana Ross. and notice the stunning flip from 'walk on by' to 'ain't no mountain high enough' -- now do you get me, one minute this, another minute that...
oops.
sideshow alert, sideshow alert...on both a president and G...and who would ever think at the same time.

So a speech destined for greatness -- dealing with a war effort in a horrible horrible place on the other side of the globe, putting our brave boys and girls in harms way -- he throws out innovation; what is wrong with you, man?

This happened to be the most startling moment of the night on the ew factor.

Are you serious?  You think you can spin the strains of war with a little levity is it? of innovation, clean energy and infrastructure building?  Is this our COMMANDER IN CHIEF or CAMPAIGNER IN CHIEF speaking -- cause I gotta say, this was just so awkward in every way; newsflash -- you cannot be both. 

And especially in war, the rule of thumb is pick a side and stay on it.  But if you only knew, the way things naturally work out, when you simply focus on being a really great Commander-in-Chief, the campaign takes care of itself.  Your reputation precedes you, lighting a path into everyone's good graces without even working at it.

Anyway, here goes a rather colorful big finish:

"That’s a lesson worth remembering - that we are all a part of one American family [indeed]. Though we have known disagreement and division, we are bound together by the creed that is written into our founding documents [amen], and a conviction that the United States of America is a country that can achieve whatever it sets out to accomplish. Now, let us finish the work at hand. Let us responsibly end these wars [oopsy daisy, crash and burn...way to tell us what you really want; and clearly marking a second mistake of not holding to the objective -- unless that is now subjective and anything outside a true win goes -- not to mention, does this pledge also apply to the war you just got us in?], and reclaim the American Dream that is at the center of our story. With confidence in our cause [now amended], with faith in our fellow citizens [but you meant to say faith in God and each other], and with hope in our hearts, let us go about the work of extending the promise of America - for this generation, and the next.


May God bless our troops. And may God bless the United States of America.”

Going back to just yesterday, the speech was not designed to put the Taliban on edge -- the president did not pose America as a formidable opponent to be reckoned with; he made his point painfully clear to the world, we are now in draw down mode as "the tide of war is receding." And it is as simple as that.  From here on out expect less and less from American troops, leading up to a withdrawal of combat forces by 2014.

It is not like the Taliban would ever really know when ten thousand troops came home here or come home there.  It is not like they are counting heads, or something.  He didn't need to say a thing -- the only thing that was new information was the Chicago Summit, next May; and for that, surely a press release next April would suffice.

This whole shenanigan pulled off at the start of the quintessential prime-time time slot, was all for show.  He might as well have flashed a number at the bottom of the screen and asked for your vote right then.

The presidential address was --

Not for the Taliban.
Not for Afghanistans.
Not for Conservatives.
Not for anybody else but his base [and maybe, Egypt].

Welcome to the world of winning the next election...a bit of an ewy gooey slimy start and just par for the course.

"The truth is incontrovertible.  

Panic may resent it; 

ignorance may deride it;

malice may distort it, 

but there it is."  

Winston Churchill

Taking us out with one of the world's greatest leaders...

Make it a Good Day, G

and to read more about last night go here, to The Heritage Foundation or here: The Patriot Post.