The Politics of War

President Obama promised last night – after 10 years of war – that America is finally going to do what some people suggested we do in Vietnam: Declare victory and leave.
 
Nobody will like the comparison, but a lot of Democratic and Republican politicians today put me in mind of George McGovern’s 3 a.m. acceptance speech at the 1972 Democratic convention: “Come home, America.”
 
Carter’s blog below makes the case eloquently.
 
I’m no military expert or foreign policy maven, but I do understand politics. And a couple of things strike me.
 
First, Obama is doing exactly what he promised to do in 2008. He’s getting us out of Iraq. He focused on Afghanistan, where the real enemy was. He got bin Laden. And now he’s getting us out of Afghanistan.
 
And where are all those Republicans who, for eight years, loved to pillory Democrats as soft weaklings for questioning Commander-in-Chief George Bush? Suddenly – with the exception of John McCain – they can’t get to the exits fast enough.
 
Karl Rove and Bush shamelessly used the Iraq war to pound John Kerry and Democrats in 2002 and 2004. Republicans led the charge to spend trillions of dollars – and sacrifice thousands of young men and women. Now, with a Democrat in the White House and an election coming up, they’re charging just as hard in the other direction.
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Gary Pearce

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The Politics of War

President Obama promised last night – after 10 years of war – that America is finally going to do what some people suggested we do in Vietnam: Declare victory and leave.
 
Nobody will like the comparison, but a lot of Democratic and Republican politicians today put me in mind of George McGovern’s 3 a.m. acceptance speech at the 1972 Democratic convention: “Come home, America.”
 
Carter’s blog below makes the case eloquently.
 
I’m no military expert or foreign policy maven, but I do understand politics. And a couple of things strike me.
 
First, Obama is doing exactly what he promised to do in 2008. He’s getting us out of Iraq. He focused on Afghanistan, where the real enemy was. He got bin Laden. And now he’s getting us out of Afghanistan.
 
And where are all those Republicans who, for eight years, loved to pillory Democrats as soft weaklings for questioning Commander-in-Chief George Bush? Suddenly – with the exception of John McCain – they can’t get to the exits fast enough.
 
Karl Rove and Bush shamelessly used the Iraq war to pound John Kerry and Democrats in 2002 and 2004. Republicans led the charge to spend trillions of dollars – and sacrifice thousands of young men and women. Now, with a Democrat in the White House and an election coming up, they’re charging just as hard in the other direction.
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Gary Pearce

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