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Subscribe to RSSIs the end of the Afghanistan war near?... Panetta announces that combat operations will end there in the middle of next year… Republicans pounce on this announcement… Romney’s gaffe yesterday highlights a political weakness: Despite having some strengths, he’s just not a gifted politician… Conservative opinion-makers pile on Romney’s gaffe… Why it’s hard for Romney to play the “out of context” card… A little caution on Trump endorsing Gingrich today… The Romney-Paul bro-mance… And is Chuck Schumer really the Dems’ best point person to combat Super PACs?
Ralph Orlowski / Getty Images
Members of the 170th U.S. Army Infantry Brigade stand in formation before being reunited with their families upon the troops' return from Afghanistan at U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder on January 28, 2012 in Baumholder, Germany.
*** Is the end of the Afghanistan war near? While another story is the top topic of political conversation -- Romney’s “I’m not concerned about the very poor” -- there’s a more impactful story that’s in the news today: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s announcement that the U.S. will end its combat operations in Afghanistan by the middle of next year. The Washington Post: “The United States hopes to end its combat mission in Afghanistan by the middle of next year, more than a year earlier than scheduled, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said Wednesday. His remarks reflected a growing sentiment within the Obama administration that its approach to Iraq, where the official end of U.S. combat operations came 16 months before the final U.S. troop withdrawal in December, may provide a useful model for winding down operations in Afghanistan.” This is a big deal on a number of fronts. But politically, consider this: It gives President Obama the ability to say -- by his convention speech in early September -- that the two wars he inherited are over or on the road to being mostly over.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is saying that U.S. troops could transition from a combat role to a training and advisory role by the middle of 2013. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski has the details.
*** Republicans criticize the Afghanistan announcement: Not surprisingly, Republicans have used that news to criticize the Obama administration. In Nevada last night, Romney said, per NBC’s Garrett Haake: “His secretary of defense said that on a day certain, in the middle of 2013, we're going to pull out our combat troops from Afghanistan… So the Taliban hears it, the Pakistanis hear it, the Afghan leaders hear it. Why in the world do you go to the people that you're fighting with and tell them the date you're pulling out your troops?” Romney added, “It makes absolutely no sense. His naiveté is putting in jeopardy the mission of the United States of America and our commitments to freedom. He is wrong. We need new leadership in Washington." Sen. John McCain also pounced on the announcement (though the criticism was relatively tame by McCain standards): “It is very unfortunate that the administration continues to provide reassurance to our enemies that the United States is more eager to leave Afghanistan than to succeed.” It’s familiar disagreement between the two parties on the warfront (both Iraq and Afghanistan): the fear of a public date-certain. But notice that’s the only criticism; there isn’t NECESSARILY pure criticism on the decision to begin the wind down.
*** Now, to rejoin today’s gaffe-y, mini-feeding frenzy already in progress: Mitt Romney has always had several political strengths. He’s a strong fundraiser with the ability to self-finance his campaigns (as he did in 2008). With his good looks and square jaw, he’s cut out of central casting as a presidential candidate. His family is attractive, too. And he’s developed a good sense -- and we mean this as a compliment -- to modify his positions on issues to reach the voters he’s trying to woo. His eye is ALWAYS on the prize. But in the nearly six years that we’ve covered Romney as a presidential candidate, we’ve also come to this conclusion: He’s not a gifted politician. And that fact was on display yesterday -- one day after his decisive victory in Florida -- when he uttered the words, “I’m not concerned about the very poor.” What was damaging about those remarks is that played into the pre-existing narrative that he’s an uber-wealthy pol who may not be in touch with average Americans’ lives. Like any minor gaffe, if it was an isolated incident, it wouldn’t have had legs.
*** Conservative opinion-makers pile on: If this were his first flub, you’d see conservative opinion-makers rallying to his defense and blaming the mainstream media. Instead -- after the $10,000 bet, “I like being able to fire people,” pink slip, and how he handled his income-tax returns -- these conservative opinion-makers are piling on Romney. Here’s the National Review’s Jonah Goldberg in a piece entitled “What is Wrong With This Guy”: “As a bunch of us have been writing around here for a while, the under-emphasized dynamic in this race isn’t that Romney isn’t conservative enough … it’s that he’s simply not a good enough politician.” Here’s the Weekly Standard: “Fresh off his big win in Florida Tuesday night, Mitt Romney made the most stunningly stupid remark of his campaign.” Even Rush Limbaugh piled on. This also touches on something else: Romney doesn’t have a lot of support among these folks. Yes, they march into battle with him. But will they run at the first hint of trouble? As one FOFR (Friend of First Read) remarked to us: It’s amazing to see Republicans publicly hate on their presidential nominee the way Democrats usually do, examples being Kerry, Gore even Clinton ’92 and Dukakis.
*** Hard for Romney to play the “out of context” card: A final point we’d like to make about Romney’s “I’m not concerned about the poor” comment: He really can’t complain about being taken out of context. Why? Because one of his very first TV ads took President Obama out of context (quoting him as saying back in ‘08, “If we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose” – when Obama was actually quoting a McCain aide). You reap what you sow… By the way, as for the quote IN CONTEXT, it is a little less bad but still awkward, frankly. Still, perhaps the most remarkable aspect of yesterday’s little dust-up for Romney: how bad his clarification was. Shouldn’t he be talking about lifting all classes? Nothing on trying to lift the “very poor” out of poverty in his clarification? Maybe he just isn’t good at the day-to-day grind of modern day politics?
*** UPDATE *** The Romney camp says that Romney did later amend his comments and discuss the effort to lift the very poor out of poverty.
Said Romney yesterday: “Oh I’m sure there are. I’m sure there are places where people fall between the cracks. And finding those places is one of the things that is the responsibility of government. But we do have a very ample safety net in America, with Medicaid, housing vouchers, food stamps, earned income tax credit. We have a number of ways of helping the poor. And yet my focus, and the area that I think is the greatest challenge that the country faces right now, is not to focus our effort on how we help the poor as much as to focus our effort on how to help the middle class in America, and get more people in the middle class and get people out of being poor and becoming middle income.”
*** A little caution on Trump endorsing Gingrich: Several news organizations – including Politico, the New York Times, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- are reporting that Donald Trump will endorse Newt Gingrich in Las Vegas today. But a note of caution: We’re hearing and seeing things that this Trump-Newt endorsement isn’t a done deal. If Trump DOES endorse Gingrich, then he’ll be the latest GOP/Tea Party flavor of the month to endorse the former House speaker, joining Herman Cain, Rick Perry, and even the Palins, sort of. (The exception: Michele Bachmann.) But if Trump’s news is an endorsement of, say, Romney, is that the kind of endorsement he really wants? Yet if Trump snubs Gingrich, what an embarrassing way to do it considering that Gingrich is the only one of these active candidates who took him seriously.
*** The Romney-Paul bro-mance: We’ve written before how there’s been a curious alliance of sorts between the Romney and Paul campaigns. And now the Washington Post offers the most detailed report to date of this Romney-Paul bro-mance. “Despite deep differences on a range of issues, Romney and Paul became friends in 2008, the last time both ran for president. So did their wives, Ann Romney and Carol Paul. The former Massachusetts governor compliments the Texas congressman during debates, praising Paul’s religious faith during the last one, in Jacksonville, Fla. Immediately afterward, as is often the case, the Pauls and the Romneys gravitated toward one another to say hello.” More: “The Romney-Paul alliance is more than a curious connection. It is a strategic partnership: for Paul, an opportunity to gain a seat at the table if his long-shot bid for the presidency fails; for Romney, a chance to gain support from one of the most vibrant subgroups within the Republican Party.”
*** Is Schumer really the best point person to combat Super PACs? Just asking, but do Democrats really want Chuck Schumer to be their point person in going after Super PACs? Just how many former Schumer and Harry Reid aides are currently working for some of the top Democratic Super PACs? We can think of several…
*** On the trail, per NBC’s Adam Perez: Two days until the Nevada caucuses, Gingrich hits Las Vegas… Romney stumps in Las Vegas and Reno… And Paul campaigns in Elko and Reno.
Countdown to Nevada caucuses: 2 days
Countdown to Super Tuesday: 33 days
Countdown to Election Day: 278 days
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It's probably a good thing the economy is a mess. Because with no draft, were the economy good most people wouldn't car about the war or, its cost in lives and dollars. But with the economy in the toilet, Obama needs every vote he can scrounge up, and ending the damn war may help him.
well he's not getting my vote
Obama's got my vote (again)
Storm, with the whole "being a conservative...", anybody could have guessed that.
This troop withdrawal is conveniently timed by Mr. Obama. It's re-relection time!
Would you rather he wait another 12 months and allow more US soldiers to needlessly die?
Or are you with Mitt, who wants to stay there indefinitely?
Mark Thomas: If Mr. Obama was serious or dead set with troop withdrawals both in Iraq and Afghanistan, he should have our troops withdrawn as early as his first year in tenure as POTUS. Nothing to do with Mr. Romney.
Obama administration is only saying this because it is election year. It is just another lie like we are out of Iraq lie. We are still in Iraq but they tell the public we have left. It is all for the election and that's it. Keep drinking the koolade
"We are still in Iraq.."
Please explain.
100 percent correct kelly...along with his housing relief and so called jobs plan...pure liberal vomit...
golf, she is correct...we still have a small presence and iraq just criticized the US for flying drones over iraq snooping around for potential trouble...get out of your parents basement, take a shower and clean yourself up and for gods sake...read the news...
golfsleft. What she said was we still have a large contingent of "advisors" etc in Iraq. not to mention Drone monitoring over their airspace etc
Unmaned drones means we are still in Iraq? Even the advisors have come home unless you're talking about contract people.
Ok I'll explain, there is still 40,000 troops over there but they have been classified as contractors now so the american public will believe yet another lie. Second I am a man, not a lady and if you believe anything coming out of the White House or the bought out media on election year all I can say is keep drinking the koolade. I won't say name's but I still have friends and family who are either there or being deployed over there still. Stop believing the lies and wake up to the truth. Ron Paul 2012 is our last hope for true liberty.
So, you are now claiming the military has been secretly classified as contractors? LOL You people get more delusional every day. You should seek help for your your paranoia. And you won't mention names, but you have friends. LMAO Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
Just my opinion, but I think the US is hurrying to get out of irag and afganistan because they are gearing up with potential conflict with iran..
did you all see the piece on 60 minutes with sec of defense panetta...? in regards to iran and the use of force to stop iran from obtaining a nuke...he clearly drew the line..
Also, intel reports that iran might actually do an attack on US soil...i think iran is itching for a fight or at least trying to temp the US and push the limits etc..
personally, i think late 2012 or sometime 2013 iran could get bombed etc...
I sure hope that's not the case but you may be right.
Although I think the likelyhood of an attack on American soil by Iran is near zero. They aren't stupid. They know what the ramifications would be.
Now if Obama could stop the spending he will get elected again.
What stop the spending? That's a bit of a novel concept for Obama don't you think
What part of the budget would you like him to cut? DOD at $700 trillion? Madicare?
geeze i hope not...that man is trampling on the constitution!
Mark, how is he "trampling on the constitution"?
Golfstupid,
May I just say I have seen your liberal vomit posts for months now...
In my opinion you are a piece of human waste and a blind fools..
Thanks to clowns like you, our country will surely go down the toilet...
I would not piss on you if you was on FIRE! crawl back into your a-hole..
Paul: If the rich would pay their fair share of taxes maybe Obama wouldn't have to spend so much. Getting out of Afganistan would save a lot of money... Ya'll republicans can't have it both ways....Think about it...
Mark, thanks for confirming that you are an ignorant moron. Your only answer is to call me names.
golffool,
google ndaa and aclu...are u aware that your BOY signed into law allowing the govt to detain american citizens indefinitely without representation...
are you aware that obamacare is forcing catholic organizations to provide free birth control against their religious beliefs..
are you aware the the supreme court just ruled against obama in regards to churches freedoms to fire a minister etc that did not represent the views of the church members..
you are a blind fool...fooling this man who craps on our constitution because you belief he is doing good things...
you are a FOOL...you are either stupid or ignorant...just cannot figure out which...i am sick and tired of liberal idiots like you...i turn my back to you in utter shame!!!
"i turn my back to you in utter shame!!!"
Nice.
markws --- i think you're the proof of what feisty said at the beginning of this post.
Notice how when asked a direct quiestion Mark ducks and weaves. He thinks no one notices. It's like the 3 year old who's whole back end is sticking out from behind the couch but he thinks you can't see him.
sally --- your description gave me a chuckle. thanks!
Hussein signals "end to war in Afghanistan." Great News. The only thing better will be when Americans "Signal END to Hussein's so-called presidency" in November. Good Riddance to "The Great Mistake of 08."
Why use his middle name other than to exploit the culture behind it? Last time I checked, all people of all color of all religions are welcome in America, and, as a consequence, even people following the teachings of Islam have a stake in politics. But I digress, Obama isn't a "muslim". The exploitation of that name is just bigoted tactic used by his critics, and I believe that such bigotry has absolutely no place in the political atmosphere. But, seeing as this post is just another generic, "CANT WAIT TILL OBAMA IS GONE, L0L" comment, you have to excuse me for responding to such a petty post.
Barack Hussein Obama has my vote again in November...
Rock on Barack Hussein Obama...you are the best...
What is the exact date for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan? While I admit I've not had time to read everything relating to this topic, what I have read suggests only the middle of 2013. Your input would be appreciated in that regard. Nevertheless, how long have we been in Afghanistan that their military force could not have learned something by now? Are they really that slow? If it was left solely up to John McCain, I think we'd be an invasive force in every country in the world. You can take the man out of Viet Nam but you can't take the war out of the man, it seems.
There is no set firm date it is a target
That's what I thought, stormrider1. Thanks for your help. I hope that answers some of the people here who have made it sound like the president has announced, for example only, July 9, 2013 at 1:31.23 p.m., EST. Geez, a target date does not a commitment make.
I have to laugh at the term "Liberal Media". Fox News(?) averages 1.1 million viewers every day, MSNBC some 480,000 as does CNN. So COMBINED MSNBC and CNN still don't add up to Faux Noise viewers. Add in Gush Phlegm-ball etc.... Don't tell me the media is JUST liberal. BTW, each month more jobs are being added. Chrysler and GM are improving. The right has declared war on women's rights. One more thing, can "Mewt Gingney" make sure it's brain is in gear before engaging it's mouth? Yes, they are sometimes taken out of context, which is something the right would NEVER do to our President. (Although, at least they finally acknowledge he IS the President).
yes we love the liberal media calling people that diagree with their views lets see, Stupid, ignorant, cracker (oh but conservatives are the racists right?) and yes embarrassing as it is Obama is the president
Yes stormrider conservatives have been spreading hate for years and frankly when they insist Obama was born in Kenya and think Sarah Palin is a leader and there are death panels in the health care bill and every attempt to rein in the excesses of Big Business is Socialism..well frankly that is why people think you are ignorant an stupid...and the the only logical explanation for your constant and eager embrace of everything bad spread about Obama can only be explained by racism..
If you want the Afganistan war to be over "vote Obama"... If you want the Afganistan war to continue "vote republican". It's that simple. What's the point of staying over there "Bin Laden is dead" thanks to Obama leadership.
Obama gets my vote...(again)
The campaign clown strikes again. The problem is obama's base is too ignorant to see it for what it is so we are probably stuck with this moron for another four years.
O cares for the PO!! FO MO FO O!!!!
I'm all for ending one of Dubya's mistakes, but the problem that arises now is that the Taliban is just biding their time. Now that they know the Americans and NATO will leave in 2013, they will just sit by and wait, and boom once they are gone, its back to how it was before we invaded the country....
Good!!!!
That is what the liberals want. Another attack on American's. The liberals don't want to protect you they want to enslave you
But that was the end result all along. No matter if we won, lost or hightailed it, the taliban will be around regardless.
See stormrider that kind of remark show me you are ignorant..and hateful..
@stormrider ~ good grief, what an assinine comment.
stormrider1: The attack on American's was Bush and Cheney, they are gone now......
The ignorance abounds, and storm takes first prize. Hey storm, what's it like to live in constant fear and hysteria all the time? Do you need depends? Do you children have unexplained twitches? Do you find yourself spending large amounts of time hiding under your bed?
Its hard for me to realize so many people are rooting for Obama to fail so they can go right back to the policies of G Bush..
So many middle class people filled with hate and fear so they vote against their own interests..
The hate from the conservative side is amazing...its been spreading for years....and it has now spread to the liberal side because frankly I cant stand conservatives..
they dont want solutions ..they only want to rip and tear everything from the New Deal onward and they say or do anything to that goal....they would rather see the country go down in flames rather than see Obama succeed..,they hate Obama more than they love their country and that is a fact they will never admit but we all know it..
Wow really. We don't hat Obama we hate his policies we believe he is bad for the country. Well let's check it out. Liberals have controlled congress for the majority of the past 40 years. So while you want to blame republicans nice try
Yes stormrider i do think it goes beyond simple disagreement with his policies..
"all this for a damn flag?" Michelle Obama
So who hates this country more? Those who have served it or those who have denigrated it?
You cannot even properly compare anything about obama and patriotism.
oh wait it's becasue he's black right?
President Obama has not denigrated this country and and I dont know the context of your quote..but I do know that conservatives have deliberately set about dividing this country and that a nation divided cannot stand..
USAF vet here..
"Well let's check it out. Liberals have controlled congress for the majority of the past 40 years"
False.
stormrider1- exactly what policies of Obama's do you not like? Please be specific...
We should have left there yesterday!
If I was a republican candidate the last thing I would want would be Donald Trump's endorsement. He is like G. W. Bush. He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple. Of course, the same thing goes for Romney.
I thought all you Obama haters were hard working, tax paying people. How is it that you seem to come on to these boards late in the orning of a working day?
its easy, as a hard working tax paying person for many yearss. My company has rewarded me with a executive management position that allows me to be on these boards from time to time. Of course it could be as a liberal you don't understand reward for work ethic you just expect to get because you exist
we are golf...we just take a moment for our jobs, that provides a check for losers like you, to take a few jabs at fools like you...
have you bathed yet???
Well said stormrider...congrats on your success..my story is similar to yours....
Both of you are either full of sh1t or you're abusing company time to be here.
Golf
McDonalds has provided computers next to the grill full of burgers so they have time to get online between flipping the burgers. A HAPPY cook is a GOOD cook!
Will those who want to continue the war in Afghanistan please wipe the yellow off your boots and apply for a job in the Afghan army?
I would have to venture a guess the BEL Utah is a California immigrant.
I've never seen so many "NEGATIVE" comments for a "POSITIVE" story. TISSUES?
no doubt.
boo hoo. the sky is falling and Obama is a success story and we are losers. boo hoo.
GOPERS heads are exploding today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes they are. And it is providing me with hours of entertainment.
So much for "Bush's Timetable"
pretty fair points overall, killed bin laden, out of iraq, gonna get out of afganistan im not a obama fan but hes getting us out of problems he didnt cause. on the other hand he did screw up a lot too. but our troops commin home is a good thing. unfortunately we probably wont have jobs for them
well not only won't we have jobs for them but the taliban is poised to take back over. That being said as a conservative, I am ready for our troops to come home. I think we need to just make it clear that if you touch america again we will obliterate you in the blink of an eye there will not be any protracted war next time
jobs? Sweep the parade ground for starters then get the Sea Bees out to fix our roads second. There is PLENTY of work to be done here at home.
too bad obama does not know how to create jobs...THAT FOOL IN THE WHITE HOUSE IS FAILURE!
If you want to see a loser go look in the mirror!
Doing what the Democrats and the Liberals do best run and turning our backs on Allies
Then you think we should still be in Iraq? Cause it sounds like it to me.
we are still in IRAQ
Excalliber What an asinine comment! See stormrider this is exactly why conservatives have a reputation as being ignorant..
Only loser contractors. All military combat ops are OVER.
I thought the republicans wanted to cut wasteful spending...it seems they don't know what they want (again).
Vote Obama = end this stupid war and save taxpayers dollars.
Vote Republicon = continue this stupid war and continue wasting taxpayers dollars.
Sure as a conservative I am all for ending the war and saving the money as long as you agree to do away with the deparment of education, planned parenthood support, all forms of welfare for children born to single mothers and fathers who cannot support the child. I want to get rid of all waste that's the difference
If we did that your mother would get cut off.
LMAO
Everybody knew Barry would cut and run...we just didn't know when. Wonder what he'll do when the Pak and Taliban merge and take over the country... probably hide under his desk.
Ah the old cut and run trash talk. LOL.
You think we should still have combat ops in Iraq?
bf, how long would you stay in Afghansitan? Another 10 years? 20 years?
What do you think we'd accomplish by staying another 10 or 20 years?
Bfitz are you fighting over there or just sitting on you ass as others fight?
The underbelly of that desk must have a lot of nukes.
We are flying drones and whether we have actual combat troops we have large contingent of "advisors" be realistic
Yeah, 1000 non-combat advisors and 150,000 troops home in time for last Christmas.
You should look in to 4G
Everybody knew Barry would cut and run
You mean the cut and run like your idol Reagan did when the 241 marines died in the barracks that was blown up in Lebanon, or the cut and run after Obama got Bin Laden and MISSION ACCOMPLISHED?
Giving a "drop dead" date has a lot of useful benefits. It gives the Taliban (pick your favorite cult here) time to regroup so they will be ready to go into the villages who, much to their coming peril, accepted aid from our troops. They might even save their ammunition and bombs (kill and wound fewer of our troops) so they have plenty to use on their own people once we are gone. You know, just like they are doing in Iraq right now!
Yeah that argument was so valid in Iraq. LOL
What's the alternative Dave?
Stay there for another [fill in the blank] years and lose [fill in the blank] more US soldiers and spend another [fill in the blank] billions of dollars we are borrowing from the Chinese?
A lot of experts agree the taliban are poised to take over. However, again as a conservative it is time to leave after so many years we have really made little progress in preventing the taliban from coming to power again so why bother just let them know if you touch american again we are going to obliterate you swiftly and completely and there will be no long protracted war
A lot of experts agree the taliban are poised to take over
What experts, Limbaugh and Beck?
Mark Thomas-371822:
NOPE! Just do a giant "exercise" that concludes with everyone being at the evacuation site, with no advanced warning or publicity. Start a non-stop airlift until all of the equipment and people are gone!
Once everyone is home give Karzi (sp?) a call to tell him "the baby needed its diaper changed so momma had to go home..."!
It is very simple: You can't GIVE people freedom or Democracy... They have to TAKE it from their oppressors. As long as the people will settle for the status quo they had there is nothing we can do for them.
A well publicized fact: Something like 99% of the people there never heard of the WTC or 9/11 and wonder why we are in their country killing their citizens! It's pretty hard to conceptualize a 100+ story sky scraper when your whole life has been in a mud hut in the middle of nowhere! Their idea of a "steak dinner" is sitting around on open fire pit, pulling chunks of meat off a goat on a spit! The latter was not a put down, just a fact of life over there.
The only people over there that want any sort of change are the minority who live in the few large cities in the country. If the MAJORITY isn't with you, you will NEVER win and we have never had the majority on our side.
Our troops go into a village, hand out some candy to the kids, a few pounds of rice to the adults and the people head off to their mosque to listen to the Imam telling them what infidels we are and that Allah wants us struck dead!
I agree it is WAY PAST TIME to bring our troops home since we never intended to win this war. As we saw in Viet Nam, if you don't have the resolve of your enemy you CAN'T win!