I read this on the front page of today's Washington Postat breakfast, and couldn't wait to see if I could find it online. It's from "With speech, president makes the conflict truly his own," by Dan Balz:
Obama adopted the risky approach of both calling for a sizable troop surge -- bigger in terms of percentage than the Iraq surge ordered by then-President George W. Bush -- and outlining an exit strategy in the same speech. That was a clear acknowledgment of the fragile state of public opinion after eight years of conflict in Afghanistan, as well as the political divisions.
Hmmm.....I would caution Mr. Balz that President Obama has not to date been know for "clear acknowledgment" of anything at all. Further, how much can he be concerned about the "fragile state of public opinion on this issue, given his clear contempt for those members of the public who disagree with him on health care "reform?"
I would suggest to Dan Balz that President Obama cares little about the "fragile state of public opinion" on this or any other issue, and never has, and that that has been obvious since before he was elected. He cares about power and pull, and that is all -- and that has long been obvious too.
Posted by Craig Ceely at December 2, 2009 12:06 PM