Patterico's Pontifications

10/10/2009

A Time to Play and a Time to Lead

Filed under: Obama,War — DRJ @ 5:47 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Life’s good in Washington if you’re President Obama, who had a few spare hours and plenty of takers for a pick-up basketball game at the White House. But Obama had a good day — progress on health care reform is promising and he just won the Nobel Peace Prize. He probably felt like celebrating.

Life’s not so good in Afghanistan where, in a move that’s been planned for some time, the U.S. military vacated the base where 8 Americans were killed in last week’s Taliban attack:

“Speaking by telephone from an undisclosed location, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the U.S. bombarded the outpost with airstrikes after leaving, as well as the local police headquarters.

“This means they are not coming back,” Mujahid said. “This is another victory for Taliban. We have control of another district in eastern Afghanistan.”

“Right now Kamdesh is under our control, and the white flag of the Taliban is raised above Kamdesh,” Mujahid said.”

Don’t you have some Afghanistan decisions to make, Mr. President?

— DRJ

16 Responses to “A Time to Play and a Time to Lead”

  1. Ear Leader is getting exactly what he wants: the country he hates and despises is being reduced and emasculated as fast as he can arrange it.

    now that the parts have been set in motion, he has plenty of time for tree hockey.

    redc1c4 (fb8750)

  2. Why not ask Charlie Wilson that question?
    I think he answered it earlier in the week.

    Oh, BTW, hit any three-pointers lately?

    Larry Reilly (45c8f2)

  3. Well, there is more than one game going on today, anyway. Isn’t there, LR?

    But then, you have long established your knee jerk (emphasis on the first word) fealty to the DNC.

    Eric Blair (0b61b2)

  4. Larry Reilly,

    I haven’t seen anything about Charlie Wilson but I’d be glad to read it if you can provide a link. As for three pointers, I don’t play. I’m the one sitting in the stands watching when family members play. But like most families, we don’t have as much time or money for games in this economy.

    DRJ (7fbae6)

  5. Like a famous linebacker said about a famous quarterback: “He needs to get out of his skirt and put on a pair of pants.” (paraphrase) This fits Mawwy Wiley quite well.

    John Hitchcock (3fd153)

  6. Barack Obama, athletic and strong, plays the sports of the people!

    happyfeet (6b707a)

  7. There is amazing slide show here of why it is so hard in Afghanistan.

    I don’t begrudge the President time to unwind and blow off steam because considering the tremendously hard and difficult work presidents do, they deserve some down time.

    Oh. Wait.

    Dana (863a65)

  8. Imagine, if you will, how the Dems and the MSM would have acted/reacted had Bush done this while real issues were kicked down the road …

    JD (071163)

  9. Dana,

    I noticed your tagline “Oh. Wait” so I think we agree, but I just want to say this anyway.

    Like you, I don’t begrudge Obama down time and I’m sure he has some. But I do begrudge him hours of playtime when American troops are waiting for his decision. Not to mention that it’s a decision he’s postponed for over a month.

    DRJ (7fbae6)

  10. Charlie Wilson and my mother were classmates in elementary school in Trinity, Texas.

    For real.

    I think my response makes as much sense as LR’s post.

    Ag80 (d1363b)

  11. My tagline says it all, DRJ.

    My frustration with Obama’s lack of urgency and attempts to sit on the fence regarding our troops in Afghanistan, as well as a seeming inability to make a tough decision and stand by it, has been clearly voiced.

    His down time should be out of the public’s view and then I won’t have to be once again frustrated that he’s playing in the sun while more of our troops die and wonder what the hell the mission really is.

    Dana (863a65)

  12. Ear Leader is getting exactly what he wants: the country he hates and despises is being reduced and emasculated as fast as he can arrange it.

    And, in other news, the White House stated that the President would announce his decision on Afghanistan by the end of the week, or whenever he becomes completely irrelevant, whichever comes sooner.

    AD - RtR/OS! (877de6)

  13. Comment by redc1c4 — 10/10/2009 @ 6:00 pm

    I’m beginning to agree with you. Sadly.

    Patricia (c95a48)

  14. Imagine, if you will, how the Dems and the MSM would have acted/reacted had Bush done this while real issues were kicked down the road …

    I assume this statement is rhetorical, because we all remember the incessant caterwauling when Bush had the utter gaul to play one game of golf during the Iraq conflict.

    Dmac (5ddc52)

  15. “gall” – but I kind of like the French insinuation.

    Dmac (5ddc52)

  16. This is not an uncommon tactic in insurgencies. If you become aware of an upcoming redeployment, stage an attack or other demonstration of power and then portray the previously planned move as a reaction to your action. The insurgency depends on the perception that they are the force in control of events, with out that they lose.

    Have Blue (854a6e)


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