Posted on 11/20/2010 4:52:46 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
You know you’re in trouble when you need Henry Kissinger to vouch for you.
But there was the one formerly known as “The One” sitting at a table with a bunch of old, white, Republican dudes, choosing the most abstruse issue on the agenda for his moment to Man Up.
With Republicans treating the president like a dirt sandwich and Democrats begging the president to throw a knuckle sandwich, Obama drew his line in the sand on telemetry.
The Start arms treaty used to be a chance for American presidents to stare down the Russians. Now it’s a chance for a Democratic president, albeit belatedly, to stare down the Republicans.
The administration dilly-dallied for months on New Start, which should have been a no-brainer, even after it was clear that Senator Jon Kyl was a problem and needed to be cultivated, and even after it was clear that Republicans were on track to grab some power back.
But faced with the treaty’s unraveling, with possible deleterious consequences for sanctions on Iran and supply lines for our troops in Afghanistan, Obama had no choice. Even if the treaty doesn’t much affect our strategic security, it affects the relationship with Russia and our standing in the world. And resetting the relationship with Russia, with his buddy Dmitri, is the president’s only significant foreign policy accomplishment.
Besides, a man who won the Nobel Peace Prize on layaway doesn’t want to be responsible for any loose Russian nukes ending up in the crazy ’Stans.
As Richard Wolffe notes in his new book, “Revival: The Struggle for Survival Inside the Obama White House,” the president drove Rahm Emanuel crazy by spending his first months in office toiling on the details of Start....
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
“crazy ‘Stans” sounds racist.
Every time I start to read something by Dowd, I can’t help but think of the South Park episode where Cartman kept talking about sand in someones something.
I always refer to her as Maureen Dude. It really fits her, she is dude alright.
No pic of CZJ yet? I’ll come back.
I call her “Murine Dowdy” myself.
Much easier to just buy the White House and install a patsy.
HK can close those kinds of deals. He's got the track record of experience to prove it.
/johnny
I choose ‘Maureen Dowdy’. She’s waaaaaaaaaaay ‘past it’ (and d@mned bitter about it, too).
“Dude”? I think you mean “DUD”
They’re trying to elevate Obama to Reagan, when Reagan dealt with the Soviet Union.
Like Tim Wise, Maureen Dowd and Frank Rich can’t help but show their contempt for elderly White people. Not the best electoral strategy when that demographic happens to be rapidly growing.
Very good Maureen ...
The Welsh are known for their singing.
Sure, it was START that kept him busy.
indeed, but she's allowed...
Apologies needed for dirt sandwiches.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.