He's a worldbeater, all right (Mark Steyn beats up on the Dems!)

Chicago Sun Times ^ | January 23, 2005 | Mark Steyn

[finnigan2]

Steyn, a little more ironic this week than humorous, writes a column that is still loaded with goodies and thoughtful observations. Always worth a read - even when you don't completely agree.

[mark502inf]

There isn't [an exit strategy]... Next week's election in Iraq will go not perfectly but well enough, and in time the number of U.S. troops needed there will be reduced, and in some more time they'll be reduced more dramatically, and one day there'll be none at all, just a small diplomatic presence t

Actually, that is the exit strategy; build up Iraqi institutions of self-governance & security and progressively draw down U.S. presence as Iraqis increase in capability.

[goldstategop]

Mark Steyn gets it right. The Democrats are running on empty.

[goldstategop]

We'll have a continuing presence there. For decades - we're still around in Germany and Japan. I don't see us ever leaving Iraq. We've got too much invested to let the place revert again to the bad guys.

[brooklin]

"from Kerry to Boxer to Byrd, can't get beyond spin"

Once anyone gets to this level, in any party, all they are is party hacks. There is too much money in it for them to say anything other than the party line.

Having said that, I think that they are WAAAY over the top on this one. Kooks maybe.

[commonguymd]

Von Drehle seems vaguely resentful that she wasn't dumb enough to fall for the spin

They way that Steyn puts this is brilliant. The MSM doesn't understand how so many can see through the spin and rhetoric. The MSM is losing its ability to influence and they are simply stunned.

[QwertyKPH]

Gotta love it. Mark points out another liberal (Drehle of the Washington Post) who not only drank the kool-aid but is on the serving line as well!

Ending with a demonstration of why Joyce from OK is more perceptive and unswayed by dimspin is priceless.

[mark502inf]

We'll have a continuing presence there

Maybe, but not as we are now--the occupying power conducting some governmental functions and fighting Iraqi insurgents & terrorists. We may keep an element there to deter the neighbors and/or to serve as a base for other ops in the region--there's been discussion about that with a couple old airbases in the desert. In Germany & Japan, we haven't been occupiers for a long time, but we use the bases there essentially as forward outposts for our military to put us closer to the action. That may also happen in Iraq, but it is a substantially different purpose than what we are doing now. My guesstimate!

[hershey]

We have to do something about Iran and Syria, too, so leaving isn't an option. Even if we dusted off that cold fusion formula and had the US on dandelion gas/fuel by next week, thus ending dependency on foreign oil or any oil for that matter, it wouldn't solve the problem. Arabs have nothing else to sell but rugs, so they wouldn't be happy with the loss of oil revenues. The truth is they're stuck in the Dark Ages intellectually, spiritually, and certainly socially. Maniacal two year-olds itching to get their hands on nukes. Something nasty is bound to happen, and let's pray Israel or one of our aircraft carriers in the area isn't on the receiving end.

[cubreporter]

President Bush will have four more years to repair the world the last administration left him with.

[Carolinamom]

If West Virginia voters won't give Sen. Byrd an exit strategy of his own, then in time the Good Lord will. I'm waiting for either one.

[independentmind]

.

[JustDoItAlways]

The Left only "sees" problems.

The Right only sees solutions.

[prairiebreeze]

Here's an exit strategy in one word. Victory.

End of story.

[Tax-chick]

Message: If Kerry's elected, abortions will continue and gay marriage will happen and he'll be cool with both. Joyce Smith understood that. Von Drehle seems vaguely resentful that she wasn't dumb enough to fall for the spin cooked up by Kerry's hairsplitters and enthusiastically promoted by his media cheerleaders.

This is an important point. People go on about how the election shows that the country is evenly divided, and that's simply not true. The Democrats did everything possible to conceal their real agenda, and many people fell for it. If they had been honest about their intentions, I'd expect to see a Kerry vote closer to 30%.

[OldFriend]

When the swimmer first took to the senate floor demanding to know what the President's exit strategy was for Irag I called his office.

Spoke with a gentleman there and told him I had heard the senator's comments regarding exit strategy and wondered if the senator had an exit strategy for Mary Jo Kopechne.

The man barked at me....'we're not talking about that'......

[Sarah]

Did you Really?

[mark502inf]

wondered if the senator had an exit strategy for Mary Jo Kopechne.

Good one!

[oldironsides]

It is a shame someone like Barbara Boxer has been given an opportunity to make a difference. She squandered the chance and demonstrates time and again she is shallow and brainless. Damn shame.

[NCSteve]

Mark Steyn ping.