Sunday Morning Talk Show Thread 13 May 2007

Various big media television networks ^ | 13 May 2007 | Various Self-Serving Politicians and Big Media Screaming Faces

[MNJohnnie]

Pretty unbelievable huh?. Worst attack against civilians in US History, was barely 5 years ago.

Minimum Military Enlistment Age: 18 Years Old

Available Military Manpower: 67,742,879
Total Military Personnel: 2,369,239
Active Frontline Personnel: 1,421,950

Yearly Military Expenditure: $518,100,000,000
Available Purchasing Power: $12,410,000,000,000
Reported Gold Reserves: $86,940,000,000

Small Arms Authorized Exports (FY2005) : $533,000,000
Small Arms Authorized Imports (FY2005): $571,000,000

[mountainfolk]

Our mountains and valleys are beautiful this time of year. But then I say that for every season!! We live in an area of the state that is the epitome of “America the Beautiful”. A daily reminder of what we stand to lose if socialists take over this country. Even if Rudy is not the primary winner, the other candidates can sure take a lesson about loyalty to the President and the troops as well as setting priorities and sticking with them. Mountaineers don’t have much time for lollygaging so we can appreciate a man who is energetically purpose driven!

[Txsleuth]

WOW...what a great post, Johnnie.

I had read an article a few weeks ago (sorry, can’t remember where)...about the way the military had been structured in the last 15 years or so....saying that it was on purpose to make the military more “national guard”...

for use “when necessary”.

AH...but not if you are Pres. Bush, you can’t “use them when necessary”....

SO...glad to read your post, much better than I could have explained it.

You add the lack of humint under the Clintonistas and Carter...and you have the whole other problem of not enough spooks in the areas of the world that are necessary for the kind of enemy we have now.

[Txsleuth]

Maybe CIA or DNI, Phsstpok...

condsidering how instrumental Guiliani was in going after the Mafia...he should be extra attuned to intelligence gathering methods.

[MNJohnnie]

So one of the Clintonites that let Bin Laden morph from a minor irritation to a mass murdering monster has decided Afghanistan is a waste of our time too. And anyone is surprised by this? Notice who's fault this prime example of Democrat Party Leadership cadre, has decided 09-11-01 is. Does anyone REALLY think these clowns will fight the war in Afghanistan? Or any where else for that matter if we let them surrender Iraq?

Known as "Anonymous" when his book, Imperial Hubris, came out in 2004, Michael Scheuer served in the CIA for 22 years and as chief of the bin Laden unit of the Director of Central Intelligence Counterterrorist Center from 1996-1999. Since publication of Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror, and his subsequent resignation from the CIA in November, 2004, Scheuer has offered informed, passionate, and controversial commentary on U.S. policy in the Middle East. Frustrated with the Bush Administration's simplistic portrayal of terrorists as "freedom haters," he talked with BuzzFlash about the anti-American insurgency and the American foreign policy choices that he believes fuel it.

An advocate of frank discussion of the Muslim perspective, he both urges us, and helps us, to understand this war, and why it won't be easy to end. He also characterizes our recent U.S. presidential campaign as "completely barren on both sides of any discussion of the foreign policy issues that are at play in this war..." We don't agree with everything Scheuer has to say (we think, for instance, there is a distinction to be made between the Sharon Likud government and Israel, just as there is a distinction to be made between the Bush government and America), but he knows terrorism about as well as anybody and needs to be heard.

[Txsleuth]

I read a column by David Frum recently....and he actually said that part of the GOP’s problems right now stem from Bush’s “misguided attempt to privatize Socialy Security”...

Well...Mr. FRUM, used to be a Bush speechwriter..and HAS to know better...but is still spewing mischaracterizations of Bush’s idea, number 1....

and number 2, to actually call that a FAILING, is just so totally WHY the ‘punditocracy’ is so out of touch with Americans.

Even my son and daughter, who are a tad more liberal than I am...were excited about the possibilty of a portion of their SS taxes to be handled by themselves...

Oh...well....with supposed “conservative pundits” like Frum....the GOP will never win...IMHO>

[MNJohnnie]

Oh yeah, the whole idea was sold as a “military on a budget” plan. They sold this as a way the politicians could have their “fiscal conservative” cake and and eat their pork too. I may be being overly paranoid but I do think there were those in the Democrat party who saw it also as a way to make it MUCH harder to use the US Military for anything serious ever.

Deploying a Guard unit has a much larger emotional impact on a community then deploying a regular military unit. I think there was a cold political calculation made that that would suit the Boomers ideological outlook just fine. Plus it is a marvelous engine for pork barrel spending since you can hide building a new armory or refurbishing the Guards HQ as “Defense” spending.

[Txsleuth]

LOL...NO, if you don’t support Rudy, you picked the PERFECT website...

[Txsleuth]

Thank you, Bahbah.

Same back atcha!!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

[kabar]

iSo....I guess even that ex-CIA guy that the networks LOVE to put on for his knowledge....thinks that Afghanistan is a waste of time, like Iraq....

Scheurer represents the conventional wisdom, which is more often wrong than right. I am sure that he didn't predict the fall of the Berlin Wall or the disintegration of the Soviet Union either. I saw and heard some of the political reporting coming out of Warsaw during the days of Solidarnosc and out of Berlin in the mid-80s. I was in Berlin during Reagan's 1987 "Mr, Gorbachev, tear down this wall" speech. No one of any government agency predicted that just two years later, the wall would fall. And in fact the State Department tried to take out that phrase several times because they felt it was too confrontational. The Agency has been wrong too many times to take people like Scheurer seriously.

BTW...kabar, I was the “judge” last week, and I had to debate quite a while before giving you 1st Place...your posts were well thought out..and you didn’t back down from any and all other posters that had different opinions. However, if/when I judge a thread again, I can’t/won’t do that for you or anyone else that chooses to get personal, and make snarky attacks...

I don't respond on this thread to be judged or get awards. I express my honest opinions. I am puzzled as to why you find it necessary to raise this with me publicly. Am I supposed to feel grateful? Who is choosing to get personal?

[MNJohnnie]

Even if Rudy is not the primary winner, the other candidates can sure take a lesson about loyalty to the President and the troops as well as setting priorities and sticking with them

Yep I sure got to agree with you whole heartedly there. I not real sure what to think about Rudy as a political candidate but I got to admire the spine of the man. Such a refreshing change from the twist in the wind with the latest poll behavior of the Clintonites.

[Candor7]

That was a great read.

[Candor7]

Has anyone ashed whether OUR Congress is taking the summer off?

[vzevm0ka]

Great nuggets, Anita.

[Txsleuth]

Thanks Johnnie...I guess that certainly explains why he is so popular with the MSM.

Oh..and Richard Clarke as well.

Pffffffft

[vzevm0ka]

I agree with your post, altura.

[Candor7]

I am reeling from Mike Wallace asking the Romneys if they had premarital sex (on 60 Minutes tonight). They said "No".>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I can't believe they stooped to answer.No president would have.

Of course Mitt would have risen in my estimation if he had replied: "with your sister!"

[Txsleuth]

I apologize if I offended you about doing it “publicly”...I just don’t like to do things “secretly”...

I hope you read what I said, totally....because it wasn’t just aimed at you.

I know what a great contributor you are to this thread..and I felt last week you were above and beyond your usual.

I don’t think YOU or anyone else posts on this thread to get awarded. I think if any of us felt that were true...the awards would have stopped long ago.

No...you don’t have to feel “grateful” if you don’t want to, that is also a good thing about these awards. One can enjoy them and enjoy seeing what happens each week..or, one can ignore them. Freedom of choice and opinion.

This thread is about the last bastion of that here...IMHO

[mountainfolk]

I am looking forward to the candidates debate Tuesday. The more exposure they all get, the better we get to know them. I recall thinking that George Bush was awful the first time I saw the candidates debate. The more practice he got the more comfortable he became with that forum. By the time he got to Gore he was no longer a novice thinking he was pitted against an honorable foe. Cheering our guys on——

[Txsleuth]

I know they will take at least a week off for Memorial DAY, at the end of this month.

They will take at least a week of for Independence DAY, in July..

They will take August off for Summer RECESS.

They will also take a week off for Labor DAY.