Posted on 07/02/2010 12:57:13 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican Party leader Michael Steele faced heavy criticism and calls for his resignation on Friday after blaming President Barack Obama for the Afghanistan war and suggesting it could not be won.
At a Republican fundraiser in Connecticut on Thursday, Steele was videotaped while criticizing Obama's decision to bolster the Afghanistan war effort. The comments contradicted the stance of the party, which has consistently pushed for more troops and funding in Afghanistan.
"This was a war of Obama's choosing," said Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee. "This is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in."
Steele also called the recent resignation of Afghan war commander General Stanley McChrystal "comical" and made fun of Obama for deciding to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
...
The United States invaded Afghanistan under Republican President George W. Bush in retaliation for the September 11, 2001, attacks by al Qaeda, whose leaders had taken refuge there.
The comments sparked a wave of criticism from Democrats and calls for Steele's resignation, led by prominent Republican conservative columnist Bill Kristol.
"Needless to say, the war in Afghanistan was not 'a war of Obama's choosing,'" Kristol said in a blog on the Weekly Standard magazine site. "It has been prosecuted by the United States under Presidents Bush and Obama. Republicans have consistently supported the effort.
"There are, of course, those who think we should pull out of Afghanistan and they're certainly entitled to make their case. But one of them shouldn't be the chairman of the Republican Party."
Steele issued a statement trying to extricate himself from the controversy, saying Obama's shift in the U.S. military focus from Iraq to Afghanistan means "this is his strategy."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
WTF, I had to check the calendar to see if it was April 1st..
That's true. I have been kind of baffled by Obama's approach. I remember him talking smack about Pakistan, and about Afghanistan, and I wonder... why is he so into Afghanistan and so opposed to Iraq? I don't get it.
Why is it that politics attracts the lowest and dumbest quadrant of society??
*******************
For the idle, narcissistic egotist, what other path offers so much opportunity to showboat, abuse people, and live well and securely?
Dillinger robbed banks because he just wanted the money. If he had other character defects he might have run for office.
My relatives who are fighting in Afghn. understand why they are there and must stay there and win.
We could pull out tomorrow and will have the same problems, only on our soil.
That’s true. I have been kind of baffled by Obama’s approach. I remember him talking smack about Pakistan, and about Afghanistan, and I wonder... why is he so into Afghanistan and so opposed to Iraq? I don’t get it.
***************
Most of the Democrats took this position. I think it was simply kneejerk to do whatever was the opposite of Bush’s policy in any given area. Suddenly, they actually had to deliver after the utter routs in ‘06 and ‘08 left hem in charge.
Ken Blackwell, pick up the red courtesy phone
Deliberate sabotage—like when Chris Darden torpedoed the OJ trial with the gloves debacle?
I watched Orca Winfrey a few years ago, not something I usually do. It so happened Darden was on that day. He told Orca, when she asked him about Mark Fuhrman, that when Darden and Johnnie Cochran were chatting before the trial started that the prosecution would have trouble with “that white boy”.
Fatso Orca chuckled at that-kind of ironic, Darden and Cochrane slurred Fuhrman racially, which was no big deal, but Fuhrman, who was more of a man than either of those POSs, was dragged through the mud for using similar slurs in a private conversation.
Brainless Steele is stupid and bigmouthed-like a suntanned Biden, but he may in fact do something on purpose. Race trumps all for these folks.
To me the problem is that he is not really into the war. He demanded rules of engagement that place our troops in harms way because he does not give a you know what about our troops. It is Viet Nam all over again.
We are fighting a war where one of the political parties (DNC) is an ally of the enemy. We did it once...we should be smart enough not to do it again.
The border is wide open and evidence shows they are already here. You will be fighting them in the US along with the drug cartels and the communist regime in power.
We have been understanding (recognizing all the intra-party intrigue that goes on), forgiving (realizing good intentions are not always put forth with the best action), patient (O.K, everyone makes mistakes and CAN learn from them) and willing to ignore slips of the tongue and mere communication gaffs; but no more.
We should have said “no more” when Steele spoke of some of the inside-the-GOP complaints about his performance as complaints that would have been with-held by everyone if he were not Black. That was as untrue as is his view on what “the GOP” position has been, and is, on the security efforts in Afghanistan.
His current error is not about what any of us think about what’s going on in Afghanistan now; it’s not about what any of us individually think about how much longer we will maintain the effort or should do so.
It’s about what “the GOP” thinks, and HAS thought of the efforts in Afghanistan.
He has totally mis-stated the dominant GOP policy point of view on Afghanistan, from inception of hostilities there to now, from GW Bush and majorities in the GOP in Congress, every year since we took down the Taliban government, to now, and among majorities within the grass roots of the GOP during that same period of time. His statement is not the reflection of a “GOP” view; if anything, it is purely his own.
One cannot be the national “leader” of a political party and speak on such a major issue with an opinion that does not have, never had, most of the party behind it. The party is not and will not follow such a person.
He needs to go - NOW.
I live 20 miles north of the largest and busiest border crossing in the world, San Diego - Tijuana, Mexico.
Don’t tell me about illegals.
We have to deal with both, not one or the other.
Race trumps all for these folks.
*************
For many, but not all. Alan Keyes, Thomas Sowell and Justice Thomas come to mind.
Appointing Thomas was the best thing G. H. W. Bush did in his term.
Pan_Yan just said, “Where was Michael Steele on September 12, 2001?”
What the hell is Steele thinking? Obama is showing no interest in winning Afghanistan. Why doesn’t Steele just let this be?
LOL!!! Excellent point. I concede to the master!!
Well, party leaders wanted an affirmative action head. And they got it. I wonder when he’ll declare that the party is incapable of winning in November.
This is what the RNC gets for hiring idiots.
Maybe he is going to the strip clubs on the RNC’s dime again.
You are so ignorant on all your points!
We went to WAR in Afghanistan with Bush...we had two WARS..Iraq and Afghanistan.
Only a moron would think we should “pull out of afghanistan”...we CAN”T NOW! Can you say Pakistan????
where do you think al Quida is?
and your comments about Kristol belong on the Daily Kos.!
why don’t you just join cindy sheehan with your attitudes?
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.