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Open Thread: Obama Tries to Mop Up Syria Mess With Frantically Rewritten Speech
Townhall.com ^ | September 10, 2013 | Guy Benson

Posted on 09/10/2013 5:33:01 PM PDT by Kaslin

Does anyone believe the president had the foggiest idea what he'll say tonight as recently as mid-afternoon?  He's blown through three different Syria policies -- that we know of -- in the last 48 hours.  And because he promised America a speech, a speech we shall receive.  How will he frame his remarks?  Will they be tailored primarily for a domestic political audience, or for America's adversaries, who have been running rings around him while giggling?  My guess is that he'll issue a deadline and an ultimatum, while talking a lot about how US pressure created an opening for diplomacy to work.  Everyone wins!  Assad gets off with a sternly-worded letter, Putin thoroughly routs the US on the world stage, and Obama stops his political bleeding at home.  Let's update the farcical "smart power" parade:  (1) Syria's regime says it suddenly wants to sign the international anti-chemical weapons treaty, and declare its arsenal...which they've "declared" several times in recent months.  (2) The Obama administration is trying to pretend that John Kerry's screw-up yesterday is what they'd been planning all along.  The shamelessness of this lie is astounding, given their own quotes from yesterday.  (3) Putin, having exploited Kerry's turnover, has again embarrassed the US, this time by derailing his own proposal at the UN.  He's demanding that the US stand down on even the threat of military force, and will no doubt push for a watered-down, toothless UN resolution.  In case you're curious, action at Turtle Bay has been...postponed.  How is the Left is reacting to all of this?  With a hodgepodge of denial and wish-casting:

If Syria actually declares its stockpiles and signs the treaty, would make it *really* hard for them to use weapons again. — Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 10, 2013


I can't believe the White House's strategy on Syria is working out this well. I doubt they can, either. — Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) September 10, 2013


Does Hayes recall that Assad has already used chemical weapons on several occasions, then adamantly denied doing so, with PR assists from Moscow?  But I'm sure signing a piece of paper will make everything different.  It's not like Russia has a Security Council veto or anything, right?  As for Klein, I'm not sure what else to say.  The Capitol Hill whip count is as ugly as ever -- including in the Senate -- so The One wants the vote delayed.  It will thus be delayed. How Obama will address the Congressional side of all this tonight is anyone's guess, but it will probably involve many references to diplomacy and deliberation.  In the meantime, as we await (and watch) the president's speech, be sure to read today's must-read pieces:  For the third time, here's Julia Ioffe in the New Republic explaining how Obama "got played by Putin and Assad," plus the UK Telegraph's Charles Crawford recapping "the worst day in Western diplomatic history." We'll be back with quick analysis after this thing is in the books.  Parting thought: Rand Paul was planning to deliver response to Obama's case for bombing Syria (which was the original point of this speech). How can Paul respond to an unpredictable address that's been substantially re-written several times? The fun begins at 9pm ET. 


UPDATE - One more: Max Boot shreds the Assad/Putin/Kerry plan.  And by the way, our "allies" in the Syrian opposition are vowing to join forces with Al Qaeda -- one of the many reasons these numbers look the way they do.

UPDATE II
- As far as predictions go, I think Peggy Noonan is spot on, all the way down to the inevitable shameless spin.


TOPICS: Editorial
KEYWORDS: 0bama; 911truthers; antiwardotcom; basharalassad; bellylaughs; giggles; lewrockwelldotcom; lowcomedy; randsconcerntrolls; syria; vladimirputin
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To: Kaslin

I hope they load the wrong version into the TP.


21 posted on 09/10/2013 5:50:57 PM PDT by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: laplata
"Their boy" is an indecisive Moslem who does well moving the Socialist Project "forward." The fact that he is Mohammedan sends him off into some strange alleys and some blind alleys, strange even for them, though. It scares them. They thought, still think mostly, that Islam is the best way to move into the Bureaucratic Socialist Dictatorship that is their dream. Islam looks to be nearly the same as the Communist Utopia but the tiny little differences can throw the ship into some hazardous channels and guarantee that whichever totalitarian system does eliminate Freedom and Capitalism will have to fight a far more vicious war with the other.

Totalitarians of all stripes can be allies for at time but eventually they must go for each other's throats until all but one version is extinct then the truly desparate and vicious internecine warfare will commence.

22 posted on 09/10/2013 5:52:48 PM PDT by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's Economics In One Lesson ONLINE http://steshaw.org/econohttp://www.fee.org/library/det)
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To: mountainlion

Colorado is one, I don’t know what the other one is


23 posted on 09/10/2013 5:52:54 PM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Venturer

I simply cannot stand to listen to the guy. I would much rather find out on FR.


24 posted on 09/10/2013 5:53:34 PM PDT by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's Economics In One Lesson ONLINE http://steshaw.org/econohttp://www.fee.org/library/det)
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To: tumblindice
I doubt we'll see the equivalent of Mush from the Wimp over any reviews of the speech in the LSM.
25 posted on 09/10/2013 5:58:09 PM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: Kaslin

He will try to position himself to take credit for Putin’s initiate.


26 posted on 09/10/2013 5:58:13 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: miserare
Did Obama remember to put the embassies on alert?

"Embassies!?! Oh, crap, I though my chief of staff said 'NBC.' Of course I put them on alert." - 0bama

27 posted on 09/10/2013 5:58:18 PM PDT by TigersEye (Stupid is a Progressive disease.)
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To: Kaslin

No one I know will be watching so it doesn’t matter what he says. Whose BP can stand even two minutes of the Liberal’s lies?


28 posted on 09/10/2013 6:01:46 PM PDT by ExTexasRedhead
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To: arthurus

Well: It’s not like he is going to say anything worth listening to anyway.


29 posted on 09/10/2013 6:02:55 PM PDT by Venturer ( cowardice posturing as tolerance =political correctness)
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To: TigersEye

Hah!


30 posted on 09/10/2013 6:03:22 PM PDT by miserare (Fire Eric Holder!)
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To: ExTexasRedhead

The mice are picking up every time his hands touch the podium!


31 posted on 09/10/2013 6:03:27 PM PDT by freemama
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To: Brad's Gramma


32 posted on 09/10/2013 6:03:47 PM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: freemama

Mice=mics


33 posted on 09/10/2013 6:04:01 PM PDT by freemama
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To: arthurus

Yes, Noonan is low on my list too, but her commentary was quite good for a change, and one point in particular was, imo, the best she’s made in years:

“All this, if it is roughly correct, is going to make the president’s speech tonight quite remarkable. It will be a White House address in which a president argues for an endeavor he is abandoning. It will be a president appealing for public support for an action he intends not to take.”

A deadly display of knifework, that.


34 posted on 09/10/2013 6:04:20 PM PDT by HomeAtLast
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To: Kaslin

YUP


35 posted on 09/10/2013 6:04:57 PM PDT by KSCITYBOY
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To: Kaslin

Only about half gray tonight. Just enough white to look wise but enough black to look vigorous.


36 posted on 09/10/2013 6:05:07 PM PDT by DManA
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To: arthurus

Very good analysis!

The evil creature is not going to see a good ending.


37 posted on 09/10/2013 6:07:01 PM PDT by laplata (Liberals don't get it .... their minds are diseased.)
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To: Kaslin

I am so thankful Rizzoli and Isles is not going to be interrupted by the useless liar. I can check in here every once in a while to see if anything of interest is happening!!


38 posted on 09/10/2013 6:07:42 PM PDT by beethoven
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To: Kaslin

Oh help me. He’s on now and I can’t turn the channel. It’s another drone attack - he’s droning on and on...it’s unbearable.


39 posted on 09/10/2013 6:09:14 PM PDT by JudyinCanada
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To: miserare

I believe that. He’s so pathetic in so many ways.


40 posted on 09/10/2013 6:10:00 PM PDT by laplata (Liberals don't get it .... their minds are diseased.)
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