Posted on 01/25/2009 9:07:51 AM PST by chuck_the_tv_out
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama faced down his three top military officials in a policy confrontation during his very first day in office, U.S. military sources have told UPI.
On Wednesday, the president met with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen and Central Command commander four-star Gen. David Petraeus. Gates, supported by Mullen and Petraeus, vigorously argued that the president should back away from his campaign pledge to withdraw all U.S. combat forces from Iraq within the next 16 months and space out the withdrawal over a longer period of time. However, the president instructed the three officials to prepare a plan that would still implement the 16-month withdrawal period, Pentagon sources said.
The discussion between the president and the three officials was friendly and respectful. However, the president's determination to implement his stated policy took the officials by surprise, one of the sources told UPI.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
The left has put a weak girlie man into our commander in chief position. A man who thinks HE KNOWS what is best for our nation and who is going to RUIN our military. Get ready.
We are in deep trouble.
Obummer is filled with power and saturated with a huge ego that does not allow him to LISTEN to SOUND ADVICE from experts.
He is going to cause the fall of Iraq, the killing of hundreds of thousands, the reemergence of Osama's legions from hell and set in stone that our own PRECIOUS BRAVE and LOYAL troops sacrificed FOR NOTHING.
Reid was SO SURE we would lose in Iraq that he said we already had lost a couple of years ago. Remember?
Well...of course...we are not losing, we have basically won, we are prepared to stay for years and help this wondrous country develop their own breed of democracy by providing them stability (Just like we did in Japan, Germany, etc after WW II) and OBUMMER is going to CRUSH all of THIS to satisfy the lefts sick desire ignore other nations in desperate need of military help.
Obummer probably thinks he can rely on the UN (you know how leftists like to pass the buck) when situations arise that require force, a UN that President BUSH tried to attach balls to - nailing Saddam after 17 UN Resolutions were happily ignored by Saddam - a man who knew a paper tiger when he reads one!
Alas, President Bush was unable to attach balls to a UN so corrupt with its own leftist agenda that it still remains girlified.
Obummer is NOT QUALIFED to be our commander in chief. My heart bleeds for our military commanders and our troops.
We have elected a man to superior to listen to advice from his best counsel. In fact, one of his colleagues at the Univ. of Chicago has said that Obummer is unable to listen. Period.
(I bet Hillary and Bill are laughing their asses off over Obummers amazing, dangerous stupidity.)
“They all 3 should announce their retirements because of this and leave him holding the bag on this stupid plan. Tell him to have the key to Bagdad ready to hand to alQueda because that is what he is doing.”
Abso-freakin-lutely. Let him be the sole father of this defeat.
“I won. I’m the president.”
Noted: Therefore
1. You have a country to protect that hasn’t suffered a terrorist attack in 7 years... Don’t let it happen or it will be your responsibility.
2. You have two on-going wars to win. Don’t think everything is over in Iraq. AQ, while hurt, has gone to ground and will strike if you show weakness. You can still lose this war and it will be your fault. The Taliban see you as the next Jimmy Carter and will try to humiliate you by weakening the Pakistani government. You can fail by undermining the Pakistanis which you have already started doing... again it is yours to lose depending on how you play the latest version of the “Great Game”. Win or lose it is your responsibility.
3. The economy is in terrible shape because of government interference in the markets. Clinton encouraged it, Bush wouldn’t fight it because a. every time he tried he was called a racist (not true but a standard winning ploy for Democrats) b. He did not want budgets fights that would interfere with the funding of the GWOT(big mistake... trying to finance a war without getting the country involved in the sacrifice created a spending bubble that exacerbated the current economic down turn). Now it is yours to fix but don’t expect everyone to have “faith” that you know what you are doing. Some people don’t trust you because you HAVE NO EXPERIENCE. Prove you have a sound plan by showing some econometric model outputs that indicate this plan has creditability. If there is a slow (or no) recovery it is your responsibility.
Not all Republicans are like Lindsey Graham. Some of us won’t piss our selves and beg to be petted if you look angry and yell at us.
Bottom line... if you arrogantly assert your authority then don’t be surprised if you are held responsible for what now happens. Your hand is on the rudder now, not W’s.
Maybe someone more knowledgeable than I am could post a list of the Blue Dog Dems, so we could encourage them by writing polite but persuasive letters?
I’m guessing the military will win on this one. This is the first shot.
Large bureaucracies who passionately believe a course of action is wrong CAN end up overruling the President. Just ask the CIA & GWB...
F that. Send the gays and code pinkos to defend osamas policies. Why should our brave sons protect socialism and the abortionists. I am joining code pinko. Get them friggen out everywhere. Let them come bomb us here.
It infuriates me that Barry did not even wait a week before announcing his plan for defeat. I wonder if he even talked to Petraeus or Gates before making the announcement?
What do the Iraqis and our forces think of the plan?
I wonder what it will take to turn Blue Dog Democrats into Republicans. Pelosi is doing everything she can to silence Republicans and prevent them from allying with Blue Dogs.
Amateur hour at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave... I was hoping for the sake of humanity that Barry O would at least be reasonable and listen to the advice of actual experts when it came to foreign policy decisions.
Apparently, that isn’t going to be the case. With his smug attitude and total lack of experience, Obama will likely make Carter look like a foreign policy genius.
bureaucracies just find ways to flow right around him
How this will work in the US Presidency in time of war- will be an interesting process to watch. At least, for those of us who don't have any “skin in the game” (ie, loved ones or subordinates in the line of fire under command of an arrogant incompetent).
Puy up-chuick hagel and Powell in charge after all obsma transforms politics
Puy up-chuick hagel and Powell in charge after all obsma transforms politics
Yes. It's an old picture of him. His thugs hope to increase their presence in the Parliament. A lot of Iraqis think they'll decrease it because they've really ticked a lot of people off with thir mortars and bombs.
If Mookie loses ground, we may be diving into bomb shelters on a regular basis again.
Sigh....
This is no longer a military war but a Political war, just like Nam.
Pray for America, Our Troops and Gen Petreus
UPT “U.S. President Barack Obama faced down his three top military officials...”
UPI “Gates, supported by Mullen and Petraeus, vigorously argued that the president should back away from his campaign pledge to withdraw all U.S. combat forces from Iraq within the next 16 months...”
Hey UPI, you really need to get a better understanding of the term “faced down”! Men who have been “faced down” do not “vigorously argue that the president should back away”.
However, men who understand both their oath to uphold & defend the Constitution, their nation and their troops will vigorously argue their position. These men are also men under authority and will, at the end of the day, either say “Yes, sir” or say, “No, sir, I cannot in good conscience obey that order and am resigning my commission.”
Most of them think announcing a timetable is very dangerous. The only ones who seem to like it are the anti-American Sadrist thugs. But they also despise Obama. Go figure. Sadrists have never made much sense...all they've ever made is a lot of damn noise.
Or those who have put a few years of their lives, hopes and sweat into this and would be devastated if it failed.
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