Posted on 05/07/2006 3:10:45 PM PDT by churchillbuff
...A plan for the administration? Free advice is worth the price, but here goes:
[snip]
Issue 1: Iraq, Afghanistan and the age of terror. On these, stabilize, fortify, succeed. Keep America safe. ...Find Osama--it is a scandal that the man who started the new era is still free, still taunting the West, still inspiring those who see the world as he does. It was a mistake to think finding him was not as important as a wider war on terror. Finding him is key. It is almost five years since he did what he did. Get him, try him, kill him.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
Interesting article.
But I'd make item 3 number 2, or better yet, tie it into item 1 where it belongs.
As for Osama - he's been successfully neutralized.
The real target is Zarqaui - or however you spell his name, and the nuclear armed Iranians.
LOL...I agree with you...I didn't read the whole column, it seems that Peggy jumped the shark a few years ago for whatever reason...
AND, there have been current military that have said that Afghanistan had as many troops after the war in Iraq started as before...they just changed some places...
AND, I dare Noonan go to Afghanistan and ask the troops why they haven't found Bin Ladin.
You don't know what the Special Ops are doing..and you are not supposed to...
Therefore, I am sure the Special Ops would NOT be happy if President Bush or anyone was to tell Musharraf or anyone what they are doing...
So...I wouldn't castigate President Bush unless you have proof that they aren't doing what you demand.
To throw some facts into the discussion, Peggy Noonan wrote very little for George Bush the Elder. She worked for him on the 1988 campaign, she may have written his Inaugural (I don't remember), but she was never hired in his White House. Oh, and she was very good for George H.W. Bush when she wrote his acceptance speech. It was a good speech - some say his best - and has always been considered very helpful to Bush's presidential bid. It is, incidentally, one of the few speeches he gave that anyone remembers.
I give them a day, two at tops.
Yeah, right. And I suppose you have photos to prove that.
Tony is going to be pounced upon right from the start. All about Goss and the rumors. It will be ugly as usual.
Oh yes, memorable as the often ridiculed thousand points of light......midnight basketball and all that garbagola.
As President Bush said, we don't see OBL leading any parades these days.
Hmmmm, I suppose the next thing you'll be telling us is that the 130,00+ troops in Iraq are also feverishly on the trail of Osama. To hear and see this administration carry on about the WOT, they'd have us think that Hussein was the culprit that started it all and now his a** is ours, at the same time Bin Laden is nothing more than a fleeting memory whose capture is no longer relevant.
It's like letting up on capturing the bank robber because we have his cousin's girlfriend's baby sitter in custody.
After 9/11 Bush started flailing and at first it was impressive and made him look presidential but when the smoke settled and the world saw he was flailing in the wrong direction his image changed from presidential to Dufus in Chief.
Personally, I think President Bush is far smarter than you think, has done an excellent job, and will go down as one of the great presidents in history.
I'll grant you your opinion, but in return will you at least admit he's done a pretty good job of hiding it from us ("is far smarter than you think, has done an excellent job")?
I will grant that if you listen to the mainstream media, these things don't get much play. I do think the President's PR has been woefully lacking, and I hope that Tony Snow will cause an improvement.
I did my time fella.....but, if they'd take me now, I'd go...
There IS such a thing as retribution whether he is the head man or not. I'm sure when you are 'consulting' with the administration because of your expert knowledge on the subject of terrorism and its topology, you can remind them of that fact.
Considering his height and weight, a human giraffe would be a good target leading a parade.
Osama is really out of the picture.
We have to concentrate on his clones and proteges and not let the media hype up a character of no real consequence any longer.
Besides, sooner or later, we'll get him anyway.
We didn't have a terrorist attack here before 9/11 either, does he get credit for that also? There's a big difference between the terrorists and the Bush Presidency. The terrorists plan thoroughly, execute and get the job done whereas the Bush administration seem to just close their eyes and hit in all directions like a kid whacking at a pinata.
he got Oday and Usay killed
Whoopie doo and pray tell exactly what kind of threat were these two rapists to the security of the USA?
and Saddam captured,
And now what? Is there peace and tranquility in Iraq? Are our troops out of Iraq?
the Taliban are hiding in the hills,
Oh come on, the Taliban were in the hills years before we got there and they'll be in the hills long after we're gone. That's where these people live, for goodness sake. All they have to show in Afghanistan for all our sacrifices are a few well guarded enclaves where they sit around pretending to have a free democratic nation while the countryside belongs to the Taliban.
we have tax cuts
I'll grant you that I recall reading about them but until I see any positive effect on my financial well being I'm from Missouri.
and two good Supreme Court justices.
Only time will tell but I'll give you that one.
All of these things are common knowledge.
If the above are your reasons for rating him as one of our greatest presidents, all I can do is shake my head in amazement as to how little it takes to impress you.
I am sure you hold yourself up as a shining example.
This President doesn't meet the standards of greatness for anyone with half a brain. Two thirds of the people feel his job performance sucks; no recommendation for greatness there.
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