Day: June 20, 2011

Obama And The War In Afghanistan: Nearing An End?

Barack Obama will make an announcement two days from now on a major troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Back in December, 2009, after careful reflection, Obama announced a 30,000 troop increase to Afghanistan, and made it clear that he would reconsider troop levels after 18 months, but with the goal also of overcoming the threat of Al Qaeda.

Well, with Osama Bin Laden dead, and many Al Qaeda operatives killed, it seems as if this terror network is far less of a threat, and just as Defense Secretary Robert Gates is about to leave at the end of this month, and as Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman and others in the Republican Party are starting to advocate getting out of Afghanistan, Obama will be making a profound, significant speech on Wednesday, setting the future of a war which cannot be won, and is bleeding us dry!

It is hoped that the troop withdrawal will be a major one, particularly with some Republicans advocating the same, and with the NATO nations involved in the war rapidly de-escalating their own involvement in the war, including Canada and Great Britain.

With the budget crisis this nation faces, it is essential to bring troops home and stop adding to the national debt in a conflict that cannot be won in a classic way. It is time to declare victory over Al Qaeda, while keeping ourselves on guard, and get out of Afghanistan as soon as possible!

The Assault On Mitt Romney In His Own Party

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney may be ahead in all of the polls for the Republican Presidential nomination, but that is not necessarily good news.

By being the front runner so early, Romney becomes the target for all the discontented groups in the party, who would prefer someone else.

All elements of the party are assaulting him, which may have the effect of weakening a person who could be the strongest nominee for the party.

Social conservatives are suspicious of him because he was once pro choice and for gay rights.

The Tea Party conservatives don’t like the “RomneyCare” health care plan put into law in Massachusetts under his Governorship.

The religious conservatives don’t like that he is a Mormon, which evangelical Christians feel is not truly Christian.

The foreign policy conservatives, led by John McCain and Lindsey Graham, are angry that Romney has suggested a path out of Afghanistan, which they regard as reckless and dangerous to the national security. And McCain has NEVER like Romney on a personal level, and this weekend, accused him of being an “isolationist” in his views on foreign policy and troop commitment.

And the “Establishment” Republicans, led by the Bush family and its followers, and particularly President George H. W. Bush, are favoring former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, who is about to enter the Presidential battle, and is a major threat to Romney’s support.

So Romney must, right now, be feeling battle scarred, as it becomes evident that IF he is to win the nomination of the party and have a chance at the Presidency itself, it will only be through much “blood, sweat, and tears”!

Any chance that the GOP could win the Presidency and make major gains in Congress could go down the tubes because of the internal struggle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party!