Richard Wolffe on Countdown said the speech was all about getting out.

[tabatha]

That is, build up troops so that the US can get out faster.

[valerief]

1. Yes. I've had lots of sex so I could stay a virgin. nt

[polichick]

2. LOL

[tabatha]

4. simpleton.

[valerief]

6. Wolffe sure is. nt

[Cha]

8. Not even close.

[valerief]

9. Orwell said it best: War is Peace. nt

[DontTreadOnMe]

3. Escalate to End the war?

Pour more gas to put the fire out?

[tabatha]

5. Watch the interview.

He made sense, you don't.

[Sukie]

14. Wolfe made sense and Obama's objectives in Afghanistan

make absolute sense. We are all very fortunate that that man is our president at this moment, instead of any repub.

[HipChick]

16. Agree..+1000

[Fire1]

24. +100. n/t

[cbdo2007]

31. Good point Sukie!

I'm behind Obama on this. The rest of DU will come around but it'll take them a few months. Then they'll all think the surge was a great idea and claim credit for it.

[GeorgeGist]

38. I haven't forgotten that Wolfe was smitten ...

with Colin Powell's dog and pony show at the UN.

[ShamelessHussy]

22. that's why he gets paid the BIG $$$

it makes plenty of sense from the cheap seats

[NoSheep]

30. Thank you.

[Windy]

17. You are quite the simplistic sort aren't you... you expect simplicity for a difficult problem...

Wow...No better than the rightwingers

[dflprincess]

21. I wonder if his plans include destroying villages to save them?

:shrug:

He sings it nicer - but I've heard this song before. Didn't buy then, don't buy it now.

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. LOL!!!

:silly:

[NYC_SKP]

10. Thanks, but there are people who've made up their mind not to listen.

And I'm cool with that.

I thrive on others' faux outrage.

Most never supported the president in the first place.

[noise]

18. Faux outrage?

Are you kidding?

[NYC_SKP]

23. Obama campaigns on shifting forces to Afghanistan, is then elected, now people are shocked.

Yes, faux outrage.

[noise]

27. People aren't shocked

They are pissed. Of all the campaign promises the one he keeps is the Iraq surge II?

[Skittles]

34. CORRECT

they are disappointed and disgusted more than shocked

[Fire1]

25. Ditto. n/t

[ColonelTom]

11. Same stunt Bush tried to pull.

Build up the troop numbers, then say we'll reduce numbers in a few years. Reduce from the new higher number, that is.

Sorry, Mr. President. No sale.

[tridim]

13. Obama isn't Bush, at all. nt

[noise]

15. Obama shouldn't be held to a different standard

If it was wrong when Bush did it...

[tridim]

20. Bush ignored Afghanistan for 7 years, Obama is trying to end it.

[Fire1]

26. BINGO!!!! n/t

[NoSheep]

32. That is an insane statement. Are you really that simple?

[noise]

12. Whose payroll is Wolfe on these days? n/t

[ShamelessHussy]

19. brilliant, counter intuitive strategy

how many times will we repeat it i wonder?

[bridgit]

28. Well, no, I've heard people say these things must be done delllli-cately or you'll *hurt* the spell

[NoSheep]

29. Sorry, but I happen to agree.

[lamp_shade]

33. That's how I read the speech too. It was all about getting out.

[Skidmore]

35. Actually, I think there is truth to that and I believe that by making money requests

for future action that he is cueing up Congress to do its job and vote them down--taking the fuel out of the fire. Has anyone else thought this as well. I believe that as uncomfortable as some of these decisions are, part of the reset is to restore powers across the branches of government. Congress has been so used to being *'s whipping boy that they are still reluctant to do anything but be nervous. Time for people to step up. As for the plan the President put forth, I understand why he crafted it, having lived in the ME for an extended period of time. The world there just doesn't operate nicely to fit our Western ideas of order and nicety. It just doesn't. That is a fact.

[KharmaTrain]

36. Go Big And Go Home???

While I was not happy, I could understand why the withdrawl from Iraq was taking as long as it is. I want ALL our troops out of that cesspool of the world and ASAP. The Afghanistan move doesn't jive since wracheting up conflict won't pacify things quicker, it's sure to enbolden the Taliban and others.

What Obama and so many others fail to comprehend...or do so willingly, is one can only "liberate" for a short period of time. We liberated France and our troops were gone within a year...or even Kuwait...got out of there even faster. But the US role as "liberators" in Afghanistan ended the day Karzai walked into power. He's viewed as the American stooge/crook and our supporting his corrupt regime only spreads resentment and puts us in the position of occupier.

Sadly I heard no end game here...no real clear benchmarks that would mean getting out...just essoterics. Sad...very sad...as we're now on a slippery slope to create a victory that doesn't exist nor will endure.

[GeorgeGist]

37. How Palinesque