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Monday, July 30, 2007
Progress is being made in Iraq, NYTimes admits
The New York Times ran a potentially seismic op-ed piece today by Michael O’Hanlon and Ken Pollack of the left leaning Brookings Institute.
These two authors have just returned from a trip to Iraq, and they saw what everyone else has seen – noteworthy progress in the wake of the troop surge.
Also, New York Times correspondent John Burns was interviewed by Hugh Hewitt and Mr. Burns noted the progress that has been made on the ground since the troop surge kicked in.
Posted by Winston on July 30, 2007 in Current Affairs | Permalink
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Comments
Oh, no! What will the Leftoids say to this news? Especially with their herald, the New York Slimes giving credence to this achievement.
Posted by: obc | 2007-07-30 9:11:50 PM
...maybe they are trying reverse psychology?
Posted by: tomax7 | 2007-07-30 9:30:46 PM
Indeed, what will Congress and the Democrats say now that their entire campaign is going down the tubes.
Posted by: DML | 2007-07-30 9:35:09 PM
DML, OBC
Didn't you hear Harry Reid today saying the war is lost, again?
Posted by: Winston | 2007-07-30 9:38:29 PM
Harry Reid? You mean the jerk took time off from his vast questionable real estate empire, and the contracts offered to his four sons and son-in-law? You know, the scandals that would have been front page news had they been exposed with Republicans involved?
How many of you know that Senator Diane Feinstein (DemoRat-California)had to resign from the Armed Forces Committee two months ago because she was directing government contracts to her husband's businesses?
You mean CBC & CTV didn't report this? I'm shocked!
Posted by: obc | 2007-07-30 10:07:02 PM
"Given the number of family appointees in the Bush administration," observes Adam Bellow, author of In Praise of Nepotism: A Natural History, "I would consider it highly inconsistent to start pointing the finger at anyone's family ties." At least three of these nepotism hires came to grief. Janet Rehnquist left her job as inspector general at the Health and Human Services Department shortly before the General Accounting Office reported that she'd kept a gun in her office (the District of Columbia bans firearms possession); "exhibited [other] serious lapses in judgment"; and "fostered an atmosphere of anxiety and distrust." Labor unions muscled Eugene Scalia out of his job as acting solicitor at the Labor Department because of his opposition to regulating ergonomics. And Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, risks seeing a high-profile decision to ease rules on media ownership overturned by the Republican-controlled Congress." (For additional examples of nepotism hires in the Bush administration, see this Atlantic Monthly excerpt from Bellow's book.)
Bush keeps it all in the family
"Vice President Dick Cheney's son-in-law, Philip Perry, has been named deputy attorney general. Secretary of State Colin Powell's son, Michael Powell, is the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Powell was appointed to the FCC by President Clinton in 1997 and elevated to chairman earlier this year. Bush also re-appointed him to another term on the commission, until 2007.
Budget Director Mitchell Daniels' sister, Deborah, has been appointed assistant attorney general. Deputy White House press secretary Scott McClellan's brother is on the president's Council of Economic Advisers.
The brother of White House political director Ken Mehlman -- Bruce -- is an assistant secretary of commerce.
In the broader Republican family, relatives of Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Antonin Scalia also have been picked for plum posts in the Bush administration. Janet Rehnquist is the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Eugene Scalia is solicitor general at the Labor Department. He was one of Bush's attorneys when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the then-Republican presidential candidate in the Florida election case."
The problem with unbounded meritoctacy is that the idiots have no excuse for their failure.
Posted by: DJ | 2007-07-30 11:26:49 PM
That's a very good post DJ. Thanks.
Posted by: Marc | 2007-07-30 11:32:30 PM
Burns phrazes his comments for the interviewer. Last week while reporting from Iraq for CBC, Peter Mansbridge, he was a lot more negative, guess he had to fallow the CBC left line that Iraq is a failure
Posted by: Barrie | 2007-07-31 9:36:16 AM
Why do you think CBC viewership is in the doldrums?
Posted by: obc | 2007-07-31 10:15:14 AM
One has to be careful dealing with the Ultra Liberal New York Times, I have been reading the Grey Lady for years but still remain skeptical of most stuff published in the controversial newspaper (of record in the United States) one cannot read the Times on a regular basis without giving thought to the career of Walter Dulanty who lied on an hourly basis about the Soviet Union from his perch as Stalin's stooge
in Moscow. I get the Times every morning but long experience with their bullshit has forced me to "glance" at the nonsense. I expect Rupert Murdoch
will buy out Mr. Sulzberger. Macleod. Only the CBC and BBC are worse than The Grey Lady.
Posted by: jack macleod | 2007-07-31 11:33:35 AM
Pollack is the author of The Threatening Storm (still available), the definitive book on the pre-invasion situation in Iraq.
The book came out and I read it in its entirety before the invasion. I continue to be amazed at how many issues brought out in the book continue to be topical.
For example, Pollack pointed out the failure of the Oil-For-Food program AT LEAST three years before the MSM brought it out.
Pollack is a former CIA researcher whose expertise in the area is unquestioned.
He also authored The Persian Puzzle (also available at amazon.com), which outlined the issues in Iran.
For those who prefer to continue to live in ignorance, there's always rabble.com.
Posted by: set you free | 2007-07-31 11:47:06 AM
You are right syf - Pollock also contributes to the
Armed Forces Journal Washington DC, and the War College West Point NY - and also appears from time to time on the US Site: Military.Com. His "The Persian Puzzle" is the best analysis of the Islamic Republic of Iran. MacLeod
Posted by: Jack Macleod | 2007-07-31 12:03:36 PM
Don't be fooled by the NYT. They are paving the way back for the Left from defeatist attitudes and cut and run policy for the Democrats.
The reason is that it will be easier to have the media lead the way back than to suddenly have to have prez candidates change their minds about what they wish for Iraq and America.
The war is being won and it is now becoming undeniable even for the Leftists in the Democratic party.
The writing that was on the wall has now simply been transcribed to the pages of the NYT.
Posted by: John | 2007-07-31 7:08:02 PM
Nice, John! I should have thought of that first, but I believe you have nailed it.
Posted by: obc | 2007-07-31 7:21:48 PM
And further proof that John is correct:
"Democrats Scrambling to Expand Eavesdropping"
The New York Times, by James Risen
WASHINGTON — Under pressure from President Bush, Democratic leaders in Congress are scrambling to pass legislation this week to expand the government’s electronic wiretapping powers. Democratic leaders have expressed a new willingness to work with the White House to amend what both sides agree is a problem in the current law, Congressional aides said. The administration says that the National Security Agency is now required to seek court approval...
Posted by: obc | 2007-07-31 9:29:05 PM
The Dems have to. If they are seen to be opposing what is right, they will remain simply a foul ball in left field.
Posted by: DML | 2007-07-31 10:11:07 PM
This from Ali - aka Roger who has openly rooted against Canadian troops in Afghanistan in favour of their Islamofascist enemies. Of course he is rooting for the US to also fail so his IslamoNazis pals will succeed.
Posted by: obc | 2007-08-05 9:42:33 PM
Both Michael O’Hanlon and Ken Pollack have always been right-wing chickenhawks this op-ed lies about them being lefties. Why would anyone trust the information that comes from a Right-wing Spin machine and think-tank that is the Brookings Institution, which is setup to alter and change the Public opinion through lies, spin, and propaganda. They have always been for the war (Hanlon and Pollack). This article provides a thorough documentation of the facts to cut through the spin. http://tinyurl.com/32kzo3
Posted by: Edmontonian | 2007-08-06 3:25:33 AM
. . . but Left wing think tanks who have always been AGAINST the war - they CAN be relied upon?
The New York Slimes is in the tank for the US losing this conflict. Have been from day one. Traitors deserve one destiny - the gallows!
Posted by: obc | 2007-08-06 6:15:57 AM
Edmontonian -
If I want to be confident of something I check reference-resources. Sorry.
My memory tells me the Brookings Institution is a LEFT WING outfit.
Posted by: Conrad-USA | 2007-08-06 6:29:17 AM
Conrad ~
Edmonton man is so far Left that Brookings IS right-wing - to him!
Posted by: obc | 2007-08-06 6:43:19 AM
obc:
Shamefully, there are many just like him in the city I grew up in.
I've since moved to the burbs.
This guys' so far left that I'm sure he believes Lenin was too soft on freedom.
Posted by: set you free | 2007-08-06 9:33:02 AM
. . . but he loved his music - especially "Give Peace A Chance".
Posted by: obc | 2007-08-06 9:49:16 AM
My mistake guys, thanks for correcting me. But I am still right about O'hanlon and Pollack. They have been well documented supporters of the Wars so the Op-ed piece is still a lie. I mixed up the Brookings inst. with Cato.
Posted by: Edmontonian | 2007-08-06 11:43:17 AM
I got mixed up when reading this article evaluating the use of think-tanks( who lack the checks and balances of academia) from the left, centre, and right. http://tinyurl.com/2ub8jw
Posted by: Edmontonian | 2007-08-06 11:45:52 AM
Put that bong down now!
Posted by: obc | 2007-08-06 12:01:36 PM
Why, OBC?
Posted by: Edmontonian | 2007-08-06 3:29:16 PM
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