Obama
The speech
I have a lot to do today besides read seven million reactions to Obama’s speech, but I’ll wade back into the water soon. For now, I think this is the most principled military decision we could reasonably expect from an American president in these circumstances. It was not “the easier option,” as Bob Herbert opined yesterday. A majority of Americans
A glitch
I’m getting errors while trying to approve comments — working on it. But my friend Mike takes apart Glenn Greenwald’s Bush analogy so effectively that I need to put it up here: Greenwald’s analogy might make sense, but for one thing: When Bush made all those promises, I didn’t vote for him. Indeed, they were among the very reasons I
Obama’s word
Glenn Greenwald: The most bizarre defense of Obama’s escalation is also one of the most common: since he promised during the campaign to escalate in Afghanistan, it’s unfair to criticize him for it now — as though policies which are advocated during a campaign are subsequently immunized from criticism. For those invoking this defense: in 2004, Bush ran for re-election
“A breathtaking piece of dishonor”
Andrew Sullivan on Dick Cheney, who has once again accused our president of giving aid and comfort to the enemy: If you truly use a position of such authority to show contempt for the sitting president, to accuse him of treason, to attack him on the day he addresses the nation in a critical address, to divide him from the
Fair-weather friends
TPM’s Nathan Newman: Polls show the Democratic base is unmotivated to turnout in 2010 — and it’s no wonder given all the rhetoric that Obama hasn’t done much with his 2008 victory. Those attacks from the rightwing are understandable from a partisan position, but many progressives seem to oddly be aping similar rhetoric — wallowing in glass half-empty complaints of
Afghanistan and Obama’s base
There’s a notion gaining ground that President Obama, by opting for a troop increase in Afghanistan, is somehow faltering on campaign promises and thus “betraying his base.” What nonsense. Obama never said he’d withdraw troops from Afghanistan. If anything, he said the opposite. This CNN report is from July 21, 2008, before he had even secured the Democratic nomination: “The
Obama’s Nobel
What do I think? It doesn’t matter what I think. As a fairly militant supporter of President Obama, I’m biased. Has he racked up a term’s worth of accomplishments? No. Has he changed the tone of world diplomacy radically for the better? Yes. So I’m happy this news annoys rightists who’ve been painting Obama as Hitler-Stalin-Satan. I’m also happy it
Obama’s message
Now that was a speech. Called Sarah Palin a liar. Sweet music to these ears. Just as in the 2008 campaign, people are hectoring Obama about a lack of specifics, and yet there are specifics. So let’s take note of them below: If You Have Health Insurance,the President’s Plan: Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Limits premium discrimination based