War! What is It Good For

I'm not really convinced Libya was a "legal" "war", but this insider look at Obama reflects what we now know - that, to say nothing of killing Osama Bin Laden after Bush's bluster, Obama is by far more serious about "warfare" than his predecessor, who thought putting on a  Yosemite Sam costume and shouting bumper stickers was how you conducted foreign policy:

During the first two weeks of March, Obama drove the discussion, asking probing questions and voraciously consuming information on Libya, pressing both sides of the debate. "He's very effective at questioning one person, challenging their premise, and then in the next question to someone else, arguing exactly the opposite," says a senior administration official. "So you don't know where he's coming out, but you do know you have to be intellectually rigorous and honest." As he analyzed the crisis, Obama kept his own cards close – so much so that even those deeply engaged in the strategy sessions found it hard to get an accurate impression of where he came down on the issue. But in a move that seemed squarely aimed at avoiding the mistakes of Afghanistan and Iraq, Obama also laid down what insiders say was a set of five guiding principles for any intervention in Libya: that it be effective, multilateral, follow international law, put no American boots on the ground, and pursue a well-defined, achievable goal.

On a side note, it's telling that successful foreign policy these days pretty much amounts to doing the exact opposite of what George W. Bush would do, to the point that "What Would W Do?" is actually a serious thing to be be considered, with the answer being the "do the opposite." Something to think about next time we vote a guy in because we'd "like to have a beer with him."  Being willfully stupid had it's charm, but let's  let the adults back in the room   try something else now.

But gee, it's the Republicans that are so "strong on defense", aren't they?  Anyone laughing at this idea...BACK IN 2006?

Defense? (had to stop typing, tears from laughter were shorting my keyboard.) It’s been the notion forever that Republicans are strong on Defense, we’ve always taken it for granted. But boy, it’s hard to even come up with a scenario wherein they could’ve botched this whole thing this badly, right? Maybe if they had accidentally sent in puppies instead of troops? Flapjacks instead of body armor? Man. I’m surprised we didn’t invade Chinatown by accident. “Herro, twoops! Is that a framefrowa? Aaaaaiiiggghhhh!!!!” We are less safe that we were on 9-10-01 and that is all on Fuckwit and his boys Cheney and Rummy et al. Unless your name is Osama Bin Laden, you’re a fucking idiot if you vote Republican. And if your name is Osama Bin Laden and you’re reading this blog, might I suggest for your next video throwing my name out? I could use some heat with the ladies, I would think a shout-out from the world’s most wanted man would really up my “bad boy” status. Just something to think about.