Is it a disease? Running presidential candidates talk ideals and dreams and make promises they can’t possibly keep. Do they do it out of naiveté or drive to win at all costs and think they’ll fix every lie later?
The first George Bush killed his chances at winning more than one term by pouring out of his lips, “watch my lips. no new taxes!.” Then what? Tax Tax Tax of course.
Barack Obama, the anti-war candidate now has three wars going, one past the limits of the war powers act, making it unconstitutional, even according to his own lawyers. So when his lawyers say something he doesn’t agree with, he invokes his law degree and looks for support from other lawyers.
Not a war? Bombing Libya? Defense Secretary Robert Gates obviously thinks otherwise. And is obviously fed up with being thrown into wars he’s expected to clean up following dumb decisions by presidents turning wars into knots impossible to untangle.
The NY Times quotes Gates as saying, “If we were about to be attacked or had been attacked or something happened that threatened a vital U.S. national interest, I would be the first in line to say, ‘Let’s go,’ ” Mr. Gates said. “I will always be an advocate in terms of wars of necessity. I am just much more cautious on wars of choice.” Most recently, he expressed major reservations about American intervention in Libya.
So what’s next, DaddyO? More pep talks? You’re fast becoming the second Lyndon Johnson. Remember him? The president who took over the Vietnam War, accelerated it, lost it, surrendered and announced he was quitting his job?
Maybe. But only up until the surrender. Getting him out of the white house will take a power wench, or a candidate who can beat him in 2012. And so far the Repubs haven’t a prayer with the current herd of sheep.
Unfortunately, Carl Von Clausewitz was right on when he said, “War is the continuation of politics by other means” –On War (1830)
