US does not need NATO for Iran War - Update

BBC News: Reports in its 3.45pm post the following?  "  WE DON'T NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!': Trump criticises Nato allies " 

Let's Get Real:

The NATO countries will pay  a price for this and importantly so will the Ukraine.  The Labour Government should remember Suez crisis of 1956, when President Eisenhower, Ike, pulled the carpet from under the UK,France and Israel after they invaded the Suez Canal, if Ike can do it, Trump can do it over Ukraine, and the whole of Europe will have to carry the load for the Ukraine.  It should be noted that Ike regretted move but he was in a Election for a 2nd term at the time.

Two Front War faces Israel - Middle East - Israel's 9/11

Sky News - Live Blog: Reports  " Israel-Gaza latest: Israel planning and prepared for 'two-front war' if Hezbollah enters fray, Netanyahu adviser says...Israel is ready to fight a "two-front war" if Lebanese militant group Hezbollah enters the conflict, an adviser to the prime minister has told Sky News. Meanwhile, Hamas has fired missiles at an airport in Tel Aviv, shortly after a BA flight was diverted away over security fears.  "

Lets Get Real:

The big is question is what does Iran want, will it allow its franchise operator Hamas to do down fighting in Gaza or does it want to open a 2nd front in Lebanon, and make the Israeli - Gaza WAR even a bigger war.  The Biden Administration has just sent the Aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford in to region as  a warning to Iran and is also sending in the Eisenhower carrier fleet to the region.  Does Iran want to divert the World's attention from its nuclear plans and thus a regional war in the Middle East, also the Russians will want to divert the World attention from the Ukraine, the axis of EVIL, Russia, Iran North Korea, China might think this is the perfect time to act, with China going after Taiwan and North Korea coming out a nuclear armed power, as in having a working ICB.  The US voter does not have confidence in POTUS when it comes to foreign policy, he is seen as WEAK, would you trust POTUS with multi crisis events?   

Barack Obama on Joe Biden - Election 2020

Daily Mail: Reports " Obama 'thinks the world' of Biden but is quiet on inappropriate touching allegations as his former VP acknowledges that 'he'll have to earn the nomination on his own,' sources say  "

Lets Get Real:

At least Obama has not been negative, in 1960 a reporter asked Ike what Nixon has done in the White House as Vice - President, the former General was very blunt, he told him that it would take 7 days to think of answer to that question.  It has been noticeable that Obama has been quiet with his former Vice - President about to enter the Democratic Presidential race, the former VP has called himself a Obama/Biden Democrat, whatever that means.   As a practice former Presidents not speakout when their Party is going through a nomination process, thus President Obama wants to see Biden win on his own and then support him.  But the allegations that Biden touched women but not in a sexual way has been the main Democratic news headline over the past few days, one would have thought that Obama would have said something in public, just a few seconds on how nice and fun his former VP is, or that Biden will learn from his mistakes, silence gives the impression that Obama does not want to be connected to someone who might LOSE the nomination.   If you expect political loyalty from a Chicago pol then you are in the wrong business. 

Golf and the Trump Era

BBC News: Reports " A Hillary Clinton retweet has drawn attention to President Donald Trump's golf outings, which critics are hoping to turn into a political handicap. "

Lets Get Real:

The modern trend of POTUS playing Golf started with Ike, since then nearly every President has found reasons to Golf, some have been known to cheat, it gets them away from the White House.  Of course President Trump has his own Golf Course, so he does not need to go far from home.   IF the Democrats are down to using golf against Trump they are in a BAD STATE.  It can be argued that you need a relaxed President in charge of the Western World.   It has been a slow news day, Trump must have lost his cell for texting or it has been hidden, things are getting back to normal. 

Obama would have won a THIRD TERM - Obama

Guardian: Reports " Barack Obama: I'm 'confident' I could have won a third term as president..The president claimed in an interview that most Americans still have progressive politics "

Lets Get Real:

Since the modern Era ( 1980 onwards ) all Presidents who have served two terms have thought they could have won a third term.   The Bush 41 success to become President after Ronald Reagan shows that Reagan would have won a easy victory, while Gore lost to Bush 43 it can be argued THAT Bill Clinton would have in 2000.   In the case of Bush 43 it can be argued that Obama would have beaten him after the economic collapse of 2008.   In 2016 it would have been a harder fight for Obama, as the loss of HRC shows the base of the Democratic Party, the old white working class or the Reagan Democrats were looking for a new leader to brush the old inside away in D.C.    Thus a new Year and new President, it will not be boring.

Trump on Syrian Refugees - Election 2016

Guardian - US Politics Live: Reports the following in its 7.17pm post. " Donald Trump warned attendees of his Warwick, Rhode Island rally today that Syrian refugees could break into their homes - a racist-fueled line since there’s no evidence of crimes by Syrian refugees in the area.  "

Lets Get Real:

Thus more racist remarks by the Donald, one does really wonder what is happening to the Republican Party, Ike and Ronald  Reagan must be turning in their graves at the thought of Trump in THEIR Oval Office.   The Democrats should have an easy victory in November, IF Trump wins then the most darkest aspects of the American character will be on show for the World.   Thus HRC has to move to the centre, from there she can win the Presidency. 

Democrats and Vietnam, Sorry Iraq - New War on Terror

CNN - Politics: Reports " With Iraq troop boost, Dems see parallels to Vietnam in Obama's Iraq plans "

Lets Get Real:

The political Gods are tough SOB's, when they pay you back for your folly it comes back to what made you famous the first time, in the case of President Obama it was Iraq, now he is sending troops back in to Iraq, the Democrats recall that is how Vietnam started, and if it grows to more troops Democrats  are worried that they will have to defend the policy in 2020, also HRC will have to support the policy, she was Obama's first Secretary of State, thus the decision to remove troops in 2011 happened on her watch.   The Democrats are right to be concerned, is Iraq fated to become another Vietnam. 

Is Iraq the NEW NEW Vietnam - New War on Terror

BBC News: Reports " The US is to send up to 450 military advisers to Iraq to help train local forces fighting Islamic State, the White House says.  "

Lets Get Real:

This another move to push the issue down the road, in fact Obama wants the next President to deal with this issue, the President has failed to learn the lessons of the Iraq war between 2003-11 and the Vietnam War.   In 2007 President Bush pushed a policy of a surge in Iraq after the previous three years of havoc in Iraq, the surge worked and then President Obama removed the troops in 2011 when he should have left around ten thousand to deal with Iraq's security problems.   Thus in 2015 President Obama is following US policy in Southern Vietnam, the increase of military advisers will lead to ground troops sooner or later.   Obama should have sent back in another ten thousand troops to take on IS and remove the threat from the Middle East, instead the Oval is playing politics. 

Is Obama a Lame Duck President ? - 2nd Term Blues

Washington Post: Reports on the myths of  2nd term lame duck Presidents, and has this advice for President Obama, " Indeed, many lame-duck presidents facing congressional majorities of the opposite party still have achieved successes that boosted their political fortunes and long-term reputations. But they’ve usually done so by tacking more to the center than playing to their base. Obama would be well advised to pursue such a strategy today. "

Lets Get Real:

Ever since the Reagan Presidency ALL 2nd Term Presidents have wanted to be a Reagan, the one that got close was Bill Clinton, thus how does this blog grade 2nd termers, simple really, who is their successor, in the case of Reagan it was Bush 41, this showed that the Reagan Era had the support of a majority of Americans, if not then the Democratic nominee would have won the election.   This blog would argue that Clinton got close because his VP, AL Gore won the popular vote but lost his home State, if he had kept a eye on his own State as President Clinton told him then he would have won the Presidency.   Both Presidents, Reagan and Clinton had a VP who wanted to run after them and they supported their VP for the top job.   That is not always the case, lets recall the famous or infamous remark by President Eisenhower when reporters asked him what had Nixon done in the two terms, the President stated if they gave him a week he would think of something, hardly helpful.   But at least Eisenhower, Reagan and Clinton were not afraid to have  a VP who wanted the job, both  Bush 43 and Obama had Vice Presidents that were not a threat to them in the long term, they would not go off the reservation if it helped them in political terms.   Both Bush 41 and Gore needed some distance between themselves and the boss, with Bush 41 it was Iran - Contra and with Gore it was the affair that Bill Clinton had with an intern, the added problem for Gore was the view that Clinton was a negative on the campaign trail, that was not the case with Reagan.    Thus they ALL want to be the Gipper, few get close but none are really the Gipper. 

The VP with Foot in Mouth - VP Biden

The New York Times: Reports on the relationship between Vice President Biden and President Obama, how after a few up and downs they have a working relationship that works.

Lets Get Real:

If President Obama wants to make sure he gets re-elected he has to dump VP Biden and place Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has his VP choice of 2012. The lack of the Oval doing this does recall LBJ, he could have chosen Senator Robert Kennedy as his VP in 1964 but didn't want to be seen as having been elected due to Robert Kennedy. This was a political mistake by LBJ, if he had chosen RFK he would have had a good chance of winning the 1968 Presidential Election, also as the Vietnam War went badly he could have used RFK to blunt the liberal attack, but that is counter factual history folks, you can never tell. Lets look at more recent history, it can be argued that Bush 43 should have replaced VP Cheney in 2004 with a candidate who could run in part on the Bush record, has Bush 41 ran on being the VP to Ronald Reagan in 1988. A 2nd term President has to face the fact that without this VP running after the first year he becomes less important, if the VP is running he can not afford to burn his bridges with his President. Thus POTUS has some power, if only the ability to hurt his VP, Richard Nixon was hurt when Ike told reports that he would need a week to work out what Nixon has done over eight years. The Reagan legacy looks good because his VP won, the Bill Clinton less because Al Gore lost in 2000. Thus POTUS should consider Hillary Clinton for VP, then he will have some power in a 2nd term win, otherwise he will find he has become a silent screen star with no voice as the press will be in Iowa quite early for 2016.

My Thirty Years Backstairs of the White House by Lillian Rogers Parks

The New York Times: The Obituary of Lillian Rogers Parks from 1997, Mrs Parks worked on the White House domestic staff and become a writer. The reason for the above is that True Movies in the UK has just re- shown the 1979 mini series of My Thirty Years Backstairs of the White House, this was one of the shows that got this blogger interested American politics when young, always been favourite memory for this blogger. Have to admit was tempted not to see it again, memory can play tricks, but folks it was still fantastic, as Mrs Parks Mother, Maggie Rogers started to work in the White House from 1909, but also recorded events it was nice and fascinating guide in to the American Presidency. It a pity that Mr Parks didn’t serve in the Kennedy White House, that would have provided some very interesting backstairs gossip. If you want a foundation in to the American Presidency, the real people and the historical events this is fine show to catch. I think its fair to say the Hoover's don’t come out well, and the Eisenhower’s bit mixed, but you cant have everything. If you get a chance watch the series but recall its one's persons perspective, one can see why Mrs Kennedy made the staff sign a secrecy agreement, just think JFK and you get the idea. But its great asset to history folks.

Polls and Past Presidents

Gallup: Has a great political tool to look at how past Presidents compare when compared to President Obama. Can you read the tea leaves, can you predict 2012.

10,000 Troops Request by Obama for Afghanistan = NATO

The New York Times: Reports that the Obama Administration will ask its NATO Allies for an additional ten thousand troops to reach the troop request of General McChrystal, the NYT writes the following on the request, " Those countries appear willing to provide fewer than half that number, American and allied officials said Wednesday. " If President Obama wont back his own selected General with the forty thousand troops that General McChrystal requested then the UK should get out of Afghanistan, the blood of our soldiers should not be used as cover for the Obama Administration. If it has take Obama months to reach this half baked idea then his judgement is not sound, NATO has always been symbolic minus the nuclear side of its defence. At the end of the day the US has to fight big wars with its own troops with minor support from Europe and the UK. In other words Obama does not want to win Afghanistan, this is another Vietnam. It is sad to see Obama becoming another LBJ. The mistake the elite media makes is to assume that intelligence means you can fight your way out of paper bag, it does not, the Kennedy's had the best and the brightest and what did the USA get, the Vietnam War, from Ike to Ford. Thus by taking this route Obama will make himself the next LBJ. The one silver lining is that after Obama loses in 2012 we should have Republican rule for years.

For Political Geeks, Polls from Truman to Obama

USA Today: A great site for political geeks, has all the Gallup Polls from Truman to Obama. Read of the Day.

Why wasn’t Obama ready for the Town Halls?

CNN: Reports on why the Obama White House was not ready to counter the Town Halls in the Congressional Recess. There is a simple answer folks, Obama own arrogance, every President sooner or later over plays his hand, Obama might be the secular second coming for extreme Liberals but his polls are down to earth. The question is can Obama get beyond his own arrogance, can he do deals with Congress like LBJ and Reagan, can he be a Nixon, his Republican predecessor offered a Health Care Reform Bill to Senator Edward Kennedy but Kennedy again arrogantly turned it down, either because it was not big enough or he had Presidential hopes. It seems that the Nixon offer was more extensive that the Obama plan. Thus can Obama say no to Liberals when it comes to the public option. Can Obama get beyond his own arrogance.