More Troops for Afghanistan ?

The Times: Reports that Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defence Staff for the UK Armed Forces does not want to send troops coming back from Iraq to Afghanistan. The UK military and the Foreign Office know its not a War you can win, the badlands of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan make a War without End. The Terrorists can come across the border from Pakistan, attack Western Troops and then go back over the border. The USA has hit with air power the tribal areas of Pakistan but if you going to win you need to get troops on the ground, a large troop attack could weaken the government of Pakistan. If the government of Pakistan falls and the Terrorists take over, the West would have a major problem, Pakistan is a nuclear power. Thus when President Obama asks for more troops the UK should state that he needs to ask the rest of NATO. Also when the USA leaves Iraq it can transfer it troops to Afghanistan. Thus Afghanistan could do to Obama what Iraq did Bush, if there is a surge then it becomes Obama's War, lets hope he has read some history.

President David Palmer ( 24 ) & West Wing

The Sunday Times: Interesting article on how TV and Cinema might have helped Obama in 2008. It can be argued as does this article that President David Palmer on the Series 24 allowed voters over the years to get used to a African - American President. I must admit preferred President Palmer to a President Obama. I did wonder if the actor who played Palmer, Dennis Haysbert ever thought about running for Office. Hysbert as Palmer allowed you to disagree with him but still support him, also he was very tough on National Security, doubt Obama would allow his Secret Service to beat up a Presidential Aide in the name of National Security as Palmer did in one series of 24. As stated on domestic stuff quite Liberal, Abortion, Gay Rights, etc but a hawk when it comes to National Security, every President has to get his hands dirty as to make sure the rest of us have the freedom to go about with our daily life's. I hope President Obama invites Dennis Hysbert ( President Palmer ) to his Inauguration, he owes him in some respects, also Jimmy Smits aka Matthew Santos from the West Wing, over two years the voters had the 2008 race run for them, and Santos won in the end.

Bush and Obama, Ist Meeting 2004

Fox News: Reports on the first meeting between Senator Obama and President Bush in 2004. Lets just say, DISASTER. Read of the Day.

The Great Society 11

The New York Times: It has started folks, the Liberals just want to throw money at the problem of the economy, another LBJ 11 Great Society Agenda would make them happy, the Times writes the following, " Tax rebates and other tax cuts, in contrast, pack relatively little bang for the buck. And tax cuts are difficult to take away once granted and so tend to add to the long-term deficit. ". One can postulate that the Liberal New York Times want to make sure that people survive in a hole, just enough to survive, they don't want the poor to get out of the working class and get in to the Middle Class. It seems Liberals don't want people to get rich, on a very deep level the Times needs people to be poor, as the poor tend to come from an ethnic background the Times seems to have a paternal racist view in some respects, they know what is better for people, poor and reading the the Times. Ronald Reagan was critical of the spending of the Great Society, thus his Agenda to cut Government Spending when in came in to power in 1981.

The Obama Agenda in 09

The New York Times: Reports on the Obama Agenda for 09. Looks at what Campaign promises should be moved first and which can done later down the line. The Obama Agenda has two sections, Domestic and International. On the Domestic side the President has to get his tax cuts through, also if he going to repeal the Bush Tax cuts for those making more than two hundred and fifty thousand now is the time, it not a matter if you think its a good idea or a bad idea, its matter of politics, early he can get it through. Also there should be help for Main Street, the banks have been bailed out, the car industry will be bailed out, what about those that are losing their homes, how about a house bail out. This would help the economy, as people could stay in their homes and the Local, State and Federal Government would not have to fund them. Also the Western Banking System has to be saved, not a minor point, thus it can be postulated that it will cost more money.

On the International Front, Obama has to deal with Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Russia. As the USA is in a major recession, facing a Depression, its time to get out of Iraq, Iraq has the money to protect its own internal security. As President Elect Obama has stated he will leave forces their to go after terrorists, thus this should also be a warning to Iran. The only danger is that Iraq goes in to Civil War, thus Obama could be forced to send troops back in, its a fault line but lets see how Iraq copes. The Sixteen Month timetable of Obama is to long, Iraq will have take the security load faster, the Western Economy is in a mess, plus we need to send troops to Afghanistan, Afghanistan could became Obama's War, if he sends troops in to Pakistan this could undermine the Government, there is a chance that the Terrorists could take over a Nuclear Armed Pakistan. Thus Obama will need some very careful Diplomatic skills to make Afghanistan and Pakistan work. Obama had promised to talk to Iran, now that he is President one is starting to see a more moderate view, Reagan wanted to talk to Iran and it cost, Iran - Contra. Thus Obama will need a tough Secretary of State, not Senator John Kerry. The Obama Administration should start will low level talks with Iran and if they work build up to a Secretary of State and then only Presidential visit, Nixon to China, Reagan to Moscow, Obama to Tehran ? As to Russia, Obama has to careful that he does not end up like Jimmy Carter, seen as weak after Afghanistan invasion by Russia. The Russia bear has already started to bully, threatening to place missiles close to the Polish border as to prevent the USA shield to protect against Iran from working, this will be the first test for Obama, if he can be pushed around by Russia he will be seen as weak, lets recall Reagan, he was tough and got what he wanted, the end of the Cold War, if Obama is weak he could start another Cold War or hot war should Russia go in to the Ukraine.

Obama and Reagan, The First Mistake

Breitbart.com: Reports on the first mistake by President - Elect Obama, he was asked at his first press conference on Friday as President - Elect if he had talked to the former Presidents, in a slip of the tongue he stated that that he didn't want to get in to discussion about Nancy Reagan and doing a seance. In other words he had talked to all living ex - Presidents but not those that has passed away. To give the President - Elect the benefit of the doubt he did phone Nancy Reagan to say sorry, also to his credit Obama has stated that Reagan was a Transformational President. President - Elect has learned a lesson, his every word after January 20th 2009 will come under a microscope, thus less said the better in from of a open mike.