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.

Long and Bloody Road in Afghanistan

Guardian: Reports that the UK Defence Secretary, Bob Ainsworth has stated in essence that the War in Afghanistan for the UK has a long road before we can win against the Taliban. This is why we need a heavy weight at the Defence Department, can you think that the Dark Prince himself, Lord Mandelson would be so negative, he would point out the success not that we are in trouble in Afghanistan. This is not to argue that we need a spin on Afghanistan like LBJ did over Vietnam but we need a Defence Secretary that will point out the we are pushing the Taliban back, there was an election in Afghanistan, we didn't lose our brave soldiers for nothing, there is hope for Afghanistan.

The Politics of Afghanistan - USA

CNN News: Reports that the death toll of US troops in Afghanistan has hurt its support in the USA, a new CNN/ORC poll has support for the war at 39%, while those opposed at 58%. This follows the UK pattern of support, President Obama has to sell the War in Afghanistan, he has to take on his Liberal base otherwise they will pull the plug on Afghanistan, in the process of taking the USA out of Afghanistan the Liberal base would destroy the Obama Presidency. These are the kind polls that will give the Taliban/Terrorists heart, they will see this another Vietnam, that the USA will tire and leave Afghanistan. The US voter is not the Liberal base, if they see President Obama as another Jimmy Carter they will give Congress back to the Republicans in 2010 and Obama will have a heavy loss in 2012. That how important Afghanistan is to the Obama Presidency.

Obama and Afghanistan, CALL FOR MORE TROOPS AND TIME

The New York Times: Reports that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen has stated that Afghanistan will need more US troops and time. The NYT writes on the effect on Democrats and Republicans, " position seconded by a top Republican but challenged by a leading Democrat. " The Obama White House has one real war on it hands in Afghanistan and a political war with health care reform, on health reform the President will get Democratic votes in the Congress, the problem for the President is that the Democrats are scared silly by Afghanistan, they see it as another Vietnam, the Democrats are still in therapy over Vietnam. The War in Vietnam destroyed the Great Society of LBJ and forced him out of office in 1968. Thus when Obama comes to request for support to send tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan he will need Republican support. The question the Obama White Houses has to ask if they burn the Republicans on health care they Republicans can support Democrats who want out of Afghanistan. The Chicago group with Obama in the West Wing might be expert at local politics but they share a common failure for Democrats, they have no clue about Foreign Policy, they think they can burn the Republicans over health care and push it through the Senate with 51 votes but they will need the Republicans for Foreign Policy and Afghanistan. It would be ironic if Obama makes himself the next Jimmy Carter, as Carter also failed to understand Congress.

The New Forgotten War - Iraq

BBC News: Reports on the visit of US VP Biden to Iraq, while the VP was Baghdad there was terrorists strikes near the US Embassy. Iraq has become the new forgotten War in the Obama White House, the Bush 43 surge worked thus by the time President Obama took over in January of 2009, it was Afghanistan that become the hot topic in town, lets recall folks that the US as reported by icasualties.org has lost 4344 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Iraq, if you include the losses of its Allies such as the UK the total goes up to 4662. The US has withdrawn from the towns, and by next August next year the majority of US troops will be out of Iraq. The last forces of around thirty five to fifty thousand troops will leave in 2011. The next hurdle in Iraq will be the elections next year, it is important that they go off with out bloodshed or the mess of Afghanistan. The New York Times writes the following on the Biden visit and the elections next year, " intended to focus on political issues as Iraqi leaders position themselves ahead of national elections.......have increasingly colored almost every thing the government has done....." Thus all politics is local, for the Obama Administration it is essential that Iraq does not blow up like Afghanistan, if the bloodbath of the first three years after the invasion is repeated this would throw the Obama Foreign Policy off kilter. Also it is important for President Obama that the different ethnic groups take part and see Iraq as united country and do not try to split Iraq as was the original idea of then Senator Biden. If Iraq was to go up in flames like Afghanistan it would be down to Obama, Bush 43 with his surge calmed the troubles, if the US starts to lose troops again it will be down to the Obama White House. Thus the reason for the VP visit, Obama does not want to hear the call that the Democrats can add Iraq to the countries they have lost while they have been power, the loss of China in the late 40s really hurt the Democratic Party.

Afghanistan Front News

MOD: Has released the name of the soldier killed on the 13/9/00. The soldier was " Kingsman Jason Dunn-Bridgeman from 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (2 LANCS) " Lets hope this month is more quite on the casualty front.