Obama and Afghanistan

LA Times: Reports that Afghanistan strategy is still being debated in the Obama Administration, with the military moving one way; long term stay in Afghanistan, while the political side wants a clear exit out of Afghanistan, the article states the following, " Obama put himself and the nation through all that deliberation last year....................he ought to see if he can get his aides to agree on what it means --..." Thus this debate in the background is what Obama can expect in 2011, the White House political operators see Afghanistan as a negative with the left wing Democratic base, the US Military cares about the security of the USA. But also lets be honest here folks, Obama has to carry the US voter with him, he cant lose them as LBJ did over Vietnam. Thus the Generals in Afghanistan have about a year to show some results, if its only a low level death rate for US forces and NATO. POTUS will start to look at 2012 and his re-election bid at the end of 2011, the USA should be out of Iraq by then, but its Afghanistan and Iran that will define the Obama Presidency, thus Obama can not afford for Afghanistan to turn in to another Vietnam, if that is the result Obama will be a one term President.

The BROWN Effect - Mass Senate Seat

Time: Report how Scott Brown the Republican candidate for the Senate Seat in Mass has changed the political landscape, how in a sense it does not matter if the Democrats get a slight win, the big prize will be November and the Democrats are under threat. Thus the big political guns, Bill Clinton and POTUS have or are heading to Mass to save the bacon of the Democratic Candidate, Martha Coakley, it seems from the article that Ms Coakley is a lousy politician, it seems that the Democratic political establishment still thinks it is last year and Obama will work his magic and it will turn out all right, what if he fails, then those Conservative Democrats in the House will start to ask serious questions about health care reform, can they afford to carry the load for a President that does not get them votes, think Jimmy Carter and you get the idea. Thus Tuesday is important to Mass and to the Obama Administration, if the Democrats lose the old seat of Ted Kennedy this will send alarms through out Congress, it might kill of health care reform in less the Democrats move fast, but do they dare push something through when they know the cost, will they carry the load for Obama, its 50/50 folks, that is how important the vote is on Tuesday. Also I have stated that if the Republican wins this blog will give £5 to the New Labour, thus please Democrats vote for the Democrat Candidate, I really hate New Labour, PLEASE.

Massachusetts Polls

RCP: Has the all the Polls from the Senate race in Massachusetts, of late the Republican candidate is leading the Senate race. This is a very very Blue state, the dead will be voting on Tuesday, think old and new type Chicago politics but with an Irish accent, this was the Senate Seat of JFK and EMK, the Democrats will win this seat by any means, but as argued in previous post this could hurt POTUS in the long term, as in the 2010 Mid Term Elections and in 2012 when Obama is up for re-election.

Obama in Massachusetts

Fox News: Reports that President Obama is to campaign in Massachusetts for the Democratic Senatorial Candidate, Martha Coakley. If the Democratic Candidate does win this could cost President Obama in the long term, in 2010 he cant be in every District and State, thus by helping Coakley now POTUS could create a political tsunami later on in the mid term congressional elections. If the Republican wins Obama will have to move to the centre, this might help him win re-election in 2012, that is what Bill Clinton did after losing the House of Representatives in 1994. The question is can Obama see long term, or he is glued to his Agenda as with health care reform, at the expense of the Democratic Party.

Deaths in Afghanistan

MOD: Reports that two British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan on Friday, the soldiers came from the " 3rd Battalion The Rifles ". Thus so far in 2010 four British Soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, lets hope 2010 has a lower death rate than 2009. Since 2001 the UK has lost 249 of its Armed Forces Personnel in Afghanistan, in that total it has lost 216 in combat operations and 33 due to illness, accidents or other incidents. There will be more deaths.