New Developments III

[Heksagon]

Indeed, no surprise.

It is properly understood that the only sensible alternatives are to pull out or send more troops. If you want to pull out, that's fine, as far as you're prepared to live with the consequences. But if you're going to stay and fight, it would be completely insane to try and do so with insufficient troops.

It was one of Bush and Rumsfeld's many mistakes that they tried to stabilize Iraq with troop levels that they knew were inadequate. It is disappointing - but not surprising - that some Democrats would now want to repeat that mistake with respect to Afghanistan. It is illusory to believe that operating with lower troops levels would be politically cheaper. In purely financial terms, it is of course true that fewer troops cost less, but that makes little difference. The fact is that more troops results in fewer casualties, and a better chance of achieving military objectives - whatever they happen to be in Afghanistan.

[OscarGuy]

Until things stabilize in Afghanistan, I expect this. It's also a way to "give the commanders what they need" in a way to rebuke the Bush administration for not doing that and thus drawing things out...see what happened in Iraq when fully operated? Things are finally winding down there.

I'm not saying I don't want these wars to end, because I do, but I think Obama's doing things reasonably and in a way that tells Republicans to stfu.

[Sonic Youth]

OH NO!!!

What, you were expecting a pull-out? This shouldn't come as a surprise at all.

[Greg]

OH NO!!!

Obama's Afghan Plan: About 40K More Troops
CBS Exclusive: Sources Say Force Will Grow to 100,000 - Nearly Filling Gen. McChrystal's Request; Long-Term Stay Planned

By David Martin

Tonight, after months of conferences with top advisors, President Obama has settled on a new strategy for Afghanistan. CBS News correspondent David Martin reports that the president will send a lot more troops and plans to keep a large force there, long term.

The president still has more meetings scheduled on Afghanistan, but informed sources tell CBS News he intends to give Gen. Stanley McChrystal most, if not all, the additional troops he is asking for.

McChrystal wanted 40,000 and the president has tentatively decided to send four combat brigades plus thousands more support troops. A senior officer says "that's close to what [McChrystal] asked for." All the president's military advisers have recommended sending more troops.

But they also have warned that troops alone will not win the war unless Afghan President Hamid Karzai cleans up his government.

"He's got to take concrete steps to eliminate corruption," Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said last week. "That means you have to rid yourself of those who are corrupt. You have to actually arrest and prosecute them."

The first combat troops would not arrive until early next year and it would be the end of 2010 before they were all there. That makes this Afghanistan surge very different from the Iraq surge, in which 30,000 troops descended on Baghdad and the surrounding area in just five months.

Fred Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute says a slow motion surge will produce slow motion results.

"If they're going to be sort of trickled in very slowly over the course of a year than it's unlikely to have a very decisive impact in the course of 2010," he said.

The buildup would be expected to last about four years, until McChrystal completes his plan for doubling the size of the Afghan army and police force.

With 68,000 Americans already there, the Afghan surge would mean there would be 100,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan by the end of the president's first term.

The president is not expected to announce his decision until after he returns from China the week before Thanksgiving.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/09/world/main5592551.shtml

[Sabin]

We're very proud in Arizona...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC9lWoI43Qo&feature=related

[OscarGuy]

And, if I read the article correctly, it also contains a rider that prohibits insurance funding of abortions except in the cases of rape, incest and woman's life endangerment. That will probably be stripped out of the final legislation. Why restrict something that's already covered in normal health insurance plans?

[Mister Tee]

Health Care passes the House.

History awaits.

[Greg]

A point of irony is that the shooter, who was killed by SWAT police, was an army psychiatrist.

[Sabin]

Oh, this is bad.

[MovieWes]

Obama on Fort Hood: 'Horrific outburst of violence'

President Obama said today his prayers are with the victims of the Fort Hood shootings, as he paid tribute to all of those who risk their lives to serve their country.

"It's difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas," the president said. "It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil."

He called it "a horrific outburst of violence" and said his administration will work for "answers to every single question." Obama said he has spoken with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other Pentagon officials, and that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are involved in the investigation.

"We are going to stay on this," he said. " But I hope in the meantime that all of you recognize the scope of this tragedy and keep everybody in their thoughts and prayers."

Obama made his comments before making final remarks at the White House Tribal Nations Conference. He shortened his speech because of the shootings in order to return to the White House.

Obama's full remarks on the shootings follow the jump

I had planned to make some broader remarks about the challenges that lay ahead for Native Americans as well as collaboration with our administration.

But as some of you might have heard, there has been a tragic shooting at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas. We don't yet know all the details at this moment. We will share them as we get them.

What we do know is that a number of American soldiers have been killed, and even more have been wounded in a horrific outburst of violence.

My immediate thoughts and prayers are with the wounded and with the families of the fallen and with those who live and serve at Fort Hood.

These are men and women who have made the selfless and courageous decision to risk and at times give their lives to protect the rest of us on a daily basis.

It's difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas.

It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.

I've spoken to Secretary Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and I will continue to receive a constant stream of updates as new information comes in.

We are working with the Pentagon, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, all to ensure that Fort Hood is secure and we will continue to support the community with the full resources of the federal government. In the meantime, I would ask all Americans to keep the men and women of Fort Hood in your thoughts and prayers. We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident, and I want all of you to know that as commander-in-chief, there's no greater honor, but also no greater responsibility for me than to make sure that the extraordinary men and women in uniform are properly cared for an that their safety and security when they are at home is provided for.

So we are going to stay on this, but I hope in the meantime that all of you recognize the scope of this tragedy and keep everybody in their thoughts and prayers. Again, thank you for your participation here today. I am confident that this is going to be resulting in terrific work between this government and your governments in the weeks, the months and years to come.

God bless you and God bless the United States of America.

Thank you.

[MovieWes]

The death toll is up to 12, with 31 wounded.

I want to throw up.

[Greg]

NBC: 7 dead, 20 injured in Fort Hood shooting
SWAT teams battle at least one gunman on Texas Army base

At least seven people were killed dead and 20 others were wounded in a mass shooting incident Thursday at Fort Hood, Texas, where at least one suspect were believed to be in custody, NBC News and NBC affiliate KCEN-TV reported.

More shots were reported later in the afternoon, reported KCEN of Waco, which said no further details were immediately available.

It was unknown whether the victims were all soldiers or civilians at Fort Hood, one of the largest military complexes in the world. The base was on lockdown, as were schools in the area.

At least one suspect was in custody, reported KCEN, which quoted a source as saying at least one of the shooters had a high-powered rifle. The station reported that at least four SWAT officers were among those wounded.

A spokesman for Fort Hood said the shootings took place at two locations around 1:30 p.m.: the Soldiers Readiness Processing Center and Howze Theater.

The spokesman, Sgt. Major Jamie Posten, said processing center was where soldiers “cycle through as they prepare to deploy.” That complex is on the West side of post, off Battalion Avenue.

Greg Schannep, an aide to Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, who was on the post to attend a graduation service, told the Austin American-Statesman that a soldier with blood on his uniform ran past him and said a man was shooting.

The Temple Independent School District was on a “soft” lockdown. Parents were asked to pick their children up at the normal times, although they could experience delays.

Agents of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on their way to the post, federal officials said.

Fort Hood is adjacent to Killeen, about 60 miles northeast of Austin. The sprawling complex is home to at least 4,929 active-duty officers and 45,414 enlisted. Civilian employees total nearly 9,000.

A spokesman for the Army, Lt. Col. Lee M. Packnett, said he was unaware whether security measures were put in place at other military bases. A spokesman at Fort Lewis, Wash., said the incident was being treated as isolated.

President Barack Obama was briefed on the shootings, press secretary Robert Gibbs said.

Homeland Security spokeswoman Sara Kuban said officials from several federal agencies are still collecting information on the shootings. "Because this is early in this event, we cannot at this time confirm motives behind these shootings," she said.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, said in a statement: “I am shocked and saddened by today’s outburst of violence at Fort Hood that has cost seven of our brave service members their lives and has gravely injured others. My heart goes out to their loved ones.”

Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign spokesperson said the governor was in Denton, scheduled to attend a campaign event, when word of the shooting occurred. There was no word on whether he had left Denton or whether he was headed to Fort Hood.

Milly Land, who works at the base fitness center, said she was headed for the graduation ceremony at 2 p.m. at the Howze Theater when the campus was locked down. She went back to the fitness center. She said she spoke by phone with friends at the soldier processing center, who said a gunman walked in about 1:30, walked to the medical area of the processing center, and started shooting. A second gunman was shooting at the theater next door, she said.

Fort Hood has seen other violence in recent years. In September 2008, a 21-year-old 1st Cavalry Division soldier shot his lieutenant to death and then killed himself. Spc. Jody Michael Wirawan of Eagle River, Alaska, shot himself to death after shooting 1st Lt. Robert Bartlett Fletcher, 24, of Jensen Beach, Fla. to death.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33678801/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

[Damien]

From TrueSlant:

Knock, knock!

Who’s there?

Joe.

Joe who?

Joe Lieberman.

Get off my doorstep, you asshole.

[criddic3]

I don't think Obama is in "freefall" but I do think the Democrats have something to be worried about. Most of the polls had shown Corzine in a dead-heat with Christie, but he did worse than expected. The fact that Obama did extensive campaigning in the state shows he had little impact on the result, which spells trouble for him and his party next year. Having said that, I do think that conservatives got overly optimistic about NY-23, where the virtually unknown third party candidate did very well but fell short of trumped up expectations.

The fact is, though, that the special elections for the House were not the major events that the gubernatorials were, for the simple fact that more people vote in state-wide elections than for a mere district. Plus, as some have stated, Obama won big in Virginia last year (prompting many to speculate that the state may be turning blue, calling it the purple state). It's true that Deeds made some strategic mistakes but that's no excuse. Add NJ and you have a possible indication of where 2010 could go. Traditionally the party in power loses seats in the first mid-term, with few exceptions, and with voter anger fueling events it could be a major blow to the Democrats who were hoping that 2008 was a re-alignment election.

[Damien]

As the Washington Monthly noted, the two Congressional victories yesterday mean the Dems have been 5 for 5 this year in special elections, having won earlier in New York's 20th, Illinois's 5th, and California's 32nd.