Obama Bets His Presidency on McChrystal, Karzai
Can President Obama beat the clock in Afghanistan?
His speech and new strategy bought him the 18 months he needs to give the strategy a chance to work. The funds will be there (for awhile). The public won't fade completely away that fast.
Getting the "conditions" he needs to begin withdrawing US troops in July 2011 depends most of all on two men: McChrystal and Karzai.
Obama is betting his Presidency on their ability to stabilize the country, suck support away from the Taliban — and beat that 18 month clock.
–George Stephanopoulos
Email
Obama: 'Now Is the Time For Common Sense Action'
Romney Takes Aim at Conservatives
Drope the hyperbole. Obama’s “presidency” is hardly riding on whether the Karzai government gets its act together or whether or not Afghanistan is a shining success in two years.
Posted by: Matt | December 2, 2009, 8:14 am 8:14 am
Austrailia just voted down cap and trade. Does anybody know this or the fact that one of the main global warming nuts is stepping down because of climegate? Where is the reporting ABC? You guys don’t like the truth when doesn’t match your agenda.
Posted by: jjj | December 2, 2009, 8:19 am 8:19 am
George…
Too Much Drama !!!!!!
Posted by: Lets get it on | December 2, 2009, 8:48 am 8:48 am
The real drama was caused by Republican incompetence and corruption – and it continues!
Posted by: Sentinel | December 2, 2009, 9:05 am 9:05 am
Sentinel … I’m not even a Republican and I’m getting tired of hearing that tagline. It’s about time to start getting over what you perceive as “Republicans screwing up America”. Democrats have been the majority for a REALLY long time now … and there has been a Democrat in the White House for almost a year. Move on dude.
Posted by: Teri | December 2, 2009, 9:37 am 9:37 am
Obama is playing a very dangerous game. He is sending in the troops because he promised in his campaign, but to please the left, he is promising a time table for withdrawal all to coincide with his re-election campaign. To put ones election ambitions above our troops well being is a horrible thing to do and Obama may well be exposed for doing just that. He is a man that is self absorbed(GQ Mag in Hand) and that may well be the narcisstic man’s complete exposure.
Posted by: rockychance | December 2, 2009, 9:49 am 9:49 am
Iran today says they do not give a Da– and theat they are going Nuclear. Man Obama waiting sure has fixed everything here.
Posted by: Jim Rod | December 2, 2009, 9:54 am 9:54 am
I guess Obama will never have to be responsible for anything. If Obama’s plan fails it is already being blamed on someone else. Another thing, since when does our Comdr. in Chief have to explain why, how and when about an order as he is giving it to the troops? An order is an order – Don’t question it just do it.
Posted by: Bandera Scout | December 2, 2009, 9:57 am 9:57 am
This so called leader and Community Organizer made a bad mistake. 1. fine lets get out there I agree the people there are useless with their ideals.They will never be a democracy Muslim or nothing or die. 2. The community organized should have never mentioned a time table for these idiots..Then can now wait until we leave then blast away LOL MR Community Organizer. O yes then Blame BUSH for this .
Posted by: Joeray | December 2, 2009, 10:23 am 10:23 am
Betting on Karzai, is like committing suicide.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | December 2, 2009, 10:25 am 10:25 am
If Bush screwed this up so bad what makes anyone think 18 months will fix it or is this Obama blowing more smoke? I say its about enough time to get the troops over there,train a few people and gather our belongings for departure. These guys, ever who the hell we are hunting, can hide away for 18 months, have a few children with their child brides and openly revert back to the stone age all in less than 2 years.
I say send the guys there now plane tickets home and don’t bother sending more.
Posted by: david | December 2, 2009, 10:35 am 10:35 am
So Obama is lining up the people he wants to “blame” lmao at this little man
Posted by: nothing more than a photo-op | December 2, 2009, 10:43 am 10:43 am
VIDEO: MSNBC Chris Matthews calls West Point the ‘enemy camp’…
exposed.. another left wing America hater
Posted by: nothing more than a photo-op | December 2, 2009, 10:46 am 10:46 am
GALLUP: Obama Approval on Afghanistan at 35%…
Posted by: nothing more than a photo-op | December 2, 2009, 10:47 am 10:47 am
PAPER: CLIMATE CHANGE ‘FRAUD’…
CLIMATEGATE: Scientist at center of e-mail controversy to step down…
Penn State Professor also under investigation…
Inhofe Asks Boxer to Probe Potential Scientific ‘Conspiracy’…
Australia’s Parliament defeats global warming bill…
‘It’s all unravelling now’…
=====================================
and who is he going to blame for this???
Posted by: nothing more than a photo-op | December 2, 2009, 10:49 am 10:49 am
It took our Commander in Chief over 4 months of dithering to figure out that 30,000 troops is better than the 40,000 requested by the military commanders who know how to fight a war. What a sad excuse for a President.
Posted by: Mojoe | December 2, 2009, 11:15 am 11:15 am
3 Navy Seals are going to trial over Ahmed Abed having a bloody lip after capture. This man shot, burned, and hung 4 contractors from a bridge. The Seals could be discharged or get prison terms. This is how our servicemen are now being treated. And main stream media WON’T cover it.
Posted by: wheresmymoney | December 2, 2009, 11:21 am 11:21 am
I’m a little older and the Genius that said the democrats have had the majority for a long time, chooses not to remember Newts contract with America, and till now
the mess this country’s in thanks to the out of date republicans, no tax and borrow government Reagan showed them how to do that.
We are now in a me too government Obama forgot who won the election, I can’t see any difference between him and the Chaney Bush administration, its like they hand picked him when they left office it’s disgusting. If you watch Obama he never looks DOWN, Intelligent, if I were Harvard I wouldn’t brag about him graduating from the school, his (middle class) has a degree in front or back of his or her name. Article in Birmingham Al. school district all the children that started first grade when graduation came only twenty seven percent Graduated, putting billions into education for twenty seven percent, like forty billion for Afghanistan, what are they paying for? I’d fight for that kind of a payday.
Posted by: THWTCO | December 2, 2009, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm
18 months? He lost my support last night. The problem is that he is going to be in office that long and we have huge problems at home. No Hope, No change
Posted by: drtompotts | December 2, 2009, 2:02 pm 2:02 pm
Teri Said: “Democrats have been the majority for a REALLY long time now …”
====================================
LOL…. “REALLY long time”… are you like, for “real”?
Let’s see, the Republicans had the majority in the House of Representatives for 12 years straight (1995 to 2007)… and also, basically, held the majority of the Senate also for 12 straight years (1995 to 2007), with only the exception of a 2 year period (2001 to 2003) when the senate was split, 50-50.
Add to that… the fact that they had the White House for 8 straight years, alligned with a Republican congress for 6 of those 8 years, 2001 to 2007…. LOL… Yes, that’s right, a “straight-flush” Republican government (White House, Senate, and House) for 6 years straight…
LOL… you would think that in those 6 years of a “straight flush” Republican controlled government, they would have easily passed some laws that reinforced all their hot-air talk about being the “fiscally conservative” party…. LOL…. No, instead, they doubled the national debt…
… or maybe, in those 6 years of a straight-flush Republican government, they would have made the federal government smaller (as they like to claim)…. no, they didn’t do that either and actually created a whole new federal department… Department of Homeland Security… LOL.
…or maybe in those 6 years, they would have pushed for and passed their own version of health care reform (since they all agree now that it’s needed, just disagree with how to go about implementing it)… but instead, they just ignored the exceedingly high inflation rate of health care cost in the nation.
Bottom line… when you compare that the Democrats have only held the congress for the past 2 years (in comparison with the Republicans previous 12)…. and the fact that Obama has only been in office for 10 months as of 21 November (11 days ago), in comparison with the previous 8 years of Bush (6 of which he had a Republican congress to work with)… no, it has not been a “REALLY long time”… LMAO. You just think it has been.
Posted by: X-Republican Because of Bush | December 2, 2009, 3:08 pm 3:08 pm
yeah. the republicans are corrupt. . . thank god the democrats aren’t either. . . . . . good grief. . . FACE REALITY
Posted by: lonnie | December 2, 2009, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm
THWTCO Said: “I’m a little older and the Genius that said the democrats have had the majority for a long time, chooses not to remember Newts contract with America”
======================================
EXACTLY… I remember the Republicans “Contract With America”… LOL… as I said above, they had 12 whole years to make the government smaller or implement laws that balanced the budget…. but look at where we’re at now… LMAO! Great job Republicans… good work in 12 straight years of controlling the congress… LOL.
Posted by: X-Republican Because of Bush | December 2, 2009, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
if it our troops have been in Iraq since 2001 until now (8 plus years)to protect the interest of our friend Kuwait; and to help get rid of the terrorist in Iraq . My question is how do you realistically expect to be able to just train the afghan people and police in just 18 months? when the same anti terrorism training has taken 8 years of the police in Iraq!. Another thing we don’t the money to invest over there to help fund the war all by ourselves. We asked for help from NATO and all the are willing to give is just 5,000 troops B.S and GERMANY and the U.K are already thinking of pulling their troops like all the other wars before we can’t depend for help when we need it. But when bad things happen were the first ones to try to help but when we need their help we don’t get it. This situation is deemed for failure he should focus on trying to fix the economy not trying to spend on money we can’t spend elsewhere!!!!
Posted by: Ghost | December 2, 2009, 4:07 pm 4:07 pm
rockychance..LOL…LOL…Where do these “conspiracy theories” come from? To even suggest that our President is trying to “please” someone versus making the best visionary decision he can on the facts at hand is totally laughable. That would mean that the President does not think our country’s credibility is important (if we cut bait and ran) and that he isn’t smart enough to understand the long term financial drain the war would have on the country if the effort was “open ended”. “Trying to please” voters. Give me a break. The man is better than that. To “x-republican because of…” Thanks for calling “Teri” on that “really long time” statement. That one made me cringe too.
Posted by: CND FOX | December 2, 2009, 4:14 pm 4:14 pm
So we are going to stop terrorists who are funded by the drug trade… By propping up the biggest drug trader in the region (Karzai), who just happens to be unpopular and seen for the US puppet that he is. Say WHAT!!! All of this death and debt so a druglord can be the “Mayor of Kabul”, what is WRONG with this country… Oh, right… The Leadership! (Pelosi, Reid, Obama, Boehner, et. al!!!) The D’s and R’s are so drunk on power that America is imploding. Stand up for yourselves before you are permanetly knocked down!
Posted by: jafo | December 2, 2009, 4:32 pm 4:32 pm
Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, and now is continuing the Connecticut Cowboy’s war in Afghanistan. Of course, Osama and Al Qaeda will adjust their strategy accordingly.
Bottom line: There is a “sucking sound” from the US Treasury with no end in sight.
Posted by: Bob Hobbs | December 2, 2009, 5:35 pm 5:35 pm
The comments you received from the Republicans while Obama was still speaking, saying, “That’s what Bush would do!” means that if anything goes wrong,
the Republicans can’t blame Obama then…if Bush would have done the same things. That claim is set to backfire on Republcans.
In any case, if Bush hadn’t switched troops and money to Iraq, we might not have to still be in this situation now. It might be a done deal.
Posted by: Tavon | December 2, 2009, 6:51 pm 6:51 pm
Finally, Obama claims the Afgan war as his and his plan is to get out and that is what we need know and start paying attention to domestic causes such as our economy. The Afgans and all muslum countries need to stand up for themselves and help bring down the extremist fanatics that use their religion to kill and destory the innocent. I’m sure President Obama is thinking about the people in America and I pray that the American people will see that Presidents efforts and intellegence is all good for AMERICA.
GOD BLESS! AMEN! SHALOM!
Posted by: Angel SA | December 2, 2009, 8:27 pm 8:27 pm
Come on.
Obama called this the war of neccessity. Now he is on the hot seat. Don’t you think he could have considered the effect of his words when he was in campaign mode?
I just wonder if people who write these articles have access to the facts or not.
Posted by: jonny | December 2, 2009, 8:45 pm 8:45 pm
Sr.Obama,please give back your peace nobel prize, or better yet, all previous recipients please consider giving back yours, saludos H&M
Posted by: horstmagda | December 2, 2009, 9:24 pm 9:24 pm
My question is how do you realistically expect to be able to just train the afghan people and police in just 18 months? when the same anti terrorism training has taken 8 years of the police in Iraq!.
———
Ghost, the US hasn’t been in Iraq for 8 years. We invaded Afghanistan sometime in late 2001 or 2002.
Success is possible because we can build on what has already been done. We are no way close to where we should be, but our troops and advisors haven’t been sitting around either.
Posted by: malcat | December 2, 2009, 9:38 pm 9:38 pm
still dithering
Posted by: Don | December 3, 2009, 3:32 am 3:32 am
where’s the news on climate gate? this is the biggest scandal EVER. you know why? the climate change hoax serves a the liberal game plan to take over our lives- let’s go over their claims.. eat less red meat, save the planet.. have less babies, make a smaller carbon foot print, stop driving your polluting SUV, be an environmental hero. Where was the big stink when some scientist found owning a dog had the same carbon footprint as an SUV, i swear it came out- but there were no calls for euthanizing one of the most popular pets out there, why not? because it’s not about saving the planet- its about power.. power over our lives, they wanna take away our freedoms, never forget that (you better beleive this applies to this health care trash too). wake up america, b4 it’s 2 late.
Posted by: jt17ph | December 3, 2009, 5:06 am 5:06 am
Washington is a sad place in that these people just constantly lie to the people on every issue. Global Warming is just the lates lie told to rape the American people out of their money to feed the corrupt greed of the corporations and individuals who steal with their partners(this time the democrats) in charge. Is there not one honest person to run for office(No, it was not Bush or McCain-they lied about illegals just to get cheap labor for their buddies)Our republic is in dire straits due to democratic and republican self serving liars. Please, someone get the guts in the democratic party to tell the truth on healthcare(power grab) and Cap and Trade( Money Grab)
Posted by: rockychance | December 3, 2009, 7:47 am 7:47 am
So, I guess it doesn’t matter what the American people want. Over 60 percent don’t want us to even be in Afghanistan. We are forced to pay the bill but get no say in what our government decides to do. Excuse me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t that the reason we fought the British in the Revolutionary War? Pay the bills but no representation?
Posted by: allen_osuno | December 3, 2009, 10:21 am 10:21 am