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Pivoting to Victory
By JAMES TARANTO
June 18, 2008
A Washington Post1 editorial reports on a meeting between the Post's editors and Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, in which Zebari describes a conversation he had with Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee:
The foreign minister said "my message" to Mr. Obama "was very clear. . . . Really, we are making progress. I hope any actions you will take will not endanger this progress." He said he was reassured by the candidate's response, which caused him to think that Mr. Obama might not differ all that much from Mr. McCain. Mr. Zebari said that in addition to promising a visit, Mr. Obama said that "if there would be a Democratic administration, it will not take any irresponsible, reckless, sudden decisions or action to endanger your gains, your achievements, your stability or security. Whatever decision he will reach will be made through close consultation with the Iraqi government and U.S. military commanders in the field."
This confirms the reporting of Al-Hayat, a London-based Arabic-language newspaper, which we noted Friday2. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch3 also reports that Obama, who last set foot in Iraq in 2006, before the surge, "is considering going to Iraq soon to visit with troops and commanders," even though snarly Susan Rice, a top Obama foreign-policy adviser, says that the GOP argument that he should do so is "complete garbage."
Could it be that Obama is planning to pivot? That is, what if he goes to Iraq and declares upon his return that he has been persuaded that the surge has made a difference, that things are going much better, and that he is now convinced victory is both possible and crucial?
On the downside, he would risk alienating those among his supporters who crave defeat in Iraq, either for ideological reasons or out of sheer hatred for George W. Bush.
But on the upside, it would show political courage and open-mindedness, two qualities his supporters are eager to ascribe to him but so far on the basis of evidence that is somewhere between scant and nonexistent. Those who do want America to win in Iraq would no longer have to vote against Obama for that reason. As for those who want defeat, where would they go? By their lights, John McCain is even worse; he voted for the war to begin with. So, oddly enough, did the Libertarian nominee. Unless you count Cynthia McKinney or Ralph Nader, Obama would still be the best "antiwar" candidate on the ballot.
We've long been skeptical of the Obama hype, but if he is smart and bold enough to adopt a sensible position on Iraq, we will have to admit there is more to him that we've given him credit for.
Back to the Future4
The New York Times reports that an adviser to John McCain accused Barack Obama of having a "Sept. 10 mindset." Obama responded by . . . exhibiting a Sept. 10 mindset:
The latest battle began when McCain's advisers held a conference call to attack Obama for comments he made in an interview with ABC News in which he said that he believed that "we can track terrorists, we can crack down on threats against the United States, but we can do so within the constraints of our Constitution," and noted that the United States was able to arrest, try and jail the culprits in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
"And, you know, let's take the example of Guantanamo," Obama said in the interview. "What we know is that, in previous terrorist attacks--for example, the first attack against the World Trade Center--we were able to arrest those responsible, put them on trial."
The Obama antiterror strategy is to wait until terrorists kill American civilians, then arrest them and put them on trial. Of course, when we tried that in the 1990s, the eventual result was another attack on the World Trade Center. This one was far more successful, destroying the complex and multiplying the death toll nearly 500-fold.
Oh, and the men who carried out the attack were never arrested and put on trial, because it was a suicide attack. Another failure of the Bush administration!
Obama's Voucher5
Our item yesterday6 on Barack Obama's opposition to educational vouchers prompted an email from a reader at the University of Chicago, who tells us that Obama's daughters attend the Lab School, a private elementary school run by the university. Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times noted in July that Obama had acknowledged this during a Democratic debate:
What he does not mention, curiously, is that his wife, Michelle, works at the U. of C. Many people affiliated with the U. of C. are eligible for tuition breaks.
So the Obama girls are attending a private school and having part of their tuition paid for by a third party? Sounds like a voucher to us.
The Tennessee Center for Policy Research7 points to another choice example of political hypocrisy, this from Obama backer Al Gore:
In the past year, Gore's home burned through 213,210 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power 232 average American households for a month. . . .
After the Tennessee Center for Policy Research exposed Gore's massive home energy use, the former Vice President scurried to make his home more energy-efficient. Despite adding solar panels, installing a geothermal system, replacing existing light bulbs with more efficient models, and overhauling the home's windows and ductwork, Gore now consumes more electricity than before the "green" overhaul. . . .
Since taking steps to make his home more environmentally-friendly last June, Gore devours an average of 17,768 kWh per month--1,638 kWh more energy per month than before the renovations--at a cost of $16,533. By comparison, the average American household consumes 11,040 kWh in an entire year, according to the Energy Information Administration.
We should note that Obama's and Gore's hypocrisies are irrelevant to the merits of the positions they take. That is, it may be that vouchers are bad or global warmism is true, even if these guys don't practice what they preach. But their practices undermine their credibility as preachers.
You Ought to Be in Pictures. On Second Thought, You Oughtn't8
Politico reports that Barack Obama's campaign is fighting back against what it calls the "smear9" that Obama is a Muslim:
Two Muslim women at Barack Obama's rally in Detroit on Monday were barred from sitting behind the podium by campaign volunteers seeking to prevent the women's headscarves from appearing in photographs or on television with the candidate.
The campaign has apologized to the women, both Obama supporters who said they felt betrayed by their treatment at the rally.
"This is of course not the policy of the campaign. It is offensive and counter to Obama's commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the kind of campaign we run," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. "We sincerely apologize for the behavior of these volunteers."
We'd caution against reading too much into that apology, which was just a matter of basic human decency. Actions speak louder than words. Obama not only is not a Muslim; he won't even be seen with Muslims. He is downright Islamophobic, and shame on the Republican Attack Machine for trying to suggest otherwise.
Metaphor Alert10
"Conservative columnists accuse [Michelle Obama] of being unpatriotic and say she simmers with undigested racial anger."--New York Times, June 18
The same story, by the way, says that while growing up, Mrs. Obama (née Robinson) and her brother "lived with their parents on the second floor of a bungalow." Since a bungalow is a single-story structure, the Times cannot mean this literally. Is it a sly suggestion that she lived in the attic like her crazy uncle-in-law?
Clinton Postscript11
With Hillary Clinton out of the presidential race, at least for now, one supporter, quoted in the East Hampton (N.Y.) Town News, expresses frustration with the diminution of the public image of Mrs. Clinton's lesser half:
[Judith] Hope didn't comment on the Clintons' reported visit, but said that she was particularly concerned that the contentious race seemed to have left some Obama supporters with the perception that Mr. Clinton might be a racist.
"Bill Clinton's work to eradicate HIV/AIDS around the world and particularly in Africa, where he has visited hundreds of AIDS clinics, and secured special concessions from the pharmaceutical companies on drug pricing, plus successfully enlisted the support of hundreds of local African tribal and political leaders, is unequaled," she said. "It is truly ironic and hurtful that the black community seems to hold such bitterness towards him. There is not a racist bone in his body and anyone who knows him well knows that."
The Hill12, meanwhile, reports that the Clintons are planning a long vacation to recuperate from Mrs. Clinton's hard-fought campaign:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), a stalwart supporter of Clinton's presidential bid, would say only that she and former President Bill Clinton "wanted to go somewhere private and far away where she could rest."
Wait a second, Bill and DiFi? Well, hey, who are we to judge? And it is refreshing to see him take an interest in a mature woman for a change.
He's in Real Trouble if the Erasers Start13
"McCain Pencils in Minnesota Campaign Stop"--headline, Pioneer Press (St. Paul), June 18
Great Moments in Socialized Medicine14
"The predicted rise in dementia over the next two decades could destroy the NHS, say top scientists in an open letter," the BBC reports. NHS stands for National Health Service, Britain's system of socialized medicine:
An ageing population means the burden of dementia on the UK will double to £35bn-a-year within 20 years.
They told Health Secretary Alan Johnson that more should be spent researching new treatments for Alzheimer's disease. . . .
The open letter to Mr Johnson says that the NHS "may well be unsustainable" as the number of people with dementia increases.
They wrote: "As the NHS turns 60, the question isn't whether it will last a further 60 years, but if it can survive the next 20.
The NHS began operation July 5, 1948--right around the time the dementia sufferers of tomorrow were emerging from the womb. If the scientists' prediction proves accurate, the NHS will have failed to deliver on its promise of cradle-to-grave care for even a single generation.
We Blame George W. Bush15
"Gerbil's Escape From Cage Blamed for Accident"--headline, Associated Press, June 18
Still 100%, but at Least You're Awake16
"No Higher Death Risk in Long-Term Coffee Drinking"--headline, Reuters, June 16
Someone Set Up Us the Bomb17
"Citizens Block Renovation Eyed"--headline, Hartford Courant, June 18
News You Can Use
• "Locked Door Thwarts Robber"--headline, Press-Register18 (Mobile, Ala.), June 18
• "Bad Guys Really Do Get the Most Girls"--headline, NewScientist.com19, June 18
• "Shhhh! Quiet Copulation Key for Female Chimps"--headline, Reuters20, June 17
Bottom Stories of the Day
• "Sen. Specter Says He Won't Call for Hearings in NFL 'Spygate' "--headline, Associated Press21, June 17
• "Doctor Named President of American Medical Association"--headline, KCEN-TV Web site (Waco, Texas), June 17
• "Man Attacked Bus, Tried to Rob 7-Eleven, Stripped, Fought Dog and Withstood Taser"--headline, Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail22, June 17
When Life Gives You Lemons, Steal Lemonade23
Perhaps he thought it would be the perfect crime, like taking candy from a baby. But the 12-year-old girl he allegedly targeted was anything but a pushover, the Associated Press reports form Terre Haute, Ind.:
A young girl whose lemonade stand was robbed of $17.50 chased the suspect into a nearby home and called police, who spent nearly an hour trying to coax the man into surrendering.
"The guy came up and was, like, 'Give me your money,' " said Dominique Morefield, who was running the lemonade stand with a group of friends. "I was shocked. It was just my immediate reaction to chase after him."
Dominique dashed after the man who ran into a house, and then she called police. Officers eventually persuaded Steve Tryon, 18, to come outside after 45 minutes and arrested him on a preliminary felony charge of robbery.
If Tryon is convicted and sentenced to prison, we certainly wish him luck in establishing credibility on the cell block. |
