What we really meant was....

Allahpundit has an excellent takedown of Dem angst over McCain getting verbally pugilistic with their messiah candidate. Read it here.

The best bit that comes out of it is the new Dem line that Iraq can't be lost, so why are we staying?

Interesting....
Not too long ago, according to Democrats, we needed to get out of Iraq, because Iraq couldn't be won.

Now, according to Democrats, we need to get out of Iraq, because Iraq can't be lost.

Unfortunately both arguments simply demonstrate the Dems lack of understanding of reality.

You see, not too long ago, we needed to stay in Iraq, because Iraq could be won.

Now we need to stay in Iraq because Iraq can be lost.

It is their simple misunderstanding of this reality that bothers me. For a good simulation of how the Dems line of reasoning would have affected events, please also read Bob Owens great piece: The Iraq We'd Have If We'd Heeded Obama

Also read Blackfive's comments on Obama's surge contortions here.

Guess what, Andy...we won

If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend perusing Greyhawk's recent series of posts at Mudville Gazette entitled "WHILE AMERICA SLEPT"

Part 1 - "But by my estimation, the Iraq War is over. We won."
Part 2 - "Afghanistan is where the war is now; it's where it always was..."
Part 3 - "...after much blood and sweat equity - the need for combat ops had fallen significantly"
Part 4 - "I'm dead. That sucks," and "I died doing a job I loved."

The title of this post is the final line from Part 4, and a statement by Greyhawk to departed milblogger Andy Olmsted to inform him that his sacrifice was not in vain.

Read on...

God bless to all of those who have given that blood and sweat equity in Iraq, and Godspeed to those who will continue to do so here in Afghanistan.

CF out....

Energizer Al

You have to give Al Gore some credit....he doesn't quit. And he always ups the ante.

Gore called on Americans to completely abandon electricity generated by fossil fuels within 10 years, and replace them with carbon-free renewables like solar, wind and geothermal.

Now don't get me wrong, I actually think that such a goal is commendable, and even as a conservative would love to have an energy grid based on renewables, that would eliminate airborne pollution. But 10 years is a pipe dream. Especially if you don't even consider using Nuclear as the primary backbone for that energy grid.

In as much as it is a good idea, reaching this goal by 2018 has an even chance with mankind achieving the goal of traveling at the speed of light within that same time period. It is the height of folly. Even Time Magazine is skeptical, calling it an "unrealistic plan" and "... it's hard to see how Gore's target is remotely attainable. This isn't negative thinking, or fiction put out by the oil industry. This is reality."

Al, buddy, I am all for a plan than provides clean renewable power...but let's be realistic. If you want to achieve this goal, while at the same time not ruining the U.S. economy and lowering people's standard of living, then you have to think in the longer term. Lets say 2050. You and I may not be alive by then, but that is certainly a more achievable timeframe than by the middle of Bobby Jindal's second Presidential term.

Don't ruin a fairly good idea by placing impossible deadlines on it....

Thank You America

I read with great interest a couple of weeks ago about the web-a-thon that was being held to raise money to support the troops called “From the Frontlines”, sponsored by Move America Forward, and prominent bloggers like Michelle Malkin.

This great effort was able to raise over $1 million, and will go directly to sending care packages to my compatriots on the front lines.

So imagine my surprise when a MAF care package arrived for my NCOIC. Now we may be in Afghanistan, and we may work in a high ops-tempo operations center, but we are by no means as far out on the frontlines as some of the kids out there. So it had never occurred to me that this great effort would benefit my troops and I. I assumed it would go to the kids who really deserve it, the ones to have to travel the roads and man the Combat Outposts out on the ragged frontier of this war.

For the generosity that MAF and its individual sponsors have bestowed upon this group of REMFs, we are deeply appreciative, and can never thank you enough for the items and the thoughtful words that you send along with them.

A special thanks to Millie from DuQuoin, IL, who’s donation bought the package of Beef Jerky that I got my hands on. God Bless You too Millie.

I would encourage everyone who might read this to go to MAF’s Campaign Store and sponsor a package, which start at $15. Not for me, because I have what I need, but for those troops like the 2/7 Marines, or TF Bayonet, or TF Currahee, or any of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) who spends their days on the true front lines.

I know those who receive them will greatly appreciate any generosity.