Obama Buys a Used War
When the President unveiled his vehicle for getting from here to there in Afghanistan last night, it was not, as W’s chief of staff described the Iraq invasion in 2002, a “new product” but an eight-year-old jalopy retooled for an even longer, bumpier ride.
As Barack Obama “assumed full ownership,” there was no shortage of tire-kickers, starting with John McCain, who judges wars on durability (i.e., 100 years in Iraq). The President reportedly placated his rival in last year’s race by assuring McCain that the 2011 trade-in date could be modified by “conditions on the ground,” a warranty loophole big enough to drive another Surge through.
The post-purchase debate will be all the livelier for an aging gas-guzzler that has none of the curb appeal of George W. Bush’s choice, the Saddam Hussein 2003 model with such then-new features as WMDs and a shock-and-awe startup for quick acceleration.
At a pre-speech lunch, the President failed to sell even such an avid buyer of that previous rollout as Tom Friedman…
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3 Responses to “Obama Buys a Used War”
Hit it right on the nose.
Presidents deal with situations, thats the way it is, no one gets a shiny new car. Bush inherited the Taliban and Al Queda entrenched in Afganistan, Obama gets his own inheritance. Don't blame him for what things are when he takes over, surely, but its his now and he will be judged on his performance and can't blame everything from here on on Bush. Won't stop the “Blame Bush” crowd, but thats punditry and politics.
Its his now, he has to deal with it. Its not above his pay grade, and trying to shrug off the responsibility wont resonate well. Harry Truman didn't blame anyone else when he said “The buck stops here”, Obama needs to stand up and be a leader not a blamer.
It's a gross mischaracterization to suggest that Obama is trying to “shrug” anything off. The simple fact is this: History exists and should not be ignored if we are to learn from it. Groundhog Day was a movie, not a prototype for living. Don't worry, there will be plenty of people holding his feet to the fire… liberals included.