Pulitzer Prize Winning Iraq War Critic: 'All Obama Is Saying Is Give War A Chance'
Barack Obama sure is getting support for his Libyan attack from what on the surface would seem a lot of unlikely sources.
On Sunday's "Meet the Press," Pulitzer Prize-winning Iraq war critic Tom Ricks told David Gregory, "All Obama is saying is give war a chance" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
DAVID GREGORY: Well, and, Tom Ricks, look, we began the broadcast this morning, Richard Engel's reporting on the progress of the rebels. They're getting closer to Tripoli. Then what? That's the moment we leave? Or are we going to supply the rebels? Are we--I mean, if Gadhafi stays, can we really say this is mission accomplished?
TOM RICKS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR "FOREIGN POLICY": Yes. I think what they'll say is we gave it a chance. All Obama is saying is give war a chance. Not our war. All we did was kick the door down, let the Brits and the French and the others do it. And I think his notion is we're going to be out of there long before this is resolved. That's the hope. That's the best-case scenario.
For those unfamiliar with Ricks, he is the contributing editor to Foreign Policy magazine as well as a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, a national defense think tank with very close ties to the Obama administration.
Ricks used to be a special military correspondent for the Washington Post, and wrote "Fiasco" in 2006 which was highly critical of the Iraq war.
He was staunchly opposed to the 2007 troop surge, and said in 2009, "I think that invading Iraq preemptively on false premises, at the time that we already were at war elsewhere, was probably the biggest mistake in the history of American foreign policy."
Now, two years later with the United States involved in its third military incursion, Ricks is on "Meet the Press" stating, "All Obama is saying is give war a chance."
Boggles the mind, doesn't it?
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Comments
Meet the Progs (Press) is a
Submitted by d1carter on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 5:51pm.
Meet the Progs (Press) is a joke...
Just change the name to "Press the Meat"...
Submitted by nonncom on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 9:49am.
Sounds more like it....
Aging Flower children
Submitted by CarlosS on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 5:56pm.
chanting the old Beatles song "All we are saying is give WAR a chance" That's got to be funny, no matter who you are
♫All we are say--ing, is give
Submitted by bkeyser on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 5:58pm.
♫All we are say--ing, is give time-limited, scope-limited kinetic military action a chance♪
LOL
Submitted by CarlosS on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 6:01pm.
You win bkeyser!
Stop that man
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 8:22pm.
He's got a rotisserie and he's digging up John Lennon.
Ok, group effort using John
Submitted by dscott on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 10:34pm.
Ok, group effort using John Lennon's song lyrics as a basis let's create Obama's theme song:
http://www.bluesforpeace.com/lyrics/give-peace-chance.htm for reference purposes.
Let's Give War a Chance
six, five, six, seven, eight.
Nobody's paying attention to
Terrorism, Socialism, Communism, Jihadism, Talibanism
Every ism, no ism, me-ism, me-ism, me-ism,
All we are say--ing, is give time-limited, scope-limited kinetic military action a chance
All we are say--ing, is give time-limited, scope-limited kinetic military action a chance
Who does Ricks think he's kidding?
Submitted by Dave. on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 6:12pm.
If George W. Bush, or any other CiC with an "R" after their name, had done what Obama did concerning Libya, Ricks and his cronies would be screaming for their head to be served up on a platter.
They wanted Bush's scalp even though he secured a congressional vote, as well as the blessing of the useless empty suits at the U.N. before the first cruise missile was even launched.
The left is so transparently hypocritical when it comes to all things Obama even a blind person can see right through them.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Are there no Liberals
Submitted by Van Halen on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 6:23pm.
Are there no Liberals anywhere who see the hypocrisy in this? Are there no Liberals who haven't flushed their principles (however horrible) down the toilet to defend this horror of a Presidency? Are there no Liberals who will stand up and speak truth to power? I was right when I said the new Liberalism can be defined as:
Above all, Liberalism!
Above that, Barack Obama!
A DEEEEEP SIP FROM THE PUNCHBOWL
Submitted by JPTSO3 on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 7:39pm.
They're drinking deeply from the Kool-Aid punchbowl. It's really pretty comical to watch. It's reminds me of midlevel corporate sycophants, who will blather "yes sir, that was brilliant sir!" to anything the bossman says...
If Obama told them to bark like dogs, it would sound like the Pound at dinner time. Woof!
This guy does kinda look like a lost St Bernard...
Holy son of a motherless
Submitted by killa37 on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 7:46pm.
Holy son of a motherless goat - blessed be his name!!! This has got to be one of the biggest piles of steamy stinking Kenyan Kow Krap that I have heard lately................and THAT'S saying something!!!!
And Boy Blunder 'kicked down the door'??? Was it the same door that he exited Nettenyahu and the Dalai Lama??? Is this guy for real??? Who gives out these 'prizes' anyway?? Hell, what a stupid question...........even Oblamulate has one!!!
hate to admit I admire
Submitted by MidAmerica on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 7:41pm.
There are just a few democrats who have stuck to their principles and Dennis Kucinich(D, Ohio) is one of them. I don't agree with Dennis on issues but he isn't an obama syncophant above principle.
I concur, MidAmerica
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 6:09pm.
I can't stand him, but he even went so far as to suggest that Obama's failure to consult Congress may be an impeachable offense.
Try giving war a chance?
Submitted by drsamherman on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 7:48pm.
In a nanosecond we go from a president having no authorization to proceed with military action when the the US is not threatened to whatever Ear Leader determines is proper in spite of what he said?
Even with the worst bipolar disorder patients I have ever treated, this is a light-speed mood change that would require weeks to stabilize with high-dose lithium and atypical antipsychotic agents. I would have to order hourly blood Lithium levels and restraints if this kind of patient presented.
The war comment is
Submitted by stratman on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 9:11pm.
The war comment is monumentally bizarre. I've never desired hearing anything from Yoko Ono, but, in this case, I'd make an exception for the impact it would have on the Left.
Your psychiatric observation reminded me of a rapid cycling bipolar patient I had who went from jubilation to tears, then became flirty and finally ended remorseful in the span of the office visit. First time and only time that happened with anyone.
Damn, strat, you just described a lot of ---
Submitted by matthewdean on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 9:22pm.
my dates with my first wife.
Prior to marrying her, of course.
After the ceremony, things got really crazy. :o)
MD
Woah!
Submitted by stratman on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 10:49pm.
Does that have anything to do with why you chose to run into burning buildings while the rest of us were running out? I'm darn glad you discovered a better solution to getting satan's helper behind thee. ;-)
Speaking of... my brother almost married satan herself, but that's a story for over beverages one day.
strat---
Submitted by matthewdean on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 12:19am.
The heat from the crucible was a walk in the park after a beat down from the ex.
Oddly enough, she had an identical twin sister; I wonder if-----?
Nah, couldn't be. :o)
MD
Dang. There it is again.
Submitted by The Vet on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 12:24am.
Soldier. Policeman. Fireman.
Running toward danger while everyone else is running away from it.
Glad I am not the only one to say it.
You mean she got MORE
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 12:52am.
You mean she got MORE bipolar, psychotic, schizophrenic, and loony??? Gee.........I thought I was the only one who endured that!!!
killa---
Submitted by matthewdean on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 1:08am.
Yeah, she did.
And then had the nerve to blame it on me.
Can you imagine? :o)
Like you, I'm glad miss ninja showed up. I was starting to wonder if she gave up on us.
All is now well.
MD
Miss Ninji-Poo is the
Submitted by killa37 on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 1:43am.
Miss Ninji-Poo is the BOMB!!!!!
When I heard Tom Ricks say
Submitted by amyshulk on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 8:38pm.
When I heard Tom Ricks say that, I knew the "independents" {aka surface voters} were the true target of this "analysis" and that's why no Gates/Clinton on Chris Wallace today. I just read an interesting column: http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/which-flavor-columnist-do-you-choose-1187317... His take on why we see NPR as liberal is hilarious. They just don't get it, do they? After being told for 8 years that our gov't was NOT to be trusted, NOW they think they can pull the wool over our eyes???
Ronald Reagan
Ricks is a joke among professional military types
Submitted by WarEagle01 on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 9:11pm.
His knowledge of operational art and strategy is almost non-existent, which probably explains why he is so consistently wrong whenever he comments on anything having to do with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Disgusting
Submitted by commentkazi on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 9:28pm.
It is absurd that we are this far into the thing and we've yet to see a mission statement. What exactly are we trying to accomplish?
Mission Statement
Submitted by Radical1979 on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 9:37pm.
We are trying to distract the American people from the disaster that is our economy, the fact that Brazil is allowed to drill in the Gulf of Mexico while American companies are not, and that Obamacare is going to bankrupt the nation.
Extra! Extra! President Obama's Monday press conference
Submitted by Rush Fan on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 9:51pm.
question and answer portion on Libya with CNN's Anderson Cooper and Fox News's Breit Baier has been leaked on YouTube. Here is the YouTube Link for your viewing pleasure.
Excellent video!!!!
Submitted by Diesel on Sun, 03/27/2011 - 11:50pm.
Excellent video!!!!
Libya is going to be a
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 12:38am.
Libya is going to be a disaster we need to pin on Obama. This is one place we did not need to go into. A President and a country needs to pick and choose its battles and we just don't have any dog in this fight. I am really not interested in fighting for oil in Libya for Euro weenies.
It's laughable to read
Submitted by Trix Rabbit on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 1:00am.
It's laughable to read anything on foreign policy stated by someone who looks like an Ewok.
For the MSM: In your pomp and all your glory, you're a poorer man than me. As you lick the boots of death born out of fear.
Ian Anderson "Wind up"
Liberalism IS hypocrisy.
Submitted by Tenebrous on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 7:28am.
Thank you Obama and your toady intellectual prostitutes for revealing the empty core of liberalism that was there all along, just covered with trendy sayings and hipster zingers! Now we know that liberalism is hypocrisy. Liberalism is a subservient licking the boots of dictatorial power. Liberalism is being a marionette on the puppet strings. Liberalism is a moral prison and a second-rate play, fit for only the immoral.
Visions and Principles blog
A war by any other name ---
Submitted by acaiguana on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 7:33am.
... is still a war.
QED.
ACA
...
Quoted from: 'Acaiguana notes from the Underground' (Soon to be at theaters near you)
Meanwhile, over at Code Pink and moveon.org....
Submitted by Prester John on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 11:11am.
I will grudgingly give Code Pink credit for stepping up their criticism of the BHO's operations in Libya on their website after being completely silent for four days after we starting bombing that country.
Moveon on the other hand continues to spend their time criticizing Gingrich for being for the bombing before he was against it, and whining about how many teachers you could pay for the cost of a single cruise missile. BHO's for some reason is not a subject of criticism by moveon.
Go figure.
Herman Cain 2012
www.hermancain.com
Impeachment
Submitted by NiftySwell on Mon, 03/28/2011 - 11:31pm.
He is starting with only 47% favorable opinion of the strikes...that will be the highest it gets. If the Italians cannot get Khadaffi out then it will slide. I think there are two dynamics at work here. I think O has made enough enemies across both parties at this point that as the approval slips below 40% and as it gets to be 30 days without going to congress for a vote they will actually move to start impeachment hearings from there the public opinion will dictate if it goes through. The case itself is as good as any that has existed and they supplied all the evidence themselves. Enough people have had enough and this is a brilliant opportunity for a clear cut case to ouster him. He has his own words, the VP's words, even Hillary's own comments regarding the constitutionality of the attack. Heck his speech was practically a phrase by phrase go-by of Bush's for invading Iraq with exception to the ridiculous statement regarding regime change..were missiles being fired yet again at the Libyan command compound while he was mouthing those words, I wonder?
I feel they wanted to avoid a Rwanda situation on their watch but they did not feel they needed to go through the constitutional channels necessary to start the operations. Does anyone in their leadership ever say to themselves what will happen if we do this? What would we say if an (R) did this? They remain in the bubble and distant from actual public sentiment. They will not be able to overcome any fatalities resulting from a war he started where there clearly are no US interests as his own Defense Secretary stated. I personally pray that there are none and do not want his downfall to be at the expense of a single life.
Every day they say yet another thing that will be held against them in what I believe will be proceedings that Rand Paul has started to lay the framework for in his response this evening. Meanwhile, they keep making the amateur moves and statements hoping the media and left leaning interest groups continue to shield him. They even stashed Mr. Biden in the Colorado Rockies to keep him away from the press. President Obama is probably hoping one day he will have a statue just like Bush does in Iraq sitting there in a main square in Tripoli. What he does not realize is if it is there it will have been erected by the Al Qaeda and Libyan version of the Taliban who take over the leadership.
Regardless, we all know in the end if it ends up being a disaster it will be reported by NPR as still somehow Bush's fault. There is some liberal reporter sitting in front of a peg board with string, photos, and news clips connecting the dots to him right now.