President Obamas Winning Streak

[fencesitter]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/19/AR2010081904771.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

Eugene Robinson, Washington Post 08/20/10

This is a radical break from journalistic convention, I realize, but today I'd like to give credit where it's due -- specifically, to President Obama. Quiet as it's kept, he's on a genuine winning streak.

It's hard to remember that the inauguration was just 19 months ago. Expectations of the new president were absurdly high. If Obama had done back flips across the Potomac River, when he reached the other side he'd have faced probing questions about why it was taking him so long to cure cancer, solve the Arab-Israeli conflict and usher in an age of universal peace and prosperity.

But look at what he's accomplished in just the past few weeks. Let me highlight four recent headlines.

"Last U.S. combat troops leave Iraq": Obama campaigned as an early and vocal opponent of the Iraq war, calling it a distraction from the more important conflict in Afghanistan. When he took office, there were about 160,000 U.S. troops in Iraq on the heels of George W. Bush's combat surge. Obama said he would bring our combat forces home and he did -- ahead of schedule.

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"General Motors to launch stock offering": One of the many crises Obama faced when he took office was the imminent collapse of an iconic industrial giant. The demise of General Motors would have wiped out hundreds of thousands of jobs in the company and its supply chain, and, it's safe to say, would have been a mighty blow to the nation's psyche.

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The company was saved, workers kept their jobs, and taxpayers are going to get their money back. That's nice work.

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"Gulf oil spill contained": When BP's Deepwater Horizon well went rogue, the Obama administration was criticized for being slow off the mark. Some of the criticism was justified -- the initial response did seem unfocused. But the administration managed to turn things around and quiet any talk of "Obama's Katrina."

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And finally, "President wades into mosque controversy": Yes, I'm serious. Supporting the mosque in Lower Manhattan didn't score any political points. But Obama saw his duty to uphold the values of our Constitution and make clear that our fight is against the terrorists, not against Islam itself. Instead of doing what was popular, he did what was right.

He still hasn't walked on water, though. What's wrong with the man?

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I took pieces, read the whole thing.

[Lindsey]

1. Good post. Thanks..n/t

[NBachers]

2. After listening to the NPR reporter this morning: "Obama CLAIMS to be a Christian"

Another slanted NPR hit piece against Obama- I had to shut it down before I smashed my fucking radio into the wall.

Thanks, Eugene- I appreciate someone getting information like this out.

[Demeter]

3. Lessons from Plutarch's "Life of Pyrrhus": Definition of Pyrrhic Victory

"...Pyrrhus replied to one that gave him joy of his victory that one more such victory would utterly undo him. For he had lost a great part of the forces he brought with him, and almost all his particular friends and principal commanders; there were no others there to make recruits, and he found the confederates in Italy backward. On the other hand, as from a fountain continually flowing out of the city, the Roman camp was quickly and plentifully filled up with fresh men, not at all abating in courage for the loss they sustained, but even from their very anger gaining new force and resolution to go on with the war..."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory

from 300+ BC


"Too little learning is a dangerous thing" --Demeter updates the Classics.

[JTFrog]

4. K&R!

[UrbScotty]

5. Too late for a rec, but enjoy this KICK!