Arianna Huffington On Calling For The Vice President To Resign!

[democracy1st]

Run time: 08:27 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DITz5VIUOxs   Posted on YouTube: October 14, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: October 15, 2009 By DU Member: democracy1st Views on DU: 2395

 
*******Watch This Video & You'll See Just How Much of A Joke CNN and Corporate Media is,CNN interrupts the Segment For :wtf:******


Joe Biden met with CENTCOM chief Gen. David Petraeus this morning to talk about Afghanistan -- an issue that has pushed the vice president into the spotlight, landing him on the cover of the latest Newsweek.

I have an idea for how he can capitalize on all the attention, and do what generations to come will always be grateful for: resign.

The centerpiece of Newsweek's story is how Biden has become the chief White House skeptic on escalating the war in Afghanistan, specifically arguing against Gen. McChrystal's request for 40,000 more troops to pursue a counterinsurgency strategy there.

The piece, by Holly Bailey and Evan Thomas, opens with details of a September 13th national security meeting at the White House. Biden speaks up:

"Can I just clarify a factual point? How much will we spend this year on Afghanistan?" Someone provided the figure: $65 billion. "And how much will we spend on Pakistan?" Another figure was supplied: $2.25 billion. "Well, by my calculations that's a 30-to-1 ratio in favor of Afghanistan. So I have a question. Al Qaeda is almost all in Pakistan, and Pakistan has nuclear weapons. And yet for every dollar we're spending in Pakistan, we're spending $30 in Afghanistan. Does that make strategic sense?" The White House Situation Room fell silent.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/why-joe-biden-should-resi_b_320929.html


An Inconvenient Truth Teller
From health-care reform to Afghanistan, Joe Biden has bucked Obama—as only a good Veep can.


Joe Biden had a question. During a long Sunday meeting with President Obama and top national-security advisers on Sept. 13, the VP interjected, "Can I just clarify a factual point? How much will we spend this year on Afghanistan?" Someone provided the figure: $65 billion. "And how much will we spend on Pakistan?" Another figure was supplied: $2.25 billion. "Well, by my calculations that's a 30-to-1 ratio in favor of Afghanistan. So I have a question. Al Qaeda is almost all in Pakistan, and Pakistan has nuclear weapons. And yet for every dollar we're spending in Pakistan, we're spending $30 in Afghanistan. Does that make strategic sense?" The White House Situation Room fell silent. But the questions had their desired effect: those gathered began putting more thought into Pakistan as the key theater in the region.



Back in March, Biden stood alone. When Obama announced that he was launching a counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan—to develop the country and make its civilians safe from the Taliban—Biden was the only one of the president's top advisers to seriously question the wisdom of this course. The vice president even authored a short paper, called "Counterterrorism-Plus," outlining his case for a better-defined, more limited mission. The president listened but promised to review his policy again only after the Afghan election in August. Biden "didn't get a lot of traction internally," says a White House staffer familiar with the debate who did not want to be named discussing internal deliberations.

In the early days of the administration, Biden was a bit of a joke in some quarters of the White House. He was never the buffoonish character portrayed by late-night comics, but his off-message blurts were the source of eye-rolling and some irritation among the president's men and women. None of the gaffes was particularly damaging, but aides who'd been with Obama through the campaign knew that the president valued very tight control. Biden himself seemed wounded by the sniggering. Asked about his gaffes by a NEWSWEEK reporter last spring, he responded a little defensively, "A gaffe in Washington is someone telling the truth, and telling the truth has never hurt me."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/217090


:wtf:

[RandomThoughts]

1. And Arianna Huffington can resign from Huffington Post to show how important the issue is to her. nt

[democracy1st]

2. I know she needs a vacation

[obliviously]

3. She is being a bit hard on Biden but she does have

a point I hadn't thought of. 30-1 ratio?

[truedelphi]

4. So I take it we spend 67 billion plus for those two military police actions

that would cover two thirds of

Universal Single Payer For All in The USA! for a Year!

Why don't we bring our troops home and become a civilized nation. The way we are going, we are heading for an attack on Iran.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

18. I'm afraid that the US has been in the war crimes = $$$$$ business for too long.

I think that the priorities of this country are determined and dictated by the MIC to the exclusion of all other thoughts.

Universal health care.... Only if the Defense contractors that are actually running this country can find a way to make money on health care. Of course, GE is already making money on both fronts. Other companies still haven't devised a sales pitch that would prove the need for their "products" in the area of health care.

The country doesn't need nuclear attack subs, B1 bombers, conventional weapons, nuclear arms, land mines...etc to provide health care.
Greed, corruption and war are what drive this country.

It really sucks that this country has determined that the profit margin is far too important in the killing of people when compared to caring for its' citizens.

OK, I'm all done ranting.

USA USA USA....... :shrug:

[tomm2thumbs]

5. Arianna really loses credibility here - maybe she should check her glucose levels

she might be experiencing low blood sugar of the brain. Biden did, indeed, sign on to the plan Obama stated during the campaign to re-engage in Afghanistan and I don't think he's planning on turning loose the military without a consistent review/measure process to see if it is having the desired effect. When she picks a stupid argument that will obviously never happen, like the VP resigning in protest, she sets her organization up to look like fools beneath a lead-fool. So much for picking you battles.

[PatSeg]

6. I haven't watched CNN in a long, long time

and I could barely stomach watching this 8 minute video. You are so right, they are a joke. As for Arianna, I understand the point she is making, but that was ridiculous.

[paulkienitz]

7. anyone else feel that maybe Ariana is just... not bright?

[unapatriciated]

8. no

[spiritual_gunfighter]

21. No

I happen to feel that Ariana is right. Biden disagrees with the President on this monumental issue. He sees that this is not going to end well, he should do the right thing and not stand by and allow this to happen with his blessing.

Afghanistan is no longer the primary front or safe haven for terrorists, if it ever was in the first place. The decisions to escalate is dead wrong and may even prove to be President Obama's undoing. The war in Afghanistan is extremely unpopular with the American people and when the President decides to escalate it will just get worse for him politically. Not to mention the men and women that are dying there now almost every day for no good reason.

When this war was Bush's war many of us were dead set against it, me included. Now that it has become Obama's war we all decide to support it? What has changed besides a Democratic administration in charge of it. Many military experts are now saying that this war is unwinable and if we decide to make a go of it and escalate we could be there for many years. I for one dont approve, and if Biden doesn't either why should he tie himself to a policy that makes us less safe and kills people for no good reason.

[paulkienitz]

34. there is one small change

"Now that it has become Obama's war we all decide to support it? What has changed besides a Democratic administration in charge of it."

What has changed is the situation in Pakistan. We are finally doing real harm to Al Qaeda there. We need to be in eastern Afghanistan just for the sake of preventing a reverse Tora Bora.

This does not mean we are obligated to fight the Taliban throughout the whole country...

[Bushknew]

9. SOMEONE has to raise a stink about Afghanistan. Thank you Arianna for doing just that.

These status quo business as usual politicians need to be held accountable.

Thank you Arianna.

[ro1942]

10. Stand down we have Rush Limbau news

what a country

[Bushknew]

11. I know, what CNN considers news is such a joke.

[BluDemocratGirl]

12. Joe AIN'T going NOWHERE!

Resign for what? What the hell had she been smoking?

[ro1942]

13. I think she has a point. We need a game changer

[Enthusiast]

15. Game changer?

More hawkish? Great idea. :sarcasm:

[Enthusiast]

14. Hey Arianna, just STFU. nt

[lillypaddle]

16. That's the stupidest thing I've heard

coming from someone who isn't a rightwinger.

[Hamlette]

27. She was a right winger, until recently.

I understand changing parties/world views but usually there is a precipitating event. For Huff, as far as I can tell, it was her divorce from a right wing nut case. She was an outspoken right wing nut case when she was married to him.

I can't help but see her as someone out for attention. Too many cute right wing bimbos so she'll become a lefty. Probably not fair but I don't trust her.

[Ruby the Liberal]

17. Fail

[davidhilton]

19. wolf doenst come off as anyone too bright... does he?

[davidhilton]

20. arianna huff is quite smart i believe... i wonder if there's an alternative motive

for her coming out w/this big story @ this time?????

[Hassin Bin Sober]

31. Look for his Jeopardy game show debut on YouTube and you will confirm that statement.

[greiner3]

22. Mellow out fellow DUers;

I believe she is snarking big time. Did anyone else catch the drift between a VP needing to resign amidst their differences with their President? That is NOT about Biden.

[ProgressOnTheMove]

23. I can't believe she's standing by this article has she been hanging out with Orly? wtf!!...

At first I thought maybe it's just playing provocateur, but it seems Arrianna actually believes it. If your cause is peace you can't leave more people in the room who support escalation. Biden will and must stay around for his sage knowledge of foreign policy. There's something about Arianna I like as far as personality goes, but I can only disagree with asking the President's strongest arm in the WH to resign.

[Jakes Progress]

24. Does anyone here actually read or watch before they post?

How is it wrong to call on a political figure to stand up for what they believe? If you believe that sending more troops to Afghanistan and continuing to spend money and lives there is a good thing, then you should want Biden to resign.

If you think it is wrong, then why wouldn't you want him to take a principled stand?

We all cursed colin powell for waiting several years and thousands of lives before saying he was only supporting president bush when he supported the Iraq invasion. Can you imagine how our last 8 years might have been if powell had had the honor and integrity to do what Huff is suggesting that Biden do?

[EnviroBat]

26. To resign in an effort to take a "principled stand", as you call it,

would show a general lack of leadership on the part of the entire Obama administration. Would you really want to see us hand the White-house back to the republicans in 2012? Biden resigning over a policy disagreement would do excatly that. It would be a dammed disaster for the Democrats.

Does anyone here actually think before they post?

[Jakes Progress]

29. Ooooh. "a damned disaster for the Democrats"

Of course we would be killing thousands of Afghan civilians and thousands of American soldiers, ruining the families of thousands of people, and spending money that could provide schools and health care. But why should that bother Democrats. I mean we are the party of the war profiteers and corporations and.....wait that's the republicans. They are the ones who ignore the people and seek only to keep their jobs and help rich people get richer. So you advocate that someone ignore what they really believe and go along for the good of the party. Sounds like exactly what the republican party has been doing since reagan.

Does anyone here actually stand by their principles when they post?

[EnviroBat]

30. No, you're right. You've obviously got it all worked out.

Maybe we should just hope Obama himself will resign too. After all, he's the one who started these fucking wars in Iraq and Afghanistan right? It's the "principal" of the thing. NO one here wants these wars to continue any longer, but for you to call for Biden's resignation because we're not pulling our troops out tomorrow is ridiculous.

We'll all just sit back and listen to your infinite wisdom from here on out.

[Jakes Progress]

33. Why do ding bats always jump for the stands?

Someone disagrees with you and you begin reaching wildly for any inappropriate insult and implausible analogy.

Who said I thought Obama would resign? Obama didn't start the wars. If he thinks the wars are a good thing, then he can keep the wars going and not be a hypocrite.

Where did I call for Biden's resignation? Where did I say there was some timeline about tomorrow? Go ahead and make up things. It's easier than actually reading a post and thinking about it.

What happened is that you got caught espousing that people should ignore their principles just so the party would look good. That is an indefensible position so you start ranting like a child with all the hyperbole and inanity that kind of embarrassment causes. Better to just 'fess up or back away than compound your error.

Now your last sentence though. That one has some merit. Although DU is full of people who have much more wisdom than I, you could certainly do well to sit back and quietly listen to my wisdom. It might be finite, but not as finite as yours.

[Bushknew]

32. Well said

[EnviroBat]

25. She's starting to sound more and more like that loon-bat

Orly Taitz? Oily Tits? Aw Hell, you know the one...

[Minimus]

28. Yes it would show Biden's convictions but it would also give fodder

to republicans and IMO make Obama's administration appear dysfunctional. The media and right-wingers would be all over that.

I think Biden can do more good staying VP and continuing to be the voice of reason concerning escalating the war.