Report from Afghanistan

Michael Yon "When the Soviet hammer tried to crack the Afghan rock, the hammer shattered. The Soviets can easily put people in space and keep them there, but they couldn’t handle backdoor logistics during their Afghan war. It’s easier to keep people in space than to supply our war here."

The Disarming of America

Weekly Standard "...the Obama administration wants to limit future American military “adventurism” by limiting our capabilities. The president is looking to eliminate the last vestiges of the Reagan-era buildup. Once the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are “ended” (not “won”), the arms control treaties signed, and defense budgets held at historic lows while social entitlements and debt service rise to near-European levels, the era of American superpower will have passed."...."The QDR’s formulation of “America’s global role” is telling: “America’s interests are inextricably linked to the integrity and resilience of the international system.” This stands American strategic culture on its head; past presidents saw that the integrity of the international system depended upon the resilience of American power."

The Assault on Paul Ryan's Roadmap, Cont.

Weekly Standard "The second charge against the Roadmap is that "ends Medicare as we know it." Yes, but only for Americans 55 or younger -- these are the same people, in other words, who face a fiscal nightmare as entitlement spending surges in the coming decades and Medicare and Social Security become insolvent."

Rivals try to pin Sept. 11 slip on Debra Medina

Politico "But Medina’s slip Thursday — telling conservative talk show host Glenn Beck that “good questions have been raised” about the federal government having a hand in the terrorist attacks — has Perry and Hutchison smelling blood in the water and hoping to crush the insurgent candidate." CS Monitor After that, Beck politely thanked Medina for appearing on his program and dismissed her future political hopes. "I think I can write her off the list," he said. "Let me take another look at [candidate] Kay Bailey Hutchison, if I have to." "Rick, I think you and I could French kiss right now," he said of Texas's current governor, Rick Perry who is running for re-election.

ACORN Asks for $$$$ to “Help Us to Keep the Pressure on O’Keefe”

ACORN "Back when he was stalking ACORN acorss (sic) the country, he videotaped ACORN folks without their consent. And that's illegal in Maryland and California, two states targeted. Now that he's proven that his law-breaking isn't a one-shot deal, we are demanding..."

How to Write A Piece On How to Save the President

Mickey Kaus, Slate, quoting Steve Clemons who quotes Edward Luce. "....3) Blame process: If only the process were changed--the circle of advisers broadened, the "stream" of advice augmented, with cabinet officers and State department officials consulted--better results would pop out (no matter what the elected official in question actually believes in). This avoids messy arguments about substance and offers the prized Neutral Story Line--an MSM-safe narrative that seems to explain everything without taking ideological sides. "

Sukhoi's T-50 Ready To Fight with USA's F-22 Raptor

Pravda "As suggested before, Т-50 resembles the American F-22 in appearance - aerodynamics is a stubborn thing. There are no miracles, and optimal shapes of promising machines always resemble each other – same nose dome, same tail unit. Under the fuselage you can clearly see missile-bay doors. The biggest difference between the American Raptor and T-50 is a more flattened shape of the latter. " So their spies ripped off our technology?

Iran Now a 'Nuclear State'

National Review "The "punch" to the West that Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promised to deliver on the anniversary of the Islamic revolution is this: Iran has become a "nuclear state," producing its first highly-enriched uranium." And this from the UK Daily Mail

Warmists' Stupefying Sense of Snow

American Thinker "First, they fear-monger using the lack of snowfall as proof that AGW is destroying the planet. Now, as the DC area is being buried in a blizzard, the story changes. Today they claim that blizzards actually prove the existence of AGW. What in the freakin' world could possibly disprove the theory? The far-reaching revelations of Climategate will eventually destroy this worship of a false god, God willing."

Comedy gold: Obama claims he's a 'fierce advocate' of free market

Rick Moran, AT "Let's play a game. We'll call it "Counter-Intuitive." Take any historical personage and make them a "fierce advocate" for whatever is exactly the opposite of what they're known for.Examples: Genghis Khan: A fierce advocate of mercy shown to one's enemies. Adolf Hitler: A fierce advocate of Zionism. Martin Luther King: A fierce advocate of violent revolution. Bill Clinton: A fierce advocate of chastity.Or how about this one: Barack Obama - fierce advocate of the free market:"

'The Gloves are off'

American Thinker "After a year of handling the Pink Pantheresque Obama national security team with kid gloves,Senator Kit Bond, (R. Mo.), announced that the gloves are now off: "It is hard to trust anyone in the White House right now," Bond says. "The national security team has become a bench of political spokespeople... " "

Stunner. Obama Now Says He’s “Agnostic” On Raising Taxes On Those Making Less Than $250,000

Gateway Pundit "Obama, in a Feb. 9 Oval Office interview, said that a presidential commission on the budget needs to consider all options for reducing the deficit, including tax increases and cuts in spending on entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare." Do you know what BOHICA means?