Losing Iraq

Critical Threats. org  "The U.S. has withdrawn its military forces — keeping the president’s campaign promise, as the White House constantly reiterates. But what kind of Iraq have we left behind?
"Is Iraq an effective ally in the struggle against regional terrorist groups? Counterterrorism cooperation with the U.S. against al-Qaeda in Iraq has fallen off dramatically, while AQI’s ability to conduct spectacular terrorist attacks within Iraq has been growing since the departure of American troops."....
 "The resurrection of al-Qaeda in Iraq is a consequence of America’s failure to negotiate a long-term military partnership of the kind that was envisioned when the Strategic Partnership Agreement was signed in 2008. U.S. enablers — combat troops in small numbers combined with the precision-strike capabilities of American aircraft and special forces — could have continued, in cooperation with Iraqi security forces, to keep the pressure on AQI."....

"This failure may have resulted from a lack of desire on the part of the Obama administration to keep sufficient troops in Iraq, from its inability to make a deal, from its unreasonable demands, from Iraqi intransigence, or from all of the above. From a strategic and national-security standpoint, the only thing that matters is that by failing to secure a new agreement, the U.S. failed profoundly to secure its hard-won gains. Even more important, it failed to secure its interests."
Obama cut and ran, bragging about it all the while.

Norman Podhoretz Asks, Is America Exceptional?

Imprimus  ...."In spite of all this, the liberal community seems to think that the rest of the world would be better off without the United States, or at least with it following the policy of “leading from behind.” Admittedly there are paleoconservatives like Pat Buchanan and libertarians like Ron Paul who agree on this point, but most conservatives do not believe that a radical diminution of American power and influence would be good for us or for the world.

"Shortly before the election of 2008, then-candidate Obama declared that his election would usher in “a fundamental transformation of America.” The desirability of such a transformation—which would entail the wiping away of as many more traces of American exceptionalism as it will take to turn this country into a facsimile of the social-democratic regimes of western Europe—is the issue at the heart of our politics today. And in the long run, I hope and trust, Americans will reject such a transformation, and elect instead to return to the principles that have made this nation so exceptional—yes, exceptional—a force for good both at home and abroad.  Hillsdale College

about.com

Does America seem like the child of divorced parents who compete for his affection? The spendthrift parent will always come out on top

http://www.commonsenseevaluation.com/tag/cartoon-of-the-day/

Moody’s: Obama will approve Keystone XL pipeline

The Hill  "“We believe the White House will reverse course and approve the Keystone XL pipeline, which would ship crude from Canada’s western oil sands to the Gulf Coast,” the ratings agency said in a wide-ranging report Monday on the implications of the elections.
"However, the Moody's Investors Service report adds: “[A]pproval will not be quick. A prolonged permitting process risks missing the very oil price boom that inspired Keystone XL in the first place. Still, even if Keystone XL went into operation in 2015 or 2016, Gulf Coast refining and marketing companies would benefit from wider light/heavy crude price differentials.” "

Dead Quiet on Benghazi

Hope n' Change

"CIA Director, General David Petraeus, previously said to be "looking forward to testifying," won't be there because - almost magically - the FBI has discovered that he was having an extramarital affair with the authorette of his biography (the title of which, "All In," has taken on an entirely new meaning). "....

"Hillary Clinton, who had previously "taken responsibility" by saying she'd find out who was responsible, has decided not to testify owing to an unavoidable scheduling conflict in Australia...."

Obama Let Benghazi 4 Die, Rather than Defy Libyan Authorities  "FOX News continues to do invaluable work by investigating Benghazigate and Jennifer Griffin and Adam Housley have a new article which raises serious questions about the so-called “Timeline” as well as continuing to pursue the question of why the Benghazi were allowed to die by the Obama Administration. "Now Obama had no problem bombing and invading Libya to prevent a fake massacre in Benghazi whose existence he lied about in a speech to the American people. But he did have a problem sending troops into Libya to prevent an actual massacre of Americans...."

Al-Qaeda on the march

Jennifer Rubin  "What will Obama and his new secretary of state do about this? In the rush to push Benghazi off the front pages and out of oversight hearings we risk ignoring a region-wide phenomenon. The administration did not recognize the jihadist gains in Libya and risks finding itself similarly unprepared in Mali, Syria, the Western Sahara, Yemen and elsewhere. The administration desperately needs to stop avoiding conflicts, stop concealing misjudgment and focus on how to stem the rising tide of al-Qaeda. Without an election perhaps the president will finally get down to business."

Obamawatch: What will our government do TO us next?

Here is a bit of the price we pay here at home and abroad for letting numbskulls vote:
CNS News; 6,125 Proposed Regulations and Notifications Posted in Last 90 Days--Average 68 per Day
"CEI expects the EPA to move ahead on delayed rules on everything from greenhouse gas emissions to ozone standards. “Rules from the health care bill and the Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill will also likely make themselves known in the weeks to come," the group said on its website."

Elections Have Consequences (a continuing series)

Among the commandments of life under the Obama administration: thou shalt not speak ill of Obamacare. Papa John's CEO John Schnatter was hammered with Twitter abuse after informing shareholders and franchisees in August that implementing Obamacare would necessarily increase costs of running the business. Applebee's is under the gun today after Zane Tankel, a franchisee whose company runs 40 New York-area restaurants, told Fox Business Network that a hiring freeze might be in the works.

Israel: 'We can expect the US to abandon us'  "There is one prophetic voice in Israel who understood this right away. Caroline Glick of the Jerusalem Post described Obama's "pro-jihadist foreign policy" accurately and fearlessly." Glick also stated,

No one said any of this will be easy. But difficult is not the same as impossible. Within a year, the consequences of Obama's failed domestic and foreign policies will make him weaker rather than stronger than he was in his first term. He will be hard pressed to pressure Israel when the US loses its leadership role in the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated Middle East. And Israel's independence of action will consequently grow.
Our side suffered a massive loss on Tuesday.

Case in point: Mahmoud Abbas tells President Barack Obama he'll defy U.S - Hamas: No Compromises With Israel on Anything, Ever

Boeing leads the charge in post- election layoff announcements   ...."The business owner stated to KXNT radio that “elections have consequences” and that “at the end of the day, I need to survive.”

"On Friday, an additional 21 businesses said they would be laying off employees to curb costs and expected tax hikes to businesses.
"Some of the companies announcing layoffs include: Smith & Nephew - 770; Abbott Labs - 700; Covidien - 595; Kinetic Concepts - 427; St. Jude Medical - 300; Hill Rom - 200; Welch Allyn - 275; Stryker - 1,170; Boston Scientific - between 1,200 and 1,400; and Medtronic - 1,000 layoffs."
 Via Lucianne, as well as this next one:.

Obama keeps job; others lose theirs  "Mr. Murray, who expects the U.S. coal industry to go out of business by 2030, said he was putting his company into “survival mode.” The Ohio-based coal company is laying off 102 employees at Utah American Energy and 54 people at American Coal, both subsidiaries"

Clueless Obama Voters And What to Do About Them

Conservative Daily News

"In the video above, we see college students lined up to vote for Obama without a single freaking clue about some of the basic tenets of American government. When all you know is that we are a “democracy,” and majority rules, then you are more likely to support slick demagogues like Obama who promise free stuff, trample on private property rights, and act like vengeful dictators."

...."Want to live in the black-and-white era of American politics, believing we can beat the other side with newspaper editorial-type posts filled with “facts” and “figures” and “logic”? You’re probably going to be sorely disappointed by the lack of results.

"Want more evidence? Here you go.

"Obama voters slam Mitt Romney, while supporting his policy proposals; and they hammer the policies of “Mitt Romney,” which actually belong to Obama."

Statement by President Obama on the Resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus

Michael Yon

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2012

Statement by President Obama on the Resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus

David Petraeus has provided extraordinary service to the United States for decades. By any measure, he was one of the outstanding General officers of his generation, helping our military adapt to new challenges, and leading our men and women in uniform through a remarkable period of service in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he helped our nation put those wars on a path to a responsible end. As Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, he has continued to serve with characteristic intellectual rigor, dedication, and patriotism. By any measure, through his lifetime of service David Petraeus has made our country safer and stronger.

Today, I accepted his resignation as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. I am completely confident that the CIA will continue to thrive and carry out its essential mission, and I have the utmost confidence in Acting Director Michael Morell and the men and women of the CIA who work every day to keep our nation safe. Going forward, my thoughts and prayers are with Dave and Holly Petraeus, who has done so much to help military families through her own work. I wish them the very best at this difficult time.

On this Veterans Day

http://comicallyincorrect.com/

Blackfive  "An FYI. If you happen to be in the Washington DC area, the Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony commences precisely at 11:00 a.m. with a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns and continues inside the Memorial Amphitheater with a parade of colors by veterans' organizations and remarks from dignitaries.

"To all my fellow Veterans, I'd like to say thank you for your service. You ARE the 1%. And no matter where you served or what you did, YOU made a difference with your service.
"Remember to thank a Veteran tomorrow for his or her service. It only takes a second, but it that second is worth its weight in gold."

From Canada: A Thank You to U.S. Service Members

"A crew from the United States Air Force spent Saturday night and Sunday morning airlifting different groups of wounded soldiers from Kandahar to Camp Bastion to Bagram, back to Kandahar, then back to Bagram, and back to Kandahar. These patients were from Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, and the United States. Here, an Air Force nurse caresses the head of a wounded, unconscious Canadian soldier while whispering into his ear."

Later, this soldier's parents revealed his identity and gave this heart-felt thank you to American forces. 

Your photographs were extraordinary and have impacted so many people here in Canada. There has been an outpouring of affection for the Americans who helped Danny in his moment of need. For that, we thank you for recording these acts of kindness into history.

...."Physically, Danny will overcome his injuries. He also has the support of his family, his friends and his community to deal with the emotional side of this war. Our hearts go out to those families who have had the loss of a soldier or who have had to deal with greater injuries.

"Danny and his whole family are very grateful, and are actually overwhelmed, by the support he received while in US care. The Canadian military have also been wonderful. It is our intention to personally thank everyone who worked so hard to save Danny's life. We have already made contact with Major Deborah "Lucy" Lehker to thank her.

The way forward; Republicans do not need to radically change.

Charles Krauthammer  "They lose and immediately the chorus begins. Republicans must change or die. A rump party of white America, it must adapt to evolving demographics or forever be the minority.

"The only part of this that is even partially true regards Hispanics. They should be a natural Republican constituency: striving immigrant community, religious, Catholic, family-oriented and socially conservative (on abortion, for example).
....

"I’ve always been of the “enforcement first” school, with the subsequent promise of legalization. I still think it’s the better policy. But many Hispanics fear that there will be nothing beyond enforcement. So, promise amnesty right up front. Secure the border with guaranteed legalization to follow on the day the four border-state governors affirm that illegal immigration has slowed to a trickle."

....
"The answer to Romney’s failure is not retreat, not aping the Democrats’ patchwork pandering. It is to make the case for restrained, rationalized and reformed government in stark contradistinction to Obama’s increasingly unsustainable big-spending, big-government paternalism.

"Republicans: No whimpering. No whining. No reinvention when none is needed. Do conservatism but do it better. There’s a whole generation of leaders ready to do just that."

Elections have consequences

Obama Supporters Have No Understanding of Business or the Economy  "Since election day, there has been an avalanche of layoffs at American companies.
"Obama supporters stupidly perceive this as a case of partisanship.
"In some cases, they’re even calling for boycotts of companies laying off workers. Which will only lead to… drum roll please.
"More layoffs!
"The term “elections have consequences” is going to take on a whole new meaning.
"Americans are about to find out exactly what they voted for."

 I fear that Obama does not mind a stagnant economy, nor will his supporters as long as they are on the ever-increasing government dole. Under Obama, people can live in a state of retirement. Please convince me I am wrong, I beg you.  

Warning Signs

The more people you have on benefits, the more people you will have rioting and burning when you run out of money to pay them   "More than 370,000 migrants who were admitted to Britain to work, study or go on holiday are now claiming out-of-work benefits, according to official figures compiled for the first time. "....
"The figures are likely to reopen the debate over the generosity of the welfare system amid growing concerns that the country has become a destination for “benefit tourists”. "....
"Concerns are growing that the country has become a destination for 'benefit tourists' ."
"“It should never have been allowed to happen and Labour* should be embarrassed by what it left behind,” they add. "  Emphasis added.
*Labour: the British equivalent of our Democrats.

The more people you have on the dole, the more you will have rioting in the streets when they find out you are running out of our money to pay them.

Lars Larson

Alan Caruba; The Day After the Election

Norman Thomas, the former U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate in the 1940s said, “The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialist. But, under the name of ‘liberalism’, they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.” That day has arrived.


Winston Churchill said, “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”

Mr Caruba builds the foundation for his essay on the above quotes, then frames it all in with his grim predictions of the consequences of Obama's election. He then tops it off with the following:

It is a triumph of the stupid, the lazy, the mob.

Older Americans already wonder what happened to the Republic. Younger ones will never know why it was a place for which millions sacrificed their lives to protect and preserve, a far happier place.