Tuesday, October 20, 2015

BloggeRhythms

According to nytimes.com’s Michael R. Gordon, the top U.S. military officer arrived in Iraq on Tuesday to take stock of the campaign against the Islamic State and to confer with senior American commanders and Iraqi officials.
 
“The officer, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., who took over this month as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is making his first overseas trip since assuming the post, and as Iraq and the American-led coalition there are trying to bolster their fight against the militants.”
 
This is quite interesting because, now that his term is almost over, perhaps the POTUS is ready to address the errors he’s made in foreign policy. Especially in the Middle-East. And if that’s the case, troops will probably return to Iraq, whereas they never should have been drawn down in the first place. Which means that the decisions made by this White House, including force reduction in Afghanistan, were purely political. While the cost to the U.S. in national safety, image and world standing have been astronomical.  
 
Along the same lines, A reader, yale u, posted this photo in the comments following another article about Joe Biden in the Washington Post.
 
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On another subject, Trump’s gone after Jeb regarding September 11th, intimating indirectly that “W” Bush was at fault in leaving the nation vulnerable to the four hijacked plane attacks. He also claimed that had he been president, he would have prevented the occurrences.
 
In this case, here’s a guy who used student deferments, rather than joining the military and serving in his nation’s defense when given the opportunity many years ago, spouting off about defending the nation now as its president. Seems to be somewhat inconsistent, to say the least.
 
And as far as managerial skills and things he feels he could accomplish are concerned, his airline, football team and vodka brands were all failures. Making his current argument a little shaky, as far as capabilities are concerned.
 
As for his other interests go, Time magazine carried this recap:
 
“In 1990, the banking institutions that backed his real estate investments had to bail him out with a $65 million "rescue package" that contained new loans and credit. But it wasn't enough, and nine months later the famous developer was nearly $4 billion in debt. He didn't declare personal bankruptcy, although his famous Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, N.J., did have to file for it (bondholders ended up taking a 50% stake in the investment). Trump's economic troubles continued through the early '90s, while he was personally leveraged to nearly $1 billion. In 2004, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts also filed for bankruptcy. The company was only a small portion of Trump's real estate empire, but he did still have to personally cough up $72 million to keep it afloat. In 2009, the same company (by then renamed Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc.) filed for bankruptcy again. Yet during all of this, no one ever told Trump, "You're fired!" Probably because no one could.”  
 
So, to put things in perspective, Trump’s claiming he could have prevented foreign nationals from executing a clandestine plot against the nation which they spent years developing. Yet, in his own case, he failed frequently, including four casino bankruptcies right across the river in New Jersey. Which makes one wonder if Trump has any managerial skills at all, considering that his major wipeouts were in gambling, where he was the “house.”
 
Additionally, when 9/11 occurred, “W’ had been in office for all of nine months, following Clinton who was an anti-terrorist washout altogether for the prior eight years. Up to and including failing to capture/kill Osama bin Laden when the opportunity was handed to him.
 
Which means that Jeb better get his act together and show this colossal bag of wind up for what he truly is: a zero with a megaphone.
 
Which brings us to today’s update on Bill Clinton’s wife.
 
Wesley Pruden on politics@washingtontimes.com, titled his satirical article today: “Hillary as first prisoner in chief”
 
Mr. Pruden writes: “There’s a precedent that makes Hillary tremble, too. Gen. David Petraeus was found guilty of using smaller government secrets as thrilling pillow talk and he got 20 years, suspended for good behavior, and fined $100,000.
 
“Intoxicated with such feelings, the voters might award the presidency to the Clintons again. There’s nothing in the Constitution that says a jailbird can’t be president. It might not be convenient, but a lot of folks would applaud a president in a striped shirt with a number. Feminists could learn to bake a cake to take it to her, with a file inside, on visiting day. 
 
“She might draw a prison close to Washington. There’s a nice ladies’ reformatory at Alderson in West Virginia, with attractive brick buildings surrounded by grass and trees, and a view of the Allegheny Mountains. It’s known as “Camp Cupcake.” Martha Stewart served her time there.”
 
Of course, much of Bill's wife future depends on what happens when she testifies before Trey Gowdy and his congressional committee. But, regardless of that outcome, by now many, if not most, voters have her number. And apparently, the Department of Corrections may have one waiting for her too.
 
Which leads to the ongoing question: Joe Biden, Mayor Bloomberg, Jerry Brown, and Starbuck’s chairman and CEO, Howard Schultz, are you reading this? 
 
That’s it for today folks.
 
Adios

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