It occurs to me that I had a lot to say about David Petraeus here this morning, a fair amount to say about Richard Holbrooke and very little to say about Karl Eikenberry, except that his relationship with Karzai doesn’t seem to be very good. Of course, that may not be a bad thing. Karzai is a disaster. But diplomacy is diplomacy and it …
Foreign Policy
Hillary Clinton: The Political Weapon Obama Can’t Use
A smart Democratic operative fretting about the midterm elections made an interesting point to me today: How valuable might Hillary Clinton have been to the Obama White House as a campaign surrogate this year if she were still in the Senate and not at Foggy Bottom? My friend argues that Clinton could have saved Arlen Specter in …
Morning Must Reads: Holding the Line
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
–Petraeus’s words prove prescient.
–House and Senate conferees are trying to wrap up their negotiations on financial reform today. You can watch on C-SPAN 3.
–They’ve saved the best (read: most difficult) for last.
–Blanche Lincoln is still defending her derivatives language, …
Obama Changes Generals
By accepting the resignation of General Stanley McChrystal and replacing him with General David Petraeus, Barack Obama has taken one of the most decisive–and dramatic acts–of his young presidency. But while the fall of Obama’s top man in Afghanistan and the ascension of a military icon sometimes seen as rival to the President makes for …
Morning Must Reads: The Mission
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
–Obama and McChrystal are meeting face-to-face this morning and the administration’s full AfPak team will convene shortly thereafter.
–More consequential than any personnel decision is the overall direction of the war.
–McChrystal is reportedly telling administration officials he’s …
Reading Through The Lines On McChrystal’s Fate
In his briefing today, which is ongoing as I write, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has made clear that “all options are on the table,” including firing Gen. Stanley McChrystal. Gibbs said that the president was “angry” when he saw the Rolling Stone article. Gibbs also added that “I think our efforts in Afghanistan are bigger than one …
Morning Must Reads: McChrystal
Official White House Photo
–You can read Rolling Stone‘s full piece on Stanley McChrystal here. The general and his inner circle were something beyond cavalier and insulted a lot of people, but probably the most troubling aspect to the White House is that the commander of American forces in Afghanistan brazenly impugned the …
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The troubles in Afghanistan.
It appears that Andrew Exum, who has been part of McChrystal’s kitchen cabinet of civilian advisers, is thinking along the same lines.
Update: Max Boot disagrees, but it’s interesting: he offers zero analysis of the current predicament. Just blind faith that “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” This …
Bill Clinton to the Rescue?
On the heels of his successful campaigning for Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln, helping her return from the dead to eke out a primary victory earlier this month, Bill Clinton has become very popular. The former president has over a hundred requests from congressional candidates on his desk. He’s especially in demand in the South and …
How to Help the Iranian Rebels
Reuel Marc Gerecht, who knows Iran well, has an interesting op-ed in the New York Times today about how President Obama should deal with the Iran’s green movement. He is no less critical than John McCain, but considerably more subtle–and I think his main proposal, of giving tech support to the Iranian people, making it easier for them …
Iran Sanctions Pass
The United Nations Security Council has passed a new, tougher Iran sanctions regime by a vote of 12-2, with Brazil and Turkey voting against and Lebanon abstaining. This will not create enough pressure to end Iran’s nuclear recalcitrance, but it’s a significant achievement nonetheless. It send a strong message to the Iranian people that …
The Insanity is in the Details
Dexter Filkins has an entirely depressing report about the complexities of life in Pashtunistan today. It’s the story of a warlord in Oruzgan province, which is just north of Kandahar, who is being paid by the US to provide security on the highway from Kandahar to Oruzgan. His private army also works in conjunction with US Special Forces …
Morning Must Reads: Tryin’ to Find Some Sun
Oil:
-Top Kill is dead and the Administration’s now thinking about sicking the lawyers on BP. BP shares are down 15% in London trading. This morning President Obama meets with BP Oil Spill Commission Co-Chairs, former Florida senator Bob Graham and former EPA administrator William K. Reilly.
-Other oil spill news: MMS …
