Saturday, July 3, 2010

Rooting for the right things . . .

Last week's cover of The Economist has troubled me for days: "Losing Afghanistan." I've come more and more to become concerned that we definitely not lose that fight, despite growing voices from both left and right (George Will, for instance, is calling for a pullout). I'm all the more troubled now that the GOP head, Michael Steele, seems to be labeling this "Obama's War," implying that the U.S. is either guilty of mismanaging the war or guilty of remaining in a lost cause.

It's our nation's war, Mr. Steele.

I applaud President Obama for putting General Patreus in charge. It must have been somewhat difficult for him to do so. Though disobedient, General McChrystal was Obama's hand-picked choice to oversee that theater after dumping General McKiernan. Going with Patreus implies that the surge in Iraq, something Senator Obama proposed, was the right move to make. I appreciate what the President did there.

I appreciate also it shows some resolve on the part of the President to win an unpopular, protracted conflict.

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