Shootin' Thru The 'Tubes
We'll call this the "Pimpin' Petraeus Edition" of Shootin' Thru The 'Tubes:
With the literal ton of bloggage being generated by Gen. Petraeus' testimony today before a joint session of two House committees, it is hard to know where to start. So as with most things, we'll start from the top and work out way down.
As expected, Memeorandum was full of commentary today about Petraeus, and the top story for most of it was righties decrying MoveOn.org for running a full page ad claiming that Petraeus will "Betray Us". I hate to admit it but I'm in agreement with righties on this one that it was a poor choice of words for little more than some cheeky wordplay. If you want an idea of a far better "prebuttal", check out this vid from National Security Network.
Of course the big hang up for the righties was the hyperbolic headline. Few, if any, were actually addressing the claims made in the ad itself. Republicans who attended today's event also directed some ire at MoveOn, though it might not have been a good idea in retrospect. Some suggested that MoveOn should have waited until after the General gave his testimony before issuing their claims.
And while they may have been a bit harsh in their criticism, some of their claims were not without merit. For even though he spent most of August preparing for his oral exam and despite the soft ball reception, to say that his presentation was underwhelming would be a gross understatement.
Quick read on just some of the things we learned:
- Like most members of the Bush administration, General Petraeus seems to have forgotten the nifty little invention called "video tape". He says that no one could have foreseen the progress in Anbar even though back in January a similarly ribbon and medal bedecked general was doing just that. He also says that it's "premature" to think about withdrawal now and that we shouldn't be "projecting too far into the future". This from the guy who thinks it will take up to a decade to get Iraq on it's feet.
- Petraeus seems to love colorful, yet ambiguous charts giving only the slightest hint of what actual plans are for Iraq. And in addition to missing a few, the methodology for them are also equally absent.
- Is it a bad omen when your mic breaks just before giving perhaps the most anticipated war progress report in almost thirty years? Was the ghost of generals past in attendance?
- Petraeus credits the surge with allowing troop levels to be lowered come next year. The fact check is far more ominous and depressing.
I'll have more as I continue to gorge myself on all things Petraeus, so be sure to check back for updates.
(Filed at State of the Day and All Spin Zone)
With the literal ton of bloggage being generated by Gen. Petraeus' testimony today before a joint session of two House committees, it is hard to know where to start. So as with most things, we'll start from the top and work out way down.
As expected, Memeorandum was full of commentary today about Petraeus, and the top story for most of it was righties decrying MoveOn.org for running a full page ad claiming that Petraeus will "Betray Us". I hate to admit it but I'm in agreement with righties on this one that it was a poor choice of words for little more than some cheeky wordplay. If you want an idea of a far better "prebuttal", check out this vid from National Security Network.
Of course the big hang up for the righties was the hyperbolic headline. Few, if any, were actually addressing the claims made in the ad itself. Republicans who attended today's event also directed some ire at MoveOn, though it might not have been a good idea in retrospect. Some suggested that MoveOn should have waited until after the General gave his testimony before issuing their claims.
And while they may have been a bit harsh in their criticism, some of their claims were not without merit. For even though he spent most of August preparing for his oral exam and despite the soft ball reception, to say that his presentation was underwhelming would be a gross understatement.
Quick read on just some of the things we learned:
- Like most members of the Bush administration, General Petraeus seems to have forgotten the nifty little invention called "video tape". He says that no one could have foreseen the progress in Anbar even though back in January a similarly ribbon and medal bedecked general was doing just that. He also says that it's "premature" to think about withdrawal now and that we shouldn't be "projecting too far into the future". This from the guy who thinks it will take up to a decade to get Iraq on it's feet.
- Petraeus seems to love colorful, yet ambiguous charts giving only the slightest hint of what actual plans are for Iraq. And in addition to missing a few, the methodology for them are also equally absent.
- Is it a bad omen when your mic breaks just before giving perhaps the most anticipated war progress report in almost thirty years? Was the ghost of generals past in attendance?
- Petraeus credits the surge with allowing troop levels to be lowered come next year. The fact check is far more ominous and depressing.
I'll have more as I continue to gorge myself on all things Petraeus, so be sure to check back for updates.
(Filed at State of the Day and All Spin Zone)
Labels: The 'Tubes
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