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Old Trooper
14 years ago
The Foreign Fighters are coming from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Chechnya, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, various other Arab countries and perhaps also Turkey and western China. There have also been a few from the UK and Germany as well.
South Waziristan operations: Top US general heading for Pakistan
Islamabad, Oct 18 (IANS) Gen David Petraeus, the head of the US Central Command, will leave for Pakistan Monday for discussions with Pakistani commanders who are conducting a major operation against the Taliban in South Waziristan.
‘The decision to send Gen Petraeus, who was treated for prostate cancer last week, shows the importance Washington attaches to this operation in an area it describes as an Al Qaeda safe haven,’ Dawn reported Sunday.
In a related development, the US is rushing in equipment that would help with mobility, night fighting and precision bombing, while a senior military spokesman told reporters in Washington that the Pentagon was closely monitoring the operation, the newspaper said.
Pentagon officials also said that Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had spoken to Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to emphasise continued US support.
Pentagon, spokesman Bryan Whitman said senior US officials were alert to the recent violence in Pakistan and ‘are watching the situation closely’.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said recent military offensives had forced her to change her views about Pakistan’s ability to confront the militants.
Speaking about the south Waziristan operation, she said the Pakistani military was ‘very much focused on also going into the heartland of where the Pakistani Taliban and Al Qaeda are located and where these plots and these attacks are planned and directed’.
The South Waziristan offensive comes after the security forces cleared four districts, including Swat, of the Malakand division in the North West Frontier Province of the Taliban. The militants, in a desperate bid to stave off the current operation, had attacked the Pakistani military headquarters Oct 10 and three police establishments in Lahore Oct 15.
The Taliban are also said to be responsible for four suicide bombings – three of them in the northwestern city of Peshawar, two of which occurred on successive days. The six incidents that occurred Oct 9-16 claimed 124 lives and injured many more.
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Max
14 years ago
I do have a question. Are there US forces to kill off the fleeing Taliban or are they retreating to Afganistan??? Lets not forget the soldiers requested not there. If there just diplaced, not good.
Old Trooper
14 years ago
If the PAKS can eliminate a few of them, so be it. They do not have the Coalition/NATO or US ROE.
For the PAKS it a Civil War and those rascals have done some serious harm in Pakistan. No GITMO trials, UCMJ, USDOJ interference or Geneva Convention issues. Let the PAKS kill off a couple thousand of them as an “Internal” Issue. No Embedded Reporters either. Let Al Jazeera cover it.
No US Forces in PAK except support troops that will not be involved. If they cross over into the Stans they are fair game for Coalition airstrikes.
Obama is still squatting on the Troop Request and taking bad advice from the likes of John Kerry and maybe Jane Fonda as well. He did send his former Carpetbagger US Senator, former First Lady that does do Overseas speaking engagements to get some frequent flyer miles, drink some tea and report back.
Whoops, I meant his Sec. of State that has Combat Experience dodging sniper fire in the Balkans.
I’d hate to see him sidelined just when we need all the adults we can find to cover U.S. policy on these issues.
Old Trooper
14 years ago
Mike’s America, He is under treatment and is the wisest adult that was sent. Hopefully the treatment is effective. As CENTCOM Commander this falls in his jurisdiction and since any US assistance that is sent would be DOD/CIA assets. It will be his recommendations that need to be sent back to DC. When the CENTCOM CDR. travels he has his own Staff that go with him.
Obama has the convenient option of letting the PAKs do the “wet work” so his hands will be clean.
Almost like voting Present. So far the Current Regime’s Policy is not clear to me other than to sit on their thumbs and meditate while decisive action is required. Neither the Taliban, AL Q or the PAKS are registered to vote in US elections so community organizing is not required.
Pardon my tone but this is not OJT work for Obama. So far the UN wants no part of this. Gen. P. is the best and most qualified guy to send.
@Old Trooper: There was some talk of a possible presidential bid by Petraeus. Not something he was expressed any interest in and certainly a political career is less likely if there are health issues.
He would make a great VP candidate on Palin’s ticket.
tfhr
14 years ago
I wish the Pakistanis well and that their leadership finally shows the resolve their troops deserve.
About that Pakistani leadership – I see that they held off on this offensive until after Obama inked the deal for military aid. I think it would be easy to offer up an alternative explanation that this offensive was forced at this particular time as a response to insurgent/terrorist violence within Pakistan but I think that overlooks Pakistan’s desire to use the Taliban to it’s own ends with regard to political leverage. I’m almost certain that Pakistan will use force only as much as they need to reach some limited goal that will fall short of significantly improving security on either side of the border.
It’s a dangerous game and Obama needs to understand who he’s dealing with when it comes to Pakistan. Saying “Pahk-ee-ston” isn’t enough and represents no greater knowledge of the challenge at hand than saying “Meh-hee-co”, means you speak Spanish and intend to secure America’s southern border. I want to know that Obama is very aware that there are players inside the Pakistani government and intelligence services that are very supportive of the Taliban. If Obama allows himself to be played then he will be played by the Pakistanis on both sides of the conflict.
Now is the time for Obama to show resolve and to promote America’s interests, though he is not likely to do this publicly given his track record for such things. Hopefully General Petraeus has been given the latitude to carry forth the American position when he travels to Pakistan and that the President has actually given him a position to hold when he talks to their leaders. Pakistan will only do the bare minimum unless they can be convinced to do otherwise.
I’d rather see Petraeus stay in uniform. If he wants to be in politics he can stick around and become the CJCS or if he’d care for more politics, he could be Palin’s SECDEF.
I’m not a big fan of generals as presidents though Eisenhower proved his political skills during WWII and was perfectly prepared for the job on Pennsylvania Avenue as a result. Most generals worth their salt aren’t particularly adept at working where consensus and compromise are considered paramount.
If there is one thing a military leader must posses above all else, it is integrity. I don’t think a man like Petraeus would care to work in an environment where that particular attribute is so rare and I would prefer not to see him dragged down by inside-the-beltway crowd. Let Palin clean up that cesspool.
MrCaleb6000
14 years ago
Sarah Palin:
“Going Roque” is selling for a pathetic $8.99 at WalMart. This must be comparable to Mark Levin’s bestseller status, since his book is now half-price because they couldn’t sell it otherwise.
You will soon see both books sold for peanuts in the red-sticker remainder bins of all bookstores. These chain bookstores originally purchased all of Palin’s and Levin’s books by the truckload–giving all the conservatives the idea that they are phenomenal bestsellers–but now cannot sell them and are trying to give them away.
“If Sarah Palin looked like Golda Meir, would we even be talking about her today?”
Sarah Palin:
Smoked marijuana when it was legal under Alaska law. (Aug 2006)
Rejected making Wasilla bars close earlier than 5 AM. (Sep 2008)
Supported infamous “Bridge to Nowhere”; now criticizes it. (Aug 2008)
Took no action on Alaska’s “sanctuary cities”. (Sep 2006)
Officiated a marriage in the aisle of Wal-Mart. (Sep 2008)
Came of age in the era of Reagan; thinks about him daily. (Sep 2008) “Daily”!!?
Voted “Miss Wasilla” in local beauty contest; eloped at 24. (Aug 2008) “Eloped”?!?
Neglected Wasilla infrastructure; left with $22M debt. (Sep 2008)
@MrCaleb6000: You only hate Palin because she is effective.
It’s sad because it says you have nothing to be joyful about in your life so instead you try and tear down the joy Sarah Palin gives to others.
I can imagine all your hate filled liberal pals would love to have best sellers like Palin and Levin.
Too bad most of your crowd is semi-literate. The only thing they could publish would be a coloring book.
Now, if you don’t mind, the topic here is Pakistan. Or are you too stupid to realize that?
Hard Right
14 years ago
Or are you too stupid to realize that?
You and your rhetorical questions, Mike.
madeleine7
14 years ago
Iran is threatening to invade Western Pakistan – as retaliation on the suicide bomb attack which killed Revolutionary Guards commanders. Iran blames Pakistan, Britain and US for this explosion. Meanwhile, a “mysterious explosion ” has knocked out Hizballah´s telecommunications system. Hizballah tried to cover it up by saying that the explosion was they, themselves, blowing up Israeli spy equipment on the border . All this comes from the “Debka” site. If it is all true, something is going on. Not before time, I might add….!!!!! Obamanation must be frightened to send General Petraeus. Thank God the “adults” are appearing on scene…..!!!! I sometimes despair when I see what is going down, State-side.
Old Trooper
14 years ago
MrCaleb6000, another poster that fears Sarah Palin?
You have poor perspective. The folks that should scare you are the incompetents in Congress and the White House.
*************************************************************
tfhr and Mike, I have no doubt that Dave Petraeus has no political ambitions. He is a professional Soldier with his mind on more important tasks than becoming a member of the Parliament of Whores in DC or the temporary resident of 1600 Pennsylvania avenue. He is the brightest military mind on Active Duty today, having authored the COIN Strategy and mentored others to apply it in Iraq, yet Team Obama wants to treat Him, Adm. Mullen and Gen. McChrystal like messenger boys.
Obama’s NSA, Gen. Jones (RET) is a political jackass of the highest order and serves as an impediment to a successful resolution of the terrorist threat that created and maintained great instability in Iraq, AF/PAK and has made the decision making more difficult through his ridiculous statements to the press and poor advice to the Pretender in Chief.
Pakistan needs aid but in the form of both carrots and sticks. One of which could be the message that if Pakistan does not purge its Intelligence Service of Taliban supporters, their Nukes could be seized and We could sit back and throw support to India to settle their hash as India is still smarting from the violence in Mumbai that originated in Pakistan. Being the Host Nation to Terrorists has consequences the same as keeping dangerous pets.
Iran has problems. The whole region has problems. When Diplomacy and poorly conceived Foreign Policy fails because American Leadership is weak very bad things happen. At this point Obama is clueless and appears to be not up to task. There is no position of strength to negotiate from so Military action is the last resort. Obama needs to pull the trigger on reinforcing AF/PAK or allow the bad situation to become worse. I am not very optimistic at this time.
@madeleine7: I’d take what you read in Debka with a grain of salt. The National Enquirer, which was right about the John Edwards story, has a better track record.
@Hard Right: I always give those morons the benefit of the doubt. I guess I should know better by now.
Old Trooper
14 years ago
The Wild Card. Part of the PAK mission includes JFK.
“The U.S. has rushed to send equipment, such as night-vision goggles, to aid the offensive.
Petraeus, who oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is a regular visitor to Islamabad.
Kerry is the co-sponsor of a bill signed by President Barack Obama last week that gives $1.5 billion annually over five years for economic and social programs. Pakistan’s government supports the bill, but the army and opposition politicians have complained that some of the aid comes with strings attached that amount to American meddling in security affairs.”
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I wonder if Jane Fonda will show up too?
Chris R
14 years ago
How nice it is to sit at your computers while a war is going on to use it as yet another opportunity to attack our President.
Of course all of you know better than anyone else. It’s a wonder that you’re not there fighting along side the Pakistani’s.
@Chris R: Funny but I don’t see YOU over there fighting.
And if you were a regular reader here you would know that a member of our Flopping Aces family recently died after returning from Afghanistan.
You should be ashamed of yourself!
Patvann
14 years ago
Hey Chris.
You’re a dick. And a short, misshapen, flaccid one at that.
These are a bunch of us who have kids there.
There are a bunch of us who have seen battle in past years.
There are a few of us, who while not in the military, per say, have been involved.
There are a few of us who would be there in a heartbeat, if asked/allowed.
ALL of us could make better and more timely decisions than this president.
Punk.
Old Trooper
14 years ago
Chris R, look Skippy, I have been an active PARTICIPANT in three Wars including the current one in both Iraq, the Balkans and AF/PAK, a graduate of the Army War College and Your Pretender in Chief is way over his head on Foreign, Domestic Policies and has a blank resume on anything that resembles genuine experience or leadership.
Until You suit up and go take a look see for yourself I consider your comments to be irrelevant sniping from some ignorant clown behind a keyboard. If You had bothered to read my previous posts I have offered Facts and Insight from over 28 years of experience.
The President insults his Office and the Nation through his inability to handle a crisis. He is indecisive, incompetent in his role and quite frankly I find Him lacking in ability on anything but spending Taxpayer money to benefit his Socialist Agenda.
I most likely have Campaign Ribbons from places You have never seen and pre-date Your birth.
A great reference source from PJ O’Rourke for anyone that still doesn’t get Congress.
Old Trooper
14 years ago
tfhr, as well as being a Patriot, and an intelligent individual, you are also well read! Isn’t it amazing the folks you run into here at FA?
Parliament of Whores indeed!
The description is sadly accurate.
Our “Current Parliament” can pull the funding in AF/PAK at the
drop of a hat to fund their Pork projects and the consequences
would be pretty grim for the Region and the World. To say nothing of our prestige and credibility with our Allies. The Pretender can postphone reinforcements and the Troops will face a Dien Bien Phu or Alamo situation as well.
Sending “Christmas in Cambodia” Kerry was a very bad choice. His strategic or tactical experience has very severe limitations.
I know a lot of well meaning people do see a negative aspect in limiting government at the expense of personal career ambitions but I can see no other way to keep politicians from using their time in office to amass disproportionate influence and power under the guise of “public service”. Most, if not all, of our elected representatives spend the greater part of their labors upon the single purpose of getting reelected and enriching themselves. The corrupting and lopsided power of incumbency greatly exacerbates the problem and certainly results in an ever growing list of examples of fraud, waste, abuse, and outright criminal behavior. Just look at Charlie Rangel and tell me that TERM LIMITS are not needed!
Caleb: “Going Roque” is selling for a pathetic $8.99 at WalMart. This must be comparable to Mark Levin’s bestseller status, since his book is now half-price because they couldn’t sell it otherwise.
By gosh, I think this is the first time I’ve heard a liberal using an “affordable” price for a product as negative. One would think that it would be laudable that a product wouldn’t be priced out of the nation’s hurting pocketbook. LOL
But since you want to consider “asking price” as a measure of content value, how would you rate Obama’s… er Ayer’s… book, the Audacity of Hope being offered for $7.99 new on Amazon? Or perhaps his previous literary offering, Dreams of my Father, being sold out for a reduced $10.17 instead of the original $14.95? Since it’s over $10, does that make it more (or less) viable? Like, what’s that dividing line? Rather like how many people does a weapon have to kill before it’s considered a “weapon of mass destruction” for your partisan debate purposes? Or how many US soldiers must die (under NATO or the US command) before you consider it a war not worth fighting?
I await your response with baited breath… inbetween clipping my toe nails…
Your mentality of attaching price… most especially a *high* price… as a measure of value is nothing short of snobbery, Caleb. Blow it out your chosen orifice.
~~~
Troop, thanks for your info references and updates. Most especially for noting to Max something the average American never takes into consideration… the rules of engagement for troops under US command (Petraeus) vs those under NATO command (McCrystal).
Why am I of the mentality that “don’t ask, don’t tell” shouldn’t be about your sexual orientation, but for prosecution of war? heh
Old Trooper
14 years ago
MataHarley, Just doing my part here in sunny FL. Great restaurants here. Grand Company as well!
Folks that know their jobs and do them damn well. Unclassified info is public info. Too bad that the broadcast and print media don’t cover the straight dope and real considerations in OPs in that part of the World or anything in the US for that matter. It is All the flavor of the day that the Current Regime has cooked up and approved for Public consumption.
ROE in brief needs to be explained. It is All about Politics, not the UCMJ, the Geneva Conventions or the Golden Rule. It is about the Media Effect and to quote a young man from Montana that went from Helicopter Crew Chief to Pilot during the Vietnam War:
“Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. It is far better that you fear the media for they will steal your honor.” – Bobby McBride, Crew Chief, 128th Assault Helicopter Company, RVN 1969-1970
CW4 McBride, USA Ret. got it right. That is why I despise “Newsies”.
“Newsies” have no Honor. The only Ernie Pyle type that I trust is Michael Yon.
the rest are shameless whores.
( Add Career Politicians to that because they lie straight faced and don’t even blink )
Lets All go easy on Chris R. He obviously had a Kool Aid OD and subsequent brain damage.
Caleb is just trolling. FA folks stole his bait but put the hook in his backside.
Mike’A: Sorry but term limits would only throw out the good with the bad. You’d be stuck with just as many RINOS as before.
Not quite… Less powerful RINOs and liberals, with more to lose if they accepted the lobby bribes, and returned home to get a job. Term limits isn’t the subject, I know, but the only legit argument against it has to do with individual states’ rights. Nothing more.
~~~
Feeling benevolent with that superb cuisine, Troop? Like letting Chris R off easy. They musta put something in the FL drinking water. HA
Chris R, if you’re planning on playing the “you didn’t serve” armchair general game here at FA, you’ve parked your tush on the wrong sofa, guy. You might want to google-surf around for a more gullible cyber audience to that tired talking point.
I didn’t intend to get off track with the TERM LIMITS tangent but when the next Rangel or Byrd based post comes along, we should discuss the possibilities and consequences.
Back to Chris R., who is still a dick and is likely a strong supporter of those that feel that it is their right or “Choice” to have an abortion. My guess is that Chris R. has never had an abortion, so I wonder how he could possibly hold such a view. That old, tired attempt to discredit anyone that supports the use of the military by suggesting that they cannot hold such a view unless they are on the battlefield themselves is pathetic but if he wants to keep trying it, just remember that it works both ways.
tfhr… hang, guy… Count me with my “aye” vote along with you for term limits. In fact, I’ll “double down” (as Larry likes to say) and add that upon leaving Senate, they are required to do two years in a minimum wage job prior to accepting some big dollar position that exploits their beltway contacts. I figure by then, with term limits, that means all their influence is with those *also* working in a MickeyD’s somewhere.
And since I’m catching up to the various threads, I can see the tangents OT everywhere. Conversation goes where it goes. If any of us are out of the line, the original author of the post can reign us in. Dat’s da rules…. :0) Don’t panick until the post author gets on your back.
@MataHarley: AHEM! Would one of you care to put up a separate post on term limits so we can avoid the confusion before someone thinks we are talking about term limits for Pakistanis?
“term limits for Pakistanis…”… uh, wouldn’t that be the length of time for the next Taliban bomber to implode upon his jihad self?
on topic enuf, oh benevolent thread nanny?
P.S. You’re both WRONG about term limits~!
TIME!! FOUL!!!!! :0)
Old Trooper
14 years ago
Update…
Expect an announcement from Karzai tomorrow Re: the Afghan election.
I reckon the Afghan chapter of ACORN wasn’t active enough on his behalf. He does not, according to the Afghan Chad counters have enough votes to trigger a runoff.
Now our Pretender can ACT on the Troop request or NOT.
Playing Whack A Mole with Predator UAVs w/Hellfire Missiles isn’t cutting it.
Oh the Humanity of it all!
Place your bets here folks!
My money is on former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah who was his challenger.
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On Term Limits, being a rabid 10th Amendment supporter, leave it up to the States to decide as the voters reside there, not that they are getting much representation these days anyway.
The Fed Gummint can stay out of it as they have fooled around and meddled too much in things that are not their business since the Pretender took Office with no harmonious outcome in anything so far.
*********************************
Sen. Kerry is in Kabul tonight enjoying some goat and rice and telling War Stories to the Afghan Defense Ministry and meddling in Afghan Affairs. Something about Christmas in Cambodia and very Top Seekrit. Your Tax Dollars at work, By God!
I had some excellent grouper in Tampa this evening and don’t recommend the goat. The eyes are NOT a delicacy, believe me!
That is all the Un-Classified Info for tonight folks.
tfhr
14 years ago
Several points in one post – in the order of importance per topic, not target.
Try the Grouper sandwich at the Hurricane if you get over to St Pete Beach during your visit. Otherwise, there are a slew of good Cuban restaurants in Tampa that are worth checking out.
No panic here – just a hesitancy to hijack a thread with a OT subject but since you’ve reminded me of the rules, I’ll take that green light. By the way, the mention of MickeyD’s takes me back to that new photo caption opportunity provided by FA. The Karzai hat begs to ask, “Senator, would you like fries with that goat?”.
The point taken from your minimum wage design for former members of Congress is worthwhile and should be no less than that applied to flag officers and others in the military that have worked on DoD related acquisition programs that could represent a conflict of interest. That effort to limit conflict of interest (and fraud or waste) is not the best example of success, as Old Trooper can probably tell you, but it is at least an effort to limit the opportunity for corrupt people in positions of power to use the tax payers’ money to line their post government employment pockets. The application of guidelines and rules to prevent conflicts of interest and outright corruption must be more stringent, particularly when dealing with members of Congress.
I understand your point about throwing out the good with the bad. Obviously a man of George Washington’s caliber would have been an asset in government to the very last day in public office. I’m also sure you wouldn’t disagree that the best don’t need to be told when to leave. One of the reasons we all admire Washington is that he opted not to install himself as a permanent fixture in our government when he could easily have done so. Unfortunately there are very few people in politics today that posses the qualities of a man like Washington. There is also no need to harp on the damage done by FDR’s overstay – we live in that legacy today – but the reasons term limits were applied to that office are just as valid when applied to the national legislature.
Washington’s cherry tree legend aside, I’m sick of corrupt-to-the-core opportunists like Charlie Rangel shaking the tax payer money tree for every last nickle and dime of “ill gotten gains” and for getting away with it for decades. Rangel is so safe in his district that it is still likely that the man will be returned to office despite his history of felony tax evasion. The system that rewards seniority with powerful committee chairmanships gives an entrenched criminal like Rangel the leverage to ward off other members of Congress that do not want to anger him for fear of what he could do to their own efforts to stay on and on and on…..
It’s not just the overtly crooked Rangel, seniority based chairmanships allow individuals to exercise disproportionate influence for far too long and at enormous cost to tax payers. Think of the waste and abuse perpetrated by people like Robert Byrd and Ted Stevens. These two guys managed to siphon off incredible sums of tax payer dollars to serve their states to the point of shameful excess. Inouye comes to mind as another example. All three of these guys come from places with relatively small populations but they’ve hauled off disproportionate sums of money because of their advantage in seniority.
Old Trooper would leave this matter to the states. I say, “fine”, if we’re talking about state level politics. Let your state senator in Hawaii serve in Honolulu for 90 years if you want but when the people of Maui or Molokai send a representative to the United States Congress, they are impacting every American citizen, business, and institution from Maine to Monterrey. We all have a stake (steak for Old Trooper) in what happens in Washington, D.C. and it should be carried on in accordance with the spirit intended by the founding fathers. Hawaii gets two votes in the Senate and votes in the Congress proportional to the population of the state. Having a bigger hand in the cookie jar than other states because Inouye has good genes is wrong. Any effort at TERM LIMITS will fail if the measure is not across the board in all 50 states pertaining to members of Congress.
It’s not just about the money. Members of Congress live in a world of their own design. They are allowed to increase their pay with little fan fare or public scrutiny. The perks and privileges of “serving” in Congress are famous and promote a lifestyle and attitude that is as unrepresentative of that experienced by most Americans as it is insulating. Our members of Congress really don’t have to live with the legislation they design and can count on a retirement package that will sustain their standard of living despite the damage that Congress and various Presidents may do to the rest of us through bad legislation, etc.
I think TERM LIMITS would solve much of the problem.
I would also add that parties could have internal votes to select representation for each committee position.
I would suggest that compensation packages for members of Congress should not exceed that available to flag officers or SES level civilians, though it could certainly be less, and only if they have managed to serve twenty years by being elected to no more than two consecutive terms in either the Senate or House. Accumulated terms with breaks in service would be needed to amass twenty years if we’re talking about serving only in elected federal office. They could add to federal service by holding other jobs in federal agencies. For instance, you postal carrier could get elected as your Congressman after hauling junk mail to your house for 18 years. For just serving out that single term in the House, I’d let the guy take the pension (50% of his salary at highest paid federal position served for three years or more – so I guess he’d want to do well to get that final term in Congress and retire at 22 years of federal service).
Public service is one description of what members of the military perform in their duties. It is voluntary and we enter that realm of public service with few real guarantees of what our lives will be like twenty years down the road. I cannot fathom why we would offer a better arrangement for our members of Congress. Americans always have the option to pursue other career opportunities, and as American service members we can do that upon release from our obligation to the country. If an American wants to serve in Congress, there should not be any compensation delivered above that which is offered to members of the military. When did it become an expectation that public service should be comfortable and convenient? If the job is about serving the country, then it will attract the right kind of people. If it is about serving oneself, then Rangels will always be ready to stay around as long as they can.
There you go. I probably should’ve stopped at the fish sandwich for Old Trooper, but you got yours with a side of TERM LIMITS.
ah, The Hurricane. My mouth is watering already tfhr. Yup. Terrifical call, Trooper. Some margueritas on the top deck with some grouper nuggets and smoked mackeral spread, watching the stellar Gulf Coast sunsets. Didn’t get there on my last trip back, but Pass-a-Grille (that particular area’s name) is one of my favorite haunts on the peninsula.
… and the Cubano food! Heavenly. Just watch out for the Cuban coffee. When that liquid mud hits, you’ll go for hours. The Columbia may be the most famous Ybor City place. There’s also another location on that strange pyramid pier in St. Petersburg where you can watch the activity on the bay, or the squall lines roll in. But there’s also thousands of authentic little haunts that are fabulous too.
And yup… Mike’sA will probably tell you that you should have stopped at the grouper (lawdy, I miss having that fish around…). But again, you think like I do on the subject that is not to be mentioned. (ha)
Gotta sign off on this subject. I’m drooling over the keyboard with grouper envy…
The Foreign Fighters are coming from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Chechnya, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, various other Arab countries and perhaps also Turkey and western China. There have also been a few from the UK and Germany as well.
http://trak.in/news/south-waziristan-operations-top-us-general-heading-for-pakistan/15200/
by Indo Asian News Service on October 18, 2009
South Waziristan operations: Top US general heading for Pakistan
Islamabad, Oct 18 (IANS) Gen David Petraeus, the head of the US Central Command, will leave for Pakistan Monday for discussions with Pakistani commanders who are conducting a major operation against the Taliban in South Waziristan.
‘The decision to send Gen Petraeus, who was treated for prostate cancer last week, shows the importance Washington attaches to this operation in an area it describes as an Al Qaeda safe haven,’ Dawn reported Sunday.
In a related development, the US is rushing in equipment that would help with mobility, night fighting and precision bombing, while a senior military spokesman told reporters in Washington that the Pentagon was closely monitoring the operation, the newspaper said.
Pentagon officials also said that Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had spoken to Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to emphasise continued US support.
Pentagon, spokesman Bryan Whitman said senior US officials were alert to the recent violence in Pakistan and ‘are watching the situation closely’.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said recent military offensives had forced her to change her views about Pakistan’s ability to confront the militants.
Speaking about the south Waziristan operation, she said the Pakistani military was ‘very much focused on also going into the heartland of where the Pakistani Taliban and Al Qaeda are located and where these plots and these attacks are planned and directed’.
The South Waziristan offensive comes after the security forces cleared four districts, including Swat, of the Malakand division in the North West Frontier Province of the Taliban. The militants, in a desperate bid to stave off the current operation, had attacked the Pakistani military headquarters Oct 10 and three police establishments in Lahore Oct 15.
The Taliban are also said to be responsible for four suicide bombings – three of them in the northwestern city of Peshawar, two of which occurred on successive days. The six incidents that occurred Oct 9-16 claimed 124 lives and injured many more.
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I do have a question. Are there US forces to kill off the fleeing Taliban or are they retreating to Afganistan??? Lets not forget the soldiers requested not there. If there just diplaced, not good.
If the PAKS can eliminate a few of them, so be it. They do not have the Coalition/NATO or US ROE.
For the PAKS it a Civil War and those rascals have done some serious harm in Pakistan. No GITMO trials, UCMJ, USDOJ interference or Geneva Convention issues. Let the PAKS kill off a couple thousand of them as an “Internal” Issue. No Embedded Reporters either. Let Al Jazeera cover it.
No US Forces in PAK except support troops that will not be involved. If they cross over into the Stans they are fair game for Coalition airstrikes.
Obama is still squatting on the Troop Request and taking bad advice from the likes of John Kerry and maybe Jane Fonda as well. He did send his former Carpetbagger US Senator, former First Lady that does do Overseas speaking engagements to get some frequent flyer miles, drink some tea and report back.
Whoops, I meant his Sec. of State that has Combat Experience dodging sniper fire in the Balkans.
I wish the PAKs Good Hunting!
@Old Trooper: What was that about Petraeus being treated for prostate cancer?
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/06/petraeus.cancer/index.html
I’d hate to see him sidelined just when we need all the adults we can find to cover U.S. policy on these issues.
Mike’s America, He is under treatment and is the wisest adult that was sent. Hopefully the treatment is effective. As CENTCOM Commander this falls in his jurisdiction and since any US assistance that is sent would be DOD/CIA assets. It will be his recommendations that need to be sent back to DC. When the CENTCOM CDR. travels he has his own Staff that go with him.
Obama has the convenient option of letting the PAKs do the “wet work” so his hands will be clean.
Almost like voting Present. So far the Current Regime’s Policy is not clear to me other than to sit on their thumbs and meditate while decisive action is required. Neither the Taliban, AL Q or the PAKS are registered to vote in US elections so community organizing is not required.
Pardon my tone but this is not OJT work for Obama. So far the UN wants no part of this. Gen. P. is the best and most qualified guy to send.
@Old Trooper: There was some talk of a possible presidential bid by Petraeus. Not something he was expressed any interest in and certainly a political career is less likely if there are health issues.
He would make a great VP candidate on Palin’s ticket.
I wish the Pakistanis well and that their leadership finally shows the resolve their troops deserve.
About that Pakistani leadership – I see that they held off on this offensive until after Obama inked the deal for military aid. I think it would be easy to offer up an alternative explanation that this offensive was forced at this particular time as a response to insurgent/terrorist violence within Pakistan but I think that overlooks Pakistan’s desire to use the Taliban to it’s own ends with regard to political leverage. I’m almost certain that Pakistan will use force only as much as they need to reach some limited goal that will fall short of significantly improving security on either side of the border.
It’s a dangerous game and Obama needs to understand who he’s dealing with when it comes to Pakistan. Saying “Pahk-ee-ston” isn’t enough and represents no greater knowledge of the challenge at hand than saying “Meh-hee-co”, means you speak Spanish and intend to secure America’s southern border. I want to know that Obama is very aware that there are players inside the Pakistani government and intelligence services that are very supportive of the Taliban. If Obama allows himself to be played then he will be played by the Pakistanis on both sides of the conflict.
Now is the time for Obama to show resolve and to promote America’s interests, though he is not likely to do this publicly given his track record for such things. Hopefully General Petraeus has been given the latitude to carry forth the American position when he travels to Pakistan and that the President has actually given him a position to hold when he talks to their leaders. Pakistan will only do the bare minimum unless they can be convinced to do otherwise.
@Mike’s America:
I’d rather see Petraeus stay in uniform. If he wants to be in politics he can stick around and become the CJCS or if he’d care for more politics, he could be Palin’s SECDEF.
I’m not a big fan of generals as presidents though Eisenhower proved his political skills during WWII and was perfectly prepared for the job on Pennsylvania Avenue as a result. Most generals worth their salt aren’t particularly adept at working where consensus and compromise are considered paramount.
If there is one thing a military leader must posses above all else, it is integrity. I don’t think a man like Petraeus would care to work in an environment where that particular attribute is so rare and I would prefer not to see him dragged down by inside-the-beltway crowd. Let Palin clean up that cesspool.
Sarah Palin:
“Going Roque” is selling for a pathetic $8.99 at WalMart. This must be comparable to Mark Levin’s bestseller status, since his book is now half-price because they couldn’t sell it otherwise.
You will soon see both books sold for peanuts in the red-sticker remainder bins of all bookstores. These chain bookstores originally purchased all of Palin’s and Levin’s books by the truckload–giving all the conservatives the idea that they are phenomenal bestsellers–but now cannot sell them and are trying to give them away.
“If Sarah Palin looked like Golda Meir, would we even be talking about her today?”
Sarah Palin:
Smoked marijuana when it was legal under Alaska law. (Aug 2006)
Rejected making Wasilla bars close earlier than 5 AM. (Sep 2008)
Supported infamous “Bridge to Nowhere”; now criticizes it. (Aug 2008)
Took no action on Alaska’s “sanctuary cities”. (Sep 2006)
Officiated a marriage in the aisle of Wal-Mart. (Sep 2008)
Came of age in the era of Reagan; thinks about him daily. (Sep 2008) “Daily”!!?
Voted “Miss Wasilla” in local beauty contest; eloped at 24. (Aug 2008) “Eloped”?!?
Neglected Wasilla infrastructure; left with $22M debt. (Sep 2008)
@MrCaleb6000: You only hate Palin because she is effective.
It’s sad because it says you have nothing to be joyful about in your life so instead you try and tear down the joy Sarah Palin gives to others.
I can imagine all your hate filled liberal pals would love to have best sellers like Palin and Levin.
Too bad most of your crowd is semi-literate. The only thing they could publish would be a coloring book.
Now, if you don’t mind, the topic here is Pakistan. Or are you too stupid to realize that?
You and your rhetorical questions, Mike.
Iran is threatening to invade Western Pakistan – as retaliation on the suicide bomb attack which killed Revolutionary Guards commanders. Iran blames Pakistan, Britain and US for this explosion. Meanwhile, a “mysterious explosion ” has knocked out Hizballah´s telecommunications system. Hizballah tried to cover it up by saying that the explosion was they, themselves, blowing up Israeli spy equipment on the border . All this comes from the “Debka” site. If it is all true, something is going on. Not before time, I might add….!!!!! Obamanation must be frightened to send General Petraeus. Thank God the “adults” are appearing on scene…..!!!! I sometimes despair when I see what is going down, State-side.
MrCaleb6000, another poster that fears Sarah Palin?
You have poor perspective. The folks that should scare you are the incompetents in Congress and the White House.
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tfhr and Mike, I have no doubt that Dave Petraeus has no political ambitions. He is a professional Soldier with his mind on more important tasks than becoming a member of the Parliament of Whores in DC or the temporary resident of 1600 Pennsylvania avenue. He is the brightest military mind on Active Duty today, having authored the COIN Strategy and mentored others to apply it in Iraq, yet Team Obama wants to treat Him, Adm. Mullen and Gen. McChrystal like messenger boys.
Obama’s NSA, Gen. Jones (RET) is a political jackass of the highest order and serves as an impediment to a successful resolution of the terrorist threat that created and maintained great instability in Iraq, AF/PAK and has made the decision making more difficult through his ridiculous statements to the press and poor advice to the Pretender in Chief.
Pakistan needs aid but in the form of both carrots and sticks. One of which could be the message that if Pakistan does not purge its Intelligence Service of Taliban supporters, their Nukes could be seized and We could sit back and throw support to India to settle their hash as India is still smarting from the violence in Mumbai that originated in Pakistan. Being the Host Nation to Terrorists has consequences the same as keeping dangerous pets.
Iran has problems. The whole region has problems. When Diplomacy and poorly conceived Foreign Policy fails because American Leadership is weak very bad things happen. At this point Obama is clueless and appears to be not up to task. There is no position of strength to negotiate from so Military action is the last resort. Obama needs to pull the trigger on reinforcing AF/PAK or allow the bad situation to become worse. I am not very optimistic at this time.
@madeleine7: I’d take what you read in Debka with a grain of salt. The National Enquirer, which was right about the John Edwards story, has a better track record.
@Hard Right: I always give those morons the benefit of the doubt. I guess I should know better by now.
The Wild Card. Part of the PAK mission includes JFK.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091019/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan
“The U.S. has rushed to send equipment, such as night-vision goggles, to aid the offensive.
Petraeus, who oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is a regular visitor to Islamabad.
Kerry is the co-sponsor of a bill signed by President Barack Obama last week that gives $1.5 billion annually over five years for economic and social programs. Pakistan’s government supports the bill, but the army and opposition politicians have complained that some of the aid comes with strings attached that amount to American meddling in security affairs.”
******************************************************************
I wonder if Jane Fonda will show up too?
How nice it is to sit at your computers while a war is going on to use it as yet another opportunity to attack our President.
Of course all of you know better than anyone else. It’s a wonder that you’re not there fighting along side the Pakistani’s.
@Chris R: Funny but I don’t see YOU over there fighting.
And if you were a regular reader here you would know that a member of our Flopping Aces family recently died after returning from Afghanistan.
You should be ashamed of yourself!
Hey Chris.
You’re a dick. And a short, misshapen, flaccid one at that.
These are a bunch of us who have kids there.
There are a bunch of us who have seen battle in past years.
There are a few of us, who while not in the military, per say, have been involved.
There are a few of us who would be there in a heartbeat, if asked/allowed.
ALL of us could make better and more timely decisions than this president.
Punk.
Chris R, look Skippy, I have been an active PARTICIPANT in three Wars including the current one in both Iraq, the Balkans and AF/PAK, a graduate of the Army War College and Your Pretender in Chief is way over his head on Foreign, Domestic Policies and has a blank resume on anything that resembles genuine experience or leadership.
Until You suit up and go take a look see for yourself I consider your comments to be irrelevant sniping from some ignorant clown behind a keyboard. If You had bothered to read my previous posts I have offered Facts and Insight from over 28 years of experience.
The President insults his Office and the Nation through his inability to handle a crisis. He is indecisive, incompetent in his role and quite frankly I find Him lacking in ability on anything but spending Taxpayer money to benefit his Socialist Agenda.
I most likely have Campaign Ribbons from places You have never seen and pre-date Your birth.
@Chris R:
Patvann put it best – you’re a dick.
I’ve been to Iraq – how about you, dick?
@Old Trooper:
Parliament of Whores
A great reference source from PJ O’Rourke for anyone that still doesn’t get Congress.
tfhr, as well as being a Patriot, and an intelligent individual, you are also well read! Isn’t it amazing the folks you run into here at FA?
Parliament of Whores indeed!
The description is sadly accurate.
Our “Current Parliament” can pull the funding in AF/PAK at the
drop of a hat to fund their Pork projects and the consequences
would be pretty grim for the Region and the World. To say nothing of our prestige and credibility with our Allies. The Pretender can postphone reinforcements and the Troops will face a Dien Bien Phu or Alamo situation as well.
Sending “Christmas in Cambodia” Kerry was a very bad choice. His strategic or tactical experience has very severe limitations.
@Old Trooper:
And that is why I say TERM LIMITS!
I know a lot of well meaning people do see a negative aspect in limiting government at the expense of personal career ambitions but I can see no other way to keep politicians from using their time in office to amass disproportionate influence and power under the guise of “public service”. Most, if not all, of our elected representatives spend the greater part of their labors upon the single purpose of getting reelected and enriching themselves. The corrupting and lopsided power of incumbency greatly exacerbates the problem and certainly results in an ever growing list of examples of fraud, waste, abuse, and outright criminal behavior. Just look at Charlie Rangel and tell me that TERM LIMITS are not needed!
@Chris R: You’re still a dick.
@tfhr: Sorry but term limits would only throw out the good with the bad. You’d be stuck with just as many RINOS as before.
About those books selling for “peanuts”:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704322004574477050954174722.html
By gosh, I think this is the first time I’ve heard a liberal using an “affordable” price for a product as negative. One would think that it would be laudable that a product wouldn’t be priced out of the nation’s hurting pocketbook. LOL
But since you want to consider “asking price” as a measure of content value, how would you rate
Obama’s… er Ayer’s… book, the Audacity of Hope being offered for $7.99 new on Amazon? Or perhaps his previous literary offering, Dreams of my Father, being sold out for a reduced $10.17 instead of the original $14.95? Since it’s over $10, does that make it more (or less) viable? Like, what’s that dividing line? Rather like how many people does a weapon have to kill before it’s considered a “weapon of mass destruction” for your partisan debate purposes? Or how many US soldiers must die (under NATO or the US command) before you consider it a war not worth fighting?I await your response with baited breath… inbetween clipping my toe nails…
Your mentality of attaching price… most especially a *high* price… as a measure of value is nothing short of snobbery, Caleb. Blow it out your chosen orifice.
Troop, thanks for your info references and updates. Most especially for noting to Max something the average American never takes into consideration… the rules of engagement for troops under US command (Petraeus) vs those under NATO command (McCrystal).
Why am I of the mentality that “don’t ask, don’t tell” shouldn’t be about your sexual orientation, but for prosecution of war? heh
MataHarley, Just doing my part here in sunny FL. Great restaurants here. Grand Company as well!
Folks that know their jobs and do them damn well. Unclassified info is public info. Too bad that the broadcast and print media don’t cover the straight dope and real considerations in OPs in that part of the World or anything in the US for that matter. It is All the flavor of the day that the Current Regime has cooked up and approved for Public consumption.
ROE in brief needs to be explained. It is All about Politics, not the UCMJ, the Geneva Conventions or the Golden Rule. It is about the Media Effect and to quote a young man from Montana that went from Helicopter Crew Chief to Pilot during the Vietnam War:
“Do not fear the enemy, for your enemy can only take your life. It is far better that you fear the media for they will steal your honor.” – Bobby McBride, Crew Chief, 128th Assault Helicopter Company, RVN 1969-1970
CW4 McBride, USA Ret. got it right. That is why I despise “Newsies”.
“Newsies” have no Honor. The only Ernie Pyle type that I trust is Michael Yon.
the rest are shameless whores.
( Add Career Politicians to that because they lie straight faced and don’t even blink )
Lets All go easy on Chris R. He obviously had a Kool Aid OD and subsequent brain damage.
Caleb is just trolling. FA folks stole his bait but put the hook in his backside.
HOOHAH!
Not quite… Less powerful RINOs and liberals, with more to lose if they accepted the lobby bribes, and returned home to get a job. Term limits isn’t the subject, I know, but the only legit argument against it has to do with individual states’ rights. Nothing more.
Feeling benevolent with that superb cuisine, Troop? Like letting Chris R off easy. They musta put something in the FL drinking water. HA
Chris R, if you’re planning on playing the “you didn’t serve” armchair general game here at FA, you’ve parked your tush on the wrong sofa, guy. You might want to google-surf around for a more gullible cyber audience to that tired talking point.
@Mike’s America:
@MataHarley:
I didn’t intend to get off track with the TERM LIMITS tangent but when the next Rangel or Byrd based post comes along, we should discuss the possibilities and consequences.
Back to Chris R., who is still a dick and is likely a strong supporter of those that feel that it is their right or “Choice” to have an abortion. My guess is that Chris R. has never had an abortion, so I wonder how he could possibly hold such a view. That old, tired attempt to discredit anyone that supports the use of the military by suggesting that they cannot hold such a view unless they are on the battlefield themselves is pathetic but if he wants to keep trying it, just remember that it works both ways.
tfhr… hang, guy… Count me with my “aye” vote along with you for term limits. In fact, I’ll “double down” (as Larry likes to say) and add that upon leaving Senate, they are required to do two years in a minimum wage job prior to accepting some big dollar position that exploits their beltway contacts. I figure by then, with term limits, that means all their influence is with those *also* working in a MickeyD’s somewhere.
And since I’m catching up to the various threads, I can see the tangents OT everywhere. Conversation goes where it goes. If any of us are out of the line, the original author of the post can reign us in. Dat’s da rules…. :0) Don’t panick until the post author gets on your back.
@MataHarley: AHEM! Would one of you care to put up a separate post on term limits so we can avoid the confusion before someone thinks we are talking about term limits for Pakistanis?
P.S. You’re both WRONG about term limits~!
“term limits for Pakistanis…”… uh, wouldn’t that be the length of time for the next Taliban bomber to implode upon his jihad self?
on topic enuf, oh benevolent thread nanny?
TIME!! FOUL!!!!! :0)
Update…
Expect an announcement from Karzai tomorrow Re: the Afghan election.
I reckon the Afghan chapter of ACORN wasn’t active enough on his behalf. He does not, according to the Afghan Chad counters have enough votes to trigger a runoff.
Now our Pretender can ACT on the Troop request or NOT.
Playing Whack A Mole with Predator UAVs w/Hellfire Missiles isn’t cutting it.
Oh the Humanity of it all!
Place your bets here folks!
My money is on former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah who was his challenger.
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On Term Limits, being a rabid 10th Amendment supporter, leave it up to the States to decide as the voters reside there, not that they are getting much representation these days anyway.
The Fed Gummint can stay out of it as they have fooled around and meddled too much in things that are not their business since the Pretender took Office with no harmonious outcome in anything so far.
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Sen. Kerry is in Kabul tonight enjoying some goat and rice and telling War Stories to the Afghan Defense Ministry and meddling in Afghan Affairs. Something about Christmas in Cambodia and very Top Seekrit. Your Tax Dollars at work, By God!
I had some excellent grouper in Tampa this evening and don’t recommend the goat. The eyes are NOT a delicacy, believe me!
That is all the Un-Classified Info for tonight folks.
Several points in one post – in the order of importance per topic, not target.
First
@Old Trooper:
Try the Grouper sandwich at the Hurricane if you get over to St Pete Beach during your visit. Otherwise, there are a slew of good Cuban restaurants in Tampa that are worth checking out.
Second
@MataHarley:
No panic here – just a hesitancy to hijack a thread with a OT subject but since you’ve reminded me of the rules, I’ll take that green light. By the way, the mention of MickeyD’s takes me back to that new photo caption opportunity provided by FA. The Karzai hat begs to ask, “Senator, would you like fries with that goat?”.
The point taken from your minimum wage design for former members of Congress is worthwhile and should be no less than that applied to flag officers and others in the military that have worked on DoD related acquisition programs that could represent a conflict of interest. That effort to limit conflict of interest (and fraud or waste) is not the best example of success, as Old Trooper can probably tell you, but it is at least an effort to limit the opportunity for corrupt people in positions of power to use the tax payers’ money to line their post government employment pockets. The application of guidelines and rules to prevent conflicts of interest and outright corruption must be more stringent, particularly when dealing with members of Congress.
Third
@Mike’s America:
I understand your point about throwing out the good with the bad. Obviously a man of George Washington’s caliber would have been an asset in government to the very last day in public office. I’m also sure you wouldn’t disagree that the best don’t need to be told when to leave. One of the reasons we all admire Washington is that he opted not to install himself as a permanent fixture in our government when he could easily have done so. Unfortunately there are very few people in politics today that posses the qualities of a man like Washington. There is also no need to harp on the damage done by FDR’s overstay – we live in that legacy today – but the reasons term limits were applied to that office are just as valid when applied to the national legislature.
Washington’s cherry tree legend aside, I’m sick of corrupt-to-the-core opportunists like Charlie Rangel shaking the tax payer money tree for every last nickle and dime of “ill gotten gains” and for getting away with it for decades. Rangel is so safe in his district that it is still likely that the man will be returned to office despite his history of felony tax evasion. The system that rewards seniority with powerful committee chairmanships gives an entrenched criminal like Rangel the leverage to ward off other members of Congress that do not want to anger him for fear of what he could do to their own efforts to stay on and on and on…..
It’s not just the overtly crooked Rangel, seniority based chairmanships allow individuals to exercise disproportionate influence for far too long and at enormous cost to tax payers. Think of the waste and abuse perpetrated by people like Robert Byrd and Ted Stevens. These two guys managed to siphon off incredible sums of tax payer dollars to serve their states to the point of shameful excess. Inouye comes to mind as another example. All three of these guys come from places with relatively small populations but they’ve hauled off disproportionate sums of money because of their advantage in seniority.
Old Trooper would leave this matter to the states. I say, “fine”, if we’re talking about state level politics. Let your state senator in Hawaii serve in Honolulu for 90 years if you want but when the people of Maui or Molokai send a representative to the United States Congress, they are impacting every American citizen, business, and institution from Maine to Monterrey. We all have a stake (steak for Old Trooper) in what happens in Washington, D.C. and it should be carried on in accordance with the spirit intended by the founding fathers. Hawaii gets two votes in the Senate and votes in the Congress proportional to the population of the state. Having a bigger hand in the cookie jar than other states because Inouye has good genes is wrong. Any effort at TERM LIMITS will fail if the measure is not across the board in all 50 states pertaining to members of Congress.
It’s not just about the money. Members of Congress live in a world of their own design. They are allowed to increase their pay with little fan fare or public scrutiny. The perks and privileges of “serving” in Congress are famous and promote a lifestyle and attitude that is as unrepresentative of that experienced by most Americans as it is insulating. Our members of Congress really don’t have to live with the legislation they design and can count on a retirement package that will sustain their standard of living despite the damage that Congress and various Presidents may do to the rest of us through bad legislation, etc.
I think TERM LIMITS would solve much of the problem.
I would also add that parties could have internal votes to select representation for each committee position.
I would suggest that compensation packages for members of Congress should not exceed that available to flag officers or SES level civilians, though it could certainly be less, and only if they have managed to serve twenty years by being elected to no more than two consecutive terms in either the Senate or House. Accumulated terms with breaks in service would be needed to amass twenty years if we’re talking about serving only in elected federal office. They could add to federal service by holding other jobs in federal agencies. For instance, you postal carrier could get elected as your Congressman after hauling junk mail to your house for 18 years. For just serving out that single term in the House, I’d let the guy take the pension (50% of his salary at highest paid federal position served for three years or more – so I guess he’d want to do well to get that final term in Congress and retire at 22 years of federal service).
Public service is one description of what members of the military perform in their duties. It is voluntary and we enter that realm of public service with few real guarantees of what our lives will be like twenty years down the road. I cannot fathom why we would offer a better arrangement for our members of Congress. Americans always have the option to pursue other career opportunities, and as American service members we can do that upon release from our obligation to the country. If an American wants to serve in Congress, there should not be any compensation delivered above that which is offered to members of the military. When did it become an expectation that public service should be comfortable and convenient? If the job is about serving the country, then it will attract the right kind of people. If it is about serving oneself, then Rangels will always be ready to stay around as long as they can.
There you go. I probably should’ve stopped at the fish sandwich for Old Trooper, but you got yours with a side of TERM LIMITS.
ah, The Hurricane. My mouth is watering already tfhr. Yup. Terrifical call, Trooper. Some margueritas on the top deck with some grouper nuggets and smoked mackeral spread, watching the stellar Gulf Coast sunsets. Didn’t get there on my last trip back, but Pass-a-Grille (that particular area’s name) is one of my favorite haunts on the peninsula.
… and the Cubano food! Heavenly. Just watch out for the Cuban coffee. When that liquid mud hits, you’ll go for hours. The Columbia may be the most famous Ybor City place. There’s also another location on that strange pyramid pier in St. Petersburg where you can watch the activity on the bay, or the squall lines roll in. But there’s also thousands of authentic little haunts that are fabulous too.
And yup… Mike’sA will probably tell you that you should have stopped at the grouper (lawdy, I miss having that fish around…). But again, you think like I do on the subject that is not to be mentioned. (ha)
Gotta sign off on this subject. I’m drooling over the keyboard with grouper envy…
Cuban coffee is like a liquid Havana cigar!