Obama's Growing Afghan Folly - Victory Is Not An Option

This from Peter Wehner is a must read (read it all):

"I have not begrudged President Obama the time to carefully think through a decision on Afghanistan — but this is ridiculous. This issue should have been front and center for the administration the moment it was clear Obama won the presidency. He has already presented (in March) his “new” strategy for Afghanistan. The fact that he wants to revisit his decision may be understandable, except for the fact that his foot-dragging is now harming us.

Sometimes presidents are forced to make decisions based on external events and pressing outside needs. “The public life of every political figure is a continual struggle to rescue an element of choice from the pressure of circumstance,” Henry Kissinger wrote in the first volume of his memoirs, White House Years. Governing the nation does not afford you the luxuries you have when conducting a college seminar."

Indeed.

As Professor Jacobson commented today:

"Days have turned into weeks have turned into months since the military requested reinforcements. I gave Obama the benefit of the doubt on this issue, but it appears that the Dawdler-in-Chief is voting present again.

I should have known we were in for trouble when Obama outsourced Afghan policy to John Kerry.

Make a decision and be the Commander-in-Chief, damn it."


Obama appears to be looking for some magical solution that will make the Afghan war situation simply disappear.  He seems to want "perfect" information before he makes his decision.  Well, that's never going to happen.

Mr. President: it's time to exercise leadership.  Wars are not won with eloquent words.  American soldiers are dying as you delay.  You took on this responsibility, you sought it out.  No one forced the lonely burdens of the Presidency on you.  Presidents lead, even when the right decisions turn out to be unpopular - just ask George W. Bush.  And sometimes those decisions even turn out to be wrong no matter how hard you tried to get them right.  But you must make the hard calls anyway and you must accept the consequences.  That, sir, is your job.  Now get on with it.