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USA Today: Obama Thwarts Pirates While Trying To 'Trim The Pentagon Budget'
We haven't had much to say about the now-resolved pirate hostage situation off the coast of Somalia. It's not really our bailiwick. But much of the rest of the media has been All Pirates All The Time for the last several days, and since the stand-off was resolved by the Navy at a time when the administration is trying to overhaul the U.S. military, the spending cut meme was destined to rear its ugly head:
At a time when the president is trying to trim the Pentagon budget, the political consequences for Obama could have been dire. Instead, he's presiding over a triumphant rescue.Needless to say, none of the administration's proposed changes involves reducing the ranks of the Navy SEALs, whom we have to thank for staging the rescue.
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
You know how newspapers are struggling to, well, not go bankrupt?
I have a solution. Having to employ actual human beings to report the facts is expensive. I suggest that newspapers (and their on-line versions) just start making shit up. It's cheaper, and face it: no one's going to notice the difference from what we have now.
April 13, 2009 6:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
When I say "on-line versions", I am not referring to TPM, its member sites, or affiliates. Y'all are terrific.
April 13, 2009 6:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
They're already do that. Maybe that's why their heading into the sunset... everyone has caught on to their game.
April 13, 2009 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Navy SEALS is an excellent, efficient weapons system, not one of those bloated, over-budgeted, high-tech pork projects built in plants strategically placed in key Congressional constituencies.
April 13, 2009 6:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it may have something to do with the military industrial complex not being able to manufacture courage, honor and sacrifice as a commodity to be produced cheaply and sold to the government for as much as they can get.
April 13, 2009 7:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
well said.
April 13, 2009 7:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seems those navy Seals bagged a fourth pirate without firing a shot ... the naysayers in the GOP.
April 13, 2009 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
A friend was wondering if teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Pirates would have to change their names? Or will the Republicans go after them like the now defunct Texas Terrorists that used to play out of Waco.
April 13, 2009 7:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know what you are talking about, the laser plane and f-22's are perfect for finding and fighting pirates.
April 13, 2009 7:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, what framing. Almost seems like the writer's blaming nonexistent budget cuts for the NavySEALs non-existent failure.
"Wow,these budget cuts, which even if real wouldn't have affected this situation, almost caused disaster folks!"
April 13, 2009 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
What you will likely hear tomorrow is that the Obama order to fire when ready, only came with an "imminent danger" proviso.
This success must not stand.
April 13, 2009 11:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
You can't doubt that the US took care of the situation, but we'll have to wait to see what the long-term consequences of how they handled it will be. Still, these are some reasons to be a pirate, and getting shot by snipers isn't one of them: http://www.toptentopten.com/topten/reasons+to+be+a+pirate
April 14, 2009 12:13 AM | Reply | Permalink