Good news coming out of the Pentagon. Gen. Petraeus is set to become the new head of our
military operations for the Middle East and Central Asia. Congratulations to a very fine commander who has saved American and Iraqi lives by taking the fight to the Jihadiis.
WASHINGTON — Under a plan announced at the Pentagon on Wednesday, the two commanders most closely associated with President Bush’s current strategy in Iraq would be elevated into new posts with responsibilities extending into the next administration over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Gen. David H. Petraeus would take charge of all military affairs across the Middle East and Central Asia, and would be succeeded as the senior commander in Iraq by Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, who returned to Washington in February after serving 15 months as General Petraeus’s deputy.
Asked whether the planned nominations by Mr. Bush were a sign that American policy was to “stay the course” in Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said that the security gains that had been achieved under General Petraeus’s command meant that “staying that course is not a bad idea.”
McCain Falsely Claimed That He Won Among Republicans In NH And SC
In Tonight’s Debate, Sen. McCain Falsely Claimed That He Won The Republican Vote In Both New Hampshire And South Carolina:
MCCAIN: “But Look, I Won The Majority Of Republican Vote In Both New Hampshire And South Carolina.” (MSNBC, [Unverified Transcript], Republican Presidential Candidate Debate, Boca Raton, FL, 1/24/08)
However, Sen. McCain Lost In Both New Hampshire And South Carolina Among Self-Identified Conservatives And Republicans :
McCain Lost Among Self-Identified Republicans In New Hampshire. “In New Hampshire, a state McCain had won in 2000 and lavished time and attention on this time around, he lost self-identified Republicans narrowly — 35 percent to 34 percent — to former governor Mitt Romney. But, it was among independents where McCain’s winning margin came as he won that bloc by 13 points over Romney.” (Chris Cillizza, “McCain And The Closed Primary Challenge,” Washington Post’s The Fix, http://blog.washingtonpost.com/, 1/24/08)
McCain Lost Among Republicans In South Carolina. “In South Carolina, McCain lost Republicans by a statistically insignificant margin, but carried independents by a massive 42 percent to 25 percent margin — ensuring his narrow three-point victory.” (Chris Cillizza, “McCain And The Closed Primary Challenge,” Washington Post’s The Fix, http://blog.washingtonpost.com/,1/24/08)
Conservatives Are Wary Of McCain’s Past Tendencies And Willingness To Team Up With Liberal Senators. “McCain has long had difficulty currying favor from his party’s conservative wing. Despite his solid voting record in the senate, many ardent Republicans have been unhappy with his past willingness to team up with liberal Sens. Russ Feingold on campaign finance reform and Ted Kennedy on immigration.” (Alexander Mooney, “McCain Brushes Aside Suggestion Of Weak Republican Support,” http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/01/20/mccain-brushes-aside-suggestion-of-weak-republican-support/, 1/20/08)
“Support from the base will be crucial in upcoming contests: McCain now faces a bevy of state primaries where independents are not allowed to participate, beginning with Florida’s vote on January 29. But the Arizona senator is predicting that his support among veterans, his economic proposals, and his record on environmental issues important to many Floridians will carry him to victory there.” (Alexander Mooney, “McCain Brushes Aside Suggestion Of Weak Republican Support,” http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/01/20/mccain-brushes-aside-suggestion-of-weak-republican-support/, 1/20/08)
