JournoList on Islamic Terrorism and Rush Limbaugh

The Daily Caller tells us not all those on the JournoList want to see Rush Limbaugh dead and believe there is no Islamic extremism in the U.S. After Army Major Nidal Hasan massacred 14 at Fort Hood Texas, yelling "Allahu Akbar" as he gunned down American soldiers, civilians and an unborn child, the JournoList groupies had a conversation about the media's responsibility to show the obvious ties to Islamic jihad, and someone actually defended Rush Limbaugh.

JournoList

James Surowiecki, The New Yorker:

Luke Mitchell, then of Harper’s magazine, said doing so “points the way to things that are actually alarmingly dangerous, such as the idea that there is a large conspiracy of Islamists at work in the United States, that we need to ‘do something’ about this conspiracy.”

[James] Surowiecki replied to Mitchell and others that the truth was worth pursuing.

“I find it bizarre that anyone would argue that an accurate description of what happened is somehow pointless,” Surowiecki said. “That is, that it’s not useful to offer up an accurate picture of Hasan’s actions because nothing obvious follows from it. We want, as much as possible, to have a clear picture of what’s actually going on in the world. Describing Hasan as a violent Islamist terrorist is much closer to the truth than describing him as a disturbed individual.” ~ James Surowiecki, The New Yorker

Jeffrey Toobin, The New Yorker, CNN after Sarah Spitz said she would like to watch Rush Limbaugh die from a massive heart attack and see his "eyes bug out:"

Rush cannot be replaced. What people miss about Rush is that he is just astonishingly good as a broadcaster. He is compelling, funny, entertaining....But Rush is the man." ~ Jeffrey Toobin The New Yorker

There's a few more. Read about General David Petraeus and the MoveOn General BetrayUs ad, and the deeply annoying Al Gore at The Daily Caller.

Slightly Hilarious: McChrystal Bans Fox News

Didn't we think the exemplary rock-solid, magnificent warrior, General Stanley McChrystal was surely a conservative? Before the Rolling Stone article, did you assume the General was not happy with the COIN strategy of insurgency, largely meaning "winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people?" Wouldn't you think the mighty General commanding the Afghanistan war would want his troops to have a supportive view from back home of the war they are fighting? Did you know that around McChrystal's headquarters, he banned Fox News? Apparently, Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer, and maybe - Christiane Amanpour are his kind of war reporters.

Stanley McChrystal

Not only is the hearing of free speech denied, but junk food as well - although I want to make it clear that pizza must not...cannot, be defined as "junk food," and to do so is heresy:

General Stanley McChrystal, the former commander of Special Forces in Iraq, who runs eight miles a day, eats one meal and sleeps for only four hours a night, has given orders to close the junk food concessions on Nato bases.

No longer will the fighter pilots at Bagram or Kandahar airfields be able to ring Pizza Hut to deliver. Once General McChrystal has his way, the Whoppers will be off the menu: Burger Kings at both locations are to close. Even the newly opened TGI Friday’s on the boardwalk in Kandahar is to close its doors once its contract expires.

So, our "other" valiant warriors, out there fighting a deadly war to protect the locals, at the expense of their own lives, cannot decide on their own nourishment. If the mess hall is providing nourishing meals, why not give the troops the choice of food and news? Ah...the answer: a Liberal General thinks them incapable.

Marc Ambinder confirms that General McChrystal's vote for the president helped bring this dreadful administration to the White House:

Even more about McChrystal: now it can be told. The story about him voting for Obama is not contrived. He is a political liberal. He is a social liberal. He banned Fox News from the television sets in his headquarters. Yes, really. This puts to rest another false rumor: that McChrystal deliberately precipitated his firing because he wants to run for President.

When the Rolling Stone article broke, I expressed dismay that this fine General could approve of this version of COIN. As I began researching the Rules of Engagement for Afghanistan, who wrote them, and who supported them, I could not eliminate McChrystal from the column of enthusiastic supporters. Today we know that he and Obama were joined at the hip. The Lonely Conservative has more.

General Petraeus Faints in Senate Hearing

I can imagine a man of General Petraeus' stature would do about anything to get out of attending a Senate hearing. The "faint" happened after Senate members pushed for an answer to the lingering question: can we meet Obama's deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan, and was it wise to tell telegraph the deadline to allies and the enemy? Senator John McCain was speaking at the time. How many times has this fine man gone through this inane conversation with Capitol Hill?

General David Petraeus

WASHINGTON — The commander of American forces in the Middle East. Gen. David H. Petraeus appeared to swoon or faint briefly during an intense period of questioning by senators Tuesday on whether the military can fulfill President Obama's orders to begin pulling troops from Afghanistan in July of next year. 

 General Petraeus, a long-distance runner, pitched forward toward the microphone where he was seated, and was escorted from the Senate hearing room as the session was adjourned by Sen. Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who is chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

The General has told the press he "got a little light-headed, a little dehydrated." Petraeus has reentered the hearing room.

Iraq Surge: Understanding the Surge - The Movie - A Stunning Video

Understanding the Surge is the story of how our Military changed Iraq, including the hearts and minds of Iraqis. It tells us what we have not understood - how very difficult this operation was to complete.

In 2006, Baghdad had no power. Trash was in the street. Baghdad was a grey, dark scary place, and Iraqi's were terrified. Before the surge, neither the U.S. Army or the Iraqi government could protect the people. You will see scenes of the cities, villages and the people, that you will never forget. Watch the miracle that our men and women brought to the people, under the direction Gen. David Petraeus, Gen. Ray Odierno and President George W. Bush.

See the schools. Hear the children and the mothers. This 34 minute video is stunning.

Visit The Surge - The Untold Story

Understanding the Surge - The Trailer from ISW on Vimeo.