Political Briefs

• Petraeus Insubordinately Perpetrates Fraud
• Who Benefits From Corruption?
• Barack Obama is an Empty Suit
• Con Job
  The President of the United States of America, if actually qualified by experience, knowledge, and temperament "to faithfully execute (sic! for the split infinitive) the Office of President of the United States," (which qualification is, in light of the allegations in Bob Woodward's new book "Obama's Wars", an open question with respect to Barack Obama) should not be moaning, whining, and complaining to some reporter (for example, Bob Woodward of The Washington Post) that he could not get at least two four star generals and a secretary of defense (his subordinates in the chain of command) to produce a plan calling for sending less than 30,000 troops to a certain country. The first time the secretary and the generals appeared with something other than what the President ordered, the President's obligation was either to relieve all of them of command then or to tell them to try again for a reasonable time (say a week or two) and to reappear at a stated time and place with the ordered plan and accompanied, in each case, by their second in command. If the secretary and the generals again appeared and defied a direct order to produce the plan, it was Pres. Barack Obama's obligation to relieve the secretary and the generals of their command on the spot and to replace them with their deputies all of whom were ordered by the President to appear for the second meeting.  
• Clear Insubordination 
  Another reported Woodward allegation in the recently leaked new book ("Obama's Wars") is, if true, a further indication of Obama's woeful unpreparedness and unsuitability for the job of President and lack of situational awareness (i.e., the situation in Washington, D.C. in 2009 and 2010) is his comment to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (R.-S.C.) about whether he really would begin a withdrawal in July 2011 to the effect that "I have to say that. I can't let this be a war without end, and I can't lose the whole Democratic Party." Obama, if in touch with reality, had absolutely no business saying any such thing to anyone who would make the remark public (and in particular no business saying any such thing to a Senator belonging to a political party which has both announced it is dedicated to destroying Obama and his Presidency and has acted in accord with its announcement (as for example in remarks by Sen. Jim DeMint (R.-S.C.)). 
• Much more politics here