DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum This ought to go over big in Afghanistan .....

This guy has made "tactlessness" a science in the VP's office.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/18/biden.lkl/

VP Joe Biden: 'Take the training wheels off' in AfghanistanBy the CNN Wire Staff
November 19, 2010 --

CNN) -- While defending the military surge in Afghanistan after eight years of what he termed "neglect," Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that Afghan leaders could soon be left on their own, whether they're ready or not.

"We had to say, 'Look, you've got to step up, man,'" Biden said Thursday on CNN's "Larry King Live."

"Let me tell you, we're going to start -- Daddy is going to start to take the training wheels off ... next July, so you'd better practice riding."

Biden said that President Barack Obama charged him with reexamining the Afghan conflict soon after coming into office, and since then U.S.-led forces have made "significant progress against al Qaeda." He said that U.S. forces and officials have done a great deal to help the Afghan government under President Hamid Karzai, including working with Afghans to improve their governance and security capabilities.

But that guidance and assistance -- including the military presence -- won't last forever, Biden said, given deadlines set to begin moving troops out next summer with eyes on a total withdrawal by 2014.

"All of NATO has said, "Look, we agree: We're going to begin to transition and by 2014, it's theirs to take care of themselves in terms of their own security,'" the vice president said of Afghanistan.

Iraq, in comparison, is "doing very, very well" with the United States' steadily diminishing military presence proceeding according to plan.

"We're going to leave behind a stable government because the Iraqis stepped up to the ball," Biden told King. "Politics broke out in Iraq."

The former chair of the Senate's foreign relations committee expressed optimism that Republicans and Democrats would soon reach an accord on the New START nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the United States. On Thursday, Obama tapped him as the administration's point-man to reach a resolution before the new Congress convenes in January.

Obama has called ratification of the treaty -- which would restart mutual inspections, while limiting both nations to 1,550 warheads and 700 launchers each -- a priority during Congress' lame-duck session, saying it's critical to national security and a cornerstone of U.S.-Russia relations. But ten GOP senators, led by Arizona Sen. John Kyl, have urged a delay until next year over concerns about the current congressional workload and over modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

"I think we're going to get it," Biden said.

The vice president also addressed domestic matters, including the debate over extending the tax cuts passed under former President George W. Bush. Biden said that the administration believed cuts should be made permanent for all except the top 2 percent of wage-earners -- contrary to Republicans' view that all tax cuts, including for the wealthiest Americans, should be made permanent.

But the vice president left the door open for movement, pointing to a November 30 meeting between Obama and Republican congressional leaders.

"We're going to be sitting down (and) say, 'Guys, here's our position, what's yours, and let's see if we can work something out,'" he said. "We're not looking for confrontation."

Biden touched on the aftermath of the recent mid-term election, in which Democrats lost control of the House and lost seats in the Senate. He said that, for the next two years, the administration would redouble its focus on "American competitiveness (and) American jobs."

Voters' main message in November, according to the vice president, was that they had had enough of politics as usual in Washington, including the two major parties inability to get things done.

"The message was they didn't have a lot of faith in Republican Party and they don't have a lot of faith in the Democratic Party," he said. "And so it's like, OK, we want you guys to work together."

But one person the vice president said he does have faith in is Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who will go from House speaker to minority leader in January.

Saying it's understandable Pelosi's image was tarnished by $65 million in negative campaign ads, Biden described the California Democrat as a "great leader" and "the most effective person in generating results in the House."

"She's a very, very effective and competent person," said Biden. "She gets things done.... This one tough, smart lady."

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"Let me tell you, we're going to start -- Daddy is going to start to take the training wheels off ... next July, so you'd better practice riding."

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He could have put this much more eloquently without sounding like a condescending jerk, but I completely agree with the sentiment. What I got from this interview is that we are behind the Afghan government 100% right now, but NATO will not be there for 30 years to perform security. So prepare a contingency plan and cooperate with us in training your troops and security forces.

JMO, but if you leave the American/NATO commitment open ended, you are doing a few things. You are giving Al Qaeda exactly what they want; tying our forces up in a several decades long "quagmire." You also create more and more resentment from the local population. No matter how righteous the mission, long term occupation of another country almost always seems to lead to resentment. Further, you de-legitimize any Afghan army or security forces; it looks like they are incapable of doing the job (maybe they are incapable at this precise moment in time, but someday soon they likely won't be).

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"Let me tell you, we're going to start -- Daddy is going to start to take the training wheels off ... next July, so you'd better practice riding."

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Was he talking about Afghanistan or himself? What an idiot. Could you imagine the uproar if Cheney had said this?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not really a fan of either, but people always joked about how poor Bush's rhetoric was.

I think Biden's is even worse.

Except ...... that Afghanistan is already starting to move closer to Iran as the threat of the US/.NATO removing their security forces looms ever closer.

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for that area of the world. Afghanistan will fall back into chaos once security forces pull out .... and we could easily see a Taliban resurgence.

Who gives a damn how it goes over in afghanistan? What he said was the absolute truth and I like the fact he came out and said it rather than pussyfoot around like a liberal would.

Of course he lost me when he started pumping up Pelosi.

King

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Who gives a damn how it goes over in afghanistan?

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I bet that those who either gave their lives, or lost someone dear to them give a damn.

Joe Biden is one of the dumbest men in America and isn't intellectually qualified to do more than say the dishes need washed and the trash should be taken out. He could be a good janitor, but that's about it. Obama sleeps safer with Joe Biden as his VP.

Never should've been there.

Biden is a complete moron ... no excuses, just a complete dolt, void of intellect ...

... with that said, if Bush or Cheney said this, many who bash Biden would defend it.

That's not said to bash those who support the GOP or defend Democrats ... just to point out that they both govern the same, yet get opposite reactions, from both sides.