Michael Steele: Afghanistan Is War "Of Obama's Choosing"

We hadn't heard from Steele in quite some time. Well, break time is over, everyone back on your heads*.

This time Steele steps in it regarding Afghanistan.

"Keep in mind again, federal candidates, this was a war of Obama's choosing. This was not something that the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in," he said. "But it was the president who was trying to be cute by half by building a script demonizing Iraq, while saying the battle really should be in Afghanistan. Well, if he is such a student of history, has he not understood that you know that's the one thing you don't do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan?"

And never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

Is Steele's position that we shouldn't have gone to Afghanistan after 9/11? That when things started going really badly there in 06-07 we should have left? That would put him at odds with just about every Republican, save perhaps Ron Paul.

If you look really hard and twist his plain words, you can kind of almost see that he's trying to say something about Obama's bad mouthing Iraq and claiming the US should have only focused on Afghanistan. That critique (which isn't what Steele really said) only works if Obama had come into office and cut and run. Considering he surged troops to Afghanistan and doubled down on it with the Petraeus appointment, it makes no sense.

There's simply no way to look at what Steele said and conclude he has the slightest idea of what he's talking about when it comes to the history of why we are in Afghanistan or what Obama has done there since coming to office.

As Bill Kristol says, it's time for Mr. Steele to leave the building.

*If you don't get the reference, it's an old joke.

posted by DrewM. at 12:43 PM

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