Sadly for us, she came back. But if you’re interested in a brief examination of evidence that Nancy Pelosi is wrong, a re-cap of news stories that she might have missed after the “Iranian-backed cease fire” went into effect follows my poetic tribute…

Nancy Pelosi went to Iraq:BAGHDAD (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a top Democratic critic of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, expressed confidence during a visit to Iraq Saturday that expected provincial elections will promote national reconciliation. Pe…

Makes sense that McMaster was below the zone. After all, being awarded the Silver Star for 73 Easting is a big deal. Add to that the Ph.D and the Tal Afar success, he should have been selected sooner.

AP, as far as titles go, I believe it is Col.(P) McMaster. No star yet.

Oh. My. God. Having blurted out, probably accidentally, that the surge was in fact successful, Granny Rictus McBotoxImplants now scrambles to credit the enemy nation murdering our troops with the victory our troops accomplished through blood, sweat, t…

Delayed gratification is a sign of maturity, right? ;)

In defense of the Army promotion system, McMaster has been flying through promotions. Leveling out at O-6 for a bit is not the worst thing after getting picked up below the zone twice in a row.

Is this the same MB4??

Yes it is the very same one, but then you at least knew that much I hope. Do you have some kind of problem with General Petraeus?

Are you bipolar or just an idiot???

BigWyo on May 28, 2008 at 6:33 PM

Is your mind completely vacuous or are you just not capable of engaging in anything above childish-name calling?

No he does that all the time, it is his way of getting attention.

right2bright on May 28, 2008 at 7:18 PM

Also vacuous and/or childish name-calling. You too must try to do better.

BigWyo on May 28, 2008 at 6:33 PM

No he does that all the time, it is his way of getting attention.

“[Gains that there have been in Iraq are] fragile and reversible.”
- General Petraeus

“We haven’t turned any corners, we haven’t seen any lights at the end of the tunnel. The champagne bottle has been pushed to the back of the refrigerator.”
- General Petraeus

Doesn’t this sis-boom-bah Yon guy have the first clue as to how much he is sharpshooting General Petraeus? He sure doesn’t seem to.

MB4 on May 22, 2008 at 12:07 PM

Is this the same MB4??

Are you bipolar or just an idiot???

Update: Aha. I missed the news somehow, but as of two weeks ago, Col. McMaster is now Brig. Gen. McMaster. That’s a very good sign of the Army getting its strategic priorities in order.

Of course the big problem is, how many others who deserved promotion, just not as obviously so as McMaster, and still will not get it, and may in fact already have left the Army, and how many others got promoted instead of them?

Instead of fighting over the existing pieces of the pie, that this pie could get very big as Iraq realizes that it controls some significant resources that it can use to address the needs of their population and to grow the kind of society that want in the future.

The Iraqis get it! Now if only Obama understood that concept.

McMaster’s nonpromotion has not been widely reported, yet every officer I spoke with knew about it and had pondered its implications. One colonel, who asked not to be identified because he didn’t want to risk his own ambitions, said: “Everyone studies the brigadier-general promotion list like tarot cards — who makes it, who doesn’t. It communicates what qualities are valued and not valued.”
- Fred Kaplan

Here’s the mp3 of the program:

Vincenzo on May 28, 2008 at 6:07 PM

Bless you! I printed it to read tonight (38 pages) but this way I can take it in during my drive home.

If you don’t recognize the name, that’s not wholly your fault.

Yes it most certainly is, as on this very web site I have several times, for at least the past month, been hawking his book “Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam” as well as commenting on his being twice passed over for promotion.

NPP on May 28, 2008 at 5:54 PM

I certainly hope you’re right. The politics involved in the promotions of senior officers, and the gross favoritism shown by the military’s so-called leaders, is utterly disgraceful.

See? Obama is right again!

http://www.capitalreach.com/rt/aei9461?du=/a/aei/mp3.jsp

its 114 minutes long.

He made the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment into one crack outfit. The politicians better hope they don’t run into him at a cocktail party.

It took General Petraeus’ appointment to the selection board to make it happen though. Peacetime leaders make awful wartime leaders, McMasters was swimming upstream against a current of peacetime bureaucrats who wouldn’t/couldn’t understand that small wars are the name of the game now.

Actually, they always were. Look out our history, and 80% of our fights have been small wars/insurgencies.

Anyway, tangential. When McMasters talks, listen. He’s one of the best COIN brains we’ve got.