What One Reader Heard

And she's onto something:

I think his message was very clear - to the military. They wanted more - they got it - faster than they asked for. He has now placed the full burden of victory or defeat at the hands of McChrystal and Petraeus, for he has set a timeline within his term of deciding their fates regarding success or failure - something that is rarely done in presidential politics. Bravo!

As for the perpetual war complex - he's now given them their termination papers and boy do they not like it! Look at our conservative war hawks. Scowling.  Look at the blowhard "former military commanders" on TV - boy they don't like it!  Deadlines!  Oooh - scary - send wrong message.  Even Cheney thinks it's "weakness". 

Legacy is at stake!  Divert attention!  And the media - Politico in particular - follows like the good microphone Zombies they are!

Well, I get it. And the President gets it. He's outta there, but he's going for the Hail Mary. If the military doesn't deliver, he's got the political cover to say "game over".

And if the military does deliver, if his first term ends with a stabler Afghanistan and the capture or death of bin Laden and the successful prosecution of KSM in a civilian court of law ... well Cheney really will have something to worry about. And his political shield against a war crimes prosecution will be gone. 

See? I haven't lost all hope after all. I've just gained an awful lot of chastening.

(Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty.)