Experience and Qualifications - My Thoughts On Biden

Lots of experience and nice resumes...but no action

Washington State Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser commented to the press that "...the Obama-Biden ticket is big on talk, the McCain-Palin ticket is big on results. To truly change Washington, it's going to take a team who has a record of accomplishment in shaking up the status quo. Gov. Palin's experience in doing that for her own state is exactly what is needed in Washington, D.C., and it's the same kind of change we need in Olympia this year."

This about sums up about my concerns with Obama and Biden. Despite all their combined years in Washington, there's not much to speak about. While Obama criticized Clinton and talked up that he didn't vote for the war in Iraq -- he didn't have to make that choice, he wasn't there when we were facing enemies, at a pinnacle time when religious zealots wanted to blow us up.

What's the purpose of the "experience card" when it brings no results? When we talk specifically about Biden or Obama's foreign policy experience, aside from their criticism of everything the United States does on foreign soil, what have they done to contribute? Have they stabilized Iraq by supporting additional troops? No. In fact, Biden's idea of a safe Iraq was to segregate the country instead of unify it. That's like saying let's have the North and South versus a Union. We know how that went. We should attempt to learn from our own history before we start implying we can just segregate a country without consequence.

With all of the years experience, did these two give anything back to their constituents? Were they able to consistently balance state budgets, give money back from oil to their people in their respective states? Were they able to secure a natural gas pipeline for America so we could bring energy prices down or secure supply?

The answer is no to all of these questions.

So where does experience really matter when there's no action? To make the 3:00 AM call about emergency matters from far away lands? How about the normal calls at 3pm? What has that experience brought to us in regards to domestic policy, or common good will to be able to bring back to the general population?

I dare argue that Gov. Palin might be the boldest VP pick in history, but also one of the smartest. Within her short time track record, she has been able to balance budgets, fight people in her own party that were corrupt, bring money back to the people of Alaska, so on and so forth -- and that, in less than two years. What is not impressive is that the previous governors and politicians of Alaska were not able to pull off such results in a short time, while this relatively "new" politician was able to do so.

Perhaps it isn't about "qualifications" and "experience" -- those things do matter -- but about the will to actually change things, not just talk it. Let the results speak, not just your speeches.

P.S. -- Someone might mention Gov. Plain's under an ethics investigation because her staff wanted her brother in law fired for being a state trooper. Why? He was a wife beater and tasered his child. Someone should give her a reward. Only in D.C. politics when doing what's right is wrong. Idiots.

Thoughts on George Tenet's I'm A Victim Claim

George Tenet has recently written a book about his tenure in the CIA. The book is entitled, At the Center of the Storm. In the book, he describes how he was blamed for the pre-war intelligence gathering of Iraq and that he ultimately became a scapegoat for the administration.

While I agree with Tenet that he doesn't deserve all of the blame for CIA's failures, he does deserve some of the blame.

Everyone Was Wrong
Everyone in the world thought Saddam had weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the United Nations, NATO -- you name it, they thought of it. Why? Because he used WMD against Iran and his own citizens, Iraqi Kurds. And because Saddam kept playing "bluff" to the world, rejecting inspectors over and over again.

Now what's the reason for the facade? He wanted to scare off his enemies, primarily Iran. He kept them in check. We know that now. But the majority of us didn't know back then (a handful of minority voices in the vast majority of the intelligence network had doubts about Saddam's WMD, but their voices weren't heard till more recently, after the fact).

Where Tenet Fits In
Tenet, in my humble opinion, succumbed to group mentality, or group think. Now what is group think? Wiki describes it as "...a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas." It affects all of us in one way, shape or form. That's part of life. We aren't perfect people.

No matter how he tries to deny it, he had a choice. He rubberstamped the intelligence reports that went to the American people. If he knew factual errors or had doubts about what he was reporting to the White House, there were plenty of opportunities to voice out his opinion (or resign in protest).

Tenet's book is largely an attempt to explain his role in the war and perhaps a way to convince historians down the road that he didn't play a major role in the pre-war foul up of intelligence.

Sounds like he wants a more gracious legacy than what it looks like now.

Former CIA officers respond
Want to know what ex-CIA employees think of Mr. Tenet's tenure? Review the letter they sent to him.

See the book below if you're interested in reading Tenet's defense of himself.