memeorandum: The Real Afghan Lessons From Vietnam (Lewis Sorley/Wall Street Journal)

7:10 AM ET, October 12, 2009

Top Items:

BREAKING FROM NBC: White House official calls gays part of “Internet left fringe” — UPDATE FROM PAM: … And let me just add that if we're all insignificant children who don't understand politics, and who the White House doesn't worry about, then why did a White House official feel the need …

Discussion: Pam's House Blend, Ruby Slippers, American Power, GayPatriot, Osborne Ink, The Stranger …, Mock, Paper, Scissors, Another Black Conservative, Raw Story, RADAMISTO and TPM LiveWire

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:

White House Thinks Demonstrators “Internet Left Fringe” Who Need to “Take Off The Pajamas” — Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy — Those anonymous White House aides are talking tough again, this time about what the New York Times calls …

Discussion: DISSENTING JUSTICE and Open Left

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:

Gay Rights Marchers Press Cause in Washington — WASHINGTON - Impatient and discouraged by what they see as a certain detachment by President Obama on their issues, gay rights supporters took to the streets of the capital on Sunday in the largest demonstration for gay rights here in nearly a decade.

Discussion: GayPatriot, The Stranger … and Firedoglake

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

Fox's Volley With Obama Intensifying — Attacking the news media is a time-honored White House tactic but to an unusual degree, the Obama administration has narrowed its sights to one specific organization, the Fox News Channel, calling it, in essence, part of the political opposition.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org and The Nation

John Cloud / Time:
Obama's Gay Outreach: All Talk, No Action

Discussion: Top of the Ticket and The Daily Dish

Ceci Connolly / Washington Post:

Insurance Group Says Health Bill Will Mean Higher Premiums — Report Issued Before Key Committee Vote — After months of collaboration on President Obama's attempt to overhaul the nation's health-care system, the insurance industry plans to strike out against the effort on Monday …

Discussion: TPM LiveWire, The New Republic, Angry Bear, Ruby Slippers and Talking Points Memo

Robert Pear / New York Times:

Insurance Industry Assails Health Care Legislation — WASHINGTON — In a blistering new attack, the health insurance industry said Sunday that health care legislation drafted by Senate Democrats would drive up premiums, rather than making coverage more affordable, as the White House contends.

Discussion: And So it Goes in Shreveport and The Reality-Based Community

Katharine Q. Seelye / Prescriptions:

Democrats Heed Dole's Objection and Kill TV Ad — At the request of former Senator Bob Dole, Democrats are scrapping plans to broadcast a new commercial that touted Republicans like Mr. Dole speaking in support of overhauling the health-care system. — Mr. Dole lodged a complaint …

Discussion: Blue Crab Boulevard, Washington Monthly, The Politico, The Hill, KansasCity.com Prime Buzz and The Caucus

Political Punch:
At Dole's Request, White House Tells DNC to Pull Health Care Reform Ad

Discussion: TPM LiveWire and Weasel Zippers

Michael Scherer / Swampland:

Cable News Irony Alert: CNN, Fox and The Disappearing General Audience — White House Communications Director Anita Dunn appeared Sunday morning on Howard Kurtz's CNN show Reliable Sources to discuss her comments in my TIME magazine story this week. She continued her criticism of Fox News:

Discussion: TVNewser, Another Black Conservative, Hot Air, Blogs and Stories, TPM LiveWire, No More Mister Nice Blog, The Political Carnival and The Hill

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
HOW IT'S DUNN.... Time's Michael Scherer had a piece this week …

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, Jules Crittenden and Raw Story

Ross Douthat / New York Times:

Heckuva Job, Barack — This was Barack Obama's chance. — Here was an opportunity to cut himself free, in a stroke, from the baggage that's weighed his presidency down — the implausible expectations, the utopian dreams, the messianic hoo-ha. — Here was a place to draw …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns and Money and Balloon Juice

Thomas L. Friedman / New York Times:
The Peace (Keepers) Prize

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Comments from Left Field, neo-neocon, BLACKFIVE and Maggie's Farm

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Gandhi Wuz Robbed

Discussion: The Independent, The New Republic, NewsBusters.org and Pajamas Media

Mark Leibovich / New York Times:
Another Fine Mess: Comics Whack Obama

Discussion: Riehl World View, Gates of Vienna and TigerHawk

Lewis Sorley / Wall Street Journal:

The Real Afghan Lessons From Vietnam — The ‘clear and hold’ strategy of Gen. Creighton Abrams was working in South Vietnam. Then Congress pulled the plug on funding. — Printer — Friendly — More than 30 years have passed since North Vietnam, in gross violation of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, conquered South Vietnam.

Discussion: Betsy's Page

New York Times:

Civilian Goals Largely Unmet in Afghanistan — WASHINGTON — Even as President Obama leads an intense debate over whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, administration officials say the United States is falling far short of his goals to fight the country's endemic corruption …

Discussion: Lens, The Reality-Based Community, George's Bottom Line and The Page

Christina Lamb / Times of London:
Barack Obama ready to pay Afghan fighters to ditch the Taliban

Discussion: Donklephant, At-Largely and Balloon Juice

Chris Mortensen / ESPN:

Smith sends e-mail detailing opposition — NFL Players executive director DeMaurice Smith on Saturday made a move to solidify the union against a bid by conservative talk show radio host Rush Limbaugh as part of a group that aims to purchase the St. Louis Rams.

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Think Progress, Power Line, Weasel Zippers and NewsBusters.org

Alex Isenstadt / The Politico:

Tea partiers turn on GOP leadership — While the energy of the anti-tax and anti-Big Government tea party movement may yet haunt Democrats in 2010, the first order of business appears to be remaking the Republican Party. — Whether it's the loose confederation of Washington-oriented groups …

Discussion: The Political Carnival and Hullabaloo

George Stephanopoulos / George's Bottom Line:

Feinstein: Obama Should Approve McChrystal's Recommendations — Senator Dianne Feinstein told me this morning that President Obama must approve General McChrystal's recommendations for an additional 40,000 troops on the ground in Afghanistan. — “I don't know how you put somebody in …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Gateway Pundit, The Atlantic Politics Channel and Founding Bloggers

ABCNews.com:
Transcript: Feinstein, Chambliss, McGovern, Keane

Discussion: Crooks and Liars

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

IF IT'S SUNDAY, IT'S PRESIDENT MCCAIN.... A couple of days ago, Atrios tweeted, “Huzzah! President John McCain will be on my teevee on Sunday.” I hoped he was kidding. He wasn't. — On today's episode of CNN's “State of the Union,” viewers can tune in to find yet another Sunday interview …