this is an adventure

“In Pakistan, officials said the timeline raises fears that the U.S. would only drive insurgents across the border into their country, and then withdraw. And it emerged Wednesday that Defense Secretary Robert Gates initially resisted the timetable; administration officials said he agreed only after securing flexibility to adjust it to the situation on the ground.”

“Lamakers on the left and the right have been reluctant to throatily back a second term for Bernanke… Sen. Bob Corker said on Tuesday he’s unsure whether Bernanke has the votes.” Meanwhile, Socialist (no, we’re not exaggerating) Sen. Bernie Sanders puts a hold on his nomination.

Marc Ambinder and columnists meet with POTUS prior to West Point speech: “President Obama said today he is “painfully clear” that his revised Afghanistan strategy is “politically unpopular” — especially within his own party — and that he expects to be held “fully accountable” if the strategy fails.”

VDH: “Deploring partisanship while serially trashing Bush at each new talking point. Sending more troops, but talking more about when they will come home rather than what they will do to the enemy. There was nothing much new in the speech, yet apparently it took the president months to decide whether even to give it.”