Comments on: Kuhl opinion piece in the D&C today

By: Itchy

Itchy — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 02:40:55 +0000

Their damage / spin control was comically bad. The story got too hot, too fast.

By: army42

army42 — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 01:25:15 +0000

I’ve read a few comments by Kuhl’s reps and they keep changing what the “context” was. First it was 9/11, then it was urban violence, and now it is gun control. Then the reps say it was “a joke.” Why would he be joking about 9/11, urban violence or gun control?

By: Sahar Massachi

Sahar Massachi — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 23:21:34 +0000

Macromanaging. Great clarification/comment.

By: tom

tom — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 22:39:02 +0000

Messenger Post papers this week are running an editorial called “Looking for leadership on the Iraq war”. In the Gates-Chili edition, Kuhl is pictured and mentioned. MP states that Kuhl over reacted to the war protesters.

It thrills me that the MP paper is questioning the leadership of Kuhl.

By: dj_paige

dj_paige — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 19:56:26 +0000

Micromanaging would be saying that the military needs X thousand troops in this province of Iraq from July 1 through Sept 30, and they are to eat lobster on Thursday for dinner.

What Congress attempted to do by setting limits on how quickly troops could be sent back to Congress is not micromanaging. It is making changes to a big picture, not to the details of the picture. That is MACROmanaging, which as Rotten points out is perfectly legitimate for Congress to do.

Among the many things that Rethuglicans have destroyed is the meaning of the words in our language.

By: Rottenchester

Rottenchester — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:58:47 +0000

Thanks for the link. I agree that there’s a pot/kettle aspect to the “micromanaging” charge. In addition, what’s really infuriating to me is the constant use of arguments that lessen the role of Congress as a co-equal branch of government, and the eagerness which Republican congressmen embrace this line of thinking.

The bill in question is management at the level where Congress is supposed to be managing: the level of general recruitment and retention policy. Congress is supposed to exercise oversight over the Military, but Kuhl is so eager to follow his party’s line that he’s willing to denigrate the legitimate exercise of the power of his branch of government in service of a political aim.