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First up, (quotes via Salon) Donald Trump, who this week on “60 Minutes” framed our foreign policy choices in Syria and Iraq as so simple they might as well be a game of Risk.
Of ISIS in Syria, he said, “Why aren’t we letting ISIS go and fight Assad and then we pick up the remnants?” Of Syria, he said, “Russia wants to get rid of ISIS. We want to get rid of ISIS. Maybe let Russia do it. Let ‘em get rid of ISIS. What the hell do we care?” And of ISIS in Iraq, he said, “Look with ISIS in Iraq, you gotta knock ’em out. You gotta knock ’em out. You gotta fight ’em. You gotta fight ‘em.”.
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Let us answer, "Why aren’t we letting ISIS go and fight Assad and then we pick up the remnants?" Because ISIS isn't just fighting Assad. They were taking over much of Iraq. They are committing atrocities that freaked us all out (you know, beheadings, raping children, genocide on non-Sunnis). So if he is asking, that is why.
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"Russia wants to get rid of ISIS. We want to get rid of ISIS. Maybe let Russia do it. Let ‘em get rid of ISIS. What the hell do we care?” Well, that isn't their primary goal. As we see from indiscriminate bombing of our allies and no bombing of ISIS, there goal is to prop up Assad. You see, Trump believes Putin here (although never Obama) - even when it is obvious he is lying.
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I am not saying that we are doing the right thing, or that the answer is more troops. But I am saying you won't get to the right answer if you don't know the basic facts.
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Speaking of basic facts, Ben Carson seems to misunderstand the Constitution - particularly around the arenas of Freedom of Speech and Religious Freedom. (via Gawker)A recap: after Carson’s appearance on “Meet the Press” in which he described Islam as inconsistent with the Constitution, Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations issued the following response: “You cannot hold these kinds of views and at the same time say you will represent all Americans, of all faiths and backgrounds.” Seems reasonable enough!
According to Carson, via this statement the organization has “brazenly violated IRS rules” and the agency should “properly do its job and punish the real violators of America’s laws and regulations.”
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Dr. Ben believes that a Muslim cannot be President, but apparently also that a Muslim cannot even comment on the presidential race!
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Mike Huckabee released one of the odder ads around. Staring with a strip club metaphor in which Congress is the stripper, special interests are the tippers and the middle class somehow is invovled, he thens proposes burning Washington to the ground. Which would all be odd enough he didn't come out right after the Oregon shootings to claim Obama is politicizing it. Which is odd, since Obama isn't running ever again and doesn't give a shit about politicizing anything.
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Carly Fiornia has learned from the best, Dick Cheney. She lied about the Planned Parenthood videos and, whenever she is challenged, just says the same thing over and over. It isn't true, but she won't go close to backing down. And it will work. Let's remember that this is the same populace in which a MAJORITY (54%) thinks President Obama is a Muslim another 32% aren't sure (link).