Serious people, who are comprised only of old white Republicans who like bombing crap and who cannot post up on Joe Scarborough, only care about ephemeral victories. They don't give a moment's thought to stuff like this:

Senior Army and Marine Corps leaders said yesterday that the increase of more than 30,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan has put unsustainable levels of stress on U.S. ground forces and has put their readiness to fight other conflicts at the lowest level in years.

In a stark assessment a week before Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, is to testify on the war's progress, Gen. Richard A. Cody, the Army's vice chief of staff, said that the heavy deployments are inflicting "incredible stress" on soldiers and families and that they pose "a significant risk" to the nation's all-volunteer military.

"When the five-brigade surge went in . . . that took all the stroke out of the shock absorbers for the United States Army," Cody testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee's readiness panel.

"So?"

Did you see Barack Obama's bowling score?

"I've never seen our lack of strategic depth be where it is today," said Cody, who has been the senior Army official in charge of operations and readiness for the past six years and plans to retire this summer.

"So?"

The guy rolled a 37 in 7 frames -- surely he can't be commander in chief. I mean we need someone with real athleticism and grace as President.


"There has been little, if any, change of the stress or tempo for our forces," he said, calling the current pace of operations "unsustainable."

Magnus suggested that if more Marines are freed from Iraq they could also go to Afghanistan. Marines "will move to the sound of the guns in Afghanistan," he said. But he said it would be difficult to keep the force split between the two countries because the Marine Corps has limited resources to command a divided force and supply it logistically.

The Marine Corps is "basically in two boats at the same time," he said.

That 'Gomer Pyle' now THAT was a leatherneck. A man's man. Not a wuss like that Smedley Butler.

And I bet he could bowl a good game. We need a President, "the Dude" could abide.

(pic from lo.fiboy)