Vice President Joe Biden is known for yielding to rhetorical over factual observations. He was in fine form this week when he told an audience at the fundraiser that the plan to kill Osama Bin Laden was the greatest and most audacious plan in 500 years. While the Bin Laden raid was incredible, there are a few raids that may have equal or greater claim to that title. To put that into perspective, the raid surpassed such minor skirmishes as the Battle of Trenton, Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, and the Raid at Cabanatuan – just to name U.S. operations. There are also a few notable foreign rivals like Operation Eiche (Oak) to rescue Mussolini, the Dambusters Raid on Ruhr, the Pegasus Bridge landing, Operation Chariot to destroy the St Nazaire dry dock, and the Entebbe raid to rescue Israeli hostages.
Biden announced to the thrilled audience that “You can go back 500 years. You cannot find a more audacious plan. Never knowing for certain. We never had more than a 48 percent probability that he was there.”
Since the speech was in New Jersey, I would have thought someone would have mentioned nearby Trenton and the crossing of the Delaware in Winter as perhaps more worthy of that distinction.
Biden’s time frame runs from 1512 to 2012. That also includes Battle of Trafalgar in 1802. Peanuts.
What is most interesting is the statement that followed the boast:
“Do any one of you have a doubt that if that raid failed that this guy would be a one-term president?” That would make it sound like the brave audacity about the raid was to give the order at the risk of your own re-election. That makes the Delaware crossing look like a mere regatta parade.
Source: Politico
Hyperbole, he used! Big deal.
Pettifoggery!
SwM,
Regarding Prince Mitt … was there ever any doubt?
Portman is big down south in the same manner as Boehner. He worked for both Bush Presidents and has strong backing from the power elites within the Republican party. He’s rational and works well with both sides. Since much of the V.P.’s job is to help the President work with the House and Senate, something Romney, as an outsider, will need, Portman would be a good choice.
quercus454,
You must not know many liberal people in the Democratic party.
I commented to a friend just after Obama picked Biden. I said: “you know why Obama picked Biden? Biden is Obama’s insurance policy. Even the most liberal people in the Democratic party don’t want him as president”.
Michael Murry-
If you are wondering what America’s 19 year, 180 day involvement in Vietnam (Source: Wickipedia) was all about, go to Target and purchase a package of Fruit-of-the-Loom Boxer Shorts. If your eyesight is very good, you will read these tiny words on the label: “Made in Vietnam”.
“Winning the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people?” No.
“Preventing South-East Asia from falling like dominoes to Communism?” No.
“Cheaper labor=Bigger profits?” Yes.
All humans need to do is behold the everlasting love of God who is Jesus, and save the soul being like he is.The body will die, but the soul with Jesus in it refusing to war will not die saving everything that matters.. That can save all of us in the blink of an eye.
I would put Pearl Harbor high on the list for complete surprise, maximum destruction, and getting away with minimal casualties to the attackers. However, Pearl Harbor becomes “small potatoes” when you consider what we had to accomplish to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which included inventing the atomic bomb, building an entire industry and entire cities to build it, designing and building the Boeing B-29 in roughly 3 years time, and conquering the Japanese-held Pacific Islands all the way to Iwo Jima, which involved building amazing numbers of ships, planes, and equipment for our troops.
In light of what I just wrote, I find it hard to be awestruck by the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden, as well planned and executed as it was. We spent 8 years bogged down in Iraq and accomplished nothing. We are in our 11th year in Afghanistan and will soon leave, having accomplished nothing there either. The result of the two pointless wars is a bankrupted, divided nation that has treated its military personnel shamefully. If the post-Vietnam War policies continue as usual, we can expect to spend trillions of dollars we don’t have to re-arm, while we simultaneously defund and close down badly needed VA facilities and budgets- and leave our physically and mentally broken service men and women to fend for themselves on the streets of our deteriorating cities or in our already over-filled prisons.
Someday we will learn from our mistakes, but sadly, not in my lifetime.
All humans need to do is behold the everlasting love of God who is Jesus, and save the soul being like he is.The body will die, but the soul with Jesus in it refusing to war will save everything. That can save all of us in the blink of an eye.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/217507-jeb-bush-wants-romney-to-pick-rubio-as-running-mate Rubio is one of the most anti-women members of the US Senate.
Swarthmore mom: Maybe Romney will pick an anti-planned parenthood GOP woman like the senator from NH
Kelly Ayotte, hmmmm, interesting, she’s been unremarkable since the 2010 campaign season (Vote for me I did my job!!!!).Tthink they’ll go with 2 yankees, a woman, a mormon and an etch-a-sketch all in one package? That’s a lot of things, they’re gonna need the south.
Blouise, Looks like Jeb Bush crowned Romney Romney today. All that is left is the vp slot speculation. Your state’s Bush guy Portman is high on the list. Obama Biden 2012
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-jeb-bush-endorses-mitt-romney-for-president-20120321,0,5369070.story
From a government that lies repeatedly, why do so many believe the Bin Laden patsy death fable? When the government offers zero proof to back up its assertions, we can be sure that it is yet another lie.
All indications are that he died shortly after 9/11 from complications related to kidney failure. That’s probably why the Bin Laden/bush family set him up as the boogeyman for the 9/11 attacks because he was going to die soon anyway. Oh did I mention that he was a CIA asset?
For the lady readers, let me add that I don’t deny that the “maids” reqarded, rightfully so, these “popeyes” virtue as ready boys when the need was worst.
As I intimated, promiscuity knows no gender boundaries, but it makes some republicans awfully worried. When comes the first chastity belt law?
As for us officers, we did not have the freedom of roaming the WAC barracks.
Rank does not always have a privilege. Although my WAC encounter while doing OD duty is censored for now.