Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Friends like these (II): Neocons embracing Obama

William Kristol — yes, that Bush Doctrine-supporting, America-excepting, neocon warmonger — is just smooching all over President Obama’s Nobel speech: There was a fair amount for Bush Doctrine-supporters, American-exceptionalist patriots, and neocon warmongers to like in Obama’s Oslo speech. He sounded hardheaded and pro-American, certainly by contrast with his previous rhetorical forays abroad — his ...

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575563_091214_Murdoch25.jpg

William Kristol -- yes, that Bush Doctrine-supporting, America-excepting, neocon warmonger -- is just smooching all over President Obama's Nobel speech:

William Kristol — yes, that Bush Doctrine-supporting, America-excepting, neocon warmonger — is just smooching all over President Obama’s Nobel speech:

There was a fair amount for Bush Doctrine-supporters, American-exceptionalist patriots, and neocon warmongers to like in Obama’s Oslo speech. He sounded hardheaded and pro-American, certainly by contrast with his previous rhetorical forays abroad — his utopian world-without-nuclear-weapons remarks in Prague in April or his apologetic speech to the Muslim world in Cairo two months later.” 

So does Robert Kagan.

I expect the left to start demanding that a few bones be thrown its way. I’ve seen references to “O=W” bumperstickers appearing. Easiest sop to left-of-center would be lifting the ban on being openly gay in the military — which also can be justified in terms of readiness.

Photo: World Economic Forum/Flickr

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

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