Quit Kvetching & Let Israel ‘Mow The Grass’: Rep. Doug Lamborn

[unhappycamper]

http://breakingdefense.com/2014/07/quick-kvetching-let-israel-mow-the-grass-rep-doug-lamborn/



Colorado Republican Doug Lamborn is a fervent advocate for US aid to Israel’s missile defense programs, especially the celebrated Iron Dome. In this op-ed, the House Armed Services Committee member argues that such technologies are just one part of a larger strategy for the survival of Israel: living with perennial threats by regularly cutting them back — often called “mowing the lawn” or “mowing the grass” — rather than wasting energy seeking either final victory or permanent peace, both of which are equally unachievable. While I happen to passionately disagree with his analysis of the US-Israeli alliance, Rep. Lamborn makes a grimly plausible case that American calls for Israeli restraint are not only unrealistic, they outright prolong the agony on all sides. — Sydney Freedberg, Deputy Editor.

Quit Kvetching & Let Israel ‘Mow The Grass’: Rep. Doug Lamborn
By Rep. Doug Lamborn on July 28, 2014 at 4:00 AM

Americans think of wars as decisive battles between the forces of good and evil. One side loses and one side wins and it’s over. Hopefully the good guys are the ones left standing. The bad guys may even turn into good guys, as happened after World War II.

Even if Israel were to somehow eliminate Hamas, however, an already existing terrorist group would likely take the lead and continue on Hamas’ path. Defeating a group militarily unfortunately does not mean defeating the hatred and bigotry motivating that group.

Things are different in the Middle East. Israel faces the challenge of fighting wars with no ultimate resolution, no light at the end of the tunnel, no clean resolution likely at the end, though we can always hope.

~snip~

Israel has been grappling with these existential threats since its very birth. The foes may have changed over the years but the character of the danger remains the same. With no foreseeable resolution of the conflict, Israel has developed a strategy to manage the conflict. The strategy changes the aim from eradicating the enemy to one of debilitating the enemy’s military capabilities. This is achieved by targeting the enemy’s leadership and destroying its weapons. Israeli strategic think tanks, such as Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, have dubbed this strategy “Mowing the Grass”.

--

Ole Dougie has been really busy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Lamborn

Early life and career

Born in Leavenworth, Kansas, Lamborn earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Kansas in 1978 and J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1985. Lamborn moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado and became a private attorney focusing on business and real estate law.[1][2]

Colorado House of Representatives

Tenure

While in the State Senate Lamborn sponsored the largest tax cut in Colorado State history,[4] and was named the highest-ranking tax cutter in the Senate five times, by a conservative activist group called the Colorado Union of Taxpayers.[3]

Tenure

An office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency was established in Colorado Springs in Lamborn's district. The office opened in February 2009 and increased immigration enforcement agents in the area from two to ten. “The immediate need is to address those that have committed a crime and make sure they’re sent out of the country,” Lamborn said. However this would not place in jeopardy employers who hire illegal immigrants in the first place or who pay these workers without any withholding tax or below the minimum wage.[13]

There has also been a Brigade Combat Team in his district since December 2007. The Brigade Combat Team consisting of almost 5,000 soldiers, their families, support personnel as well as increased military construction.[14]

Congressional Quarterly said that through the first August recess, Lamborn had voted by strict partisan lines the most of any member in the U.S. House and more than any other Republican.[7] Lamborn led an effort among conservative Republicans to force the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to discard proposed regulations that would have affected accessibility to small arms ammunition, which were opposed by Second Amendment groups.[15] In February 2010, The National Journal named Lamborn the most conservative member of the U.S. House of Representatives.[16]

Lamborn is one of the House Republicans leading the effort against public funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and NPR (National Public Radio). "I have been seeking to push Big Bird out of the nest for over a year, based on the simple fact that we can no longer afford to spend taxpayer dollars on nonessential government programs. It's time for Big Bird to earn his wings and learn to fly on his own." [17]

On August 24, 2007, Jonathan Bartha, who works for Focus on the Family (headquartered in Colorado Springs), and his wife Anna wrote a letter to the editor in a community newspaper expressing concerns about Lamborn's opposition to more restrictions on dog fighting. They were also concerned that he'd taken several campaign contributions from the gaming industry. A few days later, Lamborn left two voice mails threatening "consequences" if they didn't renounce their "blatantly false" letter. He also said that he would be "forced to take other steps" if the matter wasn't resolved "on a Scriptural level." The Barthas were shocked by the messages, and Anna Bartha called Lamborn's behavior "not anything we would ever anticipate an elected official would pursue."[18]

Taxes

Lamborn is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge.[19]

"Tar Baby" Remark

On July 29, 2011, Lamborn appeared on a Denver radio program to discuss the debt crisis and the failure of Democrats and Republicans to reach a compromise on the problem. Lamborn stated "Now, I don't even want to have to be associated with (President Obama). It's like touching a tar baby and you get it, you're stuck, and you're a part of the problem now and you can't get away."[20] The term tar baby is sometimes considered to be a racial slur used towards African-Americans. Former Colorado House Speaker Terrance Carroll, himself an African-American, replied "“Looking beyond the fact that Congressman Lamborn’s entire comment is nonsensical, his use of the term ‘tar baby’ is unfortunate because (of) the historical connotation of that term when used in conjunction with African Americans."[21]

On August 1, 2011, Lamborn apologized for his use of the slur, explaining ""When I said 'tar baby', I was talking economic quagmire that our country is finding ourselves in because of poor economic policy from the White House. I could have used a better term."[22]

Refusal to attend 2012 State of the Union Address

On January 23, 2012, Lamborn announced he would not be attending the President's State of the Union address. According to his spokeswoman Catherine Mortenson, "Congressman Lamborn is doing this to send a clear message that he does not support the policies of Barack Obama, that they have hurt our country," and he believed Obama was “in full campaign mode and will use the address as an opportunity to bash his political opponents."[23]

Leak of classified national security information

On April 11, 2013, Lamborn read out in an open session broadcast on C-SPAN what he thought to be an unclassified section from a classified report on North Korean nuclear capabilities. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs refused to confirm the classified report.[24]

Role in 2013 government shutdown

Doug Lamborn is one of the 80 members of the House that signed a letter to the speaker of the house, urging the threat of a government shutdown to defund Obamacare. This group was named the "Suicide Caucus". [25] He voted against the measure that finally ended the shutdown on October 16, 2013 [26]

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. Human beings are human beings, not 'grass' to be mown.

But Lamborn is right in one thing -

Defeating a group militarily unfortunately does not mean defeating the hatred and bigotry motivating that group.

And you're not going to defeat hatred and bigotry through violence. History has shown that time and again. Violence only begets further violence, further hatred, further bigotry.

[CanonRay]

2. I used to live in this District...this man is an idiot.

Our candidate in 2008 destroyed him in a debate...didn't matter, the Rednecks of Fremont County voted him in anyway. Makes me want to puke, but on the constructive side, give money to this guy:

http://www.halterforcongress.com/

I've moved away, but my friends working for Halter say he actually has a shot.