October 5, 2014

I don't know who Sen. Kelly Ayotte thinks President Obama is supposed to be winning over if her ridiculous accusation on this weekend's Fox News Sunday were true. She seems to be a bit confused about which block of voters beating the war drums and fearmongering appeals to.

Senator Says Obama Is Only Fighting ISIS To Help Democrats, Will Abandon War After Midterm Elections:

New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) argued on Sunday that President Obama has declared war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria in order to help Democrats win the midterm elections in November and expressed concern that he would abandon the fight in the new year. [...]

There is no evidence that Obama plans to abandon the fight against ISIS. During his speech about the threat to the nation, Obama stressed that “If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region, including to the United States” and warned that “it will take time to eradicate a cancer like ISIL.” Testifying before Congress, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey also characterized the fight against ISIS as “a sustained effort over an extended period of time.” “It is a generational problem. And we should expect that our enemies will adapt their tactics as we adjust our approach,” he said.

Of course, having no evidence whatsoever to back up your assertions is rarely going to be challenged if you're a Republican appearing on Faux "news."

Full transcript:

WALLACE: Senator Ayotte, you are also a member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, and I want to switch subjects on you. Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has a new book out, in which he blasts President Obama for failing to push Iraq to keep a residual force of U.S. troops there after 2011. Panetta writes this, those on our side -- talking about the Pentagon -- those on our side viewed the White House as so eager to rid itself of Iraq that it was willing to withdraw rather than lock in arrangements that would preserve our influence and interests. Now, President Obama says that this was Iraq's decision, not his. What do you make of Panetta's remarks, and how big a role if you believe what he says, did that play in the fact that we're now facing this threat from ISIS?

AYOTTE: Well, I think that Secretary Panetta, absolutely, I have respect for him, and the military commanders clearly wanted to leave a residual force there. That the president's claim that this was all in the Iraqis does not withstand scrutiny. And I think what we have here, Chris, as a problem where the president's foreign policy is being trapped by his campaign rhetoric. And I'm very fearful that as we look at the current military strategy that it is surrounding the November elections and that he won't have the resolve to follow through with what needs to be done in a sustained effort to destroy ISIS, and we're about to repeat the same thing with regard to Afghanistan, which Secretary Panetta also mentions in his book as well.

WALLACE: I just want to follow up, we have a couple of minutes up. Are you suggesting that after the November election and acting tough and talking tough, that he is going to pull back from confronting ISIS?

AYOTTE: I'm very concerned about that, Chris, and his resolve in this regard. And I think that's something that as a member of the Armed Services Committee, we've got to stay focused on. And if you look at the pattern here -- I mean look at what happened in Libya. We engaged in airstrikes, and then none of the follow-on in terms of securing the weapons, and obviously what happened with our embassy. I think we need to ensure that this isn't just surrounding what we're doing now. He has made clear this is going to take a sustained effort. And he has to be prepared to have the resolve to engage in that sustained effort to destroy ISIS. Otherwise, we're going to be in a situation where we have a safe haven again where attacks can be launched against us.

WALLACE: Senator Ayotte, Dan Bongino, thank you both, thanks for coming in today and talking with us.

AYOTTE: Thank you.

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