Bob Woodward exposes an administration divided over Afghanistan War strategy

Every President in recent history has had to grapple with the question: "How do we handle Bob Woodward?" George W. Bush joked during an interview with the famed Washington Post editor that his father, George H.W., wouldn't let Woodward near the Oval Office during his presidency. However, the Obama Administration has taken the same approach as his two most immediate predecessors by granting Woodward significant access to officials ranging from Biden, Clinton, and the president himself.


"Obama's War," a book Woodward has spent 18 months on, is slated for release next week, and aside from the inside-look at a supposedly dysfunctional West Wing, the New York Times' review says the book provides new insight into the Afghanistan War.


The book reports that U.S. intel has concluded that Afghan President Hamid Karzai is manic-depressive, and that the C.I.A. "has a 3,000-man 'covert army' in Afghanistan called the Counterterrorism Pursuit Teams, or C.T.P.T., mostly Afghans who capture and kill Taliban fighters and seek support in tribal areas."


Like his last book, 2008's "The War Within," "Obama's War" is said to document the decision-making process going on in the White House, and how that process has played out on the Afghan battlefield. And just like last time, this book supposedly paints a picture ripe with dysfunction and infighting.  The Vice President allegedly called Richard C. Holbrooke, Obama's Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, "the most egotistical bastard I've ever met." And for Holbrooke's part, he is said to doubt the President's war strategy,  and is quoted as saying "it can't work."


The question now is how the Obama Administration plans to spin this book with an election on the horizon that has many democrats shaking in their boots. Woodward clearly brought his A-Game, but the ball is now in the court of the West Wing.

GOP blocks repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell"

Thus proving that the GOP doesn't subscribe to Lady Gaga's official Youtube page.

Anonymous takes the RIAA to town

The online hacker collective known only as Anonymous has taken the fight to the Recording Industry Association of America. Following a series of denial-of-service attacks that put the Motion Picture Association Of America's website out of commission, the anti anti-piracy activists used all the tricks up their cyber-sleeve to crash RIAA.com and RIAA.org, at least temporarily.

Previous opponents of Anonymous have been the Church of Scientology and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

UPDATE: As of publication, both RIAA.com and RIAA.org are back online.

SHOCKER: Google Chrome advertised on Facebook

In surprising news, Google has purchased advertising space on Facebook, the famed social networking site who touts Microsoft as a financial investor and strategic partner. Given Chrome's intense competition with Apple's Safari Browser, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft's Internet Explorer, it will be interesting to hear what Facebook's "strategic partner" has to say about deal.

If War Comes: Israel Vs. Hezballah and its Allies

The Washington Institute For Near East Policy has just published an interesting report by Defense Fellow Jeffery White concerning the next round of hostilities between the Jewish State and Hezballah. The Lebanese-based Iranian-proxy has been operating in Southern Lebanon with near-impunity since the end of 2006's Second Lebanon War and Israeli intel now suggests that Hezballah has more missiles and better training than they had during the last conflict. This article paints a disturbing picture detailing why the next war between Israel and their neighbors to the north may be the widest in scope since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Goodnight and Goodluck

Thanks to everyone who has listened to my broadcasts over the years. It's been real. In case you didn't get to tune in live, I enjoyed the opportunity to say goodbye to everyone who listened to any of my broadcasts. The above link is a moment saved in time.

-AB

I bid farewell to WERS

After two years of news anchoring, public affairs reporting, web editing, and DJ'ing, today will be my final broadcast on 88.9fm WERS. I will be on air from 2-7pm EST and streaming online at WERS.org. Tune in as I say goodbye to listeners after a two-year experience I will value for a lifetime.