‘A platoon of Marines is a lot of Marines’

September 3, 2007

Given that I often complain about docile media coverage of bogus Republican claims about Iraq, I thought it would only be fair to praise Wolf Blitzer for getting it right. By way of ThinkProgress, take a look at this CNN interview from yesterday with Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.):

First, I realize that it may seem silly to laud a CNN interview in which there’s modest pushback against bogus talking points. That is, after all, what a credible news outlet is supposed to do every day. Alas, it’s rare enough that when this happens, it stands out.

Second, did you notice that Boustany, when confronted with actual data, immediately resorted to an anecdote? Expect to hear quite a bit of this over the next couple of weeks. Measurable data is discouraging and points to a surge policy that isn’t working, but war supporters believe meaningless stories about heavily-guarded strolls through a market — five rugs for five bucks! — are a reasonable counterweight that deserve equal consideration.

For those who have trouble watching video clips online, here’s a transcript:

BOUSTANY: We’re clearly seeing some major improvements. Clearly in the Anbar Province, we’ve seen significant improvement. We were able to walk the streets of Fallujah. Sectarian deaths are down. […]

BLITZER: And Congressman Boustany, you say that the number of casualties is going down. But we took a closer look — and The Los Angeles Times did as well — citing Iraqi Health Ministry numbers. In June, it was 1,227 civilian deaths in Iraq. In July, it went up to 1,753 civilian deaths in Iraq. And in August, the month that just ended, 1,773 civilian deaths in Iraq. Those numbers are going in the wrong direction.

BOUSTANY: Well, I think what I mentioned earlier, Wolf, was the number of attacks. And, clearly, we have to look at all the metrics very carefully.

BLITZER: But statistics — you can play a lot of room with statistics. In terms of dead people, civilians, Iraqi dead people, those numbers are high and they’re getting worse, despite the increased military troop levels of the United States, the so-called surge having been in effect over the past couple of months.

BOUSTANY: Well, Wolf, I want to point out that just two or three months ago, I would have never thought that four members of Congress would be able to walk through the streets of Fallujah. That’s a major…

BLITZER: But you had a lot of security with you. You had a lot of U.S. military protection.

BOUSTANY: We had a platoon of Marines.

BLITZER: Yes, well, a platoon of Marines is a lot of Marines to walk through Fallujah. That’s not like…

BOUSTANY: But, Wolf, three months ago, two months ago, not even that could have happened so I think that’s…

BLITZER: I was in Fallujah two years ago, and it was a bad situation then. But some argue that maybe there’s a slight improvement right now, but it’s still very dangerous.

BOUSTANY: I would argue that the improvement is major.

BLITZER: And if you didn’t have a platoon of Marines with you, you couldn’t be walking around by yourself.

If there were more exchanges like this one, the country would be better off.

What is it with these guys. Numerical facts are so easy to check. I’m glad Blitzer did his job for once. I’ve already commented elsewhere, comment #5 about two newspapers NOT doing theirs.

We have become so goddam lazy, ignorant, uninformed, selfish and bored in this country that we deserve what we get. The flip side: we don’t deserve people we really ought to have. John Edwards and Wes Clark come to mind. Why such compassionate and talented people give a shit about wasting their efforts on a nation like us is beyond me.

Our national motto, “E Pluribus Unum”, should be changed to Wayne’s World’s “We Are Not Worthy”.

  • It would be a day to celebrate when even the press has had enough of this organized propaganda. Maybe they are getting sick and tired of being used, of just being stenographers and ‘yes’ men. Sadly, right now, it is a rare occurrence that reporters will stand against manipulated ‘facts’.

  • #1 Ed Stephan

    Wes Clark, I’d concur. But John Edwards? He’s got a not-too-hidden agenda as reasons for his demonstrating a very timely so-called compassion and talent. He applied his talent to an offshore tax dodge right after losing his 2004 bid after campaigning against them. That does take talent of a sort.

    That said, I would vote for Edwards if he somehow manages to win the nomination. I don’t care too much for him and I think he’s a major hypocrite re environmental issues, clear-cutting, and leadership by example re his new manor house in NC.

    I wonder if he used all union labor to clearcut timber and to build his massive estate. I’m gonna check that out. I’ll let you know what I find out. What do you think I’ll find out about that? Do you know the answer to this by any chance?

  • Can someone please translate for me comment # 3 ? Of couse, if “would vote for” was meant to be” wouldn’t vote for”, it might make more sense, even though colonpowow’s basic argument is full of crap.

  • Just for those who don’t know, a platoon is about 90 guys, if I’m still current on my info. I think it includes only a few machine guns (what the military would call an M-80, not an M-16 that can fire full-auto), about one per squad (10-20 men? I don’t know), and maybe one squad per platoon wouldn’t have one. That’s as heavy as the armament gets, unless your talking about platoons in some specialized infantry that each get something extra provided to them.

  • This is what Wikipedia has to say about platoons:

    In infantry units, rifle platoons are generally made up of four nine-man squads (three rifle squads and one weapons squad).

    In the United States Marine Corps, platoons are commanded by a platoon commander, usually Second Lieutenant, even though the position is intended for a First Lieutenant. The billet of Platoon Sergeant is a position intended for a Staff Sergeant, but it is often held by a Marine ranking from Corporal to Gunnery Sergeant. In Marine infantry units, referred to as regiments, rifle platoons usually consist of three rifle squads of 13 men each, usually lead by a Sergeant or Corporal, with a Navy corpsman, a Platoon Commander, and a Platoon Sergeant. Each squad is further divided into 3 fireteams. A weapons platoon replaces the 3 squads with a 60 mm mortar section, an assault section, and a medium machine gun section. The assault section consists of dual-purpose rockets such as the FGM-172 SRAW.

    I don’t know why I thought 90 guys, and of course I should have thought of the mortars which are a standard infantry weapon.

  • “I wonder if he used all union labor to clearcut timber and to build his massive estate.” (#3)

    Would you if you lived in a right-to-work (i.e. non-union) state like NC? You’d have to be a saint or insane or both. While I’m on this, what’s wrong with building a massive estate if you don’t have to steal in order to afford it.

    People seem to resent Edwards for bringing himself up out of his family’s economically underprivileged background and realizing the American dream. Why? People seem to resent his being a “trial lawyer”, the same people who applaud fictional trial lawyers like Rudy Baylor (TheRainmaker or real ones like Clarence Darrow) or Robert Kennedy.

    John Edwards got rich by successfully defending helpless victims of large insurance corporations. He is smart, competitive and compassionate. Our nation should count itself lucky that such a one walks in our midst. Most of us would gone to work for highest bidder (the insurance giants). “We are not worthy”.

  • John Edwards’ supporters here contend that the Edwards’ new residence is not really an issue, or that it’s really a distraction from the real issues facing America. The important thing, they say, is that John has the ability, the concern, and the programs to address these things as our president.

    For my part, I contend that his new 28,000 square foot dwelling, the construction of which involved clear-cutting a large chunk of forest to build an obscenely large house from the ground up, demonstrates a lack of personal responsibility and leadership on many critical issues, as well as a hypocritical “do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do” approach to many of the very things that he bases his campaign on.

    To help clarify my point, please indulge me in a slight reworking of Russ Feingold’s first TV ad when he was an unknown running for the Senate.

    HOME MOVIE

    “Hi.

    “My name’s Gus Reingold and I’m running for president. I don’t have a lot of money to spend on advertising, but I got this great idea and my wife’s okay with it. I hope you like it.

    “See, I’ve written my platform down on the garage doors here at our home in Middleton, so anybody who’s interested can just come by and read it.

    (Points behind him and across the street to a modest, split-level home with an attached garage that has some words printed in neat columns on the double doors)

    “Now I’d really like to meet and talk with John Edwards about where he stands as a candidate, and where he stands personally, on environmental issues, on energy policy, conservation, land use, and maybe a little bit about affordable housing, poverty, and the plight of American workers since 2000.

    (Camera pans in and Gus smiles)

    “Speaking of which, I’m glad John came out alright when he faced unemployment after his campaign in 2004. He was able to find that job with Fortress Investment Group and its holdings of offshore hedge fund tax dodges like those he had just finished campaigning against.

    “Anyway, I’m driving out to his house to see if I can maybe run into him.

    (Gus standing outside the gate to the Edwards’ estate)

    “Well, the gate is locked and I see lots of ‘No Trespassing’ signs. Well, it sure looks awfully nice around here though, and I understand that the house is really something! You can’t actually see his compound from way out here on the road, but I found this picture of it for you on the internet:

    http://www.johnlocke.org/site-docs/images/edwardshouse-low.jpg
    http://carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=3848

    (Back to in front of Gus’s house)

    “Well, that’s it. If you find yourself in Middleton and you’re in the neighborhood, stop by the house and read my platform written right here on the old garage doors. Seriously, I’m really proud of it and I stand by every word. And if you elect me as your president, these are my promises to you and I’ll keep them.”

    (FADES)

    Unfair? Class warfare? Well, you be the judge.

    In Feingold’s case, both Jim Doyle, and especially Jim Moody, were progressive liberal Democrats just like John Edwards. Feingold needed to create some distance, so he decided to feature their houses, that is, their particular lifestyle, as opposed to his and the majority of Democratic voters, and this ad cut like a razor and struck a major chord with the voters in swing-state Wisconsin.

    Here’s Russ Feingold’s site with his vintage ad titled “Home Movies” that my (admittedly more Rovian) parody is based on: http://www.russfeingold.org/multimedia.php

  • Hey, ocdemocrat!

    So my basic argument is “full of crap.” Wow, I stand corrected. Who can argue with an insightful analysis like that?

    And let me say this real slow for you. I plan to vote for any Democrat from this basically fine field, even (ugh) Edwards, if necessary, over any of the Republicans. Is this so hard to fathom?

  • COLON: Wow, with dems like you denigrating our candidates, who needs REPUGS or Faux News?

    “I don’t care too much for him and I think he’s a major hypocrite re environmental issues, clear-cutting, and leadership by example re his new manor house in NC.” That’s a positive!

    ” I wonder if he used all union labor to clearcut timber and to build his massive estate” Again typical Repug character assassination through inuendo.

    My first sentence says it all!

  • I’m not denigrating “our candidates,” I’m denigrating Edwards’ hypocrisy. To say he’s for the unions, yet doesn’t insist on union laborers building his own house – even though he obviously would have no problem affording them.

    To say he’s for recycling, energy efficiency and the environment while clearcutting masses of forest and animal habitat to build a massive estate from the ground up!

    I could go on and on about this phony, but who needs to? It’s okay to blast Cheney and Bush for their hypocricy re military service, etc., but it’s hands off on our $400 haircut poplulist?

    Give me a break? And, by the way, when you resort to personal attacks against the poster, it’s because you have no good argument and it takes your credibilty down considerably (if applicable in the first place).

  • Oh, oh. I think it was just yesterday I was saying to myself that if Wolf Blitzer ever showed up prepared for an interview, I’d eat my hat. Hope I’ve got one that wasn’t made in China… apologies for the on-topic post.

  • And my apologies for going off-topic, but I responded to an early comment that was a canonization of John Edwards, and things went astray quickly from there (my fault) as I felt I had to defend myself from his apologist defenders.

    Bon apeitite on the hat-meal!

  • COLON: For my edification, please show where Edwards used non-union labor. I admit that I haven’t seen this before, and I am curious. P.S. “I wonder” does not excuse the innuendo. To me, the charge only applies if Edwards himself did the hiring; not a subcontractor hired by the contractor.

    Thanks in advance from one of his” apologist defenders”(pot calling kettle black??)!

  • As I mentioned in my earlier post, I am checking it out re the union labor. I contacted the reporter who wrote the story for the Carolina Journal and he doubts it and is checking into it. Seems he thinks it might make a good followup report on top of the union endorsements. I’ll keep you posted or watch for the story.

    Do you think someone with a lot of money to build a house, and who is supposed to support labor unions should show such support in a personal way by requiring that union people be used to build his personal house? Just wondering.

    RE “apologist defenders,” my take on that phrase is it describes one who offers apologies for and defends someone’s behavior no matter how disingenuous it may appear. Example: Bill Kristol is one of Bush’s apologist defenders. I don’t see it as negative, it’s just a description.

    Now, on the other hand, if I said someone was “full of crap” . . .

    But I don’t think you are. You’re just excusing Edwards’ personal behavior. That’s fine.

  • @Swan

    A platoon, US Army or Marine Corps, is approximately 30 soldiers. I say approximately because today’s infantry formations are flexible so they can perform a variety of missions. Sometimes the platoon has assault rifles, grenade launchers and several machine guns like the M240 or SAW. Sometimes they’ll have other types of arms and equipment; mission dictates: combat patrols in built up areas, woods, fast-roping out of helicopters, patrolling mountainous areas, assaults, etc.

    Modern infantry formations are quite versatile and arguably the most effective weapon on any battlefield in any type of war.

    But a platoon is not 90 soldiers. You’re getting close to company-sized formations, but not quite there yet.

    -Focality
    Former US Marine infantryman

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