Beltway Insider: Troops Sent to Join ISIS/ISIL Fight; GOP Wins Big; October Job Numbers; Foreign News

President Obama wasted no time in addressing the decisive message spoken clearly by voter's on Tuesday's mid-term elections and reached across the aisle and stated compromise, on all fronts, will be the necessary ingredient to combat congressional dysfunction and gridlock.

 

According to Gallup, President Obama's job approval, over the past week, dropped one percentage points to 39% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President increased two percentage point to 56%. 

Obama Deploys Troops

President Obama this week announced the deployment of 1500 additional military personal to assist in the fight against ISIS/ISIL in Iraq.

The strategy behind the move which will be interpreted on several levels would be size of deployment.

The small number of military personal indicate ISIS/ISIL has suffered sufficient setbacks in recent weeks, as the coalition continues to dismantle its structure through repeated and ongoing airstrikes indicate, while still a global and well funded organization, ISIS/ISIL has been sufficiently stunned and therefore stunted allowing for the United States and other coalition leads to step up the military training missions.

President Obama has sidestepped the issues of additional military personal on several occasions insisting "no boots on the ground" remains his policy. This strategy, theoretically, has continued with the newest deployment.

No boots on the ground indicates there will be no provoked or initiated military ground troop engagement with ISIS/ISIL by United States military on behalf of the Iraqi government.

"As a part of our strategy for strengthening partners on the ground, President Obama today authorized the deployment of up to 1500 additional U.S. military personnel in a non-combat role to train, advise, and assist Iraqi Security Forces, including Kurdish forces. The President also authorized U.S. personnel to conduct these integral missions at Iraqi military facilities located outside Baghdad and Erbil. U.S. troops will not be in combat, but they will be better positioned to support Iraqi Security Forces as they take the fight to ISIL," the President said in a release statement.

The Iraqi people will still continue to see a build-up on American troops, as will ISIS/ISIL. These troops will be based, in Baghdad, with a mission that includes training Iraqi military personal to defend against a clearly modernized terror threat.

In announcing the deployment strategy the President indicated the damage to ISIS/ISIL's infrastructure. 

"In recent weeks ISIL has suffered a series of defeats in Iraq against the Iraqi Security Forces and Peshmerga, with the support of U.S. and coalition air strikes and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, as well as U.S. military advice," the President said.

ISIS/ISIL macro-economic structure, the ability the terror group, like a nation, to sustain itself in the midst of strikes against the core sectors, transportation, energy, defense, and communication, has taken substantive hits and while is still intact, has in fact, been somewhat dismantled although not crippled.

The unfortunate retaliatory move by ISIS/ISIL in this situation will be the execution of an additional hostage.

"The United States and its coalition partners will continue to confront the threat of ISIL with strength and resolve as we seek to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counterterrorism campaign," the president said.

GOP Win Big Mid-Terms

The Democratic Party went into Tuesday's Mid-Term elections with the belief that Obama's strides to right the listing American economy and put Americans back to work would be sufficient to propel the democrats forward.

 The message as they limped into Wednesday was very clear: The American people are tired of politics as usual, and the small gains, even as they collectively lead to falling unemployment and greater numbers of Americans back at work, are not sufficient.

The ineffective Congress and blame game must be over.  The facts behind the recession recovery effort which are often shaded to provide a brighter picture have not gone unnoticed by the voters.

The fact remains that more than 14% of all Americans who are back to work are grossly underemployed, a statistic that will follow the underemployed into retirement and drastically cut the Social Security funds available to them to assist in daily living as they age.

Americans, at large, have been tolerate of the Obama Administration and democrats overall. The fact remains, and as witnessed by Tuesday's trouncing, the Nation is willing to venture into uncharted Republican territory in a trial run, so to speak, giving the now majority senate and house the opportunity to show strong GOP leadership, essentially, as the 2016 Presidential prize waits in the wings.

In the clearest voice in nearly a decade the Americana people elected an overwhelming Republican majority to the House and Senate, giving republicans control over both houses.

"The American people sent a message, one that they've sent for several elections now.  They expect the people they elect to work as hard as they do.  They expect us to focus on their ambitions and not ours.  They want us to get the job done," the President said.

By The Numbers

Americans went to the polls in every state with the intent of making their voice heard through the haze and din of Washington bickering and dysfunctional squabbling. They succeeded.

With 36 states electing at least one of the two senators voted per state to represent the people, Republicans won the majority with 52 seats and Democrats 46.

The House of Representatives had 435 seats available when all the ballot were counted the Republicans won the majority with 244 to the Democrats 184.

Voters sent a deep message cutting across all branches and issues. Eleven states elected Democratic Governors, while 38 sent GOP, challengers or incumbents, leaders to the statehouse.

Alaska is still fighting it out as the result between incumbent Sean Parnell and Bill Walker, the challenger, with nearly an even split in votes has yet to be called.

Are Voters Sending Conflicting Messages

Voters were very clear, and although pundits in the past weeks since the election results have attempted to dissect the mind of the voter with eyes toward the 2016 elections, in choosing issues they believe reflect the mind, mood and future of America.

Americans pundits have all agreed and boxed the Marijuana issue as a liberal issue and therefore tally the presumptions along the lines of a conservative America.

Analyzing demographics through surveys and independent polls those who depend on the numbers for opinions are finally asking blended party, independent, questions to determine the recreational and religious pursuits.

Legalization of Marijuana, opposed by nearly every elected official across the board regardless of party affiliation has been overwhelming endorsed by the voters who finally understand the power to effect change especially on the local levels.

Election 2014 saw every Marijuana issue pass, except Florida who tied into the passage a change in the states constitution guaranteeing the failure of the legislation.

Alaska, Measure 2 which passed by 4%, and Oregon, Measure 91 that won by 8%, became the next two states to endorse legalization of Marijuana.

Obama Nominates Loretta Lynch Attorney General

One day after the Democrats suffered a miserable defeat, President Obama wasted no time in announcing the nomination of Loretta Lynch, his selection to succeed United States Attorney General Eric Holder, who announced his retirement.

 "I am enormously grateful to Eric Holder for his outstanding service in this position.  He is one of the longest-serving Attorney Generals in American history, and one of our finest.  Eric brought to this job a belief that justice isn't just an abstract theory, but a living, breathing principle," the president said of his long time friend.

When announcing his choice the president was very clear that not only did Loretta Lynch have the necessary qualifications she has twice led the Eastern District of New York's Attorney's Office and is the current United State Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, one of the most prominent and largest in the country.  She is responsible for prosecution of cases in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and Staten Island.

"It's pretty hard to be more qualified for this job than Loretta.  Throughout her 30-year career, she has distinguished herself as tough, as fair, an independent lawyer who has twice headed one of the most prominent U.S. Attorney's offices in the country.  She has spent years in the trenches as a prosecutor, aggressively fighting terrorism, financial fraud, cybercrime, all while vigorously defending civil rights," the president said in his introduction.

Ms. Lynch rose from lowly beginnings as the granddaughter of a Sharecropper in 1930's America, the daughter of a Southern Baptist minister and librarian mother, who instilled passion for the written and spoken word as well as principals deeply grounded in truth, fairness and biblical principles.

She has witnessed and experienced firsthand the wave of discriminations and sufferings as change brought resistance. She is a double graduate of Harvard University.

"Mr. President, thank you again for the faith that you've placed in me.  I pledge today to you and to the American people that if I have the honor of being confirmed by the Senate, I will wake up every morning with the protection of the American people my first thought.  And I will work every day to safeguard our citizens, our liberties, our rights, and this great nation which have given so much to me and my family," Ms. Lynch said in accepting the nomination.

Job Numbers Bright

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistic announced this week the overall employment numbers for October fell .01% to 5.8% and added approximately 214,000 jobs to the economy in October.

The largest sectors of growth included food service and drinking places, retail trade and health care.

The overall unemployment rate has fallen steadily each month over the past year resulting in a significant drop in unemployment again in 2014. Declining by .08% and 1.2million persons the opportunity for unemployment to fall an entire percentage point is very real.

The long term unemployed, those out of work for 27 weeks or more, remained unchanged in October. This group, even with concerted effort from the Obama Administration, has seen little change over the past year and accounted for 32% of unemployment numbers.

Germany Remembers

Marking the 25th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall German Chancellor Angela Merkel led the ceremonies that were telecast throughout the world.

In 1989, much like the Arab Spring when a wave of democracy swept through the Middle East, with pressure from within and world leaders including United State President Ronald Regan, who stood in the shadow of the East at Brandenburg Gate the structure that separated East from West and called on then Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev "to tear down this wall" the world watched stunned that the Soviet Union, known for ruling with an iron fist, was actually loosening its grip on the people and the wall that separated worlds was falling.

News reports of the first wave of East Germans making the crossing, past the death strip where so many in the past 27 years had been killed trying to leave their country, brought media from round the world to witness, and allow every corner of the world to witness freedom.

Jubilant East Germans stood atop the 12 foot slabs of concrete cheering as the hard wrought freedom finally arrived.

The Anniversary, an event that had an equal balance of remembrance, respect and celebration was, essentially, a home town event shared with the rest of the world through the media, began with remarks and German and Russian officials and dignitaries joining the German Chancellor in placing roses in the remainder of the Wall.

The day long official event ended with official and unofficial wall celebration parties.

North Korea Releases Hostages

The last of American hostages held by North Korea have been released today.

Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller, both held for separate alleged crimes against the North Korea, were released by North Korean President Kim Jong-un and have returned to the United States.

Media reports have said the beleaguered leader is looking to ease strained relations with the White House.

President Obama has embarked on an Asian trip and is expected to issue a statement on the release of the hostages.

For more information on President Barack Obama: www.whitehouse.gov

Sources: Whitehouse.org, Wikipedia.com,Bureau of Labor Statistics

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