Maybe freshman Rep. Tom Marino (R.,Pa.) should have spent some time with a Rand McNally World Atlas before he joined the House Foreign Affairs Committee?
Marino was quoted in the Times-Tribune of Scranton earlier in the week, raising questions about President Obama's policy in Libya. Congress was not consulted before air cover and missle strikes were provided to aid rebels, he said, and there is no clearly defined limit to such humanitarian missions in the future.
"The bottom line is I wish the president would have told us, talked to Congress about what is the plan. Is there a plan? Is the mission to take Gadhafi out?" Mr. Marino asked, according to the news report. "Where does it stop?" he said. "Do we go into Africa next? I don't want to sound callous or cold, but this could go on indefinitely around the world."
Libya, of course, is in Africa. D'oh!
Marino, a lawyer who got his undergraduate degree magna cum laude at Lycoming College, may well have been referring to ground troops in Libya, as supporters say he has done in the past. We already have ground forces in the Middle East, and Africa would indeed be a separate incursion on a different continent.
No official word from Marino's office, but Big Tent will add it to the post as it becomes available.
If he's a "geography dunce" what is Obama for thinking there are 57+ states?— journalismIsDead- Politicians are all a bunch of crooks...left or right, conservative or liberal. To call this guy a dunce is not looking into why the guy is in office. Decent pay, generous health care, and a retirement plan the real dunces who voted for him can only dream about.— FletcherT
- How can you expect a lawyer to know anything about geography? Especially a US lawyer??— Pete H
- Must have missed your article about congressman Hank Johnson-D, the Rhodes Scholar, who questions whether the island of Guam might "tip over"!— STEPHEN1988
- In response to FletcherT .... Do you know what a glittering generality is?— mindstorms
- Probably meant Sub-Saharan Africa. And as far as that Obama 57 state thing, I think he was refering to the total primaries in the states and territories. You guys need to argue about more substantial things.— gloriousglo2
- People who have been educated in this country are without a doubt the most geographically illiterate people in the world. My students at a magnet high school have trouble locating New Jersey on a US map. Not only that, but only in the USA do people believe there are 7 continents. There are 6: America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica. Want proof? There are 5 Olympic rings. One per continent where athletes come from. Unless I missed something and penguins are Olympic athletes, the total is 5.— krammar
- The Obama 57 states thing was a gaffe after several sleepless weeks. What's this guy's excuse? Or Palin's, for that matter?— Krilt
- Krammar, I believe North and South America are regarded as separate continents by some. That would make seven, at least according to some cartographers. Since there is a lack of consensus on this issue, yours represents a poor example as an indictment of our educational system. But then again, perhaps a self reference to your own post might be an excellent substitute.— gloriousglo2
- Krammar, I believe North and South America are regarded as separate continents by some. That would make seven, at least according to some cartographers. Since there is a lack of consensus on this issue, yours represents a poor example as an indictment of our educational system. But then again, perhaps a self reference to your own post might be an excellent substitute.— gloriousglo2
- @glorious, I have lived and taught overseas for 17 years in America/International schools. Not only did my students know about basic geography (Africa is not a country), but nobody knew who split America into 2 parts and where it is split. At the US-Mexican border? Between Panama and Colombia? Of course Panama was a province of Colombia before Teddy Roosevelt stole it in order to make a better deal to build the canal.
As far as the Olympic rings...
As it says in the Olympic Charter, the five-ringed symbol "represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games."
— krammar - what an idiot casino marino !!— 2big2fail
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