++Ms. Lindsey Graham said yesterday that he won't have done a land invasion of Iraq but something else. The explanations of this fiasco get more convoluted by the day. The major problem as I see it is that this pushes terrorism up into the public concern after it had diminished during the Obama years.
++So speaking of the past--Newsmax screams that Sidney Blumenthal was a top adviser to Hillary. Certainly not during her stay as Secretary of State.
++Remember Dick Cheney warning that President Obama's policies meant we were going to be hit any minute? Intercept published a story yesterday based on former acting CIA Director Mike Morell's book "The Great War Of Our Time:The CIA's Fight Against Terrorism". Dick Cheney was in charge of the terrorism portfolio in the early days of the W Administration. As Al Qaeda threats were intensifying and the intelligence community started to get alarmed,Morell brought the 9/11 threats to Cheney.
++What did the great terrorism fighter do? He thought they were a bluff and nothing should be done. He dismissed them to the CIA briefers.
++PBS showed a documentary last night on the politics of torture and how the W Administration asked how can we torture and not whether it was right.
++And, YES, John McCain did say he wants to invade Iraq again.
++John Boehner told President Obama to re-do the Authorization to Use Military Force.
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
TraitorTots
++Bobby Jindal said this afternoon that he signed the letter to the Iranian leaders. Interesting. Is Tehran Tom Cotton going to circulate the letter to all aspiring GOP nominee?
++Hillary Clinton didn't take the bait at her UN press conference over the e-mails--which, in my opinion, was a nothingburger. She says the letter either was meant to help the Iranians or harm President Obama.
++Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks went "Unchained" for a segment blasting the GOP as pen pals for the Ayatollah. He said it was unprecedented that Congress would go to a leader of another country for advice and use that to criticize a sitting president. He said the letter was literally "burning up a peace treaty". He accused the Republicans of not loving this country but bathing in their hatred for President Obama.
++Sam Seder of the Majority report went after the Republicans as coming as close as you can get to violating the Logan Act. He lambasted Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Kelly Ayotte for signing this. He noted that much of foreign policy were executive agreements and that what the authors of the letter did was raise in question any agreements reached with the United States and any other country. He pointed out that the most restrictive economic sanctions against Iran could be lifted by the President himself. He pointed out that Iran would be put under a strict regime of inspection and that at the worse they would have one year to break out--that is ,possess enough uranium for One nuclear bomb.
++While Glenn Greenwald appears to back the letter,just saying that everyone should be allowed to disagree with President Obama,Intercept, the webpage he is editor of, noted that shortly after Tehran Tom released the letter he met in a private meeting with Defense Contractors.
++The Letter actually confuses those trying to restrain President Obama. What it basically says is do not make any agreement and keep on processing uranium. It is the same as Bibi's bizarre speech to the Iranian people about what a bad deal it is. So don't sign it because you'll be better off.
++Hillary Clinton didn't take the bait at her UN press conference over the e-mails--which, in my opinion, was a nothingburger. She says the letter either was meant to help the Iranians or harm President Obama.
++Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks went "Unchained" for a segment blasting the GOP as pen pals for the Ayatollah. He said it was unprecedented that Congress would go to a leader of another country for advice and use that to criticize a sitting president. He said the letter was literally "burning up a peace treaty". He accused the Republicans of not loving this country but bathing in their hatred for President Obama.
++Sam Seder of the Majority report went after the Republicans as coming as close as you can get to violating the Logan Act. He lambasted Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Kelly Ayotte for signing this. He noted that much of foreign policy were executive agreements and that what the authors of the letter did was raise in question any agreements reached with the United States and any other country. He pointed out that the most restrictive economic sanctions against Iran could be lifted by the President himself. He pointed out that Iran would be put under a strict regime of inspection and that at the worse they would have one year to break out--that is ,possess enough uranium for One nuclear bomb.
++While Glenn Greenwald appears to back the letter,just saying that everyone should be allowed to disagree with President Obama,Intercept, the webpage he is editor of, noted that shortly after Tehran Tom released the letter he met in a private meeting with Defense Contractors.
++The Letter actually confuses those trying to restrain President Obama. What it basically says is do not make any agreement and keep on processing uranium. It is the same as Bibi's bizarre speech to the Iranian people about what a bad deal it is. So don't sign it because you'll be better off.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Oh myy, says George Takei
++Maureen Dowd did a more malign take of Jeb's advisory board reminding us who backed Ahmed Chalabi, torture, wiretaps,and the whole Iraq War in its glory. The point many people have made is that you can't expect anything different from Jeb than the rest of them. I just pointed out how old they were and that none of them have any experience in areas of the world other than the Middle East and maybe parts of Central Europe.
++John McCain is ashamed for our country, and ashamed of President Obama and himself. So ashamed. He was talking, of course, about the Ukraine and the fight against ISIS.
++Trans Canada has a perfect idea. Build the Keystone XL Pipeline in reverse, sending American oil to Canada for use there. The pipeline would travel north through the Dakotas.
++If you like Jeb, then you might like the jobs-creating record of the Bushes put together. Then compare them to Democrats.
++Ms. Lindsey Graham says that the Senate must pass the Homeland Security funding or else the GOP will be blamed. Are you sure about that? Especially if Al Shabab bombs the Mall of America.
++I received an e-mail from a conservative saying that the real victim of the Obama presidency are community-organizers. Remember when that was the rap against Obama. Now the author says that Obama was charismatic and that was a fatal flaw in his character. Oh myy.
++The Obama Administration now has established strict criteria for drilling for oil in the Arctic. Late but good news, nonetheless.
++Bobby "Vishnu" Jindal says that America has to become more educated. So what does he do--but cut Louisiana's education budget drastically.
++I am refraining from commenting further on the case before the Supreme Court against Obamacare. The plaintiffs have no standing. The legal case against them is so overwhelming. There is the Chevron precedent,the indemnity issue for insurance, the seems of amicus curiae briefs about why the intention of the law was for everyone to receive subsidies. Affadavits from authors of the state exchanges about their intentions. And on and on.
++The Court should never have received the case. But Linda Greenhouse, the court reporter for the New York Times alerted us all to the political nature of this case of the judges involved. The non-profit behind the case is a libertarian think tank funded by the Koch Brothers.
++I would say that all Americans should be urged to send all their medical bills to the Koch brothers. They have the wealth to pay for them all.
++So on the legal side,I believe this case is a loser. But I am skittish because I do not have any trust in the Supreme Court. Even the plaintiffs lawyers do not believe this is constitutional.
++John McCain is ashamed for our country, and ashamed of President Obama and himself. So ashamed. He was talking, of course, about the Ukraine and the fight against ISIS.
++Trans Canada has a perfect idea. Build the Keystone XL Pipeline in reverse, sending American oil to Canada for use there. The pipeline would travel north through the Dakotas.
++If you like Jeb, then you might like the jobs-creating record of the Bushes put together. Then compare them to Democrats.
++Ms. Lindsey Graham says that the Senate must pass the Homeland Security funding or else the GOP will be blamed. Are you sure about that? Especially if Al Shabab bombs the Mall of America.
++I received an e-mail from a conservative saying that the real victim of the Obama presidency are community-organizers. Remember when that was the rap against Obama. Now the author says that Obama was charismatic and that was a fatal flaw in his character. Oh myy.
++The Obama Administration now has established strict criteria for drilling for oil in the Arctic. Late but good news, nonetheless.
++Bobby "Vishnu" Jindal says that America has to become more educated. So what does he do--but cut Louisiana's education budget drastically.
++I am refraining from commenting further on the case before the Supreme Court against Obamacare. The plaintiffs have no standing. The legal case against them is so overwhelming. There is the Chevron precedent,the indemnity issue for insurance, the seems of amicus curiae briefs about why the intention of the law was for everyone to receive subsidies. Affadavits from authors of the state exchanges about their intentions. And on and on.
++The Court should never have received the case. But Linda Greenhouse, the court reporter for the New York Times alerted us all to the political nature of this case of the judges involved. The non-profit behind the case is a libertarian think tank funded by the Koch Brothers.
++I would say that all Americans should be urged to send all their medical bills to the Koch brothers. They have the wealth to pay for them all.
++So on the legal side,I believe this case is a loser. But I am skittish because I do not have any trust in the Supreme Court. Even the plaintiffs lawyers do not believe this is constitutional.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
President Obama Submits AUMF to Congress
++Rachel Maddow has been the only one arguing that the President needs to submit a bill to Congress asking permission for the current war against Congress.
++Now he has done it,the fur begins to fly. President Obama wants to rescind the authorization for the Iraq War and gives himself three years of legal powers to wage war against ISIS with very opaque language about the possible use of ground soldiers.
++Democrats sort of like the ambiguity, which allows them to assert themselves without being committed to another endless war. Republicans pretty much hate it. John McCain wonders why the President want to limit his own powers. John Cornyn however liked it because it showed that President Obama isn't acting unilaterally.
++Senator Graham doesn't think it goes far enough and doesn't provide for protecting the Syrian "moderates" from Bashir Assad's air force.
++The debate over the next few weeks will be about who it is we are fighting and who are our allies. It should get rocky.
++Now he has done it,the fur begins to fly. President Obama wants to rescind the authorization for the Iraq War and gives himself three years of legal powers to wage war against ISIS with very opaque language about the possible use of ground soldiers.
++Democrats sort of like the ambiguity, which allows them to assert themselves without being committed to another endless war. Republicans pretty much hate it. John McCain wonders why the President want to limit his own powers. John Cornyn however liked it because it showed that President Obama isn't acting unilaterally.
++Senator Graham doesn't think it goes far enough and doesn't provide for protecting the Syrian "moderates" from Bashir Assad's air force.
++The debate over the next few weeks will be about who it is we are fighting and who are our allies. It should get rocky.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Fast Forward
++Yesterday on Face The Nation, John McCain blasted the Obama Administration for failing to make headway against ISIS. Senator McCain claimed that ISIS still held Kobani in Syria. Tonight,that is no longer true. The Kurdish troops finally seized the town and ISIS withdrew. The Iraqi forces today announced they had withdrawn from the Diyala Province having pushed ISIS out.
++Josh Marshall wrote more about Bibi's misadventures and openly wrote that he did not know what it meant either here or in Israel. He did say that every wise observer knows not to underestimate Bibi in his political maneuvers. As long as the issue centers around security he gains.
++The Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer said that Bibi had a "sacred right" to address Congress since a nuclear Iran would pose an existential threat to the world's only Jewish country. He did not comment on Israel's nuclear arsenal and how that may be used to defend Israel.
++Bennet Kelley in "the Unbearable Rudeness of Bibi" at the Huffington Post reminds us that Bibi has acted this way with all American Presidents, not just President Obama. It seems so long ago that James Baker refused to meet with then Foreign Minister Netanyahu because he lied so much. Or Bill Clinton twisting his arm to accept the Oslo Accords, only to find Bibi was cheating at the edges. Clinton got so annoyed he had James Carville run Ehud Barack's campaign against Bibi. Or that even under W, the White House told Israel not to go ahead with the settlements but Bibi did anyway. Kelley goes into the sordid history in his piece including the hours Kerry put in stopping the Security Council vote.
++Michael Tomasky in "How will Obamaa punish Netanyahu?" summarizes the flap and zeroes in on another United Nations vote to get even. I doubt it. The White House is trying to paper over the rift for now.
++Josh Marshall wrote more about Bibi's misadventures and openly wrote that he did not know what it meant either here or in Israel. He did say that every wise observer knows not to underestimate Bibi in his political maneuvers. As long as the issue centers around security he gains.
++The Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer said that Bibi had a "sacred right" to address Congress since a nuclear Iran would pose an existential threat to the world's only Jewish country. He did not comment on Israel's nuclear arsenal and how that may be used to defend Israel.
++Bennet Kelley in "the Unbearable Rudeness of Bibi" at the Huffington Post reminds us that Bibi has acted this way with all American Presidents, not just President Obama. It seems so long ago that James Baker refused to meet with then Foreign Minister Netanyahu because he lied so much. Or Bill Clinton twisting his arm to accept the Oslo Accords, only to find Bibi was cheating at the edges. Clinton got so annoyed he had James Carville run Ehud Barack's campaign against Bibi. Or that even under W, the White House told Israel not to go ahead with the settlements but Bibi did anyway. Kelley goes into the sordid history in his piece including the hours Kerry put in stopping the Security Council vote.
++Michael Tomasky in "How will Obamaa punish Netanyahu?" summarizes the flap and zeroes in on another United Nations vote to get even. I doubt it. The White House is trying to paper over the rift for now.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
The Primary Response of the Right to the Torture Report
++Crickets.
++Give credit where credit is due--the Senate Intelligence Staffers who read through millions of pages of e-mails,interviews, and classified documents in closed quarters.
++Dianne Feinstein, one of the most vociferous defenders of the CIA, for her guts to stand up to the CIA and the Obama Administration.
++Also Fox News for broadcasting John McCain's speech on the Senate floor against torture--and he called it that.
++Andrew Sullivan for his insistence on bringing this issue to the light of day. Andrew quit his live-blogging at 5PM. It's still worth reading his analysis and the highlights of the report.
++Far from being a partisan report, the thousands of pages of the Senate Intelligence are a meticulous reproduction of that period in time.
++But Andrew Sullivan reminds us that no one was reprimanded,no one resigned,and no one was fired over this very dark day in our history. John Brennen actually said today that torture produced some valuable intelligence--even though the report went overboard in refuting this case by case.
++Give credit where credit is due--the Senate Intelligence Staffers who read through millions of pages of e-mails,interviews, and classified documents in closed quarters.
++Dianne Feinstein, one of the most vociferous defenders of the CIA, for her guts to stand up to the CIA and the Obama Administration.
++Also Fox News for broadcasting John McCain's speech on the Senate floor against torture--and he called it that.
++Andrew Sullivan for his insistence on bringing this issue to the light of day. Andrew quit his live-blogging at 5PM. It's still worth reading his analysis and the highlights of the report.
++Far from being a partisan report, the thousands of pages of the Senate Intelligence are a meticulous reproduction of that period in time.
++But Andrew Sullivan reminds us that no one was reprimanded,no one resigned,and no one was fired over this very dark day in our history. John Brennen actually said today that torture produced some valuable intelligence--even though the report went overboard in refuting this case by case.
Friday, June 13, 2014
If It's Friday 13th, It's Obama's Fault--#Benghazi!
++John McCain started the morning off blasting President obama and calling for the removal of the entire National Security Council.
++Weirdly enough, Lindsey Graham who had actually sat through the entire classified briefing on Iraq wasn't so sure.
++President Obama said we would not be sending troops to Iraq. Although the idea is ludicrous when you consider we tore everything down or gave it to the Iraqis.
++Ayatollah Sistani through his spokesperson called on all Iraqis to take up arms. His concern is about the Shiite holy sites which he thinks are in danger.
++I received a long analysis from a Sunni sighting eyewitness accounts of how this is a genuine Sunni uprising against Baghdad and how once the army was expelled from different cities it was better.
++Iran sent in their Qods Brigade to fight ISIS. If President Obama comes to the aid of Baghdad, we will be allies with Iran. That actually happened shortly after 9-11.
++Andrew Sullivan at the Daily Dish has done an excellent job of parsing the strange possible alliances the United States might be making if President Obama actually got ensnared in the situation.
++Weirdly enough, Lindsey Graham who had actually sat through the entire classified briefing on Iraq wasn't so sure.
++President Obama said we would not be sending troops to Iraq. Although the idea is ludicrous when you consider we tore everything down or gave it to the Iraqis.
++Ayatollah Sistani through his spokesperson called on all Iraqis to take up arms. His concern is about the Shiite holy sites which he thinks are in danger.
++I received a long analysis from a Sunni sighting eyewitness accounts of how this is a genuine Sunni uprising against Baghdad and how once the army was expelled from different cities it was better.
++Iran sent in their Qods Brigade to fight ISIS. If President Obama comes to the aid of Baghdad, we will be allies with Iran. That actually happened shortly after 9-11.
++Andrew Sullivan at the Daily Dish has done an excellent job of parsing the strange possible alliances the United States might be making if President Obama actually got ensnared in the situation.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Late Afternoon
++Sgt. Bergdahl is en route and will land in Texas tomorrow where it is planned that he will meet his parents.
++The Daily Beast through contacts with the Taliban obtained the texts of the two letters Bergdahl sent home from captivity, one of which pleads for understanding of the circumstances around him leaving his camp.
++Journals sent home to a woman friend reveal that three days before he left the post, he was thinking of "Going Galt".
++Meanwhile planeloads of Americans are leaving Iraq. 3 planes of security contractors have been loaded up as the ISIS is heading toward Baghdad.
++The American embassy has drawn up evacuation planes as mortars are hitting the outskirts of town.
++John McCain and, if course, Jennifer Rubin blame Obama for the collapse of Iraq. Fred Kaplan in Salon says blame it on Prime Minister Malicki.
++The American trained Iraqi army stripped off their uniforms and left their equipment as ISIS overran Mosul and Takrit.
++ISIS now is considered the richest terrorist group as they stole $425 million.
++Kurdish forces took oil-rich Kirkuk.
++There are rumors that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has been fighting on the ground and has taken half Takrit back.
++The Iraqi government has asked the United States for assistance in the form of drone attacks.
++President Obama said that all options are being considered short of troops on the ground.
++The atmosphere is similar to the days that led to the collapse of Saigon.
++Barbara Boxer says that the people who once advocated for the invasion of Iraq have now become the "Blame America First" Crowd.
++The Daily Beast through contacts with the Taliban obtained the texts of the two letters Bergdahl sent home from captivity, one of which pleads for understanding of the circumstances around him leaving his camp.
++Journals sent home to a woman friend reveal that three days before he left the post, he was thinking of "Going Galt".
++Meanwhile planeloads of Americans are leaving Iraq. 3 planes of security contractors have been loaded up as the ISIS is heading toward Baghdad.
++The American embassy has drawn up evacuation planes as mortars are hitting the outskirts of town.
++John McCain and, if course, Jennifer Rubin blame Obama for the collapse of Iraq. Fred Kaplan in Salon says blame it on Prime Minister Malicki.
++The American trained Iraqi army stripped off their uniforms and left their equipment as ISIS overran Mosul and Takrit.
++ISIS now is considered the richest terrorist group as they stole $425 million.
++Kurdish forces took oil-rich Kirkuk.
++There are rumors that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has been fighting on the ground and has taken half Takrit back.
++The Iraqi government has asked the United States for assistance in the form of drone attacks.
++President Obama said that all options are being considered short of troops on the ground.
++The atmosphere is similar to the days that led to the collapse of Saigon.
++Barbara Boxer says that the people who once advocated for the invasion of Iraq have now become the "Blame America First" Crowd.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Detritus
++The New York Times had a long piece on Bergdahl's platoon today. They sound like F-Troop. Or maybe Fox Troop since they have been appearing on television attacking him. Unfortunately,they have "less than honorable discharges".
++Charles Pierce has been shooting fish in a barrel with his coverage of the Bergdahl chronicles. Today, he recalls the great Ernie Pyle's columns from WWII about the complaints of average soldiers and includes excerpts from novelists on Vietnam to suggest Bergdahl's complaints were those of any soldiers at war.
++Young Wallace on Fox News opined whether Bergdahl should be shot. Odd idea since only one American has been executed since WWII.
++Lawyers for the Gitmo detainees get the real game in all this. The deal will make it harder for President Obama to release more of the detainees from Gitmo even though nearly 80 are already cleared for release.
++John McCain has not presented himself well today,first claiming that the Taliban All-Stars were responsible for 9-11 and that any soldier who takes the oath knows they will have to face being shot out or tortured. I have no idea what he was trying to say. I guess "We support our troops but one."
++Even Bowe Burgdahl's religion has gotten analyzed. Huffington Post printed a piece that showed he grew up in a conservative Presbyterian home and went to the Pacific Northwest where he became active in Buddhism. Cool combination.
++John Kerry defended the deal today in a fist-pounding way saying that there were more than the Qataris watching the Taliban released prisoners. Why doesn't the media tell the American people that our whole Middle Eastern command is there.
++Senator Chambliss told Face the Nation that he doubts Bergdahl was tortured. That he would tell the doctors anything--and, of course, they would just believe him.
++This is not going to end well for the GOP. They have been desperate to win back the security mantle from the Democrats and believe Benghazi and Bergdahl will do it for them. With their increasingly strange defense of Gitmo, when even George W. Bush said it should be closed years ago,you really have a sense that these are not serious people. Who would let them near the military at this point.
++Tom Friedman in a rare piece of solid journalism has excerpts from his interview with President Obama on climate change. Worth a read in the New York Times.
++Charles Pierce has been shooting fish in a barrel with his coverage of the Bergdahl chronicles. Today, he recalls the great Ernie Pyle's columns from WWII about the complaints of average soldiers and includes excerpts from novelists on Vietnam to suggest Bergdahl's complaints were those of any soldiers at war.
++Young Wallace on Fox News opined whether Bergdahl should be shot. Odd idea since only one American has been executed since WWII.
++Lawyers for the Gitmo detainees get the real game in all this. The deal will make it harder for President Obama to release more of the detainees from Gitmo even though nearly 80 are already cleared for release.
++John McCain has not presented himself well today,first claiming that the Taliban All-Stars were responsible for 9-11 and that any soldier who takes the oath knows they will have to face being shot out or tortured. I have no idea what he was trying to say. I guess "We support our troops but one."
++Even Bowe Burgdahl's religion has gotten analyzed. Huffington Post printed a piece that showed he grew up in a conservative Presbyterian home and went to the Pacific Northwest where he became active in Buddhism. Cool combination.
++John Kerry defended the deal today in a fist-pounding way saying that there were more than the Qataris watching the Taliban released prisoners. Why doesn't the media tell the American people that our whole Middle Eastern command is there.
++Senator Chambliss told Face the Nation that he doubts Bergdahl was tortured. That he would tell the doctors anything--and, of course, they would just believe him.
++This is not going to end well for the GOP. They have been desperate to win back the security mantle from the Democrats and believe Benghazi and Bergdahl will do it for them. With their increasingly strange defense of Gitmo, when even George W. Bush said it should be closed years ago,you really have a sense that these are not serious people. Who would let them near the military at this point.
++Tom Friedman in a rare piece of solid journalism has excerpts from his interview with President Obama on climate change. Worth a read in the New York Times.
Swimming in the Swamp
++The Chief Prosecutor at Gitmo didn't recognize the names of the Taliban traded because they didn't make the list for prosecution. John McCain , who was for the prisoner release before he was against it,said that he won't have traded for these prisoners because they were involved in 9-11, which they were not.
++Judge Mukasy, the Attorney-General who followed Fredo Gonzalez, said that President Obama broke the notification law and should be impeached. He said that you really don't need a cause to impeach a President.
++Juan Williams said the pundits should just shut up and he described the Republicans who are against the deal as craven the way they changed.
++Senator Levin's office produced a statement that President Obama did inform the Senate on December,201e that he was going to use his power as commander in chief to do a prisoner swap for Sgt.Bergdahl.
++This morning further reports on Sgt.Bergdahl's condition showed he was tortured during captivity. He also has decided not to talk to his family yet.
++Fox News claims Sgt.Bergdahl converted to Islam during captivity. Their own journalists captured in Gaza actually converted to Islam during their captivity.
++Ollie North claims that Obama originally was going to pay $1 million to the Haggani network but upped the ransom to $5million. Ollie was unclear about who paid--whether the Qataris or oil companies.
++On Friday, Rachel Maddow was mean. She showed that John McCain didn't stay in the Bergdahl briefing because "I don't learn much at them".
++Judge Mukasy, the Attorney-General who followed Fredo Gonzalez, said that President Obama broke the notification law and should be impeached. He said that you really don't need a cause to impeach a President.
++Juan Williams said the pundits should just shut up and he described the Republicans who are against the deal as craven the way they changed.
++Senator Levin's office produced a statement that President Obama did inform the Senate on December,201e that he was going to use his power as commander in chief to do a prisoner swap for Sgt.Bergdahl.
++This morning further reports on Sgt.Bergdahl's condition showed he was tortured during captivity. He also has decided not to talk to his family yet.
++Fox News claims Sgt.Bergdahl converted to Islam during captivity. Their own journalists captured in Gaza actually converted to Islam during their captivity.
++Ollie North claims that Obama originally was going to pay $1 million to the Haggani network but upped the ransom to $5million. Ollie was unclear about who paid--whether the Qataris or oil companies.
++On Friday, Rachel Maddow was mean. She showed that John McCain didn't stay in the Bergdahl briefing because "I don't learn much at them".
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
All Aboard the Crazy Train
++Since we can't talk about the EPA's new rules,let's go straight to the controversy over the release of Sgt.Bergdahl.
++Michael Tomasky writes in the Daily Beast that his release is crack for the GOP.
++Even Wonkette gets in on the action. It seems that a former CIA agent Clare Lopez e-mailed former congressman tea bagger West to say that Bergdahl's father said a few lines from the Quran in Arabic at the White House and that act by itself makes the White House a mosque. Allen West wants to file articles of impeachment, even though he accused Obama of leaving Bergdahl behind.
++Paul Waldman laments the GOP's inability to argue their case and try and persuade anyone. Instead,they act like President Obama released Marvel Comics Heros capable for ending life as we know it.
++Jason Chaffetz, who had urged the Administration to obtain Bergdahl's release, says "We gave the Taliban their starting team back".
++John McCain ,who also was for the release of Bergdahl, said that Obama released "the toughest of the tough".
++Lindsey Graham said that Obama released "The Taliban Dream Team."
++Ollie North--yes, Ollie North--worries that Obama gave ransom and funds to a terrorist group.
++Earlier this morning,Republicans who had tweeted their congratulations on Bergdahl's release quickly deleted their messages.
++Talking Points Memo mentions that the last video prior to today's of the release of Bergdahl showed him in a very weakened condition and that this video convinced James Clapper to sign off on the prisoner exchange.
++Intelligence and Pentagon personnel who resisted the exchange were concerned about whether any of the networks the Taliban commanders ran still existed and whether Qatar would take adequate measures to ensure they didn't get back on the battlefield until we left.
++Others pointed out that they had not been charged with any attacks on the US military and had been away for almost 13 years.
++The New York Times this morning discounted the reports by the GOP-inspired military personnel that Bergdahl's flight had led to the deaths of Americans.
++It should be noted that the Taliban is not listed as a terrorist organization by the United States. Technically,those at GITMO were enemy combatants and would have to be released once the United States ceased military operations.
++Michael Tomasky writes in the Daily Beast that his release is crack for the GOP.
++Even Wonkette gets in on the action. It seems that a former CIA agent Clare Lopez e-mailed former congressman tea bagger West to say that Bergdahl's father said a few lines from the Quran in Arabic at the White House and that act by itself makes the White House a mosque. Allen West wants to file articles of impeachment, even though he accused Obama of leaving Bergdahl behind.
++Paul Waldman laments the GOP's inability to argue their case and try and persuade anyone. Instead,they act like President Obama released Marvel Comics Heros capable for ending life as we know it.
++Jason Chaffetz, who had urged the Administration to obtain Bergdahl's release, says "We gave the Taliban their starting team back".
++John McCain ,who also was for the release of Bergdahl, said that Obama released "the toughest of the tough".
++Lindsey Graham said that Obama released "The Taliban Dream Team."
++Ollie North--yes, Ollie North--worries that Obama gave ransom and funds to a terrorist group.
++Earlier this morning,Republicans who had tweeted their congratulations on Bergdahl's release quickly deleted their messages.
++Talking Points Memo mentions that the last video prior to today's of the release of Bergdahl showed him in a very weakened condition and that this video convinced James Clapper to sign off on the prisoner exchange.
++Intelligence and Pentagon personnel who resisted the exchange were concerned about whether any of the networks the Taliban commanders ran still existed and whether Qatar would take adequate measures to ensure they didn't get back on the battlefield until we left.
++Others pointed out that they had not been charged with any attacks on the US military and had been away for almost 13 years.
++The New York Times this morning discounted the reports by the GOP-inspired military personnel that Bergdahl's flight had led to the deaths of Americans.
++It should be noted that the Taliban is not listed as a terrorist organization by the United States. Technically,those at GITMO were enemy combatants and would have to be released once the United States ceased military operations.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
The Imperial Post Sad About Obama's Retreats
++The Washington Post isn't happy with President Obama's plans for Afghanistan. They even commissioned two former ambassadors to write an op-ed to lament the global perception of weakness our withdrawal will cause. The Post laments President Obama ending the war in Iraq,not sending troops to Libya or Syria and now ending the war in Afghanistan.They said he was just doing this so he can be seen in history as ending two wars.
++Just a factual note. The withdrawal plans for Afghanistan have been in development for 8 years. The US military commanders finally believe there is a definitive plan that provides real dates.
++Jennifer Rubin writs today that Hillary Clinton will have to repudiate Obama's foreign policy to show she is tough.
++John McCain said that just because a politician declares a war is over that doesn't mean it is. But you do have to try and end wars.
++The President delivered his West Point address today and spoke about coming to the end of a "long season of war". He went at length to say that military intervention should not be the first option of choice in policy-making. He said because of the cost of war the threshold for using force has to be higher than all the other options. I found it interesting that the three presidents he quoted were FDR, JFK and Eisenhower. Vietnam-era presidents and beyond didn't make the cut.
++The West Point speech was long on specifics, which I will deal with later.
++Just a factual note. The withdrawal plans for Afghanistan have been in development for 8 years. The US military commanders finally believe there is a definitive plan that provides real dates.
++Jennifer Rubin writs today that Hillary Clinton will have to repudiate Obama's foreign policy to show she is tough.
++John McCain said that just because a politician declares a war is over that doesn't mean it is. But you do have to try and end wars.
++The President delivered his West Point address today and spoke about coming to the end of a "long season of war". He went at length to say that military intervention should not be the first option of choice in policy-making. He said because of the cost of war the threshold for using force has to be higher than all the other options. I found it interesting that the three presidents he quoted were FDR, JFK and Eisenhower. Vietnam-era presidents and beyond didn't make the cut.
++The West Point speech was long on specifics, which I will deal with later.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Obamacare Scores and Benghazi Diversions
++The great Brainwrap or Charlie Gaba predicted 8.4 as his final figure for the end of the initial enrollment period. Close and give him a cigar anyway. It was 8.3 million.
++HHS released its figures today just after the GOP released their report on Obamacare, where they claimed only 2/3rds had paid and that government figures were low.
++Health insurance companies warned the House panel that their own figures on payment were way behind. Of course, it's really 90-94%, a far cry from the House figures.
++The 18-24 years doubled in enrollments from 1.1-2.2 million in a month, making them 28% of the demographic.
++The 36 states with exchanges doubled from February to April --2.6 million to 5.4 million.
++In red states like Florida,Georgia,Arkansas and North Carolina,enrollments hit six figures and Democratic candidates are beginning to be aggressive in support of the ACA and medicaid expansion.
++Roughly, 19 million have benefited from the ACA, not including the rest of us with better benefits and a cap on spending.
++But the GOP digressed back to Benghazi and the debate on the new talking points memo unearthed by Judicial Watch. Dave Wiegel and others have analyzed this more closely than others and concluded that the big snafu was that it had not been released sooner to the Hill. Otherwise we are back into a fight over versions of talking points that generated from the C.I.A.
++Let us reason together. Ambassador Stevens twice refuses additional security,interrupts his vacation and flys to Bengazi, is supposed to receive MPADS from the local militia for transport to Turkey or Syria. He gets killed. The CIA head of the time was General Petraeus. The State Department spokeswomen at the time was Victoria Nuland,who was a former aide to Dick Cheney. The Republicans at the time thought this would be a September Surprise so Mitt Romney broke the campaign truce on 9-11 and attacked the President of the United States.
++Now protests surrounded the embassy in Cairo and Sa'na, Yemen at the same time based on outrage at the video made by a Coptic Christian based in L.A. Washington did not have the details on Benghazi yet but the helpful C.I.A. conflated the events together, which now is known to be wrong. So now the new document only adds that the White House NSC officer vetted the final talking points so as not to give the GOP room to criticize the President. Spin. Not unknown to a White House.
++But the real issue was a cover-up of a covert operation that tangentially led to the death of 4 Americans, who had been involved in it. It should be noted that in the days and weeks afterwards no evidence emerged that Al Qaeda committed this attack. That is the working assumption of the GOP investigations. So do we really want to know what Ambassador Stevens was up to?
++Lindsey Graham claims the new document is a smoking gun. Darryl Issa says this shows a criminal act--getting talking points wrong? Or not submitting this document?
++This all comes as the elite media is beginning the war drums again--for what I can't tell. Maureen Dowd in the New York Times,Richard Haas and Leon Weseltier have begun the chorus that Obama's foreign policy is leading the world to chaos and he must lead.
Now the theme is that President Obama is so weakened with so long to go in office. Andrew Sullivan has a take on this today showing how Americans have no stomach for greater intervention abroad and that Obama is trying a balancing act to accommodate the non-interventionist mood of the country and maintain America's global dominance.
++John McCain introduced the Russian Aggression Prevention Act today. The Congressional Republicans are demanding Ukraine be given arms.
++If you want an empire, you must pay for an empire. If you want another war, then you must pay for it.
++HHS released its figures today just after the GOP released their report on Obamacare, where they claimed only 2/3rds had paid and that government figures were low.
++Health insurance companies warned the House panel that their own figures on payment were way behind. Of course, it's really 90-94%, a far cry from the House figures.
++The 18-24 years doubled in enrollments from 1.1-2.2 million in a month, making them 28% of the demographic.
++The 36 states with exchanges doubled from February to April --2.6 million to 5.4 million.
++In red states like Florida,Georgia,Arkansas and North Carolina,enrollments hit six figures and Democratic candidates are beginning to be aggressive in support of the ACA and medicaid expansion.
++Roughly, 19 million have benefited from the ACA, not including the rest of us with better benefits and a cap on spending.
++But the GOP digressed back to Benghazi and the debate on the new talking points memo unearthed by Judicial Watch. Dave Wiegel and others have analyzed this more closely than others and concluded that the big snafu was that it had not been released sooner to the Hill. Otherwise we are back into a fight over versions of talking points that generated from the C.I.A.
++Let us reason together. Ambassador Stevens twice refuses additional security,interrupts his vacation and flys to Bengazi, is supposed to receive MPADS from the local militia for transport to Turkey or Syria. He gets killed. The CIA head of the time was General Petraeus. The State Department spokeswomen at the time was Victoria Nuland,who was a former aide to Dick Cheney. The Republicans at the time thought this would be a September Surprise so Mitt Romney broke the campaign truce on 9-11 and attacked the President of the United States.
++Now protests surrounded the embassy in Cairo and Sa'na, Yemen at the same time based on outrage at the video made by a Coptic Christian based in L.A. Washington did not have the details on Benghazi yet but the helpful C.I.A. conflated the events together, which now is known to be wrong. So now the new document only adds that the White House NSC officer vetted the final talking points so as not to give the GOP room to criticize the President. Spin. Not unknown to a White House.
++But the real issue was a cover-up of a covert operation that tangentially led to the death of 4 Americans, who had been involved in it. It should be noted that in the days and weeks afterwards no evidence emerged that Al Qaeda committed this attack. That is the working assumption of the GOP investigations. So do we really want to know what Ambassador Stevens was up to?
++Lindsey Graham claims the new document is a smoking gun. Darryl Issa says this shows a criminal act--getting talking points wrong? Or not submitting this document?
++This all comes as the elite media is beginning the war drums again--for what I can't tell. Maureen Dowd in the New York Times,Richard Haas and Leon Weseltier have begun the chorus that Obama's foreign policy is leading the world to chaos and he must lead.
Now the theme is that President Obama is so weakened with so long to go in office. Andrew Sullivan has a take on this today showing how Americans have no stomach for greater intervention abroad and that Obama is trying a balancing act to accommodate the non-interventionist mood of the country and maintain America's global dominance.
++John McCain introduced the Russian Aggression Prevention Act today. The Congressional Republicans are demanding Ukraine be given arms.
++If you want an empire, you must pay for an empire. If you want another war, then you must pay for it.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Sunday Misc.
++The article of the Day is by Francis Schaeffer,"The Slow Motion Lynching of President Barack Obama" at www.patheos.com. Frank defends the President from his critics on both the Right and the Left.
++Pope Francis, Time Magazine's Person of the Year, says to his critics he isn't a Marxist but has known many fine Marxists as people.
++Nate Silver sort of agrees with Charlie Cook that the GOP stands a 50-50 chance of getting the Senate. He predicts the GOP will have 50-51 seats after the 2014 election. Harry Reid says this is hogwash. Silver says the cause is the retirement of three Democrats.
++Peter O'Toole is dead at 81.
++Madiba is buried in his hometown of Qunu.
++Paul Ryan says the GOP will be meeting during the Holidays to discuss what they will demand for raising the debt ceiling. But he admits that no one knows when that will be.
++The AP has a story that the "so-called" stand-down order in Benghazi was issued by the CIA station chief and fights broke out among CIA officers in Libya. But no one would say anything could have been done to save the Ambassador's life.
++President Obama is withholding the release of the CIA report on the Bay of Pigs fiasco. He is also trying to prevent the Senate from releasing its 6,000 page report on the use of torture by the United States.
++Walter Jones,(R-N.C.) is asking for the release of the censored portion of the 9/11 Report concerning the Saudi government and diplomats' involvement in assisting the hijackers. The New York Post today printed a summary of the findings.
++The NSA is offering an amnesty if Snowden will tell him everything he stole.
++Danish and Norwegian ships are ready to transport 500tons of Syria's most dangerous chemicals as part of the agreement they dispose of their chemical weapons.
++American officials will be meeting with the Islamist part of the Syrian opposition after they overran the Free Syrian Army and chased General Idriss into exile.
++There are now 23 million Syrian refugees, who may become permanent exiles. Their humanitarian plight has become catastrophic with the winter weather.
++John McCain is in the Ukraine urging peace. He does say that more sanctions against Iran are inevitable.
++Pope Francis, Time Magazine's Person of the Year, says to his critics he isn't a Marxist but has known many fine Marxists as people.
++Nate Silver sort of agrees with Charlie Cook that the GOP stands a 50-50 chance of getting the Senate. He predicts the GOP will have 50-51 seats after the 2014 election. Harry Reid says this is hogwash. Silver says the cause is the retirement of three Democrats.
++Peter O'Toole is dead at 81.
++Madiba is buried in his hometown of Qunu.
++Paul Ryan says the GOP will be meeting during the Holidays to discuss what they will demand for raising the debt ceiling. But he admits that no one knows when that will be.
++The AP has a story that the "so-called" stand-down order in Benghazi was issued by the CIA station chief and fights broke out among CIA officers in Libya. But no one would say anything could have been done to save the Ambassador's life.
++President Obama is withholding the release of the CIA report on the Bay of Pigs fiasco. He is also trying to prevent the Senate from releasing its 6,000 page report on the use of torture by the United States.
++Walter Jones,(R-N.C.) is asking for the release of the censored portion of the 9/11 Report concerning the Saudi government and diplomats' involvement in assisting the hijackers. The New York Post today printed a summary of the findings.
++The NSA is offering an amnesty if Snowden will tell him everything he stole.
++Danish and Norwegian ships are ready to transport 500tons of Syria's most dangerous chemicals as part of the agreement they dispose of their chemical weapons.
++American officials will be meeting with the Islamist part of the Syrian opposition after they overran the Free Syrian Army and chased General Idriss into exile.
++There are now 23 million Syrian refugees, who may become permanent exiles. Their humanitarian plight has become catastrophic with the winter weather.
++John McCain is in the Ukraine urging peace. He does say that more sanctions against Iran are inevitable.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
The Beat Goes On
++The Senate voted 100-0 for cloture so they can debate the House bill. This was after Senator Cruz said such vote was for funding Obamacare. Naturally, he voted along with his colleagues. There is still a far way to go before we are near anything like funding the government for a whopping two months.
++John McCain resented Cruz' analogy of not defunding Obamacare to those who appeased Adolf Hitler.
++The new debt ceiling deadline is October 17. Over 170 House Democrats wrote a letter to President Obama demanding a stand alone vote. After the budget agreement, I would like Obama to raise the debt ceiling by himself and let the courts decide.
++Immigration reform is not dead yet. Rep. Goodlatte from Virginia says he will bring a bill to the House floor this year but without a path to citizenship, even though 11 million undocumented workers could get green cards. Some immigration reform advocates are gaming this idea out to see whether in fact such undocumented workers could then get citizenship. The House is committed not to go into conference with the Senate on their immigration bill. Stay tuned.
++The vitriolic anti-Obamacare e-mails have tapered off today because the news about premiums being offered by the exchanges have stalled the momentum until someone can figure out a new hook. That is why the House going after the individual mandate is crucial for tea baggers so as to inflate the premiums. As it is ,since the Affordable Healthcare Act passed,premiums have only increased at a rate below the inflation--for the first time in 50 years. Kaiser reports that businesses will now save billions on COBRA. Conservatives made much of the delay in the employer mandate, saying it signified the administration's admission of failure. But, the delay only affects 500,000.
++Repeat after me--Social Security has nothing to do with either the deficit or the national debt. You will hear it often until the 2014 elections.
++Also,The SNAP or foodstamp program gives back $1.79 for every $1 in foodstamps. The average period of being on foodstamps is one year. And,despite cries by the Right to make everyone work who receives foodstamps, the vast majority--over 70%--already do.
++Going into the 2014 mid-terms, the GOP appears in disarray without any policy initiatives.
++John McCain resented Cruz' analogy of not defunding Obamacare to those who appeased Adolf Hitler.
++The new debt ceiling deadline is October 17. Over 170 House Democrats wrote a letter to President Obama demanding a stand alone vote. After the budget agreement, I would like Obama to raise the debt ceiling by himself and let the courts decide.
++Immigration reform is not dead yet. Rep. Goodlatte from Virginia says he will bring a bill to the House floor this year but without a path to citizenship, even though 11 million undocumented workers could get green cards. Some immigration reform advocates are gaming this idea out to see whether in fact such undocumented workers could then get citizenship. The House is committed not to go into conference with the Senate on their immigration bill. Stay tuned.
++The vitriolic anti-Obamacare e-mails have tapered off today because the news about premiums being offered by the exchanges have stalled the momentum until someone can figure out a new hook. That is why the House going after the individual mandate is crucial for tea baggers so as to inflate the premiums. As it is ,since the Affordable Healthcare Act passed,premiums have only increased at a rate below the inflation--for the first time in 50 years. Kaiser reports that businesses will now save billions on COBRA. Conservatives made much of the delay in the employer mandate, saying it signified the administration's admission of failure. But, the delay only affects 500,000.
++Repeat after me--Social Security has nothing to do with either the deficit or the national debt. You will hear it often until the 2014 elections.
++Also,The SNAP or foodstamp program gives back $1.79 for every $1 in foodstamps. The average period of being on foodstamps is one year. And,despite cries by the Right to make everyone work who receives foodstamps, the vast majority--over 70%--already do.
++Going into the 2014 mid-terms, the GOP appears in disarray without any policy initiatives.
Monday, July 22, 2013
President Obama Unscripted
On a slow news day, President Obama made a surprise appearance at the White House press room and delivered unscripted remarks about the Trayvon Martin case and why the African-American community has been emotional about it.
Only the day before Eugene Robinson wrote in the Post that the President wasn't the right one to talk about race given the guff he gets every attempt he's made from the Henry Gates incident on has provoked backlash. But sure enough, the man did it and succeeded.
President Obama's remarks about how he knows what it is to be followed in department stores and car locks clicking when he walks by triggered a flood of African-American males on television recalling similar incidents. The refrain was that each African American male has to sit down and tell his son the same things his father taught him about dealing with the police, how to to look threatening, how to be polite.
Two most interesting responses, I thought, were Michael Steele, the former RNC Chairman, talking about being followed by cops in Rock Creek Park, and Jonathan Capehart, Post editorial writer and MSNBC contributor. How this is the sorry war story of African-American males was demonstrated by Eric Holder talking to the NAACP about "The Talk" he had to give his son and the audience just murmuring their agreement.
I found Capehart's story the saddest. Here is a young nerdy black guy with glasses who could not be perceived as threatening in the least. You would have to be a raving racist to think otherwise. He was moving because he was in the White House briefing room when President Obama made his remarks. He said his eyes filled with tears when the President talked about his own personal experience that he himself had shared.
Former presidential candidate John McCain complimented the President on his remarks, calling them "impressive" and picked up on his remarks on the "Stand Your Ground"Laws, which McCain said should be reviewed in all the states,including his own Arizona. While the major media were--by and large--complimentary like FOX News Wallace, others thought it was race-baiting and polarizing. Former George W. Bush press spokeswoman Dana Perino criticized Obama for not talking about black males shooting white babies. Sean Hannity blasted the President, suggesting he identified with Trayvon Martin's drug use.
While some argued it was too late in the African-American communities, there was much relief that the President stood up for the anguish and anxiety the community felt over the not guilty verdict. During the weekend hundreds of cities held marches in solidarity with the Martin family and for justice in the case.And should be said that even after the verdict there was little violence except police riots in L.A. and Oakland.
I found the President's remarks refreshing and his call for a national conversation on the subject appropriate. While this case was especially fraught with racial overtones, the big elephant in the room seems to me the economic and social issues facing all young males in society, white, black and Hispanic. We are commemorating mass shootings in Aurora ,Tucson and Newtown carried out by white males, a Boston bombing carried out by another young male and a shooting in Sanford, Florida by a Hispanic cop wannabe. Homicides caused by guns since Newtown have far eclipsed the deaths in the entire Iraq war. Ladies and gentlemen, we not only have a gun problem but a Young Male Problem.
Only the day before Eugene Robinson wrote in the Post that the President wasn't the right one to talk about race given the guff he gets every attempt he's made from the Henry Gates incident on has provoked backlash. But sure enough, the man did it and succeeded.
President Obama's remarks about how he knows what it is to be followed in department stores and car locks clicking when he walks by triggered a flood of African-American males on television recalling similar incidents. The refrain was that each African American male has to sit down and tell his son the same things his father taught him about dealing with the police, how to to look threatening, how to be polite.
Two most interesting responses, I thought, were Michael Steele, the former RNC Chairman, talking about being followed by cops in Rock Creek Park, and Jonathan Capehart, Post editorial writer and MSNBC contributor. How this is the sorry war story of African-American males was demonstrated by Eric Holder talking to the NAACP about "The Talk" he had to give his son and the audience just murmuring their agreement.
I found Capehart's story the saddest. Here is a young nerdy black guy with glasses who could not be perceived as threatening in the least. You would have to be a raving racist to think otherwise. He was moving because he was in the White House briefing room when President Obama made his remarks. He said his eyes filled with tears when the President talked about his own personal experience that he himself had shared.
Former presidential candidate John McCain complimented the President on his remarks, calling them "impressive" and picked up on his remarks on the "Stand Your Ground"Laws, which McCain said should be reviewed in all the states,including his own Arizona. While the major media were--by and large--complimentary like FOX News Wallace, others thought it was race-baiting and polarizing. Former George W. Bush press spokeswoman Dana Perino criticized Obama for not talking about black males shooting white babies. Sean Hannity blasted the President, suggesting he identified with Trayvon Martin's drug use.
While some argued it was too late in the African-American communities, there was much relief that the President stood up for the anguish and anxiety the community felt over the not guilty verdict. During the weekend hundreds of cities held marches in solidarity with the Martin family and for justice in the case.And should be said that even after the verdict there was little violence except police riots in L.A. and Oakland.
I found the President's remarks refreshing and his call for a national conversation on the subject appropriate. While this case was especially fraught with racial overtones, the big elephant in the room seems to me the economic and social issues facing all young males in society, white, black and Hispanic. We are commemorating mass shootings in Aurora ,Tucson and Newtown carried out by white males, a Boston bombing carried out by another young male and a shooting in Sanford, Florida by a Hispanic cop wannabe. Homicides caused by guns since Newtown have far eclipsed the deaths in the entire Iraq war. Ladies and gentlemen, we not only have a gun problem but a Young Male Problem.
Monday, October 1, 2012
All Polls Are Wrong:Romney Wins Debate
++The morning brought e-mails of articles by the right documenting why the polls were implausible.
++Glenn Beck said that Romney was behind in the polls so that the American people will realize that God placed a Republican in the White House on election day.
++Mitt Romney's campaign declared he has won the first debate as their leaked news release proclaims.
++Meanwhile the Hispanics are having none of it. Decisions Latino shows that President Obama now has passed 70% support and hit 73% with Willard now at 21%.
++Rasmussen has President Obama at 50 against Willard's 47.
++The Washington Post poll as the national race at Obama 49 and Romney 47 but in the swing states it is a whopping Obama 52 and 41 for Romney. Ezra Klein explains this.
++George Washington University and Politico have the same results.
++We Ask America for Michigan --Obama 52 and Romney 40.
++We Ask America on Iowa--Obama 48 and Romney 44.
++PPP on North Carolina--Obama 48 to Romney 48.
++President Obama did hit 10 million small donors. Jim Messina of the Obama campaign told supporters not to worry about any Romney surge because the grassroots organization can handle it and will out hustle Romney in the Get Out the Vote efforts.
++John McCain is going to hit the road again in his patented bus tour. This time John will be touring Florida for Romney. The Romney campaign has pulled its resources from Missouri and placed them in Florida. They believe they have Missouri wrapped up.
++Glenn Beck said that Romney was behind in the polls so that the American people will realize that God placed a Republican in the White House on election day.
++Mitt Romney's campaign declared he has won the first debate as their leaked news release proclaims.
++Meanwhile the Hispanics are having none of it. Decisions Latino shows that President Obama now has passed 70% support and hit 73% with Willard now at 21%.
++Rasmussen has President Obama at 50 against Willard's 47.
++The Washington Post poll as the national race at Obama 49 and Romney 47 but in the swing states it is a whopping Obama 52 and 41 for Romney. Ezra Klein explains this.
++George Washington University and Politico have the same results.
++We Ask America for Michigan --Obama 52 and Romney 40.
++We Ask America on Iowa--Obama 48 and Romney 44.
++PPP on North Carolina--Obama 48 to Romney 48.
++President Obama did hit 10 million small donors. Jim Messina of the Obama campaign told supporters not to worry about any Romney surge because the grassroots organization can handle it and will out hustle Romney in the Get Out the Vote efforts.
++John McCain is going to hit the road again in his patented bus tour. This time John will be touring Florida for Romney. The Romney campaign has pulled its resources from Missouri and placed them in Florida. They believe they have Missouri wrapped up.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Hitting the Ceiling
++The Chamber of Commerce has reaped great benefits in backing the new Republican majority in the House. Former corporate employees have become staff members and virtually gutted regulation on oil and gas, the environment and have tried to gut the new Consumer Protection Agency.
++But it's clear for all the gains in real influence and power that the members they elected are economically illiterate and obtuse to the point where they really could bring down the economy. The Chamber is frantically lobbying the House to pass the Tan Man's plan. Wall Street is now beginning to realize that the prospects for a debt ceiling deal are not good and the stocks are plunging.
++By late afternoon it was reported that Boehner after telling his Caucus get "their ass in line" would get 217 votes for his bill.
++The irony is that bringing to the bill to the floor tomorrow would violate the House's new three day rule to allow floor debate. But since they no longer read the constitutional justification for legislation as they promised, why are we not surprised by the latest breach of etiquette?
++The new version of the bill , as scored by the CBO,has the cuts now totalling $950 billion, still below Boehner's orginal $1.25 trillion. This could prove problematic for the teabaggers who were told to get in line.
++Judson Phillips of the Teabaggers held a rally of ten--not thousands or hundreds--outside the House. Phillips has demanded Boehner resign as speaker.
++House Republicans still have three reservations about the bill. Not enough discretionary spending will be spent. They will have to go through this debate again rather shortly because it is a two-stage process and their constituents are furious and their poll numbers are diving. And, thirdly, the bill omits their Holy Grail--the much vaunted Balanced Budget Amendment,which wouold require a two-thirds vote to raise any taxes.
++John McCain lost it today over the demands by the "teaparty hobbits". McCain said that the demands by conservatives for a Balanced Budget Amendment on a debt ceiling law was "bizarro". This is the reason, McCain said, that the Republican party ends up with a Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell as a Senate candidate. He lectured the new Senators from the teaparty that it is nuts to believe they can have their way with a Democatically controlled Senate and a Democratic President.
++Hey, but that didn't stop John Boehner from appearing on right-wing radio soliciting support because President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid hate his bill. His public pitch is that his bill is a vote against President Obama. It's not for some national interest--heaven forbid.
++Iowa Christianist Steve King claimed that Obama would be impeached if the debt ceiling isn't lifted. Not so fast, legal scholars claim that with the 14th Amendment and the House's responsibility in the Constitution for generating the budget, it would be Speaker Boehner who would face impeachment.
++So far, all Democratic House members and Senators have pledged not to vote for the Boehner Plan.
++The Black Caucus unanimously voted today to vote against anything but a clean debt ceiling bill. They also urged the White House to use the 14th Amendment.
++James Clyburn came out today and urged President Obama to use the 14th Amendment As the third-ranking Democrat, he would signalled to the White House that the Democratic caucus would provide him cover if he did.
++White House spokesman Carney shot the suggestion down today saying the White House didn't want to get into an esoteric legal discussion.
++Alice Rivlin said the whole debt ceiling was a big fraud. Rivlin was the founder of the CBO and later a member of the Clinton Administration.
++Yves Smith, author of Econned, said that the Administration should call everybody's bluff. She said that there were at least three ways to handle the situation. The first was to invoke the 14th Amendment. The Second was for Treasury to selectively default on the nearly $1.5 trillion bonds held by the Federal Reserve as part of the recent Fed stimulus move. The Third was the very artful suggestion that the Mint produce a $1 trillion coin for Treasury and that would then be deposited in the government's acount. She basically said that Geitner has not been imaginative in his approach to this. And that no one could stop the Administration.
++Smith says that Wall Street does have a Plan B in case of default. Hedge Fund managers are ready to scoop up Treasuries because everyone on the Street believes a default would be temporary.
++Smith warned that the new mantra on austerity is dangerous. As consumers are trying to pay down their debt, the government must pick up the slack to allow them to. If not, you have situations like Ireland where austerity programs have caused the economy to shrink by 20%. She coted Latvia and Greece as other examples where industry is de-leveraging now and as a result debt to GDP ratios actually worsen.
++But it's clear for all the gains in real influence and power that the members they elected are economically illiterate and obtuse to the point where they really could bring down the economy. The Chamber is frantically lobbying the House to pass the Tan Man's plan. Wall Street is now beginning to realize that the prospects for a debt ceiling deal are not good and the stocks are plunging.
++By late afternoon it was reported that Boehner after telling his Caucus get "their ass in line" would get 217 votes for his bill.
++The irony is that bringing to the bill to the floor tomorrow would violate the House's new three day rule to allow floor debate. But since they no longer read the constitutional justification for legislation as they promised, why are we not surprised by the latest breach of etiquette?
++The new version of the bill , as scored by the CBO,has the cuts now totalling $950 billion, still below Boehner's orginal $1.25 trillion. This could prove problematic for the teabaggers who were told to get in line.
++Judson Phillips of the Teabaggers held a rally of ten--not thousands or hundreds--outside the House. Phillips has demanded Boehner resign as speaker.
++House Republicans still have three reservations about the bill. Not enough discretionary spending will be spent. They will have to go through this debate again rather shortly because it is a two-stage process and their constituents are furious and their poll numbers are diving. And, thirdly, the bill omits their Holy Grail--the much vaunted Balanced Budget Amendment,which wouold require a two-thirds vote to raise any taxes.
++John McCain lost it today over the demands by the "teaparty hobbits". McCain said that the demands by conservatives for a Balanced Budget Amendment on a debt ceiling law was "bizarro". This is the reason, McCain said, that the Republican party ends up with a Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell as a Senate candidate. He lectured the new Senators from the teaparty that it is nuts to believe they can have their way with a Democatically controlled Senate and a Democratic President.
++Hey, but that didn't stop John Boehner from appearing on right-wing radio soliciting support because President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid hate his bill. His public pitch is that his bill is a vote against President Obama. It's not for some national interest--heaven forbid.
++Iowa Christianist Steve King claimed that Obama would be impeached if the debt ceiling isn't lifted. Not so fast, legal scholars claim that with the 14th Amendment and the House's responsibility in the Constitution for generating the budget, it would be Speaker Boehner who would face impeachment.
++So far, all Democratic House members and Senators have pledged not to vote for the Boehner Plan.
++The Black Caucus unanimously voted today to vote against anything but a clean debt ceiling bill. They also urged the White House to use the 14th Amendment.
++James Clyburn came out today and urged President Obama to use the 14th Amendment As the third-ranking Democrat, he would signalled to the White House that the Democratic caucus would provide him cover if he did.
++White House spokesman Carney shot the suggestion down today saying the White House didn't want to get into an esoteric legal discussion.
++Alice Rivlin said the whole debt ceiling was a big fraud. Rivlin was the founder of the CBO and later a member of the Clinton Administration.
++Yves Smith, author of Econned, said that the Administration should call everybody's bluff. She said that there were at least three ways to handle the situation. The first was to invoke the 14th Amendment. The Second was for Treasury to selectively default on the nearly $1.5 trillion bonds held by the Federal Reserve as part of the recent Fed stimulus move. The Third was the very artful suggestion that the Mint produce a $1 trillion coin for Treasury and that would then be deposited in the government's acount. She basically said that Geitner has not been imaginative in his approach to this. And that no one could stop the Administration.
++Smith says that Wall Street does have a Plan B in case of default. Hedge Fund managers are ready to scoop up Treasuries because everyone on the Street believes a default would be temporary.
++Smith warned that the new mantra on austerity is dangerous. As consumers are trying to pay down their debt, the government must pick up the slack to allow them to. If not, you have situations like Ireland where austerity programs have caused the economy to shrink by 20%. She coted Latvia and Greece as other examples where industry is de-leveraging now and as a result debt to GDP ratios actually worsen.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Real Men Don't Need Trophies
President Obama decided not to release the photos of a dead bin Laden because " we don't need to spike the football."
After getting a 24-hour break from manufactured controversy, we are up again into questions about whether there was resistance by bin Laden,was the whole raid illegal and shouldn't we release the photos to show the world what happens to you if you cross Uncle Sam.
Judge Napolitano on Fox News proclaimed that the killing of bin Laden violated several international treaties and U.S. law. He asked,"Who is Obama going to kill next--Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh?" Beck and Limbaugh are moaning that the Navy Seals killed bin Laden in front of his kids. What will our bloodthirsty President do next? Naturally,Washington has to run around explaining how the hit on bin Laden was legal. Funny, how late in the game people seem to care about legality.
E.J. Dionne writing in today's Washington Post remarks that this event will change the way we look at President Obama from now on. He writes about how his persistence and deliberateness and caution led to making a bold decision. But he does comment that Obama's aide said that "inside there is a very cool, tough, even hard man." Even Chris Matthews in a backhand way praised President Obama as being "cold-blooded".
On the release of the photos, I believe it depends on your age. Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell's former chief of staff, said "This was a professional operation. Let's keep it professional." One argument was that photos would not satisfy the Arab world or the birthers but they could inflame militants in the Middle East. Steve Clemons believes that they should be released to prove bin Laden's dead and the photo that should be released is one of him in a funeral shroud, showing America buried him with Muslim rites.
John Stewart summed up a younger generation's views that the photos should be released. He said that Americans see gorier stuff on all the prime time shows like CSI, the Arabs see the results of our killing Muslims on Al Jezeera and they get to see everyday in person. So what's the problem? Smartass.
Others note that our release of the photos of Saddam Hussein's sons and another Al Qaeda leader in Iraq either were not believed or sparked reprisals against American troops.
I side with Col.Wilkerson. Any release of the photos should actually be used for strategic purposes. It's just fine having Al Qaeda live in limbo wondering whether their leader is alive or dead. After all that's what happened with us. This ambiguity will play to our advantage in the long run. The Arab world has moved on and would just as soon forget the man as they struggle with the issues of how to change their own governments. There has not been a great outcry on the Arab Street about America's actions nor are there demands for proof. Let's leave it alone.
Besides our President is a descended from Wild Bill Hitchcock--Would Wild Bill need trophies?
It's strange to me more people don't pick up on some of the president's more interesting white roots. It seems in this case as well as in the case of the Seals taking out the Somali pirates,this little nugget would be helpful in understanding our President's actions.
I'm afraid the torture freaks had another tough day yesterday. Former military interrogator Matthew Alexander appeared on Democracy Now and explained how torture actually slowed down the hunt for bin Laden. In the long interview, he slipped at one point and mentioned that Al-Libi under torture revealed the name of an Al Qaeda courier that didn't exist and who the intelligence agencies wasted time in trying to track down. Don Rumsfeld's enthusiastic endorsement of waterboarding on the Sean Hannity Show, when he said that KSM produced buckets and buckets of information, was shot down by all the real interrogators. And then John McCain this morning said that waterboarding had nothing to do with catching bin Laden. John noted as I did a couple of days ago that the tortured Al Qaeda people denied knowing the courier.
Col. Wilkerson, whose patience with Rumsfeld and Cheney ran out years ago, said that the reason all these Bush officials have to argue their position is because they are all wanted abroad for war crimes and that they must maintain their original position. As he noted, none of the people you have heard in the last few days extolling torture can fly to Europe. He says they are reduced to travelling to Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Now the President is violating the sacred grounds of Ground Zero today, something that conservatives find offensive. They don't appreciate President Obama committing the sacrilege of violating the High Republican Religious Holiday-9/11. The din will get worse next year at the 10th anniversary.
Of course, the meme today is that President George W. Bush isn't coming with President Obama because he's offended that the President didn't give his people the credit they deserved. Naturally, the sources for this story are " people close to the former President's thinking", all of whom believe they themselves should be credited with the success. In all probability, George W. actually thinks that it really is President Obama's day. He's supposed to join him in September for the 10th anniversary.
There has been discussion on the appopriateness about the spontaneous celebrations of bin Laden's death. I noticed that the vast majority of the celebrants were younger people, people who have had to live with daily reminders of how in Laden fundamentally changed American life. My own son was about six years old when bin Laden issued his declaration of war against America. For this generation, his death is a sign that America might turn around now that its arch-enemy is dead. I can't blame them for celebrating.
Frankly, I don't care whether any one at the compound had weapons, whether bin Laden resisted or not, or where his body is. I'll take the 10 hard-drives,the 5 cellphones and the couple dozen flash-drives. You keep the body.
After getting a 24-hour break from manufactured controversy, we are up again into questions about whether there was resistance by bin Laden,was the whole raid illegal and shouldn't we release the photos to show the world what happens to you if you cross Uncle Sam.
Judge Napolitano on Fox News proclaimed that the killing of bin Laden violated several international treaties and U.S. law. He asked,"Who is Obama going to kill next--Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh?" Beck and Limbaugh are moaning that the Navy Seals killed bin Laden in front of his kids. What will our bloodthirsty President do next? Naturally,Washington has to run around explaining how the hit on bin Laden was legal. Funny, how late in the game people seem to care about legality.
E.J. Dionne writing in today's Washington Post remarks that this event will change the way we look at President Obama from now on. He writes about how his persistence and deliberateness and caution led to making a bold decision. But he does comment that Obama's aide said that "inside there is a very cool, tough, even hard man." Even Chris Matthews in a backhand way praised President Obama as being "cold-blooded".
On the release of the photos, I believe it depends on your age. Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell's former chief of staff, said "This was a professional operation. Let's keep it professional." One argument was that photos would not satisfy the Arab world or the birthers but they could inflame militants in the Middle East. Steve Clemons believes that they should be released to prove bin Laden's dead and the photo that should be released is one of him in a funeral shroud, showing America buried him with Muslim rites.
John Stewart summed up a younger generation's views that the photos should be released. He said that Americans see gorier stuff on all the prime time shows like CSI, the Arabs see the results of our killing Muslims on Al Jezeera and they get to see everyday in person. So what's the problem? Smartass.
Others note that our release of the photos of Saddam Hussein's sons and another Al Qaeda leader in Iraq either were not believed or sparked reprisals against American troops.
I side with Col.Wilkerson. Any release of the photos should actually be used for strategic purposes. It's just fine having Al Qaeda live in limbo wondering whether their leader is alive or dead. After all that's what happened with us. This ambiguity will play to our advantage in the long run. The Arab world has moved on and would just as soon forget the man as they struggle with the issues of how to change their own governments. There has not been a great outcry on the Arab Street about America's actions nor are there demands for proof. Let's leave it alone.
Besides our President is a descended from Wild Bill Hitchcock--Would Wild Bill need trophies?
It's strange to me more people don't pick up on some of the president's more interesting white roots. It seems in this case as well as in the case of the Seals taking out the Somali pirates,this little nugget would be helpful in understanding our President's actions.
I'm afraid the torture freaks had another tough day yesterday. Former military interrogator Matthew Alexander appeared on Democracy Now and explained how torture actually slowed down the hunt for bin Laden. In the long interview, he slipped at one point and mentioned that Al-Libi under torture revealed the name of an Al Qaeda courier that didn't exist and who the intelligence agencies wasted time in trying to track down. Don Rumsfeld's enthusiastic endorsement of waterboarding on the Sean Hannity Show, when he said that KSM produced buckets and buckets of information, was shot down by all the real interrogators. And then John McCain this morning said that waterboarding had nothing to do with catching bin Laden. John noted as I did a couple of days ago that the tortured Al Qaeda people denied knowing the courier.
Col. Wilkerson, whose patience with Rumsfeld and Cheney ran out years ago, said that the reason all these Bush officials have to argue their position is because they are all wanted abroad for war crimes and that they must maintain their original position. As he noted, none of the people you have heard in the last few days extolling torture can fly to Europe. He says they are reduced to travelling to Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Now the President is violating the sacred grounds of Ground Zero today, something that conservatives find offensive. They don't appreciate President Obama committing the sacrilege of violating the High Republican Religious Holiday-9/11. The din will get worse next year at the 10th anniversary.
Of course, the meme today is that President George W. Bush isn't coming with President Obama because he's offended that the President didn't give his people the credit they deserved. Naturally, the sources for this story are " people close to the former President's thinking", all of whom believe they themselves should be credited with the success. In all probability, George W. actually thinks that it really is President Obama's day. He's supposed to join him in September for the 10th anniversary.
There has been discussion on the appopriateness about the spontaneous celebrations of bin Laden's death. I noticed that the vast majority of the celebrants were younger people, people who have had to live with daily reminders of how in Laden fundamentally changed American life. My own son was about six years old when bin Laden issued his declaration of war against America. For this generation, his death is a sign that America might turn around now that its arch-enemy is dead. I can't blame them for celebrating.
Frankly, I don't care whether any one at the compound had weapons, whether bin Laden resisted or not, or where his body is. I'll take the 10 hard-drives,the 5 cellphones and the couple dozen flash-drives. You keep the body.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Goodby DADT
As Hapless Harry said," They say this isn't the right time to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. They're right. It should have been done yesterday."
Expected but still stunning. The vote was 65 to 31 for repeal.
Harry Reid called on the immediate end of discharges, while the whole repeal process will take about a year to implement.
The Administration's actions on this over the last few months have been frustrating and sometimes downright confusing. President Obama said he wanted it repealed legislatively and many of us doubted it could be done with the current political climate in Washington. He was right and he should be congratulated for a major triumph of civil rights.
First, it was the blacks they wanted to exclude from the armed forces, then women, then gays. Strike 3, you're out.
And before the vote, Harry Reid tweeted Lady Gaga that DADT was about to become history. Now that's a pair.
Despite taking a hammering from the gay and lesbian community, President Obama deserves credit for his advancing gay and lesbian rights in the last two years. First, it was the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Bill, second, it was hiring more gays, lesbians and transgender people than any other administration, third,assuring partners' rights in healthcare for government employees and later in the healthreform act, and now fourth,the repeal of DADT, one of his campaign promises. He is also the only sitting President ever to address the Human Rights Committee about concerns of gays and lesbians.
Same-sex marriage is the only thing left and that's up to the courts. Gays have won against DOMA and in several states won the right of same-sex marriage, and will probably win on Prop 8 later this month or the next.
But like the civil rights gains for African-Americans,we will again face an enormous backlash. Already,the Christian Right organized to defeat the Iowa Supreme Court judges who ruled for same-sex marriage and now want to replace the rest. The Family Research Council will be fund-raising like crazy among its prayer groups to attack sitting congresspeople who voted for the repeal. And as we've seen in the last week, born-again Christian military personnel are claiming they will leave the service since they are not allowed to proselytize among their colleagues, while gays can be open about their lifestyle. Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association only yesterday went on a tirade of how homosexuals are pedophiles. The angst among the Christian Rights is palpable and will be one of their organizing principles for 2012.
Beaten, John McCain sounded the clarion cry for the reactionaries--calling it a part of the "liberal agenda" developed by people who never served in the military. Is that like the Iraq War being organized by people who never fought in a war? Let's not forget for a moment that gay and lesbian servicemembers lobbied hard for this legislation and know what price they have paid for their silence. To them, we save bravo for a victory well deserved.
Expected but still stunning. The vote was 65 to 31 for repeal.
Harry Reid called on the immediate end of discharges, while the whole repeal process will take about a year to implement.
The Administration's actions on this over the last few months have been frustrating and sometimes downright confusing. President Obama said he wanted it repealed legislatively and many of us doubted it could be done with the current political climate in Washington. He was right and he should be congratulated for a major triumph of civil rights.
First, it was the blacks they wanted to exclude from the armed forces, then women, then gays. Strike 3, you're out.
And before the vote, Harry Reid tweeted Lady Gaga that DADT was about to become history. Now that's a pair.
Despite taking a hammering from the gay and lesbian community, President Obama deserves credit for his advancing gay and lesbian rights in the last two years. First, it was the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Bill, second, it was hiring more gays, lesbians and transgender people than any other administration, third,assuring partners' rights in healthcare for government employees and later in the healthreform act, and now fourth,the repeal of DADT, one of his campaign promises. He is also the only sitting President ever to address the Human Rights Committee about concerns of gays and lesbians.
Same-sex marriage is the only thing left and that's up to the courts. Gays have won against DOMA and in several states won the right of same-sex marriage, and will probably win on Prop 8 later this month or the next.
But like the civil rights gains for African-Americans,we will again face an enormous backlash. Already,the Christian Right organized to defeat the Iowa Supreme Court judges who ruled for same-sex marriage and now want to replace the rest. The Family Research Council will be fund-raising like crazy among its prayer groups to attack sitting congresspeople who voted for the repeal. And as we've seen in the last week, born-again Christian military personnel are claiming they will leave the service since they are not allowed to proselytize among their colleagues, while gays can be open about their lifestyle. Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association only yesterday went on a tirade of how homosexuals are pedophiles. The angst among the Christian Rights is palpable and will be one of their organizing principles for 2012.
Beaten, John McCain sounded the clarion cry for the reactionaries--calling it a part of the "liberal agenda" developed by people who never served in the military. Is that like the Iraq War being organized by people who never fought in a war? Let's not forget for a moment that gay and lesbian servicemembers lobbied hard for this legislation and know what price they have paid for their silence. To them, we save bravo for a victory well deserved.
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