Strange story, strange picture...

When asked what the men discussed and why it wasn't on the schedule, the White House released a statement saying, “The three men enjoyed a personal visit in the Oval Office – as they have done on previous occasions when President Bush is Washington.”

The strangeness isn't the fact a president would want to sit down with an ex-president and his ex-governor son, or that the press wasn't told about it (nor have they apparently been told about all such previous visits). The strangeness is that for some reason they have chosen now to release this information. 

President Bush 41 has always been a great fan of maintaining the presidential fraternity in an effort to bring national unity, but it's a bit hard to imagine why they would want this released a few days ahead of the Florida primary.   How does this help Romney?  Unless the Bushes were ambushed.   

Debate Debate

A bit more fun to watch when the audience is participating.  Note to NBC and Brian Williams--take note. Wolf Blitzten usually does a pretty good job moderating these things and doesn't try to make himself the focal point.  Usually.  No big surprises tonight, although it was clear CNN wanted the sparring not the substance. 

Quick take--Romney won.  He was focused and determined in his replies and shot down some of Gingrich's main attacks.  Santorum kept his head above water with formidable answers to almost every question, although he still suffers from "I, me, my" disease a bit.  Part of that is due to something beyond his control--he doesn't look presidential.  But he certainly succeeded in ruffling Romney over the health care thing.  And that keeps him in play.

The enigma continues to be Paul.  He is essentially running against all three opponents and the GOP at large, not Barack Obama.  Does he ever bash Obama?   And does he ever have to explain exactly what he'd cut with his first year trillion dollar budget decrease?  No, the alphabet media appears to have no incentive to grill him in that area, since his main usefulness appears to be acting as the token Democrat on the panel based on his foreign policy.  His basic answer to any question includes the gold standard, making friends with rogue nations through trade and ending the Fed, but it's his answers about ending the wars that really trips their trigger and turns on their Bush-bashing woody.  They know he can't win and could cut him down to a nub if they so desired.

Anyway, Mitt has some Mo going into Saturday.  If he wins Florida in a landslide it may be over.  Maybe for the GOP this fall as well.  Hard to imagine him withstanding the Obama incoming fire with moderators and commentators helping O at every turn.  That's what drew voters to Newt--they figured he'd been through the wars and could take the flak.  Nevertheless it's encouraging to see a bolder, brasher, and generally less smarmy version of Debate Mitt rather than the Bob Dole version. A little fire in that belly might finally get him more than 25 percent. 

Again, Did we Win?

Did you catch this line from Obama's speech?

For the first time in two decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country. Most of Al Qaida’s top lieutenants have been defeated. The Taliban’s momentum has been broken. And some troops in Afghanistan have begun to come home.

What does "most of al Qaeda's top lieutenants have been defeated" actually mean?  When someone is defeated it usually means they've been beaten or have surrendered.   Did we miss something?

Oddly, this same kind of statement was recently made by the president's 'brain' Valerie Jarrett while speaking on MLK day at Ebenezer Baptist.  She said we can all "rest easy".  Is it just their way of capitalizing on the UBL raid or are they trying to say we've literally won the war on terror?

Saying top kingpins are "defeated" suggests just that--we won.  But again, at last check bin Laden's very dangerous sidekick (it's doubtful he'd want to be called a lieutenant) was still out there in parts unknown, topping the Rewards for Justice hit parade with a hefty bounty.  Not only him, but the following individuals are still unaccounted for: Mullah Omar, Saif al Adel(number two), Abderraouf Jdey, Adnan Shrukrijumah (Jafar the pilot), Abu Du’a (leader of AQ in Iraq, who launched attacks to revenge UBL's death), and Yasin al Suri (operating from Iran to facilitate AQ recruits to the battlefields).

Speaking of Iran, the US Government has recently implied that Iran has been and continues working directly with the enemy that attacked us on 9/11, an enemy Obama promised to vanquish during his campaign.  Nobody seems comfortable asking him what he'll do about AQ working with Iran but nobody wants another war.  That doesn't mean the war is over and we've won.  Yet he seems to be saying just that.  Troops are coming home.

There appear to be two possibilities here. One, we've captured several HVTs since the bin Laden raid and are holding them secretly, and Obama plans to spring them to the public in the coming months to boost his campaign.  Or two, he's just saying this stuff to make it seem like the threat is over in order to justify bringing home troops to free up money to help 'nation build' in America, which is part of his reelection strategy.

Based on the US government's own current information about the state of terrorists/terrorism those two choices would seem to be the only ones. Both are bad, but number one is far preferable than number two, which would be grossly irresponsible and dangerous to boot.  From a political standpoint, just look what happened after Bush stood under the 'mission accomplished' sign.  It's a tad bit surprising nobody is pointing this out.

MORE  1/26/12

Maybe people did notice...

Asked by CBS news anchor Scott Pelley if al Qaeda had been defeated, Panetta -- who as CIA director presided over the operations that led to the death of bin Laden last May -- said the terror group was still a threat. "They're still a real threat," Panetta said. "There's still Al Qaeda out there. And we've gotta continue to put pressure on them wherever they're at."

Maybe Pelley will ask whether Obama believes this or not.

State of the Union

Doing a little live blogging, so I can remember this.

"the Tollybon is broken"   Are they?  I thought we were negotiating with Mullah Omar.  BTW, where is Mullah Baradar, the number two guy?

And did the GOP just boo or make strange noises when Obama delivered his signature line about fairness?  Something sounded weird.

And OK, Obama just predicted that the business cycle won't ever bottom out again.  That's called communism.  Then he said he would fight the policies that "brought on the economic crisis in the first place".  Wow, that means he'll be against artificially propping up the housing market with Government-backed entities (that turn out to be political Christmas presents and havens for lobbyists). 

GM--back on top as the world's number one automaker.  Because they could finally get rid of onerous union contracts!

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BTW, that sincere inflection Obama uses in these speeches is grating.   It probably polls well, though.

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He wants to change the tax code to punish companies like GE who move jobs to Chiner. 

Addition- GE --  PAY YOUR FAIR SHARE, IMMELT!!!
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Obama wants special financing for moving plants into areas that have seen lost businesses move out.  Maybe Solyndra should have relocated to Chicago.

He will 'go anywhere' to open new markets.  Romney says he has created zero new markets.

Wow, now he's mentioning that Dotcom dude and piracy.  And even China.   Creating some kind of new special unit or something to investigate Chinese hackers?  Is that what he said?  Well, Patrick Fitzgerald is free.

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BTW, the state of the union is getting stronger!   Despite the Republicans.

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Obama, asking for more money for community colleges.  So far he's yet to talk about the debt.  As for turning the unemployment system into a 'reemployment system', he'll hack every Republican with him on that one.

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He's now asking for even more money, this time for teachers.  Getting the picture? Chicken in every pot.  He'll get to the debt when he gets to the 'tax the Richie Romneys' part of the speech.   It's their fault, ya know.  Meanwhile, he wants to make it a requirement for "ALL STATES to REQUIRE that every student remain in high school until they graduate or turn 18".  Isn't that what truant officers were for?  

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Now Obama is asking for more money for students through various programs and aid.   Wait--he said we would "run out of money" as opposed to saying we've already run out.  Ron Paul must be cackling.   Now he's threatening colleges to lower their tuition fees or else lose federal dollars.  Sure.

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Obama has stopped Juan at the border like no other prez-- comprehensive immigration reform--right now!  But don't punish the Juans brought here illegally by their parents, they should be rewarded.

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Women.   Or Woymn.  They should be equal.

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Expand tax relief to small businesses who are 'raising wages'.   What?

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Science.  Republicans hate it, those fools.  Don't gut these university grants and gifts.  Wait, didn't he just threaten the universities?

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Now comes the domestic oil part of the program, not featuring the Canadian pipeline.  Because after all, we need more ugly wind farms off the coast of Massachusetts.    And gas, natural gas.  Just don't pipe it anywhere.  Put it on BNSF freight trains brought to you by Berkshire Hathaway!

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Wow, Obama is mentioning a wind turbine factory.   Now he's mentioning S o l y n d r a without mentioning it, saying he won't give up on these failures..   Still nothing about the massive debt crippling "Brian's" kids.  Yeah, now he's insinuating that the government is subsidizing oil companies so they should subsidize Solyndras.

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Global warming time.   BTW, did y'all know there is still snow on Mt. Kilamanjaro?  Just updating everyone.  Obama just said he was mandating something, missed it.  Sorry.

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Asking for more money.  Now it's for infrastructure.  He's listing accomplishments again.. but didn't mention the 'intercontinental railroad'.  Ooh, good line on "nation building here at home".  But he finally mentioned debt--take half the savings from losing the wars and put half on debt payments and the other half on spending, which seems like a wash.

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Don't forget the evil bankers.  They have a deficit of trust.  They've always had a deficit of trust--they have all the money.

Housing market-- 'smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behavior'.  Good grief.  He's trying to regulate stupidity, common sense and business.   That's in addition to eliminating any possible down trend in the business cycle.  The only way to do such things is via a command economy.

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Blasting oil companies again.

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This speech is the mother of all smothering pie-in-the-sky government programs.

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Blasting bankers again.   Mentioning his non-recess recess appointment of Cordray.  Face, I guess. 

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Holder--  create another special unit to go after those who created the financial crisis.  Wow-- Holder may have to investigate Obama taking money from Fannie and Freddie.   Er, well, also Newt.  And of course Romney has stock in those companies.   Good luck with that.

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Obama demands the payroll tax cut should be passed without delay after nixing the pipeline.  The guy has balls, I'll give him that.

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Warren Buffet's secretary time!   Wonder how much she makes a year?  Anyway, he's talking about paying down debt, finally, and will of course couch it around punishing Warren Buffet and Mitt Romney, and himself, because they don't pay their 'fair share'.  Of course nobody mentions the fact that over 40 percent of workers pay zero tax, which is apparently 'fair'.  Paying no tax is the new fair.

This ain't class warfare, bub.  It's fairness.  Fairness!  Got it?   And he's the only one standing between those unpatriotic sapsuckers and the pitchforks.   And that's how the deficit gets reduced.  And the only way.

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Wow!  He uttered a universal truth!  "Nothing will get done this year".   Now he's blaming the downgrade on the Republicans.  And zap-- he just zapped ALL OF THEM with a proposal for a bill banning insider trading in Congress.  That was good, folks.

Now, like all liberals he's using the old ploy-- 'we all are part of the partisan problem, so let's fix it right now (when it benefits me)'.

Reverend Obama time.  Too much division (Republicans).  Barack ain't no partisan, Barack wants common sense solutions (mine).   We all sin (you GOPers want earmarks, too).  We can make progress with or without the Congress.  Wait, what?

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Ending the Iraq war has allowed us to defeat more enemies and win the war in Afghanistan.  We are winning and the troops are coming home.  Somehow they will never host another terrorist training ground, though, somehow, even after we're gone.  The Arab Spring is going well (despite Islamists taking over in Egypt and chaos in Libya and Syria, with AQ taking over towns in Yemen).  Well I agree we have to stand with those seeking freedom, especially within the swamps, but we must also be practical when those reforms threaten US national security.

And Iran-- listen up-- no options are off the table (even though we are secretly negotiating).  Our alliances are stronger than Bush, and we have never been closer to Israel than we are now, or something.

This is long, by the way.

But yeah, America is back.  We are back dammit, and if someone says otherwise they are stupid.  Because of me!  Yes, we're back because of me!  I did it.  And as long as I'm president it will stay that way.  But if you elect one of those GOP trolls there's no guarantee.   

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Kudos to the military.  Indeed.   There's a parade for returning Iraqi vets in St. Louis on January 28.  Did you know that? 

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Now Obama is making an analogy between combat troops going into battle, looking out for each other to survive, and the how government should function, diverting into the UBL kill raid.  Nice way to promote socialism, dude.   No, this nation is great because WE ARE ALLOWED TO PURSUE HAPPINESS AS FREE PEOPLE.  

That's enough. 

Just a minute now...

Various news outlets are reporting on the charges against former CIA employee John Kiriakou for leaking to the press and lying to the CIA about his endeavors involving terrorist Abu Zubaydah and the enhanced interrogation issue. He could go to jail for 30 years.  The Obama administration is setting records for charging people with leaking. 

So what's going on here?  Why is F. Patrick Fitzgerald of Libby/Plame fame suddenly back in the news?  Or is this a bona fide leak investigation?

For history go back to ABC News, who had the Kiriakau exclusive in 2007 where he claimed waterboarding was a necessary evil that worked great.  They even hired him as an analyst for awhile.  Not surprisingly ABC doesn't seem giddy about the airing of this laundry but they've been doing some shuffling since April 2009:

Kiriakou now says he too was stunned to learn how often Zubaydah was waterboarded, in what Kiriakou says was clearly torture.

That walk-back was included in another exclusive outing two CIA contractors who allegedly designed the waterboarding program.  Not clear whether one of those 'sources' was Kiriakou.  Ironically the 2009 feature was only a day after Obama first called Bush a torturer.  Weeks earlier he had given immunity to CIA employees involved who followed DoJ orders after the threat of prosecution, while also releasing memos detailing the enhanced procedures to the angst of Dick Cheney.  Holder held on to the investigation through mid 2011 before finally dropping it. 

Meanwhile about a month before the ABC 2009 story aired Kiriakou began working as a staffer with the Senate Foreign Relations Investigation Committee run by Democrat John Kerry.  The CIA's criminal referral was triggered by one of the unnamed journalists allegedly feeding the names of CIA employees involved in the waterboarding to ACLU lawyers working to free the Gitmo terrorists.  That particular flim-flam is receiving very little scorn in the media at the moment.   

And who can believe it--the Obama Justice folks actually had the temerity to investigate those ACLU lawyers for passing the clandestinely received information.  No worries though, we can all rest easier knowing they were cleared of any wrongdoing in passing this information to the various enemy scumballs who would just as soon kill them as the rest of us if they ever get the chance.  Focus is on the leaker.

And Kiriakou does seem like a bad guy here, discounting other interpretations. For instance, maybe the Obama gang is doing this to calm the Glenn Greenwald crowd since Kiriakou was initially billed as a defender of waterboarding.  And how about John Friggin Kerry or other Senators on the committee?  Will they be interviewed?  Surely they will say they can't comment, which will be enough for our watchdog press.

At any rate, Holder just announced he would be heralding the grand accomplishments of the Global Contingency Operation over the next few weeks, including rationale for one-offing Awlaki and Awlaki, Jr.  While some are saying bring it on (and it sounds fun) with these guys it's hard to tell what might be up their sleeves. 

Enthusiasm Teetering

Can any of these clowns beat Obama?   Not to precisely agree with Andrew Sullivan, but it's starting to look like the GOP has decided to save it's best for 2016.  Newt Gingrich may be able to handle a debate with the One but can he croon like Al Green?  Can he dance on Ellen's show?  Can he hobnob with the cool crowd of Hollywood, who often shape popular culture and influence the great unwashed moderate vote?  Can he escape his past or his divisive rhetoric?

Or Romney, the John Kerry of the GOP?   Or Santorum, who still has that boy next door that delivers your paper look and doesn't believe in contraception?   Or Ron Paul, who many view as a crazy uncle?   Take it as defeatism or whatever, but the enthusiasm for any of these people remains thin.  The eventual nominee will need enough pizzazz to get the voters out despite Hollywood, the elite media, and the billion-dollar Obama attack machine (aimed at moderates and soccer moms) telling everyone how great things have been for the last four years while pointing the horrible un-coolness of the Republican candidate.

Granted, unforeseen events could change the picture. Or maybe, as in 2008, it will come down to the VP nominee to arouse the enthusiasm again.  Let's see, Herman Cain was in South Caroline this past week doing a show with..... Stephen Colbert.   The bloggers say hmmm. But still..

So with that it's time for a musical selection.  Obama was channeling Green, maybe Romney could get up there and do his best with this..


BTW, don't miss the awesome guitar solo at 1:27! Romney could air guitar it, maybe.
 
MORE 1/21/12 Missed this the other day. Newt has already addressed the popularity issue and admitted the obvious, pointing out the obvious in the process. The question for Newt is whether he can effectively make this case amidst a blizzard of incoming fire while defending his past.

Meanwhile, at GITMO

A pre-trial hearing in the al-Nashiri tribunal (suspected USS Cole bomber) occurred yesterday..

According to the defense motion, the Gitmo authorities have determined that only communications from counsel bearing their signature are legal mail. Any attachments (such as discovery, court opinions, expert witness CV's, news articles) attached to the letters are not and must go through a screening process which significantly delays the detainee's receipt of the material. As the defense points out, historically all mail coming from counsel is legal mail which can be opened only in the presence of the inmate and checked for contraband and to ensure it really is from counsel. No further inspection is allowed:

So it appears the defense wants to allow all kinds of stuff to be included in the prisoners' mail as long its deemed "legal mail". Meanwhile, Jihad Watch reports..

"U.S.: Al Qaeda magazine got into Guantanamo cell," by Richard Lardner for the Associated Press

Well, hopefully it was the special edition of "Inspire" that reported on the death of al-Awlaki. But hey, who knew the tribunals were underway down there at closed GITMO? Al-Nashiri's trial has begun, and five others will soon follow (supposedly) including that of KSM.  Maybe Obama's plan is to execute those dudes thereby eliminating all vestiges of the legacy AQ before the election.  Such trials could make it easier to focus on UBL while allowing pot shots at RomneyNewt through Bush, especially if the trials break down into legal quicksand due to torture. But there are also good reasons to delay them again, so we'll see.