Showing posts with label Al Qaida. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Al Qaida. Show all posts

Obam's Razor: "What's the Most RADICAL Explanation for Recent US Action in Libya?"

WWII Germany's Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop was widely despised in diplomatic circles as well as by many leading Nazis of the day. Most considered him a vain, ill-mannered, unintelligent opportunist: Benito Mussolini's FM Count Ciano quipped "You only have to look at the shape of his head to see that he has a small brain."

Yet the charmless dullard was a favorite of Hitler's... and for one simple reason: the Fuhrer always looked well upon those who proposed the most radical solution to a given problem, even if not adopted as policy: Ribbentrop deduced this early-on, and exploited it to the fullest. Seems the boss had major transformations to bring about, and with some sense of urgency...

Today in 2011 America, political observers struggle mightily to get a grip on the fuzzy logic and towering hypocrisy in Obama purporting he was compelled to attack government assets in Libya -even if producing a stalemate insufficient to remove Gaddafi from power- in order to spare civilian lives and "Mosques"... yeah, he said that.

Moving to protect the lives of Egyptians, Kurds, Iranians, Yemenis, Syrians, Bahrainis, or any oppressed Christians and their burning churches throughout the perpetually-barbaric Middle East is different, somehow... if you're left standing there scritching yer cranium, you're surely not the only one.

But much as Occams' Razor instructs us to follow the most simple/obvious explanation to any mystery -that which assumes the least, positive or negative- let us apply Obam's Razor -'what's the most radical explanation'- to bring forth some needed  answers regarding recent US bombing of Libyan government forces. 

As for minimizing "assumptions", no worries: after watching this power-drunk regime shred American society for two years straight now, anybody with a pulse and at least one functioning eye and/or ear can tell you that extending Team Obama the benefit of the doubt is assuming way, way too much- odds far better on the dark side.

For example, what's the most sinister Leftist rationale imaginable for the Dems' insane 2008-2009 federal spending orgy? Seems only the most radical squares with reality: a stealth Cloward-Piven strategy. Sadly, much like 1940's Germany, America now finds itself saddled with our own racially-obsessed, narcissistic megalomaniac... and he's trying to ram-through sweeping changes in a real big rush, too.

Monday I found myself in rare agreement with Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky) on matters of foreign policy when he said "we don't know who these people are" in Benghazi.

But does Obama? If he does, is he quietly supporting Islamist forces while he schmoozes political donors and scarfs still more lobster in Manhattan?

And are war supporters Bill Kristol and John Kerry really this naive...?

The Spectator (UK)

The unsettling truth is that the rebel leadership is dubious at best- and with this habitually dishonest White House now admitting they've detected "flickers" of an Al Qaeda presence in Libya... what's the reality?  

What if Gaddafi is right when he asserts AQ has had a significant hand in the uprising?  The head of NATO seems to think so- maybe it's a good thing the Devil-We-Know is still chasing them off the battlefield until we find out just what -and who- we're bargaining for here.

IMHO, it is possible if not probable that AQ are there, and it's hard to imagine US intelligence -and thus the President- not knowing it: Al Qaeda publicly endorsed the rebels, and reportedly already made off with a jackpot of Libyan surface-to-air missiles in the opening days of the uprising (but that's cool, now that we're on the same side and all...)

Is Obama aiding and abetting a stealth 
Islamist agenda in the Middle East? 

Just look at how it's going down- and you tell me:

-Filanofiles


"Mosques destroyed," the president said, supported his argument for air strikes. Churches are being destroyed daily in the Muslim world, but the U.S. does not intervene...

As a senator, Barack Obama had no interest in preventing Saddam Hussein from filling mass graves. He vocally opposed our going into Iraq. That was then...

It is surely laudable for the U.S. to stand against massacres. Now, however, it seems that the leader of the Libyan rebels is one who fought against the U.S. in Afghanistan. Abdel-Hakim al-Hasidi was taken prisoner in Pakistan. He also recruited two dozen jihadis to fight the Americans in Iraq...

Should we be supporting people who have Americans' blood on their hands? Intelligence estimates tell us that nearly one in five of the jihadis we fought against in Iraq came from Libya.

President Obama's speech to the nation raised as many questions as it answered. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs were not consulted, but the Arab League was. 

So was the UN. This is the same UN that applauded Gaddafi's wild rants in New York just last fall. It is the same body that elected Libya to its Human Rights Council....

It was surely shocking to millions of Americans when Barack Obama bowed to Saudi King Abdullah. 

Even more shocking, however, was Mr. Obama's selection of Egypt's Al Azhar Mosque as the venue for his 2009 speech to what he called "the Muslim world." The Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, says Dr. Zuhdi Jassser, a moderate American Muslim, "has served as a platform for 'Islamism' around the world, hatching the Muslim Brotherhood in the early 20th century."

So now we have a U.S. intervention in Libya that can only benefit rebels with known ties to jihadists and whose leaders have killed Americans. This all comes from an administration that refuses even to mention radical Islam as a possible threat to our nation...



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Countdown to 49%

The emotionally-driven, mindless euphoria of Obamamania is finally grinding to a halt, as reality increasingly intervenes.  The strange part of this development is the incredible wasted opportunity- Obama enjoyed such astronomical approval ratings before he'd even lifted a finger, all he had to do was set obvious priorities and bring in competent experts to focus on the task-at-hand... while doing his level best to fulfill some campaign promises.   With the pressing issue of the day being the worldwide financial crisis, the expectation of just such a sensible approach from an Obama administration was precisely what moderates and Obamacons retorted with when queried by the less-smitten  "how can you vote for this guy?".   In-addition to the unquestioning support Obama received from so many, they were also extraordinarily patient with him- and cut him and awful lot of slack.  All understood the depths of the crisis... and just wanted him to bring in a qualified crew to confront it effectively.  

Instead,  this volatile exigency has been manipulated to install the life-long dream of Obama and his wacked-out Marxist-professor mentors- a socialist America. Besides the reckless political brinkmanship of exploiting these circumstances to enact an agenda few actually want, Team Obama has also been inherently dishonest- and even anti-democratic. Obama employed a fear-mongering offensive to frighten the country into huge spending programs, with nonstop -and nonsensical- comparisons to the Great Depression, when unemployment was actually more than triple the rate of today... with the resultant damage to consumer confidence. 

The Democrats snuck-in the seeds of socialized medicine and unilateral detente with Cuba, as well as packing the "stimulus" and omnibus spending bills with an extra-helping of pork for all at the table.  The record-setting appropriations and controversial policy changes were whisked-through committees sans debate- bypassing most standard procedures. Although the President promised repeatedly to put the $800B "stimulus" bill online prior to the vote,  inexpicably this did not occur- and even the legislators themselves had less than 24 hours to read the 1000+ page legislation.  The Democrats and Obama  put into law a $400B omnibus spending bill that contained over 8000 earmarks... in yet another chucking of a major Obama campaign pledge. Americans are starting to smell a scam here... and they don't like it.

Republicans who spoke-up against these abominations were met with "I won" from the hubristic Obama- regardless of promises of bringing a  new post-partisan era to Washington (perhaps what he meant by "post-partisan" was that the GOP would be neutralized, rather than collaborated with).  Although some inferred that the Republicans were acting in unison for political purposes, polls in fact showed that the stand was unpopular- so where was this supposed political ploy?  The reality is that the GOP caucus acted bravely, and in good-faith against an ill-advised spending spree that we simply can't afford... but were promptly rebuffed on most any revision. Obama accused them of offering "no alternatives", while ignoring and rejecting the GOP suggestions he know full well existed. When serial-isle-crosser John McCain turns against Obama's plans and methods in the first month... what does that say?  

And while doing their duty as the loyal opposition, they were not just stiff-armed, but even attacked by the White House in a propaganda campaign, framed as the "Party of No".  Anyone else voicing opposition, such as Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, Jim Cramer, et. al. were accosted harshly by Team Obama and their left-wing media allies... with the DNC even running television ads against Limbaugh. This country has never seen such a disengenuous and totalitarian mindset from a president.

And the serial-opportunist Obama is habitually dishonest and misleading, with almost every word that comes out of his mouth calculated towards his (semi) hidden agenda. When asked (finally) by a NY Times reporter "are you a socialist?" in a recent interview aboard Air Force One, Obama expressed  feigned surprise... like this was a ludicrous question.  Obama even called the reporter back later from his helicopter to ask him if he was "joking".  Instead of addressing such logical concerns regarding the variance between his actions and how he had campaigned, he put on an act like asking such a question was completely absurd- he simply didn't want this word appearing in the press, and for obvious reasons. But this sort of dishonesty has a tendency to catch-up with a president over time.  

One of Obama's best cabinet choices, Senator Judd Gregg, tellingly removed himself from consideration over not only Obama's repellant pork-n-welfare "stimulus" bill, but the power grab and blatant electoral manipulation of the White House commandeering the census for political purposes.  Now the Senator tells us that Obama's budget proposal will "bankrupt the country".  Small wonder then that Americans are finally coming-out of the ether to the dawning realization that Obama isn't addressing the financial crisis in an effective manner-  but is instead fulfilling a stealth agenda... ensuring, as Emanuel remarked, that they "never let a good crisis go to waste."

While all these Stalinist shenanigans are going on, and as Barack works the talk-show circuit, makes his (lousy) NCAA picks just like one-of-us-guys, dedicates months of time and effort to a puppy-vetting process (for some reason vastly-superior to the one employed in choosing his cabinet) and throws lavish parties, shmoozing, smiling, and yucking-it-up...  Rome is still burning.  Although continued catastrophe may be politically useful,  blamed on George Bush and used to further Obama's far-left schemes, Americans are not a patient bunch- especially when they're in the process of being shipped-off to the poor house.

Soon to dent Obama's support further is the fact that many are becoming frightened by his misguided, pacificist Carter-esque foreign policy... the pitfalls of which have already become glaringly apparent (to those who didn't already remember monumental incompetence of Carter). Sensing weakness, Iran, Russia, and North Korea have all spit in Barack's "extended hand"... while Venezeula's Comrade Chavez plans South American air bases for the Kremlin and taunts Obama from his podium. Obama was caught dozing while the Kremlin snaked our vital Krgyzstani air base, and China now talks of an "international currency" that would surely to spear Obama's massive borrowing plans- while they now test our Navy (and Commander-in-Chief) for weakness on the high-seas.

Americans have an unhealthy fondness for hollow celebrities, but over time they also have a tendency to sniff-out fakes... and dismantle them in a very public manner.  It may turn-out that Obama's ill-advised appearance on Jay Leno's Tonight Show was his PR-Waterloo... as his gauche "humor" mocking the disabled went over like a fart in church. Trouble is, when Barack isn't hard-wired to a TelePrompTer, strange things tend to come-out... things that bear little resemblance to his carefully crafted, yet hollow-plastic public image of the campaign.  His unpresidential disrespect for Special Olympics athletes is much like the factually-incorrect cheap shot on 87-year-old Nancy Reagan in PEBO's very first presser.  Not only is he unfunny and factually wrong, but apparently the favored targets are old ladies and the handicapped... some messiah.

With ironic justice, the Tonight Show episode also proved a boost to one that the Democrat's media allies have done so much to destroy- Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.  Videos of Palin's Special Olympics speech now circulating the internet show her support and understanding for those with special-needs in an impressive, professional, and sincere manner that makes Obama look like a puerile playground bully.  And poll numbers for Palin continue to creep-up by the week, as Obama's support dwindles... regardless of the fraudulent survey conducted last week and trumpeted by the MSM claiming she would be "trounced" by Obama in a head-to-head contest.  While the DNC's agenda is clearly to encourage voters to dismiss Palin as irrelevant ASAP, the part they neglected to mention was that the poll's methodology was dubious- and it that it was conducted by Stanley Greenberg, who was Bill Clinton’s pollster. He also advised the presidential campaigns of Al Gore and John Kerry. Greenberg, in partnership with James Carville and Bob Shrum, co-founded the left-leaning Democracy Corps- and this disinformation against Palin is pure propaganda. 

Obama is vaporizing his once towering popularity in a political Bonfire of the Vanities,  as he hastily tosses free-market capitalism, democracy, free-speech, and American individualism onto the pyre... and the unquestioned support he's enjoyed up to this point is rapidly coming to an end. He must know that his vision of statist America is not widely supported, and there will be a powerful backlash at some point, it's just a matter of when.   Thus, the disgraceful opportunism of rushing it all through under the cover of "crisis"- coupled to a deeply cynical disinformation campaign.  

Perhaps this President's boundless arrogance prevents him from realizing that the blind faith that he's squandering will not come-back easily, if at all... most likely, once it's gone, it's gone.  But one has a tendency to become dilusional when all is handed to them on a silver plate, elections are a set-up by the party, and habitual dishonesty is covered-up ceaselessly by their supporters and the press... why should he think he needs to change now?  Doing as he damn-well pleased and lying about it have gotten him all he ever wanted- and it's all he's ever known.   Obama appears to lack awareness that he's in  a very, very different situation now- one which is he comprehensively unqualified, unprepared... and simply not worthy of.

The goodwill that sprang from the perceived "need" for an African-American president and his orchestrated image as the grinning and "hip" anti-Bush cannot remain detached from negative  approval ratings for both "Congress" and the "Direction of the Country" forever- as the White House is the most relevant factor in almost every initiative in Washington today, and acting in very close alliance with Democratic legislators.  Obama now polically owns the $800B "stimulus" package, the $400B earmark-laden omnibus bill, and likely his pending $3.55 trillion-dollar budget... so there is no political cover when these fail to produce real economic gains, then stoke inflation and crash the dollar.  A harsh reckoning looms. 

Maybe the most significant factor in Obama's ability to escape any effective measure of scrutiny so-far has been the irresponsible cheerleading and lack of vetting by MSM jounalists.  While these drones who blindly promoted Obama were unflinching in placing all their chips on blue, then all the faster some of them might turn on him... in a simple act of professional survival. They made themselves co-dependents with Obama- but these are clearly not the type of principled individuals to go-down-with-the-ship. And we are seeing a bit of this already.

It was amusing to behold last Sunday's NY Times , the most biased of Obama promoters, feature not one, not two, but three editorials critical of Obama...Frank Rich, Thomas Friedman and Maureen Dowd went after Obama in an unprecedented way.  Add this to The Times' pressing him on the "socialist" question last week, and one can sense a hedging of bets, at minimum.

Obama's power to this point has been drawn from his electoral mandate, speaking abilities, trendiness, and continued grass-roots support and effectively organized "army" on the street and on the internet- but much of this power appears to be dissipating.  Obama indeed receieved a significant mandate, but now polls show moderates running-away from Obama.  This seems to indicate that the mandate he received was for some change, as well as the bipartisanship he promised... and not the implementations of a far-left agenda and de facto one-party rule. Independent voters are a vital check-and-balance, and might now see an over-compensation to the left in 2006-08 that requires correction.

As for the vaunted speaking ability, many are arriving at the conclusion that he's simply nothing without a TelePrompTer- and he's even being openly mocked for it. The verbal slapstick with the Irish Prime Minister and Obama reading each-other's speeches was particularly embarassing. And what to do?  If he continues to lean on his crutch, the critics are proven correct... and if he dumps it, likely more gaffes... reinforcing the argument further.

While Barack was bizzarely chuckling as he discussed the severity of the financial crisis on 60 minutes, host Steven Kroft eventually felt the need to ask Obama if he was "punch drunk" on last Sunday's show.  Perhaps not, but he finds it hard to contain his enthusiasm for a financial disaster that makes possible his wildest far-left fantasies.  Hitler danced a jig too, when informed of France's surrender in 1940- not yet realizing he had sealed his -and his nation's- doom.
 
Europe is now seeing the real Obama as well-  As stated in the Daily Telegraph (UK) by Tim Shipman , Obama has a "childish desire to retain his image as the uber cool dude he so clearly believes that he is" and is "turning into Jimmy Carter." Shipman goes on to call Obama "tongue-tied", then "humourless"- and states that he "doesn't know the difference between campaigning and governing".  He even quotes Michael Wolff as branding the allegedly-charming Obama "a terrible bore".

Regarding Team Obama's comprehensive grass-roots efforts, as stated on McClatchy "The president's lieutenants tried to open a new front in the "Obama revolution," the grassroots mobilization that propelled the once little-known Illinois senator to the White House last year. David Plouffe, who ran Obama's campaign, now runs "Organizing for America" out of the Democratic National Committee. It uses the same Web-based tactics that won the presidency to mobilize public opinion behind Obama's initiatives..."  Anyone reading online political forums such as Politico and Topix can't help but be struck by the wolfpacks of shrill Obama supporters who get up early, cheerlead relentlessly, post the first five messages after every news item, and attack all critics of the administration promptly.  When some of these characters are on there posting 15 hrs/day, you have to wonder who's paying them... perhaps now we know.

But such efforts are not having much effect in the budget battle, where Team Obama recently deployed them in a door-to-door effort to drum-up support for his prolifigate-spending, big-government budget (I'm still waiting for them to come to my door... the vat of boiling oil is waiting out on the balcony) "The army of canvassers fanned out across the nation over the weekend to drum up support for his $3.55 trillion budget, but they had no noticeable impact on members of Congress, who on Monday said they were largely unaware of the effort.  'News to me,' said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, a House Budget Committee member, of the canvassing."


And as the MSM continues to do Obama's and the DNC's bidding by publishing endless stories on the GOP's pending demise, the reality is entirely different.  Fact is that the Republicans have pulled even with the Democrats in the generic congressional ballot, at 42% apiece. And Obama's approval ratings are weak- with grumbling about his performance, ethics, and tactics growing.

How long before Obama's personal approval is below 50%?  Good question, depends on it he's willing to moderate in an act of self-preservation, how fast his specious promises and ethics issues come back to bite him, and of course... "events".  But the trend is decidedly negative since the day he took office.  In my opinion some of the more right-leaning polls such as Rasmussen and Zogby could be there any day now, you can already feel the momentum shifting.

After enjoying such bouyant numbers for little apparent reason except fashion, social guilt, and a well-orchestrated bait-and-switch, and with the press wildly inflating expectations beyond any likely reality- it's now become abundantly clear that Obama is far more liberal -and far less principled- than advertised... and that the easy part for him was getting elected. 

Barack Obama is extremely arrogant and quite radical, as we all now know-  but he's also an insecure man- an apparent narcissist who craves admiration.  It will be interesting indeed to see just how he proceeds once the wind is taken out of his sails... and he has to get up every morning knowing most people don't like him so much anymore. 

UPDATE:  In a just-released Zogby Poll, President Obama's approval rating has dropped three points... and now stands at  exactly 50%
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Obamamania's Contagion Quickly Contained


Only two weeks into the new administration, Obamamania has hit choppy seas indeed on the ethics, legislative, security, diplomacy, and disaster-response fronts. Even the most cynical right-winger would have expected a 3-6 month honeymoon for The One- but alas, this was not to be the case.

As his cabinet-appointment process limps along from disaster-to-disaster, the MSM still speaks of a "vaunted vetting process"... as in "here's an exception to...". But how many mulligans does he get? Obama came to the Oval Office with grand pronouncements of a "change" from the lobbyist infested, shady-backroom-deal Washington of the past. Sadly, it is already apparent that reality will fall far, far short of the enchanting rhetoric on 2008.


Commerce nominee Bill Richardson was already under federal investigation when nominated... and eventually withdrew himself from consideration.  Afterwards, damage-control spin from Team Obama claimed that they "had pressed" Richardson for more information regarding the ongoing probe... but why proceed with the appointment if you weren't satisfied with his response? AG-designate Eric Holder helped to pardon FBI fugitive Marc Rich, a major Clinton campaign donor, in 2001. Recently confirmed Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner still cannot sufficiently explain why he avoided paying Social Security taxes and took illegal deductions.


Obama had announced with great fanfare an Executive Order barring any former lobbyists who join his administration from dealing with matters related to their lobbying business... nor could they join agencies that they had lobbied in the last two years. Then almost immediately, he waived his own ethics rules to nominate former Raytheon lobbyist William Lynn as Deputy Defense Secretary. A number of other former lobbyists on the White House payroll are no easier to explain-away.


After the withdrawal of Tom Daschle from consideration this week, Obama claimed in a seeming moment of candor "I screwed up", and "I'm frustrated with myself". But with Obama, such admissions only come after the fact... if and when he is caught. Recall his statement when the Chicago Sun-Times uncovered Obama's highly-dubious real estate deal with convicted felon and major Obama fundraiser Tony Rezko in 2006; he called it a "boneheaded mistake". While some seem willing to accept such self-deprecating "confessions" as sincere, the truth is that Obama knew perfectly well what he was doing, but will always deny any connection to such goings on as the Blagojevich case if possible, then invariably claims to be "saddened" and "surprised".  But, when caught in an inescapable ethical bind, his default setting is to play the honest, everyday Joe... after all, who doesn't make "mistakes"?  Obama is very good at this... that's the kind of skills one acquires in the Chicago Machine, where ethics blow-ups come with the territory.


Now we are hearing that the CIA's Leon Panetta earned more than $1M last year serving on corporate boards, consulting, and delivering speeches... including some given to imploding banks at the peak of the financial crisis. This all sounds remarkably similar to his ex-boss Bill Clinton's lucrative speeches and "consulting" work, except that Clinton's was done on the international stage. Yet somehow, despite that glaring conflict-of-interest, his wife Hillary was still confirmed as the nation's top diplomat.



Meanwhile, on Capital Hill, the gargantuan "stimulus" spending bill has been leaking steam ever since it failed to gain one single GOP vote as it was rammed-through the House of Representatives. When challenged to defend his proposals and the bill's reckless spending, Obama abandoned yet another major pillar of his 2008 campaign, that he will bring bipartisanship to solve the myriad challenges we face. As Obama did his best to sustain his smiling used-car-salesman shmoozing skills, the Democrats crafted a bill with almost no GOP input or debate in committee.  When met with resistance, the president arrogantly reminded Republicans that "we won", and that Americans "embraced" his ideas when they elected him.


Perhaps Americans supported his promise of bipartisanship, and even swallowed the MSM's promotion of this myth... but did voters actually embrace the Obama that was hidden and denied... the real one- with the most liberal voting record in the US Senate, and who voted a strict, far-left line in the Illinois legislature? Maybe voters are now waking-up, albeit belatedly, to the reality of just what they voted for in the name of making "history"and the opportunity to "change America together".


With the momentum turning, and the reality of this pork-laden shopping-spree laid bare, Obama's previous swagger has evaporated... replaced by a shrill, alarmist tone designed to frighten lawmakers into supporting the bill in the Senate. The president warned in an op-ed piece in The Washington Post that failure to act on an economic recovery package could plunge the nation into a long term malaise- one that may prove "irreversible". He dismissed the idea that more tax cuts are needed, stating "I reject these theories, and so did the American people" in the election, when they "voted resoundingly for change." Obama even stated that "failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into catastrophe"- not maybe, but will... and this from the guy that only two weeks ago was waxing eloquent on the triumph of "hope over fear."


Anxiety in the Obama camp was bubbling to the surface this week, as the president voiced frustration in TV interviews. Against all odds, the GOP is starting to win the message battle over this bill. and he's clearly not used to playing catch-up. During the campaign, Obama had complete control over his message... and seems to feel genuinely surprised -and even wronged- that Republican (and even some Democrat) legislators aren't lying right-down for him. The fact is that Obama never really articulated clear guidelines for this "stimulus", in deference to Capitol Hill lawmakers- but also because Obama simply lacks the stature to contain Pelosi and Reid, a fact made abundantly clear by the all-over-the-road spending the bill became laden with... precisely what has turned-off an increasing number of voters and lawmakers.

Perhaps hubristic victor Obama should be informed that the wave of unquestioned support that he's enjoyed to this point is rapidly coming to an end. And maybe some of his people need to show him last week's Rassmussen Poll that showed just 42% support for the bill- with 39% in opposition. The Wall Street Journal recently published an article claiming that only 12% of the spending in the bill could even remotely be considered and economic "stimulus"... as many are rapidly becoming aware of.


To top it off, Obama's fans in the European Union objected vehemently to the inclusion of "buy American" requirements in the infrastructure portion of the bill, threatening a trade war... at which the Democrats backed-down and rewrote the provision. Where did all the cheering crowds go? Time for another Beatle-esque European tour, perhaps.


And it sure didn't take long for the president to have his own "Katrina moment", when he was conspicuous by his absence in the aftermath of the fatal ice-storm disaster in Kentucky... as was FEMA. While Obama was busy turning-up the White House thermostat to 77 and throwing a Super Bowl party, the citizens of (red-state) Kentucky were freezing with no power, water, or communications in the wake of a devastating ice storm that left at least 42 people dead. Obama was not "slow", as George W Bush was criticized for in New Orleans; he was, in fact, a total no-show. Perhaps if he can't raise money from them, or establish an obedient voting-block, he's simply not interested.

On the issue of defense, Obama's sole proactive military action, against the Taliban in Afghanistan, was this week dealt a severe and humiliating blow by the Russians in Kyrgyzstan... who just days before offered to not point missiles at NATO's Poland and the Czech Republic- if only we'll just forget about that missile defense of outrs that makes the Russian military's most vital weapons obsolete. Never mind that Iran launched a satellite last week, North Korea rolled a huge ICBM towards the launch pad for a fun test-drive, as the Russians themselves unveiled an all-new missile program.

But, a mere week after making that friendly offer to not target the EU with nukes, the Kremlin appears to have pried the American Manas air base in Kyrgizstan away with loans and aid. While the Russians "wish us luck" in dealing with the Taliban, their snatching of the Manas air base right from under our noses will make Obama's plan to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan far, far more difficult... and they know that. The Obama administration was caught completely unaware and asleep at the wheel by the Kremlin's maneuvering.

Besides possessing mystical powers and a super-genius intellect, Dear Leader Kim Jong Il seems plenty immune to the Obamamania bug, as well. Sensing weakness, the unpredictable North Korean regime has responded to conciliatory gestures from Obama and Hillary Clinton with nothing but contempt. What Team Obama is considering is the same kind of "deal" that the foolish Jimmy Carter talked Bill Clinton into ten years ago: basically bribing Pyongyang with fuels and food to stop their development of nuclear weapons and ICBMs, while they graciously accept our gifts and continue to do just as they please at secret, underground sites.

To set the stage and move North Korea to the top of the Obama agenda, the North Koreans made preparations this week to test-fire it's longest range ICBM, specifically designed to carry a nuclear warhead. The Taepodong-2 missile has a 6000 km range, bringing Alaska and the west coast of the US well within range... right as Obama seeks the cancellation of America's missile defense programs.

One of the central foreign-policy themes of Obama's "change" was a new way of dealing with Iran's support of terrorists and unsettling nuclear development program- and to correct the "mistakes of our past". Obama proposed "talks without preconditions" with Tehran, and defended the plans tenaciously in the presidential debates.

This week, the Iranians responded to Obama's extended hand- dealing the Obama administration the first of many humiliations sure to come- "This request means Western ideology has become passive, that capitalist thought and the system of domination have failed... Negotiation is secondary, the main issue is that there is no way but for (the US) to change." Then, a senior Iranian advisor, Mojtaba Samareh-Hashemi, stated that talks with the US "would only succeed if the Obama administration accepts Tehran's right to have a nuclear program."

Of course, talking in circles with a disingenuous Iranian regime would allow them just the time they need to put the finishing touches on their first nuclear warhead... and it's pretty clear that the missiles are ready, after this week's launching of Iran's first satellite into orbit.  In the end, Ahmedinjad would simply lie to Obama's face anyway... or just tell him to shove-it. The Iranian regime is an utter failure domestically; support is now based entirely upon attaining nuclear weapons, paired to a confrontational, even apocolyptic policy towards Israel. And instead of standing up to them as they are feigning the strength of the "Iranian Nation", Obama is emasclulating our country, as Iran ignores him completely... they know he's not going to do anything.

And the Iranian challenge is intricately involved with America's relationship with Israel. Barack Obama has stated that his administration would be prepared to abandon the Bush doctrine of isolating Hamas, by reaching out to them with low-level diplomatic contacts. But the Israelis appear to place little faith in Obama's pro-Israel rhetoric on the campaign trail, quickly moving to establish facts-on-the-ground and settle accounts with the Iranian-proxy terrorists of Hamas before Obama was sworn-in. They are the target of an existential threat from the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah-Hamas axis, and cannot afford a Pollyanna world-view like Obama thinks is so fashionable.

In fact, rather than falling under Obama's "charms", the Israeli electorate is resolutely moving in the opposite direction from US policy now, with pugnacious nationalist Benjamin Netanyahu favored to win the February 10th election. Bibi has already announced his intentions to "topple" Hamas rule in Gaza, as well as prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons... at any cost, and despite lack of US support. For the Israelis, it's not a just trendy cafe discussion... their lives and country are what's at stake.  And Mr Netanyahu will take care-of-business, ignoring the clueless Obama, who will, with complete lack of moral and strategic clarity, turn the US into an impotent bystander. And after the IDF is done with Gaza and Tehran, there won't be any of these medieval maniacs left for Obama to hold his "talks" with.


This week Dick Cheney felt the need to give warning against what he sees is dangerous exposure to the Al Qaida terrorist threat: "When we get people who are more concerned about reading the rights to an Al Qaida terrorist than they are with protecting the United States against people who are absolutely committed to do anything they can to kill Americans, I worry." He went on to say that "Protecting the country's security is a tough, mean, dirty, nasty business"..."these are evil people... and we're not going to win by turning the other cheek." The former vice-president stated further that "the US needs to be not so much loved, as it needs to be respected. Sometimes, that requires us to take actions that generate controversy. I'm not all that sure that that's what the Obama administration believes."


Did anyone actually believe that the Russians, Iranians, or North Koreans would admire Obama's supposed idealism, and welcome a good-faith peace-deal with the US... when every one of these regimes needs an outside enemy to stay in power?

The press will continue to cover for Obama... up to a point. But real leadership requires difficult, unpopular decisions that often result in short-term unpopularity- a price the political chameleon Obama is surely unwilling to pay, when given a choice. He'd rather just keep dishing out free candy to the historically ignorant, and smiling like the hollow celebrity that he is- as he wows the plebes with more "soaring rhetoric". However, lack of results and/or grevious setbacks cannot be covered-up nor explained-away by the MSM indefinitely... there has to be a tipping point.

The most likely scenario from here is a steady erosion of Obama's popular support as his economic policies do more damage than good, ethics issues continue to arise in mockery of his promises, and foreign policy mistakes bring us defeat, danger, and humiliation. It is hard to think of a previous president that promised so much, but who's means are likely to deliver so very little... a formula for political collapse if there ever was one.

Not only is Obamamania no-longer contagious, but an antidote has been found for the afflicted, one that many long suspected would work on those suffering from this combination of wishful thinking and historical ignorance- it's called "cold reality".
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Crafting a Combustible Cabinet

Regardless of what one might think of Barack Obama, his career, or his politics, it's hard not to reach the conclusion that the man's got the luck of the devil.  That... or he long-ago sold his soul to him.

Considering the cauldron of corruption that is Chicago Machine Politics, we are still left wanting for a viable explanation by the media, the Obama campaign, or the man's self-absorbed books- how he arose from such an unaccomplished nothing to the President-elect of the United States in just a few, short years... while widely assumed to be pure as the driven snow.  


And, at a time when the whole nation is focused on the political smoke-plume eminating from Illinois, as the ongoing Blagojevich drama continuing to unfold, it is amazing just how Obama manages to stay above it all, claiming to barely know him... especially when you consider that he was a consultant to Blago's 2002 campaign for governor, as was Rahm Emanuel.  He also campaigned for him enthusiastically, and contrary to his denials in the wake of the arrest, appears to have spoken to him directly regarding his about-to-be vacant US Senate seat on November 5th... that according to three seperate news outlets, as well as David Axelrod's previous statement on Fox News (since retracted, of course).

Even more amazing is the fact that both Obama's and Blago's political godfather, Tony Rezko, has already been found guilty in 16 of 24 counts of influence peddling in June 2008, convicted of wire and mail fraud, money laundering and aiding and abetting bribery, and even helped Obama buy his South Side mansion in an ethically-dubious transaction, all with Blago's wife Patti as agent... but somehow Obama has remained unscathed there, too.

One of the common side-effects of astounding success is an assumption that it will somehow just keep coming, and that this seamless path to  glory must be destiny. This in-turn leads to a belief in one's own myth of invinciblity, and a distorted sense of purpose.  A feeling that you can't do any wrong is of course very dangerous, as it warps balanced and critical analysis of one's thoughts and actions. It may be that Mr Obama is truly astounded himself, in that he didn't have more resistance along the way from the press and electorate regarding his past dealings and/or lack of experience and accomplishment... and has now drawn the conclusion that he can walk on water. The better it all feels, the easier it is to get lost in the hype. 

Logically, when you've been so blessed, why push it, though?   In Obama's cabinet nominations, one can begin to sense the recklessness of a gambler's high, as he appears to be rolling-the-dice, and with not only some ethical risks, but also in the selection of a largely inexperienced homeland security team, when contrary to complacent public opinion, the Al Qaida threat is as real as ever. Obama is almost daring trouble to come his way, particularly on the home-front.  Maybe he feels such an electoral mandate affords him the flexibility to shape a cabinet to fufill unwritten quotas of the sort that have been so benefitial to him, and/or repay political debts. Or perhaps Obama is simply in over-his-head after advancing so far, so fast... but whatever the reason, a number of these choices are now raising some eyebrows, and across the political spectrum.


Barack Obama enjoys the political capital that comes with the fact that many Americans feel a need to "make this one work" for a number of reasons, and the press is heavily invested in his success too.  The MSM are unlikely to start any effective due-dilligence now, unless forced to by circumstances... what's the point?  Might as well hope for the best, their chips are already piled-high on blue.  And Obama seems to know he owns the MSM, now even treating them with contempt-  telling journalists to "not waste their question" in press conferences, scolding them when he feels they've "got enough pictures", or even telling them to "get back on the bus."   Maybe after being surrounded by adoring crowds and reporters everytime he wows the plebes with his "soaring" rhetoric, he is actually starting to believe he's Elvis.

While many have noted some safe, seemingly moderate cabinet choices that soothed the right as much as they irked the left, such as Gates at Defense, and to a degree the Clinton package-deal at State,  these serve a purpose to Obama, to keep world events at bay so Barack can focus on his highest priority... a radical domestic transformation. However, a number of the other choices with ethical baggage, and/or unqualified candidates in charge of the War on Terror are a bit harder to understand.  With the well-disciplined Team Obama, there is likely and explanation for each of these, rather than simply lack of vetting.



With the already failed Commerce Secretary nominee Bill Richardson, Obama was always looking for trouble. Although Richardson was sometimes vicous in primaries, it appears the President-elect attempted to bring him onboard to fill a high-profile position with a Hispanic, while also co-opting a potential rival for the 2011 primaries... when his poll numbers might well be in the toilet.  Since, Richardson withdrew himself from consideration for the post, stating that the ongoing grand jury investigation of his "pay-for-play" scandal would delay the confirmation process, the Obama campaign itself has now been reported by ABC News as having recieved more than $30,000 from California financier David Rubin, the same very same donor being investigated along with Richardson.

Damage-control spin from the Obama camp has claimed that they "pressed" Richardson for more info on the case during their vetting process... but why nominate him if you felt you weren't getting a sufficiently thorough explanation?  Perhaps the overriding consideration was a  "pressing' need to take him off the market, or fufill a previously-made political deal.  It indeed seems as though Obama made an offer to other rivals as they faded away in the primaries, and to also keep them from challenging him in 2012... Edwards sure lined up behind Obama resolutely, and seemed destined for a cabinet position, until his own Clinton-esque bimbo eruption.  

Obama's choice for attorney general Eric Holder, who served as former deputy attorney general in the Clinton Administration, was instrumental in the 2001 pardon of international fugitive and Clinton supporter Marc Rich... where it appears he took action to aid his own career, rather than any consideration of justice.  More recently, before Holder was Obama's nominee for attorney general, he was Gov. Blagojevich's pick to sort out a mess involving Illinois' long-dormant casino license.  Blagojevich and Holder appeared together at a March 24, 2004, news conference to announce Holder's role as "special investigator to the Illinois Gaming Board"- a post that was to pay Holder and his Washington, D.C. law firm up to $300,000, but was never actually executed.  Holder, however, omitted this event from his 47-page response to a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire-- an "oversight" that he said he  "plans to correct"... but only after a Chicago Sun-Times inquiry uncovered this,  which was right in the middle of the Blagojevich controversy.  Perhaps he just forgot about such an obviously relevant event to his confirmation process?

Labor secretary nominee Hilda Solis doesn't have any obvious ethics issues.  Initially, she was a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton; when that campaign fell short, Obama aggressively sought her support in the politically calculating way that is his M.O., as part of strengthening to his appeal to Hispanic voters.  However, it seems that Solis has been involved in some far-left, and even treasonous, causes that would be disturbing to most Americans.   Not only is Solis heavily biased towards labor unions, her sometimes radical views and associations are similar to the kinds of things that seem to surround Mr Obama, but are always dismissed by the media.  She has some past association with, and is enthusiastically supported by, the Hispanic advocacy group "La Raza", who's charter supports a Hispanic re-conquest of the SE United States, among other things- and who's blatantly racist motto is "For our race, everything... for the others, nothing". 

Even though the Obama camp puts concerted efforts into keeping a lid on him,  Joe Biden presents an ongoing risk to the new administration.  The unsettling announcement of his pending trip to voliatile SE Asia might have bookmakers placing odds on a nuclear war breaking-out between Pakistan and India somewhere in the vicinity of 50/50.  Luckily for Obama, the press' covering for his gaffes is extended to Joey Plugs, too-  and he was never called on such statements during the campaign as "FDR went on television in 1929 to  discuss the depression".  Biden was the first surprising choice for "Team Change"-an apparent deal with the DNC establishment to put an old guard monitor on the Obama team to slow any hard veer to the left reflected in some Obama rhetoric.  Only time will tell if the press will continue to bury his outrageous statements deep inside the newspaper, such as last week's statement that we are "at war" with our own economy.



Obama's chief-of-staff Rahm Emanuel is awfully quiet lately... where is the swagger?  And, where is Rahm?  The name "Rahm (רם)" means high, or lofty in Hebrew... but his  public profile is anything but, since the Blago case erupted.   

On the surface, Emanuel appears to be another Chicago Obama loyalist, but the pugnacious partisan is actually more of a political survivor/opportunist... and it was Bill Clinton that first put him on the national stage.  Emanuel remained close to Bill since leaving the White House, but his "loyalties" came into conflict when home-state senator Barack Obama expressed interest in the race.  Playing both sides of the fence skillfully, Emanuel remained neutral in the race until the day after the final 2008 primary contests... when he "endorsed" the eventual winner Obama.

Although he is close to Obama, and the most powerful cabinet member as Chief-of-Staff, Emanuel has perhaps the most issues from the past that could come back on him, and thus the new administration.  Like Obama, he arose from the Chicago Machine, one of the most graft-embedded in the country- where was born the legend of his fundraising abilities.  He was senior advisor and chief fundraiser for Richard M. Daley's victorious campaign for Mayor of Chicago in 1989.  Emanuel then became a senior advisor to Clinton at the White House from 1993 to 1998. Emanuel was also a leading strategist in the debacle of the failed Hillarycare initiative. 

He was subsequently named to the BOD of Freddie Mac by Clinton in 2000. During the time DNC fundraising expert Emanuel spent on the board, the lending agency was plagued with scandals involving campaign contributions and accounting irregularities.  Emanuel resigned from the board in 2001 when he ran for congress. Having a Democratic fundraising whiz on the Board of the FHLMC when they where dishing-out questionable campaign funds to politicians is perhaps something that should be looked into further, now that the agency was instrumental in bringing down the US economy, due to misguided decisions by those very same politicians... who have, naturally, as is fashionable and convenient,  blamed it all on George Bush.   

In 2002 Emanuel then pursued the U.S. House seat previously held by Rod Blagojevich, who successfully ran for Governor of Illinois, with both Rahm and Barack as senior campaign advisors.  Contrary to their current treatment of Blago like a leper they've never met,  in a 2008 interview in the New York Times Emanuel bragged that he and Obama "participated in a small group that met weekly when Rod was running for governor. We basically laid out the general election, Barack and I, and these two."  

Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass reported he actually had a confrontation with Emanuel over Kass’s speculation that Emanuel won his 2002 election because a convicted Chicago water dept. boss sent-in employees to work for Emanuel. He had also speculated that Mayor Richard Daley’s “underlings”, who were sentenced to federal prison for organizing “patronage armies”, helped Emanuel.  The Chicago Machine doesn't like having their techniques exposed, of course.

And he seems like a loose cannon if there ever was one. Rahm Emanuel likes to be seen as a rough, tough "screw you" type of operator.  But, with the unwelcome attention recently brought by the Blagojevich case,  he is on the other end of the hose this time... and does not handle the pressure well.  Questions remain over his contacts with Blagojevich and his staff.  And his silence and almost complete dissappearance from the public eye raises a number of questions regarding his role in the affair, as does his repeated testiness with the press in the days following Blago's arrest... until Obama stashed him away.

Some are now questioning whether Emanuel will even make it to the White House, with the Blago affair posing the most obvious concern. It is abundantly clear that someone from Team Obama talked to Blago's staffers, relaying the information that Obama would (initially) only provide appreciation in exchange for Valerie Jarrett's ("candidate #1") appointment to the Senate seat, as stated on the FBI tapes.  Somehow Blago's people were later informed that Obama had upped his offer, and "could provide seats on company boards" that would pay up to $150K/yr. for Patti Blagojevich, and that Obama had to "suck  it up for a couple years",  which sounds a lot like temporarily refraining from previous commonplace bribing and racketeering.   And it is obvious Blago's staff didn't obtain all this information from a little bird.

It seems that Rahm Emanuel was brought-on for his aggressive bad-cop advocacy that allows Obama to stay above the fray, as well as his management disclipline and fundraising skills that made his name in DNC circles... could he also have skeletons related to the large amount of questionable funds that found their way to the Obama campaign? 

Longtime Obama ally Valerie Jarret, a soft-spoken, steely willed Chicago powerbroker, has also been called the "other side of Obama's brain". Like Emanuel, she began her political ascension with Chicago Mayor Richard M Daley. As his Chief of Staff  in 1991, she hired Michelle Robinson, then engaged to Barack Obama, away from a private law firm.  Daley, while a successful mayor serving for 19 yrs now, is also controversial, as the most powerful cog in a Chicago Machine that's known for it's corruption.   Typical was the "Hired Truck Program" involved hiring private trucks to do city work. The Chicago Sun-Times revealed that some participating companies were being paid for doing little or no work, had mob connections, or were tied to city employees. Other truck owners had also paid bribes to get into the program. This scandal eventually sparked a Federal investigation into hiring practices at Chicago City Hall, with Robert Sorich, Mayor Daley's former patronage chief, convicted on two counts of mail fraud for rigging city jobs and promotions. 

And Jarret is another one who, like Obama, had dealt with convicted felon Tony Rezko in questionable government-subsidized public housing projects... which then fell apart, while Rezko ran off with the money. According to Judicial Watch, she served as a board member for several organizations that provided funding and support for Chicago housing projects operated by real estate developers and Obama financial backers Rezko and Allison Davis. (Davis is also Obama's former boss.) Jarrett was a member of the BOD for the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corporation along with several Davis and Rezko associates, as well as the Fund for Community Redevelopment and Revitalization, an organization that worked with Rezko and Davis.  Housing projects operated by Davis and Rezko have been substandard and beset with code violations. The Chicago Sun Times reported that one Rezko-managed housing project was "riddled with problems -- including squalid living conditions...lack of heat, squatters and drug dealers."

When queried, Jarrett did nothing to correct these problems- except stonewall queries.  In addition, as CEO of The Habitat Company, she also managed a controversial housing project located in Obama’s district called Grove Parc Plaza, which according to the Boston Globe was considered “uninhabitable by unfixed problems, such as collapsed roofs and fire damage. In 2006, federal inspectors graded the condition of the complex an 11 on a 100-point scale... a score so bad the buildings now face demolition. 

Obama's selection of Jarret for his Senior White House Advisor shows how little he really cares about the poor he purports to fight for... with both of these Chicago Machine politicians, it is really more about blind ambition and an elite class that pretends publicly to care about the poor, but in reality only uses them for their own monetary advancement... and to gain enormous political power.




While the choice of Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State, which of course includes Bill and his international connections to some degree, makes sense as a package deal- Hillary alone is hard to explain, outside of a political bargain struck at the Democratic Convention, along with Obama's neutralizing of a potential rival in a cynical, win-win deal.  Hillary, also an opportunist of the highest caliber,  has no foreign policy experience whatsoever... unless you count her fiction about "coming under fire" in Bosnia. She clearly lacks basic diplomatic skills, is known for a violent temper, use of foul language when angry, and for berating underlings when she "loses it". Other presidents-elect with no diplomatic experience have brought in a Secretary of State with the requisite background- but Obama doesn’t feel the need for such abilities and qualifications in the nation's top diplomat, for some reason.  And what happened to honesty and integrity as selection criteria?


Now, Obama nominates former Clinton Chief-of-Staff Leon Panetta to manage the Central Intelligence Agency.   While apparently honorable, he is also a man with no background to qualify him for a job where an experienced and insightful mind is needed to keep our country safe... and where one can find themselves in a lot of hot water eminating from the smallest misjudgement or oversight.  

It appears that the incoming president picked Panetta to avoid the selection of anyone connected to, or supportive of, the Bush administration's counterterrorism policies. That stance essentially eliminated nearly every experienced candidate for the CIA job, including Obama's own intelligence adviser John Brennan. 

Is this an example of Obama taking a firm ideological stand, regardless of the practical consequences... or has he become sensitive to the criticisms from the left, after they expressed their dissapointment in his retaining Robert Gates? Regardless of the motivation for the choice, the appointment of a man with no law enforcement or intelligence service to the vital CIA post in the midst of a battle with extremist terrorism has brought questions from a number of lawmakers, including top Democrats.

Is Obama a gambler?  He doesn't personally appear to be, and he seemed indeed too cautious to many of his supporters, who expected selections with perhaps a bit more intellectual fresh air to fufull his "Change"  mantra... instead of a number of Clinton Administration retreads.  But from a security and/or ethics standpoint, there are substantial risks with many of these nominees, and why these risks were taken is difficult to understand.  Obama is a disciplined, strategically-clever politician, but also a shameless opportunist... so one can only conclude that cold political calculus and repayment of the political debts that got him elected have trumped ethics and national security concerns in these selections. Anyone who expected Obama to make the most qualified, best possible choices for the country simply haven't noticed how he got this far in the first place. There also seems to be a mob-style loyalty requirement for Obama's inner circle, with almost all of them coming out of the Chicago machine that propelled Obama's career so far, so fast... and/or the now-allied Clintonites.

After all, in Chicago, getting elected and making back-room political deals is just how it works, and all Obama really knows... and where dealing with potential time bombs like Tony Rezko and Rod Blagojevich go with the territory. After that, a Bill Richardson is really nothing to worry about. You can tell by Obama's reaction to crisis like the Blago indictment that he expects such eruptions, is prepared for them, and has a formula for dealing with them systematically:  First, deny any knowledge of wrongdoing, create distance immediately from the accused,  align himself with the public ("I, too, am appalled"... "it's a sad day for Illinois", etc.), then stonewall the press if they don't gracefully parrot his spotty version of events, including arrogant contol-freakery in  to keep journalists in their place.



The irony here is that the man presented to Americans as an agent of "Change", and who seemed to many to be the most independent -and least beholden to Beltway interests and other power players- is clearly anything but his own man. Obama not only lacks the stature to control the powerful congressional Democrats such as Pelosi and Reid, but it's become abundantly clear to all that he owes more favors than any president in recent memory... and many of these positions where sold a long time ago, along his path to the White House.

Recent rumor has it that Barack isn't doing too well with his long-running plans to quit smoking... seems like with the Blago and Richardson dramas, the Nicorette gum wasn't quite cutting it anymore, even while vacationing in Paradise.

The Blagojevich and Richardson scandals are far from over... and a betting man would expect more of the same. After all, Barack Obama still isn't even President yet.

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