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September 6, 2012 at 10:00 AM
The World And Obama

Bin Laden, Iran, Russia, drones—China.  We look at Obama’s global imprint.

President Barack Obama speaks during the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. (AP)

President Barack Obama speaks during the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. (AP)

Bill Clinton brought the charm to Charlotte last night.  Brought his case for Barack Obama on the economy, on health care, on values.  Brought the house down with adoring Democrats.  And he talked at one point about the world.  About how his wife Hillary and President Obama, and how they have, he said, worked to build a world with “more partners and fewer enemies.”

Last week Mitt Romney called for a tougher, large and in charge America. Today we look at Obama’s take on Iran, China, Russia, drones, Bin Laden, Afghanistan.

This hour, On Point: from Charlotte, Obamas’ global imprint.

-Tom Ashbrook

Guests

Jon Meacham, Pulitzer-Prize winning author, former editor at Newsweek, now executive editor at Random House.

Joyce Karam, Washington correspondent for al Hayat.

Ed Luce, chief U.S. correspondent for the Financial Times.

David Sanger, chief Washington correspondent for the New York Times.

From Tom’s Reading List

Foreign Policy “Obama clearly smelled blood in the water. The president made the military, the war in Afghanistan, and national security the focus of his Friday event, his weekly Saturday radio address, and a nice chunk of an Ohio campaign stop on Monday.”

New York Times “Even though he could have done a better job highlighting his friendship for Israel, there’s no denying that by every tangible measure, his support for Israel’s security and well-being has been rock solid.”

CNN “The Republican National Convention that wrapped up last week made two things clear: foreign policy will be at best a secondary theme in the GOP push to unseat President Barack Obama, and when the Romney campaign does turn to foreign policy, it will be heavy on criticism and light on specifics about its preferred policies.”

 
  • NewtonWhale

    Even neo-con Bill Kristol thinks Mitt Romney is a lousy excuse for an American: 

    What War?

    The United States has some 68,000 troops fighting in Afghanistan. Over two thousand Americans have died in the more than ten years of that war, a war Mitt Romney has supported. Yet in his speech accepting his party’s nomination to be commander in chief, Mitt Romney said not a word about the war in Afghanistan. Nor did he utter a word of appreciation to the troops fighting there, or to those who have fought there. Nor for that matter were there thanks for those who fought in Iraq, another conflict that went unmentioned.

    Leave aside the question of the political wisdom of Romney’s silence, and the opportunities it opens up for President Obama next week. What about the civic propriety of a presidential nominee failing even to mention, in his acceptance speech, a war we’re fighting and our young men and women who are fighting it? 

    Has it ever happened that we’ve been at war and a presidential nominee has ignored, in this kind of major and formal speech, the war and our warriors? 

    http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/what-war_651279.html

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqmU5sDsOUQ

    • WorriedfortheCountry

      Romney had a lengthy, substantive speech to veterans group the day before his convention speech.

      Bill Kristol took credit for McCain picking Palin.  Nuff said.

      • NewtonWhale

        Here’s exactly what he said: ‘We are still at war in Afghanistan. We still have uniformed men and women in conflict, risking their lives just as you once did.’” 

        Two sentences, one mention of Afghanistan, no hint at what he would do about it.

        He might as well have been talking about the weather.

        If you think this is what passes for “a lengthy, substantive speech” about the ongoing War in Afghanistan, no wonder you’re worried.

        http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/04/rachel-maddow-mitt-romney-rnc-speech-afghanistan-war_n_1853760.html?utm_hp_ref=media 

        • Mouse_2012

          According to Worried that counts as ”
          lengthy and substantive”

        • Michiganjf

          Read Worried’s posts… that’s about as “lengthy and substantive” as he (or Romney/Ryan) gets.

    • MadMarkTheCodeWarrior

      Just a demonstration of Mitt’s finely honed skills of statesmanship and diplomacy.

      Romney went on tour overseas and seemed to nearly create and international incident wherever he met… he alienated how many leaders with his, If I was in charge, I could do it better than you! attitude.

      At his age, and all the marketing materials I’ve seen form the Republicans, I would expect a more tactful, measured representation of the USA on the world’s stage.

      Now he’s managed to alienate the Armed services! Well, he’s said it before: sacrifices will have to be made. Respect and decorum are first to go.

      • Don_B1

        Romney doesn’t give one fig about offending other countries and their leaders. All he wants is too woo the xenophobic loonies/neanderthals in his “base.”

        If you watched Clinton’s speech on C-SPAN “live”, the Twtter feed was an ample demonstration of how juvenile the Republican “base” is.

  • VerecundMattoid24
  • WorriedfortheCountry

    I wonder if Tom Brokaw will address his networks over the top bias.

    Why can’t they find an appropriate replacement for Tim Russert? Russert was a Democrat but he was fair.

  • brettearle

    After last night’s masterful performance, by former President Clinton, the topic today ought to be, “Clinton’s World And Obama”.

    As one of CNN’s Republican consultants remarked, after the speech was completed, “President Clinton might have just saved the Obama Presidency.” 

    Now “all” that remains is the President’s ability to make his case and the skill of his campaign to repel the Right Wing propaganda.

    May the force be with him.

    William Jefferson Clinton is nothing less than a political genius…. 

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1550427523 Akilez Stamatelaky

      The Filipino will support Obama.

    • Don_B1

      As the Convention speakers are making clear, it will also take an extraordinary ground-game to register and get voters to the polls.

      • brettearle

        With a speech like Clinton’s, if Obama can come reasonably close to it tonight, and if he can prevail decisively in the debates, then the Base will be sufficiently energized.

  • JGC

    Governor Romney was not able to mention Afghanistan in his address to the Republican convention.  But does anyone doubt that he will not drag our country into a war with Iran within 18 months of holding that potential initiative as President Romney? And, like President George W. Bush before him, will not fund his war credentials through an up-and-up tax increase?

    • Don_B1

      Remember, Romney has known Netanyahu since his first job after getting his Harvard Masters degrees.

  • Wm_James_from_Missouri

    _What are the candidates saying about ever increasing job losses due to technological advancements ?
    _What are the candidates saying about global losses of the oceans’ fishing stock, necessary for human consumption?
    _ What about global losses of top soil necessary to maintain a sustainable farming system ?
    _Where will the fresh drinkable water come from in the future ?
    _What are the candidates saying about the loss of species world wide ?
    _ What about deforestation ? ( By the way, I would like to know if anyone has done the calculation on possible oxygen production collapse. It is worth noting that the Amazon Rainforest produces about 1/3 of our oxygen ! )

    _Where will 10 plus billion people find the resources necessary to sustain life ( see below ) ?
    _ Will the first world countries keep allowing an ever increasing number of under educated , under capitalized, under ( insert your worry here ) , to keep coming across their borders ?

    　
    　
    　
    _From: NPR site at

    http://www.npr.org/2011/05/11/136201025/foreign-policy-without-birth-control-planet-doomed

    _Note: the bottom paragraph start with :
    “We’ve now been warned. If measures are taken now, …”

  • Ed75

    One large part of President Obama’s global imprint is his exportation of legalized abortion around the world. He used U.S. tax payer money to support this cause in Kenya. And now the U.S. is supporting it in the Philippines, where it’s not wanted.

    Hilary Clinton is carrying out this policy. Aid to third world countries is now tied to their having access to abortion. And soon it will probably be tied to their willingness to have same sex marriage.

    This would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

    (His first act in office was to cancel the Mexico City agreement, of course.)

    • Acnestes

      Sing, Johnny-One-Note. . .

      • Don_B1

        And FALSE One-Notes, to boot.

    • NewtonWhale

      Republican Rep. Chris Smith and his American conservative allies charged that U.S. funds marked for civic education around constitutional review were actually illegally advocating for abortion rights and intimidating opponents.

      The U.S. embassy in Nairobi was unequivocal : “These claims are categorically false, and those making such allegations are lying.”  

      Meanwhile, eight years of the Bush administration’s enforcement of the global gag rule – prohibiting U.S. funding to any organization that so much as discusses safe abortion, and defunding the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) – had a chilling effect on contraceptive access, as family planning clinics across the country closed and preemptively zealous enforcement led to birth control shortages.

      A Stanford study last year crunched the numbers and found data to support  what health professionals on the ground told me several times: The illegal abortion rate in countries like Kenya rose as a result of Republican policies.

      http://www.salon.com/2012/07/05/africas_abortion_rights_breakthrough/

      • modavations

        If the UN paid off the traffic fines,delinquent rents,etc.,we could balance the budget

        • anamaria23

          You need to reference your charges.

          • Ray in VT

            Now that’s a laugher.  Good luck with that.

      • Ed75

        There seems to be some confusion here, let’s go one at a time.

        The U.S. Embassy people in Nairobi work for the administration. They speak the administration line.

        There is no such thing as safe abortion, the child always dies. You mean safe for the mother.

        If abortion is illegal, by definition the rate of illegal abortion will be higher than if it’s legal. But putting that aside, people will do illegal and immoral things. We don’t help the situation by making them legal.

        It reminds me of Bernard Nathanson, who repented and became a holy person. He said that they pulled the numbers of back-alley abortions out of thin air to support legal abortion, they had no evidence to use such high numbers at all.

        The bottom line is whether or not we believe that child is a human being from the moment of conception. Science says so. If we do, we have to protect it’s right to live.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1550427523 Akilez Stamatelaky

      Excuse me Ed75. The Filipino people support the RH bill.
      We are just sick and tired of the Roman Catholic church dictating the lives of my People. We want to stop the extreme unnecessary population growth in the Philippines. We cannot allow more unwanted children in the streets of Manila and hungry unwanted children all over the Philippines.

      Contraceptives is not bad as long religion will stay away from it.

      • MadMarkTheCodeWarrior

        Do you mean the Roman Catholic church that instead of sequestering pedophiles in monasteries, just transferred them to other communities allowing the predation on their flocks to continue for decades?

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1550427523 Akilez Stamatelaky

          That is one of the many reasons.

    • anamaria23

      You need to reference such serious charges.

      • DrewInGeorgia

        Not gonna happen, the obvious offenders think Freedom of Speech means Freedom of Fabrication.

  • modavations

    What a football game!!!!!Did anyone watch the convention?How’d the Big Dog do?

    • nj_v2

      We should start a pool on how long it will take for the Modatroll to get banished again. I give it about 2 weeks or so.

      • MadMarkTheCodeWarrior

        Was she banished? I didn’t notice she was gone until a couple of days ago when I read a post from inside of her reality distortion bubble. I tried to bury her in facts, but she just shut down. I guess acknowledging the flaws in the foundations of her model of the universe was too much for her to bare.

        • modavations

          Lend me your dog she matches my Purse

          • Shag_Wevera

            I think it is ugly comments like ths that result in a ban.  Just a hunch.

          • DrewInGeorgia

            I think the bans are more likely a result of the Juvenile mentality that leads a bully to flag a comment when it doesn’t meet their approval. I have not and will not flag any comment, I’m all about Freedom of Speech. If, however, someone reads that comment and finds it offensive they should flag it for review.

            I think there is a strong parallel between the practices of the GOP (and the reluctance of many in the Democratic Party to call them on their BS) and the mindset I mention above. Many in the Democratic Party, especially President Obama, want to try to be the ‘bigger man’. Apparently there’s a belief that by not climbing down into the muck Americans will observe and admire their efforts. Unfortunately maturity is not something most of us seem to appreciate or desire.

          • modavations

            Weren’t you crying “please I’m a shut in,don’t ban me”?

          • DrewInGeorgia

            I was saying that I was a shut-out (of society) and asking to be informed when my commentary is deemed to cross the invisible line of acceptability. Rage does not equate to tears. When you have had everything you thought you owned taken from you (including your name) because of the actions of someone else, come back and talk to me. Damn right the unwarranted censorship pissed me off, it should have angered others as well whether they agree with me or not. Obviously though, one less contentious voice that doesn’t meet your approval is not only acceptable to you, it’s preferable.

            You evidently failed to note that I have never and would never flag a comment, even yours.

          • modavations

            Get a lawyer

          • DrewInGeorgia

            Get a clue.

          • Don_B1

            You have a good point with a lot of the Democratic Party, but for Obama this is a lot more complicated. See

            http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/09/fear-of-a-black-president/309064/

            for examples of where his attempts have been twisted beyond recognition.

          • modavations

            In case you missed it,the man called me a woman.Of course when one views life through partisan glasses one misses much.

          • Steve__T

             Men don’t carry purses what else would you be?

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/JXSANCUDPIKQSPID5KT2U4XK5Y TF

        First prize is a fine leather-bound collection of Moda’s wit and wisdom.

        Second prize is two copies of the same.

      • DrewInGeorgia

        I admire your optimism. There’s at least one Troll that comes to mind I find it astonishing is Still Here.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1550427523 Akilez Stamatelaky

    Just want to tell the American people that the majority Filipinos in the Philippines and USA supports President Obama.

    We know how the Republicans tried to destroy the Obama administration for almost 4 years.

    President Aquino and the Filipino people will be shoulder to shoulder with Obama.

    • William

       Really? how did the Republicans try to “destroy” Obama? Voting against forcing people to buy medical insurance from private insurance companies?” Certainly, the people of the Philippines understand what happens when one man thinks he knows what is best for everyone? i.e. Marcos?

      • Shag_Wevera

        No compromise in the face of a mandate equals obstructionism.

        • William

          Woodward said in his new book that Obama was the problem. Even Nancy Pelosi put the Obama on mute rather than listen to him.

          • Shag_Wevera

            Owning the house and 60 seats in the senate is a mandate.  Own that!

          • William

             Woodward said in his new book that Obama was the problem. Read that!

          • Don_B1

            And Woodward is the ultimate authority?

            He gets some interesting information sometimes, but doesn’t always draw the correct conclusion.

          • http://profile.yahoo.com/JXSANCUDPIKQSPID5KT2U4XK5Y TF

            Woodward’s an access “hoor”.

            At this point in his career he’s not gonna do anything to risk having the powerful people take him off their speed-dials.

            And it shows in his work.

      • Roy-in-Boise

         Aren’t we forced to buy auto insurance from private companies?
        Forcing people to stop using the ER for a doctor’s office and not passing those cost’s on to home owners is fine by me.

        • William

           Do you have to buy auto insurance because the federal government tells you to buy it or local/state laws require it? Do you have to buy auto insurance if you don’t own a car? Why stop with medical insurance? Should we not require people to buy unemployment insurance too? Workman Comp. insurance? Why burden the taxpayer and business owner?

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1550427523 Akilez Stamatelaky

        William the Filipino never voted for Marcos for 25 years. A lot Filipino never went to cast their votes during those 25 years. Because Marcos voted himself in office not the Filipino people. Do you remember Reagan who supported Marcos to the bitter end and he was a Republican?

        • William

           Reagan is the one that ordered the U.S. Air Force to fly over Marco’s Palace and his ambassador told Marcos the game was over. Now you can argue he should have done it sooner Carter did nothing when he was in office.

          • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1550427523 Akilez Stamatelaky

            It was a Senator from Masachusetts who helped the Filipino people. Senator Kennedy has to talked to Reagan in order for Marcos to leave office. Did you see the live tv broadcast of Reagan defending the Marcos regime and after that Reagan changed his mind. It is written in Philippine History sir. There were under Democratic Senators that were involved to force Marcos out of office and the rest is history.

          • William

             Are you sure> You know Ted Kennedy reached out to the old USSR to hurt Reagan. Ted used to call Reagan “Ronney Raygun”.

      • Don_B1

        Republicans originated the “mandate” and strongly supported it, considering it constitutional … until Obama and the Democrats incorporated it in the PPACA.

        The ONLY reason for their opposition was to prevent the Democrats from winning support from appreciative voters.

  • WorriedfortheCountry

    Hopefully Tom Brokaw is OK.

  • Shag_Wevera

    I think the world would prefer Obama to Romney.  I have no proof or documentation, just a hunch.

    • William

       I think the world wants a President that can get a budget passed and deal with the overspending by the American government.

      • Shag_Wevera

        I think the world would like to avoid another simplistic saber rattling dullard in the White House.  What do you think?

        • William

           Obama went to war against Libya (without Congressional approval), is dropping bombs in the civil war in Yemen.

          • Don_B1

            That is not anywhere near the scale that Romney’s neocon advisors envision.

  • modavations

    I watched the highlights on C-Span this morning.Both Morning Joe and Wash.Journal showed the clip.Someone deleted use  of the word “God” from the Dem.Platform and deleted Jeruselum as Capital of Isreal.Villaregosa got up and said we must rescind these and proceeded to hold a vote.Three times they voted,and each time the “nays “won(or tied). Finally an Apparatchik popped out and said the motion is passed.The Boos resonated!!!.Mika looked like she was eating a Lemon.
           2 Days ago they had a rousing speech where it was posited “We all belong to the Govt.”!!!Clint Eastwood begs to differ.

  • Yar

    I must say for a vegan, Bill Clinton delivered a lot of red meat last night.

    • DrewInGeorgia

      What about Warren? I know many here absolutely despise Elizabeth Warren and to be honest I’m not exactly crazy about her. Disregarding my personal feelings, I really thought her speech was right on the money.

      • Yar

        I love Warren. She tells truth to power. She would make a great Supreme Court Justice.

  • MadMarkTheCodeWarrior

    Romney’s view of the world is as short sighted as his ill-conceived
    comments were on his World tour.

     

    Hopefully Obama will stay in charge. We don’t need saber-rattling the likes
    of Mitt’s readiness to wage war on Iran. That would be madness. Tried it in
    Iraq… how well that that work out for us? I’m sure Mitt did fine with a blind
    trust which was likely diversified including investments in Halliburton
    and Blackwater et al.

  • burroak

    David Foster’s life story last night at the DNC was gutwrenching; a middle class steel worker of 31 years and president of the steeloworkers, worked in a 100 year old American steel factory. Romney and his corporate raiders bought the mill loaded with debt and sold it for 12 million dollars profit. David Foster and 750 of his coworkers were without work, and their livilhood, pride, dignitiy…..crushed.
    David’s story was one of three of American middle class people who lost their jobs because of Mitt Romney.
    Although Mitt is an American and is entitled to the American dream with success and wealth.   Bu, is that how you do it, view fellow Americans as disposable, treat the middle class worker as garbage.

    • Shag_Wevera

      I’m not sure, but I think you are conducting class warfare.

      • Don_B1

        No, but he is pointing out the truth stated by Warren Buffet, that class warfare is being waged, and his class is winning” [for the last 30 years].

    • WorriedfortheCountry

      How is this about Obama’s foreign policy?

      Oh, I get it.  It is a story about the Chinese dumping steel into the US market and putting many US steel mills out of business long before Obama was in office and after Romney left Bain.

      Very weak.

      • Steve__T

        You know I wondered what happened to all the millions of tons of the steel we sent to china (Twin Towers) Did we give it to them to let them sell it back to us? If so who made that deal.

    • MrNutso

      If it’s this factory:

      http://huff.to/RbBNUO
      Then Frank Luntz says Romney will lose Ohio.

    • William

       How does Dave’s story compare to the 20,000 Delphi workers than Obama took away their pensions and rewarded the UAW workers?

    • WorriedfortheCountry

       Sounds like you are confusing John Kerry with Mitt Romney.

      John Kerry is the one with the yacht.  Built in New Zealand no less.

  • http://www.facebook.com/cnebbe Carver Nebbe

    We are undoubtably better off now from a foreign policy perspective than we were four years ago. The biggest problem, really, is that the expectations were so high for him in this arena that he couldn’t possibly live up to them. This is best illustrated by the ridiculously naive coferment of the Nobel Peace Prize on him before he even had the chance to do anything!

    There are still definitely things which could go better, but there always will be. Obama and Clinton have managed foreign policy very well, though. One of the highlights, incidently, was the WikiLeaks incident, which I thought highlighted more than anything just how rational and intelligent our State Department is!

  • MadMarkTheCodeWarrior

    Why the didn’t the Republican party want Dubya around at their convention?

    He gave the Republican party everything that they wanted – socially, religion-wise, regulation-wise and tax-wise… aside from the steaming ruin of an economy and two unfinished wars that he left behind and our new status as a torture state, he did a great job by all of their measures.

    • Shag_Wevera

      SSSHHHHHH!!!

    • WorriedfortheCountry

       Who said they didn’t want W. to be around?

      W. made that decision.  He decided to be a dignified ex-President and stay away from spreading half truths like others.

      • Don_B1

        “W” was not stupid; he just had a bad set of values based on a less than thorough education and a lackadaisical work ethic.

        Bush could read the “tea leaves” and bow out rather than suffer the full embarrassment of being snubbed.

    • MadMarkTheCodeWarrior

      … Nuf said.

    • WorriedfortheCountry

       We have more Obama debt to date than Bush debt.

      • MadMarkTheCodeWarrior

        W started with a budget surplus. Then he squandered it on the wealthy rather than invest in infrastructure or pay down the debt. DOH!

        Then if you look at analysis of that debt that Republicans blame on Obama, paying for the wars were a big portion… and then there was the steaming pile of refuse called the US economy that beyond TARP has involved a lot of dollars paying for things like unemployment.

        Keep in mind right-wing sources that claim US government has grown. Last year, the USG had in fact been shrunk by roughly 500,000 employees since Obama took office. So has the government really grown? I guess it depends upon what you use as your measure of growth.

        • WorriedfortheCountry

          Check your numbers.  I believe you are looking at state and local employees.  Also, you should include the drop in census workers as temporary.

          • MadMarkTheCodeWarrior

            Point taken, but take note – Homeland security and DoD here:
            http://www.thefactfile.com/wp-content/uploads/2012//fedwork2.jpg

            I failed to mention those caveats.

          • Don_B1

            As usual, “WorriedfortheCountry” has it inverted! It was the RISE in federal employment in the spring of 2009 followed by the drop in the late summer that was a temporary bump up in federal employment.

            Boy, Worried is trying out to better Paul Ryan as the Prevaricator-in-Chief! If you fell for it, even temporarily, think about getting better informed.

      • Steve__T

         When a tree falls you don’t blame the person who cut it down you blame the person who it fell on, real smart, Repubs take the Ax throw it at Obama’s feet then start pointing fingers at him.
        And those who see the Ax at his feet and them pointing are ready to jump him for it. 

      • Steve__T

         When a tree falls you don’t blame the person who cut it down you blame the person who it fell on, real smart, Repubs take the Ax throw it at Obama’s feet then start pointing fingers at him.
        And those who see the Ax at his feet and them pointing are ready to jump him for it. 

        • Don_B1

          While it is not an excuse in any way, I can understand those people who do not follow politics not seeing beneath the Republicans’ snake oil as it is well-crafted, opaque and slippery. But Worried is knowledgeable and not without analytical ability, so his choice to promote deceptive half-truths and full untruths in the quest for some Valhalla that  will be an empty vessel for the vast majority of the American People is really mind-bending.

  • Mouse_2012

    David Sanger the new Judith Miller.

  • http://www.facebook.com/christy.snider1 Christy Snider

    The World is a better place because of Barack Obama.  It is the Democrats who win the Nobel Peace Prize – both Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama have done more good for the World than bad. I thought both Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton were wonderful, but the “Nun on the Bus” was the best! 

  • WorriedfortheCountry

    How popular is Obama’s drone terror from the sky in the world?

    How’s that peace prize working?
     

    • Shag_Wevera

      At least he hasn’t attacked Iran.

    • Ray in VT

      Certainly this is an issue where there has been some criticism of the President from both the left and the right, and I think that the use of drones is problematic politically, both domestically and internationally.  The question, though, is what is the alternative.

      It has been suggested for years that the Pakistani ISI coddles jihadists, and Bin Laden was hiding out on their turf.  So, if we have known terrorists, and we have actionable intelligence on them, but they are in a country that is unwilling or unable to deal with them, then what do we do?

      I don’t much like the idea of violating another country’s sovereignty, and I dislike the civilian deaths that go along with such strikes, but then what do we do?  Nothing?

      • WorriedfortheCountry

         I agree with your sentiments.

        Everything is a tradeoff.  One serious downside of overuse of drone attacks (besides the civil rights issues) is the loss of human intelligence.  Sometimes, the capture of the terrorists can lead to large scale unraveling of the network.

        That is one of the arguments for keeping the killing of Bin Laden secret for a period after the kill so the the intelligence captured could be used against the network.

        • Ray in VT

          There are certainly tradeoffs and conditions that make each situation unique.  While capture may at times be preferential, I am sure that they take into account the risk.  Is it worth sending in a team to capture a guy given x, y and z.

          I don’t know how long we could have kept Bin Laden’s death under wraps, from a practical point of view.  I’m not sure what level of communications the compound was having with the network, and who knows who else around Abbottabad knew about the residents.  We could have slowed the release of the news, and that may or may not have been beneficial, given what information was retrieved and how long that could have taken.  Speaking for myself, though, at the personal, guttural level, I would rather have known immediately.

          • WorriedfortheCountry

             You are probably right they couldn’t keep it secret for long but 24 hours could make a huge difference — depending on what they found.

            It is one of those things that we’ll never know if it makes a difference.

            However, we do know that a Pakistani Dr. is in prison for 30 years because of loose lips.

          • Ray in VT

            That is one thing that I don’t understand.  Why didn’t we make sure that he got out of there?  Of course, I think that he wanted to stay, right?

            From the Pakistani perspective, though, I can see why they’d throw the book at him (even if we want to consider them to be an honest broker and partner against jihadists).  One of their citizens provided information to agents of a foreign power that led to an incursion upon their territory.  I would expect us to act in the same way in an essentially similar situation.

          • Don_B1

            The use of gunships in the attack, fully justified, guaranteed that any attempt to keep it secret beyond a day at most was doomed to failure, and could well have led the ISI to be even more disgruntled.

    • Thinkin5

       I prefer drones hitting specific targets to full scale war. Surgical strikes to giant bluster and thousands of citizens’ deaths. Rational way to deal with a group of terrorists.

      • Michiganjf

        You got THAT right!!!

        … and I’ll still go with international estimates of “hundreds of thousands” civilians dead in the CHENEY/BUSH Iraq fiasco!!!

        BUSH- Hundreds of thousands innocent civilians

        Drones- a few dozen innocent civilians

        Still, NO WAR is preferable, and THAT IS WHERE PRESIDENT OBAMA IS GOING!!!

    • Brandstad

      How is it better to Kill people from the sky than arrest and interogate like bush did. 

      Obama has even Killed at least one american without charges, trial or conviction using a drone attack!  how is this constitutional?

      • Mouse_2012

        Republican agree with this policy.

  • Michiganjf

    Obama and Romney can’t be compared on any policy, really, but especially foreign policy.

    … Romney simply has offerred no policy whatever as a base for comparison!

    … a couple of idiotic soundbytes, sure, BUT WHAT POLICIES, other than an EVEN BIGGER defense budget and more war-mongering so he can “look tough?”

  • dt03044

    Bush/Cheney claimed repeatedly that “they kept America safe from terrorism”.   I guess by that measure, Obama has been equally successful.  Except he actually got Bin Laden, while Bush gave up on that once we had invaded Iraq.

  • Matt Wade

    Romney has appointed far-right neocons as his campaign advisers. He will be beholden to the Tea Party extremists as President. There is zero chance he will govern as a moderate.
     Condoleezza Rice, John Bolton, Cofer Black, Dan Senor, Robert Zoellick, and Michael Hayden were all appointees of George W. Bush and are all advisers to Mitt Romney. 

    http://www.policymic.com/articles/14195/romney-neocon-foreign-policy-advisers-push-romney-to-the-extreme-right 

    • Gregg Smith

      Obama appointed a Communist as jobs czar.

      • Mouse_2012

        That’s sick to claim such

        • WorriedfortheCountry

           Van Jones – Green jobs czar is a communist and proud of it.  No apologies.

          • Gregg Smith

            They’ve probably never heard of him. It’s amazing. I’m biting my tongue about the Mao sympathizers.

          • Mouse_2012

            that’s sick

          • anamaria23

            Please give reference to that statement.

          • anamaria23

            Jobs czar for about one month before being driven out.

          • Gregg Smith

            Glenn Beck outed him so he had to resign. The point I made was that Obama appointed him.

      • Matt Wade

        Double liar.

      • anamaria23

        A brief flirtation with Communism in his youth.
        Your manipulation of the  truth is  troublesome.

        • DrewInGeorgia

          Troublesome but entirely predictable.

          • Gregg Smith

            He was a truther as well. Obama also appointed a gay activist “Safe Schools Czar”, Kevin Jennings, who when approached as a teacher by a 15 year old boy who was having sex with an older man, advised him to use a rubber. He appointed a science Czar, John Holdren, that advocated population control by way of compulsory abortions. Don’t even get me started on Cass Sunstein or Valerie Jarret… or Rev Wright, Bill Ayers and Frank MArshall Davis. These are radical people.

            My reply to Matt Wade was valid as he seemed to think Romney was the one surrounding himself with radicals.

    • Brandstad

      Obama has advisors with links to the Muslum Brotherhood!

      • Matt Wade

        Liar.

      • Mouse_2012

         WorriedfortheCountry  you believe this? Brad you know even Mccain debunked this?

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/JXSANCUDPIKQSPID5KT2U4XK5Y TF

        You really are delusional sometimes.

        • DrewInGeorgia

          Sometimes?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001436729213 Wes Nickerson

    The Democratic Party leadership, in a very undemocratic way, forced through an amendment to the party platform, proclaiming Jerusalem the capitol of Israel, against the will of the delegates at the convention. This is what hypocrisy looks like! Vote Green Party!

    http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7420664n
     

    • Shag_Wevera

      Is it really that big a deal?  You’d rather have Romney and Ryan in the big house?

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001436729213 Wes Nickerson

        This is only a symptom of a disease within the Democratic party, of policy motivated more by fear, than by morality, or democracy, or even by reason.

        I’d rather have leaders that care what the people want, that will fight for the people and the planet, that will do what is right. I don’t see any real leadership from the Democrats or the Republicans. Both Obama and Romney are puppets of the corporations. Who will stand up for us? Jill Stein is a fighter! She will stand up for us! “We must replace the politics of fear with the politics of courage.”

        http://www.jillstein.org/

        • anamaria23

          President Obama has done more for the common good than any in generations and even that is a dent in what needs to be done.
          Jill Stein is naive enough to think that she could step into the Presidency and the world world be saved? 

        • J__o__h__n

          Jill Stein couldn’t even win governor of MA.  Don’t waste your vote. 

  • Ellen Dibble

    Can Sanger help, or someone, on this:  To me, with a Cold War mindset, Romney with his visits to Poland and Jerusalem, seems to be aiming to create or sustain certain gridlocks that the USA managed for the decades of my/his majority.  Israel/Arab and Soviet/West.  Oh, please!  Yes, it was simpler.  The old domino game, the broadbased standoff — it was like Congress, you stand pat till you can make the other side cave somehow.
      This is so much easier than the negotiation route.  The negotiation route does not depend on being richer, more able to preempt, deceive, use privileges of the rich and powerful.  You have to deal with every two or three with their plans for pulling down the whole superstructure.  The Arab Spring shows you how complicated the world can be.  I think Obama is prepared to say, bring it onn (democracy globally).  I’m not at all convinced Romney would.  Much was made last night, by many speakers, about a fair playing field making it possible for new businesses to compete with big businesses, with fewer of them being crushed along the way by the bullying of the big.  The same goes internationally.  Bullying could be said to be the style of the Cold War era.  Please, let that go.  We can do it, speaking for people worldwide.  We don’t want to be us and them, evil empire and divinely right.  I worry even with Obama that sanctions on Iran can push that nation into the arms of North Korea.  I mean, what do you expect?  Actually, didn’t that just happen?

  • Matt Wade

    hahah bush/cheney kept us safe from terrorism….except for that one time…and all those american troops and civilians killed by terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq.

  • J__o__h__n

    Where is the evidence that Romney would be a George HW Bush moderate on foreign policy?  He has no experience to judge him on.  He has stated extremely right wing positions.  He will have to deal with a very right wing house.  His base is ready to turn on him if he doesn’t deliver.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/JXSANCUDPIKQSPID5KT2U4XK5Y TF

      And he can’t say no to his friends.

  • WorriedfortheCountry

    Mr. Sanger — who in the administration leaked the cyber attack information?

    How has this hurt the US?
     

    • hennorama

      This controversy about Stuxnet and Flame malware is interesting, but especially in the case of Stuxnet, leaks were not required to figure out that these were intended as attacks on Iranian computer networks, since over 60% of the infections were in Iran.

      Stuxnet was first detected back in mid-2010 by a computer security company, and when the infections were mapped, it immediately became clear that Iranian computers were the target.  Based on its complexity and obvious targeting, it didn’t take much of a leap of logic to conclude that it was produced by a large organization that didn’t like Iran.

      Hmmmm … now who could that be?

      And if leaks were not required to figure out who produced this malware, and if Stuxnet’s existence was widely known for some time, it’s hard to argue that this “hurt the US.”

  • Mouse_2012

    “ Olympic Games ” if done against the U.S. would be a act of war, don’t forget Obama drones which kills far more civilians than militants, I guess until the WH changed the meaning of what a Militant is(Anyone older than 16yrs

  • Matt Wade

    So a Romney presidency basically guarantees a war with Iran? that’s all i need to know.

    • WorriedfortheCountry

       BS.

    • Acnestes

      You can count on it if he gets in.  He’d go back to Bushie policies, unemployment would spike and his poll numbers go into the toilet.  Knowing what a blessing 9/11 was for the Bushies in the same circumstances they’d gin up some Gulf of Tonkin style incident to get the war wagon rolling.

      • Mouse_2012

        It’s actually Congress and the Media promoting war with Iran often by lies and ommission David S. is one of them.

  • Mouse_2012

    Also omitted or missed on the New IAEA report

    But what should be the most important news in the IAEA report is being buried.  Deep in the August 30 Times piece, readers learn this:
    Some of the 20 percent fuel is in a form that is extremely difficult to use in a bomb, and most of the stockpile is composed of a fuel enriched at a lower level that would take considerably longer to process for weapons use.
    Those findings are quite a bit at odds with the ominous talk of Iran crossing some sort of red line, and the need to strike sooner rather than later.

    http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/08/31/burying-the-most-important-news-on-irans-nuclear-program/

    Also thanks to AIPAC “capacity” is now the new fear word with it’s push to have the U.S. attack Iran

  • Ellen Dibble

    Jordan is seeking to reinvigorate the peace process with Israel, given the Palestinians in Jordan.  Egypt is in a position to help.  Egypt’s Mursi goes to the Non Aligned Members conference in Iran (non aligned with what?), and I’m wondering can someone as persuasive as Clinton explain to the Iranian power people that though taking a stand to destroy Israel may be a rallying cry for a weak regime, it’s a losing proposition?  Give it up, and then it doesn’t matter so much about nuclear uses.  If Iran were an ally (its people don’t seem so far from able to be that), then would we mind if they were armed?

    • DrewInGeorgia

      Mind? He11, if they were an ‘ally’ we’d probably be providing them what they need to be armed without batting an eye. We’re all about the Hegemony.

  • WorriedfortheCountry

    No mention here that Obama ignored the ‘green’ revolution in Iran but promoted the Arab spring that brought the Muslim Brotherhood to power in Egypt.
     

    • J__o__h__n

      He didn’t promote it.  He hedged until it was obvious Mubarak was going to fall.  I doubt the Islamist Spring will end well (as I have since the begining).

      • Mouse_2012

        Amazing how republicans(freedom and democracy party) are claiming obama threw theEgyptian dictator under the bus. After both Obama and Mrs. Clinton supported him to the last minute.

        Don’t forget we still support the openly Islamist Saudi’s and Bahraini right to oppress their people.

    • Brandstad

      Have you seen Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s (R-Minn.) joint inquiry into the influence of theMuslim Brotherhood in the United States government?  They are here and they are influencing both the Dems and the R’s!

      • Mouse_2012

        You are aware this was debunked and Bachmann looked like a fool right? Even Mccain gave his two cents on this one.

      • MadMarkTheCodeWarrior

         Bachmann is a nutcase. Certifiably so!

      • anamaria23

        Please explain theirr influence and who ‘they” are.
        Your accusations are serious and need to be referenced.

        • Ray in VT

          Well, I have in my briefcase a list of some 100 Muslim Brotherhood members currently at work in the U.S. government.  That or a huge bottle of booze.

          • DrewInGeorgia

            My thoughts exactly. Braindead and Worried would have made Joseph McCarthy proud.

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism

          • Ray in VT

            I’m glad that you got my reference, Drew.  The risk is always that someone will take it at face value.

            I wrote a paper as an undergrad on the McCarthy era, and my thesis was about civil rights abuses from 1917-1920ish.  There were some really despicable tactics employed, and people had their lives ruined by such accusations.

            I recall that my high school history teacher said that he wouldn’t tell us his politics either before, during or after the class.  The only point where I recall him getting worked up was over McCarthy, and the distaste that he had for the man and what he had done was quite evident.

          • notafeminista

            All of which begs the point that McCarthy was correct.

          • Ray in VT

            As far as I know he failed to out any secret agents or actual Communists from within the government.  Many of the people that he and his lap dogs “investigated” had been previously checked and cleared during the Truman administration. 

            McCarthy was a fraud (he falsified paperwork to get his WWII medals), a liar and a drunk.  That people would defend him and his ridiculous witch hunt shows how dim a particular segment of the American public is.  He even had the gaul to suggest that President Eisenhower and Secretary of State George Marshall were somehow involved in the global communist conspiracy.

          • notafeminista

            “As far as I know…..”

            Done.

          • Ray in VT

            Yes, as far as I know.  I haven’t read every book on the subject, but I’ve read a number of works.  Tell me, what have you read?  Care to name me some names?

            It was a witch hunt that played into the worst of our Cold War anxieties and fears.  It was deplorable and detestable, as is anyone who would defend him and his goons.

          • notafeminista

            And he was right.  .

            Start here.

            http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/venona/intercepts.html

          • Ray in VT

            He was right that there were spies here.  There is no disputing that.  I am disputing that the people who he harassed, embarassed and ruined were guilty of anything.  The victims of his tactics had largely been previously investigated and cleared.

            Notice that those cables are from 1944, and his activities weren’t really in full swing for another 6-8 years.

            His goons searched libraries for “unacceptable” authors, and some of these books were then burned.  He created paranoia and fear among people whose only crime was to have unpopular opinions or a lively intellectual curiousity.  His own party even tired of his activities and tactics, especially after he became a liability.  I would rather have listened to this voice from his party:

            Get quotes daily
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            Join Goodreads Dwight D. Eisenhower > Quotes Dwight D. Eisenhower quotes (showing 1-50 of 51) “Don’t join the book burners. Don’t think you’re going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don’t be afraid to go in your library and read every book…”, although Tail Gunner Joe tagged him as a commie sympathizer.
             

          • William

             Read about the Venona Project and get back to us.

          • DrewInGeorgia

            You mean VENONA? Conservapedia much?

            A witch Hunt is Still a Witch Hunt.

          • William

             It was an amazing feat accomplished by  some very smart and dedicated people.

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/JXSANCUDPIKQSPID5KT2U4XK5Y TF

        Don’t! Forget! The! Exclamation! Points! it makes every discredited thing you type so much more convincing.

    • Mike_Card

      Why do you say “Obama ignored the green revolution in Iran”?

  • Michiganjf

    To see all the ex-Bushies and Neo-cons coming forward to push for Romney should be enough to scare the Hell out of everyone, American or not, about the possibility of a Romney presidency!

    Better to keep Bolton, Cheney, Krystol, and their ilk, confined to FAUX NEWS and OUT of the White House!

    … lesson learned ALREADY!

    Enough cheerleading for global conflict!!!!!!

    • William

       Do you put Bill Clinton in the same there? He is the one that pushed for and got the Iraq Liberation Act passed. Obama attacked Libya without Congressional approval and is deeply involved with Yemen’s civil wars by sending troops and drones dropping bombs. Is this the new “peaceful tone” he is sending to the Middle East? Be on my side or I bomb you?

      • Michiganjf

        “Obama attacked Libya” is the only stupidity one needs to see in your post to dismiss it utterly!

        • Gregg Smith

          I can see why you wouldn’t want to address William’s most excellent points.

  • Mouse_2012

    Dennis Ross is an AIPAC agent working for a Foreign Country. I don’t believe anything he says(much like Mrs. Clinton)

  • Mouse_2012

    Also missed is acts of Israeli Terrorism against Iran(what the U.S. calls if done to the West or Israel)

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1550427523 Akilez Stamatelaky

    Inherited problems from the Republican Party and blame a black President for their incompetence is priceless.

    • WorriedfortheCountry

       No, they only blame his white half.

      Come on save the race card for real racism.

      • Ray in VT

        Like this birther garbage.  There are some people who will never be convinced that Obama was born in Hawaii, and I don’t think that the legitimacy of this birth and citizenship would be an issue if he was caucasian.

        • http://profile.yahoo.com/JXSANCUDPIKQSPID5KT2U4XK5Y TF

          But there are no birthers in this space! Just reasonable, thoughtful sorts with serious questions about Obama’s birth certificate college transcripts.

          It’s amazing, really. In every other place (except among the Beltway Inbreds), such True Principled Conservatives no longer statistically exist.

          I consider it our privilege to have all of the non-racist right-wingers here, threading those needles and splitting those hairs, while disavowing the hardcore dogwhistle recipients which their side needs to win anything any longer.

          • Gregg Smith

            Aside from the bad grades that would likely show he didn’t deserve to go to Harvard, I’m thinking the foreign exchange student theory makes sense. I forget who made news with it a week or two ago. He was born in Hawaii but would have come from Indonesia for college. 

        • Gregg Smith

          Please Ray. I have too much respect for you to use my usual response. You are speculating hate out of thin air. If you have a case then make it without the word “if”. this troubles me greatly.

          • Ray in VT

            Okay, then why, despite every bit of evidence to the contrary do some fools cling to this idea that he was born somewhere else?  Where is the clamoring for Paul Ryan’s birth certificate?  I haven’t seen it, so I don’t know if he is eligible to be Vice President.  I know that Governor Romney has released his, but I’m pretty sure that it’s a total fake.

            If this has nothing to do with race, then why has it only been such an issue for the one minority guy to make it to the mountaintop?  What makes Obama different?  His name?  Maybe.  That he’s Hawaiian?  Maybe all these people just don’t know that Hawaii is a state.

          • Gregg Smith

            First of all there are not many who do think that way and the press makes it out like everybody and their brother is a birther. By and large no one cares.

            Romney and Ryan have life long roots to communities that Obama has for Kenya and Indonesia. Obama did not release the birth certificate for some time. Those factors are certainly legit to make his situation unique. But he’s black so it has to be racism. Is your logic it must be racism because you can think of nothing else it could be? Maybe it’s just stupidity or hate. Maybe it’s mistrust or ideology. Why race? No one cares what color he is. It’s sick.

            Was the whole birther thing around McCain racist? I can’t remember anyone suggesting so.

            http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/01/AR2008050103224.html

          • Ray in VT

            It’s not everybody and his brother.  I would agree on that point.  There are some out there who have large soapboxes and continue to get attention for their views.  Isn’t there a GOP candidate for Congress from North Carolina who still keeping up the bad fight?

            http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/05/07/147952/nc-gop-candidates-continue-to.html

            You allege that they have life-long ties to their communities.  Or so the Germans would have you believe (Norm McDonald reference).  I am, of course, kidding regarding my questioning of their birth location.

            Life long ties to Kenya?  Please.  That would be like claiming that Obama has some sort of latent anti-colonialism that was passed on to him by his father whom he didn’t meet until he was what 12?  Indonesian ties I’ll give you.  The guy lived there as a kid.  So what?  That doesn’t change that fact that he was born in Hawaii.

            So if it isn’t race, then what is it?  I would concede that many (and I’m being generous here) birthers are probably both stupid and hateful.  Maybe they’re just prejudiced against people with non-Anglo-Saxon names.  I’m sure that there are still some fools who think that Paul Ryan would do the Pope’s bidding.  There are some really stupid people in this world.

            And how many people are questioning McCain’s citizenship today?  I notice that that article is from 2008.  I recall the issue being raised, and it brought up an interesting question, considering that he was born in an area not belonging to the United States.  If such people were not considered natural born citizens, then that would raise plenty of questions regarding the children of military or foreign service officials.  At least there there was a discussable issue as to how to interpret such cases, while Obama was clearly born in an American state.

          • Gregg Smith

            It can be lots of things. I don’t thinks “what else could it be” without a shred of supporting evidence is a valid argument. I think it’s much worse than that but I’ll stop here.

          • Ray in VT

            Well, we can agree that’s it’s pretty ignorant and/or hateful, but then please tell me what else you think that it is.

            What has left this one man open to this sort of prolonged , fact-deprived campaign that makes him so different from those who came before him?

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1550427523 Akilez Stamatelaky

      It is not a race card.

  • Mouse_2012

    Mrs. Clinton is a failure,

    She can’t point to any majory success in her tenture as SOS

  • TinaWrites

    For the most part, Romney’s foreign policies will follow the needs of U.S. armaments dealers who “want to open up markets”.  

  • Matt Wade

    Missile defense? what is this? 1985? I worked for a defense contractor that built aegis missle defense systems. There is no bigger boondoggle in the pentagon. Trying to hit a bullet with a bullet is near impossible and stupidly expensive.

    • Steve__T

       You mean like Regan’s Star Wars ini, cost big time with no results.

  • WorriedfortheCountry

    Lead from behind is refreshing to the Europeans?

  • DrewInGeorgia

    We spend a lot of time in this Country trying to convince each other that one position is the right one and that anyone who disagrees with it is wrong. This is not only counterproductive, it is idiotic. How many times throughout history have those who said they have all the answers had reality slap them in the face and make them look like the arrogant fool that they are? If you think you know everything, you don’t know sh!t. There is a contingent of lunatics, both here and in the general population, that just know that if they were The Boss they could solve The World’s problems. If they were the only one on The Planet they would be right. It gets a little complicated when you add a few Billion people who are all out for their own interests. There’s no point in talking if you’re never willing to listen.

    And for the Supra Geniuses among us (you know who you are), ponder this a moment: What if you weren’t white? What if you were the first non-white President in US history and literally had the weight of the world on your shoulders? I’m sure that you’d fix everything in a jiffy wouldn’t you? I should know better than to ask a bunch of self-centered and ill tempered brats to empathize with someone other than themselves, but then I shouldn’t have to ask.

  • Mouse_2012

    Netanyahu can ‘squeeze’ Obama because media and Congress will take his side if he attacks Iran

    http://mondoweiss.net/2012/09/netanyahu-can-squeeze-obama-now-because-media-and-congress-will-take-his-side-if-he-attacks-iran.html

    It would probably be no exaggeration to say that the prime minister is going around with the feeling that the political future of President Obama is to some extent, perhaps even a large extent, in the Prime Minister’s hands. An Israeli action at the present time would almost certainly expose the president to serious criticism for his fecklessness, which forced Israel, a close ally of the United States, to act alone. Various segments in the US administration, especially the Congress, will make demands to support Israel.All this, when the consequences of an Israeli action for the stagnant US economy are liable to be serious. Under these circumstances, it is not inconceivable that the Prime Minister believes that currently, he can “squeeze” from the president far-reaching commitments in Israel’s favor in exchange for Israeli restraint on Iran.

    • Mike_Card

      Netanyahu is a jerk; yet I believe that he reached his position for exactly that reason.  As long as the US–and most of NATO–keeps supporting Israel, Israel does the dirty work in that neighborhood.

      The risk to the West is that Israel won’t be aggressive against Iran and GOK how many other local countries, if the flow of arms and funds slows.  Israel is, rightly, concerned first for its own security; but Israel understands how its bread is buttered.

      Every time Israel sends out covert squads or performs a covert task, the West doesn’t need to–and is an equal beneficiary.

  • hennorama

    Clearly Pres. Obama’s use of UAVs to attack and kill Al Queda, Taliban and other terrorists has been successful, regardless of your view of whether it’s either legal or moral.  It has also been enormously more cost-effective and less risky than the use of masses of ground forces or even small teams of Navy SEALs.

    The controversy over the open-mic conversation with Medvedev is much ado about nothing.  The Pres. got caught telling the truth – big deal.  And the actual issue of a NATO anti-missile system is a legitimate concern to Russia.  After all, if there was a workable “missile shield,” it would reduce the strategic deterrent value of Russia’s nuclear missiles.

    Of course, that assumes a missile defense system would actually work, which is far from proven.

    The perverse thing about a missile defense system, whether it works or not, is that opponents have to treat them as if they do work.  What will happen then?  A massive buildup of offensive weaponry to negate the defenses.  Not exactly the intended result.

    • DrewInGeorgia

      Exactly, arms races have worked so well in the past. Many think that our Supreme Military Might was what brought The Soviet Union to their knees. It wasn’t. The things which brought the SU down are the same things that have brought the US to its’ current situation. Arms races are good for something, it’s called Corporate Profit.

      As for the Drone Strikes and the outcry over them I totally get it. The reason that direct assassination is prohibited is to prevent the abuse of power by any one Nation or Individual. It doesn’t prevent squat though, look at what happened with Bin Laden. I would much rather a cooperative Special Forces Team approved by a majority of the World’s Nations have gone in and gotten the job done at the onset. And please, don’t anyone try to tell me they couldn’t find him. If you bought that, you’ll buy anything. Yes there would be a risk of Global Bullying, but we wind up with that regardless. Of course if the Global Community had done what they should have to begin with, many wouldn’t have seen the obscene increase in their wealth that has resulted from unnecessary and unjustifiable Military Action.

  • modavations

    Pres.Obama go get the Poor Pakistani Dr.out of that Hell Hole Prison..I won’t vote for you,but you’ll gain my respect!!

  • modavations

    Pres.Obama,we have the resources.If you’d grant the permits and allow drilling ,we could  turn our backs on the Middle Eastern Tyrants.We could finally “End These Endless Wars”.

  • modavations

    Both Parties have run Congess for equal amounts of time.Face the future please.Start with Term Limits.Let the Sequester rip.Allow the Bush Tax Cuts to expire and put every cent towards reducing the debt.My accountant says it will cost me 3000.00 per annum.In the last three years I’ve had to cut my pay in half(ish).I’ve lost 150,000.00.I will gladly toss in 3000.00 per annum.The interset on the debt this year alone is 457Billion.

  • Dee

    Tom,  It is outrageous today the gangster Regime in lsrael
    and their apologists in the Washington (AIPAC & Right Wing Think Tanks, etc ) are upping the anti on Iran today with
    their in your face war mongering at the Democratic & Republican Conventions, Time Magazine and Newsweek,
    and in our local and national newspapers daily and on the airwaves ….

    Just what part of “No War Anywhere” don’t they understand today from the American people, US mayors and retired US
    diplomats , peace groups, anti-war groups and yes, and yes, US Veteran groups? 

    In addition, I find the constant bullying of Iran & Syria with American Power daily by the Zionist apologists including
    Mitt Romney and the hawks in he Republican Camp intoler-
    able and completely out of touch with reality and what must
    be our national and international priorities agenda today…
    (Romney and others looks more & more like the Men from
    Mars with their bullying of Iran & Syria with US Power.) 

    Not to mention, how their daily war mongering on Iran &
    Syria is a reminder how the Zionist war mongers and their
    US apologists have corrupted our US system ofgovernment
    and the English system of government-due to Blair’s invol-
    vement with Bush and Cameron and his hawks continued
    involvement with Libya & Syria today. 

    Plus the corruption of the French & German system of governments due to Sarkozy and Merkels’ involvement
    with Libya & Syria…

    And the list goes on to those who are whoring with US/
    Zionist entity into the Horn of frica today..including,
    those spear heading the the UN Security Council and
    buy into pretexts such as “A Humanitarian Crisis” in
    Syria today….

    I can only imagine how Henry Cabot Lodge and Eleanor
    Roosevelt and JFK are stirring in their graves today…

    Especially,  when they fought so hard to preserve Ameri-
    ca’s dignity and the proper and honest role for the US in
    the  world….Today, the US/Zionist entity have smeared
    this…and our American reputation at home & abroad…

    (See the URL below…Henry Cabot Lodge’s letter to Pre-
    sident Wilson on joining the League of Nations  and
    JFK’s Pax Americana speech at University of Washing-
    ton in 1963. and The Israel Lobby anhumanitarian’s
    Crisis today.)

    Still, I am confident the US/Zionist backed bullying of
    Iran and Syria  (and other ountries leaders ) will not
    win this time as ordinary people like myself are push-
    ing back and others are saying “No Way” and “No War
    In Our Name “ 

    Indeed, I have seen American polls where 50% of the
     US  electorate identiied themselves as “independent”
    and another 25% viewed themselves as “libertarians”
    And just apickings claiming themselves as “Republican”
    and “Democrats” So there is a hugh sea change already
    under way in the American landscape today…Dee

    Henry Cabot Lodge’s Letter toPres Wilson on The League
    http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/lodge_leagueofnations.htm.

    JFK’s Pax Americana Speech at U. Washington , 1963
     http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset-Viewer/BWC7I4C9QUmLG9J6I8oy8w.aspx
    http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset…/BWC7I4C9QUmLG9J6I8oy8w.aspx 

    The Israel Lobby, London Review of Books
    http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/john-mearsheimer/the-israel-lobby

    Who is Behind the atrocities in Syria? Global Research
    http://www.globalresearch.ca/humanitarian-military-intervention-in-syria-who-is-behind-the-atrocities/
    http://www.globalresearch.ca/humanitarian-military-intervention-in-syria-who-is- behind-the-atrocities

    • modavations

      You missed the New Platform.God and Jeruselum have been banished by the Left.I think???Rarely have I laughed so hard.Go watch the Villaregosa debacle and the three votes.I saw it on Morning Joe.Mika looked like she ate a Lemon.

      • RolloMartins

        Not all who call on the name Lord, Lord will make it into heaven, methinks. But let’s all continue the pissing contest to see who mentions Him most.

  • modavations

    Pres.Obama,throwing Jeruselum under the Bus will get you no where in Florida.

    • Dee

      The President and other American leaders should
      have thrown Israeli leaders under the bus a long
      time ago.continued lawlessness against the Pales-
      tinian people and their sovereign and human rights
      is totally uncceptable in today’s human rights world
      and is a violation of international law and the 4th
      Geneva Convention which prohibits the transfer of
      Jewish settlers into the Palestinian territories since
      the 1967 war ….
      Here is Jimmy Carter articulating that long held American position on what Israel is in compliance with….or more than a quarter century, Israeli policy has been in conflict with that of the United States and the international community. Israel’s occupation of Palestine has obstructed a comprehensive peace agreement in the Holy Land, regardless of whether Palestinians had no formalized government, one headed by Yasser Arafat or Mahmoud Abbas, or with Abbas as president and Hamas controlling the parliament and cabinet.The unwavering U.S. position since Dwight Eisenhower’s administration has been that Israel’s borders coincide with those established in 1949, and since 1967, the universally adopted UN Resolution 242 has mandated Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories. This policy was reconfirmed even by Israel in 1978 and 1993, and emphasized by all American presidents, including George W. Bush. As part of the Quartet, including Russia, the UN and the European Union, he has endorsed a “road map” for peace. But Israel has officially rejected its basic premises with patently unacceptable caveats and prerequisites.”www.haaretz.com/…/colonization-of-palestine-precludes-peace-1.182893And now after 60 years of a phony peace process aided by AIPAC…See URL , Many like myself would argue –it is not just time to throw Israeli leaders under a bus but shut down Israel.. Unfort-unately , innocent Israelis will untilimately will suffer as they lose their homes–ifthis lawlessness isn’t turned around.. Yet this lawlessnessand fear mongering cannotgo on. …DeeThe Great Middle East Peac Scam…Henry Siegman
      http://www.lrb.co.uk/…/henry-siegman/the-great-middle-east-peace-process-scam

  • Michiganjf
  • RolloMartins

    Fact checking the GOP versus the Dem convention speeches…so far the GOP is in Pants on Fire mode and the Dems look pretty fair, with just a couple of miscues. Kind of tells you something.

    • William

       WaPo fact checked Clinton’s speech and shot a lot of holes in his “facts”.

      • Gregg Smith

        And the fact checking on politifact on Ryan was full of holes as well.

  • StilllHere

    Now that we have world peace, he should get the Peace Prize

ONPOINT
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