In a breathless display of hypocrisy and hyperbole Jacob Heilbrunn is drumming up the latest attempt by Al Qaeda as all Obama’s fault.  The gist of the article is that President Obama did not lose his mind, overreact and scare the American people to death enough after the attempted attack.

Up in the Air: Obama’s Terrorism Failure

Major 9/11 Commission Recommendations Still Not In Place

TSA, Customs Agencies Still Lack Permanent Leaders

Two al Qaeda Leaders Behind Northwest Flight 253 Terror Plot Were Released by U.S.

Obviously there were big mistakes made to let this man aboard the flight to begin with and from reports most of the blame lies with the State Departments poor screening when issuing him a visa.   About the only article that explained how the system really failed is, “The Trouser Bomber Effect: Watching Government Cure Incompetence with Idiocy“.  Not surprisingly the monetary influence of the suspects father probably played a part in the State Department’s decision to issue a Visa to the suspected terrorist.

Looking at the big picture I see too big problems in this country that is preventing us from solving our problems.  The first is a whole political party that refuses to cooperate and make this country better for political reasons who is supported by enough of the public to aid and abet their obstructionism.  The fact that there are dozens of appointments being blocked by the GOP in the Senate truly shows the depths of the GOP’s efforts to hinder progress or even a more competently run government.

The second is the shear volume of problems Bush left this country with in the first place.  Even with a good plan to triage all of this country’s problems there are just too many problems to fix in a short amount of time.

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javaz
Member

Looks like Newt will have a fun time on MTP or whatever show(s) he’ll be on this Sunday.

Newt says Obama cares more about the rights of terrorists than the safety of Americans and Newt is also demanding that Eric Holder and Janet Napolitano resign.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/30/gingrich-terrorist-rights/

Gingrich/Palin 2012?

AdLib
Admin

FYI: I moved all comments connected to the confusion over the “Request Deletion” function to the Help Desk.

In future, please post all questions about technical issues at the Help Desk so we can respond quickly and not disrupt other threads.

You can find a link to the Help Desk at the top of the far right column (titled, “CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE HELP DESK”), here’s the direct link which you can bookmark to keep handy: http://planetpov.com/2009/12/24/help-desk

BTW, as you know, The Planet is a dynamic site which we update and improve all the time, to make it a better and better place for the membership.

When functions are added or updated, they may appear differently. We will update the membership on major new additions or feature changes but do keep in mind that minor changes will occur from time to time. In this case, we have updated the function that allows you to edit your comments to the newest version. We have also updated WordPress to the newest version which has a few minor changes in appearance here and there.

Thanks!

abby4ever
Guest

Ad Lib…and everyone else too:

The confusion over the ‘Request Deletion’ thing was entirely mine, and the disruption was entirely my fault.

Apologies to all.

abby

kesmarn
Admin

abby,speaking for myself, no need to apologize. I can see how the confusion might have arisen. Please keep posting your very valuable insights!

javaz
Member

Was it Will Rogers that said, “The Best Defense we have as a nation is the Atlantic and Pacific”? or something like that.

Europe has dealt with terrorism for years.
Ireland had, and still has the IRA, even though they are more complacent now, but France had the nail bombs in their public trashcans and since that happened, they no longer have those type of receptacles in Paris.

We’ve been lucky, until 9/11 and we’re lucky again since thwarting the shoe-bomber under BushCO, and now the Amsterdam bomber over Detroit.

I lived in Paris, right after 9/11, January of 2002 was when we flew over there to live for 2 years.
They had armed military everywhere on the subways and trains, because the United States being attacked like we were on 9/11, echoed throughout the world.

They set up blocks by schools, and they took so many precautions beyond what they already had in place.

Let me tell you, that riding the trains and subways, and seeing men and women in full military dress with guns, and I mean BIG guns strapped on, was discomfiting, but comforting nonetheless.

While we were in France, there were more terrorist attacks in other areas of the world, such as the subway in Japan, whereby so many were killed and then the relief workers going in, heard all the cellphones ringing from the dead.

We have to accept the threat as real, and we must never be off-guard.
We must be aware.

And we in the US have another problem beyond Europe, where guns are not so easily accessible.

We must worry about our fellow Americans doing drive-by shootings, or like what just happened recently here in the Phoenix area.

A 43 year old woman was shot and killed after shopping at K-Mart, and her killers were caught, but they killed her for a gang initiation.

And two days before Christmas, a 57 year old woman who always jogged in her upper class neighborhood was gunned down, and there are no suspects.

We live in a violent world and a violent gun-loving America, yet we’re not safer.

And you laugh at me for being paranoid.

javaz
Member

Guess I forgot Pepe’s KISS suggestion – Keep it simple stupid!
DOH!

Emerald1943
Member

Interesting perspective! I know the genie is out of the bottle, but I wonder what things would be like if we didn’t have that darned 2nd amendment. (Oh boy! I’ll bet I’m gonna’ get grilled on that comment!)

Pepe Lepew
Member

Well, today, I trademarked my ” I blame Obama

javaz
Member

Disney might be interested.

escribacat
Member

I want one!

boomer1949
Member

Me too, me too!

AdLib
Admin

I found this on the Intertubes:

Blame

abby4ever
Guest

There is another hp article about the recent terror incident, by John Gambrell, which does not blame Obama. Rather, it asks us to feel sorry for Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, telling us how lonely and depressed and confused he has apparently been.

Hello? Millions of people are lonely and depressed and confused; they do not, however, pack explosives into their trousers and set out to blow up 300 people in mid-air.

javaz
Member

How anyone can continue to read HP is beyond me.
If I click on an article and it leads me to HP, I quickly close the browser as I refuse to read that garbage.
As far as I am concerned, HP is a rightwing rag by a rightwing hag.

BigDogMom
Member
BigDogMom

javaz, tell us how you really feel…LOL!

javaz
Member

I’m rather proud that I did relay my feelings without one cuss word!

bito
Member

x10 I find little use for that site. The only time I might go there is because of a link.

nellie
Member

I still check it out. I want to know what the progressive community is being told by its “leadership.” I should go to Kos more often for the same reason, but that site feels so disorganized.

And I keep posting because I feel obligated to turn the conversation back to the GOP and its obstruction — otherwise no one would ever say it over there.

abby4ever
Guest

‘Request Deletion’ for WHAT? A strong opinion?

Scheherazade
Member

I don’t know who is posting that on there. 🙁

javaz
Member

Are you talking here or on HP?

Scheherazade
Member

She means on here.

javaz
Member

No way on here.
It must be a glitch if it’s happening here.
Heck, I’d’ve been banned from here if that were so.

Scheherazade
Member

Abby, try to hover over it. See if it’s a link. I think I know what you’re talking about. It’s there so that you can request that your post be deleted if you wish. Like say you posted something and had a change of heart about it then you could request it be deleted.

bito
Member

abby, if you want I’ll hit “report comment”. Never knew wnt that link did! 😆

javaz
Member

Paranoia runs deep
Into your mind it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid

Whoa, some freakiness going on – I’ve got to lay off the coffee!

abby4ever
Guest

Never mind this post, it’s based on a confusion….

quelle surprise, abby is confused.

javaz
Member

pas problem.

Happens to me all the time.

javaz
Member

pas des problem.

Happens to me all the time.

I just had it happen to me!!!

Freaky.

I tried editing, and it did some very weird thing.

YIKES.

Maybe I should switch from coffee and have a glass of wine.

escribacat
Member

I see that too, on my own posts. I assume it allows us to delete our own posts if we decide we don’t like something we said! 🙂

abby4ever
Guest

To escribacat and everyone who has looked into the ‘REQUEST DELETION’ thing on my posts (next to the little red garbage can icon):

Thank you for your efforts. Scheherazade has kindly explained it all to me. I thought someone was requesting that my posts be deleted because they were offensive or something, and I couldn’t understand what was so wrong with what I said about the ‘sad and lonely’ terrorist. I’d never seen ‘REQUEST DELETION’ (or the little red garbage can) before.

Apologies if I alarmed anyone.

abby

:[

javaz
Member

I’m paranoid as hell anyway, and for some reason, Pepe always replies to me that they want me paranoid, and that statement alone makes me even more paranoid.
What does Pepe know that I don’t?

Well, actually Pepe and everyone else knows a lot more than I do, but when it comes to my paranoia, oh, my head hurts.

bito
Member

😆

abby4ever
Guest

LOL !!!

Pepe Lepew
Member

OK, I’m outing myself.

I’m actually Ramirez.

… or am I?

kesmarn
Admin

heh heh heh…and you all knew that Andrea C was lurking here, but who knew that she was really….aiii….
….
…..?

javaz
Member

What does that mean?
Are you now Spanish or Mexican or Cuban and not French?
Or am I?

javaz
Member

You do like messing with my head, n’est ce que pas?
Or whatever.
I never did get the French writing thing down.

Pepe Lepew
Member

n’est ce pas.

javaz
Member

That’s it!
You’ve corrected me before.
So, are you really Ramirez?
And if so, does that mean you are a sexy skunk, but with a Spanish accent?

nellie
Member

HP seems to be doing all it can to make progressives look ridiculous.

Scheherazade
Member

nellie, do you know why abby keeps getting “Request Deletion” being put into her posts? 🙁 I’ve never seen it happen before.

Ohhhh nvm I see what it is…

nellie
Member

It seems like WordPress (our hosting service) is doing some upgrading today. Some of the forms are different, the post options are laid out differently. (Or perhaps AdLib is working behind the scenes…)

Emerald1943
Member

What the heck are you guys talking about? I have not seen “Request Deletion” or a little red garbage can either in anything! I think you guys are smokin’ something! 🙂

javaz
Member

Well, here it is fellow Planetarians, our answer to HP.
Yes, step right up and read who is pledging to take on HP!

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/05/28/tucker-carlson-plans-a-huffington-post-rival/

“”Tucker Carlson Plans a Huffington Post Rival””

Mr. Bow-tie, I’mma-conservative-Jon-Stewart-wannabe-taking on HP!

(I promise this is my last one and may I nominate myself for the most annoying poster on the PPOV?)

nellie
Member

“We want to be creators of news.

javaz
Member

Tucker Carlson had a show on PBS, and we used to watch it, even though it was difficult.
PBS canceled him, because viewership fell, and on his last show for PBS, he whined about the “liberal” PBS canceling him because ‘liberals’ can’t handle the truth or opposing viewpoints.
This, about PBS that has Charlie Rose and interviews Kissinger regularly among other Republicans and this, about a station that airs “Religion and Ethics”, which by the way, is an excellent show.
Tucker Carlson tries hard, but he’s no Ann Coulter or Glenn Beck.
Heck, he even failed, like DeLay, on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ or whatever show that is on Fox.

nellie
Member

Carlson is a lightweight with a glass jaw.

javaz
Member

Carlson is an asshat.

nellie
Member

That, too. 🙂

bito
Member

j’avaz, O/T do you watch PBS out of Phoenix or Tucson? Or both?

javaz
Member

We watch PBS from Tempe and ASU.
With the converter box for digital, we get 4 PBS stations, and we love them all, well, the 4th one is all music with desert scenes, but it’s good for mood music.
Do you do free TV with a converter box?
If so, channel 3 here in Phoenix, just added ‘THIS’ TV and it’s all movies, most old, but some fairly new.

escribacat
Member

It will be interesting to see how it compares. I’ve never been able to take Carlson seriously with that dumb bowtie he wears. Gawd.

Hopeington
Member
Hopeington

I’m supposed to be working, but I have to add my 2 cents.
I saw this article, that for some reason, disturbed me more than all else I’d seen over at HP. I read it on the 24th, the day they posted it, and it was already closed for comments, which I found strange.
It is utterly shameless Obama Bashing at it’s high point.
Fox would be proud!!
How to combat this ceaseless attack of rethoric in the upcoming election cycle is my biggest concern.
We need a plan or these folks will tire us out. ?????
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-peter-breggin/what-if-president-obama-s_b_402955.html

javaz
Member

Maybe it’s the new coffeemaker from Santa, but today I am revved up and ready to go!

(it did help to take a few days off for frivolity, but I’m ready to take it on now)

YES WE CAN.
And yes, we will!
Fired up and ready.

nellie
Member

I notice comments are closed for that piece of nonsense. He must have been getting pilloried.

Step by step, HP is increasing the right wing voice on the site. I’m expecting the progressive pretense to be thrown aside entirely within the next two years. Too bad for Tucker Carlson. He thought he’d found a new niche.

escribacat
Member

Nellie, I have an idea for the AH “project” you mentioned last week. I think it was Tiger who posted the link to the AH column archives. I skimmed through some of them and thought it was be interesting to do a more thorough job of that and track her trajectory over a period of years, based on her own writings. It would take some time but could be very revealing.

nellie
Member

I saw those columns. I thought they were fascinating.

That she could transform a personal blog of such a modest quality into the Huffington Post is pretty remarkable. Arianna definitely has a good head for business.

I was thinking about looking at those columns to find out why and when her politics changed. Might be interesting to know that.

I’m also thinking HP might not be the only site to look at. It’s the demoralizing that I have a problem with. We need to find a different way.

javaz
Member

This bullhockey from the “Fair and Balanced” station has got to stop –

http://rawstory.com/2009/12/simmons-obama-emboldened-terrorists/

“”Wayne Simmons, a former CIA agent and member of the military analysts program, which the New York Times outed in 2008 as a Pentagon propaganda effort, told Fox’s Brian Kilmeade that terrorists are “emboldened” to attack the United States and its allies because “they recognize … that there will be no repercussions from the Obama administration.”””

This just makes me sick.

javaz
Member

I’m liking Reid more and more –

Harry Reid is going to push for the vote for a new TSA director no matter DeMint’s shouts about unions.

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2009/12/29/cloture_tsa

nellie
Member

I’m a big fan of Harry Reid. I like people who don’t bluster but get things done.

javaz
Member

Yup, he does seem to walk softly and carry a big stick.
He appears to be a gentleman, and that is a trait sorely lacking in today’s political atmosphere.

KevenSeven
Member

What adult, in his right mind, can believe, with all the passenger flights across the world, that no terrorist will ever again board an airplane?

One can always say that the admin did not do enough. No admin has ever done enough about anything.

But compare that to BushCo’s reaction to the Aug 6 PDB.

The gulf between doing NOTHING and and not doing enough is absolute.

bito
Member

Some on the RW are calling for racial, religious and name profiling.
With a billion followers of Islam, that should do it! What are they going to do ask everyone what their religion is before one can fly? Oh, that will be foolproof. I would never lie on that form. If I had a criminal mind I wold never use a forged passport with a different name and country of origin.
Perhaps, they could just ask everyone that flys: “are you going to commit suicide? Are you going to blow up or hijack this plane? Are you going to commit mass murder? Did someone else pack your suitcase?”
That should do it. NO ONE would lie about that, would they?

SueInCa
Member

Yes and if they are not rightwing fundamentalists, they go in the “further scrutiny” line.

bito
Member

Sue, I was in that group for my draft physical. 🙂

javaz
Member

B’ito!!!
Your name here does sound a bit’o foreign.
Sheriff Joe could take over the TSA, since he’s a master at profiling.
And the truly scary thing about that, is that some have already suggested that Sheriff Joe be in charge.

bito
Member

J’avaz, thanks for the mail.
I’m sure Kyl and McCain would be ardent sponsors of him for TSA. (can he tell the difference between Mexican and “us people” ?)

javaz
Member

You are very welcome.
You had us worried.
Did you see what Kalima wrote about being robbed?

bito
Member

I will try to catch her when she gets here during her morning. That was sad. Stress is not good for her health!

Bernard Marx
Member

I’m with you on this one. This is the reality of the world we live in.

Personally I think the hysteria is unjustified. There will be attacks again. This one failed. That’s good.

Emerald1943
Member

One point I thought was interesting…Congressman Alan Grayson was interviewed a couple of weeks ago on MSNBC. He stated that there were over 100 bills sitting in the Senate that had been passed by the House but not taken up in the Senate. The Senate is not doing its job! The republicans somehow seem to be able to hold up everything. It’s total gridlock! What is it with these guys?? 🙁

KevenSeven
Member

The thugs are deliberately obstructing everything that they possibly can.

Bipartisanship, my hairy ass.

escribacat
Member

One thing has become clear to me during the past year, the Senate rules for passing legislation and approving appointments are seriously messed up.

nellie
Member

The senate needs a major shake up. The rules need to change, the filibuster needs to go. And the GOP members need to be replaced with Barbara Boxers, Al Frankens and Bernie Sanderses!

KevenSeven
Member

Yeah. And I need a goddam pony.

SueInCa
Member

Another note on Republicans have they forgotten that Richard Reid too made it on to an aircraft with bomb materials in his shoe? The passengers and crew were also credited with helping to foil his attempt. This, at a time when Marshalls were supposed to be flying incognito on flights.

Funny, i almost put lines between the letters bomb LOL some habits are hard to break

Emerald1943
Member

LOL! I know what you mean! I am still doing the same thing!

SueInCa
Member

Let’s face it, we have a conservative(for the most part) run MSM. I have seen CNN as of late, respond a little more honestly for both sides, but the Republicans give good theater. They are angry, obstinate and can make up the best excuses in the world for their actions, and no one questions them except for Keith, Rachel and now Suzanne Malvaeu. IMHO she should replace Wolf Blitzer. He has not been effective since the first gulf war. An example of their rhetoric, Orin Hatch responded to the AP yesterday about the Medicare Part D bill,
Six years ago, “it was standard practice not to pay for things,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. “We were concerned about it, because it certainly added to the deficit, no question.” His 2003 vote has been vindicated, Hatch said, because the prescription drug benefit “has done a lot of good.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389×7339937

Emerald1943
Member

The day I gave up on CNN was on a Sunday show with John King. He was interviewing Peter Orszag about the economy. His question was, “Is President Obama so timid that he’s afraid to get his hands dirty?”

That is a verbatim quote that absolutely frosted me!!

SueInCa
Member

John King is a pimp {{{{disgust}}}}}}}. I am choosy about what I watch over there, Suzanne has proven so far to be fair, Rick Sanchez, Amanpour, Fareed and Tony(in the morning) is all I normally watch. The rest are pimps.

escribacat
Member

Max Blumenthal has a very interesting column over yonder on the topic of Obama Disappointment. I’m not sure I agree with him but the topic is fascinating. The gist of it is that many people were almost in a religious fervor over Obama that mirrored the right-wing evangelical zealotry. One good quote:

“At a rally in South Carolina, Oprah Winfrey referred to Obama as “The One,” a fusion of Jesus and Neo from The Matrix.”

I can’t say I was in a religious ferver, but I was certainly smitten with the guy and the miracle of his election. Yet, I must have had realistic expectations because I’m not experiencing the deep anger and disappointment that many others express now.

(Blumenthal also claims that Obama flirted briefly with membership in the Republican Party, which was news to me.)

Blumenthal says it’s these former Obama zealots who are now attacking him for disappointing them so deeply.

But who are these disgruntled progressives? Is it really the crushed zealots or is it people who never really quite supported him? Is it PUMAs? I think most of the Obama-bashers over yonder are actually Pumas and Nader/Kuchinich supporters. Why are some of us still with the president and some of us have turned on him? What are the psychological differences in our make-up?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/obama-the-fallen-messiah_b_404531.html

nellie
Member

Thanks so much, e’cat. As usual, Bloomenthal is comprehensive and insightful. The essay is also on Blumenthal’s site here.

What I especially like about this piece — Max is a genius, I’m convinced — is that he calls out the Big Names who contributed to the distortion of Mr. Obama’s platform, which ultimately led to the misguided expectations of the progressive community. Those of us who actually listened to the man knew he was no progressive. And we voted for him expecting bipartisan efforts, constitutional review of everything, and a centrist governing style. Which is exactly what we got.

If anything, Mr. Obama has been more progressive than I expected him to be.

Emerald1943
Member

Nellie, OT but I went back and re-did that campaign finance piece and just posted it. Hope this will be okay.

nellie
Member

Looks good to me!

bito
Member

When did the progressive movement become to be the “radicals, whiner, quitter, take my ball home, no memory” movement?

nellie
Member

In 2009, lol!

KevenSeven
Member

Have you forgotten 2000?

KevenSeven
Member

I know for a fact that much of the vitriol that I see is coming from assorted PUMAs and Puritans who never accepted Obama’s nomination. Jane Hamster is a fine example.

It is hard to recall the vehemence against Obama from the left during the primary. As if somehow Hillary was more purely liberal.

Really.

SueInCa
Member

LOL, Hillary is as much a hawk as McCain in some areas. I did support her initially but when I took the time to really compare platforms, Obama won out. I give her and Bill credit for coming over, but I know there was a motive there. I really really liked Bill Clinton but some of the issues he has been embroiled in have taken off a lot of that lustre

escribacat
Member

I agree, Sue. I voted for Hillary in the primary but I think we ended up with the better candidate. Hillary voted in favor of the Iraq invasion, after all, and Obama was against it.

KevenSeven
Member

Anybody who has been following my comments for the last few years knows that I have very little regard for either of the Clintons.

I think that the two of them did substantial harm to my party. Bill especially.

Why he could not control his zipper is beyond me. Why could he not make an accommodation with some 40 year old Georgetown Socialite? Somebody prepared to be discrete, and who, if her relationship came out, would not cause people to think “uhg! Cradle robber!!!”?

nellie
Member

Jane Hampshire at Firedog Lake is a great example, But we also have writers like Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein, and David Sarota leading a progressive drumbeat of dissent. If you check in with AlterNet, it’s all Obama bashing all the time.

It’s a real problem And it’s one that progressives need to address.

escribacat
Member

I agree, Nellie. I think it’s a serious problem. I don’t want to see us facing another 2000/Nader debacle.

KevenSeven
Member

Greenwald is OK by me, although I get exhasted following him.

I need to read Klein. Alternet, I’ll take a pass.

nellie
Member

Greenwald has been utterly unreasonable.

Marion
Member

Klein’s another fame whore who’s tripping on her own self-importance. In fact, she’s flaming arrogant. Here’s a link from a Guardian op-ed, the writer of which is American. It just reeks of her arrogance and ignorance:-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/dec/24/naomi-klein-obama-reparations

BTW, she’s Canadian. Sorry, but you don’t come into another person’s country and start dissing the government, especially when you’ve made a vast amount of money off America. As far as I’m concerned, Naomi Effing Klein can just b*gger on back to Canada and comment on Stephen Harper’s perceived ineffectuality.

Marion
Member

I think Chris Matthews had them pegged a couple of weeks ago, saying he wasn’t even sure they were Democrats. They’re obviously very young – possibly first-time voters or people who’ve never voted before or for a long time. One woman on HP ripped me a new one, saying she voted for Obama and that was the first time in 20 years she’d voted.

I do think they bought into the rock star image and patently didn’t bother to listen to him at all, just gazed at the image. I watched clips of his Convention speech here in the UK with colleagues from work who were totally amazed at the looks of blithe adoration from some of the crowd.

These are the selfsame people who are saying Obama promised not to go into Afghanistan (he did; it was the “good” war), that he was for single-payer (he wasn’t) and that he promised everyone a job with a 6-figure salary and a house with a swimming pool. In other words, they projected their own political fantasies onto him; and now they’re disappointed because he’s being a politician, a pragmatist and governing from the centre … as you do.