A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Sorties

Glenn links to the normally astute Michael Ledeen, who wonders why Obama is OK with the brutality against civilians taking place in Syria:

I flunked arithmetic, so I’m not saying much about the Big Deal.  But it should be noted that last Friday, 194 Syrians in total died. 123 people were killed in Dara’a alone.

...

Which logically leads us to the question that should certainly be asked at tomorrow’s press conferences at the White House, the UN, and the Department of State:  what about that presidential statement to the effect that America cannot stand by silently when a tyrant is slaughtering his people?

If it’s good enough for Qadaffi it’s good enough for Assad, don’t you think?  Indeed, the Assad case is far more important, because he kills Americans.

Let's quote the President more carefully - here is Obama explaining the Libyan intervention to a puzzled nation:

[A]s President, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action.

I haven't seen images of slaughter and mass graves from Syria.  Sure, there are eyewitness reports of government violence, but until CNN provides video rubbing it in Obama's face, it's not a political reality.

 

Comments

[clarice]

Forehead smack..Of course that's it.

[clarice]

Oh, just boo hoo
The final member of the “Newsweek Six” has left the building.

Jonathan Alter, the only remaining member of the gang of television-loving newsweekly scribes so dubbed by Slate’s Jack Shafer, is no longer with the publication.

He sent a note to his contacts over the weekend saying, “With changes afoot, my old Newsweek email addresses are now defunct.”

Andrew Kirk, spokesman for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, confirmed that Alter was “no longer with Newsweek.”

His exit was preceded by fellow “Six” members Howard Fineman (Huffington Post), Michael Isikoff (NBC News), Fareed Zakaria (Time), Jon Meacham (Random House) and Evan Thomas (Princeton).

[Danube of Thought]

The descent of Newsweek under the stewardship of Tina Brown into an object of ridicule makes me smile every time it comes to my attention.

[lyle]

Howard Fineman (Huffington Post), Michael Isikoff (NBC News), Fareed Zakaria (Time), Jon Meacham (Random House) and Evan Thomas (Princeton)...

...were found at the bottom of the ocean. Otherwise known as..a good start.

[That's gonna amuse me for a lot of Saturdays.]

OK, where's the 'I mowed the lawn, washed the car, but what I really wanted to do was launch an airstrike against Syria' remark.
===============

[Sue]

For some reason, Syria is not on Hillary and that other chic's radar. Who is that other chic? I can't remember her name.

[hit and run]

Who is that other chic?

Obama?

[narciso]

It was at the opening of the Ace thread on the indespensability of golf, I think you mean, Samantha Power, Sue.

[Ignatz]

--For some reason, Syria is not on Hillary and that other chic's radar.--

The reason is Syria is directly opposed to our strategic interests and is a client state of a large difficult adversary in Tehran.
Libya is of no strategic importance to us at all and so is a good place to distract attention and look tough without actually putting anything at risk, or so they think.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

More money for Arianna I guess.

[Sue]

That's it. Obama. ::grin:: Samantha Power Thanks, narciso. Wish I had your memory. Or even a tiny bit of it.

[Sue]

Oh no. I'm leaving and won't be back until the page turns. Sorry!!!!!

[DebinNC]

Obama wouldn't have acted in Libya without the Arab League's permission. Once the bombing started and the AL's permission was apparently withdrawn, in comes the African League to save Obama's Libya debacle. The Arab League won't give Obama its permission to move against Syria or Iran, and imo he won't move without it.

[Sue]

Or I could hang around and post to speed up the process.

[Sue]

Go ahead Jane. Beat me up. I'm prepared.

[Sue]

I guess I can try and fix it for those in IE.

[DebinNC]

Oh dear..so very sorry y'all. Many thanks to whichever kind soul closes the italics for me.

[Sue]

Oh DebinNC, if only you were to blame. It was me.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

Harrummph Sue. Now I will have to get some work done until we get to page 2.

[hit and run]

Go ahead Jane. Beat me up. I'm prepared.

I'll get the mud pit ready...

[narciso]

Remember our concerns, when they disbanded the interrogation program, they were more than warranted:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-cia-interrogation-20110411,0,2236422.story

[hit and run]

Sue:
For some reason, Syria is not on Hillary and that other chic's radar.

When I first read this,I read it as Sylvia.

[DebinNC]

Well, Sue, I've done the same so many times I just assume now it's me.

[anduril]

Re Syria, this is both informative and explanatory, i.e., not mere information: Death Warrant of Ancient Christianity. Several conclusions to be drawn, or issues to confronted at any rate.

[anduril]

Sometimes the devil you know...

[anduril]

If we don't do nuthin' we don't own nuthin'. How'd ya like to won Syria? With Lebanon next door, to boot.

[Ah, hahaha. Hahahahaha. Ah hahaha. Oh, I can't breathe.]

"Who is this bland,timid guy who doesn't seem to stand for anything in particular?"
===========

[Extraneus]

Why are you guys still using Firefox < 4.0? Or does it happen in Safari, too?

[Extraneus]

No italics on Safari 5 for Windows.

[Danube of Thought]

Ext, I'm using 4.0. I take it your question ("<4.0") means versions earlier than that--right?

[Danube of Thought]

Poor old Jerry Brown

...believes the country hasn’t been this divided since the Civil War.

This week Brown has been using Civil War metaphors at his public events to describe the deep divisions in California, and the entire country for that matter, preaching with the passion of a born-again that the country is dangerously polarized.

“We are at a point of civil discord, and I would not minimize the risk to our country and to our state. It is not trivial. I’ve been around a long time, I’m a student of history, I’m a student of contemporary politics. We are facing what I would call a ‘regime crisis.’ The legitimacy of our very democratic institutions are in question,” he said.

[Ignatz]

My nominee for stupidest headline of the day;
Why Do People Cheat on Their Taxes at CNBC.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

So 2:00 is approaching - do we know which republican the Wisconsin DA plans to go after?

[narciso]

Does it really matter, the point is to criminalize center right politics, personnel
and initiatives.

[Extraneus]

Yes. Earlier versions didn't understand if someone in a subsequent post closed the italics or bold tag. Firefox version 4.0 does, and I just checked Safari on a PC, so I guess the only browsers that have the issue is Firefox versions earlier than 4.0. I didn't check Safari on a Mac, or Chrome.

[I have no clue how to heal the division.]

DoT, Jerry's not so far off. We have a deeply divisive culture war.
==================

[henry]

From Lakeshore Laments (LUN):

Railroad executive William E. Gardner is being charged with two felony counts of violating campaign finance laws for reimbursing his employees for making donations in political contests, including last year's governor's races, sources said Monday.

Basically he reimbursed employees (from corporate funds) who gave to Walker's campaign. All money was returned by Walker, around $43,000. Everything happened last August. Legal Insurrection has more.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

Ex,

If you upgrade to 4.0 can you get the tool bar easily? I hate wrestling.

[DebinNC]

Jane, maybe it's the railroad exec. Walker donor already mentioned. DA Ozane says he's recommending no jail time. Meanwhile, Ozane refuses to arrest the WI woman who terrorized 16 families with death/bomb threats.

[Danube of Thought]

Anybody know anything about 4.0 and the Narcisolator?

[Extraneus]

I thought I saw a discussion the other day between people who got the Text Formatting Toolbar working in 4.0. I had 0.1.4.12 installed, and it says it's disabled now, incompatible with FF 4.

[Extraneus]

I removed 0.1.4.12, then searched for Text Formatting Toolbar. 0.1.4.12 got installed, and after restarting Firfox, it seems to works.

[Sue]

Are we there yet?

[Extraneus]

Sorry, 0.1.4.10 got installed.

[narciso]

Doesn't Gardner that light rail is the future, that'll teach him, so he gave more
than the Koch brothers, he's the real mastermind, sarc,

[Sue]

Obama regrets his no vote on raising the debt limit while Bush was president. Go figure...

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

Thanks Henry,

It sounds like a hypocritical, but not terrible thing.

[Sue]

Okay, I upgraded to 4.0 and the italics are gone. Sorry for those who are still dealing with them.

[DebinNC]

Let's not forget pre-inaugural Obama's insistence that Pres. Bush release the remaining half ($350B) of the TARP funds, chiding Bush's failure to account for the first half and promising to "rebrand" the second.

[DebinNC]

NYT previews Obama's Wed. budget speech - He'll be speaking at a university "here" and will talk broadly about goals but offer no details. What a leader.

[JM Hanes]

"OK, where's the 'I mowed the lawn, washed the car, but what I really wanted to do was launch an airstrike against Syria' remark.

It's going to amuse me for a lot of Saturdays too! Here's the original.

[Captain Hate]

What is more, while Mr. Obama proposed a five-year freeze on the growth of domestic spending, he recommended increases in education, research, infrastructure and clean-energy programs — emphasizing that although deficit reduction is important, so are investments to create jobs and skilled workers.

When is a freeze not a freeze. Does Urkel O'Mulligan even know the definitions of the words he uses?

[Neo]

The power of the "dark side"

Bart Stupak, the former Democratic Congressman, has joined Venable LLP. Among Venable's clients: Planned Parenthood of Maryland.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

Obama and his handlers have apparently decided to emulate the Governor in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas:

Ooh I love to dance a little sidestep, now they see me now they don't-I've come and gone and, ooh I love to sweep around the wide step,cut a little swathe and lead the people on.

[centralcal]

DoT: My Greasemonkey and Narcisolator work on both my home and work computers - and I have had no problems at all since upgrading them to FF 4.0.

I never ever see anduril, only an occasional idiot fellow JOMer talking to him.

[Threadkiller]

Leave it to Jerry Brown to try to reference something to the 19th century. What a dope. Nobody has any time here for stupid things that were said or done way back then.

[centralcal]

oops - that italicized idiot was part of accidental cut and past that I thought Ideleted and is not related to my above comment.

[Neo]

For crying out loud ...

Mystery scars on Obama's head prompt another question from conspiracy theorists - has the President had brain surgery?

no, I think it's just a bad haircut

[Hugh Dudgeon]

4.0 and the Narcisolator?

Works just dandy. Only diff- after you upgrade you need to turn on the Add-on bar to see the smiling monkey.

[Threadkiller]

Good point Neo.
Since "everybody's gotta take a haircut" , I hope I don't get the same barber.

[Neo]

I think we all knew this was coming ...

A federal appeals court is refusing to lift a stay blocking major parts of a tough Arizona law targeting illegal immigrants from taking effect.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday turned down an appeal filed by Gov. Jan Brewer.

[Ignatz]

--only an occasional idiot[emphasis in the original] fellow JOMer talking to him--

Hey! I got it even without the emphasis.

[Ignatz]

--oops - that italicized idiot was part of accidental cut and past that I thought Ideleted and is not related to my above comment.--

I question that. We know what you really think.

[Janet]

It never feels like we're winning much does it? Can't deal with illegal immigration, our tax money is paying for abortions, still funding a leftist government radio & TV station, the radical green machine is still going strong....well, we got some cuts. Later...it is always later for conservative principals.
It is lunacy that we aren't allowed to even protect our borders & be a sovereign country...that we have to fight our own government.

[Threadkiller]

“everybody's gotta take a haircut," link fixed

[Janet]

**principles**

[narciso]

Rush was not a happy camper, today, I can't imagine Tammy is either, although I'm sure
Captain, will check on that.

[glasater]

Here is a recent and interesting article regarding immigration:

How Eisenhower solved illegal border crossings from Mexico

One doesn't hear too much about ole Ike. Perhaps he was too liberal for the run of the mill R.

[clarice]

Jim, I love that song..it would make great background music for that Obama video I'm hoping bgates and hit work on soon.

[Cecil Turner]

Libya is of no strategic importance to us at all . . .

Exactly. In the dizzy lefty playbook, anywhere the US has interests means our motives are suspect. So, the only place we can intervene righteously is where we have no interests. Makes about as much sense as the video slaughter criterion, but there you have it.

[Captain Hate]

narc, Tammy is less impressed with Boehner than I am, which I expected, but she isn't taking it all that badly. She just called Urkel a dumb bastard although that's nothing new; and she's now playing a clip of that commie asshole Soros saying we can afford more debt. What's Rush upset about?

[Mark Folkestad]

Ignatz, you're not the only one thinking that being called an idiot is the same, italicized or not.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

YOu know, I understand the disappointment that we didn't close down the government and cut trillions of dollars, but I think you have to win the political battle in order to win the fiscal battle. Had we shut down the government, we might not have any juice left for the coming arguments over the debt ceiling and the Ryan budget.

Now everyone is talking about debt reduction for the first time. So we seem to be winning the political argument. I'm happy about that. Now on to the next phase of the battle.

[clarice]

I agree, Jane.

[Captain Hate]

I agree, Jane; last week was a great week and we have all the momentum and Il Douche can only repeat the same garbage that he always has and pretend to be changing. There can't be a large number of people that believe him any more.

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

It really was a great week to be in America Captain. I hope for so many more.

[Threadkiller]

Glasater, that is a must read article.

[narciso]

So OT, how about GovMo cars with their steering wheels coming off, when they turn that's got to be a metaphor for something

[Ignatz]

--Ignatz, you're not the only one thinking that being called an idiot is the same, italicized or not.--

I was just messin' with ccal. She's a peach.

[Extraneus]

As long as Boehner or McConnell point out during the coming budget battle that Obama was willing to shut down the government and veto a bill to pay the military, all over the threat of reduced funding for Planned Parenthood, I'm cool with last week's accomplishments, too. But they need to shove that down his throat.

[Ignatz]

--In the dizzy lefty playbook, anywhere the US has interests means our motives are suspect.--

Yeah, and then they get all upset when their patriotism is questioned.

[Captain Hate]

Per Tammy Bruce, 2 women were detained in France for wearing a potato sack burka today. Countdown for NOW to show solidarity with this attack on the oppression of women. Should happen any second now....

[Ignatz]

Glasater, that article was so useful I bookmarked it.
It'll be especially handy next time some clown starts saying 'you can't deport 20 million people'.
No, but they sure as heck can deport themselves with a little friendly persuasion.

[Mark Folkestad]

Ignatz, I considered being called an idiot by Anduril and ChaCo a badge of honor, but that same appelation from CCal and DoT saddens me, for I held them both in high esteem.

[(Another) Barbara]

Rush doesn't see it as a great week, or even a good one. He thinks the Dems are indulging in exuberant high-fives, behind closed doors.

Of course in Hawaii we're way earlier than the mainland so I'm listening to the first hour. Maybe he'll have a change of heart in the next two hours.

[Minimalist Poster]

and in Wisconsin . . .

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/119595644.html

[Danube of Thought]

Joyous headline of the day:

UN ex-weapons inspector faces Pa. sex-sting trial

Here's the story.

[Danube of Thought]

MarkF, that appellation never came from me. Nor would it.

[Jane]

Only 13 more comments to go!!!

[Jane]

Re: Wisconsin - Walker should propose a law that makes it illegal for unions to give to candidates.

[JM Hanes]

Sue:

"Obama regrets his no vote on raising the debt limit while Bush was president. Go figure..."

He's going to have a talking point up his sleeve for every vote & campaign promise he has ever broken, which is why I think we need to get cracking on Obama vs. Obama, The Sequel: President Obama vs. President Obama.

Everybody knows that candidates break promises in office; that's how Obama voters persuaded themselves that he supported their causes, even if he couldn't say so on the trail. The Candidate vs Prez ads may seem to write themselves, but we could all write the dismissive "just politics/nobody knew" hand waving, too.

The potentially devastating bottom line is the comparison between what Obama says he is doing and what he is actually doing. It's not the broken promises, it's the lying, stupid!

The litany of lies is long, but unfortunately those ads won't just write themselves. There are complex issues to distill, and much more evasive language to deal with. I just wish our commentariat would start bringing that kind of thing into focus, instead of continually stating the obvious. Maybe we could be helping.

There are plenty of outright Obama failures to work with too, of course, which is why he's decided to run on trust. That's going to be both blessing and curse in the months ahead. His likability numbers suggest that trust is, in fact, his strongest suit, but he's also opened up Door #2 and turned prevarication into an explicit campaign issue that will be hard to run away from. I'm not sure how much OvsO, Part 1 helps us there either. Obama will be leaning on the hypocrisy card hiimself, and folks who argued that Gitmo should stay open won't get a lot of trust traction by tarring Obama for not keeping his promise to close it.

[Captain Hate]

If anybody wants a good laugh, check out the thread at AoS on Bammy proposing a tax on the rich. A couple economic retards suffered a long overdue beatdown that was almost funny enough to make you forget how rampant such stoopidity is among the muddle.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

Rush is good for stiffening backbones, and has a knack for boiling things down, but I Boehner should be reluctant to take his political advice. If you're going to advise hardball tactics, you had better be real good at assessing your side's leverage. In addition, most all congresscritters want to follow rule 1 -- their reelection.

[maryrose]

Tax increases just show how out of touch this WH is on the economy right now.Of the Commision's report,Obammy intends to hook unto the tax increase part instead of tax reform. His no vote on the debt ceiling should be trumpeted to the heavens and I am counting on Hannity and Rush to give it the same play they gave Reverend Wright.

[Rocco]

DoT

Best news I've heard all day! Didn't sexual predator make a movie? Something about sandboxes I think.

[Extraneus]

A lot of polling shenanigans are coming our way.

Poll: Romney, Huckabee lead Obama in Florida

Can anyone link to a blog where the Huckabee supporters gather to trade comments? I'd like to learn who these people are.

[Rocco]

* didn't that *

[(Another) Barbara]

To use up one of those 13 slots, I have a question that's undoubtedly tactless and impolitic, but I'm going to ask it anyway because I'm sincerely puzzled (being a relative newcomer here). What has ChaCo done to warrant the animus sometimes directed against him? (And to avoid talking behind his back) Why is this so, ChaCo?

Apologies in advance for my indelicacy in raising this as an issue, but I can't help myself. I'm mystified. No need for anyone to respond if I've gone beyond the pale.

[JM Hanes]

ccal:

"I never ever see anduril, only an occasional idiot fellow JOMer talking to him."

Hey! I resemble that! But you know I love ya anyway. Don't tell MayBee.

[Extraneus]

Yeah, he made that point Jim - that it's easy for him to take a hard line, because he's not running for re-election, and that the congress people have it a bit harder.