Meanwhile Back In (And To) Iraq...

For a special segment of our ruling class Iraq was the Bad War, and Obama has always been wary of winning the war but losing the narrative. But we are putting our toe back in the water:

U.S. Sends Arms to Aid Iraq Fight With Extremists

By MICHAEL R. GORDON and ERIC SCHMITT

WASHINGTON — The United States is quietly rushing dozens of Hellfire missiles and low-tech surveillance drones to Iraq to help government forces combat an explosion of violence by a Qaeda-backed insurgency that is gaining territory in both western Iraq and neighboring Syria.

The move follows an appeal for help in battling the extremist group by the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, who met with President Obama in Washington last month.

But some military experts question whether the patchwork response will be sufficient to reverse the sharp downturn in security that already led to the deaths of more than 8,000 Iraqis this year, 952 of them Iraqi security force members, according to the United Nations, the highest level of violence since 2008.

The Times reminds us how we reached this parlous state:

The surge in violence stands in sharp contrast to earlier assurances from senior Obama administration officials that Iraq was on the right path, despite the failure of American and Iraqi officials in 2011 to negotiate an agreement for a limited number of United States forces to remain in Iraq.

In a March 2012 speech, Antony J. Blinken, who is currently Mr. Obama’s deputy national security adviser, asserted that “Iraq today is less violent” than “at any time in recent history.”

The Times had more in this Sept 22 2012 article which noted the pre-election year posturing:

Mr. Obama has pointed to the American troop withdrawal last year as proof that he has fulfilled his promise to end the Iraq war. Winding down a conflict, however, entails far more than extracting troops.

In the case of Iraq, the American goal has been to leave a stable and representative government, avoid a power vacuum that neighboring states and terrorists could exploit and maintain sufficient influence so that Iraq would be a partner or, at a minimum, not an opponent in the Middle East.

But the Obama administration has fallen frustratingly short of some of those objectives.

The attempt by Mr. Obama and his senior aides to fashion an extraordinary power-sharing arrangement between Mr. Maliki and Mr. Allawi never materialized. Neither did an agreement that would have kept a small American force in Iraq to train the Iraqi military and patrol the country’s skies. A plan to use American civilians to train the Iraqi police has been severely cut back. The result is an Iraq that is less stable domestically and less reliable internationally than the United States had envisioned.

The civil war in Syria was well under way by late 2011 yet the current situation (as described in the original Times story)  seems to be a surprise to Team Obama:

A number of factors are helping the Qaeda affiliate. The terrorist group took advantage of the departure of American forces to rebuild its operations in Iraq and push into Syria. Now that it has established a strong foothold in Syria, it is in turn using its base there to send suicide bombers into Iraq at a rate of 30 to 40 a month, using them against Shiites but also against Sunnis who are reluctant to cede control.

Al Qaeda and other militants takes up residence at the border of weak and failed states? Who knew?

PILING ON: 'Priaire Weather' delivers the sort of progressive bleat I was expecting:

This action is not  expected to have much effect.  It's meant to be life-saving but, our military are saying,  it's not likely to " reverse the sharp downturn in security" in Iraq.  And it certainly suggests that we're doing this to preserve the idea that the Iraq invasion was justified rather than a serious misstep that set Iraq up for Muslim extremists.

Please - Obama's interest in vindicating the initial invasion is less than zero. Fortunately, Obama seems to be looking forward here rather than driving with his eyes locked on the rear-view mirror.

Providing a bit of hope in this holiday season is digby of Hullabaloo:

I don't know when those "birth pangs" of the Iraq democracy are finally going to end, but George W. Bush was probably right when he said we'll all be dead before we know how it comes out. Unfortunately, so will a lot of kids who deserved better.

Can't argue. But here is a blast from the past on Bush's inadequate planning, and a stab at whether the failure was in conception or execution.

 

 

 

Comments

[daddy]

Kwanzaa.

Bet it'd get more adherents if they started spelling it Quanzaa.

[The Duck of Death]

"Ryan added: “What I love about the pope is he is triggering the exact kind of dialogue we ought to be having.”

Didn't Hayden/Obama say the same thing about Snowden, adding 'but we don't want to create more Snowdens'?

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/12/pope-francis-catholic-church-republicans-gop-economics-101522_Page2.html#ixzz2oca4Zg00

[Beasts of England]

Air away, matt! This should be fun!

[maryrose]

Iggy:
Your description of Obama's anti-Americanism is spot on. I have always felt he doesn't really think about America or love it like we do. These past five years have shown the proof is in the pudding. He is not fit to be Commander in chief. He has not earned it and he cheated to get a second term leaving out valuable information and lying repeatedly to the American people. Cheaters do not prosper. hence his current predicament.Plus now everyone knows what Marko has said from the get-go-He's not very smart and he is a liar.

[narciso,]

As for the Syrian civil war, the same pattern that goes back to 1979, seems to present itself:

http://mato48.com/tag/saudi-arabia/

[daddy]

“What I love about the pope is he is triggering the exact kind of dialogue we ought to be having.”

Didn't Hayden/Obama say the same thing about Snowden,

Yesterday for a few hours on the UK Mail site, there was a boxed section which was devoted to Christmas messages. It had 5 stories in it but I couldn't figure out how to post it so I didn't.

The top story in the box was about the Pope's Christmas message. Below that were 4 stories in a square.

The top left was another story on the Pope's Christmas message. To the exact right of that was Edward Snowden's Christmas message.
Below the Pop ewas the Archbishop of I think York's Christmas Message, and to the right of that, just below Snowden, was the ArchBishop of Canterbury's Christmas message.

I wondered what exactly the UK Mail was trying to tell us by inserting Snowden in that mix, and placing him abeam the Pope and above Britain's 2 highest prelates?

My overall takeaway was that they were certainly not trying to demean or diminish him, but were instead in the process of legitimizing and possibly exalting him. My impression is that concerning Snowden the media's fingers are in the air at the moment, but they can't yet tell which way the wind is blowing.

[narciso,]

I still don't trust the punk, but I trust those that would put him at the center of global surveilance net even less;

[The Duck of Death]

Daily Mail quite conservative. UK mail is just that; mail.

Interesting juxtaposition. Snowden has definitely stirred the pot.

Yamashike Yosuke, Environmental Engineering Professor at Kyoto University, Dec. 25, 2013: “There is significant contamination in the bottom sediment, especially in the pond and the river system, that we can find at very, very high concentrations of radioactive cesium accumulated.”

Akihisa Sato, laboratory worker, Dec. 25, 2013: “We’re taking samples from every catch we make and if we ever find even the slightest trace of radiation, we’ll destroy the whole catch. So far there has been none. This fish is safe.”

Youshimi Hitosugi, Tepco spokesman, Dec. 25, 2013: “The situation is pretty much under control. We’ve built fences not to let polluted groundwaters leak into the ocean.”

Hirokai Kurosaki, economist, Dec. 25, 2013: “Most of the fish caught within the 30 kilometer radius is thrown into the garbage, because it is radiated. And Tepco is paying to local fishermen for it, so they’re happy and keep silent. Some of it though makes it to stores, but only locally.”

[daddy]

And as for all those UPS and Fedex packages not getting to you guys this Christmas, I s'pose I ought to apologize for not getting them there in time, but I was enjoying myself sitting on my arse drinking beer and watching tube and I was just too darn lazy to get off my duff and deliver 'em, so lighten' up and shut up and I'll think about delivering 'em tomorrow:)

Besides, what'cha gonna' do---Call the Postal Service? Ha!

[matt]

my response to the Politico Pope Francis article:

"What a shallow and uninformed piece. It starts with the assumption that somehow the Catholic Church and Catholics in general are allied with the Republican Party. I would venture to guess that more Catholics vote Democratic based upon past elections. It goes on to misinterpret the Pope's humility and his intent to focus on faith and humility as central to being a good Catholic. We are called upon to live moral lives according to the teachings of Christ and the prophets.

And while a brilliant man, the Pope is neither an economist nor a businessman and I doubt he has read much of Adam Smith or Burke. He lived in an oligarchy, much as the United States is now becoming. Oligarchs have no party except power. They buy results from both sides. There is a great difference between responsible capitalism and the excesses of laissez faire.

The author then somehow conflates the "anti-spending, anti-big government" Republicans as against the Pope's holistic message when in fact our government, should it go bankrupt, will cease to be able to offer the social safety net that is the last resort of our citizenry.

And really, since when are the Post Office, the Military and the rest of our federal government considered efficient? Wouldn't it be better to be efficient in delivering what we can within our means than to spend like the prodigal son?

Capitalism has raised the world's standard of living everywhere it has been practiced. Cuba, anyone? North Korea? Much of Europe is going broke. The Pope knows and sees this and sees a world where people like Buffet and Soros and Immelt and the Russian oligarchs game the system and tells us it is wrong. What do you expect of a Pope?

The fallacy of the Left's argument is that we can continue to dictate outcomes through an ever expanding, ever more coercive government. The buck eventually stops as the Greeks and Irish found out.

Pope Francis has had direct experience with Marxism and liberation theology as well as the dictatorial oligarchy of Argentina. His aversion to all of it is very clear.

All this talk in the name of Our Lord makes me laugh, because we cannot know His mind above all. He welcomed the rich and the poor, the free and the slave. He showed us a path which He knows is difficult. We can only hope to be worthy of salvation."

[daddy]

Whoever posted this Snowden bitch slap fest between Glen Greenwald and MSNBC, thanks for that:

Greenwald Snarks at MSNBC: I Defend Snowden Like You Defend Obama ’24 Hours a Day’

[narciso,]

It's almost as if they didn't care about free speech, at all:

http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/12/academic-boycotters-dont-want-done-unto-them-what-they-did-unto-israelis/

[The Duck of Death]

Greenwald gets squat from Obots because he's a (G)libertarian, whatever that means, but he regularly slaps back. He did the same to Gregory on MTP and Gregory didn't know WTH to say because, you see he's so balanced.

[Ignatz]

Is it possible Snowden committed serious crimes and might even be labelled a small "t" traitor and still inspired much needed discussions and aired things which it might be more in the public's interest to know than have concealed?

[narciso,]

Greenwald and Scahill, give every terrorist the benefit of the doubt, take the case on Anwar Awlaki, he mentored the boys from Mecca, Al Hamzi and Al Midhar, then another group of hijackers on the East Coast, bought tickets for the hijackers,
but they couldn't have known what they were planning,

[The Duck of Death]

Small 't' traitor like Benjamin Franklin?

[daddy]

Is it possible Snowden committed serious crimes and might even be labelled a small "t" traitor and still inspired much needed discussions and aired things which it might be more in the public's interest to know than have concealed?

I think there is an argument to be made between big T, small T, but for the rest, absolutely Iggy.

I still haven't reached my ex cathedra opinion on Snowden.

Minus 3, dog walk time.

[Ignatz]

Small "t" traitor in that he expropriated and disseminated illegally obtained government secrets some of which were properly secret, but may not have arisen to the level of giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
That may not compute in black and white world.

[daddy]

Anybody else bummed that Justin Bieber is retiring before having had the chance to perform in front of dictators?

[Threadkiller]

I am bummed that he didn't retire like Hendrix.

[Danube on iPad]

I believe Snowden could be convicted of violating, among other things, the Espionage Act, but not of treason.i think he would have a shot at a hung jury if he were ttried.

[Extraneus]

Senator urges UPS to refund customers whose Christmas packages were late

"In a very real sense, Christmas is on the line," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a written statement Thursday. "I call on UPS to do the right thing and provide refunds to people whose Christmases were a little less cheery as a result of their late deliveries."

The senator said he recognizes the "tremendous work" that UPS, as well as the U.S. Postal Service and FedEx, put in this time of year. However, he said he was "disappointed" to learn so many people in his state and across the country were "left empty-handed" on Christmas.

Both UPS and FedEx were playing catch up Thursday after poor weather and overloaded systems delayed packages that were intended to be delivered in time for Christmas.

Madison would be so proud.

[Threadkiller]

Too mean?

[rich@gmu]

I'm still waiting for that box of coal from Santa.

[rich@gmu]

Yes.

[The Duck of Death]

Years ago I stopped using UPS after two instances of the same idiotic tomfoolery.

Both times delivery failure resulted in the commensurate 'coupon' which communicated whether you wanted to have them try again, or you could pick up. They gave a website where you could indicate your wish to pick up; which I did.

At the Depot, they informed me it went out on the truck again.

'No wonder you call yourselves 'Brown''

They stopped using that nickname shortly after.

[Ignatz]

Mean, but pretty funny.

[Jane]

Apparently I am always 1 thread late.

[jimmyk]

I can't resist mentioning the passing of a great man and former colleague, of whom probably none of you have ever heard. I'll summarize his life in five items.

1. As a young teen he was sent with his family to an internment camp in CA during WW II.

2. He went blind later in his teens.

3. He got his PhD in economics from U Chicago.

4. His work on the economics of the draft was instrumental in ending the draft.

5. He wrote a classic in the economics of "two-part tariffs" (like amusement parts or razors and blades), with the memorable title "A Disneyland Dilemma: Two Part Tariffs for a Mickey Mouse Monopoly."

Tyler Cowan links to a couple of eulogies, and someone wrote an incredibly nasty and ill-informed comment under the name Brad Delong. So far the real DeLong hasn't disowned it.

http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2013/12/walter-oi-has-passed-away.html

A life well lived.

[Extraneus]

TK not a belieber.

[Jane]

What exactly is Kwanza supposed to be?

FWIW, I am not trying to start a battle. I am posting the most thorough link on the subject.

There are far better arguments to get rid of Obama - unless this issue is one of principle for you as opposed to expediency.

When I try to read them, I often end up skipping down to the ending at some point.

I do that with about 90% of what I read. It is nearly impossible for me to concentrate on more than a couple of paragraphs. I miss a lot of stuff as a result. What's funny is that Knish (and Clarice) are 2 people who can keep me engaged more than most.

[narciso,]

What are you going to believe, me or my lying

ttp://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/04/fbi-refutes-claims-it-suspected-al-awlaki-role-in-purchasing-11-hijackers/

[Extraneus]

What exactly is Kwanza supposed to be?

A way to establish that Christmas is for white people, like the Constitution.

[The Duck of Death]

"A way to establish that Christmas is for white people, like the Constitution."

You might want to edit...

[Jane]

A way to establish that Christmas is for white people, like the Constitution.

It's almost like they saw Obama coming.

[narciso,]

Well the terms come from Kwame Nkrumah's brand of socialism, which wasn't native to Ghana,

[narciso,]

You were indeed fortunate to have someone like Oi as a mentor, jimmy, yes it's Delong, or it tracks back to him,

[Ignatz]

From Steve Landsberg's tribute to Oi;

One of his best known contributions was the analysis of two-part pricing: Should Gilette sell cheap razors to increase the demand for razor blades, or should it sell cheap razor blades to increase the demand for razors?

Well, we now know the razor guys decided on the former course not the latter.

[narciso,]

In all the encomia, this detail was left out;

http://shoebat.com/2013/12/26/iranian-nuke-deal-brokered-key-benghazi-figure/

[narciso,]

She Tupoleved herself;

http://www.esquire.com/features/the-internet-is-broken?src=nl&mag=esq&list=nl_enl_pol_non_122013_broken-internet

[narciso,]

alrighty that,

http://freebeacon.com/obama-admin-to-idf-generals-stop-being-so-concerned-about-israels-security/

[The Duck of Death]

Ah yes. Walid Shoebat, not to be confused with Walid Jumblat. former Muslim Brother; now PEACE ACTIVIST !!!!

Holy Moly. another converted shepardic jew and beneficiary of Israel.

Just for context, his thoughts on Palestine.

http://shoebat.com/?s=palestinians&submit=

[rich@gmu]

jimmyk-

sad to read but a life well lived.

[Ignatz]

Just for Dana; another wiki link. This one a decent discussion of the commingled nebulae of philosophies making up "libertarianism" and the resulting spectrum of sects.

Once again; may not play properly in the black and white format.

[The Duck of Death]

It's easier to tackle shades of grey in stages.

From the first graf...

" It is the antonym to authoritarianism.'

As distinguished from government? Is there no grey area? To my thinking, it means ANY purported authority, not just the unfairly elected establishment. How would you distinguish, or would you?

[narciso,]

Delong's rather Tourette's like rant, is telling, I thought all thought the Draft was apriori evil,
or was it just about Vietnam, sarc,

[Steve]

Merry Christmas message from Willie and Korie Robertson to our troops:

http://commoncts.blogspot.com/2013/12/merry-christmas-message-from-willie-and.html

[rich@gmu]

>>>it means ANY purported authority<<<

kinda like a college professor

[Danube on iPad]

Perhaps De Long is not yet aware of that comment.

One didn't have to be anti-American to want an end to the draft. I did, and was awfully glad to see it happen.

I wonder whether the razor/blade example is a good fit for a two-part tariff. I think there are plenty of competitors for both products, so if Gillette underprices one of them, the consumer can buy it from Gillette and its companion from a competitor. But I haven't used a razor in nearly forty years, so I'm not all that familiar with that market today.

Anyway, your colleague sounds like a remarkable fellow.

[Ignatz]

--As distinguished from government?--

More wiki; Authoritarianism is a form of government.

[Ignatz]

--so if Gillette underprices one of them, the consumer can buy it from Gillette and its companion from a competitor--

Blade heads and razor handles are generally no longer compatible between manufacturers.

[Ignatz]

As infelicitous as DeLong tends to be that comment did not sound like the jargon he'd use, although I admit it could very well be him just being jerky in a whole new way.

[Captain Hate]

Looks like the Rebrend Jackson is going after Duck Dynasty for the sin of 'white privilege'

Shakedown Inc was a little late springing into action; maybe he was spending some court ordered quality time with his bastard daughter for whatever holiday he claims to celebrate. Or maybe nobody could understand him when he said Duck Dynasty.

[The Duck of Death]

That's not a genuine answer. What are these nuances in libertarianism you seem to inhabit. Is it like being a Cafeteria Catholic, choosing to observe those tenets you subscribe to?

I'm trying to help you Gringo.

[narciso,]

I think he was over in the UK, pulling a 'Bialystok,' and had to get in on the action,

[Ignatz]

-- How would you distinguish, or would you?--

Societies organize themselves. The only way to prevent that is a nightmare of constant tooth and claw warfare which results in the law of the jungle, itself a kind of barbarous society.
Consequently I prefer, wherever possible, voluntarily arrived at societal controls over either coercive state-of-nature or governmental ones.

There will always be authority; it is the nature of the world. The question is how to make it the most voluntary and cooperative authority possible while still protecting the rights of the minority.

It seems unworkable that the common defense or civil and criminal justice can ever be acceptably applied via purely voluntary private cooperation.

The toughest and most insoluble question is how far may society go in protecting itself via public laws, rather than private societal pressure, from what it views as antisocial behavior.

The founders came the closest, but we've seen how quickly the minimal state they envisioned has morphed into Leviathan.

And I have no problem whatsoever with collectivism as long as it is private and voluntary. The problem is collectivists never want to remain either very long.

[The Duck of Death]

Based upon the evidence, at this juncture you seem more an anarchist, than a libertarian. Compare/contrast.

[Ignatz]

--I'm trying to help you Gringo.--

It's your political philosophy that simultaneously entertains the almost complete incoherence of a vocalized total distrust of the state and a desire to give it unfettered power over our economic, and in some cases, social and political lives. You seek a mythical state which will control just that portion of our lives you wish it to and yet beneficently leave us free everywhere else. That's the well trod road to the gulag.
Cracker, heal thyself.

[narciso,]

the trend of government over the vast expanse of 5,000 years has been despotism, the Greek and Roman experiments with representative government, devolved to oligarchy then tyranny, hence Franklin's 'a republic if you can keep it' Jefferson clearly felt that any centralized authority would end up in that direction, De Tocqueville, two generations later felt the same,

[DrJ]

Cracker, heal thyself.

I would not have been as charitable.

Then again, generally I ignore the idiot (imbecile? I forget the differences) unless he does something silly, such as posting a link to his desktop.

[The Duck of Death]

OK, you're an authoritarian decentralist. Not to be dismissive, but isn't this a form of tribalism, further alienating larger groups and fostering paranoia amongst all?

Again, I ask; is this your personal mantra, or is there an organized group who aligns? Just to be efficient, I mean.

[Danube on iPad]

If a true state of anarchy were to arise, libertarians would quickly put an end to it. They would hire armed men to eliminate those who attacked private property and those who owned it, and when the anarchists had been exterminated they would reutn the society to one that had publicly- funded courts, police and armed forces, and the society would survive and prosper.

[The Duck of Death]

" heal thyself." Hey. I'm just making Duck Soup from roadkill, you know, lemonade from lemons. I'm perfectly ok with those benefits diluting the stranglehold on the Middle/lower class.

It's a quid pro quo,

[Danube on iPad]

Byron York on the Obamacare chickens coming home to roost. It was dishonestly sold and corruptly enacted, and it has been dishonestly and corruptly administer. And all will know those facts to a certainty by November, and there will be hell to pay.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/democrats-will-pay-political-price-for-obamacare-in-2014/article/2541228

Hell to pay.

[Ignatz]

What anarchist, a person who believes in a stateless society, believes this

It seems unworkable that the common defense or civil and criminal justice can ever be acceptably applied via purely voluntary private cooperation.

Moreover most anarchists oppose authority of any kind so very few would even believe this

Consequently I prefer, wherever possible, voluntarily arrived at societal controls

Societies by their very nature contain coercive, hierarchical and authoritarian elements.

[The Duck of Death]

Yes, yes. We all know what others have said. What was hoped, is that folks actually have the stones, to actually lay it out in black and white.

We often expect too much.

[Ignatz]

--Again, I ask; is this your personal mantra, or is there an organized group who aligns?--

I have made it clear on many occasions my political philosophy is a fairly idiosyncratic system. I would place the ideal system of government that had a prayer of working in the real world about half way between the Articles of Confederation and the The Constitution.

[Ignatz]

--Yes, yes. We all know what others have said.--

Those block quotes are what I said, like five minutes ago.

[narciso,]

Problem, Baathism is an extraordinarily brittle system, relying on the microfaction of Sunni tribesmen in the Anbar region, like the Ubeidi and the Jibbar, or in Syria, the Alawite heretical sect, hence clan has predominant force, over any other form of consent,

In Iraq's case, the former had come to believe they were the majority, the Golden Square and the Baath, embodied that belief, the Alawites had no such illusions, in Iraq, the majority sect was Shia, in Syria, it's Sunni with a recent trend toward Salafism, this ironically was encouraged by the regime, in providing the ratlines into Iraq, down the Euphrates River valley, into Anbar territory,

[The Duck of Death]

Oh you're all clear idiosyncratic one. Look! you said you were idiosyncratic just five minutes ago.

Really. How old are you?

[narciso,]

Subsequently what happens years later, the tribal networks run backwards up the Eufrates River valley with the revolt in Deraa,(it's not an accident that is Nusra Front territory)many of these same networks, are reactivated, and
the contacts which fed the insurgency, farther south out of the Kingdom, receive a new lease on life,

[The Duck of Death]

FEUDAL Statism.....the new new new libertarianism.

[narciso,]

That is certainly one way of interpreting this pattern;

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2013/12/saudi-fighters-syria-official-silence.html#

[jimmyk]

I thought all thought the Draft was apriori evil, or was it just about Vietnam, sarc,

Someone at Cowen's site made an interesting point: "If you told people today that in the late 60s, the draft debate had Ted Kennedy and Margaret Mead on one side, and Nixon and Donald Rumsfeld on the other, how many do you think would guess correctly who was for and who was against the draft?"

And wasn't it just a few years ago that some on the far left wanted to reinstate the draft? I think it was Rangel.

[Danube on iPad]

Since Dana Ward, formerly of Pitzer College, is the only professed anarchist I know of, I fear that I have been drawn into responding to him. So henceforth I am outta this conversation.

[You keep using this word 'anarchy'.]

Powder puff anarchist, feathered.

[Weatherbeaters.]

Yeah, I think it was Rangel too. Possibly in the future, keeping current on your student loans will shield you from 'national service'.

[rich@gmu]

>>>unless he does something silly, such as posting a link to his desktop.<<<

that one was a classic. maybe some can link to that picture of him passing around a feather.

uptwinkles.

[daddy]

I am bummed that he didn't retire like Hendrix.

LOL TK!

[narciso]

Did we get anything out of this deal, he said rhetorically;

\http://twitchy.com/2013/12/26/president-signs-bill-easing-transfer-of-guantanamo-detainees-to-foreign-countries/

[Danube on iPad]

Jeeaz - 'Pokes have signed Jon Kitna for one game (vs. Eagles Sunday). $53K. He's 41. Good man.

[daddy]

Shannon Bream (sitting in for Megyn Kelly) just said this a few minutes back (verbatim)

Well the President has enrolled in ObamaCare but he didn't actually do it himself and he didn't do it via that trouble plagued HealthCare.gov website, so can the President truly relate to the millions of frustrated Americans who are trying to run that gauntlet?

I wish she would be a little more particular in her words and say "Various White House aides have told us that the President has enrolled in ObamaCare but we have no way of verifying that", or better yet I'd be happy if she simply said "Prove it."

As far as I have read all we know about him enrolling in ObamaCare has been told to us by various aides, probably the same aides who told us he had never met or lived with his illegal alien uncle. I'm not pushing for the Birth Certificate, the College Transcripts, the Social Security Card, etc. I would simply like to see what passes as the actual existing paperwork that officially confirms that Barack Obama has officially enrolled in ObamaCare, and if it will be the exact same paperwork that will suffice as proof that any other American has officially enrolled in ObamaCare.

[Ignatz]

--Really. How old are you?--

No need to get upset because you can't receive what I'm saying with your grumpy old man, black and white era Zenith with the rabbit ears.

--FEUDAL Statism.....the new new new libertarianism.--

What was feudalism but a system of separate single payer systems, Lord Dana? Kind of a regional statism.

And what is national single payer but pure statism?

[Captain Hate]

Jeeaz - 'Pokes have signed Jon Kitna for one game (vs. Eagles Sunday). $53K. He's 41. Good man.

It makes sense because he knows the organization.

[daddy]

Judy Miller on Hannity (after Hannity played clips of Obama saying if you like your plan you can keep your plan...)

Hannity: ...How many feel the Administration lied and has lied to us throughout the year? Hands up? You're hesitant Judith Miller---why are you hesitant?

Judy Miller: I'm always hesitant about the use of the word "lie".

Hannity: "If you like your plan you can keep it."

Miller: We don't know what he knew when he made those statements. I don't like the word "Lie" when it comes to George Bush and I don't like it when it comes to Barack Obama, because I think we need to have a civilized discussion about the problems of this country, including the one's we've just been seeing.

I can't listen to these people for more than about 2 sentences.

[daddy]

Shakedown Inc was a little late springing into action; maybe he was spending some court ordered quality time with his bastard daughter

Perhaps he was eating Lasonia with Steve Martin?

[Captain Hate]

So is she saying he was too dumb or incurious to know what he was saying wasn't true? Is there another possibility?

[daddy]

It's enjoyable to see how fast the negative comments are coming in to that story linked above, about Senator Blumenthal asking UPS to pay customers for late Christmas presents.

It's like a stock market ticker 2288...2289...2290...

[Ignatz]

There is nothing "civilized" about refusing to call a blatant lie a lie.

[daddy]

So is she saying he was too dumb or incurious to know what he was saying wasn't true?

Beats me Captain, but when as a Journalist you announce that you will never, ever say that a politician is "lying", then you have professionally ceased being a Journalist and have in fact given tacit approval to any politician to "lie" to the media with impunity.

And I think it's even worse than that.

What Judy Miller has just done is she has removed from the Politician the following problem: (Can I lie to these reporters or not?)

And placed that problem squarely in her own lap: (Oh dear, he lied to me but I can't honestly report that he lied to me, so I will now have to be dishonest to my readers and listeners and use whatever tricks of the Journalism trade I can, to refrain from honestly reporting his lie as a lie. And worst of all, in order to pretend I'm still a "legitimate" Journalist, I'm going to have to lie to myself.

[daddy]

...2312...2313...2314...

[Extraneus]

I hope there's video of Blumenthal criticizing UPS and demanding that they provide refunds, because the campaign ads write themselves.

[Ymarsakar]

The American Civil War is a good example of NOT seeing it through. Read the history of Reconstruction and the KKK, see for yourself what the final result was.

[Bela1]

Lots of things to do this year, and one of my tasks was to mail packages to my loves ones living in Hawaii, Arkansas, Virginia & Oregon. Unfortunately, I didn't show up at the pack & ship store until last Saturday morn, and luckily the Fed Ex truck was running late. For example, a 2' x 2' box of goodies/gifts wouldn't arrive in Arkansas by Fed Ex by Christmas Eve unless/until I paid $284 without a specific guarantee it could arrive due to inclement weather. I went with Plan B, and paid the regular ground shipping rate of $48. The gifts should arrive by sometime today, and the kids will be happy with anything I send. Always have a plan B, C, and D is my motto.
Blumenthal is an idiot. Bet no one would even ask him about the Obamacare boondoggle about to hit people in the head & purse.

Frau, the video you shared was a scream! I'm sure it'll make Clarice laugh aloud.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas. I hope y'all have a wonderful & safe New Year. I enjoy JOM & thank Tom for his valuable insight & in keeping this place alive. I appreciate what all of you have to offer, and I can't wait until this bloody dictator ends his term, and his puppet shills shut the hell up.

Peace & love to all,
Bela1

[centralcal]

Happy New Year Bela1!

The puppet shills will never shut the hell up - especially the shills in the media if the right takes the helm.

[Threadkiller]

We learn that the KKK won the Civil War.

[Mark Buehner]

You have to admit there is a good bit of schadenfreude to be had after Al-Maliki and his cronies got their bluff called on the US forces in Iraq agreement. Oh now youre screaming for help huh? Who could have seen that coming?