Obama - The Buck Stops Elsewhere With Bad News

The NY Times raises an eyebrow as out sometime Commander-in-Chief explains that our current mess in Iraq and Syria is someone else's fault:

Reflecting on how a president who wanted to disentangle the United States from wars in the Middle East ended up redeploying to Iraq and last week expanding air operations into Syria, Mr. Obama pointed to assessments by the intelligence agencies that said they were surprised by the rapid advances made in both countries by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

“Our head of the intelligence community, Jim Clapper, has acknowledged that, I think, they underestimated what had been taking place in Syria,” Mr. Obama said on “60 Minutes,” the CBS News program, referring to James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence. Mr. Obama added that the agencies had overestimated the ability and will of the Iraqi Army to fight such Sunni extremists. “That’s true. That’s absolutely true,” he said.

Cue choking sounds, and...

In citing Mr. Clapper, Mr. Obama made no mention of any misjudgment he may have made himself. Critics have repeatedly pointed to his comment last winter characterizing groups like the Islamic State as a "JV team" compared with the original Al Qaeda.

Well yes, and I am surely not alone in believing that Obama was a real intelligence savant. For example, he was perfectly clear about who did what on the successful Osama raid:

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden.  It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground.  I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan.  And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Leading the meetings, assessing the intel, getting his man! Where did that President go? Now someone tells him that ISIS is the JV and he mindlessly parrots it. Sad.

WADDYA MEAN? What, Obama approved the Osama raid after every other adviser, including the deaf and blind (but not the brain-dead; Biden wrong again!) concurred it was a sensible risk? Gosh, he didn't say "We determined there was enough intelligence to take action..." in his speech!

UNFAIR, BORDERRLINE RACIST: Eli Lake, writing in the Daily Beast, calls BS:

Why Obama Can’t Say His Spies Underestimated ISIS

On 60 Minutes, the president faulted his spies for failing to predict the rise of ISIS. There’s one problem with that statement: The intelligence analysts did warn about the group.

Nearly eight months ago, some of President Obama’s senior intelligence officials were already warning that ISIS was on the move. In the beginning of 2014, ISIS fighters had defeated Iraqi forces in Fallujah, leading much of the U.S. intelligence community to assess they would try to take more of Iraq.

...

Reached by The Daily Beast after Obama’s interview aired, one former senior Pentagon official who worked closely on the threat posed by Sunni jihadists in Syria and Iraq was flabbergasted. “Either the president doesn’t read the intelligence he’s getting or he’s bullshitting,” the former official said.

I deplore the suggestion that our President is an illiterate product of our failed inner-city school system. Or a liar. Reading a multi-paged report on a breezy golf course is a heck of a lot harder than this Pentagon desk jockey understands.

This, BTW, is from the Annual Threat Assessment presented to Congress in Feb 2014:

To be fair, Obama made his infamous "JV" comparison in an interview on January 7; that was a few days after ISIS had raised their flag over Fallujah but the situation in Ramadi was seemingly in flux for several months. 

Still, by February an astute observer such as Obama might have noticed trouble, just like the report said.

THINGS TO DO: Was the Febuary report Eeerily Prescient on othert topics, or was it filled with alarmist "sky might fall" speculation designed as a CYA exercise if the sky did eventually flicker a bit anywhere?

Comments

[kave]

First, OMG, what do I do now?

[peter]

a close second

[Specter]

I bet BO hates video and sound recordings - such as Clapper testifying in January this year in front of Congress where he said that ISIS was a threat.

[Jim Eagle]

Google "Intelligence Community" just to see what a tangled web of agencies is there. And we expect a Mr. Magoo like Clapper to manage their cordination, communication and cooperation?

Aonther thing they probably didn't have was "boots (CIA Type) on the ground" in Syria for the HUINT aspects which are a more direct and objective interface than relying on NRO and NSA electronic surveillence.

I have to agree with The Champ: It wasn't his fault. He was playing golf at the time.

[Extraneus]

The intelligence community did it.

Wait, I thought Bush lied.

[James D.]

OT, can someone repost the link to the science quiz that was being discussed last night/this morning?

[Captain Hate]

I'm sure this was the alcohol talking:

http://weaselzippers.us/201059-dem-rep-jim-moran-donates-cash-to-u-s-islamist-group-cair/

[rse]

Maybe we should just call him Not My Fault BO.

I have a new post up where I go into just how many of the people involved with education reform are simultaneously pushing China's vision of State Capitalism and authoritarian collectivism. http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/censorship-before-the-fact-prescribing-what-the-child-does-and-believes-invisibly-but-reliably-binds-the-adult/

At the end I mentioned that Vander Ark is pushing Big History. So is Jeb's group' Education Excellence, which gets plenty of funding from Pearson. We have a problem on both sides of the aisle until we clean out this premise of a Dirigiste future.

[clarice]

Do away with the stupid DNI and Clapper..Put narciso in charge of intl and we;d all be better off.

[Extraneus]

DesMoines Register:

Lively Braley, Ernst debate marked by heated exchanges

Braley went on the attack against a rival who is ahead by 6 points in the new Iowa Poll on the race, but front-runner Ernst responded in kind in their first face-to-face match-up.

Braley repeatedly slammed Ernst for being associated with the billionaire Koch brothers and an obstructionist tea party agenda, even as he called himself "a bridge builder, not a bridge burner."

"Senator Ernst would've voted to shut down the federal government with Ted Cruz. She's called President Obama a dictator and thinks impeachment should be on the table," Braley said.

Ernst calmly fired back: "Congressman, you threatened to sue a neighbor over chickens that came onto your property. You're talking about bipartisanship. How do we expect as Iowans to believe that you will work across the aisle when you can't walk across your yard?"

[matt]

The president is the most disingenuous liar in high office in our history. His intel resources must like the feeling of being shat upon every day because that is what Obama has done.

[narciso]

I dubbed him General magoo, we know from Harnden, how long they delayed the raid on Raqqua, which makes me wonder, where are the hostages

[narciso]

Does GE write off Vox as a loss, only similar Bialystok plays suggest themselves

[Pagar a bacon, ham and sausage supporter]

Second the suggestion from Clarice @ 12:26.

[Mad Jack]

Jake Blues had nothing on Obama when it comes to excuses. I'll leave to more tech savvy JOMers to provide the video link.

[James D.]

I'll sign on to narciso has head of intelligence, too.

But let's be honest; compared to the people currently on the job, my cat would do a better job.

[Pagar a bacon, ham and sausage supporter]

Time is running out!

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/09/breaking-isis-closes-in-on-baghdad-islamists-one-mile-from-iraqi-capital/

[Pagar a bacon, ham and sausage supporter]

Maybe they would have better luck finding the ISIS around Baghdad

Who is picking the targets?

http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2014/09/us-airstrikes-kill-54-syrian-civilians.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FNWlS+%28YID+With+LID%29

[lyle]

More proof The Champ is too lazy for a real job. Great.

[Jim Eagle]

Talking about Iowa: Couple Leaves 150% Tip Despite Horrendous Service:)

http://www.eater.com/2014/9/29/6865239/couple-leaves-huge-tip-despite-horrendous-service

[Jane]

I can't wait to see how the intelligence agencies retaliate. Pass the popcorn!

[narciso]

Seems the targeting crew for Belgrade is back in business, mind you Minbej is one of those places that boasted of the benefits of isis stewardship

[Jane]

We can't forget that every pix coming back from Iraq and Syria are administration propaganda. They are not allowing anyone else to take pictures. Then again , what journalist would go there?

[Beasts of England]

clapper, clapper

Intelligence on.

clapper, clapper

Intelligence off.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Yes, Jane.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/peace-president-how-obama-came-to-bomb-seven-countries-in-six-years-9753131.html

"Last year, Human Rights Watch released a 102-page report on US drone attacks and air strikes in Yemen against al- Qaeda militants which found six air strikes had killed 82 people - at least 57 of them civilians - between 2009 and 2013."

I bet the "Haditha massacre" soldiers can't believe the double standard.
It's something to behold...

[peter]

second suggestion at 12:26 but only if Gus is made the Amb to UN

[Jim Eagle]

More lie detection from a reluctant press: President Obama Just Asked the "Are You Better Off" Question. He might not like the answer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/09/29/obama-just-asked-the-are-you-better-off-question-he-might-not-like-the-answer/?swer

Note how they twist themselves in a pretzel analyizing the Q&A to better serve "The Narrative" which is the MFM's job to "Protect and Serve".

[Jim]

obama claimed he knew more than his policy advisers, he knew more than his speech writers, he knows war better than his generals. Too bad he didn't also know more than his intelligence advisers.

But, then I always figured he picked stupid people for his cabinet because he was already short on intelligence his self.

[fdcol63]

If ISIS is really only a mile away from Baghdad, just how long will it be before Iran sends in their "boots on the ground" to save the Shiites?

[fdcol63]

If Obama knows so much, you'd think he'd know BS when he says or does it.

[Rick B]

I thought the MFM's motto was "Protect and Service".

[Ignatz]

The man is pathological. Any discussion that doesn't acknowledge that point from the start is wasted time.

[Jim Eagle]

peter,

If Gus is made Ambassador to the UN then all the meetings would have to be between 10:30 at night to 2:30 in the morning:)

Which when you think about it is a pretty effective strategy for shutting them down.

[narciso]

One can fool Steve Croft, I missed it, was watching an episode of Ray Donovan, where they embroider the lies

[jimmyk]

I know many of see Iowahawk, but this is still worth seeing again:

David Burge @iowahawkblog · Sep 28

Miracle cure! President suddenly & mysteriously able to talk for 2 minutes without saying "I"

[Danube on iPad]

If only we had a man like Bibi.

[narciso]

When you' ve lost Joe Sestak...

[Jim Eagle]

DoT,

I followed his UN speech on twitter. He doesn't pull his punches and he doesn't bluff. Very resoluted and determined and not an "I" or "me" in the speech. All "We" and "Ours".

[Danube on iPad]

Nate Silver now has GOP Senate at 60%.

[lyle]

This is definitely worth your time:

http://nypost.com/2014/09/28/inside-the-plot-against-the-middle-class/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow

Favorite bit:

You may think the relationship between a journalist and a politician should be like the one between a dog and a lamppost, but Brooks’ understanding is that the relationship should be more like the one between one dog and another dog’s butt.

[Rick B]

Silver also had GOP chances of Senate control at 60% in August and March. I'm sure the Fascists appreciate his "there's still hope" reassurance. It will make the shrieking and howling all the sweeter as the SS Obamic sinks beneath the waves.

[Dave (in MA)]

If only we had a man like Bibi.

Or a man like a man, even.

[Sue]

How many times does Bibi need to warn the world about Iran before his warning is deemed too late?

[Pagar a bacon, ham and sausage supporter]

James D, I think you need to keep your cat updated. He may be needed over in VP Biden's office soon.

LUN

[Ignatz]

As Nate Silver has always said, the GOP is a lock to take the Senate. :)

[Carol Herman]

Bibi's not having the IDF shoot into Syria!

Jewish eyes will tell you that Israel's doing fine. It's more than proven it's point that it will defend itself. As in, "just the other day" a MIG flew out of Syria and was promptly shot down by a patriot missile. (The pilot, it was said, baled. Or "ejected.")

But Israel's on its toes. Hamas was dealt with this summer. And, you'll notice Nasrallah of Hezbollah is in hiding. While plenty of arab yoots shoot at each other.

To protect Jordan, you have the USA. Dug in. Just in case Assad decides to "test" and see how far he can go sending tanks into Jordan.

What's ahead? If I'm guessing, then I'm going with "changes in the lines." Syria will shrink, somewhat. And, Irak will devide into 3 separate entities. One for ths shi'a attached to Iran. A big hunk of the north made Kurdistan. So the Kurds end up with their own state.

And, the mischief makers are always the saud's. Forget all the names! The money is coming from Saudi Arabia. And, that's what happens when you have a violent family (with oil wealth) "in charge." Probably all of our politicians are just coins in their pockets.

Obama? Lucky for us we, too, like Israel, can deflect the idiots who want war! (Many of them are in the media because wars sell front line tickets to the media shows.)

To put it another way Most People Don't Care! That's Obama's ace.

[lyle]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/sep/28/boehner-wants-stop-butting-heads-president/#!

Translation: Johnnie wants to roll over like a little puppy.

[Danube on iPad]

Very hard to argue with Silver's track record.

Something has gone terribly wrong at Rasmussen. I just disregard them now, whether good or bad news.

[jimmyk]

Lyle, that is a G-rated version of what I suspect a lot of us were thinking.

[Captain Hate]

Ok, I call my grandson The Champ; am I gonna have to change or you guys?

[lyle]

Just feeling a little G-rated this morning, jimmyk. Practicing some self-restraint...

[Beasts of England]

If your grandson is The Champ, then he's The Champ, Captain. Great moniker, by the way!

[James D.]

That interview with Boehner is proof on its face that he needs to be replaced as speaker by someone who isn't a complete moron.

“I didn’t come to Washington to make noise. I went there to do something on behalf of my country. And I think the president ran for office to do something on behalf of the country. And it’s up to us to see where the common ground is. But tax reform, a big highway bill, certainly are in the realm of doable.”

If Boehner truly believes that, he's delusional to the point that he belongs in an institution.

If he's saying it just to pacify the LIV's, he's poking a stick in the eye of all of us who see Obama for what he is, and especially all the people who have suffered (and in some cases died) thanks to Obama's policies and manifest failures.

Either way, he's got no business being Speaker of the House.

[James D.]

Fixed?

[centralcal]

Something has gone terribly wrong at Rasmussen. I just disregard them now, whether good or bad news.

Agree, DoT. Ever since they forced Scott Rasmussen out, they have been worthless.

[Captain Hate]

Welp Orange Slush was on This Week with Steffi so I'm sure he had his comity-post-hangover face on. We're lucky he didn't start crying (or did he?) or throw up in somebody's lap like GHWB did in Japan, which is most of what his one term made me want to do.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Or a man like a man, even.

Hah! SO true, Dave.

[daddy]

Here's surprising good news this morning.

Just caught a radio ad on Rushes Show from Lisa Murkowski! In the spot Lisa says that she is sick to have heard the smears aimed at Dan Sullivan, the Repub candidate running against Dem Mark Begich.

Lisa says she has known and worked in Alaska with Dan Sullivan and his family for 20 years, and that as Attorney General Dan Sullivan was a great help in Lisa's effort to institute programs stopping Violence Against Women. Then she closes by saying that she needs us to vote for Dan Sullivan because she needs a partner in the Senate to fight for Alaska. And it's followed by Dan Sullivan saying "I'm Dan Sullivan and I approved of this message".

To me this is huge. So far Lisa has completely sat on the sidelines. She has consistently praised Mark Begich in the past, and made statements prior to the Repub Primary saying she is uncertain if she'll support his Republican opponent, whoever it winds up being.

Now suddenly she's onboard and has the balls to praise Sullivan and ask us to vote for him. Amazing. She still does not go whole hog and criticize Begich. She refuses to mention Begich's name and instead simply says that the attacks on Sullivan have been false and unfair.

My guess is 2 things happened---1st, that she got really PO'ed when Begich publicly said that he and Lisa voted together some 90% of the time. And 2, somebody knocked it through her head that Begich's misfired ads, falsely sliming Sullivan for releasing some murderer from jail, had caused Begich real damage and he was now vulnerable and might lose.

FWIW, my ad at the top left on JOM this second is a Begich Ad with this big headline: "SENATOR MARK BEGICH TOOK ON THE PRESIDENT." Beneath that is a pic of Begich, nothing else, and then at the bottom there is this: (paid for by Alaskans for Begich).

Sounds desperate to me, so for the first time I think we've got a good chance to win this thing up here.

[lyle]

I'm sure he had his comity-post-hangover face on.

Hey, that was MY face yesterday! Well, without the comity. And the post. The '06 Raphet Charmes-Chambertin was best in show if anyone was wondering. Maybe the '07 Dujac Vosne-Romanee...

[daddy]

Obama - The Buck Stops Elsewhere With Bad News

Re: TM's Headline, Wretchard had a good line about it in this piece: Strike Two

Wretchard calls it a "They-a culpa." Ha!

[Jim Rhoads f/k/a vnjagvet]

Lyle's 2:00 link spells out the practical results of the nonsense that rse has exposed in our education system, and reveals the story is not new.

IIRC, the clerisy and oligarchy described in the article were two of the problems the Constitution was designed to discourage, even though most of its authors were by any measure among the elite of the time.

Current constitutional orthodoxy be it judged by conservatives or liberals seems to be pretty much "the government knows best. Sadly, I see no end to this any time soon.

[lyle]

And the press will let them get away with it:

http://hotair.com/archives/2014/09/29/obama-adviser-yes-weve-adopted-the-bush-forward-strategy-on-terrorism/

[lyle]

Blood pressure check:

http://sultanknish.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-nigerian-prince-called-islam.html

[MarkO]

In case I miss my chance.

DOOM™®

Obama’s just not that smart©

[daddy]

On "Tienamin Kong",

A company I am familiar with has just put out a Travel Advisory telling employees visiting Hong Kong to lay low, don't talk about politics, and some of the parts of the City to avoid such as Avoid areas where public gatherings or demonstrations are ongoing or are scheduled (currently around Admiralty/Queensway, Central, Causeway Bay and Mong Kok) as even minor protests have the potential to turn violent with little or no warning

I was there last week, mainly Kowloon side down on the waterfront, but saw no demonstrations or activity at all. When asking about it, I was told that all the protests were going on over in the University areas---the New Territories sections.

The few folks I asked (bartenders, cabdrivers etc) were divided on if it was a good thing or not. The Limo guy thought it was just kids being kids, and was worried that it would hurt Westerners views of the stability of Hong Kong and cause a downturn in Western investment in Hong Kong. Some of the bartenders were okay with it, believing the Mainland Govt was reneging on their political promises at the time of the handover.

[daddy]

James D,

Here's the Science Quiz: Are you scientifically literate? Take our quiz

Wow, from the look of the video reports on FOX, looks like Hong Kong has exploded over the last few days. It was pretty much all students last week.

[lyle]

[Psst, JamesD. Palladium. That is all]

[Jim Eagle]

Everyone needs to read Lyle's linkn 4:06 link to Wretchard on the naive tribute to Islam. We have a Nigerian Prince friend in NYC who is Catholic and a recognized endocrinoligist who once pulled a stunt on Diplomatic security that is a classic in the annals of speaking truth to power. (It was actually not him but the valet parking crew at a NYC restaurant:)

[lyle]

You're not going to leave us hanging, are you, JiB?

[lyle]

Guess so...

[cathyf]

Hey, I got an 84% on the science quiz. Thought it was well-named -- science literacy is all about knowing what the words mean, which is different from science.

[Jim Eagle]

lyle,

He parked his McLaren Merc with valet who put in prime position in front of the restaurant. They did not know who is was bu he was black with an accent:)

A few minutes later up pullls Diplomatic seciurity escorting a Yemeni ambassador or something and ordering the valet guys to move our friends car and they said they couldn't because it belonged to a Nigerian prince (which they didn't know at all).

They backed off and then when our friend came out they told him what happened and all he do was laugh all the way home.

[clarice]

CH:Chalk one up for Ohio:-http://washingtonexaminer.com/supreme-court-stops-start-of-ohio-early-voting/article/2554121

[Jim Eagle]

Here is an easier science quiz from Pew. Event the LIV's score in the 80's here, so JOM should max it,

http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/science-knowledge/

[lyle]

Aced that one, JiB. My self esteem is soaring...

[Ignatz]

Likewise lyle, but I really would have felt like an idiot if I'd missed one of those.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Thanks clarice; I'm probably missing something of significance regarding why the donks have gone full retard on early voting here since neither the Restraining Order nor Evolved's Senate seats are being contested in November. Maybe maryrose or Ann knows what I'm missing.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

Yay for easy tests.

[maryrose]

clarice:
You have made my day!
CH:
Husted has said we don't need a month for early voting.
Nina Turner is now a fixture on MSNBC ranting about disenfranchizing voters in Ohio. Recently a decision came down that early voting could start Sept.30th. It has never started before Oct.
The SC made the right decision. Reps and the Gov race as well as Attorney general are on the line. Today there is an article about how the Democrat Party is imploding in Ohio. They put up Fitzgerald and cleared the field for him and he doesn't have a valid driver's license. My guess is last year when he voted at the poll I was working at he used a utility bill from Lakewood.

[Ignatz]

I took daddy's quiz a second time and I still didn't do as well as JiB.
Couldn't remember the planetoid by Pluto and meant to hit Jupiter for the moons but hit Saturn instead accidentally.
Not even as smart after being supplied the answers once. Very sad.

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

I forgot about Fitzgerald because he's such a sleazy POS that the donks have to be close to rock bottom to run him. He makes Twitch look like a statesman. As much as Kasich has resembled Voinovich v2.0, I don't even need my anti-RINO nausea medicine to vote for him.

[clarice]

Target sues Wis prosecutor s http://althouse.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-man-who-sued-prosecutors-of-secret.html