Even the idea that the Taliban could possess nuclear material is harmful to our national security. The President should declare that and have spies and satellites vigilant in Pakistan. In the event Pakistan military forces are overrun near sites containing nuclear weapons or nuclear energy material he ought to immediately order those materials utterly destroyed. The Taliban would use those materials in a dirty bomb. It won’t be enough to drop cruise missiles on them because that would merely scatter the nuclear material around, where Bin Laden’s people can collect it. Mr. Obama should be prepared to nuke them, and he should do it immediately, before materials can be relocated. Many lives would be lost in such an action, but they would not be American lives. While all life is precious, President Obama must act decisively to protect our lives above all others.
The President has an opportunity to demonstrate dire consequences for all those who would attack an American flagged vessel.
What’s needed is the use of immediate and decisive force. Any ships responding to the pirates’ calls for assistance should be blown out of the water – once in their life-boats, they must surrender all weapons on be sunk. Round up any survivors.
Siege the ship, or lifeboat, or whatever where they are holding the remaining hostage, the captain. Go in hard, allowing those who immediately surrender to be taken into USS Navy custody, while killing the others for resisting.
Surviving pirates, including those who lost their ships when they came to aid the pirates should be taken ashore and told to identify their homes and families and the homes of their families, friends and loved ones. Commandos should enter each of those buildings, throwing out the occupants without allowing them to take any personal items from the homes. They the commandos should torch, firebomb and flamethrower the residences down to the rubble. Then place small charges and blow up the foundation, damaging it enough that it can’t be reused.
Leave behind leaflets in local dialect bearing the words, “American Flagged vessels should not be attacked”.
Establish a set of repercussions so devastating that pirates avoid US flagged ships.
Its a very scary thought, but there has been a consistent pattern of October surprises that have been a primary tool of the Republicans as of recent elections. Still, with the current environment, it is hard to imagine how any surprise would work.
I started thinking long and hard about this and I noticed a pattern that gave me a chill down my spine and an upset stomach that still hasn't gone away.
Normally, negative campaigns do an about face and become positive in the final weeks in order to shore up people who don't respond to angry Nazi like hate and fear mongering.
This, so far, hasn't happened. And then I thought, what if the October surprise the Republican's are hoping for is another terrorist attack?
Recently an Al Qaeda terrorist endorsed John McCain because he believed it would mean the same policies of the last 8 years, and they've done pretty well in that time. His endorsement even went on to suggest that the best way al-Qaeda could help McCain is with an attack. [Link]
No one wants to think of this as a possibility, but only 4 years ago a last minute tape release from Bin Laden panicked a bunch of voters into swinging their vote. They could try something again. And maybe, they're counting on it.
With McCain's constant barrage of "Question who Obama is" crap, I could see them trying to close the sale of people's votes with a last minute flood of national security based ads and political terrorist association tear-downs.
Its honestly a long shot for them to try this. And it might blow up in their faces if they do. But its a scary scenario that, honestly McCain is in a position to strike from.
Really, all I can think of that we can do to protect us from this is to prepare ourselves for the possibility so we are not surprised if it does happen. If we respond quickly and decisively, possibly attacking bush for allowing such a thing to happen or perhaps putting Joe Biden out-front with a few good words to fortify the perceived national security weakness of Barack, we can avoid being caught off guard.
This is one election we absolutely cannot afford to loose. Republican desperation, political fear mongering, and an enemy who now has cause enough to try something if they can... its a very bad and potentially explosive mix.
As long as we are aware of the posibility, we will be less surprised and more prepared to deal with it, should the time come. Let us all hope it doesn't.
You Betcha! The McAttack will NOT Work!
Less than a month to go to the election and John McCain is throwing caution to the wind and is beginning an all-out assault on the "character" of Barack Obama. Wanting to "turn the page" on the economy--even as the stock market is in full-throttle tank mode--McCain seems to be out of viable options.
Sarah Palin, having survived the debate and rising to the level of student council president with her winks and doggone-its, committed a huge political blunder by charging that Obama is "palling around with terrorists."Rule No. 1 in politics: don't shoot arrows at your opponent without knowing how much he has in his own quiver.The slimy, nefarious attempt to link Obama to William Ayres, a 60's era radical, woke up the sleeping beast in the Obama campaign. For months, the faithful like myself has been waiting for Obama to go at least somewhat negative to soften John McCain.
Palin's comments, as well as those leaked from the McCain campaign that they will go on an aggressive attack, resurrected the Keating 5 scandal that tarnished John McCain out of the Obama quiver.Worse for McCain is that the scandal reinforces his dubious associations with those in the financial community which becomes a perfect overlay to the current Wall Street crisis.
Moreover, Obama is sharpening his attacks on McCain in other areas, such as dubbing McCain's health plan as "radical" and characterizing McCain's response to the financial meltdown as "erratic."
Obama wisely and pre-emptively criticized McCain's tactics and warned the electorate that McCain has no solutions to the economic crisis, wants to turn the page, and instead seeks to launch into Swift Boat style messaging. So when McCain fires off these so-called character missles at Obama, he will be playing right into Obama's hands. And at the same time, Obama will be demonstrating that the best defense is a strong offense.
McCain, Palin--betcha by golly wow--your strategy will not work.www.stevecharing.blogspot.com
Of course, Barack Obama won the debate in Nashville last night, though the tone of the evening overall was slow and somber. As the night progressed, Obama was at once self-possessed and admiringly steady as a frazzled John McCain hurled one insult after another, many of them misguided, at the Democratic nominee.
Guided by the firm hand of NBC’s Tom Brokaw on the campus of Belmont University, Obama proved more than up to the night’s many challenges, at one point chiding an overmatched McCain: “This is the guy who sang, ‘Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran,’ who called for the annihilation of North Korea. That I don’t think is an example of ’speaking softly’ … This is the person who, after we had — we hadn’t even finished Afghanistan– where he said, ‘Next up, Baghdad.’ ”
During the debate, McCain attacked Obama on inexperience, while he had his attack dog Sarah Palin sniffing along the campaign trail falsely connecting Obama to terrorists and extremist activity. Was it just me or did there seem something quite disingenuous about a self-proclaimed war hero not having the verve to attack his opponent in a face-to-face confrontation the same way he’s had others do behind his back?
McCain went on to accuse Obama of announcing a possible attack on Pakistan to which the ever-calm Obama explained that he never called for an attack on that region. Further, Obama insisted that his efforts in that arena would be for one reason only. “If Pakistan is unable or unwilling to hunt down bin Laden and take him out, then we should,” he stated firmly.
Yes, McCain, as he has during the past few weeks especially, seemed erratic with arms flailing as he wandered aimlessly around the small half-debate, half-Town Hall stage. Watching McCain stumble and falter during his disjointed answers made one frightened at the possible effects his presidency would have on this nation.
On Monday morning, my family buried my 108-year-old paternal grandmother. Her amazing journey in the deep South bore witness to the post-slave era, the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights movement. She also lived to see the emergence of one Barack Obama, and be touched by his spirit. In her honor and all the other souls who have endured to have their struggles manifest, I am resolved and relieved to know a McCain/Palin presidency is looking more and more as if it can’t and won’t happen …
‘night grandma and thanks.
Photo: Hoag Levins/Kevyn T. Johnson’s oil and collage ‘I’m Still Standing’
I was in school when I came across a study of NFL game strategies - to win and to not lose. Not the same thing, and worth examining in light of last night’s debate. From the study it showed that those teams using a “win” strategy won significantly more games than those teams with a “not lose” one when competing against each other. A win strategy in football means taking chances, passing, going for the down rather than punting for breathing room, and doing the unexpected.
Sure, in a game’s final moments all teams in the lead try to run out the clock, but we are not yet in the final moments. In the final moments it’s a tactic, not a strategy, and even then sometimes doesn’t work. A gutsy opponent forces an opening and then well … McCain’s the 44th president and Palin the 45th, the American Century draws to a close and the world sinks into the new dark ages.
We must not allow this to happen. Obama is the light. Let it shine. Be bold, our team, bring your A game. Okay, what needs to be done now to avoid snatching defeat from the jaws of victory?
Let’s assess: We have a slight advantage right now, but it’s not enough to counter all the polling problems the Republicans will be creating. They will be going all out to suppress voting, especially of new registrants, and Black and Latino voters. We must fight this with lawsuits now where groups are being disenfranchised by computer programs that strike minorities with similar names to felons, and get photo I.D.s for voters that don’t have them. T
hey will also cheat on the count, and we must continue efforts to insist on paper trails, and call for recounts at the first whiff of irregularity. That’s behind the scenes and necessary, but for us to win Obama must lead. This means Obama must score, must continue to put points up, avoiding missteps is not enough.
I heard on CNN that this is no a time for two or more presidents, that we must unite behind President Bush as he and his team try to alleviate the financial meltdown. This makes no sense. The sooner the incompetent Bushies are pushed aside, the better. A huge majority of the electorate knows this for certain, and more suspect it. To unite behind the administration that put us here, and that has shown across the board wrongheadedness in every sector would guarantee disaster.
I think Obama must say that legally, constitutionally, there are restrictions on what a president elect can do until he assumes office, but as a practical matter he is working now, and will work harder beginning November fifth to lead us out of this mess. I think this will cut into the fear factor immediately. We all fear the hand of Bush and Obama is the only hope, is both the message and the messenger.
We the people must know that help is on its way now. Remind us that transition teams can be more powerful than the outgoing administration in governing, and team Obama will be there for us.
And, last go after the opposition. Unlike us at the moment, these are the guys going for the ball. Don’t let them have it and if they get it, take it away. Remind people, like Joe Biden did in his finest debate moment, that a wolf in what, sheep, maverick clothing is still a wolf. McCain is the wolf pack’s wild card. After the sheep know the pack and know avoiding them is life and death, send in the whack job disguised as something else.
This is the pack’s only way to fool the sheep one more time.
Obama, lead us - we’re not sheep. We’re Americans, people that care about fairness, and we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore!
Senator, I've told you twice before, Attack, attack, attack! Tonight, do "NOT" let the Republicans move you off the economy!. Make sure that you tell them that :you know the Democrats" share some of the responsability. Make sure you "start" to tell us how you are going to fix it, how your priorities will have to change in order to accomplish this, and Nail Gov. Palin to the wall.
For g-d's sakes, the Gov. is, to be as polite as possible, A "MENTAL MIDGET!"! She can, or will not speak a language that I can understand. Hell, she dangles participles, uses prepostitonal phrases, in all probability would not even know what you meant if you asked her to "Parse" a sentence, and seems to me ( with no actual experience on the subject) speak in "tounges"!
Within the next two weeks, tell us "whom" will be your Sec. of State (:) Colin Powell would be nice, or in all truth Mrs. Rice, if willing, would be great, I think The President and his crew, ate the two of them as "snacks" on the political table! Sec. of Treasury, Sec. of Commerce, Sec. of Defense, and Se. of Homeland Security. Sir: make them GOOD choices EVEN if they are from the Republican side. Get them out there early and make sure that "The People" know that you are already (getting ready) to lead us!
Let the people, know that you are "ALREADY" preparing to take office! Let the people, know that you are "already" thinking about the future, NOT just getting elected. Act like you are ready and able to take Office tomorrow!
Most of all, :) How one does this, I,m not sure :) BUT I trust you and your advisors to figure it out. You have to keep talking in the "general" tone of voice you have been using: BUT: you have to get some (I am better then you, more ready then you, more able then you to get the job done!
Senator, I realize that you are trying to take the "High Road"! Don't try! Demand it, take it, and damm well "EXPLOIT" it!
Good Luck tonight, See you in November
Recorded for the Library of Congress October 7, 2008; 28 Days before Election Day 2008.
M5 OMG Timothy TrustUS orders counter offensive against 43rd Presidency Republican Alquaeda Trickettes character attack on Trust Executive Administration Mastermind of Senator Barack Obama…
MoorAmerican MilitiaUS Media Mint-Tallity MOORines and Obama MOORines lock and load with lethal RockShockaLogic and Focused BUMP’s… they are ordered to fire at will against all commentary off subject from the ECONOMY. Wall Street Bull Monsters get orders to throw the hammer until there is an unconditional surrender to the subject of the ECONOMY. Kybalion MOORine Troopers watch for Trojan horses that may lend themselves to the so called maverick’s of the trickettes down ticket. They hammer the American Solutions Sponsorship and campaign director, General Chairman Newt Gingrich… a political exploitation tactician of the Karl Rove criminal cell.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
INCOMING blablogblabbaBLOGpost-up BAM BOOM BANG BOW --- BUMP!
INCOMING BACK UP MOORINE POINTS... WALL STREET BULL MONSTERS OF ObamaMOORines!
Stop! You can’t turn the page from the discourse about the economy! 60% of the American people want to engage in a discourse about the economy. The current financial crisis is the only thing the American people can afford to pay attention to any more character attacks and lies! You only have permission to publish and broadcast the truth.
Now if you want some news worthy topic you can ask us, the ObamaMOORines… the MoorAmerican MilitiaUS Media Mint-Tallity MOORines! Focus on this now… AMERICAN SOLUTIONS.
American Solutions is a 527 group that’s supposed to be non-partisan. It was founded a few years ago by the General Chairman Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives that’s making a bid for the presidency in 2012. The later was reported by Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC, probably a sympathetic media operative of some kind for RAT’s. She should have done a better job reporting this to the American people. The late Tim Russert trained her better than that.
Newt Gingrich was the biggest nemesis of the Clinton Administration and actually a suicidal bomber of democratic proposals that were good for the American people. He conducted the most partisan political agenda in the history of the House of Representatives. That’s the record of mass destruction the American people hold him accountable for. Now Newt Gingrich wants to be president of the United States of America.
He’s a criminal RAT the American people have to look out for and stay away from in the future. He is a Political Extremists of Tricknowlogy… a PET RAT! It’s no secret he orchestrated the impeachment of President Clinton. That’s his method of operation - - - character assassination is his specialty. Now he’s going after TEAM Obama, the 44th Presidency of the United States of America in Congress Assembled. It’s not presumptuous to say so, its a matter of having Election Day come on November 4, 2008. Done Deal... 350 ELECTORIAL COLLEGE VOTES LOCKED IN BY GROUND TROOPS GANGBANGING THE VOTER REGISTRATION. Mission Accomplished! They will show up to vote... In fact, many of the votes for TEAM Obama have already been mailed in.
The primary mission of Newt Gingrich is to disrupt the political process – the 2008 Presidential race -- that RAT is testing the voting public's tolerance for political exploitation tactics! --- Culture war issues, character issues, race cards, sexism… Newt Gingrich is a Political Exploitation Tactician for the Axis of Evil - - - the GOP Republican National Committee and the 43rd Presidency. His senior advisor is Karl Rove, who is under congressional subpoena as we speak out and BACK UP MALICIOUS PET’s and RAT's like Newt Gingrich!
BE ADVISED AND KNOWN TO ALL AMERICANS --- ALL 513,000 offices in America are on our watch --- WALL STREET BULL MONSTERS of the Obama MOORines. Don’t know who we are, but we know who the RAT’s are and the PET RAT’s, and the RAT’s of the Trojan horses like American Solutions Sponsorship (ASS) of other RAT’s being advised by Karl Rove.
Now, where is Colin Powell? Is he hiding from the republican party brand? I thought he was a trustworthy statesman of the American society? Colin Powell said he would make an endorsement once the campaign got under way… I’m wanna know if he’s a RAT… or a PET RAT… or a PET RAT’s ASS like Newt Gingrich, the 2012 presidential candidate and criminal insurgent agent of Karl Rove. Tell Colin Powell the “WALL STREET BULL MONSTERS” WANNA HERE HIS ENDORSEMENT BEFORE THE STOCK MARKET DROPS ANOTHER 500 POINTS! I’m sure he can appreciate our carefulness regarding friendly fire. THIS IS A FULL SCALE REVOLUTIONARY WAR FOR CHANGE. DON’T GET IT TWISTED! WE HAVE OUR STRATEGIC TARGET LOCKED ON ALL 513,000 OFFICES IN AMERICA… Endorse the 44th Presidency or get hammered by the CHANGE WE NEED NOW!
Who-RA!
Come on, seriously, she expects people to believe Obama is related to terrorism at the age of EIGHT? Guess Palin got no other options besides spreading obvious lies about Obama as a last desperate attempt to drag him down.
See full report here: http://kronomy.com/event/iTmUDKoPnk/
The McCain/Palin ticket has now sunk to their lowest form of campaigning we have seen. Just today in Florida, Palin spoke to a very friendly crowd about their latest despicable attack on Obama's character. She is still trying to tag him to his "pal a terrorist" William Ayers who was a student activist and did do some despicable things, as Barack has said. Senator Obama was an 8 year old when that happened of course, but because Ayers did repent and changed his life around and worked in the South Chicago side 35 years later Obama did cross paths with him. That's it.
Now Palin, Rove, and McCain have decided they may be able to scrape away at their cesspool of tricks and cause people to doubt Obama's character. One person in the audience in Florida was heard yelling "Kill Him" in response to Palin's inflammatory talk. She did not blink this time and went right on spewing filth.
Thank goodness the Truth Squad and the Obama team are attacking back in a much more level headed way. The Keating Five scandal is well documented and open season. The Obama team does not want to go there, but when you are viciously slandered you must strike back. I wonder if we will get so enraged at what else Rove, et al., might invent as scandal that we start publicizing her husband's Alaskan Independence membership and McCain's high roller gambling habit and connections. I hope it does not come to that.
Obama/Biden can stay on message about the issues and answers they have. We are leading and the McCain campaign is unravelling so it will get sleazier. I hope we have a big enough lead in the polls to withstand those who will never admit they could not vote for Obama once they got in the hidden booth.
First kudo s to the great debate that Mr. Bidden did. Let the republicans continue to talk and expose how out of touch they are.
Don't let any attacks from the McSame administration sully the Obama Campaign. The worse thing that can happen is for Barack to attack
Let honesty and good policy stay at the front!
"John McCain is going to make the last month of this campaign as unpleasant and dishonorable as possible." Whatever you think about those words, it's abundantly clear that he is intending to campaign on character.
Some of the pundits seem to think that fighting back on character will be harmful, somehow less than honorable. My fear is that the Obama Campaign follows the Kerry advisers strategies that emphasize 4 point plans or 12 point plans or nuanced policy distinctions and ignore the hearts of voters. The signs are there already: in Palin's jab about "I'm proud to be an American" and her subsequent attempts to cast Barack as associating with a 'terrorist'. The campaign is transparently signalling its intention to bring what they call character into focus. Let Barack talk about what he sees as character and let the ads point to McCain's dubious associations and what his actions reveal about character. And for goodness sakes, let some of those many veterans speak about their feelings about a candidate who consistently votes against their futures or holds up their benefits based on his 40 year old concept of what 'being in harms way' means and how long you have to serve to be worth our support and honor. It means something very different now in the streets of Iraq and Afghanistan. We don't have so many POWs in these wars; we have dead soldiers and dead Iraqi citizens and wounded bodies and minds returning to their homes to reconstruct their lives as best they can.
Forget all the numbers and details that may win in a rational debate, but this is not going to be a month of rational rating of candidates. It's going to be a month in which the two things most determinative of voter behavior are of critical importance, group allegiance and responses to the candidates themselves. More than at any other time since the Iowa primary, Senators Obama and Biden and their wives, need to speak a bit about the integrity and character of our candidates, speak with strength and warmth. But we also need to hear them speak clearly, forcefully, with equal strength about the character of McCain and Palin. Please don't be afraid to do so. Don't think that standing on some mythical higher ground will persuade independents, sporadic voters or the undecided.
This isn't a discussion about "negative" or "attack" ads. It's a discussion about ethics and values. And the question for Tuesday is whether Barack will be able to convey the best of himself, go into his resource states of community organizing days and really talk with people about their lives, show them how his life connects and bridges to their, to our, concerns. I hope he can follow some of the skill that his running mate used - starting by naming an issue as one of 'fairness' or 'honesty' or some other bridging value, distinguishing simply and clearly the stark differences between himself and McCain, and then punch passionately and strongly with endings that connect to the listeners. And call McCain on his deception and impulsiveness, reminding us that those behaviors are found no where in our founding documents or best hopes for our country.
It wasn’t exactly in a favorable light, per se.
On NPR’s “Morning Edition” today, anchor Steve Inskeep asked Sen. John McCain about balancing honor and winning in a campaign that Inskeep called “brutal.” In their conversation, Inskeep asked about a particular ad that we found to be “false”:
Inskeep: Have you come back to your advisers at any point and said, “That ad,” like for example the ad that ran with your name on it saying that Barack Obama supported comprehensive sex education for primary school students, something that FactCheck.org said was wrong. Have you ever gone to your staff and said, “Take that ad off, it’s not right”?McCain: It was factually correct. It’s absolutely factually correct. And it is, and you can go on my Web site and you can see the exact language of the bill that Sen. Obama sponsored. But the point is if he had agreed to town hall meetings that I asked him to do all around the country like Jack Kennedy and Barry Goldwater had once agreed to do, the tenor of this campaign would be dramatically different. … I’m proud of the campaign we’re running. The ads are factually correct, and if someone named FactCheck.org or anybody else doesn’t agree with it, I respectfully disagree with their conclusion.
Inskeep: Have you come back to your advisers at any point and said, “That ad,” like for example the ad that ran with your name on it saying that Barack Obama supported comprehensive sex education for primary school students, something that FactCheck.org said was wrong. Have you ever gone to your staff and said, “Take that ad off, it’s not right”?
McCain: It was factually correct. It’s absolutely factually correct. And it is, and you can go on my Web site and you can see the exact language of the bill that Sen. Obama sponsored. But the point is if he had agreed to town hall meetings that I asked him to do all around the country like Jack Kennedy and Barry Goldwater had once agreed to do, the tenor of this campaign would be dramatically different. … I’m proud of the campaign we’re running. The ads are factually correct, and if someone named FactCheck.org or anybody else doesn’t agree with it, I respectfully disagree with their conclusion.
(You can listen to the interview here. This exchange begins at the 7 minute mark.)
For the record, Obama didn’t sponsor the bill, as McCain says. He wasn’t even a cosponsor. Yet the ad claimed that “Obama’s one accomplishment” in the realm of education was “legislation to teach ‘comprehensive sex education’ to kindergarteners.” That’s false. We pointed out several actual legislative accomplishments Obama has had in the area of education — bills he did sponsor or cosponsor.
Also, what Obama supported was “age-appropriate” sex ed for grades K-12, and that stipulation appears in the bill. The implication that he called for explicit sex ed for kindergarteners is also false. You can read the exact language of the bill from a link in our article on the ad as well.
The fact is, many of the ads from both camps have not been “factually correct.” If they were, our Web site would be empty.
We do appreciate the media mention, however.
Posted under Barack Obama, Education, FactCheck.org, John McCain, Presidential Election 2008
This post was written by Lori Robertson on October 1, 2008
