Congress is investigating to find out who leaked the story that Obama has a secret “kill list” of political assassination targets, and that the U.S. conspired with Israel to infect Iran with the Stuxnet computer virus, to the New York Times. Shouldn’t they be investigating those activities, which are crimes, instead?
The Ultimate Crime
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication, WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "The Stringer."
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Let’s recap. Obama has a kill list. He’s put the boots to whistleblowers. More people have been deported in his first three years than in all of Bush’s eight. There has been no reform of Wall Street. The health plan is about to have the tiny little balls it did have ripped clean off and shoved down its throat. Bradley Manning is still sitting in a cell waiting for a trial. A hundred-plus others are sitting in Gitmo, where they will continue to sit until they die from old age or suicide because they can never be released, not because of guilt but because the U.S. kept them for too long, tortured them, and knows that in a fair fight, every one of those people are going to walk, and then they’re going to talk, and it’s possible that this time, the world will tell the U.S. that enough is enough, and turn the following people over to the Hague. And let’s not forget those mouthbreathing half-wits at TSA, helping to indoctrinate the masses into surrendering their Fourth Amendment rights. Still, if it weren’t for the TSA, the unemployment rate, which is actually around 20%, would be that tiny bit even higher. And let’s not forget the wars we’re fighting. How many nations are we destabilizing, right now?
And to think that at one point, Richard Nixon’s enemies list was the clearest indicator that the cheese had slid right off his cracker. The guy in the Oval Office right now makes Nixon look like a puke.
The point is that congress (read: radical reich ) is NOT outraged about the existence of a presidential kill list BUT that the Muslim, anti-colonial, Kenyan, fascist-socialist thought of it first.
In other words, as for the last 3.5 years, the radical reich ignores ALL the abundant, justifiable reasons to criticize Obama because they ADMIRE his acting like a Republican, or in the case of weekly extra-judicial murder sessions, are seething with frustrated jealousy at his acting worse than Republicans have so far managed.
(I would note that at least pre-trial motions for Manning have begun. Yesterday the judge agreed that the government had to give the defense information it has been withholding, notably, various internal government agency “damage (or not) assessments” on the Wikileaks.)
PS: The radical reich is really annoyed since it sees the hideous public portrayal of the “murder-in-chief” as a HUGE political advantage to the incumbent in this pre-election season.
The only thing sicker than suggesting that is the fact that they may well be correct.
Hey, when did Liberals become the inflexible douches that justify their crappy leader, by claiming the others guys are just jealous they didn’t come up with the evil plan first? hahaha our Darth Vader came up with pure evil first! Stupid other guys.
But, Ted, isn’t now and hasn’t it always been the very definition of treason, i e, ratting out on the crimes committed by those in power ? Irritating people who don’t have power is rarely a crime. These chaps should consider themselves lucky that they havn’t immediately been taken out – with family and friends, who must also be regarded as suspect (I believe «militant» is the preferred term) – by a done strike….
Henri
I will never stop pointing this out:
Wall Street Reform: Blocked/weakened by Republicans
Meaningful immigration reform: Blocked by Republicans
Clearly Constitutional health care plan: Likely to be taken down in a political (not legal) decision by judges appointed by Republicans.
Bradley Manning: Voluntarily gave up normal constitutional rights the minute he joined the army.
Gitmo: Still open because of Republicans.
And last but not least: the TSA policies you decry: put in place by a Republican administration in response to a terrorist attack said administration let happen.
Your anger continues to be misplaced.
TSA
Whimsical mentions that he “will never stop pointing this out:” and lists six items to dispute my recap list. My list had eight points. Obama’s kill list wasn’t addressed, nor was the assault on whistleblowers.
Of the other points, the one about deportation was argued by Whimsical’s mentioning that “meaningful immigration reform blocked by Republicans.” The problem with that answer, however, is that it doesn’t address the point raised. More people have been deported in Obama’s first three years than in all eight of Dubya’s. How does Republican blocking SPEED UP deportation?
As to reform on Wall Street. According to Whimsical, it was blocked/weakened by Republicans. The Republicans aren’t the ones who tell the Attorney General what to investigate. The AG is appointed by the president to his cabinet. If Obama wanted to push the issue — he doesn’t, but if he did — the Republicans couldn’t stop it.
The health plan, as Whimsical correctly notes, is about to be crushed in a political decision, not a legal one. To which, I again wonder, how did the President not see this coming? A Constitutional Law professor ought to know that this sort of thing happens. Where was the legal team? Did Obama really think the Republicans were going to be reasonable? If so, he’s incompetent.
Bradley Manning did gave up certain rights when he signed on for the military, but Obama’s the head of the military. It goes like this: “Hi. Pentagon? How are you doing? Good. Good. The kids? They’re fine. Thanks. Oh, by the way. I’ve got this pardon on my desk for Bradley Manning. You either try him, fairly, in 30 days or I’m going to sign it and order his release. I’ve had enough of this. You’re making us look like Communist Russia. Act like professionals.” Manning — much like health care — is a political victim, but, Manning’s biggest sin, I suspect, is that his actions pointed out what America does when it thinks no one is looking. And how can Obama denounce those sorts of actions while he’s playing Nintendo Ninja Jedi Assassin with his remote-controlled bombs?
As to the Gitmos, who are trapped because the Republicans are keeping the camp open, again, it’s a political thing. The President could force the issue, but why bother. Why should the President give a damn about some brown people rotting in cells? The TSA, the last item on the list, also started by Republicans, as Whimsical points out, are, as not pointed out by Whimsical, kept in place in no small part by the complicity of the current administration.
Whimsical thinks my “anger continues to be misplaced.” I don’t think so. Every defense of Obama boils down to either “it’s not his fault” or “he can’t fix everything” or “we didn’t vote in a king.” And those argument fail. When a leader can’t produce results, yes, it is his fault. By definition of what “leader” means. No, we didn’t vote for a king who can fix everything, but what we’ve got is someone who hasn’t fixed anything. I would rather have had three successes and 10 failures than 13 half-assed efforts that led to nothing. And whenever nothing gets done, it’s the Republicans who are thwarting it. Even when it’s something the Republicans had no control over. Did the Republicans hand Obama the kill list and tell him to do it? Did the Republicans tell Obama to continue to praise the TSA? The President can’t force a fair trial for a military person being held on charges? Can the President do anything? George W. Bush sure did. FDR sure did. Bush was a half-wit, but I’ll give him credit where it’s due: he knew how to get what he wanted. Perhaps all Obama wants is to see how long he can continue to fool everyone into thinking he cares one way or the other.
Now, with the elections coming up, I’m wondering what will be made of the turnout. It’ll be one of two things, I suspect: a much lower than normal turnout for a presidential election (because all the unemployed — and I mean the real-world use of that term, not the government stat that leaves out everyone who’s already fallen through the entire safety net — simply didn’t show up) or the results will show a higher than normal third-party result from all the people who simply couldn’t stomach voting for Romney OR Obama.
@alex-
You’ll never see this so I’m not sure why I’m bothering. Nevertheless:
“My list had eight points. Obama’s kill list wasn’t addressed, nor was the assault on whistleblowers.”
Because they’re utterly ridiculous non-issues. ooh, Obama has a list of people he’d like to see dead. BFD. So do I, so do a lot of people I know, and I’d bet most politicians. Meaningless.
As for the whistleblowers- Ooh, people who broke the law are getting punished. Shocker. Just because you’re blowing the whistle doesn’t mean you get to break the law with impunity. That’s about as much of an issue as “Dog bites man”.
“As to reform on Wall Street. According to Whimsical, it was blocked/weakened by Republicans. The Republicans aren’t the ones who tell the Attorney General what to investigate. ”
Two separate issues. Do you deny reform was blocked/weakened by Republicans? As for investigations, it’s already been found that 99% of what the banks did was legal (immoral and disgusting, but not illegal) and investigations into the remaining 1% are ongoing. Swing and a miss.
“More people have been deported in Obama’s first three years than in all eight of Dubya’s. How does Republican blocking SPEED UP deportation?”
Because Republicans don’t give two shits about enforcing the law. Shocker, Obama is going to enforce the laws as they are until he can get them changed. Good for him.
“The health plan, as Whimsical correctly notes, is about to be crushed in a political decision, not a legal one. To which, I again wonder, how did the President not see this coming? A Constitutional Law professor ought to know that this sort of thing happens. ”
Apparently Obama is smarter than you give him credit for. No big surprise the far left routinely doesn’t give Obama anywhere near the credit he’s due.
“It goes like this: “Hi. Pentagon? How are you doing? Good. Good. The kids? They’re fine. Thanks. Oh, by the way. I’ve got this pardon on my desk for Bradley Manning. You either try him, fairly, in 30 days or I’m going to sign it and order his release. ”
Complete fantasy. Government doesn’t work that way.
“As to the Gitmos, who are trapped because the Republicans are keeping the camp open, again, it’s a political thing. The President could force the issue, but why bother.”
Complete fantasy. Government doesn’t work that way. Obama has done everything he can to get Gitmo closed.
“Whimsical thinks my “anger continues to be misplaced.” I don’t think so. Every defense of Obama boils down to either “it’s not his fault” or “he can’t fix everything” or “we didn’t vote in a king.” And those argument fail.”
Bull. You just don’t like those arguments because their validity forces you to confront your own misplaced anger, and like most on the far left, you are loathe to do so, preferring to indulge in a fantasy government scenario where Obama can do whatever the hell you want just cause he’s President.
Complete fantasy. Government doesn’t work that way.
“Can the President do anything? George W. Bush sure did. FDR sure did. ”
FDR didn’t have a psychopathic opposition party. If he had to face today’s Republicans, he’d be lucky to get as much accomplished as Obama has.
And you’re seriously calling for Obama to have the same disregard for the rule of law and how government works that W. had? That’s incredibly hypocritical (because I’m sure you were oh so outraged when Bush did the things you want Obama to do) or stupid, or both.
“Now, with the elections coming up, I’m wondering what will be made of the turnout. It’ll be one of two things, I suspect: a much lower than normal turnout for a presidential election (because all the unemployed — and I mean the real-world use of that term, not the government stat that leaves out everyone who’s already fallen through the entire safety net — simply didn’t show up) or the results will show a higher than normal third-party result from all the people who simply couldn’t stomach voting for Romney OR Obama.”
I expect a slight increase in third party stats, as well as a slight drop in turnout- pretty much entirely on the Republican side. Most normal people, employed or not get that Romney will make things thousands of times worse. Only the far fringe left sees some sort of perverse virtue in making their fellow citizens suffer, and frankly, there just aren’t that many of you guys, thank the Lord.