• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

In short, I come down firmly on all sides of the issue.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

T R E 4 5 O N

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

Hot air and ill-informed banter

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Let there be snark.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Bark louder, little dog.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

A consequence of cucumbers

Mobile Menu

  • Winnable House Races
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • Balloon Juice 2023 Pet Calendar (coming soon)
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • War in Ukraine
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • 2021-22 Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Concerned Journalists are Concerned

Concerned Journalists are Concerned

by $8 blue check mistermix|  April 28, 20129:53 am| 166 Comments

This post is in: DC Press Corpse, Did You Know John McCain Was A POW?

FacebookTweetEmail

This Obama ad has the New York Times concern trolling:

… [I]n the days leading up to the first anniversary of the raid that finally caught up to the Qaeda mastermind, Mr. Obama has made a concerted, if to some indecorous, effort to trumpet the killing as perhaps the central accomplishment of his presidency.

Mr. Obama has used the rarefied setting of the Situation Room to give an interview about how he made the decision to send in Special Operations forces. Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. gave a speech saying the re-election slogan would be “Bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive.” The president’s campaign released a Web video showing former President Bill Clinton praising Mr. Obama’s fortitude, as it questioned whether Mitt Romney would have made the same decision.

This makes it sound like the Situation Room is one of the sites where the Blessed Virgin Mary apparated. How dare we talk about killing and death in the room where we make plans for killing and death?

Because Mitt is the target here, for his stupid statement that he wouldn’t make Bin Laden a priority, the Romney campaign has trotted out John McCain to tsk-tsk. Here’s the best he can do:

No one disputes that the President deserves credit for ordering the raid, but to politicize it in this way is the height of hypocrisy.

The Obama campaign asks whether Mitt Romney would have made that decision. Of course they want to focus on this one tactical decision because the other decisions this President has made have harmed our national security.

In other words, “squirrel”.

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « And the winner is…
Next Post: a sense of relief »

Reader Interactions

166Comments

  1. 1.

    Raven

    April 28, 2012 at 9:54 am

    Yea cuz those shit-eatin dog-fuckers Boooch and Chaney would have never done some low shit like that.

  2. 2.

    Villago Delenda Est

    April 28, 2012 at 9:56 am

    McCain is such a loathsome sack of shit.

    You’re digging a hole of infamy, John. Didn’t your dad (the admiral, you incapable of command loser) teach you to stop digging?

  3. 3.

    Raven

    April 28, 2012 at 9:57 am

    @Villago Delenda Est: Squids don’t know shit about digging unless they are seabees.

  4. 4.

    Villago Delenda Est

    April 28, 2012 at 9:58 am

    This makes it sound like the Situation Room is one of the sites where the Blessed Virgin Mary apparated. How dare we talk about killing and death in the room where we make plans for killing and death?

    Gentlemen, you can’t fight in the war room!

  5. 5.

    General Stuck

    April 28, 2012 at 9:59 am

    One thing Modo is basically right on, that American voters like their Presidents with a bit of swagger now and then. Concern trolls on the left, and butthurt wingnuts whining cause their guy didn’t get bin Laden, be damned. It all puts a big grim on my face.

  6. 6.

    dmsilev

    April 28, 2012 at 10:01 am

    After the Republicans, especially including George W Bush and John McCain, spent several years humping the corpse of 9/11, it’s a wonder that they can make accusations of this sort without being struck by lightning bolts from a wrathful deity. Or have we all somehow managed to forget “Mission Accomplished”, Rudy “A noun, a verb, and 9/11” Giuliani, or the video montage at the 2008 R Convention that was a “tribute” to 9/11?

    I guess Zeus doesn’t mind hypocrites.

  7. 7.

    General Stuck

    April 28, 2012 at 10:01 am

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    I mean, they’ll see everything, they’ll… they’ll see the Big Board!

  8. 8.

    Baud

    April 28, 2012 at 10:02 am

    A president who respected the dignity of the office would have treated the anniversary with more decorum and humility by, say, landing a jet on to an aircraft carrier.

    Well, I guess that wouldn’t have worked for Obama because the Mission Accomplished sign would have been true.

  9. 9.

    Valdivia

    April 28, 2012 at 10:03 am

    I just saw that NYT thing and I wanted to throw an ax at someone’s head. So let’s get this straight: exploiting fear about 9/11 to get Bush and Republicans elected, ok. Recognizing that Obama is a bad ass who killed the MoFo, out of bounds?

    Shoot me now. He is supposed to just sit quietly while the republicans and their friends call him a weakling? Inexperienced? A hater of America?

  10. 10.

    ciotog

    April 28, 2012 at 10:05 am

    Well, the public editor of the Times told us there was going to be more of this. I guess the Sulzbergers want those sweet, sweet Romney tax cuts.

  11. 11.

    ciotog

    April 28, 2012 at 10:05 am

    Well, the public editor of the Times told us there was going to be more of this. I guess the Sulzbergers want those sweet, sweet Romney tax cuts.

  12. 12.

    dmsilev

    April 28, 2012 at 10:06 am

    @dmsilev: The video in question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDx80bnFrVs

    Dear Republicans: Shut The Fuck Up.

  13. 13.

    Petorado

    April 28, 2012 at 10:06 am

    Yeah, it’s not like Republicans would have ads saying what would a Democrat do if they had a phone call at 3 a.m. that was a matter of national security. Conservatives would never stoop so low, that’s why it’s always liberals running crazy ads with scary wolves in them coming to eat your Christian babies. Thank goodness folks like Karl Rove and Lee Atwater are the models of decorum in elections.

  14. 14.

    MattF

    April 28, 2012 at 10:08 am

    Republicans face a delicate task here– acknowledging that Obama accomplished something while reminding voters that the GOP is the true party of Homicidal Lunacy. So, we get to hear from John McCain.

  15. 15.

    MikeJ

    April 28, 2012 at 10:12 am

    I was thinking about this last night, or actually a related matter. In the book that Time excerpted this week, Gates states that he was dead set against a raid and wanted to bomb the building bin Laden was in.

    It has been a matter of faith for Republicans for *decades* that no lowly elected representative of the people should ever dare question one of the holy ones, that is, someone in in a uniform.

    I would love to ask Romney, “When Gates said he was against sending in a raid, would you have listened to the military or would you have killed bin Laden?”

  16. 16.

    Frankensteinbeck

    April 28, 2012 at 10:12 am

    @Valdivia:
    Yes. Should we go over the reasons why? They need a horse race, IOKIYAR, they’ve never liked Obama because his policies help people, they’ve never liked Obama because he’s black, they’ve never liked Obama because he wants to raise rich people’s taxes, Republicans are manly Daddy figures and Democrats should shut up and get in the kitchen, fauxrages make news without having to do any work? I’m probably forgetting some.

  17. 17.

    redshirt

    April 28, 2012 at 10:13 am

    How arrogant that this President should have the gall to list his accomplishments!

    Another sign we need an incompetent Plutocrat to rule us.

  18. 18.

    ira-ny

    April 28, 2012 at 10:15 am

    Reminds me of this famous quote from Dr Strangelove.

    President Merkin Muffley: “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!”

  19. 19.

    mai naem

    April 28, 2012 at 10:16 am

    You have to be kidding me. This is the same newspaper that had Judith Miller pimping Cheney’s crap and were getting hard ons with Bush’s Mission Accomplished crap. Seriously??????? JGFY.

  20. 20.

    the Conster

    April 28, 2012 at 10:16 am

    Remember when the WaPo and the NYT called out the Bush admin for obvious misuse of the threat level color codes before every important announcement and election? Yeah, me neither. The upside though is that they’ve clearly got nothin’.

  21. 21.

    schrodinger's cat

    April 28, 2012 at 10:18 am

    I saw that this morning, and wanted to tear my hair out.

  22. 22.

    Valdivia

    April 28, 2012 at 10:19 am

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    Shoot me now. Again.

  23. 23.

    Aimai

    April 28, 2012 at 10:19 am

    They are really scared that if Obama is allowed to be photographed or interviewed looking presidential the entire line of GOP attack falls. The times and all those guys want Obama to fight this election with both hands tied behind his back, stuffed in a sack, under a heap of clothes in the closet. How rude of him to animadvert on his successes. A truly modest man, like Reagan or bush, would never have allowed all this cult of me me me.

  24. 24.

    mai naem

    April 28, 2012 at 10:20 am

    They are also talking about the same situation when MTP and all the other talking heads shows on Sunday after raid had all Republicans on, because you know it was Bush who captured Bin Laden. Also too, Obama is a black muslim kenyan soshyleest appeaser.

  25. 25.

    dmsilev

    April 28, 2012 at 10:21 am

    I wonder whether Times reporters read the comments to their pieces. Because that article was getting absolutely trashed by the NYT commentariat. For the same reasons that it’s getting trashed here.

    Maybe, just maybe, we can do some behavioral conditioning on the authors and editors responsible for nonsense of this sort.

  26. 26.

    gaz

    April 28, 2012 at 10:23 am

    @dmsilev: I’m thinking that a plurality of NYT staff have some kind of hate-mail fetish.

    They write horrible articles and then wank while getting eviscerated by their readers in the comments.

    That’s the only thing that makes this all make some sort of sense.

    (“Please, may I have another!”)

  27. 27.

    Elizabelle

    April 28, 2012 at 10:25 am

    I have a bookmark folder for “Bad Journalism – examples” and this went straight in.

    FWIW, both Peter Baker and Michael D. Shear are Washington Post alumni who jumped to the Big Apple/Grey Lady.

    (And what dmsilev said at 24 — the reader comments are delicious.)

  28. 28.

    Mike in NC

    April 28, 2012 at 10:27 am

    @MikeJ:

    I would love to ask Romney, “When Gates said he was against sending in a raid, would you have listened to the military or would you have killed bin Laden?”

    Willard: “I’ll have to get back to you later about that”

  29. 29.

    MikeJ

    April 28, 2012 at 10:28 am

    @dmsilev: There was one comment in there that was off from the others, calling Obama a coward, et cet. Just loaded booman, and he’s taking apart Big Fap’s story. The blockquotes are identical to the comment at NYT.

  30. 30.

    HRA

    April 28, 2012 at 10:28 am

    Earlier this morning I went to read some of the comments about the ad and it was nothing except attack, attack, attack upon the president while sugary admiration for McCain’s stupidity.
    It brings to mind the saying and the fitness of protesting too much as well as covering up the miserable Romney speech at the university in Ohio. Never was I more thankful for changing to a D from an R!

  31. 31.

    Jeff Spender

    April 28, 2012 at 10:28 am

    This is why Buddhism is awesome. If you let go of all of your attachments, the world is a much nicer place. I can hear the birds singing outside of my window now, whereas in the past I wouldn’t have heard a damn thing through my rage-clogged ear canal.

    Just let go of the idea that we are a sane species and you’ll realize that everything that happens makes sense, precisely because it doesn’t make sense.

  32. 32.

    eldorado

    April 28, 2012 at 10:34 am

    obama – i didn’t politicize osama bin laden. i eliminated him.

  33. 33.

    gaz

    April 28, 2012 at 10:35 am

    @Jeff Spender: I can hear the trains outside my window.

    I’d move to a better neighborhood, but then I’d have to be around too many white neighbors.

    Which means I’d have to cut my grass.

    And I’d have to set their GOP yard signs alight.

    And I’d have to turn my music down,

    etc.

    I’ll take the trains.

  34. 34.

    Freddie deBoer

    April 28, 2012 at 10:36 am

    And all our problems were solved!

  35. 35.

    General Stuck

    April 28, 2012 at 10:37 am

    I’ve never been quite sure what is rattling around in the collective brane of the NYT’s, when they write swill like this, thinly disguised to put Obama in his place. They and others have treated the Obama presidency as some sort of liberal/progressive experiment to try out, but not take too serious, and certainly not exalt in any big successes the Obama administration has had. The WAPO are a bunch of asshole neo con leaning centrists, at best, and center right at worst. So their MO is fairly obvious.

  36. 36.

    kay

    April 28, 2012 at 10:37 am

    I’m okay with it because he’s still leading Romney around by the nose.
    Media and the Romney campaign spend every day talking about the fine points of Obama’s message.
    War on women, too strong?
    Student loans and taxes, class warfare?
    Bin laden, too triumphant?

    When does the Romney campaign start?

    All I hear is criticism of the Obama campaign messaging.
    Romney and media aren’t even disputing the
    substance of his argument. Can we assume they agree with him, they just don’t like the slogans?

  37. 37.

    quannlace

    April 28, 2012 at 10:37 am

    ‘Indecorous?’ Shoot, if they clutch at those pearls any harder they’re gonna break the string.

  38. 38.

    Cacti

    April 28, 2012 at 10:38 am

    They’ve really got no response for Obama being the guy who got bin Laden, and it drives them batshit.

    They wanted to see a Republican parade OBL’s severed head down Pennsylvania Avenue, and the ni-CLANG took that away from them.

    Now he’s using their mealy-mouthed excuse making against them. Waaaah, unfair!

  39. 39.

    MikeJ

    April 28, 2012 at 10:38 am

    @Freddie deBoer: You’re usually not that stupid are you?

  40. 40.

    Brian R.

    April 28, 2012 at 10:38 am

    Of course they want to focus on this one tactical decision because the other decisions this President has made have harmed our national security.

    Right, because as we all know, restoring America’s image in the global community, winding down the clusterf*ck war in Iraq, toppling Qaddafi without putting a single soldier on the ground, encouraging democracy throughout the Middle East, pushing through the New START treaty and tracking down loose nukes, and killing off about a third of al-Qaeda’s leadership — those moves all harmed our national security.

    Stop digging, McCain. You’ve already shat all over your reputation.

  41. 41.

    gaz

    April 28, 2012 at 10:40 am

    @General Stuck: I’ve been seeing the pseudo word “brane” around here a lot lately. Is there a meme I’m missing (like Morans) or have a plurality of people here just collectively forgotten how to spell (like when people use loose instead of lose)?

    This is not a critique, it’s an actual question. Whenever I see “brane” it makes me cringe, because it’s usually ironic as hell – as in “you’re an idiot! use your brane!!!”.. it just doesn’t make sense to me.

  42. 42.

    shortstop

    April 28, 2012 at 10:40 am

    On the subject of dignity and decorum, I don’t remember any other loser in a presidential contest constantly making public digs at the guy who bested him.

    Because he is ruled by petty rages and utterly lacks self-control–two attributes that are not useful in heads of state–McCain is totally oblivious to how pathetic he looks when he continues to pick the scab of his loss in public.

  43. 43.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    April 28, 2012 at 10:40 am

    GM’s alive & Osama’s dead. Enuff said.

    @Freddie deBoer:

    Well, that’s what the Firebaggers want us to think. ;p

    @MikeJ:

    Depends on the topic.

  44. 44.

    amk

    April 28, 2012 at 10:42 am

    shorter msm pricks – Obama cannot campaign on his record.

  45. 45.

    General Stuck

    April 28, 2012 at 10:42 am

    @gaz:

    It means whatever you want it to mean

  46. 46.

    slag

    April 28, 2012 at 10:43 am

    I really don’t understand the concern here. Like at all. Killing Osama Bin Laden is a line on Obama’s resume. This ad was pointing that out. And voters should get to decide whether or not they want to rehire him partially based on that line on his resume. What’s the question?

    That ad obviously wasn’t intended to intimidate anyone–or if it was, it probably failed miserably. It was a rare low-hyperbole ad that actually focused on one of many issues we’ll be voting on in this election….oh…now I see where the problem is. Jesus H Tapdancing Christ they’re focusing on issues! Sans hyperbole even! Send in the clowns.

  47. 47.

    Brian R.

    April 28, 2012 at 10:43 am

    This reminds me of the West Wing episode where the re-election campaign started to revolve around the question of whether or not Bartlet’s opponent was an idiot or not.

    As long as we’re talking about Obama killing Bin Laden, it doesn’t matter how much they clutch their pearls — because it’s just going to remind people, over and over again, that Obama killed Bin Laden.

    BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH Obama killed Bin Laden BLAH BLAH BLAH.

  48. 48.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    April 28, 2012 at 10:45 am

    Quite a tantrum from The Man Who Picked Palin. I especially like the part where Obama has thrown Israel under the bus. Didn’t McCain and Romney both scold Obama for saying he would go into Pakistan to get bin Laden, saying his willingness to offend our “ally” was evidence of his irresponsibility and lack of experience.

  49. 49.

    Culture of Truth

    April 28, 2012 at 10:46 am

    @kay: Exactly. The Romney campaign is always playing catch up, on the defensive, whining about how Obama’s successes aren’t successfully enough. It’s a sure fire loser.

  50. 50.

    jim filyaw

    April 28, 2012 at 10:47 am

    for thirty plus years we’ve been treated with the freedom fries, mission-accomplished, other priorities, chicken hawk republicans strutting across the electoral stage telling us about how tough they are as compared to democrats. they’ve nominated a guy who epitomizes that paradox (three generations, five wars, seven fit men who never served a day in uniform). and yet, their nominee pronounces himself more qualified to be commander in chief than our president, the one who had to make the decision, and did. how dare the democrats, to point this out!

  51. 51.

    gaz

    April 28, 2012 at 10:48 am

    @General Stuck:

    It means whatever you want it to mean

    Channeling your inner palin? hehe. I was under the impression that words mean things. my bad.

  52. 52.

    quannlace

    April 28, 2012 at 10:49 am

    Well, of course they have to go to McCain for a quote in these situations. Cause he’s the only Repub around who has ANY military service. Who else are they gonna ask? Boehner, Cantor, Ryan? Romney’s sons?

  53. 53.

    Baud

    April 28, 2012 at 10:49 am

    @eldorado: Me likey.

  54. 54.

    eemom

    April 28, 2012 at 10:49 am

    @Aimai:

    How rude of him to animadvert on his successes. A truly modest man, like Reagan or bush, would never have allowed all this cult of me me me.

    sweeet.

    My opinion is thus: the attacks have gotten SO ridiculous, SO fast, that if I were Obama I’d just tune them out totally and do my thing without regard to all the noise.

  55. 55.

    MikeJ

    April 28, 2012 at 10:51 am

    BTW, Newcastle is giving us the most boring game in the history of football. They may as well not be there.

    I was already cheering for Wigan, but 4 nil after one half? Sheesh.

  56. 56.

    General Stuck

    April 28, 2012 at 10:51 am

    @gaz:

    Channeling your inner palin? hehe.

    Channeling your inner asswipe?. Stay the fuck away from me.

  57. 57.

    mistermix

    April 28, 2012 at 10:51 am

    @Freddie deBoer: You got that out of this post?

  58. 58.

    eemom

    April 28, 2012 at 10:53 am

    @Freddie deBoer:

    And all our problems were solved!

    hey, I hear Greenwald is preaching on the mount again today. Go wash his feet.

  59. 59.

    kay

    April 28, 2012 at 10:53 am

    @Culture of Truth:

    I don’t know what it is. What is Mitt Romney running on?
    I listened to his college speech in Ohio. Is he running on investing in Staples? WTF was the broader message?
    “Things aren’t what they appear to be”?
    What a weird, weird thing to focus on. He lies constantly and no one knows where he stands.
    So he chose “things aren’t what they appear to be”?

  60. 60.

    Frankensteinbeck

    April 28, 2012 at 10:53 am

    @Cacti:
    That’s true. Obama taking out Bin Laden is an unforgivable contradiction of one of their favorite narratives. Republicans HAVE to be big, strong, and tough. The punditariat desperately needs the OBL takedown to not have happened.

    @slag:
    Issues Bad, also a journalistic favorite.

    @Brian R.:
    Thankfully, so true.

  61. 61.

    shortstop

    April 28, 2012 at 10:54 am

    @mistermix: no kidding. Way to miss the point by a continent.

  62. 62.

    gaz

    April 28, 2012 at 10:54 am

    @General Stuck: lol.

  63. 63.

    General Stuck

    April 28, 2012 at 10:55 am

    @eemom:

    hey, I hear Greenwald is preaching on the mount again today. Go wash his feet.

    That’s some primo snark, eemom. well played!!

  64. 64.

    Cacti

    April 28, 2012 at 10:58 am

    @eemom:

    hey, I hear Greenwald is preaching on the mount again today. Go wash his feet

    He can bathe them with his tears, then moisturize them with his semen.

  65. 65.

    GregB

    April 28, 2012 at 10:58 am

    Mitt Romney is the field marshal in the War on Truth.

    I have never seen such a mendacious human in my life.

  66. 66.

    Anya

    April 28, 2012 at 10:59 am

    @Freddie deBoer: <:-)

  67. 67.

    gaz

    April 28, 2012 at 11:00 am

    @kay:

    What is Mitt Romney running on?

    When he figures that out, I’m sure he’ll let us know. And tomorrow, when he figures it out * again * he’ll let us know again. And on monday, when he figures it out * again * …

    I’m sure you know the drill by now. =)

  68. 68.

    Marcellus Shale, Public Dick

    April 28, 2012 at 11:00 am

    fuck no, no gop’er would have made that decision, they all respect pakistani soverignty just too damned much to have done what was needed. oh, and pakistani lobbying dollars in the case of mccain advisors.

  69. 69.

    Kane

    April 28, 2012 at 11:03 am

    If the previous administration can claim that they kept the country safe after ignoring the warnings of what would be the deadliest attack on American soil, the Obama administration can remind voters of the successful mission that took out Bin Laden.

    It’s not indecorous or unbecoming to trumpet the killing of Bin Laden. If the mission had failed, we all know that President Obama’s opponents would be bashing him over the head for his decision in perpetuity.

  70. 70.

    GregB

    April 28, 2012 at 11:04 am

    Piss off your wingnut friends and family by telling them that the last time the US had a GOP President with a GOP House the United States suffered the worst attack in our history.

    9/11 changed everything mofos!

  71. 71.

    Mino

    April 28, 2012 at 11:04 am

    You gotta wonder what the Republican will do for a candidate in 2016 if they are unsuccessful this go-round.

    Mittens is the last plausible quasi-moderate left in the party.

    JEB!, Christie, et al have no public record of even semi-moderate behavior. Are they gonna draft Charlie Christ?

  72. 72.

    Brachiator

    April 28, 2012 at 11:04 am

    @amk:

    shorter msm pricks – Obama cannot campaign on his record.

    Shit, I am waiting for the mainstream pundit who will write that the uppity Obama has no right to campaign at all, and who will angrily snort about Obama upsetting Mittens delicate sensibilities.

    And Romney will just eat this shit up. “Here’s a president who does nothing but attack, attack, attack, while we are nothing but dignified white folk trying to save America.”

  73. 73.

    Cacti

    April 28, 2012 at 11:05 am

    @kay:

    I don’t know what it is. What is Mitt Romney running on?

    Romney doesn’t seem to have much strategy beyond flinging shit like an enraged gibbon.

  74. 74.

    gaz

    April 28, 2012 at 11:07 am

    @eemom:

    My opinion is thus: the attacks have gotten SO ridiculous, SO fast, that if I were Obama I’d just tune them out totally and do my thing without regard to all the noise.

    Agreed. He just needs to run on his record. The screeching is becoming counter-productive for the screechers. He just needs to tune it out. Pretty sure he knows this, which is probably part of the reason he’s such a great campaigner.

  75. 75.

    bcinaz

    April 28, 2012 at 11:07 am

    Let’s see, President Obama started looking in Pakistan immediately after his inauguration, authorized the training of one elite SEAL team and gave them the go ahead to kill OBL who was actually responsible for killing 3000 Americans on 9/11. George Bush told everybody a bunch of big fat lies about Saddam Hussein then used the entire military apparatus and a trillion dollars to kill him. Then kept Saddam’s gun as a souvenir. And had to remind us all what a Success Iraq was by landing on an aircraft carrier.

    Contrast in leadership, I’d say.

  76. 76.

    gaz

    April 28, 2012 at 11:08 am

    @Cacti: Enraged gibbons are cute, at least.

  77. 77.

    Culture of Truth

    April 28, 2012 at 11:08 am

    @kay: Right now he’s running as rich, white, handsome, big-shouldered rich guy so naturally he should be President. But there’s no ‘there’ there, so of course he must bring down the President.

    If Obama not a good President, or Romney were better candidate (1980?) this might work. But those does not apply, so it isn’t.

  78. 78.

    dmsilev

    April 28, 2012 at 11:08 am

    @kay:

    What is Mitt Romney running on?

    “I deserve to be President.”

    Seriously, the one position that Romney has unswervingly adhered to over the last 8 or so years is “Mitt Romney should be President”.

  79. 79.

    Mino

    April 28, 2012 at 11:09 am

    @kay: That was an amazing performance. Republican tacticians be reeling after that. Can they just lock him up and run ads against Obama.

  80. 80.

    dmsilev

    April 28, 2012 at 11:13 am

    @Kane:

    If the previous administration can claim that they kept the country safe after ignoring the warnings of what would be the deadliest attack on American soil, the Obama administration can remind voters of the successful mission that took out Bin Laden.

    No, not all. See, in foreign policy, the first year or two of an administration doesn’t count and anything that happens is due to the previous administration. Therefore, 9/11 was Clinton’s fault and Bush deserves the credit for killing bin Laden. This should be contrasted with domestic issues, where the new administration gets credited or blamed for events in the last couple of years of the previous one. Thus, Bush is responsible for the late-90s boom and the budget surplus, but Obama is to blame for the collapse of the housing bubble.

  81. 81.

    rlrr

    April 28, 2012 at 11:14 am

    Yet, it was OK for the Republicans to politicize 9/11…

  82. 82.

    Brachiator

    April 28, 2012 at 11:15 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Didn’t McCain and Romney both scold Obama for saying he would go into Pakistan to get bin Laden, saying his willingness to offend our “ally” was evidence of his irresponsibility and lack of experience.

    The Obama Administration needs to replay the video of this. And yeah, drive the point home by showing he crowds outside the White House celebrating when bin Laden’s death was announced.

  83. 83.

    Cacti

    April 28, 2012 at 11:21 am

    @dmsilev:

    “I deserve to be President.”

    The best description I’ve heard came from the mouth of the blessed matron Ann Romney:

    “It’s our turn”

    That’s really all it’s about. Bored rich guy wants to cross “POTUS” off his bucket list before entering his dotage.

  84. 84.

    Kane

    April 28, 2012 at 11:22 am

    Of course they want to focus on this one tactical decision because the other decisions this President has made have harmed our national security.

    Ended the war in Iraq
    Began drawdown of war in Afghanistan
    Toppled Moammar Gaddafi. No American lives were lost.
    Publicly called on Hosni Mubarak to step down.
    Ended Bush-era torture policies.
    Tightened sanctions on Iran.
    New START Treaty.
    Improved America’s image abroad.
    Ordered rescue mission of American sea captain, taking out three Somali pirates.
    Ordered rescue mission of American and Dane reflief workers, taking out nine Somali kindnappers.
    Kept us safe from another 9/11 type attack.

    Which of these decisions has made have harmed our national security?

  85. 85.

    Kane

    April 28, 2012 at 11:23 am

    Of course they want to focus on this one tactical decision because the other decisions this President has made have harmed our national security.

    Ended the war in Iraq
    Began drawdown of war in Afghanistan
    Toppled Moammar Gaddafi. No American lives were lost.
    Publicly called on Hosni Mubarak to step down.
    Ended Bush-era torture policies.
    Tightened sanctions on Iran.
    New START Treaty.
    Improved America’s image abroad.
    Ordered rescue mission of American sea captain, taking out three Somali pirates.
    Ordered rescue mission of American and Dane reflief workers, taking out nine Somali kindnappers.
    Kept us safe from another 9/11 type attack.

    Which of these decisions has harmed our national security?

  86. 86.

    gaz

    April 28, 2012 at 11:24 am

    @Kane: ummm. YOUR LEGS ARE STUPID!

    /standard GOP response.

  87. 87.

    Southern Beale

    April 28, 2012 at 11:25 am

    God, I’m so old I remember endless puffery about how there hadn’t been a terrorist attack since 9/11 thanks to Bush. And that claim wasn’t even fucking true.

    Whatever, so sick of our bullshit discourse.

    In the meantime, here’s some good news in my weekly progress report …

  88. 88.

    Brachiator

    April 28, 2012 at 11:32 am

    @Mino:

    You gotta wonder what the Republican will do for a candidate in 2016 if they are unsuccessful this go-round. Mittens is the last plausible quasi-moderate left in the party.

    But the GOP purged all their moderates and went all Tea Party. They continue to insist on an ideological purity based on creationism, right wing authoritarianism, and bigotry.

    And while the Republicans look for a candidate, like a Romney or a McCain who can put a happy pseudo moderate face on their insanity, they insist upon someone who will give them their heart’s desire.

    I don’t know why Beltway pundits and others insist that Romney is going to pivot toward the center or try to seriously appeal to moderates. This is as dopey as those pundits who say that people should ignore the extremist right wing shit that Republicans do and concentrate on the economy.

    The GOP convinced themselves that they had to stand firm to their principles and kicked out anyone who suggested otherwise. This is who they are. They are not going to change in 2016.

    A better question. If Obama gets re elected, what will the Democrats do to keep the ball rolling in 2016?

  89. 89.

    Roger Moore

    April 28, 2012 at 11:37 am

    @kay:

    What is Mitt Romney running on?

    Unlimited Corporate Cash!

  90. 90.

    Frankensteinbeck

    April 28, 2012 at 11:39 am

    A question just occurred to me. The glorification of Bush and McCain among the journalistic class was blatantly homoerotic (not that there’s anything wrong with that, except when you’re trying to pass it off as journalism). We have an actually attractive president now. Shouldn’t they be howling at the moon?

    @Brachiator:
    No, I think Mitt will definitely tack to the center, and is already doing so. In the process, he will piss off his base and a lot of them won’t vote at all. He will also try to throw lumps of red meat to his base, and moderate swing voters will be horrified by the insanity coming out of his mouth and vote for Obama, and possibly all down the Democratic ticket. Everything he does will lose him more voters than it gains. He’s just a lousy campaigner. He got this far because his opponents were insane, underfunded, and wildly, ‘I have no campaign staff’ incompetent – and he barely beat them.

  91. 91.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    April 28, 2012 at 11:43 am

    @Mino: Christie appointed a Muslim judge and publicly mocked anti-Sharia laws. And in a world where David Gregory describes Obama’s economic policy as “class warfare” with a straight face, Christie’s plan to gut Social Security and Medicare is just common sense. Jebbie, who IIRC as governor publicly prayed with Terri Schiavo’s parents and Brother Theodore, is said to be a moderate because his stance on immigrants is less than rabid. This is enough for the green rooms and oped boards.

  92. 92.

    Linda Featheringill

    April 28, 2012 at 11:44 am

    @gaz:

    You’re cool! Will you be my neighbor?

  93. 93.

    slag

    April 28, 2012 at 11:45 am

    @rlrr:

    Yet, it was OK for the Republicans to politicize 9/11…

    9/11 was a failure that Republicans turned into an asset through emotional manipulation. Killing Osama Bin Laden could easily be considered an asset that Republicans and the “liberal” media now want to turn into a failure through emotional manipulation. What was so striking about the Obama ad was that there was very little overwrought emotion to it. I saw no burning towers. I didn’t even get the sense that we were supposed to be afraid while pondering Rmoney’s inevitable incompetence in that situation. Just that we were supposed to ponder Rmoney’s inevitable incompetence in that situation. Which is totally fair game.

  94. 94.

    Nellcote

    April 28, 2012 at 11:46 am

    @kay:

    What is Mitt Romney running on?

    He’ll get back to you on that.

  95. 95.

    Southern Beale

    April 28, 2012 at 11:48 am

    You gotta wonder what the Republican will do for a candidate in 2016 if they are unsuccessful this go-round. Mittens is the last plausible quasi-moderate left in the party.

    Jeb. Because the hope is by then, the Bush stench will have subsided somewhat.

    Good luck with that.

  96. 96.

    Svensker

    April 28, 2012 at 11:48 am

    @kay:

    What is Mitt Romney running on?

    Fumes?

  97. 97.

    slag

    April 28, 2012 at 11:49 am

    @Southern Beale: That was some good news.

  98. 98.

    rlrr

    April 28, 2012 at 11:59 am

    @Brian R.:

    While we’re at it, he also killed some pirates…

  99. 99.

    Brachiator

    April 28, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    No, I think Mitt will definitely tack to the center, and is already doing so. In the process, he will piss off his base and a lot of them won’t vote at all

    Pundits and others think that it is sufficient for a candidate to talk moderate. Romney’s problem is that he actually governed as a moderate, but has actively repudiated his own accomplishments and past policies. And the Republicans still expect their Tea Party enforcers to push their leaders to the right.

    So, tacking to the center is meaningless to anyone but Villagers who confuse political kabuki with actual governing.

    Also, too, I don’t know whether many of the conservative base will not vote at all. The GOP has done a pretty good job in whipping up fear and trembling against Obama. This will help drive conservative sheep to the polls no matter what Romney says or promises.

  100. 100.

    Kane

    April 28, 2012 at 12:03 pm

    No one disputes that the President deserves credit for ordering the raid

    I recall a different reality with some Republicans refusing to acknowledge that President Obama was deserving of any credit.

    It just kills some people on the right that President Obama ordered the successful mission to take out Bin Laden. The mere act of writing “the President deserves credit” must have been quite painful.

  101. 101.

    FlipYrWhig

    April 28, 2012 at 12:08 pm

    Does anyone else remember that the video they played at the RNC in 2004 was all about how great it was that George Bush threw an accurate ceremonial first pitch at the 2001 World Series in New York? Or Giuliani saying he turned to Kerik and said, “Thank God George Bush is our president”? Also, McCain might want to study up on what the word “hypocrisy” means.

  102. 102.

    Frankensteinbeck

    April 28, 2012 at 12:14 pm

    @Brachiator:
    They are grumbling a LOT. They don’t like Romney, they’ve been fed the lie that they should be represented by lunatics like themselves (Santorum, anyone?) and their turnout in the primaries reflects this. Will they desert en masse? Hell, no. Two or three percent of them failing to show up, a perfectly reasonable number, would be cataclysmic for the GOP.

  103. 103.

    danielx

    April 28, 2012 at 12:27 pm

    I don’t recall that the Times or any other major media outlet had any real issues with “Mission Accomplished” or “manly characteristics”. At least not until it became evident some years later that said mission was not only not accomplished but had been based on bullshit and lies in the first place. Also gave prime front page space to Judith (I Was Proved Fucking Right) Miller well after her sell-by date and continues to give prime editorial space to Tom (Suck On This) Friedman of Friedman Unit fame. The Times didn’t have a problem with the political nature of their writings at the time of those writings, and in Friedman’s case still doesn’t. Hell, it doesn’t even have a problem with the fact that Friedman is frequently outright wrong.

    As to John (I Was A POW) McCain having a problem with politicization of accomplishments or for that matter the lack thereof, the less said the better. Not to belittle his record, but getting shot down and taken prisoner is not that hard. It was accomplished by somewhere between a thousand and two thousand men during the Vietnam War and by tens of thousands during WW 2. But what of it? Every politician uses his accomplishments as political fodder. Why not, his opponents use his failures and mistakes (real and imagined) as political clubs. By the way, do you know John McCain was a POW?

    Concern trolling by the Times or John McCain over politicization of a successful mission? Be still my heart. If Osama Bin Laden had been killed during the Bush-Cheney regime, they’d be carving George Bush’s face on Mount Rushmore this very minute.

    Also. Too. Fuck them and concern trolls in general, especially those of the Villager variety. Because why? Because fuck them.

  104. 104.

    Chris

    April 28, 2012 at 12:30 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    When it comes to teabaggers, I don’t think actual actions matter as much as tone. If Christie keeps behaving like as much of an abraisive bully as he has up to this point, especially towards unions and gays, I could easily see the base forgiving him his Muslim moments.

    Meanwhile, the MSM will point to them as proof of his Very Serious Person cred.

    Yeah, I think it will be Christie. I also think he’s better placed than any of their current candidates.

  105. 105.

    Chris

    April 28, 2012 at 12:30 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    When it comes to teabaggers, I don’t think actual actions matter as much as tone. If Christie keeps behaving like as much of an abraisive bully as he has up to this point, especially towards unions and gays, I could easily see the base forgiving him his Muslim moments.

    Meanwhile, the MSM will point to them as proof of his Very Serious Person cred.

    Yeah, I think it will be Christie. I also think he’s better placed than any of their current candidates.

  106. 106.

    danielx

    April 28, 2012 at 12:35 pm

    @Brachiator:

    So, tacking to the center is meaningless to anyone but Villagers who confuse political kabuki with actual governing.

    Actually, Villagers generally believe that political kabuki is actual governing.

  107. 107.

    MikeJ

    April 28, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    If the mission had failed we’d be trying to decide who would run as a Dem this year, what with Biden being to damaged by association with Obama, who had been forced to step down or face impeachment.

  108. 108.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 12:47 pm

    Before the Obama campaign claims awesome macho status for having killed OBL, they ought to at least show us some evidence that they actually, you know…KILLED him, right?

    I mean, the death pics would be a good place to start, but no…the republic will not survive the publication of those pics because…something something…

    Weird.

  109. 109.

    AkaDad

    April 28, 2012 at 12:48 pm

    Killing bin Laden just shows that Obama is uppity.

  110. 110.

    dmsilev

    April 28, 2012 at 12:59 pm

    @Clime Acts: If they published those photos, you’d be out there claiming that they were Photoshopped.

    Don’t bother trying to deny it.

  111. 111.

    Chyron HR

    April 28, 2012 at 1:00 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    Just so we’re sure, you’re repeating these Republican talking points verbatim from THE LEFT, right? Because you’re such a True Progressive and all.

  112. 112.

    Mino

    April 28, 2012 at 1:01 pm

    I think when Chrisie gets through with New Jersey he will be unelectable. The economies of states with Republican governors are falling further and further behind their neighbors.

  113. 113.

    WhoopTDu

    April 28, 2012 at 1:04 pm

    Jed Lewison’s diary at DKOS about McCain politicizing 911 at the Republican National Convention in 2008.

    http://bit.ly/KiGggn

  114. 114.

    Foregone Conclusion

    April 28, 2012 at 1:09 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    Al-Qaeda acknowledged that they’d got Bin Laden. Unless there’s some sort of nefarious agreement between the Democratic National Committee and Al-Qaeda, what would be the point except offering ghoulish entertainment for snuff-flick addicts?

  115. 115.

    Tractarian

    April 28, 2012 at 1:10 pm

    @kay:

    This. The more the media is talking about the OBL raid, the better.

    The Obama campaign needs to not fall into the trap of actually believing that there are voters out there who think it’s “unseemly” to campaign on your record.

  116. 116.

    Cacti

    April 28, 2012 at 1:15 pm

    @Foregone Conclusion:

    Al-Qaeda acknowledged that they’d got Bin Laden. Unless there’s some sort of nefarious agreement between the Democratic National Committee and Al-Qaeda

    You’d have to include Republicans as part of it too.

    Noted Obama fan James Inhofe (R-OK) described the photos as “pretty gruesome” and that the head wound “either entered or exited an ear.”

    So either Dems, Reps, and Al Qaeda are all in cahoots, or he’s actually dead. There’s no third possibility.

  117. 117.

    dmsilev

    April 28, 2012 at 1:18 pm

    @Foregone Conclusion: The only way a false announcement of Osama’s death would make any sense is if the US captured him alive and didn’t want al Qaeda to know that he was being interrogated. But, since it was announced pretty much from day one of the raid that there was a substantial intelligence haul from computers and files and so forth, that doesn’t make much sense either.

  118. 118.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    @dmsilev:

    Don’t bother trying to deny it.

    Actually, like skeptical people everywhere, I’d leave the inevitable photoshop analysis to the experts, read up on it and come to some conclusion.

    If they are credible, I have no problem at all acknowledging OBL’s death. It’s just very bogus that the gov is withholding the pics, even after a Judicial Watch lawsuit, which a judge turned down. Notably, in his ruling, the judge did not say WHY he was turning JW down, just that he was.

    Interesting…

  119. 119.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    @Chyron HR:

    YOU are the one obsessed with R talking points. Don’t keep tabs myself.

  120. 120.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 1:25 pm

    @Foregone Conclusion:

    Proof of death.

    An ancient and honored concept.

    Um…don’t really trust AQ.

    Admit it…the whole “we had to throw the body in the deepest part of the ocean asap” is kind of…fishy.

  121. 121.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 1:26 pm

    @Cacti:

    Great! If the noted moran Inhofe can see the OBL pics, we should be able to see them too, don’t you think.

    I believe in transparent, accountable government. I wish you did too.

  122. 122.

    Sentient Puddle

    April 28, 2012 at 1:27 pm

    Next thing we know, Clime Acts will be saying he isn’t totally convinced that 9/11 wasn’t an inside job.

  123. 123.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    There’s a simple calculation to be made: If Bush the Golden Child had claimed to have killed OBL under the same circumstances and refused to release proof of same, would you be satisfied with that?

    If so, you are a moran.

    If not, you should hold Obama to the same standard. It’s simple.

    Because you know…it’s not like there’s any history of the U.S. government lying to us.

  124. 124.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 1:31 pm

    @Sentient Puddle:

    Anyone who claims to be “totally convinced” about anything involving 9/11 is a credulous tool.

    Which most Americans are of course, so there ya go…

  125. 125.

    Yutsano

    April 28, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    @Sentient Puddle: @Clime Acts: You win SP. But remember: only Special Timmeh is special enough to see DA TROOF!!

  126. 126.

    Brachiator

    April 28, 2012 at 1:39 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    Actually, like skeptical people everywhere

    This isn’t skepticism, it’s just typical misdirection and nonsense on your part.

    You don’t hear gran pappy McCain or the other GOP stooges ruminating whether bin Laden is still holed up somewhere.

    Your deatherism speculations do little more than make you Chief Stooge.

  127. 127.

    Mnemosyne

    April 28, 2012 at 1:49 pm

    @Cacti:

    So either Dems, Reps, and Al Qaeda are all in cahoots, or he’s actually dead. There’s no third possibility.

    Don’t forget that the Pakistani government is in on the conspiracy, too, since they made a formal complaint to the State Department.

    So the list of conspirators includes Democrats, Republicans, al-Qaeda, and the government of Pakistan. Yeah, it’s completely logical and rational to believe that all of those groups are conspiring together to pretend that bin Laden is dead.

    It’s exactly as logical as believing that the state of Hawaii, the FBI, the State Department, and the Department of Education are all conspiring to conceal the fact that Obama was actually born in Kenya.

    ETA: Also, too, don’t forget that the entire international media — including al-Jazeera, the Guardian UK, the New York Times, and the Pakistan Times — are all in on the conspiracy, too.

  128. 128.

    Brachiator

    April 28, 2012 at 1:49 pm

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    They are grumbling a LOT. They don’t like Romney, they’ve been fed the lie that they should be represented by lunatics like themselves (Santorum, anyone?) and their turnout in the primaries reflects this. Will they desert en masse? Hell, no. Two or three percent of them failing to show up, a perfectly reasonable number, would be cataclysmic for the GOP

    I see your point, but I never count ballots before they are cast.

    We don’t know who the VP pick is yet. In 2008, Palin’s selection did much to energize a lot of GOP voters who were distinctly unhappy that McCain was the presidential pick.

    The GOP leadership is aware of their problems. The campaign season is barely underway.

  129. 129.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    @Yutsano:

    But remember: only Special Timmeh is special enough to see DA TROOF!!

    Kind of the opposite of my position, actually, but whatever.

  130. 130.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 2:02 pm

    @Brachiator:

    Your deatherism speculations do little more than make you Chief Stooge.

    Would you accept this story from the Bush administration?

  131. 131.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 2:05 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    So he’s dead. So why not release the photos to prove it?

    To avoid hurting fee fees? hahaha

    We saw photos of mutilated Hussein boys, Sadam, and Kadafi. Why not OBL?

    We’re too delicate?

  132. 132.

    Baud

    April 28, 2012 at 2:09 pm

    @Clime Acts: God, I hope the Republicans take a cue from you and campaign on whether Osama was actually killed.

  133. 133.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 2:10 pm

    @Baud:

    Can’t give me a coherent answer, eh?

    You’re right…it doesn’t wash.

  134. 134.

    Baud

    April 28, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    Can’t give me a coherent answer, eh?

    Not worth the effort.

  135. 135.

    Mnemosyne

    April 28, 2012 at 2:21 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    We saw photos of mutilated Hussein boys, Sadam, and Kadafi. Why not OBL?

    What’s the matter, is that footage of Saddam being decapitated by an incompetent hangman not getting you off anymore?

    IIRC, none of that footage was released by the US government. It was released by the Iraqi government (remember them?) and by the news media. So I guess that means that Saddam isn’t really dead, either, since the US government refused to release their footage of his execution.

  136. 136.

    Mnemosyne

    April 28, 2012 at 2:24 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    Can’t give me a coherent answer, eh?

    Try making a coherent argument first. Claiming that there’s a grand international conspiracy where the US government, the government of Pakistan, al-Qaeda, and the Taliban all cooperated together to fake the death of bin Laden is not quite as logical and rational as you seem to think.

  137. 137.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 2:36 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    Can’t really answer my question, eh?

    Why can’t we see OBL’s proof of death?

    If all you’ve got is insults, save it.

  138. 138.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    @Baud:

    Not worth the effort.

    hahahaha…

    being a credulous Bot must be exhausting. So much repression of instincts.

  139. 139.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 2:42 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    Typical misdirection from you, Mem.

    Rather than address my question: Why can’t we see the proof of death of the greatest single mass murderer of Americans in the greatest single epic attack on American soil in history that took down the most iconic skyscrapers in the nation and tramatized the population, leading to two wars and hundreds of thousands of deaths?

    Why can’t the death of that monster be proven to us by the simple release of photos?

    Didn’t say anything about conspiracies; just asked one central question which you can’t answer, so you expand and obfuscate. You should be embarrassed.

  140. 140.

    jncc

    April 28, 2012 at 2:44 pm

    I really hope that Obama drills Romney with this again and again during the debates.

  141. 141.

    eemom

    April 28, 2012 at 2:46 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    Timmy, Timmy, quite contrary, how do your flame wars grow?

    I’ll venture a “why not”: the photos would be used to martyrize OBL among his supporters and for recruitment purposes.

    No doubt you’ll scoff at that, but I find it plausible.

  142. 142.

    Mnemosyne

    April 28, 2012 at 2:50 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    Why can’t we see OBL’s proof of death?

    The US government never releases that kind of footage. Why are you demanding a change in the policy of the last 80 years (at least) just so you can satisfy your morbid curiosity?

  143. 143.

    Rev. Dada Grind

    April 28, 2012 at 2:50 pm

    I bet Clime Acts also wants to see the REAL birth certificate, too.

  144. 144.

    Mnemosyne

    April 28, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    Rather than address my question: Why can’t we see the proof of death of the greatest single mass murderer of Americans in the greatest single epic attack on American soil in history that took down the most iconic skyscrapers in the nation and tramatized the population, leading to two wars and hundreds of thousands of deaths?

    We never saw the proof of death of Hitler, either. I guess that proves that Hitler is still alive and claims by the Allies that he was dead were all faked, amirite?

  145. 145.

    Mnemosyne

    April 28, 2012 at 3:00 pm

    Also, too, by Timmy’s standards, no one in Japan was ever executed for war crimes, because there were no photographs of the executions or the bodies:

    They were executed at Sugamo Prison in Ikebukuro on December 23, 1948. MacArthur, afraid of embarrassing and antagonizing the Japanese people, defied the wishes of President Truman and barred photography of any kind, instead bringing in four members of the Allied Council to act as official witnesses.

    Wow, this conspiracy just gets bigger and bigger! Tell us, Timmy, has anyone ever been killed by the US government if no photograph exists of their body, or are they all being kept in secret prisons somewhere?

  146. 146.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    @Rev. Dada Grind:

    I bet Clime Acts also wants to see the REAL birth certificate, too.

    Typical Bot misdirection also too.

    Actually, I don’t give two shits where Obama was born. I’m fine with him being president one way or the other. Matters not a whit to me. I’ll let that be your obsession.

  147. 147.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 3:13 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    The US government never releases that kind of footage. Why are you demanding a change in the policy of the last 80 years (at least) just so you can satisfy your morbid curiosity

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-07-24-sons-photos_x.htm

    OK, you were saying…?

  148. 148.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 3:15 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    We never saw the proof of death of Hitler, either. I guess that proves that Hitler is still alive and claims by the Allies that he was dead were all faked, amirite

    Still can’t answer my question, can you dear: Why no OBL death pics?

    If anything, the Hitler case supports my reasoning. All the MORE reason to release photos.

  149. 149.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 3:16 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    Still unwilling to answer my very simple question, eh, Mem?

    Expand and obfuscate, the Mem answer to most things.

  150. 150.

    eemom

    April 28, 2012 at 3:19 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    I answered your question and you ignored it.

    Sheesh.

    Note also, the martyr thing wasn’t an issue in the case of the Husseins.

  151. 151.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 3:27 pm

    @eemom:

    Good grief, eemer, give me a chance to catch up with mem’s assaults, ok? :D

    I don’t buy the recruitment/martyr thing. As if the carnage of two wars in the ME and all the attendant atrocities aren’t enough recruiting ammo for AQ already? Please. PLUS the fact that the POSITIVE effects of the firm knowledge among the American populace that OBL was dealt with, and the attendant morale boost/macho image boost worldwide would far outweigh any negatives.

    I mean, supposedly, AQ already knows the U.S. wasted their “leader,” what diff does a picture make to them?

  152. 152.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 3:28 pm

    @eemom:

    Note also, the martyr thing wasn’t an issue in the case of the Husseins.

    Not true. PLENTY of Baathists remaining in Iraq at that time to piss off.

  153. 153.

    Brachiator

    April 28, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    Would you accept this story from the Bush administration?

    Complete non sequitur. It’s not about either the Bush Administration or the Obama Administration. It’s about your stupidity and idiotic assertion that bin Laden is not dead unless you have personally been shown the photos.

    But please write to Romney and see if you can get him to embrace deatherism. And while you’re at it, ask him if his church has re baptized bin Laden as a Mormon.

  154. 154.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 3:46 pm

    @Brachiator:

    Actually, it’s about your idiotic and stupid willingness to believe anything the government tells you sans evidence.

  155. 155.

    Brachiator

    April 28, 2012 at 4:07 pm

    @Clime Acts:

    Actually, it’s about your idiotic and stupid willingness to believe anything the government tells you sans evidence.

    Well, no. You are sounding more and more hysterical, like conspiracy nuts who don’t believe that Oswald killed Kennedy, or that Americans never landed on the moon. Or that Saddam had WMDs.

    You really need to take this up with the GOP. I would love to see Romney declare that he does not believe that bin Laden is dead. I would love to see the entire Republican leadership declare that they do not believe the classified briefings they received about the operation to get bin Laden.

    Instead, all we have is your dopey deatherism, in which everything hinges on a single document, a photograph which must be seen and validated by you, and only you.

    Are you really Donald Trump, posting under a pen name? Because you have achieved the same level of nuttiness.

    So, where were we? Oh, yeah, stupid criticisms of Obama’s commander-in-chiefiness.

  156. 156.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    @Brachiator:

    Wow. Your willful obtusity is astounding.

    Duly noted. Carry on.

  157. 157.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    @Brachiator:

    Well, no. You are sounding more and more hysterical, like conspiracy nuts who don’t believe that Oswald killed Kennedy, or that Americans never landed on the moon. Or that Saddam had WMDs.

    So…you believe Sadam had WMDs?

    Given your credulous stance on OBL/Obama, that makes sense, actually…

  158. 158.

    asiangrrlMN

    April 28, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    Ashes to ashes, funk to funky, we know Major Tom’s a pie junky.

    My favorite pie filter quote so far.

    This is all just a buncha bullshit, and we all know W. would have been doing a victory lap in his flight suit, taking out a hundred ads, and crowing far and wide had he been the one to issue a successful kill order on OBL.

    I’m not crowing about OBL’s death, but it is a major accomplishment.

    Oh, and fuck Grampy McCain with my rusty pitchfork™. What a sore loser.

  159. 159.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 5:49 pm

    @asiangrrlMN:

    I’m not crowing about OBL’s death, but it is a major accomplishment.

    Totally agree. So why do you think they won’t release proof of death to prove it happened?

  160. 160.

    LosGatosCA

    April 28, 2012 at 6:18 pm

    Karl Rove wrote the book slide deck on that back in 2002 and 2004. Jam colored natural security threat chart right up their fat, out of shape, cellulite ridden ass.

  161. 161.

    amk

    April 28, 2012 at 6:57 pm

    birther, deather and racist pig – a 3fer – Victory!

  162. 162.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 7:03 pm

    @amk:

    birther, deather and racist pig – a 3fer – Victory!

    ah…dear pathetic amk with its usual convincing arsenal of carefully reasoned rebuttals.

    Take your thorazine, dear.

  163. 163.

    amk

    April 28, 2012 at 7:17 pm

    dumb asses just assume every insult is about them.

  164. 164.

    Clime Acts

    April 28, 2012 at 7:20 pm

    @amk:

    Thorazine, precious.

  165. 165.

    Pepe

    April 29, 2012 at 1:26 am

    Clime Acts, I don’t think anybody particularly cares that you think that OBL is among the living. You maintain that OBL wasn’t killed? Fine.

    But know htat OBL’s widows say otherwise. As do the Congressmen and Senators of both parties that have seen the death photos. As does Al Queda. As does Pakistan. As does SEAL Team 6. As does everyone except conspiracy theory nuts.

    But you think OBL is alive. Fine, you have every right to believe whatever you want.

  166. 166.

    Clime Acts

    April 29, 2012 at 11:35 am

    @Pepe:

    But you think OBL is alive.

    I think that I can’t believe the U.S. government just because it says so, or trots out the alleged statements of others to back up its assertion, when it could very easily go a lot further to provide concrete evidence.

    My best guess is that OBL was dead for some time and this raid was a charade to close the book on that silliness.

    I am comfortable not knowing for sure. Not knowing is OK. Uncertainty about things is a fact of life.

    But to pretend that because the u.s. fucking lying government says something makes it so is absurd.

    It’s the sheep like thinking on this blog and throughout the U.S. population that led to most people believing in Sadam’s WMDs too.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Comments

  • Yutsano on War for Ukraine Day 465: Swiss Mistake (Jun 3, 2023 @ 9:07pm)
  • WaterGirl on Maxwell Frost! (Jun 3, 2023 @ 9:07pm)
  • WaterGirl on Maxwell Frost! (Jun 3, 2023 @ 9:06pm)
  • Yutsano on Maxwell Frost! (Jun 3, 2023 @ 9:01pm)
  • different-church-lady on Maxwell Frost! (Jun 3, 2023 @ 8:59pm)

Balloon Juice Meetups!

All Meetups
Seattle Meetup on Sat 5/13 at 5pm!

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Fundraising 2023-24

Wis*Dems Supreme Court + SD-8

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
We All Need A Little Kindness
Classified Documents: A Primer
State & Local Elections Discussion

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)

Twitter / Spoutible

Balloon Juice (Spoutible)
WaterGirl (Spoutible)
TaMara (Spoutible)
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
TaMara
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
ActualCitizensUnited

Join the Fight!

Join the Fight Signup Form
All Join the Fight Posts

Balloon Juice Events

5/14  The Apocalypse
5/20  Home Away from Home
5/29  We’re Back, Baby
7/21  Merging!

Balloon Juice for Ukraine

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!