Two Faced

Republicans change their message based on who their audience is. Thanks to Rachel Maddow they have been caught red handed.

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Another One Bites The Dust

Its gotta really suck to be a Hill Republican these days. Just when you thought you could hit the President on national security, one of your traditionally stronger issues, he just keeps catching Taliban leaders that we have been after for years.

What the hell are you to use to fear monger with now?!

Another leader of the Afghan Taliban has been captured by authorities in Pakistan working in partnership with U.S. intelligence officials. Taliban sources in the region and a counterterrorism officials in Washington have identified the detained insurgent leader as Mullah Abdul Salam, described as the Taliban movement's "shadow governor" of Afghanistan's Kunduz province.

Taliban sources told NEWSWEEK's Sami Yousafzai that Salam was grabbed by Pakistani security forces in the city of Faisalabad about a week ago—close to the same time that Pakistani forces, again with American support, captured the Afghan Taliban's No. 2 leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in Karachi. The Taliban sources said that Mullah Salam was arrested with three other militants.

Mullah Salam was one of the Taliban's most effective commanders in northern Afghanistan and therefore one of the men most wanted by U.S. and NATO forces fighting there. Salam's soldiers are reputed to have been particularly deadly in their attacks on German troops fighting in northern Afghanistan.

Pretty soon folks will just point and laugh when GOP asshats try to hit President Obama on terrorism. And it won't be soon enough...

A Useful Rejoinder

The GOP is so desperate for a talking point now that all impirical evidence proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the stimulus bill succeeded that its a wonder that any reputable news outlet takes them seriously anymore....but not surprising.

But here is my thing. The latest talking point is based on avoiding any discussion of whether the stimulus bill worked, and instead focusing on polling that suggests most of Americans don't THINK it worked. Well I guess that is fair game but here is my thing. These guys spent all of last year furiously pushing the notion that the stimulus bill didn't work. Over and over and over again they took to the airwaves to repeat it. So wouldn't it make sense for journalists to point that out every time the GOP comes with the talking point.

Here is a mock interview.

Journalist to GOP representative: The evidence seems overwhelming at this point that the stimulus bill worked and did in fact create by some accounts two million or more jobs. What do you have to say to that when just last year you and your party had deemed it a failure?

GOP Rep: Well, ya know, less than 10 percent of the American people actually think the stimulus bill worked. So its clear that the Obama administration...

Journalist cuts in: But isn't it true that those polling numbers just mean that the GOP has great messaging? I mean people once thought the world was flat, but that didn't make it true did it?

I know this is probably a pipe dream, but I would pay good money to see an exchange like that on my TV. Especially if its on a regular basis.

More Proof The Obama Administration Can't Handle Counterterrorism

WASHINGTON — The Taliban’s top military commander was captured several days ago in Karachi, Pakistan, in a secret joint operation by Pakistani and American intelligence forces, according to American government officials.

The commander, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, is an Afghan described by American officials as the most significant Taliban figure to be detained since the American-led war in Afghanistan started more than eight years ago. He ranks second in influence only to Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban’s founder and a close associate of Osama bin Laden before the Sept. 11 attacks.

Mullah Baradar has been in Pakistani custody for several days, with American and Pakistani intelligence officials both taking part in interrogations, according to the officials.

It was unclear whether he was talking, but the officials said his capture had provided a window into the Taliban and could lead to other senior officials. Most immediately, they hope he will provide the whereabouts of Mullah Omar, the one-eyed cleric who is the group’s spiritual leader.

Disclosure of Mullah Baradar’s capture came as American and Afghan forces were in the midst of a major offensive in southern Afghanistan.

His capture could cripple the Taliban’s military operations, at least in the short term, said Bruce O. Riedel, a former C.I.A. officer who last spring led the Obama administration’s Afghanistan and Pakistan policy review.

Details of the raid remain murky, but officials said that it had been carried out by Pakistan’s military spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, and that C.I.A. operatives had accompanied the Pakistanis.

New York Times

Someone get the fainting couch ready for the Cheneys and Joe LIEberman.

Double Whammy

First the Moony Times reports we have gotten such good intel from the underpants bomber WITHOUT torturing him that we are on a world wide manhunt going after english speaking Al Qaeda terrorists who are trying to attack America

Then we get a detailed breakdown of the underpants bomber's journey into FBI custody. Turns out he wasn't mirandized 50 minutes after he was detained but NINE HOURS after he was detained. And that was only after he had already been in surgery and come out and decided to stop talking anyway.

That sound you hear? Thats the sound of GOP credibility on fighting terrorism going over the side of a cliff.

May it never reappear anywhere but FoxNews ever again!

Congressman Schock Gets Clocked

I have no idea who in the GOP leadership thought it would be a good idea to send freshman House member, Aaron Schock to Meet The Press today with the likes of Rachel Maddow and political animal Harold Ford Jr. Now I didn't agree with HFJ's weaksauce "independent" comments that he kept throwing around like his supposed disagreement about trying KSM in New York, but the guy knows how to throw sharp elbows and I'm not even sure if Shlock even caught it when he called him foolish.

Then you have Rachel, who might be a little too nice at time, calling him a liar in a polite way and putting him on the spot under the bright lights when he came with the same bullshit talking points over the underpants bomber.

I bet his head was swimming by the time he left the set lol.

QOTD

Sure enough, Sen. Chris Bond (R-Mo.) and Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the ranking Republicans on the congressional intelligence committees, insisted that Brennan never specifically told them the FBI would Mirandize Abdulmutallab. “If he had I would [have] told him the Administration was making a mistake,” Bond said. The entire Republican leadership, including fact-averse Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House GOP leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) echoed Bond’s claims in one form or another. Apparently these men, who claim leadership on national security, know less about FBI procedure than the average movie-goer. Obviously the FBI Mirandizes suspects in their custody.

Spencer Ackerman....featured prominently having been quoted by an Administration Official to Jake Tapper

Can't Stop, Won't Stop

Yet another fearmongering video from the GOP



Just as an experiment try watching it with the sound turned all the way down and then try not to get pissed at these assholes for using 9-11 for propaganda purposes.

Then turn the volume up but close your eyes and try to imagine cute puppies and kittens playing together.

The only thing scary about these ads are the music. I imagine the next GOP video on GITMO detainees will have the theme music from the "Saw" movies. Or maybe they can go old school and use the theme song to "Halloween".


Group Of Pussies

(h/t Ambinder)

Don't Believe The Hype

Marcy Wheeler of EmptyWheel fame, nails exactly why the ABC News framing of the CIA Intelligence Report as some kind of gotcha moment for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is so bogus.

Run For The HIlls!

This is pretty much the appropriate response to the GOP fearmongering these days. Great job Rachel.

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And So It Begins

Around the blogosphere I noticed some skepticism over the Politico story yesterday about Frank Luntz's advice to Republicans about how to kill universal health care with their messaging. The two biggest questions I noticed were about whether or not the recommendations that Politico published really from Luntz and also whether or not the GOP would even be listening to what he said. I think its safe to say now that the answers are yes and yes.

Ensign spokesman Tory Mazzola told us, “Sen. Ensign, like Frank Luntz, is bipartisan. No party has a lock on good ideas, which is why Sen. Ensign is looking at many different solutions. Luntz has valuable information to offer Republicans as we put together health care reform that encourages wellness, ensures access and improves quality of care. It’s not about what Luntz says; it’s about what senators hear. We’re bringing in a wordsmith to help contrast our health reform plan with the government takeover pushed by the Democrats. All the Democrats’ rationed-care plan needs is a ‘Line forms here’ sign.”

Just to refresh your memory about Luntz's advice.

(3) “Time” is the government healthcare killer. As Mick Jagger once sang, “Time is on Your Side.” Nothing else turns people against the government takeover of healthcare than the realistic expectation that it will result in delayed and potentially even denied treatment, procedures and/or medications. “Waiting to buy a car or even a house won’t kill you. But waiting for the healthcare you need – could. Delayed care is denied care.”

(5) The healthcare denial horror stories from Canada & Co. do resonate, but you have to humanize them. You’ll notice we recommend the phrase “government takeover” rather than “government run” or “government controlled” It’s because too many politician say “we don’t want a government run healthcare system like Canada or Great Britain” without explaining those consequences. There is a better approach. “In countries with government run healthcare, politicians make YOUR healthcare decisions. THEY decide if you’ll get the procedure you need, or if you are disqualified because the treatment is too expensive or because you are too old. We can’t have that in America.”

Like I said yesterday, now its time to get our own wordsmiths and go to town on these idiots.

Thank You HIlzoy

I guess I am not the only one who thinks the GOP's NIMBY campaign is utterly ridiculous. Hilzoy made this video in response to the new GOP fearmongering GITMO detainee video and I think it perfectly encapsulates the absurdity at work here.

Hopefully a Democratic lawmaker will see this video and step up to the plate.

Pucker Up

All bullshit and snark aside, Republicans aren't you sick and tired of your elected officials kissing Rush Limbaugh's crusty fat ass? I am seriously embarrased for you.





But don't get me wrong, the shit IS still funny! LOL

Doubling Down On Teh Stupid

Man I hope Michael Steele is out early and often next year to campaign for EVERY Republican. There can be no better spokesman for Democrats than he.

So Much For "Dictatorial Handshakes" And "International Apologies"

When it comes to the GOP, President Obama has pretty much become Mr. Untouchable.

For the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is headed in the right direction, a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days of his presidency to lift the public's mood and inspire hopes for a brighter future.

Intensely worried about their personal finances and medical expenses, Americans nonetheless appear realistic about the time Obama might need to turn things around, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. It shows most Americans consider their new president to be a strong, ethical and empathetic leader who is working to change Washington.