Segami
Segami's JournalThe Mind-blowing Hypocrisy of John McCain: WMD Lie is Good, Repeating Intelligence is Bad
Remember when Condoleezza Rice misled the public about Iraq’s WMDs and over 4,000 Americans died? John McCain doesn’t seem to. McCain is trying to sell the idea that Susan Rice appearing on TV to tell the American people what the intelligence community had ascertained about Libya on September 18 was wrong. She should have chosen not to speak on the subject without more certainty, he and Lindsay Graham claim. Yet, Susan Rice’s statement made it clear that things were not certain. Here, once again, is her statement to the media on September 18 (emphasis mine):
Later, when the intelligence community updated their information, we learned that perhaps things didn’t go down as they first thought. Here’s a shocker for Republicans: Now there are reports saying that it might have had something to do with the video after all. The lesson here is that it takes time to gather the information. The Obama administration wanted to give the public the information it had on that date in September, and they continued to update us as they learned more. You can’t know what you don’t know yet. This is not hard to understand.
What is hard to understand is that as National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice made a public case for the Iraq war based on what was misleading information. John McCain later supported her confirmation as Secretary of State in 2005 and said that anyone who questioned her integrity did so for political reasons. McCain lectured, “We can disagree on policy and we disagree on a lot of things, but I think it is very clear that Condoleezza Rice is a person of integrity. And yes, I see this, some lingering bitterness over a very tough campaign.” Oh, do tell, Senator. Back in 2002, Bush officials made the rounds on TV to claim that Iraq was accumulating high-strength aluminum tubes. Condoleezza Rice said the tubes “are only really suited for nuclear weapons programs, centrifuge programs.” Rice told CNN, “We don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.” There was no proof that Iraq had nuclear weapons and there was, in fact, intelligence to the contrary.
BLITZER: Dr. Rice, is there any hard evidence directly linking the Iraqi government to al Qaeda and the 9/11 terror attacks against the United States?
RICE: There is certainly evidence that al Qaeda people have been in Iraq. There is certainly evidence that Saddam Hussein cavorts with terrorists… We know that he is acquiring weapons of mass destruction, that he has extreme animous against the United States.
Republicans now claim that everyone thought the intelligence case was strong against Iraq, but that’s not accurate. There are numerous accounts of analysts who disagreed, and even a former chief of the CIA’s Europe division told 60 Minutes that CIA Director George Tenet had reported to Rice and other administration officials that Iraq had no active weapons of mass destruction program, courtesy of Iraq’s foreign minister (who agreed to act as a spy for the United States).
cont'
http://www.politicususa.com/mindblowing-hypocrisy-john-mccain-wmd-lie-good-repeating-intelligence-bad.html
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Obama Uses His Press Conference to Set a TAX CUT TRAP For House Republicans
The president made it clear that he wants the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy gone. As far as raising revenue, the president repeatedly said that he is open to new ideas from all sides. Some on the left hear this kind of talk and immediately freak out, but this is a strategic move on the part of the White House. By opening the door to new ideas from all sides, the president is putting the ball in the House Republicans’ court. He is forcing them get serious about cutting a deal. Obama’s offer isn’t a display of weakness.
The President is setting a trap.
He understands the results of the election. The American people want moderation and compromise. Obama is setting the GOP up to either give the American people what they want, or be held responsible for a deal not being reached. Obama repeatedly mentioned the middle class, and said that he has a middle class mandate. Obama has been beating House Republicans for a year by defending the middle class. The president defeated Mitt Romney by being a champion for the middle class, and now he is setting up the same dynamic and daring House Republicans to defend the rich. This is a familiar strategy from Obama, and it works.
If Republicans refuse to budge on taxing the rich, they will fall right into the president’s trap. House Republicans are in a lose/lose situation. If they defend the rich, all taxes will go up on the middle class. Should Republicans sacrifice the 98% for tax cuts for the rich, Obama warned that they could jeopardize the 2012 shopping season. Republicans will lose with their base if they cut the deal that Obama wants, and they will also lose if they sacrifice the middle class in order to defend the rich.
This isn’t 2010 anymore. Obama doesn’t have to run for reelection, and the president is poised to press his advantage to the max.
http://www.politicususa.com/obama-press-conference-set-tax-cut-trap-house-republicans.html
TROVE Of CLASSIFIED INFO At Broadwell's Home
Paula Broadwell, the author who allegedly had an affair with former CIA Director David Petraeus, is suspected of storing significant amounts of military documents, including classified material, at her home, potentially in violation of federal law. A source familiar with case told ABC News that Broadwell admitted to the FBI she took the documents from secure government buildings. The government demanded that they all be given back, and when federal agents descended on her North Carolina home on Monday night it was a pre-arranged meeting.
Prosecutors are now determining whether to charge Broadwell with a crime, and this morning the FBI and military are poring over the material. The 40-year-old author, who wrote the biography on Gen. Petraeus "All In," is cooperating and the case, which is complicated by the fact that as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Military Reserve she had security clearance to review the documents.
The FBI found classified material on a computer voluntarily handed over by Broadwell earlier in the investigation. Prosecutors will now have to determine how important the classified material is before making a final decision. Authorities could decide to seek disciplinary action against her rather than pursue charges. Senior FBI officials are expected to brief the House and Senate Intelligence Committees today on their handling of the Petraeus investigation. The officials are expected to lay out how the case was developed and argue that there were no politics involved.
The case is so critical that FBI Director Robert Mueller may attend to defend the bureau, ABC News has learned. Members of Congress have been angry that they were not informed about the case before the story was reported by the media, but FBI officials maintain that their guidelines forbid them from discussing ongoing criminal cases. This summer, Florida socialite and "honorary ambassador" to the military Jill Kelley received anonymous emails accusing her of flaunting a friendly relationship with military brass in Tampa. Kelley then called the FBI, which traced those emails back to Broadwell's computer. Investigators are said to have then found emails in Broadwell's inbox that pointed to an intimate affair with Petraeus, who on Friday admitted to the affair and announced his resignation as CIA director.
cont'
http://gma.yahoo.com/broadwell-classified-document-probe-114054139.html
Republicans Need to READ IT AND WEEP: The Grand Bargain They Turned Down Last Year
Whaaaaaaaaaaa........
President Obama knows a mandate when he gets one. He’s not taking the Republicans’ obstruction laying down and now they’re going to pay. The President started off the Grand Bargain “negotiations” this time around by doubling the tax revenue he wants, from $800 billion to $1.6 trillion. This might be a prudent time for Republicans to review the Grand Bargain they turned their noses up at in the summer of 2011, because chances are, they’re not going to see such broad offers anytime soon from this President.
Last year, Obama was willing to play loophole and tax deductions name games (aka: “tax reform”) with Republicans who signed a pledge not to raise taxes, while keeping the Bush tax cuts in place. Not so much this time around. The Bush tax cuts on the rich must go and Obama will not allow Republicans to hide letting them expire in fancy loophole language about “tax reform.”
The President is going to hold on till he gets tax increases on the wealthiest Americans, promising that the Bush tax cuts on the richest 2% will expire. The White House called this “non-negotiable” yesterday. The President has said over and over again that tax cuts for the middle class are something everyone agrees on, so there’s no reason for them to be linked to tax cuts for the rich. In other words, Republicans need to stop holding tax cuts for the middle class hostage in order to protect the über rich.
On Meet the Press Sunday, Bob Woodward described the last offer the President made to Speaker Boehner last year:
“This is a confidential document, last offer the president — the White House made last year to Speaker Boehner to try to reach this $4 trillion grand bargain. And it’s long and it’s tedious and it’s got budget jargon in it. But what it shows is a willingness to cut all kinds of things, like TRICARE, which is the sacred health insurance program for the military, for military retirees; to cut Social Security; to cut Medicare. And there are some lines in there about, “We want to get tax rates down, not only for individuals but for businesses.” So Obama and the White House were willing to go quite far.”
http://presspass.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/11/15089281-white-house-grand-bargain-offer-to-speaker-boehner-obtained-by-bob-woodward
The CBO report agrees that we need to keep taxes low on the middle class while raising revenue on the wealthy who will continue to spend even if they are taxed a bit more. So there’s no logical argument left for Republicans. Nothing but their naked ambition to destroy this President and reveal themselves as the empty, craven puppets of the 1%. Are Republicans smart enough to regret their obstructionism? How will they wipe the egg off of their faces/records now, given what was on the table in 2011, before Obama got a mandate from the people to raise taxes on the rich?
Read it and weep, Republicans!....
http://www.politicususa.com/republicans-read-weep-grand-bargain-turned-year.html
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Bwhahahahaha: STFU or GTFO!
Warning: Strong language
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700 WEASEL CLUB: Pat Robertson On General Petraeus, Paula Broadwell Affair: 'HE'S A MAN'
What a laughable double-standard. These sanctimonious weasels change the morality goal posts like they change their underwear when one of their own has eaten the fruit.
Television evangelist and ultraconservative Pat Robertson doesn't think General David Petraeus should be condemned for his affair with writer Paula Broadwell. After all, she is "an extremely good looking woman" and "he's a man." Robertson excused CIA Director Petraeus for the extramarital affair with his biographer, Broadwell, on Monday's episode of "The 700 Club," the flagship program of the Christian Broadcasting Network.
"Who knows?" he said. "The man's off in a foreign land and he's lonely and here's a good looking lady throwing herself at him. I mean, he's a man."
He also alluded to Broadwell's wiles. "She is an extremely good looking woman. She is a marathon runner. She runs Iron Man triathlons. So
she's out running with him and writing a biography. I think the term is 'propinquity.'"
General Petraeus, one of America's most decorated four-star generals, resigned Friday after an F.B.I. investigation uncovered evidence that he and Broadwell had an affair, beginning last September, according to the Associated Press. The general issued a statement admitting his wrongdoing: “After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours. This afternoon, the president graciously accepted my resignation.”
Petraeus has been married to Holly Petraeus for 37 years. Broadwell is married to a doctor and has two children.
cont'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/pat-robertson-on-general-_n_2123111.html
342K Ballots LEFT TO COUNT In Arizona
DOJ needs to ' step into ' the Arizona counting process and begin investigating the high number of provisional ballots issued!!
Arizona is still working to count 342,936 early and provisional ballots, the Secretary of State's office said Monday evening. The total includes 171,889 uncounted early ballots and 171,047 provisional ballots. Approximately 93,000 of the uncounted early ballots come from Maricopa County as do 122,000 of the provisional ballots.
Civil rights groups allege that Latino voters who signed up to receive ballots in the mail never received them and cast a high number of the provisional ballots in the election.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/arizona_uncounted_ballots.php
The Justice Department has declined to say whether it will step into the the counting process.
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/doj-stays-mum-on-arizona-ballot-counting
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/doj-stays-mum-on-arizona-ballot-counting
INFOGRAPHIC: The 113th Congress Will Be The Most Diverse In History
Though Congress remains whiter, older, and more male than the nation as a whole, the incoming class will be the most diverse in history.
The 113th Congress will be more representative of the United States from race to religion, and from gender to sexual orientation. It will look more like America with 3 new African American representatives, 10 new Latinos, 5 new Asian Americans and 24 women in the House or Senate.* It will believe more like America with the first two Hindu congresspeople, the first Buddhist senator, and the first non-theist to openly acknowledge her belief prior to getting elected. It will love more like America, with 4 new LGBT congresspeople or senators, including the first openly bisexual congresswoman and the first openly gay congressman of color. And it will be younger, with four new congressmen born in the 1980s.
New member diversity:
Race
African American
Marc Veasey (D-TX-33)
Steven Horsford (D-NV-04)
Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ-10)
Latinos
Joaquin Castro(D-TX-20)
Tony Cardenas (D-CA-29)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM-01)
Juan Vargas (D-CA-51)
Joe Garcia (D-FL-26)
Pete Gallego (D-TX-23)
Ted Cruz (R-TX-SEN)
Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-CA-35)
Filemon Vela (D-TX-34)
Raul Ruiz (D-CA-36)
Asian American
Grace Meng (D-NY-06)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI-SEN)
Mark Takano (D-CA-41)
Ami Bera (D-CA-07)*
Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-02)
Religion
First non-theist
Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ-09)
First Hindu
Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-02)
Ami Bera (D-CA-07)
First Buddhist senator
Mazie Hirono (D-HI-SEN)
Gender
Women
Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ-01)
Julia Brownley (D-CA-26)
Jackie Walorski (R-IN-02)
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL-08)
Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM-01)
Elizabeth Esty (D-CT-05)
Lois Frankel (D-FL-22)
Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-02)
Liz Warren (D-MA-SEN)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI-SEN)
Deb Fischer (R-NE-SEN)
Dina Titus (D-NV-01)
Ann Kuster (D-NH-02)
Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH-01)
Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND-SEN)
Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-CA-35)
Grace Meng (D-NY-06)
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI-SEN)
Ann Wagner (R-MO-02)
Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03)
Susan Brooks (R-IN-05)
Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17)
Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ-09)
Orientation
LGBT
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI-SEN)
Mark Pocan (D-WI-02)
Mark Takano (D-CA-41)
Sean Maloney (D-NY-18)
First bisexual
Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ-09)
First openly gay person of color
Mark Takano (D-CA-41)
Age
Born in the 1980s
Patrick Murphy (D-FL-18)
Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-02)
Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA-04)
Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15)
*- Leading his congressional race, but it has yet to be officially called
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/11/13/1175491/113th-congress-diversity/
Paula Broadwell Interview: 'I Am NOT IN LOVE With David Petraeus'
Video - 10:10 -
'I am not in love with David Petraeus'
The woman who had an affair with David Petraeus denied she was in love with him in a bizarre interview she gave in the midst of their fling.
Speaking in an interview while promoting her book in February, Paula Broadwell said without prompting: 'I am not in love with David Petraeus', in what was something of a Freudian slip.
By that stage their affair was around five months having started when he became head of the CIA in September last year. It ended around July, according to reports.
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