RW Astroturf e-mail debunked (Obama indecisive against pirates)

[Blue_Tires]

Authorship of viral e-mail on piracy rescue in doubt

The widely circulated e-mail claims to offer a look inside last week’s Navy SEAL rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali pirates.

The message, credited to retired Rear Adm. Lou Sarosdy, begins, “Having spoken to some SEAL pals here in Virginia Beach yesterday and asking why this thing dragged out for four days, I got the following…”

It goes on to criticize President Barack Obama for not authorizing the military to act more aggressively during the stand-off, which ended with snipers killing three Somali pirates. The e-mail claims that Obama rejected two proposed rescue plans and that Phillips was saved only after naval officers at the scene decided on their own to proceed.

There’s at least one problem. Sarosdy says he didn’t write it. And he doesn’t know if anything in it is true.

“I don’t know any SEALs,” said Sarosdy, 81, speaking by phone from his home in Pensacola, Fla. “I have no idea who transmitted that.”

http://hamptonroads.com/2009/04/authorship-viral-email-piracy-rescue-doubt

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this could be the first time I've ever seen a paper (with a RW publisher, no less) jump on an astroturf before it's been circulated unchallenged for years...

[izquierdista]

1. They know what Mark Twain said

"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."

Right-wingers don't bother with facts; all they do is spout bullshit just to see what will stick.

[Blue_Tires]

2. kick

[ddeclue]

3. Stop sullying the good name of astroturf!

:rofl:

This is more like green sewer slime that wishes it was astroturf.

:rofl:

[Bigmack]

4. I posted about that email...

on DU after a friend got it and sent it to me to research.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5496710&mesg_id=5496710

I knew it was one of those bullshit made-up RW emails they send out.

I mailed the following back to my friend... (thanks go out to some DU posters.... I cribbed their material shamelessly)
- - - - -
Subject: The Adventure of Obama and the Pirates

"JESUS CHRIST ! What kind of people send shit like this to you?

About the email about Obama failing in the pirate crisis....

The guy who wrote that POS email is lying. I contacted my friend who is still in the SEALS, and he tells a different story. Obama secretly parachuted into the water near the Bainbridge, was picked up, and set up a sniper position on the fantail of the ship. When it was obvious that the hostage was in danger, he personally fired the three shots that took out the pirates. The SEALS said it was the best shooting they'd ever seen. Apparently Obama was a secret agent ..... like Schwarzenegger in "True Lies".... before he became president.

I've got just as much proof for my story as the clown who wrote the email. Well... his story sounds better because he used all those nifty military acronyms! I remember a few of those acronyms, too. Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition would fit nicely here.

Let's take a look at some of his points. Point #3 is contradicted by #1...Obama didn't let the Seals come in for 36 hours, yet Phillips jumped within 24 hours. He says the SEALS were all set to shoot when Phillips jumped overboard. Which one is true?

I don't remember seeing Obama claiming credit for his "daring and decisive" behavior. That was the media. They liked the story. Lemme see, hostage freed, 3 bad guys killed, one captured. How is that a failure? I don't remember seeing Obama claiming credit, but I do remember Bush dressing up in a flight-suit and codpiece and strutting around like he was Patton after "Mission Accomplished"... 9 years ago. I think all presidents from that time on will know better than to grandstand like that. It can come back and bite you in the ass, like it did with Bush.

One last thing... SEALs cannot talk about operational procedures regardless of what some bloviating rightwingnut says in an email, it's a violation of security protocols and the SEAL would be prosecuted under the UCMJ if he did so.

Lemme repeat that... SEALs cannot talk about operational procedures regardless of what some bloviating rightwingnut says in an email, it's a violation of security protocols and the SEAL would be prosecuted under the UCMJ if he did so.

The Barcalounger Commandos that make this shit up need to channel their efforts into praying that Obama can dig us out of the hole that Bush put us into.
Yeah... let's remember where our problems lie. Pirates didn't destroy our economy. Al-Quaeda didn't crush the stock market or cripple the banking system. The Taliban didn't double our National Debt."