Well it isn’t even Wednesday yet and already President Obama is having some serious migraines. First there were the Benghazi whistle blowers (and apparently there are even more waiting in the wings) whose testimony is both scathing and damning. Then there was the IRS scandal, in which the IRS targeted both conservative (specifically but not limited to the TEA party), and Jewish groups. NOW there is news out of the Associated Press that they had tons of their phone records seized
in an apparent dragnet to find leaks. If he wasn’t already in hot
water he sure is now, and the shuckin an jivin isn’t cutting the mustard
that it used to. Many of the journalists and news services that the
Obama administration could count on as go to guys are starting to ask
very tough questions. Watching Jay Carney or the President’s most recent press briefings look down right uncomfortable.
Let’s deconstruct some of this real quick to see just how much
trouble the President is in. Let’s start with the big one last week;
Benghazi. At first glance it’s pretty straight forward, someone screwed
up and people died. Ask any Joe that ever had a 2LT call for fire and
they’ll tell you it happens a lot more than we’d like to admit. But
there’s more to it than that. We know for instance that Tyrone Wood’s
team from Global Response Staff (GRS) were clearly aware of the attack
at the consulate in Benghazi at 2140, and were ordered ordered by higher
not to go. They left anyway at 2205 local. We know that Glen
Doherty’s team was actually in Tripoli, and had to bribe or even hijack a
plane to go to Benghazi. We know that an SF LTC was ordered to stand
down by higher (presumably AFRICOM) and said to the acting Chief of
Mission “this is the first time the diplomats had more balls than the
military.”
We know that Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith were overcome
by a petroleum fire in their safe room after the compound was breached,
and we know both were dead by the end of the night. The ride back to
the CIA annex by Woods’ team was under fire and one of the vehicles had
flat tires but nonetheless made it to the compound where they received
sporadic fire all night. At some point during this Doherty’s team
managed to make it into the compound before the final assault which
included mortar rounds began. When it was over Woods and Doherty were
dead.
What followed was undeniably a cover-up for political purposes. A
really shitty video was blamed and the denials for support were covered
up. UN ambassador Susan Rice became an unwitting pawn in this and went
on all the Sunday talk shows with this truly ridiculous story, which we
already knew was wrong. From all that we’ve been able to glean they
knew within 24 hours that it was Ansar al-Sharia, and they knew that
this was specifically a terrorist attack. White-wash or cover up, the
American people were lied to, and they kept on lying to us. Even now
they’re making like this is all politics. It begs the question if
they’ve lied about this monumental goof, what else aren’t they telling
the truth about.
And then there’s that IRS bit. See this is actually the most serious
for the President and his team. Why? Well look at the first bullet
point of Article 2 of the Nixon Articles of Impeachment. As Joe Biden might say “it’s a big F**king deal.” The fact that he even joked about it in 2009,
is all the more disturbing. Asking a Jewish group “what you feel about
Israel,” or asking a conservative group who their donors are is not
only highly irregular, but flat out illegal. The key words being used
for this scrutiny should have everyone’s jaw dropping. Giving undue
haste to a group concerned our president is violating the constitution
is extremely disturbing. More than that we’re now learning that this
wasn’t just a few low level joe schmos, but high level people were aware
of this program, and if they did not encourage it they certainly did
nothing to stop it. Potentially the head of the IRS may have lied to
congress in May of 2012. The president is trying to downplay it saying
that investigation is needed, but there’s already been one, and it’s
pretty clear what happened if not whose behind it.
Then there’s that little bit about the AP. Now as far as we know
none of the phones were tapped, but as many as 300 reporters may have
been effected. In the journalist world nothing, and I mean nothing will make them go on the attack like even the insinuation that someone’s spying on them. Keep in mind that this can not happen
without the Attorney General, Eric Holder signing off on it. This was
all done in secret, without anyone at AP’s knowledge, and is potentially
violating the First Amendment. This is pretty important too, because
if there has been one group covering for Obama more than anyone else, it
has been the press. Stories that might be considered embarrassing to
the Obama administration have for years not received the full attention
of the press with a few notable exceptions. I truly think these days
are over. Whatever else happens from here on out the Obama
administration is going to have a lot of explaining to do.
So where does that leave us? Well Benghazi is most definitely not a “sideshow,” and despite what some say, help could have been given, if
the administration acted immediately after the first attack, and could
have helped to fend off the final attack. If there truly was no help
available then why in the world were so many commands caught with their
pants down when everyone on the ground clearly stated they needed more
security not less? With The IRS scandal, well need I remind you that is an impeachable offense (not making this up). Will the president be impeached? Probably not, but it is possible.
At the very least it will get congress off their asses and taking a
close look at how the Gub’ment is being run. We might have a very real,
and practical example of Big Government being so big it literally does
not know what it’s doing, or we might have the truly dirtiest
part of Chicago politics at play. Either one is not good for “We the
People.” Lastly we have the AP scandal. While in itself this is
perhaps a minor event in the era of the PATRIOT Act, do not be surprised
if there’s serious push back on this one. Nothing chills a reporter’s
bones like the federal government scaring away their souses, and
potentially censoring them.
In my personal humble opinion I think Obama is going to wish he
hadn’t gotten reelected. His second term is not starting off great, and
his Dodge Dip Dive Duck and Dodge routine isn’t working anymore. With
Fast and Furious, a DOJ that suppressed a voter intimidation case, a DHS
that refuses to enforce immigration, a total overhaul of health care
that gives frightening powers to non-doctors, an AG that was held in
contempt of congress (a first in history), A stagnant recovery, “Green
Jobs” that are just a very expensive way to waste money, and a national
debt that is not getting any better any time soon. . . Well to say that
things are going to look pretty bad for his legacy is something of an
understatement. The word Impeachable is actually not out of the realm
of possibility sadly enough. Of course if that ever were to
happen, Joe “fire a shotgun in the air” Biden will be our new
president. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t trust that man to run a
latrine detail.
2 comments:
Joe “fire a shotgun in the air” Biden will be our new president. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t trust that man to run a latrine detail
You are being too generous.
Think about what they're claiming -- the IRS leaves a passle of low level flunkies unsupervised -- the IRS -- for months while they track down conservative groups but give tax breaks to liberals.
And who is to say that the spying was limited to just the AP? It is the AP who broke the story; are there other news groups who should be looking into this?
As for Benghazi, these are the first three whistleblowers -- where are the evacuees, including the wounded? Still at Landstuhl? Why? Who are they?
The plan apparently is to just wait this out & stonewall. After all, it's worked for Fast & Furious.
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