My friend likes to send out emails to his distribution group regaling us with his take on the politics of the day, local and national. Today’s missive was about the Pelosi torture kerfuffle.
He writes, in part:
We’ve written in detail that the [Obama] campaign had known that they needed to corral the progressive extremists in the House, and many in the Obama orbit are very put off by the Speaker pushing hers, rather than the president’s agenda. Their agendas are similar, but it is the White House who will drive the train, not the House of Representatives, or the Speaker.
What better way to distract than by dumping a load directly onto the Speaker’s lap by leaking memos? Who better than to be the political assassin than former Congressman and now Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel? The White House was diabolically silent after the Pelosi press conference fiasco, failing to come to her aid or to her defense.
The GOP must be looking skyward with all thanks for the Godsend of this Democratic circular firing squad.
I wrote of Obama soon having to have his Gerald Ford moment and now he has no choice but to offer blanket immunity and pardons, and then seem Solomon-like by protecting the best interests of the country and its security.[...]
It is within the realm of possibilities (certainties?) that Emanuel engineered the selective release of the memos to distract away from the president, and place it all on Pelosi and other Dem members of both houses for their complicity under Bush 43. Call it a culling the heard (sic), something we also told you last year that Team Obama wanted very much to do. Remember that Obama hates conflict which is why he changes his mind so often.
They all knew of the Pelosi/Harman blood feud and had the patience to wait until the moment was right to capitalize on it.
Trust me on this, Emanuel is that smart, that bright, and that devious, and so is the president. I’ve said it a thousand times and I’ll say it again here, both Rahm and Barack are first and foremost, brilliant and very astute politicians.
My answer:
Pardon me while I go postal.
If it is as you say about Obama, that this is all gamesmanship, I’m very, very, VERY glad I couldn’t pull the lever for him.
And lost, LOST, in all of this bullshit are the actual victims of the torture and the actual CRIMES that were committed. Worse than that, the torture appears to have had one VERY SPECIFIC purpose: to link Iraq to 9/11 and make a phony case for war. And Barack doesn’t want us to look at that? The fucking war he supposedy “opposed?” I put that in quotes, because aside from an alleged anti-war speech he gave when running for state senate in a liberal anti-war district, of which there are no contemporary news accounts, press releases or actual footage, his record on the war has been dismal, and aside from one vote, identical to the “triangulating” Hillary Clinton. Fuck him and the magical pony he’s promised everyone.
We fucking tortured, and it’s all about Nancy now. Even the chair of the DNC is doing the old “look forward, we don’t need no steenkin’ investigations.” In the meantime, you’ve got the Rs cynically (and calculatingly) using this to double dare the Dems to hold an investigation, which will then give them the freedom to scream “PARTISANSHIP WITCH-HUNT!” which heaven forbid we should EVER bring our leaders to account, regardless of what title they held or hold, or what fucking political party they belong to.
Oh, and fuck the idea that Barack must some how go all “Solomon” and give blanket immunity and pardons to the whole sorry lot of them. All of this shit has its seeds in the Nixon pardon (just as all the bailouts began with Chrysler, lo these many years ago).
Someone stick an fork in America. She’s done.
Posted by stacyx on May 17, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I never could stand Rahm Emmanuel. While the media is busy playing he-said-she-said, they are essentially ignoring the fact that even under the Bush administration’s twisted legal logic, they broke the law- when and what Pelosi knew is a huge red herring because under existing law, the administration and/or agencies it has acting on it’s behalf (ie, the CIA) can’t just tell a few members of Congress about such covert activities and then consider that “approval” or even notification- ie. there is no ‘gang of four exception” to the rule. And actually, that actually counts as another possible law the administration broke.
Instead, the media should be focusing on things like this (from Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson):
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2009/05/the_truth_about/
Posted by bluelyon on May 17, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Thanks for the link. Very interesting read. The comments are worth reading too.
Posted by sister of ye on May 17, 2009 at 6:43 pm
but it is the White House who will drive the train, not the House of Representatives, or the Speaker.
Ah, for the days of balance of powers in government, of an autonomous Congress.
At least in the original bailout, Chrysler paid back the loans at a tidy profit to the government. As they and GM will again if the companies can survive. Chances of getting money back from JP Morgan Chase, Citibank and Bank of America? You got to be f*cking kidding me.
Posted by bluelyon on May 17, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Exactly, I thought it was Congress that did the legislatin’, not the Executive.
Posted by paper doll on May 18, 2009 at 10:02 am
And lost, LOST, in all of this bullshit are the actual victims of the torture and the actual CRIMES that were committed. Worse than that, the torture appears to have had one VERY SPECIFIC purpose: to link Iraq to 9/11 and make a phony case for war. And Barack doesn’t want us to look at that? The fucking war he supposedly “opposed?”
Terrific post blue!
EXACTLY!!!!! Somehow the fact that
we tortured people for nothing …or at all,
is totally forgotten in the DC beltway smack down.
Posted by garlicnosedho on May 18, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Blue–this is my first foray to your blog site. Nice work, to say the least! I’ll be bookmarking! Thank you!
Posted by zoo zoo on May 19, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I love your rage. Makes me feel like throwing up my window shade and screaming, “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more!!” I’m hoping the shouting will begin soon and we can get some real fucking change.
Lead on!