August 7-10, 2014
Aug 07 08:56 TakeAction Minnesota's smear campaign, Part III Aug 07 13:16 Edited? Aug 08 02:39 Thin-skinned Dayton Aug 08 03:28 What will Franken do? Aug 08 11:50 What will Franken, Klobuchar, Dayton, Nolan do? Aug 08 12:23 Republicans flip Montana Aug 08 16:49 Dayton alienates Iron Range Aug 09 10:31 Poor little Rick Nolan Aug 10 03:42 Obama endangers the US
Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
TakeAction Minnesota's smear campaign, Part III
TakeAction Minnesota's latest press release instructs the press to investigate Stanley Hubbard:
Statewide people's organization TakeAction Minnesota, which has offices in Duluth and Grand Rapids, issued the following statement regarding a political TV ad running in the 8th Congressional District which was pulled off the air by Hubbard Broadcasting last week in a flurry of controversy:
'The real story isn't about Stewart Mills or Rick Nolan. The real story is about corporate conservatives limiting political dialogue and eroding free speech. It's about a billionaire, Stanley Hubbard, protecting certain candidates who protect wealth at the expense of working people. It's about corporate conservatives and media conglomerates owned and run by billionaires like Stanley Hubbard and the Koch Brothers protecting candidates for their own economic gain. How concentrated wealth increasingly controls public discourse at the expense of people. You can swap in any corporate conservative candidate you want for Stewart Mills.
'There are several important questions voters and the media should be asking. Why did the ad run in the first place? When and why was it decided that it must be pulled down? Did someone from the Mills campaign see it was running and call in a favor from Hubbard? Did Stanley Hubbard himself see the ad and decide it was damaging to Mills? Did someone from Hubbard's friends connected to the Koch Brothers decide it needed the ax?
It's understatement to say that the ad they're talking about didn't enhance public dialogue. It's defamatory and dishonest. Saying that it's highly edited and spliced is understatement. These 128 words that Stewart Mills said:
What happened in the last round of elections, where you had folks saying that ' the wealthy, the wealthy are not paying their fair share, that there's all these loopholes and they don't pay any taxes and we have to make them pay more. Well, you know what? I'm gonna speak for myself and then I'm going to allude to a few others here. We've paid for all of our taxes. We reinvest the money we make into our business.
How come we are not generating the jobs in Northeastern Minnesota that we otherwise would? Well I can tell you why. Because the overwhelming group of people that run businesses, that have the ability to employ people are taxed at that personal rate. They are the villains, they're the bad guys. They're the ones that quote are not paying their fair share. They're the ones quote that ' the 2%, the 1%, whatever percent you want.
To be singled out as a deadbeat is personally offensive.
turned into this 26-word sentence he didn't say:
: folks saying that 'the wealthy, the wealthy are not paying their fair share...the 2%, the 1%, whatever percent you want: is personally offensive.
Next, let's answer some of TakeAction Minnesota's questions, starting with this one:
Why did the ad run in the first place?
To smear Stewart Mills. It isn't a coincidence that this smear campaign started after the DCCC put Nolan on their version of endangered incumbents list and after the Cook Report changed their rating of the race from Leans Democratic to toss-up.
Rick Nolan is a deeply flawed candidate running a terrible, 1-issue race. It isn't a coincidence that Nolan's campaign is focusing on Mills "representing the 1-percent."
Q2: When and why was it decided that it must be pulled down?
After attorneys from the Mills campaign a) notified KSTP and WDIO of the defamatory nature of the ad and b) reminded them that the TV stations weren't protected from running the ad:
The false ad bankrolled by AFSCME/House Majority PAC against Stewart Mills does not constitute a 'candidate use.' Under Columbia Broadcasting Sys., Inc. v. Democratic Nat'l Comm., 412 U.S. 94 (1973), and Nat'l Conservative Political Action Comm., 89 FCC 2d 626 (1982), your station is not obligated to air any advertisements from third parties, such as the AFSMCE/House Majority PAC, as third parties have no guaranteed right of access to air their advertisements on your station. Thus, broadcasting stations are not protected from legal liability for airing a false and misleading advertisement sponsored by the AFSCME/House Majority PAC. Moreover, broadcast licensees have a legal responsibility to review and to eliminate any false, misleading, or deceptive materials contained in advertising.
KSTP and WDIO pulled the ad when they saw that the ad was defamatory and they weren't protected from having a lawsuit filed against them.
Q3: Did someone from the Mills campaign see it was running and call in a favor from Hubbard?
This is pure speculation intended to take the spotlight off the fact that Rick Nolan didn't support mining jobs on the Range until the political pressure forced him into supporting creating mining jobs.
It isn't a DFL conspiracy theory without throwing in this boogeyman:
Did someone from Hubbard's friends connected to the Koch Brothers decide it needed the ax?
The paranoid rantings and the conspiracy theory just wouldn't be complete without a reference to the Koch Brothers.
Now it's time to ask TakeAction Minnesota this straightforward question: How can an organization that's a major part of the DFL's messaging and GOTV machine benefit from our nation's tax laws? After all, TakeAction Minnesota's facebook page states pretty clearly that they're a nonprofit. Their member organizations page is filled with DFL front organizations. Their every action is, by Al Franken's definition, political.
Simply put, TakeAction Minnesota's public call for an investigation into Stanley Hubbard and the Koch Brothers is both a farce and a gimmick. This DFL front group's questions are illegitimate because TakeAction Minnesota knows that the Pelosi ad was pulled because it was defamatory.
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2014 8:56 AM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 07-Aug-14 11:07 AM
Gary:
Keep in mind AFSCME thinks that the economy is growing like gang busters thanks to the great work of Mark Dayton, President Obama, the DFL House and Senate. The reason why I think they are going after Mills so hard is that Mills is running on lets get the economy going and if he can convert the eighth from solid Democrat to leans Republican in statewide races such as governor and Senator that it will lead to Republican wins. In 2008 Franklin only won because he got a large vote out of the eighth district. Mills can help drag McFadden over the finish line.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Comment 2 by walter hanson at 07-Aug-14 12:34 PM
Gary:
I'm on AFSCME's Email list. You should the interesting email they sent out to AFSCME members asking them to support the airing of this ad.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Edited?
After writing this post, I read TakeAction Minnesota's statement to the end. If I hadn't, I would've missed the Democrats' explanation of the Pelosi/AFSCME PEOPLE defamatory ad:
The ad was edited to fit a standard TV time slot, not to change the content of Mills' positions on issues.
That's ridiculous. The Democrats' ad wasn't edited. It was spliced together from 3 separate paragraphs to create a sentence Stewart Mills never said. Here's Dictionary.com's definition of edit:
to prepare (text) for publication by checking and improving its accuracy, clarity, etc.
This wasn't editing according to that definition. What the Democrats did didn't improve Stewart's statement's accuracy or clarity. It created a sentence Stewart didn't say. This is easily illustrated by the fact that the first 10 words of the fictional sentence came from a of the sentence 11 minutes into the video. The next 10 words from the fictional sentence came from a sentence almost 15 minutes into the video. The final 3 words of the fictional sentence came from a sentence 12 minutes into the video.
The first 10 words came from a paragraph talking about the 2012 election. The next 10 words came from a paragraph where Stewart talked about why jobs weren't getting created on the Range. The final 3 words came from a sentence where Stewart said that he's personally offended that this Democrat front group called him a deadbeat for not paying his taxes.
When Democrats splice together 3 partial sentences to create a fictional sentence, it's verifiable proof that Democrats will throw everything at Stewart Mills between today and Election Day. That's why the Mills campaign put out this e-letter:
Stewart was right when he said that his Democratic opponents "are shameless and they'll do anything to win." That's who they are. They should be forewarned, though, by this sentence:
I won't belabor the point except to say that now we know how our opponents operate and we are acutely aware of their sleazy tactics.
Stewart knows that the race is at a critical juncture. He won't hesitate if taking decisive action is required. It's apparent that he's trying to get ahead of this problem by revving up his fundraising machine. That way, he'll have the ammunition to put Ms. Pelosi, Rick Nolan and the Democrat front groups in their place.
It's one thing to play hardball politics. This isn't hardball politics. It's dirty politics. Expect dumptruck loads more of this stuff during the next 3 months.
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2014 2:39 PM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 07-Aug-14 08:44 PM
Gary:
Just to let your readers know earlier today AFSCME sent out an email to who they think are activists to try to pressure KSTP (in part because the owner is a friend of Stewart Mills) to allow their voices to be heard.
Wow isn't amazing that they don't bother to tell their members what you have been telling their add is based on combining three difference sentences together to try to create something not said.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Thin-skinned Dayton
Thin-skinned Mark Dayton is ticked off that a Stillwater restaurant has started charging a 35-cent minimum wage fee on its orders:
Gov. Mark Dayton says he's disappointed that some Minnesota restaurants are pushing costs of a minimum wage increase on their customers.
Dayton told Minnesota Public Radio's Morning Edition Thursday that he thinks the decision is tacky. But he says restaurants have the right to do so, and now it's up to customers to decide whether or not they will continue to support the business.
The 75-cent minimum wage increase went into effect on Aug. 1. Businesses with annual sale of more than $625,000 must not pay their employees at least $8 an hour. The law also created a young wage for workers under the age of 18.
Dayton didn't name any specific restaurants, but a cafe in Stillwater cafe has begun adding a 35-cent fee to each bill.
That's how a thin-skinned person reacts. Gov. Dayton couldn't have thought businesses were going to just eat the cost of raising the minimum wage. If businesses did that, it'd be like them saying "Gov. Dayton, it's ok if you and the DFL legislature raise the cost of doing business. It isn't like I need the money to raise my kids or save for my retirment."
It's stunning that Gov. Dayton hasn't figured it out that companies are in business to make profits. Hasn't he figured it out that businesses pass on their costs, either through lower benefits or smaller raises to its employees or in higher prices to its customers or in the form of a combination of both?
It's possible that he doesn't like businesses exposing the real cost of increasing the minimum wage? For years, Democrats have relied on businesses quietly passing the cost of minimum wage increases on to its customers or its employees.
This cafe decided to let people know the real cost of raising the minimum wage. This time, some businesses are letting people know the costs of Gov. Dayton's and the DFL legislature's decisions.
Mitch Berg is organizing what should be called a buycott for this Saturday. Follow this link to find out more about Mitch's mischief.
Posted Friday, August 8, 2014 2:39 AM
Comment 1 by J. Ewing at 08-Aug-14 10:21 AM
You KNOW it was exactly that. Dayton isn't mad that the restaurant raised its prices to pay the minwage; he's mad because the restaurant EXPOSED this "tax" to the public. I wish every business would do that; people might start to notice.
What will Franken do?
The first thing I thought after reading this article is 'what will Al Franken do with this information'?
An environmental group gathered in Duluth on Thursday to express its opposition to precious metals mining, or what it calls sulfide mining.
Environment Minnesota has been collecting petitions all summer. The petitions ask President Obama to oppose all development of precious metals mining, or what they call sulfide mining, including the Twin Metals Minnesota mine in the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Field Manager Kieran Manzella said the Boundary Waters wilderness is too special to lose.
"It's really not something that we're willing to risk, no matter the benefit that these companies are trying to ply other Minnesotans with," he said. "The tradeoff is not there, and this isn't some place that we can actually risk putting on the line for these mines."
The group is concerned about pollution and drainage from the mine causing contamination. They've collected 15,000 petitions to send to the president.
Will Sen. Franken stand with Iron Range miners? I wrote this post to highlight his campaign's quote:
'Senator Franken supports mining. He's fought to protect mining jobs by fighting illegal dumping and ensuring that we use more American made steel. He believes the PolyMet project will create jobs and that it will be done in an environmentally responsible way,' said Ryan Furlong, Franken campaign spokesman.
Will Sen. Franken speak out against this DC-headquartered organization? He should but that doesn't mean he will
Yes, you read write when I called Environment Minnesota a "DC-headquartered organization." Here's Environment Minnesota's staff . Isn't it interesting that 4 of the 5 staffers are based in Washington, DC?
Let's return, though, to WDIO's article. Specifically, let's highlight this statement:
Field Manager Kieran Manzella said the Boundary Waters wilderness is too special to lose. "It's really not something that we're willing to risk, no matter the benefit that these companies are trying to ply other Minnesotans with," he said.
Think about that. A DC-headquartered Democrat front group is opposed to the creation of high-paying mining jobs. It isn't just that they're opposed to mining. It's that they spent this summer collecting 15,000 signatures to their petition that they want to give to President Obama.
We've already seen that it doesn't take much for President Obama and Senate Democrats to stop projects that environmental organizations oppose. In fact, Sen. Franken has repeatedly voted against approval for the Keystone XL Pipeline.
Sen. Franken's staff said that he "supports mining" and that he thinks "the PolyMet project will create jobs and that it will be done in an environmentally responsible way." Here's the perfect opportunity for him to prove his support for PolyMet. In fact, it's a perfect opportunity for him to show some leadership on the issue.
It's one thing to say that you support mining right before an election where you'll need a strong turnout of the Range's mining families. It's another to actually take a leadership role in making PolyMet a reality. Thus far, Sen. Franken hasn't shown any leadership on PolyMet.
If he doesn't step into that leadership position this time, then Rangers will know that Sen. Franken's support is just talk from a cheap politician who'll say anything to get re-elected.
The Range doesn't need a senator who doesn't stand up to environmental activists headquartered in DC. They need a senator who won't hesitate to stand up to these Democrat front groups.
Posted Friday, August 8, 2014 3:28 AM
No comments.
What will Franken, Klobuchar, Dayton, Nolan do?
Bill Hanna's article highlights what's wrong with today's DFL:
Gov. Mark Dayton says a far-reaching Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Superior National Forest regarding potential copper/nickel/precious metals ventures is totally unnecessary. So, too, do Minnesota U.S. Sens. Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar and 8th District U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan.
It would be a waste of time and money and energy, say those Democratic office holders, because it would duplicate what is already being done as far as environmental review for both the PolyMet and Twin Metals projects. And Congressman Nolan goes further to say the issue was already settled with the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Act in 1978 that allowed mining in the Superior National Forest.
But it's not that clear, according to a U.S. Forest Service official. There is not even a timeline set up to decide whether the USFS will drop the PEIS request by environmentalists or move ahead with it. In a telephone interview with the Mesabi Daily News on Thursday, USFS Public Affairs Officer Kris Reichenbach in Duluth said there 'is no immediate reason to push this' one way or another.
'This is not something to rush into. We are still evaluating our options. We are not at a point of making a decision. I am not aware of a timeline,' Reichenbach said.
What's wrong with today's DFL is that Democrat politicians' voices aren't as powerful, apparently, as the environmental activists' voices.
It's time for Dayton, Franken, Klobuchar and Nolan to hold a press conference on the mining issue. It's time they told the environmental activist wing of the DFL that they're putting a higher priority on creating high-paying jobs than they're putting on preserving supposedly pristine wilderness like this:
These environmental activists aren't fighting to save pristine wilderness. They're fighting to control people's lives.
Apparently, these Democrat politicians won't stand up to them and tell them to take a hike. Apparently, these Democrat politicians think it's more important to not ruffle the environmental activists' feathers than it is to create jobs on the Iron Range. (Might that be because they want the environmental activists' campaign contributions?)
In the end, it's my opinion that these sorry excuses for politicians will flap their gums for a little while. They won't ruffle the environmental activists' feathers. Then they'll exit stage left (where else?) once people stop paying attention.
They should all be astronomy majors because they're only good at taking up space. If families want DFL politicians to fight for them, they're out of luck. These DFL politicians won't fight for people if they aren't part of a special interest group.
It's sad that these DFL politicians will fight for special interest groups but they won't fight for families. This isn't Hubert Humphrey's DFL.
Posted Friday, August 8, 2014 11:50 AM
No comments.
Republicans flip Montana
Now that Brian Schweitzer has announced that he isn't running , it's time to all but officially put this US Senate seat in the GOP flipped category:
Helena, Mont. (AP) - Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer says he won't run for U.S. Senate after Sen. John Walsh dropped his election campaign Thursday. Schweitzer was mentioned as a potential contender even before Walsh's announcement.
But the Democrat already rejected a run earlier in the year when he said he wasn't interested in the seat that opened when six-term Sen. Max Baucus was named U.S. Ambassador to China.
Schweitzer announced that he wouldn't run on Twitter and confirmed it to The Associated Press. He said in a Facebook post that he was flattered his name was considered, and that he'll support whoever emerges as the candidate.
This all but officially confirms the fact that Steve Daines will be the next US senator from Montana. Walsh was considered their only hope of winning. That's why Baucus resigned. Baucus resigned so that Walsh could run as an incumbent. That plan blew up in the Democrats' faces when the NY Times reported that Walsh had plagiarized his Master's Degree thesis.
After that report, it was just a matter of time until Walsh's campaign ended officially.
Now that Schweitzer has officially declined to be Daines' sacrificial lamb, the Democrats' bench isn't just thin. It's virtually nonexistent. Ed Morrissey's commentary lays things out nicely:
At some point, Democrats have to give strong consideration to conceding the seat to Daines. He's going to win it anyway, and putting up a candidate without any name power in Montana will force them to spend money on the race to maintain their credibility. Why waste the resources, especially for either a Democrat who lost by 50 points in his own party's primary or for an all-but-carpetbagging abortion absolutist in a red state? Just tossing anyone up against Daines would have a strong whiff of desperation that might infect the rest of their races in Montana - especially if the nominee has to jump belatedly into a campaign and falls flat on his/her face. Schweitzer was their best opportunity to maintain the facade of credibility, even with the 'gaydar' comments. They should take a hint from his withdrawal and cut their losses.
Perhaps, the Democrats could run Alan Keyes. He'd have as good a shot at winning in the Big Sky State as he had in the Land of Lincoln.
Seriously, this race is all but officially over. I'd be surprised if Daines doesn't win by 20 points or more.
Posted Friday, August 8, 2014 12:23 PM
No comments.
Dayton alienates Iron Range
Gov. Dayton isn't a leader. Further,he won't confront the environmental activist wing of the DFL. That's why it isn't surprising that Gov. Dayton called pro-mining Republicans "highly irresponsible" :
REDWOOD FALLS, Minn. -- DFL Gov. Mark Dayton on Thursday called his Republican rivals "highly irresponsible" for pledging to re-open an Iron Range mine before an environmental study is done. Republicans are "just pandering to people up there," Dayton told reporters. "They're like a lot of other hucksters who have gone up there saying they have jobs to offer, so vote for us."
Dayton, who is seeking re-election, said he will wait until after an environmental impact assessment is completed before he takes a stand. "I think that's the responsibility I have as governor," Dayton said before giving a short address at the annual FarmFest trade show here.
Apparently, Gov. Dayton doesn't think it's his responsibility to fight for great paying mining jobs. Further, it's apparent that he's playing politics with this, albeit defensive politics. The EPA has reviewed the latest EIS. Barring President Obama putting a political stop to the project, a distinct possibility, PolyMet will happen.
The science is clear. All of the arguments that environmental activist organizations have thrown out as excuses have been shot down.
I'm thankful, though, that Gov. Dayton just admitted, again, that he won't fight for middle class blue collar jobs for the Range. It's the worst kept secret of his administration. That's why he picked Tina Smith of Minneapolis to be his running mate rather than Tony Sertich of Hibbing.
I'm happy to stipulate that, throughout his administration, Gov. Dayton has put a higher priority on appeasing his environmental activist base than he's put on creating mining jobs on the Iron Range.
As for him whining about pandering, it's disappointing that he's whining about it now but he engaged in pandering last year when he visited FarmFest :
In a sudden reversal, Gov. Mark Dayton says he's open to expanding the scope of a possible special session to include the repeal of a new sales tax on farm equipment repair. Dayton shared his revised position Thursday at Farmfest, according to media reports. An aide later confirmed the shift.
Gov. Dayton apparently doesn't hate pandering as long as it's him doing the pandering.
Gov. Dayton's priorities don't make sense. He cheerfully flip-flopped on raising taxes on farmers at FarmFest last August but he isn't willing to change his position on creating high paying mining jobs on the Range. Perhaps, that's because he knows his ex-wife will stop writing checks to the DFL if they stop pandering to the environmental activist wing of the DFL.
Whatever the case, Gov. Dayton is wrong for Minnesota because a) he won't fight for the hard-working people of the Iron Range and b) he won't fight against government bureaucrats who stand in the way of creating great middle class jobs.
Posted Friday, August 8, 2014 4:49 PM
No comments.
Poor little Rick Nolan
Rick Nolan doesn't have rich fat cat special interests supporting him :
Rick Nolan says one thing and does another. On Rick's Facebook page, he's claiming that he doesn't have 'millions of dollars or billionaire super PACs' backing him. Ironically, at the same time Rick is outraged that some stations pulled the ads attacking me off the air for being dishonest and highly edited.
Here's the hypocrisy: Rick's confederates, the PACs that attack me and support him, are some of the biggest and wealthiest of all time. Rick's duplicity and record of standing with the big time D.C. money speaks for itself: voting against funding for our veterans, voting against building the Keystone XL pipeline, voting for a carbon tax and voting to continue Obamacare.
Having AFSCME PEOPLE, TakeAction Minnesota and House Majority PAC running ads and making phone calls for you is proof that deep pockets are siding with you. That's who's supporting Nolan. That's why Nolan's whining should be ignored. There's more to highlight about Nolan, too.
When Jim Oberstar voted for Cap and Trade, miners immediately understood that he'd voted to kill mining :
'Small business owners are afraid to invest in their own business to create jobs,' he said. 'Miners, when you start talking to them about this cap-and-trade bill and how it's going to affect the mines, you've got their attention.'
Nolan has voted for a carbon tax, which is a different name for Cap & Trade. Nolan's finally supporting PolyMet. That's essentially irrelevant because he'd demolish the mining industry if the carbon tax became law. It's just another example of how Nolan simply can't resist his environmental activist roots.
Rick Nolan is an environmental activist. That's who he's always been. He'll occasionally flip-flop to win an election but there's no question that he's an environmental activist.
That isn't good for Nolan because Iron Range families know that environmental activists are the miners' worst nightmare.
Despite Nolan's whining, the truth is that he's supported by deep pocketed special interests. That's because he's just another politician who can be bought. (Rumor has it that, in DC, he walks the halls of Congress with a 'For Sale' button on his lapel. Just kidding.)
Posted Saturday, August 9, 2014 10:31 AM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 09-Aug-14 01:20 PM
Gary:
If I read the first box correctly are you quoting Stewart Mills saying those things about Rick Nolan?
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 10-Aug-14 03:48 AM
That's right. That's what Stewart wrote on his Facebook page.
Obama endangers the US
This video shows how President Obama's trash-talking, which is he displays his ideology, has gotten the United States in trouble:
I wrote this article to highlight the fact that ISIL is an existential threat to the United States.I wrote the article because I'm tired of hearing politicians like Rand Paul, President Obama and Elizabeth Warren whine about not getting involved in a civil war in Iraq. That's so totally intellectually dishonest that they should be ashamed of themselves.
Frankly, it exposes their dovishness.
The video starts with CNN's Jim Acosta asking White House Press Sacrificial Lamb Josh Earnest if "it's safe to say that" ISIL "isn't JV anymore." Like any dutiful sacrificial lamb, Earnest didn't answer the question, opting instead to talk about what a great national security president Obama is.
Great national security presidents don't let ruthless terrorists take a terrorist hotspot like Fallujah, then call them the JV team. That's a bit of proof that President Obama isn't a great national security president. Once ISIL expanded beyond Syria, President Obama should've known that they couldn't be taken lightly. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, (D-CA), said that " it takes an army to defeat an army ":
'It takes an army to defeat an army, and I believe that we either confront ISIL now or we will be forced to deal with an even stronger enemy in the future,' Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement. The group is 'operating with military expertise, advancing across Iraq and rapidly consolidating its position,' she added.
'Inaction is no longer an option,' according to Feinstein.
President Obama initially campaigned on being the anti-war president. He's ignored his commander-in-chief responsibilities the first 5+ years of his administration. That isn't possible anymore. Because he's been the appeaser-in-chief for that amount of time, nations of terrorists like ISIL are threatening to take over most of the Arabian Peninsula :
The Levant today consists of the island of Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and part of southern Turkey.
This isn't a rag-tag operation. They've got weaponry, tons of space for training terrorists, oil fields aplenty to fund their terrorist operations and the military hardware to protect their terrorist training facilities. It's time President Obama stopped listening to the anti-war ideologues who've put us in this precarious position. It's time he stopped pretending that getting out of wars without defeating the terrorists is the same as giving the terrorist the freedom to plan attacks against the US.
Simply put, there's no substitute for winning. Since 2006, I've highlighted all the times Democrats talked about Iraq and Afghanistan. Each time they talked about those wars, they talked about "ending the war responsibly." Democrats, whether it was Amy Klobuchar, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, talked about "ending the war responsibly."
In fact, they didn't talk about rolling up terrorist networks or gathering intel on the various active terrorist networks in southwest Asia, north Africa or the Arabian Peninsula. This administration talked endlessly about decimating core al-Qa'ida while ignoring emerging threats like ISIL. After pretending that these problems didn't exist, Democrats are faced with dealing with them now that they're established and threatening the Arabian Peninsula.
If President Obama's ideology hadn't forced him into pulling all US troops out of Iraq and if he'd acted swiftly to destroy ISIL when it was gaining steam, we wouldn't be dealing with this crisis. It could've, and should've, been dealt with proactively.
Now that President Obama has procrastinated until the last moment, his options are limited. Still, it's quite possible to cripple them with the right decisions. I hope President Obama makes the right decisions because our safety depends on it.
Posted Sunday, August 10, 2014 3:42 AM
Comment 1 by Crimson Trace at 10-Aug-14 10:50 PM
It's a rare moment in time when I agree with Sen. Feinstein. The terrorism is so bad that even she seems to see it for what it is.
