Posted on 06/17/2008 7:09:51 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
The campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain are engaging in an angry exchange today over Obama's remarks to Jake Tapper yesterday in which he talked about the role of law enforcement in combating terrorism.
In the interview, Obama said, "[I]t is my firm belief that we can track terrorists, we can crack down on threats against the United States, but we can do so within the constraints of our Constitution. And there has been no evidence on their part that we can't.
"And, you know, let's take the example of Guantanamo. What we know is that, in previous terrorist attacks -- for example, the first attack against the World Trade Center, we were able to arrest those responsible, put them on trial. They are currently in U.S. prisons, incapacitated."
The McCain campaign responded with a call in which McCain's senior foreign policy adviser Randy Schuenemann said, "Once again we have seen that Senator Obama is a perfect manifestation of a September 10th mindset. He brings the attitude, the failures of judgment, the weakness and the misunderstanding of the nature of our adversaries, and the dangers posed by them to a series of policy positions."
He added, "I have no doubt that we will hear in the course of the day that the Obama campaign will say we're practicing the, quote, politics of fear, and the reality is what Senator Obama's statement reflects last night is that he's advocating a policy of delusion that ignores what happened in the failed approach of the 1990's which allowed al Qaeda to thrive and prosper unmolested and that policy clearly made America less safe and more vulnerable."
Which led to the just-concluded Obama call with John Kerry and Richard Clarke, in which they accused the McCain campaign of perpetrating the politics of fear and mischaracterizing Obama's terrorism policy. When asked by a reporter about the McCain campaign's assertion that Obama would want to give Osama Bin Laden habeas corpus rights, Kerry answered angrily.
"The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that they have those rights -- this is not Barack Obama, this is the Supreme Court of the United States. If John McCain were president he'd have to give them those rights. This is a phony argument. And it is typical of what the Republican playbook is, which is, say anything, no matter what the other side has said, just say it, people may believe it, unless you folks write the truth and write it boldly and clearly. The truth is that this is exactly what they tried to say back in 2004 and the record absolutely contradicts it."
Clarke argued that Obama had a comprehensive approach to combating terrorism and said he was "disgusted" by the McCain efforts to mischaracterize Obama's position.
"What I see his surrogates saying and occasionally the Senator himself, is as Senator Kerry said, straight out of a Republican playbook which has been used in every federal election since 2002, which is to use this sort of big lie technique."
Describe the situation when your men took down the American forces in Somalia.
Osama Bin Laden:
After our victory in Afghanistan and the defeat of the oppressors who had killed millions of Muslims, the legend about the invincibility of the superpowers vanished. Our boys no longer viewed America as a superpower. So, when they left Afghanistan, they went to Somalia and prepared themselves carefully for a long war. They had thought that the Americans were like the Russians, so they trained and prepared. They were stunned when they discovered how low was the morale of the American soldier. America had entered with 30,000 soldiers in addition to thousands of soldiers from different countries in the world. ... As I said, our boys were shocked by the low morale of the American soldier and they realized that the American soldier was just a paper tiger. He was unable to endure the strikes that were dealt to his army, so he fled, and America had to stop all its bragging and all that noise it was making in the press after the Gulf War in which it destroyed the infrastructure and the milk and dairy industry that was vital for the infants and the children and the civilians and blew up dams which were necessary for the crops people grew to feed their families. Proud of this destruction, America assumed the titles of world leader and master of the new world order. After a few blows, it forgot all about those titles and rushed out of Somalia in shame and disgrace, dragging the bodies of its soldiers. America stopped calling itself world leader and master of the new world order, and its politicians realized that those titles were too big for them and that they were unworthy of them. I was in Sudan when this happened. I was very happy to learn of that great defeat that America suffered, so was every Muslim. ...
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/who/interview.html
ABC reporter John Miller's interview with Osama Bin Laden, May 1998
Oh yeah, Obamalama -- why don't you explain this article -- Barack Obama aide: Why Winnie the Pooh should shape US foreign policy.
I think that Obama will soon be playing catch up.
Who wants to bet Gorelick and Clarke get a spot in Obama’s cabinet if he wins.
Barak Obama to Winnie the Pooh; I read your book you......
Sounds like we are starting to get down to real politics. Gloves off, no rules, down-and-dirty politics. May the best mudslinger win! And it is only June! ;-)
Richard Clarke is the same “Terrorist Czar” in the Clinton administration who insisted on the USS COLE visit to Aden in 1998 despite the warning by the Ambassador there that the port was too dangerous for a port visit.
He’s responsible, along with Bill Clinton — and the CENTCOM Commander, Gen Zinni (”The Godfather” according to Wikipedia) who was trying to increase “his” influence in the region.
Anywhere you see Richard Clarke or Gen. Zinni, just think “Master Blameshifters” on the war on terror in the 1990’s.
McCain has had two golden opportunities in two days. This 9/10 mindset of Democrats and the offshore drilling. If he fumbles this he only has himself to blame. But these two issues could decide this campaign fairly early.
Except the ones that got away...and came back on 911.
And John Kerry, falling all over himself giving the most cowardly interpretation of the Supreme Court decision. No, John, what you need to do is find ways, legislatively and executively, to lessen its impact! Idiots!!
Wow, the Obama people were real quick in pointing to yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling. It makes me wonder about collusion.
And the ones who sent them?
Bush hanged one of them in Baghdad. The other one hides at the bottom of a cave and worries every time a plane flies overhead.
Pray that the American people aren’t idiots as well.
” Who wants to bet Gorelick and Clarke get a spot in Obama’s cabinet if he wins.” Thanks brother, just two more reasons not to vote for that Marxist Looser. Both Gorelick and Clark should be in jail for conspiring to protect the “rights of terrorists” but failing to protect the rights of everyday Americans.
I think that Obama will soon be playing catch up.
Tomorrow
NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
PRESS CONFERENCE ON OBAMA’S HOMOSEXUAL AND COCAINE 1999 PARTEEEE
w/Larry Sinclair
LIve INternet FEed ONE DAY LEFT FOR OBAMBI
I am close to questioning whether this Obama character has any intelligence at all. Maybe he is simply a product of affirmative action, because his thought processes are pathetic.
So, AFTER the WTC was bombed by Muslims we caught a few involved and punished them. That’s his definition of a better strategy to fight terror? Hey, McCain, can I be your campaign manager? This win is going to make whoever is in charge look brilliant.
So what's Obama going to do to protect us from terrorists nuking NYC? Issue a restraining order?
And yes, both should be in jail. Both had a part in making this country vulnerable.
EXACTLY RIGHT!
It’s not that we CAN’T it’s that we SHOULDN’T! These terrorists are NOT American Citizens! This ruling is probably one of the worst things to happen to us! Seriously, why should the taxpayers pay for jury trials for these hirabists?
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