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Transparent Incompetence (Oliver North rips Obama)
Creators Syndicate ^ | June 15, 2012 | Oliver North

Posted on 06/14/2012 5:19:58 PM PDT by jazusamo

WASHINGTON — Senior members of Congress — both Republicans and Democrats — are reacting with shock and awe at the tsunami of national security leaks emanating from the Obama administration. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News Channel that the unauthorized disclosures of classified information are "the most egregious breach of national security" he ever has seen. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told reporters this week, "The accelerating pace of such disclosures, the sensitivity of the matters in question and the harm caused to our national security interests is alarming and unacceptable."

McCain and Feinstein — and others in both parties expressing dismay at the disclosures — shouldn't be surprised. The officials in the Obama administration who tell reporters classified details about SEAL team raids, Stuxnet, "kill lists" for targeted attacks on high-value targets and ongoing covert operations in foreign countries are doing exactly what the commander in chief wants. He told us so on the day of his inauguration.

Reading from a teleprompter in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the new president instructed his senior White House staff and Cabinet: "The way to make government accountable is to make it transparent so that the American people can know exactly what decisions are being made, how they're being made and whether their interests are being well-served. ... For a long time now, there's been too much secrecy in this city. ... Starting today, every agency and department should know that this administration stands on the side not of those who seek to withhold information but those who seek to make it known."

The leakers simply are following his orders. That's what makes the quotes attributed to "unnamed senior administration officials" or "anonymous White House sources" so curious. If the O-Team really is intent on letting us "know exactly what decisions are being made" and "how they're being made" so we can determine whether our "interests are being well-served," why doesn't it let the names be used by reporters, writers and producers?

We all know why. The Obama administration's purveyors of classified information cited almost daily in our media don't really care about our interests. Their goal is to show us how brave, bold, daring and smart they are — and how careful, competent, engaged and tough our president is. Regrettably, the leaks aren't just coming from political appointees — the ones Obama was talking to Jan. 21, 2009. Now the leakers are in our military and intelligence services, as well. A Washington Post column this week titled "U.S. expands secret intelligence operations in Africa" cites "a senior U.S. military official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters."

All this proves that leadership really does matter. The example set at the top is reflected in the behavior of others all the way down the chain of command. It is OK to disclose legitimate secrets that threaten our national security, put the lives of others in jeopardy, compromise sensitive operational capabilities and wreck relations with allies — as long as the O-Team looks good in the leak.

Notably, the word "transparent" no longer appears in the president's prepared speeches. That's probably because there was no transparency in drafting his Obamacare legislation, new Environmental Protection Agency regulations on drilling for oil, federal loans to green energy companies such as Solyndra or the Department of Homeland Security's warning about "disgruntled war veterans" being a threat. The public never has been told how the Obama administration decided that the massacre at Fort Hood was "workplace violence" instead of a radical Islamic terror attack. Nor does the O-Team want to respond to legitimate congressional inquiries about the Justice Department's infamous "Fast and Furious" gunrunning operation.

It's only in the president's unscripted remarks that we now find examples of inadvertent transparency. There's his sotto voce plea to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on ballistic missile defense: "This is my last election. After my election, I have more flexibility." Last week, it was his comment that "the private sector is doing fine." This week, he claimed that "Europe is our No. 1 trading partner" in an attempt to explain America's economic woes. Let's hope that he has since learned Europe is fourth, behind Canada, China and Mexico.

O-Team sycophants and fawning members of the Fourth Estate excuse these slip-ups as "minor gaffes." They're not. Coupled with the hemorrhage of self-serving leaks, the Obama administration is shown to be worse than feckless.

In less than 144 days, Americans go to the polls. We are being told by the so-called mainstream media and competing campaign operatives that this year's presidential election is about which candidate has the best "vision" for "fixing" or "restoring" or "repairing" the U.S. economy. That's important. But so is our ability to defend ourselves against our adversaries.

Those urging us to hire a new commander in chief in November must address how he could do better at protecting our national security and our people. If they fail to do so, they will show themselves to be as incompetent as the supporters of the one they seek to replace.



TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: eals; leaks; nationalsecurity; navyseals; obama; obamabloopers; obamagaffes; olivernorth; seals; stuxnet; trade; transparency

1 posted on 06/14/2012 5:20:04 PM PDT by jazusamo
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To: 2rightsleftcoast; abner; ACAC; advertising guy; amom; AnalogReigns; Anoreth; Arkinsaw; ...
OLIVER NORTH PING!

Photobucket

Please Freepmail me to be added to the Ollie North ping list.

2 posted on 06/14/2012 5:23:21 PM PDT by jazusamo ("Intellect is not wisdom" -- Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo
Not only incompetent, but openly hostile to America's interests, our Freedoms, and our Constitution. He has pushed Jimmy Carter out of first place in the Worst President in American History sweepstakes.



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

3 posted on 06/14/2012 5:48:00 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN, 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
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To: ConorMacNessa

“Not only incompetent, but openly hostile to America’s interests, our Freedoms, and our Constitution. He has pushed Jimmy Carter out of first place in the Worst President in American History sweepstakes.”

___

Absolutely correct!!


4 posted on 06/14/2012 5:52:20 PM PDT by mongo141 (Revolution ver. 2.0, just a matter of when, not a matter of if!)
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To: jazusamo

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News Channel that the unauthorized disclosures of classified information are “the most egregious breach of national security” he ever has seen
............................................................
But what is Senator McCain prepared to do about it.

Answer: As usual——nothing.
He is just running off at the mouth. When it gets close to Obama he will shut up tighter than a clam.


5 posted on 06/14/2012 5:53:34 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: ConorMacNessa
I couldn't agree more, FRiend.

It seems to me that practically everything Obama has done since he took office has been contrary to our countries best interest.

That would include increasing the size of government to insulting long established allies and catering to adversaries.

Many say it's intentional and it could be but I wouldn't rule out plain old incompetence.

6 posted on 06/14/2012 5:58:29 PM PDT by jazusamo ("Intellect is not wisdom" -- Thomas Sowell)
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To: Venturer
I sure wouldn't argue that point with you on McCain because of his past history.

The surprising thing to me is the stance Dianne Feinstein is taking, I've never been a fan but she's at least speaking out.

7 posted on 06/14/2012 6:04:17 PM PDT by jazusamo ("Intellect is not wisdom" -- Thomas Sowell)
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To: ConorMacNessa
Not only incompetent, but openly hostile to America's interests...

He's openly hostile to Western Civilization itself.

8 posted on 06/14/2012 6:14:13 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: jazusamo
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News Channel that the unauthorized disclosures of classified information are "the most egregious breach of national security" he ever has seen.

Is this the same John McCain who told us we had "nothing to fear from an Obama administration"?

9 posted on 06/14/2012 6:15:48 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: jazusamo
"Many say it's intentional and it could be but I wouldn't rule out plain old incompetence."

No, everything about his background, his behavior as White Hut Squatter, and his personal predelections shout that it IS intentional.

10 posted on 06/14/2012 6:19:02 PM PDT by TXnMA ("Allah": Satan's current alias...)
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To: DuncanWaring
"He's openly hostile to Western Civilization itself."

He's a Muslim or a Muslim fellow traveler. Onward to the 7th century.

11 posted on 06/14/2012 6:42:42 PM PDT by Truth29
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To: DuncanWaring; mongo141; jazusamo
You are all absolutely correct, FRiends! He has severely crippled our economy, weakened our national defense, and destroyed what little is left of our cultural identity. He is indeed hostile to Western Civilization itself - by his evil machinations - his race baiting, his fomentation of class warfare, and his assault on traditional family values and the Judeo-Christian religious tradition that underlie social order he is bringing us to a total collapse of our society.



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

12 posted on 06/14/2012 6:56:36 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN, 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
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To: DuncanWaring; mongo141; jazusamo
And of course, I forgot to mention the centerpiece of his Presidency - his notorious support for the Homosexual agenda - Repeal of DADT, refusal to enforce DOMA, and his "evolution" to open advocacy of same-sex unions. I refuse to dignify these perverse couplings with the term "marriage." They are unhygienic, corrosive to social order and contra Naturam. He invites upon us the righteous Wrath of God!



Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

13 posted on 06/14/2012 7:11:50 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN, 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel defend us in Battle!)
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To: jazusamo

Thanks for the ping jaz. Oliver North IS truly one of us.


14 posted on 06/14/2012 7:31:14 PM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists, call 'em what you will, they ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: Truth29

Yep.

Either “closet Muslim” or “atheist/Muslim-sympathizer”.

He is most assuredly NOT a Christian.

When asked “Who was Jesus Christ?”, his response was “A great teacher”. A Christian would never answer that way. A Christian would answer “Jesus Christ was the Son of God, sent to earth to atone for the sins of mankind”.


15 posted on 06/14/2012 7:59:07 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: jazusamo
Many say it's intentional and it could be but I wouldn't rule out plain old incompetence.

If it was incompetence, he would occasionally get it right, just by accident.

He never "gets it right".

Therefore, it's intentional.

16 posted on 06/14/2012 8:01:02 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: jazusamo

>> Notably, the word “transparent” no longer appears in the president’s prepared speeches.

The idealist, 2008 campaign promise of disclosure was a factor of ignorance and enthusiasm... of course notwithstanding the obvious prevarications we judiciously, identify, condemn, and ridicule.

The young BJ Clinton testified the same level of youthful supremacy only to find himself backpedaling once the reality of responsibility smacked him to and fro. It would have been fun to be the hand of “reality”; figuratively. Anyway, at least BJ didn’t completely hate traditional America, and made some effort to accommodate the Republicans.

Ollie’s correct. The only proximity to something decent with this jackass amounted to nothing more than the fleeting campaign promise of transparency.


17 posted on 06/24/2012 9:48:41 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been redistributed. Here's your damn Change!)
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