Obama and the Pirates

Joe
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Haven't you heard? Republicans say President Obama had nothing to do with it and that he was "micromanaging" the situation. Newt Gingrich twittered all day Saturday criticizing President Obama's approach of actually sending an FBI negotiating team. Then after the Captain was rescued he didn't tweet a single word about it. If you are expecting them to give him ANY credit for the success of the operation I think you are going to be sorely dissappointed.

Anybody who regards Gingrich as a worthwhile source about anything Obama-related is just a panderer, aiming to stir controversy ra

Anybody who regards Gingrich as a worthwhile source about anything Obama-related is just a panderer, aiming to stir controversy rather than enlighten (Sorry - don't know which keystroke sent out the partial).

If President Obama manages to silence Newt Gingrich, its a pretty good day. Also how can he have nothing to do with it and be "micromanaging " the situation you would think these would be mutually exclusive.

philippe
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These are the same people that say government has never created a job who are now claiming that President Obama is cutting jobs by cutting certain military programs. Its what they do.

As it stands, our socialist, pacifist, crypto-Muslim President has bagged three terrorist in the most dramatic fashion and saved a Captain.

I realize, of course, that you are being ironic but the conflation of all threats and bad things into threats of "terrorism" is a really pernicious trend. Unlike the other sorts of hyperbole ou use in this statement, the whole "terrorism everywhere all the time" meme is one that far too many "serious" people take seriously.

.and what can one say about the SEAL sharpshooters--firing from a bobbing ship at a bobbing dinghy and recording three headshots?
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I can say I don't believe that's how it happened....(mostly because destroyers don't "bob", and the lifeboat was being towed by the destroyer, meaning that its motion was not at the mercy of the seas...)
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Actually pirates and terrorists have one rather important trait in common. The key is that they are not State actors and they don't impart guilt upon their neighbors and fellow countrymen by their presence. Otherwise we could simply declare war on their host country and all our problems will magically go away.....

"As it stands, our socialist, pacifist, crypto-Muslim President has bagged three terrorist."
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So now pirates are terrorist. And lets not put in context on how these specific present day pirates (terrorist) came to be. Who they are. Or how long they have been been existance. Or that is was just a matter of time before this happen to an American flagged ship. Or the fact that there should have been action taken a long time ago to force shippers to pay for and provide their own protection.

Joe: Obama spoiled the Wingnut Brigade's Easter Lament by long distance oversight without the micromanagement so beloved of those who believe in less government. No problem: they will find some way to play down his role. So much of our discourse rides on getting things right without making any allowances for mistakes. It is not natural, but in Wingnutdom the Artificial Indignation Pot is perpetually on the boil.

.............Also how can he have nothing to do with it and be "micromanaging " the situation you would think these would be mutually exclusive.
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It's not a contradiction if you are a Conservative. Anybody to the left of Joe McCarthy is a dirty hippie. You can say anything about someone who is "anti-American"
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When the Mark Foley scandal was unfolding, GOP Reps Eric Cantor and Patrick McHenry went on the public airwaves and blamed Democrats in Congress for not catching Republican Foley interacting with male House pages. The fact that the GOP controlled the House and the oversight committee on pages, was not important. Foley's actions had to be caused by a problem on the Democratic side of the aisle.
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Ads for Ann Coulter's book "Guilty" state that Liberals claim the role of victims while attacking Conservative viewpoints. Coulter was really writing about the mindset of the modern GOP in attacking Liberals.
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The success of the Naval mission was all a Leftist plot by Obama.

allastair makes a good point. These pirates aren't there to terrorize, they are there for money plain and simple. They aren't trying to scare people away nor putting videos up of them killing or torturing victims. Dundeweller put up a link last night from vanityfair where they recounted a recent pirate hijacking and the pirates themselves say they don't want anything but money. Terrorists have no need for such. If thats the case then every bank robber is a terrorist, every kidnapper is a terrorist, every extortionist is a terrorist. It is important to keep perspective on these things less all of a sudden fighting pirates becomes another run in "the war on terror".

I am sure while Obama was praying on Sunday, the good Lord moved him to finally take action in this specific case. .
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Why did it take so long to do something, that is my only question?

pluk-Have you ever been on a destroyer at sea?

Some people seem to think that Naval vessels move at lightspeed. I blame comic books.

Kinda on kinda off topic from Fareed Zakariya on the cuts to different defense programs by Sec Gates
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http://www.newsweek.com/id/193487
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If you're wondering where to come down on the Gates plan, here's a simple guide: John McCain, the most thoughtful, reform-minded legislator on military issues, "strongly supports" it. Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe—who has compared the EPA to the Gestapo, Carol Browner to Tokyo Rose and environmentalists to the Third Reich—warns that it will lead to the "disarming of America." You choose.

I only have one thing to say, thank god rusty you're not in any part of law enforcement...

This is actually quite funny..."Obama's Real Panic: No Way to Blame W. for Pirates Crisis!"
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http://www.americanconservativedaily.com/2009/04/obamas-real-panic-no-way-to-blame-w-for-pirates-crisis/

These guys are so desperate, they are even going after the first dog. Newt is saying the public's interest in Bo is "fairly stupid" and Brit Hume complains that it's a "girly" dog. They swing, they miss.

Hmm, actually you could blame W, focusing so much of our military and foreign policy exclusively on Iraq for so long, he never got around to dealing with Somalia...not enough terrorists or oil. I mean priorities, right rusty.

Sheesh....

Wasn't Somalia Clinton's baby, ymmartin? I seem to remember something about Black Hawk Down for some reason today. Hmmmmmm

and then nothing from the GOP to actual deal with it, right rusty...i mean, we know how scared Bush was of Somalians...hooo the boogyman god you crack me up.

[...] ended well for the Americans and that's especially good news for the Obama Administration, writes Time's Joe Klein. “It’s better to be lucky than good. It’s even better to be lucky and good. One can [...]

Does anybody really remember what happened after black hawk down? I do. We stayed for another six months until we could hand over the reigns to the UN. Funny how that party never seems to make it into the discussion when certain folks talk about President Clinton.

While a lot of the righty reaction is way uncalled for, most of it is in anticipation to lines like this one...
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As it stands, our socialist, pacifist, crypto-Muslim President has bagged three terrorist in the most dramatic fashion and saved a Captain.
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For crying out loud, I thought some people were nuts for saying that the media was going to make it seem like Obama shot the terrorists himself.
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He didn't "bag" anyone, Klein. He deserves commendation for handling this situation the right way, by keeping out of the way. The credit belongs to the operators on the destroyer and your superfluous gibberish is disgusting.