By Jessica Hopper, Subrata De and Tim Uehlinger
Rock Center
President Barack Obama describes the killing of Osama bin Laden as the “most important single day” of his presidency and said that the decision to carry out the raid was one that he had to ultimately make alone.
“I did choose the risk,” the president said in an exclusive interview with Rock Center Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams. “The reason I was willing to make that decision of sending in our SEALs to try to capture or kill bin Laden rather than to take some other options was ultimately because I had 100 percent faith in the Navy SEALs themselves.”
A year after the May 1, 2011, raid on bin Laden’s compound, Obama and several of the advisers who helped plan the operation, known as “Operation Neptune’s Spear,” spoke exclusively to NBC News, reflecting on the tense months spent planning and debating the feasibility of this daring raid. The interviews occurred before the president made an unannounced visit to Kabul on Tuesday, where he and President Hamid Karzai signed an agreement on the future of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.
“This had to be such a close-held operation,” the president said. “There were only a handful of staff in the White House who knew about this.”
The president did not share news of the mission’s launch with his staff, or with the first lady.
“Even a breath of this in the press could have chased bin Laden away,” Obama said. “We didn't know at that point whether there might be underground tunnels coming out of that compound that would allow him to escape.”
The killing of the 9/11 mastermind had been years in the making, a mission that Obama’s two predecessors had been unable accomplish. President Bill Clinton fired 75 cruise missiles trying to kill bin Laden while President George W. Bush was frustrated by the al-Qaeda leader’s ability to evade capture.
The lead
After years of hunting bin Laden, the Central Intelligence Agency got its biggest break in late 2010.
Helmed by then CIA Director Leon Panetta, the agency identified the home of bin Laden’s courier in the upscale town of Abbottabad, not far from Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. Satellites revealed someone else living at the same compound: a tall man walking in the courtyard that analysts dubbed “The Pacer.”
“Ultimately it was a 50/50 proposition as to whether this was actually bin Laden,” Obama said.
He and his advisers, including Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, hammered out the possibilities.
Clinton said that she was brought into the process in January 2011 when a series of intensive meetings began in the White House Situation Room, or “Sit Room.”
In March of 2011, the president ordered Admiral William McRaven, then commander of Joint Special Operations, to outline a possible raid on the suspected bin Laden compound.
“I remember the moment in the Sit Room with General McRaven,” Clinton said, “and, you know, someone said, ‘Well, this sounds really dangerous and we’re going to expose our guys and what do we know is going to happen?’ And he said, ‘Well, with all due respect, we’ve done this hundreds of times.’”
In fact, the night bin Laden was killed, Special Forces carried out several other missions in the region.
“What may not be known is in addition to this operation that night, this specific one, there were multiple operations just like this going on in Afghanistan,” said retired Admiral Mike Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Some of them actually more difficult than the one that got bin Laden. And when I say more difficult, I don't think higher strategic risk, certainly not more important, but physically more difficult, more dangerous than the one that our great Special Forces executed.”
The dress rehearsal
The plan to raid the compound in Abbottabad developed rapidly and by April 21, 2011, Admiral Mullen attended a dress rehearsal in the Nevada desert.
“When I actually went to the rehearsal and watched it at night at a place where they built a compound just like Abbottabad and watched it in execution, that just gave me great confidence that they could execute this,” Mullen said.
He met every member of the SEAL Team Six that would ultimately carry out the mission.
“I got to look each of them in the eye. They showed me in their execution of rehearsal and also in that steely-eyed glare that they give you that they were ready to go,” Mullen said.
Some of the men weren’t yet aware who they were preparing to attack, but Mullen’s presence signaled that they were going after a high-value target.
“They knew certainly how critical this was. They knew who they were and who they were working with,” he said. “They may not even have known it was bin Laden at that point, but I'm sure they suspected it.”
One week later, it looked like weather conditions in Pakistan would be perfect for the raid — a moonless night with clear skies. If the raid didn’t happen that night, it could be months before weather conditions would be appropriate again for this high-risk operation.
Making the decision
Armed with the confidence that the Special Forces could carry out the mission, it was decision time. So on Thursday, April 28, 2011, the president gathered his advisers in the Situation Room, located below ground level in the White House.
“There was no consensus,” Biden said. “The president on the last day got us all down in the Situation Room and he said, ‘Okay, it’s basically a roll call.’”
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recommended an air strike with no forces on the ground. CIA Director Panetta supported a raid by Special Forces and so did Secretary of State Clinton. Vice President Biden wanted to wait on further proof that bin Laden was indeed in the compound.
“It was never contentious because I think everybody understood both the pros and cons of the action,” Obama said. “People who were advocating action understood that if this did not work, if we proved to be wrong, there would be severe geopolitical consequences and obviously most importantly, we might be putting our brave Navy SEALs in danger.”
During the meeting, the president never indicated which way he was leaning. After the discussion, he dismissed his team and said he’d have a decision in the morning. He had dinner with his family and then went to his study after his wife and daughters went to bed.
“Well, there is no doubt that you don't sleep as much that evening as you do on a normal night,” the president said. “I stayed up late and I woke up early.”
The next morning, in the Diplomatic Room of the White House, he told his national security advisers that the mission was a go.
“You have some serenity in knowing that you've made the best possible decision that you can and, you know, in that situation you just, you do some praying,” Obama said.
A trio of national security advisers – John Brennan, Tom Donilon and Denis McDonough – had prepared briefing points for the president, but it was clear his mind was made up.
“My recollection is that he said, ‘It’s a go, we’re going to do the assault. We’re going to do the raid. Complete the orders, let’s go,’” said Donilon.
Keeping the Secret
In order to not raise suspicions, the president and his advisers had to keep up their weekend plans.
Secretary Clinton said she faced an awkward question at a wedding for one of her daughter’s friends.
“It was so ironic,” she said. “All these smart young people who work in all kinds of enterprises, one of them came up and said, ‘Do you think we’ll ever get bin Laden?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. I have no way of knowing, but I can tell you this, we’ll keep trying.’”
She also hid the raid from her husband.
“This was such an important secret to keep,” she said. “No one in the State Department knew. “I just felt a personal responsibility to keep it close, but that meant that I was basically, you know, having to consult with myself, to be honest.”
Moments after giving the go-ahead for the raid, the president and the first lady boarded Marine One on a trip to inspect tornado damage in Tuscaloosa, Ala. And on Saturday night – the evening before the raid – he attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and chuckled when a joke about bin Laden was made by comedian Seth Meyers.
“That was a little bit of acting going on there because my mind was elsewhere,” he said.
National Security Advisor Donilon said that when he left the White House Correspondents’ Dinner early, a reporter asked why he was leaving before the event concluded.
“I got this thing tomorrow,” Donilon said as offhandedly as he could.
The raid
On Sunday, May 1, 2011, the president’s advisers gathered in the Situation Room at around 11 a.m. Half a world away, the SEAL team waited for nightfall.
So as not to arouse suspicion that a major gathering was under way in the West Wing, the team ordered pizza from several different places and also sent someone to Costco to get food.
The president played nine holes of golf at Andrews Air Force Base before heading to the Situation Room at around 2 p.m.
“It is one of those rare moments when you know that the man you’re watching is putting everything on the line,” Biden said. “Everything on the line. Not only risking the lives of these incredible, incredible warriors, but also knowing that if he’s wrong about this man, he’s going to pay a very, very high price for it.”
At around 2:30 p.m., word arrived that the first wave of helicopters had left Jalalabad, Afghanistan, for Abbottabad with Navy SEALs, a Pakistani-American translator and a service dog named Cairo. At the president’s request, two Chinook helicopters stayed close by with additional SEALs as backup.
“They were accustomed to operating in the dark,” Obama said. “They were accustomed to landing in the compounds where they weren’t sure what was behind closed doors. These guys were all trained to do that.”
“A lot of them had as much gray hair as you and me and, you know, if you had passed them on the street, you might have – and if they were in civilian clothes – you might have thought they were accountants or doctors or, you know, worked at Home Depot.”
After the mission started, the CIA provided audio and video of the raid in real time in a smaller room next to the Situation Room. The atmosphere, said Admiral Mullen, was tense.
Soon, the president and his advisers began crowding into the room where the video was being played, which was never meant to hold as many people as it did that day. Brigadier General Marshall “Brad” Webb was receiving and interpreting information from the mission. Never expecting Obama to come in the room, he was sitting in the chair intended for the president.
“He started to get up and people were starting to go through the protocol and figuring out how to rearrange things,” the president said. “I said, ‘You don’t worry about it. You just focus on what you’re doing. I’m sure we can find a chair and I’ll sit right next to him.’ And that’s how I ended up (on a) folding chair.”
The group watched the hazy, but intelligible images and gasped when the first helicopter’s rotor stopped turning and it suddenly dropped, crashing over a stone wall.
“That helicopter didn’t make it to the right spot and everyone went, like, ‘Whoa,’” Biden said.
Obama remembers seeing the Secretary of State cover her mouth with her hand.
“It was just the shock of the moment,” Clinton said. “It was, I mean, all of us sitting there, and I would even predict probably our military and defense colleagues, you know, for a minute were kind of holding that breath again.”
The mishap was blamed on a bad downdraft and unusually warm temperatures, which can affect lift and maneuverability. The president called it a “touch and go moment.”
“The only thing that I was thinking about throughout this entire enterprise was, ‘I really want to get those guys back home safe,’” he added. “I want to make sure that the decision I’ve made has not resulted in them putting their lives at risk in vain, and if I got that part of it right, if I could look myself in the mirror and say as commander in chief I made a good call.”
Back inside the Situation Room, the loss of a helicopter didn’t make any difference in Admiral McRaven's monotone play-by-play voice, beamed in from Afghanistan.
“Did not miss a beat. He is a cool customer,” said Obama.
Clinton recalled watching the SEALs leave the helicopters.
“We could see our guys moving,” she said. “It was an intense experience for all of us because it was real time, visually, until we lost the visual connection inside the building.”
The SEALs had moved inside the compound with their body armor, weapons and night vision.
“At this point, I think all of us understand that we’re a long way to go before the night is done,” Obama said. “And, you know, I’ve said this was the longest 40 minutes of my life.”
As the SEALs moved inside, the national security team listened for “Geronimo,” the code name for bin Laden.
“We knew that was the call sign and when we heard that, they felt they had identified Geronimo, that was the first moment, and then Geronimo KIA,” the president said.
Several members of the president’s national security team told NBC News that there were provisions in place to take bin Laden alive.
“But we also understood that it was not likely that he was going to be giving himself up in that way,” Obama said, “and that there was a strong possibility that he would end up being killed if in fact he was in the compound.”
Along with precision and planning, prayer played a role for some of the president’s closest advisers. Vice President Biden and Admiral Mullen both nervously spun rosary rings on their fingers as they received word that the body of the man they believed was bin Laden had been put on a helicopter with U.S. forces.
“We knew the mission had been successful in that bin Laden was on board, but then it was an hour flight back,” Biden said.
Biden had begun to put his rosary away when he felt a tap on his shoulder from Mullen.
“I leaned down," Mullen explained. "I said, ‘Mr. Vice President, not yet. Keep it going because as important as killing, capturing or killing bin Laden was, it was more important to get him out.’ And so we were a long way, even as we got bin Laden, his body in that helicopter, we were a long way from completing that mission at that point.”
The death photo
When the SEAL team made it safely back to Afghanistan, photos were transmitted to the president and his team to offer photographic proof that bin Laden was dead.
When asked about seeing the picture of bin Laden, who had been shot in the head, the president took a long pause.
“I think it’s wrong to say that I did a high five,” he said, “because you have a picture of a dead body and, you know, there’s I think regardless of who it is, you always have to be sober about death. But understanding the satisfaction for the American people, what it would mean for 9/11 families, what it would mean for the children of folks who died in the Twin Towers who never got to know their parents, I think there was a deep-seated satisfaction for the country at that moment.”
Secretary Clinton believes strongly that the president was right not to release the photos.
“I looked at them,” she said. “Obviously, (it's) never easy to see any dead body, but it was part of the job. I think we made the right decision not to sensationalize this, not to desecrate it, so to speak. His body was flown to a Navy ship. It was given a proper Islamic burial at sea and I think that we handled it exactly right.”
After the president and his team felt confident that bin Laden was indeed dead, they began calling Cabinet members, Congressional leaders and foreign heads of state.
The president called Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
“I think it was an important symbol of who we are as a people,” he said of the calls. “We get into these partisan fights, administrations come and go, but there’s a certain continuity about who we are and what we care about and what our values are.”
For Mullen, one of the most important calls placed was to his Pakistani military counterpart about the crashed helicopter.
When the first pictures of the wreckage emerged hours later, aviation websites went wild. The crashed chopper appeared to be proof of a stealth version of the Blackhawk that the United States had been rumored to be developing for years. Its noise-reducing technology and unique fin had been designed for near silent, invisible operation. In coming days, neighborhood children picked through pieces of what had been among the military's best kept secrets.
“I called General [Ashfaq Parvez] Kayani in Pakistan,” Mullen said. “I felt obligated to let him know what had happened … and then part of that conversation was about the helicopter and I said, ‘We need that back.’”
As more calls were made, the news began to leak, spread at lightning speed by the Internet. The president and his advisers, however, were unaware that throngs of young people were pouring into Lafayette Park to cheer outside the White House.
“The thing that surprised me that night and I don’t think we had planned for was the public reaction,” Donilon said. “We walked out and we could hear the noise and I remember very clearly turning to whoever was walking next to me saying, ‘What is that?’”
Secretary Clinton described it as an “astonishing moment.”
“We could hear this roar. We had no idea what it was,” she said. “Then all of a sudden we were able to decipher, 'U.S.A., U.S.A.'”
Telling his family
Before the president heard the cheering crowds and addressed the nation, he checked in with the first lady.
“She’s at dinner," he said. "I let her know, you know, that I’m probably going to miss dinner because I’ve got a few other things going on tonight. It turns out we had a fairly important thing to announce.”
He recalled telling his daughters that bin Laden was dead.
“Malia and Sasha, I think, were too young to fully absorb 9/11. On the other hand, they’ve grown like all our children have grown up in the shadow of 9/11 and terrorism and understood who Osama bin Laden was.”
The president said that the full impact of the mission hit him a few days later when he met the SEALs who had carried out the operation. He said that he gave the pilot of the helicopter that crashed a “pretty good hug.”
“They presented me with the flag that had gone on that mission, signed by all of them on the back and I think it’s fair to say that will probably be the most important possession that I leave with from this presidency,” he said.
Leave a Comment:
Obama didn't get Bin Laden--the armed services did their jobs.
It's considered rude to gloat. What a loser is Obama.
Obama thinks everything he does is right because it pads his ego--a dangerous love affair with his ego shared by tyrants.
Wow!!!
What a great free political ad!!!!
THis just in - shocking painting reveals George Washington did not actually row acrosss the Delaware - he had his men do it!!!!!!!Benjamin Franklin is being investigatd for frack in Liberty Belll - New GIngrich demands answers!!!!!!
Obama didn't get Bin Laden--the armed services did their jobs.
Hey 2bits -- we all know had the mission failed, guys like you would be blaming President Obama.
As for his ego--- I guess he should have dressed up like a fighter pilot, landed on an aircraft carrier with a big banner saying "mission accomplishes" and strutted around like a peacock.
Oh get over yourself. Yes, the Seals did the job. But it was Obama's decision and he would have taken all the blame if it had gone wrong. They both get appropriate portions of the credit. You can keep telling yourself that your president is a loser. It doesn't change what happened. But you still have to go through life carrying your hatred with you - and that's leaving a nasty scar on your soul.
yeah, and general patton never did a thing in ww2 either, right? He didn't personally fire all the tanks, so he doesn't get any credit for their success. lol.
I know how the haters work...if its good, obama had nothing to do with it.
If its bad, its all his fault. You guys are so funny and predictable.
After reading the comments of the PODUS, I am starting to equate his actions/comments with the published (and unpublished) pictures of our soldiers posing with our dead enemies; just a different type of boasting, neither being a credit to our citizens.
Republicans have exploited 9/11 for political gain for years.
But when it comes to actually doing something about the terror attacks, they fail to lead.
Good job, Mr. President, for nailing bin Laden!
typical sniveling, snot-nosed, cry baby teabaggers
if a republican had pulled this off....which they didn't....would we EVER hear the end of it on FoxNoise? would Ann Coulter ever shut up about it? Sean would be whacking off to it every day
so shut up and deal with it...you had 7.5 years to find him under bush and failed by taking the eye off the prize
Amazing! To hate a person so much as to not be able to see that this article clearly delineates the extreme difficulty of executive planning, decision making , not to mention the personal travails that face anyone who is the President and called upon to do the hard tasks of the office; especially when it comes to putting other's lives in harm's way to it. Don't personally see that as gloating, but makes me wonder how you would have felt!
And it's considered not just rude, but childish to stamp your feet and throw a tantrum when you don't get your way.
Easy to criticize since you certainly weren't there, 2bits.
There's nothing patriotic about these cheap shots. Everyone knows it was the SEALs who took the immediate risk, who did the immediate job. Would it kill you to give the President credit for his role?
Or would a "Mission Accomplished" banner and a flight suit melt your butter?
Its funny how a ruthless sandbagger gets so much attention and now, Bush is pretty much forgotten..The media is incredible.
When the killing of a terrorist is as Obama says it, the single most important day of his presidency, that is a pretty sad commentary on the Obama first term. Obviously Obama wants to milk this one incident for all the political points he can muster, because other then the blame game he has nothing else working.
Hmmmmm was not Mr. Bush a Trained National Guard Pilot?
An AWOL trained National Giard pilot.
Rest assured, I for one, will *never* forget George W. Bush.
BREAKING NEWS: no one cares, Obama. Step aside.
POTUS: " I,I,I,I,my,I,I,I,I,I,I,I,we,I,I,I,I,I,I,I,they,I,I,I,I,I,I,I,I,....."
This is the cry of the Republicans with an agenda...it was not Obama that did this great thing for American. The same ones that cried....it was not Bush's fault every time no nuclear weapons were found in Iraq. What I love unlike Bush we are not trying to smooth out faults. Obama is not perfect but when knuckleheads try to give credit to Bush I have to shake my head... you can not rewrite history...two wars ended and a major terrorist take out...Bush two wars started and major successful terrorist actions under his watch...scorecard finished.
I would have thought that the most important day of his presidency would have been the unprecedented trillions of dollars of debt he has put on the US tax payers for generations.
Mr. Obama must not regain the presidency or we will be doomed.
Bottom line: Obama got bin Laden, George W did not. Mission Accomplished.
Also, Hitler did not invade Poland - German soldiers did. And of course, Hitler is NOT to blame for the Holocaust. After all, he only gave the order. German soldiers did it all! (rolls eyes)
a standard in any of his speeches.
Finally, the POSOTUS has a reason to change his hand from his pε©kεr to the "I killed bin Laden" teat.
hah im not a republican, but yet i still say Obama had no choice but to say yes. What would the american people have said if they found out they had osama and said no??? So now what since Im not a republican? You democrats assume stupidly that everyone that doesnt think he deserves the credit is a republican. On top of that I dont hate President Obama either. I dont agree with his socialist attitudes, and his methodism, but I dont want him hurt, dead, or anything bad to happen to him other than not get re elected. So now what. You always want to take away our rights not to like him as president by shoveling your garbage that its because we are all republicans, well I'm not one. I voted once for Clinton, once for Bush Jr both were their first runs. Second run for both I did not vote for them. So quit trying your political garbage. Your not politicians, your just their stooges. The seals did the work, the seals deserve the credit. The president had the option of yes go in or no (not really an option) dont go get Osama. So whoopadeee do da day. Like he really did something. Give the credit to our military, not our politicians who whether they are repub or dem dont deserve it.
Seems like this is a much bigger deal now than when it actually happened.
The Endless Victory Lap
Obama 2012
OBAMA ROCKS!!!!
So proud he is our president and will be reelected this November! I am proud to have such an intelligent, classy, decisive, gracious, respectful, funny, real leader.....and he can sing too. GnOP/teabaggers are continuing to eat their sour grapes and throw tantrums.....grow up!
Did the Obama Campaign pay for this article, or is do they pander for the president for free?
Brian Williams and NBC are suck ups.
President Obama can certainly say that it was one of the hardest decisions that he had to make during his presidency. But I do not agree that it should be his most important single day. It needed to be done, President Obama had a short time to make the call. The way he talks about it cheapens the lives lost during the mission. I also have to disagree with President Obama making seal team 6 out to be some type of rock stars. From what I have heard, they would greatly prefer to be under the radar and just do their job. It was a team effort. I will give him full credit for making the call.
I do not feel that it is presidential to use that decision in an election campaign.
This was the 27th Obama interview for NBC, probably not the last, just a guess.
@ Vooda. I agree he rocks. You are right on all counts. You left one attribute out that our president has. One that the republicans no longer possess. Honor. Truly the man is honorable and the repubs do not know how to deal with it. We are all truly blessed to have Obama's leadership. The disgraceful and shameful unhonorable republican agenda continues with no end in sight.
more2bits, if anyone is a loser it's you.
Harbinger-2218646 "Republicans have exploited 9/11 for political gain for years. But when it comes to actually doing something about the terror attacks, they fail to lead."
I seem to recall that there were NO terror attacks in the US for the last 7+ years under Bush, but several after Obama took office.
Congrats again to President Obama on the Anniversary of killing Bin Laden. Although this is a political ploy. Obama contends that he played a major role in the mission like he was JFK in the Bay of Pigs. If so why the heck doesn't he make his own nieghborhood in Chicago safe? That should be a drop in the bucket for a military leader like him. Or does he figure he shouldn't be involved in that in case of it backfiring,afterall his community will vote for him regardless what he does.
Haha!! Rightwingnuts surely have their panties in a bunch over the President of the United States taking out one of the most hated and feared terrorists of our time.
Tough on terrorists, Republicans? More like a bunch of America-hating crybabies.
Typical politician with little to show for his tenure as prez.
Many people are missing the point. There are arguments as tothe level of recognition due him as commander-in-chief. Parallels have been drawn between obama and other military and political leaders. What most are missing is the difference between being a leader and a commander. A leader is one that is willing to risk their own lives (literally and/or figuratively - e.g. political life). A commander is one that directs others to put themselves at risk but remain as removed from the "battlefield" as possible. A leader recognizes the actions and sacrifices of his/her subordinates and publicly commends them. A commander boasts about his/her involvement and only alludes to the actions "behind the scenes". A leader minimizes the recognition bestowed upon him/her while directing the main focu of attention of the actors/units. A commander boasts about what great "leadership" they provided, all the while chest-thumping. Granted there are people who are leaders and commanders (such as someone commented about Patton).
Leadership involves a team effort - "We did this." Commanding is an individual directive - "Look what I did."
While it was a successful covert action, it speaks volumes about obama and his perception as a leader versus a commander.
Yawn...the only good thing that's happened on Obama's watch. This stands alone as a re-election qualification? HARDLY. Bye bye Obama....gone not soon enough.
I'm so glad you think Obama rocks, Now if he would rock right out of the Presidential seat I would be a bit happier.
@ Roy:
What SUCCESSFUL terrorist attacks took place on US soil, under Obama?
WHat event even remotely compares to 9/11?
Anything?
Bin Laden and those like him didn't have to do much else after the attacks on 9/11. They succeeded in getting Americans to give in to fear.
Obama haters will never see that Obama is far from the worst POTUS. He's made mistakes and is far from perfect, but I say he's the best choice out of all the other candidates who were/are vying for the job(and that includes Hilary and Ron Paul).
Before Obama even took office, many were already starting their "Obama's bad" campaign. Then, you had those politicians(GOP) who swore to do anything to undermine his presidency.
I'd say Obama is doing ok, considering what and who he had to deal with.
It's funny that the people who say "Obama didn't do anything, the military did" are the same people who say 9/11 happened because Clinton didn't take out OBL when he had the chance. In that case, wouldn't it have been the military that didn't do their jobs?
And if this happened under Bushie's regime, you'd be looking to have him achieve sainthood.
Another GOP troll in the woods....pathetic.
There was the Underware Bomber-failed because the BOMB FAILED.
There was the car bomb in NYC failed because the BOMB FAILED.
If the bombs didn't fail they would have been successful.
To all the TPer's out there, Geo. W. Bush did not get or cared about osama, he had better things to do? Our President Obama did make the decision to go ahead with the plan to seek out and destroy the enemy anywhere they may be, HE give the order, HE took the risk, political one, sent our forces in in harms way to get what they thought was Osama, and got the SOB. Bush Did Not!!! So shut your big mouth, sit back and watch, try not to cry, President Obama got his man, period. No thanks to any TPers out there who are trying to claim credit for this. Now, start working to repair the damage the TPer's caused and work with the President and get this country back on road to recovery.
Roy, I agree...I don't care what President Obama does...Haters will continue to exist. The sad part about it, why weren't these hell rasiers doing just that when the U.S. was going to hell in a hand basket...Hey people where were YOU? Where you when wall street was ripping us off? Where where you when employment dropped by the millions? So forth and so on...WHERE WERE YOU THEN? YOu people that are HATING this man are disgusting! 3 1/2 yrs. why now are you so angry why not 10yrs. ago?
slodon, 1.43- you are right, if the bomb did not go off, then it did not work, Boom!!! You went to college to figure that out? BOOM!!! If it did go off, you would be blaming it on Obama. Lack of security for this country, just like under Bushie??? Remember 9-11 was on President Bush's watch, security was very lacked. It could have been stop but Bush/Cheney was to busy planning a war in Iraq over lack of WMDs. There is that word again,--LACK OF??? Now go back to your crying???
First I like to say that 2bit that opened with the first post isn't even American, Your broken English gave you away. So you don't have any say about my President. Now to all that want President Obama not to win in Nov. Well I say to all of you, Hold your breath and we will see who wins. My guess is we will still have one of our greatest Presidents ever and a bunch of your duma$$es will be gone. The only reason this country isn't doing better is the Rep have done everything to under mind this President, They did it to Carter, Clinton, And now Obama. Rep's are owned by Big Business, like the koch brothers and many more like them. They don't care about out Land, water or air, as long as they can make their profits. The Rep's de-regulate everything so big business can make more money at everyone else's expense. The pollute the land, air and water and we get to pay for the clean up. While the ones that did it laugh all the way to the bank. How can we as a nation be so stupid. I lived in Tx for 5 years and I hated every second of it. You can't breath as the air is so bad. You can't drink the water, and you can't let you kids walk to school only a few blocks away. Those people don't care what they live in. Their like pigs that lay in there own wast. I have lived in Michigan all but those 5 years. Our water is clean, we can breath easy, and Our land is clean other than Chemicals used to control pest, But we have learned and tried to fix things. When we vote Rep, we loose all of that.
Obama should be praised for this action since that is what we need from a president, ie; someone who makes decisions on behalf of our country who is willing to take responsibility no matter the outcome, who does not take the situation lightly, and gives accolades to the ones who had to accomplish the deeds. He has done all that. If others have bothered to look, all the news companies were reporting about the bin Laden "anniversary", not just NBC. Show me a perfect president in all things and I'll show you an hallucination. Give credit where credit is due and move on.
Actually, the truth has finally come out, noone got Bin Laden in 2011, he's been dead for years already!
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/323364
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKDYZfEbEow
Nice job Obama, of lying to America! Fraud!!!!!!!
chuck-2111043
At least the 1st 2bits know how to spell "lose".....As in, "Obama is a loser.".
Carrying the torch for Bin Laden's death is going to do TWO things:
1. Outrage the "terrorists".
2. Put the final touches on Mr. Obama NOT getting re-elected.
For the Obama Chicago campaign headquarters: Time to CAP this issue and discuss the real issues facing America today.
This is how pathetic and low our presidents and politics have become.
Bragging about someone they murdered like a bloated Roman emperor with a barbarian kings head being presented to him on a plate or mafia don.
Most americans know presidents really work for the rich and corporations and stab ordinary americans in the back with things like NAFTA, etc. as soon as they are in the White House.
Obama stabbed his base in the back and betrayed them as soon as he got into office just like Bush did with his libertarian supporters.
The only way they can eke out a win is this kind of appeal to the lowest and most bloodthirsty instincts in the population to get his poll numbers up a little (they usually go down for all presidents right after being elected as the public realizes they are just a much a corrupt fraud as the last president)
Obama is has been mostly a bad joke as a president just like Bush and Clinton before him.
So saying, Here's a post I call "Good Guys" vs. "Bad Guys" that explains more and contrasts our political class with other leaders, in this case the leaders they consider "Bad Guys":
Here's some of our (USA) "friends" and "enemies" in the world. First the people we love to hate, the media and government trashes them constantly and since most americans get their opinions from the media they think they are "bad guys":
And lastly an example of one or our "good budies" through Republican and Democratic administrations. Obama payed a chummy visit to this country recently and we lavish military and other aid on them.
Detect any trends?
First: The "Bad Guys"
Vladamir Putin, Wikipedia:
Russian economy since the fall of the Soviet Union:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Russian_economy_since_fall_of_Soviet_Union.PNG
Putin is much more popular in Russia than most of our presidents are in the U.S.
Here's why:
"…Putin has overseen a return of political stability and economic progress to Russia, ending the crisis of the 1990s.[4][5] During his presidency, the Russian economy grew for nine straight years, seeing GDP increase by 72% in PPP (sixfold in nominal),[6][7] poverty decrease by more than 50%,[8][9] and average monthly salaries increase from $80 to $640.[6][10] These achievements have been ascribed by analysts to strong macroeconomic management, important fiscal policy reforms, surging capital inflows, access to low-cost external financing and a several fold increase in price of oil and gas.[11][12][13] The fast formation of the modern middle class in the country, the 2.3 times increase in real incomes between 2000-2011 as well as improvements in healthcare and public order allowed Russia to achieve the highest level of life expectancy in its history…"
…Putin presided over an intensified fight with organised crime and terrorism that resulted in two times lower murder rates by 2011,[101] as well as significant reduction in the numbers of terrorist acts by the late 2000s.[102]
Putin succeeded in codifying land law and tax law and promulgated new codes on labour, administrative, criminal, commercial and civil procedural law.[15] Under Medvedev's presidency, Putin's government implemented some key reforms in the area of state security, the Russian police reform and the Russian military reform…"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin
Muammar Gaddafi (Wikipedia) who we just had murdered:
Libya enjoys large natural resources,[53] which Gaddafi utilized to help develop the country. Under Gaddafi's Jamahiriya "direct democracy" state,[51] the country'sliteracy rate rose from 10% to 90%, life expectancy rose from 57 to 77 years, equal rights were established for women and black people, employment opportunitieswere established for migrant workers, and welfare systems were introduced that allowed access to free education, free healthcare, and financial assistance for housing.[54] In addition, financial support was provided for university scholarships and employment programs.[55] Gaddafi also initiated development of the Great Manmade River,[54] in order to allow free access to fresh water across large parts of the country.[54] The country was developed without taking any foreign loans, and, as a result, Libya was debt free….
….97% of urban dwellers have access to "improved sanitation facilities" in Libya, this was 2% points lower than the OECD average, or 21% points above the world average.[62] During Gaddafi's rule, infant mortality rates went from 125 per 1000 live births, about average for Africa at the time, to 15 per 1000, the best rate in Africa…"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muammar_Gaddafi
Hugo Chavez, economic and social policy (Wikipedia):
Hugo Chavez is more popular in his country then most U.S. presidents are in the U.S.
Here's why:
…According to The Washington Post, citing statistics from the United Nations, poverty in Venezuela stood at 28% in 2008,[250] down from 55.44% in 1998 before Chávez got into office.[251] Economist Mark Weisbrot found that, "During the ... economic expansion, the poverty rate [was] cut by more than half, from 54 percent of households in the first half of 2003 to 26 percent at the end of 2008. Extreme poverty has fallen even more, by 72 percent. These poverty rates measure only cash income, and does take into account increased access to health care or education."[237][252] Nicholas Kozloff, Chávez's biographer, stated of Chavez's economic policies: "Chavez has not overturned capitalism, he has done much to challenge the more extreme, neo-liberal model of development."…
…Chávez has also supported the creation of a series of Bolivarian Missions which are claimed to be aimed at providing public services to improve economic, cultural, and social conditions. A 2010 OAS report[244] indicated achievements in addressing illiteracy, healthcare and poverty,[245] and economic and social advances.[246]
Barry Cannon writes that "most areas of spending have increased".[247] "[S]pending on education as a percentage of GDP stood at 5.1% in 2006, as opposed to 3.4% in the last year of the Caldera government."[247] Spending on health "has increased from 1.6% of GDP in 2000 to 7.71% in 2006".[247] Spending on housing "receives low public support", increasing only "from 1% in GDP to 1.6% in 2006".[247] Teresa A. Meade, writes that Chávez's popularity "rests squarely on the lower classes who have benefited from these health initiatives and similar policies [...] poverty rates fell from 42 to 34 percent from 2000 to 2006, still leaving over 30 percent in this oil-rich nation below the poverty line"….
Food
Over the past decade, soybean production has grown by 858% to 54,420 tons. The production of rice has risen by 84%, reaching close to 1.3 million tons yearly. Milk production has increased by 47%.[253] In January 2012, it was reported that caloric intake of the Venezuelan people had increased by 130% over the past 13 years.[254]
Since 2003, Chavez has been setting strict price controls on food "seeking to curb the region's highest inflation rate by stamping down on what he terms price "speculation".[255] In January 2008, Chavez ordered the military to seize 750 tons of food that sellers were illegally trying to smuggle across the border to sell for higher prices than what was legal in Venezuela.[256] In February 2009, Chavez ordered the military to temporarily seize control of all the rice processing plants in the country and force them to produce at full capacity, which he claimed they had been avoiding in response to the price caps.[257] In May 2010, Chavez ordered the military to seize 120 tons of food from Empresas Polar after inconsistencies in reports from the Empresas Polar conglomerate were said to have been detected by authorities.[258]
In March 2009, the Venezuelan government set minimum production quotas for 12 basic foods that were subject to price controls, including white rice, cooking oil, coffee, sugar, powdered milk, cheese, and tomato sauce, which is intended to stop food companies from evading the law. Business leaders and food producers claimed that the government was forcing them to produce this food at a loss.[259] Chávez has nationalized many large farms. Chávez said of the farmland, "The land is not private. It is the property of the state... The land is for those who work it."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Chávez
Now, here's an example of one of our friends (Obama just visited there), Countries we have close relationship with and support with military and other aid:
Colombia (Wikipedia):
"…In 2003 the richest 20% of the population had a 62.7% share of income/consumption and the poorest 20% just 2.5%, and 17.8% of Colombians live on less than $2.00 a day…"
"…Between 2008 and 2011 a total of 175 worker's union members were murdered in Colombia, according to HRW.[53] In terms of international relations, Colombia has moved from a period of tense animosity with Venezuela, towards a prosperous outlook to further enhance integration. Colombia has also won a seat on theSecurity Council of the UN…."
"….Colombia is widely referred to as the country with the 'worst human rights record in the western hemisphere'.[4][5][6][7] In the UK Foreign Office annual human rights report for 2010, Colombia features as one of 20 'Countries of Concern…"
"….Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a human rights defender.[18][19] In 2010, according to the Colombian based human rights organisation Somos Defensores, at least 174 acts of aggression towards human rights defenders were committed. This included 32 murders and 109 death threats.[20] As Human Rights First reports, attacks against human rights defenders include also 'smear campaigns and break-ins, threatening and omnipresent surveillance, physical assaults, kidnapping, violence directed toward family members, and assassination attempts'…"
"...Colombia has the fourth largest economy in Latin America, but income and wealth are unevenly distributed.[40] [41] According to a 2006 report by the National University of Colombia, only 13.8% of total income is allocated to the poorest half of the population, while the wealthiest 10% of the population benefit from 46.5%.[42] The wide income gap between rich and poor compounds the country's poverty issues. According to a 2011 United Nations report, Colombia was one of the seven most unequal countries in the world during 2010.[43]
Inequity regarding land ownership has also been a long existing problem in Colombia, prompting the formation of left-wing guerrilla groups during the 1950s and 1960s. As counteraction, adversaries backed by powerful landowners established rightwing paramilitary organizations. Internal contention intensified by civil war in the 1980s, which was chiefly provoked by the cocaine trade. Although the state of conflict has calmed tremendously in recent years, over 3.2 million individuals have been internally displaced during the confrontation—a figure so high that it falls only second to that of Sudan.[44]
Inadequacies in land allocation have failed to diminish in recent years, further contributing to Colombia's health, income and societal inequity struggles.[42] Inequitable land ownership is more problematic in rural areas of the country. Statistics indicate that one point five percent of landowners own 52% of rural territory. The lack of fair land availability prevents local farmers from cultivating usable terrain for agricultural purposes, hindering income distribution and further exacerbating the poverty gap. Poverty inflicts rural areas in greater magnitude than that of urban areas. While 39% percent of the urban population is considered poor and another 9% is considered extremely poor (under the level of misery), 62% of the rural population is considered poor with an additional 22% considered extremely poor.[45] The National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), classifies poverty by those earning a monthly income of less than 281,384 Col pesos (143 USD) and extreme poverty those earning less than 120,588 Col Pesos (61 USD).[46]
In 1990, the income ratio between the richest and poorest 10% was 40-to-one, climbing to 80-to-one in 2000.[47] In 2009, Colombia had a Gini coefficient of 0.587, one of the highest in Latin America,[48] with 46% of Colombians living below the poverty line and 17% in "extreme poverty".[49][50][51] The Colombian government has since claimed to establish a state-funded program aiming to bring at least one million families out from extreme poverty status…"
"….According to a Colombian group focused on solidarity with political prisoners,Traspasa los Muros, there are 7,200 people being kept in jails across Colombia as a result of their political activities or beliefs.[59] Justice for Colombia talks of 'over 5,000' political prisoners.[60] The British MP Jim McGovern released a statement in 2010 in support of a campaign run by Justice for Colombia calling for the release of Colombia's political prisoners: 'These people are innocent men and women who have been imprisoned simply because they disagree with the Government or criticise Government policies. The Colombian authorities have to understand that jailing people in order to silence their opinions is completely unacceptable…"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Colombia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia
Or how about wealth inequality in the good ole USA?
notice that it gets worse during both Democratic and Republican administrations"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chart_of_US_Top_1%25_Income_Share_(1913-2008).svg
Soaring Poverty Casts Spotlight on 'Lost Decade'
By SABRINA TAVERNISE
Published: September 13, 2011
WASHINGTON — Another 2.6 million people slipped into poverty in the United States last year, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday, and the number of Americans living below the official poverty line, 46.2 million people, was the highest number in the 52 years the bureau has been publishing figures on it.
Economists pointed to a telling statistic: It was the first time since the Great Depression that median household income, adjusted for inflation, had not risen over such a long period, said Lawrence Katz, an economics professor at Harvard.
"This is truly a lost decade," Mr. Katz said. "We think of America as a place where every generation is doing better, but we're looking at a period when the median family is in worse shape than it was in the late 1990s."…
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/us/14census.html?pagewanted=all
The richest get richer: David Cay Johnston
Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:59am EDT
….Saez shows () that the top one percent's share of real income growth is increasing with each economic expansion and it matters not whether the president is a Democrat or Republican. The top one percent enjoyed 45 percent of Clinton-era income growth, 65 percent of Bush-era growth and 93 percent of Obama-era growth, though that is only through 2010…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/15/column-dcjohnston-rich-idUSL2E8EF0A920120315
No wonder the corporate media and our political class regard people like Chavez and Putin with so much distrust and hostility!!
They make our political class look like corrupt servants of the rich and corporations who really care very little about most of the people in the country!
Claudia Nicholas
Gasoline prices in late January 2007 averaged around 2.18 per gallon
Unemployment was 4.6 percent in January 2007
The national debt was under 9 trillion dollars in January 2007.
In May of 2003 the armed forces successfully completed its mission to remove Saddam Hussein from power.
The World Trade Tower was first attacked in 1993. US interests were attacked all over the world several times before 2001. Osama bin Laden was put on the US 10 most wanted criminals list in 1998 a full three years before Bush took office yet you liberals raise hell because Bush could not stop him eight months AFTER he took office Barney Frank got his boyfriend a high level position with Fannie Mae in 1991. Microsoft was investigated for violation of anti-trust laws in 2000 which effectively ended the dot com boom and Clinton's budget surplusses. The commodity futures modernization act was passed in 1999 ensuring derivatives would remain unregulated. In 2001George Bush issused a warned that unless certain financial institutions were regulated that a financial crisis could occur. In 2003 Bush issued a "systemic" warning that there could be an impending financial disaster.
WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU CRYING LIBERALS WANT?
I forgot to add that on October 9, 2007 the Dow was at 14,164.53
Rick-
WHAT THE HELL DO WE LIBERALS WANT?
One answer -
GO AWAY AND LET US FIX WHAT YOU HAVE TRIED TO DESTROY — AND WHEN YOU GET TOILET TRAINED - THEN COME BACK
Job well done..on all sides..
Hello folks, news flash; Osama was seen by a spy drone having lunch with Elvis in a cave west of Kabul. Not just any cave, but the cave where he orchestrated the 9-11 attacks with sophisticated can and string communication technology and a blackboard with chalk. The plans scribbled on the blackboard had details on how to penetrate the most heavily defended air space in the world.
He was also seen with crates of state of the art box cutters and manuals on how to fly jumbo jets for dummies. There were also sparklers that were used to jump from WTC1 and II to WTC7 which caused the building to free fall at demolition like implosion speed. He also had passports that are able to withstand the high temperatures of a jet fuel explosion.
Don’t worry, we will send Seal Team 7 to get him, again. They have been trained to locate 6’4” terrorists dragging a dialysis machine around with them.
Seems like this is a much bigger deal now than when it actually happened.
Stick this in the conservative craw!
http://www.cagle.com/2012/05/five-cartoons-about-obamas-victory-lap/
Four more years!
bscol, that's because it's the only thing he has done since in office that was positive, and he wants to milk it politically!
Yes, especially the seals. And the remark is correct. It is the most important day in his Presidency since it is the only thing he has done right for America. I gues that means we'll hear about it everyday until November. His new slogan is very telling. It was the slogan of several dictators in the Hitler era. Seems odd to chose it for an Americn election but then he sure couldn't say look back at my record. You supporters are going to spin but one has to wonder if picking that slogan isn't an appeal to the members of the Socialist Party in our country and the other Communist splinter groups here for votes. You know like the "I am black" reminders he has passed out in the past few months.
If he is suddenly so proud of this event, why not release the pictures?
Only in American can a president take a 1,000 mile victory lap for making a no-brainer call his dummazz veep told him not to do.
Obama 2012 "It Ain't Great, but the Next 4 Years Will be So-So"
Can't release any pictures, that could incite violence. Although it is hard to imagine how pictures could be worse then having Obama exploiting the death of UBL with commercials, speeches, interviews, and even a tour of the situation room. Seems like the only thing missing from the Obama victory lap is the head of UBL hanging in the oval office.
The death of a terrorist is Obama's self proclaimed single most important day of his presidency, and don't we know it. Being in the right place at the right time to get UBL was fortunate for Obama. Too bad Obama hasn't been the right man at the right time for the country.
You can see how this is shaping up for the campaign. Obama, why haven't you cut the deficit in half as promised? Who cares I got UBL. Obama, why haven't you kept unemployment under 8%? Who cares I got UBL. Obama why haven't you closed Gitmo? Who cares I got UBL...
"It is the most important day in his Presidency since it is the only thing he has done right for America."
I was thinking along the same lines. Bin Laden had been marginalized to nothing more than a symbol. Great he was taken out, but doing so didn't put anyone back to work or a family back in the home it lost. But those things aren't really important compared to killing a has-been old man terrorist.
It's also the slogan of quite a few huge corporations in the USA! Perhaps you would have liked it if he hung out a "Mission Acomplished" banner behind him. And do you really need an explanation of why the photos weren't released??? There is just no cure for stupid.
Afghan people must love Obama thinking he is going to be the savior of stopping the Holy War in the Middle East.
Breaking News!
worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/01/11493488...11 hours ago
May 01, 2012 · Updated at 12:47 a.m. ET -- A suicide bomber rammed a car full of explosives into a blast wall in the Afghan capital on Wednesday, an interior ministry ...
In all honestly, this was much more successful than "Cash for Clunkers".
Look at the rt wings heads explode because Pres Obama came to the rescue once more and took out Bin Laden. Bush ignores warning of 911 terrorist attacks. When they do attack he freezes up while reading "My Pet Goat" to children. Attack is on and he sits there dumbfounded for minutes on end until an aide disrupts his brain freeze. Bush then makes sure all of Bin Laden family members get on planes and leave the U.S. while all other planes grounded. Bush had Bin Laden pinned down and made the decision to let non U.S. troops go after Laden and he escapes. President CHENEY and his sidekick then use false info to attack Iraq to get the oil , and for war profiteers. Bush did it because,""war presidents are remembered." Thousands of our troops killed and wounded, hundreds of thousands innocent men ,women and children killed and millions made homeless. Watch Bush tell the nation he is not concerned about Bin Laden and does not worry about him.
Romney said he would not go after Bin Laden because it cost too much. As usual he flopped again now saying he would have made the decision. Mitt flip flop. Sorry Romney, being another Bush won't cut it. The nation does not need to crash again so you can take the rest of our money. OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
Bush is on u tube telling nation he is not concerned about Bin Laden. Tried to post this link.
Personally, I think Obama is making a big mistake trying to use OBL for political points. It may make the left happy, but it's not going to matter to the right, and it ticks off independents like me. I'm fine with most things having a political bent (I don't like it, but I allow for it), but I don't think things like this should be used for political gain.
I thought he wasn't going to spike the ball? Oh, sorry, forgot. He's a basketball player. Nobody ever said anything about him not slam dunking the ball.
Milking this just a little bit? Come on, Obama, I am unaware of any public official who would not have ordered the raid. The important decisions are ones not everyone would make. They are often unpopular, but take courage, knowledge, and a deep commitment to do what's right for the country despite the opposition. Now where was the opposition saying to not order any raids, and just leave the terrorists alone to bomb us at will?
You are milking this, and that is deplorable.
Rightwingnuts surely have their panties in a bunch over the President of the United States taking out one of the most hated and feared terrorists of our time.
Tough on terrorists, Republicans? More like a bunch of America-hating crybabies.
The Prez has gotten bin Laden. But it was not only him. The program to get him has started under Bush. This was a joint effort. AMERICA has brought down the #1 terrorist, so quit your partisan hatred.
Sorry Ron, I'm an independent and you don't speak for me. If he wants to say they got bin Laden on his watch, I have no problem with it.
I do find it humorous, in a sad way, how bitter right wingers try to downplay the importance of bin Laden being brought to justice. Talk about politicizing it. And the left wingers shouldn't get too pumped up because this is just one element of the man's presidency. But over all, job well done. We could have had Bin Laden in the past (pre 911), but people hesitated in making decisions or the process wasn't streamlined. This time, the right call was made and the plan was in place.
Hey sotired, we are reminded over and over again that Bush is NOT in office anymore and that Obama owns all the F'd up stuff left behind by Bush. So, please, leave Bush out of this. He's not in office, remember????
Yawn...the only good thing that's happened on Obama's watch. This stands alone as a re-election qualification? HARDLY. Bye bye Obama....gone not soon enough.
So, Jimsepa, but it's okay to blame Bush for all of America's mishaps?
I think it is awesome. To wonder what that cowards face looked like when the Seals were at his door. I love it. So Hollywood the way it was done. The crash and yet the Seals are professional enough to keep going. American style. Love it. Just wish we could get a look at the pictures. Especially the burial at sea. To take a shrine away from those lunatics. Just wish there were more stories like this.
Sotired, Blame? It's called taking responsibility. Besides, I am glad President Obama "owns" the economy. My stock portfolio is up over 60% over the last three years.
Enough is enough.
Bin Laden is gone. Time to cap it and put it to rest.
There are more important Domestic and International issues to discuss during this Presidential campaign.
Most people would agree with that comment. However, re-electing him for another term is condoning stupidity.
I wasn't dissing the POTUS. I just think that the partisan thinking model is dividing America and is going to harm us in the long run. You missed my point...
Hello jimsepa, I'm really happy you are doing well but don't thank Obama, thank John and Jane Q taxpayer. If they didn't bail out the banks and financial institutions, you would have lost everything!
I'm not politicizing my comment as I'm a political atheist, I don't care what political religion one wants to attach themselves to.
But handing the Presidency back to the very same people who drove us into this ditch....??? C'mon "thinker" you can do better than that.
Washington DC will not change until all US Citizens DEMAND it. And with all due respect to Dr. Paul, he's not the answer either.
jimsepa
I haven't heard anyone not give credit to president Obama for taking out Bin Laden. In fact I've heard many on the right say it was a damn good thing. But a whole bunch of Americans are tired of his bragging about it so much. Then we are going to have to put up with the assinine Hollywood movie that is coming out in October to praise him again, (right before the elections). I think it will all backfire on him. Enough is enough.
JT
Everytime i here that "driving the car into the ditch" statement, I think that Obama and his freinds jumped in the ditch and stripped the car and sold the parts so it will never get out of the ditch.
I agree. It is time for the President to start touting the laundry list of his domestic triumphs, beginning with...uh...um. Did I tell about Obama killing Osama bin Laden yet?
I hate to break the sycophant's bubbles but the search for binLaden started on Slick Willie's watch, and even though scout/sniper teams had eyes on the target they couldn't get a green light. I'm sick of hearing our lame stream media slobbering over the 'anointed one', enough...please.
Who gives a crap as well over 'W' using the Theodore Roosevelt for a photo-op off the coast of San Diego? I recall that the press was quick to perform an in depth colonoscopy on this event, why don't they afford BHO the same level of vetting?
What journalism wannabe is going to step up and do a legitimate examination of the abysmal mediocrity in his performance as community organizer and the numbers for teen pregnancies, high school dropouts, and black on black crime in his home district in Chicago???
Well???
What a bunch of A ss holes on the above comments You should all be deported.
This was no easy decision that the president had to make. So far he has made many more right decision on the economy than wrong.
If it was the other way around , most of you would be picking through garbage cans for your next meal.
Oh, my. And who makes you the juror? I don't believe many agree on your assessment of your fellow American people. You should be the one getting deported.
This just goes to show everyone, the republicans will take credit for anything they did not earn. Geo. W. Bush, EX-Pres, did not get Osama, he said himself, he had not thought much about him, and had better things to do than worry about him or where he was. Bush was to busy at his ranch. Mission Accomplished banner was flying high on the Carrier long before President Obama give the orders to get Osama. Bush is the loser, TPers are responsible for the mess we are in!!! THANKS, President Obama for one hella of job done so far. OBAMA/BIDEN 2012.
JT- Despite who drove us into the ditch, the man behind the wheel has done nothing to get us out of the ditch. At best, we've just driven along in the ditch that seems to be getting deeper.
As for "the very same people who drove us into the ditch" - if you meant bush - that bus driver is gone and ineligible also. If you are referring to congress, the last two years the bus driver was controlled by the opposing party. And many of those "mouthy brats" on the bus have been kicked off.
It's time for a new driver. The present driver has done little to follow up his politico-babble. He may not know the route but he might be better at trying to get out of the ditch.
J T -- you have no problem that Bush drove us into the ditch with his policies, Collapse of Wall Street, Big Banks, etc., Bail out of both by the Taxpayers, Lose of Trillions of deposits for retirees, Actually stolen by Big Banks, Two Wars, Tax Cuts (2) for the rich, so called Job Producers who never produced one job since. Our current Mortgage crisis we enjoy today, Failed Drug Plan for Seniors, Major Cut in funds for Education, this all done on Bush's watch. 25 million unemployed, 6-7 million JOBS shipped oversea. Corps paying nothing in Income Tax. 50 million people, children without Health Care??? This is the Republican Plan for America??? You can start crying now???
Obama is not a perfect president, there has never been a perfect president, stop looking for one. I think he has been slow on the uptake for somethings that I find important, but his agenda is far more reaching than you or I have any concept. I agree that much more needs to be done about the economy but things are on the upward movement, not quickly, but upward. Understand, too that the legislative branch has been binding him up before he even sat in the chair. They were bound that he would fail and they saw to it. He has used less of a "big stick" in the Middle East and Africa than his predecessor and was able to way lay any full scale invasions of Egypt, Libya, Liberia and hopefully Syria. He is using more diplomacy than any other president since Carter. I'd much rather have people talking and taking on sanctions than shooting. He's trying to get something going with health care than just the status quo of the past 30 years, but is being blocked from all corners and still the ones who need help the most are left to suffer. Perfect, no--working hard, yes.
JH, "I haven't heard anyone not give credit to president Obama for taking out Bin Laden".
Come on. Let's be real here. There are plenty of posters that do not give President Obama any credit what-so-ever.
"But a whole bunch of Americans are tired of his bragging about it so much. "
As Americans, shouldn't we all be "bragging" that the one of the worst terrorists in the world has been dealt with using America's strength?
No. Remember the prez's speech about 'spiking the football'. We don't do endzone victory dances, lest we want to be criticized.
Waaaaaaaaahhhh! Obama killed Osama and Bush couldn't! Waaaaaaaaaah!!!!
It's not fair! WaaaaaaAAAAAAAHAHAA! (pounding fists and feet on floor)
^^^^^^^^^^^
What right wingers sound like. :)
Please people WAKE UP If you vote for Mitt Romney. you are placeing a vote to someone who plans to rule the world. Please listen too me. no joking I am a victom of when Romney comes too town. We all were telling the truth. there is a reson for him wanting to bust the unions. thank you president Obama and Bin Laden. for listening to the other 99 pecent. see we too have a story. you vote for Romney. you will have a story too. because If he becomes president. you too will be next. I want to ask everyone in the world, to please pray. this is a very importment election. Romney is not welcome in Indiana
Thank you Bin Laden? Huh!
I fail to see how this is in any way on topic for this story. Never mind how it is barely literate or coherent.
I cannot wait till Romney has to reach up and tie his shoe lashes. lol If he has any left. He left us with nothing in 1994. My dream comming true. Romney. It is your turn to be fired. and chased out of United States like they did you dad. p.s. you should had listen to your father. he told you son never run for president lol. how they say in the olden days allwys listen to your parents. shows how you listen to people.you got you job because someone needed to close a factory, and you got alot of money than you got greedy.
"People people wake up"?????
Hey Tonya, you must be in a coma!!!
A vote for Romney is a vote for someone that wants to rule the world? And what exactly is Obama, and any other US President? We have been policing the world for a very long time.
Tonya Foust Comment collapsed by the community
...Good Grief
I think Romney is writing this stuff, right??? Pen name Tonya Foust??? Flip/Flop, dog on the top, I like to fire people who work for me??? No Health Care for anyone??? Remember any President would have made that decision to get osama, except Bush did not do that, did he???
Comment # 3 restored for clarity.
Obama whacking Osama Bin Laden was one of the gutsiest calls by a Commander in Chief in history. Does anyone seriously believe that Romney, the flip flopper in chief, who can't make a decision about any issue whatsoever and is all over the place with everything and who criticized Obama for saying he would hunt Bin Laden down in Pakistan would make a decision like this? Romney is the GOP's Neville Chamberlain.
KeatingFive, you need to learn to think for yourself. If you truly believe what you wrote, then I feel sorry for you because I can't believe anyone would be as stupid as you.
You're a Spud......ANY Commander in Chief who brags about "killing someone" is not the type of person we need leading our country.............as the Leader, you let the underlings do their jobs, and acknowledge their success.
Obama: The most important day of my presidency! What an empty shell of a man that equates a decision that the average 10 year old would make as the most important day. Notice how he said he took the risk. HA The only thing missing from this halloween character is the superman outfit.
TheKeatingFive...Good analogy but you may have to explain to many on this board who Neville Chamberlain was and how he affected history. By judging from some of the comments posted here, many won't have a clue about Chamberlain.
If gutsy means no-brainer, I agree.
Just the fact that these repubs refuse to give credit to Obama for this shows that they Obama could cure cancer single handedly and they would still find a way to say he shouldn't take credit for it. If it was a repub POTUS who made the call, you'd be on here saying "GREAT JOB". Just stop with the sour grapes. Bush used the death of Americans on 9/11 as a political talking point for his entire presidency.
If by "no-brainer" you mean that both Bush and McCain said they would not go into Pakistan to get Bin Laden, then I agree. If by "no-brainer" you mean that Obama was criticized by the GOP for stating, in 2007, that he would send troops into Pakistan to get Bin Laden, then I also agree with that. If by "no-brainer" you mean that we had a pretty good idea that Bin Laden was in Tora Bora in late 2001 and Bush let him get away, then I agree.
John-2032532
Not exactly...ordering a covert mission with boots on the ground in an allied country is hardly an easy decision. It's a violation of international law, and in fact could be interpreted as an act of war. Especially since the country is one with which we already have a strained relationship, and one whose population bears animosity toward the US in general.
There was already a big diplomatic cost, but If we had been wrong, there may have been more serious consequences.
Everyone needs to know the real story, so here is a quote from a Navy Seal leader. Get the truth before posting any stupidity. It makes your IQ look very low.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2137636/Osama-bin-Laden-death-SEALs-slam-Obama-using-ammunition-bid-credit.html#ixzz1tj2UUKfh
Now you want to know who REALLY made the decision to take Bin Laden out. Please don't get upset to find out it wasn't President Obama. I am sure most of you are aware of it, but here is the REAL name of "WHO TOOK BIN LADEN OUT"
You're an idiot!
I don't see why anyone thinks this was a tough decision. OBL had killed thousands of civilians and cost the US hundreds of billions (trillions?) in economic damages. I really don't think any president would have hesitated on this decision.
As to the Chamberlain reference, I don't see that at all. I've never heard Romney say appeasement is the best foreign policy, and the foreign policy statements I have heard from him indicate he is at least as security conscious as Obama. I could see that as a Jimmy Carter reference, but I think even he would not have hesitated on taking out OBL after 9/11.
By the way, many of you repubs are not using the catch phrases and words for today from your daily republican rant check list. You now, the list you get everyday and are supposed to use to to make rt wing brains feeze like Bush! You were instructed to use the phrase"Spike the Bin Laden football for political gain." You are also supposed to wrap yourself up in the flag first like Bush did on "mission accomplished" Oh that's right mission was NOT accomplished, nevermind. Well use 911 flag wrapping...Oh that's right republicans would not sign bills for healthcare for 911 first responders....HHmmmmm can't use that anymore, well then Romney handed out pizzas yesterday...yeah that works...ROMNEY passed out pizza facing danger from standing near a hot pizza oven. Mission Accomplished!
I think the best approach for EVERYONE is to focus on the real issues facing our countries, and the merits of the approaches proposed by the candidates. Repeating right/left mantras may make people feel better, but it doesn't do anything to help solve our problems - in fact, I think it hurts since it makes rational debates difficult.
TheKeatingFive.......
Anyone would have made the decision to "take out" Bin Laden, even if the President was Barney Frank.
Bowhunter (#4.2) - You are one of the few that understand the difference between a leader and a commander.
As I mentioned in my comments in #1.37, there a lot of parallel differences between the two. It is pretty obvious which category obama fits into.
skipster, we will never know who would, or who would not, have sent the Navy SEALs to get OBL. We only know that Obama DID do it. Shouldn't that be enough to give credit where credit is due?
Skipster....Clint Bruce is a whiner who is jealous he was not part of the team. You wrote,"who gave up the chance of an NFL
career to serve as a SEAL officer before retiring as a lieutenant after nine
years, said:" Oh boy he gave up a NFL career , this must be true..as if that has any bearing to any meaningful response..! Try writing this ,"Bruce who is not in the glory light and is jealous of the Navy Seals who carried out the order of President Obama," That is the real story.....oh LOOK at me me, look at me...!
The gutsiest call(s) ever made by a sitting president were made by a former haberdashery owner from Kansas City, Missouri. Make the decision to drop 2 atomic weapons or order the raid to kill OBL. Ordering the raid to killing OBL is a no brainer!
skipster, you are delusional if you think an Admiral is going to make the decision, on his own, to send troops into another country for any military operation, without approval from the President. Besides, the "news" article you cited does not say anything like that in it. And I love how your article says that Clint Bruce "retired" as a Lt after 9 years of service. No one retires after 9 years, unless it was medically related.
Mr skipster 56, 4.10--where in the hell did you get that info. Last one to make a decision to get osama rest with the President only, not some so called admiral what his name. You think someone below Obama would over rule the President, what country are you in??? I know, you are not wearing your TIN Hat again??? Come on, please you crazy idiots out there will do anything to discredit the President. He gave the order, he got Osama, case closed. Now you can cry if you feel like it??? True Tpers out there??? OBAMA/BIDEN 2012.
Oh, bite me, you right wing-nut troll. Maybe the President should have wrapped himself in a "mission accomplished" banner prior to attacking the wrong country, like "W". I didn't spend 26 years in the military to listen to jerk-off Rove-bots defame the President. Turn off the hate radio, read a book, and GROW THE F UP!
Good to hear from guys like you, who know what they're talking about.
The Seals deserve enormous credit, obviously, but President Obama had to make a decision that took a hell of a set. And as several here have pointed out, if things had gone south, he would have been hit with every shred of blame for it. He deserves a country full of credit and praise.
Out on furlough, go back take your meds and learn to spell and perhaps read.
IDK WTF you are smoking...
arrestbush&obama- Your Tin-Foil Hat needs adjusting...
arrestbush&obama: do you get your news from the checkout lane of the grocery store?
Hey Mike Pedersen... I like your wit!...and angst! Someone has to answer the "stupids" of this world. Thanks.
You're a F#@K!n9 idiot!! You must have been dropped on your head as a child. Go spread your lunacy elsewhere.
arrestbush--yes I agree. Where did you get your info, Fox News??? Osama is well and living in Pakistan in 2011. Your facts are wrong just like Bush was wrong. President Obama got his man in May 2011, he is now living with his friends, the fishes. Get a new foil hat, your old one is not doing its job!!! Obama/Biden 2012.
I can understand why the Obama haters constantly troll this page. Must get so boring over in righty-land, with the same old rhetoric day after day....I feel sorry for them.
SO proud of our president for making this brave call. And proud of our SEAL team for their bravery and expertise. USA!
Actually they are trained Rove-bots, doing the bidding of their corporate over-lords.
arrestbush&obama
Tissue?
lol name starbuck lol a romney bussiness. a bussiness that Romey created, high dollar coffee. he made that bussiness after selling out Grant County. unions. why so he can say he was a job created. when he was selling our jobs. Romney that money in the swiss account belongs to the United States. we know it, and you know it.
arrestbush&obama
You cant fix stupid
You're living proof of that!
Tonya Foust
If you read some of my posts, you will know I', all agaist Rommel Romney coming anywhere near the Whitehouse. Starbuck was my callsign in Nam and through out my military career.
I'm all against (sorry for the typo) it's early here and I'm not seeing that well anymore.
You got that right, you can't fix stupid. Your rants here prove it, and you admidted you even feel stupid. Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you.
The best part of this is "All the RWNJ heads exploding.." Bwahahahahahahaha
Lisa, if you learn to think for yourself you might not be so ignorant.
The Navy Seals and the military are the ONLY ones that intelligent Americans have any faith in when it comes to covert operations.
Faith put in Obama and his cast of clowns is wasted faith !
I am beginning to wonder if MSN is impeding our freedom of speech. I see vile, vulgar and downright vicious comments from the left and nothing happens. While I have had more and more problems posting. Let's see if this one goes through.
If a football player could stand in the end zone and spike the football over and over and over and over, this is what it would look like. Sad to have nothing else to brag about.
Lisa you are hot. Hit me back.
arrestbush&obama banned, re-reg of TheWarrior.
Shaking my head - It is a sad commentary for four years of presidency - one play. And that one play still hasn't won the game - war on terror.
The music industry would label him a "one hit wonder".
You are correect in that you have to pu$$Y foot around how you make an opposing viewpoint - especially involving The Bummer.
Republicans are just seething with envy!
I love watching Republicans squirm whenever President Obama and America are successful!
"I love watching Republicans squirm whenever President Obama and America are successful!"
Facts Republicans Hate:
Republicans have squirmed once in 3 years, when Osama got it. That's the only successful thing that has happened since 2008. Even MSNBC is warning of another economy tanking. Are you really better off than 3 years ago? Not unless you wear rose colored glasses.
One day out of 1461 ain't bad!
Facts that Democrats hate:
Since Obama took office there has not been 1 net job created- Fact
the 3 years following the Great Depression had far greater economic improvement than the 3 years Obama has had. This is the SLOWEST economic recovery in the history of America- Fact
Obama thanked Bush for his help in killing Osama because Bush's administration put in motion the efforts that eventually got him- Fact
Obama called bush unpatriotic for adding 2.6 trillion to the national debt. Since, Obama has added 5 trillion to the national debt- Fact
Obama's only major legislation (Obamacare) is overwhelmingly rejected by the American public- Fact
I could go all day but who am I kidding, a liberal sheep like yourself probably won't even read this.
Facts Dems hate:
"Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"
You must be a union worker, plus you must have taken a year to get get all these facts. Some of you facts are not correct. You stated 120,000 jobs created that's nothing that's a drop in the bucket. But one thing you didn't mention and congress didn't mention that 75% of the 120,000 jobs that were created are temp jobs. One more thing why is it that every week that are only 120,000 created each month? that's because the "Book Cookers" that's the Labor Department "Cook the Books" each month to make it look like the job market is getting better when it's not.
Your going to say that 26 months of private sector job growth? where are you getting your figues from? and who is calculating them? What about the time last year when there was no job creation in August of 2011. I don't see that statistics.
Your GDP growth of 2.9 is wrong is was revised to 1.9 for 2011 that because Obama's economic team got it wrong. Here one fact that you don't know and is not talked about. If China didn't have the American compaines in China the GDP in the United States would be better that 6.7% a year. I didn't see that in your list.
In 2009 after Obama was in office for more that a year the market dropped to almlost 7900. The market fell to 8500 after being above 11,000 you got that wrong.
The market has fallen below 13,000 4 time in the month of April. It's corporate companies and electronic traders who are keeping the market up artificially. You got that one wrong again.
Domestic Oil Production, do you know that the United States exports more than 2 million barrels a day and imports 3 million barrels a day the a negative 1 million barrels that you and I are paying for at the pump. You got that one wrong.
GM profits are up only this year that's because GM needed your tax dollars to make sure they didn't go under. It would have been better if GM went bankrupt then you tax dollars wouldn't have had to bail out GM. I can see that you just love giving your hard earned tax dollars away.
Record Profits for Corporate America that's true but are they hiring? they are hiring very few people because they are waiting to see who is going to be the next President is going to be that because Corportate can't work with Obama.
Usama Bin Laden was a gimmie the CIA and Military found him and killed him. Now Obama is using that in his campiagin. It was his finest hour I believe that if there was someone eles who was President he would have given the order to take out Usama Bin Laden. Don't forget he master minded the 9/11 attack that killed over 3200 Americans. You didn't mention that.
The Iraq War was planned to end when it did. If there was a different President the same thing would have happened. I'll give that one.
I'm going tell you how stupid you are, you would rather give your hard earnd money that you are taxed on to bail out companies that should not be given tax payer dollars. If a corporation goes under it goes under no help from the the government or the tax payers. Look and Enron they cooked their books and they went under and President Bush was President and he didn't give them any money or bailed them out. I don't like to use the past that because what happen in the past happen in the past. But during the Great Depression former President Herbet Hoover didn't bail out any body. In 1932 at the height of the Great Depression FDR didn't bail out any body. This is a free enterprise society not a socialist soceity where the government controls business or is state run.
I have herad horror stories about the Great Depression from people who lived through it . My parents lived through the Great Depression they knew what it was like and they would tell me.
You believe everything you hear on all the news stations. If you think Obama is go great then why are compaines still in China and people are still off of work. Answer that question. Here's one how many people and friends of yours are out of a job and have used up all the unemployment benefits and now have nothing and wondering how they are going to feed their families or put gas in their car to go look for work. You didn't mention that. If you are union worker you had better not lose your job because if you do and you go to your union hall and ask then for a job and they tell you that they don't have anything but keep sending in your union dues your going to think twice about your buddie Obama. This is how stupid your are.
AMEN Ernie1!!!
Before everyone gets worked up over trying to explain reality to Obama supporters, remember this old adage. You can fool an Obama supporter all of the time, but the rest of the people just aren't that gullible. Luckily for the country Obama will need more then just his supporters and the head of UBL to get re-elected.
Facts Republicans hate: Ones they don't make up themselves.
At least three of your "facts" are lies, two are meaningless ("three years closer to everything, pretty much, since three years ago"), and several of the rest are irrelevant (gas prices, for instance... they go up, they go down -- constantly, regardless of who's in the White House).
I guess I'm just wonder that, if Republicans are so bright and full of answers, why couldn't they come up with anything better than the clown pile of losers, lunatics, and has-beens that we've all suffered through in the GOP primaries?
Well it is like this, the clown is in the white house....The man can not state that he has accomplished much...He rammed the health care down our throats, and it will cost you, me and everyone else more...who is going to pay for the homeless, the wellfare folks, and those who are exempted? He campained on an open administration, but never said what year, he campaigned on less government, but he probably meant after he was out of office. And as an alleged constitutional lawyer he should have know when he signed the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011, that it violated the 1st amendment, as the law states that any person who demonstrates or protest in an undifined area near any person who is under Secret Service protection, though it be peaceful, can be charaged with a felony, which means 1 year and 1 day in prison, which will ruin your life, because your now a convicted felon......So now come up with something else...
So if the cycling of the economy is independent of the sitting president, why does clinton get credit for improving the economy and bush get blamed for the undermining the economy? Why does obama continue to use the "I inherited" phrase?
thinker, Obama takes no blame for failures, but is very quick about taking credit for the Seals/NSA/CIA accomplishments. This president is a joke, an expensive joke for making a campaign stop in Afghanistan.
I thought at the time, and still think they should have tried harder for a capture rather than a kill. Trying Bin Laden in an American court is what I wanted to see and a kill was second best. That being said, it sounds like all parties did their jobs well.
It is hard for me to get over the belief that capture was never an aim, that it just seemed "cleaner" to the president and the military to have him dead and be done with it and that any talk of a capture option is disingenuous.
While I would have loved a capture too, from that viewpoint, there are 3 reasons (at least) why they didn't:
1. Limited intelligence data...he'd been out of the loop a long time
2. fear of martyrdom from a public trial and (presumably) execution
3. fear of kidnapping to try for a prisoner exchange
Overall, probably a good decision.
I understand that. All I'm saying is that there is some dishonesty in putting forward the notion that capture was considered a serious option when it in fact was not.
He would never gotten a fair trial in the US. Some money hungry lawyer looking to make his name would have represented him and the world would see the circus that followed. A $3.00 bullet or two and a sheet to bury him was the best way to end this!
It was considered. This was not a kill mission. Had OBL not resisted he would have been captured instead.
I'm glad he resisted and was shot !
Saved the taxpayers a massive amount of money.
Everyone knew he was guilty and deserved to die !
The military under George W captured Saddam. They should have killed him on the spot too !
"Everyone knew he was guilty" is not how our justice system is *supposed* to work. I am not blind to the fact that this situation had all kinds of extenuating circumstances, but by not capturing Bin Laden and putting him on trial in an American court (*Not* a military tribunal), we passed up a chance to demonstrate how we are different from out enemy.
If Bin Laden was captured under Bush presidency, Bush would have put Bin Laden on one of those planes he put the rest of Bin Ladens family on and let escape after 911 when all planes were grounded. Imagine that , collecting and harbouring Bin Ladens family and helping them escape right after 911........Had any dems done that there would be total revolution. BUSH HELPED THE BIN LADEN FAMILY ESCAPE...FACT! Wrap yourselfs in a flag over that republicants!
We wasted money on a sheet? Remember he was pitched out of the helicopter over the ocean. Were the sharks needing extra fiber in their diets?
Gee....it would be nice if Obama hadn't destroyed all credible evidence that he actually got Osama.
They have DNA, they have lots of photos, why would they destriy all that?
What evidence? Have you seen it?
The evidence is not destroyed, just not released. You know like the Kennedy assassination!
motoricker and Coach,
Why would they have to show it to either of you anyway. They did show it to any member of congress that asked on both sides.
Whether you or anyone else in the public domain gets to see the proof is irrelevant.
What is also surprising is there is no mention in the article about these Seals who soon afterwards perished in a helicopter incident. There are Seals today who are highly suspicious of why that incident occurred.
So how do we know it happened? It may have been fabricated by this administration in order to save his dwindling approval rating and save his presidency.
Personally, Coach I don't care if you know whether it happened or not.
Do you personally verify every claim that everyone in the world makes? At some level that would be idiotic.
How do you know for sure that we landed on the moon or that Oswald killed JFK? You don't but at some point paranoia is just that.
Besides Obama is doing just fine, there's nothing that needs saving.
I understand they had to call him in off the golf course to make this no brainer decision!! What a brilliant guy.
You seem not to have read or understood the article.
Facts just confuse them Rick.
Well said Rick and Starbuck. It's amazing the mental gymnastics they're willing to undertake in that elusive effort to reverse the fact that Bin Laden was killed under Obama's watch. You'd think they'd be proud of our President.
There can be a vast disparity in pride of a position versus pride in the occupant. Or has everybody forgotten about the lack of pride in past presidents/occupants?
I wish I could contribute to the partisan bickering, but I can't. I am very proud of the deliberate and thoughtful manner in which the President and his advisors approached this challenge. I was raised to be proud of my country and I tear up every time I see an American Olympian on the medal stand while the National Anthem is played.
This moment was for all Americans.
Navy SEALS amaze me, as do all of our armed forces. Everyone had their part in this succes and obviously everyone did what they were charged with doing, all the way from Obama down to the helicopter technician.
"This moment was for all Americans."
You wound think so but most Republicans hate it. Most of them would have been much happier has this mission failed with the Seals dead and Bin Laden still alive. Anything that makes this president look bad they are for. With most 21st century Republicans it's party and ideology first and the welfare of the nation a distant second.
I don't see how you can claim "most Republicans hate it." Did you poll all of us? I am a Republican although I lean towards the liberals in many ways (as do most of us) just like most Democrats lean towards the conservatives in many ways. Somehow that makes the majority of Americans, whether Democrat or Republican, Centrists. It is the extremists on both sides that stir up all the trouble. Bin Laden's execution at the hands of SEAL Team 6 was a victory for ALL of us and nobody in their right mind would wish a mission of this type to fail and for Americans to die for a political point. As General Patton stated, "The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his." A lot of negatives are being expressed about G.W. Bush and his effort regarding the search and destroy mission for Bin Laden but the fact is he did not personally go looking for him anymore that did Obama. Any success and/or failure is the result of years of searching and analysing foreign intelligence from a variety of sources and not all of them reliable. If Bush had this same intelligence during his term of office I am sure the same decision would have been made just as it would have under Kennedy, Eisenhower, Nixon, Clinton and even as far back as G. Washington or George the Third.
David, the libs ain't happy if they aren't bashing someone. They are perfect in their world, and if you disagree with them, they attack, that's all they know.
The Republicans don't hate it. But they have certainly downplayed it. "bin Laden wasn't a big player anymore." "Any president would have done it." Etc. You wouldn't have heard this from Republicans if a Republican president got him.
That's what's fundamentally wrong with partisan politics. America wins and people downplay the victory because man at the helm isn't in their party.
David 1929 writes," If Bush had this same intelligence during his term of office," Don't we all wish Bush had some kind of intelligence......, he didn't that's why he lied and went to war in Iraq and crashed the economy for years to come. To quote Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz"...."What would you do if you had a brain?" Love Bush quotes, You can fool some of the people......aaahahahahahahaha can't even finish it, too funny....aahahahahaha don't be fooled again...........aaahahahahaa
Deliberating and thoughtful about the November election. Too late to try to be a real president.
Skiddy
Really? I am not going to attack you because I respect your right to disagree with my opinion and as pointed out multiple times...all of this is opinion, conjecture based on what was gleaned from the media (yes, there are some who believe everything and anything), or in a few cases, the by-product of obvious organic brain issues. No worries, Skiddy and company, this "lib" isn't bashing anyone as my President took a calculated and educated risk and was succesful. The SEAL Team did the heavy lifting, but in an election year a weaker or less than scrupulous politician would have been much more restrained in their 'gamble.' Just let the people speak on election day and barring any missplaced "chads" or "irregularities in ballot security" and we will have a chance to return America to a status that is deserved: economic growth and jobs, a positive image as a truly benevolent world power, and a peaceful member of the world community who puts the welfare of third parties who may suffer collateral damage truly in the equation. You may say I'm a dreamer...but I am not the only one.." BTW, read the definetion of liberal and conservative in the dictionary and you will understand why I am proud to be called a "liberal." As another reader eloquently wrote earlier and I paraphrase very loosely: "...there is little difference between" Republicans and Democrats and "anyone who is honest with themselves will agree." In conclusion, there are too many respondents with near 'lunatic' comments that bespeak of unadulterated ignorance and misinformation.
I agree whole-heartedly. Unfortunately some people feel the need to use this event for personal gain.
To use your analogy of an Olympian on the stand, this was a team effort. The anaogy brings to mind the relay swim team that had a member that put a burst of speed that won the medal. They ALL got on the stand. The media focused on the one member that "came from behind" to win. The athlete kept pointing out the team effort. This event has obama pushing the other "team members" off the stand so the spotlight is focused on him. Like all coaches state - there is no "I" in team.
I don't see how you can claim "most Republicans hate it."
Well Dave -- you said you're a centerist. That means today's Republican party doesn't want you.
Listen to Limbaugh the junkie, FOx News, Mitt Romney -- all they have done is badmouth ANYTHING and EVERYTHING this president does. Mitt has flip-flopped on the president taking out Bin Laden 3 times in one day.
Rush the junkie, the real leader of the Republican Party, laid out the Republican marching orders in early 2009 --- "we want Obama to fail". That's been the Republican objective ever since --- to hell with the nation, let's get Obama. Mitch McConnell has stated his number one objective is NOT doing what's best for the nation but to make President Obama a one term president. There's a difference between being in the opposition and being an enemy. Republicans have always viewed President Obama as their enemy and in their fanatical desire to destroy President Obama at any cost, they have lost all focus on what’s best for America. The 21st century Republican Party doesn't care if the US crashes and burns as long as they can destroy the President. Bottom line, you cannot be a 21st century Republican and be a good American at the same time. The two positions are polar opposite.
"David, the libs ain't happy if they aren't bashing someone."
Yet another conservative attempting to describe a liberal but in fact describing himself.
"Bin Laden raid is 'most important single day of my presidency' "
It's the only positive thing to come out of his reign. And they had to twist his arm to get him to make that decision.
The response from Navy Seal Team 6 when they were finally given the go: "Well it's about time."
No one twisted his arm. He was strongly advised against making this call. Defense secretary included. There was nothing easy about this decision and it was not the majority decision in the room. Try to get a hold of the non-partisan documentary. It's fascinating. That day was absolutely President Obama's finest day. It was the finest day of any president in recent history, Bush and Clinton included. Truly amazing. You don't have to vote for him in the fall, but don't minimize his actions in this regard. You diminish us all.
Obama is the best President of my lifetime, thus far. I voted for Ronald Reagan against Jimmy Carter. Did not vote Reagan the second time, after he increased taxes, cut student loans, and stockpiled nuclear weapons.
I am so sorry to hear that...he is the worst President in my lifetime... and I have been voting since Johnson!
Rod Father, you must have been born in the last 4 years to be able to say that.
Nancy,
When I hear this, I can't help but think that any D president will be the new worst president ever simply because they are the current president and not an R. In hindsight did you say that about Johnson, Carter, and Clinton too?
Are you going to spend the next 4 years of your life being a hater because President Obama has won re-election? You must be a very miserable person
I'm glad OBL is dead , The tone of the article suggests this was a grand decision.
So President Obama could have said No? Really??
You may not realize that there was no definitive proof OBL was even in that house. Some on the deceision committee didn't want to proceed for any variety of good reasons.
Yeah, he could have said no, and saying no was the safe alternative. Keep in mind that he would have suffered greatly politically if the mission failed. GOP would never have let him live that down.
Mark, That's it isn't it? All about the politics? God I wish it not true, do what's best as you see it, get accolades or criticized, move on.
Sadly BC, it's all politics all the time about everything.
Don't forget that the government had him before @ the mountains and didn't act on time...
That's essentially what he did! It's just that the rightwing @!$%#s can't stand the fact that President Obama did something so hard to criticize that they're reduced to criticizing the fact that he's receiving accolades.
Benji An aside, I've been commenting pro & con about politics and politicians, since President Kennedy, for the most part spirited and informative discussions. This sadly; has changed . Now it's all gotcha and grammar policing.
This comment should not be a reflection on this thread ( so far )
Mark,
The other decision was what to do: an airstrike that would have destroyed evidence and left lots of open questions, but killed whoever was inside. A raid would preserve evidence, but also give bin Laden a chance to escape, and endanger American lives. The safe option there was an airstrike.
I'm not so sure it's about the fact that he's receiving accolades but the fact that he is grandstanding because of his decision. He is CiC of the military and he slams those under him for "bragging" about their conquests and yet here he is doing what he badmouths others for.
The only thing missing is him standing with his foot on the chest of osama like a big game hunter. The other vision that comes to mind is him standing there with other marines urinating on his "kill".
Benji the problem is that all of the accolades are coming from himself. He's like the Rebecca Black of self promotion and is getting hammered by people offended by the end zone celebrating and look at me ad campaign. Who knows maybe this self generated celebration will be like the Abu Ghraib prison inspiring vengence. When you have to point out your steely determination and guts it sure starts to look like an act not a charachteristic.
@the thinker - Grandstanding? You mean like standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier under a "Mission Accomplished" banner? I'm sure you were just as upset about that scene, weren't you?
The only the difference is the "R" or "D" which seems to enrage you when it's an "R" and inspire you when it's a "D".
I really hope we get 4 more years of President Obama!! If he could just grow a pair during his 2nd term, he could be one of the best!
He has a pair...its just that michele has them in a jar in her purse
Whine about the record promised obstruction by republicans just as they promised they would do. republicans first, the welfare of the nation last. They didn't get all your money, the rich/Romney want it all and add voter suppression laws all over the country to stop many from voting. All in the name of GREED! Republican campaign slogun, "Well we almost got all of your money, vote Romney and we will try harder to get it all."
I love the left when they wrap the flag of patriotism around themselves. You all look so uncomfortable. The thing about this is it was G.W. who set it up. Had this been done in his administration, all we would hear about is the destroyed evidence. The biggest decision our President has made in his one term, is to decide what issue he can get his base motivated enough to vote for him again. Never mind the 8.5 % unemployment or the trillions in debt he has left our children and grandchildren. Never mind the shrinking economy and the millions of people suffering. He got B. L. Wow. Wonder if I will get a job.
How unpatriotic of you. You should thank Mr. Obama for digging us out of the whole of an economy left by GW and has lowered the unemployment rate left by G.W.. He then cleaned up both wars that your beloved GW started, all of this without having to fly in like a movie star and put up a banner of "mission accomplished" 5 years before the war was actually ending. He also gave the order to kill the man that GW no longer worried about finding. So thanks for your unpatriotic input!
Wow.....Steveo You need to come spend a week in Detroit. Walk around downtown and see what the rest of this country will look like. Every single one of the former democratic administration (Look up Kwame Kilpatrick) are either in Federal prison or on trial. The city is nearing bankruptcy because of the unsustainable union contracts. 5000 city workers and 11,000 full retirees drawing full benefits.
Stevo, yep Bush really really set this up? How did he do that, when he shut the task force down, and stated later he didn't have time for just one man. Etch a Sketch even said it wasn't worth the money going after bin Laden.
Your hatred of him is really being hung out there slick. And if the President ran around on a carrier in a flight suit, you and the rest of the baggers would go ballistic. Don't you realize how stupid you make yourself sound?
That isn't the only thing Obama has done during his term in office. Ask the people on the assembly lines for GM and Chrysler, are they glad to be working, or like Etch a Sketch said, let them go bankrupt. Who will those workers be voting for?
And the 2 wars he inherited didn't contribute to the trillions in deficit?
Ask the GM and Chrysler Retirees and Investors that lost everything when Mr Obama gave half of the interests to the UAW. The media does not cover these people, but there are many of them and they are not so happy.
"You should thank Mr. Obama for digging us out of the whole of an economy left by GW and has lowered the unemployment rate left by G.W"
Listening to these Republicans, one would think that on January 19, 2009 the country was in great shape with a massive surplus, record low unemployment, a booming economy, increasing wages -- everything was just outstanding. Then -- Obama took office on Jan 20, 2009 and everything immediately came crashing down.
Now -- how about a reality check? The nation was much closer to that ideal on January 19, 2001 when Clinton left office but on January 19, 2009 when Bush left office, we were on the verge of a depression.
Charlie, it was bad, then Obama came along and really showed us how bad he could make it.
can MSNBC post a slo-mo of Obama patting himself on the back more for doing his job? Hate to say it but we EXPECT him to make good decisions. This one wasn't so tough and ALL of the risk was political NOT personal so what's so gutsy about this? He was sitting in a warm room, cup of coco in his hand and skype on the tube watching others risk their lives to kill bin laden. GLAD it happened and good job but move on as what do you want the Silver Star for doing your job? What part of this was above and beyond? Pathetic.
From the eys of an independent, this article seemed more like the telling of a story than a praise rant. And you are right, the president has the pressure to make the right decision at all times. This time he made the right decision, it is a celebratory event in American history, just take it as that, no need to go negative. And as far as his decision making, putting military lives at stake seems fairly personal, Kal. He put those men at risk of their lives. Thats a heavy weight that many people cannot understand. This is the one year anniversary, it doesn't seem like a politcal play, but rather a rememberance of a great moment in the history of our country.
Truly is a great moment for our nation no doubt. But then the sleeze creeps in. Campaign ad with Bill Clinton narrating it is ok? Poking Romney in the eye while doing so is ok? Seriously? Talking about all the stuff HE did was ok? He read the files, listened to the briefs by experts and, no knock but it's true, others executed the mission. His risk was political no personal. Unfortunately what started as a celebration turned entirely into a political play. Maybe this is the culmination of "everyone's a winner" mentality. When you do your job and make a tough call you want a statue, parade or a huge award of some kind. When you don't think you've been congratulated enough you run tv ads and talk about how gutsy and cool under pressure you are.
importanat day for me too as I lost a best friend- Kindergarten to college and past.
If the killing of one man by the Navy Seals is the single most important accomplishment of Obama's presidency, then his presidency has been pathetic in their lack of accomplishments.
Dropping Bin Laden WAS the most important event in my life. Justice has finally been served for my sister.
I think most people would agree that in terms of one single day, killing our most important enemy, a person who directed the worst terrorist attack on our soil and who Bush said had to be brought to justice but failed to do so, is the biggest single day. Not the biggest single accomplishment, but certainly the biggest single day.
The body was never shown and all the seals were killed in a helicopter crash the following week. Typical
Big Black Dog. Tell that to all the people that lost someone when the towers went down; every american is proud of what was done to Osama. At least President Obama had what it takes to get the job done! And is was a BIG Deal!
OBAMA 2012
"All" the SEALs that participated in the raid were not killed. But the fact that any of them died is enough to turn coincidence into conspiracy for some folks, despite the fact that the SEALs have an extraordinarily dangerous job. As the military adviser said, technically, the Bin Laden compound wasn't even the most dangerous raid THAT NIGHT.
If Obama believes that that day was the MOST important day of his presidency, then he is a moron. Period.
Obama: "We broke the Taliban's momentum. We've built strong Afghan security forces".
Latest Headline: 7 killed in Kabul in bomb, grenade attack on heels of Obama's Afghanistan visit
Oh well, it was Obama's "In Your Face" spike-the-ball campaign tour. It was just Afghan lives and treasure lost, not American. WHAT?! A U.S. doctor was also killed?! Hmmm. There's no apology needed, no story here folks, just move along...
I'm sure you are brilliant. Keep enlightening us.
Ok already, Bin's dead.
Now Obama should get on with life and see what he can do to unite America!!!!!
It seems like Obama and the Media want to live in the past.
Tony Z, well, they are re-living a great moment in our history, and that's better than what the tea baggers want. Those sick POS want to take our whole country back to the early 1800's. That way, you can be someone's serf, houseboy, whatever term they have for it.
Hey, it was the right call. Obama made the call and he deserves credit for that. It would not matter who made the call, which president, which party, it was the right decision. But just as well, no matter who made the call, the lion's share goes to the guys that put their butts on the line and made it happen. Those guys are simply amazing and deserve every accolade in the dictionary.
So props to Obama, but a bit of a fail regarding the depth that he is using it for political gain. Personally, I would have had a bit more respect toward the whole matter if he had come out and said "I had the easiest part. Its our brave guys on the line that prepped and made the whole thing happen. So forget me in the deal and recognize them and the great patriots they are.
But that is just me, an independent that could be swayed either way at this point of the election process. At the same time, I am not too impressed with the way that Romney is handling the issue either. Hopefully we will get past all of this gamesmanship and politicizing for benefit and get to real solutions for real problems we are facing. Time to refocus, candidates. And I can promise you that there are a ton more independents out there with their vote up in the air waiting to hear potential solutions to our vast array of domestic problems.
Sally Ann - At least in the 1800's we took care of ourselves and our own. Didn't give a rats a$$ what anybody else did in their own country.
During the Bush adminstration, not a single sentence was uttered without the mention of, '9-11, 9-11, 9-11' and in response they attacked Iraq, an unrelated country. Now that the perpetrator of 9-11 was killed, they are saying, 'oooh. yeah that.. meh.. get over it.. quit living in the past'.
If this is his single most important day then he needs to go. We need someone else righting this ship. He has major issues here at home that need his "important" days in order to address them. It seems to me a majority of American would agree jobs, the economy, etc are far more important than OBL was. Just goes to show where his head is, 3 1/2 years as president and he has ONE important day.
Thats a dumb thing to say. He got payback for all of those deaths on 911 stupid. If anyone that made that decision didn't feel like it was of great importance then I would question whos side you were on.
People! We don't even know if this guy is really dead. We never saw a body. This whole thing could be fabricated....and it wouldn't surprise me.
The ships crew SAW the body. Congress SAW the pics and DNA results. That's a LOT of people to keep silenced.
Can't wait until one of OBL's three wives come forward and tell the story of how he actually died years before and that the Seals got his "double" put in place by Al Qaeda to keep the dream alive. Of course, they won't. I am sure their "freedom" right now depends on them keeping quiet.
And Bin Ladan has decided to remain silent rather then embarrasing the President and the entire country in the most profound way possible. By way our your utter stupidity, you have just forefeited your right to procreate. Fifteen generations of imbecils is enough!
What part of "died years before" didn't you understand? Comprehension a little lacking is it? I guess you just joined the imbecile (which you spelled wrong) club. "Nurse, prep this man for a vasectomy stat".
BIG DEAL it is done don't let the media do what they did in2009,,, Vote for General Colin Powell for Presedent...
lol...what?!
Obama is fond of complaining about all he inherited from Bush. Funny how he doesn't complain about the robust intelligence agencies and skilled special ops units Bush left him.
When killing terrorists one has to remember that there is no King Roach. Others are more than ready to step in and continue. When killing roaches one has to spray the whole area.
He only complains about the bad stuff Bush left ... why would he complain about the good things? He would be liking those things right? Also, he has talked about calling Bush to discuss what had happened.
There was alot of things GWB left to complain about (and he left office early, so Obama's team could start fixing things before the Inauguration). The economy (which is recovering slowly, but recovering), stock market as low as I had ever seen it, two wars (which are ending), and so much more. Three terrorists were killed by their own or us the last four years, yes, the SEALs did the job, but the President has to make that tough call and weigh all the risks. Is your 401k looking a little better than 4 years ago? Everyone I know that lost jobs have jobs now. So when I do look back 4 years ago things have improved and are heading in the right direction.
No my 403b looks worse then it did when GWB was in. BO has helped to further the economic mess that we are in. Dems and their welfare state ..so much corruption..see so many welfare recipients getting cash for nothing, only country in the world that tells you it will PAY you to have a baby. Social Secruity?...not even going to go there. Go GOP. Get the muslim out of office. Oh, God forbid he was a Christian, we'd never hear the end of the dem party haters then. yes obama, and let's keep killing reasonable immigration laws that protect our economy and Americans. Enoough of this foolishness. Yes we can in 2012 vote Republican
Cry us a river there Dwight, I lost 40% of my retirement because of Bush and his "let the markets take care of themselves" policies or lack thereof. Bush was good for a $10 trillion deficit, ignorance leading up to 9/11 and two wars....nothing more...want to know where your money went?....ask Haliburton and Dick Cheney! Want more of the same...vote Romney in November!!!!
Steve - you have been watching too much MSNBC. The cumulative debt from the beginning of time until President Bush left office was $10 trillion. It took President Obama only three years to increase that by almost $6 trillion!! Haliburton and Dick Cheney are not to blame for that. You guys need to start living in the present and stop trying to blame the Bush administration for everything that is wrong in this country. That is not what leaders do.
On Bin Laden, I give President Obama credit for making the decision to go into Pakistan after him. The problem I have is with him trying to make the argument that Mitt Romney would not have done it. If Romney had all of the information the president did, I believe that he would have made the same decision, but we can't know that. The President can claim credit for making a good, and gutsy, decision, but he needs to leave it at that.
The differences are the circumstances...GW got to follow Clinton, Obama had to follow GW.
yes, yes, yes! thank you, Barack. Thank you.