Crisis in '08 to keep Bush in WH feared by retired U.S. Ambassador

[RamboLiberal]

For those of you who don't know Dan Simpson he's a retired U.S. Ambassado. A little bio: Prior to working at the Post-Gazette, he was a career diplomat who worked for every American administration from Lyndon Johnson through George W. Bush. He has served as U.S. Ambassador to several African nations including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and Somalia. Mr. Simpson has also served as served as vice president of the National Defense University in Washington, DC, and as the Deputy Commandant for International Affairs of the U.S. Army War College.

He's a very sober, reasonable man whose columns in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette are always interesting to read even when I don't agree with him. My jaw dropped when this man suggested this. Not that I don't believe it can happen, but only because Simpson is no tinfoilhatter. This is column from yesterday - The Cheney Factor

----

There is also the late-at-night, eerie concern that Mr. Bush has in his head some sort of scenario where, for reasons of national security -- real or drummed up -- the '08 elections will have to be postponed and he will get to stay on. My suspicions have at their base the feeling I have that, given their operating style now, this bunch will not leave the White House easily in 2009.

All one can do at this point is continue to have faith that the American electoral system will somehow -- in spite of the noncandidate vice president problem -- manage to provide us with a decent candidate or two. But by their bad decision in 2004 Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney have made it much more difficult for that system to function as it is supposed to.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07199/802326-374.stm

[HereSince1628]

1. My sleep has been troubled by this for weeks...

I've attributed it to the Cheney caused state of my own mental-ill health, but I just don't see Cheney, the quintessential domineering authoritarian is NEVER going to willingly set aside his administration.

[mattomjoe]

2. I wouldn't lose sleep over it yet.

Even if the Bushies pulled a stunt like that, I think the American people would finally push back on them. Our country has collectively allowed a lot of shit to happen, but this won't happen without major resistance.

[HereSince1628]

7. Actually, it's the "major resistance" part of the equation that infiltrates my sleep

Visons of civil violence bring no sweet dreams.

[Usrename]

14. Push back how?

Organize demonstrations that are illegal to broadcast on TV?

Write more letters to Congress, only this time more strongly worded?

What are the people's options for pushing back?

I'm just wondering what you think would make a difference.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

15. Reminds me of that line from the movie "Aliens"

"What the hell are we supposed to use man? Harsh language?"

[rudy23]

3. Bush is so hell bent on being the anti-FDR, I think he wants to stay on like FDR did

even though that loophole has supposedly been closed up.

[hootinholler]

4. Damn, has he been reading DU? n/t

[BlueEyedSon]

5. The scenario is in Cheney's head. Bush's is empty.

[charlie]

6. Rudy would shit purple

It's what he tried to do and promptly got smacked back into the box for even thinking about it. He'd swallow his head if Bush pulled it off and stayed in the office that rightfully belongs to Rudy.

[Ioo]

8. Unless the toss out Constitution outright - Pres MUST swear in Jan 20

Now I am not saying they won't just toss the constitution out the window, they would, but there is no way he can stay in office. Even is he pushed back elections, on Jan 20 a new dirt bag has to be sworn in.

At that point I suspect that the USA (Or whatever we are called then) would find other nations like France and the UK invade us like we did to those poor folks in Iraq.

The only real difference being that Bush supporters are all for the most part cowards and would not put up much of a fight in the streets. I mean they would bitch and blog, but not really put their life on the line.

[John Q. Citizen]

23. The presidential order to suspend elections (if necessary) is already signed.

Blackwater and their ilk is always available.

They have competant pilots and access to advnced weaponry.

[Supersedeas]

43. There are many players here to consider

[Posteritatis]

9. And one of Reagan's guys as well

Found this link in another thread: one of the assistant SecTreasury guys under Reagan talking about false flag events:

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts07162007.html

[ThomWV]

10. A Year Ago It Seemed Possible, but not now

The country has caught on to this fraud, he will leave on time or be escorted out by US Marshals.

[hvn_nbr_2]

11. This gang has committed so many crimes that they can't possibly allow...

a Democrat to head the Dept of Justice. They will probably do anything to prevent it.

[smoogatz]

12. I doubt the military would support such a thing.

They're every bit as sick of Cheney/Bush as the rest of us. Sicker, maybe, after what Cheney/Bush have done to them.

[AntiFascist]

13. The key thing is Defending the Constitution n/t

[caligirl]

16. When the President orders the military to clear the streets, the military will do nothing, but it is

up to American citizens to fill the streets to demand the Constitution be enforced. The capitol police and DC police can't do the job. the governors need o keep their national guard indoors, and so once the military refuses to obey an order by * to act against the citizens of this country * is finished.

The key is a distinction the Bushies don't understand. Most military officers take their oath to the Constitution, rather than the President as in Sarah Taylor, very seriously. Given * and the VP's past is it any wonder they don't get this?

If * tries to cancel elections there are plenty of Repugs who would suddenly be our friends in the effort to oust them should they refuse to give up their office as stated in the Constitution.

[SoonerPride]

18. The military will all be deployed overseas. Blackwater will secure the homeland.

1. Terror incident
2. Rally to the flag
3. Blame Iran
4. Bomb Iran
5. Call up more troops
6. Forbid domestic protests/unrest/demonstrations
7. Arrest domestic "insurgents" (democrats)
8. Suspend elections "until order is restored" (which would be never)

[caligirl]

21. if they are still overseas then he hasn't an military to order to attack its own citizens.

There are plenty of veterans who would stand up against an order like this and remove *.

There aren't any large infantry bases around DC and when you have to move 1-3000 men, a battalion or brigade, that requires airplanes trucks and staff work. To make those things work requires a fairly intricate amount of work up a line of military officers, plenty of those in the line would refuse to follow. That breakdown prevents * from doing this. Congress would impeach them for this, then the military would recognize the speaker of the house as the commander in chief.

[Usrename]

28. I don't think you understand how this works.

They already have camps ready to start picking people up. How many folks do you think they would have to lock up to subdue any resistance. And, consider that if the emergency is dire enough, which it most likely will be, then they can just take control of the web, and all mail and phone calls, in order to keep any resistance from being organized. Set up block bosses like the Nazis did to report on anyone that does not appear to be a loyal Bushie.

We are in the 21st century now, and they have had a few years to study how folks are networked. Google the term "social networks" and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about. A whole lot of brainpower and money has gone into this stuff (TIA, with Poindexter of Iran/Contra fame, had unlimited funds to devote to this strategy and they will use it if they can).

I'd guess that if they locked up the right 30 people in my own town, then there would be no serious, or at least organized resistance to what they were doing. In a town of 30,000. So nationwide it might require bringing in 300,000 people, which is about how many detention camps they have ready right now.

If they also make it illegal to publicize arrests of insurgents, or to release their names as a national security issue, then who exactly is going to complain? More importantly, who would they complain to? If "they" came and took you tonight, what could anyone do about it? Seriously?

The same problems exist with the military. Most of the National Guard would not be able to be effective as bar to such actions. Normally, they would be a huge deterrent for this kind of coup, but when they are for the most part overseas, and what news they are told is not from a free press, but instead can be totally controlled and fabricated, that changes things.

Personally, I think the Joint Chiefs are the only thing that has been standing in the way of a nuclear first-strike against Iran. The appointment of a War-Czar may be an attempt to circumvent the authority of the Joint Chiefs.

The one thing I know for sure, the Commander in Chief and his advisors are crazy bat-shit insane monsters, so it just doesn't make any sense at all to keep expecting sane behavior from them.

[caligirl]

33. How many people and how many guns are there in america?

In large cities where neighbors often don't even know each other, this might work. whose going to ask? But in smaller towns, I think its harder. The feds can't do this without the cooperation of local governments, many have already refused to cooperate with the feds on other issues. Even the more conservative police dept(read that repug territory in the bay area) in the Northern Calif. town I just moved away from refused to cooperate with the feds on the muslim immigrant interview attempts.

[Usrename]

36. Reminds me of that scene in the movie "Off Limits"...

"When will you people learn, we are never outgunned."

It's hard to imagine a small town anywhere outgunning the US.

But in any event, how are these local governments going to resist? They will be treated as insurgents or terrorists if they don't comply.

How successful have they (or anyone, for that matter) been so far in stopping this criminal cabal?

Didn't Cheney bend California over and sodomize them for several months by shutting off their electricity? And then, didn't he have Gray Davis recalled because he wouldn't apologize to Cheney for being raped (like that guy, Harry Whittington, that Cheney shot in the face did)?

I just don't see how it will be possible for anyone here to resist. People never seem to be able to stand up to a homegrown despot. Historically, it just does not happen. Help may have to come from somewhere outside our government and our borders. Don't know where, really.

[caligirl]

40. Red Dawn was recently on tv.

[Usrename]

44. Yes, it was.

Maybe China will just nuke us.

[datasuspect]

41. people need to take also into consideration the federalization of highly militarized

local and state police forces and other enforcement agencies.

[smoogatz]

32. I hope we're right.

And I hope it doesn't come to that.

[jpgray]

17. This would sink the GOP for a long long time. He just isn't popular enough to pull it off

[SoonerPride]

19. Not without a massive attack. Fear will motivate people to rally round the President.

Worked in 2001 why not once again?

[jpgray]

20. People would be less forgiving after an attack--their argument is "fight them there, not here," etc.

[Cha]

22. I saw that yesterday on

Corrente/boldly shrill.. linked from buzzflash. Not just for :tinfoilhat: DUers anymore!

[bamacrat]

24. I believe it will happen.

I have noticed over the past couple of months more and more ex-official people or other people in some sort of political arena have been alluding to this. No one says what they think will happen, but all say they believe something could happen. I have my idea of what will happen to keep * in the White House, but I will keep it to myself for security reasons.

[Maddy McCall]

25. Does anyone remember when Republicans claimed that Clinton was going to...

cancel elections by declaring a national emergency, thus he would stay in office longer than his two terms?

[Cobalt-60]

31. I wish he had.

[mmonk]

26. No, that might even tip off the ignorant.

They will just adjust the elections for more PNAC clones.

[nolabels]

27. The guy sounds like a republican in fear of bigger loses

In excerpted part of his sentence states "American electoral system will somehow -- in spite of the noncandidate vice president problem"

That wretched electoral college is what got your ignorant party into this problem in the first place, and the Dems don't have any old V.P. running either :P

[tyedyeto]

29. He ain't going to give up power folks, no matter what he says n/t

[illinoisprogressive]

30. An ex Reagan Official is saying the same on Raw Story.

[L. Coyote]

34. Staring into glass balls won't solve problems today.

[uncertainty1999]

35. my guess is they won't stay....

... look at how the republicans who lost during the 06 election ran off in the middle of the night (seemingly) without finishing their work! Bush is probably excited to get out of the white house - so he can exercise many hours a day or do whatever it is he likes to do. The rest of 'em probably have boards of directors to join and stock options to cash in.

[farmboxer]

37. Congress is extremely afraid of Bush and his pals

it does make me wonder why they are so obsequious.

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. One word

Anthrax

[cassiepriam]

39. I keep thinking they may find a way to get Jeb in the WH.

[glitch]

42. Me too. nt