TOONS: Democrats Soft On Terror?

[BLUSH]

If the GOP has taught us anything, it's that you ATTACK your opponent's greatest strength and turn it into a weakness!

When will we learn? Why is Obama on the defense regarding National Security and the War On Terror? Why isn't Obama and the party out there, on offense, asserting vociferously and unceasingly that:

"The Republican Party cannot be trusted to protect us (e.g., 9/11 and anthrax attacks); the Republican Party has surrendered in the war on terror (instead occupying countries that didn't attack us)."

[BLUSH]

1. Obama Blasts GOP Anti-Terror Tactics

Posted on Jun 17, 2008

Is someone soft on terror because he thinks the president shouldn’t be able to indefinitely imprison anyone, for any reason? John McCain and his surrogates seem to think so. Barack Obama fired back on Tuesday, blaming Osama bin Laden’s freedom on the failure of Republican strategies.

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/20080617_obama_blasts_gop_terror_tactics/

[hootinholler]

2. I'd like to see a little evidence of fighting fascism at home!

Seriously, where and when? Show me, please, I'll feel so much better.

-Hoot

[BLUSH]

3. Impeaching the Fascist-in-Chief ...

Kucinich Introduces Impeachment Articles Against Bush

Kucinich, a former contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, pointed to "high crimes and misdemeanors" committed by the Bush administration, including misrepresenting intelligence in the lead-up to the war, violating domestic and international laws against torture, illegally spying on American citizens, obstructing justice and governmental oversight, and dozens of other violations.

http://www.truthout.org/article/kucinich-introduces-impeachment-articles-against-bush

Rep. Wexler Joins Kucinich on Bush Impeachment

The Articles present a stunning narrative of offenses that have go well beyond previous crimes committed by any US chief executive. In fact no President or Vice President in history has done more to undermine our constitution.

These charges are broad, with 35 separate allegations including the deliberate lies regarding WMDs that led us to war and the approval of illegal wiretapping of American citizens. The Articles also include new allegations of high crimes – including the explicit approval for high Administration officials to violate treaties and US law banning the use of torture.

http://blog.pdamerica.org/?p=1914

[hootinholler]

4. Like I said.

I'm well aware of Mr. Kucinich's well written articles of impeachment to which the Democratic leadership is vehemently opposed. Yes, I'm also aware that Wexler co-sponsored and it has picked up 2 other co-sponsors.

So, obviously I do not consider this evidence that the Democratic Party is fighting fascism. Indeed it is evidence to the contrary.

-Hoot

[BLUSH]

5. then they should take Kucinich's lead

and run a campaign on fighting fascism at home (and terrorism abroad).

[BLUSH]

6. Obama: GOP Tactics The Reason bin Laden Is Still Free

WASHINGTON — A defiant Barack Obama said Tuesday he would take no lectures from Republicans on which candidate would keep the U.S. safer, a sharp rebuke to John McCain's aides who said the Democrat had a naive, Sept. 10 mind-set toward terrorism.

"These are the same guys who helped to engineer the distraction of the war in Iraq at a time when we could have pinned down the people who actually committed 9/11," the presumed nominee told reporters aboard his campaign plane. "This is the same kind of fear-mongering that got us into Iraq ... and it's exactly that failed foreign policy I want to reverse."

The debate between the rival camps echoed the 2004 presidential campaign in which President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other Republicans argued that Democratic nominee John Kerry was soft on terror, a claim that resonated with voters and helped propel Bush to re-election. Democrats complained that the GOP was using the politics of fear.

Beth Fouhy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/17/obama-gop-tactics-the-rea_n_107650.html

[TexasObserver]

7. k&r

nice work

[BLUSH]

8. Bush: I Care About Bin Laden Again

The last year in a president's term is always the legacy year, a twelve month countdown to leave on a high note and look good for the history books. But this redoubled effort to bag Osama bin Laden is a pitiful stretch to rescue what is already a writhing abortion of American stature, both home and abroad.

It took a presidential election to change his mind on bin Laden, which has has moved from viciously wanted to casually forgotten and back again. It didn't take 390 Taliban prisoners being freed in a suicide attack to get Afghanistan back in the news, or a 50% uptick in violence in the U.S. controlled southern region. It was simply a few words from the guy on his way out to find the glaring asterik of his presidency somewhere in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan.

http://vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1450

[BLUSH]

9. McCain's terror errors

McCain used to champion a common-sense, values-based approach to terrorism. Now he's criticizing Obama for doing the same thing.

June 19, 2008

No one wants to be the first candidate to invoke Sept. 11. As a campaign tactic, 9/11 chest-thumping has become both predictable and tacky. So this week, John McCain's campaign hit on a creative solution: Invoke Sept. 10.

Sept. 10? Yup. Barack Obama has "a Sept. 10 mind-set," McCain foreign policy advisor Randy Scheunemann informed reporters Tuesday. The idea, as Scheunemann explained for those too thick to grasp the implied insult, is that a "naive" Obama just doesn't get it about terrorism.

Obama's offense? He praised the U.S. Supreme Court's June 12 decision that Guantanamo prisoners, detained for years without charge or trial, should be able to ask federal courts to rule on their continued detention.

Does Obama have a "Sept. 10" mind-set, whatever that is? No.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-brooks19-2008jun19,0,547319.column

[caffeinefwee]

10. flip flop

[BLUSH]

11. PETITION

Here's a chance to show we are strong on The War On Fascism:

FIGHT FISA, SIGN THE PETITION

We'll deliver your name and comments to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and both of your senators.

https://secure.aclu.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=Reid_FISA_petition3&s_s=AO

[BLUSH]

12. petition

:kick:

[malaise]

13. Kick n/t

[Jack Rabbit]

14. Very nice, but

. . . after yesterday, how can any one say that the Democrats are fighting fascism at home with a straight face?

[BLUSH]

15. thats why we need to petition our senators

I posted a petition from the ACLU above

We're supposed to be the party that fights fascism.

We're supposed to be the party of civil liberties.

FDR, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter

[Jack Rabbit]

16. Done,

!!

[BLUSH]

17. good news ...

Statement of Senator Dodd on FISA Compromise

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today made the following statement in response to the compromise reached on the legislation that would reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA):

“I cannot support the so-called ‘compromise’ legislation announced today. This bill would not hold the telecommunications companies that participated in the President’s warrantless wiretapping program accountable for their actions. Instead, it would simply offer retroactive immunity by another name.

“As I have said time and time again, the President should not be above the rule of law, nor should the telecommunications companies who supported his quest to spy on American citizens. I remain strongly opposed to this deeply flawed bill, and I urge my colleagues in Congress to join me in supporting American’s civil liberties by rejecting this measure.”

http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/4466


Statement of Senator Feingold On FISA Deal

“The proposed FISA deal is not a compromise; it is a capitulation. The House and Senate should not be taking up this bill, which effectively guarantees immunity for telecom companies alleged to have participated in the President’s illegal program, and which fails to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans at home. Allowing courts to review the question of immunity is meaningless when the same legislation essentially requires the court to grant immunity. And under this bill, the government can still sweep up and keep the international communications of innocent Americans in the U.S. with no connection to suspected terrorists, with very few safeguards to protect against abuse of this power. Instead of cutting bad deals on both FISA and funding for the war in Iraq, Democrats should be standing up to the flawed and dangerous policies of this administration.”

http://feingold.senate.gov/~feingold/statements/08/06/20080619f.htm