They're going to try to swiftboat Obama

[woolldog]

Special ops group attacks Obama over bin Laden bragging, leaks
ReutersBy Mark Hosenball | Reuters

http://news.yahoo.com/special-ops-group-attacks-obama-over-bin-laden-011757844.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of former U.S. intelligence and Special Forces operatives is set to launch a media campaign, including TV ads, that scolds President Barack Obama for taking credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden and argues that high-level leaks are endangering American lives.

Leaders of the group, the Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund Inc, say it is nonpartisan and unconnected to any political party or presidential campaign. It is registered as a so-called social welfare group, which means its primary purpose is to further the common good and its political activities should be secondary.

[jpbollma]

1. this will be ugly

If they do this, I hope the Democrats keep up the attacks and completely unleash on Romney. There is far more they have on him.

[JaneyVee]

2. Yup. That's exactly what they're about to do. This is ESPECIALLY concerning:

Calling itself "OPSEC" for short - which in spy jargon means "operational security" - the anti-leak group incorporated last June in Delaware, a state that has the most secretive corporate registration rules in the U.S.
It also set itself up as a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)4 of the U.S. Tax Code, allowing it to keep donors' identities secret. Spokesmen for the group declined to discuss its sources of financing.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. You know what endangers American lives?

Releasing the names of CIA operatives. That's what.

[RedStateLiberal]

4. +1

[Scuba]

42. + Another

[Veritas Omnia Vincit]

47. It also endangers our allies

You know, like the doctor (Shakil Afridi) who aided us with finding OBL in Pakistan and is now imprisoned by our Pakistani friends for treason in assisting the US. He will spend 33 years in a Pakistani prison. Leaks regardless of party affiliation need to be identified and prosecuted. Not when it's politically convenient but all the time every time.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

48. Who was responsible for that leak? Rove?

[Veritas Omnia Vincit]

53. LET'S FIND OUT

If they use a special prosecutor perhaps we can find out. If the leaks matter as much to our current administration it should be a non-issue. After all when Plame was leaked a special prosecutor was put in place to find out who. Not everyone involved was prosecuted, you can draw an appropriate conclusion but at least we know how it started.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

56. I'm not familiar with the case. Is there a credible allegation...

... the Obama administration leaked classified information?

[Veritas Omnia Vincit]

58. FBI

As of early June there was an FBI investigation into several leaks, the FBI doesn't indicate which leaks it is pursuing at the moment. Their investigation will be quieter, sometimes a special prosecutor can get to the meat of the issue quickly. Even Feinstein called for hearing over the Stuxnet leaks, I believe she has backed away a bit since. But it's clear that several in congress and the senate on both sides of the aisle have concerns.

[Baitball Blogger]

61. Do you have a link to your source?

[lunatica]

69. Link? Or links?

Thanks. Sorry I can't take your word for it.

[Veritas Omnia Vincit]

95. research

right because typing "White House Leaks Investigated by FBI" into google to prove me wrong was really tough...

I've provided links below, as stated I was interrupted by my livelihood sorry I didn't post fast enough for you let me know you think I am a liar.

[lunatica]

96. It has long been an established custom in DU for

Last edited Thu Aug 16, 2012, 07:34 PM - Edit history (1)

posters to back up their claims with links not only to prove the veracity of their statements but also to give other DUers a quick way to do some of their own research.

By the way, thank you for the links.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

73. Do you have a link to the story(s)?

[Veritas Omnia Vincit]

94. LINKS

SORRY, work got in the way and I didn't post these yesterday as was my intent...stuxnet listed below

http://articles.cnn.com/2012-06-06/politics/politics_white-house-leaks_1_leaks-sensitive-information-intelligence-authorization-bill?_s=PM


http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/12/us-usa-security-leaks-idUSBRE85B1L520120612

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/us/national-security-leaks-lead-to-fbi-hunt-and-news-chill.html?pagewanted=all

Not too hard to find these articles, a pattern of leaks was sufficient enough for Holder to have 2 US Attorneys head the probes. When Diane Feinstein thinks the leaks are a problem and coming from somewhere in the White House, it's a least worth a look see...

[UnrepentantLiberal]

88. .

[Missycim]

49. I agree with you 100%

leaks should not be tolerated on any level.

[yurbud]

81. and starting unnecessary wars that actually TAKE American lives and a million non-Americans too

[msongs]

5. just show the clips of Bush saying bin laden means nothing to him anymore nt

[JaneyVee]

11. HERE:

Bush TRULY NOT CONCERNED about Bin Laden:

[JaneyVee]

6. Someone in the media ask OPSEC if they give ANY credit to the Obama administration, because

if not you can believe that this secretive group is nothing more Koch Bros/Adelson funded astro-turf.

[freshwest]

24. +1,000

[spanone]

7. nobody's gonna buy that shit. fuck them.

[maddezmom]

8. I think the Obama Camp is ready...

[woolldog]

15. great vid, tks! *

[Rosa Luxemburg]

9. This group is fraudulent

If they try these types of attacks then they won't last long. If Bush had captured Bin Ladin then they woulld be fawning.

[GallopingGhost]

25. EXACTLY right.

There would be none of this "the president didn't kill Bin Laden, special forces did" crapola.

Well, no shit! That's their job; it's what they're trained to do.

Bush would have put on his flight suit and taken on the mission personally?

The right is so hate-filled and hypocritical they won't give Obama credit for anything.

[Lex]

10. Obama's campaign response will be NOTHING like what Kerry did (or didn't do).

It will be harsh and quick and painful for them.

[blm]

20. Big difference when you're already president. Plus, Kerry was on his own. Most Dems on TV

then were vigorously defending Bush's military leadership in iraq (Bill Clinton, Joe Lieberman)

There were also major media manipulations at the time. Kerry said in 2003 that he would not allow FCC to expand media ownership. Dan Rather has said that corpmedia wanted that expansion and expected to get it in a second Bush term. They did. That is why media downplayed Kerry's very tough counterattack on the swifts, refusing to carry the speech to Firefighters Convention where he blasted the swifts as liars and then challenged Bush to debate their services openly instead of hiding behind the swifts. It was blistering. Not one news network would carry it after they received the prepared remarks. And this was the Firefighters Convention where Firefighters in the first election after 9-11 had endorsed Kerry.

I think it's important to not let the lies about that election sit or let the media distortion be repeated.

[HiPointDem]

36. very interesting, thanks.

[farmbo]

76. Very important post... Please read

NT

[Monk06]

12. Unless they identify themselves and their backers and can prove they were SpecOps they're

just another lying GOPAC.

[Live and Learn]

13. Disgusting. nt

[AverageJoe90]

14. Yet another desperation tactic from the Establishment.

This indeed reeks of the same kinda B.S. they pulled on Kerry back in '04.

[CTyankee]

64. And they are so stupid they don't think the Obama people remember it?

Of course, they have a plan in place. They know the playbook very well. This was probably the FIRST thing they planned their counterattack around...

[AverageJoe90]

72. Maybe, but.....

Mitt's been flopping real bad since this spring, CT. I don't think they counted on THAT, at least.

Their only hope now is to flip the votes. At the very least, they might be able to make the election seem like it was closer than it really was(I am beginning to wonder if this may have happened in '08).

[CTyankee]

84. sorry. I wasn't very clear in my post...I meant the Obama people expected a Swift Boat

type of attack and had planned for it ahead of time.

I'm beginning to wonder if the Romney people can manage a 2 car funeral procession. I'm sure they "thought" they'd come up with a Swift Boat deal to try on Obama but are too lame to put it together. And there is a difference: the Swift Boat thing was hazy and based on stuff 35 years in the past. Killing OSL was far more recent and downright daring. Hard to beat that...esp. with this Romney bunch..."the gang that couldn't shoot straight."

[ananda]

16. I just came across this.

Un fucking believable.

[progressivebydesign]

17. You know, with this stuff and Romney's unhinged attacks on the President, I think it will backfire..

I was thinking about this. Romney is getting more shrill, and groups like this are going to be popping up, attack the President in very personal ways.


But.. the issues here is that out of the two, the President is likable. Joe Biden is likable. Romney is not, and the majority of people view Ryan as suspect and too slick.

When the Rovians did this to Kerry, the truth was that Bush was seen as more likable, and when they did this shit to Gore, again.. Bush was more likable, unfortunately. The President has the advantage that he's been in office for four years, and he's likable and his family is beautiful and likable.

So for every attack, it actually makes Romney look worse and less likable, instead of hurting the President. You know how if there is someone at work that the boss doesn't like, and no matter what they do, it seems to be seen negatively. And if the person finds out that someone else is stealing office supplies and tells the boss, the boss ends up being angry with the tattler for telling on their co-worker? It's like that. Romney's BIG mistake is acting like an unmitigated asshole, when most people don't like him to begin with. But perhaps that is his problem.. that's why he has no friends, and has been running for everything and only got lucky once.

[flamingdem]

29. I have to wonder if Ann even likes him n/t

[ananda]

18. Non political my ass!

What did Bush do for seven year wrt bin Laden?

Iraq. Afghanistan. All failed.

[Skip Intro]

19. Dirty politics. Both parties do it. This season looks to be very, very rough.

Kind of exciting but kind of sad too.

[TwilightGardener]

55. No...both parties don't do shit like this.

This sort of shit is the sole province of Republicans.

[Skip Intro]

75. Oh come on.

You really think Biden's "put you back in chains" line was an accident?

My point was that this is what politics has come to in this country. You want to win, you gotta get in the gutter and sling some mud. Just the way it is. And if you think both sides don't do it, you're wearing blinders.

[tabasco]

67. Tell me when Dems did some crap like this...

[Skip Intro]

74. Was talking about campaigns, not individual wackos.

Last edited Thu Aug 16, 2012, 09:05 PM - Edit history (1)

I remember that lady from 04. Sad and ironic, she's making fun of a war hero while supporting a warmonger.

[Cha]

86. No, "both parties" do not do it.

The Democratic Party is nothing like the asshole LYing teabagger republicon party.

So, VP Biden said "chains"..not a BFD.

[Capt. Obvious]

92. Interesting. I thought you would be all over this, condemning it as gutter politics, etc

Last edited Thu Aug 16, 2012, 09:15 AM - Edit history (1)

Skip Intro (16,888 posts)
90. Reid used Romney's dead father to attack him?

I'm sorry. That's just wrong.

Hello gutter.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1054470

[Skip Intro]

97. Not sure what you're trying to say. nt

[Capt. Obvious]

98. Would you like me to draw a picture?

[Skip Intro]

99. yeah...and?

Using a dead parent to attack someone is going to far, imo, and you'd have to be pretty naive to think our party doesn't engage in dirty politics at times.

So...did you have something to add, some comment to offer?

[Capt. Obvious]

100. I guess the picture wasn't enough

And? Your concern trolling is rather blatant.

Do you have something to add to that? Some comment to offer?

[Skip Intro]

102. ah, there it is

Dredging up of old posts and name calling.

And I'm the concern troll? Lol.

Just fyi, if you don't like to read my posts but just can't help yourself, there's an awesome DU feature called "ignore." Maybe you should check it out.

[Capt. Obvious]

103. Thanks for the tip

I already know about ignore and use it.

[Skip Intro]

104. Well good for you. Oh, and happy four month annviersary at DU!

Enjoy your stay.

[Capt. Obvious]

106. Thanks

Enjoy your stay too

[Blue Owl]

21. Let 'em look like the blithering shitbags they truly are

They got nothin'....

[TeamPooka]

22. They can suck my Plame.

[pinboy3niner]

23. To support a chickenhawk candidate over an experienced, tough, Commander-in-Chief?

Thanks, but no thanks, Koch Bros. Inc.

[Drunken Irishman]

26. It won't work. Americans were there when Obama announced bin Laden's death...

They weren't there when Kerry was in Vietnam. They didn't see it. They didn't experience it. They went on word alone. That's going to be a huge difference.

[Summer Hathaway]

27. Exactly

And any mention of Bin Laden's capture brings only one thought to mind, regardless of party affiliation: Dubya didn't, Obama did.

[SunsetDreams]

28. This guy served 2000-2006, is a member of Breitbart group

and the Tea Party. He claims Obama is Un-American, his whole premise is that Obama shouldn't be telling the the Military what to do, and that America got Osama. I'm doing research on this Joker now.

[pinboy3niner]

90. Check out CNN's report

CNN is reporting this morning that (not surprisingly) the "non-partisan" group shares its office in Alexandria, VA with two GOP consulting firms.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/16/politics/former-seals-obama/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[SunsetDreams]

93. interesting!!

This is going to backfire on them. The comments I'm reading so far are not kind to them.

[IndyJones]

30. So, it's Clinton's fault he didn't give the order to kill him when he had the chance, but

Obama can't take credit for giving the order to kill him?

Because you can't really have it both ways.

[ellisonz]

31. Where are the Romney tax returns?

[NBachers]

33. "Where are the Romney tax returns?"

[Warren DeMontague]

32. Yes, it would be TERRIBLE if they kept reminding America who got Osama Bin Laden.

And of course it would be in such stark contrast to the previous occupant of the WH, who was so dignified:

[veganlush]

34. where's breitbart buried? i gotta piss.

[cali]

35. Have a beer on me.

[veganlush]

63. lol

[SunsetDreams]

37. Still researching Ben Smith seeking his 15 minutes of fame but here is more

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021134558

I've been researching Ben Smith, self proclaimed Navy Seal. He served supposedly from 2000-2006, he is a contributor to Breitbart and a member of the Tea Party. He supposedly helped get 13 Tea Partiers elected to Congress. His whole premise is that Obama is Un-American and doesn't have the right to tell the military what to do. America got Osama. Blah Blah. He wrote an open letter to President Obama that is really nonsense. He is also an actor, and IMO he is trying to attach on to Seal Team 6 and gain notoriety. He went on fox news with Heraldo to try and gain accolades. It is BS that he tries to gain notoriety and accuse Obama of bragging, when Obama did nothing of the sort.

After he wrote his open letter to Obama, Snopes disputed his facts http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/navyseal.asp


I'm still researching this guy. He also has a FB.

[Kolesar]

39. Thanks for tracking this

I am going to bookmark this for "later". Don't have an appetite for Geraldo Rivera at this time.

[SunsetDreams]

40. No problem, he has also uploaded all his

interviews to his FB page, even though part of his argument in some of those is that Seals don't seek notoriety, they just do their job. Well what does he think he is doing? This guy just cares about his "fame". He joined FB on May 26 of 2011, after Osama was killed on May 2nd. I'm not sure he even served, it would be interesting to find that out. Even if he did serve between 2000-2006, he would have no direct knowledge of classified info that he claims to have about the operation.

[handmade34]

78. I don't have the stomach to watch it...

but this is the new video for anyway wanting to see

[Democat]

38. Are some of these guys secretly wishing Osama was still alive?

They seem angry that he's dead.

[ejpoeta]

44. as long as he was out there they had a boogey man under the bed.

when people started complaining about all the homeland security bs they could just pull out osama and get people scared again.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

41. Let us assume the mission had failed Carter-style

These people would be blaming the Seals, right?

[malaise]

43. It won't work

The Obama campaign team is ready, willing and able to respond.
Obama gave those orders while Bush, Cheney et al used Bin Laden as a fear tactic.

[nanabugg]

45. It won't work because we all know the disaster created for the nation by the first swiftboaters

I believe there are many voters out there who fell for their smears and came to regret it later. nt

[ProSense]

46. This is stupid.

How do you "swiftboat" with idiotic spin that no one believes and everyone was around when the event took place?

I mean, here's the idiotic message:

"Mr. President, you did not kill Osama bin Laden, America did."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021134111

Absurd.

[gollygee]

50. If a single one of the Republicans who told me

during GWB's presidency that it is unAmerican to speak disrespectfuly of our commander in chief during a time of war, and who were particularly concerned about discussion of Bush evading service in Vietnam with the National Guard, even try to play this game, I will get very upset.

That was a huge run-on sentence. I'm upset.

[Dawson Leery]

52. Remember how the right wing and country klan treated the Dixie Chicks?

These bastards gave Hank Jr. a standing ovation after showing disrespect to the President while troops are in the field.
The Dixie Chicks were accused of the same thing and look what happened to them.

[DearAbby]

51. Don't we have videos of Bush

Saying he wasnt all that concerned about OBL? Why are they suddenly concerned? This will accentuate the point, the GOP failed, Obama succeeded. Get in front of this.

[Arugula Latte]

57. See post #11 above

[TwilightGardener]

54. It won't work. People credit the President when a military mission ordered

or authorized by the President is successful. People blame the President when it's not. No amount of wishing on the part of Republicans that they can take credit away from Obama is going to change that fact.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

59. Right

all you have to do is look at how Carter was viewed when the mission he ordered to rescue the hostages in Iran failed. Had this mission to get OBL failed, the right-wing wouldn't hesitate a micro-second before proclaiming his Presidency and foreign policy an unmitigated failure- hell, they already do and that's with having got OBL.

[Arkana]

60. Let 'em try.

Barack Obama has already proven that he can campaign effectively in the face of intense smear campaigns like this.

[randome]

62. The term 'swift boat', in contemporary politics, only applies to John Kerry.

He did not fight back the way he should have.

I get tired of everyone under the sun trying to apply the term to something else.

[1-Old-Man]

65. I agree with you, that term really has to be reserved for what they did to him

or maybe the better way to say it is what he allowed them to do to him. At any rate there really is no comparison in today's politics, not where a decorated veteran was made out to be a coward and dam near a traitor. It was the most disgracefully bit of political attack in my lifetime.

[Third Doctor]

66. this does look ugly

but from what I've seen the Obama camp is good at returning fire at these people. Unlike the John Kerry people back in 2004.

[outsideworld]

68. Cant wait

It will BACK FIRE

[maxrandb]

70. What does it say about a group of people and the party they support

that they are so filled with hatred for President Obama that they see him as more of an enemy than Osama Bin Laden?

These people truly hate America...AND THAT FACT NEEDS TO BE FORCEFULLY SHOVED UP THEIR ASS by the President's campaign!

I don't think this President will respond like John Kerry did. Kerry should have ripped the swifboaters tits off!

[flamingdem]

85. +1 it's warped beyond belief

[Bake]

71. I don't think it will work this time.

That was a one-trick pony with the SwiftLiars.

Bake

[upi402]

77. yeah

of course

with their media


next

[still_one]

79. Where have you been the last 3 years, that is all they have been doing. As far as

Trying to make this an issue it won't work this time. 9/11 happened under bush because he ignored warnings. He invaded a country based on a lie which cost trillions, killed a million people, destabilizd the middle east, created the Iran problem, and increased energy prices. The most important thing though, they got bin laden under Obama, not bush

[mrmpa]

80. Any security leaks..............

are not coming from the White House. They are coming from the House Select Committee on Intelligence. Who sits on that committee? Michelle Bachmann, enough said?

[yurbud]

82. This stinks of Turd Blossom.

[part man all 86]

83. Look at the source, yahoo news. They hate President Obama and us.

In another OP, the guy that is speaking for the group is former navy seal and is tied to other lobby groups. I can not wait to see what this broke dick group is going to lie about, I relish a unfair fight, because all they have will be lies and I have facts and passion mixed with colorful metaphors.

[Princess Turandot]

87. The response should be the vid of Bush landing in a fighter plane in his little flight suit...

under the banner 'mission accomplished' with a super-imposed flashing date.

The lies which were told about Senator Kerry's Vietnam War service related to events which occurred before many voters were of voting age or were even born.

The nabbing of OBL occurred within recent personal memory for most voters. I imagine that the vast majority of them were pretty damn glad it happened and did some collective kvelling of their own around the water cooler the next day.

[pinboy3niner]

89. CNN: Group claims to be non-partisan but shares office with 2 GOP consulting firms

But it shares an office with two Republican political consulting firms in Alexandria, Virginia. Its spokesman Chad Kolton worked for the Bush administration as a spokesman for the Director of National Intelligence.

Taylor has run for the Republican nomination for Congress in Virginia; Smith said he is a registered Republican but votes independently.

As to who is funding the attack, which was first reported by Reuters, a spokeswoman for the organization would not disclose its donors.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/16/politics/former-seals-obama/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

[Drahthaardogs]

91. Bullshit!

They better all be Former Special Ops guys or they are going to get fired. Hatch Act says they cannot do this.

[Bluenorthwest]

101. That will backfire on them so let them try....

nt

[riverwalker]

105. if they try this

then we need to go medieval on his draft dodging time in France, his FIVE chicken hawk sons driving luxury campaign Winnebago's to "serve their country", his family's refusal to fight for the US in the last 4 generations (except in Utah, when they fought AGAINST the US Federal Marshall's for polygamy). Finding a veteran of any kind in Romney's family tree is like looking for a needle in a haystack, and you find the needle first.
ALL fair game.