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Friday Afternoon Open Thread

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 04:52:17 PM EST
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    Friday Afternoon Open Thread | 21 comments (21 topical)

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    It has happened. (5.00 / 3) (#1)
    by lentinel on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 05:19:52 PM EST
    The Times reports that:" Two missile attacks launched from unmanned American aircraft killed at least 15 people in western Pakistan on Friday, suggesting that the strategy of using drones to kill militants inside Pakistan's own borders would continue under President Obama.

    ...the attacks have also killed civilians, ...
    In the second attack, missiles struck a house near the village of Wana in South Waziristan, killing seven people, according to local accounts and Pakistani news reports. The reports said three of the dead were children.

    I have wondered what it must feel like - to be responsible for military action that kills children.

    Now Obama nows what it feels like.
    Or, he has the same mechanism that his predecessors have had of being able to numb one's soul.

    This does not augur well for America.

    This won't be the last (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by jbindc on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 05:23:59 PM EST
    I guess you just become inured.  

    But no one is paying attention to this - we are still basking in the glow of inauguration and celebrating that the Blackberry gets to stay.

    [ Parent ]

    Maybe... (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by lentinel on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 05:50:12 PM EST
    Maybe the so-called "left" - or so-called "progressives" or so-called humanitarians or so-called liberals or so-called people who are against this kind of soulless pointless warfare could pay attention to it and scream bloody murder.

    Are we so pleased with Obama's half-assed closing of GItmo and half-assed sort of maybe ending of torture that we are going to go back to sleep while the slaughter continues?

    Have we no leaders?

    [ Parent ]

    He's definitely living (none / 0) (#2)
    by ThatOneVoter on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 05:22:36 PM EST
    up to a major campaign promise here.
    Where's Salo? I'd love to read his take on this.

    [ Parent ]
    Obama to the GOP, "I Won" (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by Molly Bloom on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 05:39:31 PM EST
    Per Political Animal

    Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) told the president that the Democratic plan to give a tax credit to those who don't pay income taxes isn't a tax cut, but rather, a check. Obama responded that this was a common point of debate during the presidential campaign -- McCain/Palin called Obama's plan "welfare" -- and voters were not swayed by Republican arguments. "I won," Obama told lawmakers.
    I like this style of "listening" (5.00 / 4) (#5)
    by ThatOneVoter on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 05:45:20 PM EST
    to Republicans!

    [ Parent ]
    it gets better (5.00 / 4) (#17)
    by Molly Bloom on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 09:53:03 PM EST
    WASHINGTON -- President Obama warned Republicans on Capitol Hill today that they need to quit listening to radio king Rush Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats and the new administration.

    "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," he told top GOP leaders, whom he had invited to the White House to discuss his nearly $1 trillion stimulus package.



    [ Parent ]
    Who said that Obama lacks (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by BackFromOhio on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 10:56:02 PM EST
    a sense of humor?  

    [ Parent ]
    YES (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by cal1942 on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 11:46:40 PM EST
    "I won," Obama told lawmakers.

    Right on the money. There's no need whatever for bending to include Republicans.  I would hope the Congressional leadership, especially given their big majorities, will actually realize that they hold the cards. If there is to be any bi-partisan cooperation it should come from Republicans supporting Democratic legislation. There's no need to compromise.

    I'm a little more comfortable with Obama.

    [ Parent ]

    Nice post (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by Steve M on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 05:49:37 PM EST
    from eriposte on Lessons from FDR.  Interested in BTD's thoughts.

    worth reading (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by Molly Bloom on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 07:47:25 PM EST
    thanks for pointing it out.

    [ Parent ]
    A most surreal front page currently (5.00 / 2) (#13)
    by Dr Molly on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 07:25:57 PM EST
    on Huffington Post. Large banner at top reads "Commander in Chief" with a photo of Obama and, underneath, the caption "First missile strikes launched since Obama took oath".

    It sure looks like glorification of this action with the Commander in Chief headline.

    Mission Accomplished? (none / 0) (#14)
    by ThatOneVoter on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 07:26:30 PM EST
    That's creepy.

    [ Parent ]
    Not going to hold (none / 0) (#6)
    by SOS on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 05:45:54 PM EST
    my breath believing wars and conflicts are suddenly going to end anytime soon.

    Sad to say . . disappointing but I suppose we should be grateful Bush didn't get us into a Nuke Shootout.

    Did anyone watch a CNN (none / 0) (#7)
    by ThatOneVoter on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 05:47:36 PM EST
    segment on ex detainees who now are possible terrorists? I was reading subtitles while I was riding a stationary bike at the gym..
    I could tell they were trying to scare people, but I thought they said one guy went back to making shoes..

    Same old same old (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by lentinel on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 06:02:31 PM EST
    The Times ran the same "story" today.

    Then, when and if you scroll down the article, you find that they add, "Although the Pentagon has said that dozens of released Guantánamo detainees have "returned to the fight," its claim is difficult to document, and has been met with skepticism. In any case, few of the former detainees, if any, are thought to have become leaders of a major terrorist organization like Al Qaeda in Yemen, a mostly homegrown group that experts say has been reinforced by foreign fighters."

    This is the same machine at work that the Bush administration employed to short-circuit any moves to peace before and during the war in Iraq.

    Now Biden or Clinton, taking up Cheney's role, can say on the Sunday bullshit news shows that released detainees might now be big time terrorists. Their source? The New York Times. (The place where they planted the story.)

    Every time I feel we might be progressing a little, I get drawn back to reality by these all too familiar exercises in manipulative propaganda.

    The headline screams: DETAINEE BECOMES HEAD OF AL QAEDA.

    The story says, although he might actually be going back to join his relative's shoe store...

    [ Parent ]

    Must give credit to Steve M who observed (5.00 / 2) (#15)
    by Molly Bloom on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 07:46:52 PM EST
    if true, this says more about Bush incompetence since they let him go without bothering to ascertain the facts.

    [ Parent ]
    Well now we know (none / 0) (#12)
    by CoralGables on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 06:07:17 PM EST
    what cobbler probably made the famous Ducati Model 271.

    [ Parent ]
    Take a break (none / 0) (#8)
    by SOS on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 05:48:49 PM EST
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejgqyEviSyk

    Obameter (none / 0) (#19)
    by CoralGables on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 11:40:21 PM EST
    a good site to save if you like to back check on campaign promises. The St Petersburg Times keeps a running tab on some 500 Obama campaign promises with everything from closing Guantanamo to getting a dog, with a running tally as to progress.

    Guess i could have (none / 0) (#20)
    by CoralGables on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 11:41:04 PM EST
    included it

    Obameter

    [ Parent ]

    Friday Afternoon Open Thread | 21 comments (21 topical)

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