Today's edition of quick hits:
* An emotional return: "The bodies of four Americans killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, earlier in the week were returned to the United States and honored in a somber ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Friday."
* Unrest spreads: "The violently anti-American rallies that have roiled the Islamic world over a video denigrating the Prophet Muhammad expanded on Friday to nearly 20 countries, with demonstrators storming the American Embassy in Tunisia in a deadly clash and protesters in Sudan's capital broadening the targets to include Germany and Britain."
* Knocking down ugly talking points: "The White House on Friday said a report stating the president failed to act on knowledge of a potential attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya was 'absolutely wrong.'"
* The Republicans' contribution to the process: "Army operations and maintenance would lose nearly $7 billion next year, and the Navy more than $4 billion under a looming series of automatic cuts in federal spending. Educational achievement and special education programs would be shaved by $2.3 billion. Hospital insurance would fall $5.6 billion. And, particularly relevant at a moment that world attention is focused on the continuing attacks on United States embassies and consulates abroad, diplomatic programs and embassy security would lose $1.2 billion."
* A development worth watching: "The Obama administration asked YouTube to review the trailer for the anti-Muslim film 'Innocence of Muslims,' officials confirmed Friday."
* Nearing a resolution in Chicago: "Five days into the teachers' strike that has halted classes for 350,000 public school students across this city, leaders on both sides of a contract fight said Friday afternoon that they had an outline in place for an agreement that could clear the way for schools to reopen Monday."
* Really, Cavuto? "Fox's Neil Cavuto and his guest used Tuesday's attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya to push for more domestic drilling and construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. But experts say that neither will reduce our vulnerability to price spikes, and that the only way to achieve true energy security is to use less oil."
* And in case anyone heard the allegation, the truth is clear: U.S. Marines at the U.S. embassy in Cairo were not prohibited from carrying live ammunition.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Leave a Comment:
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-- "Judge throws out Walker's union bargaining law. Walker's law repealing most collective bargaining for local and school employees was struck down by a Dane county judge Friday." Good news!
That's bad news for democracy.
Lol! As if anyone on the right was seriously interested in democracy!
This is certainly disgraceful, but I have to say that BS like this is one reason why I never thought it was a good idea to (rhetorically) back off of the climate change fight and try to sneak in the same goals in the name of "energy independence" instead. Like most attempts by liberals to avoid fights with conservatives, it relies on the idea that they are arguing in good faith in their opposition to our goals (such as addressing climate change.) This is almost never the case, so you go from conversations like this:
"Climate change is a looming disaster"
"Screw you, drill more so I can pay less to drive my SUV!"
to this:
"Reducing our dependence on oil from dangerous parts of the world is important."
"Great, let's drill more so I can pay less to drive my SUV!"
Much better to fight for what we actually want.
Jeez, Redshift, sounds like you're coming around. There's a reason our side has lost natural majorities and it's because our side has been politically impotent and incompetent in the face of bullies. We need to fight these basturds and punch them in the mouth.
Yeah,yeah but-I for one find arrogant ignorance amusing. So all in all, watching the right while I listen to "I won't back down" is almost as thrilling as watching a republican bungee jump a four hundred foot cliff using a five hundred foot length of bungee cord.
National security is complex. Newly minted democracies are by their nature unstable. Our steadiness and resolve are key to helping these unstable places become mature. That said, just a few days ago in Colorado was a massacre of a magnitude greater than what happened in Libya. And several years ago there was the Rodney King sparked violence. I certainly did not hear a call for a war on American violence as a war on terror.
Systems matter. A reactionary CEO like person can make matters much worse. The same temperament needed for a smallish, fast paced company like Bain is not the same temperament needed when dealing with complex systems where the more things change, the more they say the same sometimes.
Our long term national security is linked with our Universities and Colleges graduating skilled graduate students. Romney's policy paper hints of a reduction in graduate school support. Where will we get the skills needed to create the weapon systems and software needed to protect our selves? To make matters worse, the Romney budget calls for a reduction of 40% for college educational support. A person running for President has to have an understanding of systems as well as tools to make complex choices quickly. My guess is that Romney has the tool set, but not the necessary systems view or temperament or he would view Graduate school education differently.
Those folks of all political views that value the schools that they went to and national security need to think carefully about what Romney wants to do with college and university funding.
Don't worry Red, whether BO is reelected or Mitt wins, the XL Pipeline will be green lighted in January.
XL for extra leaky. Yes the big oil companies will pay off the right people eventually. Meanwhile back in Antarctica...
"How long can you tread water?"
Paul...,
Ah, but that's the beauty part! The right people (pun intended) get to make money at the expense of everyone else.
Romney's defenders ask with great exasperation, "If this isn't the time for him to talk about foreign policy, when is?” So glad they asked. How about sometime, anytime, in the last year. (By the way, "I'll be tougher" does not qualify as a foreign policy.) Barring that, however, the next best answer is after the fires have been put out and the bodies have at least gone cold. The neo-cons can spend all day tying themselves up in knots trying to justify the unjustifiable, but to no avail. No amount of verbal gymnastics will dispel the notion that by his own actions, Romney revealed himself to be an opportunistic amateur wannabe incapable of putting the nation's interest before his own. He revealed that he doesn't have the capacity or coolness to be trusted as commander in chief nor entrusted with the future of our country.
I just read an article about the attacks on our embassies in the Middle East that I think says something that needs to be talked about and addressed. The hypothesis was that the intensity of the attacks was too much for just a movie that never really got played. Something else was causing the anger and the movie was just an excuse or maybe the last straw that set off the rampage. That something else was the US' support for totalitarian governments both before and now.
The government in Tunisia shows no respect for the rule of law and arbitrarily imprisons and tortures people who peacefully protest against their actions.
Bahrain is a basket case. We supported some rather nasty people in Yemen and Mubarak in Egypt, a classic case of nasty person. We did nothing when Israel invaded Lebanon and was bombing cities all over the country and even provided them the cluster bombs that they spread all over the south of Lebanon. In short, we haven't been behaving in accordance with our own standards of decency and people have been getting upset about for a long time. Maybe if we stopped acting like some sort of Mafioso enforcer, these kinds of things wouldn't be as severe as they are.
As for these things not occurring if the Mittster were president, there may be some truth to that. Judging from his past actions, if he were president, these countries would have broken relations with us quickly and thus we wouldn't have any embassies to attack.
If we were a Country who apologizes for freedom of speech that hurts people, induces panic, and violence, and propaganda. Wouldn't we be apologizing for Fox News on a daily basis..
I think you mean thanking Fox News for at least getting us real news. Not Obama news line
Translating "real news" from baggerspeak, you get "Ideologically Sound lies".
There has been a great deal of talk about how the economy will affect the outcome of the election - I would like to know if there is any data about the election having an affect on the economy, more specifically: is there any data about all the $millions being poured into campaign ads - where does that money go, and does it improve the economy? also, all that $$ the Fed is willing to pour into bonds: regardless of the political impact, wouldn't it be more effective, economically, just to send checks to families/consumers who would spend it?
finally, thanks for your excellent reporting and different perspectives on the situation in the Middle East . . . and God bless Richard Engel!
Rachel herself said last night to be wary of anyone trying to blame these attacks on the video, but now that's what we're getting from the White House. I am an Obama supporter, and will be voting for him in November, but I hope that Rachel will not gloss over these things just because it's election season. I got the sense last night that she was trying to give us the facts without pointing out that the facts tended to contradict the administration's comments in some respects.
And you think it ok for your leaders to lie to you and control the narrative from the media? Not saying the other guys would be much better, but that's the start of a very slippery slope.
I'm not sure why you're asking me that question; it doesn't seem to follow from what I said.
I accidentally upvoted my own post and can't undo it; just wanted to disclose that. Anyway, tonight Rachel seemed to steer completely clear of the issue aside from pointing out that the FBI's tentative conclusion again points to a group tied (probably loosely, as she pointed out last night) to Al Qaeda. It seems to be separate from the ignorance-fueled protests and (as she said before) more likely linked to the call for revenge for Abu Yahya Al-Libi's assassination. I think the dodgy origins of the video deserve more discussion, too; apparently there are Coptic Christians in exile from Egypt involved there...or something... (clear reporting is hard to come by.)
"Fox's Neil Cavuto and his guest used Tuesday's attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya to push for more domestic drilling and construction of the Keystone XL pipeline."
Uh, okaaay.......please explain how this would reduce the risk of attacks on our consulate in Libya.
And the issue was a YouTube video, not oil.
Whenever there is civil unrest in the middle-east, the price of oil shoots up because we and the rest of world are so dependent on middle-east oil. When Iran saber rattles or threatens to cut off the straits of hormuz, the price of Brent oil spikes. By having more oil from North American sources, WTI will not rise as much as Brent. Thats how the XL pipeline will mute the effects of middle-east turmoil.
And the sorry state of Virginia abortion politics continues - no grandfathering of existing abortion facilities
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/virginia-health-board-reconsiders-abortion-clinic-regs/2012/09/13/d83ecf32-fe05-11e1-8adc-499661afe377_blog.html?tid=pm_local_pop
Romney and Ryan talk about resolve, but what does that really mean? The Republicans would send in the military blindly without even knowing who caused what. And in the result of that would cause more trouble without any real solutions, except to cause more people to listen to extremists of hatred that keeps up the misery, despair, and death. Bush did this same thing and where did it get us no solutions, except endless fighting while Bush, Chenney, and their cronies were in control. President Obama is at least looking to do better solutions than to just blindly do stupid things and better solutions without fighting in a war is always better, because you don’t have senseless hatred that leads to all this violence. President Obama is stuck with cleaning up the Republicans mess. And as a result of the Republican mess it now takes more time to fix it all and change the mindset that America is some terrible country. You cannot sit there and blame President Obama or how these people continue to look at America, when we still have these idiot Republicans such as Romney and Ryan who keep it up with their literal nonsense and lack of thought.
And on top of it, all our officials working in these countries are at risk as President Obama works to clean up this Republican mess. Hopefully, all these politicians will finally learn their lesson from all this, but the way it is looking that might be a lot to hope for.
Yea sure thing Deb, Check your gas pump in 2 weeks QE3. I guess that was Bush fault too. Maybe you need to research who really caused the mess, maybe Clinton.
Deb by the way, we received another CREDIT DOWN GRADE AA- Good job Obama, I guess that was Bush fault as well. Sound like spending 1 trillion more than taking in. WOW
No, Hot Rod, it was the GOTea House's fault. Try to figure it out will ya? Don't work too hard, though, caus's it's probably past your abilities.
Well Skippy the Punk again. You don't have clue, Take your so called uneducated crap and re educate yourself Moron. Your so worried about somebody making buck, your to stupid to figure it out. Start with the Community Reinvestment Act. That Clinton reformed and signed in. and Why Obama with Acorn road on the horse sued Citibank over 189 Plaintiffs that couldn't qualify for mortgage loans. And how only 19 of the mortgage owner currently left from foreclosures. Don't believe-- public record Cook County, Chicago, Illinois. Jarrett scored big pay days with Obama on the sales of the Homes. Raines, Waters,Frank, and Dodd are the key factors, for fair housing to unqualified and liar loans. Just like the Incompetent behavior while Our Embassies are being attacked playing in Vegas, what a FOOL he is. He'll go on an apology tour, the coward he is. With draw all embassy personnel, with withdraw all sponsored funding to countries permanently. And you screwballs out of desperation trying to hang a bogus hat on Romney about Obama dereliction as Commander in Chief.
Hey, Disgusted..., doncha just love all the fact-free babberbabble this thread is attracting? (rolls eyes)
Indeed, @EntropyRules. It's disturbing to see conservatives constantly posting complete nonsense as though it's the God's honest truth brought down from the mountain by Moses.
June...,
IMNSHO, it is an inevitable result of the absurdly permissive view of "freedom of speech" that has nearly always held sway in the US and which has become worse and worse as time goes on.
Mistakes can be fixed, unfortunately stupidity takes a lot more work to cure.
Romney supporters assure everyone today that embassy problems would not have happened in a Romney Presidency. They also confirmed that Mitt could make pizza without dough and grow tomato plants in cement!
I wouldn't be suprised to find a Republican Pac behind that movie. Can't wait to get some backround on this guy.
A Rethuglican PAC and or one or more Theologically Correct right-wing religious groups.
Why are you all missing the point that this was a planned attack and the movie was an excuse?
Amen to fcfactcheckers.....now to the topic of this blog....isn't it appalling that while Obama was giving his condolences to the families at Andrews AirForce Base, his campaign was sending out tweets begging for funding....what a disgrace...21 countries are uprising, Obama was burned in effigy in AFghan today...two marines killed...this isn't over. so much for the la la songs of BO in praise of the Arab spring...this is an icestorm and is Obama's war; this is not about a movie; this is about Islamic law speaking out against the great satan.
Teabag alert!
Oh my f*cking god, it's a bug! Please someone step on it! Eeek! Gross!
Republicans get all excited about voter fraud (with miniscule evidence + no motivation for individual deception because of risk of being arrested), yet are against doing anything about global warming (with overwhelming evidence + survival of humanity at stake). Maybe if they felt that preventing global warming would help them get rid of President Obama, they would be all in favor of it.
I'm glad Rachel had the "Obama might be gay" story to cheer her up. At the start of the show, I hadn't seen her that mad about something that didn't involve politifact.
Big news from Maddow? Obama gay? Boy was she radiant! What a waste of news time when the Middle East is praying on our weak and whimpy president. Let's continue to cross our legs and smile and say let's negotiate. His plans were to take 128 million out of the budget for embassy security...smart move. Libya warned weeks ago that that embassy was not secure...BO was to interested in going to Vegas rather than addressing this. Let's go on the air and talk to Whimp the Pimp. Quite appropriate.
Rufus - It was President Obama's support that provided the people of Libya the opportunity to topple Qaddafi in the first place - and that took courage. The same kind of courage that pursued and took out bin Laden and that has been more productive in taking apart Al Qaeda in three years than Bush was in eight - and by the way, it's "preying," not "praying," but that mistake is indicative of the rest of the "facts" and complete nonsense contained in your post.
June Day....the Middle East is worse off today because Quaddafi is gone and bin Laden is a hero to the Middle East and Obama is being burned in effigy in Afghanistan and our embassies are being breached and our troops being slaughtered because Al Qaeda is more determined than ever to attack America. As to "praying" vs "preying"....I said what I meant...praying because they pray three times a day to Allah to help defeat the West and thank Allah for providing the opportunity through the weakness of policy by the US through out the world.
O prophet Rufus6' are you still a voice in the wilderness? You should pray for our restoration four times a day, perhaps we will overcome the evil-doer?!!
You, republicans are always crying out to whoever will listen: "Our hands are clean! Republicans have spilt no innocent blood!!"
Prophet Rufus6', I am curious...what does your republican god tell you about the future of Iran?
October will be a surprise
Yes prophet Rufus6', but we need details. Details are what makes a prophet, a Prophet.
From Raymond Ibrahim, posted on Sept. 10. No mention of any stupid movie:
"Jihadi groups in Egypt, including Islamic Jihad, the Sunni Group, and Al Gamaa Al Islamiyya have issued a statement threatening to burn the U.S. Embassy in Cairo to the ground. According to El Fagr, they are calling for the immediate release of the Islamic jihadis who are imprisonment and in detention centers in the U.S. including Guantanamo Bay.
"The Islamic Group has threatened to burn the U.S. Embassy in Cairo with those in it, and taking hostage those who remain [alive], unless the Blind Sheikh is immediately released."