Today's edition of quick hits:
* A very long day for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Capitol Hill, where she faced the exact same questions from congressional Republicans, over and over again, about a Benghazi attack they still hope to exploit for partisan gain.
* Allen cleared: "A Defense Department inquiry into potentially inappropriate e-mails between Gen. John R. Allen, the American commander in Afghanistan, and a socialite in Tampa, Fla., has cleared him of wrongdoing, senior Pentagon officials disclosed Tuesday."
* Since Allen did nothing wrong, his NATO nomination will advance: "The White House said Wednesday that it would move forward with the nomination of Gen. John R. Allen as the top NATO commander now that he has been cleared of wrongdoing."
* Iraq: "A crowded tent full of Turkmen funeral mourners in northern Iraq was transformed into a mass killing ground on Wednesday by a suicide bombing that left at least 35 people dead and 117 wounded, regional officials and tribal leaders said, calling it a genocidal attack meant to further stoke the already-inflamed sectarian tensions in the country."
* I get the feeling Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is a few fries short of a happy meal: "After the hearing, Johnson complained to Buzzfeed that Clinton had planned to become emotional as a way to avoid answering questions:"
* The precarious fate of filibuster reform: "Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), a leading liberal, said Wednesday Democrats do not have enough votes to implement the talking-filibuster reform."
* True: "If USA Today pulled the plug because it was dissatisfied with Gallup's polling, then the paper made a wise move."
* U.S. oil production grew more in 2012 than in any year since the Civil War. That's astounding.
* In his latest outburst, Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) argued that while he's vowed to "support and defend our Constitution," President Obama "upholds ... the Soviet constitution." In related news, Paul Broun is a deeply odd man.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Leave a Comment:
I'm sick of hearing any woman who raises her voice being called emotional. It happens time and time again, and it smacks of misogyny.
Yes, they can repeat their lousy speaking points over and over again and resist telling the truth or answering a question. But let her raise her voice once after being insulted by this fool and that makes this women, who has a backbone of steel, emotional? Please give me a break.
The reason they have even started this charade is because they realize she will be their worst threat in 2016 and they want to destroy her reputation. They were unable to destroy Obama in 2012. Believe me, what you are watching is fear!!!!!
Just like John Boehner becomes emotional as a way to avoid legislating.
I suspect Senator (HA!) Johnson will start wearing garlic when encountering a Democrat.
Wisconsin: Rancid Preibus, Paul Ryan, Ron Johnson, Scott Walker. Is there something in the cheese and beer there that causes this.
Yes. Fermentation.
Norwegian cheese burns
Re: Confederate Traitor Paul Broun: always good to have these dumbasses demonstrate that they're even dumber than they sound when they open their mouths for those cornpone accents.
I think I know the part of the Soviet Constitution that really bothers him - it's part of their "Bill of Rights"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1977_Soviet_Constitution
Well, well, the republicans showed their butts today!
Thankful Mom
The image you just conjured up in my mind with the phrase "republicans showed their butts" will require a gallon of brain bleach to remove.
Maria, I think chocolate is indicated :-).
Joan
It's a good thing I still have some See's left. :-)
I'm reminded of a line from the old TV movie Get Smart, Again: "If that was his face, he has a huge cleft in his chin."
3 stooges , girl hitting on Curly Joe runs her hand around his bald head and says
" my what a wonderful head of bone you have "
"Is that your nose or are you a Buick?"
Hillary Clinton:
"Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away?"
If you are referring to the "red" army, their IQ's are just the same, they are just putting them on display. Hillary has layed them low.
Watched that with Hillary Clinton testifying. Must say I like and know how that woman ticks. Hillary is very good at what she does. But on the other hand, you seen McCain, Rand Paul, and Ron Johnson and you could really understand why it is really their time to leave the Senate. How these people get elected is beyond me, except to rig elections or redraw district lines. These men really showed whom they were bought and sold to rich bastards and how fast they can line their pockets with no real intelligence. No wonder the Republicans say they only need people with 2 working digits.
OK, so they do make themselves look a little stupid. I read Ayn Rand. She most disliked contradictions. Rand Paul is the walking definition in form. He bows to the great green-back before his very morality. Which only proves he has no integrated moral structure. Can anyone say shallow??
OK, my bad. Everyone is a bit shallow. I know this. But when a little respect to Hillary ( you were not there !! ) could go a long way, and they still hold themselves above it all?? Sorry… not …working….
Actually watching Hillary testify was interesting, since you could recognize that Hillary was very well prepared and knew her stuff. But still somewhat with all these live broadcasts a lot of those comments are staged. But by that staging you could get a better picture of what was going on. Such as with the comments about over 1.5 million messages sent to Hillary everyday does make it difficult to read and must be filtered in order of importance. Which can become problems, especially in world issues if there is more than one thing going on and it can become difficult for which one issue is more important than the other is. The other point is this department working on a shoestring budget which does make it difficult to make any real and good changes in the world. Hillary selecting to work in that department shows very much she does want to make and improve things in the world. The Republican side of the stage was indeed trying to buff out their chests trying to show they were on the ball of things, but totally failed and really showed how lacking they were in caring about what really happens to people as they live their lives. There are other places that stage things too such as the news media. Such as the news people on MSNBC, just like any business they look for what will bring popularity to their programs so they will review those twitters and blogs to find those key elements that people will listen to. But have some of those people on a different network (channel) and you see those same people spilling out things in a different way that in some cases contradicts what they have said on another network (channel). Another stage example would be Fox, because they are doing the same thing, but on the more severe conservative side that lacks any real rational thought. But as far as it goes also places like these news media network do owe people at least something for how they do become so popular. And delivering the news, which can be too easy falsified with the lack of truth just doesn’t cut it.
Filibuster reform--
I have suggested that a simple majority be allowed to change the rules at any time for the next 2 years. This would do more to keep the minority in line than anything.
Sen. Reed, try to get a few more votes with this idea in addition to the 41 votes on the floor to keep it going thing. If you just have 41 to 44 votes then you have to talk, ie. hold the floor. If you have 45 to 49 votes then you don't have to talk, just be there.
Not Clinton/Benghazi related but...
How come you can fire a gun any day but you can't fire a politician any day?
I still can't understand why this was worse than the massacre at the Marine barracks in Lebanon during Reagan's administration. Almost 300 soldiers died and nobody questioned whether Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger read all the communications that were sent to him.
And that was a major breakdown in military security not a secondary foreign service outpost.
Not that I would begin to second guess Weinberger or any of his staff and accuse them of negligence. Those Marines were serving in the middle of a civil war which is exactly what Ambassador Stevens and his people were doing in Libya.
The Republicans primp, pose, and protest too much. It's making them look even more insincere than we already know they are.
I'm SURE you meant 'The Republicans PIMP, pose, and protest too much'...I know it was just a typo.
I wonder just how Rand Paul would read 1.43 million cables in a year, and still manage to fulfill the rest of his job requirements? I mean it's only 3918 cables per day or 163 an hour assuming you never sleep. If he cant handle that I'd like to see him removed from his post, considering he's not doing his job, and acting in the best interest of the American people!
The same way he ran a 5k marathon in an hour, he lies.
Isn't it amazing how other people seem to know everything about everyone's responsibilities but their own?
"seem to know" is right cause it wasn't Rand Paul who claimed the extraordinary marathon skill.
That is the problem with the GOP tea baggers they all look alike and sound alike so that no one can tell where one ends and the other starts without a score card.
* Iraq: "A crowded tent full of Turkmen funeral mourners in northern Iraq was transformed into a mass killing ground on Wednesday.
After all the blood and treasure we have invested in that place, I have always had a terrible fear Iraq will fall into chaos. I hope they put "Why Iraq" on Pres. Bush Jr's gravestone.
we can just stop by once in a while and plant that sign
Next to the "Shame" sign?
Tom -- you really don’t know what you’re talking about or the facts of Iraq. Nor the facts on Syria let alone. Iraq will never turn into another Syria. You have over 20k U.S. boots currently over now on the Syrian border not including UN boots as well. The prize of Iraq is at hand, just being accepted into the European Union, on the edge of being released from chapter 7 since 1991. Maliki is on his way out with Najafi being his replacement. Way to many countries have financial interest. The Iraqies know there country has vast amount of wealth. Life is going to be good very shortly for them. As for sectarian violence in the middle east, it's been that way for years, It's just never been reported.
Russia warned Obama not to supply the Libyans and Syrians rebels. Now you have nothing but tribal fanatics. I'm sure you've heard of Somalia. Oh, one more thing, the Russians warned the Obama Administration of a strong possibility of an embassy attack months ahead, they ignored it.
If Democrats vote down filibuster reform I hope you list the names of the nay sayers so we can tell them what we think of them.
Code Pink put on your Ra-Ra shoes and get your mega-phones, lets scream it, "Clinton Lied People Died ! Clinton Lied People Died!!! Kinda like you said of Bush. But Obama's involvement in the middle east doesn't seem to rouse their wrath, why is that???
Too much corn likker, eh, wetbrain?
Be cause they don't like democrats?
Kind of like the Republicans with 9/11, isn't it?
He didn't lie. He said before hand exactly what he was going to do. And he isn't doing it primarily to benefit EXXON and Halliburton.
dolphin rescue (nothing political)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCXx2bNk6UA
And Hillary is the one with the LEGITAMATE head injury. What a clown circus.
She's had a head injury fer years.Whitewater etc. Bill's philandering.
They gonna start callin' that Johnson boy "Spanky" over there on the hill. I mean, like, in front of God and everybody.
Another member of "our gang" on capital hill. Put them all on social security and take away their pention plans. They need to work for a living. Please.
I think today's proceedings with Hilary was abosolutely unbelievable. These so called professionals were way out of line and just looking for FOX press. RAND was way out of line. I never watch FOX and only visited their Facebook site to see the comments. MOST were in favor of Hilary and Bashing FOX's onesidedness. I read enough and simply stated if you want to hear the real news with facts watch this show and posted a link to Rachel's site. They will probably delete it, I sure felt better about doing it.
Open email to Rand Paul:
Dear Rand Paul,
These were serious hearings about serious matters today and you choose to give a semi coherent political speech for over 4 minutes, then finally asked a question about the activities of an intelligence annex that is not even part of the State Department! You are an embarrassment to many of us in Kentucky. Perhaps you should return to the Rachael Maddow show to learn how our government actually works. We already have a growing and enthusiastic "Ditch the Mitch!" campaign in Kentucky. Perhaps we need a "Can the Rand!" organization as well.
I wish I could use my ancestors' migration through Kentucky for having a vote. I'd vote both Senators out and put in Ashley Judd and and possibly get her sister Wynnona to run as well.
Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell are so far gone, that an actor and musician would be such an improvement. A thoroughbred ranch horse stall cleaner would be better.
Thank you, Rand Paul. Your provocation of Mrs. Clinton just proved that women can excel in hand-to-hand combat.
Or back-of-the-hand-to-face combat, for she just (explicative deleted) slapped you on national television.
And put some stank on it.
It is not for no reason that the Republicans cannot be trusted (Virginia state senate's gerrymandering stunt).
These GOP act like they're the only ones who suffer. This is a politicized show for the benefit of their own gain. Where's the congressional hearing for Gabby Giffords? They ask why this happened when they vote against funding security in an unstable environment.
It happens here at home and they don't have any question as to how it could happen? I guess they know the answer since they hold the NRA so close. Where's the congressional investigation for Sandy Hook? More Americans died at these two scenes than Bengazi.
Give the State Department more funds to improve security at our embassies? Who's kidding whom? If Hillary Clinton couldn't protect the murdered Ambassador and three others with the millions of dollars at her disposal, then what good would it do to give her more? Sorry, this smacks of politization.
lidman
The only one politicizing this is you.
Don't you guys ever think both the Repubs and Dems are against us ???? They both hope to polarize the country and keep us in thrall.
I don't believe either of them , do you really think Ms Clinton was forthright today ....or just an adroit , smart politician ?
See you January 2014 for your yearly visit.
Um, when one side is trying to completely strip basic rights away while the other defends them....yeah, only one's against us.
Example of politics are ugly and change is not here instantly as I wish, so I refuse to look?
If I were an artist writing a comic called Zombie Republicans, I couldn't invent the stupidity that comes out of these morons' mouth.
The other day Jon Stewart had a bit about Maurice Greenberg, the former head of AIG who is suing the US because he didn't make as much money from the bailout as he wanted. Before Maurice's photo came up on the screen, Jon said, "Please don't be a Jew, please don't be a Jew!"
The same can be said about this Johnson jerk. "Please don't be a Norwegian, please don't be a Norwegian!" The guy is a walking Ole and Lena joke. He brings disrespect on everyone of Norwegian descent in the US.