Besides- isn't it standard proceedure for Republicans to say 'no' to everything?

different strokes for different folks. my stroke, just bring back our troops. i careless about his dead pictures.

we want no more fight or war. we can't afford it.

Not often I agree with Congressional Republicans, but they are correct.

There is a difference between elected Republicans/Democrats and Americans. Americans don't make a habit of lying to their boss.

Agreed. I don't find myself agreeing with Republicans wholeheartedly but no matter how much we didn't like the man he was still a human being. We obviously made a big deal of his death, but there's still no reason to drop so low as to parade pictures of his corpse around. Anyone wanting the pictures needs to learn a little basic human decency.

And what makes you think the Tea Party feels any differently that these two senators? Give me a break! One of the reasons I have always been an "independent" is that I think both parties have their own private agenda -- and it has nothing to do with what's good for the American people. It's called G R E E D !!! They should be required to be bound by the same laws as everyone else - and that goes for insurance and retirement benefits. I don't know of another job around that allows people to vote their own raises and keep the same salary for life, mind you, after only one term of office. Rome was destroyed from within and I'm afraid that appears to be where we're headed.

"And what makes you think the Tea Party feels any differently that these two senators?"

Perhaps the fact that they will start endless conspiracy theories regarding this matter? Already have started. The fact is this will happen no matter what evidence is released. I would consider the troops first and not release these photos for some time in the interests of national security.

And what makes you think the Tea Party feels any differently that these two senators?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Because the tea baggers say the opposite of whatever Obama says.

Now is not the time....
Just going to have to wait for the "freedom of information" act to kick in on these photos...

We managed nicely without distressing photos of Michael Jackson or Elizabeth Taylor. Of course, there are those who believe Michael, Liz, and Elvis are sharing a beachfront shack near Friday Harbour on San Juan Island in Washington State, but there will always be the tin-foil hat brigades.

Photos don't prove much in the Age of Photoshop.

Donald Trump has a knack for getting Obama to release documents he'd prefer to keep secret. He could do it here.... but any photos released could easily be altered and difficult to verify.

I just don't get the whole... "He's not really dead" conspiracy theory...
It's really, REALLY friggin simple....

If he wasn't dead... dont'cha think he'd pop-up with a video, or a tape saying...
"Look, I'm not dead, Obama is lying..."

Do any of the doubters have a response to that?
I'd love to hear it.

Usama wants to be believed dead because he would like to retire on his CIA pension plan.

Lindsey Graham wants them released. Good to know he's not a key Republican.

I have conflicting feelings on this subject. On the one hand I understand we should take the high road and uphold our professional standards when dealing with our enemies and their customs. This is the logical response.

My emotional response, on the other hand, I dont feel they deserve our respect. They certainly didnt have any respect for our feelings when they videotaped their beheadings of our citizens and filmed American corpses being dragged on the back of pickup trucks while celebrating.

I think it is obvious that there are many conflicting opinions by a very diverse group of people. I think it is probably a good idea not to release them (although I can understand the other side too - I've gone back and forth). My guess is that they won't officially release anything but in the future they will leak out. I definitely see why Obama made this choice.

I agree Lib50 and AZChzhd about being conflicted. I have to admit I wanted to see the photos because after all, Subhuman ObL certainly never treated his victims with any dignity, so why should we?

I have friends who feel very strongly that at least the families of the victims should be able to view the photos for "closure". I don't quite get that, but to each their own. If they want to view the photos, then ok - but keep them away from the media (and the internet!).

The guy was ugly enough in real life - why view his ugly mug post death?

Is there any chance that Dems will accept the fact that the tea party people just have a different view and move on? I am tired of some of you (there are a lot of level headed Dems) attacking just for the sake of attacking. The tea party was also against a lot of what Bush did, I wonder how many of you attackers actually knew that??? I am sure that just like any other group (Dems, Rep, Ind, etc..) there are those in the tea party that would like to see the pictures and those that agree not to show them. I agree not to show them. But it isn't because the President doesn't want to show them and it isn't because these two republicans don't want to, it's because it would be poor taste. Our president did a great job handling this, from making the call up till now. I don't agree with most of his views but I wouldn't attack him or any other person I don't agree with just for the sake of attacking. I really hope that some day soon we can all get along and stop demonizing those we do not agree with. We all want the same thing, we just have different views on how to get there.

There was no teaparty when Bush was president, they started getting loud and aggressive shortly after Obama took office.

As for the photos, whatever is best for this country is what should be done. I can see Obama's point so I'll go with that. I think pictures will leak out at some point, they always do in the end.

there was a tea party before, if you only watched MSNBC you wouldn't have gotten the news. The Tea Party grew after Obama took office. Ron Paul started the tea party while Bush was in office.

The teaparty started after Obama got into office. I know Ron Paul might have used the term when he started revving up his candidacy for Pres in 07-08, but the group we know today as the teaparty is the far right fringe of the republican party. It isn't even close to what Ron Paul started.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_protests

lib50...far right fringe of the Republicans? Really? How do you explain the 54 Tea Party Republicans voting with the Dems on a number of issues like the Patriot Act and stopping additional spending on military contracts?

While you are correct the Tea Party revved up under Obama, particularly during the debate for Obamacare, it definitely was around during Bush's years and protesting against the wars. It wasnt only liberals out there picketing on Bush's ranch like Cindy Sheehan. Libertarians were also equally as annoyed with Bush.

Besides, exactly what is wrong with initiating disussions on our ballooning debt? If it wasnt for the TP, nobody would be talking about this.

How would they be able to authenticate the pictures that they were shown?

how would anyone?

How is publishing them make it easier to athenticate? All publishing them will do is heat up the Arab street. It would make things worse whether they're real or not.

I myself, have no doubt that OBL is dead. I don't need to see the pictures. I take the word of the President.

Good idea Tom, that would silence critics. However, if you show them to someone in a foreign country you can't guarantee they won't be released.

If they have a need to see them, we only let them look at them, not get copies. They can't release what they physically don't have, although I'm sure that fakes are already circulating around.

Agree with you completely Tom. Excellent plan, and since Senator Brown (R) has already seen them and states emphatically that OBL is dead, that just may be what is happening.

And if it would give closure to any of the families of 9/11, the Cole or any other person whose family was murdered at the orders of this creature, let those who want to take a look also under special conditions.

I don't need to see the pics. I believe the President and those other officials involved.

It will not be enough for the conspiracy types if the pictures were plastered across every paper, magazine, t.v. and the Internet. And they should be treated as the irrelevant folks that they are.

I asked myself the following questions:

1. Why are there so many conspiracy theories in regards to the Obama administration?
2. Why when faced with absolute evidence do people still cling to their conspiracy theories?
3. Why would so many people vote against their own interests in the mid-term elections?

The answer I keep coming back to is that this portion of the American population simply Hate Obama. The theories, the word socialism etc., are used as justification for people who hate Obama. It is not about his policies, not healthcare, Wall Street oversight, or social programs. It’s that they can’t admit to their own hate, bigotry and racism. I would guess many can’t even admit that to themselves. So they justify it with all these theories, all these made up falsehoods’. Glenn Beck and his ilk (Fox News) and other shock jock and talk radio entertainers simply plug into the hate and fear, and ignorance of that portion of the population looking for justification to “Hate Obama”. They simply supply those “haters” with reasons, true or false or for that mater out and out lies to justify their hate without having to expose themselves for what they really are, ignorant bigots and racists. As far as I can tell, all prejudice is based in fear and ignorance and the prejudice heaped on President Obama is no exception. So, he was right to say “They simply don’t know me”. I’m sure as a black man, he is used to it, and understands it, sees it for what it is. I’m sure he has come to the same conclusions that I have, that you can’t blame people for being ignorant; they simply need to be educated. They need to face the fears of their past as it relates to different cultures, the unknown, that which they do not understand, and maybe come to appreciate the differences But after so long a time I suspect that most will simply hold on to the prejudice they were raised with, they were given by their parents and grand parents. It’s comfortable, it’s all they know, and it is safe within the 20 square miles they grew up in. By the way, I’m a white guy. I just left home young, lived in Europe a few years, and all over this great country of ours. I have experienced many different cultures, and have hopefully overcome many of my own prejudices through the experience. So, these are just words from my own journey. It’s not like I don’t understand I have to admit that when I was young and that was all I knew… I was ignorant, hateful, and bigoted. Hate in all its forms is a bad thing; get it out of our heart. Don’t waste your vote by voting with your hatred, vote with your mind and your heart.

It is not just about Arab sensiblities, it is about ours. Part of me says we should have dragged the body down the streets of New York. But I know that is wrong, that is something them crazy bastards would do. Well we are Americans, were not crazy bastards, and it is more about preserving that.

Tim,

Great Job on this post. I hope you post it again.

Tim, some good points. Few of us manage to learn so much from personal experience.

I suspect, though, that you may be giving too much importance to race in accounting for this irrational hatred. The willingness to believe obvious falsehoods started before he became president. Kerry was a lying coward, you'll remember. Al Gore was a starry-eyed, do-gooding tree hugger. And "Slick Willie" was hated beyond the bounds of reason. I'd guess race accounts for about 10% of the hatred. All of it compounded by the shift to the internet (where anybody can say anything) and the emergence of Fox News.

The extreme right isn't just plain "ignorant" either, not in the sense you mean. They tend to be old, white, and working class, but they know as much as the rest of us. It's just that what they know tends to be false or one-sided. I know a guy who can tell you the smallest detail of the Whitewater affair but who never heard of the Project For A New American Century.

As for your question about why people vote against their own interests -- and they DO because, whether they know it or not, they're being guided and funded by millionaires and corporations -- it's partly because they see Obama as an evil agent of change. What do we do with "evil"? We fight it wherever it appears. We wage war against it. And wars require sacrifice. If it would get Obama out of office they'd cut off a pinkie.

Fox News (and talk radio) are complicit. Yesterday Bret Baier (an objective news program) reported that when Obama took office, 40% of us paid no federal income tax, and now it's 51%. No mention of mitigating factors like the federal taxes on gasoline, which the poor pay like the rest of us. And Baier's report emphasized that the top 20% of us pay 47% of federal income tax, without mentioning that the top TEN percent own more than 71% of the wealth.

But that's just fuel on the fire. People are scared to death. The old way of life (however mythical) is disappearing. We're not the undisputed superpower we used to be. There are Latinos all over the place. And we are headed for a Global Caliphate. The fear leads to anger and the anger, unfocused, is redirected to safe targets like the poor and dependent elderly and minorities. It's like the guy who gets fired, so he comes home and kicks his dog.

ROBERT: Excellent post. I do think race plays some part in the Rights despising Obama but that's merely the icing on the cake for them. Just one more reason to detest him is all it really is.

After all, one has only to look at Clintons 8 years and it was simply one witch hunt after another. First it was White Water, than the Vince Foster conspiracy theory (which include a nut case congressman shooting watermelons in his backyard and then of course the whole Lewinsky deal.

The hatred which these people display is beyond comprehension. When the health care bill was passed you would have thought that Obama had announced the opening of concentration camps. One of the problems being that it's awfully difficult to educate people when the Republicans are masters of the 10 second sound bite which is invariably false but so difficult to refurte because it requires subtlety and a degree of sophisticationk that many voters lack. Many of these people can't sit still long enough to absorb the real facts or if they can, are unable be able to appreciate the significance.

Tim, I've written this numerous times: the Republicans still can't believe that they lost the election to Obama. When your mentality is of the 1950's, then there's little hope for the future. Just, business as usual.

Did it ever occur to any of you that seem to attack the right so readily that possibly there are those that have different views and ideas than you? And that they don't have those views to hate others, or to be racist, or to decieve? Possibly it's because that is how they see things. I could name several instances where media has (in my view) not been so nice to Republicans. The thing is no matter how much I watch a liberal news outlet my conservative views don't change. That's just who I am. I guess you could attack me for it and make up things that aren't true but until we learn to get along our country is going to be split and the divide will continue to worsen. That sucks because I think my liberal friends are great. I also believe that our president is doing what he feels is right for our country. That doesn't make him a bad man to me. Though I feel he is wrong on some things. Why don't we all just try to get along?????

We tried to get along, while the sabotage of Trickle-down economics failed to deliver on the promise of greater prosperity for all. The "experiment" failed to produce any sustainable benefit for the majority and resulted in a global PLUTOCRACY. We were fooled once.........we ain't falling for it again.

So in your opinion it didn't work, fine. So are you going to attack people you don't agree with, make things up and demonize them? I don't exactly agree with raising taxes, and growing our debt. I am not going to stoop so low as to demonize those that don't agree with me. That is the point I am trying to make. This attacking has to stop, both sides are attacking all the time. It's like they are out to get each other and out do each other at any cost. You can't tell me that the Dems are squeeky clean and Repubs are the root of all our problems, it just isn't so. Both have faults and both are the root to the problems and both need to work together to solve them. This 'we tried to get along' is a load of crap. You know it as well as anyone who knows the history of that era. All I am saying is both sides have to work together, we the people need to stop listening to the media outlets that fuel the flames.

Do you think calling what I just wrote "a load of crap." is going to help us get along? I suggest you read the book, "The Wrecking Crew" by Thomas Frank. The last real Republican was Eisenhower........the rest have been RINOs working for the Fascists who seek to enslave 98% of us. Class and economic warfare was begun against the middle-class 30 years ago, forgive us having taken so long to wake up to that reality.

Paul...you are darn right they were RINOs. And when you are called a RINO, you tend act more like liberals than conservatives. So I cant figure out why thats a problem for a liberal?? Seems to me the liberals would rather have a RINO than a conservative. If not then you guys are truly confused and have an identity crisis of your own.

The way I see it, the left complains when the Republicans act like liberals, calling them RINOs, and they also complain when the Republicans act like conservatives because, well, they are conservative. So then WTF? Then to top it off, you attack the Tea Party by calling them teabaggers. Now spare me they started this name crap because we all know your usage of that particular term isnt the same as the Tea Party's.

The biggest thing is, most on the right agree with you liberals that the Republicans were RINOs, hence the rise of the Tea Party. But you will complain regardless, so complain away! We are used to it by niw.

Ate up stooopid AZChzhd. A Fascist isn't a liberal. When a "liberal" writes that a Republican is a RINO, we aren't saying what you think we are saying. RINO ,to us means, rather than being concerned for the fiscal health of the nation, this fake repuke is actually interested in sabotaging the Treasury of his own country in order to negate all of the peviously accepted social compact.l

Paul, that is all you got out of what I said, interesting. Instead you come back with conspiracy theories against conservatives because you are told about it by liberals. I guess you can believe that if someone doesn't think the same as you they need to be demonized. The facts are this though, during the Reagan presidency the left attacked and tried everything they could to make Reagan look bad. Thus, no liberals did not in fact give Reagan a chance they attacked. Doesn't matter I just don't understand all the hate, there really are good people on both sides it's sad you can't see it or don't want to see it.

Scott, I agree with you completely. When I saw there were parties in the streets over his death I couldn't help but be rather sick to my stomach. I remembered when those American contractors were killed and burned and drug through the streets.

While I'm glad he's gone, and proud as ever of our armed forces and president for being able to check bin Ladin's name off the to-do list, it should be just that. We need to stop being so cocky. It makes us vulnerable.

The photos are fakes, photoshopped. No one, not the Seal or our government has realeased them. Fakes, photoshopped artist renderings.

Someone in America as usual will file a FOI because Americans are nosey people. Some people in America think they are entitled to know EVERYTHING.

IRA

More than likely they are fakes but neither you or anyone else on here can definately say no one hasn't leaked anything. You are not in a position to know these things.

IntheMiddle, TX..

You're right no one here knows anything more than they read. In THIS case I will tend to believe our President.

How do you presume to know what people here "know"?

"Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway"....funny, I thought Glenn Beck and his conspiratron 5000 super computer already concluded the photos would be doctored. Not only that the doctored photos were created by Nazi's and Marxists

FOI doesn't apply if the photos are Classified.

There should be a room, reserved for US citizens and Taxpayers to go and see the pictures.

Paul that would have to be a pretty big room, I think it would be safe to say that even the people who post here that they are against it would be seen going into and out of that room.

Paul, is that a teabagger plan for creating jobs?

I bet the troops would like to see the pictures as well, after all that's what they are fighting for.

I know what you mean, Democrat Soldier---funny to agree with them. Evidence never stands in the way of a true conspiracy theorist. The man is dead, let's move on.

steelerfan it does not matter what you, democrat soldier, me, McCain or any other American thinks, it matters what the people in the mid east thinks. Some people even though the do not support bin laden may be afraid that he is still alive it not shown proof. The supporters of bin laden will eventually come to be told by their controllers that bin laden is indeed dead, but lets get it done and over with now.

It may be better that Afghanis and others think he's still alive. It will deprive OBL of martyrdom in a culture in which martyrs are taken seriously.

missy they are already waving pictures of bin laden while he was alive not much difference between dead or alive pictures except that the dead picture will prove to the disbelievers that he is really dead. That compound will be the shrine they will cling to.

Put the photos out now, stop the debate get it done and over with.

Jon.....

What if Bin Laden isn't dead but alive in U.S. custody? What would you do if you were Obama in that case?

enough of the 'what ifs' since those are just black holes of logic and debate. OBL is dead. Let's move on. The Islamist will follow his ideaology whether he is dead or alive and will find any excuse to vent their anger and frustration over the Crusades and all of their other mis-precived injustices ....the Islamist are not a logical group and will find any reason or face to fly on their flags of hate.

Deb-708600......

Do you suppose that the administration, while planning this operation, considered a number of "what-if's" ?

Whether Bin Laden is dead or alive in U.S. custody is not a purely academic consideration. Obviously, Bin Laden could provide much more information alive than dead.

There are many reasons why the administration might want to conceal the knowledge that Bin Laden is alive in U.S. custody.

The fact that Bin Laden's death has not been objectively proven (to the public) must be causing much anxiety amongst our enemies.

ksilver the birther issue could have also been ended a long time ago by president obumer the uniter by his release of the birth certificate over a year ago.

Jon Exner, Obama released his actual LEGAL certificate of live birth in 2008. You know, the one you need to get a passport? The one with the raised seal.

The fact is Obama shouldn't have released ANY birth certificates. He should have told the conspiracy nutbags to eff off. No other president ever has. Of course, no other president was half black either and that's all the birthers care about anyway.

Well ian he released it to the dumocratic party before the primaries, I am one who believes in the constitution. I believe a system should be set up for anyone who runs for President, Vice President or the Speaker of the House to present their birth certificates to the Federal Election commission for authentication. This notion that each party can and will police their own candidates is a joke open to possible abuse, like letting the fox protect the hen house.

For far too long we have looked the other way and allowed dead people to vote, non-citizens to vote, vote in one state and absentee ballot in another because people have residences in more than one state.

Now you can respond and say it never happens, but I won't buy the bridge you have in your back yard.

You just cannot fix stupid...

Jon - get help. Really.

And you government suck up's have your head in such a dark place that that you continue to take up for the president and your party no matter how much they lie, flip flop, play games. Listen to your own word's before you call other's a hypocrite because you sound plain silly. Here sheeple, sheeple.

The HOAX isn't that he is dead, he is. The Hoax is that we killed him "in action".

Anyone can shoot a corpse in the eye.

You are proving my point exactly. And of course we just happened to know where the preserved body was and we popped a couple of caps in it. Let me add that to my Hoax check list.

Sure it was a hoax..... Hoax check list

1) Find bizarre compound close to capital of Islamabad

2) Arrange with our friends the Pakis to kill innocent inhabitants of compound with no worries

3) Arrange Seal team and all military personnel to go along with hoax

4) Arrange for all key administration personnel to go along with hoax

5) Arrange for previous Bin Laden tapes to be released to insure people think he is still alive so this administration can take credit for killing him.

6) Insure that the Bush administration does not make the kill or get credit.

7) And make sure execution of the plan interrupts Celebrity Apprentice

8) Mission complete

Hoax...that we capped a corpse? There is just no end to the lack of logic in these so called conspiracy theories. . . . okay...they were not going into an armed camp of a horde of raging lunnies, but did invade a compound where they were not completely sure of what they might find (had a good idea of what to expect), but that still qualifies as "action" according to definition. Stop the conspiracy theories and "what ifs" and deal with the important challenges our country is facing.

Lou not much intelectural thoughts today?

You said that already Lou; on several other threads too, no less. What gives? Cat got your tongue or did that elephant you were petting step on you?

Never seen a squeal penned as "bla bla, bla bla,..." ad nauseum before. Always thought that was "weeeee-weeeeee-weeeee" all the way home.

Lou, isn't this the chorus line to that one Gorillaz song that parodies the Monty Python animation style?

[Cat got your tongue or did that elephant you were petting step on you?]

After reading Lou's profile, I've come to the conclusion that he isn't "petting" that elephant...

Lou, you seem to be bored, but you also display just a touch of OCD.

Always amazed at the creativity of many posters. I've never believed in complex conspiracies because they involve too many people. It just isn't possible. Some will laugh at me but I have faith in human nature. If money can be made............

Go build an altar to the person in charge of destroying the country. Kool aid anyone?

Obama again in 2012.

Good call "again" Mr. President.