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Subscribe to RSSFrom President Obama’s interview on “60 Minutes,” The Hill leads with Obama saying there was a support network in Pakistan for bin Laden.
The Washington Post's summary of the interview: “President Obama faced sharply divided counsel and, to his mind, barely better-than-even odds of success when he ordered the commando raid last week that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, the president said in an interview broadcast Sunday. Obama acknowledged having only circumstantial evidence placing bin Laden at the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. There was not a single photograph or confirmed sighting of the man, he said, and he worried that the Navy SEALs would find only a ‘prince from Dubai’ instead of the terrorist leader responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.”
Here’s the full interview transcript with President Obama on “60 Minutes.”
CNBC's John Harwood tries to answer this question in his weekly New York Times column: What difference does past week make to President Obama? "The short answer, Obama advisers and outside analysts in both parties say, is that it makes some difference, but not a dramatic one. In distinct if subtle ways, it alters calculations by the White House and its partisan adversaries concerning his foreign policy goals, domestic agenda and prospects for re-election. 'You have to take the security, personal and economic things in different buckets,' said John Podesta, who managed Mr. Obama’s transition to the White House and served as chief of staff for President Bill Clinton."
The Hill points out: “[I]n several key 2012 battleground states, where economic progress will likely be critical to Obama's reelection hopes, the unemployment rate remains above the national average.”
“Former Vice President Dick Cheney said that he would reinstate the practice of waterboarding if he were president,” The Hill reports. “In the wake of last week's killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, Cheney said he would advocate lifting President Obama's ban on the enhanced interrogation tactic, which critics say is torture. ‘I certainly would advocate it; I'd be a strong supporter of it,’ Cheney said of the use of waterboarding on ‘Fox News Sunday.’”
Just a reminder, as NBC’s Michael Isikoff reported last week: “[D]etails suggest that the most aggressive “enhanced interrogation” techniques -- including waterboarding, against other detainees, particularly 9/11 mastermind Khaled Sheikh Mohammed – proved useless in learning the identity of the bin Laden courier.”
The New York Daily News: “A parade of former Bush administration officials went on the Sunday political shows to talk up waterboarding and claim a measure of credit for bagging Osama Bin Laden.”
Vice President Biden’s budget group meets again tomorrow. By the way, the Treasury Department says the federal government will hit the debt ceiling one week from today.
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President Obama made the right decision. It was a gutsy decision. So much easier to walk away from this intelligence like Bush did at Tora Bora and Clinton did earlier. Bush was a failure when it came to keeping us safe. It started with 911 and continued throughout his presidency. I can't believe we elected him again in 2004. I can't believe we allowed the weasels to tarnish Kerry's military career. Hopefully, with the new DNC chair, lies will be squelched completely with her crew before they take hold.
who really won. a nation bankrupt and one man, OBL dead. this is just me thinking aloud.
total cost of these wars, 2001 to date, is over 1trillion. thousands of american lives lost in the process.
but, just a careful surveillance from august 2010, to may, 1st got this the job done.
could we have done it a better way, costing less cash, materials and human lives before moving all earth and soul in search of this 72 virgins seeker.
did we get our moneys worth? is this bad management of situations or politicians try to win political points? i believe we shouldn't have spent this much, human, material or cash to get OBL DEAD. We need a rethink in our chase for this idiots.
bring our troops home.
Its easy to ask "was it worth it" when examining the situation from a bubble, but I think the question is a little deeper than that. 3000+ died in a single day because of actions spearheaded by OBL. How many died in the attacks on the USS Cole and others planned/financed/masterminded by him? Those attacks came at a rate of about one every 2 years during the Clinton years and up to 9/11. Each attack was more devastating than the last. Since 9/11 and OBL basically being on the run from the US and Allied military forces, the attacks have stopped. The loss of every single one of the 5885 troops who've died in Iraq & Afghanistan is a tragedy that cannot be measured, but how many lives have been save as a result of their bravery and selflessness? Because of their sacrifice, we will never need to calculate an answer to that equation.
The Neo-cons trashed the constitution, blew up the budget, ruined our international reputation via torture and illegal, inhumane detentions and still failed to catch the one man wholly responsible for the 9/11 terror attacks. Thousands of lives and billions of dollars later they have the unmitigated gall to try and take credit for this admistration's success...unbelievable!
I used to hate Cincinnati , because their baseball team was too good! Now I have a reason to start liking you guys again. Thanks Slim.
Apparently you missed obama's tv report on the evening of may 1, 2011 where he gave shared credit to the bush administration, the CIA and the military. But you just like spinning, don't you?
american,
Our president is a better person than he needs to be. He deserves all the credit along with the navy seals and all the people who helped in that room. Bush deserves none. If this was Bush he would be standing on top of one of those helicopter with a "mission accomplish" sign and wearing a flight suit. He would not give any credit to any president before him. Like he didn't do on that day on the aircraft carrier.
There is a lot of credit to go around, for sure, and President Obama has made sure to give that credit where credit is due. Yet, the buck stops with him, his order to go into the compound was HIS responsibility. The Seals, CIA, and all involved wouldn't have done all the work unless the Commander in Chief hadn't ordered them to. Kudos to all involved INCLUDING our President! [boy, the GOPers are grinding their teeth on that reality!]
Ana - but obama gave it, none the less.
Osama bin Laden didn't bankrupt the United States...that license belongs to those we elected to serve us. Both political parties can share in the glory. Our current budget deficit can be attributed to: Homeland Security, the War on Terrorism, and Medicare Part D. As a citizen and taxpayer, I would have gladly accepted a tax increase to pay for these three programs; am I'm sure others would have too. I'm thinking that would have been about a 3% tax rate increase. It's cheaper to pay cash than it is to put it on a credit card (future cash).
Instead, these programs have become entitlement programs. Everybody receives benefits from the government but, they haven't contributed one red cent to fund them. As a taxpayer, I am disappointed that members of Congress have used their position to reek havoc upon our nation and its citizens. Even worse, not one of these lug-heads have any CONSTRUCTIVE idea about how to deal with it in a proper and humane manner. Hint: It's not about inflicting the most pain on the poor. This is worse than being raped!!!
Journey - What you say is very true. The politicians (L or R) have failed to give the populace a true idea on what it will cost to support any type of spending program (long term or short). Add to that the fact that raiding or expanding on programs beyond the original intent was also performed.
The public in turn have failed to ask the question of what the long term costs are to fund the programs. IE government must cut costs, but don't cut my program.
all these comments are nothing but smoke and mirrors and designed to keep goverrnment off track and to controll the conversation. let's get back to the american people and their business. the bastard is dead and obama has shown he is a leader. now lets tackle unemployment and jobs.
I agree! President Obama did have a good week, except for the fact that the right-winged GOP injected their one-sided opinions and lies in an effort to minimize the president's accomplishments. There those who say Bush deserves the credit. He may deserve some by having put into motion the search for OBL, but the real credit belongs to the guy in charge at the White House and especially those who went into harm's way to effect this taking down. This is the way the Republican's would want it, rather than the "Game Changer" that this incident effected. The job gains in the private sector shows the effects the previous Congress had put into effect with their legislation and the president's leadership in administering the accomplishments. Given the steep drop in per-barrel in oil costs since the president announced a commission to research these commodity traders, one would wonder if this effect will further solidify his excellent standing and bring additional backers into his fold. President Obama has definitely taken the high road by not releasing OBL's photos and his steady hand in addressing our nation's concern's give him even more credibility. This president has done more to fix our economy and international standing in the past two years while the current 112th Congress lolly gags around doing absolutely nothing to effect jobs creation. In fact they have done everything they can to stymie the passed legislation or de-fund current acts they deem not necessary. It's understandable that 60 minutes was high in ratings as the president explained his position.
Nope, sorry, the credit belongs to Seal Team 6 and everyone who supported their mission. Obama gave the order and for that I thank him, but the boots on the ground made the order possible.
suzy - you got that right!
This comment from Feisty was callapsed; why? Nothing inflammatory, no swearing. C'mon MSNBC, get your act together.
The Teapublicans have been busy ‘beavers’:
sounds like more legislation from AMERICAN LEGISLATION EXCHANGE COUNCIL or ALEC. if it seems like all the new laws being introduced in all the teapublican states are very similar it's because of ALEC. everybody needs to check them out. see who is on the boards ,private and public. its corporations and republicans writing laws for america, but for who's benefit. Democrats say GOP lawmakers passing bills to grab more power
By WILLIAM MARCH | The Tampa Tribune
Published: May 02, 2011
-snip-
Armed with veto-proof majorities, Republican legislative leaders are passing one bill after another that appears aimed at maintaining their own political dominance and undercutting Democratic voting strength.
-snip-
The moves, said Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich of Weston, are "part of a nationwide effort … to alter the electorate when we get to the presidential election of 2012," in which Florida could easily decide the race.
Rich contended some of the legislation is inspired by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative, industry-funded advocacy group that holds conferences for legislators and proposes model state laws.
-snip-
A spokeswoman for the council said Friday she wasn't able to discuss whether her group was involved in the legislation, and referred questions to Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, its Florida state chairman. He couldn't be reached for comment
Joe is in denial. He must think the sudden spate of flooding down south is just "nature". Anyone who lives near the Rockies in Montana and Alberta Canada can attest to the diminishing glaciers there.
This is a perfect example of the Daycare Generation who think the world must be according to their every whim and want. Spoiled brats who sit behind computers all day until their buttends are petrified wood or they text to the BFFs every 3 1/2 seconds saying nothing just like that post.
I just love certain Republicans. 9/11, which happened well into Bush's first year as President and a month after he received the PDB "Bin Laden determined to attack America" , and yet it was Clinton's fault, because Clinton didn't kill Bin Laden on his watch. Bin Laden gets away in Tora Bora under Bush's watch. Less than 6 months after 9/11 Bush says he doesn't think much about Bin Laden, he isn't that important, etc. Bush's presidency ends with Bin Laden still in hiding, however from what the Bush administration claimed he was living in a cave and ill with kidney issues. Unlike Bush who said in early 2002 that Bin Laden just wasn't that important any more, Obama campaigned in 2007 & 08 on the importance of getting Bin laden, and said if we have actionable intelligence that Bin Laden is in Pakistan and their government won't or can't get him, he will order US troops to get him. Less than 2 and 1/2 years into Obama's presidency Obama orders a risky mission that the brave US Navy Seals pull off, and now far too many in the GOP believes Bush deserves the credit, or more credit than the actual President who made Bin Laden's capture his top CIA priority. Amazing!!!!!
3) 9% unemployment
4) Inflation based on price of gold doubling from $800 to $1600 since Obama took office
5) Will not meet promised deadline withdrawal from Iraq this summer
6) $3.5 trillion added to debt in two years and currently running $1.5 trillion deficit for 2011
It amazes me how many GOPers on this site and elsewhere can't stop thinking of the economy for one minute. After such excellent news last week, almost all of them said, "OK, enough of bin Laden - what about the economy?" Yes, the economy is very important, but come on GOPers, take a sigh of relief that bin Laden is dead. THEN you can worry about your money! Money is what makes the GOPers world go 'round. What will they whine about once President Obama and the Democratic leaders actually fix the economy??
The world, our nation, and President Obama had a great week. The GOP/RNC had a great legislative week as well. The GOP/RNC "Hoodlum's On The Hill" passed many legislative actions with great emotional fits of mental illness, and polltical vigor. The medical rights of American Women were under attack. Again! The consumer protections/regulations were halted, and the Wall Street Bankers are smiling with joys of economic greed. The large Oil Corporations got their tax payer oil subsidies increased, and large oil CEO's will continue to swim in the smell of oil profits. These profits are going up America, and so is continued oil speculation. The large Oil Corporations are giving tons of financial gifts to the GOP/RNC after their wonderful financial vote last week. Look it up America! The Middle Class, the Working Poor, the elderly, and the disabled had better be worried. The issue of taking medical rights of Ameican Women away is especially troubling. The next question that needs to be raised is what group of Americans is next?? That is fact!