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Subscribe to RSSWhite House counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan publicly acknowledged the drone program for the first time at the behest of the president.
Reuters: “The deadly U.S. campaign of drone strikes against al Qaeda is fully legal under international law, President Barack Obama's counterterrorism chief insisted on Monday in the most extensive justification of a controversial tactic that has eliminated some of the most-wanted militants. Speaking on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the U.S. killing of Osama bin Laden in a raid in Pakistan, the White House aide, John Brennan, said the U.S. administration holds itself to a `rigorous' review process in deciding on drone targets in Afghanistan and elsewhere. … `I'm here today because President Obama has instructed us to be more open with the American people about these efforts,' Brennan said in a speech to a Washington think tank.”
NBC’s Carrie Dann reports on Michelle Obama’s fundraising swing out West. The fundraiser last night at the Tucson Convention Center will have about 450 guests at (at least) $100/ticket. Musical group Calexico - whose genre is described as "alternative country," "desert rock," or "indie" depending on whom you ask - will be performing at that event. A breakfast today at The Springs Preserve in Las Vegas is $2500 for a starting ticket price with about 100 guests. And an Albuquerque reception this afternoon at the Los Poblanos Inn is 150 guests, starting ticket price $1000. So that's (a minimum of) a bit shy of half a million dollars ($445,000) in two days for the First Lady.
First Lady Michelle Obama full front page picture, article below: The Arizona Daily Star: "I can't tell you how special this place is to us," Michelle Obama told a Tucson audience Monday, as she returned for the first time since she and the president came for a tribute to the Jan. 8, 2011, shooting victims and heroes. The first lady went on to tell the campaign gathering at the Tucson Convention Center that the upcoming presidential election boils down to making a fundamental choice about who we are as a country. The first lady's visit came about a week after Vice President Joe Biden headlined a fundraiser in Phoenix. The two events are designed to highlight that the Democrats think Arizona is "in play" this year. A pair of recent polls suggest President Obama may have a shot in Arizona, a state in which no Democratic presidential candidate has won since Bill Clinton in 1996 (and before that, which no Democrat had won since Harry Truman).
Bo (or DOTUS)? The Washington Post: President Obama has unleashed a particularly unusual fundraiser for his 2012 campaign. One Internet ad starts with a two-toned blue background, like dozens of other pro-Obama spots. Then the furry star pops into the frame, tongue out and ready to frolic. “Join Pet Lovers for Obama,” the ad implores. The unlikely pitchman is Bo, the White House family pet, who may well be the first “first dog” to emerge as a central player in a presidential reelection campaign.
Inhofe gets a scalp: A regional EPA official resigned. Msnbc.com notes that Al Armendariz got in hot water when Sen. James Inhofe learned of a two-year-old video that surfaced showing Armendariz saying that the Romans conquered a village by taking "the first five guys they saw and they'd crucify them." He added that the EPA, similarly, makes "examples out of people who are not complying with the law ... you make examples out of them, use it as a deterrent method. "Companies that are smart see that and they don't want to play that, and they decide at that point that it's time to clean up," he added. Inhofe vowed to launch an investigation.
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Watching Romney in an interview with Charlie Rose this morning, the animal that popped into my mind was "snake."
Romney started out sounding reasonable, giving Obama credit for the execution of Osama bin Laden, but he couldn't just leave it at that...he slithered further down the road, playing victim, pretending his campaign hasn't attacked Obama on the execution from the start, pretending Obama's campaign didn't have to raise the Romney quote out of self defense.
Ann was as unremarkable, as usual. She was wearing a srange shirt, however. Not to be catty, but I really think Ann has more money than taste. (meow.)
You're suprised that political opponents "attack" each other?
sirie
What made my skin crawl was Romney's playing victim. I'm catching on, this is Mitt's M.O.
LoL! Welcome to the US Political scene, don't worry they will change MO's when the feel a new one will better them!
sirie
I've been studying Romney for some time. I think he sees himself as a patriarch, privileged, authoritarian and entitled. He and "his kind" become wealthy by building on their social connections, then they suggest that everybody should be able to do that. Well, the truth is, half of America's wealth is in the control of only 10% of the population. Under Republican rule, wealth becomes more and more concentrated in this thin band of people, many of whom think they "deserve" this wealth, by dint of their birth.
I think Obama has done more to open up our society, make it more of a meritiocracy. The Obama administration, in it's second term is really going to improve public education, and education in the sciences and math, I do believe. To me, it looks like this is noot a priority to the Republicans, who, in the sates, seem to be trying to privatize schools, in line with their ideology that privatization improves services (which has yet to be proved true.)
Pardon my typos:
The Obama administration, in it's second term is really going to improve public education, and education in the sciences and math, I do believe. To me, it looks like this is not a priority to the Republicans, who, in many Tea PArty controlled states, seem to be trying to privatize schools, in line with their ideology that privatization improves services (which has yet to be proved true.)
Well, this country is going broke, no matter who is in charge. We have so much debt that I forsee congress "borrowing" every penny of the money in social security to make themselves richer. They have "borrowed" against it before!
I think they are all crooks... but then who am I to question our great leaders!
sirie
there is nothing else to borrow from S.S. This administration is the only administration (since the birth of SS) that cannot use it as a piggy bank to cover up the real spending.
The point is that on top of the heavy borrowing during the last administration - while the economy was as healthy as it can come to healthy - the SS funds were being spent behind everyone's back. So the debt inherited from the Bush administration is actually much greated + add to it financial meldown/housing bubble bursting, and you have a country that is worse than ever been.
Yet, some have this wet dream that this "problem" should have been fixed by now.
On a percentage basis, this isn't our worst deficit. This can still be salvaged. But we need stimulis, not budget cuts. Clinton didn't balance the budget by cutting. He did it by growing the economy. More taxes, gradually as we can handle, and no important budget cuts. Cut away fat, not meat and bones.
I would like to stay on topic and not talk about other things. Of course Amy can talk about other topics but no one on the left would ask what is the point.
Here is my point Drones were use during GW but of course the left kept saying that it was illegal and criminal. I agree with using Drones then and I agree using Drones now with President Obama. It looks like the grass is always greener on the Liberal side.
As far as my opinion goes, anything to deterred any attacks on innocent people goes. I do not see anything different being done by President Obama that GW did. Let's not forget that Waterbording was also deemed legal by the attorneys.
Hey MSNBC, how often are you going to post this for public review? Are you attempting to build a strong military case for the President?
By the end of the week, this article will probably have Obie actually pulling the trigger while leading Team 6 into action.
Slow news day, or just another attempt to move Obie away from the facts of a dying economy?
At first I thought this article was about Joe Biden or Nancy Pelosi. When they said something about the use of drones....LOL.
Sickening how the man-boy Obama tries to come off as some kind of military leader...LOL Hint: Community organizers don't lead troops. I can't help but wonder if his "position" in Chicago was a patronage job like Moochelle's in that hospital.
Bringing up "drones" may be the Obama campaign "trolling" for more GOP stupidity like trying to poach credit for bin Laden, GM, etc. Obama has killed more significant al queda in 3 years than Bush/Cheney in 8
Marv, you seem to forget that when the other side want it to use "drones" the ACLU and the left of left kept crying bloody murder. But now, Oh no is the correct thing to do.
It was correct then and is correct now!!!!!!