Bush’s Third Term VI

It was a busy week for President Bu..., I mean, Obama and his administration.

First it was Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano telling lawmakers on Wednesday that her agency cannot meet its 2012 deadline for screening all cargo coming into the U.S. for radiological and nuclear materials and "that total screening would require agreements with numerous countries, a position similar to one taken by the Bush administration." (Associated Press)

Then it was CIA Director Leon Panetta’s turn. A San Francisco Chronicle piece from February 26 states, “. . . in his new position, he is already echoing some of the tough rhetoric of his predecessors. He's vowing to continue the agency's aggressive operations against terrorist suspects, and even hinting that he supports continuing the attacks by unmanned Predator aircraft in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which have stirred anger among residents there. "This is a very persistent enemy that we're dealing with," he warned. "I don't think we can stop the effort to try to disrupt them ... because they aren't going to stop."

The Chronicle article notes that Panetta believes the President has the power to order the use of harsh methods to extract information from terrorists but adds Panetta claims he would not recommend such methods.

On Thursday Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated it is still the position of the United States to ban photographers from taking pictures of coffins returning to US soil. A media controlled by liberal extremists seems to think Gates allowing the families of the fallen to permit pictures is some kind of change in policy. A nice slight of hand. A free press should not be impressed with taking pictures of that which they are allowed. A free press should still be indignant that they are prohibited from taking pictures of what they want . . . the coffins of the fallen whose families have not given permission.

And finally, the President himself stated he will leave combat troops in Iraq right up until the last day of the Status of Force Agreement that President Bush negotiated with Iraq – December 31, 2011. That President Obama announced he will draw down troop levels in Iraq is being heralded by the liberal extremists who control the media as some sort of change from the Bush policy and some sort of campaign promise kept but the liberal extremist who control the media are simply complicit in the great lie. I’d be curious to know if President Obama’s draw-down rate is slower than the rate President Bush was beginning to draw-down troop levels. President Obama did say the pace of the draw-down could slow or be reversed if conditions on the ground changed.

The Emperor is Wearing Bush’s Clothes
(Bush’s Third Term V)

The list supporting President Obama’s validation and vindication of President Bush is now staggering:

President Obama asked four (4) US Senators who voted for the war to serve in his Administration; one as VP and one as Secretary of State, no small or insignificant positions.

President Obama asked one (1) US Representative who voted for the war to serve in his Administration.

President Obama asked Bush’s Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, to continue in that position.

President Obama has kept Bush’s Generals David Petraeus and Ray Odierno in their commands at CentComm and in Iraq, respectively.

President Obama is now considering leaving combat troops in Iraq for the next 23 months, almost 50% longer than promised during the campaign.

President Obama has maintained Bush’s policies regarding Gitmo.

President Obama reasserted Bush’s position on state secrets before the 9th Circuit Court.

President Obama reasserted Bush’s position on the constitutional rights of specific battlefield detainees.

President Obama voted for telecom immunity, for extending FISA, and, as far as we know, he is still monitoring terrorists.

President Obama is continuing Bush’s faith-based initiatives program.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who voted for the war, is now a champion of Bush’s 6-Party talks strategy for dealing with North Korea, a massive repudiation of Sen. John F. Kerry.

Speaking of Kerry, he was quoted this week as saying the Obama Administration's position on Hamas is the same as the "previous administration's." Oh, really? No official word from the White House if Sen. Kerry, who may not know in which branch of government he serves, was authorized to speak for the White House but ZACKlyRight has seen no repudiation of Kerry's remark.

Speaking of North Korea, President Obama promoted Bush’s chief North Korea negotiator as Ambassador to Iraq.

A State Department spokesperson recently said there is "no change in policy" toward Venezuela. There being no doubt the State Department is in the Executive Branch, we are quite sure the spokesperson did speak for the President.

I cannot possibly note or mark every Obama validation and vindication of Bush; I invite everyone to call it out if you see or hear of another.

For those who were wondering: Obama is flawless; if he says it or does it, it is the right thing to say or do; if he says or does anything that Bush said or did, Bush is validated or vindicated. Got it?

In Need of a US Supreme Court Nomination

The first month of the Obama Administration may very well go down as one of the worst starts to a Presidency in the history of our Country.

I'm not complaining about how much of the Bush Presidency that President Obama is maintaining but the extraordinary list is soon going to create a huge backlash from the liberal extremists who elected him. This is going to impact his effectiveness, his ability to lead.

Couple the oncoming ineffectiveness due to the lack of support from the extremists with the incompetence displayed on so many fronts and we have a President who is reeling.

I do not know how it works. I do not know how a White House approaches a senile US Supreme Court Justice or an ailing US Supreme Court Justice and ask that they retire. But, however it works, such back-channel overtures have surely been made by Obama staffers.

To re-energize the Obama base, he needs to make a US Supreme Court nomination . . . soon.

I mis-called a resignation this summer but I really feel like a resignation is in the air.

Obama’s Vietnam II
Bush’s Third Term IV
Katrina Anyone II

Obama’s Vietnam II

(Way) Back on January 5, 2009, I published one of my shortest posts ever. Simply, “Afghanistan” under the title “Obama’s Vietnam”.

I just learned that Newsweek ran a February 9, 2009 cover of: “Obama’s Vietnam: How to Salvage Afghanistan”.

I cannot prove the authors of the Newsweek article read ZACKlyRight, the evidence is just circumstantial.

Bush’s Third Term IV

On February 11, 2009 I noted the ACLU’s disgust with President Obama’s agreement with President Bush on concealing state secrets but it was not until yesterday that the Boston Globe published an editorial criticizing Obama for doing so.

My letter:

Editor,

It must render those who voted for President Obama apoplectic.

After asking four US Senators and one US Representative who voted for the Iraq war to serve in his administration, after retaining Bush's Secretary of Defense, after retaining Generals David Petraeus and Ray Odierno, after announcing he will continue operations at Guantanamo for up to a year under the Bush rules, and after announcing he will continue President Bush's faith-based initiatives program under Bush's rules, after announcing he is considering leaving combat troops in Iraq for up to 23 months, almost 50% longer than promised during the campaign, President Obama is now echoing President Bush's defense of state-secrets involving extraordinary renditions (A nasty privilege, reasserted, February 17, A14).

Has President Obama single-handedly elevated Bush's legacy to "great" or will the liberal media establishment and Angry Left now direct their vitriol at Obama? (End of letter.)

Katrina Anyone II

Last Saturday I made note of President Obama betraying his fearmongering on the economy.

Three days later, FOXNews contemplated the same thing:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/02/17/did-delay-stimulus-signing-cost-economy-jobs/

Google “did delay stimulus signing cost jobs” if the link does not work.

I cannot prove anyone at FOXNews reads ZACKlyRight, the evidence is just circumstantial.

Commerce Secretary I

Fixing the economy is so important that President has yet to nominate anyone for Secretary of Commerce in the wake of the Sen. Gregg debacle.

Obama Clocks III

It’s been a while, the count for all clocks is the same: 29 Days

Days into Obama Presidency without an Executive Order closing Guantanamo immediately

Days into Obama Presidency without an Executive Order calling for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq

Days into Obama Presidency without a congressional resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq

Days into Obama Presidency without an Executive Order renouncing any presidential power accrued by the previous President

The Politics of Fear VII

This was a column I found published on the Wall Street Journal's web page today.

It's by Mr. Bradley Schiller, a professor from Nevada.

I cannot prove he reads ZACKlyRight.blogspot.com; the evidence is only circumstantial.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123457303244386495.html

Katrina Anyone?

At 5:30 am today, this was posted on President Obama’s White House web-site, http://www.whitehouse.gov/:

“Today President Obama is celebrating the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as a "major milestone on our road to recovery . . . "

I’m not kidding.

The President is “celebrating”. Celebrating?

My “news”paper, the Boston Globe, chose two pictures for today’s front page announcing the passage of the stimulus bull. One has Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA) and Charles Rangel (D, NY), a tax-cheat, standing at a podium laughing. Rep. Pelosi is actually pictured with her head tossed back she is laughing so hard.


Photo Credit: Susan Walsh, Associated Press

The other shows Sen. Susan Collins (R, ME) in full laughter.

Buried in the story and confirmed by the White House web-site is the acknowledgement that President Obama will not sign the bill into law today or tomorrow. That he didn’t stay in the Oval Office last night waiting for the bill’s arrival is outrageous.

My letter to the editor:

Editor,

That "the White House said (President) Obama would probably sign the (stimulus) bill early next week" says it all ($787b stimulus bill approved, February 14, A1).

This was our Fearmonger-in-Chief President Obama just a few days ago as published in the Washington Post, "Because each day we wait to begin the work of turning our economy around, more people lose their jobs, their savings and their homes."

Well, as long as the President's Valentine's Day weekend isn't too inconvenienced by "ordinary" people's problems; Katrina anyone? (End of letter to the editor.)

I didn’t write “each day” to scare Americans, President Obama did.

"Nancy and Charlie, you're doing a heckuva job."

Bush's Third Term III

The link is to the lead editorial in today's Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123448807524880329.html

It is a "must read" for those who appreciated President Bush's efforts to keep us safe and President Obama's validation of Bush's policies.

I Was Conned
Politics of Fear VI
Bush’s Third Term II

I Was Conned

The liberal Democrats who rule Washington and the liberal extremists who control the media did it. They conned me . . . for a moment.

For two weeks, the Spendulus Bull (Shit) was vacillating between $800 million and $900 million.

Today, it was announced the final tab after conference committee would be $789 million. My immediate reaction was I got a bargain. Instead, I was conned . . . for a moment.

Politics of Fear VI

This from the President earlier this week:

''Doing too little or nothing at all will result in an even greater deficit of jobs, incomes and confidence . . . (this) is a deficit that could turn a crisis into a catastrophe.”

I won’t let my children watch the President speak anymore. He is too terrifying.

Bush’s Third Term II

ACLU Attorney Ben Wizner says it all in reacting to Obama’s Justice Department defending Bush’s rendition program before the 9th Circuit Court:

“We are shocked and deeply disappointed that the Justice Department has chosen to continue the Bush administration’s practice of dodging judicial scrutiny of extraordinary rendition and torture. This was an opportunity for the new administration to act on its condemnation of torture and rendition, but instead it has chosen to stay the course. Now we must hope that the court will assert its independence by rejecting the government’s false claims of state secrets and allowing the victims of torture and rendition their day in court.”

Bush's Third Term

Before I get to Bush's third term, this was President Obama today in Indiana, taunting me for another "Politics of Fear" installment, " . . . But you know, the work is going to be hard. I don't want to lie to people -- that's why we're having a town hall meeting -- because the situation we face could not be more serious. We have inherited an economic crisis as deep and as dire as any since the Great Depression (www.whitehouse.gov)."

Now, because I enjoy dining on the soft underbelly of angry liberals, the letter to the editor of the Boston Globe submitted over the weekend; it needs no introduction:

Editor,

It must render those who voted for President Obama absolutely apoplectic.

After asking four US Senators and one US Representative who voted for the Iraq war to serve in his administration, after retaining Bush's Secretary of Defense, after announcing he will continue operations at Guantanamo for up to a year under the Bush rules, and after announcing he will in the short-term continue President Bush's faith-based initiatives program under Bush's rules, it's now being reported that President Obama is considering leaving combat troops in Iraq for up to 23 months, almost 50% longer than promised during the campaign (White House considers various Iraq withdrawal options, February 7, A5).

At least the Boston Globe did its job in trying to "protect" our President by burying the Iraq war extension story on page 5 and not on page 1 as we know it would have been reported if President Bush dared consider such an extension. (End of letter.)

Because I wanted to honor the word limit requirement of the Globe I did not make any mention of PEPFAR, General Petraeus, General Odierno, or Ambassador Christopher Hill. Plus I didn't want to be accused of piling on the President.

Lies We Can Believe In IV
(Obama's Vietnam)

Resurrecting a theme not seen here since November 24, 2008, I provide the next installment of more lies from the Obama administration.

Remember how just after the Presidential election everyone was talking of the almost palpable change in how the world perceived the United States?

Well being barely reported by the liberal extremists who control the media is that Kyrgyzstan is booting the United States from a U.S. air base on its territory. For those unfamiliar with Kyrgyzstan, it's situated on the front lines of our war in Afghanistan; it was to be the launching pad for President Obama's Vietnam-like expansion of our war effort in Afghanistan.

Nothing like the colossal diplomatic blunder of losing a frontline ally in advance of a military expansion.

One of the few stories I found on the matter, an Associated Press story, reported, "Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev stunned Washington when he announced the closure of the base earlier this week after securing more than $2 billion in financial aid and credit from Russia."

Meanwhile, my "news"paper, the Boston Globe, is reporting on this story from the angle that Russia is permitting a flight corridor to Afghanistan provided flights are limited to supplies. Oh, goodie, a new frontline ally; the fortunate timing! And the Russians are so cooperative! I wonder if the Obama inner circle who didn't think Gov. Blagojevich was trying to sell Obama's Senate seat thinks there's any chance Russia orchestrated the Kyrgyz decision. No, I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

Also in the Boston Globe story is mention of the United States negotiating with Uzbekistan to open a base there. For those unfamiliar with Uzbekistan, it is ruled by a strongman and is universally recognized by international human rights groups as a country with "limited civil rights". The Bush State Department was also on record as a critic of the Uzbek government. It will be interesting to see if the Obama Administration is willing to compromise its principals (Uzbek is rumored to torture its citizens; limited civil rights?; how about "no" civil rights) to expand its war-making.

I would be remiss if I did not note that Kyrgyzstan is the best of all possible options to expand the Afghan war effort if that is what President Obama is intent on doing. Most notable in the list of benefits is the proximity for medical evacuations. It will be interesting to see what the Obama Administration is willing to sacrifice in this regard in order to expand its war-making.

The Politics of Fear IV

Back on January 10, 2009 I published the first installment of "The Politics of Fear".

I work, to fund the federal government, so I don't have the luxury of being able to respond real-time as the news unfolds during the day.

It was not until late morning that I became aware that President Obama was published in the Washington Post.

Here is the meaningful excerpt of the Fearmonger-in-Chief's plea for his pay-off package:

"Because each day we wait to begin the work of turning our economy around, more people lose their jobs, their savings and their homes. And if nothing is done, this recession might linger for years. Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach double digits. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse."

By mid-day today, I saw a few commentators accuse the President of playing the fear card. I don't know where these commentators have been for at least the last 5 weeks. Readers of ZACKlyRight have known of the President's scare tactics for some time.

The American People Aren't Stupid

During the Presidential campaign President Obama unconvincingly attempted to have us believe he thought we were smart by declaring, "the American people aren't stupid."

He could not bring himself to positively say we were smart, however. (Try telling your significant other he/she "isn't ugly" so you better understand the nuance.)

Now there is overwheleming evidence as to why the President could not state the affirmative.

It now appears there was a deal that President Obama would appoint Sen. Judd Gregg as Secretary of Commerce only if the Governor of New Hampshire agreed to appoint a Republican to fill Sen. Gregg's seat.

This is the same Adminstration that just weeks ago announced "no one (in the Administration) was aware" that Gov. Blagojevich (D, IL) was trying to sell President Obama's vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder.

The Imperial President
Obama Clock 2

Back on February 14, 2008 (go ahead, look it up) I posted the following letter that I also sent to the Boston Globe:

Editor,

With Senate Democrats handing President Bush another victory in the war against terrorists on Tuesday (with the House to hopefully follow suit), passing his requested modifications to FISA, the President will expand, with Congress' acquiescence, the powers of the executive branch . . . yet again.

Whether during an upcoming debate or in an interview, it would be helpful if any of the liberal extremists who dominate our media would ask Sens. Clinton and Obama, "If elected President, of the many powers accrued the executive branch on President Bush's watch, which powers would you immediately cede back to your friends in Congress on your first day in office?"

The gnashing of teeth by liberal elites at President Bush's expansion of the powers of the Presidency is laughable given what we can presume about the answers. (End of letter.)

Days into Obama Presidency without an Executive Order renouncing a power accrued the Executive Branch during the Bush Administration: 13

Speaking of clocks:

Days into Obama Presidency without an order for an immediate withdrawal of US forces from Iraq: 13

Days into Obama Presidency without a change in detention operations at Guantanamo: 13