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-Election 2012
Democratic super PAC to revive attacks on Romney's Bain record
2012-10-21
A Democratic super PAC with ties to the White House announced Saturday that it plans to reinvigorate its efforts from earlier this summer to attack Republican presidential candidate Willard Mitt Romney
...former governor of Massachussetts, currently the Publican nominee for president. He is the son of the former governor of Michigan, George Romney, who himself ran for president after saving American Motors from failure, though not permanently. Romney has a record as a successful businessman, heading Bain Capital, and he rescued the 2002 Winter Olympics from the midst of bribery and mismanagement scandals. More to the point, he isn't President B.O...
for his leadership at private equity firm Bain Capital.

Bill Burton, a former Obama front man who runs Priorities USA Action, suggested in a Saturday memo that the best way to stop Romney from rising in the polls is to remind voters of his "time in the private sector and the devastating impact he had on middle class Americans."

"Polling data clearly illustrates that Mitt Romney's business experience -- the central credential and professed asset for his candidacy -- has become a real liability following months of Priorities USA Action's advertising this spring and summer," Burton wrote.
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-Election 2012
Champ's Crowd Ready to Paint Ryan a Radical
2012-08-12
No sooner had Romney introduced the Wisconsin congressman as his vice presidential choice in front of a battleship in Norfolk, Va. on Saturday, than the Obama campaign went to war, painting Ryan as a "radical" ideologue whose extreme views would lead to a reprise of the "same, catastrophic mistakes" of the George W. Bush era.
It's STILL Bush's fault!
Democrats in Congress and liberal activist groups piled on, denouncing Ryan and sending out frantic fundraising pitches that played off fears of a GOP administration to solicit donations in hopes of matching the Republican cash grab in the wake of the announcement.
Frantic, you say? I wonder why?
Beneath the fierce response was a sense of delight among Democrats that they got the vice presidential candidate they wanted in Ryan, a staunch fiscal conservative. For months, the Obama campaign has been trying to tie Romney to Ryan's Republican House budget proposal, which the president in April called "social Darwinism" that would pit the poor against the wealthy.
Class warfare continues! The struggle continues! That which can't endue WILL endure!
Democrats believe Ryan's ideological views will turn off moderate voters and drive liberals to the polls, especially in Florida, a critical swing state where Obama, in two appearances last month, vilified the congressman's proposal to partially privatize Medicare. In this way, Democrats say, Ryan provides a natural foil for the president, who has framed the election as a choice between sharply contrasting visions that could fundamentally reshape the nation.
I wonder if Ryan's plan has any logic to it? How can they possibly respond to Champ's clever politics of fear?
In a statement, Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said that Romney has "chosen a leader of the House Republicans who shares his commitment to the flawed theory that new budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, while placing greater burdens on the middle class and seniors, will somehow deliver a stronger economy."
The wealthy! They are the budget busters! Entitlements roll on!
Obama did not respond to questions shouted by reporters as he left the White House on Saturday afternoon for a trip to Chicago, where he is to attend four fundraising events Sunday.
What kind of questions is he afraid of? Who would dare ask such questions that The One would not bother to answer?
The president's campaign said that Vice President Biden called Ryan to welcome him to the race, saying he "looked forward to engaging him on the clear choice voters face this November."
Meeee toooo!
The two are scheduled to debate Oct. 11 in Danville, Ky.

Yet the Obama campaign's rapid response showed it was well-prepared for Ryan. The president's operatives posted a Web video denouncing Ryan as the "mastermind behind the extreme GOP budget plan," and they added a new page to the campaign's Web site mocking the Romney-Ryan partnership as the "Go Back Team," riffing off the Romney campaign's labeling of the ticket as "America's Comeback Team."

In a fundraising e-mail, Messina wrote: "Our job is to make sure Americans know the truth about what Romney's choice says about him as a candidate and leader." The president's Democratic allies echoed the campaign's criticism of Ryan. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that Romney's choice "demonstrates that catering to the tea party and the far right is more important to him that standing up for the middle class."
Does Harry know who put the trunks in charge of the house?
Bill Burton of Priorities USA Action, a super PAC that supports Obama, vowed that his organization would shift the focus of its television ads-which have focused exclusively on Romney's tenure at Bain Capital two decades ago-to Ryan and his budget.

"He was the one nominee who could actually do damage to the ticket," Burton said, acknowledging that he was surprised by Romney's choice. "Everybody else was fairly neutral. No doubt he will fire up conservatives, but he also comes with so many liabilities from his budget that Romney will come to think he made a sizable mistake attaching himself so closely to Paul Ryan."
Whadda maroon, that Romney! Not a clever bone in his body! Right?
Obama has centered his campaign on an appeal to the middle class, emphasizing his belief that the federal government should play a role in investing in critical public needs such as infrastructure, education and health care. Republicans have attacked him for allowing the deficit to grow while pumping money into government programs, such as the stimulus package and the health-care reform bill, that have failed to jump-start the economy.

In a speech in April to the Associated Press, Obama used the Ryan plan as a metaphor for a GOP vision for the country that he said is "antithetical to our entire history" as a land that promises an upward path for the middle class.
My irony meter is twitching...
"It's a Trojan horse. Disguised as deficit reduction plan, it's really an attempt to impose a radical vision on our country. It's nothing but thinly veiled social Darwinism," Obama said then. "It's a prescription for decline."
Good grief! Where can I get a new irony meter?
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Home Front: Politix
'Unlimited' cash for new Obama reelection group
2011-04-29
Former White House officials have launched a new group designed to foil conservative attacks on President Obama's reelection with unlimited campaign cash.

Former Obama deputy press secretary Bill Burton announced the formation of Priorities USA and Priorities USA Action, two groups that will exploit campaign finance loopholes President Obama had previously condemned.

The groups began on Friday with a website and video attacking the "extreme right," featuring examples of harsh rhetoric toward Obama by Republican presidential candidates, as well as the wealthy conservatives who support them.
Video at link
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Home Front: Politix
Obama, Condoleezza Rice to meet at White House
2010-10-16
(KUNA) -- President Barack B.O. Obama was scheduled to meet at the White House on Friday with former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to discuss a range of issues, White House deputy front man Bill Burton said.
Oh, to be a fly on that wall! The president will find it a learning experience. She has an awful lot of experience handling students like him. Plus she's done real things in the real world. She is, in fact, everything he pretends to be, except for the marriage and children part.
Rice was in Washington to address the National Press Club as part of a book promotion effort she has been engaged in this week.

"She was going to be in town, and the President obviously could not make her book party later today," Burton told news hounds traveling aboard Air Force One with the President. "But he wanted to bring her in and have a chat with her. I am sure they will talk about a wide range of foreign policy issues".

The meeting will last about 30 minutes, Burton said.
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Iraq
White House: Iraq can handle own security
2010-08-27
So sez the military genius currently sitting in the Oval Office ...
INEYARD HAVEN, Massachusetts — Iraq is capable of meeting its own security needs, the White House said Thursday, as the United States finalized preparations to remove its combat troops from country.

Asked in the aftermath of a bloody attack Al-Qaeda attack Wednesday that killed 53 people and wounded 250 more whether the Iraqi government is able to maintain its own security, White House deputy spokesman Bill Burton insisted it is, as he condemned “the people who are trying to derail the march to democracy that Iraq has been on.”

“The president is confident that the effort to transition from a combat role in Iraq to Iraqi forces being in charge of their own security has been a successful one, and they are capable of taking on their own security,” President Barack Obama’s spokesman told reporters.
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Home Front: Politix
Obama said clueless undaunted by furor over mosque remarks
2010-08-18
[Arab News] He is also not dismayed that the Senate's top Democrat, Majority Leader Harry Reid, now opposes the idea, deputy Information Minister Bill Burton said.

"This is an issue people are going to come to with strongly held convictions," Burton told reporters aboard Air Force One as Obama flew to an appearance in Seattle.

"He's happy our thriving democracy is continuing to produce vigorous debate."

On Monday, Reid became the highest profile Democrat to call for the mosque to be built someplace else. Current plans are to locate it two blocks from the site of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks.

On Friday, at a White House dinner marking the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Obama declared Mohammedans "have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances." A day later, however, he told reporters that was not an endorsement of the specifics of the mosque plan.

Burton told reporters that Obama "respects the right of anybody ... to disagree with his opinion on this." As to Reid's view, Burton said the senator is a "fiercely independent individual," and that's one of his strengths as a leader of his fellow Democrats.

A number of Republicans have portrayed Obama as out of touch with Americans' feelings on the issue, and some Democratic strategists have said they wish he hadn't spoken.

However, Burton said Obama did not consider the politics of his remarks, and felt he had to speak out in defense of key US constitutional values that include freedom of religion.

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Home Front: Politix
Obama will become a 'born-again moderate,' says GOP's McConnell
2010-08-05
President B.O. will likely become a "born-again moderate" after the November elections, according to the Senate's top Republican.
Nothing leads me to believe he's half that bright...
In an interview with The Hill this week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Incumbent R-Ky.) acknowledged that Obama doesn't call him very often.
"I sit by the phone and I wait, but it never rings..."
But he thinks that will be changing soon. "Frankly, I think how much he calls me depends on how much he thinks he needs me," McConnell said. "I don't blame him for that. He's had a huge number [of Democrats] in the House and a big number in the Senate, and I'm sure calling Mitch McConnell is not the first thing on his agenda every day."
If the Pubs take the Senate in November they're not obligated to keep this guy as majority leader.
The Kentucky senator who has marshaled unyielding opposition to Obama and Democratic congressional leaders for the past year and a half said he stands ready to work with the White House in the next Congress. He cited common ground with Obama on issues such as trade, nuclear power and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "There are things that he is doing, and there are some things that he says he's for that he's not yet done that could produce more bipartisan agreement, and if there is a mid-course correction in November, I think the president will become a born-again moderate," McConnell said.
I doubt if he even has the concept.
McConnell's remarks reveal his confidence about the midterm elections, though he repeatedly refused to forecast the future. "What I would hope, for the sake of the country, is that if there is a mid-course correction, the president will give up on his left-of-center agenda and meet us in the middle," he added.
He's so far left of center the center's not even on his horizon.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton noted that Obama and McConnell have a meeting scheduled for Wednesday at the White House, adding they meet on a monthly basis. Burton said, "The president has consistently reached out to Republicans and included many of their ideas in every major piece of legislation he's signed. In fact, he's hoping to get Republican support for some policies they've previously supported in the small business legislation that is currently before the body. The president will continue to work with Republicans without regard to this coming Election Day or any other day on the calendar."
Then his lips fell off. They shriveled up and began to smoke right before his eyes...
For now -- three months before the election -- McConnell is comfortable attacking Obama and congressional Democrats. "This is a very, very anti-business administration," he said, later calling Democrats "naïve" and accusing them of embracing "Washington takeover" policies.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran faces fresh sanctions as Russia and China support UN resolution
2010-05-19
The security council is set to impose tough sanctions on Iran next month after a surprise shift by Russia and China in favour of punitive action against Tehran's military and financial institutions, according to a security council source.

The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, described the draft UN resolution as "strong".

The proposed sanctions, which would be the fourth round of measures against Iran, are aimed at persuading it to abandon what the US, Britain, France and Israel claim is an attempt to secure a nuclear weapons capability.

The sanctions will target the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which control a business empire including hotels and other commercial projects, a huge military complex, shipping and insurance. An existing arms embargo will be expanded. The 10-page draft resolution also calls for stopping Iranian ships suspected of containing cargo related to Iran's nuclear or missile programmes.

Such a policy could create potentially dangerous stand-offs between US naval ships and Iranian vessels.

A draft security council resolution was agreed early today by the five permanent members of the security council – the US, Britain, China, Russia and France. The resolution was sent to the other 10 members of the council this afternoon.

The imposition of sanctions may help delay Israel's long-threatened air strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.

Russia and China have long held out against fresh sanctions and their turnaround appeared to catch US, British and French diplomats off guard. The White House has, for months, sought to win over Moscow and Beijing to the imposition of fresh measures.

The deal is a rare foreign policy success for Barack Obama, who faced domestic scepticism about securing the backing of China, which imports oil from Iran, and Russia, which also has extensive trade with Iran.

The security council move came less than 24 hours after Brazil and Turkey announced their own deal with Iran, under which Tehran would ship out more than a tonne of enriched uranium in return for fuel rods for a nuclear research reactor. The US and Britain were cool about this deal, saying it did not go nearly far enough.

Brazil and Turkey will be upset that their diplomatic effort has been scuppered so quickly. Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had said yesterday the deal made sanctions unnecessary. What will add to the Brazilian and Turkish anger is that their deal is similar to one that the US, France, Russia and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, agreed with Tehran last October, from which Iran withdrew earlier this year.

The White House was yesterday dismissive of the Brazil-Turkey deal, portraying it as a delaying tactic on the part of Tehran. "We weren't surprised Iran was doing something that could forestall sanctions against them," the White House's spokesman, Bill Burton, said. He added: "We're going to continue to apply pressure in every way we can … We're going to continue until Iran lives up to its international obligations."

Clinton, giving evidence to the Senate foreign relations committee, also interpreted the Brazil-Turkey deal as a delaying tactic on the part of Iran. "We don't believe it was any accident that Iran agreed to this declaration as we are preparing to move forward in New York," she said. Confirming the security council deal, she said: "We have reached agreement on a strong draft with the co-operation of both Russia and China."

With all five permanent members of the security council on board, negotiations with the 10 temporary members would normally take two to four weeks. The US, Britain and France would like a unanimous resolution but Brazil and Turkey, after the rebuff of their initiative, may be hard to persuade.

Western diplomats say sanctions alone will not bring Tehran round but, combined with other pressures, might lead to change. Israel has supported the push for sanctions while not ruling out an eventual military strike. It has already described Iran's possession of a nuclear weapon as a "red line".
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran launches rat and turtles into space
2010-02-04
Iran hailed on Wednesday the successful launch of a home-built satellite carrying a rat, turtles and worms, amid Western concerns Tehran is using its nuclear and space industries to develop atomic and ballistic weapons.

Iranian state television said the Kavoshgar 3 (Explorer) rocket carried a capsule containing "live animals" -- marking Iran's first experiment in sending living creatures into space.

Television footage showed a white rat on its back in a container with tubes protruding from its mouth. Two other containers contained respectively several dark worms and small turtles.

The United States branded the rocket launch a "provocative act" as some observers raised fears the craft could be used to develop ballistic missiles, as well as to launch satellites.

White House deputy spokesman Bill Burton said that the Obama administration, which is locked in a nuclear showdown with Tehran, was still checking out reports of the launch. But he added such a move by Iran would be a "provocative act."

France said it had received news of the launch with "great concern."

"This announcement can only reinforce the concerns of the international community as Iran in parallel develops a nuclear programme that has no identifiable civil aims," a spokesman said in Paris.

Iran's ISNA news agency said the capsule carrying the creatures returned to earth safely after a U-shaped voyage as planned, but it did not elaborate on the condition of the animals.

"It is a great job that living organisms can be sent into space, we do experiments on them and they return to earth," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said as he welcomed the launch.

The ILNA news agency reported that Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the "biological data of the animals will be sent to us for evaluation."

State television showed footage of the rocket being fired from a desert launchpad leaving behind a thick plume of smoke. A few minutes later the grainy images showed the capsule detaching from the rocket and spinning in orbit.

The television also carried pictures of Ahmadinejad unveiling another home-built rocket designed to carry satellites, dubbed Simorgh (Phoenix). The milk-bottle shaped rocket, emblazoned in blue with the words "Satellite Carrier Simorgh," is equipped to carry a 100-kilogram (220-pound) satellite 500 kilometres (310 miles) into orbit, the television report said.

The 27-metre (90 foot) tall multi-stage rocket weighs 85 tonnes and its liquid fuel propulsion system has a thrust of up to 100 tonnes, the report added.

Ahmadinejad said Iran was "going to send a satellite 500 kilometres up. The next steps are 700 and 1,000 kilometres. Everyone knows that reaching the 1,000 kilometre orbit allows you to reach all orbits."

Vahidi revealed details of three new satellite prototypes -- the Toloo (Dawn), Navid (Good News), and Mesbah-2 (Lantern) -- as well as of Simorgh.

"Toloo is a satellite used for remote survey and weighs 100 kilograms (220 pounds). It is planned to be placed in 500 kilometre orbit for three years," Vahidi said. "The Simorgh rocket is able to place a satellite weighing 100 kilos in 500 kilometre orbit," Vahidi said, adding that a further refinement of the same design would allow satellites to be placed in a 1,000-kilometre orbit.

The satellite launch and the unveiling of the new prototypes came as Iran marked "Space Technology Day" as part of celebrations for the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution.

Iran launched its first home-built satellite, the Omid (Hope), in February last year to coincide with the 30th anniversary.

In 2008, Iran fired two rockets into space -- the Kavoshgar in February and the Kavoshgar 2 in November -- but neither was carrying any payload.

The West suspects Iran of secretly trying to build an atomic bomb and fears the technology used to launch space rockets could be diverted into developing long-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Tehran denies having military goals for its space programme or its nuclear drive.
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Home Front: WoT
White House orders Justice Department to look for other places to try KSM
2010-01-29
Bambi isn't the most graceful in backing down ...
The White House ordered the Justice Department to consider other places to try the 9/11 terror suspects after a wave of opposition to holding the trial in lower Manhattan. The White House took the action hours after Mayor Bloomberg called Attorney General Eric Holder to say he would "prefer that they did it elsewhere."

"It would be an inconvenience at the least, and probably that's too mild a word for people that live in the neighborhood and businesses in the neighborhood," Bloomberg told reporters. "There are places that would be less expensive for the taxpayers and less disruptive for New York City."

State leaders have railed against a plan to try Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in Manhattan federal court since Holder proposed it last month.

The order to consider new venues does not change the White House's position that Mohammed should be tried in civilian court.

"President Obama is still committed to trying Mohammed and four other terrorist detainees in federal court," spokesman Bill Burton said Thursday. "He agrees with the attorney general's opinion that ... he and others can be litigated successfully and securely in the United States of America, just like others have," Burton said.

Burton referred questions about the location debate to the Justice Department.

Officials there have apparently been caught off guard by the fiery opposition in New York, an insider told the Daily News. "They're in a tizzy at Justice over Bloomberg," a federal law enforcement official said. "It's like a half-baked souffle - the plan is collapsing."

Meanwhile, a source told The News that Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly was the driving force behind the push by Manhattan business leaders to change the mayor's mind on the trial. Kelly made an "extremely powerful" speech to a roomful of 150 prominent business leaders about how disruptive and costly the trial would be for lower Manhattan at an annual police charity event on Jan. 13, the source said.

"What turned this around was when Ray made a presentation to the Police Foundation," the source said. "Everyone went from thinking, 'Justice will be served' to thinking 'We are screwed.'"

What followed was a barrage of complaints to the mayor from some of New York's most powerful tycoons - part of a tide of pressure that led Bloomberg to turn against hosting the trial.

Estimates put the cost of a multiyear terror trial in lower Manhattan at about $200 million a year. Leaders have suggested other venues for the trial, such as the Military Academy at West Point or Stewart Air National Guard Base in upstate Newburgh.

The federal government has said they would reimburse the city for the costs, most of which cover overtime for increased security, but they won't reimburse business owners for lost revenue during the chaos, said Steven Spinola, president of the heavyweight business group Real Estate Board of New York.

"Is the federal government going to give the city $1 billion plus the cost of propping up businesses? I don't think so," Spinola said. "The mayor clearly has been thinking about this. The tide is turning," He said.

By the end of the day Thursday, Bloomberg's open opposition to a Manhattan trial had snowballed into a near total rebuke of the plan by politicians statewide.

Rep. Pete King made a push against a Manhattan trial by introducing a bill that would prohibit the use of Justice Department funds to try Guantanamo detainees in civilian courts. The Long Island Republican called the White House plan "one of the worst decisions ever made by any President" and insisted Mohammed should be tried by the military.

Gov. Paterson reiterated his opposition to a Manhattan trial because of the price tag and the burden it will put on the downtown residents. "I think New Yorkers have been through enough," Paterson said on ABC's "The View." "In my opinion, maybe we all need to sit down and see if there isn't another venue."
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Home Front: Politix
Sources: Obama advisers believe Coakley will lose or it's Bush's Fault
2010-01-18
Washington (CNN) - Multiple advisers to President Obama have privately told party officials that they believe Democrat Martha Coakley is going to lose Tuesday's special election to fill the Massachusetts Senate seat held by the late Ted Kennedy for more than 40 years, several Democratic sources told CNN Sunday.

The sources added that the advisers are still hopeful that Obama's visit to Massachusetts on Sunday - coupled with a late push by Democratic activists - could help Coakley pull out a narrow victory in an increasingly tight race against Republican state Sen. Scott Brown.

However, the presidential advisers have grown increasingly pessimistic in the last three days about Coakley's chances after a series of missteps by the candidate, sources said.

But White House spokesman Bill Burton told CNN: "The President is in Massachusetts today because he believes Martha Coakley is the right person for the job and indeed will be the next senator from Massachusetts."
Latest Polls From RealClearPolitics have Brown up 5-15%. The stakes are huge in this election. There is indication the donks will change the rules to a simple majority if Brown wins. Voter dissatisfaction in both parties and for independents is great. If a loss BO administration will spin this such that Coaklely didn't ask for help early enough and she was a bad campaigner. If Coakley wins, BO will spin it such that she came in on his coat-tails. Voters are on to this however.
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Home Front: Politix
Barack Obama gets an 'F' for protecting Americans
2009-12-30
There is no more solemn duty for an American commander-in-chief than the martialling of “all elements of American power” – the phrase Obama himself used on Monday – to protect the people of the United States. In that key respect, Obama failed on Christmas Day, just as President George W. Bush failed on September 11th (though he succeeded in the seven years after that).

Yes, the buck stops in the Oval Office. Obama may have rather smugly given himself a “B+” for his 2008 performance but he gets an F for the events that led to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab boarding a Detroit-bound plane in Amsterdam with a PETN bomb sewn into his underpants. He said today that a “systemic failure has occurred”. Well, he’s in charge of that system.

The picture we’re getting is more and more alarming by the hour. Here are some key elements to consider:

1. Abdulmutallab’s father spoke several times to the US Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria and visited a CIA officer there to tell him, apparently, that he feared his son was a jihadist being trained in Yemen. According to CNN, the CIA officer wrote up a report, which then sat in the CIA headquarters at Langley for several weeks without being disseminated to the rest of the intelligence community. This was not just a casual encounter. Again according to CNN, there were at least two face-to-face meetings, telephone calls and written correspondence with the father. If it’s true that the CIA sat on this then it beggars belief.

2. After 9/11, the huge bureaucracies of the Homeland Security Department and the Directorate of National Intelligence (DNI) were created. Inside the DNI, the National Counter Terrorism Center was created. These organisations were created to “connect the dots”. It may well be that the fault lay with NCTC and not the CIA – CIA spokesman George Little says here that “key biographical information” and information about “possible extremist connections in Yemen” was passed to NCTC. If NCTC knew about it, then did someone at the National Security Council within the White House? There’s a huge blame game beginning so we’ll no doubt know soon enough.

3. It wasn’t just the meeting with the father. According to CBS, “as early as August of 2009 the Central Intelligence Agency was picking up information on a person of interest dubbed ‘The Nigerian’ suspected of meeting with ‘terrorist elements’ in Yemen”. So there were other parts of the jigsaw that were not put together.

4. In his studied desire to be the unBush by responding coolly to events like this, Obama is dangerously close to failing as a leader. Yes, it is good not to shoot from the hip and make broad assertions without the facts. But Obama took three days before speaking to the American people, emerging on Monday in between golf and tennis games in Hawaii to deliver a rather tepid address that significantly underplayed what happened. He described Abdulmutallab as an “isolated extremist” who “allegedly tried to ignite an explosive device on his body” – phrases that indicate a legalistic, downplaying approach that alarms rather than reassures. Today’s words showed a lot more fire and desire to get on top of things – we’ll see whether Obama follows through with action. In the meantime, he went snorkelling.

5. There has been a pattern developing with the Obama administration trying to minimise terrorist attacks. We saw it with Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad, a Muslim convert who murdered a US Army recruit in Little Rock, Arkansas in June. We saw it with Major Nidal Malik Hassan, a Muslim with Palestinian roots who slaughtered 13 at Fort Hood, Texas last month. In both cases, there were Yemen connections. Obama began to take the same approach with Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. We’ll see whether this incident shakes him out of that complacency. Whether it’s called the war on terror or not, it’s clear that the US is at war against al-Qaeda and radical Islamists.

6. Guantanamo Bay. It seems that two of the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) planners behind this attack were released from Guantanamo Bay during the Bush administration. That calls into question the competence of Bush administration officials but also the wisdom of closing Guantanamo Bay. How many other enemies of America and the West are going to be released back to the battlefield? As Mike Goldfarb asks: “Is the Obama administration seriously still considering sending some 90 Yemeni detainees now being held at Gitmo back to their country of origin, where al Qaeda are apparently running around with impunity?”

7. Janet Napolitano, Obama’s Homeland Security Chief, has been a distaster in this, exhibiting the kind of bureaucratic complacency that makes ordinary citizens want to go postal. On Sunday, she told CNN that “one thing I’d like to point out is that the system worked” and ABC News that “once the incident occurred, the system worked”. A day later, she grumbled that quoted “out of context” before reversing herself, telling NBC: “Our system did not work in this instance. No one is happy or satisfied with that. An extensive review is under way.” The “system worked” comment was a “heckuva job, Brownie” moment. Is she up to the job?

8. Will Obama hold individuals accountable? Briefing the press today behind a cloak of anonymity as a “Senior Administration Official”, Denis McDonough, NSC chief of staff (he gave the game away by saying he was from Minnesota), said that Obama “intends to demand accountability at the highest levels” before adding: ” It remains to be seen what that means exactly.” If heads don’t roll – and soon – then Obama’s words will seem hollow. It’s an opportunity for him to show some real steel.

9. There’s a continued, unfortunate tendency for everyone in Obamaland to preface every comment about something going wrong with a sideswipe against the Bush administration. On Sunday, Bill Burton, Deputy White House Press Secretary, briefed: “On the Sunday shows, Robert Gibbs and Secretary Napolitano made clear that we are pressing ahead with securing our nation against threats and our aggressive posture in the war with al Qaeda. We are winding down a war in Iraq that took our eye off of the terrorists that attacked us, and have dramatically increased our resources in Afghanistan and Pakistan where those terrorists are.” Why pat yourself on the back for “winding down a war in Iraq that took our eye off of the terrorists that attacked us” when the issue at hand is why the US government under Obama, er, took its eyes off a terrorist who did try to attack us and nearly killed 300 people? It’s bordering on the juvenile. Obama’s been president for a year now. It’s time for him to accept that things that happen as his responsibility, not Bush’s. It’s time for him to echo Ronald Reagan, who said over Iran-Contra: “I take full responsibility for my own actions and for those of my administration.”

10. Will there be US air attacks against targets in Yemen? Watch this space. It’s safe to say that Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or AQAP, described to me by a senior intelligence official today as “officially recognised and in corporate terms a sanctioned franchise of al-Qaeda” that is plainly now seeking to become an international rather than just a regional Islamist player.
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