It should be unbelievable, but these days, sadly, it’s not. I’m talking about the people on the far right who refuse to give Pres. Obama any credit for the finding and killing of Osama bin Laden. It’s not all Republicans – some, such as Donald Rumsfeld and former Pres. Bush, have rightly praised Obama’s role, and offered congratulations to the president and his national security team. But others, the hard-core Obama haters in particular, just can’t seem to find any excitement or pleasure in bin Laden’s demise, simply because the “Socialist Kenyan” had a big part in it. I mentioned this yesterday to a friend, who summed it up perfectly by shaking his head and replying, “Yeah, I know. Some ‘patriots,’ huh?”
Now, this same bunch of jokers have already started their own mythology about the bin Laden killing: It was Bush’s torture policies that brought down bin Laden. The minute it was revealed that the info about bin Laden’s courier came from a detainee at Guantanamo Bay, the far-righties started gloating about the wonders of waterboarding. Right away, one of our favorite congressional Neanderthals, Rep. Steve King (R-IA), “quipped,” “Wonder what President Obama thinks of waterboarding now?”
As a topper, the other King of the right, Rep. Peter King (R-NY), even went on Bill O’Reilly’s FoxNews show yesterday and told the story of how waterboarding was what got Khaled Sheik Mohammed to give up bin Laden’s courier. O’Reilly, beside himself with joy, exclaimed, “You’re not going to hear that on other networks.” And, as ThinkProgress responded, “There’s a good reason.” Because the story is false. Former Bush officials say that Mohammed’s revelations came after “standard interrogation,” not waterboarding. Moreover, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld flatly contradicted the waterboard story yesterday, stating that “it was not harsh treatment and it was not waterboarding” that elicited the information.
Those words from the horse’s mouth won’t convince the true believers, however, as they seem increasingly incapable of processing new information. It’s darkly ironic that the far-right — such as the clown who wrote today in the daily paper’s letters section that bin Laden’s killing was a “political stunt for Obama” — credit Bush for taking down bin Laden, when it was Bush who let the terrorist leader live freely for 10 years after 9/11 by his distraction and obsession with Saddam Hussein. Come on guys, forget your investment in hating Obama and just admit it: the Kenyan Socialist knocked it out of the park.
This article appears in May 3-9, 2011.
Please – for just a few days, can we all just be AMERICANS and forget about left and right?
It was a TEAM effort, and everyone who was involved gets the credit. This isn’t a good political football to play with IMHO…
I think Obama did a great job with this operation. I am glad to see those on the right honestly acknowledge that (such as Hannity last night)
Your statement that Bush had 10 years to deal with this since 9/11 is incorrect, since it has not yet been ten years and Bush has been out of office for over two years.
Why do you have to fudge numbers to make your point??
This is one of the few things Obama did the right thing on. You do have to wonder if Obama had been in charge from the start if we would have caught the guy. Remember Obama thinks that terrorist should be extended constitutional rights. If not for Bush these guys could have pleaded the 5th and we would have gotten no information about terrorist activities since there would be NO interrogations at all.
Instead of relaxing and being happy about Osama being killed Groomy is out running around trying to find any and all doubters. Atleast wait until Barry produces the pictures before getting all upset.
That’s President Obama to you, Mr. Griffin.
Nice to see the left take a break from their candlelight vigils for serial killers and lobbying efforts to end the death penalty to cheer The One’s blind-squirrel-finding-a-nut moment.
With the elimination of OBL, I challenge the left to resurrect their long-forgotten yet proper stance on Viet Nam and demand of their President and government:
Out of Iraq – NOW.
Out of Afghanistan – NOW.
Out of Libya – NOW (Inconvenient truth: Al-Qaeda is allied with the Libyan Rebels)
Out of Israel and Palestine – NOW.
Juan you sound like a halfway intelligent guy, yet you still resort to pat, hackneyed stereotypes. You sound like one of the Fox News zombies, the way you call Obama “The One” (how clever!) and pretending that people on the left hold candlelight vigils for serial killers (how cliche!).
(And BTW — “squirrel finding a nut moment?” Really? WTF does that even mean?)
Anyway, if you have a point to make, make it plainly. If your point is that we should get out of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, then I’m with you. I’m even cool with letting Israel and Palestine solve their differences themselves. The left should be more adamant about these things.
Now was that so hard?
Think how much better off we would be if we had fewer Republicans, fewer Democrats, and more Americans.
But, alas, Americans love to choose up sides. Draw a line anywhere and watch people line up on either side of it and loudly denigrate the people on the other side:
Democrat vs Republican
Management vs Labor
Citizen vs Immigrant
Black vs White
Men vs Women
Christians vs … well, pretty much everyone else.
What I love is when the wingnuts like Juan Valdez write things like “I challenge you (or the left)…” or “I am expecting you to show me …” or “I am waiting for your answer” — like they’re some kind of authority that must be answered immediately or the liberal commenter they’re pissed at will be permanently disgraced or something. What a bunch of sad clowns.
Here’s a clue, wingnuts: No one really gives a damn what you say, much less what you “demand” or “challenge.” Get over yourselves.
Koufax,
Oprah Winfrey gave Obama the “The One” nickname.
I guess that’s why the Prez got on a plane to see Oprah after he dealt with the birth certificate “silliness”.
P.S.: Nice silence by the libbies on the “Geronimo” codename for OBL. Imagine if that name had been used by a white GOP prez…