This from the New York Times:
Secret ‘Kill List’ Proves a Test of Obama’s Principles and Will
Mr. Obama is the liberal law professor who campaigned against the Iraq war and torture, and then insisted on approving every new name on an expanding “kill list,” poring over terrorist suspects’ biographies on what one official calls the macabre “baseball cards” of an unconventional war. When a rare opportunity for a drone strike at a top terrorist arises — but his family is with him — it is the president who has reserved to himself the final moral calculation.
“He is determined that he will make these decisions about how far and wide these operations will go,” said Thomas E. Donilon, his national security adviser. “His view is that he’s responsible for the position of the United States in the world.” He added, “He’s determined to keep the tether pretty short.”
I don’t know how to pick and choose from this report — I’m so shocked I’m tempted to copy and past the whole thing.
But, Charles Pierce at Esquire – Obama’s Kill List and the End of the Post-9/11 World did a pretty good job so I’ll give him some credit here:
The big story on the front page of The New York Times today about the decision-making process involved in putting together the White House “kill list” — and I’m old enough to remember those romantic days when the only one involved was Gordon Liddy and the only name on the list was Jack Anderson’s — is not about the means of killing and the relative merits of killing from afar, or even about what the story refers to as the president’s “own deep reserve” about the possibility that he might have to drop a Hellfire or some teenagers. (Let’s face facts: If he didn’t have a “deep reserve” about this, he’d be a sociopath and, as it is, the available evidence indicates that he seems to overcome his deep reserve fairly readily.) It’s really not about what he does. It’s about what we tolerate.
Read these articles then tell me: Are we going to tolerate this?
Filed under: General | Tagged: murder, Obama's Kill List, Presidential Impeachment |
The Confluence 
I don’t care if you read the post but, PLEASE read the two links!!
If we not going to impeach him (laughing at the thought) could we PLEASE nominate someone else?
Deck sanding complete. I feel disgusting. Taking shower. Will read when I’m clean and stink purty agin’.
I don’t know. You might need another shower after. Just saying.
Aw, Jeez.
Oooo! If you’re not a terrorist and no threat to the country and you still manage to make this list, is this an honor like when Daniel Schorr made Nixon’s enemies list?
{{shiver}}
Ok, who here still believes that if Obama had been in the Senate during the IWR vote that he would have voted “No”?
Anybody? {{snort!}}
And to think that his imaginary vote was what they staked their whole love affair on…
Ah yes. I forgot about that vote (gags)
Oh, and the National news is on. This story hasn’t been mentioned on ANY of the big 3 networks. Yet. Maybe it’ll be the feel-good story in the last 3 minutes.
Katiebird- watching the national news and taking one for the team so we don’t have to!
What a gal. 😉
This story was trumped by the story about Trump not being satisfied by the Obama birth certificate. Of course.
Some people never give up.
I’m headed downstairs to make some eggplant stuff and then I’m topping some lemon paparadelle with it. And there’s some two buck chuck. Yum.,
Yum … it smells delicious!
Omg, Kbird, it is seriously delicious. If you can’t eat carbs, you can put the eggplant stuff on fish or chicken. It’s so easy to make and so good.
I put it on top of Trader Joe’s lemon pepper pappardelle.
Otherworldly.
Whoa, I gotta cut back on the Shiraz.
“it is the president who has reserved to himself the final moral calculation”
Pretty sure I told everyone I know that once he achieved President, the next level he would go for would be that of god.
Is that a D&D level? I can’t remember.
Dumb & Dumber?
Crazy – trying to figure out how my name changed 🙂
That is weird. I didn’t do it.
My bitching and complaining about these very things to my dismally Obot addicted family only get a ” Well I’m sure President Obama knows more about this than we are being told so if it keeps us safe then it’s fine”
That’s it. That is is what I have to live with.
Where to even begin?
They have total collective amnesia about Obama’s promises and all the bull about beign against war. The transparency stuff? They do not recall all that.
I need to bang head against wall, again.
I have a headache after reading those links. The NYTimes article is so full of shit that it’s hard for me to even start to comment. They paint a portrait of a moral, confident man who has only the best interests of our country in mind. But between the lines – there is so much distressing news that I want to cry.
What is most appalling to me – and probably the reason for my headache – is that this country has turned into a Nation of Sheeple – who are not rising up and screaming (not just shouting) at the top of their lungs that THIS IS WRONG!
As Katiebird knows, I have relatives who argue with me constantly when I talk about our military excesses that are now our domestic militarized police excesses.
I am involved in anti-fracking in Michigan and it pains me to deal with people who simply DO NOTHING when their government is giving away one of the most beautiful states in the country – to the oil and natural gas industry…because it might mean a couple of hundred temporary jobs.
I travel to various Occupations to add my body to the others so that we have a show of force – and then have to defend our actions because our corporate “free” press only reports on the actions of a few 17 year old Teen-Age Mutant Ninjas and ignores the 99% of us who are expressing a clear and strong message.
I learned today that Obama has authorized selling Italy the ability to weaponize drones – which will mean that they won’t stop just with Italy – but soon our entire air space all around the world will be filled with drone-bombs. Can’t wait to take a commercial flight and hope our pilot is qualified to dodge-the-bomb.
In England they are allowing police AND Olympic committee personnel to enter any house without a warrant to take down any signs that are being displayed that they don’t like.
It’s like this every day…the list of horrendous actions being taken against us and the fact that people are not rising up in protest.
What is wrong with the Sheeple? Why are some of us outraged but the masses are complacent? What in the world do we have to do to get a rise out of them? We are not making this stuff up – just pointing it out. But heads are so deeply buried in the sand I get this sinking feeling that there is nothing to be done.
DC Blogger suggests: “What our political elite fail to comprehend is that increasing numbers of us are in a world of hurt and we just cannot be bothered to care. Obama’s most formidable opponent is indifference. Look for historic lows in voter turnout for this election.” (Corrente)
Your thoughts? (Off to take some aspirins!)
I don’t know what to think. These things are all so depressing.
Marsha, when I think that you are at those events and protests, so tall and stronv with your beautiful purple pansy eyes, I am very.encouraged. I hope to join you soon. Let’s make this a summer they will remember.
What is wrong with the Sheeple is that they can’t seem to manage their own minds…they require their Shepherds to tell them how to think. Why do you think politicians have embraced the issues of the christians…I’m pretty sure not many subscribe, but they are collecting an entire herd rather than having to find one supporter at a time. Obama’s halo was pretty obvious during the last campaign, but if he and his family practice anything inside stained glass walls on Sundays I’ve not seen or heard about it.
Our state’s largest grassroots organization called me last night for more money. They are so focused (distracted) on healthcare (insurance) that it’s easy for the gov’t to conduct whatever business they want and not be bothered by protests.
Maria Cantwell is busy using her time and influence today on reducing the price of imported shoes.
Awww. Fuck. Here comes the thunderstorm. No staining the deck for a couple of days.
I am most seriously displeased. 😐
Remember everything “we” put up with Skippy Bush and his goon squads. Contemplate Obama. Contemplate SOS Clinton. Pray for an alternate reality.
Another good post about this: http://www.chris-floyd.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/2247-hymns-to-the-violence-the-nyts-love-letter-to-obamas-murder-racket.html
Also, I did two ‘toons on the subject:
http://vastleft.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-extremists-low-test.html
http://vastleft.blogspot.com/2012/05/american-extremists-demo.html
“I don’t know how to pick and choose from this report — I’m so shocked I’m tempted to copy and past the whole thing.”
My reaction exactly reading the article!
Or as Marsha succinctly describes what was also my feelings:
“The NYTimes article is so full of shit that it’s hard for me to even start to comment. They paint a portrait of a moral, confident man who has only the best interests of our country in mind. But between the lines – there is so much distressing news that I want to cry.”
I felt like the NYT writers were messing with my head. But maybe that’s because I expect them to always be very accommodating towards Obama; and towards Hillary Clinton not so much; and this article was the exact opposite. Or … wasn’t it?
Then there are the many references to Obama’s legal experience/ knowledge like “Mr. Obama is the liberal law professor”, “When he applies his lawyering skills”, “his legal skills”, “[Obama, says Holder] misses the legal profession” … which I (also) don’t know what to make of. An endorsement of and trust in Obama’s … resolve ? Or the opposite?
But besides being (at least to me) somewhat confusing the article is majorly disturbing. As is the fact that it more or less seems to have been ignored. Except in the blogosphere.
NOMITTNOBAMA2012!
Another good read by Scott Horton in Harper’s Magazine Obama’s Kill List.