It's Escapades and Episodes According to the Greatest Manipulator of Truth Ever Thing

Dear America,

"With all due respect, 

the fact is we had four dead Americans. 

Was it because of a protest, 

or was it because of guys 

out for a walk one night

 who decided they'd go 

kill some Americans? 

What difference, 

at this point, 

does it make?"

This snapshot of Hillary's Benghazi testimony reveals so much about HER, doesn't it?

Right from the get go, this answer she gives claims to be out of respect, and yet it turns into nothing of the sort.  HER answer is alarmingly disparaging to our four dead Americans, and makes her point by trivializing the possible reasons for the very attack...and adds finally, what difference at this point does it make, dead is dead, let's move on.org.

This attitude of what difference does it make seems to follow HER around like a puppy -- and just maybe she rues the day now made scorching permanent in American history; but no matter, what difference at this point does it make if she finds herself in regret, or not -- for Hillary's lack of respect to the truth will rule the day here on the old gthing...good morning.

This testimony reveals who she really is...a manipulator of truth, someone who makes a habit of using deception, when necessary, for selfish advancement or simply to avoid the consequences of a mistake.

Just like Benghazi -- this whole dehydration thing, and fainting thing, and falling down thing -- has a timeline, too.   Returning to circa December of 2012, here at CNN.

And even from the mouth of HER own husband -- “Well, if it is it’s a mystery to me and all of her doctors, because frequently, not frequently, rarely, but on more than one occasion, over the last many, many years, the same sort of thing’s happened to her where she got severely dehydrated,"

When it comes to the Clinton's -- the truth FREQUENTLY is altered, avoided, bleached, or destroyed by a hammer;  while sometimes -- this  truth -- when it is hidden deep inside the mind of another human being....perhaps after months of research, experiences close to a situation, or methodical review (I mean, what difference at this point does it make how the truth suddenly  illuminates, right) ....something actually happens to this human being -- keeper of the truth --  under the cover of darkness...poof!

You know, and I know, that you know, that I'm no doctor.  But if I were a doctor, and Hillary was under my care -- and if this whole fainting thing and falling down thing is really due to dehydration -- my prescription would be the same year over year:

• drink more water, always have a bottle of water with you...better still, and if you are into brands -- load up on the Gatorade to the Powerade in the Escalade.
• get your rest
• periodically get hooked up to an IV for fluids, electrolytes, etc 
• get a shot -- as in a vitamin cocktail on your derriere (very popular out here in So CAL)
• (and being one of those skinny girls, myself -- tell her to think about losing a few LB's)
• (not to mention, your face looks puffy -- are you taking steroids or the HGH, by chance...)

But don't tell me this is pneumonia.

And certainly -- let's not make light of it as if what difference at this point does it make, and consider it just something she just does frequently, or occasionally, or rarely, or from time to time, like Bill said.

The problem I have with the latest fainting spell -- causing HER to leave the 9/11 Anniversary service prematurely -- is that it didn't resemble fainting!

HER movements were odd -- by the time she got to the curb, while waiting for the van to pull up, she appears twitchy, to the point that at the very moment the van arrives, her whole body jerks.  Then her legs buckle, and she takes a step towards the van with help holding HER up on both sides, looking more like she has Muscular Sclerosis, or even Lou Gehrig's disease, or something. Something is wrong with HER.  

This is not just dehydration.

Nor the fault of pneumonia.

No way.

No way.

No way.

HER health issues are years in the making, and made exponentially more serious since the concussion in 2012, the one that prompted delaying her Benghazi testimony until she recovered.

BUTT the bottom line -- it all matters to the American people.
She must be the greatest manipulator of truth ever! Who couldn't proudly hail all that, huh?

Now Trump -- well (emphasis on well) he's not showing any signs of any health issues; and not only does it matter, it speaks volumes, and often repeats.  Yes, folks, it's gonna be huge, it's gonna be huge.

And yet, every time Hillary stumps, something seems to be a problem -- be it a cough, be it dehydration, be it the weather,  be it pneumonia, or be it the inability to just stay on message with her own policy and agenda plans vs. making the mistake of lumping half of Trump's followers into "a basket of deplorables."  [Of course, she corrected herself, and for the record considered it a mistake for calling it "half" -- but what difference at this point does it make,  she said it.  And maybe what she really wanted to say was ALL...there is that.] A tisket, a tasket, blame it on the basket...

When Judicial Watch deposed Cheryl D. Mills on the entire EmailServerGate -- Mills being the chief of staff for Hillary at the State Department...all four years, mind you -- the 162 page transcript contains as follows (see JW Verdict publication, for more):

• 283 instances of the words "object" and "objection"
• 38 instances of "I don't recall"
• 183 instances of "I don't know"

And then JW goes to commentary in the Wall Street Journal, with Kim Strassel describing the Mills testimony as such:  "Ms. Mills can barely recall any conversation with anyone while at the State Department about a server, or email, or anything.  She is clueless or mum on why the server came to be or who knew about it, or how it worked."

To which I must conclude, this whole dehydration thing, fainting thing, falling down and hitting your head until you can't remember shit thing must be contagious.

Watch the video of Hillary "fainting" into the van, from pneumonia, because it was sweltering hot (at a beautiful 77 degrees), plus she needed a wee bit of water....

 indeed.

What difference at this point does it make, from every angle, this video is devastating.

It's almost as infuriating as that other video, the one that caused the attack on Benghazi -- if you happen to be in the basket of  leftists, that is.  Which, lucky for me, am not.  [....that link there has really nothing to do with Hillary's "situation" -- this girl just likes Gutfeld's angle on being lucky.]

And on that note, this girl is gonna wobble on into the kitchen for a little red fruit punch Powerade - gotta load up for the afternoon ahead.   Bottom's up.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's Fifty Shades of Grey Thing

Dear America,

But for my final address

 to this chamber, 

I don’t want to just talk about next year. 

I want to focus 

on the next five years, 

the next 10 years, 

and beyond. 

I want to focus on our future.

Got that right.  Who would want to focus on the present with a past like his?

In the middle of it...his "final address," Obama says...

It says America will always act, alone if necessary, to protect our people and our allies; but on issues of global concern, we will mobilize the world to work with us...

leading us to this...

That’s our approach to conflicts like Syria, where we’re partnering with local forces and leading international efforts to help that broken society pursue a lasting peace.

making it sound more like we are simply organizing a bake sale to support the local police chapter respond to a neighborhood ruckus before things really get out of hand, before he adds this...

That’s why we built a global coalition, with sanctions and principled diplomacy, to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. And as we speak, Iran has rolled back its nuclear program, shipped out its uranium stockpile, and the world has avoided another war. (Applause.)

which is hilarious, considering he left out a couple of pertinent things....things like, and 'as we speak, Iran has rolled back its program, shipped out its uranium stockpile, and has gone on to test a missile or two, even while such actions go against the "global agreement" made only a few months back, and not only that --  has commandeered the capture of ten of our troops -- yes, as we speak, here, tonight -- and leaves me hanging this evening as to what the hell is going on while they hold our men (and one woman) hostage for the night in a place I like to call Tom Ayatollah Sawyer Island of Farsi.  Who knows when they will be given back to us, surely by morning; but not to worry. I have a point to make and a legacy to fake.'

indeed.  Now just for kicks, let's put side by side Iran's response to a Reagan Administration and Barack Obama's, shall we?  Let's see who gets the stand down first.  Our current Commandeer-In-Chief couldn't bend over any more if he tried; but of course, to admit to that, we would also have to agree there is evidence of a backbone to begin with -- but I digress. [btw, that's a great link there to American Thinker...don't miss the boat.]

Allow me to save us all some time.

The entire State of the Union was its usual propaganda puff piece, chock-full of lies and exaggerations, all while making a plethora of abusive ties to America's foundation -- the very principles and ideas to which this president defies and mocks, with great audacity and reckless abandon, mind you, in his every day to day to day... times seven years.

I am SO GLAD I didn't watch a lick of it!

[Including that SNL response that came right after, featuring Nikki Haley... SNL standing for Somebody's Not Listening...as in that somebody being the entire GOP Establishment.]

When will Republicans ever stop eating their own young, for pete's sake?!

All things considered, Trump is not America's enemy number one, okay.

Now, perhaps if we wanna go there for a moment,  Hillary Clinton could be a good candidate of an Enemy of the State...little miss I never said anything about a video, yeah right.  Liar, liar, pants suit on fire.

Here you are, Hill, ON VIDEO talking about a video, [fast forward to right around the half way mark].  And following your address to the families of Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods at Andrews Air Force Base-- you spoke intimately and directly to the family members, and let me show you the quote from the diary of Charles Woods, Tyrone's father, recorded the moment.  And then let's add this,  from Breitbart in 2012, go here.  And fast and furious forward to 2016, from The Daily Caller, Charles Woods repeated the memory, saying with a certain and consistent truth:

She said, ‘we’re going to have that person responsible for that video put in jail,'” he recalled, adding that Clinton’s comments “struck me as being very strange.”

 And they did, too.  They put the guy in jail.

SEE HERE.  See also The Benghazi Patsy story at Politico, here.

How Hillary -- and Obama -- can get away with such blatant manipulation of truth and dares, have no idea.   Scratch that; for the real state of the union tells me so.

With the pathetically uneducated and misinformed being led by the unconscionable progressive body politic, left and right...and with such wanton betrayal -- the homeland is ripe for the taking; while the prevailing short-term memory issues that seem to run congruently with the loss of the critical thinking plays another key role and makes it all look    oh     so      easy.

Oh my.
May we correct the direction America is leaning before we all fall down.
But in the meantime, one more line from a presidency reaching its end:

I told you earlier all the talk of America’s economic decline is political hot air. Well, so is all the rhetoric you hear about our enemies getting stronger and America getting weaker. Let me tell you something. The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth. Period. (Applause.) Period. It’s not even close. It's not even close. (Applause.) It's not even close. We spend more on our military than the next eight nations combined. Our troops are the finest fighting force in the history of the world. (Applause.) No nation attacks us directly, or our allies, because they know that’s the path to ruin. Surveys show our standing around the world is higher than when I was elected to this office, and when it comes to every important international issue, people of the world do not look to Beijing or Moscow to lead -- they call us. (Applause.)

Period...it's not even close...it's not even close.
And for a moment there, you make it sound like America is pretty exceptional, Mr. President; it's as if you almost respect this beautiful country.
 
Oh my, how you personify fifty shades of grey, right on cue.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's a Day in the Life of America Losing Her Way Thing

Dear America,

so,

here we are.

It's a Day After and a Day Of intertwined.

What?

What the hell G?  What does that even mean?!

I used to mention the Day After often.   We've covered a Day After in full context, be it in the detailing of speeches, State of the Union's, elections, whatever... fitting the phrase in when the moment fits like the best cliche (and you know I like my cliche's).   

But of course, if you follow me at all,  I haven't gone down the Day After line of assault for a very long time it would seem.

While today -- this DAY OF --  is the thirteenth anniversary of 9/11  AND the second anniversary of the Benghazi attack  (strange how President Obama left that out).   Having said that, my girl was just beginning her third week of Kindergarten.

So,

here we are.

It's a Day After and a Day Of intertwined.

And now let me ask you  -- just how have we - America -  weathered the years?

You know, time is a funny thing.  

There's a part of me who believes I haven't changed one teeny tiny itty bitty bit  since the days of finger painting and paste...and there was lots and lots of paste.

And yet, it's been a long time!  Thirteen years! 

George Bush was only just beginning his first term!  Just NINE MONTHS IN.  [And to think -- this is what happens thirteen years thereafter...unbelievable.]

While from my personal perspective -- it's enough time for my girl to have started and finished her early education; and now, as you all know, with intellect and maturity and diploma in hand, she has fully prepared and readied herself for the next level -- the University.

How about we talk about what was really going on in Benghazi,  just days, maybe weeks, correction -- months --  before Ambassador Stevens and three Americans were killed...

oh it's not a question.

READ THIS in it's entirety, as featured on WND just three days ago.

How have we weathered?

How have we weathered?

We are adrift.

We are adrift and at the mercy of an administration who is not our friend.

We have an administration who clings to an ideology over the protection of the American people; we have an administration who hides the truth from the American people; we have an administration who twists the words and redefines our mission without a true strategy in place; we have an administration who plays with the truth -- the true reality on the ground and in power --- whether we're talking about Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Egypt, Libya...aw, and who are we kidding, even in America.

The tell?

The tell was in the opening moments of the president's fifteen minutes of modern day, "reluctant warrior*" fame when he had the audacity to say this (doubling down on HIS naturally born loyalties):

Now let's make two things clear: ISIL is not "Islamic." No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL's victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly al-Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq, and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria's civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognized by no government, nor the people it subjugates. ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way.

(Plucked from NPR online)

* note: the commentators of last night kept referring to the president as the "reluctant warrior" of some sort -- as if that's something to be proud of.   Really?  Is that how we want our Commander-In-Chief to be described?

And the nerve -- the president saying they are not Islamic.  Once again -- way to sympathize with an enemy that has been nothing but clear in the matter.  They are fighting, and fighting hard, against the Western World, the INFIDELS in the name of their religion!  And yet you give this mighty sort of rebels who have no fear whatsoever of dying on behalf of Allah this explanation that continues to save Muslims from any responsibility and connection to this catastrophic implosion of ideals within the barriers of the Middle East and beyond.


For certain, after thirteen years of watching the wars, the region, the players, the rebels (altogether being -- the good, the bad, and the ugly) -- how does anyone really know for sure who we are really dealing with?

Remember it was not that long ago in the great scheme of things when THIS administration had said this:

The term Muslim Brotherhood is an umbrella term for a variety of movements. In the case of Egypt, a very heterogeneous group, largely secular, which has eschewed violence and has decried al-Qaeda as a perversion of Islam," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a congressional hearing today.

wow, right?

February 10, 2011.

And today?

Actions in Congress over the summer,  circa July 24th, designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, go here...

Perhaps prompted, in part, by Egypt's actions, dating back to last year, go here...

The thing is -- who can you trust anymore when you can't even trust our own?  How can we go from James Clapper, as the DIRECTOR of NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE no less, saying oh, the brotherhood, no big deal.  They're harmless, secular, no trouble at all....to a big time ooops, scratch that, take it back, they are vewy, vewy bad.

Fast forward to the latest polling question asking the American people, do you feel safe?

Here's the pulse on that, go.

So,

here we are.

It's the Day After and the Day Of intertwined.

Some say the president had to make a speech to correct the optics; that the American people have given up on this president and his ability to do the one thing he's supposed to be doing and doing it well, without a smidgen of doubt, at all times -- and that being in the job of protecting America, the American people, from our borders and extending out to our presence over the entire world.

Does he have our back?

Is there no American left behind -- accounting for all three hundred million of us?

This job is not for the faint of heart --  let alone a thin-skinned, narcissistic, unprepared, never vetted, Manchurian candidate, now president, who decides to play golf the DAY Of responding to the beheading of an American journalist.  

"ISIL is not 'Islamic', " the president says.

seriously, Mr. President?

This is what ISIL/ISIS is, whether we are talking yesterday, today or tomorrow:  

Under fire from Iraqi military forces seeking to win back territory, an Al Qaeda break-away organization fighting in Iraq and Syria declared Sunday the establishment of a new “caliphate” — an Islamic state led by a single supreme religious and political leader.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, commonly known as ISIS, made the declaration in a statement released on the Internet, calling on Muslim factions worldwide to pledge allegiance.

The Sunni Muslim militant organization, which first made headlines fighting to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, named its own headman, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, caliph —or supreme leader — of the caliphate. 

“He is the imam and caliph for the Muslims everywhere,” ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani said in the statement, calling the caliphate “the dream in all the Muslims’ hearts” and “the hope of all jihadists.”

Sounds pretty religious to me.  And you?

And they seem to have  a pretty clear vision to boot.

so,

here we are.

Do you feel safer, smarter, ready to tackle the world?

ISIL does.

And as we speak,  they -- ISIL -- are fighting alongside the rebels against al-Assad, the Syrian president, too?  ?   And they have been there all along?    How do know we really know who is who?

No, seriously.

What a joke we are to the world.  Might as well extend the Nobel Peace Prize recipient the Class Clown while we're at it.

Did we arrange to give ISIL any weapons, by chance?

Did they commandeer any of our tanks in the process of being in the local area?  

Is there anyone -- in this so-called American administration -- on our freaking side and keeping their eye on the ammunition?  Really.  Is there?!?

What the hell is going on?

Oh my -- I may be living a nightmare, but I have a dream.

I have a dream we have a brand spanking new president.

Someone like, oh, maybe, a Ted Cruz...

Instead, we need a Commander in Chief who articulates a specific military objective tethered directly to defending U.S. national security. We did not see that tonight. "We should destroy ISIS altogether, using overwhelming airpower to ensure they cannot bring jihad to America.

Oh and there was plenty more; for more, go here.

Politics and Facts are sticky things.

Intertwined.......indeed  and always......it's in constant motion all the live long day.

It's how we come to a Day After and a Day Of  all on the same day.

How have we weathered?

How have we weathered?

America is showing her age -- minus the wisdom; the kind of wisdom that which should naturally build over time...experiences, investigation, deep background, homework; the kind of wisdom that organically, and yet intentionally, coalesces a vision that substantiates and supports a mission that exudes a certain strength, an enduring fortitude,  that supports and upholds the foundation set forth from our birth and GROWS UP.

How does the world see America now?  It isn't pretty.

Personally -- over the last thirteen years, I have witnessed my little girl come into her own.  She is happy, balanced, secure in herself, knowing exactly where she comes from and astoundingly, has come into an awareness of where she wants to go from here with the tools in place to get her there.

Make no mistake, right Mr. President?  Isn't that how you say it? ------

No, no, I got it.  Let me be clear --  the last thirteen years in America has not been kind.  And the last six years has been abysmal (O-bizmal), ISIS/ISIL....

It would seem we haven't learned a thing.

What a waste.

Or is it that as a nation, we have grown no different than the prevailing, debilitating, compromising attitudes of entitlement and self-serving social justice agendas that have infiltrated our very soul as a whole?  All of it is just distracting us from being all that we are truly meant to be; and none of it is making us appear any smarter for it.

But here we are anyway, in spite of ourselves -- 

endeavoring to be the world's beacon on a shoestring.  And with one foot in and one foot out, we shake it all about, do the hokey pokey and we turn ourselves about...that's what it's all about foreign policy...

...oh to be five.

But here we are -- tripping and falling all over ourselves and the playground we live; venturing forward without really being prepared and fully committed of doing all the work that will be required of us -- and without the coveted constitutional prerequisite no less --   the glorious congressional approval. [And surely that was a run-on sentence, some things never change on G thing...]

Here we are.

Thirteen years later.

So,

 in memory of 9/11/01 and  9/11/12  my heart aches in the Day After and in the Day Of.

I wonder what the president is doing today?

I bet he's thinking he has dodged the proverbial political bullet.

His schedule today doesn't include any meetings with a general, nor a Defense Secretary, or for that matter, a Director of National Intelligence.  It shows a meeting with the Director of Health and Human Services Burwell, in the Oval Office... and an unspecified service project later in the day. Oh and lunch with Joe.  

Interesting, isn't it? 

After last night's speech, I would imagine him locking himself and the powers that be into the situation room until we win, or something.  And even if it's for just one day.

For the optics, you know...

For the politics and talking points and photo-ops -- showing the president and Commander-In-Chief getting to brass tacks to "destroy"  ISIS.

It's ridiculous, really.

But here we are.

Don't be fooled.

It's just another day in the life of America losing her way.

Where will we be in another thirteen years?

Make it a Good Day, G

It's by Pen and by Phone and by Horse and by Blog Thing

Dear America,

the goal for today is simply to record a stunning declaration made by our president...

this is, after all, a day in the life of America;
this is, unapologetically, a diary -- created for the sole purpose of safeguarding the ebb and flow of freedom and liberty and happiness in America;
this is, to date, an unregulated, free to be you and me, platform, providing a place to say things anyway I want...

yay, me!

Right, Mr. President?

Yay, you...
I mean, c'mon, look at you now...saying just about anything you want, any way you want, without regrets, and without any semblance of respect of this nation and it's founding principles and finest intentions, firm on Constitution.

From The Daily Caller:

“One of the things I’ll be emphasizing in this meeting,” he said, “is the fact that we are not just going to be waiting for legislation in order to make sure that we’re providing Americans the kind of help that they need.”

“I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone,” the president asserted, “and I can use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions and administrative actions that move the ball forward in helping to make sure our kids are getting the best education possible, making sure that our businesses are getting the kind of support and help they need to grow and advance, to make sure that people are getting the skills that they need to get those jobs that our businesses are creating.”

“And I’ve got a phone,” he continued, “that allows me to convene Americans from every walk of life — nonprofits, businesses, the private sector, universities — to try to bring more and more Americans together around what I think is a unifying theme, making sure that this is a country where if you work hard, you can make it.”

I chose this link because it comes with live proof.

You can hear the president for yourself.

Listen to this American president and wonder, just what in the world have we done?

He isn't going to wait for the people's house to write legislation, by law.

He has a pen.

He has a phone.

And most worrisome, he is not afraid to use either of them to affect change, making unilateral decisions, his way or the highway.

He can organize organizations; he can "convene Americans from  every walk of life" that meet the demands of his ideologically driven agenda, without ceasing; because if he works hard enough, he can make it happen, with your help.  Just give him the go ahead; just hand him the baton and let him do what he needs to do.

Can you just imagine it, if George W. Bush had said something like this?

Americans of every walk of life would be storming the gates of the White House and demanding an executive impeachment.

Now, granted, for many of us -- we saw this coming.  Just like universal healthcare, it begins with a nudge and ends with a shove it, and into an early grave if so be it.

But the arrogance!

The fascist amongst us is our president?

Are you kidding me? 
YOU, Mr. President,  have decided you are not going to wait for legislation to come out of Congress?  You are just gonna come right out and say it now -- out loud?  You have every intent on acting on this notion -- without delay?   That's outrageous!

You have a pen and a phone...

With a comment like that -- here's an old gthing namedropping flashback -- where, oh where, is Naomi Wolf at a disturbance like this?

Where is the riddling of questions from the press peanut gallery, non-stop?

No, here's a good one -- just where in the world did our 1787 boundaries go?

These days, these times --  how astounding, mind blowing, and sobering.

And bear in mind -- this presidential penchant for power comes on the heels of a Benghazi Senate Intelligence Committee investigation that confirms the depth this administration has gone to hide the truth behind the attack at the American consulate, upon the anniversary of September 11, 2012, and the events leading up to it.

Hindsight being what it is:  this cover up led to a president's re-election. Without this cover up, this girl would not be sitting here shell-shocked "by pen and by phone," becoming ultimately reconciled, in theory anyway, by blog.

Oh whatever, happy Thursday, right, Americans of every walk of life... it's 78 degrees with sunny skies here in beautiful Southern California.

[Indeed.  And isn't that a flighty way to end on a day like today.]

Make it a Good Day, G





 

It's About Working Twice as Hard as Anyone Else Thing

Dear America,

this morning little old g thing is disturbed by the general messaging going around...it's about the blur of worlds...of spin, of re-direction; it's about taking something untrue and watching it take on a life of it's own, taking something true and turning it into 'there's no there there' -- or taking something true and not saying anything at all, as in 'on the advice of council...'.

I marvel at the dynamic and cringe at the reality.

It's been days since the commencement -- but in the light of this new day, the lingering ire prompts a comment or two before it's full and obligatory release.  

And just what, pray tell, has me all tied into knots?  A moment when the president said this:

"...as an African American

you have to work twice as hard

as anyone else if you want to get by."

And basically moving on to make the point, a Morehouse graduate is no exception to the rule.

The thing is -- for this president to stoop to such a tired and worn belief system in front of the best of the best within the African-American community, it surely must be a crime against itself.   While the Left loves to remind us -- whether it's involving political campaigns or purchasing groceries -- demographics across America have changed, watching a thirty second Pepsi commercial proves it so.  So in this new day and age, Mr. President -- considering the office you keep and all -- I do believe times dictate an edit, like yesterday.  But more than that -- wouldn't it be more true to say what is true for you, Morehouse, is true for all of us? 

True story coming up, Mr. President:  According to the annals of generations gone by, when my papa brought home an "A" his mama told him 'why isn't it an "A+" son'?   We all heard it, all the time; needless to say, it became a family lesson, of sorts, and likewise became an teachable moment passed on to me, and so on and so on.  Maybe.    Seems over time and through the altering of norms and parenting practices, using a sliding scale with loving discretion becoming widely more acceptable  -- keeping it to a case by case basis, that is -- a simple A became okay.   [Translation: we softened up a wee bit and went the other way!]

And yet -- I can't help myself.  I hear you say what you said to Morehouse and my head begins to spin, wondering, hmmmm, something's not quite right....

If what you say -- as an "African-America you have to work twice as hard as anyone else if you want to get by" be true and a perfectly reasonable argument... I do believe the jury is still out.  But hypothetically, let's run with it anyway.  So how is it that YOU --

• are totally unaccounted for during the night of the Benghazi attacks?  As you were sleeping, you, decidedly, are so absent from your duties, the administration was forced to mastermind a total lie to cover for you...developing a lie so big, you had to keep it up for weeks and nearly to this day... beginning with the botched, edited, talking points delivered by the  US Ambassador Susan Rice and continuing with you before the General Assembly at the United Nations delivering a full blown scandal.  Is this working twice as hard as anyone else?  Letting our security slip over months leading up to the attack, commanding a 'stand down' before retiring for the night leading to an horrific outcome of 4 Americans dead, and disseminating a lie to cover up the truth?

Knowing me and watching you -- I would have worked twice as hard as you that night.  I would have never gone to bed.  I would have showed up somewhere all night long if that's what it took.

• are totally unaware of the IRS targeting of conservatives until it hit the news cycle?   When, in fact, your people [administration] are all over this little tit for tat targeting of  predominately 'white, middle aged, conservative, patriotic, tea party patriots.'  [Actions being not only illegal, but clearly smacks of racism, too]  From the top of the IRS on down, the message -- whether articulated aloud or not -- allowed for a sweeping rule of radicals run amuck to attack the opposition.  [Just go back to read G all last week, it will be good 'n plenty for you...]   Is this working twice as hard as anyone else to monitor such a thing?

And yet -- there is a there, there with a trail far and wide to follow -- see here,   and here:  "it really is inconceivable he wouldn't have known",  and for an encore: "let's give her an upgrade and a pay raise here.

"Why was the culture such, under your watch, that an employee felt comfortable targeting conservative groups? Did you investigate that?"

Wish that question was directed to the president.  It wasn't; it was Rep. Trey Gowdy speaking to Douglas Schulman, former chief of IRS, wondering why he didn't do anything to stop "the insidious practice" of targeting conservatives when he very well knew it was happening under his watch -- choosing to mislead Congress for a year and well after the election of 2012.   For full grilling, go here.

The White House knew -- but you couldn't know, according to the people surrounding you and protecting you; oddly, protecting you by withholding information from you.   See here.

While that Lois -- the one taking "the fifth" yesterday -- oh come to find out -- she has a history of targeting conservatives, mainly the Christian Coalition.  And thank you, Mark Hemingway of The Weekly Standard!   [And can someone, anyone, really take the fifth after that same someone, anyone, voluntarily rendering themselves available for cross-examination and further questioning by declaring innocence, having done nothing wrong?]

BUT back to the guy who has to work twice as hard as anyone else  -- not because of the content of his character but for the color of his skin, according to the guy, himself.   How is it then that YOU --

• are totally unaware of your Department of Justice illegally spying upon the AP Service?  Per your talking head, Jay Carney: "As I said yesterday, we have no knowledge other than press reports of any attempt by the Justice Department to seek phone numbers of the Associated Press."  Is this working twice as hard as anyone else?  Do you even know what goes on under your watch?   What purpose are the presidential daily briefings for  -- if not to make you totally aware of everything going on under your watch -- foreign and domestic?

But while we're at it -- your Attorney General, Eric Holder, who also happens to be an African-American -- said he didn't know either. [I only bring that up -- his color -- because YOU brought it up; clearly, you made the observation, YOU made it fair game for cross examination, if nothing else, no?]   But how is it even possible -- leaving the signing off of a subpoena for phone records to a deputy, maybe, I really don't know?   Is this working twice as hard as anyone else, too? 

Oh "Others may get distracted by chasing every fleeting issue that passes by" Obama has it all figured out, doesn't he?  Aiming to take our attention away from the truth...

He has to work twice as hard as anyone else to cover for not working twice as hard in the first place. 

The irony is rich, isn't it?

But under further scrutiny, doesn't all of this simply explain what President Obama really means by "we are five days away from fundamental transformation"?  Everyone loves to call him a smart man, right?  Wouldn't this mean he knows exactly what he is doing, and more like he is working twice as hard as anyone else being the community organizer with a legacy of Marxism in the family midst?

Alinsky Rule #13: "Pick a target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."

Alinsky Rule #5:  "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon."


"Others may get distracted by chasing every fleeting issue that passes by. [Benghazi, IRS, AP, and FOX News ]...But the middle class will always be my number-one focus, period. Your jobs, your families, your communities -- that’s why I ran for President. That’s what drives me every day as I step into the Oval Office.  That’s what I’m going to keep fighting for over the next four years." (May 17, 2013)  [Thank you Real Clear Politics for backup.]

Oh yes, every fleeting issue -- the ludicrousness of it all, indeed.

This is what Obama --  courtesy of Saul Alinsky, his mentor -- really thinks about the Middle Class:

"The middle classes are numb, bewildered, scared into silence.  They don't know what, if anything, they can do.  This is the job for today's radical -- to fan the embers of hopelessness into a flame to fight...

So you return to the suburban scene of your middle class with its variety of organizations from PTAs to League of Women Voters, consumer groups, churches, and clubs.  The job is to search out the leaders in these various activities, identify their major issues, finds areas of common agreement, and excite their imagination with tactics that can introduce drama and adventure into the tedium of middle-class life...

Start with them easy.  Don't scare them off.  The opposition's reactions will provide the "education" or radicalization of the middle class.  It does every time." (from Rules For Radicals,  1971)

and so on and so on.

But what do we get from our president?   I don't know; I didn't know until you all knew; that happened under Bush; talking points came from the Intelligence Community; I don't know; only stylistic changes were made, non-substantive;  I don't know; I will not rest until justice is done; we will get to the bottom of this; if this is true; if this really occurred; justice will be served; I don't know; it wasn't me, it was my deputy; I don't know anything about it...Oh -- and you over there -- AP, IRS, CIA, State Department, Treasury Department, anyone, anyone -- trust your lips are sealed...wink wink.

And this, my friends, is what working twice as hard as anyone else looks like.

Oh lookie there, there, my times up; must head out to my other job (just aiming to work twice as hard as anyone else).

Make it a Good Day, G

 

It's a Lightening Quick Response on a Day in the Life of America Thing

Dear America,

so yesterday's incident in the Rose Garden was quite something.

considering the breadth and depth of issues covered within a reasonably short period of time -- in the rain, no less -- my intent this morning is simply to hone in on the words of the president, coming towards the end of his prepared remarks... before the Prime Minister of Turkey spoke to the crowd...and long before questions from the press...

why?

because I marvel at the audacity of it all.

Now without further adieu, to the president [note: G taking creative liberty to color my favorite snippets]:


...
So, again, Mr. Prime Minister, I want to thank you for being here and for being such a strong ally and partner in the region and around the world. I know that Michelle appreciates the opportunity to host Mrs. Erdoğan and your two wonderful daughters this morning. I'm looking forward to our dinner tonight. And, as always, among the topics where I appreciate your advice is close to our hearts, and that's how to raise our daughters well. You're a little ahead of me in terms of their ages.

With the Prime Minister's permission, I want to make one other point. There's been intense discussion in Congress lately around the attacks in Benghazi. We lost four brave Americans, patriots who accepted the risks that come with service because they know that their contributions are vital to our national interests and national security.

I am intent on making sure that we do everything we can to prevent another tragedy like this from happening. But that means we owe it to them and all who serve to do everything in our power to protect our personnel serving overseas. That's why, at my direction, we've been taking a series of steps that were recommended by the review board after the incident. We're continuing to review our security at high-threat diplomatic posts, including the size and nature of our presence; improving training for those headed to dangerous posts; increasing intelligence and warning capabilities. And I've directed the Defense Department to ensure that our military can respond lightning quick in times of crisis.

But we're not going to be able to do this alone. We're going to need Congress as a partner. So I've been in discussions, and my team has been in discussions, with both Democrats and Republicans, and I'm calling on Congress to work with us to support and fully fund our budget request to improve the security of our embassies around the world. We also need Congress to work with us to provide the resources and new authorities so we can fully implement all of the recommendations of the Accountability Review Board. And we're going to need Congress's help in terms of increasing the number of our Marine Corps Guard who protect our embassies.

So I want to say to members of Congress in both parties, we need to come together and truly honor the sacrifice of those four courageous Americans and better secure our diplomatic posts around the world. And I should add, by the way, that we're getting some help from the Turkish government on some of these issues. That's how we learn the lessons of Benghazi. That's how we can keep faith with the men and women who we send overseas to represent America. And that's what I will stay focused on as Commander-in-Chief.

So with that, Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to the United States. I'm sorry the weather is not fully cooperating with our lovely Rose Garden press conference, but I think we'll be okay.
.....

You may link here, for full transcript on the day.

.....

Let's begin with the words, "as Commander-in-Chief," shall we?

As "Commander-in-Chief" --  my first inclination is to hammer you until you respond with the truth As To where you were the night of September 11, 2012; because AS it stands, an horrific rumor to the effect, you were sound asleep, has been broadcasted worldwide.   As "Commander-in-Chief" you laid down the law before retiring for the evening -- citing no military action -- leaving personnel under the "Commander-in-Chief" in charge.

Given what we know now -- the "Commander-in-Chief" was no there, there.

You can call in the marines to cover your head (and naturally, the ass that comes with) while standing  in the rain with the Prime Minister of Turkey -- but sending in the reinforcements for immediate help in Benghazi, that would be a no.  TO send military and security reinforcements leading up to the terrorist attack -- per direct requests by boots on the ground in Libya --  that would be a no.  There is no there, there, we got your back in a no man left behind kind of way, is there.  Is there, Mr. President?

And this part -- compiling the "lost four brave Americans" of Benghazi as  "patriots who accepted the risks that come with service."    Wow.  The "fog of war" is making you sound more twisted on Benghazi as time goes by -- what the &$*% is that?  Oh, how quickly you move through disbelief, anger, shock and awe and somehow arrive at 'oh well, they knew what they signed up for' stage.  That is just amazing.  And not to be outdone or overlooked the great irony before us -- that you, yourself, have never accepted the risks that come with military service and yet there, there, you are -- "Commander-in-Chief" standing in the rain with one of the nation's finest Marine coming to the immediate aid of your head on a moment's notice.

And then, can't help but notice you still can't say it, can you?

After all we have been through -- after all the bickering of the debates back and forth -- after so much "ado about nothing"  -- you STILL can't call it what it really is.

It was a terrorist attack at the hands of Islamic Extremists!

It's NOT your every day "tragedy;" and my God, man -- "the incident"?  

An incident might look more like a shoe being thrown to the head of the Leader of the Free World -- but an all out terrorist attack, planned for the anniversary of September 11th, that killed four Americans - including the first Ambassador in decades, and carried out by Islamic Extremists that have a real name attached -- Ansar al-Sharia?  Um that is no longer categorized as an "incident."  That, Mr. President and "Commander-in-Chief" is called an Act of War.

The manufacture of a lie outside of the realm of any truth was to save your sorry re-election.  And along those lines, the IRS deliberately withheld the information until after the election...but we quickly digress.

Suffice it to day, every thing, thing to date as been a travesty of law and duty and honor and truth.   And for what?

So that eight months down the road, after months of dodging the truth like a soldier going AWOL, after the night of the non-event, the incident itself when the "Commander-in-Chief" was no where, where to be found, after getting his forty winks before showing up for a campaign extravaganza in Vegas without a care in the world -- this is where we are at? ...."I've directed the Defense Department to ensure that our military can respond lightning quick in times of crisis."

Yeah, that should do it. 

But more important -- are you delusional?  Like is that "lightning quick response" supposed to be any different than where we were eight months ago?

Eight years ago, eight months ago, eight days ago, eight minutes ago -- our Defense Department assures us that our military IS the best in the world and can respond "lightening quick in time of crisis." It's what they do.

Hold up -- allow me to be more clear -- this "preparedness" factor is nothing new; it's not some kind of innovation out of the new age of science and math; it's certainly not some kind of newly charged policy, an Obama Doctrine generated from the desk of the "Commander-in-Chief" out of the blue.   

Oh the audacity.

And then there, there is this...

How can you stand in the rain and claim to be the "commander" of anything when you, in fact, deny knowing everything until it hits the New York Times?

Are you really telling us that you are that irrelevant to the running of this country at this present time?  Seriously?  Is that where you want to settle in and bunker down and sit as the "Commander-in-Chief"?  You coward.

Good luck with that --- guess it's just the risk you take.
Oooh, and almost forgot, hope that dinner chatting about your girls was really yummy [nice pull on the heartstrings, there, there -- YOU ARE just like us.   wink, wink].

For the rest of us...

Make it a Good Day, G

It's a Coordinated Red Thread of Radicals to Fundamental Transformation Thing

Dear America,

did you really think "fundamental transformation" would look any different than this?

In order to get to the place that is thoroughly and fundamentally transformed, whatever operates in conflict with such a transformation -- either directly or indirectly -- must be removed, eliminated; all opposition must be taken out and become the new  non-event,  deemed obsolete and totally dispensable for the common good, and basically ridiculed, harassed and demonized until its gone.   poof!

Oh Alinsky rules, doesn't he?

What a brilliant, brilliant mind.

On the back cover of my edition of Rules for Radicals, A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals, a quote is offered up as enticement:

"Alinsky's techniques and teachings influenced generations of community and labor organizers, including the church-based group hiring a young [Barack] Obama to work on Chicago's South Side in the 1980's....Alinsky impressed a young [Hillary] Clinton, who was growing up in Park Ridge at the time Alinsky was the director of the Industrial Areas Foundation in Chicago." 

-- Chicago Sun-Times

oh really?


What is happening within the IRS is not an anomaly of this administration, or the teachings and workings of Saul Alinsky -- or for that manner, the tactics and teachings and workings of a "young [Barack] Obama."

"I have no patience with it. I will not tolerate it and we will make sure we find out exactly what happened on this."  said the aged President Obama yesterday...“If you’ve got the IRS operating in anything less than a neutral and non-partisan way then that is outrageous, it is contrary to our traditions and people have to be accountable and it’s got to be fixed."

Earth to reality check:  "lower level bureaucrats" don't just shoot from the hip and out their paper pushing-behinds pursuing 'fundamental transformation', funneling their energies by attacking organizations formally supporting "the other side" without a directive from somewhere else.   That kind of thing comes from a coordinated effort somewhere higher up in the chain of command.


While a report this morning completes that thought -- to a degree, anyway -- by claiming management is to blame.


This didn't just start like last Friday, folks.  It isn't an isolated incident in and around "Cincinnati," okay...

A caller on today's RUSH LIMBAUGH reminded all of us how Joe, the plumber, was targeted by the IRS immediately after his brush up with the president in the 2008 campaign.   How dare you, Joe, speak to [Barack] Obama like that...questioning redistribution and all...we'll show you....and promptly plastering Joe's financials all over the place.

And check this out from Breitbart;  it details outrageous allegations against the Obama camp, returning to an issue that became campaign fodder over a year ago:

"NOM [National Organization of Marriage]   announced Tuesday that it will sue the IRS for this alleged leak. Under immense political pressure, Attorney General Eric Holder launched a criminal investigation into the IRS's actions. Congress will conduct its own investigation.

In early April 2012, NOM published documents which it said showed this leaked confidential information did not come from a “whistleblower” but “came directly from the Internal Revenue Service and was provided to NOM's political opponents, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).” 

The Human Rights Campaign's president at the time, Joe Solmonese, "said in the release he felt Romney’s 'funding of a hate-filled campaign designed to drive a wedge between Americans is beyond despicable.' "  Oh right, because those of us who want to simply support traditional marriage are "hate-filled" bigots.   But the leveling of fundamental damage was in motion; in splendid liberal turn -- in perfect, synchronized coordination --  the full story was planted upon the pages of The Huffington Post with pride and prejudice.

And Joe -- Joe Solmonese --
oh he left the HRC and went on to work directly with the re-election campaign of [Barack] Obama the very next day.

"'After software removed the layers obscuring the document, it is shown that the document came from the Internal Revenue Service,' NOM asserted in its April 2012 release...Only the IRS would have the Form 990 with ‘Official Use’ information'....'The American people are entitled to know how a confidential tax return containing private donor information filed exclusively with the Internal Revenue Service has been given to our political opponents whose leader also happens to be co-chairing President Obama's reelection committee,' said [Brian] Brown."

“It is shocking that a political ally of President Obama's would come to possess and then publicly release a confidential tax return that came directly from the Internal Revenue Service," he declared. "We demand to know who is responsible for this criminal act and what the Administration is going to do to get to the bottom of it.”

Indeed.

Shocking.

Outrageous, even.

But you want to know what's even more outrageous?

What's outrageous is allowing Eric Holder investigate it.   We, the people, should feel secure leaving a political appointee of this regime in charge of investigating this crime?  Are you kidding me?

Do you even remember what [Barack] Obama calls the Tea Party? 

He often refers to the genuine, grassroots efforts by everyday citizens generally recognized as the Tea Party, as Tea Baggers -- a gay slur -- forever linking the derogatory, vagrant, seedy slip of the tongue with the Tea Party.

And now remember how quickly it became cool to make fun of the Tea Party Patriots from coast to coast.

Ridicule and delegitimize opposition;  it's simply brass tack tactics for the typical community organizer.

And then there is this --

Oh, but first, one itty bitty caveat -- we can't prove it -- but the story about what happened to Larry Conners  is something to talk about...you know, given the timing of it and all...Reporter: IRS Pressured Me After I Asked Obama Tough Questions

pretty outrageous, no?   And thank you, BuzzFeed Politics, for that.


The new targets --  anything and everything opposing the rosy red regime.

See here.

And here.

And here.

[and thank you, Drudge, for a little help]

Have we fallen down a rabbit hole?  Are we in some kind of parallel America that really lives on the other side of the world, the other side of sanity, the other side of liberty, sitting fundamentally transformed  yet suffocating under a pillow of goose feathers and soft tyranny?

We can't ask tough questions of a president now?    Thank you, Larry.

We can't make our own video and post it on YouTube?  Thank you, one guy who made a video against the prophet Mohammed.

We can't even run a fair and balanced campaign running on the merits.

We can't bear arms?  Thank you, knee jerk reactions following the horror of Newtown....Oh, unless it's bearing arms for Fast & Furious or gun running in Benghazi.

We can't freely exercise our religion?  Thank you, Obamacare, just for starters.  Oooh and this reminds me -- MUST READ THIS:   Religion and Public Life in America, R.R. Reno, Editor of First Things, essay adapted from a speech for Hillsdale College National Leadership Seminar.


The outrageous things this shadow government stands for are finally coming to the surface.  The smudges are glaring, catching our eye no matter where we turn our heads.

But none of this should surprise any of us.

A sinister, creepy realization has come to light.    The uber-coordinated efforts to attack and eliminate opposition in order to FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM AMERICA through deep background and bureaucracy -- through any means possible and available -- even if it's illegal -- thank you A/P -- is hardly outrageous for a community organizer.  It's all in a day's work, and the more under-world the better.   Thank you, Chicago.

There is a coordinated, red thread chaining together each and every dereliction of duty -- whether it be from the Department of Justice, the State Department, the Executive Branch and the Office of the President of the United States.

The only thing really intolerable, inexcusable, and outrageous to the community organizer is getting caught.

That is what we see on the face of our president -- shame.  The shame of getting caught.

This is a sad day for America.

Outrageous and so sad.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's Two Things Jay

Dear America,

"Good Friday afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.  Thank you for being here.  I appreciate your patience.  Before I take your questions, I just wanted to note, because it’s been reported, we did, as many of you know, have a background briefing here at the White House earlier.  I think 14 news organizations were represented, ranging from online to broadcast TV, print and the like.  And we do those periodically.  We hope that participants find them helpful.  I will say that no one here believes that briefings like that are substitute for this briefing, which is why I’m here today to take questions on whatever issues you want to ask me about."

That was just Jay, Press Secretary Jay Carney. 
Press Conference.
Friday afternoon.

Not to be confused with the "press conference" for invited press only, which occurred just a few hours earlier.  It was a private session offering something called  "deep background" and screams suspect right from the start. 

But please be reassured, "I will say that no one here believes that briefings like that are substitute for this briefing, which is why I’m here today to take questions on whatever issues you want to ask me about."

Oh, I feel better already.

Let's return to a commencement speech of late, and the words of our president:

"Unfortunately, you've grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that's at the root of all our problems. Some of these same voices also do their best to gum up the works. They'll warn that tyranny always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices. Because what they suggest is that our brave, and creative, and unique experiment in self-rule is somehow just a sham with which we can't be trusted."

It sheds a whole new light on who to trust, doesn't it?

But what about....

"Thanks, Jay.  Two subjects, starting out with the IRS issue.  The IRS says it's flagged conservative groups with names like “patriots” or “tea parties” for review, and says that in some instances that its workers inappropriately asked for the identities of donors, and it has apologized.  When did the White House become aware that the IRS engaged in this?  And in a tax collection system that relies on trust, isn’t the IRS’s credibility at stake here?  And will the White House, as called on by Senator McConnell, call for an investigation?"

JUST JAY:   Well, two things, Jim.  I appreciate the question, and we’ve certainly see in those reports.  My understanding is this matter is under investigation by the IG at the IRS.  The IRS, as you know, is an independent enforcement agency with only two political appointees.  The fact of the matter is what we know about this is of concern, and we certainly find the actions taken, as reported, to be inappropriate.  And we would fully expect the investigation to be thorough and for corrections to be made in a case like this.  And I believe the IRS has addressed that and has taken some action, and there is an investigation ongoing.

But it certainly does seem to be, based on what we’ve seen, to be inappropriate action that we would want to see thoroughly investigated.

Q    Given that the President was so critical of some of these groups, both in 2010 and in 2012, isn’t it natural for the public to think that these things are politically motivated?  What assurances can you --

JUST JAY:  Well, I think that, first of all, two things need to be noted, which is IRS is an independent enforcement agency, which I believe, as I understand it, contains only two political appointees within it.  The individual who was running the IRS at the time was actually an appointee from the previous administration.  But separate from that, there is no question that if this activity took place, it’s inappropriate and there needs to be action taken and the President would expect that it be thoroughly investigated and action would be taken.

[Two things:  Jay likes to say two things just before he rattles off a number of things, or repeats old news, things already stated in the first thing.]

ah yes...Mr. President...

"...you've grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that's at the root of all our problems. Some of these same voices also do their best to gum up the works. They'll warn that tyranny always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices..."

I do feel better knowing that the IRS is an independent enforcement agency, and just for the record, "the individual who was running the IRS at the time was actually an appointee from the previous administration."  Not that we like to make anything political, or anything, or blame Bush for everything.  Oh touché, Jay!

Next question, please, and hurry --

Q    On Benghazi, and with all due credit to my colleague on the right, we have had emails showing that the State Department pushed back against talking-point language from the CIA and expressed concern about how some of the information would be used politically in Congress.  You have said the White House only made a stylistic change here, but these were not stylistic changes.  These were content changes.  So again, what role did the White House play, not just in making but in directing changes that took place to these?

JUST JAY:  Well, thank you for that question...

yeah, okay.  that's sincere. but please, go ahead with whatever you are going to say, Jay...

JUST JAY, cont.:    The way to look at this, I think, is to start from that week and understand that in the wake of the attacks in Benghazi, an effort was underway to find out what happened, who was responsible.  In response to a request from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to the CIA, the CIA began a process of developing points that could be used in public by members of Congress, by members of that committee.  And that process, as is always the case -- again, led by the CIA -- involved input from a variety of agencies with an interest in or a stake in the process, and that would include, obviously, the State Department since it was a State Department facility that was attacked and an Ambassador who was killed, as well as three others; the NSS, the FBI, which is the lead investigating authority, and other entities.

The CIA -- in this case, deputy director of the CIA -- took that process and issued a set of talking points on that Saturday morning, and those talking points were disseminated.  Again, this was all in response to a request from Congress.  And the only edit made by the White House or the State Department to those talking points generated by the CIA was a change from -- referring to the facility that was attacked in Benghazi, from “consulate,” because it was not a consulate, to “diplomatic post.”  I think I had referred to it as “diplomatic facility."  I think it may have been “diplomatic post.”

But the point being, it was a matter of non-substantive/factual correction.  But there was a process leading up to that that involved inputs from a lot of agencies, as is always the case in a situation like this, and is always appropriate.  And the effort is always to, in that circumstance, with an ongoing investigation and a lot of information -- some of it accurate, some of it not, about what had happened and who was responsible -- to provide information for members of Congress and others in the administration, for example, who might speak publicly about it that was based on only what the intelligence community could say for sure it thought it knew.  And that is what was generated by the intelligence community, by the CIA.

Q    But this information that -- was information that the CIA obviously knows about prior attacks and warnings about those.  Does the President think that it was appropriate to keep that information away simply because of how Congress might use it?

JUST JAY:  Well, first of all, the CIA was the agency that made changes to the edits -- I mean, to the talking points and then produced the talking points, first of all.  Second of all, I think the overriding concern of everyone involved in that circumstance is always to make sure that we’re not giving, to those who speak in public about these issues, information that cannot be confirmed, speculation about who was responsible, other things like warnings that may or may not be relevant to what we ultimately learn about what happened and why...

Well first of all, let's just  stop you right there, Jay.  But second of all, you sound stupid.

So Jay, what I believe you are saying then -- in an effort not to 'gum up' the information available then and now  -- is that only information CONFIRMED was disseminated to the public; for to do otherwise, would be speculative, inaccurate, and prove to be a cause for concern of the American people, and may possibly lead to distrust two things --  either the administration, or the intelligence community as a whole.  Oh the irony looking back at everything, huh, Jay?  But please, go ahead.

"... But on the substantive issues of what happened in Benghazi, and at that time, what the intelligence community thought it knew, that was reflected in the talking points that were used, again, that weekend by Ambassador Rice and by others, including members of Congress.  And I think if you look at the information that’s been reported, you can see that evolution and that it was -- the talking points were focused on what we knew and not speculation about what may or may not have been responsible or related."

For the record, Jay, your administration was on the record for weeks after the terrorist attack in Benghazi blaming a VIDEO!  The Secretary of State, the UN Ambassador Susan Rice, even the president, himself, in front of an audience at the General Assembly of the United Nations continued to blame the very same video that was neither relevant then, or now, in any way, shape, or form.  Even you!  All that could be said of the attack on Benghazi was centered upon an obscure, rogue video.

**The question and answer batted back and forth for some time -- just go here for further review of the full White House transcript on the day**



JUST JAY:  But again, I think you're conflating a couple of things here.  The White House, as I said, made one minor change to the talking points drafted by and produced by the CIA, and even prior to that made very few --

Q    But is that just parsing words, Jay?  I mean, does that --


JUST JAY:  -- had very few inputs on it.  The other discussions that went on prior to this in an interagency process reflected the concerns of a variety of agencies who had a stake in this issue, both the FBI because it was investigating; the CIA, obviously, and other intelligence agencies; and the State Department, because an ambassador had been killed and a diplomatic facility had been attacked.  And what I think the concern was is that these points not provide information that was speculative in terms of whether it was relevant to what happened.  [but the video was a "non-event" per reputable boots on the ground, both Gregory Hicks, as well as, the president of Libya! -- just how could this administration throw out un-verified information all willy-nilly like that?  Wouldn't it have been better to say you know nothing at this present time?]

And what could not be known at that time was the relevance of issues about warnings.  [but that's not true -- Ambassador Stevens asked for help directly to the State Department a month before the attack]  There's the discussion about -- the Republicans -- again, in this ongoing effort that began hours after the attacks when Mitt Romney put out a press release to try to take political advantage out of these deaths, or out of the attack in Benghazi, in a move that was maligned even by members of his own party.  And from that day forward, there has been this effort to politicize it.

And if you look at the issue here -- the efforts to politicize it were always about were we trying to play down the fact that there was an act of terror and an attack on the embassy.  And the problem has always been with that assertion is that it's completely hollow, because the President himself in the Rose Garden said this was an act of terror. [GENERALLY SPEAKING]  And he talked about it within the context of September 11th, 2001.  And then we had other officials of the administration refer to this as a terrorist act...  [um NO, "we didn't"]

blah, blah, blah


Q    Jay, since you say this is a minor change -- a minor change in venue, with the wording changed in venue -- why such a big deal today with this deep background, deep, deep background, off-the-record briefing?  It makes it seem like --


JUST JAY:  Well, let's be clear, it wasn't off the record. [WHAT?  How do you define "off the record" then, Jay?]  And that was an erroneous report.  [Say WHAT? are you calling some in the press corps liars? poor sports?  what then?]    But the -- I mean, it's a big deal because Republicans have chosen, in the latest iteration of their efforts, to politicize this, to provide -- leak this information to reporters -- information that we provided months ago to Republican lawmakers from the relevant committees and Republican leadership, as well as Democratic.  And there's an ongoing effort to make something political out of this.

But the problem with that effort is that it's never been clear what it is they think they're accusing the administration of doing,  [...well for starters, two things,  not telling the truth to the American people, and manufacturing a deep background scandal -- or two! -- within the people's house...but go on...]  because when it comes to who is responsible, we were very open about what we knew, what we thought we knew, what we did for a fact know, [what? "we were very open about what we knew, what we thought we knew, what we did for a fact know....Seriously?  You were very open about a total lie -- it was never about a video, while the consulate -- rather the "diplomatic post" whatever you want to call it  -- was left unprotected for months, including the night of 9/11/12 and the administration knew it and tried to cover it up for there was an election around the corner, wasn't there, Jay]   and the fact that this was an ongoing investigation, and we would certainly learn more that would change our view of what had had happened in Benghazi.

oh my goodness.  enough already.


Take it away, Mr. President:

"Unfortunately, you've grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that's at the root of all our problems. Some of these same voices also do their best to gum up the works. They'll warn that tyranny always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices --

[and]

-- "Because what they suggest is that our brave, and creative, and unique experiment in self-rule is somehow just a sham with which we can't be trusted--"

Let's wrap things up with a few thoughts from Francis Bacon --

"It is not what you eat,

but what you digest

that makes you strong. 

 It is not what you earn,

but what you save

that makes you rich. 

It is not what you preach,

but what you practice

that makes you a Christian."

And dare we add --

 It is not what you hear,

but how you respond

that makes you wise...

brave even....

very very brave.

Clearly today, that goes for all of us --  from the president on down;  ooooh correction, make that, from we the people on up.  But maybe the old G thing is just "conflating a couple of things" right, Jay -- or just maybe, the substantive issues are just getting blurry in the fog of blog.


Make it a Good Day, G