Media, Ego and Politics Interfering in Shahzad Investigation

Listen to NPR's report here on how the media tipped off Shahzad that he was being sought, and how egos between the NYPD and FBI caused the leak of information to the media. A lot of what we're hearing now is the media being used by politicians to stake their claims. Pete Hoekstra is babbling needlessly without facts. He loves a camera. There ought to be an outright ban on media reporting on this investigation unless they're reporting facts. Isn't that a novel concept?

Law enforcement officials usually say they can't talk to reporters about an ongoing investigation, but there were leaks in this case from the beginning — partly because of the dynamic between two powerful law enforcement forces in New York City.

While the NYPD and the FBI talk publicly about how seamlessly they work together, the truth is there's a lot of professional rivalry. Get detectives or agents out for a beer and one of their favorite pastimes is griping about something the NYPD did or something the FBI missed. Because of that, there tend to be a lot of leaks.

Details about the Times Square investigation were all over the local newspapers, even as authorities were still trying to puzzle out who was responsible. Any element of surprise that law enforcement might have had was evaporating.

To be fair, law enforcement was partly to blame. In many cases, it was the source of the information and leaks. But there seemed to be an extra level of frustration about the leaks in this case. As one law enforcement official told NPR, "Our operational plans were being driven by the media, instead of the other way around. And that's not good."

Our operational plans were being driven by the media, instead of the other way around. And that's not good.

He said they watched in horror as news organizations started talking about the fact that the vehicle identification number on the Nissan Pathfinder used in the botched bombing had been taken off the windshield. Then another report said that wouldn't matter, as authorities could find the VIN on other parts of the car. A short time later, the fact that they had found the number was reported. The coverage was providing a lot of clues about the direction the case was going.

On Monday afternoon, basically a day-and-a-half after the attack, a news organization reported that law enforcement officials were looking for an American citizen of Pakistani descent from Shelton, Conn. (NPR also had the information but didn't report it out of concern that it would affect the investigation before Shahzad's arrest.)

Shahzad mentioned that news report after he was in police custody, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the case. He told the arresting officers that the moment he read it was the moment he knew it was only a matter of time before authorities would close in on him. He also assumed from the report that he was under surveillance. NPR

Hoekstra Calls Brennan a Nobody Who Should Be Fired

Republicans just can't seem to shut their pie holes. Pete Hoekstra calls John Brennan a know nothing who should be fired. Brennan criticized Hoekstra and others for using terrorism for their own gain. The Obama administration needs to put an end to the politicizing of terror. It's gotten out of hand. Obama needs to publicly shame these guys in a way that gets them to finally shut up. I'd like to see republicans actually do something besides waste our time.

Kit Bond, one of the others that Brennan criticized, is also calling for Brennan's resignation. Republicans are a smarmy sort of mob. They stick together to get their dirty work done. Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie aren't falling for it:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Jim DeMint on Today Show

Why does the media always choose the wingnuts to interview? Why not Susan Collins or Olympia Snowe or some other unknown moderate republican.
Everyone knows that Jim DeMint has extreme views and thinks of Obama in one way.
DeMint has zero credibility.
Matt Lauer set DeMint up with softballs and DeMint answers predictably with one exception. I've noticed that in the past two days, conservative republicans have softened their stance against Obama on this terror issue by saying that everyone is on the same page --NOW -- saying that it took Obama a while to come around.

Yesterday Pete Hoekstra, who recently visited Yemen, said the exact same thing. I think the conservatives are saving face--their own. They realize that Americans don't want national security politicized. We voted down chest thumping and fear mongering and voted for maturity and critical thinking.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Claire McCaskill on Erroll Southers, who DeMint is trying to block:

Terrorists Need to be Treated Like Common Criminals

Obama has this down. Why elevate the stature of a terrorist?
Obama's not giving the terrorists what they want, but republicans seem to want to elevate the status of a common criminal to "enemy combatant." Republicans don't think Obama is tough enough on terrorism, which has nothing to do with Obama and everything to do with their own ignorance.
The GOP is behaving like small idiots, and frankly, I'm sick of their nonsense, especially when it comes to national security. Obama is the president. HIS foreign policy is the one that we voted for. Pete Hoekstra, Peter King, Dick Cheney, losers.
I don't want to see anyone pointing fingers. I want to see people fixing things. They need to be helping. If not, find something else to do. I still can't help seeing the GOP as a giant troll under the bridge.

Wouldn't it be refreshing to see someone like Hoekstra act like an adult and say, hey, what can I do?
Two good pieces today on the importance of treating terrorists, not as worthy enemies, but plain and simple criminals:

Nothing plays more right into the hands of Al Qaeda than glorifying them as some sort of special and unique class of warriors -- enemy combatants -- rather than treating them as the lowly, common, murderous criminals they are. When we deny them due process and imprison them without charges because they're something stronger and scarier than mere criminals -- when we pronounce that they are our enemies waging holy war on America -- we do more to elevate their stature and, in the eyes of their followers, justify their violence than anything they could hope to do themselves. The more fearful and extreme our reaction to them is, the better their cause is served. Is there anything they can do or say to make that clearer? Salon

From the Washington Post:

Mr. Cheney and others argue that Mr. Abdulmutallab, who is accused of trying to down Northwest Flight 253 over Detroit on Christmas, should have been held as an enemy combatant and pumped for information, rather than read his Miranda rights and provided a lawyer. They further argue that the decision to shuttle him to federal court shows that President Obama is in denial about the dangers of terrorism.

This last claim has no merit. Just as it would be a mistake to approach all terrorist acts as a law enforcement challenge, so would it be imprudent to dispense with strong and available law enforcement tools, and to deal with all such incidents as acts of war. Recall that the Bush administration prosecuted shoe bomber Richard Reid in federal court for attempting to down a transatlantic flight using the same type of explosives allegedly found on Mr. Abdulmutallab. No one then questioned the Bush-Cheney administration's judgment or its resolve -- and rightly so.
.....
So why not bundle the Nigerian suspect to a secure location for intensive questioning by the CIA? First, because he already has been talking to authorities about his affiliation with al-Qaeda and the possibility of other attacks. Second, because he is no Khalid Sheik Mohammed -- he is not a seasoned al-Qaeda operator but a disturbed young man whom the group tried to use as cannon fodder.

Most important, the Bush administration's own experience has showed that holding suspects as enemy combatants creates more problems than it solves, because of the lack of due process and legal accountability. WaPo

Hypocrisy of the GOP on Terror

The reason the GOP is off the rails on this terror thing is because they're working off the theory that Obama is a terrorist sympathizer. Some of these conservatives even believe Obama was born in Kenya. They still haven't gotten over Obama's middle name, Hussein. They just don't believe that Barack Hussein Obama can be tough on terrorism. Ignorance is their shortcoming.
Rachel Maddow does a good job pointing out the hypocrisy between how the republicans behaved when Bush was confronted with the shoe bomber and how they're behaving now:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Obama Isn't Giving Terrorists What They Want: Fear

Republicans like to elevate terrorists to worthy status.
They like their terrorists to be prominent. They like a good enemy. It goes along with their need to exploit people's fears. Conservatives seem to be motivated by fear. It rallies them to their causes. It's why they enjoy guns so much. It's a fake symbol of bravery.

Conservatives react to fear and they're just not getting the reaction out of Obama that they want. In light of a two-bit terrorist putting explosives in his underwear, they want Obama to thump his chest and proclaim the greatness of the United States.

They think Obama should end his vacation. Why should Obama give terrorists that sort of stature? That's exactly what the terrorists want. They want to command attention. They want the President of the United States to put all things aside and show some fear.

Instead, the Obama administration is doing the work of finding out what happened and fixing the problem. The Obama administration isn't giving the terrorists what they want.

I don't think conservatives are politicizing terrorism. Quite the opposite. I believe that they are genuinely fearful of the terrorists. They're afraid. It's their conservative nature. Folks such as Peter King and Pete Hoekstra are just playing into the terrorists' hands.

Obama Orders Agency Review in Fort Hood Shootings

Asked whether Obama is concerned that "warning signs" about Hasan were missed before the shooting spree, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters en route to Fort Hood that the president has asked all agencies involved in the investigation to look into such issues. He wants the agencies "to ensure that they can tell him that it won't happen again," Gibbs said.

Gibbs was also asked aboard Air Force One whether the public should have "qualms" about Muslims serving in the military. "Obviously there are people . . . of all faiths and all ethnicities serving with distinction and valor in our Armed Services today," he said. "The investigation is ongoing to figure out what would motivate an individual to carry out the type of act that this major carried out. We're looking into that through the FBI and [Defense Department], through this investigation." WaPo

It's not that Hasan was a Muslim. It's that he was nuts. Why is that so difficult for people to understand? Anyone can hijack a religion and distort it. The Islamic faith doesn't call for the gunning down of fellow soldiers. Hasan clearly had mental issues and it's looking like he became more and more radical as he went along. When someone says that Muslims should be let out of the Army or else, believe him.

Michigan Town Wants Gitmo Prisoners Hoekstra Says No

Federal officials will travel to Standish, Michigan, on Thursday to tour a state prison that could be used to house terror suspects detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, U.S. government officials said Wednesday.

The prison in Standish, Michigan, is slated for closure but would stay open if Guantanamo detainees are sent there.

Among those who will check out the facility, the officials said, will be representatives from the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Prisons.

One administration official stressed no decision has been made about where to relocate Guantanamo detainees. Multiple options are under consideration. That official added Thursday's visit is simply to gather information about the prison.

The prison in Standish is a maximum security facility slated for closure. Some local officials would like to see Guantanamo prisoners brought there as a way to keep the prison open and preserve jobs in an area with more than 20 percent unemployment. More at CNN

Republican Pete Hoekstra has promised to fight having Gitmo prisoners in Michigan. His tweet:

If press reports on moving Gitmo detainees to Mich are accurate my answer is no. I will do everything possible to stop this.

Meanwhile, Sen. Carl Levin is for it and so is Standish. They want the jobs:

Give us Gitmo!
To the rest of the country, the 229 suspect Al Qaeda, Taliban and foreign fighters at Guantanamo Bay are terrorists.
To the men and women who work at the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility, they could be a meal ticket.
Unemployment is at more than 17% in Standish and residents say they would welcome a possible plan to relocate detainees from the soon-to-be shuttered Guantanamo Bay prison to the U.S.
"We'll take the most dangerous prisoners the world has to offer if we have to," corrections officer Paul Piche said Monday.
Read more at NYDN

Popular Cash For Clunkers Not Suspended

The program that allows people to trade in their car for $3,500 or $4,500 discount on a new car may have run out of money in its first weekend. But contrary to media reports, it hasn't been suspended and it could be extended:

On cash for clunkers, Gibbs says the administration is working to find and develop ways to continue funding the program. Right now, he says, the program is "up and continuing to run."

"We feel confident that we'll have a solution...and that the program continues," he says.

For those wishing to buy a car this weekend, Gibbs continues, "the program will be in place." Politico

Yesterday republican Pete Hoekstra twittered that he was impressed with the program, so there will likely be republican support to continue the program.
Update, Obama's statement on the House approving more funds:

"I want to thank leaders in the House of Representatives for working quickly and in a bipartisan way to pass legislation that will use Recovery Act funds to keep 'Cash for Clunkers' going. This program has been an overwhelming success, allowing consumers to trade in their less fuel efficient cars for a credit to buy more fuel efficient new models. It has given consumers a much needed break, provided the American auto industry an important boost, and is achieving environmental benefits well beyond what was originally anticipated. The program has proven to be a successful part of our economic recovery and will help lessen our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the quality of the air we breathe. I urge the Senate to act with the American consumers in mind to pass this important legislation."

Republicans Ganging up on Pelosi

Right now, all they have is Nancy Pelosi, who most likely knew about torture. Republicans think they have an easy target.
But ganging up and throwing stones, given the fact that they too condoned torture, isn't about to turn favor their way. I doubt anyone is listening to the republicans. They've lost all credibility. In fact, there's a poll out today that shows most people believe that the CIA could've misled Pelosi. The republicans would be better off minding their own party and figuring out how to be decent again. 

Pelosi last week said that she was briefed by the CIA on such techniques only once -- in September 2002 -- and that she was told at the time that techniques like waterboarding were not being used.

Pelosi, D-California, said she learned from an aide that waterboarding had been used after other lawmakers were briefed in 2003.

A recently released Justice Department memo says the CIA used waterboarding at least 83 times in August 2002 in the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, a suspected al Qaeda leader imprisoned at U.S. facilities in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said Monday that if Pelosi's accusations are not true, she may need to step down.

"She made some outrageous accusations last week where she said that the CIA lied to her and lied systematically over a period of years. That is a very, very serious charge," Hoekstra said Monday on CNN's "American Morning." CNN

Republican Spin: Obama's Going to Bankrupt Charities

One of the ways Obama plans to fund healthcare is to cap itemized deductions, which would reduce the tax incentives for the wealthy to donate to charities. 
Republican Pete Hoekstra's tweet:

Philanthropy is one of the things that makes America unique and special!Why would Pres Obama try to reduce incentives for charitable giving?

Here's why: With his policies, Obama's trying to lift the poor and middle class so they don't have to depend so much on charity. Wouldn't it be nice if a charity could close its doors because it was no longer needed?
Life is not right when the poor are dependent on the kindness of the rich.
The U.S. has increasingly become a nation where the have-nots depend on their daily bread from the haves. As we've seen from some of the republican haves, lifting the poor is NOT a priority. They disdain the poor as wretches who don't work hard enough or long enough.
Also, are the rich merely giving to charities for the tax break? In some cases, the answer is probably yes. But in others, I'd bet that's not their reason for giving.
If it is, all the more reason we need to have policies, such as healthcare for all, which helps create more self sufficient people. One of the main reasons people file bankruptcy is they can't pay onerous medical expenses.
To Hoeksra, I'd add this: Charitable giving isn't meant to be a way for rick folk to pat themselves on the backs, or for rich people to get a tax break. Charities are set up to help people.

Republican Pete Hoekstra Twitters About Obama

Check out some of what he said at Political Punch, or if you're on Twitter, you can follow Hoekstra here.
Here was his latest Tweet:

Very impressive session with Republican House members.If President carries this on it does open door for a new tone!Let's hope! Nice job!

I'm happy to hear that at least some republicans are working with Obama.