LA County Sheriff Lee Baca's Outstanding Testimony at Sham Hearing

Sheriff Lee Baca Counters Republican at Sham Hearing

This is really, really satisfying. I think today's sham hearing had the unintended effect of making Peter King and the republicans look really, really bad.

Live: GOP Exercise in Demonizing and Scapegoating Muslims

If this hearing was about addressing "homegrown terrorism," the tone would be different. Make no mistake, this isn't about addressing radical Islam. This isn't about solving a problem. This is about scapegoating and demonizing Muslims at large. This is about fear mongering. Peter King oversimplifies the problem of extremism because of his right wing view of the world.
LA County Sheriff Lee Baca testified saying:

“It is counterproductive to building trust when individuals or groups claim that Islam supports terrorism," he said. "This plays directly into the terrorist’s propaganda that the West’s ‘war on terror’ is actually a ‘war against Islam.’” The Hill

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Watch for parallels as Joseph McCarthy, a republican of yesteryear, exploited fears of communism and went on a witch hunt of epic proportions:




Then there was the order by President Harry Truman, a democrat, to contain Japanese Americans to internment camps during WWII because people were afraid of Japanese people. Only the group of people that we scapegoat changes over history:




The biggest threat here is Peter King and people like him who are ruled by fear and need to define enemies:

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:

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Janet Napolitano Clarifies Her Statement on Terror Attempt

Janet Napolitano, who got ripped apart yesterday, clarified what she meant when she said "the system worked." I certainly didn't take it to mean that the system worked, especially after someone got through screening with explosives. Duh. But the media did and so did plenty of Obama critics. There are people with nothing better to do, who live day to day, just chomping at the bit to rip the Obama administration to shreds.
Napolitano got all kinds of criticism yesterday, from her hair to her gender. Sometimes Americans sure seem like common dimwits. People like Pete Hoekstra want the Obama administration to react with more emotion, to show some fear. But that's just not going to happen. Obama also gathers information before he speaks. He is expected to speak today.

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Republican Peter King is just scared. It's the conservative way. Hoekstra and others like him (wingnuts) simply believe that Obama is a terrorist sympathizer. They're nuts! I'm appalled that so many like King hold important positions in our government. He's just not helping the situation and his carping is making it worse. He's the ranking member of the Homeland Security committee! He's just as responsible as the Obama administration. He ought to be pointing fingers at himself. King says the administration is stonewalling but why would anyone want to provide information to these guys? For what purpose? How is King going to make this situation better? Obviously, he failed as a HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE MEMBER. After he gets done being a bore, he cracks a joke about Joe Scarborough:

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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.

Secret Service's Statement on Party Crashers

Mark Sullivan says the Secret Service made a mistake. Established procedures were not followed at an initial checkpoint. The Secret Service apologized at the get go, but republican Peter King must not have anything better to do than go after the social secretary to score some political points. Does he really think that the White House isn't concerned about the security breech? Read the White House memo on the review of procedures. Yet King, the truth seeker that he is, doesn't care if the Salahis testify.

Meanwhile, Obama defends the Secret Service today:

"I could not have more confidence in the Secret Service," Obama told USA TODAY's Richard Wolf and Justin Hyde of the Detroit Free Press in an interview this morning.

Obama acknowledged for the first time that "the system didn't work the way it was supposed to" at last week's State Dinner, when an uninvited Virginia couple managed to get past several checkpoints and into the White House, where they shook hands with Obama and posed for photographs with others.

Even so, the president gave the men and women who protect him the highest praise, he told us in an interview that focused largely on the economy. USA Today

Republicans: Won't Confront Birthers Until it Hurts

“If it continues, then we should all speak out,” said Peter T. King of New York, one of the few remaining GOP moderates in the House. King doesn’t think the birther movement rises to that level yet, but he sees the potential danger if the birthers continue to distract attention from real policy debates. “If the public can turn against Obama because they think he’s too liberal,” King said, “they’ll turn against us if they think we’re nuts.” Read the whole thing.

That is so weak. Besides, the public already thinks republicans are nuts. They've encouraged the birthers. Perhaps King hasn't seen this video or this one.
Gibbs is right:

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who tried to shut down the birther rumors during the presidential campaign by posting a copy of Obama’s birth certificate on the campaign’s FightTheSmears.com Web site, noted in frustration that “nothing will assuage them” because “for $15, you can get an Internet address and say whatever you want.”

Republicans aren't decent enough to set the facts straight until it's hurting them:

Matt Mackowiak, founder and president of Potomac Strategy Group, a Republican crisis communications firm, said his party could still send a powerful message by turning to prominent party figures, such as presidents George Bush and George W. Bush or the top House and Senate Republican leaders, to make a statement rejecting the birthers. But until there’s evidence that the fringe group is causing broad damage to the party, Mackowiak said, “nobody wants to engage with a very small, vocal minority that believes in this very strongly and is not reasonable enough to consider facts.”

How much more broad do they want the damage to be?

Health Care Reform With or Without Republicans

Now we're talking. It's clear that republicans don't even think there is a problem with health care. They believe we have the best system in the world and they say most people have health insurance. For them, it's about killing reform to politically defeat Obama. At least that's the message I'm getting. So it's time to leave them behind.

Frustrated with the pace of bipartisan talks, Democratic leaders on Monday promised to push a sweeping health care bill through the Senate whether they get Republican support or not.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the third-ranking Senate Democrat, raised the prospect of the leadership crafting a bill to Democratic specifications and using a rare legislative procedure to expedite legislation fulfilling President Barack Obama's top domestic priority.

"We will have contingencies in place. These plans will likely be considered as a last resort, but they are on the table," Schumer told reporters on a conference call. He declined to elaborate. Read the rest at MSNBC

Obama's Meeting With House Republicans Constructive -Video

Obama says he doesn't expect 100% agreement, but he's hoping politics can be set aside.

Republican response:

CQ Politics: House Republicans said that Obama defended the existing stimulus package but assured them there were would be room to incorporate some changes during negotiations between the House and Senate over a final version.

Several members said they still plan to vote against the House bill Wednesday but would take another look when a final version comes back to the House.

“Sometimes you have to vote no the first time around,” Rep. Jack Kingston , R-Ga., said. “The real test will be what happens a week from now.”

“The most encouraging statement the president made was that he had no pride of authorship” over the House bill, said Minority Whip Eric Cantor , R-Va. “I took that to mean that tomorrow’s vote is a first step.”

Rep. Henry E. Brown Jr. , R-S.C., described the meeting as having “a relaxed atmosphere. Everybody was jovial.” He added that from Obama’s remarks “it was pretty evident that he had a good handle on the content of the bill.”

Rep. Peter T. King , R-N.Y., said Obama drew laughter and cheers from the lawmakers when he agreed to extend the question and answer period from 25 minutes to 30 minutes, even though it would make him late to meet GOP senators.

King said Obama told them “The Senate can wait. You see I can pander with the best of you.”

House GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence of Indiana said prior to the meeting that Democrats had drafted a purely partisan bill. He said Republican leaders would undertake a public campaign against it. “The American people need to know that President Obama’s call for compromise has been completely ignored.”

Obama open to more tax breaks for small businesses:

While Obama didn’t promise major changes to the package, GOP members said he showed flexibility on some issues.

“The president did say he has some concerns over the spending proposals he sees in this bill,” Boehner said.

Participants said Obama took about 10 questions. Peter J. Roskam, R-Ill., had one of the more charged exchanges with Obama, after complaining that House Democratic leaders had shut out GOP amendments and seemed to be taking a much less compromising approach than the negotiated bipartisan approach suggested by Obama.

“He said he would be open to hear about tax breaks for small business. I might get back to him,” Roskam said. Read more at CQ

What else did Obama say?

US NEWS: "Obama is speaking now. He is talking about how bad the economy is and that it is deteriorating rapidly."

- "Mentioned Caterpillar and Microsoft having to layoff workers."

- "The president said that the stimulus is 'just one leg in multi leg stool to get economy going.'

- "He wants to deal with the housing market more aggressively."

- "This is just the first step."

- "Obama said the he would 'like not to have to spend the stimulus money.'"

- "He also said that he has 'no interest in increasing government just to increase the size of government.'"

- On taxes, "Obama says tax relief for some working families must come from payroll so even families who don't pay income taxes get relief and they will spend it."

- On GOP complaints, "he said that 'there will be time to beat him up and a time for politics. He said I understand that and I will watch you on Fox News and feel bad about myself.'"

- "Obama said if we can do more small business tax relief, 'we should do it, but I am just as concerned about the long term impact of tax cuts as I am about spending.'"

- "He also issued concern about the debt. 'I will be judged by the legacy I have left behind. I don't want to leave our children with a legacy of debt. I am inheriting an annual yearly debt of over $1 trillion.'"

Apparently, what Obama did today was rare:

PI: Obama's trip to Capitol Hill was rare for a sitting president, especially given his decision to meet only with the opposition. He met with Democratic lawmakers earlier this month.
In his comments, Obama said he is "absolutely confident" that the country can find ways to solve the country's economic woes. But he said "the key right now is to make sure that we keep politics to a minimum."