It's fun to watch those radio (and teevee) talkers who have been feathering their fortunes by stoking hatred for the president.
They've been caught in a conundrum after he did something - killed Bin Laden - that runs counter to their narrative that Obama is an undecisive wimp (if not at heart a traitor and terrorist sympathizer).
Rush's praise was so effusive, it was widely interpreted on the right and left to be sarcastic. Seems like only yesterday he was hoping on-air that Obama would fail and was beating up Michelle Obama for her figure.
Conor Friedersdorf wrote in The Atlantic blog:
His problem was that he couldn't come out Monday morning swinging. Sure, some of his listeners would stick by him. But the Limbaugh audience is largely made up of nationalistic War on Terror hawks who wanted bin Laden's head on a pike as much as anyone. Opening with a direct attack on Obama after an event that brought out the jingoism in NPR listeners wasn't going to play.
So Rush did what he always does when he flip-flops: he made a deliberately ambiguous monologue. Ditto-heads knew what he really meant. It was in their Secret Maha Rushee Code.
Strategically ambiguous monologue done with, he got down to the nut-cutting once more: The liberal media (the NY Times) was conspiring with Obama to exaggerate how dangerous Bin Laden was to make Obama seem like more of a tough guy.
Hannity, the tool, jumped right in Monday with his own laudulence, but not without giving Bush the ultimate credit in the same sentence:
“I think what they did in the White House was a gutsy move,” Hannity said. “It was the right thing to do and now that we got this information from enhanced interrogation, I wonder if all [of] these liberals blasting me on Twitter are willing to praise President Bush for getting the intelligence ultimately.
And so it went... the rest of national talk radio re-echoed Rush and Hannity all week.
Locally, Dori Monson (KIRO m-f, 12-3p) had a kitten with more than his usual peals of fake laughter as he beat up Obama for totally screwing up the PR around the attack.
He repeatedly (and we mean repeat-peat-peat-peatedly) called Obama's "a shockingly incompetent administration" for the changing narrative of the events coming out of the WH. This meme was all a bit dissonant, since while he was, at the same time, bitching about how it was "all Obama all the time," and running with the story every day.
(photo: Dori Monson- "not enough was too much.")
Seems to us the PR was pretty damn good. Americans felt good about themselves; Obama's enemies spoke of little besides his great success for a week, and his poll numbers bumped up nicely.
We still remember how brave these truthtellers weren't when a President Bush was stumbling with Iraq and the English language. He and his brillant Rovian political section could sell his foolhardy war to no one... except the right-wing media who, as someone has said, "had their testicles in a lockbox" for the duration of his two terms.
(And oh yeah: It's all bullshit Republicans have been fostering for years that Democrats are soft on security. Democrats presided over all the wars of the last 60 or so years. And won most of them. Wilson, WW1, FDR & Truman WW2 and Korea, Kennedy prevailed in the Cuban Missile crisis, Clinton in the Balkans. Not to mention Hiroshima, the Gulf of Tonkin and Waco. To the distress of many in his base, Obama has been as aggressive or more so than Bush in the struggle with international terrorism, even shackled with the chore of ending Bush's unneccessary, irrelevant, irresponsible and expensive war in Iraq).
Stop using terms like "sand crab" and I'll stop calling you what you are.
Posted by: Andrew | May 10, 2011 at 09:49 AM
Some funny TV moments from McCain '08
McCain saying he wouldn't enter Pakistan to get bin Laden because Pakistan is a "sovereign nation" (what a pussy) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCMkxTrrFMI
And there's a video of McCain claiming that Obama doesn't have the experience needed to defend the country.
Thank God Almighty McCain/Palin '08 didn't beat Our First Black President. What an utter disaster that adminsitration would have been.
Posted by: Andrew | May 10, 2011 at 04:27 PM
Some funny TV moments from McCain '08
McCain saying he wouldn't enter Pakistan to get bin Laden because Pakistan is a "sovereign nation" (what a pussy) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCMkxTrrFMI
And there's a video of McCain claiming that Obama doesn't have the experience needed to defend the country.
Thank God Almighty McCain/Palin '08 didn't beat Our First Black President. What an utter disaster that adminsitration would have been.
Posted by: Andrew | May 10, 2011 at 04:27 PM
only andrew, one who has never served his country, would have the chutzpah to say john mccain is a pussy. really, you want to go there?
as far as invading pakistan, you seem to want to keep the war going and fail to understand that have nuclear weapons.
Posted by: Puget Sound Blathers to point out Andrew's chutzpah | May 10, 2011 at 06:22 PM
the OBL raid has smoked out the right wing talkhosts who are the truly small, Unamerican people....small or small amd racist......the only one i would feel confident in calling racist is Glenn Beck, because he's a Mormon but more importantly just the absurdly begrudging, tiniest of credit he gave Obama for thr raid, followed by calling it "incompetent" for upsetting our relationship with Pakistan. He marches in a parade of one, with that ridiculous view. And, i might add that Gleen Beck, just per my intuition, has ALWAYS impressed me as a racist with probably a two inch dick. Monson the other day called Obama's somber, lowkey interview on 60 Minutes Sunday "spiking the football", a ludicrous and completely unsupportable comment. Similaerly , Laura Ingraham, who has always been a small, mean, miserable person, proved herself to be even smaller, as she claimed Obama last week, with his various appearances following the raid was "taking bow after bow" for theNavy Seals performance. This is an interpretaion of events that a huge majority of Republicans , probaly a near totality of them, don't share at all. She sits alone on the bozo bus with a handful of incredibly small, miserable, jealous and possiblly racists little toads like Beck and Monson.
Posted by: Tommy008 | May 10, 2011 at 06:40 PM
Puget sound old friend I need ya to point out to me just where andrew and the others have said they like our two illegal wars? You said they sound like they like them and I just dont see it. Thanks buddy.
Posted by: Jovita | May 10, 2011 at 06:51 PM
I served in the military.
John McCain is a pussy.
A rich pussy.
But a pussy, all the same.
Posted by: Itchy | May 10, 2011 at 07:00 PM
Like I believe you, Itchy - :( McCain would call you a pussy just the same. Where's your pal scratchy ?
Posted by: KS | May 10, 2011 at 08:05 PM
Puget sound old friend I need ya to point out to me just where andrew and the others have said they like our two illegal wars? You said they sound like they like them and I just dont see it. Thanks buddy.
Posted by: Jovita | May 10, 2011 at 06:51 PM
so which wars are you for? afghanistan? libya?
elucidate, jovita. elucidate.
Posted by: Puget Sound Blathers | May 10, 2011 at 08:23 PM
But you didnt answer my question. Why?
Posted by: Jovita | May 10, 2011 at 08:40 PM
UhOh KS Trumps now at #8 in the list of candidates preferred by the Right.
what happened? do ya think he still is gonna run? I dont but I never thot he would. But i guess his ratings for tv went up maybe.
Posted by: Jovita | May 10, 2011 at 08:42 PM
I think she asked you to elucidate, insipid blatherer. Can't you do it?
Posted by: joanie | May 10, 2011 at 08:44 PM
Trump is a has been. He will not be a factor - too much birther blathering and more and more are becoming dubious of his policies.
The GOP are taking their time and being rather picky about who they want - many donors are pissed at the paltry selection of candidates so far. Chris Christie is #1 on the list of many. Someone who has hutzpah - to combat Obama's demagogery and is an effective communicator with a presence will be the winning combination. Newt does not cut the mustard for obvious reasons.
PS - Ignore the small person and they will go away.
Posted by: KS | May 10, 2011 at 08:52 PM
I have another question that is bothering me tonite. If they got the clue that led to Osama from waterboarding, why didn't they follow it? The Right Wing Goon Squad has been all over the MSM claiming credit for getting OBL, because supposedly the first lead came from torturing someone, who gave up a name, that eventually led to the capture or something.
If they had that clue, it had to be before 2005 because that is when they closed the OBL desk at the CIA, and stopped looking for OBL. Bush said he didn't care where he was and he wasn't thinking about him anymore. Either there wasn't any clue, or there was a clue, and they didn't recognize it. If there was a clue, they didn't follow it up. I'm going to go our on a limb, and say that there may have been a clue, but it didn't come from waterboarding, so Rumsfeld didn't trust it, and ignored it.
Now because the Bush administration came to 2005 and believed the trail had gone cold, they gave up. If they thought they had anything at all, they would have followed it up, because getting OBL would make Bush's place in history, and really, I'm sure he wanted to do it. He had at least 4 years to do it. That was plenty of time, if they had gotten a clue out of waterboarding.
And then when Obama took office, Panetta went back and looked at what Bush's CIA had. When they looked at the information NOT gotten from torture, someone saw a clue and followed it. It led to the compound last August. That led to May 1 SCORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRE!
joanie my wife wont like it if she finds out youre calling me a SHE!
Posted by: Jovita | May 10, 2011 at 08:55 PM
Ok well I guess I needed to ask that question of Tom. Thanks anyway.
Posted by: Jovita | May 10, 2011 at 09:02 PM
Sorry, jovita! My apologies.
The person who gave up the name did not do it as a result of waterboarding. In fact, that slowed it down. I've read that from several different accounts. He gave up the name months later under normal interrogation protocols.
BTW, KS, the man you should be watching on your side is Mitch Daniels. Don't you keep up? I apparently get better information from my "liberal" media than you do from your barking conservatives.
Posted by: joanie | May 10, 2011 at 09:02 PM
yes that was my point lol
Posted by: Jovita | May 10, 2011 at 09:04 PM
I'm grateful for John McCain's service and sacrifice, but his political performance in the last decade has been marked by decisions of cowardice. Flip flopping on moderate stances in order to appease the far right? Picking a poorly vetted candidate like Palin for fear of losing the women's vote? And since Obama effectively took out bin Laden by disregarding international borders, McCain insistance on respecting Pakistan's sovereignty reveals someone who's fearful of walking the tightrope.
Maybe if McCain hadn't sucked up so much to the far right when the country was leaning left he might have beaten Obama, but he was afraid to chance sticking to his "Maverick" roots that brought him such fame and high regard in the center. I liked McCain in 2000. He's since become a huge letdown.
Posted by: Andrew | May 10, 2011 at 09:18 PM
Recent details that have come to light reveal that bin Laden in fact was in Tora Bora when Bush failed to act, and that this happened at the time when all resources were being diverted to going to war with Iraq. Just when you think the Bush presidency couldn't get any worse, it continues to horrify from beyond the grave. When all the principles are gone, people will look back at that administration's conduct as treasonous and corrupt. It will inspire reform.
Posted by: Andrew | May 10, 2011 at 09:31 PM
McCain is not smart enough to be President. Read Jonathan Alter's THE PROMISE. It is enlightening.
I think women may revolt. I think we may become the neo-revolutionaries. Watching Maddow talking about the S. Dakota governor who has put up huge obstacles for getting an legal abortion. It is all about that seed: the evolution of the male. Has to protect his seed over the life, limb and property of women. Primitive; saveage; ignorant; and unbelievable.
Posted by: joanie | May 10, 2011 at 09:32 PM
It occurs to me, Jovita, that we are both very informed bloggers. Nice to have you aboard.
Posted by: joanie | May 10, 2011 at 09:44 PM
I'm catching up with Maddow from yesterday. She's pointing out the huge LIBERAL BIAS on the Sunday morning political talk shows with this guest list from the main TV news shows:
Dick Lugar, Rudi Guliani, Condoleeza Rice, Dick Cheney, Tom Davis, Gen. Michael Hayden, Michael Chertoff, Donald Rumsfeldt, Liz Cheney. There were three from Dem administration: John Kerry, Anita Dunn(FORMER communication director), Tom Donelin-current national security adviser.
The big news is Obama's killing of Osama and republicans are represented three-one over democrats by a litany of retired Bush flunkies who couldn't catch Osama.
Beltway media sure is a big liberal monster, isn't it? Poor babies on the right. You just don't get any notice at all. Boo hoo.
Posted by: joanie | May 10, 2011 at 09:56 PM
Mitch Daniel has not committed yet, but I am well aware of him. From what I have read and heard his actions are more decisive than his words and he has a good reputation in his home state of Indiana. So far, with the exception of Chris Christie and Allen West - he seems like the best potential candidate out there.
Is Kucinich going to relocate here and run for congress from the new district or will he be lured in by another state ?
Posted by: KS | May 10, 2011 at 10:06 PM
"Recent details that have come to light reveal that bin Laden in fact was in Tora Bora when Bush failed to act, and that this happened at the time."
That is very old news and occurred before troops were committed to Iraq - you are reading the liberal media too much - no wonder you are so misinformed.
Posted by: KS | May 10, 2011 at 10:10 PM
Oh gee, KS. Did your best friend skedaddle before he could "elucidate" to Jovita? My, my.
I have no clue what Kucinich will do.
Allan West? Hahahahahahahahahaha. I hope he runs. I really do. In fact, I think he's the best of the three. I sure do.
Posted by: joanie | May 10, 2011 at 10:12 PM
Better be careful, KS. You've been caught pushing more misinformation on this blog than anybody else. I wouldn't mess with Andrew. He knows his stuff.
Posted by: joanie | May 10, 2011 at 10:13 PM
That is very old news and occurred before troops were committed to Iraq
That... confirms what I just said. That they dropped the ball in Tora Bora because they were too focused on making a case for war with Iraq. Seem the liberal media is serving me pretty well.
Posted by: Andrew | May 10, 2011 at 10:25 PM
LMAO. re:misinformation - you are the pot calling the kettle black and incredulous once again. Andrew is not far behind you - he gets a few things right, but shoots himself in the foot quickly with a plethora of misinformation besides being a master baiter of race along with your pal, Coiler - not mention yourself who has played the race card on a number of occasions.
I'd love to see West debate the community organizer in chief and clean his clock, but it is doubtful that West will run. Unlike the current president, West is humble and realizes that the responsibility of being President requires a breadth of experience of being more than just a community organizer.
Posted by: KS | May 10, 2011 at 10:30 PM
the depression is finally starting to sink in over thae fact that Dori Monson has a new three year contract with KIROfm and is not going anywhere for at least that amount of time. With someone like Monson, that's an interminable tour of duty for anyone listening to him. It reminds me of one of my nightmares where i find myself incarcerated with no end in sight. In Monson's case theres no waking up from the bad dream, in a cold sweat. Dude's asinine comment the other day calling Obama's apoearance on 60 minutes "spiking the ball" over the OBl RAID was absolutely infuriating , and i say this as someone who still generally doesn't care for Obama w and will not support him in 2012 , despite his triumph with the Bin Laden raid. Hearing a little snivelling poltroon and puke liek Monson try to play cheap partisan politics in the immediate aftermath of the OBL raid, when the nation should be focused on unity, is despicable but not surprising.
Posted by: Tommy008 | May 11, 2011 at 12:07 AM
It occurs to me, Jovita, that we are both very informed bloggers. Nice to have you aboard.
Posted by: joanie | May 10, 2011 at 09:44 PM
Mission accomplished GG. Charlie Brown (aka Joanie) is getting ready to kick the football. The rest of us will await the inevitable ball pull as Joanie falls on her ass.
LMAO
Posted by: Puget Sound Blathers | May 11, 2011 at 02:54 AM
andrew, they didn't let Osama go. They had him cornered in the mountains of Tora Bora. Instead of sending american forces into those mountains they attempted to reduce our casualties by paying local tribal leaders who knew the area to turn him over to us. Osama was able to bribe his way out.
Clearly a mistake on our part early in the War.
Posted by: Puget Sound Blathers | May 11, 2011 at 02:57 AM
Mission accomplished GG. Charlie Brown (aka Joanie) is getting ready to kick the football. The rest of us will await the inevitable ball pull as Joanie falls on her ass.
LMAO Posted by: Puget Sound Blathers | May 11, 2011 at 02:54 AMJumpin’ Jehosaphat, Putz. You still toting that meme? Looks like Jovita’s got you by the short hairs.
Posted by: BlackRhino | May 11, 2011 at 06:50 AM
A mistake is a mistake is a mistake. What is there about that that you don't get? Obama got it done. Another dense post full of name calling - the only thing you seem to be good at these days.
Posted by: joanie | May 11, 2011 at 07:15 AM
Lot of useful points are there. Its really keeps me updated.
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