Intelligence For Commission

…on the topic of not reading something fully before speaking up, I've done it again. Actually the following 9/11 Commission Chimera is right on that topic, http://www.tompaine.com/articles/911_commission_chimera.php

(I can start something, not know where I am going and get there, something like osmosis.)

Well the above site endorses my writings on this site in a backhanded way, when it touched on the references and sources of the 9-11 commission and what comes out of it.

See my July 22nd post UNITY IN PRINCIPLE below.

This is just the perspective from an amateur that experts seem to agree with. The point being there were no intelligence experts on the 9-11 commission and former CIA Director Admiral Turner (not on the commission, but an expert) points out that intelligence authority existed, which former Sen.Slade Gorton (on the commission) admitted with a wink, was not used. I do use similar sources (Turner and other posts) and could see what some wink at. That the president and the CIA Director had the authority to be in charge of intelligence.

My preemptive conclusion: who needs another level of intelligence when the one in there is deficient and tried to operate with a bonus level (see B-Team*) which still needs investigating. http://slate.msn.com/?id=2073238

* A neo-con strategic group, not counting the Office of Strategic Intelligence (or Global Communications) which was quickly debunked and redistributed.

See my post A Plan to B-Team from Oct. 30th 2002 http://political_progress_for_people.blogspot.com/2002_10_27_political_progress_for_people_archive.html

Commission between the Lines.

Truth Commission May Not Lead to Prosecutions
by Matt Renner, t r u t h o u t | Report
It seems that the Democrats are intent on a commission and Republicans are mostly opposed. But the fine line is the truth that it is about investigations and if immunity is involved then prosecutions may be hampered. This should portend that special prosecutors are the way to go, before the Republicans flip-flop for immunity. Of course the media would love and the politics would flare* over open hearings, and selective immunity may combine the best of all worlds.

If there is no stomach for prosecutions the only alternative is a full blown international Truth and Reconciliation of all violence, religious, political or economic, beginning with the death penalty off the table**, except for corporations, being their status as wholly created beings of government.

* international scope [UPDATE]
** replaced with a floating Elba or Rikers.

Pre-empting Crimes

Remember: Humor is a tool and so is the dictionary.
While Bill Clinton hinged his excuses on "what the definition of 'is' is". The current administration has pre-empted excuses by hinging humor and the dictionary on "what the definition of everything is".

Abuse of power is the issue. While Clinton was investigated and found to have hinged his evasion of his abuse of an intern, Nixon was investigated and found to have covered up his abuses on the national level, and Bush pre-empted abuses on the international level. But now what Bush has done to get us "over there" will congress investigate too much "over here"?

If the above is too hard to follow, then try this:
Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act: S. 1959 Here is the TEXT

While the above is the senate bill by the same name here is the House version which passed: H.R. 1955

While I did read the latter, the former will be discussed on The Thom Hartmann Show. [See Update]
AM1090 Seattle 9 AM to noon

`SEC. 899A. DEFINITIONS.
`In this subtitle:

`(1) COMMISSION- The term `Commission' means the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism established under section 899C.

`(2) VIOLENT RADICALIZATION- The term `violent radicalization' means the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change.

`(3) HOMEGROWN TERRORISM- The term `homegrown terrorism' means the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States to intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.

`(4) IDEOLOGICALLY BASED VIOLENCE- The term `ideologically based violence' means the use, planned use, or threatened use of force or violence by a group or individual to promote the group or individual's political, religious, or social beliefs.

I hate to alert any potential terrorists but do not these definitions pertain to The Project for the New American Century ? It may be a section that united the vote for this bill, while an understanding of it, would certainly mean to change it.

[Earlier Posted Comment here:
Earlier radicals there:
Jefferson-

I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.Goldwater-

[Same Day Update: After posting the above I found this on Slate Bad Ideas]

[Update The Thom Hartmann Show: 11/29/07 ]
[11-29-07: TruthOut]

Up The Filter

Cheney almost got in real trouble when he suggested that he had more intelligence than the 9-11 commission, meaning he must have withheld something. However now I can’t blame him, because even I had more evidence than the 9-11 commission at least mentioned in their report.

Much of it is noted in http://www.tompaine.com/articles/sins_of_commission.php Sins of Commission. I’ve only read up to flaw four in it.

Summary: more information was available than was considered by intelligence or the committee.
I'm sure some of it may yank some chains, but it is why our enemies ended up yanking ours.
What was supposed to empower a bluff, played into their hand. A poker term that I saw through earlier in this analysis.

A CONUNDRUM INSIDE A PREEMPTIVE COMMISSION.

This began as a contribution to MoveOn.org’s The O'Franken Factor Misleading Quote Contest. But it may be a most revealing quote.

Scott McClellan: King County Journal
“We are providing the commission with access to all the information they need to do their job.”
Heading: Bush keeps Clinton files from 9/11 commission.

Not an audio, but from the NY Times in my local paper. There is a third feature of this besides, both stupid and false, it is also a truth about what exemplifies a truth as preemptively determined.
Since rules are usually thrown out the window by the administration, I hope this makes it under the wire. See, I saw this in my April 2nd, King County Journal (Bellevue, Wa) which makes the quote if found in audio outside the rules of this contest.

I guess it is a stretch also that this "stand on it's own". Is there a contest for irony?

Duoh!

Alan Simpson must remain on the Debt Commission until two things occur, journalism gets its act together and people realize he is representing how some Republicans and others on the right actually think. On the first point, he certainly livens up the opportunity for bringing things to light, unfortunately it is not being done by the media(present company excepted-see labels. And just because (other)topics are being discussed and Social Security is being considered if not confused in this regard, does not mean that the commission is the one that will decide what will be done. It should be like brain storming, and while there may be thunder, some are not exactly lightening.
[This based on only one of the three source.]

HISTORY A GUIDE TO LOOKING AHEAD, NOT A DISTRACTION

Bruce Chapman’s "Let's not be distracted from the dangers ahead" reminds me fighting terrorism is a priority and not booting Bush the biggest danger ahead. Chapman though distracts by laying blame that "much of the left and the media are trying to focus the public's attention…through a rear-view mirror."

Far from looking ahead, Chapman notes that chemical weapons have been found in Jordan, forgetting that was not before the fall of Baghdad. Chapman blames Iran's financial sponsorship and U. N. corruption as if the U.S. had no part in investigating or preventing them. On homeland security he is right. Yet the violin teacher’s admonition to "Play better" may be the best advice, not blaming others or existing laws and processes.

Instead Attorney General Ashcroft blamed the famous wall of the Gorelick memo, as if to say, "the dog ate my homework" while his evidence was a chewed up sports page. The memo "Instructions on Separation of Certain Foreign Counterintelligence and Criminal Investigations" was misread, not to mention an interpretation of Reagan and Bush I mandates. It concluded "That AUSA (Assistant US Attorney) will continue to be ‘walled off’…and will continue to abide by all FISA dissemination provisions and guidelines". The bold emphasis and Italics should have been added earlier.

They fail even Monday morning quarterbacking. Showing that if the administration could read better not to mention "play better" there may never have been a 9-11 commission of the terrorist act to need a commission.

An Unprecedented Commission on 9-11

The Unprecedented President selected by the Supreme Court which intentionally exempted that selection from setting a precedent, has refused to set a precedent by exempting his testimony from setting a precedent by testifying before his own 9-11 Commission. He will also declare himself exempt from testifying alone and will exempt himself and his Vice president from taking the oath. Further caution apparently needed to prevent precedent from presiding by the prevention of any dictation of a transcript or notes being allowed.

Apparently you can’t write this stuff.

All this was contingent upon being behind closed doors, with National Security Advisor Rice having the last word in public.

(Some material from Clarke on "Hardball": )
[Updated: 6-8-09 Hardball was the only original link inserted. Previous post updated as well as link to Charley McCarthyism.

Caution: Expletive...

Journalism: Doesn't add up.

Maybe the Exit Strategy does not add up, but I mean that it may have been McChrystal's and Obama's as far as an Afghan Exit Strategy.

UPDATE TO THE SIDEBAR:
Obama = Getter R Done
Understanding the Obama Doctrine*
Counter Evolutionary (R,R,R)
Open Source Intelligence
Navigation: Ctrl F[**]
[Bold links are the side bar links, the unbold are unembedded links, comments or labels. These include: Rachel Maddow on Obama's Successes, Brzezinski on Morning Joe, Social Security Works on the Deficit Commission, Stockman on Taxing, and Navigation* Search.]
* yet to label and add MSNBC: The Ed Show, Olbermann and Ratigan/Matthews
[**] Huzzah!

Swiftboating of McCain?

As I pointed out the term needs adjustment.
And I "really" dislike the headline US News and World Report uses:
New York Times Drops Bomb On McCain and forgotten?
MEDIA FIREWORKS: MCCAIN PLEADS WITH NY TIMES TO SPIKE STORY by The Drudge Report.
Not that I have fully read these, but this:
For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risk is worth the read and fits in with the image management that needs exposure.
Hence the term Swiftboating should not be used as that was a campaign of misinformation, while FlipFlopperKrafting provides double exposure.

[O'Reilly "Lynching Party" is really a Fox Hunt. Media Matters is Hard Work]

[2-22-08 Flip-Flopper-Crafting? I still like the "K". But I will amend the comment to note that often headlines are sensational, yet The New York Times understated the issues "For McCain..."

“Unless he gives you special treatment or takes legislative action against his own views, I don’t think his personal and social relationships matter," said Charles Black, a friend and campaign adviser who has previously lobbied the senator for aviation, broadcasting and tobacco concerns.

and a more direct headline "No Public Funds for McCain" from Politico has an interesting bottom line that is well summarized in the last few paragraphs.

But even if the commission were meeting, one must wonder if the panel -- an organization that decided the cost of field organizers doesn’t need to be added to the overall cost of winning a state primary -- would tell the Republican Party that its nominee can’t slip through a newly carved loophole and arm himself for battle against a significantly better funded and unrestricted Democratic nominee.]

Opening, Closing, Bookending: "The Family Jewels"

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on Hardball regarding "release of secret documents" sparked the following google, which I have not read, but will not refrain from commenting on. [Not exactly Breaking.]

The CIA's Family Jewels National Security Archives
CIA to Air Decades of Its Dirty Laundry Washington Post
A glimpse into the CIA's 'family jewels' International Herald Times
Some Fear CIA 'Family Jewels' Could Hurt Agency NPR

New Intelligence?

Which commission? "Skeletons file" thirty-two years in the making? [Likely still broken?]
[Actially that is the link: "What's going on?" Dirty tricks and passing the buck.]

Miss Nome(er)

Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission?
Palin Chair?

[BTW: "Happy Labor Day" but is the pregnant pause that the GOP are taking at their convention really about contributing? They really have contributed to the need for contributions being the theme. Now that is the mother of all ironies as well as subtleties.]

Proxymoron?

Romney/Ryan* - "Social Darwinism"

BS (Blog Search)

Make no mistake, I am not associating President Obama with Proxymoron for using "Social Darwinism" wrong. I am not using Social Darwinism as it is commonly** used, since it evolves.

Even The Righteous Mind will evolve us.***

* Huffington Post (NFR)

** "common sense is not so common"

Related proxy-aphorism? Counter-Rush or Tea Party or FOX Think.

i.e. For every force there is an equal and opposite reaction. NOT! The word is action.

Maybe false dichotomy applies.

*** If corporations have become persons, what is society?

Further sources of comment on this event.

Christian Science Monitor

The Guardian

CBS News

The White House (the event: AP Luncheon)

[I Ron Knee of the Bottom Line? That I have yet to listen to the full speech.]

(Footnote: last link entered simul-speech about 14:40 on. Mitt Maligns Marvelous!)

[Loopholes? The Mitt Medvedev Moment. By George. Apologies for the tongue in cheek or cubism on the side but please Ctrl F "Loopholes"under the bold MMM.]

[Other Message Mean 'm, or Forum or 40m mark in video? Check that, 38 minutes, first question, not to mention BS remark. Grand Slam ? Or B in GO!]

[Speaking of GPS: "What we have here" is a Galley Project SimpBowlized, by the deficit commission and the Kitchen/Boat math, marvelous mangling and tale gating. (Also see 2 comments.)]

[P.S. under a Google of "AP Luncheon" I found this interesting Hoist by his own Picard by John Hull. A careful reading and reference to sources would indicate a hoist of his own profession not to mention his metaphorical name. My father had a boat made by Swiftsure. Three flushes you're out! The three strikes are A. the fact-check error. B. the Lockner v. New York error C. the Wickard v. Filburn error. In context: Obama is a "professor", Lockner v. New York was probably what Obama was referring to or in era in general, which John Hull flushes, and Wickard v. Filburn recognized the power of the federal government to regulate economic activity. I mean, the gizzard of that guy.]

8-16-12
P.S. (Pre-Selection: Romney/Ryan 2012)

CIA Inspector General Report

Internal Report Faults Ex-CIA Director's Counterterrorism Efforts
Voice of America by Gary Thomas

CIA inspector's report on September 11 faults leaders Reuters
Then, to top it off, Bush ignored the Al Qaeda warning
Prairie Weather (newly googled)

The Report cia.gov

My earlier reference to The 9-11 Commission.
Set Up? Walled Excuse. The Liaison Report April 16, 2004
HISTORY A GUIDE TO LOOKING AHEAD, NOT A DISTRACTION
The Liaison Report May 4, 2004

URL ADDED: GORELICK MEMO
USDOJ.gov
PDF Jamie Gorelick, Deputy Attorney General

Flip-Flopper in Chief:
Bush to invoke Vietnam in arguing against Iraq pullout CNN.com

Earlier Flip Flop reference.

Comment: Who writes his stuff?
Another tangent: If it is Rove and we need an Unrove,
my nomination is for Brent Budowsky.

Above the Law?

Below the Media!

Trayvon Martin,

Stand your ground law.

Re:sources

USNews,

Slavin Law Firm,**

Re-Writing (theLastWord) on a Hate Crime*

Huffington Post /NRA across the nation,

NPR spotlight?

* I have intentionally minimized wordplay in this post, with this possible exception.

** FSL

A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity, and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

F.S. §776.013(3)

3-27-12 MSNBC:

Lawrence O'Donnell,

Florida Sentinel,

Denver Post,

Miami Herald,

Rachel Maddow,

Florida Sun Sentinel...

Politics Nation,

The Last Word,

The Ed Show.

Obamacare Tax Penalty,

Morning Joe.

Good Night Joe!

Obamanomics

[12-10-10 Update: No Wait. Yes weight. A play on matter over words, & a belated thumbs up. If the Democrats can get more done, go for it. But what have they been waiting for?]

The Plan: not exactly (the former is not fully read, but a link that may be more durable: funny business or hacking aside)
But back to funny business or the nature of our dilemma.
Obama+no+mics was not my original intent. No weight, it was! Obama is getting the message through, and giving Democrats the 4M in the $M to have everything on the table and a good fight over it. The people may see the difference, while Democrats do their best to Get'er done. The deficit commission is another wait-e matter. An Oak Table if you will to put ideas on the table without party characterizations.
[update part II, 12-10-10: 4M = 4'em & forum $M=buck media, money media for um?]

Darned if you do, darned if you don't...

bring things(and people) to the table. There is a dynamics of griping in this piece(Sam Steins HuffPo), but one in particular I must note:

For one, various areas of policy disagreement within the White House remained unresolved. In particular, officials familiar with the discussions say, Obama's economic advisers warned against calling for a final balance of three dollars in spending reductions for every dollar generated in additional tax revenue, arguing the ratio was too explicit.

From his (President Obama's) Fiscal Speech:

I believe reform should protect the middle class, promote economic growth, and build on the fiscal commission’s model of reducing tax expenditures so that there’s enough savings to both lower rates and lower the deficit. And as I called for in the State of the Union, we should reform our corporate tax code as well, to make our businesses and our economy more competitive.

So it seems the realization could be made that the ratio is much more balanced, recognizing loopholes as spending not additional tax revenues. While this may seem like semantics it is actually a valid accounting of rhetoric. And in some ways it is similar to the gripe that the President as leader is either "the one" or is supposed to leak his strategy to followers. By this I refer to the complaints that he kept some in the dark, yet allowed the Republicans to go first on the fiscal plan. There are many fronts in the process called government, but it is different than partisan politics or military strategy.

[Future pacing? i.e. thanks to Thom Hartmann for reference to "previous pacing" in regards to: Why don't we call it the Republican Debt and Deficits?

But after Democrats and Republicans committed to fiscal discipline during the 1990s, we lost our way in the decade that followed. We increased spending dramatically for two wars and an expensive prescription drug program -- but we didn’t pay for any of this new spending. Instead, we made the problem worse with trillions of dollars in unpaid-for tax cuts -- tax cuts that went to every millionaire and billionaire in the country; tax cuts that will force us to borrow an average of $500 billion every year over the next decade.

To give you an idea of how much damage this caused to our nation’s checkbook, consider this: In the last decade, if we had simply found a way to pay for the tax cuts and the prescription drug benefit, our deficit would currently be at low historical levels in the coming years.

That is not all...(later referred to as "hanging chad" .]

[The above presaged the Facebook Townhall with President Obama (video).(ABC? Real Clear or Misc?)]
[Then there is bold or miss-taking taxes.]

[Italics mark - editing - and I note here additional gripe from Sam Stein:

Several members of Congress also expressed agitation with the timing...(cont.) ]

Extend Tax Cuts for All

under $250K or $1 Mill!
Stop mischaracterizing it as not for the wealthy too.

Alternative Debt Commission, and Alternative Tea Party Plan!

[Not* necessarily plans of this blogger]
*Thom Hartmann recently discussed: Is Obama the last Republican President?

[And who is fired up**? Not Obama. But "who let the dogs out?" Pun on yellow or blue dogs, but also partisan dogfights.]

[** Republicans throw down gauntlet of no until "we have funded the government" and "protected every taxpayer from a tax hike". Stop the spin cycle and let the dogs out. i.e. Democrats should get everything they can using all measures at their disposal. Meanwhile or rather yesterday, an Earnest caller to the Ed Schultz Show put it clearly,(if I may paraphrase) it is in the hands the Democrats in congress.***]

***Ribble on Legislate!

THANK YOU DAVE ROSS!

For exposing the PVRHT act.
(Otherwise known as: H.R. 1955: for the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism)
OK, I left off(or spun off) the PA (prevention act)for its Patronizing Attitude and the quip that the act itself could fall under its own spell.
[Dave Ross interviewed Alicia Mundy (1) of the Seattle Times and Chip Berlet (2) of Political Research Associates.]

[If you read nothing further: read (1) and (2), above]

Bottom Line: The Senate should hold hearings on this act! Or have the guts to act as fast in rejecting this act as premature and ill advised based on the fear it was enacted under. One major failure of this piece is the appointment process which should be balanced in favor of the majority party. The other is the need to review current intelligence gathering and its use. That is what the committee should be limited to, if not extended to the suggestions contained here.

[OTHER COMMENTS]Congressional Quarterly Homeland Security "Boondoggle"
technocrati thought police? 3 tags
The Agonist "pointed at the Republican Party"
Video from the middle (link) 1st one Kennedy

Previous Posts:
Unity in Principle July 22nd, 2004
Intelligence for Commission
Bicameral Brain
Up The Filter August 2nd, 2004
CIA our job one November 17th, 2004
Slam Dunk to the Circular File!
The links that connect
"Slam dunk" of "pre-emptive strike" August 26th, 2006
Caution merited? September 26th,2006

Lastly: The words of the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 seems innocuous enough, but so do the words of the [Project for the New American Century] but it must be looked into. Recommendations for any new intelligence or laws must be put on hold until investigations of old intelligence and laws have been made, not to mention the Phase II.[Apparently done, yet...]
[For more radicalized research yet more conservative as in fiscally responsible consider what is already "out there" (I do not recommend you trust, but verify? YES!)

* Patronizing Attitudes may be the cause of radicalization and terrorism as spelled out in current research. Not to mention the problem of defining ideology and intelligence: having more of it, does not mean you have enough to handle it. The process is important and it must be considered what is being done to complicate the process by those who have no faith in the process, yet want to add to it.

Bonus hit: trust but verify

It may also be worthy to study the words of Thomas Jefferson under subheadings, When Revolution is the Only Answer, Consequences of Revolution, and Prospects for Reformation, and just before these The Need for Leadership:

"The moderation and virtue of a single character [i.e., George Washington] have probably prevented [the American] Revolution from being closed, as most others have been, by a subversion of that liberty it was intended to establish." --Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1784. ME 4:218, Papers 7:106

Speaking of "nuance" meaning nothing in this post should suggest violence is the answer, nonetheless I was surprised to find this, thinking I was reaching for something more "out there": from Goldwater

I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.

Bottom line is the people, bottom line is your job. The political spectrum is not linear but needs ones own perspective and the realization that the answer is not limited to that linear spectrum either. This should be realized by the three branches of government and the light that intelligence should shine on the process as well as the "hard work" of all people.

FURTHER: Nothing is more important than the focus on activities not words, except for the law, as proper protest must have a line to cross and confidence that there is a line to stand on and the same one to cross to suffer the consequences. And that line must be applied up and down the process and its people. And a quick search of "laws, not people" found the fog of our ways, another act that needs following up to be certain congress has done the "hard work" spelled out in their job description .

[Long Story Short: Update from Slate found after my Pre-Empting Crimes.]

Voting Right/Equal Treatment

California Coalition for Immigration Reform sent "Spanish-language letter that was circulated to Latino voters in Orange County" to make sure they are voting right.

America's PAC encourages African American voters to Vote Our Values with the assistance of school voucher advocate J. Patrick Rooney with "Abortion ads".

My sarcasm must be noted in that these are just more of the "fear and smear" tactics which are common to the Republican camp to outright disenfranchise and lie.

For more on recent equal treatment of local Congressional and Senate races click back on the two here.

Lastly a concern about a report on voter fraud and the lack thereof which is itself being suppressed so as not to interfere with the fear that spurs the concern that feeds the suppression.

Act now to insist that the Elections Assistance Commission release the report now.