Bin Laden Issue

[Senator Clarence]

I strongly disagree with Romney's assertion that any President would have given the go-ahead to kill bin Laden... McCain even said in one of the 08 debates that launching raids into Pakistan would be a silly idea as it would put at risk our relationship with the Pakistanis...

If I were Romney- I wouldn't bring Obama's biggest foreign policy achievment to the forefront of this campaign

[I left.]

I would like to encourage the Republicans to keep discussing this issue.

[Governor Scott]

I would like to encourage the Republicans to keep discussing this issue.

Me too.  Keeps it in people's memories.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Didn't Romney say that it would be a waste of money to go after Bin Laden?

[I left.]

Didn't Romney say that it would be a waste of money to go after Bin Laden?

If he did, he was probably actually right in this case, but good luck holding that position and justifying it to the American public.

[Governor Scott]

CNN quoted him a little while on that.  He said it in 2007, apparently.  Nothing a little flip-flopping won't fix, of course.

[For Oklahoma]

Republicans: Politicizing 9/11 and then saying it's ridiculous to politicize the death of the mastermind behind 9/11.

LOGIC.

[So the Heroes Fall]

And you will still vote for them and Romney.

[Rooney]

I still do not get why killing Bin Laden was such a "huge achievement" for the president. One, it showed that, like Bush, Obama is willing to violate international boundaries to "get someone." This flies in the face of everything Obama ran on in 2008. Second, nothing was achieved by Bin Laden dying except some drunk frat boys and college chicks ran around with "USA" painted on their chests. Did the war in Afgahanistam end? No, Obama is actually talking about pushing back the withdrawal date. Did terrorism end all of a sudden? No, Frau Nepolitano is still telling Congress how we need to be afraid of terrorists. Third, killing Bin Laden did absolutely nothing in terms of improving relations with the Middle East and actually pissed off Pakistan, who Obama himself has noted is an important ally for any interventions in Afghanistan.

In the end, killing Bin Laden was about as useful as the Doolittle Raids or the burning of Chambersburg. These actions were simply vendettas which gained absolutely nothing for the U.S. (or the CSA in terms of Chambersburg) and were a waste of money. Is a soldier in Afghanistan any less likely to be killed because Bin Laden is dead? The answer is no and the increasing body count in Afghanistan proves this.

The fact that Obama and the Democrats are parading the death of Bin Laden as some huge event simply shows that they are NO different from the Republicans. They are running a victory lap because they "got" the over-simplified Disney villain rather than the Republicans. The GOP did this in 2004 with Saddam Hussein. This is stupid dick waving that has absolutely nothing to do with a coherent and successful foreign policy. The fact that Obama parades the death of a rather useless old man (except in terms of propaganda for the U.S. media and the Pentagon) as some huge achievement in his presidency should be telling to the failure that his administration is. It also is telling to how stupid most Americans are, even those who claim to be informed are fooled by this silly tactic.   

[Senator Clarence]

"Over-simplified Disney villain"?

This man orchestrated the murder of thousands of Americans- and other people. You should be ashamed of yourself...

I do not approve of the VAST majority of President Obama's actions and views but I commend him for this courageous decision- as do most Americans

[Rooney]

"Over-simplified Disney villain"?

This man orchestrated the murder of thousands of Americans- and other people. You should be ashamed of yourself...

Bin Laden was an oversimplified Disney villain. He was never charged with orchestrating 9/11 and was a great propaganda tool for the Bush Administration. His image was cultivated by the media as a scary man and this was used effectively was war propaganda. Bin Laden was not a military commander in Afghanistan and his death changed nothing at all. He was an oversimplified Disney villain and you should be ashamed of yourself for thinking otherwise. I am most ashamed of the idiots that celebrated the death of Bin Laden as if it was some huge achievement. Yeah, he might be dead but half of you are still unemployed. Big whoop.   

[Senator Clarence]

"Over-simplified Disney villain"?

This man orchestrated the murder of thousands of Americans- and other people. You should be ashamed of yourself...

Bin Laden was an oversimplified Disney villain. He was never charged with orchestrating 9/11 and was a great propaganda tool for the Bush Administration. His image was cultivated by the media as a scary man and this was used effectively was war propaganda. Bin Laden was not a military commander in Afghanistan and his death changed nothing at all. He was an oversimplified Disney villain and you should be ashamed of yourself for thinking otherwise. I am most ashamed of the idiots that celebrated the death of Bin Laden as if it was some huge achievement. Yeah, he might be dead but half of you are still unemployed. Big whoop.   

He was identified universally- by himself as well- as the leader of the organizaiton which conducted 9/11... and I don't see how failures in unemployment make it so we can't celebrate successes elsewhere?

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Al-Qaeda continues without bin Laden. The bin Laden death was purely symbolic, and I really don't think it can be chalked up to some great leadership feat of Obama's.

Military decisions like these are totally framed by the military advisors who know what's going on. If they think and operatio should be carried out, you better believe they'll manipulate the president however they need to in order to get him to sign off on an operation that they want to see happen. This wasn't some great Obama triumph.

[Senator Clarence]

Al-Qaeda continues without bin Laden. The bin Laden death was purely symbolic, and I really don't think it can be chalked up to some great leadership feat of Obama's.

Military decisions like these are totally framed by the military advisors who know what's going on. If they think and operatio should be carried out, you better believe they'll manipulate the president however they need to in order to get him to sign off on an operation that they want to see happen. This wasn't some great Obama triumph.

I disagree- while I wasn't an officer but I can tell you that officers are some of the biggest kiss-asses in the world...once a man gets a star he sees himself as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs...therefore they will follow Obama's lead in an effort to get promoted
This is frankly good for our system- as the President is Commander-in-Chief, though I will never complain about our military brass having more say in the way things go

[A dog on every car, a car in every elevator]

I strongly disagree with Romney's assertion that any President would have given the go-ahead to kill bin Laden... McCain even said in one of the 08 debates that launching raids into Pakistan would be a silly idea as it would put at risk our relationship with the Pakistanis...

If I were Romney- I wouldn't bring Obama's biggest foreign policy achievment to the forefront of this campaign

I don't get it either.  btw, Romney said the same thing as McCain, ripping Obama for his willingness to enter an ally's sovereign territory.

I still do not get why killing Bin Laden was such a "huge achievement" for the president. One, it showed that, like Bush, Obama is willing to violate international boundaries to "get someone." This flies in the face of everything Obama ran on in 2008.

Not really. Obama said as a candidate he would do this if necessary.  Then he did it.

[For Oklahoma]

And you will still vote for them and Romney.

Dog crap is still dog crap no matter how much whipped cream you put on it.

[Cory]

Dog crap is still dog crap no matter how much whipped cream you put on it.

Which is exactly why you shouldn't vote Republican.

[For Oklahoma]

Dog crap is still dog crap no matter how much whipped cream you put on it.

Which is exactly why you shouldn't vote Republican.

Or Democrat.

[pbrower2a]

I still do not get why killing Bin Laden was such a "huge achievement" for the president. One, it showed that, like Bush, Obama is willing to violate international boundaries to "get someone." This flies in the face of everything Obama ran on in 2008. Second, nothing was achieved by Bin Laden dying except some drunk frat boys and college chicks ran around with "USA" painted on their chests. Did the war in Afgahanistam end? No, Obama is actually talking about pushing back the withdrawal date. Did terrorism end all of a sudden? No, Frau Nepolitano is still telling Congress how we need to be afraid of terrorists. Third, killing Bin Laden did absolutely nothing in terms of improving relations with the Middle East and actually pissed off Pakistan, who Obama himself has noted is an important ally for any interventions in Afghanistan.

Fugitives who don't turn themselves in are subject to violent arrests. Osama bin Laden could have turned himself in to any country that lost a citizen to his 9/11 attack, including one that has no death penalty (he was wanted in the US for genocide for killing Americans qua Americans, and that is a capital offense in the federal criminal code). He didn't. He hid in a country that officially denied that he was there.

Terrorism may have been on the fade because of the arrest and killing of terrorists, or (in the case of the US) that anti-Americanism is on the wane.

The 9/11 attack was the worst sort of crime possible -- a war crime.  

In the end, killing Bin Laden was about as useful as the Doolittle Raids or the burning of Chambersburg. These actions were simply vendettas which gained absolutely nothing for the U.S. (or the CSA in terms of Chambersburg) and were a waste of money. Is a soldier in Afghanistan any less likely to be killed because Bin Laden is dead? The answer is no and the increasing body count in Afghanistan proves this.

President George W. Bush started that war and he bungled it badly. Until the US has withdraw from Afghanistan American lives are at risk there. Such is war. So how do we end the war?

The fact that Obama and the Democrats are parading the death of Bin Laden as some huge event simply shows that they are NO different from the Republicans. They are running a victory lap because they "got" the over-simplified Disney villain rather than the Republicans. The GOP did this in 2004 with Saddam Hussein. This is stupid dick waving that has absolutely nothing to do with a coherent and successful foreign policy. The fact that Obama parades the death of a rather useless old man (except in terms of propaganda for the U.S. media and the Pentagon) as some huge achievement in his presidency should be telling to the failure that his administration is. It also is telling to how stupid most Americans are, even those who claim to be informed are fooled by this silly tactic. 

 


Maybe such stops the next madman from attacking Americans. "They whacked Osama bin Laden" is exactly what I want terrorists to fear. The Russian and Chinese governments endorsed this -- probably so that in the event that someone inflicts mass death through terrorism on their country there will be no safe haven. Not even Langley, Virginia (home of the CIA) could serve as a safe haven anymore.    

[Lief]

The irony of this is that if the mission had been a failure, if all the soldiers had been killed or they'd been captured or something, the GOP would have gleefully criticized Obama for it, just like Carter was criticized for the failed rescue attempt during the Iranian hostage crisis.

[cope1989]

I still do not get why killing Bin Laden was such a "huge achievement" for the president. One, it showed that, like Bush, Obama is willing to violate international boundaries to "get someone." This flies in the face of everything Obama ran on in 2008. Second, nothing was achieved by Bin Laden dying except some drunk frat boys and college chicks ran around with "USA" painted on their chests. Did the war in Afgahanistam end? No, Obama is actually talking about pushing back the withdrawal date. Did terrorism end all of a sudden? No, Frau Nepolitano is still telling Congress how we need to be afraid of terrorists. Third, killing Bin Laden did absolutely nothing in terms of improving relations with the Middle East and actually pissed off Pakistan, who Obama himself has noted is an important ally for any interventions in Afghanistan.

In the end, killing Bin Laden was about as useful as the Doolittle Raids or the burning of Chambersburg. These actions were simply vendettas which gained absolutely nothing for the U.S. (or the CSA in terms of Chambersburg) and were a waste of money. Is a soldier in Afghanistan any less likely to be killed because Bin Laden is dead? The answer is no and the increasing body count in Afghanistan proves this.

The fact that Obama and the Democrats are parading the death of Bin Laden as some huge event simply shows that they are NO different from the Republicans. They are running a victory lap because they "got" the over-simplified Disney villain rather than the Republicans. The GOP did this in 2004 with Saddam Hussein. This is stupid dick waving that has absolutely nothing to do with a coherent and successful foreign policy. The fact that Obama parades the death of a rather useless old man (except in terms of propaganda for the U.S. media and the Pentagon) as some huge achievement in his presidency should be telling to the failure that his administration is. It also is telling to how stupid most Americans are, even those who claim to be informed are fooled by this silly tactic.   

Don't agree that his administration is a failure, far from it, but I have to admit that I agree with your assessment of the Bin Laden killing. It was significant as a symbolic victory and gave many Americans, especially those affected by 9/11, a degree of closure. Still, It didn't "end" terrorism or Al Qaeda, and anyone who thought his death would herald America's "victory" in the war on terror is delusional.

[Minnesota Mike]

Bin Laden is dead and GM is alive

[Smash255]

This is not a battle Romney should pic.  If he didn't previously criticize Obama for his stance going after Bin Laden if he were in Pakistan before it happened, Romney might have been able to make an argument that could resonate.  However, that isn't going to work with the comments he made prior to the killing of OBL.

[perdedor]

Can you imagine if Bin Laden had been killed prior to the 04 election and the Democrats tried to attack Bush for calling it an accomplishment and campaigning on it? Kerry would have been deported. This is a very bad move for the GOP strategically.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

On the other hand, the GOP can't just leave it unanswered as Obama parades it around as if it's some trump card.