The Oval and Egypt - Middle East Blues

The New York Times: Reports the following from Egypt, " The Obama administration’s response was once again muted on Sunday after the second mass killing of Egyptian demonstrators in three weeks.. ".

Lets Get Real:

The lack of a public reaction from the Oval to the killings in Egypt is the RIGHT path, the US has very little influence in Cairo, the Army is getting great economic support from Middle East Countries that do not want to see the Muslim Brotherhood in charge in Egypt and are afraid of democracy, you can see their point, the new democracy in Egypt gave it the Muslim Brotherhood, and they once in power tried to destroy the democratic system.   The US and the West needs the Army to develop a new Constitution that makes sure that Egypt remains a secular State and makes it difficult for the Muslim Brotherhood to operate.    The US and the West should bites its tongue over the events in Egypt, better the devil you known folks, otherwise you get an Islamic Egypt, that is backed up by Iran, and then Israel comes under threat, then you have a regional WAR. 

The End of the Carter Presidency and Iran

Jimmy Carter Library and Museum: Read the Presidential Directives of the Carter Presidency. 

Lets Get Real:

Folks this blog has been searching for the most dramatic footage of the Carter Presidency, but can not even find it on Amazon, in the final hours of the Carter Presidency the President asked in a TV news crew to film his final dramatic hours in Office.   In the view of this blogger the final hours of the Carter Presidency are the most dramatic ever recorded in the Oval Office, as the President tries to get the Iran hostages home in time before Reagan takes over, this blog recalls seeing it on the BBC but nothing after that, one would have expected to turn up on History Channel or Discovery but this blog has not seen it, thus call out to ALL followers of current events and history, do they have any knowledge of this dramatic and historic footage, where it can be seen or bought.  It is through learning the past folks that we understand the future. 

Obama and the NSA Part 2 - 2nd Term Blues

Telegraph: Reports the following on the Amash defeat in the US House, " The White House succeeded in heading head off attempts by libertarian and liberal members of Congress to outlaw the blanket collection and trawling of phone data by US intelligence agencies, after warning the move would damage American security. ".

Lets Get Real:

There are two reasons folks why the Oval and the Leaders of both the Democratic and Republican Parties support the NSA, they do not want something to happen on their watch, the voters will not care what the mood of the Country was before, they will blame the Congress if they pass something that allows for a major terrorist attack, also at its most basic folks you do not mess about with the NSA, EVER, its like when Hoover was at the FBI, why take the risk, the NSA will be around after ANY Administration, do you really want them on your back, leaking stuff that makes you look bad, and if your the Oval you have no power after January 2oth 2017, so the Oval is doing the right thing when it comes to public policy and covering its base for after 2017.   Politics is still politics folks, it has it high ideals, but also its cynical base nature, that what makes it fun folks. 

Obama and the NSA - 2nd Term Blues

The New York Times: Reports the following on the defeat of Amash Amendment by the House, " ..the Obama administration a hard-fought victory in the first Congressional showdown on intelligence policy ".

Lets Get Real: 

As the final vote roll calls shows the victory was close folks, the Amendment was defeated by 217 to 205, if the Democrats had been united they could have stopped the NSA spaying on ALL Americans, but former Democratic Speaker Pelosi and the present Republican Speaker and their loyal colleagues supported the NSA.   It was the right move folks, but one knows that if there was  Republican President the Democrats would be one is opposing this move, it just happens that there is a Democratic in the White House, they on the whole they have to support him, but as time goes on the leadership, both Republican and Democrats will find it hard to keep their troops in line when it comes to this issue, time and distance from 9/11 will make people think that a MAJOR threat is no longer possible, while the NSA might prevent MAJOR attacks it did not prevent the Boston Bombing, thus one can argue that national security hawks and who ever is in the Oval will have tougher fights in the future, this is not the end of the debate folks. 

Amash Amendment Defeated - 2nd Term Blues

Guardian: Reports on the fate of the Amash Amendment in the Republican House, " First major challenge to NSA's bulk collection of phone records defeated by only 217 votes to 205 in House of Representatives ".

Lets Get Real:

The vote was interesting folks, the vote divided Parties, on the hawk side was the Obama Oval and Conservative Republicans, while liberal or moderate Republicans joined Democrats in opposing the spaying on US Citizens.   Those that watched 9/11 will never forget that day, but it is like those that were around on November 22 1963, the day that President Kennedy was Assassinated, to them that was the DAY that changed the US, while those that were born after 1963 can place the Kennedy assassination in context, did the change from Kennedy to Johnson really change US policy in Vietnam, many Kennedy supporters have argued so, while those that see Kennedy in the cold light of day and with time argue that LBJ was carrying on the Kennedy policy, what IF's are for counter factual history.  What can be said of President Johnson is that he put his Presidency on the line for Civil Rights and the Great Society, with the best will in the World one can not see Kennedy passing Civil Rights, he was far to cautious, and wanted Southern votes in 64 and to support his brother later on, time has away of showing the truth to those that were not around at fixed times of history, historians have a point of view, that is to be expected, but honest historians give you objective history as far as they can, they give you what was going on and the results, not what they want to have happened, and what COULD have happened.   Thus in time 9/11 will become part of history, such as the Pearl Harbour in 1941, the Kennedy Assassination of 63, but to those that lived through those hours, it will never be far away, it defines us as much as the Cold War. 

Obama and Syria - 2nd Term Blues

Telegraph: Reports on the options faced by the Oval when it comes to Syria, they are " ..training the opposition, long-range strikes, a no-fly zone, creating rebel buffer zones and commando raids to secure chemical weapon stocks. ".

Lets Get Real: 

The US Army is creating options for the Oval but the price is almost like throwing yourself off a cliff, the reluctance to ACT is a common mind set of the US Military, in the first Gulf War 1 the Pentagon tried to frighten the Oval with the costs of the War, after Vietnam the US Officer Core does not want to be left with an unpopular WAR, thus the fact of the Army of late in Iraq and Afghanistan.   The decision NOT TO TAKE ACTION, is also a political choice, if the Oval does not take action this will send the signal to Iran that it can go nuclear with no comeback from the US, this would mean that Israel would have to ACT, thus a regional WAR, thus what ever the Oval does its a lesser evil choice, and even that could be a disaster.   The US needs to set a no fly zone in Syria, take out the planes and chemical weapons of Assad and create a buffer zone on the Jordan and Turkish borders, this will be a great risk folks, well President Obama wanted the job. 

Liberal Left and Obama - 2nd Term Blues

CNN - Politics: Has an article from the liberal Senator Al Franken on the NSA spy collection, the article states the following, " ..when Americans lack the most basic information about our domestic surveillance programs, they have no way of knowing whether we're getting that balance right. This lack of transparency is a big problem. ".

Lets Get Real:

As this blog has noted the liberal base will want to vent, its an interesting article folks, but Franken is a JOKE, he is from Minnesota, the Great State that gave us VP Mondale, the only State to vote for Mondale in 1984 and rejected him when he ran for his old Senate Seat, Franken is from the entertainment business, HE IS NO REAGAN, even less the Terminator, one can see the political reason for this article, he might be a joke but he is no fool, he is covering his base, ( CYA) with this article.   In till 2017 the liberal base will be critical but NOT TO critical, Obama is a LIBERAL at the end of the day, thus ObamaCare,  also Democratic States are looking for a bailout, and there only chance is with supporting President Obama, politics is a cynical business folks, but pure in a way, there are winners and losers, and liberals, they change their minds with the wind of who they support.