Democratic ingratitude for good intelligence work

Michael Gerson in the Washington Post on the Democrats' troubled relationship with the CIA:

To stanch the CIA's bleeding morale, Democrats have tried reassurance. President Obama, speaking at CIA headquarters, took the Fred Rogers approach: "Don't be discouraged that we have to acknowledge potentially we've made some mistakes. That's how we learn." Yes, children, hypocritical congressional investigations and foreign kangaroo courts are really our friends. House intelligence committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes sent a sympathy note to Langley: "In recent days, as the public debate regarding CIA's interrogation practices has raged, you have been very much in my thoughts." There should be a section at Hallmark for intelligence operatives unfairly accused of war crimes.

The only effective reassurance came from Panetta, who pointed out to Pelosi and others that the CIA actually keeps records of its congressional briefings. "Our contemporaneous records from September 2002," Panetta wrote, "indicate that CIA officers briefed truthfully on the interrogation of Abu Zubaida, describing 'the enhanced techniques that had been employed.' " A primary advocate of the "truth commission" has apparently misplaced her own supply.

Is there any precedent for a speaker of the House of Representatives seeking political shelter by blaming national security professionals? Or for a commander in chief exposing intelligence methods at the urging of the American Civil Liberties Union? Actually, such treatment has precedents. In 1975, the Church Committee nearly destroyed the human intelligence capabilities of the CIA. In the early 1990s, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan urged closing the agency entirely. The Clinton administration imposed massive budget cuts, leaving behind a demoralized institution.

And now Obama has described the post-Sept. 11 period as "a dark and painful chapter in our history." In fact, whatever your view of waterboarding, the response of intelligence professionals following Sept. 11 was impressive. Within days, the CIA had linked up with the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan and begun preparations to remove the Taliban. The counterterrorism center run of out CIA headquarters was the war on terror in the months after the attacks, making daily progress in capturing high-value targets. Now the president and his party have done much to tarnish those accomplishments. So much for the thanks of a grateful nation.

I guess the days of fawning articles and Vanity Fair covers are over now that the Democrats no longer need the CIA to club President Bush. Unfortunately, the Democrats have reverted to form.

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a very expensive photo op gone awry!

So after spending over $300,000 and scaring the bejeebers outta New York City, the Obama Administration would like to airbrush history.

The $328,835 snapshots of an Air Force One backup plane buzzing lower Manhattan last week will not be shown to the public, the White House said yesterday.

"We have no plans to release them," an aide to President Obama told The Post, refusing to comment further.

The sole purpose of the secret photo-op, which sent thousands of New Yorkers running for cover, was to take new publicity shots of the presidential jet over the city.

"The photos . . . are classified -- that's ridiculous," Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., said.

The photos have not technically been "classified," a White House aide said, but they are being kept from public view.

Just wait. Next week the press will be reporting the plane didn't really fly over New York City. It was a helicopter with Sarah Palin in it hunting a moose.

Movies and omelets cancelled this morning

First I want to thank Mark Belling for the nice complement*.

I had a nice conversation this afternoon with Jeff Christensen, Communications Director of the Waukesha Democratic Party. Christensen informed me the planned program for the breakfast was actually cancelled a week ago because some (but not all) were uncomfortable with the topic. Then he told me the Oconomowoc Democrats are not actually an official organization, but that the county and the state party post "progressive" groups' events as a matter of course.

(Update! 6/8/08 I probably should have been clearer that the Oconomowoc Dems did not tell the county party the agenda had changed.)

Christensen also told me that the county party is reconsidering their policy regarding listing "progressive" groups' events if they are controversial.

Christensen told me that the reason the breakfast was cancelled because of the scrutiny the meeting received. He also told me that a number of people called the restaurant and a few of the local Democrats to complain, some rudely. I told him, of course, that I would clearly not encourage the rude phone calls. I also told him that had Rick Congdon returned my call or answered my e-mail that this story would have ended much earlier. He and I agreed that I would contact him directly if I had any questions in the future.

Of course, it still doesn't change the fact that nobody with the Democratic Party at the state or the county saw anything wrong with promoting the event until Mark Belling mentioned my blog post on the air, and that this reveals a significant segment of the county party (unofficial affiliation or not) believe in 9/11 conspiracies.

(* And thanks to Dave at Carrick Bend and anyone else who did for sending the tip to Belling)

Democrats attempting to hide conspiracy theory beliefs

Despite not responding to my e-mail or my phone message, Waukesha County Democratic Party Chairman Rick Congdon must have got the message. The Oconomowoc Democrats' breakfast meeting with a 9/11 conspiracy theory video is off their website. Unfortunately for them, Dave Carrick has the screen print posted at his website.

This matter will not be dropped.

Are the Oconomowoc Democrats the party of conspiracy theorists?

The Oconomowoc Democrats are having a breakfast meeting this Saturday at Schwefel's Restaurant, 39877 Highway 16, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. They'll be showing some killer videos.

Dale Mackdanz will be the "Welcome Person." The DVD's:

1. "Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers" - there is a 20 minute version which hits the highlights. I will ask Dale to help with a Q. & A.

2. 9/11 Mysteries: Part 1 - Demolition. Experts have asked many questions about 9/11 which have never been publicized on public media. Did you know that George Bush's brother was the ultimate authority over the World Trade Center Complex - to which all actions/decisions regarding that facility had to pass? We will simply ask the questions again in our group setting - I think all the questions at least should be public knowledge.

We will go no further.

There will always be some reports on Democratic Candidates from now on until the Election.

"9/11 Mysteries: Part 1 - Demolition" is exactly what you think it is, a 9/11 conspiracy video.

Since it's posted as an official event on the Waukesha County Democratic Party's website, unless I hear differently from the party chairman and he condemns the Oconomowoc Party, we'll just assume that they have no problem with conspiracy theories. and we'll just ask each and everyone one of their candidates who they feel was responsible for 9/11.

I spent the week talking to Libertarians

As I explain in my column in the Waukesha Freeman, it's been a heady week for the Libertarians.

Former Republican Congressman Bob Barr announced he’s running for president as a Libertarian. Zogby polling currently has him at 3 percent, just enough to have a Nader-like effect on Republican chances in November.

Meanwhile, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the Libertarian candidate for president in 1988, continues to chug along to the Republican convention where his supporters hope to be noisier than his estimated 19 delegates would suggest.

However, this was also the week that saw Kevin Barrett enter in the race for Congress as a Libertarian against Ron Kind.

This is not to say that Barrett is unanimously endorsed by the party. The state party chairman wasn’t sure "what the next steps are" and indicated that there was some opposition to Barrett within the party. However, he admitted, there is a strong component within the party that believes in 9-11 conspiracies. He hoped Barrett’s candidacy wouldn’t be solely about 9-11. He also told me Barrett is a member in good standing.

I checked with Randy Palmer, the Libertarian Party’s 3rd Congressional District representative, and he hoped Barrett would not use his campaign as a soapbox for his conspiracy theories. Palmer had no firm beliefs about what happened on 9-11 and conceded again that there are "lots of people" in the party that believe in the conspiracy theories.

And I conclude,

I would add that any hope of the party leadership that Barrett’s candidacy would not be about 9-11 conspiracies misses the point. That’s how he gained his notoriety, his Web site is plastered with 9-11 conspiracy material, and WEAU television reported Barrett’s call for another investigation into 9-11.

If the Libertarians, both locally and nationally, want to move out from their fringe status and kook reputation, they should issue a strong statement condemning 9-11 conspiracy theorists like Barrett. And they may want to have a long talk with Tommy Thompson’s little brother as well.

Meanwhile, I wrote another piece that complimented my Freeman column over at Jo Egelhoff's FoxPolitics.net. There I went into greater detail of my conversation with Marquette University Professor John McAdams about conspiracy theories. Because of the later deadline, I was also able to include a follow-up conversation with national Libertarian Party Political Director Sean Haugh.

Haugh did end up calling me back to say that he could not support Barrett’s candidacy for Congress. Not because of the 9/11 conspiracy thinking. It was Barrett’s support for Holocaust denier David Irving that had given him pause. “Oh, my.” And then Haugh’s research also led to discovering Barrett had called for the execution of journalists “complicit in the 9/11 cover-up.”

So it’s interesting to note that the Libertarian Party does have some standards. Calling for violence against journalists and denying the Holocaust are, in Haugh’s words, “beyond the pale.”

We’ll see if the Wisconsin Libertarian Party also finds Barrett to be “beyond the pale” or if Barrett will continue to run as a Libertarian without opposition from the party leadership.

Given former Libertarian Party candidate for governor Ed Thompson’s seeming endorsement of much of Barrett’s 9/11 conspiracy views in a February 19 radio interview, it’s a fair bet the Libertarian Party will continue to be the home of the political fringe.

No limit to the nuttiness at the Cap Times

Blogger and law professor Ann Althouse has provoked a reaction from the wackos who believe the attacks on 9-11 were self-inflicted. The Capital Times, apparently suffering from a lack of other things to blame on President Bush, is actually printing their letters to the editor.

I prefer Althouse's reaction to the suggestion she debate one of these wackos: "... I would no more debate a 9/11 truther than I would a Nazi or a Klansman."

September 11th is ancient history at folkbum

Yes, 9/11 was terrible, but 5,000 planes went up that day and 4997 planes landed, as have pretty much all the planes since 9/11.
- Keith Schmitz, "Off Base" folkbum rambles and rants

I think Keith Schmitz should have labeled his post, "Off my rocker". I remember when Jay Bullock thought it was unfair that I linked his blog with Cindy Sheehan and the Fighting Bob fest types. You're right Jay. You've got people writing on your blog right now that are writing things far wackier than anything Cindy Sheehan has said or done. No wonder Jay's fleeing to the Journal Sentinel.

Even more amazing, Schmitz must really think 9/11 wasn't a big deal because he can't even remember the number of planes. Aaron of Subject to Change has to remind him in the comments:

4997? You count United 93 as a landing?
Aaron | Homepage | 10.14.07 - 1:13 pm | #

Oops. Make that 4996.
krshorewood | Homepage | 10.14.07 - 2:46 pm | #

Hey, it's Jay's blog. It's his reputation. Maybe he wants to associate with the conspiracy theorists next.

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Hey, we ain't "we" either

Katie Couric confessed recently she was uncomfortable with the wave of patriotism after September 11.

“The whole culture of wearing flags on our lapel and saying ‘we’ when referring to the United States and, even the ‘shock and awe’ of the initial stages, it was just too jubilant and just a little uncomfortable. And I remember feeling, when I was anchoring the ‘Today’ show, this inevitable march towards war and kind of feeling like, ‘Will anybody put the brakes on this?’ And is this really being properly challenged by the right people? And I think, at the time, anyone who questioned the administration was considered unpatriotic and it was a very difficult position to be in.”

"uncomfortable" "difficult position" This from someone who had a colonoscopy on live TV.

(ht: Brian Fraley)

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The view of innocence lost

Somewhere in a box of old stuff along with my High School math team letter and other keepsakes there’s a picture taken by me of my view from the top of the World Trade Center. I was 17 at the time, on my way to Israel for a month in the Holy Land. Terrorism was a very real danger, of course, about the odds of getting hit by a freight train in Waukesha. While we were in Israel the Rome airport was hit and a TWA plane was hijacked to Malta. The Egyptians stormed the hijacked plane with not-so-great results.

But all that still lay ahead while I was standing there on the top floor of the World Trade Center, more than a little intimidated by the view, looking down at the rest of New York City.

It’s a view my children will never get to see in person. And if they stumble onto that box I’ll have to tell them how Doreen and I spent September 11th praying and watching the horror unfold so horribly slow. That’s the one feeling I have never been able to escape, the feeling that it was all happening so slowly.

I remember being at work for the Commercial Controls Division at Eaton Corporation the morning of the attack and first hearing the news from a late-arriving co-worker. The first plane had hit, and she and I discussed how many years earlier a small plane had hit the Empire State Building. For some reason I thought the plane that hit the World Trade Center was a Cessna. The media wasn’t very clear yet what was happening.

Then news began to circulate that it was something much larger. Then the engineers started gathering in the conference room around a television. I remember explaining to a few people that, since a second plane had hit, it was clearly terrorism. We then discussed how terrorism needs a support base to operate: funding, facilities, some governmental support, and that very shortly we would be at war. (Despite what some people want to believe, terrorists don’t operate in a vacuum.) The engineers were discussing the collapse of the towers and how long it would take. We watched as people jumped to their deaths desperate to escape the flames. After the first tower fell, word came that Naval Controls next door was shutting down as a security precaution and we were all being sent home. The second tower fell while I was driving home. I’m still not sure where I was when the Pentagon was hit.

I remember the first time I saw an airplane in the sky after September 11th. Scared the hell out of me. It was weeks, maybe months, before I was accustomed to seeing airplanes in the sky again.

I pray that someday my children, when they are fully-grown, will be able to look into the sky and see an airplane with the same sense of joy and wonder they have now. For us, it’s an innocence lost.


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Here's a conspiracy theory I can buy

John McAdams found this one. It's a doozy.


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Pretty crass reminder

Do you remember where you were on 9/11/01? Was there a moment of the day you can forget? Or the days that followed?

Then I don't think you need a commemorative coin to mark the occasion, although there have been a few people since who have earned thirty pieces of silver.

In honor of the tragedy that rocked the world, we’re proud to present the 5th Anniversary World Trade Center Commemorative Proof. This beautifully crafted non-monetary issue will never be released for circulation and is available to collectors through this special internet offer!

There are just some things that should not be in the marketplace.

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