Obama's Foreign Policy (Disaster) Czar Ben Rhodes: Reporters In DC Know Absolutely Nothing. It's Embarrassingly Easy to Spin Them, Since They Have Zero Knowledge Base.

Ben Rhodes knows nearly nothing about foreign policy.

He's an aspiring novelist (that is, a non-novelist; a virgin is an aspiring sex-haver). He taught himself... something.

The Aspiring Novelist Who Became Obama's Foreign-Policy Guru

How Ben Rhodes rewrote the rules of diplomacy for the digital age.

By DAVID SAMUELSMAY 5, 2016

Everything changed [September 11th]. But the way it changed Ben Rhodes's life is still unique, and perhaps not strictly believable, even as fiction. He was in the second year of the M.F.A. program at N.Y.U., writing short stories about losers in garden apartments and imagining that soon he would be published in literary magazines, acquire an agent and produce a novel by the time he turned 26...

Spoiler alert: He didn't.

"I immediately developed this idea that, you know, maybe I want to try to write about international affairs," he explained. "In retrospect, I had no idea what that meant."

The perfect marriage of ignorance for Obama.

His mother's closest friend growing up ran the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace...

You don't say.

...which then published Foreign Policy. He sent her a letter and included what would wind up being his only piece of published fiction, a short story that appeared in The Beloit Fiction Journal. It was titled "The Goldfish Smiles, You Smile Back." The story still haunts him, he says, because "it foreshadowed my entire life."

I don't know what that means. I don't care to know.

...
The Boy Wonder of the Obama White House is now 38...
Like Obama, Rhodes is a storyteller who uses a writer's tools to advance an agenda that is packaged as politics but is often quite personal. He is adept at constructing overarching plotlines with heroes and villains, their conflicts and motivations supported by flurries of carefully chosen adjectives, quotations and leaks from named and unnamed senior officials. He is the master shaper and retailer of Obama's foreign-policy narratives, at a time when the killer wave of social media has washed away the sand castles of the traditional press.

You don't say -- so he's a fictionalist who serves a fictitious president called "Barack Obama."

...
His lack of conventional real-world experience of the kind that normally precedes responsibility for the fate of nations -- like military or diplomatic service, or even a master's degree in international relations, rather than creative writing -- is still startling.

Is it? Is it startling, or inevitable?

...
When I asked Jon Favreau, Obama’s lead speechwriter in the 2008 campaign, and a close friend of Rhodes's, whether he or Rhodes or the president had ever thought of their individual speeches and bits of policy making as part of some larger restructuring of the American narrative, he replied, "We saw that as our entire job."
...
Jon Favreau, then the campaign’s lead speechwriter, felt as if he could use a foreign-affairs expert who could write. "Foreign-policy advisers kept changing all the language that made Obama sound like he wasn't part of the Democratic foreign-policy establishment," he remembers. "The idea of someone with a masters in fiction who had also co-authored the Iraq Study Group and 9/11 Commission reports seemed perfect for a candidate who put so much emphasis on storytelling."
...
The literary character that Rhodes most closely resembles, Power volunteers, is Holden Caulfield. "He hates the idea of being phony, and he's impetuous, and he has very strong views."

Of course it is, darling.

We're in a deeply fictitious age, eh?

Now the part about how stupid the current press corps is, and how easily led into fiction by this Master of Fiction:

The job he was hired to do, namely to help the president of the United States communicate with the public, was changing in equally significant ways, thanks to the impact of digital technologies that people in Washington were just beginning to wrap their minds around....

He means the Internet and the Nation of Dummies who drink from its stupid streams.

Rhodes singled out a key example to me one day, laced with the brutal contempt that is a hallmark of his private utterances. "All these newspapers used to have foreign bureaus," he said. "Now they don't. They call us to explain to them what's happening in Moscow and Cairo. Most of the outlets are reporting on world events from Washington. The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old, and their only reporting experience consists of being around political campaigns. That's a sea change. They literally know nothing.”
In this environment, Rhodes has become adept at ventriloquizing many people at once. Ned Price, Rhodes's assistant, gave me a primer on how it’s done. The easiest way for the White House to shape the news, he explained, is from the briefing podiums.... "But then there are sort of these force multipliers," he said, adding, “We have our compadres, I will reach out to a couple people, and you know I wouldn't want to name them -- ”
"I can name them," I said, ticking off a few names of prominent Washington reporters and columnists who often tweet in sync with White House messaging.
Price laughed. "I'll say, 'Hey, look, some people are spinning this narrative that this is a sign of American weakness,'" he continued, "but--"
"In fact it's a sign of strength!" I said, chuckling.

The left's favorite headline opening? Actually, America Retreating from the World Isn't a Sign of Weakness...

"And I'll give them some color," Price continued, "and the next thing I know, lots of these guys are in the dot-com publishing space, and have huge Twitter followings, and they'll be putting this message out on their own."
This is something different from old-fashioned spin... Now the most effectively weaponized 140-character idea or quote will almost always carry the day, and it is very difficult for even good reporters to necessarily know where the spin is coming from or why.

Stunned.

The decayed Imperial swells of the capital probably began bragging about how easily they manipulated the dummies of Rome, too -- right before the barbarians tore the place apart.

Via Evan C. and @davereaboi.

Posted by: Ace at 04:42 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Isn't his brother a reporter?

Posted by: lauren at May 05, 2016 04:43 PM (Covpc)

2 Pretty sure that 'The Little Puppy Who Lost His Way' had a more involving storyline.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at May 05, 2016 04:44 PM (M7KUN)

3 No, I think his brother is president CBS.

Posted by: @votermom at May 05, 2016 04:44 PM (nbrY/)

4 The joke is on America. Sigh

Posted by: Nevergiveup at May 05, 2016 04:44 PM (V/InG)

5
Doesn't hurt to have a eunuch political opposition party, too.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 04:45 PM (h+IVw)

6 What is this movie?

Posted by: NCKate at May 05, 2016 04:45 PM (4bHkw)

7 Sweet Jesus. So our foreign policy is based on the ability to spin bullshit. Why am I not surprised.

Posted by: Insomniac at May 05, 2016 04:45 PM (0mRoj)

8 Also all I'm getting from this is mommy's bff got him a job, because of course she did.

Posted by: lauren at May 05, 2016 04:45 PM (Covpc)

9 In other news:

- Water wet
- Fire hot
- Sun rose in the east

Seriously, not even Capt. Louis Renault can be shocked, SHOCKED by this news.

Posted by: steveegg at May 05, 2016 04:45 PM (v6+HN)

10 But is was so much fun on the stinko de mayo thread! You harsh my mellow.

Posted by: OK, Thanks, Bye at May 05, 2016 04:45 PM (ucB75)

11 Treason

Posted by: Nevergiveup at May 05, 2016 04:46 PM (V/InG)

12 I want so desperately to air drop the POS (Rhodes, but his boss as well) into the shit holes of Lybia, Syria, A-stan, and Iraq.

The burning, burning hate I have for this administration just....never mind.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:46 PM (FsuaD)

13 Doesn't hurt to have a eunuch political opposition party, too.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 04:45 PM (h+IVw)

That's an insult to eunuchs.

Posted by: steveegg at May 05, 2016 04:46 PM (v6+HN)

14 And if we're vetting our policy wonks on their resemblance to fictional characters, why don't we just put Palin Steele on the Cabinet.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at May 05, 2016 04:46 PM (M7KUN)

15 Ben Rhodes has to be super smart; he's a Rhodes scholar, after all.

Posted by: The MSM on its knees at May 05, 2016 04:46 PM (zc3Db)

16 Sweet Jesus. So our foreign policy is based on the ability to spin bullshit. Why am I not surprised.
Posted by: Insomniac at May 05, 2016 04:45 PM (0mRoj)

It's elementary, my dear Watsomniac

Posted by: Ghost of kari - certified sidebar at May 05, 2016 04:46 PM (xuouz)

17 "The literary character that Rhodes most closely resembles, Power volunteers, is Holden Caulfield. "

My shocked face!

Posted by: lauren at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (Covpc)

18 This is infuriating but not surprising.

Posted by: Arson Wells at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (/E+t2)

19 Despicable!

As someone at Insty said: Hope that after Iran nukes us and/or Israel we can line up these shitbirds and publicly execute them.

Posted by: Lizzy at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (NOIQH)

20 The burning, burning hate I have for this administration just....never mind.
Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:46 PM (FsuaD)

No MIND...Let it burn hot and often and carry thru till November

Posted by: Nevergiveup at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (V/InG)

21 Trump really is the president we deserve.

Posted by: Jollyroger at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (t06LC)

22 I thought John Favreau was the guy who did the good Iron Man movie.

Posted by: Bandersnatch at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (1xUj/)

23 It is hard for many to absorb the true magnitude of the change in the news business -- 40 percent of newspaper-industry professionals have lost their jobs over the past decade -- in part because readers can absorb all the news they want from social-media platforms like Facebook, which are valued in the tens and hundreds of billions of dollars and pay nothing for the "content" they provide to their readers...

I'll bet we could reduce the fedgov by 40% the same way.

Posted by: rickb223 at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (6hZFv)

24 When I think of the dead SEAL and his grieving family, all our military who have died and been wounded.....and this juiceboxer....

Gah.

*types*

*deletes*

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (FsuaD)

25 I only wish the obama Presidency had been fiction...... it's all too real....

Posted by: donna at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (O2RFr)

26 "Trump really is the president we deserve."

Yup

Posted by: lauren at May 05, 2016 04:48 PM (Covpc)

27 So if Bush had appointed, like, Tom Clancy as Defense Secretary, the Times would don the kneepads and fire up a nice puff piece, right?

Posted by: tu3031 at May 05, 2016 04:48 PM (YFFpo)

28 The Goldfish Smiles, You Smile Back

Now he's just being koi.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 05, 2016 04:48 PM (NeFrd)

29 But how good is he at finding videos on YouTube that I can use to blame my foreign policy disasters? Cuz I may keep him on.

*hic*

Posted by: Hillary! 2016 Barking For Us at May 05, 2016 04:48 PM (8ZskC)

30 I want so desperately to air drop the POS (Rhodes, but his boss as well) into the shit holes of Lybia, Syria, A-stan, and Iraq.

The burning, burning hate I have for this administration just....never mind.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:46 PM (FsuaD)

Are you going to be kind and give them oxygen tanks (IYKWIMAITYD)?

Posted by: steveegg at May 05, 2016 04:48 PM (v6+HN)

31 Is it to much to ask Cthulhu to rise from the Atlantic and makes it's way to D.C. and devour it?

Posted by: Arson Wells at May 05, 2016 04:49 PM (/E+t2)

32 It isn't a case of the blind leading the blind.

It is the blind leading the sighted.

Everywhere, not just in journalism and politics.

Posted by: Vashta Nerada at May 05, 2016 04:49 PM (Qvgg/)

33 The fact is that with a retarded traitor occupooping the Oval Office it doesn't really matter who his foreign policy "advisors" are. What's Rhodes goig to do, come up with another "Overcharged!" button?

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (zc3Db)

34 Are you going to be kind and give them oxygen tanks (IYKWIMAITYD)?

Posted by: steveegg at May 05, 2016 04:48 PM (v6+HN)

Fuck that noise. And parachutes? Let 'em learn to fly.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (FsuaD)

35 Terrain Terrain, Pull Up!

Posted by: Mode 2 EGPWS warning at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (zLk9E)

36 I believe this is what's called a Donald Trump campaign ad.

Bring in the giant bugsprayer and kill them all before they can leave DC.

Posted by: JEM at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (o+SC1)

37 The Goldfish Smiles, You Smile Back

Now he's just being koi.

On porpoise.

Posted by: rickb223 at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (6hZFv)

38 >>You don't say -- so he's a fictionalist who serves a fictitious president called "Barack Obama."

Let's not forget that Obama has on several occasions stole stuff from The West Wing for his SOTU and other speeches. Curing cancer and all that.

The lack of depth of these people, playing dress-up as American leadership while forcing us to do things that will/likely already have cost people their lives, is disgusting.

Exit question: Ben Rhodes, do you think that guy was for or against rescuing the Benghazi consulate people after that initial "Oh, shit" moment of learning they were under attack less than 2 months before Obama's re-election?

Posted by: Lizzy at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (NOIQH)

39 Barry, the dormroom philosopher, and his bong buddies.

We're in the best of hands.

Posted by: Grump928(c) says Free Soothie!, with purchase of commentor of equal or greater value at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (evdj2)

40 Boy wonder... aged 38. For those keeping track Alexander had conquered the whole of Greece (except Sparta) by half that age.

This piece is just perfect.

Posted by: boulder terlit hobo at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (M7KUN)

41 The 52% get/got what they deserve...I am just getting fucked dry with no reach around.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (V/InG)

42 http://liartownusa.tumblr.com/image/143560599725

Posted by: OK, Thanks, Bye at May 05, 2016 04:51 PM (ucB75)

43 When I asked Jon Favreau, Obama's lead speechwriter in the 2008 campaign

Just getting this in here now.

THIS IS NOT THE MOVIE DIRECTOR! THEY ARE DIFFERENT PEOPLE!

Ahem.

Well, at least this guy didn't just drive a van and then end up head of NSA (or whatever that guy did) so there's that.

Also this is confirmation for ace's whole thing the last few years that we are being gaslighted (gaslit?) and it's nothing but stupid simplistic morality tales.

Posted by: alexthechick - Banderette at May 05, 2016 04:51 PM (mf5HN)

44 Amateur

Posted by: Tommy Vietor at May 05, 2016 04:51 PM (FuBZa)

45 In this environment, Rhodes has become adept at ventriloquizing many people at once. Ned Price, Rhodes's assistant, gave me a primer on how it's done. The easiest way for the White House to shape the news, he explained, is from the briefing podiums.... "But then there are sort of these force multipliers," he said, adding, "We have our compadres, I will reach out to a couple people, and you know I wouldn't want to name them -- "

Force multipliers. That when you get the same bunch of DC liars all on the same page, telling the same lies.

Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at May 05, 2016 04:51 PM (R+30W)

46 I need to study up on my foreign policy.

**pops in DVD of The West Wing**

Posted by: Ben Rhodes, circa 2008 at May 05, 2016 04:51 PM (H9MG5)

47 Remind me again how we are supposedly not doomed?

Posted by: The Political Hat at May 05, 2016 04:51 PM (vBeA5)

48 Fuck that noise. And parachutes? Let 'em learn to fly.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (FsuaD)

I was thinking 2,000-pound oxygen tanks and a release altitude of 35,000 feet.

Posted by: steveegg at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (v6+HN)

49 And Barry tells us he's smarter than all the people around him. I wonder how quickly Valerie cock-punched him after that comment?

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (FsuaD)

50
Is Ben Rhodes much different from Jonathan Gruber, the "architect" of obamacare who deliberately lied about everything in the plans?

No one fact-checks these people; our press is worse than useless, they are complicit. There is no opposition party, either. How do the Republicans get rolled by guys like Rhodes, Gruber, Jarret, and obama?

Answer: They're all in on it.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (h+IVw)

51 What? Reporters are puppets?!?

Who knew?

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (AbFmZ)

52 >> Boy wonder... aged 38. For those keeping track Alexander
>> had conquered the whole of Greece (except Sparta) by half
>> that age.

And, reputedly, weeped 'cause he was all done.

The current generation weeps because they can't get shiitake mushrooms at their local DIY pizza shop.

Posted by: JEM at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (o+SC1)

53 Well, given that there isn't a single Republican (let alone Conservative) among the WH Press Corpse, one supposes that they are not only ignorant, but psychologically predisposed to accept as conveyed wisdom what ever inane maunderings are shoveled into their receptive brains.

As I have pointed out out recently, the UNC School of Journalism (ranked 4th in the nation) has eliminated all required courses of history and economics. Because, Not Relevant to 'Journalism', one supposes.

On the upside, assuming that Obama has his way, the bathrooms and showers at UNC will soon be transgender. That should compensate for the general ignorance.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (9mTYi)

54 Yo!

Posted by: Yo! at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (GwIKd)

55 I'd like to get Den Rhodes behind the Gym like we did in High School

Posted by: Nevergiveup at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (V/InG)

56 Trump ad - and also include Jonathan Gruber who was so proud of himself for lying to Congress and the American public to get Obamacare passed.

Posted by: Lizzy at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (NOIQH)

57 Now he's just being koi.

It's nothing to carp about.

Posted by: Grump928(c) says Free Soothie!, with purchase of commentor of equal or greater value at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (evdj2)

58 I thought John Favreau was the guy who did the good Iron Man movie.
Posted by: Bandersnatch at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (1xUj/)

Why. Why you gotta do that to me.

Why.

*twitches on floor*

Posted by: alexthechick - Banderette at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (mf5HN)

59 Force multipliers. That when you get the same bunch of DC liars all on the same page, telling the same lies.

Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at May 05, 2016 04:51 PM (R+30W)

I think it was just a typo. They meant "Farce Multipliers".

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (zc3Db)

60 Everything that administration just said is bullshit.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (Nwg0u)

61 37 The Goldfish Smiles, You Smile Back

Now he's just being koi.

On porpoise.
Posted by: rickb223 at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (6hZFv)

Eh, quit carping.

Posted by: Insomniac at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (0mRoj)

62 Janey, I want to see the bad man fly.

Posted by: robert arryn at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (M7KUN)

63 Trump's starting to look better to me now.

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 04:53 PM (gmeXX)

64 This is something different from old-fashioned spin... Now the most
effectively weaponized 140-character idea or quote will almost always
carry the day, and it is very difficult for even good reporters to
necessarily know where the spin is coming from or why.

--

In the age of technological wonder and human ignorance, reality takes a backseat to the power of the lie transmitted via social media.

No wonder this country is collapsing faster than Rome.

Posted by: Vashta Nerada at May 05, 2016 04:53 PM (Qvgg/)

65 "Now he's just being koi.

On porpoise."

I've haddock up to here with these fish puns.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at May 05, 2016 04:53 PM (AbFmZ)

66
Force multipliers?

Didn't we used to call these people in the media propagandists?

Today they are called...the media.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 04:54 PM (h+IVw)

67 I said it 8 years ago: Obama is the biggest fraud ever perpetrated upon the American public.

Posted by: Bill in Chappaqua at May 05, 2016 04:54 PM (FXW24)

68 If I ever get terminal cancer, I got a this list right here!

Posted by: Nevergiveup at May 05, 2016 04:54 PM (V/InG)

69 The hash tag has replaced the nuclear bomb as the most powerful weapon on earth.

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 04:54 PM (gmeXX)

70 You gotta figure that a person (Favreau) who had hisi picture taken while he swigged beer and cupped the breast of Hillary cardboard cutout wasn't exactly a deep or complex thinker.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at May 05, 2016 04:54 PM (w4NZ8)

71 "...I am just getting fucked dry with no reach around.

Posted by: Nevergiveup"

I hate when that happens.

Posted by: Barney Frank at May 05, 2016 04:54 PM (OD2ni)

72
Hillary says she'll promote Rhodes from deputy to chief national security adviser for strategic communications in her administration.

Posted by: Ed Anger at May 05, 2016 04:55 PM (RcpcZ)

73 Well we can get mad as much as we want at these assholes but this is how they do it and how's it's done.

Always attack, always advance the narrative, always push the initiative and agenda.

I hear Paul "Totally CON-servervite" Ryan is still ironing out the bullet points of his #yearofideas.

And that Ben Sasse fellow has some big ideas like focusing on national security strategy for the era of cyber jihad.

Fucking pathetic.

Posted by: Kreplach at May 05, 2016 04:55 PM (UgU+f)

74 40 percent of newspaper-industry professionals have lost their jobs over the past decade

A decent start, but I won't be happy until they are all living under a bridge with a sign that says 'Will Propagandize for Food'.

Posted by: Grump928(c) says Free Soothie!, with purchase of commentor of equal or greater value at May 05, 2016 04:55 PM (evdj2)

75 Force multipliers?

Didn't we used to call these people in the media propagandists?

Today they are called...the media.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 04:54 PM (h+IVw)

Presstitute Organs.

Posted by: steveegg at May 05, 2016 04:55 PM (v6+HN)

76 22 I thought John Favreau was the guy who did the good Iron Man movie.
Posted by: Bandersnatch at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (1xUj/)

And the delightful but underrated movie "Chef."

Posted by: Insomniac at May 05, 2016 04:55 PM (0mRoj)

77 "69 The hash tag has replaced the nuclear bomb as the most powerful weapon on earth.
Posted by: SH"

That's right.

Posted by: Marie "Fat Legs" Harf at May 05, 2016 04:56 PM (OD2ni)

78 Remember right after Barry was crowned, the pic that came out of his juice boxer staffers playing shirtless beer pong? Was this douche one of them?

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:56 PM (FsuaD)

79 "Follow me, men! Do you want to live forever!", yelled Obama, as he jammed his KBar in his teeth and jumped from the chopper. "This Bin Laden bastard dies tonight!"...

Posted by: Ben Rhodes at May 05, 2016 04:56 PM (YFFpo)

80
By the way, the reference here to "force multipliers" is actually the manufactured preference cascade.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 04:56 PM (h+IVw)

81 76 22 I thought John Favreau was the guy who did the good Iron Man movie.
Posted by: Bandersnatch at May 05, 2016 04:47 PM (1xUj/)

And the delightful but underrated movie "Chef."

Chef was good.

Posted by: rickb223 at May 05, 2016 04:56 PM (6hZFv)

82 >>>Trump's starting to look better to me now.

Yes!

Posted by: Trump Wedding Photo With Bill and Hillary at May 05, 2016 04:56 PM (/E+t2)

83 Ben Rhodes has very small hands!

Posted by: Tyler Mason at May 05, 2016 04:56 PM (IL4AQ)

84 Fucking writers...

Let's hope the Trump administration has special camps just for them.

Posted by: jwest at May 05, 2016 04:56 PM (Zs4uk)

85 "Follow me, men! Do you want to live forever!", yelled Obama, as he jammed his KBar in his teeth and jumped from the chopper. "This Bin Laden bastard dies tonight!"...
Posted by: Ben Rhodes at May 05, 2016 04:56 PM (YFFpo)

The sad/funny fact is that is exactly what most liberals think

Posted by: Nevergiveup at May 05, 2016 04:57 PM (V/InG)

86 Talk about lack of experience, just wait until the robots take over reporting on the news of the day. Oops, too late.

Posted by: Tinfoilbaby at May 05, 2016 04:57 PM (rgXmo)

87 Pe41 The 52% get/got what they deserve...I am just getting fucked dry with no reach around.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at May 05, 2016 04:50 PM (V/InG)

People just have no goddamn common courtesy any more!

Posted by: Sgt. Hartman at May 05, 2016 04:57 PM (0mRoj)

88 Hillary says she'll promote Rhodes from deputy to chief national security adviser for strategic communications in her administration.
Posted by: Ed Anger
-----------

She actually has a history of such. Recall that she hired former bar bouncer Craig Livingston as WH Security Chief.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 05, 2016 04:57 PM (9mTYi)

89 John Favreau: One man's Journey from the Football Field to the Whitehouse

Posted by: Grump928(c) says Free Soothie!, with purchase of commentor of equal or greater value at May 05, 2016 04:57 PM (evdj2)

90 I thought John Favreau was the guy who did the good Iron Man movie.

I thought he was the goofy one in "Two and Half Men"?

Posted by: tu3031 at May 05, 2016 04:57 PM (YFFpo)

91 Was this douche one of them?
Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:56 PM (FsuaD)

Yes.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at May 05, 2016 04:57 PM (w4NZ8)

92 "narrative" "storytellers" blah blah blah.

These people are idiots. Unworldly, ignorant, vapidly ideological (more like tribalistic and bigoted) idiots.

Not that long ago, people you'd never even consider having a 10-minute courtesy meeting with (have the interns do it).

And the idiocy goes far beyond these nearly unbelievably unfit, dim non-entities (who wandered into positions that for generations had been - mostly - filled by some of the most experienced and savvy people alive).

I have stayed well outside the blast-radius for the endless tedious Trumpenkrieging around here, and will probably continue to do so. But I am frequently wondering, as I survey the panic and hyperbole and outrage of so many that You Know Who might become president, where have you been the last 8 years?

Actually the Clinton/90s saw some jaw-droppingly unfit people vaulted into national security jobs (the Dems' Cold War bench was exhausted by then, and of course the party had began its precipitous decline into quasi-isolationist-irresponsible-arsonist territory). There was no cadre around anymore. So Clinton filled 'er up with Capitol Hill mediocrities.

Who fucked up, of course. But digital tech/stock market boom, so ...... "popular" president!

To put a nice, infuriating, ripped-from-the-headlines touch to it, weren't some of the USS Cole perps just releated from Gitmo this week?

Posted by: rhomboid at May 05, 2016 04:58 PM (QDnY+)

93 Obama hasn't made a statement about our dead SEAL. Josh Earnest says he's sure he will "soon."

Right after finishing another round of golf.

*seething burning rage*

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:58 PM (FsuaD)

94 Is Ben Rhodes much different from Jonathan Gruber,
the "architect" of obamacare who deliberately lied about everything in
the plans?

No one fact-checks these people; our press is worse than useless,
they are complicit. There is no opposition party, either. How do the
Republicans get rolled by guys like Rhodes, Gruber, Jarret, and obama?

Answer: They're all in on it.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (h+IVw)

Once upon a time there was a class of Congresscritters and Senators with Rs behind their names, they could drone on and on and on about policy. Nobody liked them, and eventually they lost their seats, one way or another.

Now you have people whose only real expertise is the Washingtonian reach-around across the aisle. They know nothing about anything. They have these 20 somethings running around preparing position papers for them, and of course those people know nothing either.

This is why I don't understand the hate for Trump. He knows nothing, but he also doesn't pretend he does. I don't know if he is capable of hiring smart people to run this stuff for him, or just the same collection of know-nothings, but at least he isn't a complete phony, like everyone in Washington these days.

Posted by: BurtTC at May 05, 2016 04:58 PM (TOk1P)

95 People just have no goddamn common courtesy any more!
Posted by: Sgt. Hartman
-----------

As I heard an old guy say back in the 60's, "The problem with kids today is that their morals is shot to shit".

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 05, 2016 04:58 PM (9mTYi)

96 She actually has a history of such. Recall that she hired former bar bouncer Craig Livingston as WH Security Chief.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 05, 2016 04:57 PM (9mTYi)

I wasn't kidding.

Posted by: Ed Anger at May 05, 2016 04:58 PM (RcpcZ)

97 And the delightful but underrated movie "Chef."

Posted by: Insomniac at May 05, 2016 04:55 PM (0mRoj)

He did one w/Peter Falk as a gangster and Vince Vaughn as his buddy...his gf was a hooker.....don't remember the name of it.

Posted by: BignJames at May 05, 2016 04:59 PM (j7iSn)

98 I wasn't kidding.
Posted by: Ed Anger
-----------------
I didn't laugh.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 05, 2016 04:59 PM (9mTYi)

99 Fortunately President Ash Carter has his own advisers.

Posted by: Raul Johnson at May 05, 2016 05:00 PM (MiBr0)

100 After all the trouble I went to researching Star Trek midget names on the last thread, foreign policy of the Obama admin should be a breeze.

Posted by: wth at May 05, 2016 05:00 PM (HgMAr)

101 97 And the delightful but underrated movie "Chef."

Posted by: Insomniac at May 05, 2016 04:55 PM (0mRoj)

He did one w/Peter Falk as a gangster and Vince Vaughn as his buddy...his gf was a hooker.....don't remember the name of it.

Posted by: BignJames at May 05, 2016 04:59 PM (j7iSn)

++++

Made.

Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at May 05, 2016 05:00 PM (R+30W)

102
Plus, polls.

Yesterday or today a new poll was issued showing an increase in how well Americans thought the fight against ISIS was going. A whopping 45%. The media just so happened to love reporting it.

No coincidence it comes out right after obama got a SEAL killed in Iraq. (By the way, the poll was taken before the Navy SEAL was killed by obama's pals in ISIS.)

Last week a poll showed a decrease in recruitment for ISIS. Meanwhile obama is ramping up military attacks in Syria and it's barely mentioned in the news were at with Syria for really stupid reasons.

That's your Force Multiplier at work.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 05:00 PM (h+IVw)

103 It's no wonder that these dipshits imagine that they're in an episode of The West Wing. They all grew up wanting to write for that damn show!

Posted by: Colorado Alex at May 05, 2016 05:00 PM (LUG6K)

104 I actually love how they think they have come up with this whole new way to spin a message. The only thing new is the medium of twitter. They aren't doing anything different from any other administration except that it can be done using twitter.

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:01 PM (gmeXX)

105 My lib sister thought The West Wing was a reality show.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:01 PM (FsuaD)

106 Its funny, they think they are controlling the media - when its the media thats running them.

Posted by: Jean at May 05, 2016 05:01 PM (cXiMR)

107 You know, we won;t even need tell-all backstabber books about the Obama WH, these people will write memoirs *bragging* about all this shit they did with Obama. They don;t even have the good sense (self-awareness?) to want to distance themselves from it.

Posted by: Lizzy at May 05, 2016 05:01 PM (NOIQH)

108 Remember when he played the guy who wanted to be a mma fighter, and ended up in a body cast? Wasn't that friends?

Posted by: Tinfoilbaby at May 05, 2016 05:02 PM (rgXmo)

109 85 "Follow me, men! Do you want to live forever!", yelled Obama, as he jammed his KBar in his teeth and jumped from the chopper. "This Bin Laden bastard dies tonight!"...
Posted by: Ben Rhodes at May 05, 2016 04:56 PM (YFFpo)

The sad/funny fact is that is exactly what most liberals think
Posted by: Nevergiveup at May 05, 2016 04:57 PM (V/InG)

When King Obama told his men "Tonight we dine in Hell, boys" he meant a 4 1/2 star Michelin Restaurant.

Posted by: Northernlurker at May 05, 2016 05:02 PM (hJrjt)

110 Remember when Obama said he knew more about economics than his economics advisor, more about foreign policy than his foreign policy advisor, etc.?

The saddest thing is...he was right.

Posted by: broseidon king of the brocean at May 05, 2016 05:02 PM (kumBu)

111

Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at May 05, 2016 05:00 PM (R+30W)

thanks!

Posted by: BignJames at May 05, 2016 05:02 PM (j7iSn)

112 >>>You know, we won;t even need tell-all backstabber books

Well said.

Posted by: Arson Wells at May 05, 2016 05:02 PM (/E+t2)

113 John Favreau: One man's Journey from the Football Field to the Whitehouse
Posted by: Grump928
---------------------

Reggie Love: Power Forward

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 05, 2016 05:02 PM (9mTYi)

114 When all you have is a copy of Fiction Writing for Dummies, everything looks like sophomore creative writing workshop.

Posted by: Colorado Alex at May 05, 2016 05:03 PM (LUG6K)

115 No grown ups in the White House and now we are going to run the biggest child in history for President.

WTF happen to my country?

Posted by: Nip Sip at May 05, 2016 05:03 PM (jJRIy)

116 I really wished Jon Favreau would get Ironman to help out in some of these tricky situations.

Or at least hook me up with the War Machine suit. That'd be sweeeeeet!

Posted by: Ben "Rhodey" Rhodes at May 05, 2016 05:03 PM (H9MG5)

117
So if Bush had appointed, like, Tom Clancy as Defense Secretary, the Times would don the kneepads and fire up a nice puff piece, right?

Posted by: tu3031 at May 05, 2016 04:48 PM (YFFpo)

Except that Clancy was already a successful insurance salesman before he started writing novels. Plus, his first novel was so believable that the Navy freaked out, thinking he'd got his hands on a bunch of classified info, when in fact he did all his research from public sources.

Rhodes has had NOTHING in his resume to indicate that he's even qualified to work a cash register at the university student union snack bar.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at May 05, 2016 05:04 PM (8hALn)

118 The easiest way for the White House to shape the news, he explained, is from the briefing podiums.... "But then there are sort of these force multipliers," he said, adding, We have our compadres, I will reach out to a couple people, and you know I wouldn't want to name them --

-----------

That's genius. These are the smartest people in the world. Hey we figured out we can use a few select media members to get our message out there for us - so we don't have to do it ourselves. We are literally the smartest administration ever.

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:04 PM (gmeXX)

119 The saddest part of all this is that, well, shit - we've know that about journalism for years.

Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at May 05, 2016 05:04 PM (O4NI/)

120 Plus the time he felt up the Hillary cardboard cut-out.

Oh, wait.

Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at May 05, 2016 05:04 PM (R+30W)

121 >>>WTF happen to my country?

Blame it on Mexico!

Posted by: George Strait at May 05, 2016 05:05 PM (/E+t2)

122 Too bad that NYT doesn't read their own copy; they might learn something from this.

Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at May 05, 2016 05:05 PM (O4NI/)

123 Mao shamed the elitist writers by having them tearfully confess their sins against society - spreading lies and seducing the working class with forbidden ideas of individuality.

They were marched through the street, spat on, hit with sticks and subjected to every form of insult. Afterwards, when it was evident that the offending writer was sufficiently sorry for being a parasite sucking the life from the peaceful peasants, they were sent to the countryside to practice honest work.

Trump will consider this...

Posted by: jwest at May 05, 2016 05:05 PM (Zs4uk)

124 Obama's Jon Favreau goes by the nickname, "Jon Favs". Just in case you had any doubt he's a total douche canoe.

Posted by: gewa76 at May 05, 2016 05:05 PM (9MbCY)

125 The easiest way for the White House to shape the news, he explained, is
from the briefing podiums.... "But then there are sort of these force
multipliers," he said, adding, We have our compadres, I will reach out
to a couple people, and you know I wouldn't want to name them --

I'll bet everyone at the HQ can name them.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:05 PM (FsuaD)

126 How did "Boy Wonder" ever pass the Special Snowflake Word Police?

I mean, really, in this day and age?

Posted by: dissent555 at May 05, 2016 05:05 PM (VFhMt)

127 AtC, I think you mean Tommy Vietor, aka National Lampoon's Van Driver (I forgot if that was an Iowahawk tweet or a Jim Treacher tweet), who became some sort of WH flack after formerly being a glorified chauffeur.

Posted by: broseidon king of the brocean at May 05, 2016 05:05 PM (kumBu)

128
This is something different from old-fashioned spin... Now the most effectively weaponized 140-character idea or quote will almost always carry the day, and it is very difficult for even good reporters to necessarily know where the spin is coming from or why.

--------

No its not, its just old fashion spin using twitter instead of a newspaper or TV, and reaching out to twitter users instead of readers and tv watchers. They really believe their own BS.

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:06 PM (gmeXX)

129
When King Obama told his men "Tonight we dine in Hell, boys" he meant a 4 1/2 star Michelin Restaurant.

Posted by: Northernlurker at May 05, 2016 05:02 PM (hJrjt)

I thought he was referring to Chipotle.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at May 05, 2016 05:06 PM (8hALn)

130 No grown ups in the White House and now we are going to run the biggest child in history for President.

WTF happen to my country?

Needed moar Red Foreman parents, less everyone gets a trophy parents.

Posted by: rickb223 at May 05, 2016 05:06 PM (6hZFv)

131 Thank you. Thank you. I'll be here all week.

*bows*

Posted by: Arson Wells at May 05, 2016 05:06 PM (/E+t2)

132 I waver between - Is this administration evil, or just stupid? I think the answer is yes. They are stupid enough, arrogant enough and so morally bankrupt that it is very easy for them to fall into a pattern of doing evil. Today is the National Day of Prayer. I think we better.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 05, 2016 05:06 PM (dFi94)

133 OT, but Paul Ryan just told Jake Tapper that he is not yet ready to endorse Trump. Says that Trump has to do more to bring the party together: Asks is Trump shares our values. He didn't budge from his position that, essentially, Trump has to prove himself re his values and principles over the coming months.

I guarantdamntee you that despite the appearance of the RNC throwing in the towel in this fight, they have not. They are not behind Trump and I fully expect shenanigans are afoot.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at May 05, 2016 05:06 PM (SEXy3)

134 >>Remember when Obama said he knew more about economics than his economics
advisor, more about foreign policy than his foreign policy advisor,
etc.?The saddest thing is...he was right.

Here's the sad thing: that's why he hired such idiot, to *ensure* no one would upstage the boss. We've all worked with someone like this - they want stupid people under them to ensure they're the one who looks good, is depended on to get stuff done.

Posted by: Lizzy at May 05, 2016 05:07 PM (NOIQH)

135 The literary character that Rhodes most closely resembles, Power volunteers, is Holden Caulfield. "He hates the idea of being phony, and he's impetuous, and he has very strong views."

-------------

Isn't this the story of Obama?

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:07 PM (gmeXX)

136 >>>Trump will consider this...

Oh yeah?

*Waves knuckle sandwich around*

Posted by: Arson Wells at May 05, 2016 05:07 PM (/E+t2)

137 The whole lot of them are nothing but lap dogs, no wonder ghetto country has gone to the dogs.

Posted by: Skip at May 05, 2016 05:07 PM (4ETUc)

138 There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper.

- The Outer Obozo

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 05, 2016 05:08 PM (Nwg0u)

139 "120 Plus the time he felt up the Hillary cardboard cut-out."

Talk about beer goggles.

Posted by: Benji Carver at May 05, 2016 05:08 PM (OD2ni)

140
Why. Why you gotta do that to me.

Why.

*twitches on floor*

Posted by: alexthechick - Banderette at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (mf5HN)

Because it leads to that.

Posted by: Colorado Alex at May 05, 2016 05:08 PM (LUG6K)

141 the Navy freaked out, thinking he'd got his hands on a bunch of classified info,..

---------------

Heh. I once had Naval Intelligence sic'd on me on account of a conversation in a bar with a guy who had just returned from a cruise.

While he was out, some information on a weapons system had been declassified, and I had mentioned some of those details just in casual conversation.

I'll give the guy points, he did what he was supposed to do. He later bought me a beer.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 05, 2016 05:09 PM (9mTYi)

142 When President Obama's policies fail, Ben Rhodes, must be the poor guy that's always being thrown under the bus, because the "messaging" could have been better.

Posted by: Titan Tom at May 05, 2016 05:09 PM (NnZWy)

143 I want to weep when I think of all the lives lost during this "presidency" and the absolute lack of empathy from this administration.

And I'll just stop right there.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:09 PM (FsuaD)

144 Like, ya know, I just don't see why this is like such a big deal.

I mean, ya know, foreign policy stuff isn't like rocket surgery and things.

Posted by: Marie Harf at May 05, 2016 05:09 PM (H9MG5)

145

we knew this right?

we just didnt think they would have the hubris to say it outloud in a print interview

Posted by: ThunderB at May 05, 2016 05:09 PM (zOTsN)

146 *Waves knuckle sandwich around*
Posted by: Arson Wells at May 05, 2016 05:07 PM (/E+t.................
Good, take a bite!

Posted by: Tyler Mason at May 05, 2016 05:09 PM (IL4AQ)

147 Now it will be the Trumpbarians that sack the capitol

Posted by: Mr Wizard at May 05, 2016 05:09 PM (X/2ij)

148 Like Obama, Rhodes is a storyteller who uses a writer's tools to advance an agenda that is packaged as politics but is often quite personal.

------------

So Obama is a storyteller now. I guess that is true.

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:09 PM (gmeXX)

149
If you've ever watched more than one of the Fast & Furious movies in the franchise, you'll understand why it's so easy for obama and his media to fool the American people -- they are very very stupid.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 05:10 PM (h+IVw)

150

I would love to punch Ben Rhodes in his stupid smug little face

ground into the dirt

and given to ISIS

Posted by: ThunderB at May 05, 2016 05:10 PM (zOTsN)

151 Lots of ways to make sure you are the smartest guy in the room.

Posted by: garrett at May 05, 2016 05:10 PM (ZcEXv)

152 Before leading the them into battle, our glorious leader Obama appeared before the Seals on a horse, with orange and blue face paint, and yelled "They can take our lives, but they will never take our freeeeedom."

Posted by: Ben Rhodes at May 05, 2016 05:10 PM (OD2ni)

153 O/T: I'm trying to post a long-ish comment, but every time I get a 500 Internal Server error. Anybody else have that problem?

Posted by: Serenity Now! at May 05, 2016 05:10 PM (JkSfS)

154 Is this administration evil, or just stupid?

****

Hanlon's razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Muldoon's corollary: Hanlon was in on it.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 05, 2016 05:10 PM (NeFrd)

155 Here's the sad thing: that's why he hired such idiot, to *ensure* no one would upstage the boss. We've all worked with someone like this - they want stupid people under them to ensure they're the one who looks good, is depended on to get stuff done.

Yep, and this is why anyone with a brain should have seen that quote as a flashing red light. If a competent executive ever thought he was smarter or better than his advisors, his initial thought would be, "I've gotta find better advisors."

Posted by: gewa76 at May 05, 2016 05:11 PM (9MbCY)

156 the American people -- they are very very stupid.

Yes. Yes they are.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:11 PM (FsuaD)

157 At this point, it appears that the federal government isn't really good at a lot of the things - Defense, Foreign Policy, creation/repeal/management of legislation, preserving individual rights, serving as a fair and neutral arbitrator between states - that we expect of it.

So what to do?

The answer used to be "Wait until 2016, when we will elect a conservative president who will prod a spineless conservative congress to fix the legislative side, and nominate good judges to the bench".

But that is not going to happen.

So now what?

Posted by: Sweet Lou at May 05, 2016 05:11 PM (Fzaq0)

158 Rhodes has had NOTHING in his resume to indicate that he's even qualified to work a cash register at the university student union snack bar.
Posted by: IllTemperedCur
--------------

In many ways, this the story of Obama.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at May 05, 2016 05:11 PM (9mTYi)

159 Lots of ways to make sure you are the smartest guy in the room.

Posted by: garrett at May 05, 2016 05:10 PM (ZcEXv)
=========================================

Bingo. Sometimes I want to scream.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 05, 2016 05:11 PM (dFi94)

160

I would like to kick him out of an aircraft sans parachute

I would be content if he were an ISIS dancing boy

Posted by: ThunderB at May 05, 2016 05:11 PM (zOTsN)

161 Isn't it telling he compares himself to a literary character and not a past foreign policy guru?

Think he can name any national security advisor that predates the Clinton admin?

Posted by: Lizzy at May 05, 2016 05:12 PM (NOIQH)

162
I'm trying to post a long-ish comment, but every time I get a 500 Internal Server error.

Because your post included non-AoS friendly characters.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 05:12 PM (h+IVw)

163 I'm trying to post a long-ish comment, but every time I get a 500 Internal Server error. Anybody else have that problem?

****

Paste you comment into NotePad and manually replace all the punctuation marks. Especially quotation marks and unusual ones, not so much periods and commas. Then paste back here.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 05, 2016 05:12 PM (NeFrd)

164 Going to replace that guy with someone who doesn't know what the nuclear triad or NORAD is. Got to hope he hires someone who does.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at May 05, 2016 05:12 PM (HWLn9)

165 No one fact-checks these people;
Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (h+IVw)

Not true!! They fact checked that skit that SNL did in comparing Legislation to Executive Orders.

The rest of the comment:
our press is worse than useless
is, in fact, true

Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at May 05, 2016 05:12 PM (O4NI/)

166

I would love him to spin his stories to the families of the ded and wounded in Benghazi

and of yesterdays SEAL casualty

Posted by: ThunderB at May 05, 2016 05:12 PM (zOTsN)

167 Because your post included non-AoS friendly characters.

-----------

This would not be a problem for a master story teller like Ben Rhodes.

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:13 PM (gmeXX)

168 Posted by: Marie Harf at May 05, 2016 05:09 PM (H9MG5)

Where you been? Haven't seen Jen Psaki in some time either.

Posted by: BignJames at May 05, 2016 05:13 PM (j7iSn)

169 You know what else is going to rewrite the rules of diplomacy for the digital age?

A fucking nuke going off on American soil or in the air above it.

A van driver for a Nat Sec Council spokesman and for FP expertise, some loser living with his mom and banging away on LiveJournal late at night with half dozen porn windows open and a sock on standby.

Sorry, Trump is going to have to up his game to worry me more than these clueless fucks do on a regular basis.

Posted by: Azathoth at May 05, 2016 05:13 PM (XyoGP)

170 164
Going to replace that guy with someone who doesn't know what the nuclear
triad or NORAD is. Got to hope he hires someone who does.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at May 05, 2016 05:12 PM (HWLn9)

This. *sigh*

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:13 PM (FsuaD)

171 >>>we just didnt think they would have the hubris to say it outloud in a print interview

Very observant of you ThunderB. Honestly though, isn't this the new political zeitgeist?

Posted by: Arson Wells at May 05, 2016 05:13 PM (/E+t2)

172 "124 Obama's Jon Favreau goes by the nickname, "Jon Favs". Just in case you had any doubt he's a total douche canoe.
Posted by: gewa76"

Sorry to anyone here with that name, but I think I have disliked every guy I ever met named Jon. Now guys named John are always alright.

Posted by: Benji Carver at May 05, 2016 05:14 PM (OD2ni)

173 Long comments have to begin and end with ampersands
like this...
& &

Posted by: Mr Wizard at May 05, 2016 05:14 PM (X/2ij)

174 I get a 500 Internal Server error. Anybody else have that problem?

Posted by: Serenity Now! at May 05, 2016 05:10 PM (JkSfS)
=============================================

Did you copy something and are attempting to paste it here? Usually the hamsters will not accept punctuation of any form from an outside source. Edit it in Notepad, not Word. Sub in your own punctuation.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 05, 2016 05:14 PM (dFi94)

175 Now it will be the Trumpbarians that sack the capitol

-
I see The History Channel is advertising The Rise of the Barbarians about, I think, the fall of Rome. Hoping against experience it will be good.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks at May 05, 2016 05:14 PM (Nwg0u)

176
153 O/T: I'm trying to post a long-ish comment, but every time I get a 500 Internal Server error. Anybody else have that problem?

Posted by: Serenity Now! at May 05, 2016 05:10 PM (JkSfS)

Yes.

Please limit your comments to snark.

Posted by: Ed Anger at May 05, 2016 05:14 PM (RcpcZ)

177 BTW I have always hated the Caufiled character. Whiney little bitch

Posted by: ThunderB at May 05, 2016 05:14 PM (zOTsN)

178
Actually, mumr, George Bush did a little guest appearance on Ellen this week. He and a little girl painted a picture.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 05:15 PM (h+IVw)

179
But hey, at least we got Bergdahl back didn't we?

Posted by: wth at May 05, 2016 05:15 PM (HgMAr)

180 every time I get a 500 Internal Server error.

****

More than 500 characters- too long.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 05, 2016 05:15 PM (NeFrd)

181 I'd love for Ben Rhodes to get shit-faced at a DC party and stagger into a BLM riot.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:15 PM (FsuaD)

182 They are the most transparent administration, ever.

Mostly because they can't help but point out exactly how they are fucking us in the ass.

Posted by: garrett at May 05, 2016 05:16 PM (ZcEXv)

183 We're about 1 generation away from the
~~Praetorian Guard~~ Secret Service selling off the Presidency to the highest bidder.

Posted by: ArthurK at May 05, 2016 05:16 PM (h53OH)

184

I would like him to be the welcome wagon in Aleppo

Posted by: ThunderB at May 05, 2016 05:16 PM (zOTsN)

185 >>>every time I get a 500 Internal Server error.

TL;DR

Posted by: Arson Wells at May 05, 2016 05:16 PM (/E+t2)

186 I usually just read the first part and last part of longish comment's. They are kinda like movie reviews to me. Don't take 500 words to tell me that it sucks.

Posted by: Tinfoilbaby at May 05, 2016 05:16 PM (rgXmo)

187 every time I get a 500 Internal Server error.

****

Besides, if it's that long nobody will bother reading it.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 05, 2016 05:16 PM (NeFrd)

188 Paste you comment into NotePad and manually replace
all the punctuation marks. Especially quotation marks and unusual ones,
not so much periods and commas. Then paste back here.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 05, 2016 05:12 PM (NeFrd)
=============================================

Well I coulda saved myself a whole lotta typing. Give me a head's up next time before I ruin my manicure.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 05, 2016 05:16 PM (dFi94)

189 More than 500 characters- too long.

Insufficient Trumpenhatred.

Posted by: Ed Anger at May 05, 2016 05:17 PM (RcpcZ)

190
How difficult would it be turn the American govt into a dictatorship? It would take one generation from now, in my opinion.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 05:17 PM (h+IVw)

191 Posted by: grammie winger

****

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 05, 2016 05:17 PM (NeFrd)

192 >> BTW I have always hated the Caufiled character.

I would beat down anybody who compared me, favorably or no, to Holden Caufield.

These idiots think it's a badge.

Posted by: garrett at May 05, 2016 05:17 PM (ZcEXv)

193
Posted by: Marie Harf at May 05, 2016 05:09 PM (H9MG5)

Where you been? Haven't seen Jen Psaki in some time either.
Posted by: BignJames
...................

Well, there was spring break, then didn't a new iPhone come out or something? Those lines are brutal.

Posted by: wth at May 05, 2016 05:17 PM (HgMAr)

194 >>>Where you been? Haven't seen Jen Psaki in some time either.

Posted by: BignJames at May 05, 2016 05:13 PM (j7iSn)<<<

I was like, ya know, helping John Kerry with the Iranian deal, and ya know, kinda doing stuff and things to help people in the Iraq and the Middle East find jobs and stuff so they don't like, join ISIS.

Posted by: Marie Harf at May 05, 2016 05:18 PM (H9MG5)

195 If Henry Kissinger had 3 strokes, 4 heart-attacks and full-on Alzheimer's, he would still be 2 steps ahead of Ben Rhodes, on Ben's good days. Even goldfish are laughing.

Posted by: dfbaskwill at May 05, 2016 05:18 PM (MVitU)

196 BTW I have always hated the Caufiled character. Whiney little bitch

What I don't get is how anyone who would say, "I don't mean to brag, but I've always thought of myself as a modern day Holden Caulfield." doesn't get the shit beat out of them daily.

Posted by: gewa76 at May 05, 2016 05:18 PM (9MbCY)

197

Ben Rhodes sounds like the Martin Short character in Mars Attacks

Posted by: ThunderB at May 05, 2016 05:19 PM (zOTsN)

198 I see it's time once again for a link to the Unicode to HTML Converter:

http://tinyurl.com/25h7ueh

Let those nasty 500 errors be a thing of the past...

Posted by: Brother Cavil at May 05, 2016 05:19 PM (9krrF)

199 How difficult would it be turn the American govt into a dictatorship? It would take one generation from now, in my opinion.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 05:17 PM (h+IVw)
==============================================

I heard someone on the radio today say that we could lose this whole thing in about 20 years. Of course this was Christian Radio, so, stupid.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 05, 2016 05:20 PM (dFi94)

200 >>If you've ever watched more than one of the Fast Furious movies in
the franchise, you'll understand why it's so easy for obama and his
media to fool the American people -- they are very very stupid.

Hey, as a fan of the F and F movies (big, dumb fun entertainment), let me say: at least *I* know the difference between reality and movie badassery.

People like Rhodes and Obama don't - they're modeling themselves after fictional heroes, fictional policy discussions from the West Wing in which the writers decided to always give the best lines to the progressives, and where none of them had the risk of doing something resulting in real life casualties. Rhodes was solving real international issues by spreading fictional stories in the media.

Posted by: Lizzy at May 05, 2016 05:20 PM (NOIQH)

201 What's with all these crappie fish puns?

Posted by: Duke Lowell at May 05, 2016 05:20 PM (qergu)

202 What I don't get is how anyone who would say, "I don't mean to brag, but I've always thought of myself as a modern day Holden Caulfield." doesn't get the shit beat out of them daily.

---------------

He may have read Catcher in the Rye as a 15 year old which resonated with him since he probably had no friends and was not liked. And he will forever remember the safe space that Holden led him to.

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:21 PM (gmeXX)

203 The Goldfish Smiles, You Smile Back

*****

So he's a Dr. Seuss wannabe?

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 05, 2016 05:22 PM (NeFrd)

204 This is why I see myself voting for Trump. Its only 50/50 or less chance even if he gets elected but if the MFM and congress have a POTUS *they* cringe at and dislike maybe they'll get off their lazy damn asses and at least try to match their job descriptions instead of trying to reform reality to avoid embarrassing the WH.

Posted by: Palerider at May 05, 2016 05:22 PM (dkExz)

205 "He may have read Catcher in the Rye as a 15 year old which resonated with him since he probably had no friends and was not liked. And he will forever remember the safe space that Holden led him to."

Kill John Lennon. Kill John Lennon.

Posted by: Ben Rhodes at May 05, 2016 05:22 PM (OD2ni)

206 So, Obama is the first President to have a 'White House Office of Propaganda and Other Bullshit'.

Posted by: unlawful foreign policy analyst at May 05, 2016 05:22 PM (e8kgV)

207 Reading this makes me actually, literally sick to my stomach. I could only guess before, now I know for sure.

Posted by: cfomahm at May 05, 2016 05:23 PM (RfzVr)

208 Apparently, they're unaware that Holden Caulfield is a 16 year old asshole. And that he's a psychiatric inpatient when he tells his (overrated and insufferable) tale.

Figures.

Posted by: orthodoc at May 05, 2016 05:23 PM (PnwCg)

209
The article is just another case of the NY Times trolling conservatives.

Posted by: Ed Anger at May 05, 2016 05:23 PM (RcpcZ)

210
I heard someone on the radio today say that we could lose this whole thing in about 20 years.

Reagan said freedom needed to be defended every generation. We stopped defending freedom in 1945.

*I'm not sure if Reagan was the first to say it, though.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 05:23 PM (h+IVw)

211 Remember me, I stole over a billion dollars and, because of my Dem Party connections, nothing at all happened to me. I didn't even get charged.
While reading Ace's comments about Lois Lerner (not even to mention Hillary) in the Sasse thread I began to think of the Trump voter this year. Maybe the reason for this cycle's Trump phenomenon is similar to Germany after WW I. After eating shit for 20 years after the Versailles Treaty the German people embraced a guy they thought would fight back against the powers that had been screwing them for so many years.
If you think about the criminal behavior of me (Corzine), Lerner, Eric Holder (F&F),Hillary etc. Maybe the Trump reaction is from a people who feel they have been getting worked over by scumbags for so many years that they are looking for their own scumbag, bully to stick it back to them. Just a thought.
And like in Germany, I don't expect it will end well, but I have plenty of popcorn and a Lazy-boy recliner.

Posted by: jon corzine at May 05, 2016 05:24 PM (VDovR)

212
Bullshit artists, all of 'em.

Posted by: wth at May 05, 2016 05:24 PM (HgMAr)

213 192 >> BTW I have always hated the Caufiled character.

I would beat down anybody who compared me, favorably or no, to Holden Caufield.

These idiots think it's a badge.

I hated Catcher in the Rye. It was my most-hated high school English novel. I didn't particularly enjoy Grapes of Wrath but I hated Catcher in the Rye, even when I should have identified with disaffected youth.

Posted by: Northernlurker at May 05, 2016 05:24 PM (hJrjt)

214 On the other hand, Paul Ryan (and the bulk of the GOP) fully funded Obama's foreign adventures so it has that going for it.

You know what Paul Ryan doesn't support? White nationalist authoritarian thugs who would rather not tear ass around the world busting shit and killing people.

Posted by: Burnt Toast at May 05, 2016 05:24 PM (T78UI)

215 Every president has strengths and weaknesses, he [Obama] answered.
And there is no doubt that there are times where I have not been
attentive enough to feelings and emotions and politics in communicating
what were doing and how were doing it. -- The Atlantic

... and of course, Obama was better that even this asshole

Posted by: unlawful foreign policy analyst at May 05, 2016 05:24 PM (e8kgV)

216 So he's a Dr. Seuss wannabe?

---------

I will not eat this roe
I will not eat it with a ho
I will not shoot it with a long bow
I will not eat this roe

Posted by: Duke Lowell at May 05, 2016 05:24 PM (qergu)

217 207 Reading this makes me actually, literally sick to my stomach. I could only guess before, now I know for sure.

Confirmation that it's a troll piece.

Posted by: Ed Anger at May 05, 2016 05:24 PM (RcpcZ)

218 It's about time this prep school jackass was exposed. I've been yelling about this know-nation failed novelist for years.

This is our beloved leader 's most influential foreign policy advisor. He had Robert Gates and Gen. James Jones in the beginning, but the guys he listened to was Dem party hack Tom Donilon and this wannabe Norman Mailer whose only relevant experience was a minor think tank editing gig his mommy got him.

And, of course, the press wasn't remotely interested or concerned about this kind of incompetence.

Posted by: radar at May 05, 2016 05:25 PM (7Up6g)

219 Probably thinks Kissinger is a rock-metal fusion band popular with boomers.

Posted by: Headless Body of Agnew at May 05, 2016 05:25 PM (ocw+t)

220 Would it be too damned much for the American people to elect a man or woman as CiC who has actually served and knows what it is to have skin in the game?

Dammit.

I've been in a mood since learning about our dead SEAL and seeing the video of the fire fight today.

And Preezy Choom Boy still hasn't had the balls to make a statement, but Joshin' Earnest says he will "soon."

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:25 PM (FsuaD)

221 The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he should be the 44th President.

Posted by: Verbal Kint at May 05, 2016 05:25 PM (H9MG5)

222 202 What I don't get is how anyone who would say, "I don't mean to brag, but I've always thought of myself as a modern day Holden Caulfield." doesn't get the shit beat out of them daily.

Because alienation from society is so modern, hip, edgy and transgressive don'tcha know.

Posted by: Insomniac at May 05, 2016 05:25 PM (0mRoj)

223 And yet Ace wants Hillary

Posted by: Deno at May 05, 2016 05:26 PM (eAvOZ)

224 I heard someone on the radio today say that we could lose this whole thing in about 20 years.

Less if Mr. Maths rears his head.

Posted by: rickb223 at May 05, 2016 05:26 PM (6hZFv)

225 I think I finally understand what idiots mean when they say "truth has a left wing bias." What they mean to say is "we unconditionally believe anything we are to d by other leftists."

Posted by: joe, living dangerously at May 05, 2016 05:26 PM (IYvtl)

226 Dr. Seuss foreign policy advisor:

I do not like Siam, I am.

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 05, 2016 05:27 PM (NeFrd)

227
Lizzy, every single scene in Fast & Furious is absurd. It's past cartoonish. You see that. But a lot of people who watch those movies think you can drop a car out of an airplane at high altitude and drive away. Or drive a car down a cliffside, doing barrel rolls, and drive away.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 05:27 PM (h+IVw)

228 And yet Ace wants Hillary

Posted by: Deno at May 05, 2016 05:26 PM (eAvOZ)
=====================================

I don't think Ace wants Hillary.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 05, 2016 05:28 PM (dFi94)

229 O/T: The latest tweet from Trump:

"Bernie Sanders has been treated terribly by the Democrats-both with delegates & otherwise. He should show them, & run as an Independent."

Look I was a Cruz voter in my primary but it's because of stuff like this that I can't really bring myself to loathe Donald Trump despite the many personal flaws like Ace does. If I was head of the RNC, I would be playing up the divide in the Democrat party 24/7.

I would have surrogates on TV shows playing up how unfair Bernie has been treated by the DNC. I would be sending operatives to their convention to shout "liar" every time Hillary's name is mentioned by a speaker at the convention. In short, I would be playing psychological warfare on them. Of course we never do that because we're supposed to be above that I guess. But Trump will because he's Trump.

Trump embodies the fighting spirit we've been wanting in a republican candidate for so long. Hey I wish he could also embody the intellectual conservatism of Ted Cruz, then he would be the most perfect candidate ever. But hey, we don't live in a perfect world here. We can't have everything. This country is doomed anyway. Might as well have some fun with Trump as we go down in flames.

Posted by: Serenity Now! at May 05, 2016 05:28 PM (JkSfS)

230 The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Putin

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 05, 2016 05:28 PM (NeFrd)

231 Interesting that in some circles a grown man wouldn't mind being compared to Holden Caulfield.

That is the one literary character that I dislike most, having reread "Catcher" in adulthood, I recognized the punk I was in Holden.

Holden is a spoiled, immature brat, trying to make the world conform to him, and hating when it doesn't. A loser who hates those who win.

In short, not an adult.

Good thing he's in charge of messaging the foreign policy of one of the world's powers.

Posted by: OneEyedJack at May 05, 2016 05:29 PM (kKHcp)

232 Holy shit! Maybe Obama really is the only "adult" in the room.

Posted by: Fritz at May 05, 2016 05:29 PM (f40FU)

233 And yet Ace wants Hillary
Posted by: Deno at May 05, 2016 05:26 PM (eAvOZ)

Hillary Trump, what's the difference, lol.

Posted by: Arson Wells at May 05, 2016 05:29 PM (/E+t2)

234 177 BTW I have always hated the Caufiled character. Whiney little bitch
Posted by: ThunderB at May 05, 2016 05:14 PM (zOTsN)
---------------
I hated him even when I was a teen-ager.
Couldn't see what my friends thought was so great about the little snot-face.
Of course, half of them outgrew their admiration.
The other half voted for Obama.

Posted by: Margarita DeVille at May 05, 2016 05:29 PM (T/5A0)

235 But of course the comments at the NYT article are in awe.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at May 05, 2016 05:30 PM (k4M/B)

236 The star of Fast and Furious and his friend are dead, because they thought they could do it for real. But ya, sue Porsche for the stupidity.

Posted by: Tinfoilbaby at May 05, 2016 05:30 PM (rgXmo)

237 Most people who laud the fictional character Caufield have never read the work of fiction he's from.

People do it because it's Cool.

Posted by: davidt at May 05, 2016 05:30 PM (8aOqE)

238 Ben Rhodes...He is the insignificant, 3 ft. tall statue on the west lawn, where drunken party-goers from future administrations go to piss into an open mouth of clay!

Posted by: Tyler Mason at May 05, 2016 05:31 PM (IL4AQ)

239 This country is doomed anyway. Might as well have some fun with Trump as we go down in flames.

Posted by: Serenity Now! at May 05, 2016 05:28 PM (JkSfS)

Quite the sales pitch there.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:31 PM (FsuaD)

240 I don't remember where I heard it first, but someone once observed that the great empires of the world, as time goes on, have reigned for a shorter and shorter period of time. The last one before USA was the British, and that ended around the world wars.

It then went on to point out that if the trend holds, our time is about up.

Posted by: joe, living dangerously at May 05, 2016 05:31 PM (IYvtl)

241 Dr. Seuss foreign policy advisor:

Horton joins the WHO

Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at May 05, 2016 05:31 PM (NeFrd)

242 We do these fish puns just for the hallibut

Posted by: Drill at May 05, 2016 05:32 PM (s/+cU)

243 with hillary we get 8 more years of this crap....with condoms on the white house Christmas trees and androgynous men and women working for her....i bet an episode of girls is filmed in the white house

Posted by: phoenixgirl at May 05, 2016 05:33 PM (0O7c5)

244 We do these fish puns just for the hallibut

Don't be so sailfish.

Posted by: Brother Cavil at May 05, 2016 05:33 PM (9krrF)

245 240
I don't remember where I heard it first, but someone once observed that
the great empires of the world, as time goes on, have reigned for a
shorter and shorter period of time. The last one before USA was the
British, and that ended around the world wars.

It then went on to point out that if the trend holds, our time is about up.

Posted by: joe, living dangerously at May 05, 2016 05:31 PM (IYvtl)

Yep. And today London elected a Jew-hating, moderate Muslim-hating Muslim mayor.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:33 PM (FsuaD)

246 In a saner world, the article would start off the same, but after 9/11 the person would join the military and is now a foreign policy adviser. For this guy, 9/11 caused him to think about adding an international flare to his storytelling.

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:33 PM (gmeXX)

247 Hard not to think of Braken's essay....

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at May 05, 2016 05:33 PM (8dxdo)

248 What he needs is to be beaten to a pulp -- it could only improve his character.

In many ways, isn't this also the story of Obama?

Posted by: acethepug at May 05, 2016 05:33 PM (Z6yF/)

249 He heard more firing from upstairs.Obama knew that's where he had to be. He charged up the stairs two at a time. And there he was. Osama Bin Laden!
"Dirka dirka dirka dirka! Dirka Dirka!",he screamed.
"Eat lead, you misguided member of a religion of peace! This is how The Leader of the Free World gets things done!" as he brought the weapon up and...

Posted by: Ben Rhodes at May 05, 2016 05:34 PM (YFFpo)

250 Some people will never succeed at re-inventing themselves. Ben Rhodes is, and always will be, a failed wanna be romance writer.

Posted by: gracepc at May 05, 2016 05:34 PM (OU4q6)

251 I guess this explains why they collectively spluge over hashtag diplomacy. That crap works so well on their sycophants. Why not the world stage?

Posted by: no good deed at May 05, 2016 05:35 PM (GgxVX)

252 Peons in the Obama administration (with an assist by Lil' Pinchy and his Merry Band of Communists at the NY Slimes) bragging about success in Foreign Policy arena? lol Seriously?
Next, the Obama-ites will be bragging about the success of the economy for the last 8 years...oh wait...f*ck..those tin eared dolts are doing just that.

Posted by: Doc Obvious at May 05, 2016 05:35 PM (VDovR)

253 A 500 Internal Server error is almost always due to punctuation or a character these comments can't support, especially things like accents over e's or any other letter. (I always get it on that.)

Smart quotes, smart ellipses, and a host of other punctuation marks aren't supported in the comments.

Posted by: ace at May 05, 2016 05:35 PM (dciA+)

254 Green eggs and waffles.

Posted by: wth at May 05, 2016 05:35 PM (HgMAr)

255 The last one before USA was the British, and that ended around the world wars.

It then went on to point out that if the trend holds, our time is about up.

Posted by: joe, living dangerously at May 05, 2016 05:31 PM (IYvtl)

I did not know that the US was an empire.

Posted by: Burnt Toast at May 05, 2016 05:35 PM (T78UI)

256 Stop with the fish puns or I'll hook you in the face and bash your head in with a bat.

The sea is a harsh mistress

Posted by: Phone of kari at May 05, 2016 05:36 PM (DZ2rQ)

257 The most likely culprit, i'm guessing, is that you quoted from the article I posted -- I didn't remove all the Black Diamonds (which are unsupported characters).

Pasting an unsupported character into the comments gets a ding.

Posted by: ace at May 05, 2016 05:36 PM (dciA+)

258 Dr. Seuss foreign policy advisor:

Green Eggs and Twitter Spam

Posted by: no good deed at May 05, 2016 05:36 PM (GgxVX)

259 Haven't read the preceding comments but this rather arrogant uninformed and dickish Rhodes asshat is essentially boasting about 'Gruberizing' the pressholes in DC.

May karma reach these elitist, destructive pricklickers.

Posted by: oddnot says ~sigh~ at May 05, 2016 05:37 PM (g1MTt)

260 I would beat down anybody who compared me, favorably or no, to Holden Caufield.

These idiots think it's a badge.

I hated Catcher in the Rye. It was my most-hated high school English novel. I didn't particularly enjoy Grapes of Wrath but I hated Catcher in the Rye, even when I should have identified with disaffected youth.

Posted by: Northernlurker at May 05, 2016 05:24 PM (hJrjt)

Agreed.

Posted by: Jollyroger at May 05, 2016 05:37 PM (t06LC)

261 Obviously there's no shortage of ball washers in the White House.

Posted by: Fritz at May 05, 2016 05:37 PM (f40FU)

262 Are you squiding me?

Posted by: Tinfoilbaby at May 05, 2016 05:37 PM (rgXmo)

263 Ben Rhodes should go to Iraq and in-bed with the SEALs. He could get some great material for a future novel.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:38 PM (FsuaD)

264 I can't link it because it's WSJ, but Ben Carson said 12 minutes ago( he's on trump VP team) should pick a DemonRat!
Carson doesn't want job, BTW.

Posted by: Carol at May 05, 2016 05:38 PM (sj3Ax)

265 Sullivan ruled that the scope of discovery includes:

The creation and operation of clintonemail.com for State Department business, as well as the State Department's approach and practice for processing FOIA requests that potentially implicated former Secretary Clinton's and Ms. Abedin's emails and State's processing of the FOIA request that is the subject of this action.

Judge Sullivan ruled that Clinton may have to testify:

Based on information learned during discovery, the deposition of Mrs. Clinton may be necessary. If Plaintiff believes Mrs. Clinton's testimony is required, it will request permission from the Court at the appropriate time. [Emphasis in original]

The Court also authorized Judicial Watch to seek the testimony of the following witnesses:

Stephen D. Mull (Executive Secretary of the State Department from June 2009 to October 2012 and suggested that Mrs. Clinton be issued a State Department BlackBerry, which would protect her identity and would also be subject to FOIA requests);
Lewis A. Lukens (Executive Director of the Executive Secretariat from 2008 to 2011 and emailed with Patrick Kennedy and Cheryl Mills about setting up a computer for Mrs. Clinton to check her clintonemail.com email account);
Patrick F. Kennedy (Under Secretary for Management since 2007 and the Secretary of State's principal advisor on management issues, including technology and information services);
30(b)(6) deposition(s) of Defendant regarding the processing of FOIA requests, including Plaintiff's FOIA request, for emails of Mrs. Clinton and Ms. Abedin both during Mrs. Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State and after;
Cheryl D. Mills (Mrs. Clinton's Chief of Staff throughout her four years as Secretary of State);
Huma Abedin (Mrs. Clinton's Deputy Chief of Staff and a senior advisor to Mrs. Clinton throughout her four years as Secretary of State and also had an email account on clintonemail.com);
Bryan Pagliano (State Department Schedule C employee who has been reported to have serviced and maintained the server that hosted the "clintonemail.com" system during Mrs. Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State);

Posted by: unlawful foreign policy analyst at May 05, 2016 05:38 PM (e8kgV)

266 Ben Rhodes should go to Iraq and in-bed with the SEALs. He could get some great material for a future novel.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:38 PM (FsuaD)

"in-bed"?
Ewww....

Posted by: Burnt Toast at May 05, 2016 05:38 PM (T78UI)

267 169
You know what else is going to rewrite the rules of diplomacy for the digital age?

A fucking nuke going off on American soil or in the air above it.

A
van driver for a Nat Sec Council spokesman and for FP expertise, some
loser living with his mom and banging away on LiveJournal late at night
with half dozen porn windows open and a sock on standby.

Sorry, Trump is going to have to up his game to worry me more than these clueless fucks do on a regular basis.

Posted by: Azathoth at May 05, 2016 05:13 PM (XyoGP)

Unfortunately, the world does not ignore us. Something really awful is looming on the horizon.

Posted by: Caesar North of the Rubicon at May 05, 2016 05:38 PM (5f5bM)

268 256
Stop with the fish puns or I'll hook you in the face and bash your head in with a bat.

The sea is a harsh mistress

Posted by: Phone of kari at May 05, 2016 05:36 PM (DZ2rQ)

listen chum...

Posted by: phoenixgirl at May 05, 2016 05:39 PM (0O7c5)

269 and in-bed with the SEALs. He could get some great material for a future novel.

Yikes, he's making a move to gay romance novels?

Posted by: no good deed at May 05, 2016 05:39 PM (GgxVX)

270 Is there a black version of Fabio that we can get to play President Obama for the cover of my latest foreign policy briefing?

Posted by: Ben Rhodes at May 05, 2016 05:39 PM (H9MG5)

271 Dammit. ENbed. ENBED. *angry fingers*

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:39 PM (FsuaD)

272 This Jonah Goldberg post from last year gives an illuminating glimpse into what a pretentious d-bag Rhodes is:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/411817/ben-rhodes-special-guy-jonah-goldberg

Posted by: Benji Carver at May 05, 2016 05:40 PM (OD2ni)

273 The squeteague wheel gets the grilse.

(OK, Imma gonna splain that because you're not going to get it. Squeteague is the New England term for weakfish, grilse are juvenile salmon in the stage between parr and adult).

Posted by: Bandersnatch at May 05, 2016 05:40 PM (1xUj/)

274 I am surprised that no one has yet brought up hat Ben Rhodes was the originator of the lie that the Benghazi attacks were demonstrations in response to a YouTube video and not an AQ terrorist attack.

Posted by: Caesar North of the Rubicon at May 05, 2016 05:40 PM (5f5bM)

275 See Sean Trumpitty link in sidebar, for being played WILLINGLY, Sean-Don.

Posted by: OK, Thanks, Bye at May 05, 2016 05:40 PM (ucB75)

276 I don't see the problem here.

Posted by: Scott Beauchamp at May 05, 2016 05:40 PM (WHVu+)

277 Poor, poor Brian Williams. If Ben Rhodes is the gold standard, baby, Brian really got the shaft.

Posted by: Fritz at May 05, 2016 05:42 PM (f40FU)

278 Our 1990's-era bulletin board software can't handle fancy punctuation marks like umlauts, diaeresis, and apparently something called..an apostrophe? Not sure I got that last one right.

Posted by: broseidon king of the brocean at May 05, 2016 05:42 PM (kumBu)

279 That's a good Goldberg link for whoever shared it. This guy loves To Kill a Mockingbird and Catcher in the Rye. I think I'm beginning to see why he failed as a novelist.

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:43 PM (gmeXX)

280 I'm going to go out on my Christian limb here. If you don't wish to
hear it, I totally understand and please feel free to scroll on by.

This
is America. We were founded on the idea that all are created equal,
and endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, among which
are the right to life, the right to liberty, and the right to pursue
happiness, or property as some have said the original intent was.
Either way.

We were blessed by our Creator because we held
these truths to be SELF EVIDENT. In other words, No Need to Explain.
Understood just by looking around. Everybody on the same page.

We have been blessed. We
have squandered that blessing by the shedding of innocent blood, robbing
people of their freedoms, and curtailing work while promoting welfare. On purpose.

In
the early 60's we told God not to come to school anymore. In the early
70's we told mothers that killing their babies was a net plus. We have
destroyed the family. We have destroyed our children. We have told
people that doing whatever you wish has no consequences.

And
we want God to bless that? Would you bless that? I wouldn't. In my
opinion we were handed a gift and we didn't take care of it or cherish
it, and now it is going to be removed. There's a word for that. It's called Judgment.

I'm done. For the moment.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 05, 2016 05:43 PM (dFi94)

281 >>>Stop with the fish puns or I'll hook you in the face and bash your head in with a bat.

The sea is a harsh mistress

Posted by: Phone of kari at May 05, 2016 05:36 PM (DZ2rQ)

listen chum...
Posted by: phoenixgirl at May 05, 2016 05:39 PM (0O7c5)<<<

If he gets too rowdy, just conch him on the head.

Posted by: give him shell! at May 05, 2016 05:43 PM (H9MG5)

282 Howdy Horde.

I'm celebrating Cinco de Mayo with Miller Lite. You ?

Posted by: ScoggDog at May 05, 2016 05:43 PM (fiGNd)

283 Rhodes? Where we're going we don't need Rhodes!

Posted by: Doc Brown in his flying DeLorean at May 05, 2016 05:44 PM (gU0rt)

284 @ 264
Who knew Colin Powell was Ben Carson's biological father!
Seriously, though, why would Trump need a Dem VP when there is a lefty Dem at the top of his ticket?

Posted by: Doc Obvious at May 05, 2016 05:44 PM (VDovR)

285 "Trump embodies the fighting spirit we've been
wanting in a republican candidate for so long."

This would be 4-F Donald Trump who didn't go to Vietnam because of bad knees?

Posted by: Caesar North of the Rubicon at May 05, 2016 05:44 PM (5f5bM)

286 Don't threaten me, or eels I will have to kick some bass

Posted by: Tinfoilbaby at May 05, 2016 05:44 PM (rgXmo)

287 None of this is a surprise, it has mostly been reported in bits in pieces but it is disturbing seeing it printed for all the world to see. Gloating really. In a normal world, this story would be a huge scoop, an embarrassment to the administration, heads would roll, voters would be outraged. But in in our failing republic, all the libs/LIVs admire Ben Rhodes and want to be like him. And that includes the journalist that wrote this.

Posted by: Ripley at May 05, 2016 05:45 PM (1BQGO)

288

"Bengazi was caused by a movie" would make a better president than Trump Steaks and bad hair?

I'm starting to wonder...

Posted by: Max Power at May 05, 2016 05:45 PM (q177U)

289 >>>271 Dammit. ENbed. ENBED. *angry fingers*

Embed

Posted by: Ed Anger at May 05, 2016 05:46 PM (RcpcZ)

290 New phone test.

Posted by: fixerupper at May 05, 2016 05:46 PM (JmjOe)

291
He's embedded in the ground.
Boris the Mayor.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at May 05, 2016 05:47 PM (k4M/B)

292 Yipee

Posted by: fixerupper at May 05, 2016 05:47 PM (JmjOe)

293 Clam up!

Posted by: Bivalve Liberation Front at May 05, 2016 05:48 PM (8dxdo)

294 "listen chum..."

He's just being a basshole.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at May 05, 2016 05:48 PM (AbFmZ)

295 >>>Dammit. ENbed. ENBED. *angry fingers*

Embed

Posted by: Ed Anger at May 05, 2016 05:46 PM (RcpcZ)<<<

Maybe someone imbibed?

Posted by: **makes drinky, drinky motion** at May 05, 2016 05:48 PM (H9MG5)

296 Its the same thing on the Fox 'News' shows...

They have hot Women, or Professional Pundits on when they talk about the news, not actual subject matter experts.

Cracks me up when I see some hot young Chick there as a 'Military Affairs' expert...

They are not there to actually discus the news, so much as further a Narrative a Writer or Editor created for them...

Posted by: Don Quixote at May 05, 2016 05:48 PM (qf6WZ)

297 Well, I think I'll give my angry fingers a rest.

What a day. And what Interesting Times.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 05:49 PM (FsuaD)

298
grammie, I always cringe when I hear Christians say "God is always with us."

I ask them, "But are You with Him." Because that's what matters. America lost it's way, as far as being a blessed nation.

Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 05:49 PM (h+IVw)

299 I'm celebrating Cinco de Mayo with Miller Lite. You ?
Posted by: ScoggDog at May 05, 2016 05:43 PM (fiGNd)
.............
Pinnacle vodka and Redbull...the last line of defense on an unguarded border!

Posted by: Tyler Mason at May 05, 2016 05:50 PM (IL4AQ)

300 I love you grammie. I agree with you too.

I weep for our foreign policy makers, if this is what is happening. Because children are making foreign policy, children who know nothing, especially if it is longer than 146 characters. This explains why there is a twitter campaign orchestrated by Marie Harf, or the ridiculous crap spewed by Earnest and that other nasty woman who claims to speak for State. None of them passed the foreign service exam, which used to be a bitch of a test, so none of them really earned the right to be called an FSO.

But I blame schools as well-they all have international relations degrees, but they don't teach anything other than area studies, and how the white man and the West are evil, and must be destroyed.

I miss my job with State, but I wouldn't go back on a bet now, because of this-the politics are about who can work there, and if they believe the right thing, not are they qualified for the job, and do they look out for America's best interests, which is what State is supposed to do.

Posted by: Moki at May 05, 2016 05:51 PM (ezHMO)

301
Peaky Blinder is back tonight!

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 05, 2016 05:51 PM (iQIUe)

302 Frightening isn't it?

Posted by: steevy at May 05, 2016 05:51 PM (B48dK)

303 The 0bama team incompetent? Say it isn't so!

Posted by: willy at May 05, 2016 05:52 PM (Ffw22)

304 Top.Men

Will the debt also be a figment of imagination?

Posted by: micky at May 05, 2016 05:52 PM (o5vMc)

305 But I blame schools as well-they all have international relations degrees, but they don't teach anything other than area studies, and how the white man and the West are evil, and must be destroyed.

-----------

At some point we have to blame ourselves. How is it that we have lost control of the schools? How is it that we keep electing the same people?

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:53 PM (gmeXX)

306 "Will the debt also be a figment of imagination?"

No, no, that's very real. And it will get us all.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at May 05, 2016 05:53 PM (AbFmZ)

307 the Barbarians aren't just inside the gate; they're f*ckin everywhere, including manning the gate

and by 'gate', I mean something that no longer actually exists

Posted by: SantaRosaStan at May 05, 2016 05:54 PM (Z/X+D)

308 They found a new jellyfish, no joke. It looks like a Martian invader.

Posted by: Tinfoilbaby at May 05, 2016 05:54 PM (rgXmo)

309 "How is it that we keep electing the same people? "

It takes a certain breed of scumbag to want to get into politics. Most good people want nothing to do with it so we're left picking the lesser of two so often.

Posted by: Ricardo Kill at May 05, 2016 05:55 PM (AbFmZ)

310 308 I hope it is is.I for one welcome our alien jellyfish overlords.

Posted by: steevy at May 05, 2016 05:55 PM (B48dK)

311 Joe "Drank The Kool-Aid" Klein tries to tell us that Hillary passes the sit down with Joe 6-Pack test

There is a basic rule of politics in the television age: warm always beats cold (with the exception of Richard Nixon). Hillary Clinton's ultimate trump card will be not her gender but her relative humanity -- an ironic twist given her public awkwardness. Her decision to sit down with West Virginia coal miners and apologize for her harsh, but realistic, prediction that they'll be losing their jobs is the sort of thing that would be unimaginable for Trump. In the amped intimacy of a presidential campaign, such moments matter.

... Joe didn't understand that none of those coal miners believe her for a minute ... before or after. The exuberance of her call to make them all unemployed has not dissipated and none of the facts on the ground have changed.

Posted by: unlawful foreign policy analyst at May 05, 2016 05:56 PM (e8kgV)

312 Do people really go out and get shit faced on Cinco de Mayo?

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 05, 2016 05:57 PM (iQIUe)

313 "How is it that we keep electing the same people? "

It takes a certain breed of scumbag to want to get into politics. Most good people want nothing to do with it so we're left picking the lesser of two so often.

--------

No doubt. But it isn't just the schools, the government, etc. Its us - us being the people. We have allowed it.

I don't have the answers. All we can do is keep fighting. Go to church, raise our children well, educate, inform, etc.

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:57 PM (gmeXX)

314 This is no way to go through life, voting for democrats or republicans!

Posted by: Tyler Mason at May 05, 2016 05:58 PM (IL4AQ)

315 BHO routinely cites his team's failure to communicate better for his unpopularity and lack of success, esp in foreign policy. Not the policies, but the pitch. Rhodes creates the pitches. Hmmm...

Posted by: occam's brassiere at May 05, 2016 05:58 PM (OjM0b)

316 49 And Barry tells us he's smarter than all the people around him. I wonder how quickly Valerie cock-punched him after that comment?
Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (FsuaD)

I don't think she did. She is the one who has cleverly crafted and promoted Obama's so-called high intelligence.
She's the one who said that he gets easily bored because he is such a brainiac...Still it's got to rankle. She appears to have a massive ego, too.

Posted by: washrivergal at May 05, 2016 05:59 PM (CFc5L)

317 Most of the country is willfully blind and happy to be manipulated as long as they get their government kibble and can see us trolled relentlessly. They are going to get a bunch of us killed. Then they'll blame it on us.

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at May 05, 2016 06:00 PM (8dxdo)

318 Wouldn't surprise me to learn they play President-for-the-day by picking it out of a hat in the Oval Office once everyone staggers in around 9.ish.

Oh how we laughed....

Posted by: jsg at May 05, 2016 06:00 PM (YUaoP)

319
... Joe didn't understand that none of those coal miners believe her for a minute ...

It only matters that Joe believes. The miners are irrelevant.

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at May 05, 2016 06:01 PM (k4M/B)

320
317 Most of the country is willfully blind and happy to be manipulated as long as they get their government kibble and can see us trolled relentlessly. They are going to get a bunch of us killed. Then they'll blame it on us.

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at May 05, 2016 06:00 PM (8dxdo)

Just as before... they will use their power to weaken us, and then use that weakness as an excuse for more power (and less freedom for us).

Posted by: Don Quixote at May 05, 2016 06:01 PM (qf6WZ)

321 Bagdad Bob had a better grasp of reality than jef's minions. Imagine if BB had a twitter account.

Posted by: auscolpyr at May 05, 2016 06:02 PM (Ht/4p)

322 How is it that we have lost control of the schools? How is it that we keep electing the same people?

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:53 PM (gmeXX)
======================================

Only speaking for the schools part, I actually do think it goes back to the Supreme Court ruling in, what was it, 1961? - that said basically your faith has no place in the public square (school). Children began to be indoctrinated with the Bill Ayers' philosophy of education, which became the norm in almost all Schools of Education at universities and colleges. I was a student in an experimental school at the University of Illinois in the 60's. A Lab school, they called it. They tested curricula and methods and theories on us. I didn't learn a damn thing subject-wise. I had to do that on my own. What I got was indoctrination. Teachers that told me horrible things about the government and the VietNam war that turned out not to be true. I had to take philosophy and study all the great leftists of history. And they were just getting started.

ALL the teachers that teach in the public schools GO THRU THOSE PROGRAMS. And then they are unleashed on our children. I am still bitter over my educational background.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 05, 2016 06:02 PM (dFi94)

323 Thats right, @317. And wait until late summer, when Dem media is crowing about Hillary fighting off Trump and GOP media moaning that he's treating her with kid gloves. The fix, or should I say Hillary is in. We're all suckers.

Posted by: occam's brassiere at May 05, 2016 06:03 PM (OjM0b)

324 I'm not ready to endorse Trump, says Paul Ryan;
I'm not ready to support Ryan's agenda, says Trump

hotair

Posted by: just wait, you won't believe what happens next at May 05, 2016 06:04 PM (IQI2h)

325 Just wait until Hillary's Fun Camps are up and running, all this BS will be forgotten in a year. Re-education will be the in, and you'll come home with a smile on your face.

Posted by: Colin at May 05, 2016 06:05 PM (jitap)

326 At some point we have to blame ourselves. How is it that we have lost control of the schools? How is it that we keep electing the same people?

Posted by: SH at May 05, 2016 05:53 PM (gmeXX)

I agree with that to a point-we haven't been vigilant enough in stemming this PC/ignorant tide that's starting to crash on us. But I think most of the people here, typing at Ace's, have tried to do something. A lot of us were with the Tea Party, and the GOPe did their best to break that, and they did.

When your fellow "conservatives" scream at you for your beliefs, yell invectives if you have a slightly different idea of what conservative than they do, and think purity tests are needed in order to belong to the fold, then people start falling away. They have jobs and kids and mortgages or rent, or bills, or whatever, and they have to keep working in order to pay for all of that.

The left employs people to scream, yell and make problems for the rest of us. The game is rigged, dare I say, and we fight against them all. Sometimes, it's just too much, and we need a time out, to catch our breath, and then try to get back into it. But it would be nice if our fellow travelers didn't damn us to hell for not agreeing with them on everything.

The

Posted by: Moki at May 05, 2016 06:06 PM (ezHMO)

327
Re-education will be the in, and you'll come home with a smile on your face.
Posted by: Colin

Come home?

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at May 05, 2016 06:07 PM (k4M/B)

328 I live next to a CHP station, they hand out more tickets in the 10 mile radius around my house then just about anywhere. Locals know to slow down, it's always fun to see the quota being made from stupid outsiders. And they always have an add blitz on the radio and TV telling you about the checkpoint, but they still do a banner business. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE.

Posted by: Tinfoilbaby at May 05, 2016 06:07 PM (rgXmo)

329 You gotta be high on bath salts to think a goldfish is smiling at you. Stupid fool.

Posted by: IC at May 05, 2016 06:08 PM (OiiIG)

330 A lot of the media happy with Trump were saying that before Trump, Obama had cut them off, and was essentially running a media operation from the WH, direct to consumers.

Posted by: Harun at May 05, 2016 06:09 PM (UBBWX)

331 Re-education will be the in, and you'll come home with a smile on your face.

Posted by: Colin

Come home?

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at May 05, 2016 06:07 PM (k4M/B)

Are you suggesting ovens?

Posted by: Colin at May 05, 2016 06:09 PM (jitap)

332 My main point is that WH was starving cable TV by running their own media show, and this is a part of it.

Starving people will take anything as food.

Posted by: Harun at May 05, 2016 06:10 PM (UBBWX)

333 He means the Internet and the Nation of Dummies who drink from its stupid streams.

Your words are hurtful.

Posted by: Grump928(C) wonders why you didn't come to him like a fucking man at May 05, 2016 06:10 PM (rwI+c)

334 I'm not ready to endorse Trump, says Paul Ryan;
I'm not ready to support Ryan's agenda, says Trump

hotair

Posted by: just wait, you won't believe what happens next at May 05, 2016 06:04 PM (IQI2h)
Oh no!
Ryan wont endorse Trump????
Smelling salts stat!

Posted by: Velvet Ambition at May 05, 2016 06:11 PM (QPdNE)

335 And Barry tells us he's smarter than all the people around him. I wonder how quickly Valerie cock-punched him after that comment?
Posted by: Jane D'oh at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (FsuaD)

I don't think she did. She is the one who has cleverly crafted and promoted Obama's so-called high intelligence.
She's the one who said that he gets easily bored because he is such a brainiac...Still it's got to rankle. She appears to have a massive ego, too.

I'm sure that it burns her that rodent-Americans aren't eligible for the presidency.

Posted by: Grump928(C) wonders why you didn't come to him like a fucking man at May 05, 2016 06:14 PM (rwI+c)

336 328 I live next to a CHP station, they hand out more tickets in the 10 mile radius around my house then just about anywhere. Locals know to slow down, it's always fun to see the quota being made from stupid outsiders. And they always have an add blitz on the radio and TV telling you about the checkpoint, but they still do a banner business. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE.
Posted by: Tinfoilbaby at May 05, 2016 06:07 PM (rgXmo)

===========
Are you referring to Cinco de Mayo?

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 05, 2016 06:14 PM (iQIUe)

337 Only speaking for the schools part, I actually do think it goes back to the Supreme Court ruling in, what was it, 1961? - that said basically your faith has no place in the public square (school). Children began to be indoctrinated with the Bill Ayers' philosophy of education, which became the norm in almost all Schools of Education at universities and colleges. I was a student in an experimental school at the University of Illinois in the 60's. A Lab school, they called it. They tested curricula and methods and theories on us. I didn't learn a damn thing subject-wise. I had to do that on my own. What I got was indoctrination. Teachers that told me horrible things about the government and the VietNam war that turned out not to be true. I had to take philosophy and study all the great leftists of history. And they were just getting started.

ALL the teachers that teach in the public schools GO THRU THOSE PROGRAMS. And then they are unleashed on our children. I am still bitter over my educational background.
Posted by: grammie winger

I went to a public school (somewhat later than you) which, although a public school, was just as avant-garde and leftist as the experimental school you attended.

The stuff we were "taught" was in some instances so outrageous that it would still count as outrageous even in 2016. We had Black Panthers haranguing us from the podium during two-hour mandatory school assemblies about white devils and killer "pigs" and all sorts of Nation of Islam conspiracy theories and Communist lunacy all jumbled up. My "American History" class never once mentioned a white person -- by design. And this wasn't an "African-American" history class, but what was supposedly the mainstream normal American history class. Every important American in history, from Sojourner Truth to Malcolm X. Sex Ed classes showed Swedish porn films, falsely and cynically labelled as "educational." Academic awards were explicitly given to the WORST students, intentionally, because (as explained during the awards ceremony) they "needed" the awards more, to boost their self-esteem. Me and another student were once punished and had our grades lowered because we "humiliated" the other students by doing better than them on a math quiz. Etc. etc. I could go on for hours.

That is modern academia, sadly. What were once fringe experiences, like what you and I lived through, are now commonplace.

Posted by: zombie at May 05, 2016 06:15 PM (jBuUi)

338 So the WH exploits the fact that the media stopped funding foreign correspondents. Also exploited lack of experience of journos. 27 year olds. (Juice box mafia.)Who also only had experience with political campaigns. And who are compadres, aka Democrats.

I hate Obama and his team, but is this on them?

Sounds like they just used the media. We'd do the same if we could.

Posted by: Harun at May 05, 2016 06:15 PM (UBBWX)

339 301

Peaky Blinder is back tonight!

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 05, 2016 05:51 PM (iQIUe)
yeah!!!!

Posted by: phoenixgirl at May 05, 2016 06:19 PM (0O7c5)

340 Drudge has a big ...

OBAMA AIDE: WE CONTROL THE MEDIA

Posted by: Salah Abdeslam at May 05, 2016 06:20 PM (e8kgV)

341 We have become a pseudo intellectual reality show of a nation. I'm not surprised. When I saw the popularity of "The West Wing", and the fawning about how "brilliant" it was, I knew where we were headed. If it sounds smart the general public will eat it up like a rerun of "The Big Bang Theory".
That's how a no nothing like the Zipster gets elected.

Posted by: Hadoop at May 05, 2016 06:21 PM (2X7pN)

342 If Ben was a better beer pong player, he'd get more recognition for his invaluable contributions.

Posted by: Fritz at May 05, 2016 06:21 PM (f40FU)

343 FBI GRILLS HUMA, OTHER CLINTON AIDES -- SOME MORE THAN ONCE...

HILLARY INTERVIEW IN 'COMING WEEKS'...

2 DAYS AGO: 'NO CONTACT' WITH FEDS...

(CNN) Some of Hillary Clinton's closest aides, including her longtime adviser Huma Abedin, have provided interviews to federal investigators, as the FBI probe into the security of her private email server nears completion, U.S. officials briefed on the investigation tell CNN. The investigation is still ongoing, but so far investigators haven't found evidence to prove that Clinton willfully violated the law the U.S. officials say.

Posted by: Rebecca Newberger Goldstein at May 05, 2016 06:23 PM (e8kgV)

344 I'm sure that it burns her that rodent-Americans aren't eligible for the presidency.
Posted by: Grump928(C) wonders why you didn't come to him like a fucking man at May 05, 2016 06:14 PM (rwI+c)

It must. Like murderers and bank robbers, who are so proud of their mis-deeds, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't do a Bill Ayers and confess to her crimes when the dust settles and Obama is out of the WH. Just like this chap, who can't help but tell.

Posted by: washrivergal at May 05, 2016 06:24 PM (CFc5L)

345 That is modern academia, sadly. What were once fringe experiences, like what you and I lived through, are now commonplace.

Posted by: zombie at May 05, 2016 06:15 PM (jBuUi)
============================================

Fortunately, zombie, you had the intellect and skills and self-motivation to educate yourself. There were probably others along the way to help steer you ahead. I had some of those people too. Thank God for them.

Skip ahead 20-odd years or so. My daughter who had been in Christian school but was now in public school due to a move, had an angel teacher on her side. She devised an entire individual curriculum for her, on the teacher's own time. At the end of the school year, the teacher pulled me aside and said, "You've got to get your daughter out of here. There is nothing good ahead." We scraped our pennies together and found another Christian school for her.

Don't get me wrong, there are some wonderful teachers in the public schools. But to me they seem so few and far between, and face so many obstacles from administration - it makes getting through school a mine field.

Posted by: grammie winger at May 05, 2016 06:26 PM (dFi94)

346 Man, you don't want to grill people twice. That just leaves them tough and chewy.

Posted by: Long Pig - Recipes for the Burning Times at May 05, 2016 06:27 PM (6bOpb)

347 50
No one fact-checks these people; our press is worse than useless, they are complicit. There is no opposition party, either. How do the Republicans get rolled by guys like Rhodes, Gruber, Jarret, and obama?

Answer: They're all in on it.
Posted by: Flock of Seagulls at May 05, 2016 04:52 PM (h+IVw)

Remember the photo of Rupert Murdoch, Jeb Bush, and Valerie Jarrett all grinning and yucking it up together at a dinner table?

Posted by: rickl at May 05, 2016 06:27 PM (sdi6R)

348 The Goldfish Smiles, You Smile Back
But just for the halibut.
Ducks.....

Posted by: Abbyjack at May 05, 2016 06:31 PM (vtJLF)

349 A foreign policy haiku:
We control the press
Like Ben Rhodes tongues my black boots
Barf rhymes with my name.

Posted by: Marie Harf at May 05, 2016 06:31 PM (aOqpx)

350 Remember the photo of Rupert Murdoch, Jeb Bush, and Valerie Jarrett all grinning and yucking it up together at a dinner table?
Posted by: rickl at May 05, 2016 06:27 PM (sdi6R)

=============
Murdoch is always sticking it to conservatives on the Daily Mail. And he pushes every race hoax and never corrects the story when the hoaxers are exposed.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at May 05, 2016 06:31 PM (iQIUe)

351 Just think, if Hillary wins, Rhodes will be replaced by Sid Blumenthal.

Still committed to #NeverTrump?

Posted by: K.N. McBride at May 05, 2016 06:33 PM (N6JmI)

352 "The investigation is still ongoing, but so far investigators haven't found evidence to prove that Clinton willfully violated the law the U.S. officials say."

So the email that said "print it out and send it non-secure" doesn't count?

Also the statute in question says nothing about willful.

Posted by: Drill at May 05, 2016 07:03 PM (s/+cU)

353 Ace. This is all that comes to mind reading your posts lately.

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,

http://tinyurl.com/jgn96g4

Posted by: Off the reservation at May 05, 2016 07:06 PM (YlqSL)

354 Steve Hayes, today, elaborated on Trump "contradicted himself 7 times" in one statement and all 'round the table they laughed. But day before yesterday Trump says Rafael Cruz was with Oswald and nare a word of contention comes forth from Faux 'n Friends.

Posted by: I Want a New Party at May 05, 2016 07:39 PM (DElAm)

355 Worse, in the morning Trump associated Rafael Cruz with Oswald, and in the evening of the same day Trump said Cruz had a "wonderful family". If a guy can say two so wildly contradictory things in the same day, then no one in his right mind can believe a single thing the guy says, any time ever.

Posted by: Casper at May 05, 2016 08:47 PM (GmjMm)

356 Oh, we were both on the wrong thread. Oh, well.

Posted by: Casper at May 05, 2016 08:48 PM (GmjMm)

357 > 64
No wonder this country is collapsing faster than Rome.
Posted by: Vashta Nerada

-------
Rome took many, many, centuries to collapse.

Posted by: ArthurK at May 05, 2016 09:39 PM (h53OH)

358 This article is quite eye-opening. I guess they're not even trying to keep the masks on anymore.

Posted by: Average Jen at May 06, 2016 09:38 AM (0xQeL)

359 Everything old is new again. Re: Walter Cronkite; Vietnam.

Posted by: Jim at May 06, 2016 09:55 AM (4dq1m)

360 Yo 'Favs', get 'Rhodesy' in here. Time to craft a speech that will change the narrative that will bend the arc of history.

-Dingleberry In Chief

Posted by: Steve Wynwood at May 06, 2016 10:53 AM (TfpUC)

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