My view is going to attempt an intellectual abstraction, or commonly referred by our “non sequitur “media as a conspiracy theory. That is the twenty four hour beast that is supposed to inform and educate America, seems channel 666 is almost everywhere.

Mr. Saulys has pointed out and was spot on about Bush, actually Bush and Cheney have been filleted to conviction that could have been “Hard balled” but was avoided important real impressive justification, even though it would ruin many on the Republican side and the Democratic side that would cleanse America for the next Golden Age. So the struggle goes on.

My opinion is that the Bush fortune has been and always was governed by war profiteering. Prescott Bush likely played out the long time plan to buy off, all those who need to be “Made Off”. Or even helps many on “Gaussian Bunker Banker Committees”, sad however those by no guilt are actually in a precarious situation as multitudes of millionaires duped and force to run a continuum in profiteering that is antithetical to America’s needs. This has to be the most brilliant infidel pattern a Wahhabi could build. But as Ike was right to say watch out for the war industry; it’s not the American way. Then where does the money go, and who is in that way?

From my view there should be curiosity about the American connection to the United Nations via Susan Rice. The push back from my view reflects an unseen background of possible operations that has been going on through the blessings of the United Nations. Secret Sam stuff happens; covert stuff might go airy, and like Benghazi within this institution too only the average American does not know. Any blessings of the international community means Bush or Obama covers their ass. And we don’t know about it, via oppression of our mainstream media. From my view the push back from the Republican Party to get rid of Susan Rice was to “turn off the lights” for complicit insider stuff, very damaging stuff.

The Republican Party going postal is another flag of what could be the next economic pattern. The grief placed on enormous tidings, benefit tax, or to lay out the pre traumatic economic stress benefit that is a glaring signal of the takers comparing to the makers. From my view as a student of electronic engineering the Republican Party is obviously preparing for what is enviably the major global infrastructure morph, a complete over haul of the citizen government connection, something never done in recorded history, applications in fiber optic communications that convert America’s postal system to an automation level never before seen by any culture of man. Every citizen has a fiber optic connection. Many know the real science moves at the speed of light. Especially the medical profession very well would shape to the needs of everyone. The entire actions necessary by an endeavor like this is very significant, lawful, and constitutional by the authority of the president.

The president just needs money.

Look, I agree with just about everything Thom has to say. But just now, while listening to his show about the domestic use of Drones and the privacy impications collateral to that use, he broke for a commercial. And ya know what that commercial was pitching????!! A service by Hoovers, where in it supplied "leads" on individuals for business use. These "leads" are commonly the result of information collected about citizens, without their knowledge or permission. In my view - that is a violation of their privacy; and such practices should not be promoted on Thom's show..

Responding directly to the topic of the day, Thom & Louise have just addressed my biggest issue with the Obama Administration. I can't imagine anything more cowardly or more obscene than warfare by drones. The very thought of one of these "warriors" kicked back in his little office, thousands of miles away from his target, sipping his morning coffee while massacring innocent people abroad... ohmygod, I can't even describe the emotions it stirs up from the depths of my soul. How I'd love to slip a tab of cyanide into that guy's coffee cup! Drone "warriors" are terrorists of the worst kind, and this is what FASCISM looks like.

It never ceases to amaze me that a constitutional scholar like Obama would authorize such brazenly anti-constitutional policies as imprisonment without due process, kidnapping & torture; even assassination of American citizens! There are no words that could begin to describe the revulsion I have felt over these policies. Bad as things were in the days of my youth, I never could have imagined us living under a regime this twisted and evil.

When Obama was first elected in '08, I really hoped he'd put an end to these horrible fascist policies Baby Bush initiated, and prosecute our war criminals and kill the so-called Patriot Act. Instead he's only exacerbated the situation, preserving and even intensifying Bush's policies of spying, torture and murder. If I remember correctly, the use of drones has doubled under Obama's watch. Chris Hedges and Daniel Ellsberg are trying to sue him over these policies, even if that means having him impeached. It would not break my heart to see them succeed in their efforts, although I'm not holding my breath. - Aliceinwonderland

Kend's comment implying that Bush and Reagan are not to blame while Obama gets a "free pass" is laughable.

Regarding healthcare, our "uniquely American" pay-or-die system is responsible for nearly fifty thousand preventable deaths in this country, each and every year. Seems to me that the nightmare scenario you are suggesting has already "come true". So please inform us; how many Canadians are dying each year from preventable causes? Or left homeless & destitute by medical expenses? Just answer those questions, please. - Aliceinwonderland

MMmmNACHOS says "Obama isn't/wasn't the lesser of two evils... When you compare Mitt and Obama on the issues - both foreign and domestic - their agenda was the same." And I respectfully - but vehemently - disagree.

For the past several years I have been an intermittant subscriber to The Nation, one of the greatest magazines published in this part of the world. It's been in circulation for well over a century, and Its pages contain some of the most intelligent political analysis I have ever read. The October 22, 2012 issue has, on its cover, the rhetorical question: "Why Obama?" and I'll quote what follows: "If he loses this election, we can expect a ruthless effort to dismantle the social contract and decimate sources of resistance." Flip past the cover and the first article's title reads like a command: "Re-Elect the President". It starts out by openly acknowledging progressives' discontent with our president and his policies as valid and justified. "But", it goes on, "that discussion should not obscure what is at stake in this election. A victory for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan in November would validate the reactionary extremists who have captured the Republican Party. It would represent the triumph of social Darwinism, the religious right, corporate power and the big money donors who thrive in a new Guilded Age of inequality. It would strike a devastating blow to progressive values and movements, locking us in rear-guard actions on a range of issues-- from the rights of women, minorities, immigrants and LGBT people to the preservation of social insurance programs and a progressive tax structure. Inside the Democratic Party, Obama's defeat would embolden the Blue Dogs and New Dems, who have greased the party's slide to the right. Whatever disappointments we have with Obama's first term- and there are many- progressives have a profound interest in the popular rejection of the Romney/Ryan ticket."

Whatever your issues with Obama (which I am likely to share), lumping him with Romney as if they were one & the same constitutes a grave error of judgment. They are NOT the same. To insist that they are is simplistic, black & white thinking (no pun intended). It is allowing anger and discontent to cloud your better judgment. It is also intellectually lazy, in my opinion.

Do I think Obama will go down in history as one of our great presidents? Absolutely not. That same article I just quoted part of went on to say: "...we have no illusions about the audacity of hope, no faith that the re-election of President Obama alone will accomplish the radical change this magazine has championed." It outlines the work we as progressives still have to do and names Congressional candidates to elect and re-elect. It also reminds us that sliding back into complacency after the election is not an option if we want real progressive change in this country.

I would have much preferred Jill Stein or Rocky Anderson over Barak Obama. But neither of them had a prayer of a chance of beating back those ugly fascists, Romney & Ryan. We can blame our corporatized media for sidelining and marginalizing the best candidates by excluding them from the televised debates. This highlights the issue of media consolidation, one of the greatest threats to our democracy. Never underestimate the power of the media! Excluding third-party candidates from those debates practically guarantees their defeat in any election. That, my friend, is the reality of the situation, and like the old saying goes: "Denial is not a river in Egypt." - Aliceinwonderland

Quote DAnneMarc:As far as I am concerned, for a "Constitutional" Professor to follow G. W. off the deep end of the Constitutional spectrum is a far greater crime. Personally, I hold President Obama far more responsible for not ending this blatant siege on our Constitution. The blame falls fully on his shoulders.

I certainly agree! Bush was just an ignorant dummy...but Obama should know better. Question is...is he acting his role as the President under duress? Or is he willfully behind his actions? He must know who has all the guns in town, and all the money, and the power. Martin Luther King knew his days were numbered. I don't know if JFK did. But, there are powers in this country that will not stand for any deviation of accumulation of wealth and power and are ruthless enough to do the unimaginable.

"Who could have thought that hijackers would have crashed airplanes into the WTC towers?" Isn't that what Condoleeza Rice said, while smirking crocodile tears? Yes, the unimaginable, and to this day, many people still buy the official government conspiracy theory. If you believe the official government conspiracy theory, you may as well believe that Wall Street and the Banksters are all looking out for our well being. Regular saints, they are!

And when you eventually come to realize the truth you must admit that our real enemies are not the manufactured ones from the Middle East. Our real enemies are the ones that engineer false flags, murder their own citizens in the thousands, and manufacture propaganda that is tantamount to convincing us all to be enslaved or commit suicide. Get us all to believe in their lies and we will all die fools and toadies for the master propagandists who deluded and beguiled us all.

Quote 2950-10K:I'm not so sure that drone usage as an assassination tool decreases the numbers of those who hate us, in fact it probably has an effect I would describe as terrorism fertilizer, invigorating the growth of hatred for us.

In fact, I believe that the whole purpose was not to 'win hearts and minds' but to create enemies so that they would serve as an excuse for massive military spending. It was pretty much the same thing during the cold war with Russia..an excuse to maximize military spending. Keep the taxpayers afraid, very afraid, and they are willing to give up their liberties, their freedoms, and most of all their money.

Well said, DAnneMarc! Wow!

Quote DAnneMarc: ...the civilian casualties in Iraq alone number enough people to fill the Oakland Coliseum 12 times over.......Compared to it's carnage, these lone nut shootings are mosquito bites on the back side of a horse.

Hey KEN WARE...Where ya been...Napping???

So why are you such a curmudgeon?
Every post I read of yours is just filled with ignorance, judgement, and nasty rants about who you hate and how everyone but you is a waste of space.
Why don't you follow your own criticisms and engage a conversation with your own thoughts and original ideas regarding the "issues" you feel are important??? I'm sure someone will play with you.
...that or just piss off!!!

I am glad to see that all the usual rightwing and left-wingers are still at it again. As usual you both are making the same biased remarks. Now I am reminded why I stopped bothering to read this blog...If you took the time to look at your comments from the outside, you would see how meaningless your garble is in real terms. I guess that is why they call it free speech, everyone wants to be heard and recognized even if it makes you all sound foolish most of the time. One good thing, it keeps this blog employed for now...Let the bombs fall if it accomplishes anything more than just pissing off the Muslims and only time will tell that answer. The Government, whether it be Democrat or Republican, has been killing Americans right here at home with their policies and I do not see any comments about that. Oh, that’s right; Tommy has to give the go ahead on his blog before anything of substance is mentioned. Talk about blind followers, you guys all need canes or Seeing Eye dogs.

Hey 2950, you may have a point! Homeland Security gets a reading on somebody working for say, Mother Jones. The consensus is that this journalist is "aiding and abetting the enemy" by publishing inflammatory material critical to the government. One quick covert strike in Cleveland (or wherever) removes the "problem". What could be more efficient. I like it!

Vengeance after the fact is ineffective enough as a way of promoting peace and security. But this idea of killing people who MIGHT do something harmful? That is no recipe for promoting freedom, peace or solving the deeper issues we are facing as a nation. It's a good way to line the pockets of those (and there are many...) who profit greatly from war-making, but I'm not sure that's a valid top priority. Saving soldiers' lives? No, killing is usually returned, matter of time. Do you want endless war? Operations like these would satisfy that desire.