White House vs. State Department = Obama vs. Clintons

Bill Clinton told Hillary To Resign; US Arming ‘Syrian Rebels’ With Ties To Al Queda, Muslim Brotherhood
Ed Klein claims that "Bill Clinton advised his wife to resign over the possible criminal fallout of the Benghazi massacre. Today we learn from sources that not only did Hillary ask for added security, and was denied, but her closest advisers strongly suggested she seek legal counsel just days after the attack. Why? Why did “they” deny Hillary’s requests for added security to Benghazi, and why is this a situation in which a Secretary of State would need personal legal counsel? Could the Benghazi fallout, go beyond what a Public Relations firm can handle? I’d say YES. Could this be a criminal act, negligence, dereliction of duty, which resulted in murder? I’d say YES. And I’d say that Hillary is telling the truth as the “source” of these latest developments come straight from her “legal counsel”. Hillary did prior to September 11th, 2012 order added security for Benghazi, and those requests were denied—but by who?"

The Daily Caller carried this back on Oct 12th: As Benghazi blame nears Hillary, Clintons grow furious  

"With tensions between President Obama and the Clintons at a new high, former President Bill Clinton is moving fast to develop a contingency plan for how his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, should react if Obama attempts to tie the Benghazi fiasco around her neck, according to author Ed Klein."

According to Breitbart's Big Peace; Obama-Clinton rift threatens re-election

State Department let White House know after two hours that Benghazi was a terrorist operation
"They can claim ignorance all they want, but the evidence is now overwhelming that they sought to cover up or obscure the truth about the attack because the president had been saying that al-Qaeda was on the run and that a terrorist attack so close to the election would have been politically damaging.
"It will be intersting to see what Romney does with this new information."
So far nothing.

On Libya; The Return of the Angry Reader

Victor Davis Hanson  A reader takes Hanson to task over an earlier column, thinking he had said we should not have taken out Gadhafi. Mr. Hanson attempts to disabuse the writer of this notion here: 
...."We knew that fact within hours after Ambassador Stevens was killed.

"Why did I write they were lying? Because the Obama administration, as I argued, was wedded to a pre-election rosy narrative of the Middle East: Obama had Osama bin Laden taken out, and thereby that fact rendered al Qaeda impotent; and Obama intervened in the Arab Spring and thereby shepherded in democracy. But the murder of an ambassador by Islamic terrorists suggested that both radical Islam is quite active and we in our triumphalism were woefully unready."....

startribune.com

...."The point is that we now have no control over what Libya becomes, as we have no control over what Egypt or Syria becomes. So as I said Libya is "a blueprint for nothing." How clear can one be? Ceding authority to the UN, ceding authority to the Arab League, ignoring the US Congress, outsourcing leadership to the Europeans, failing to vet the opposition, failing to protect Americans on the ground, lying about the death of an Ambassador to preserve a false pre-election narrative — all that seems pretty "nothing" to me."

Niall Ferguson: Obama’s Gotta Go

http://terrellaftermath.com/

The Daily Beast said this way back in August  But this is not an old opinion; we have all been saying this since Obama spoke to Joe the Plumber. And before.

"According to Ron Suskind’s book Confidence Men, Summers told Orszag over dinner in May 2009: “You know, Peter, we’re really home alone ... I mean it. We’re home alone. There’s no adult in charge. Clinton would never have made these mistakes [of indecisiveness on key economic issues].” On issue after issue, according to Suskind, Summers overruled the president. “You can’t just march in and make that argument and then have him make a decision,” Summers told Orszag, “because he doesn’t know what he’s deciding.” (I have heard similar things said off the record by key participants in the president’s interminable “seminar” on Afghanistan policy.)"

Ann Coulter; OBAMA: HALF-BLACK BUT ALL DEMOCRAT

Ann Coulter;
"In liberals’ view, blacks don’t count. They aren’t — in the Times’ words — “the bulk of native workers.” 
"According to the Times, Obama’s black supporters were dismayed at a White House meeting last year when cards were passed out to campaign donors with talking points about how Obama had helped various groups. There were cards for women, Jews, gays and lesbians. But no talking points for how Obama had helped black Americans.
"So Joe Biden tells a black audience that Romney wants to “put y’all back in chains,” and MSNBC hosts claim opposition to Obama’s re-election is based on “racial hatred,” and the Democrats believe their work is done." Oh, by the way, Coulter mentioned Chris Matthews and his racialism and I wanted to be sure you saw that:

Since my book came out, MSNBC, the Official Network for Racism Detection, has moved on from trying to convince black people that Republicans are promoting slavery and segregation to trying to convince women that Republicans plan to redefine rape and ban contraception.

And:

Only Chris Matthews is still on racism patrol. After the third presidential debate on Monday night, Matthews said that conservatives and “the white working class in the South” have a “racial hatred” for Obama. Why, Chris is so crazy about black people, he’s even considering hiring one someday to work on his show! Not yet, but soon.

'Boston Globe' Joins Obama's Dirty Trick Brigade

Big Journalism  "We know Gloria Allred has personally met with Barack Obama. We also know Gloria Allred is currently attempting to create a whiff of scandal to aid and abet Obama's war on women narrative over some nonsense involving a scorned woman and a divorce settlement from the nineties. Furthermore, we also know this is how the Axelrod/Obama machine operates to win elections because unsealing divorce records to destroy opponents is exactly what they've done before. What's new in today's scenario, though, is that The Boston Globe has officially joined the Obama/Axelrod/Chicago Dirty Trick Brigade."

ocregister.com

Comments on the Benghazi embassy attack

Sharyl Attkisson, CBS News; Emails detail unfolding Benghazi attack on Sept. 11  "These emails contain the earliest description so far of what happened at Benghazi the night of the attack.

Read the emails (PDF)
Ambassador warned Libya was "volatile and violent"
Why no one has been right about Libya
CIA saw possible terror ties day after Libya hit: AP

PJ Tatler; White House Was Told Benghazi was a Terrorist Attack Two Hours Into the Battle"Two hours. 120 minutes. Just one-third of the way into the six-hour battle. That’s how soon officials in the Obama White House had been told that the assault in Benghazi was a terrorist attack."

Jihad Watch exclaims, "Re-elected? Are you kidding? How about impeached?"

White House Responds to Release of Real-Time Emails About Benghazi Attack Jake Tapper, ABC News; "The White House this morning attempted to down-play the significance of emails sent to top national security officials during the attack on the diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, one of which suggested a known terrorist group claimed credit for the attack in its immediate aftermath. As obtained by ABC News’ John Parkinson and posted last night, the emails seem to be ones sent by the State Department Operations Center to distribution lists and email accounts for the top national security officials at the State Department, Pentagon, the FBI"...,

State Department emails from day of Libya attack show Al Qaeda-tied group on radar   "Fox News was told that an estimated 300 to 400 national security figures received these emails in real time almost as the raid was playing out and concluding. People who received these emails work directly under the nation’s top national security, military and diplomatic officials, Fox News was told."   (Video)

Obama’s Benghazi Investigator: An Iran Sympathizer  "The freshly appointed chairman of a federal investigation into the Benghazi massacre is an apologist for Islamic terrorism who has a cozy relationship with Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. And to add insult to injury, at press time Tuesday evening the chairman of this new State Department panel, former Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering, was poised to participate in a panel discussion at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on “what role the faith community can play in fighting Islamophobia.” "

The 7 Most Trivial Campaign Issues That Obama Has Embraced

Townhall  "Like him or not, you have to admit that Mitt Romney has at least centered his campaign around the issues that matter. He has spent most of his time focused on the economy, jobs, the debt, and foreign policy. On the other hand, Barack Obama's entire campaign has been one long circus of trivialities. Instead of making "Forward" his campaign slogan, he should have used something more appropriate like, "Hey, look over there!" How bad has it gotten? This bad. "

...."If Barack Obama doesn't even know what investments he has in his own pension, is it any surprise that he doesn't realize how much debt we have, how damaging Obamacare is to America, or how many Americans he's keeping out of work with his policies? "

Alert the media- The NY Times doesn't like Romney! Oh, they ARE the media.

http://terrellaftermath.com/

"Horses and Bayonets" goes viral

Blackfive; Military Capabilities  "It's one thing to say that you want a smaller, less capable American navy for some reason -- or that you are willing to accept a reduced American capacity to project power around the world. It's another thing to suggest that these ships are examples of why we don't need a large Navy. In fact, the model of power projection built around these ships is exactly why we need a large Navy. The ships are evidence for the opposite of the President's argument."

Obama's 'Horses and Bayonets' Goes Viral  "Along with "horses and bayonets," Americans were also searching other military terms during the debate, including Drones and Syria."

Marines train in how to use the bayonet in close combat warfare.

"Mr. Romney’s point in calling for an expanded shipbuilding program is that the Navy is the primary means for the U.S. to project power around the world. The current Navy, the Romney campaign has said, is too small to provide a stabilizing force all around the globe. A bigger Navy, Romney aides argue, could help increase stability and head off conflicts in the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere." Related post here.

McCain: Obama’s Sarcasm “Inappropriate” and “Unpresidential”   " “I don’t know why the president of the United States feels it’s necessary to denigrate and insult his opponent,” said McCain. “It’s not only bad taste, and, frankly, inappropriate for a president of the United States, but it’s also wrong.” "

Marines stick it to Obama with bayonet tweets and pics   "Seizing the opportunity to talk up their beloved weapons, Marines have been unleashing a Twitter torrent of bayonet facts and photos like those above ever since the words left the Commander in Chief’s lips."

Caroline Glick on a Red line for Iran

Caroline Glick  "One of the disturbing things about last night's presidential debate is that the discussion on Iran was at least four years out of date. Iran is about to cross the threshold. I know voters don't want to hear it. But it is true.

"Please take 15 minutes to watch this important YouTube video about what is at stake as Iran races, unhindered to the nuclear finish line. Watch it and then post it on your facebook page and website and send it out to everyone you know. The politicians don't want to admit how urgent this is. We have to show them that we are strong enough to handle the truth."
Caroline Glick's resume':  ...."In its Israeli Independence Day supplement in 2003, Ma’ariv named me the most prominent woman in Israel. In December 2005, I was awarded the Ben Hecht award for Middle East reporting from the Zionist Organization of America. In January 2006, I was awarded the Abramowitz Prize for Media Criticism by Israel Media Watch.

Israel, this is how our president stands by our allies

Last night's final debate; commentaries

Legal Insurrection; Obama loves straw man arguments, known on the internets as being a shorter.
"The false choice between Obama’s position on an issue and some absurd extreme alternative is Obama’s way of framing most issues.
" “Some say” we should have no government or similar ridiculousness is a typical Obama refrain in order to justify massive government."
"Notice how Obama never addresses what the Navy says it needs. Most of the clips you will see of this segment omit Romney’s reference to the Navy’s own assessment of its needs.

The nutroots are gaga over this, but did it really help Obama?

"I think the military may disagree that a fully equipped Navy, by the Navy’s own standards, is the equivalent of resurrecting the cavalry. Same goes for the Air Force."

Politico; Mitt Romney wins debate season  ""Barack Obama won on points last night. But that victory may not have been enough to undo the damage done to the president by this year's debate season."

PJ Media; Big Bird, Binders, Bayonets: Who Sank Whose Battleship?  "Romney’s Libya answer, when asked about policy failures and whether the White House attempted to mislead the public on what happened, was a broader take on the need to deal with Islamic radicalism."

AP’s Latest Fact Free ‘Fact Check’ Of Romney  "Note that Obama flat out lied when he said: "You were very clear that you would not provide government assistance to the U.S. auto companies, even if they went through bankruptcy."

"In fact, in the very New York Times editorial that the news media so love to cite, Romney specifically called for government assistance: "The federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing and assure car buyers that their warranties are not at risk." "

Much was made of Romney's point that Syria would give Iran access "to the sea", snarkily saying that they already had access to the Persian Gulf. They do, but not to the Mediterranean Sea, which would give Iran direct access to the coast of Israel and increased ability to threaten the Suez Canal. That would be major.

No matter. Obama's supporters are fully committed to him, not because he is knowledgeable and effective in foreign policy but merely because he is Barack Obama.

I fear this man's effect on America, but not as much as I fear those who want him to be president. The Tunnel Dweller

CNN poll tends to confirm that Romney “won” by drawing 

Stilton Jarlsberg at Hope n' Change made this point with which I agree:

In candor, I'm extremely disappointed that Mitt didn't beat Barry over the head with his numerous foreign policy failures. I don't know if Mitt's pollsters told him not to risk it, or it Mitt just didn't have the stomach for it. But it SHOULD have been said that this president has endangered American lives, undermined the confidence of our allies, emboldened our enemies, and generally made a complete mess of every conceivable foreign policy decision he's made.

Hot Air; Romney wins the debate season — and the key test for a challenger; Update: Romney hits 50% in Rasmussen tracker, up 4  Debate's "real value to voters, however, is to test the presidential mettle of each man.  A President is presumed to have more of it, by virtue of his four years in the office already, so the challenger has to work hard to equal or surpass his stature.  Romney did that in the first debate, and in the two succeeding debates solidified his standing as a man at least Obama’s equal."

From the Council on Foreign Relations: Presidential Debate Transcript, Florida, October 2012

Yeshiva World News in Israel naturally paid close attention to this: Romney, Obama Pledge Israel Backing, Agree Iran Strike Last Resort   "Rick “Ozzie” Nelson, an international security expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the foreign policy debate was “underwhelming” and the candidates kept switching to domestic policies."

Heritage Experts’ Roundup of the Final Presidential Debate   One point I'm glad that Romney made:  "President Obama stated his support for the 2009 Green Revolution in Iran tonight. That is three years late and a dollar short. Just as he revised his record on the Benghazi attack, calling it terrorism four weeks after the fact, President Obama has now changed his position on Iran. One of the reasons we still have the Mullahs in power in Tehran today is that the United States failed to support a promising, fledgling political uprising against the autocratic regime of Iran."

American Thinker had these:

Romney passes final test  "In his three debates, Romney proved himself at least the equal, and at times the master, of Obama. By any measure, the Obama campaign's attempt to make Romney appear to be a risky choice has utterly failed while the Republican has shown himself to be a viable, plausible alternative.

Obama's Facial Expressions Lost the Debate for Him  "That's the problem with transformational figures, they always know how to save humanity in general, but they end up never saving anyone or anything in particular."

A Most Pathetic 'Debate'

From Lucianne:

Romney Passed the Test  by Fred Barnes:  "Romney waltzed. Obama did the Electric Slide."

Obama, Disarmed  From NRO; "Over all, the debate came down to the economy, and Romney’s case was much stronger. I think Romney was the clear winner on points and by appearing presidential."

Petulant, Perturbed Obama Just Can't Help Himself   "Pouting comes second nature".

From Nealz Nuze:

Foreign Policy Debate? "The “I got bin Laden” statements from Obama were predictable and shallow.  But .. when you’re speaking to a shallow electorate, shallow works."

Where Obama Lost Points   On Obama's "bayonets" zinger, Boortz said:

This was a trifecta for Obama. He managed to combine snarky, sarcastic and condescending into one immature statement.
Romney is right here. Our military is weakened. That would be because Obama came into office with the intent of weakening the American military. He was raised to believe that America was an evil colonial power – and that power was exercised through the American military. Obama was raised and nurtured to despise the U.S. Armed Forces. One can only guess how much of that has stuck with him into the presidency. Remember – the Obama administration is working overtime to suppress the military vote in this election.

Legal Insurrection; Best Tweets of the Final Debate — Romney as The President, Obama as desperate challenger  I think this line beat out the "bayonets and horses" zinger:

@Ostrov_A Bang! #Romney to #Obama: I certainly won't be telling Putin I'm going you more flexibility after the election." #Debate2012