The White House reacted harshly to the Senate’s overwhelming vote on Wednesday to override President Obama’s veto of a bill that would enable the family members of 9/11 victims to sue the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in U.S. Courts.
Press Secretary Josh Earnest called it “the single most embarrassing thing the United States Senate has done possibly since 1983.”
As it happens, the White House’s principled opposition to the bill was based on its worry that it would open the door to lawsuits from foreigners accusing the U.S. government of crimes, possibly including the killing of hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq and Afghanistan, torture, deaths of innocent people with drones, and global mass surveillance.
That makes Earnest’s comment the single most hyperbolic thing he’s said since — well — ever.
For the record, here are just a few of the Senate actions in the aforementioned time period that were truly, profoundly — and therefore way more — embarrassing:
- Greenlighting the Invasion of Iraq: The October 2002 77-23 vote to authorize war powers for Iraq paved the way for a conflict that has consumed hundreds of thousands of lives and an outbreak of instability that still reverberates today. Only six senators even read the National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq prior to their votes.
- Refusing to Take Up a Bill to Address Global Warming: The House of Representatives passed a cap-and-trade plan to tackle global warming in 2009. The Senate’s leadership decided to never take it up.
- Deciding to Leave a Supreme Court Justice’s Seat Unfilled: Since the passing of former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Senate Republicans have decided to simply leave the seat unfilled, refusing to consider Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland for the spot since March.
- Systematically Undermining Marriage Rights for Gay and Lesbian Americans: The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, passed in an overwhelming 85-14 vote, defined marriage as only between a man and a woman in federal law. It also allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. The key features of the law were later ruled unconstitutional.
- Making It Much Harder for Poor Americans to Declare Bankruptcy: The Senate voted 74-25 in 2005 to reform bankruptcy laws to make it significantly more difficult for Americans in dire financial straits to discharge their debts.
- Protecting America By Making Illegal Spying Legal: In 2005, the New York Times revealed that the Bush administration had allowed the NSA to illegally spy on Americans’ transnational communications without a warrant. The Bush administration claimed that it had inherent wartime authority to do that, but nonetheless urged Congress to give the president “additional authority.” Congress robustly responded to the scandal in 2007 by passing the “Protect America Act,” which effectively made what Bush did legal. In 2008, Congress passed another law that further expanded the President’s surveillance powers, while granting retroactive immunity to telecom companies that assisted in the original surveillance program.
- Filibustering Aid for 9/11 Responders: In 2010, Senate Republicans successfully blocked a bill that would provide health care for 9/11 first responders. After Jon Stewart shamed them for their filibuster on The Daily Show, the bill finally passed less than two weeks later. Stewart had to return to his show five years later to pressure Congress into passing an extension.
You can add other embarrassing votes in the comments.
Top photo: Earnest briefing reporters in June 2016.
Most colossal blunder in recognition be congress (as in turn around time), then yes, it is their 9/11 legislation.
Most colossal in terms of scope of damage, well, we’ve yet to see the full extent of the damage when their support/promotion of neoliberalism hits the fan, globally.
Anyone who puts gay marriage in the same category of importance as the Earth’s climate is so clearly deluded that they have no credibility. Opposition to redefining marriage to include same sex couples was NOT “embarrassing”; it was a principled stand.
Advocacy for marriage being oblivious to gender is rooted in profound ignorance — all the way up to the Supreme Court. In the corporate-sponsored campaign that led to Kennedy’s embarrassing opinion, all of the browbeating rhetoric from rainbow revolutionaries was ignorant of the fundamental purpose of marriage. (Hint: It’s not bronzing you a medal for being in love.)
Across most human cultures and across hundreds of generations, marriage is the most effective and enduring social mechanism to **regulate procreation** for the benefit of the society. The idea of a “marriage” between people of the same sex — who cannot possibly procreate — is a ridiculous non sequitur, notwithstanding the proclivity of those eager to embrace absurdities on behalf of identity politics.
The campaign for “marriage equality” (an Orwellian phrase) used the institution to force heightened social validation of homosexuality — at the expense of children, especially those of color and those who are poor (even as Madison Avenue sickeningly equated traditional views of marriage with racism). That such homosexual validation was of great benefit to a few percent of the population is beside the point, because it was achieved so cynically — marinated in propaganda and narcissism.
Finally, Congress takes an unusually principled stand on something important and it’s deemed “embarassing”…By whom?…By the amoral, narcissistic cabal in the white house. This is in the same sickening category (though worse) as BP CEO, Tony Hayward’s, comment after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, “I’d like my life back.”
Senate Endorses (one of) Israel’s Massacre(s) in Gaza
http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2009/01/09/us-senate-endorses-israels-war-on-gaza/
Here’s another #8: 13 Congressmen and women vote to Fast Track a bill that none of them have even read completely! Shrouded in secrecy the 3- part bill that almost everyone in this country & every other think will be the ruin of the coming age.
This piece, although absolutely correct in its pointing out the hyperbole, is a canard. The fact is that it was an absurd political gambit that pointed up the absolute ineptitude of the Congress and will backfire mightily. I should think that given the rest of what goes on, TI would have more important things to write about than this.
Hillary Thatcher, The Iron Pantsuit, loved that bankruptcy bill. Her vote was bought by the financing of her NY senate run by Wall St. and the bankers in anticipation of the mortgage meltdown and resulting defaults.
We’ve already allowed the Western world to become a haven for the litigious. So we should ask who is probably behind this legislation? My guess is shysters with a firm grip on Congressional balls who see Saudi Arabia as the next untapped resource.
Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital?
…it would open the door to lawsuits from foreigners accusing the U.S. government of crimes…’
Boy we can only hope this happens, if only to make our “leaders” far too scared to continue to launch their wars of aggression.
The Obama admin is riding high with Hillary. They just said that a vote for a 3rd party was a vote for Trump. Now they play more defense for the Saudis and are overridden 99-1. It is stunning how many things they do and say are reactionary. Our government is worse than embarrassing.
Didn’t Americans sue Iran over the Lockerbee plane bombing? Same thing. They just brought it over here instead and made it much worse. 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi so if any proof of a connection to a Saudi government official, like Prince Bandar for example, could be proven, they deserve the blame and all costs that can be recovered. Make them pay for healthcare for first responders on 9/11 to start with.
Obama is an embarrassment.
You may be embarrassed by Obama, but Obama and Co.
has no shame.
They (here I would include all democrats and republicans)
think they are the wise guys and they think being embarrassed
is for losers.
Obama is a traitor.
Its all part of the game.
Ask yourself whether you think the MSM have protected the Saudis since 9-11?
Of course they have,and why?
They all have knives out and ready to back stab their co-conspirators,if one cracks they all crack.
The Saudis might after this.
There has been only one nation to benefit from 9-11,Israel.
Indisputable.
What, the White House doesn’t wish to be held accountable for our crimes against humanity? Tsk tsk.
The Emergency Economic Act of 2008
“commonly referred to as a bailout of the U.S. financial system, is a law enacted in response to the subprime mortgage crisis authorizing the United States Secretary of the Treasury to spend up to $700 billion to purchase distressed assets, especially mortgage-backed securities, and supply cash directly to banks.”
Congress had to step in an clean up the mess Wall St. made. Nothing for the homeowners in this bill. But this setup the large amounts of cash to be pushed through the WW financial system. Banks received $16T and made $30B of interest income while homeowners were foreclosed upon.
Are zionistas economic terrorists? Do they occupy rob and plunder civilisations to ruin? Do they seduce certain political person to abandon one’s own will to serve them and their interests? Do they force americans into wars for occupation at the cost of the deaths of american sons and daughters? Are they looking to subjugate the planet to their “make it legal and enFORCEable” will with the TPP? Do they have a candidate to push their agenda for more subjugation occupation and war?
A clever racist will say she loves all minorities and wants to make them all better while simultaneously aiding and abetting backers and politicians to pull the rug out from under them and say that the american dream is a shot in the dark. you decide.
https://theintercept.com/2016/08/26/clinton-foundation-spin/
For some people, an initiative for global domination (owning and controlling the planet) is an ambition. Perhaps it is a mental disorder that has not been recognised and classified as such. Perhaps a lack of humbleness and humility prevents that from taking place.
The real reason the Obama administration reacted so harshly: accountability. For the first time in my lifetime the United States may be held accountable for t’s illegal actions and foreign sovereignties will be able to sue in open court. Like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Tenet, and Rice should have been charged with war crimes.
Exactly right. For one thing, the discovery process in such suits could reflect, shall we say, poorly, on the U.S. All kinds of ugly could be exposed, about us and our friends.
To quote Jill Stein: “When Obama says he doesn’t want the US to be liable for ‘all the ‘work’ we do around the world’ he means killing.”
….and spying. Although, you’re right. Killing is the predominant enterprise for USG.
Perhaps Obama’s also thinking about product liability….You know, all those weapons we sell other countries as opposed to our outright killing.
Jill Stein. Truth, Courage and the American Way.
Like what? … tell the Truther, Mona./
No doubt, the discovery process could well be a sticky wicket, but I can’t even imagine this thing ever going to trial:
Saudi Ambassador under cross examination: (holding up picture of Bush holding hands with King Abdullah) “He made us an offer we couldn’t refuse”
thanks Mateo~my sentiments exactly!!
Obama & the Army of course, bombed that Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghanistan. He should be added to that list.
And what about Obomba,HRC,Ass Carter,Nuland or Kerry,who have been behind the same shite as Iraq in Syria Libya,Yemen,Somalia,Ukraine and all points north south ,east and west?
The zionist warmongers are bipartisan,and it is ridiculous to only point fingers at the Shrub and Cheney,especially as the Hell Bitch was full on board every depredation.
Why shouldn’t Iraqi citizens be allowed to sue the US government for the Iraq catastrophe of 2003?
exactly. Barack went stupid when he refused to hand over Bush and Cheney to the war crimes tribunal. It was ALL downhill from there. And look at him now – a genuine deplorable.
That would be something they would have to pass as law in their own country.
Which of course would only be possible under a true Iraqi nationalist like Sadr,as the current govt are our puppets.
‘If we let Americans sue Saudis for 9/11, foreigners will begin suing US non-stop’ president Obama said, adding that ‘reciprocal’ involvement with the International Community, in particular Saudi involvement in 9/11, could prove embarrassing for the U.S.
[For example, Saudi, or other State actor(s), complicity in 9/11 could prove quite embarrassing, to say the least, for the justification of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan]
If that’s the case, perhaps the U.S. should review its obligations under the United Nations charter, the Geneva Conventions and countless other treaties and alliances around the world which, in one degree or another, were formed on the basis of fair and just reciprocity between nation-states around the world.
For the record:
1. Invasion of Afghanistan … etc., etc.
*interlude: principles of reciprocity, ex factor … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxH61J0M66s
Didn’t we just agree to sell Saudi Arabia billions of dollars worth of weapons?
So now we can sue them if they use them on us?
heh heh. it’s complicated. hair splitters like it complicated. thieves like it complicated.
Two words: Freedom Fries.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/12/us/threats-responses-washington-talk-order-fries-please-but-hold-french.html
Every time I hear the name “Josh Earnest”
I think of Oscar Wilde and the line “In a handbag?”
I also believe it was/is a Carpetbag.
Surely, the White House can predict pretty accurately and would know what every senator will do and how they are going to vote. Any outrage could be just hot air and theatre, in order to make them look wiser.
You hit the nail on the head Zaid.
When I heard the comment from Josh Earnest, the ‘ridicule’ button in my brain went into overdrive.
Mr. Earnest must have just fell off the turnip truck yesterday and had his memory cleared to 1983.
Ahh, ignorance is bliss.
All of this feigned outrage by Maddow, lawrence O’Donnell etc over Trump’s superficial comments about Miss Universe or America (hell I don’t know) getting “fat” f—ing A…a superficial contest where women choose to walk around in insane shoes half naked to win a contest basically focused on looks, Superficial begets superficial,
Yet Maddow and her ilk feel no outrage over Clinton’s serious and deadly decisions having to do with her Iraq vote, Libya, Syria, Hundreds of thousands have died, been injured and millions have been turned into refugees, Clinton is up to her neck in their blood and Maddow and team say nothing,
What a world, what a world
You called it. Same for the pro-life conservatives who never think of the thousands of pregnant women blown up in these wars…or the cheap products from the far east whose manufacturing depends on sterility and abortion in women.
Hypocrisy rules the world today….liberal or conservative.
And now the Dems faux outrage machine is all: “OMG! OMG! Donald Trump did business with commie Cuba!! OMG! OMG! OMG!”
Yes, that’s right, it’s Democrats making a huge fucking issue out of violating that dumb Cuba embargo, because…Castro!
The persistent avoidance of HRC’s bloody war record by Maddow, O’Donnell, Joy Reid, Hayes etc has been shameful and so terribly dishonest
rachel. used to love her. USED TO.
Our biggest embarrassment that will haunt us like slavery is our own terrorist organization the DEA. That’s the center of all of our nation’s problems our stupid corrupt war on drugs.
“You can add other embarrassing votes in the comments.”
The yearly secret funding of the insidious CIA, and the DOD’s massive budget fraud. Embarrassing is a massive understatement. Notwithstanding the continuous, outrageous, if not criminal F-35 fail, and other military boondoggles, the mere fact that the DOD can’t account for 2 TRILLION FUCKING DOLLARS is tantamount to the entire Congress standing and collectively saying….”YES….WE ARE FUCKING IDIOTS.” The ghost of Eisenhower must be gloating. Meanwhile, the US taxpayers should be up in arms, ready to drag these scumsucking morons out of their granite palaces and tar and feather them. The fact they aren’t redefines the word..embarrassment. Of course, what can you expect from the DUMBEST COUNTRY ON THE PLANET.
nailed it.
Ike’s ghost is rolling in the grave,and far from gloating,he’s crying for America.
An American patriot would never gloat over our demise.
Two trillion?
Ha! You wish!!
Try six point five trillion. For one year. Uh, yeh:
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN10U1IG
This comment posted on The Atlantic and The Hill has been censored by Disqus. They’re using a new “spam detected” routine to absolve the censors of what they are doing.
Talented Web people need to probe this, I’m sure there are records of how this was set up and how it’s marketed.
Here’s what I wrote, as anyone can see it’s not spam, I’m not advertising how I made six figures a month at home . . .
From way over here on the left: this is one of the best things the Congress has done for a long, long time.
The fact that they did to for craven political reasons doesn’t matter — the potential effects — the exact effects Obama and the Pentagon fear — are splendid.
Every single aggressive foreign policy move will now be subject to lawsuits from the people these kinds of things routinely damage. Of course, they’re supposed to forget about seeing their childrens’ brains in the street, and be grateful for the wonderful help from the Shining City on the Hill in their yearning to become like Vermont.
Of course, as it does whenever it doesn’t like a legal comeuppance — the US will ignore the lawsuits. No international law for us heroes and democracy/nation builders, unless its just a fig leaf for us doing whatever we want.
Freshly returned from upchucking at Samantha Power’s galactically hypocritical charge of Russian “barbarism” — the US being that paragon that finances and militarily supports the Saudi attacks that have killed and maimed thousands of Yemenis — looking forward to the world and the American people getting an even clearer view of her kind of despicable hypocrisy and foul arrogance.
What the US and Russia are doing is — yes — barbarism. That’s what war is — a resort to barbarism.
A look in the mirror will be helpful to the American people when these cases start rolling in.
All those things that have been hidden from them — that’s what they don’t want you to see — why all those people hate you —- not the law that will be flouted and evaded — that will be its own lesson.
looking forward to the world and the American people getting an even clearer view of her kind of despicable hypocrisy and foul arrogance.
ah! i can help you with that.
https://www.zerocensorship.com/uncensored/isis/bangladesh-video-features-dhaka-cafe-massacre-terrorists-graphic-327769
meanwhile – just heard that the walt disney company owns ABC. i’m not late, just innundated – backlog of info i line waiting to get in. Also i hear 1othe Major Media Morons wants twitter.
btw – How did you make six figures a month at home? and i swear i did not post this comment just to get that info.
Yes,war is barbarism,but remember that who started this war in Syria,in Iraq,in Libya,in Somalia,in Yemen,in Ukraine was not Russia but US.
We are headchopper central,and have been since the 80s.
For once, Congress deserves a standing ovation for spitting in Obama’s face. Maybe one day, notwithstanding the BUSH/CIA torture cartel, HE will meet his comeuppance as a war criminal, by virtue of some family member of an innocent victim of Obama’s Tuesday Kill List suing him. I can only hope they financially crucify him, if not open the door for an International War Crimes tribunal. But I’m not holding my breath.
Yep. EVERYTHING is the fault of that uppity black guy in your White House.
Obama the sellout. He got his and that’s all that matters
When it comes to war crimes…yep. It is. He’s where the buck stops, although there are tons of CIA/DOD and State Dept war criminals too. As far as your so called “uppity black guy” in MY White House? Spare me. That isn’t my house. If it were, the USG would be facing some serious SHTF..especially the CIA. Like..dissolved.
He’s a black Bush,whom I remember you castigating regularly until your recent descent into madness.
We can hope. He even told us that. Hope for prosecution and conviction as a war criminal, along with all those he protected.
The 99 are only doing this for public consumption and relations.
I guarantee when push comes to shove,they will pull any decision as the Saudis have more on US than we do on them.
The have oil and massive amounts of dough,while we have coca cola.
And if the world sues US,we’ll ante up?Nah.
Show and tell.
You both, in your article “White House Is Profoundly Wrong About the Most Embarrassing Thing Senate Has Done” did not mention the strategic vulnerability of the Senate and the Empire Project which compels them to do this thing. America has a tremendous vulnerability in that the Saudi state is, as you know, a theocratic Wahhabi state which is the sect driving the ISIS machine. This policy contradiction makes the senate largely a morally bankrupt institution and a thriving embarrassment.
Secondly, because the Saudis are compelled by the United States to hold a tremendous reserve of US dollars and denominate all oil transactions in US currency, this financial sword of Damocles compels Senate restraint. Along with China, the Saudi hand of influence can manifest in Forex manipulation. This association of the US government and the Saudi regime is the famous Mexican Standoff of a state economic and resource extraction survival projects.
Just as a recommendation on gaining some background on the financial involvement of the US and Saudi Arabia, I would recommend the book Century of War by F. William Engdahl.
You got oh so close to it with this, but you didn’t quite get there:
“In 2005, the New York Times revealed that the Bush administration had allowed the NSA to illegally spy on Americans’ transnational communications without a warrant.”
In 2006, USA Today broke the story about Bush gathering all telephone and cellphone metadata from every American, without getting a court order. This was the same story that Greenwald “broke” in 2013, except President Obama was getting a court order. On his personal blog, “Unclaimed Territory,” Greenwald even implied that the Bush metadata program was constitutonal!
I guess you wouldn’t want to embarrass the boss with that one.
On his personal blog, “Unclaimed Territory,” Greenwald even implied that the Bush metadata program was constitutonal!
Strange. I was reading Greenwald way back then and only remember him dealing with the UNconstitutionality of those actions. Of course, I wasn’t able to keep up with ever article, so I suppose you could supply me with a link to that story so that I can take it into account.
Thanks in advance.
With all due respect, I think Mr. Obama is the best authority on what embarrasses him. I don’t know if he has planned a trip to Saudi Arabia during the remainder of his term in office, but if he does, he’ll have to do a lot more than kiss King Salman’s ring. And having Congress override your veto is a bit of a slap in the face as well. Mr. Obama is probably feeling a bit embarrassed at the moment.
However, it’s possible that Mr. Obama feels no shame. So Mr. Earnest was not necessarily right. As Benjamin Disraeli said:
You’re getting more rational by the day. Keep it up and you might even develop a shred of empathy.
I apologize for slipping up. Empathy always finds ways to regenerate and killing it is a never-ending battle.
He’s the resident satirist,lighten up.
mr obama has been taking night courses from a digital school in istanbul, Erdogan University. His claim that congress should be embarrassed is just cover for his being insulted, but he is to embarrassed to admit that.
Mr. Obama turned his attention away from Congress for just an instant. This, however, is not an excuse. After 7 years, Mr. Obama should be well aware that leaving Congress unsupervised, even momentarily, can lead to disaster. All Saudi Arabia has to do is show they were cooperating with the US government, providing them information on extremists prior to 9/11. The Saudis can demonstrate they don’t have the logistical capability to operate drones on US territory.
US citizens may know their government is completely irresponsible. But law operates on theory and so protecting citizens on US soil could be deemed to be the responsibility of the US government, not the Saudi government.
Naah,University of Phoenix.
Taught by Jumbotron in their own named stadium,with Larry Fitzgerald as mascot.
What a disaster of greedy neocapitalism,the collapse of the enlightenment in the post pre-modern 21st century.Oy.
Why does a president’s hair go gray? It is imo, in the white house cocoon and surrounded by “the colony”, one comes to disconnect from “the people” and absorbs the infection of hypocrisy and corruption which results in a betrayal so powerful that it causes the afflicted president to self destruct. The process of healthy hair self destructs when the betrayal is greater than proper alignment with life, resulting in gray hair. The US has failed in every respect to lead by example and believes “do what i say not what i do” with military force is the way to rule the world – TPP style – and get every country’s and persons obedience.
It also likely Obama is afflicted with some serious constipation.
I’d suggest stool softener,generic metamucil(cheaper)and Grecian formula for him,but I hope his constipation is permanent,and he deserves every gray hair,the pos.
I wonder if he’ll start smoking in public post reign.
He praised Peres for coexisting with the Palestinians instead of murdering them all.
He has no electoral responsibilities now,but I guess he wouldn’t rock the Hell Bitches zionist vessel.
A terrible terrible POTUS.
“the White House’s principled opposition to the bill was based on its worry that it would open the door to lawsuits from foreigners accusing the U.S. government of crimes,”
Given that the bill’s text clearly states:
it “does not include any act of war.”
“foreign organizations or persons that engage in terrorist activities
against the United States.”
“injury arising from an act of international terrorism committed,
planned, or authorized by an organization that had been designated
as a foreign terrorist organization’
Hard to see how the USA is covered as it has failed to designate itself as a terrorist organization.
you’re missing the point. if americans can sue saudi arabia in american courts for anything america considers to be a terrorist attack, then pakistanis can sue the united states in pakistani court for anything pakistan considers to be a terrorist attack, and so on for libya, syria, and any other country whose government and citizens may have a beef with the united states.
president obama understands what so few americans seem to — that when the unites states goes to do something, it has to consider what might happen if other countries were to behave in the same way.
“foreign organizations or persons that engage in terrorist activities”
Like what we did to Iraq?
Why is “embarrassment” even an issue? I thought that was just a word aimed at the low-IQ journalists in the room. Not to suggest the Intercept was in the room, of course!
It’s a very in vogue word that implies faux pas. An inadvertent mistake of likely minimal importance. I though, prefer more plebian standard pejoratives, violent and four letter castigations when referring to Congress,politicians and officials in general.
The Saudi arms sales deal is a nice example of how this hypocritical Congress panders to defense contractors looking to make a buck off the Saudi-US slaughter in Yemen:
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/senate-saudi-arabia-tank-sales-228479
71 Senators voted to go ahead with the Saudi arms deals; 97 Senators voted for the 9/11 lawsuits to proceed; that makes 71 Senators who are clearly two-faced opportunistic hypocrites of the lowest sort; 20 of that lot are Democrats and 51 are Republicans (S.R. 39); Clinton running mate Kaine abstained from voting in both cases (as did Sanders on the veto override, although he voted against the Saudi arms sales).
So what’s the message? It seems to be: Protect the banking, oil and weapons relationships (the Saudi arms sales, some of which get funneled to ISIS and Al Qaeda), but give election year-lip service to 9/11 families seeking redress for Saudi involvement in 9/11 financing (probably while quietly assuring the Saudi Royals that such actions will be blocked by the courts).
It’s obvious that the saudis need to arm themselves in defence from the US forces who will go to collect the money for the lawsuits. It’s not obvious to the Hellary backed Global Clinton Weapons Intiative that they are arming those who will kill those forces who go to collect.
Who do we have running our government and foreign policy, DUMB AND DUMBER?
Unfortunately soon to be followed be even dumber no matter which of the two Corporate candidates prevails.
US to send 600 more troops to Iraq for Mosul offensive
And he still has 9000 troops in Afghanistan (after initially tripling the levels to 100,000 upon taking office) and hundreds in Syria.
“He” being Obama, of course. You know, the lying fuckpotus (currently supporting Hillary the Wondershit) who’s against “boots on the ground.”
Jill Stein:
President Obama accomplishes more good in an hour than you will accumulate in a lifetime. That must really stick in your Republican craw.
You’ll note I quote Jill Stein above, which might indicate to someone more observant than you that it is unlikely that I’m a Republican. As for Obama accomplishing more good than I, this must be when the bastard isn’t killing innocents with drone strikes, overseeing more arms deals or trying to push through the TTP or oozing similar corruptions, one supposes.
Make that “TPP.” You did notice Obama has put more troops in Iraq, right? Oh what bounteous blessings he doth bestow upon the unworthy world!
Our sons and daughters of America have not been learned between good and evil. The evil of greed selfish and wealth has infected America with horror and the world must think we have gone frankenstein.
And please take note that there were only TWO Senators who were “absent” from today’s vote:
Sen. Sanders and Sen. Kaine.
Beyond disgusting.
I’m disappointed in Bernie (Kaine doesn’t really surprise me), but in fairness the vote was virtually unanimous anyway, so does it matter that much? If Sanders was out campaigning for someone or something, this would be the time for him to do that, because the override was already so obviously going to pass. I’d be more concerned about either of them missing a vote that was actually going to be close.
Bernie didn’t want to embarrass Obama. Just like he didn’t want to embarrass Hillary during his ostensible campaign against her, by actually campaigning against her, by mentioning any of her heinous war crimes, or by dwelling on her unending torrent of vicious lies, or her hiding the truth of her corruption via emails, from the American public. He still feels indebted to the Democratic party for having given him the pretense of a candidacy, and doesn’t want to tarnish his sterling reputation with them. Not letting the door hit you on the way out, is revolution in all its glory. You see, pretending to be a gentleman is far more important than winning elections or getting policies passed that you have ballyhooed to your loyal supporters. Look where it got Gore. His ascension to the presidency was a hallowed period in the annals of America…
This is the second article on the veto override I’ve seen that failed to mention that the Saudis… just hours after the vote… suddenly dropped their opposition to oil production curbs at today’s OPEC meeting (It should be noted that they specifically exempted Iran from those production cuts despite their shared animosity).
It seems that even if a lawsuit against the Saudis is successful in, what, 5-10 years at best, we will all be paying the costs at the pump and then some.
But, looking at the bright side, if the vote by the Senate creates an opening for better relations between the Saudis and Iranians, there could be some positive developments (stop laughing).
Revenue for the other top two producers, the US and Russia, will increase… potentially ending a lot of US backed misery in Russia, and bringing back some of the jobs in the oil sector that were cut here.
Instability in Venezuela, Nigeria, Libya and other oil producing countries may decrease.
If lawsuits against the US do occur, there may be some sort of partial reckoning for all the harm we’ve caused around the world and a disincentive for causing more (stop laughing).
And, a whole bunch of lawyers with dollar signs in their eyes may uncover some things we didn’t know about 9/11.
Looking at the dark side, more money flowing to bad regimes may mean more spending on wars in the Middle East and Africa.
The benefits to the US economy will mostly go to the oil companies while consumers suffer from higher prices… with a hit to growth and a likely increase in inflation to boot.
Environmental damage will spike from increased drilling in the US.
Depending on your outlook, some of those negatives could be positive and some of the positives could be negative.
But, despite the pros and cons, including a lot of things I didn’t mention, it would be my profound hope that Americans reevaluate our cozy relationship with the corrupt, lazy, backwards Saudis.
If it takes pissing them off and causes them to retaliate, so be it.
BTW, Obama called it a “dangerous precedent”
But it could have been avoided altogether without any legislation… simply by putting Saudi Arabia on the list of state sponsors of terror.
They deserve to be on the list far more than a lot of other countries.
We do too.
That got me thinking about other countries having their own lists of state sponsors of terror opening up the possibility of lawsuits against us.
Do any of the lawyers or informed folks here know if the US has ever been successfully sued for US actions abroad?
Depends on your definition of “successful”–as in, Nicaragua won the judgment, but good luck collecting
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaragua_v._United_States
Thanks.
Good effort… not sure I would call it successful though, unless forcing the US to withdraw from the court counts. Then again, exposing our deeds and hypocrisy is a victory of sorts.
We’ve got US citizens who can’t travel to Europe for fear of being arrested for various crimes, such as the kidnapping of an Italian imam.
Personally, were I president, I’d bust them and prosecute them under US law- which has sentences up to 20 years for torture not resulting in death, and up to life in prison or the death penalty for torture resulting in death.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2340A
Then again, were I president, I’d turn some people over to other countries for justice for crimes committed there, from Luis Posada Carilles to Mikhail Saakashvili.
Thanks for the response.
I think this too counts as a partial success.
A little more justice would be nice.
Obama hopes to reap huge kickbacks from the Saudi regime upon leaving the presidency. He has no interest in putting them on any terrorist list, or indeed in stopping terrorism at all. Thats why he’s leaving the terror enterprise in the capable hands of Hillary. Terrorism is tremendously profitable for those leaving office. Look at Giuliani, Petraeus, Clinton, Blair etc. etc.
You refer to the Saudis as being corrupt, lazy and backwards, yet the terms you use are more aptly applicable to the majority of Americans, including yourself. I think it’s great that the KSA has retaliated, and I hope they do a lot more. Additionally, this is perhaps what was needed to bring the two neighboring states,Iran and Saudi Arabia, closer.
Gee thanks.
No doubt it applies to many of us and to our government as well, though the Saudis are a few steps further backwards, and measurably lazier and more corrupt than the “majority of Americans”.
Thanks for repeating some of my comment too… though it’s a bit odd you seem to be presenting it as an original thought… is that laziness or corruption?
Sophie has a point;Who the hell are we,a democracy who have let our leadership lead US astray repeatedly,to critique the people of a dictatorship that we help support in repression?
And backwards is definitely a relative observation.
And yes,it would be good to see the Muslim world come together,why not?I aint afraid of no caliphate.:)
Did you miss the part where I agreed?
My servants do such a lousy job typing my comments in properly sometimes.
Not voted on but what they’ve lost sight of protecting, our most powerful attribute……………The middle class…..Shame on them.
Your description of “the middle class” as “our most powerful attribute”
is also shameful.
When people divide themselves into classes and then use the idea of
power as a justification for anything, it is an indication of decadence.
Every person, no matter their monetary situation, is in the same family.
To a great extent, monetary wealth can only be accumulated if a
person ignores the plight of others who are poorer and the injustices
and pollution which help sustain the system which promotes
seeing people based upon their monetary income.
Financial interests are running the sick show which is the
faking U$A and little if any change for the better
will be coming from the democrats or republicans or their
baited lure known as the “middle class.”
Failure to rewrite and pass a voting rights act.
lawyers with long pointy noses sometimes find stinky stuff
As far as another embarrassing moment, how about Senator Tom Cotton’s letter to Iran during the Iranian negotiations?
At least Trump spoke the truth years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-ldMj9y9w
We know 9/11 was an Inside job!
The USA has become the enemy of the world. We need real change!
I eagerly voted for Obama in BOTH elections but it has been over the past few years that I’ve begun to examine his record and his record is becoming one of disappointment.
There are many from the black community (Smiley, West, Johnson) who strongly speak out that he’s done nothing for the black community and with the history of the United States, this should have been on the first page of his agenda along with providing for the common defense.
I have no idea after years of research why he hasn’t closed Gitmo. He’s the commander in chief and even if just symbolically he would release some prisoners, move others and close it forever. But this was a promise he made and he broke it and no excuse is acceptable and makes the crazy claims I hear that he’s no different than Obama, which I don’t agree, seem more apt.
Saudi Arabia is one of the worst regimes in the world and we should move to immediately cut off from them but this act – and this horrific response of hyperbole – is the exact opposite. They’re a regime that examples everything we’re led to believe the US holds dear, beheads people in public, bombs Yemen’s children and on top of it all, we’re only friends with them because of oil. The Bush family is so tight with them that I understand why he’d do this but Obama? Major letdown from Yes We Can in 2008 to 2016,
What about the Senate resolution to support the Israeli slaughter in Gaza during the Summer of 2014, in which more than 2000 civilians were killed, including more than 500 children.
Well, this is the White House that apparently doesn’t believe in democracy:
A Vote For Third Party Is A Vote For Trump, Obama Says
Hey, Obama! Seriously, go fuck yourself.
The, umm, money quote from Maisie’s link:
If you’re the president of the US and you say shit like that in public, it’s an admission that you think your anointed heir is in trouble and that you’re willing to openly discard the most basic principles of democracy in an effort to flog her candidacy. Not that it’s surprising, of course.
Evil asshole.
Indeed.
I hope there’s a backlash to both this bullshit from Obama and the bullshit debates… as in more third party votes.
Obama basically admitting that Hillary is struggling against the worst candidate ever is funny though.
I find it a little sad that Obama thinks that an argument that Hillary supporters have been harping on endlessly all year is suddenly going to be convincing coming from him though.
“Not Trump” from both Obamas ( I honestly feel bad for Michelle) rather than convincing reasons to vote for Hillary… it’s like trying to come up with a cookie recipe when the only ingredients you have is flour and water.
Feel sorry for Michelle? She willingly married a man who willingly became a war criminal. Not much room for sorry there.
Again,perspective is relative as many think he is the best candidate in in decades,a man with a mission for America,instead of zion.
Is he perfect?No,but in a world of globalist shite,he smells like a rose.
Twice please.
Offensive on so many levels, not the least of which is basic logic.
He should have added that it is also a personal insult to him…..well I am going to enjoy my third party vote more than ever this year, thanks.
Does Obama want Trump to get elected? (Is that question even answerable, Dr. Freud?) He keeps doing him these favors.
He keeps making these kinds of tone deaf, haughty proclamations. Has he even been paying attention to the “electoral mood” this year?
I wholeheartledly second that!
WTF, I’ll go first..
What about Complicity, the state of being an accomplice; partnership or involvement in wrongdoing: complicity in a crime. … as in the 9/11 cover-up..for starters..not to mention all the shit that went down the previous 30 years..between Carlyle Group, and various Saudi’s..
What a farce! Suing Saudi Arabia? Uh, run that by me again? Aren’t people like Louis Freed , ex FBI director and a host of other beneficiaries of 9/11 representing the Saudi’S legally in various fashions, schemes?
This is another Lawyers’ Picnic..
the 9/11 coverup will spring forth as this thing progresses
gonna be reeeeeal innerstin’
I hear there is a provision that they put into the bill that allows the President to stop court proceedings (depositions and subpoenas) and award the plaintiffs if it is in the interest of the USA
SEC. 5. Stay of actions pending state negotiations
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/2040/text
I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the truth to come out.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, is hauling in a cool $200,000/month working for the Saudi government.
Between Bill’s soirée with Loretta on the plane, Comey’s deep ties to the Clinton’s for decades, the DNC hack that showed how hopelessly corrupt the DNC and Clinton are, the fact that the entire world realizes Hillary is a very sick woman and a pathological liar and war criminal, the whole Podesta/Saudi arrangement should be enough for Mrs. Clinton to hang her head in shame.
Clinton’s multi-billion dollar weapons sale deal as Secretary of State with the Saudis where these weapons are now being used to commit war crimes in Yemen is sickening.
But she knows no shame because she is a sociopath/psychopath.
Poor Comey had to hang his head in shame today as Rep. Jordan reamed him a new as*^ole regarding the Combetta/Reddit deletion fiasco.
We are on the cusp of a new world of information. The Pentagon tries to tell us today that the U. S. is close to cutting off communications with Russia because they “bombed the aid convoy and a hospital in Syria…”.
Of course Little Josh “Earnest” won’t tell the American people or the MSM that it was U.S. Hellfire missiles that struck the aid convoy. And take note that Joshie isn’t talking about the 80 Syrian soldiers the U.S. “accidentally” killed in an airstrike in Aleppo. Nor is Joshie talking about the Russian bombing of an Intelligence Operations Center in Aleppo being run by U.S., British, Saudi, Israeli, Turkish and Qatari intelligence where all 30 were killed.
You can go to Global Research for a link on this by Michel Chossvadosky.
The biggest legislative failure of the U.S. Congress for me was not in taking a vote right after 9/11/01 declaring the areas where Buildings 1,2 and 7; The Pentagon and the Shanksville sites were to to be treated as crime scenes”.
Considering how quickly Guilliani whisked those retrieved steel beams in NYC off to China for “recycling”, I rest my freakin’ case.
Lying has apparently become “acceptable” to the American people.
Well, it is NOT acceptable to me.
I would like to hear Josh Earnest respond to this:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/u-s-coalition-intelligence-operations-room-inside-syria-destroyed-by-russian-missile-attack-thirty-israeli-american-british-turkish-saudi-qatari-intelligence-officials-killed-report/5547099
the White House’s principled opposition to the bill was based on its worry that it would open the door to lawsuits from foreigners accusing the U.S. government of crimes,….
LIKE WHAT!? GUANTANAMO? INVASION OF IRAQ? DRONE MURDERS? SPYING ON EVERYONE?
Ahhhh Cry me a river! About time the criminal government took responsibility for murder, torture, rendition, war fraud, war crimes, bush and cheney and obama… And… what would be the collateral damage of the US criminal government??? BONDS CRASHING! WALLSTREET CRASHING! BANKRUPTCY!!
We really do need a good bankruptcy to start over and build it right. Say, doesn’t Donald Trump know how to do a bankruptcy that works for the employees, not the wealthy?
btw – GREAT REPORT, ZAID & ALEX!
a thousand thanks
But not to worry…..
“Our Congress criminals” are already planning on “tweaking” the legislation they vetoed today.
It will happen sooner rather than later.
Tick, tick, tick…..
Congressional insider trading
#6 is definately the most embarrasingly unjust – FISA Amendments Act of 2008, granting telcos “full-scale immunity from the pending lawsuits brought by their customers, who had alleged that their privacy and other rights were violated by the telecoms’ participation in the Bush administration’s illegal spying program.”
Source: Insight provided by Glenn Greenwald – https://www.aclu.org/blog/retroactive-telecom-immunity-unconstitutional
Making student loan debt unforgivable. Millions of students lugging a trillion plus of unsustainable debt (much of it for crap colleges like the for-profit funneling cash to Bill Clinton, that parasite).
Yea! Neoliberalism gathers more serfs!
wow. So Josh ‘boy’ Earnest supports indentured survitude. Sounds more like zionspeak. I wonder who tells him to say that, or take that position, or who trained him, or is he advising the president, or speaking for himself….
Does it take a place like Guantanamo to get the truth out of jerks like him?
Rather than turkey shoot dumbass White House talking points, let’s talk about something a bit more substantive. The interesting angle is the way this veto-override is being criticized.
The NYT as establishment voice editorial bemoaning the override (while still pretending “sympathy” for those poor deluded victims of 9/11 who don’t understand how complicated our world is) is super-interesting, if you like to read between the lines.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/28/opinion/the-risks-of-suing-the-saudis-for-9-11.html?_r=0
laughable reason: no evidence of higher-level Saudi involvement??? (July 2016 revelations proved otherwise; & even such an establishment magazine as Foreign Policy acknowledged that. Just give that one up, NYT, seriously.)
craven reason: Saudi Arabia is our ally! I mean, they helped kill a bunch of us but they are our ally! What exactly does “ally” mean to these guys? Well, the rest of it is: money, they have lots of money invested in the USA, what will “WE” do without their money?
real reason, subtly expressed: “no country is more engaged in the world than the United States.” & by “engaged” they mean “no country kills more people around the world than the United States.”
I voted for Obama twice and the level of arrogance he is demonstrating as his final term winds down is deeply, deeply depressing.
Add this to the “vote for Clinton or I’ll consider it a personal insult” garbage. Overall, he’s been a positive to the country, but not nearly as positive as he and his worshippers seem to think.
ditto there.
i am not ashamed to admit my support for him but mccain may have been far better. Romney was a genuine turd. We seriously need a thrid party in office. Jill Stein looks good altho her backer is probably a snake.
He’s embarrassed, Obama is embarrassed;, not on our account, not for our country, not even for Congress––he is embarrassed because he let down the Saudi’s in a way that makes him look bad–makes him look bad to the SAUDI’S. And, so, WOW, just WOW! IMHO, it simply reveals how beholden he is…or believes he ought to be…Saudi: “I thought we had a deal?” Obama: “Hummana, hammana…”
contents without notice
Embarrassing moments in the Senate include failing to pass reasonable gun controls despite the increasing carnage on our streets, homes, and buildings.
It takes a special kind of groveling, lying weasel to be a modern Presidential press secretary, and “Earnest” Josh Earnest is gettin’ the job done nicely.
Anthony Atamanuik
is the only Trump impersonator who matters.
Get off the mediocrity of SNL and check him out on various youtube clips.
utterly bizarre that this comment ended up here, it wasn’t even typed onto this website! Apple, man, what a weird product.
a new person: Appleman
thanks for the heads up on the apple issue. sounds like crapple.
btw – https://theintercept.com/2016/09/26/donald-trump-leads-the-war-on-truth-but-he-didnt-start-it/?comments=1#comment-287526
Nafta
The Patriot Act
Citizens United
The most tangible proof of govt malfeasance necessary to throw the bums out on their ears!
Citizens United was a Supreme Court decision.
A few I’d add include:
-Refusing to oppose the illegal war on Libya.
-Confirming various politicians who backed illegal wars.
-Confirming Clarence Thomas, despite his lying to the Judiciary committee.
-The Magnitsky Bill of Attainder.
Gee, kind of odd that 7 out of 7 of these “embarrassing” actions are in direct conflict with the liberal agenda. Your list might be a bit more convincing if it was equal scorning of decisions made on both sides of the political aisle.
Liberal agenda? At least half of these examples show lopsided vote totals, obviously demonstrating bipartisan support. Throw in the original Patriot Act vote and we have another one.
I think joeimp is kind of right. Sure, there was a lot of bipartisanship in some of these cases — some of these problematic decisions were also backed by Obama or by then-President Clinton or by most Democratic senators (including the Senate Democratic leadership). And in some of these cases, the opposition to what the Senate was doing included not only liberals but also some conservatives or libertarians. Still, joeimp is right in the following sense: all the problematic decisions that the article mentioned were backed more by Republican forces in the Senate than by Democratic forces.
So it would be good to hear about some problematic decisions by the Senate which were backed more by Senate Democrats than by Senate Republicans. Do you have any examples, joeimp?
Good point, but which others would you suggest?
The whole country is an embarrassment. I now have deep sympathies for Iran and North Korea and that doesn’t sit well with me. I live with lots of Burmese and they are among the nicest people I have ever known. Maybe I prefer evil because I am evil, or maybe America is run by a bunch of self-seeking cunts that have infected the world with military knuckleheads, vain poverty-tourists, carpetbaggers and overpaid junkie morons.
You can reconsider this paltry list once Thrills ‘n’ Spills Hills gets in power and triggers WW3 in Iran and Syria. Just F-F-F-F-First Strike yourselves and do the rest of us all a favour.
The really stupifying embarrassent would be what we have yet to discover.
Giving Israel $38 billion while Zika gets …
I’m glad you guys said, “just a few.”
I’m going with blatantly obstructing justice for Executive Branch known / admitted war criminals – and truly doing NOTHING to protect whistleblowers from persecution and retaliation by some of those same individuals, still in government.
What does that make the Senate (Congress), again? Oh yeah, guilty too.
“We tortured some folks.” said Obama, but we must look forward not back.
He’s no doubt looking forward to torturing a few more, with the help of his Saudi buddies.
What happened in 83 that he’s so worked up about?
And all this does is expose the duopoly of our government,where all is confusion,disfunction,evasion,and perversion of logic,no matter the party,as many demoncrats must of crossed over the dead political body of Obomba,in finger pointing at the Saudis.
And they,the Saudis must be scratching their heads at the shameless US ,as they have bent over backwards trying to please USzion,whose MSM has protected the Saudis like a magic shield since that day when 15? Saudis attacked US.(allegedly-wow again)
Headspinning,aint it?
And Mossad,was there to document the event,and that aint alleged,but admitted,and witnessed.(Witness protection program?)
Exorcism please.
What happened in 83 you ask!? Well, let me tell you, without any of the elitist MSM spin. Let’s start with the duopolistic Demoncrat and Rethuglicans under Ronald Reagan. But first, replace the first “R” with a “D” and the “Reagan” with “Trump” look what you get. Yeah…you’re seein’ it:
Dyin’ Donald. Those weren’t the sniffles of un-repressed freedom, but the death throes of the Republic.
You know what also needs to die a prolonged death? The corporatist, zionist, colonialist, inverted-totalitarianistic, interventionist, militaristic…ist, arm of the Washington establishment. Which brings me to Obomba (credit to that third grader who came up with this; Timmy, you’re awesome.), whose mainstream – or shall i call it….”lamestream”? – media protects the Saudis.
But let’s stop for a second. S-A-U-D-I-S. Please take out your pencils and write this on a sheet of paper. Then remove both “s.” Unbelievable…”Audi.” As in the German automobile manufacturer. Oh, you don’t follow!? Typical sheeple…let me explain: Hitler used Audi for military vehicles in world war 2. Fascism plain and simple. You know who are also fascists? Obomba and Hellery. Utterly shameless…
Headspinning isn’t it? What, no? Well mine is spinning. Maybe I need to take those meds.
Anyways, that clearly answers your question. You’re goddamn welcome.
What happened in ’83? There was that Central America thing going down: Ronnie was doing a juke past the War Powers Act of 1973 by having units deployed on 87-day rotations, if they had written orders at all.
In October of that year, there was the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut. We have the shithead U.S. Ambassador, whose play was backed by Ronnie, to thank for that Goat Rope: Marines were ordered to stand post with no magazines (ammo) in their weapons.
There was plenty of other stuff going on in MSM-land, but, the above mentioned BS kept me kinda busy well into ’84.
Here’s what the White House spokesman was referring to in 1983 that he claims was an embarrassment to the Senate:
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/298290-white-house-lashes-out-at-embarrassing-senate-veto
As usual, the White House spokesman isn’t very believable. I don’t think the 1983 case was an embarrassment at all. All that happened in the 1983 case was that there was a bill in Congress dealing with a single plot of land in Oregon, to deliver fair treatment for the innocent landowners. Reagan vetoed the bill, and the Senate and House overrode his veto. I think this is just a case where White House people are acting upset because Congress has dared to successfully fight them. I doubt anyone in the White House really believes that these two veto overrides in 1983 and 2016 are among the Senate’s most atrocious embarrassments of the past generation. Probably the White House is just kicking up a fuss to signal to Congress that they’re not going to roll over the next time Congress talks about overriding a veto.
Jesus Bread-Baking Christ. The WH is butt-hurt because The Senate had the… audacity to behave like Human Beings. Again.
I hadn’t known about the 1983 veto being referenced. Ol’ Dutch is an even bigger piece of crap than I had thought previously.
Many Thanks for the link Randall.
Here’s a good story;The 2 guys who found the suitcase and discarded the pressure cooker bomb,were 2 security guys for Egypt Air.
They have since fled back to Cairo.
Lotto ticket anyone,cheap?(15,000,000 to one you’ll win.)
Well there’s the Tax Reform Act of ’86, the repeal of Glass-Steagall, the ’94 crime bill, 1996 welfare reform & immigration bills, the 2001 AUMF, Patriot Act, & the TARP bailout for starters
Well there’s the Tax Reform Act of ’86, the repeal of Glass-Steagall, the ’94 crime bill, 1996 welfare reform & immigration bills, the 2001 AUMF, Patriot Act, & the TARP bailout for starters
Well there’s the Tax Reform Act of ’86, the repeal of Glass-Steagall, the ’94 crime bill, 1996 welfare reform & immigration bills, the 2001 AUMF, Patriot Act, & the TARP bailout for starters
Time to finally string up the bastetd neocons
Collecting a paycheck for benefiting corporations over the interests of the country at taxpayer expense. Including paramilitarization of the police, turning them into corporate enforcers.
That should bring a blush to their cheeks.