Josh Nelson

Here Come the Attacks

by Josh Nelson  ::  Filed Under Middle East / South Asia  ::  March 18th, 2008 @ 4:45 pm EST

Predictably, now that word has begun to spread about the responsible plan to end the war in Iraq, Republicans are getting scared.

“This so-called plan is nothing more than the same liberal talking points we have been hearing for the last year,” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Ken Spain. “Clearly, their plan is to be nothing more than a rubber stamp for Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat-led Congress.”

Those same old liberal talking points. You know, things like ending a war that is making us less safe, addressing humanitarian concerns, restoring the constitution and restoring independence to the media. Those crazy liberals, trying to improve the country.

A rubber stamp for Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat-led Congress? So when Republicans vote the same way it is party discipline, when Democrats vote the same way to do what the American and Iraqi people want, it is a rubber stamp. That rubber stamp framing actually is pretty good, I wonder where they got the idea. Meanwhile, Cheney is writing checks he can't cash.

DISCUSSION

2 RESPONSES to “Here Come the Attacks”

imani says  ::  March 20th, 2008 @ 7:46 pm EST

I am wondering why no one is making copies of the CBS NEWS article, March 7 out of Canada. It's proof that the Clinton campaign lied on Barack Obama to win Texas and Ohio, regarding Nafta. The Canadian Prime Minister said it was the Clinton Campaign who said, in other words, don't worry. Here's the article.

CBS News
Report: Clinton Team Also Talked To Canada
Canadian Press Says Someone From Campaign Gave Assurances To PM's Office That Her Harsh Words Were For Show

TORONTO, March 7, 2008

(AP) Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief of staff said someone in Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign gave Canada back-channel assurances that her harsh words about the North American Free Trade Agreement were for political show, according to a report by the Canadian Press.

The report comes just days after a Canadian government memo stated Barack Obama's senior economic adviser told Canadian officials that the Illinois senator's own comments about NAFTA were for "political positioning." The release of that memo helped Clinton defeat Obama decisively in Tuesday's Democratic primary in Ohio, where the trade treaty is unpopular.

On Wednesday, the Canadian Press quoted an unidentified source as saying that Ian Brodie, Harper's chief of staff, made the comment last week to a crew for Canada's CTV television network during a press gathering to discuss Canada's budget. According to a person with knowledge of the incident, the source was a CTV journalist.

The Canadian Press story said a CTV reporter asked Brodie about remarks by Clinton and Obama that they would seek to renegotiate NAFTA.

"He said someone from Clinton's campaign is telling the embassy to take it with a grain of salt. … That someone called us and told us not to worry," the journalist quoted Brodie as saying, according to the report.

On Thursday, Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said the campaign "flatly denied" the suggestion that a Clinton adviser had told Canadian government officials to take the candidate's tough talk on NAFTA with "a grain of salt."

Brodie did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.

"Ian Brodie is alleged to have made an offhand comment about a rumor to a reporter. He does not recall saying it," Sandra Buckler, a spokeswoman for Harper, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Some Democrats, as well as Canadian opposition parties, have accused Harper's Conservative government of meddling in the U.S. primary elections - in which Obama is in a close race with Clinton for the Democratic Party's nomination.

In Ottawa, Canadian opposition parties demanded Brodie be fired.

Harper told lawmakers in Parliament that the government would investigate the entire affair, referring to the alleged leaks about both the Clinton and Obama campaigns.

"We're going to investigate this entire matter and take whatever action that is deemed necessary based on the facts that we are able to discover," Harper said, a day after he called the release of the memo unfair and possibly illegal.

Canada's New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton blasted the alleged leaks.

"There can be no doubt about it: The leak from within the Canadian government has had an impact now on the American elections," Layton said. "That is about the worst thing a country could do to another country - to have an effect on their democratic process."

The U.S. ambassador to Canada called the release of the memo "unfortunate."

"The prime minister yesterday stated that it was regretful that it happened and it shouldn't have happened," Ambassador David Wilkins told the AP on Thursday. "Now we need to get it behind us and move forward and continue to actuate the positive and build on this great relationship we do have."

Both Obama and Clinton said last week they would use the threat of pulling out of NAFTA to persuade Canada and Mexico to negotiate more protections for workers and the environment in the agreement.

NAFTA is unpopular among many blue collar workers in the United States who say it has cost American jobs.

A CTV report last week by Washington-based journalist Tom Clark said that both the Obama and Clinton campaigns gave Canada assurances over NAFTA. But the report led with Obama, and all the attention since then has been on his campaign.

Clark told the AP he had multiple sources on his story including a senior official at the Canadian embassy in Washington.

His TV report said a senior member of the Obama campaign contacted Canada's ambassador in Washington and told him any tough talk on NAFTA would just be campaign rhetoric. The Canadian embassy and the Obama campaign have both denied this.

Clark's report also quoted sources as saying the Clinton campaign made "indirect contact" with the Canadian government to express their support for NAFTA. The Clinton campaign has denied this too.

A 1,300-word memo obtained by the AP on Sunday, widely circulated within the Canadian government, said Obama's senior economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, told Canadian officials in Chicago that the debate over free trade in the Democratic presidential campaign was "political positioning."

Goolsbee later said his comments were misinterpreted, and Obama denied offering the Canadians any such ideas. "Nobody reached out to the Canadians to try to assure them of anything," Obama told reporters Monday in Texas.

Harper earlier denied his chief of staff leaked that memo, but didn't say anything about the CTV's report last week.

ABC last week reported that Brodie was Clark's source. Earlier this week, Buckler, the Harper spokeswoman, said "Brodie does not recall discussing the matter."

On Monday, Clinton seized upon the memo to criticize Obama.

"I think that's the kind of difference between talk and action that I've been talking about," Clinton told reporters while campaigning in Ohio. "It raises questions about Senator Obama coming to Ohio and giving speeches against NAFTA."

The Canadian Press report raises questions about the Clinton campaign doing the same.

There is also an article about Hilary Clinton receiving money from a Pakistan Immigrant who is under federal investigation. He made a $30,000 illegal contribution to her Presidential war chest.

ABDUL REHMAN JINNAH
NY POST, MARCH 2007 - A Pakistani immigrant is wanted by federal authorities on charges he channeled $30,000 in illegal contributions to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential war chest. The FBI is hunting Los Angeles businessman Abdul Rehman Jinnah, who vanished soon after his grand-jury indictment for violating federal election laws last May. Clinton's camp has denied any knowledge of Jinnah's scheme, which is also alleged to have funneled more than $50,000 in illegal donations to the political action committees of Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), the Los Angeles Times reported yesterday.

Jinnah, 56, a cellphone and frozen-yogurt businessman, allegedly collected campaign donations from family members, friends and employees at fake fund-raising events - then reimbursed them. The scam allowed him to evade the $2,000 limit on individual contributions to candidates, the feds say.
FBI, 2007 - Abdul Rehman Jinnah is wanted for the alleged violation of United States federal election laws. Between June 2004 and February 2005, Jinnah allegedly solicited employees, family members, and business contacts to provide campaign contributions to several United States federal and state politicians. Jinnah then allegedly reimbursed the contributors with corporate monies from his own business. On May 18, 2006, a federal arrest warrant was issued by the United States District Court, Central District of California, after Jinnah was charged with illegal campaign contributions and conspiracy.

She and Bill Clinton also have a connection to Rekzo.

Huffington Post, March 11, 2008

The vetting of the Clinton's is just beginning. This was a risky strategy by the Clinton's in the first place, because the boomerang effect will expose much more of their shenanigans to the American people….
…Since the name of Chicago defendant Antoin 'Tony' Rezko has come up in national debate, it seems fair to look at donations from other defendants in Chicago's "Operation Board Games."
Of the other five defendants, three have donated to the Clintons or to Clinton supporters, three have donated mostly to Republicans, and at least two have donated to Obama's political opponents. None have donated to Obama.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. What gets me is all the news stations are so biased against Obama. It's as if they were just waiting for Hilary to cry that media was giving her a hard time. That was the media's cue to start trying to destroy Obama. YOu should see all the information I have about Hilary Clinton, that is documented and reported from other News papers.

imani says  ::  March 20th, 2008 @ 8:03 pm EST

Regarding Hilary and Bill with Rekzo. There was a photo with the Huffington Post March 11,2008 article, HIlary, Rekzo,and Bill, all embracing and smiling ever so brightly. You would think her campaign would be quiet about Obama and Rekzo. But then, she is really being protected by the media. Hell, she doesn't have to release her taxes, she doesn't have to reject, and denounce Geraldine Ferraro. McCain doesn't have to renounce or reject Reverend Parsley (oh! he is not a member of his church, just a "friend". He doesn't have to reject the other ministery who believes the people of New Orleans were punished because of "sin". We want a President, I suppose who can't get his facts straight on who Iran is training and sending into Iraq. It was so embarrasing finally, Senator Joe Lieberman had to pull McCain to the side and correct him. Shouldn't a nominee for President know that very detail? Makes me think he could possibly start a war with the wrong people!


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