White House: Ukraine Will Get Rid of Its Highly Enriched Uranium

By GottaLaff

Jake Tapper reports some very good news. So good, in fact, that the GOP will turn it into something horribly negative, unpatriotic, and dangerous.

In fact, if we're not careful, President Obama will not only destroy America, he'll destroy... the whole... wide... world:

President Viktor Yanukovich of Ukraine agreed to give up all of his country’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU), White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced Monday after President Obama's first ever meeting with Yanukovich at the Nuclear Security Summit.‬‪

Ukraine will also convert its nuclear reactors that use HEU to ones that will use low-enriched uranium.‬‪

Oh no! Why... why... it's a plot! Yes. That's what it is. And it's been in the works for over a ::dun-dun-dun-n-n:: decade. Hide the kids! Our Muslim Kenyan Commie Gay Abortionist French Marxist president is out to get us:

The US "has been trying to make this happen for more than 10 years," Gibbs said.

The right wing will call this weak.

I call it an accomplishment.

And I'd like to call the panicky, crazed conservatives a whole lot of things, but I'm too busy trying to keep my cool and remain reasonable... Like our, you know, president.

"I didn't go through all of that just to flash my boobs at a stranger...Security is an illusion."

By GottaLaff

One of our commenters wrote something very personal under the post about the airport scanner invasion of privacy ("Airport worker photographed screen as female passed through scanner"). She has generously allowed me to use her heartfelt comment as a post.

Please take the time to read the whole thing:

I am a sexual assault survivor and I have been told by the TSA that while we can request a wanding (to avoid a pat-down), if we opt out of going through the body-scanner, they cannot guarantee the personnel or a wand would be available. The TSA rep told me that she could not guarantee that if I refuse to go through the scanner, that I won't be subjected to a pat-down. This is totally unacceptable to me and this incident in the UK only reinforces my fears.

I fought my attacker off, who had a gun by the way. I got out of it without being raped and with only a bad burn on my forehead where he tried to shoot me (either the gun didn't fire properly or it was a blank, but as soon as I realized I wasn't dead I went berserk on the guy and he gave up). I didn't go through all of that just to flash my boobs at a stranger who might have a camera in his or her pocket, or to be touched by a TSA agent, every time I have to fly. The lack of control over who sees or touches my body is what is bothering me, and sexual assault victims like me, the most.

I am starting a consulting project in Chicago in a few weeks and I am seeking therapy for the trauma just thinking about this is making me go through. I feel violated all over again. I know I got off easy because I was not actually raped or hurt badly like other sexual assault victims. I can only imagine what they are going through, if it is making me feel this horrified.

Security is an illusion. This technology is not even proven. Our government should not force its citizens to comply with such an egregious form of violation of our constitutional right to privacy if there is not guarantee it will work.

I have decided to take a stand. On my first return flight home, I will wear a one-piece bathing suit through security. I am a former competitive swimmer and while my body is not as toned as it used to be (having twins will do that to a woman) I feel comfortable being in front of people in my bathing suit (not a bikini - and for those of you who would like to make racy comments - please refrain because it is people like you who make me want to jump through my computer and commit bodily harm).

I want to take back control over what I will allow people to see and this is the only thing I can think of doing. My racing suit will show everything a scanner or a pat-down would detect and it would provide me with a way to control who sees what parts of my body. I will respectfully ask that they perform a visual scan, without touching me. If they will not comply, I will not fly, but I will take a stand.

Thank you for sharing that with us. You are a survivor, and security is indeed, an illusion.

Jackson Misssissippi Police Officer under investigation for derogatory remarks about First Lady Obama

Really, you'd think that just a collective n&&&&r n&&&&r n&&&&r would be release enough, but noooo..... How do these cretins get assigned to protect the very people they demean on a daily basis? At least the asshat is in big trouble.

Little did First Lady Michelle Obama know during her visit to Jackson that someone was talking behind her back. Reportedly texting unflattering comments.

Our investigation has revealed, it was a Jackson police officer. Now an internal affairs investigation has been launched into the incident.

Our sources have identified the officer as Chris Barnhart. We are told the incident occurred while officer Barnhart was on security detail last week during the First Lady's visit to the Capitol city. We are also told Barnhart made derogatory statements about Mrs. Obama.

When we questioned JPD superiors about the matter we were sent an email response. It states, the Jackson Police Department is currently conducting an internal investigation regarding allegations of conduct unbecoming an officer.

Officials within the Jackson police department confirm it occurred during Michelle Obama's visit to Jackson.

Assistant Police Chief Lee Vance said he could not be specific about the probe, adding they received a complaint.

Vance, also told us the U.S. Secret Service was not involved. He would not confirm the officer's name.

In our efforts to find out more about the officer we found this Facebook page. We also learned from his Facebook profile Barnhart is a fan of the page o.b.a.m.a.a., big ass mistake America.

Poll-itics: Obama Rated Higher on National Security

By GottaLaff

Eat your words, Dickless McHeartStent:

Greg Sargent flags a new Democracy Corps poll that shows President Obama is actually rated better than former President Bush on national security and the handling of terror suspects -- despite former Vice President Cheney's steady drumbeat that "by undoing Bush policies, Obama has made us less safe."

File this under "Neener Nanner".

Harry Reid's Office: Bunning Holding All Nominees

By GottaLaff

There are times I don't want to be politically correct. There are times I want to let out a stream of expletives that would put a drunken longshoreman on leave who stubbed his toe on a sharp rock to shame.

Via TPM:

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY), who has become a one-man filibuster of a bill to extend unemployment benefits, apparently placed a hold on all presidential nominees last week.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office confirms...

The Dems need to trumpet this all over the place. They need to make an example out of this millionaire Rushpublic obstructionist sicko.

People are dying and going broke every day because of his maneuvers. Now he's preventing the entire government from functioning properly. We need to push Obama's nominees through, because we've had enough holds to last a lifetime.

When's the next recess again? We need a few appointments.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go somewhere to vent. Loudly.

H/t: DCPlod

Contractors outnumber full-time workers at DHS; lawmakers 'astounded'

Hate agreeing with Holy Joe on anything, but this is totally wrong.

Washington (CNN) - The Department of Homeland Security has more contractors working for it than full-time employees, a situation two members of Congress said Tuesday was "unacceptable, untenable and unsustainable."

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and ranking Republican Susan Collins said they were "astounded" to learn there are more than 200,000 contractor employees at the department.

(snip)

In a letter sent Tuesday to the agency's Secretary Janet Napolitano, Lieberman and Collins said the figure "raises the question of whether DHS itself is in charge of its programs and policies, or whether it inappropriately has ceded core decisions to contractors."

CIA historian: “The debate’s over, Torture stained the honor of the United States.”

By GottaLaff

Former BushCo employee Marc Thiessen has been publicly ripping President Obama's national security/terrorism policies, and builds a verbal shrine to those of the Bush crime family.

Watch the video of Thiessen get a royal smackdown by Lawrence O'Donnell here. Then watch it again, because it's that good.

Now read about another evisceration of Thiessen, this time by a Pulitzer Prize-winning CIA historian:

“It was not the most successful intelligence program in the history of the CIA by a long shot,” he emails. Weiner added that by the long view of the CIA’s history, there is no more debate.

“The debate’s over,” he said. “Torture stained the honor of the United States.”

Weiner also strongly contested the notion that Obama’s approach represents a dialing back to a pre-9/11 mentality. “The Obama administration has some pretty robust programs going on, killing suspects all over Afghanistan and Pakistan with armed drones,” he said.

Weiner also contested another Thiessen chesnut: That the Obama administration is killing too many terrorists, rather than subjecting more of them to enhanced interrogation. Weiner dismissed Thiessen’s case as tantamount to arguing that targeting terrorists abroad “more closely resembles treason than counterterrorism.”

Treason indeed.

Of course, Dickless McHeartStent needs to sell his future book, so he'll join Thiessen's irrational, drool-stained love affair with torture, and continue to sputter and stammer about his man crush on waterboarders and how he and his band of thugs saved America. ... after they allowed 9/11 to happen.

Gradually, we will eradicate the toxic Bush stain.

Today's "What makes me steaming mad" moment

By GottaLaff

Brought to you by Greg Sargent:

Dems are making Cheney relevant by letting him drive the debate.

Here's what he's referencing.

GOP Valentine cards could pose security risk

By GottaLaff


The other day I posted about the romantic side of the GOP: Politicizing Valentine's Day. Not that some of the cards weren't amusing. But now they're considered, of all things, a security risk.

Aren't the Rushpubs supposed to be the experts in maintaining a secure America? That's what they keep telling us:

But card-senders beware -- observers on Twitter have warned that the site could be fertile ground for fraudsters looking to harvest a slew of e-mail addresses for spamming purposes.

A more secure site would ask for a verifiable e-mail address before asking visitors to enter the e-mail addresses of 50 of their closest friends.

A humorous e-card probably isn't worth exposing your e-mail account to malicious "spambots" that can hijack your account and send spam to your entire address book.

Nothing says "Be mine" like a GOP Spamentine's card.

Guess who Pioneered Miranda Attack On Obama? Cheney & Ridge

By GottaLaff

It always starts with you-know-who:

It turns out that the criticism surrounding the decision to read Miranda rights to the attempted Christmas bombing suspect didn't originally come from any office-holding Republican.

Rather, it was pioneered by Tom Ridge and Dick Cheney in the days after Christmas, and only later picked up by members of Congress like Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) and Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO).

For a tick-tock, go here. These snakes stayed true to form.

Yes, Dickless McHeartStent strikes again... and his little dog, too!

H/t: Gr8RDH

VIDEO: Undermining Republicans on terrorists and Miranda rights

By GottaLaff

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

D'oh! Now what will the Rushpublic do? They really need to read their TelePalmer notes more carefully:

White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan revealed Sunday that he briefed four Republican congressional leaders on Christmas night about the arrest and subsequent handling of the suspect in an attempted sky bombing. "None of those individuals raised any concerns with me at that point," Brennan said on NBC's "Meet the Press." The revelation could undermine Republican complaints about the reading of Miranda rights to the Nigerian suspect.

For more information...http://www.politico.com

Video- Secretary Clinton names biggest threats to U.S.

Amid all the hoopla, she just keeps plugging along. I wasn't sure at the beginning about this, but she has proven me wrong.

White House: Shelby’s Obstruction is a Threat To National Security

By GottaLaff

I posted earlier about Richard Shelby's jaw-dropping hostage-taking of 70 of President Obama nominees.

On the Thom Hartmann Show just now, I heard that Robert Gibbs is livid, justifiably so.

Now the White House is going for a twofer: Calling this a national security threat as well as obstruction:

Yesterday, just hours after the Senate voted 96-0 to confirm Martha Johnson as the Administrator of the GSA after a pointless 9-month delay, we learned that Sen. Richard Shelby from Alabama has placed a blanket hold on all nominees, including national security nominees, to use as leverage for some projects in his state. He's holding up 70 nominees, among them top intelligence officials at the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security. According to the National Journal, he’s holding them up until two defense contracts that would benefit interests in his state can be fast-tracked.

Let's be clear: Sen. Shelby is preventing qualified nominees who will help protect the American people from being confirmed. He’s not alone, though. This is just the latest example of this kind opposition for opposition’s sake that the President talked about earlier this week.. This strategy of obstruction is preventing qualified people from doing their jobs on behalf of the American people and it’s preventing real work from getting done in Washington. Every minute spent needlessly blocking noncontroversial nominees, many of whom go on to be confirmed by 70 or more votes or by voice vote (nine of the President’s nominees so far), is a minute not spent on the issues that matter to American families.

As I noted yesterday, this is true of the legislative process, too. The Senate cast more votes to break filibusters last year than in the entire 1950s and '60s combined, making it nearly impossible to come to agreement on key legislation.

Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director

Make that a threefer: He threw in the F word: Filibuster.

More like this please.

Gibbs to Sen. Bond: Apologize to law enforcement, White House for leak claim

By GottaLaff

Why stop with this? The GOP should apologize for the last 9 years:

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is calling on Republican Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) to apologize "to the law enforcement community and those that work in this building" for alleging the White House had leaked classified information about its Flight 253 investigation.

None of that information about Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's recent cooperation with investigators was classified, Gibbs assured reporters during Thursday's press briefing.

Gibbs:

"I think he owes an apology to the professionals in the law enforcement community and those that work in this building, not for Democrats and Republicans, but who work each and every day to keep the American people safe and would never ever, ever knowingly release or unknowingly release classified information that could endanger an operation or an interrogation."

The rest is here.

The chances of this White House getting anything even close to an apology from anyone on the right is....

Harry Reid plays national-security card on GOP

By GottaLaff

Is Harried Reid trying to win us back? He's such a darned flirt:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday accused Republicans of endangering national security, flipping a traditional GOP line of attack.

In a floor speech, Reid accused Senate Republicans of making the nation more vulnerable to attack by blocking nominees to key security posts.

So there!

“When [Farouk Abdulmutallab] tried to blow up that plane, the top positions of both intelligence agencies within the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security were empty. Why? Because Republican senators refuse to let this body hold a vote on these highly capable people the president has asked to serve in these roles,” Reid said.

He went on to say that the Transportation Security Administration, the agency in charge of airline safety, had nobody (permanent) running it due to the Party of Constipation.

But that's not the only national security position they've held up. Here are some others:

· The undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the No. 3 job at the Pentagon.

· The assistant secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, the head of State’s intelligence operation.

· The undersecretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis.

· The U.S. representative to the Conference on Disarmament, who is tasked with promoting the control of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Wow. Feel safe now? Thanks, Rushpublics.

Why haven't we been playing the national security card until now? It was an obvious one.

Let's just hope this new found assertiveness continues. We need to be pounding our message over and over again, just as the GOP does. The difference is, we have the truth on our side. Let's make it stick this time.

Cartoon of the Day

Click to enlarge, via.

The Other Plot to Wreck America

By GottaLaff

Frank Rich:

What we don’t know will hurt us, and quite possibly on a more devastating scale than any Qaeda attack. Americans must be told the full story of how Wall Street gamed and inflated the housing bubble, made out like bandits, and then left millions of households in ruin. Without that reckoning, there will be no public clamor for serious reform of a financial system that was as cunningly breached as airline security at the Amsterdam airport. And without reform, another massive attack on our economic security is guaranteed. Now that it can count on government bailouts, Wall Street has more incentive than ever to pump up its risks — secure that it can keep the bonanzas while we get stuck with the losses. [...]

Why was our money used to make these high-flying gamblers whole while ordinary Americans received no such beneficence? Nothing less than complete transparency will connect the dots. Among the big-name witnesses that the Angelides commission has called for next week is Goldman’s Blankfein. Geithner, Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke should be next.

If they all skate away yet again by deflecting blame or mouthing pro forma mea culpas, it will be a sign that this inquiry, like so many other promises of reform since 9/15, is likely to leave Wall Street’s status quo largely intact. That’s the ticking-bomb scenario that truly imperils us all.

Please read the whole thing here.

VIDEO- Helen Thomas: What's Al Qaeda's motivation?

By GottaLaff

Helen's like a little bulldog. She won't let go until she gets an answer... or until they move on, which is how it usually ends. From yesterday:



It's amusing how such a tiny, frail person can make so many people in power blink.

Of course, it goes without saying, there's nothing tiny and frail about her mind or her vocal chords.

AUDIO- Carville: 'Go Measure My Penis and Let Me Get on The Airplane'

By GottaLaff



The Tony Kornheiser Show on ESPN 980 Radio, more at espn980.com

Carville's such a shrinking violet.

Oops. Maybe shrinkage isn't the best word to use in this context.

H/t: T1theinfamous

Pat-downs for all travelers from some nations, more random screenings

I hate to say it, but doesn't this just make sense? And what the hell took them so long?

WASHINGTON - All travelers flying into the U.S. from nations considered high risk will be patted down and have carry-on luggage searched under new security procedures starting Monday, the Transportation Security Administration said Sunday.

In addition, all international passengers will see enhanced random screening, which may include pat-downs, explosive detection testing (swabbing of luggage) or body scans, the TSA said.

At least seven countries are on the high risk list: Nigeria, Pakistan and Yemen due to extremist activities there, and Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria because they are listed as "state sponsors of terrorism" by the United States, NBC reported.