Bin Laden dead!

[ClearedHot]

The White House damage control team works fast, I guess.

Nice to have the NSA working for you.

[HeloDude]

Reggie Love is such a racist...

[BitteEinBit]

Maybe he just didnt feel the need to be down there during the initial action. "yup, the helos are still enroute...."

Who knows...maybe he solved all the world problems over a game of spades. Hold on, let me check the status of the world... (sarcasm)

[backseatdriver]

Ok, let's walk the dog on this one....

I'm assuming he wasn't out playing cards while the actual hit was going down. During the HOURS leading up to the raid, what EXACTLY do you expect POTUS to do? Would you have rather him be in the Situation Room calling the shots for an op 5000 miles away? Or looking over everyone's shoulder asking for updates every 2 minutes?

I don't agree with a lot of his policies, but I don't think it's a bad thing he was able to walk away and clear his head while he let his experts run the op. One of the best commanders I had downrange (O-6) impressed me by his ability to do just that. Just because there was an op going on, he didn't feel the need to hover over everyone in the JOC. There were times when he would come in and say "You guys have got this - I'm gonna go catch a couple hours of sleep." The guy was working 20 hours a day, and knew he could be a better asset and leader if he broke away and rested a little instead of just watching the action, and he had guys he trusted to take care of things in his absence. If something needed his attention, we knew where to find him.

So, that being said, the POTUS breaking away to clear his head for a couple hours leading up to such a huge event doesn't bother me.

Edited August 15, 2013 by backseatdriver

[Rusty Pipes]

Ok, let's walk the dog on this one....

I'm assuming he wasn't out playing cards while the actual hit was going down. During the HOURS leading up to the raid, what EXACTLY do you expect POTUS to do? Would you have rather him be in the Situation Room calling the shots for an op 5000 miles away? Or looking over everyone's shoulder asking for updates every 2 minutes?

I don't agree with a lot of his policies, but I don't think it's a bad thing he was able to walk away and clear his head while he let his experts run the op. One of the best commanders I had downrange (O-6) impressed me by his ability to do just that. Just because there was an op going on, he didn't feel the need to hover over everyone in the JOC. There were times when he would come in and say "You guys have got this - I'm gonna go catch a couple hours of sleep." The guy was working 20 hours a day, and knew he could be a better asset and leader if he broke away and rested a little instead of just watching the action, and he had guys he trusted to take care of things in his absence. If something needed his attention, we knew where to find him.

So, that being said, the POTUS breaking away to clear his head for a couple hours leading up to such a huge event doesn't bother me.

I get what you're saying, but this wasn't exactly just "some op"... it was "THE OP"!!! Add this story to everything that was said about him just going to bed and not getting updates about Benghazi and it just looks terrible from a PR point of view. Bill Belichick doesn't pop his head in the locker room an hour before the Super Bowl and tell the team, "Hey you guys got this one... I'll see you sometime in the 4th Qtr" and then go play spades with his buddy Bon Jovi.

[backseatdriver]

I get what you're saying, but this wasn't exactly just "some op"... it was "THE OP"!!! Add this story to everything that was said about him just going to bed and not getting updates about Benghazi and it just looks terrible from a PR point of view. Bill Belichick doesn't pop his head in the locker room an hour before the Super Bowl and tell the team, "Hey you guys got this one... I'll see you sometime in the 4th Qtr" and then go play spades with his buddy Bon Jovi.

True. I'm just saying Reggie Love doesn't give a specific timeframe of when the card game was happening. The reaction on here is as if POTUS was sitting around playing cards while the team was kicking the door in, when it could have been hours prior when nothing was going on. Does it look bad from a PR perspective? Absolutely. I'm just saying I'm personally not ready to crucify POTUS for playing some cards at some point during the night. Now if he was off playing cards while the op was actually happening then I think that's too detached.

[tac airlifter]

True. I'm just saying Reggie Love doesn't give a specific timeframe of when the card game was happening. The reaction on here is as if POTUS was sitting around playing cards while the team was kicking the door in, when it could have been hours prior when nothing was going on. Does it look bad from a PR perspective? Absolutely. I'm just saying I'm personally not ready to crucify POTUS for playing some cards at some point during the night. Now if he was off playing cards while the op was actually happening then I think that's too detached.

I've also had bosses grab a few hours rest while ops were on standby, but I've never had one leave the JOC and play Xbox when there was a potential for anything to happen. Also, WTF is Reggie Love even doing at the WH when an op of this scale is happening?

[Vertigo]

Also, WTF is Reggie love even doing at the WH when an op of this scale is happening?

Since he was the President's body man at the time I believe the answer to your question would be- his job.

[Fuzz]

Whether you like Mr. Beck or not I think he hits the nail on the head with a view I hadn't considered until this latest revelation.

“The entire [situation Room] is designed for the president of the United States because he’s the commander in chief,” Beck began. “Not the generals, nobody else –he makes the call. So the entire situation room is built with him at the head of the table. All of the monitors sit in front of him. Everybody else has to turn their body and look…All the clocks, all the intel, everything is on that wall facing him. [it's] all built for him in that power situation.”

“Now — who is sitting at the head of that table?” Beck asked, in reference to the famous photo above.

“The general,” he continued. “And then you have some advisers and Hillary Clinton and then you have Joe Biden, who has been sitting there.”

But not only is the president not at the head of the table, Beck said, he appears not even to have a proper seat at the table. Nor does he have a computer, “because he’s been playing cards apparently all day.”

But it goes still even further than that, Beck said.

Beck said he’s been reading a lot about Walt Disney lately, and when the man entered a room, “there was just so much profound respect” for him that everybody stood.

With the president of the United States, Beck and his co-hosts argued, it seems as though nobody even offered him a chair, or it was offered and he said, “No thanks — I’m just coming in for a second, not going to stay long.”

Looking at the picture, Beck remarked: “He’s in the corner, in the corner, not even at the table sitting at a little folding chair, a little teeny chair off to the side like an aide to the general…It’s amazing."

[slackline]

Whether you like Mr. Beck or not I think he hits the nail on the head with a view I hadn't considered until this latest revelation.

In no way, shape, or form do I like the current CINC, or his administration, but this is so beyond stupid. It's crap like this that makes the GOP look like they're searching for any reason to belittle the President, thus hurting their own cause. There could be any number of reasons for the way people were in there. Pure speculation that hits no nail or even the board the nail was going in to. Talk about pandering to crazy old white men...

Keep this crap up, and you might as well hand the dems a third term in the WH.

ETA: there's about a thousand legit reasons to critique the guy. Why go after a made up one?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Edited August 18, 2013 by slackline

[WAG]

It's crap like this that makes the GOP look like they're searching for any reason to belittle the President, thus hurting their own cause....Keep this crap up, and you might as well hand the dems a third term in the WH

Yes... because the Dems never critiqued Bush in this fashion?!? How did that work out for them in 2008, again?

Pack your bags, Fuzz. Game over. Here you go Hillary!

Slackline: I agree with most of your post in that this criticism is a stretch. On the other hand, saying that this kind of behavior by the GOP ruins their reputation and will break their chances in the next election is a stretch in itself dude.

Swing voter: "Well, I was going to vote for (name your GOP candidate), but that nonsense they said about Obama in the situation room really was kind of ridiculous, so I think I'll vote for Hillary!" .... GTFO

[Mark1]

Beck said he’s been reading a lot about Walt Disney lately, and when the man entered a room, “there was just so much profound respect” for him that everybody stood.

Especially the Jews and the Japs.

Thankfully Beck is generally out of the public eye nowadays after being shitcanned (oh wait, he stepped down, that's right), but it's comforting to see that his long, drawn-out, downward spiral into fullblown dimentia and schizophrenia continues. If it came to be that you couldn't trust in that, then what could you trust in?

[slackline]

Slackline: I agree with most of your post in that this criticism is a stretch. On the other hand, saying that this kind of behavior by the GOP ruins their reputation and will break their chances in the next election is a stretch in itself dude.

Swing voter: "Well, I was going to vote for (name your GOP candidate), but that nonsense they said about Obama in the situation room really was kind of ridiculous, so I think I'll vote for Hillary!" .... GTFO

Dems did critique Bush like this, and I never said they didn't. Problem is reps were pretty much critiquing Bush like that too by the end. Not quite, but there was no love remaining. Dems will never lose out on hardcore or even moderate dems because they give away free crap and empty promises. Ignorant masses will vote for free crap and empty promises every time.

They don't need all the swing votes. They just need to maintain, and then the growing ignorant masses will keep them in office as their demographic continues to get bigger while the conservative side gets smaller. I know I'm oversimplifying, but you get the idea.

One last point, it's not ever going to be "but that nonsense they said about Obama in the situation room really was kind of ridiculous," it will be the sum total of all of the ridiculous crap that they never stop saying in their attempts to bring him down. He'll do it on his own, let him. Just my opinion, but if they keep the same tactics the dems will never lose. Like I said, they have waaaay more ignorant voters than conservatives do, and their numbers are only going to keep growing. Look at the trends.

ETA: Every bogus criticism takes validity out of a real criticism because the person listening is less likely to pay attention to you if every other thing you say is over the top redonkulous. Legitimate reasons abound with this CINC, stick to those, and conservatives won't lose the swing voters that pay attention to the collective.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Edited August 19, 2013 by slackline

[AnimalMother]

I don't care where Obama was during the bin laden raid, I'm still going to vote for him in 2016.

[Fuzz]

He'll do it on his own, let him.

Seems to be working great doesn't it? Just half the shit that has happened Bush would have already been called to be impeached, kinda nice when the media will downplay, ignore or edit your screwed up answers in the interviews for you.

[slackline]

Seems to be working great doesn't it? Just half the shit that has happened Bush would have already been called to be impeached, kinda nice when the media will downplay, ignore or edit your screwed up answers in the interviews for you.

Okay, here's my final volley, then I'll surrender to overpowering stubbornness to not read what is actually written. Not you specifically, you as in everyone who reads only what they want to see in order to have a super snappy comeback.

He does enough crap worthy of legitimate criticism on his own. Don't go searching BS reasons that only make you look like a bitter old white guy that's mad because a "colored fella got voted in." If people only focused on the real screw-ups, it wouldn't be so easy for the media to dismiss them. Instead, the crap people, like Beck, throw out there makes it easy for the left to say, "aw, it's just another right wing attack in a poor attempt to pick the pres apart."

Okay, I'm done. Feel free to have the final word and "win" the Internet argument.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Fuzz]

I don't think it's a "phony" scandal, I think it needs an explanation, the presidents body man says the president played spades during the attack? Ok obviously this was a long operation, no he doesn't need to be in there the whole time, but then lets look at the picture the man doesnt even have a seat at the table in his own damn office. Lets add this to the fact that the video magically disappears within hours, so now when anyone raises questions they look like far right loons, oh and we still can't even find out where the hell he was when one of our embassies was under attack, this doesn't look good

[xaarman]

I'm agreeing with slackline on this. I care as much about this picture as I do the Mission Accomplished GWB picture. Next.

[joe1234]

I don't think it's a "phony" scandal, I think it needs an explanation, the presidents body man says the president played spades during the attack? Ok obviously this was a long operation, no he doesn't need to be in there the whole time, but then lets look at the picture the man doesnt even have a seat at the table in his own damn office. Lets add this to the fact that the video magically disappears within hours, so now when anyone raises questions they look like far right loons, oh and we still can't even find out where the hell he was when one of our embassies was under attack, this doesn't look good

As funny as Presidential election discussion on this board is, it's also kinda sad, too, like watching a crack addict relapse time and time again. Except, in this case, the crack addict truly believes the way to pull their life together is to smoke more crack. Which makes it funny again.

[WAG]

He does enough crap worthy of legitimate criticism on his own. Don't go searching BS reasons that only make you look like a bitter old white guy that's mad because a "colored fella got voted in."

... and it's BS comments like this that make your "holier than thou" rant less meaningful. In fact, it sounds a lot like the same spoon-fed, liberal "snappy comeback" nonsense that most Dems get from their left wing media. Yet this is the same behavior you are criticizing. Now that is irony....wait... hypocrisy.

[xaarman]

^I have no idea what you're actually criticizing... slackline? Dems? The media? ...colored fellas?

[WAG]

^I have no idea what you're actually criticizing... slackline? Dems? The media? ...colored fellas?

Slackline is criticizing people who buy into and regurgitate the nonsense that the conservative media feeds them. However, he is essentially doing the same thing with his stupid "colored fellas" comment which is the classic Republican, old white guy racist stereotype often used by [name your MSNBC anchor]. In other words, he is not practicing what he is preaching. Does that make sense boss?

[LJ Driver]

Especially the Jews and the Japs.

Thankfully Beck is generally out of the public eye nowadays after being shitcanned (oh wait, he stepped down, that's right), but it's comforting to see that his long, drawn-out, downward spiral into fullblown dimentia and schizophrenia continues. If it came to be that you couldn't trust in that, then what could you trust in?

Uhh, have you heard of The Blaze? He is FAR more popular now, he has a news site that is quickly gaining ground, an internet tv show that has more viewers than he did on Fox, and still has a very popular talk radio show. Pretty sweet downward spiral.

[Vertigo]

Someone has to be the king of conspiracy theories.

an internet tv show that has more viewers than he did on Fox,.

That's not accurate at all.

His internet TV show has 300,000 subscribers. When he first started at Fox he was pulling in up to 3 million viewers and his last month on the station he had 1.6 million viewers.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/glenn-beck-tv-return-dish-theblaze-399928

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/26/business/media/the-five-rises-on-fox-news-in-glenn-becks-shadow.html?_r=0

[LJ Driver]

Someone has to be the king of conspiracy theories.

That's not accurate at all.

His internet TV show has 300,000 subscribers. When he first started at Fox he was pulling in up to 3 million viewers and his last month on the station he had 1.6 million viewers.

http://www.hollywood...theblaze-399928

http://www.nytimes.c...hadow.html?_r=0

Rgr, I'm not sure subscribers = total viewers in this case but you may be right. He (on his radio show) stated that he had more viewers on The Blaze TV than on Fox or CNN. Either way, his followership is growing in several medium, and is not at all in a downward spiral. Now let's get back to BG Webb running the country from the Sit Room while POTUS looks on from the sidelines...