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Stephen Colbert greets the return of the GOP ‘Iraq Pack,’ who were only ever wrong once
On Thursday’s episode of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert discussed the return of the “Iraq Pack” in the wake of the uptick of sectarian violence in Iraq.
“I’ve told you about the recent surge of violence in Iraq,” Colbert began, “and how it caught Obama with his Mom-jeans down. But as they say — every brutal terrorist onslaught has a silver lining.”
“In this case, it’s brought back my old pals, ‘The Iraq Pack,’” he said as an image of John Bolton, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Paul Wolfowitz dressed as members of “The Rat Pack” appeared beside him.
“And they are singing the ol’ tunes,” Colbert said before cutting to clips of Wolfowitz, Bolton, and McCain repeating, among other things, the initial justifications for invading Iraq in 2002.
Moreover, “John McCain is right — we had that conflict won in 2009, when we left Iraq a peaceful, smoldering democracy. I believe we have some footage of Baghdad at the height of the surge,” he said, then cut to this:
“For the most part,” Colbert continued, “when we left the Sunni and Shite were ‘bronies.’”
“But it’s especially nice to see the return of the leader of the ‘Iraq Pack,’ ‘Ol’ Dead Eyes,’” he said, an image of Cheney beside him. “He crawled out from under his undisclosed rock to point an icy finger of truth at Barack Obama. In an op-ed in what many are calling The Wall Street Journal, Cheney writes, ‘Rarely has a U.S. President been so wrong about so much at the expense of so many.’”
“Yes, rarely,” Colbert said, “maybe only one other time.”
“Of course, the liberal media went after him, especially left-wing loon Megyn Kelly,” he said, before playing a clip of Kelly grilling Cheney on Fox News.
Watch the entire June 19, 2014 episode of The Colbert Report via Hulu below.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/20/stephen-colbert-greets-the-return-of-the-gop-iraq-pack-who-were-only-ever-wrong-once/
Martin Bashir tweet
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President says we "need to ask hard questions before we take military action abroad..." Unlike the belligerent ignorance of previous admin.
10:42 AM - 19 Jun 2014
http://theobamadiary.com/
President Barack Obama and wife Michelle on the cover of Parade Magazine
The President and Michelle Obama on Work, Family, and Juggling It All
This week, America’s foreign policy is dominating the headlines, but it’s the White House’s second-term domestic agenda that’s the focus of our Parade cover story. On Monday, June 23, the President and Mrs. Obama will host a Working Families summit in Washington, D.C. to discuss the need for affordable childcare and paid family leave, raising minimum wage, and achieving equal pay for all. In an interview conducted by Parade Editor-in-Chief Maggie Murphy and contributing writer Lynn Sherr on May 20, the Obamas opened up about their personal connection to these issues and what they hope to accomplish during their remaining time in the White House.
More at: http://parade.condenast.com/306214/parade/the-president-and-michelle-obama-on-work-family-and-juggling-it-all/#.U6QmMLmGMGw.twitter
http://theobamadiary.com/
What is Al Franken thinking?
How about: WOW! That Elizabeth Warren is awesome...
Any more?
Attack on Iraq Would Violate US Law, Experts Warn
'An attack on Iraq would violate the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution," warns Paul Findley, author of War Powers ResolutionProminent legal scholars and the key author of the War Powers Resolution—which checks the president's power to launch military attacks—warned Thursday that an attack on Iraq would violate U.S. law.
Paul Findley, 22 year veteran of the U.S. House of Representatives, who was a key author of the War Powers Resolution, warned in a statement, "Just as with threats to attack Syria last year, an attack on Iraq would violate the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution. As with any president, he [President Obama] commits an impeachable offense if he does not follow the Constitution.”
Marjorie Cohn, Professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, agrees:
This is the current situation: First, Congress has not declared war. Second, neither the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) (which Bush used to invade Iraq), nor the 2001 AUMF (which Bush used to invade Afghanistan), would provide a legal basis for an attack on Iraq at the present time. Third, there has been no attack on the United States or U.S. armed forces. Moreover, the UN Charter only allows a military attack on another country in the case of self-defense or when the UN Security Council authorizes it; neither is the case at the present time.
Passed in 1973, despite former President Nixon's veto, the War Powers Resolution followed public outrage at the brutality of the Vietnam War.
More here: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/06/19-4
Stephen Colbert destroys Fox News’ hypocrisy over arrest of Benghazi mastermind
On Wednesday’s Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert went after Fox News’ continuing coverage of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
Ever since “the tragic attack,” Colbert began, “there has only been one question.” He then played four clips of Fox anchors complaining that in the two years since the attack, “none of the people responsible have been arrested.”
“Yes,” Colbert replied, “we must bring those responsible for Benghazi to justice. But sadly, Hillary Clinton remains at large.”
“But,” he continued, “yesterday this happened.” He then played an ABC News clip about the arrest of Ahmed Abu Khatallah, the alleged “mastermind” behind the attack.
“Alright,” he said excitedly, “we’ve got our man! Justice has been served! USA! USA! USA! Is what they want us to think! But it’s going to take more than what we demanded to satisfy us.”
“Why did it take so long to bring him to justice,” one Fox anchor Colbert cut to asked. “For those keeping track,” another added, “it’s been 642 days. This guy’s been drinking strawberry frappes and lattes for 642 days! What’s up?”
“Yeah,” Colbert replied, “what’s up? Why did it take so long? President Bush did not wait 642 days to catch bin Laden. If he didn’t catch him right away, he wasn’t going to catch him at all. That’s called having some pride!”
“Folks,” he concluded, “we will have more on this story as soon as I can figure out why it is bad.”
Watch the entire June 18,2014 episode of The Colbert Report via Hulu below.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/19/stephen-colbert-destroys-fox-news-hypocrisy-over-arrest-of-benghazi-mastermind/
Democratic Vets Warn Washington Against New Iraq Entanglement
We broke the country, and we do need to fix it. But we need to do it without risking more men’s and women’s lives.”WASHINGTON — The veterans who served in the last war in Iraq and are now seeking Democratic votes in 2014 have been warning their fellow Democrats this week.
They say even limited steps that put U.S. military forces back in harm’s way in Iraq would be a big mistake with ramifications for the future of Middle East foreign policy — and the Democratic Party’s credibility with its progressive base.
“If we have airstrikes, we’ll kill as many civilians as we do fighters. And that’s not right or effective,” said Seth Moulton, a former Marine Corps officer who led forces into combat during four tours of duty in Iraq. “We need to engage this problem. But it needs to be political engagement that comes first.”
Moulton is out of the Marines and running for Congress in Massachusetts, mounting a primary bid against Democratic incumbent Rep. John Tierney. Moulton’s campaign has been endorsed by former Iraq War commanding Gens. Stanley McChrystal and David Petraeus, but Moulton is quick to say unprompted that the war all three men served in “was a mistake.”
More military engagement in Iraq would be doubling down on that mistake, he said.
More here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/democratic-vets-warn-washington-against-new-iraq-entanglemen
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