President Barack Obama - Term 1 and 2 Thread

[AR]

Out of control: Feds ready to seize more guitars at concerts
May 18, 2012 7:55 pm

The US’s fourth branch of government, the bureaucracy, is at it again. For some reason, the US Fish and Wildlife Service sees it necessary to use American taxpayer dollars to focus on a tariff law violation concerning wood. They are so determined to eradicate illegal wood that they are even considering threatening this year’s summer concerts. Among some of the notable names of rock stars that might be affected: Sheryl Crow, Van Halen, and especially Ted Nugent are on the roster.

The target is the world renowned Gibson Guitars; the ones that the titans of rock will be playing this summer. Of course, this isn’t the first time that the Feds have come to blows with this delinquent guitar manufacturer. On August 25th, 2011 the US Fish and Wildlife Service raided the Memphis and Nashville Gibson factories with astonishing force and guns drawn: as if they were expecting return fire.

This year, the Feds must really be itching for a fight. Apparently, they intend to play ball on the away field, and raid 2012 summer concerts. Of course, their track record suggests that guns will be drawn for these raids too. These reports have many Americans dumbfounded that this could even be happening in the country where rock was invented. Anthony Martin of Examiner.com writes,

If the feds raid summer concerts, major disruptions will ensue which will impact the fans who paid hefty ticket fees to see their favorite musicians such as Sheryl Crow, Ted Nugent, and Paul McCartney, all of whom use Gibson guitars.

Ted Nugent will not go quietly, as he has already been very vocal on the subject. He was in fact so vocal, that this rock rebel came under the hawk eye of the Secret Service for his comments on HumanEvents.com:

I am the Great White Buffalo and I play an American-made Gibson guitar that can blow your head clean off at 100 paces. Now if we can just blow the head clean off the Fedzilla beast in November, this sort of government abuse will come to an end, of that I am certain.

However, elected officials are stepping up, very concerned about the actions of those who were not elected. R-TN Senator Lamar Alexander said, “I don’t want the musicians from Nashville who are flying to Canada to perform this summer to worry about the government seizing their guitars…” He goes on to say that, “…Sen. Wyden and I are going to make it absolutely clear. We hope to get a clear ruling within a few weeks, and if we can’t get a clear ruling, we’ll introduce legislation to change the Lacey Act.”

The law, to which the senator was referring, is 112 years old and was originally written to establish trade regulations for bird feathers. In 2008, however, it was changed to protect wood, and the Feds have most certainly laid down the law with a display of force. Of course, what happened in 2011 is only scenery for the onlooker; people want to know why. Why would Obama and Eric Holder’s Justice Department go after Gibson? Martin further states:

First, the Obama Administration has a history of harassing non-union companies and even unionized companies that move their operations to right-to-work states. Second, Gibson’s closest competitor, Martin Guitars, is operated by a major Democrat-supporter and uses wood from the same sources as Gibson. But Martin has never been harassed.

It seems as if the Feds would simply like to do away with Gibson Guitars for their crimes against wood. To them, international law takes priority over Constitution law, and this is becoming more and more apparent as their encroachments against liberty become more and more blatant. Then again, perhaps they would just rather see Ted Nugent play a guitar that is made in China.

[conversationpc]

Out of control: Feds ready to seize more guitars at concerts
May 18, 2012 7:55 pm

The US’s fourth branch of government, the bureaucracy, is at it again. For some reason, the US Fish and Wildlife Service sees it necessary to use American taxpayer dollars to focus on a tariff law violation concerning wood. They are so determined to eradicate illegal wood that they are even considering threatening this year’s summer concerts. Among some of the notable names of rock stars that might be affected: Sheryl Crow, Van Halen, and especially Ted Nugent are on the roster.

The target is the world renowned Gibson Guitars; the ones that the titans of rock will be playing this summer. Of course, this isn’t the first time that the Feds have come to blows with this delinquent guitar manufacturer. On August 25th, 2011 the US Fish and Wildlife Service raided the Memphis and Nashville Gibson factories with astonishing force and guns drawn: as if they were expecting return fire.

This year, the Feds must really be itching for a fight. Apparently, they intend to play ball on the away field, and raid 2012 summer concerts. Of course, their track record suggests that guns will be drawn for these raids too. These reports have many Americans dumbfounded that this could even be happening in the country where rock was invented. Anthony Martin of Examiner.com writes,

If the feds raid summer concerts, major disruptions will ensue which will impact the fans who paid hefty ticket fees to see their favorite musicians such as Sheryl Crow, Ted Nugent, and Paul McCartney, all of whom use Gibson guitars.

Ted Nugent will not go quietly, as he has already been very vocal on the subject. He was in fact so vocal, that this rock rebel came under the hawk eye of the Secret Service for his comments on HumanEvents.com:

I am the Great White Buffalo and I play an American-made Gibson guitar that can blow your head clean off at 100 paces. Now if we can just blow the head clean off the Fedzilla beast in November, this sort of government abuse will come to an end, of that I am certain.

However, elected officials are stepping up, very concerned about the actions of those who were not elected. R-TN Senator Lamar Alexander said, “I don’t want the musicians from Nashville who are flying to Canada to perform this summer to worry about the government seizing their guitars…” He goes on to say that, “…Sen. Wyden and I are going to make it absolutely clear. We hope to get a clear ruling within a few weeks, and if we can’t get a clear ruling, we’ll introduce legislation to change the Lacey Act.”

The law, to which the senator was referring, is 112 years old and was originally written to establish trade regulations for bird feathers. In 2008, however, it was changed to protect wood, and the Feds have most certainly laid down the law with a display of force. Of course, what happened in 2011 is only scenery for the onlooker; people want to know why. Why would Obama and Eric Holder’s Justice Department go after Gibson? Martin further states:

First, the Obama Administration has a history of harassing non-union companies and even unionized companies that move their operations to right-to-work states. Second, Gibson’s closest competitor, Martin Guitars, is operated by a major Democrat-supporter and uses wood from the same sources as Gibson. But Martin has never been harassed.

It seems as if the Feds would simply like to do away with Gibson Guitars for their crimes against wood. To them, international law takes priority over Constitution law, and this is becoming more and more apparent as their encroachments against liberty become more and more blatant. Then again, perhaps they would just rather see Ted Nugent play a guitar that is made in China.

Boy, this really chaps my ass. We've got so many more important things to be worrying about than some law that Gibson didn't even apparently really break and the federal government is spending its time wringing its hands over making an example of a great American company that has decided to keep jobs here in this country and make quality products.

[verslibre]

That is absofuckinlutely ridiculous. Do they have nothing better to do other than be colossal assholes?

[verslibre]

Second, Gibson’s closest competitor, Martin Guitars, is operated by a major Democrat-supporter and uses wood from the same sources as Gibson. But Martin has never been harassed.

[slucero]

WTF....

Barack Obama accused of risking national security over Osama bin Laden film
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... -film.html

President Barack Obama has been accused of risking America's national security for political gain by giving Hollywood filmmakers access to secret material on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

By Jon Swaine, Washington

5:45PM BST 23 May 2012

Documents released under freedom of information laws show that Mr Obama's defence department and CIA enthusiastically assisted Kathryn Bigelow, the Oscar-winning director, for her forthcoming film on the raid.

Mr Obama's administration even made available "a planner, operator and commander of SEAL Team Six", the elite Navy squad that killed bin Laden in May last year. The identities of Navy SEALS are a closely-kept secret.

The filmmakers were taken to a classified facility, whose name had to be redacted in the released documents, and were allowed to tour the CIA vaults, containing vast amounts of secret information. They were also shown the CIA's mock-up of bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

At the time, Ms Bigelow's film, titled Zero Dark Thirty, was due to be released in October, later prompting accusations that it was timed to boost Mr Obama's prospects for re-election the following month.

Congressman Peter King of New York, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said on Wednesday that the emails told a "damning story of extremely close, unprecedented, and potentially dangerous collaboration" between top Obama officials, the filmmakers and a Left-wing lobbying firm.

"If this facility is so secret that the name cannot even be seen by the public, then why in the world would the Obama Administration allow filmmakers to tour it?" Mr King asked.

Amid Republican calls for an inquiry, Mr King wrote to senior officials at the Pentagon and CIA demanding further details on what was disclosed to Ms Bigelow and her screenwriter, Mark Boal.

In a meeting last July, Michael Vickers, under secretary of defence for intelligence, promised to "make a guy available who was involved from the beginning", who would "give you everything you would want", transcripts show. "That's dynamite," replied Mr Boal. Ms Bigelow, who won the 2009 Oscar for Best Director for The Hurt Locker, added: "That's incredible".

Mr Vickers said: "The only thing we ask is that you not reveal his name in any way he shouldn't be talking out of school." The Pentagon now claims that the man, whose name was redacted in the released documents, was not involved directly in the raid.

The meeting was held just weeks after Robert Gates, then Mr Vickers's boss as defence secretary, said he was "very concerned" that leaks from the bin Laden raid could jeopardise future operations. Mr Obama's administration has aggressively targeted the sources of government leaks throughout its first term.

In an email, Mr Boal also discussed meeting John Brennan, Mr Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser, and Denis McDonough, the President's deputy national security adviser.

The Republicans said the emails and transcripts – which amount to hundreds of pages – suggested that classified material may have been given to people without necessary security clearances.

"A release of classified documents for clearly political ends would call into question the Obama administration's judgment," said Kirsten Kukowski, a party spokesman. "Putting politics before our national security is certainly cause for concern and it should be investigated immediately." Republicans also voiced concerns that the documents showed some of the contact between officials and the film's producers had been brokered by Glover Park Group, a Left-leaning lobbying firm whose senior staff include former Clinton administration officials.

Critics of Mr Obama from the Left also said it was astonishing that an administration that had prosecuted more whistleblowers than all previous governments combined had been caught happily leaking to Hollywood allies.

The White House referred to a statement by the President's press secretary last year that it was "ridiculous" and "simply false" to suggest that classified information had been leaked for the film, which is now due to be released in December, after the presidential election.

[Memorex]

“I don’t know how they've been bamboozling folks into thinking that they are the responsible, fiscally-disciplined party. They run up these wild debts and then when we take over we have to clean it up,” Obama said. “And then they point and say, 'Look how irresponsible they are.' Look at facts, look at the numbers. And now I want to finish the job," President Obama said at a fundraiser in Denver.

I really, really hate to say this. But he is looking smaller and smaller to me. While I do agree that Republicans have run up way too much debt, I don't think any sane individual would look at this statement and not shake their head in disbelief.

And these lame attacks on Romney about job cutting. That's just a fact of life. It's a non-issue. Companies have to stay profitable and lean to survive. If not, their competitors will drive them out. A presidents job is to offer ideas/incentives to increase job growth across old and new industries. It is also a valuable job to come in and make companies profitable by right-sizing the staff.

As far as Romney, I think I am going to be very sick of the negative ads when they start showing. My goal is to get through the election without watching any ads. DVR all the way. [/quote]

[RedWingFan]

This is fabulous. No name calling. Just comparing promises with results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi15OtK ... r_embedded

[Memorex]

This is fabulous. No name calling. Just comparing promises with results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi15OtK ... r_embedded

When are they going to do Romney's? Or the Congress?

[Rick]

This may just kill Obama's chances for reelection. People are really tired of this kind of discrimination. I guess Romney could start a coalition called Mitt's Crackers. Would THAT be ok? Whether it is or not, he just made this election a race issue. That's fucking sad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... djoHA5ocwU

[Monker]

This may just kill Obama's chances for reelection. People are really tired of this kind of discrimination. I guess Romney could start a coalition called Mitt's Crackers. Would THAT be ok? Whether it is or not, he just made this election a race issue. That's fucking sad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... djoHA5ocwU

"just?" LOL...this was from way back in January.

[steveo777]

Listen up kids. Obama is not going to see a second term. It is just ridiculous to believe otherwise. That said, there isn't much hope available, no matter who gets elected, but Barry isn't the guy. He can blow his horn all he wants about what he's gonna do, but there is just not enough time, no matter what plans he may have. This government does not turn on a dime, much less agree on much. You guys think there will be sharp economic recovery and the unemployment numbers are suddenly going to plummet overnight? This is gonna take a decade or two to repair, even with great planning and execution. That is...... if we can ever get a government that works in unison.

[Memorex]

I wasn't sure going into this week, but it was a really bad week for him and unless there is some drastic turnaround, I don't see how he wins. It actually might be very brutal for him in November. Can't put all the blame on him - there are world-wide situations at play here. The one thing I can truly fault him on is his inability to work with people and what appears to be far more play time and campaign time than actual work time. I feel like the country is on auto-pilot.

Frankly, I am very scared. There is nothing out there to promote growth. You can give all the tax breaks, stimulus, leg up you want, but if there is nothing spurring growth, a new industry, an exciting sector of the economy, etc, than nothing anyone can do will help. We need a major breakthrough somewhere. Technology, medical, power... Something.

[slucero]

..until the debt is resolved... there will be no more growth.

[steveo777]

..until the debt is resolved... there will be no more growth.

Responsible, credible people are expected to live within their means. Our government fails this test at the outset and is a very poor example of leadership for the American people, in that regard. No wonder personal and corporate bankruptcies are at an all time high. If the government can't control their spending, everyone else must think "fuck it - why should we".

[slucero]

except I'm not talking about the government...


1. 70% of U.S. GDP is consumer spending
2. Consumer debt is at an all time high.
3. The consumer has not had access to credit or excess discretionary income for awhile now.


Until consumers have the ability to resume spending, either via a resumption of credit availability (via reduction in existing debt) OR an increase in available cash, consumer spending will stall, and so will the economy.

All the stimulus has amounted to nothing to consumers.. and all the bailouts have not been FOR consumers... so the only choice consumers have is to reduce their existing debt-load, which they are being forced to do as the economy contracts and real prices continue to rise... leaving no "new" money for spending...

ergo.. until the debt is resolved. there will be no more growth.

[Rick]

This may just kill Obama's chances for reelection. People are really tired of this kind of discrimination. I guess Romney could start a coalition called Mitt's Crackers. Would THAT be ok? Whether it is or not, he just made this election a race issue. That's fucking sad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... djoHA5ocwU

"just?" LOL...this was from way back in January.

first I've heard of it.

[S2M]

It is times like these I'm glad I don't vote. Character assassinations rub me the wrong way. If this country was prospering no one would give a fuck where this cat was born.

I can't believe the underhanded , slimy shit that goes down in an election. For what? Just to see who gets to fuck the country for the next 4 years....

Also, Obysmal will never do anything about the gas prices(he COULD lower or eliminate the taxes on gas) because they are helping fund his social programs!

[The Sushi Hunter]

Well actually there is no correlation between what the economy is doing and if the person running for the United States Presidency is born in America or not. That's the policy regardless. One of the requirements to run for the president of the United States is the person has to be American born.

The economy must be doing good, at least to the mentally challenged in the state of California where I am, because why else would there be all these yahoos with the 2012 Dream Team stickers on their cars. Apparently California is pretty satisfied how this current administration is doing.

[The Sushi Hunter]

I would think that the Obama Bio mentioned is inaccurate. It may have been specifically crafted that way as to make an extraordinary Cinderella story out of his history and story on how he got to where he was. A marketing tool that should have not gone any further then it really did in the end. But who would have known he would have became President and that this item would have resurfaced.

Ok, so the same publisher, who said yesterdays revelation of the Obama Bio showing his birth as in Kenya was a minor publishing mistake, now needs to answer to this.

Obama 1992 Bio (The one in question yesterday)


Obama's 1998 Bio (same publisher as in 1992)


Obama's 2007 Bio (same publisher)

[S2M]

Well actually there is no correlation between what the economy is doing and if the person running for the United States Presidency is born in America or not. That's the policy regardless. One of the requirements to run for the president of the United States is the person has to be American born.

The economy must be doing good, at least to the mentally challenged in the state of California where I am, because why else would there be all these yahoos with the 2012 Dream Team stickers on their cars. Apparently California is pretty satisfied how this current administration is doing.

I disagree....I realize there is no correlation, technically. But if the economy was stellar, and other areas of policy were above reproach - at least if the same attention was being kept to this birther crap, you would at least know it was politically based(not that it isn't now), but when the country is doing well - and the other party is STILL trying to undermine what is best for the country - shows how slimy politics are.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Well the desperation for drumming up voters I've been reading about lately isn't what I'm loving. Next he's going to force a plan into action that removes American born individuals from their houses and property to hand it over to the illigal immigrants. During the last election, I didn't order up that shit sandwich but when it was served, I gave it a chance. It turned out to be an extra deluxe.

[Memorex]

This thread has been quiet for a while, eh?

So the president asks that people set up a registry with his campaign for birthdays and weddings. I think that really plays wrong. When so many are hurting, he's saying hey - don't receive those gifts from family and friends that you have been dreaming about all your life - give them to me. With the 100 rounds of golf, the basketball, the big vacations, and the celebrity hobnobbing, it just comes off as he wants to take everything anyone can have for his own good.

And Romney up in the Hamptons. It's all too much. I understand money has to be spent, but it seems to me that the fastest way for a country to decide who to elect is some simple debates. Several of them.

And then this executive privilege thing. Boy does that come off hypocritical (for all sides). I do hope that no one is ever fooled again by anyone saying they will change things.

Maybe we ought to go for one eight year term and that's it. Then no one has to worry about re-election and they just do what they think is best. I guess there is risk in it, but we'd find a way to deal with it.

[Rick]

I love the smell of desperation this close to an election...





Yes it's real.

It's damn sure tacky. This and the African American's for Obama. This dude has no shame.

[RedWingFan]

I love the smell of desperation this close to an election...

Yes it's real.

It's damn sure tacky. This and the African American's for Obama. This dude has no shame.

I'd be embarrassed as hell if I'd voted for him. What about you Rick?

[Rick]

I love the smell of desperation this close to an election...

Yes it's real.

It's damn sure tacky. This and the African American's for Obama. This dude has no shame.

I'd be embarrassed as hell if I'd voted for him. What about you Rick?

I'd be embarrassed as hell if I voted for Bush. And then you have this...



So who do you vote for?

Be realistic, we're fucked either way.

[Rick]

Just to clarify, I would be much less embarrassed to vote for Obama than Bush. And I'll vote for Obama again instead of this pirate the Pubbies are running. I can't fucking believe any American would vote for Romney. You right wingers see Obama as an evil one, but you don't see it in this asshole? That's incredible.

[conversationpc]

Just to clarify, I would be much less embarrassed to vote for Obama than Bush. And I'll vote for Obama again instead of this pirate the Pubbies are running. I can't fucking believe any American would vote for Romney. You right wingers see Obama as an evil one, but you don't see it in this asshole? That's incredible.

I'm not a Romney fan at all but, by all accounts and even by his detractors (except for that ridiculous dog story), he seems to be a decent individual. I can't really say the same for Obama. You can blame the first year or two on Bush all you want but Obama's had plenty of time to turn things around and just hasn't delivered. On top of that is the "Fast and Furious" scandal which he shamelessly entered into only to delay it until after the election. Say what you will about Romney, and a lot of it would be correct, but Romney's nowhere near as bad as this clown currently living in the White House.

[Rick]

Just to clarify, I would be much less embarrassed to vote for Obama than Bush. And I'll vote for Obama again instead of this pirate the Pubbies are running. I can't fucking believe any American would vote for Romney. You right wingers see Obama as an evil one, but you don't see it in this asshole? That's incredible.

I'm not a Romney fan at all but, by all accounts and even by his detractors (except for that ridiculous dog story), he seems to be a decent individual. I can't really say the same for Obama. You can blame the first year or two on Bush all you want but Obama's had plenty of time to turn things around and just hasn't delivered. On top of that is the "Fast and Furious" scandal which he shamelessly entered into only to delay it until after the election. Say what you will about Romney, and a lot of it would be correct, but Romney's nowhere near as bad as this clown currently living in the White House.

I'm not as big of an Obama fan as I was either. I think he'll get reelected though. I'm pretty sure the American people will decide that Romney's connection with Bain will be enough to vote the other way. I just don't have much hope for the future, if this is all we get to vote on.

[RedWingFan]

Here you go. More brilliance for you Ricky!

Next time you see a homeless guy on the street corner. Ask him if he'll hire you to hold his change cup for $.25 an hour.
You people stupid enough to fall for the class warfare crap won't be happy till we're all there. At least we'll all be equal right?
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/06/ ... 340411454/

TAMPA, Fla., June 22 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama told a campaign rally in Florida Friday the country needs "some middle class-out economics, some bottom-up economics."

Speaking at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, the president said the economy is growing, following the worst downturn since the Great Depression, "but it needs to grow faster."

He said what's holding back growth is "a stalemate between two fundamentally different views in Washington about which direction we should go in." He told his audience Republicans, including presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney, "believe that we should go back to the top-down economics of the last decade."

"They figure that if we simply eliminate regulations and cut taxes by trillions of dollars, then the market will solve all of our problems," Obama said.

[conversationpc]

Just to clarify, I would be much less embarrassed to vote for Obama than Bush. And I'll vote for Obama again instead of this pirate the Pubbies are running. I can't fucking believe any American would vote for Romney. You right wingers see Obama as an evil one, but you don't see it in this asshole? That's incredible.

I'm not a Romney fan at all but, by all accounts and even by his detractors (except for that ridiculous dog story), he seems to be a decent individual. I can't really say the same for Obama. You can blame the first year or two on Bush all you want but Obama's had plenty of time to turn things around and just hasn't delivered. On top of that is the "Fast and Furious" scandal which he shamelessly entered into only to delay it until after the election. Say what you will about Romney, and a lot of it would be correct, but Romney's nowhere near as bad as this clown currently living in the White House.

I'm not as big of an Obama fan as I was either. I think he'll get reelected though. I'm pretty sure the American people will decide that Romney's connection with Bain will be enough to vote the other way. I just don't have much hope for the future, if this is all we get to vote on.

I don't see any problem at all with Bain. The accusations against Romney stem mostly from activities that happened AFTER he was with that company and had no part in. And even those charges are spurious since the company basically did what they were supposed to do. Obama has people working on his campaign who've worked for companies that did the same thing Bain did.