The dems need to hit the message that we needed accurate information to make an informed vote about the war, we need accurate information in order to devise an effective plan. Every time they counter about our plans…we need to hit the accurate information issue. Hard.

I like the ad and I live here. Webb is running a good compaign for someone without experience in running for office, and look how well our deer Georgie is doing with all the money in the world.

Well Fitz my soul!

I believe we may actually have a chance now in VA.

Simple
To the point
A WINNER!

Wow, that is a great ad. Clear, visually stimulating, and agressive.
This guy is going to win.

On one of the evening news shows last night I saw a man being interviewed in NC. Working class, tough looking guy who said he was going to vote straight Democratic ticket in this election, and he added, “I don’t care who knows it.” He said he’d voted for Bush, and it’s time to give the Democrats a chance. I couldn’t believe it!

OK – didn’t make 0… It is good to see people finally standing up to this do-nothing-but-flush-the-country-down-the-drain administration. Thank all that is Good for the blogoshpere!

I’ve just made my THIRD contribution to Webb’s campaign.

Have YOU?

Kelly Arena reporting that the declassified NIE document is now available online? Townsend to teleconference with reporters, according to Wolf.

Wonder how biased and redacted this thing is. Bets anyone?

concise, clear, economical (in the sense it does not waste the viewer’s time) and POSITIVE! What’s not to like?

I like it. It’s direct, and Webb get’s his message across like a leader should.

Two articles up at the same time? 1:51 & 1:52? This and previous from Lindsay B.

Here’s the Declassified Key Judgments of the NIE

Tis an Adobe PDF file – just so you know.

Webb looks better and better all the time. He’s clearly more comfortable as a campaigner and it shows. I especially like the “people who failed to prevent this disaster are not the ones you can count on to fix it” line. Webb looks strong and clear while Allen continues to self destruct. What’s not to like?

Semi OT: JFC! Matthews humiliates Ed Gillespie on “Macaca”!

Dana@2..Deer Georgie…perfect!

Good add.

EPU’d:

The last time the Administration used the argument “we shouldn’t be finger-pointing,” was right after Katrina. Using it now is a sign they realize how vulnerable they are for being blamed for something awful. IMO, this language is not accidental, nor was Condi’s appearance this a.m. They have to divert the story away from “Iraq is making us less safe.” If the CNN story can be changed to suggest she “conveniently forgot” what Dick Clarke told her, that theme will continue, and this becomes a major accountability moment for this Administration.

I suggest those of you who know how to do it go over to the dKos story and Spotlight all over the major media; and add a link to rawstory in the comment. It may be too late for tonight’s network news hours, but we can still catch the cable shows and tomorrow’s newspapers.

Here is link to the Condi lies to rebut Clinton

And here’s the Spotlight link to support dKos:

Spotlight link

The Rawstory link is here

And here’s 2 of the top NIE judgments:

“Although we cannot measure the extent of the spread with precision, a large body
of all-source reporting indicates that activists identifying themselves as jihadists,
although a small percentage of Muslims, are increasing in both number and geographic dispersion.”

“We assess that the Iraq jihad is shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders and operatives; perceived jihadist success there would inspire more fighters to continue the struggle elsewhere.”

So, 1 plus 1 doesn’t equal 2 in Junya’s mind.

Mind? WTF was I thinking.

Valley Girl @ 12

Two articles up at the same time? 1:51 & 1:52? This and previous from Lindsay B.

They’re trying to makes us schizo, Valley Girl. In my case, it just might work. Last time I complained that someone was trying to drive me crazy they noted that it would be a very short trip.

Mad Dogs — that link doesn’t work for me.

scarecrow @ 20

Mad Dogs — that link doesn’t work for me.

Hmmm…I just clicked on it and it worked fine. I originally had problems getting to http://www.dni.gov ’cause they were getting hammered by all the folks trying to access the NIE at the same time.

Give it another try.

Mad Dogs — still no, but it’s likely my work pc, which likes error messages. thanks for checking. You may be right that the site is overloaded.

“Should al-Zarqawi continue to evade capture and scale back attacks against
Muslims, we assess he could broaden his popular appeal and present a global
threat.”

Hmmm…seems these folks haven’t heard yet that al-Zarqawi was killed back in June.

Oh well, you go with the intelligence you got, not with the intelligence you wish you had. *g*

scarecrow @ 22

Mad Dogs — still no, but it’s likely my work pc, which likes error messages. thanks for checking. You may be right that the site is overloaded.

Hmmm…is anybody else having the same problem?

Now don’t speak up all at once. *g*

CNN.com’s poll status at 2:30pm PDT
Before 9/11, which administration did more to pursue or kill Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda terrorist group?
Bush 32% 32969 votes
Clinton 68% 70239 votes
Total: 103208 votes

What was that again, George?

Every time I hear “stay the course, stay the course” . . .

The problem is that we’re lost, there is no captain, first mate, navigator or helmsman, the compass is broken and the ship is in danger of losing its rudder, the Constitution.

Time for a new crew.

Mad Dogs @
24

scarecrow @ 22

Mad Dogs — still no, but it’s likely my work pc, which likes error messages. thanks for checking. You may be right that the site is overloaded.

Hmmm…is anybody else having the same problem?

Now don’t speak up all at once. *g*

I just tried it and got an error message on a Mac with Firefox. It must be overloaded.

The reference to al Zarqawi — recall that this NIE was written last April or so?

Millineryman @ 27

Mad Dogs @
24

scarecrow @ 22

Mad Dogs — still no, but it’s likely my work pc, which likes error messages. thanks for checking. You may be right that the site is overloaded.

Hmmm…is anybody else having the same problem?

Now don’t speak up all at once. *g*

I just tried it and got an error message on a Mac with Firefox. It must be overloaded.

I got it 1 minute ago.

I just looked at the Tammy Duckworth for Congress website (IL-06) and this is a tough lady, a tough Iraq War veteran, and a fighting Dem.

Senator Bob Kerrey’s introduction of Tammy — who lost both legs in Iraq as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, and has brazenly, as well as impossibly, been accused by her Republican opponent of wanting to “cut and run” from Iraq — will tear your heart out.

And maybe inspire you to contribute.

(Her other campaign website, http://www.duckworthforcongress.com/, is apparently on low-bandwidth and it’s not easy to view her videos there.)

Here’s an in-depth analysis of why the Webb ad works … it ties in very closely with the elements of an effective Democratic narrative (especially regarding national security) that I’ve been talking about in my guest posts here.

The gist: The Bush war-on-terror narrative is based on promising order and stability to people who were scared by September 11th. As Webb’s ad makes clear, with George Bush and the Republicans, you don’t get order, you get chaos. To restore sanity and order, you need to vote Democratic.

See why I like Webb so much?

Rubberstamp Republicans also have other traits like rubber spines.

Swopa -

The gist: The Bush war-on-terror narrative is based on promising order and stability to people who were scared by September 11th. As Webb’s ad makes clear, with George Bush and the Republicans, you don’t get order, you get chaos. To restore sanity and order, you need to vote Democratic.

That’s a great message. And I think Dems can carry the same message into the Iran discussion.

“These same Republicans will lead us into another chaotic quagmire in Iran, unless a strong Democratic Congress puts a check on their crazy ideas.”

“And if you think invading/occupying Iraq is creating more terrorism, not less, what do you think will happen if this same Republican team gets a free hand to start a war with Iran?”

“How safe do you think our 140,000 US troops will be then? How safe would Israel be? Wouldn’t our troops be attacked by Iraq militias, whose leaders are close allies of Iran?”

Ok, if folks can’t get there, I’ll bring it here. *g*

Declassified Key Judgments of the National
Intelligence Estimate.

Trends in Global Terrorism:

Implications for the United States.

dated
April 2006

Key Judgments

United States-led counterterrorism efforts have seriously damaged the leadership of al-Qa’ida and disrupted its operations; however, we judge that al-Qa’ida will continue to pose the greatest threat to the Homeland and US interests abroad by a single terrorist organization. We also assess that the global jihadist movement—which includes al-Qa’ida, affiliated and independent terrorist groups, and emerging networks and cells—is spreading and adapting to counterterrorism efforts.

* Although we cannot measure the extent of the spread with precision, a large body of all-source reporting indicates that activists identifying themselves as jihadists, although a small percentage of Muslims, are increasing in both number and geographic dispersion.

* If this trend continues, threats to US interests at home and abroad will become more diverse, leading to increasing attacks worldwide.

* Greater pluralism and more responsive political systems in Muslim majority nations would alleviate some of the grievances jihadists exploit. Over time, such progress, together with sustained, multifaceted programs targeting the vulnerabilities of the jihadist movement and continued pressure on al-Qa’ida, could erode support for the jihadists.

We assess that the global jihadist movement is decentralized, lacks a coherent global
strategy, and is becoming more diffuse. New jihadist networks and cells, with anti-
American agendas, are increasingly likely to emerge. The confluence of shared purpose
and dispersed actors will make it harder to find and undermine jihadist groups.

* We assess that the operational threat from self-radicalized cells will grow in importance to US counterterrorism efforts, particularly abroad but also in the Homeland.

* The jihadists regard Europe as an important venue for attacking Western interests.Extremist networks inside the extensive Muslim diasporas in Europe facilitate recruitment and staging for urban attacks, as illustrated by the 2004 Madrid and 2005 London bombings.

We assess that the Iraq jihad is shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders and
operatives; perceived jihadist success there would inspire more fighters to continue the
struggle elsewhere.

* The Iraq conflict has become the .cause celebre. for jihadists, breeding a deep resentment of US involvement in the Muslim world and cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement. Should jihadists leaving Iraq perceive themselves, and be perceived, to have failed, we judge fewer fighters will be inspired to carry on the fight.

We assess that the underlying factors fueling the spread of the movement outweigh its
vulnerabilities and are likely to do so for the duration of the timeframe of this Estimate.

* Four underlying factors are fueling the spread of the jihadist movement:

(1) Entrenched grievances, such as corruption, injustice, and fear of Western domination, leading to anger, humiliation, and a sense of powerlessness;

(2) the Iraq .jihad;.

(3) the slow pace of real and sustained economic, social, and political reforms in many Muslim majority nations; and

(4) pervasive anti-US sentiment among most Muslims.all of which jihadists exploit.
Concomitant vulnerabilities in the jihadist movement have emerged that, if fully exposed
and exploited, could begin to slow the spread of the movement.

They include dependence on the continuation of Muslim-related conflicts, the limited appeal of the jihadists, radical ideology, the emergence of respected voices of moderation, and criticism of the violent tactics employed against mostly Muslim citizens.

* The jihadists. greatest vulnerability is that their ultimate political solution.an ultra-conservative interpretation of shari.a-based governance spanning the Muslim world.is unpopular with the vast majority of Muslims.

Exposing the religious and political straitjacket that is implied by the jihadists. propaganda would help to divide them from the audiences they seek to persuade.

* Recent condemnations of violence and extremist religious interpretations by a few
notable Muslim clerics signal a trend that could facilitate the growth of a constructive alternative to jihadist ideology: peaceful political activism.

This also could lead to the consistent and dynamic participation of broader Muslim communities in rejecting violence, reducing the ability of radicals to capitalize on passive community support. In this way, the Muslim mainstream emerges as the most powerful weapon in the war on terror.

* Countering the spread of the jihadist movement will require coordinated multilateral efforts that go well beyond operations to capture or kill terrorist leaders.

If democratic reform efforts in Muslim majority nations progress over the next five years, political participation probably would drive a wedge between intransigent extremists and groups willing to use the political process to achieve their local objectives.

Nonetheless, attendant reforms and potentially destabilizing transitions will create new opportunities for jihadists to exploit.

Al-Qa’ida, now merged with Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi’s network, is exploiting the situation in Iraq to attract new recruits and donors and to maintain its leadership role.

* The loss of key leaders, particularly Usama Bin Ladin, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and
al-Zarqawi, in rapid succession, probably would cause the group to fracture into
smaller groups. Although like-minded individuals would endeavor to carry on the
mission, the loss of these key leaders would exacerbate strains and disagreements.

We assess that the resulting splinter groups would, at least for a time, pose a less
serious threat to US interests than does al-Qa.ida.

* Should al-Zarqawi continue to evade capture and scale back attacks against Muslims, we assess he could broaden his popular appeal and present a global threat.

* The increased role of Iraqis in managing the operations of al-Qa.ida in Iraq might lead veteran foreign jihadists to focus their efforts on external operations.

Other affiliated Sunni extremist organizations, such as Jemaah Islamiya, Ansar al-Sunnah, and several North African groups, unless countered, are likely to expand their
reach and become more capable of multiple and/or mass-casualty attacks outside their
traditional areas of operation.

* We assess that such groups pose less of a danger to the Homeland than does al-
Qa.ida but will pose varying degrees of threat to our allies and to US interests abroad. The focus of their attacks is likely to ebb and flow between local regime targets and regional or global ones.

We judge that most jihadist groups.both well-known and newly formed.will use
improvised explosive devices and suicide attacks focused primarily on soft targets to
implement their asymmetric warfare strategy, and that they will attempt to conduct
sustained terrorist attacks in urban environments. Fighters with experience in Iraq are a potential source of leadership for jihadists pursuing these tactics.

* CBRN capabilities will continue to be sought by jihadist groups.

While Iran, and to a lesser extent Syria, remain the most active state sponsors of
terrorism, many other states will be unable to prevent territory or resources from being
exploited by terrorists.

Anti-US and anti-globalization sentiment is on the rise and fueling other radical
ideologies. This could prompt some leftist, nationalist, or separatist groups to adopt
terrorist methods to attack US interests. The radicalization process is occurring more
quickly, more widely, and more anonymously in the Internet age, raising the likelihood of
surprise attacks by unknown groups whose members and supporters may be difficult to
pinpoint.

* We judge that groups of all stripes will increasingly use the Internet to communicate, propagandize, recruit, train, and obtain logistical and financial support.

Swopa- OT, but on topic for the other current thread (”previous thread). Maybe you give an answer over there? Lindsay B. has a post up with more about Sembler. One thing that came up in discussion re: her part 1 post was that Sembler was Italian ambassador at the time of the forged documents. I tried to do some research on any possible involvement he might have had, but I couldn’t make heads or tales of the details. I note, however, that you’ve done some posts about Ledeen, and that in other articles Ledeen and Sembler are cited as being old friends. Any insights/ further details about the Ledeen Sembler connection that you know of? (p.s. I’ll repost this comment on Lindsay’s thread).

Two easy ways to donate to help Webb take Macaca Allen out of the Senate:

Webb’s site http://www.webbforsenate.com/home.php

Egregious ActBlue: http://mcegregious.blogspot.com/

Wish Webb would be on our BlueAmerica here.

FIGHT! ACT! DONATE!

Senator Kerry’s office just called, I clued them in to the Jane Harman “NIE that dare not speak it’s name” (over at Josh Marshall’s–go read about it there, I’d link but then I’d get moderated away…)

I called Kerry, Kennedy, and Reid offices today. Told them that I’d sure like to help them get to 51, but I, like many people, have to take money and vacation time away from my family to do so. I have to make a case for that. If Dems won’t stand up on torture and wiretapping, it makes my life very difficult in making that case, that it matters whether Dems or thugs are in the Senate. I asked them that if for no other reason, they need to be stopping this legislation to make it easier for people like me to help them reach 51. All three staffers sounded depressed (and fully understanding) when I laid this out.

scarecrow @ 28

The reference to al Zarqawi — recall that this NIE was written last April or so?

Yup, and heaven forbid anyone would think to make it a tad bit more current. That would probably take another year. *g*

This is the ad that puts Webb in the lead.

I live in Maryland now, but Virginia’s where I’m from. I’ve lived in Fairfax County, but I’ve also lived in Newport News, in Bristol, in C’ville and in Blacksburg.

Give this ad decent play across the state, and Webb will go into the lead. Count on it.

Ok. Hillary is running.

I’m certain someone has linked to her comment about the August 6, 2001 PDB. Here it is – she delivered it with balls, too:

“I think my husband did a great job in demonstrating that Democrats are not going to take these attacks,” Sen. Clinton said.

“You know, and I’m certain that if my husband and his national security team had been shown a classified report entitled ‘Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States’ he would have taken it more seriously than history suggests it was taken by our current president and his national security team.”

But on Tucker – they played her quote and Terry McAuliff is repeating “9/11 occurred on George Bush’s watch”. Fun!

Oh. oh so rare, but so good .

Valley Girl @ 36

Swopa- OT, but on topic for the other current thread (”previous thread). Maybe you give an answer over there? Lindsay B. has a post up with more about Sembler. One thing that came up in discussion re: her part 1 post was that Sembler was Italian ambassador at the time of the forged documents. I tried to do some research on any possible involvement he might have had, but I couldn’t make heads or tales of the details. I note, however, that you’ve done some posts about Ledeen, and that in other articles Ledeen and Sembler are cited as being old friends. Any insights/ further details about the Ledeen Sembler connection that you know of? (p.s. I’ll repost this comment on Lindsay’s thread).

Thanks, VG, I’ll check it out (and it’s nice that someone remembers my old posts!), although I doubt I’ll be able to add any details about Sembler.

Just FYI, I’ve put Lindsay’s post at the top of the page to give it a bit more exposure. The simultaneous posting were the result of a mixup, and I’ve delayed my scheduled 3PM PST a bit to let Lindsay’s post get a bit more exposure.

WoO! Terry Mc urging “all those who are fed up, to stand up and speak out!”

Oh please someone send a clip to John and C&L. This is fantastic.

I think the Big Dawg listened to someone.

In the NIE, they refer to CBRN.

Wikipedia defines it as:

“CBRN is an acronym used extensively by the UK security services and the UK emergency services. It replaced the out-dated NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) acronym in both the United States and the United Kingdom. CBRN refers to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear weapons. It can be said to be a synonym for WMD. A US extension of this acronym is CBRNE, the latter addition refers to conventional explosives.”

We assess that the underlying factors fueling the spread of the movement outweigh its vulnerabilities and are likely to do so for the duration of the timeframe of this Estimate.

•Four underlying factors are fueling the spread of the jihadist movement:

(1) Entrenched grievances, such as corruption, injustice, and fear of Western domination, leading to anger, humiliation, and a sense of powerlessness;
(2) the Iraq “jihad”
(3) the slow pace of real and sustained economic, social, and political reforms in many Muslim majority nations; and
(4) pervasive anti-US sentiment among most Muslims all of which jihadists exploit.

And clearly point two fuels points one and four.

SharonW @ 46

Point three seems to fuel point one quite nicely also.

At least the neocons didn’t edit this one completely to shreds.

The 13 page memo turned over to BushCo from the Clinton administration about how to take down al Qaeda was just mentioned on NBC Nightly News.

Thankyouverymuch ; )

It’s kinda funny, but it sure seems like that NIE says everything that Junya denies it says.

Hmmm…I wonder if Junya actually read it before making those dumb statements.

Silly me, whatever was I thinking. *g*

The NIE didn’t have no piktures, so it couldn’t have been on Junya’s reading list.

Ok Junya, it’s time to play with your crayons now. *g*

WOOHOO! ABC World News Tonight covered the whole Clinton/Bush/Rice/bin Laden issue PERFECTLY tonight, including the fact that the 9/11 Commission Report directly refuted what Rice said about not being presented with a plan to deal with Al Qeada.

Big dawg knows how to play this game.

Sorry, Arianna and Nora, you called this one all wrong.

P J Evans @ 47

SharonW @ 46

Point three seems to fuel point one quite nicely also.

At least the neocons didn’t edit this one completely to shreds.

I do believe that if this is the cherry-picked portion, the actual entire report must be totally damning.

Please Rate this Video.
It is at 3 stars and only 85 ratings. It has been on all the blogs. Are we getting lazy?

SharonW @
50

WOOHOO! ABC World News Tonight covered the whole Clinton/Bush/Rice/bin Laden issue PERFECTLY tonight, including the fact that the 9/11 Commission Report directly refuted what Rice said about not being presented with a plan to deal with Al Qeada

ABC News? Wonder if they are feeling the ABC thumbs down we all put on our tivo’s?

SharonW @ 51

P J Evans @ 47

SharonW @ 46

Point three seems to fuel point one quite nicely also.

At least the neocons didn’t edit this one completely to shreds.

I do believe that if this is the cherry-picked portion, the actual entire report must be totally damning.

Muy excellent point SharonW!

Must of had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to even get this, and it still contradicts Junya and the Cheney Admin at each and every point they’re pushin’.

npbeachfun @ 52

Please Rate this Video.
It is at 3 stars and only 85 ratings. It has been on all the blogs. Are we getting lazy?

Thanks for the elbowing, I forget. ;)

from SharonW @
50
WOOHOO! ABC World News Tonight covered the whole Clinton/Bush/Rice/bin Laden issue PERFECTLY tonight, including the fact that the 9/11 Commission Report directly refuted what Rice said about not being presented with a plan to deal with Al Qeada.

Maybe ABC is trying to win me back.
I have not watched any ABC stations since the 9/11 Propaganda Movie. ABC has gotta do more than report news accurately to get me back.
After 2 years of watching “Dr. McDreamy,” I’ll have to do without him this year!
Might have to watch reruns of Big Dawg and Olbermann instead.

Okay, folks, check out ABC News reporting on the NIE. This is sweet:

Iraq Is ‘Cause Celebre’ for Extremists

WASHINGTON Sep 26, 2006 (AP)— A declassified government intelligence report says the war in Iraq has become a “cause celebre” for Islamic extremists, breeding deep resentment of the U.S. that is likely to get worse before it gets better.

In the bleak report, released Tuesday on President Bush’s orders, the nation’s most veteran analysts conclude that despite serious damage to the leadership of al-Qaida, the threat from Islamic extremists has spread both in numbers and in geographic reach.

“If this trend continues, threats to U.S. interests at home and abroad will become more diverse, leading to increasing attacks worldwide,” the document says. “The confluence of shared purpose and dispersed actors will make it harder to find and undermine jihadist groups.”

[snip]

Bush and his top advisers had said the broad assessment on global terrorism supported their arguments that the world is safer. But more than three pages of stark judgments warning about the spread of terrorism contrasted with the administration’s glass-half-full declarations.

This is similar to how they portrayed it on TV tonight. :D

CLK @ 56

from SharonW @
50
WOOHOO! ABC World News Tonight covered the whole Clinton/Bush/Rice/bin Laden issue PERFECTLY tonight, including the fact that the 9/11 Commission Report directly refuted what Rice said about not being presented with a plan to deal with Al Qeada.

Maybe ABC is trying to win me back.
I have not watched any ABC stations since the 9/11 Propaganda Movie. ABC has gotta do more than report news accurately to get me back.
After 2 years of watching “Dr. McDreamy,” I’ll have to do without him this year!
Might have to watch reruns of Big Dawg and Olbermann instead.

I think the news team is trying to stay out of the mess that the Disney bosses created. They had even reported on that whole issue in a fair manner.

Listen, I can’t believe they could totally subjugate the news team what with George Stephanopolous and Richard Clark on the payroll.

Excellent ad. Hands down the best I have seen this season. It makes you think, be you on an extreme or in the middle. What are we voting for, what is going on.

This is the REAL thing…he speaks on this as he does in person…clear, resolute, and genuine. Webb gives Virginia hope. Help his campaign please…We need basics (like yard signs) Thank you very much.

Where do you go to rate?

I hate to yell, but I have just found the MOST ASTONISHING and USEFUL website I have seen in a long time. http://www.thepeoplechoose2006.org allows one to click on any race in the country and watch the ads created by each candidate. It also compares the candidates’ biographies and positions. Totally fabulous and needs as much attention as we can get for it.