Politics As Usual

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sgtclub
Why would you think that? Seems to me that Russia may have had a need to protect human assets before now. Are you suggesting that this is a quid pro quo of some sort?

If the administration wanted to tell us that there was credible information that Iraq was planning to attack us, don't you think Vice President Cheney would have been comfortable telling us exactly that, at a level of generality sufficient to avoid burning sources. E.g., he could say it came from an "ally" instead of Russia.

And I didn't say it was a quid pro quo. I said it was clever on Putin's part. What does it cost him?

Do you lack any ability to think critically about this stuff, or do you just decide to suspend disbelief?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I think that I'm safe in speaking for Bilmore in saying "Hey!"

But Sebby means it. I always figured that bilmore was posting his Nadergrams out of schadenfreude.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
If the administration wanted to tell us that there was credible information that Iraq was planning to attack us, don't you think Vice President Cheney would have been comfortable telling us exactly that, at a level of generality sufficient to avoid burning sources. E.g., he could say it came from an "ally" instead of Russia.

And I didn't say it was a quid pro quo. I said it was clever on Putin's part. What does it cost him?

Do you lack any ability to think critically about this stuff, or do you just decide to suspend disbelief?

Give them credit, they have been saying all along that Iraq was a threat. That is pretty generic.

But more importantly, I'm just trying to understand what he has to gain now, that he wouldn't have gained by giving his vote in the security counsel.

Is that critical enough for you?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sgtclub
I'm just trying to understand what he has to gain now, that he wouldn't have gained by giving his vote in the security counsel.

President Bush's good will. Putin is no dumb bunny.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
President Bush's good will. Putin is no dumb bunny.

But why now? What has changed such that he was willing to spurn good will in 2003 but needs it in 2004?

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by sgtclub
Give them credit, they have been saying all along that Iraq was a threat. That is pretty generic.

But more importantly, I'm just trying to understand what he has to gain now, that he wouldn't have gained by giving his vote in the security counsel.

Is that critical enough for you?

Even better, that's EXTREMELY generic.

I say again, we've been poring over in minute detail what other foreign intel services have given us. Why not this too, even if not tied directly to the Russians?

I am finding it hard to fathom why NOONE in the Administration, for lo these many months, have not given us the wink and the nod on this.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sgtclub
But why now? What has changed such that he was willing to spurn good will in 2003 but needs it in 2004?

Um, what? Who said Putin needs good will? I said he saw an easy chance to score a few points with Bush, and took it.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Um, what? Who said Putin needs good will? I said he saw an easy chance to score a few points with Bush, and took it.

So in your view he's throwing a bone at no cost for future consideration? Who is failing to think critically now?

[SlaveNoMore]

Tyrone Slothrop
In moderation, let me say that I think it's fantastic that Ralph Nader has finally found a voice on this board.

Well, not finally, but Debt(Ms. Third Way)slave's been AWOL for a while, so it looks sort of nouveau

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by sgtclub
Who is failing to think critically now?

BOARD MOTTO! BOARD MOTTO! BOARD MOTTO! BOARD MOTTO! BOARD MOTTO! BOARD MOTTO! BOARD MOTTO!

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by sgtclub
But why now? What has changed such that he was willing to spurn good will in 2003 but needs it in 2004?

[wild baseless speculation]Maybe Bushco got wind that Putin was one of the "foreign leaders" that told Kerry privately that he was rooting for a Bush loss, and Putin needed to make some nice political hay for Bushco.

Or maybe something's going down in Russia soon, and Putin needs to leverage support before he has some sort of crisis on his hands.[/wild baseless speculation]

This whole thing makes no sense. The Brits get (false) intel of the Uranium down in Africa, and that makes a state of a union address to convince us to go to war, but Putin's personal "Iraq is gonna fuck your shit up soon" doesn't get a mention until three years later?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sgtclub
So in your view he's throwing a bone at no cost for future consideration? Who is failing to think critically now?

What am I missing? What does it cost him?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

To keep Pensk, er, the Spartan happy, politics in picture form:

[Not Me]

• CAIRO, Egypt – The leader of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia was killed Friday, Arab satellite stations Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera reported.
  
  The news was given in a scrolling news bar at the bottom of the screens.
  
  Abdulaziz al-Moqrin is at the top of the list of suspects in Saudi Arabia and is believed to be the leader of the group calling itself al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which claimed responsibility for the beheading of American hostage Paul M. Johnson Jr.
  
  Johnson's body was found Friday.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Not Me
Al-Jazeera

Has anyone seen Control Room yet?

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Cont...2546/about.php

I'm interested, but I haven't had the chance to see it yet.