America goes to the polls

She is displaying herself to the lowest common denominator by such displays

Shows how stupid we are, Bonny, if we support that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/world/asia/cia-funds-found-their-way-into-al-qaeda-coffers.html?_r=0

WASHINGTON — In the spring of 2010, Afghan officials struck a deal to free an Afghan diplomat held hostage by Al Qaeda. But the price was steep — $5 million — and senior security officials were scrambling to come up with the money.

They first turned to a secret fund that the Central Intelligence Agency bankrolled with monthly cash deliveries to the presidential palace in Kabul, according to several Afghan officials involved in the episode. The Afghan government, they said, had already squirreled away about $1 million from that fund.Within weeks, that money and $4 million more provided from other countries was handed over to Al Qaeda, replenishing its coffers after a relentless C.I.A. campaign of drone strikes in Pakistan had decimated the militant network’s upper ranks.


More on this stupidity at link.

Actually, the 'relentless CIA drone strikes' had little or no effect on Al Quaeda. Except to swell its ranks, as for every 'terrorist' they killed, it's estimated they blew up 50 civilians - 'bug splat', as the victims were called by the drone operators.

Not surprisingly, seeing their families get blown to bits did NOT intimidate the locals; no, they went looking for revenge - via AQ.

Who do they really report to?

Lily, I have no idea, it just seems to be one balls-up - or deliberate 'mishap' - after another. And no-one ever seems to be called to account for it. Can you see a private business putting up with this endless incompetence and throwing good money after bad?

No I can't.  They would be shown the door.

I must admit to imagining that behind closed doors they are laughing their heads off.

Unlesss they've got so much dirt on politicians, etc., they can do pretty much as they please?

Ah.......now that makes sense, Bonny.    Yes, they have loads and loads of proper dossiers on every one of them.

http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/235748-obama-jokes-about-hillary-emails-at-white-tie-dinner

President Obama late Saturday joked about the controversy surrounding former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s use of a private email account during a white-tie dinner in Washington, D.C.


According to a White House pool report, Obama told guests at the Gridiron Club dinner that he was once known as the young, tech-savvy candidate.
But now, “Hillary has a server in her house! I didn’t even know you could have one of those. I am so far behind.”

Vice President Joe Biden was also the target of several jokes.

“Joe rubs my shoulders, too,” the president said. “It’s not bad. It feels pretty good. I don’t let him give me a pedicure, but…”

Obama also took a shot at Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), a potential 2016 GOP presidential candidate, who was among dinner guests ranging from baseball great Hank Aaron to MSNBC’s Chris Matthews.

Obama said that Walker “punted on the question of evolution, which I do think is a problem. I absolutely believe in the theory of evolution – when it comes to gay marriage.”

The president also said a letter to Iran’s leaders signed by 47 Republican senators “wasn’t a joke.”

“You don’t diminish your office by taking a selfie. You do it by sending a poorly written letter to Iran. Really. That wasn’t a joke.”

And Obama’s response to New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s (R) comment that he didn’t love America drew big laughs.

“If I did not love America, I wouldn’t have moved here from Kenya,” Obama said.

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I haven't the words.

Plotting worthy of the Borgias in progress, according to this report:

http://nypost.com/2015/03/14/obama-adviser-behind-leak-of-hillary-clintons-e-mail-scandal/

Obama adviser behind leak of Hillary Clinton’s email scandal

Saw this and had to smile.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2995109/Soapy-acidic-DID-Foreign-Office-make-Queen-serve-shabby-Chablis-Obama.html

He'll get angry again if he sees some of the comments...

Well he is only a B rated politician so he got the right quality of drink
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Long have the diplomatic skills of the UK been known, it is not surprising is it, after all, non-verbal communication can also be effective, can't it???

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YOu always use the worst wine for the least important guests

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Barry O isn't worth a glass of Lambrini


Yes, he's really done wonders for trans-Atlantic relations, hasn't he? Anyway, what would have been the point in serving him the good stuff? I'm just surprised he didn't stick his chewing gum under the table.....

Do you think it might be because of sending the Churchill bust back?

He might have stuck it there for all we know, Bonny. 

There are any number of things it could have been, Lily, though the Churchill bust was probably the start of it....

Is there any nation on earth that is still speaking to Washington, except Canada and Ukraine?

You mean there are still people speaking to us?  

Thankfully, most people differentiate between the citizens of a nation and their insane governments, Lily. But I must confess, the Obama regime has taken insanity to new heights.

I do so hope that the pendulum will center itself.   

Yes, just peace and quiet, diplomacy, good international relations, all the sort of thing we had only a few years ago would be good...

It's actually terrifying when you step back and see just how much Obama has wrecked, globally and internally.

The question is was that on purpose or purely accidental?

I used to think it was incompetence, Lily, now I think it's deliberate. Look at the 'advisors' he surrounds himself with, the way he just ignores the Constitution. And it is always going to come back to the Constitution. It's as if a British monarch decided to ignore 1688 and actually rule, instead of being Head of State?

I did too, Bonny.  After so many major blunders and so on, I thought it had to be deliberate.  Then we saw the name of the person in the shadows.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/18/obama-calls-mandatory-voting-us/

Obama calls for mandatory voting in U.S.

By Dave Boyer - The Washington Times - Wednesday, March 18, 2015
President Obama, whose party was trounced in last year’s midterm election due to poor turnout among Democrats, endorsed the idea of mandatory voting Wednesday.

“It would be transformative if everybody voted,” Mr. Obama said during a town-hall event in Cleveland. “That would counteract [campaign] money more than anything. If everybody voted, then it would completely change the political map in this country.”

Mr. Obama raised the subject during a discussion of curbing the influence of campaign donations in U.S. elections. The president said he had never discussed the idea publicly before, but said Australia and some other countries have compulsory voting.

The president didn’t commit to pushing a mandatory voting initiative at the federal level but said, “that may end up being a better strategy in the short term” than finding a solution to curbing campaign donations.

Australia is one of 11 nations worldwide with mandatory voting. Australians who fail to vote can be fined, or even jailed for repeatedly not casting a ballot.


The president repeated his frequent complaint that Democrats tend to stay home in midterm elections. Last November, Republicans regained control of the Senate and added seats to their majority in the House despite Mr. Obama’s massive fundraising efforts for his party.

“The people who tend not to vote are young, they’re lower income, they’re skewed more heavily towards immigrant groups and minority groups,” Mr. Obama said. “And they’re the folks who are scratching and climbing to get into the middle class and they’re working hard. There’s a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls. We should want to get them into the polls.”


So it begins.

Yes it does and had a bit of a shock today.  On one tv program it was announced that Kerry is believed to be running.  

I came across that somewhere, too, Lily. I am beyond being surprised at anything coming out of Washington these days, sadly. I saw him described somewhere as A haircut in search of a brain.....

I am still not convinced there will even be a 2016 US election; I won't be surprised if Obama conjures up some State of Emergency which involves him getting a third term.

But hey, if he does go, his legacy will be carried on by all those millions of 'dreamers' who will be told who to vote for and how to vote.