I can't believe it's been three pages and no one has pointed out that, while it's true a Canadian has the record for the longest confirmed kill, his target was a moose. Don't get me wrong, those guys are good. They routinely blow squirrels out of trees at 1000 meters, but it's not like they're doing this on choppy seas.
I was specifically talking about this guy. According to the articles I've read so far, when they did shoot they were actually only about 75-80 feet away, not yards. I think they handled that specific situation perfectly. The problem now is figuring out how to handle the larger issue, and how to get all the other hostages back.
My take is that Obama demonstrated a level of competence that I would expect from Bush, Clinton, the other Bush, etc. IOW, I don't think he did anything special. OK, he deflected all praise onto the military and didn't have a big showy PR event, and that's pretty cool. But that was after the fact. But what happened is that over the weekend elements of the right wing nut machine started trying to turn this into a test for Obama. For example, Newt Gingrich is trying to fill the leadership void and become the intellectual center of the GOP, and he was twittering over the weekend about how Obama was messing up. That faction of the right looked like tools by midafternoon Sunday. And from what I've seen, the view from the left isn't oh wow Obama is teh awesome. It's, man, those right wing nutters just get nuttier and nuttier. We can't trust the future of the nation to them.
One of those snipers should do this country a huge favor and accidentally aim toward Newt Gingrich. Of course the real favor would have been to do this in 1993, but I'm a patient guy and it's never too late 80feet? I had read it as 80 yards, oops - either way, I was just trying to be sarcastic, at any range on the open seas 3 simultaneous shots and 3 kills is pretty impressive.
Ah... demonize the opposition... wasn't that a campaign trick by Democrats in last election? Now Obama & Co. are using no less than the Department of Homeland Security report, issued by DHS Director, as an attack dog instrument against Republicans and Conservatives who dare to oppose Obama's policies... As you know the first step in a functioning totalitarian regime is making all forms of dissent illegal... bravo liberals... mission accomplished in your march toward Communism! Federal agency warns of radicals on right The Washington Times http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/14/federal-agency-warns-of-radicals-on-right/ "The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement officials about a rise in “right wing extremist activity,” saying the economic recession, the election of America’s first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias. A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines “rightwing extremism in the United States” as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority.“It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration,” the warning says. Based on any evidence whatsoever? No... not at all... nothing at all: "The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has no specific information that domestic rightwing* terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but right wing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues."
You're exactly right. Instead of learning a lesson from last November and re-thinking what the hell the Republican Party should be about, they've gone completely nuts. I would have a hard time classifying myself as a Democrat, but the Republicans have literally pushed me that way with their ridiculous antics the past few years...and it's only getting worse.
These are the same folk making W out as the greatest after that little recon plane incident with China very early in his presidency.
You guys can relax. I was pointing out the absurd by being absurd. That was the same claim that anti-Bushers made about invading Iraq. I could have also claimed Obama "rushed to war" with the pirates. Or, that he is being imperialistic to gain Somalia's oil, or whatever it is they have. Or, he's getting back at Somalia, because a rebel once tried to hit Obama's Kenyan dad.
Before we get all hyped on how great Obama was in making this decision, let's note that it would be more noteworthy if he hadn't. In other words, as Bush liked to say, it was a no brainer.