You haven’t even tried to refute any of my arguments because you can’t.

And here’s Tom Ridge, back-pedaling on his back-pedaling:

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/ridge-wants-to-change-untrustworthy-jacket-on-his-book.php?ref=fpblg

Oh, I can think of a dozen other ways to put it. That you are so limited is a shameful reflection on your parents, your alma mater, and your credentials.

You really DO sound like Rudy Giuliani. “”There’s only three things [Giuliani] says in a sentence: a noun, a verb and 9/11.”

The issue was foreign policy, and how other nations see us. Your response? “9/11!”

Lockerbie was a terrorist attack on an American airliner that killed 270 people — 169 of whom were Americans. One of whom was the brother of a blog-friend of mine. So it was NOT none of our business.

And he’s dying of cancer? Really? Says who? The Scottish government won’t even say who diagnosed him, apart from a Libyan doctor brought in. He’s looked pretty damned healthy, right up until someone got a clue and stuck him in a bed with an oxygen mask. He still had his glasses on, and some have noted that prostate cancer seldom puts the patient on oxygen, but hey — at least they’re pretending like it might be legit.

“A few angry Mexicans and Canadians…” Nice way to refer to our two closest neighbors, biggest trading partners, and co-owners of our unfortified borders.

No, Obama hasn’t had a 9/11 so far. And, like any sane American (give it a try some time — both parts), I hope he doesn’t.

But at this point, neither did Bush.

Here’s hoping we can say “Obama hasn’t had a 9/11″ for the rest of his term.

And here’s hoping he figures out this whole foreign policy thing before too long.

J.

This is exactly the metric used by you and fellow wing-nuts to judge Bush as his plans for Iraq and Afghanistan blew up in his face. “We haven’t been attacked again!” (Although you guys forgot about the anthrax attacks as well.)

Personally, I think you have to judge a presidency on the complete picture (which is pretty damn ugly for Bush by any standard). It was wing-nuts like yourself who lowered the bar so much for a successful presidency (“Only 3,000 civilians killed under a GOP president! Vote John McCain!”).

You don’t get to turn around and criticize Obama for — what exactly? He inherited two clusterfucks in the form of Iraq and Afghanistan, and he’s had less than a year to try and improve them. (IMO, Afghanistan is starting to look like more of a nightmare than Iraq ever was, but we’ll see.)

So I apologize if my irony was lost on you.

“Russia’s walking all over him.”

Please explain. And please compare to Bush shaking hands with Putin and “looking into his soul.”

“Britain (after repeated disses by Obama, including his little games with Bermuda) just let the Lockerbie bomber go.”

Lockerbie was an attack over British soil. It’s really their business as to what they did with the guy. And if I’m not mistaken, he’s dying of cancer, so I doubt he’ll be involved in another plot any time soon.

“China’s yanking our economic chain.”

And has been doing so for a while now. It’s no secret China might emerge as one of the largest players in the global economy. And without them we wouldn’t be able to buy cheap shit at Wal-Mart. So, what’s your point? Americans would rather buy cheap shit at Wal-Mart than worry about human rights abuses in the PRC.

“Japan’s quietly boosting their own military capabilities.”

Again, what’s your point? It’d be a good thing for this to happen so we wouldn’t have to spend billions on staging troops there. I really doubt Emperor Hirohito has too many followers these days. This is a good thing for America.

“Canada and Mexico got pissed when Obama mouthed off about trashing NAFTA.”

Hmm. A few angry Mexicans and Canadians, or smoking piles of rubble at the Pentagon and the WTC? Gee, you’re right. OBAMA IS JUST AS BAD AS BUSH!!!

There’s no other way to put this — you’re a fucking idiot.

Ridge has walked back from that. Turns out it was his publisher hyping his book, and someone noticed that the terror alert status in the time frame discussed NEVER CHANGED. So the whole “Bush manipulated the terror alert status for political gain” is complete and utter Jaim bullshit.

As far as facts go… the only one you’ve cited is “Obama hasn’t has a 9/11 so far.” Oh, and you think that other countries just love Obama.

Russia’s walking all over him. 4% of Israelis think Obama’s on their side. Britain (after repeated disses by Obama, including his little games with Bermuda) just let the Lockerbie bomber go. China’s yanking our economic chain. Japan’s quietly boosting their own military capabilities. Canada and Mexico got pissed when Obama mouthed off about trashing NAFTA.

And how about that “real” war, the important one, in Afghanistan, anyway?

You couldn’t hack it here Jay. Too many foreigners for your taste.

“Once again, Jaim is reduced to ‘the Bush administration was the most worstest in history, and the Obama administration is in some, barely-measurable way, the tiniest bit better, even though they’re following many of the same policies and procedures.’”

I’m giving you facts as to how the Obama administration so far has been demonstrably better than the Bush administration, not to mention it hasn’t started and failed to finish two different wars.

Here’s another fact: Bush used the terror alerts for political purposes.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/08/ridge_accuses_b.html

If Obama raises us to Code Red or whatever before the 2010 mid-terms, I’ll happily criticize him for doing so.

As I’ve said before, Bush doesn’t deserve all the blame for 9/11. But the fact that nobody was punished? That people were, shockingly, promoted in the wake of the greatest terrorist strike on American soil ever?

You can see why nobody believes you when you try and argue Bush and Obama are “just the same.” The families of 3,000 victims certainly don’t.

You said there’s no way to measure Obama vs. Bush’s national security/foreign policies.

Bullshit. I said that Jones’ statement is unproven, and he cheerfully says he can’t/won’t even try to.

Also, Obama has quietly adopted so many of Bush’s national security policies — including several he ran against. I personally find it slightly reassuring, but the facts that 1) he’s doing it while refusing to admit it and B) so many of his supporters are in such stark denial about it both amuse and trouble me.

Much like yourself — I am amused by your antics, but troubled that you are an “ambassador” of America to a key ally.

J.

Excellent.

“Or Israel?”

I doubt they’re going to stop cashing our checks.

“Is Russia being especially respectful?”

I don’t like Putin. Bush “looked into his eyes and saw his soul,” however, so what do I know.

“How about China?”

China is happily positioning itself to be the next great economic power in the world. It may or may not happen due to internal strife. Not sure what you’re trying to get at here.

“Libya’s laughing its ass off right now.”

Actually, Khadaffi desperately wants his country to be taken seriously before he dies. It might happen. Might not.

“You kept pointing out that Obama hasn’t had a 9/11 so far in his administration. I finally got sick of you repeating that, so I noted that, at the same point in his administration, neither had Bush. My hope was that you’d shut up about it for at least a week or so.”

No sparky, here’s what happened: You said there’s no way to measure Obama vs. Bush’s national security/foreign policies. I said there was. 3,000 American civilians died under Bush’s watch. But you don’t think this is a big deal living in your mom’s basement, trolling lib sites at 4 in the A.M.

How’s our relationship with the UK lately, Jaim? Or Israel? Is Russia being especially respectful? How about China?

Libya’s laughing its ass off right now.

You kept pointing out that Obama hasn’t had a 9/11 so far in his administration. I finally got sick of you repeating that, so I noted that, at the same point in his administration, neither had Bush. My hope was that you’d shut up about it for at least a week or so.

Oh, and you apparently missed the memo from General Jones. The current phrase isn’t “world leaders.” It’s Obama and his “fellow rulers.”

J.

The Bush Administration was easily one of the worst ever. It will have to duel with Hoover on this, but historians (real historians, not “historians” like Jonah Goldberg) are not going to be kind to Flightsuit.

“The point you’re so desperately trying to bury is that, in many critical ways, so far Obama is acting as if he’s carrying out Bush’s 3rd term.”

World leaders respect Obama even if they don’t agree with him. I’d say that’s a major step up from Bush, who was an international laughingstock (and tried to molest the leader of Germany).

“tiresome”

Say the guy up at four in the morning trolling a liberal webite. Uh-huh.

1) I never specifically mentioned 9/11 in this thread — YOU brought that up.

B) I didn’t say the Bush administration was the best ever, merely mocked those who say it was the worst.

III) The point you’re so desperately trying to bury is that, in many critical ways, so far Obama is acting as if he’s carrying out Bush’s 3rd term.

d) Your standard ploy of turning the argument from the topic at hand to something where you think you have some kind of “FTW!” edge is getting more and more transparent, and more and more tiresome.

J.

http://www.oliverwillis.com/2009/08/31/natl-security-adviser-jim-jones-more-success-terrorists-killedcaptured-under-obama/#comment-174885

Your fellow GOP loons continually lauded Bush for keeping us safe between 9/12/2001 and the end of his term. I’m simply stating that by this metric, Obama is doing a fantastic job when it comes to national security, but you are incapable of understanding this due to the mixture of partisan hackery and racism that defines you.

Obviously we can’t know the full measure of a president until his term is over (as for Bush, it’s clear he was a complete disaster on all issues domestic and foreign). But I’m not one of the bed-wetters like you who constantly howled “WE HAVEN’T BEEN HIT AGAIN!” as Bush moved further and further into incompetence, failure, and outright scorn from the American people.

J.

Foolish hope, I admit. It would have required you to show the slightest bit of intelligence.

J.

But I look forward to you heaping praise on Obama for being better than Bush on national defense come 9/12.

As for the gist of your comment there… as usual, it’s as despicable as it is incorrect. In other words, typical Jaim.

J.

It ain’t September 11, 2009 yet.

And English, you remind me of the old joke about the helicopter flying in dense fog…

Speaking literal truth while giving a false impression is a classic form of lying. Bill Clinton didn’t invent it, but he is a master of it.

J.

Which means you’re literally wrong, doesn’t it?