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Osama Bin Laden Killed–Where are the photos?

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Barack Obama gave an order to have Osama Bin Laden killed. Navy Seals executed the mission flawlessly.

Yet as is the case with so many missions, it is events afterward that can vex us.

Bin Laden was shot in the eye and killed. He was given the Muslim equivalent of a Viking funeral and removed from the Earth forever.

Yet one question still remains.

Where are the photos?

Do I believe that Barack Obama lied to the American people to distract us from domestic worries? Is this all one big conspiracy? Is Osama Bin Laden alive and well hiding in an Amish community in Pennsylvania?

No. Of course not.

The question then morphs.

Why are the photos not being released?

Some will argue that Mr. Obama has some very difficult decisions to make regarding these photos.

Will releasing the photos make matters worse? Will it make America and the world more or less safe? Are they too gruesome for people to see? Is there a national security reason the photos must stay hidden?

The problem with using the “difficult decision” argument is that Mr. Obama and his team had months to think about this.

People pilloried George W. Bush for “winning the war but being unprepared to win the peace.” He was ridiculed when he said that being President was “hard work.”

Well it is hard work. Yet Mr. Obama must have had this discussion with his advisers.

The “too gruesome” argument is very weak. Americans have seen photos of 9/11, JFK being shot, and Holocaust atrocities. We are adults. We can handle it. It is not the government’s job to decide what we can and cannot stomach. News reporters can warn parents to have their children leave the room. Then parents can decide what to do next.

National security is a valid consideration. Yet the problem is not that Mr. Obama is making an argument we may disagree with. The real problem is that he is not making an argument either way.

Forget the conspiracy nuts. Mr. Obama is never going to satisfy people who believe that his birth certificate would prove that Darth Vader was his father and Osama Bin Laden his mother.

Most people know that President Obama did a good job getting Bin Laden killed. Yet they want closure. We may not want to see the evidence, but many of us need to see it.

Jack Nicholson as Colonel Nathan R. Jessup bellowed “You can’t handle the truth.”
To quote Barack Obama, on this issue, “Yes, we can.”

Mr. Obama does have a reputation for being paternalistic. He does believe in the nanny state where the government knows what is best for us. If that is at play here, then he needs to understand that this is another example where he does not get to decide.

This is admittedly speculation, but if President Obama will not talk to us, then speculation is all that exists.

I have always been a supporter of presidential secrecy when appropriate. Presidents should have wide latitude to conceal things if disclosure would put the nation at risk.

If the issue is one of fear of inflaming the Muslim world, he needs to say this. This argument would be a weak one, but it is impossible to even consider a counter-argument when the initial argument is unknown.

The explanation may be completely reasonable. There could be something in the photos that must stay hidden. President Obama would not need to state specific details, but a general explanation must be forthcoming.

This issue of the photos is not going away. No amount of reality television, Royal weddings, or sporting events will end this conversation. This is about one of the most evil men the world has ever known. Unlike Japanese Earthquakes or even Libyan kinetic conflicts, this is not just a story. It is “the” story.

Mr. Obama must level with America, and he must do so quickly.

We need to either see the photos or be given the mother of all explanations as to why this will not happen.

In a world of Facebook, Twitter, DNA, and Wikileaks, nothing stays hidden forever. If the photos leak out instead of being released by the President, it would damage him and perhaps the country as well.

Mr. Obama, this cannot be delayed any longer. Release the photos and give Americans full closure.

At the very least, talk to us. Look us in the eye. You are known for talking. Sometimes your critics maintain you talk too much and do too little. This time you acted bravely and were rewarded for your boldness with a successful mission.

You did the hard part. Now do the easy part. Start talking sir. It is the right thing to do.

eric

Posted in MILITARY, POLITICS | 1 Comment »

Osama Bin Laden Killed–What was done wrong

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Yesterday I analyzed what went right with regards to the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Today I will look at what either went wrong, or has the potential to be very wrong.

First let me again state that President Obama did virtually everything right with regards to the mission. Conservatives can praise him because we are not motivated by blind hatred of the man. The left should try this approach with George W. Bush and see if they can upgrade him to human status. If they cannot find anything positive thing to say about him regarding the War on Terror, then they need to look inward and see how far down in the depths they have sunk.

Both Mr. Bush and Mr. Obama contributed to the killing of Bin Laden. Only hyper-partisans would deny this.

Now while Mr. Obama got much right, there are some concerns.

He needs to release the photos showing a dead Bin Laden. I can understand waiting a couple of days so as not to spoil the initial jubilation. Yet unless there is proof that Osama’s death certificate was swapped with Osama’s birth certificate and both were secretly born in Israel to Orthodox Jews, what is the delay? If Mr. Obama has a national security reason, he should tell us what he can without compromising sensitive information. The photos may be gruesome, but we need to see them.

No, I do not think the death was faked and that Bin Laden is playing shuffleboard on a cruise ship near Palm Beach. So just release the pictures.

One area of criticism with Mr. Obama I am going to dial down is his lack of graciousness with Mr. Bush. He was totally right to call Mr. Bush after the mission was completed before the general public knew. Yet he was wrong to not be more gracious toward Mr. Bush in his nine minute speech to the nation.

I am dialing down this criticism because Mr. Obama did call Mr. Bush again and invite him to participate in a ceremony on Thursday at Ground Zero. Thursday, May 5th is the National Day of Prayer. I want to see in the coming months if Mr. Obama can finally put his animosity toward Mr. Bush aside. It would actually raise his own standing if he did, and disarm his conservative critics on the issue. Time will tell.

What Mr. Obama may get wrong regarding Bin Laden is that so far there is no hint that he will use this successful operation as a precedent. He could kill Khadafi in Libya and Assad in Syria tomorrow, and be totally justified in doing so. He should repeal the executive order banning the targeted killings of foreign leaders.

Syria is a tougher case to make because they did not directly attack the United States. Mr. Obama could simply watch Benjamin Netanyahu do the deed from Israel and then stay silent. Getting out of the way is good enough. George W. Bush gave Ariel Sharon a virtually free hand in dealing with Arafat, and this was proper.

Libya should have been carpet-bombed every day since Reagan did it in 1986. Khadafi did murder Americans over Lockerbie, Scotland. There is no statute of limitations on murder. Mr. Obama has every right to take out Khadafi, and he should do it. His reasons for killing Bin Laden apply very well to Khadafi.

Another thing that Mr. Obama is definitely getting wrong is his refusal to acknowledge that the George W. Bush War on Terror policies are right. They absolutely must be kept in place. Karl Rove labeled seven things that the Bush Administration did.

1.) Al Qaeda were treated as enemy combatants, not common criminals.

2.) Rendition.

3.) Enhanced interrogation techniques. They are not torture. (John McCain is a hero. That does not automatically make it unpatriotic to disagree with him on this issue.)

4.) Military tribunals. No more civilian trials for terrorists.

5.) Guantanamo Bay.

6.) Donald Rumsfeld transforming the military.

7.) Intelligence reform. The Chinese walls set up by Clinton appointee Jamie Gorelick had to come down.

Mr. Obama cannot have it both ways. He cannot take credit for killing Mr. Bin Laden while disavowing the Bush policies that allowed for the process to get to the final stage.

Congressman Peter King stated that waterboarding of Khalid Sheik Mohammed absolutely was use dto obtain the nickname of a courier who Bin Laden trusted. Even the liberal Washington Post back Congressman King.

Liberal radio host Alan Colmes appeared as a guest of  Bill O’Reilly and piously declared that Donald Rumsfeld disputed the claim made by Mr. King. Yet one hour later, Rumsfeld told Sean Hannity that he never said that. What he said was that nobody was waterboarded at Gitmo. People were waterboarded and then later brought to Gitmo. This is a far cry from saying waterboarding did not yield the intelligence information. Mr. Rumsfeld absolutely backed Mr. King, and Mr. Colmes should admit he screwed up. As Warner Wolf used to say, “Let’s go to the videotape.”

Mr. Obama has to know deep down that coercive interrogation methods cannot be ruled out. Therefore, he should not allow liberal ideology to get in the way of sound policy. He must continue these policies.

He got the Bin Laden killing right because policies set up by Mr. Bush did not handcuff him. Yet Mr. Obama has handcuffed himself over the past couple of years, resulting in the dreadful decision to initially have KSM receive a trial in New York. This political correctness has led to Fort Hood, the Christmas Day Bomber, and other plots that were total security failures. Dumb blind luck prevented tragedy in some cases.

As for American liberals, they are as hypocritical as ever on this issue. They have two options. They can call for Mr. Obama to be impeached for war crimes (an idiotic idea). Or they can admit that sometimes presidents need to take drastic measures to save American lives. Even better, they could choose a “third way” and just say that everything in life is acceptable as long as a liberal is doing it, while conservatives are evil for doing the same things. Heck, the left does this now.

Politics used to stop at the water’s edge. Now it only does when conservatives are defending liberal presidents. The favor is never returned as conservative presidents get accused by liberal leaders of war crimes.

The lazy liberal slobs in the media must ask Mr. Obama exactly what he plans to do regarding these policies. He must give clear answers. He must not be allowed to take a victory lap while placing us at future risk.

Mr. Obama and liberals have also gotten wrong the attitude of the Arab Muslim world in the Middle East. Bin Laden is dead. They are showing zero gratitude. Apparently Barack Obama and George W. Bush are the same to them. American liberals may wish to pretend to grasp this. We need to stop kissing backsides and start kicking them. The George W. Bush “boot up their @ss” strategy is the right way.

Mr. Obama and liberals continue to be clueless about the attitude of the Palesimians. Hamas is yelling for revenge.  That is a declaration of war. Obliterate all of the Hamas leadership now. Kill them all and let God declare them his worst mistake. There is no reason a single Hamas leader should be among the living right now. They are the same savages who handed out candy after 9/11.

Other people who got things wrong were useless, harmless, but still worthy of derision.

The American Indian community complained that the CIA used the code name “Geronimo” for Bin Laden. They are offended. I am offended that they would focus on utter stupidity. I am not interested in their feelings on this one. Let them name a newborn son “CIA Cracker” and call it even. I have nothing against American Indians. I loathe political correctness. Perhaps the American military should no longer defend them since soldiers yell “Geronimo” when jumping out of planes. I am more worried about those trying to blow up planes. American Indians know about being killed. They should focus on preserving life.

Priests who criticized those for “excessive celebrations” should become NFL referees and ruin that as well. The jubilation was totally appropriate. Celebrating justice is not celebrating murder.

Mr. Obama will see his deserved bounce in the polls evaporate in a couple of weeks when the glow fades. This happens to all presidents. Mr. Obama, contrary to MSNBC reports, is mortal.

Lastly, American liberals need to stop babbling about coming together and civility until they truly learn to mean it. George W. Bush loyally served his country. He was not a liar, warmonger, murderer, war criminal, or traitor. Those claiming he is are beyond the ability to engage in reasonable dialogue.

I am obsessed with combatting ideological bigotry, and the death of Bin Laden is another opportunity for leftists and Islamists to stop despising conservative Republicans and Judeo-Christian Westerners respectively.

When a liberal is told that the right rallied behind Obama while the left will not to this day, do that for Bush, the left has their simple, snide, smug answer.

“Mr. Obama deserves the praise. Mr. Bush deserves the scorn.”

After all, anybody disagreeing with this is either evil or an imbecile.

If the left does not give Mr. Bush his due, they will be the worst of all possible people. They will benefit from his actions while disavowing them simultaneously.

In a situation where much was done right, this is the biggest wrong. If the left ever decides to let policy trump politics, we will all benefit.

eric

Posted in MILITARY, POLITICS | 2 Comments »

Osama Bin Laden Killed–What was done right

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

Osama Bin Laden was killed by Navy Seals. That is the descriptive narrative. Now for some serious analysis.

Today I will look at what was done right and tomorrow what was either done wrong or could be a problem going forward.

The good news is that a lot went right. I can honestly say that with regards to President Obama handling this situation…I am genuinely proud of him.

Again, well done Mr. Obama. Good job sir. Let’s not sugarcoat this. Excellent job sir. Big thumbs up.

Mr. Obama took a bold gamble. He could have just dropped bombs and been done with it. Yet he insisted on us being able to identify the remains of Bin Laden to ward off conspiracy theorists. Had this bold gamble failed, I would not have ripped into him. Had it failed and he blamed everybody else, then I absolutely would have unloaded.

He deserves full credit for making a tough decision and getting it right. Virtually every criticism I have had of him on other issues disappeared on this issue. He showed real leadership. He was presidential.

Some on the right will say that the real credit goes to the Navy Seals, and not Mr. Obama. Wrong. I excoriated liberals for years when they would say they were glad Saddam was gone and supported the troops, but gave George W. Bush zero credit. I said then that you cannot praise a successful military action without giving credit to the man making the final decision. The Navy Seals are phenomenal, but Mr. Obama did the right thing in dispatching them the way he did. He has my appreciation for this.

Another thing Mr. Obama got right was the order to kill Bin Laden and not capture him. The notion of a debate on where to hold a trial like we faced with Khalid Sheik Mohammed would have been a nightmare. Bin Laden is dead. Problem solved. Again, I credit Mr. Obama for clearly getting this thought process right.

For those criticizing the decision to quickly dispatch of the body with a funeral according to Muslim law, let it go. As much fun as it is to be jingiostic (yes, I mean me too) and say that we should douse him in bacon grease and force other Al Qaeda members to eat him, that is not the right answer. Normally when the issue of inflaming the Arab world is brought up, I point out that they are born angry and die that way anyway, so nobody should care.

This time we should care. For those who read “The Iliad” by Homer, the vivid imagery of Achilles dragging Hector’s body all around until the gods had had enough applies here. We got him. We killed him. He’s buried. Leave it alone. A protracted argument over what to do with the body would be almost as bad as that type of debate over a trial. Mr. Obama got this one right.

Mr. Obama acted unilaterally. He did not seek permission or even discuss the matter with the United Nations, our allies, Pakistan, or even members of congress. I have always supported presidential prerogative in the name of national security, and that stance will not only be when Republicans are in the White House.

New York Congressman Peter King was asked if he was upset about not being consulted. He sincerely said he was fine with being left in the dark, because sometimes the presidency requires secrecy. Congressmen simply cannot keep their d@mn mouths shut. The only thing worse is telling a member of the media to keep quiet.

Mr. Obama had every right to handle this without consulting others, since he takes the blame if it fails. Had it been George W. Bush, liberals would have been screaming bloody murder. Nevertheless, my stand is consistent.

As for Pakistan, let them complain about their “sovereignty.” Too d@mn bad. They were hiding a mass murderer off Americans, and an American President has an obligation to the American people, nobody else. This is not “cowboy diplomacy.” It is high time the left stopped trying to be “neutral” when every other nation defends their own. Again, Mr. Obama got it totally right.

I also thank Mr. Obama for having the decency to call President Bush and Congressman King before the news leaked (another reason to justify secrecy….a “precious few” were told what transpired, and it leaked quickly). Had Mr. Bush not gotten such a call, it would have been very rude. I am glad Mr. Obama got this right.

Even Hillary Clinton got it right. Yes, I concede this with shock, but it is true.

Normally I say that her entire job is to issue meaningless blather. She does it well. Yet this one time, she issued “good” meaningless blather.

She went on television and said that Pakistan cooperated with the situation. This is nonsense. They certainly have not been as faithful as they could have been.

Yet as Sir Charles of Krauthammer points out, “The whole point of diplomacy is to lie.”

So if Hillary’s remarks were full of bunk and everybody knows this, why were they good?

To publicly call out Pakistan would have been a gigantic mistake. She was not speaking to Americans. She was stroking the egos of the Pakistanis. This is another example of where inflaming a situation serves no purpose (it often does). Yes, even a Neocon myself will concede that every once in awhile, diplomacy is not completely useless. Many situation require a battering ram. This was a rare occasion where finesse was appropriate. Hillary was insincere, and it was proper for her to be this way.

If praising Hillary leaves me shocked, then I am downright stunned over my having to praise the college students who assembled outside the White House and the people who gathered in Times Square.

While there were one or two people in the crowd with Obama signs, the bulk of the people simply waived American flags. I would have been outraged had they been chanting “Yes, we can.” Instead they chanted “USA,” which is what we chanted on 9/11. In the days following 9/11, people were not embracing George W. Bush simply for being a conservative Republican. In 2011 Mr. Obama has received far too much praise by liberals simply for being one. Yet for the most part, these demonstrations were apolitical. These college students were not dopey. They were dignified. Even though they were very young when 9/11 happened, this should not take away from their patriotism. It is far too rare, but this was a great display by those who congregated.

As for the CIA, let’s give them some credit. The often maligned agency was brilliant this time. This was intelligence gathering and espionage at its finest.

Lastly, a several minute discussion moderated by Bill O’Reilly was brilliant because the two panelists were a pair of the biggest military intellectual heavyweights in the country. Colonels Ralph Peters and David Hunt offered a fascinating discussion that should be mandatory viewing for everybody.

Colonel Peters brought up the Obama version of the helicopter that malfunctioned. Apparently our Seals destroyed it to prevent Bin Laden and his henchmen from gleaming any intelligence information from it.

Peters offered a theory that while unprovable, was still provocative and yet also reasonable. He speculated that Bin Laden and his men were already dead when that helicopter malfunctioned. He posed the idea that the Seals destroyed it to prevent the Pakistanis from getting any information about it. If they did, the Pakistanis would sell it to the Chinese, who would just steal another American technology like they steal virtually everything else we do. This is just a theory, but interesting nonetheless.

Colonel Hunt explained why the hovering of a chopper overhead would not tip off Bin Laden to flee. Given that his compound was 35 miles from a major military base, choppers overhead were a frequent occurrence. Our Seals spent weeks training how to simulate the exact flight patters of a friendly helicopter. Bin Laden most likely thought the chopper was protecting him right up until the moment that he saw the Seals and realized what had happened. As Mr. Hunt pointed out, by keeping Bin Laden near a military base to hide him in plain sight, this time the Pakistanis “outsmarted themselves.”

Both Colonel Hunt and Colonel Peters are brilliant (Full disclosure: Colonel Peters endorsed my second book. I admired him long before he did. I have zero connection to Mr. Hunt.). Mr. O’Reilly gave them wide latitude, and this made for journalism at its finest.

There is plenty of time for armchair quarterbacking, and tomorrow will focus on some things that are not so right. Yet much more was right than was wrong.

I would also like to Thank George W. Bush. He was totally right, in keeping with his character, of not overshadowing Mr. Obama this week. Mr. Obama has every right to take a victory lap, provided it is not an 18 month victory lap. A couple of days is fine.

Those cautioning that we have more work to do are also very smart to say this. We cannot get complacent.

Yet back to Mr. Bush, his hard work throughout his presidency cannot and should not be discounted just because those on the left despise him. It is time that they stop beating the daylights out of him and just admit that disagreements aside, he genuinely cared about protecting All Americans.

The Global War on Terror was the right thing to do, and Mr. Bush was always more interested in getting good results rather than who got the credit. To this day he still refuses to take credit for things he should get praise for. Credit is not a finite pie. So if conservatives can be gracious and magnanimous enough to praise Mr. Obama for finishing something important, liberals can show equal humanity by crediting Mr. Bush and his administration for starting the process and doing much of the legwork.

If that were to happen, then all this talk about “coming together” like we did after 9/11 really would be sincere. For all of us as individuals and collectively as a nation, that would be the most right thing in all of this.

God bless the USA.

eric

Posted in MILITARY, POLITICS | 2 Comments »

Osama Bin Laden killed by Americans

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Justice was done.

Osama Bin Laden was killed by Americans nearly ten years after murdering 3,000 innocent Americans.

I am born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island. I live in Los Angeles but will always be a New Yorker.

My country and my state were attacked. My fellow New Yorkers were executed in an act of pure evil.

Finally, justice was done.

Today is not a day for political score keeping. There will be plenty of time for dissecting every ounce of this situation.

Right now I just want the despots all over the world to remember what President George W. Bush said.

September 14, 2011…”I hear you, the rest of the world hears you, and pretty soon the people who knocked down these buildings will hear from all of us!”

September 20, 2011…”We will not falter, and we will not fail.”

The entire world was put on notice. Either you were with us or against us.

We had victories along the way. We captured Khalid Sheik Mohammed. We captured Saddam Hussein. We killed Zarquai.

With help from Israel, Sheik Yassin and his successor Rantisi were taken out.

Yet the big prize eluded us.

Osama Bin Laden may be less important from a strategic standpoint than Mohammed. KSM was the actual mastermind of the planning of 9/11. Yet from a psychological standpoint, getting Bin Laden does matter.

So let me put aside partisan politics and say it.

Well done Mr. Obama. Good job sir.

As for the men who carried out the orders, thank God for these brave men. When politicians of all stripes let our soldiers do their jobs, the job gets done and it gets done right.

Bin Laden was the target of a strike but that did not kill him.

A firefight ensued. Bin Laden was shot in the head facing his enemy.

Most importantly, reports have it that an American killed him.

The cooperation behind the scenes with Pakistan was important.

Reports are coming fast and furious, and I have decided to hold off until we know much more.

It is not about being first. It is about getting it right.

Thanks to actionable intelligence and brilliant military precision, the attack on Bin Laden was swift, severe, and fatal.

None of this will bring back the lives we lost. It will not end the War on Terror.

Yet it is absolutely a cause for celebration.

So to all the despots of the world, just know that America never rests until the job is done.

You can hide in caves, but eventually we will find you.

You will not have an ounce of rest until we end your days permanently.

An attack on one American is an attack on all of us.

For a decade, every single day at some point 9/11 was in my thoughts.

As President Bush said, some people went back to normal. I never did.

There is so much more work to do, but this does call for a peaceful night of sleep for anyone capable of feeling that peace.

Osama Bin Laden is burning in hell.

Best of all, it was American skill, steel, and resolve that put him there.

This was not vengeance. It was justice.

Justice was done.

Now to get every single last murderous Islamofascist zealot until the children born today can sleep at night without the pain we felt on 9/11.

Until that day…

God bless the USA.

eric

Posted in MILITARY, POLITICS | 4 Comments »

Osama Bin Laden Killed–Inappropriate remarks

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Osama Bin Laden was killed.

Here are some totally inappropriate remarks. I don’t want to say them, but I would never forgive myself if I thought them and somebody said them before me.

Bin Laden is now burning in hell with his 72 Helen Thomases.

Finally, something to shift coverage away from the Royal Wedding.

The news of Bin Laden’s death was not released until after the Celebrity Apprentice episode had concluded. Donald Trump is that powerful. Conspiracy people, have at that one.

Geraldo Rivera accidentally said that Obama had been killed. Apparently Geraldo failed to report that the president perished by tripping and falling in Al Capone’s vaults.

The most insensitive joke in history comes not from me, but from Gilbert Gottfried 10 years ago. He waited a few weeks after 9/11, so his timing was good.

“I had an Al Qaeda nickname in junior high school. I was known as ‘Nevah Been Laidin'”

More insensitive remarks will be added as they come to me.

For now, justice has been done and the world is a better place today.

God bless the USA.

eric

Posted in MILITARY, POLITICS, Uncategorized | No Comments »

A Dollar to Care

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

I am speaking today at this all day concert for wounded soldiers.

http://www.adollartocare.org/corporate-contributors/armed-forces-family-aid-concert-april-30-2011/

eric aka the Tygrrrr Express

Posted in MILITARY | No Comments »

Wikileaks–Many Thoughts

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Before getting to Wikileaks, condolences to the family of Richard Holbrooke. He was widely respected, and I wish solace for his family.

I have avoided discussing Wikileaks because there have been so many subplots that I wanted to thoroughly digest everything and wrap my mind around this entire situation. Like many people with a passion for politics, raw emotion can trump logical reasoning in my world as well. So the last few weeks has been me putting the science back in political science and coldly analyzing what I have seen.

First let me shift briefly back to raw emotion and hot-headedness. If Julian Assange ends up in the bottom of a river with a pair of bullets in his heart, I will not lose an ounce of sleep.

Ok, I feel better now. Time to get back to logical reasoning.

While it feels good to say that Julian Assange is a terrorist, and he may very well be, I am very troubled by the circumstances surrounding his arrest.

I think the rape charges reek to high heaven. I would not be surprised if they were trumped up. I am not a lawyer. If Assange is guilty of white collar cybercrimes, arrest him for that. I know he cannot be tried for treason because he is not an American citizen. Yet surely he must have violated some law, whether it be espionage, sabotage, or something else. America has plenty of lawyers. Surely one of them can find something. Arresting him on sexual crimes makes the arresting nation look like idiots.

The big issue is that Assange, while clearly a scoundrel, is not the first domino. Everything starts with Private Manning. Those who want to accuse Assange of possessing stolen property face another problem. What if he had no idea the stuff was stolen?

Now of course I do not believe the ludicrous assertion I just posted, but it is not enough to know he knew. We have to prove it. Those who think that Manning will give up Assange fail to take into account one horrific scenario.

What if Private Manning is acquitted?

This could happen. I am totally against civilian trials for enemy combatants, whether it be Khalid Sheik Mohammed or Private Manning. Barack Obama and Eric Holder so how dangerous it is when gambling on a civilian jury. Private Manning could be acquitted. Then there is no link to Assange.

Another fascinating question has barely been broached, if at all.

What if some of the documents are fake?

I am again advancing an argument I do not believe just because it makes for stimulating conversation. Think about this. What if our government was so intelligent that anywhere from 10-30% of the documents were fake, and mixed in with the real documents? That would be brilliant, which our government has not often been accused of being over the decades. If we have not done this, our government should consider doing this from now on. If thieves have no idea which documents are real and which are fake, it makes any potential actions more difficult.

The next issue is an ethical one. If a ton of good comes out of the release of secret documents, does that allow the ends to justify the means?

I emphatically believe it does not. While many people decry secrecy and want transparency, that is not for Assange or Manning to decide. Our government keeps secrets on everything from UFOs to internal memos on colossally boring topics. We may think our government is hiding things it should reveal, and we may very well be right. Yet that is for history to decide. National security requires that we give our government some measure of latitude.

Yes, that latitude can be abused, but think about what a vicious circle this can be. If we lack the information, we cannot know what we should know. If we know the information, maybe we will know we should not know it. Sometimes all we can do is hope that our leaders have integrity. That is what elections are for. I happen to be a big believer in presidential prerogative. The leader of the free world needs to do his job with minimal interference in national security matters.

The reason this issue matters is because we now know (assuming as I do that the documents are real) a couple pieces of information that I find vital.

For one thing, we found evidence that Saddam Hussein was reconstituting his Weapons of Mass Destruction program. Every liberal whoever uttered the words “Bush lied” can now shut up and sit down for good.

We also now know that John Kerry is a two-faced anti-Israel weasel. He wanted to give the Palesimians their own state with Jerusalem as the capital. He is another over-privileged leftist with no concept of the real world Middle East issues.

Now I knew both of these facts years ago, but that is not the same as having proof. I now have proof.

Yet if I am against releasing the documents, which I am, isn’t it hypocritical of me to use the documents to advance my arguments?

Some will call this an exercise in navel gazing, but it is a serious ethical question.

If I had my way, I may never have known that these documents existed. So for me to bash liberals regarding WMD and John Kerry may be problematic because I think it is wrong for that to be known.

If I find out that a certain Congressman may be a racist or anti-Semite, isn’t that better for me to know to avoid me accidentally voting for that person?

Again, the ends do not justify the means. Assange is making the same argument that the Jayson Blair Times is making to justify the horrid decision to release the documents. They argue that they are only conduits. The bad guy is Manning. Everybody else is blameless.

I don’t accept that argument. Our legal system is one example of where procedures exist to deal with those coming in contact with material that they should not possess. If a juror gets hold of a newspaper that affects their view of the defendant either way, that could be grounds for a mistrial. Certain evidence gets excluded for various procedural violations. While jurors could claim that they may have voted differently had they had the excluded information, the legal system would collapse if jurors got to decide what they saw and did not see. Judges can be corrupt, but we have to accept their roles as arbiters to prevent chaos.

The legal system also has something called “inevitable discovery,” which allows evidence to be introduced even if was obtained under questionable means if it would have been figured out anyway.

I believe that at some point I would have inevitably discovered that Kerry was an anti-Israel weasel, and that Saddam had WMD. I already had strong suspicions. I have already argued both positions in the past. However, using Wikileaks documents to bolster my arguments is something I am not comfortable with.

Not everything is complex. The hackers who took down Visa and Mastercard should spend the rest of their lives in jail. Yet unless it can be proven that they were acting on orders from Assange, he cannot be blamed for their actions. Could he and should he have known this would happen? That needs to be sorted out.

The very last question deals with the timing of the crackdown on Wikileaks.

Wikileaks has been hurting America for months. This is not the first release of documents. Wikileaks was not publicly targeted for prosecution early on. So the question must be asked.

Why now?

Tune in tomorrow.

eric

Posted in MILITARY, POLITICS | 3 Comments »

NFL 2010–Week 6 Recap

Sunday, October 17th, 2010

From my home in Los Angeles, it is time for some football.

Before getting to the NFL, my coed touch football team “Team Awesome” won their game on a quest for another championship. I was not at the game because of other engagements I had, but here is a quote from one of my teammates:

“We won 52-36 or something like that. And then we of course dominated in beer pong post-game.”

My team rocks. Now on to the NFL. Here is the Week 6 NFL Recap.

San Diego Chargers @ St. Louis Rams–Both of these teams played in Los Angeles in 1960, which shows how desperate this game needs a story line. A punt return past midfield set up a field goal to have the Rams up 3-0. Philip Rivers moved the Chargers to the red zone, but a 10 yard sack was followed by Rivers going to the end zone and getting intercepted. Sam Bradford shook of the beating from last week to throw a 38 yard touchdown pass as the Chargers remained in a hangover state from last week with the Rams up 10-0.

When Stephen Jackson ran up the middle from 6 yards out, the Rams led 17-0 in a shocker. San Diego did get a field goal just before the half to trail 17-3.

With less than 5 minutes left in the third quarter, Tolbert ran it in from 3 yards out to have the Chargers within 17-10. Early in the fourth quarter the Rams failed to get off the field on defense as Rivers completed a 3rd and 14 pass for 17 yards as the Chargers looked to tie the game. Yet from the 20, a holding penalty and a sack set up 3rd and 27. On 4th down a field goal attempt was blocked as Norvelous Norv Turner threatened to decapitate his special teams coach.

The Rams moved into very long field goal range, and Josh Brown calmly nailed a 48 yarder to have the Rams up 20-10 with 4 minutes left. Rivers immediately brought San Diego 76 yards, using only 40 seconds to do it. A 5 yard touchdown pass to Davis had the Chargers within a field goal with 3:16 to play.

With the Rams facing 3rd and 6 at their own 36 and San Diego prepared for a pass, Steve Spagnuolo had a running play executed to perfection as Stephen Jackson picked up 9 yards. On 2nd and 7, Jackson picked up 12 yards as Rivers never got back on the field and the Chargers fell to 2-4. They are Norvelous, and give the Rams credit for bouncing back after their 38 point shellacking last week. This was a big upset win, even at home. 20-17 Rams

Kansas City Chiefs @ Houston Texans–These teams could both be pretenders, showing early promise before reality sets in. The Chiefs had 3rd and 1 at the 2 when Thomas Jones got blown up in the backfield. On 4th down Matt Cassel borught back the New England glory days by rolling out and hitting Mike Vrabel for the touchdown.

Matt Schaub brought the Texans back with a long completion to Andre Johnson. On 3rd and 1 at the 9, Arriun Foster ran it for the first down to set up Schaub, who rolled out, had plenty of time, and hit Joel Dreesen in the back of the end zone as the Texans tied the game 7-7. Todd Haley decided to gamble on 4th and 1 at the Texans 43, but a false start killed the plan and the Chiefs punted.

With less than one minute left in the half, the Chiefs reached the Texans 17. Cassell fired a bullet between 2 defenders to Dwayne Bowe to have the Chiefs up 14-7.

In the third quarter a short slant pass to Dwayne Bowe resulted in Bowe criss-crossing the field and reaching the pileon for a 42 yard score to have the Chiefs up 21-7. Yet Derrick Ward broke several tackles en route to a 38 yard touchdown run to have the Texans within 21-14. Kansas City continued to run at will, but upon reaching the 10, Todd Haley called some passes that did not work. Ryan Succup nailed the 27 yard field goal to have the Chiefs leading 24-14.

With hard running by Arriun Foster, the Texans came back. With 12 minutes left in regulation, Foster took it in from 2 yards out to have the Texans within 24-21.

Yet Kansas City continued to gash Houston on the ground. Jamal Charles somehow turned a 10 yard loss into a gain, as Thomas Jones finished the smash mouth drive from 11 yards out as the Chiefs led 31-21 with 7 minutes left in the game.

Yet the Texans wouldn’t quit, and strong running by Arriun Foster allowed Foster to leap over the top from the 2 to get the Texans back within a field goal with a full 3 1/2 minutes to play and all 3 timeouts. THe key would be if the Texans could get a stop against a Kansas City running game that had run over Houston all day.

On 3rd and 2, Haley called a pass play that was incomplete as the Texans took over after a touchback with 2:22 left. Schaub hit Andre Johnson for a 31 yard gain. Defender Flowers celebrated, convinced there was offensive pass interference. He and Haley went nuts when it was ruled on the defense. Schaub went deep to Johnson, and a gorgeous touchdown catch in the back of the end zone as the Texans pulled a stunner of their own to lead by 4 with 28 seconds to play.

A 23 yard pass completion by Cassell set up the final play with 1 second on the clock from the Houston 38. The Hail Mary never left Cassell’s hand as he was sacked. The Chiefs have come down since starting 3-0, while the Texans earned a thrilling win ina  game where they trailed for most of it, showing a ton of heart for Gary Kubiak. 35-31 Texans

Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots–New England has been burning for revenge since the Ravens beat the daylights out of them in the playoffs last year. Joe Flacco led a ridiculous 18 play, 8 1/2 yard drive that stalled at the 9 yard line. Billy Cundiff nailed a 26 yard kick to have the Ravens up 3-0. Tom Brady quickly brought the Patriots back 66 yards, with Green-Ellis running it in from 2 yards out to have the Patriots up 7-3.

Joe Flacco brought the Ravens back, and a 16 yard touchdown pass to Todd Heap had the Ravens back on top 10-7.

In the third quarter, Tom Brady was intercepted by Chris Carr, who returned it from midfield to the New England 35. This led to Joe Flacco going to Anquon Boldin for  a 25 yard touchdown as the Ravens led 17-7. Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 38 yard field goal to have the Patriots within 17-10, but the Ravens moved from their own 9 yard line methodically down the field, reaching the New England 17 as the third quarter ended.

The fourth quarter began with the Ravens facing 3rd and 2 An incomplete pass was followed by a short field goal as the Ravens extended their lead to 20-10. Brady kept the Patriots in the game, as a 5 yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch had New England within 20-17 with 11 minutes left in regulation.

With 9 minutes left Flacco went for a quaerterback sneak from the Baltimore 47 on 3rd and 1 and got stuffed. John Harbaugh took no chances and punted. Brady moved the Patriots to a 3rd and 3 inside the 10, but an incomplete pass set up the tying field goal. With 1:51 left in the game, the Patriots deadlocked it 20-20.

Baltimore went nowhere, and a sack of Brady gave the Evil Hoodie Bill bellichick the option of a 62 yard field goal attempt or a Hail Mary. The Hail Mary was batted around in the end zone and intercepted as the game went to overtime.

Overtime was a puntfest, as neither team could get anything sustained going. With 5:19 left in overtime, the Patriots took over at their own 38. Brady hit Branch for 23 yards to the Ravens 39. On 3rd and 2, Brady hit Branch for 10 yards to the 21. At the 2 minute warning of overtime, the Patriots faced 3rd and 6 at the Ravens 17. Bellichick took no chances, bringing in Gostkowski on 3rd down fro 35 yards out. Gostkowski nailed it, and the Patriots had the hard fought win. It did not make up for the playoff loss, but another playoff game between these teams would be well worth watching. 23-20 Patriots, OT

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers–Drew Brees hit Lance Moore deep for a 41 yard touchdown pass to have the Saints up 7-0. Brees then went deep again to Robert Meacham for 42 yards to have the Saints up 14-0 in a reality check to the Bucs. A field goal padded the lead to 17-0.

The Saints cut John Carney awhile back and turned the kicking keys over to Garett Hartley. This year Carney was brought back when Hartley failed. Now Carney has failed, and Hartley is back. He missed another kick today as Sean Payton resisted the urge to kick both of them where it hurts.

Since the kicking game was not working, the only solution for the Saints was to score touchdowns all the time like they did last year. Brees hit Heath Evans from 4 yards out as the Saints led 24-0.

Josh Freeman did throw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Michael Spurlock late in the game. The 2 point conversion failed, although down 24-6 a furious rally could have meant a changing of the guard and a dethroning of the champs. It did not happen. Ladell Betts scored from one yard out as Sean Payton saw his team make a statement. The Bucs are improved, but today was a reality check. 31-6 Saints

Atlanta Falcons @ Philadelphia Eagles–The story of Michael Vick playing against his old team would be a bigger story if Vick were actually playing. His injury pits Kevin Kolb against Matt Ryan, which could be the game of the year for the writers of the fictional Average White Guy Monthly Magazine.  Mike Smith looks like a guy named Mike Smith, and Walrus Lite Andy Reid is his coaching counterpart.

Deshean Jackson took a reverse from Kevin Kolb and raced 31 yards to the end zone to have the Eagles up 7-0.  Matt Ryans hit Jenkins for 42 yards to have the Falcons on the move, but no points came out of it. Kolb went back to Deshean Jackson, this time through the air for a 34 yard touchdown to have the Eagles up 14-0.

A missed field goal by David Akers failed to extend the lead. It did not matter as Kolb came right back and hit Jeremy Maclin from 10 yards out to have the Eagles rolling 21-0. The Eagles were on their way to 28-0 when Kolb was intercepted. Matt Ryan finally got the Falcons going late in the half, and a 1 yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzale just before the half had the Falcons within 21-7.

Midway through the third quarter, the Falcons reached the 10 yard line before the drive stalled. A 26 yard field goal had them within 21-10. Yet Kolb struck back like lightning, going deep to Maclin for an 83 yard touchdown to have the Eagles up 28-10.

Ryan rapidly brought the Falcons 73 yards, hitting Gonzalez from 13 yards out to get within 28-17 with 5 1/2 minutes to play. Yet Kolb calmly used the clock, and a 30 yard David Akers field goal ended the scoring. 31-17 Eagles

Detroit Lions @ New York Giants–A loss today would be 24 straight on the road for Detroit, tying the NFL record originally set from 2001 to 2003 by…shockingly enough…Detroit. Tom Coughlin’s head almost exploded when the Giants fumbled the snap on a punt, giving the Lions excellent field position. A touchdown pass to Nate Burleson had the Lions up early, but battering ram Brandon Jacobs did what he does on the ground to tie the game 7-7.

Eli Manning went deep to Mario Manningham for a 33 yard touchdown pass to have the Giants up 14-7. As the half ended, Jason Hanson hit a 50 yard knuckleball that somehow made it over the crossbar to have the Lions within 14-10.

With Matthew Stafford injured, Shawn Hill had been starting. He got injured in this game, as 3rd string emergency quarterback Drew Stanton came in for the Lions.

In the third quarter, Eli Manning hit Kevin Boss for 25 yards, and a subsequent pass and defensive pass interference had the Giants inside the 10. On 3rd and goal from the 5, an incomplete pass  was nullified by an inexplicable unsportsmanlike conduct penalty giving the Giants a new set of downs. Brandon Jacobs failed to run it in twice, but on 3rd and goal from the 1, a rollout pass to Travis Beckham had the Giants up 21-10.

90 seconds into the fourth quarter, Drew Stanton from his own 13 threw a jump call to Calvin Johnson, who did what he does. He came down with it, held it up at the 40, and practically walked the final 40 yards to have the Lions within 21-17.

With 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Lions were on the move, facing 3rd and 5 at midfield and primed for the upset. A pass from Stanton to Burleson went for 8 yards, but Burleson fumbled the ball and the Giants recovered at their own 42. These are the Lions. Ahmad Bradshaw ran 45 yards to the Detroit 13, and Brandon Jacobs took it in 6 yards to have the Giants up 28-17 with 3 1/2 minutes left.

Stephan Logan returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards to the Giants 40, but a 3rd and 2 pass fell incomplete. Jim Schwartz decided to kick the 50 yard field goal since the Lions needed 2 scores and Jason Hanson is old reliable. Hanson did his job to make it an 8 point game with 2:50 to play. Schwartz decided to kick it deep rather than go for the onsides kick, and the Giants took over at their own 32. They went nowhere, and the Lions had another shot from their own 14 with 2:18 to play.

Stanton moved the Lions to the Giants 38 with 20 seconds to play. Stanton was intercepted by Antrel Rolle at the 16 to preserve the tough win for Big Blue. The Lions have tied their road loss record, while Matt Millen is happy to be out of Detroit. Then again, so are most human beings who escape that city. 28-20 Giants

Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears–This game meant something in 2006. A deep pass interference penalty set up Matt Forte from 4 yards out straight up the middle to have the Bears up 7-0 early. Matt Hasselbeck hit Butler to tie the game 7-7.

Jay Cutler hit Johnny Knox on a 67 yard catch and run where Knox straddled the sideline. Cutler hit Knox again at the 12 yard line.

Hasselbeck led Seattle to 3rd and goal at the 6. A perfectly executed draw play resulted in Justin Forsett taking it up the middle for the touchdown as Seattle led 14-7. Chicago tacked on a 34 yard Robbie Gould field goal to trail 14-10.

Jay Cutler hit Johnny Knox on a 67 yard catch and run where Knox straddled the sideline. Cutler hit Knox again at the 12 yard line. A field goal had the Bears down 14-13 at halftime.

In the third quarter Cutler went back to pass in his own end zone. He got belted, fumbled and saw the Bears recover the fumble in the end zone for a safety as the Seahawks led 16-13. Marshawn Lynch eventually capped off the next Seattle drive with a short touchdown run to give Seattle breathing room at 23-13.

Miami Dolphins @ Green Bay Packers–Miami took down Favre, but at least he played. Aaron Rodgers is recovering from a concussion but was expected to play. Aaron Rodgers hit Tom Crabtree for a 33 yard gain to set up Mason Crosby for a field goal and a 3-0 Packers lead.  Yet Chad Henne hit Jahvid Best from 5 yards out to put the Dolphins up 7-3. After a Chade Henne interception, Rodgers went deep to Vonte Davis to complete an 86 yard touchdown pass that put the Packers back up 10-7. Miami added a field goal just before the half to tie the game 10-10.

Midway through the third quarter Carpenter nailed a 41 yard field goal to lead 13-10. After Rodgers was intercepted, the Dolphins faced 4th and 1 at the Green Bay 27. Tony Sparano went for it, and Ronnie Brown banged over on a tough second effort. Surprisingly, Brown was ruled down short of the sticks and the Dolphins turned it over on downs. This led to the tying field goal as the 13-13 game continued.

With 5:20 left in the game, Henne found Anthony Fasano, who took it for a 22 yard touchdown to give the Dolphins the 20-13 lead on the road. With 2:30 minutes left Rodgers completed a pass on 3rd and 15 to set up 4th and 7. Mike McCarthy decided to let the clock run down to the 2 minute warning before running a play. Rodgers hit Davis for 1st and goal at the 10. A Rodgers scramble to the 2 and a run that went nowhere set up 3rd and goal at the 2 with 22 seconds to play. It all came down to 4th and goal from the 1 with 16 seconds left.

Lining up in the shotgun, Rodgers confused the Miami defense by moving under center at the last moment and then sneaking it up the middle as the game was tied 20-20. From near midfield, Sparano decided to take a knee and play overtime rather than go for the Hail Mary.

Miami moved the ball well in overtime, and 6 minutes into the extra session, Dan Carpenter came in for a 44 yard field goal. He drilled it, and the Dolphins had the win. Tony Sparano has seen his defense gut out tough wins against Minnesota and Green Bay on the road, as they have gotten to a 3-2 record. 23-20 Dolphins, OT

Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers–Walrus Mike Holmgren has not fired Eric Mangini, who for some reason wants to see rookie Colt McCoy get killed by starting his NFL career at Pittsburgh. Big Ben is back, and this tune up game is a good way to have him ease back into professional football, if Cleveland can be considered that.

Colt McCoy had his first sack and then threw his first interception only 4 minutes into the game. Yet at the 10 yard line, Roethlisberger was intercepted by Joe Haden, who returned it 62 yards to the Pittsburgh 35. On 3rd and 3 an offsides penalty gave the Browns a first down. Phil Dawson hit a 39 yard field goal to have the Browns up 3-0 and pass Lou “the Toe” Groza as the all time leading scorer for the Browns.

Big Ben did rebound, hitting Mike Wallace for a 29 yard touchdown to have the Steelers up 7-3, which seemed too much for the Browns to overcome. Joshua Cribbs was then knocked out of the game on a helmet to helmet hit where Cribbs fumbled. Later in the half James Harrison delivered his second helmet to helmet hit, this time against Massaquoi.

In the third quarter the Steelers were backed up to their own 5. All Big Ben did was go deep to Mike Wallace for 50 yards to the Cleveland 45. Then Roethlisbergrer hit Heath Miller for 35 more yards inside the 10. A short touchdown pass to Hines Ward had the Steelers up 14-3.
This hideous game got uglier for Cleveland when Chancy Stucky fumbled a punt, giving Pittsburgh the ball at the 13. Rashard Mendenhall ran it in from the 3 to have the Steelers up 21-3.

McCoy did throw another interception in this game, but also late threw hist first NFL touchdown pass, a 12 yarder to Ben Watson. Yet Big Ben had one more touchdown pass in him today as well, a 14 yarder to Heath Miller to complete the scoring. Mike Tomlin will have plenty to criticize in this win, but the Steelers are 4-1 and looking tenacious. 28-10 Steelers

New York Jets @ Denver Broncos–Rex Ryan has his team with a Hard Knocks swagger, but Darrell Revis is injured. Josh McDaniels is on the verge of losing his team. Mark Sanchez finally threw his first interception, although it did not lead to any points. After a scoreless opening quarter, Sanchez led a 13 play, 77 yard drive that consumed 6:40. A  32 yard touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards had the Jets up 7-0. Kyle Orton led the Broncos back 80 yards, with a wildcat snap to Tim Tebow resulting ina  5 yard touchdown run and a 7-7 game. Josh McDaniels then went to his bag of tricks and the Broncos executed a successful onsides kick. Nothing came of it, as Mark Sanchez threw his second interception with less than one minute left in the half of a game only a Ryan family member could love.

On the last play of the half, Josh McDaniels had Josh Prater kick a 59 yard field goal. It must be a Josh thing, because Scobee kicked a 59 yarder for Jacksonville last week. McDaniels and Prater deserved a Scobee snack, as Prater drilled it to give the Broncos the 10-7 lead at intermission.

A defensive bonelock saw another great field goal, this time from the Jets. Rex Ryan had Nick Folk try a 56 yarder, and he drilled it to tie the game 10-10 midway through the third quarter.

Late in the third quarter the Broncos took over at their own 34, From the 39, Orton found Brandon Marshall for a 29 yard gain, with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. Orton hit Thomas for the 17 yard touchdown as Thomas barely got 2 feet down to have the Broncos up 17-10.

A game of field position and punts resulted in the Jets taking over at their own 46 with 11 minutes left in regulation. Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for 22 yards. From the 20, old man Ladanian Tomlinson off tackle for the touchdown, tying the game with 9 minutes to play.

Denver took over at their own 20, and Orton hit Lloyd for 19 yards. On 3rd and 11 from the Jets 48, Orton scrambled for 13 yards. With 4 minutes to play, Josh Prater came in for a 48 yard field goal. He got it, and the Broncos led 20-17.

The Jets took over at their own 20. On 3rd and 5, Sanchez hit Edwards for 7 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the 35, Sanchez hit Holmes for 13 at the 2 minute warning. Everything came down to 4th and 6 from the Denver 48 with 1:26 to play. Sanchez went deep to Holmes, and defensive pass interference gave the ball at the Denver 2. Josh McDaniels went ballistic, but the penalty stood. Tomlinson carried it in as the Jets took a 4 point lead.

Sanchez and Orton had been dueling all day, and Orton had one last chance with 1:13 to play and 80 yards to cover. With 42 seconds left, the Broncos had 3rd and 6 at the Jets 44. From the shotgun, a wild snap resulted in a fumble that Gang Green pounced on for the win. The Jets talked a bunch on Hard Knocks and lost their opener at home, but they have not lost since. They are 5-1, while a reeling Denver is actually still in the hunt in the AFC Worst division where all 4 teams lost today, with all of them except Denver losing to inferior teams. 24-20 Jets

Oakland Raiders @ San Francisco 49ers–For more on the game of the day, go to http://justblogbaby.com

Every time it seems the Raiders are about to turn a corner, they lose a winnable game. A couple of weeks ago the loss to Arizona stung. Beating San Diego helps, but beating San Francisco makes the Raiders 3-3 rather than 2-4. In 2000 the Raiders went 12-4 and reached the AFC Title Game while the San Diego went 1-15. Yet the 2 games they played were one by the Raiders only 9-6 and 15-13. They were losing both games with 2 minutes to play, and needed 5 Seabass field goals to win the second one.

In 2002 the 4-0 Raiders eventually reached the Super Bowl, but not before losing to the 0-5 Rams, in Marc Bulger’s first NFL game. The ugliest loss might have been in 1993, when the 6-4 Raiders, who eventually went 10-6 and made the playoffs, lost to the 0-10 Bengals. Normally reliable Jeff Jaeger missed 4 field goals in the 16-10 loss.

So while the 49ers are 0-5, they are at home. They have come close several times, and even though they are winless, they are 6 point favorites. If the Raiders ever want to turn things around, they have to win these types of games. Tom Cable still has his team fighting hard, while Mike Singletary is perfecting his Ray Rhodes scowl without the wins to back it up.

The Raiders took over at their own 12, and Tom Cable immediately went for the gadget play. A handoff to Michael Bush was pitched back to Campbell, who went deep for Louis Murphy. While it did not result in the gain the way Al Davis loves it, defensive pass interference went for 46 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the 37, Campbell hit Michael Bush for 7 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the 24, Bush ran for 5 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the 17, Campbell scrambled for 9 yards. Yet on 2nd and goal from the 4, illegal formation killed the drive. After 8 minutes and 79 yards, the Raiders settled for a 27 yard Sebastian Janikowski field goal and a 3-0 lead.

The 49ers cross midfield but punted, and the Raiders took over at their own 9 where Campbell led another time consuming drive. On 3rd and 1 from the 18 Bush ran for 2 yards but got leveled on the play. He walked of under his own power and did return to the game. Unnecessary roughness on the next play gave the Raiders 15 more yards. The second quarter began with the Raiders at their own 45, where Louis Murphy took a handoff around the end for 43 yards to the San Francisco 12. Again the Raiders stalled, and Seabass kicked the 24 yard field goal as the Raiders led 6-0. They had run 23 plays to 5 for the 49ers, but were only one play away from losing.

The 49ers went 3 and out, but Campbell was then intercepted, giving the 49ers the ball at their own 43. The 49er did reach the Oakland 34, where the 49ers faced 4th and 5. Mike SIngeltary decided not to go for it or have Joe Nedney try the 52 yard field goal. In a curious call for an 0-5 team needing a spark, the 49ers punted. The strategy netted 14 yards thanks to a touchback. The next few possessions were unwatchable as neither team could make a first down. The Raiders do have a good defense, but the 49ers have an inept offense, with the Raiders being not much better.

The 49ers began the second half moving backward with false starts, intentional grounding, and a sack of Smith to set up 4th and 30 at their own 12. The 49ers at this point had 123 penalty yards and 108 passing yards. Singletary scowled because he does that. The Raiders took over around midfield and began with Campbell getting drilled on an incomplete pass, with offensive holding pushing the Raiders back. On 3rd and 16 Campbell got back to the original line of scrimmage as the Raiders punted for the 5th straight time, a far cry from their first 2 sustained drives. The 49ers took over at their own 9.

The 49ers began the second half moving backward with false starts, intentional grounding, and a sack of Smith to set up 4th and 30 at their own 12. The 49ers at this point had 123 penalty yards and 108 passing yards. Singletary scowled because he does that. The Raiders took over around midfield and began with Campbell getting drilled on an incomplete pass, with offensive holding pushing the Raiders back. On 3rd and 16 Campbell got back to the original line of scrimmage as the Raiders punted for the 5th straight time, a far cry from their first 2 sustained drives. The 49ers took over at their own 9.

Frank Gore picked up 10 yards on 2 carries, and on 3rd and 3 with men in his face, Smith found Crabtree for 7 yard and another first down. A wildcat snap to Gore picked up 11 more. On 3rd and 4, Smith hit Vernon Davis for another first down at the Oakland 43. On 3rd and 8, Smith hit Tedd Ginn for 19 yards to the Oakland 22.  Smith was again called for intentional grounding. This one was more controversial since Smith was not under pressure. It seemed to be a miscommunication with the receiver. Either way, it was 2nd and 20. It didn’t matter. On the last play of the third quarter, Smith went deep to Crabtree for a touchdown. The stunned Raiders trailed 10-6 and once again would have to rely on their anemic offense if they were to avoid losing another game to a winless team.

The ensuing kickoff was returned past midfield, but an illegal block brought it all the way back inside the Oakland 10. Campbell was sacked just outside the goal line, but a safety was averted. On 3rd and forever from the 1, Campbell actually thought he was Jim Plunkett throwing to Cliff Branch. He wasn’t, and after an incompletion, the only bright spot known as Shane Lechler boomed a punt, allowing the 49ers to take over at their own 43.

Singletary continued to play it basic, running the ball. The 49ers went 3 and out and the Raiders had it on their own 25 with 11 minutes left in regulation.

Cable also kept trying to run on first down as well, with Bush carrying the load for the injured McFadden. On 3rd and 8 Campbell finally completed a pass to his best receiver, tight end Zach Miller. Miller took it to the Oakland 46. Campbell then went deep to Miller. Pass was deflected by a defender, but Miller made an acrobatic catch at the San Francisco 28. Campbell avoided a sack and somehow scrambled for a couple yards, with Bush adding a couple more. On 3rd and 5 from the 22, Campbell threw incomplete. Seabass came in for a 40 yard field goal with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Seabass kicked his third field goal and the Raiders trailed 10-9 in a game both teams deserved to lose.

The Raiders then had another one of their fourth quarter meltdowns that have led to 8 straight years of misery. Frank Gore ripped off a 64 yard run to the Oakland 16. After a touchdown run was called back by penalty, A touchdown pass to Davis had the 49ers leading 17-9 with 7 minutes left in a game where the lifeless Oakland offense would have been better off scrapping the team and starting with all new players except maybe Zack Miller. With Bruce Gradkowski and Darren mcFadden on the bench injured, miracles were in short supply. ‘

Campbell then did his best JaMarcus Russell imitation by avoiding a sack only to throw a pass that was actually a lateral. Luckily the Raiders fell on it. On 3rd and 14, Campbell missed a wide open short pass to Bush, who could not corral it in as the pathetic Raiders offense extended the glorious futility and punted with 6 minutes left. Apparently they used up their entire heart winning last week, as if that makes a season. With this team, perhaps it does.

The defense forced the 49ers into 3rd and 11 with 5 minutes left. Naturally Gore ran up the middle and bulled over Michael Huff for a 14 yard gain against the heartless Raiders. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Raiders took their first timeout as the 49ers faced 3rd and 7 at the Oakland 47. This time Gore was stopped, and after taking their second timeout, got the ball back at their own 13. Plenty of time remained, but these are the Raiders.

Campbell hit Miller for 7. A pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey was dropped. On 3rd and 3, Campbell threw a pass straight to Ford past the first down marker. It bounced right out of Ford’s chest, and naturally was intercepted by Takeo Spikes. The Raiders remain a gutless, heartless organization. One could blame injuries, but the 49ers were a winless team. Every time the Raiders are about to turn a corner under Cable, they don’t. He is doing what he can. The players are just pathetic when it counts. On 3rd and 1 from the Oakland 12, the entire world expected Gore to get the ball. He did, and easily picked up the first down to ice the gamr. The Raiders dropped to 2-4 in the AFC Worst division where 3-2 leads. 17-9 Raiders

Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings–Both of these pre-season favorites to go deep into the playoffs are 1-3. Michelin Man Wade Phillips is trying to keep his job. Brad Childress is bald and Catholic, but his main toy is not Brett Favre. It is Randy Moss, who loves torturing the Cowboys to punish Jerry Jones for not drafting him. Jones learned his lesson, vowing never again to let character be an issue in hiring.

One of the reasons Minnesota lost the NFC Title Game last year was their inability to execute a simple handoff. From just past midfield, Brett Favre tried to hand off to Adrian Peterson, which resulted in a fumbled exchange between 2 players with a history of fumbles. Dallas took over, and on 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 15, Tony Romo hit Roy Williams for the touchdown as Matt Millen must have been smiling somewhere with the Cowboys up 7-0.

Yet Romo was later intercepted, giving Minnesota the ball at the Dallas 16. On 3rd and 4, Favre hit Greg Camarillo for the tying score. Early in the second quarter Romo went deep to Miles Austin for a 73 yard touchdown. However, like a Kardashian relationship, it was quickly nullified as Austin was called for offensive pass interference. However, the Cowboys finally got going very late in the half. From 3 yards out with 32 seconds left in the half, Romo hit Williams in the back of the end zone to have the Cowboys up 14-7.

The Cowboys kicked off to start the second half, and Percy Harvin did it again. 95 yards to what Stuart Scott calls the Hizzy had the game tied at 14-14. Jerry Jones threatened to burn down the stadium before being reminded that it was a road game and he does not own the Metrodome.

With 6 minutes remaining in the third quarter, a field position game gave the Vikings the ball just past midfield. Harvin ran around right end for 11 yards. On 3rd and 4 Favre hit Kleinsasser for 12 yards down to the 12. On 3rd and 1 from the 3, Peterson picked up 2. Peterson carried the final yard to put the Vikings up 21-14 with less than one minute left in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter began with the Cowboys facing 3rd and 2 at their own 43. Romo hit Jason Witten for 17 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 31, Marion the Barbarian Barber picked up 2 yards. On 3rd and 12, Romo went deep to rookie Dez Bryant, who earned his paycheck with the tying touchdown with 10 1/2 minutes to play.

With Tony Romo and Brett Favre, the question would be which quarterback would throw the losing interception. With 7 1/2 minutes left, the answer appeared to be Romo. Henderson picked him off, and the Vikings took over at the Dallas 30.

Childress was not taking any chances, as Favre only threw 19 passes all game. Despite tendinitis in the elbow, he completed 14 of them. On 3rd and 3 from the 23, Favre hit Randy Moss for 5 yards. Ryan Longwell kicked a 38 yard field goal as the Vikings took the lead with 4 minutes to play.

Dallas went 3 and out, and with 2 1/2 minutes to play Wade Phillips decided to punt on 4th and 5 from his own 25. The Vikings took over on their own 25. On 3rd and 6 from the 29, Favre fired incomplete but defensive pass interference went for 11 yards and kept the drive alive. That was the difference as the Cowboys did not get the ball back until 13 seconds remained, from their own 7. Despite many laterals, 93 yards were not covered as Minnesota remained in the hunt at 2-3 while the Cowboys fell to 1-4. Jerry Jones is prepared to burn every copy of the Dallas Morning News. 24-21 Vikings

Indianapolis Colts @ Washington Redskins was the Sunday night game. Even with Donovan McNabb, Mike Shanahan wants to establish the run. Peyton Manning would throw it every play if necessary, which may or may not bother Jim Calwell since it is hard to read a man who is perpetually expressionless.

Washington won the toss and Shanahan actually deferred. This is odd because most coaches want to wait as long as possible for Manning to take the field. The Colts were actually forced to punt on their opening drive, but McNabb was then intercepted. Manning then needed one play to connect with Pierre Garcon for a 57 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Colts lead.

The teams exchanged punts, and the Redskins took over at their own 11. McNabb needed 5 minutes to calmly go 89 yards. 11 yard passes to Cooley ad Armstrong was followed by a 16 yard Torain run. McNabb hit Santana Moss for 18 yards and Torain for 9 more, before Torain took it the final 9 on the gorund to tie the game 7-7.

The Colts took over at their own 16, and began the second quarter at their own 41.  Manning hit Reggie Wayne for 12 yards and Garcon for 14 more. From the 5, out of the shotgun, he hit Austin Collie for the score to have the Colts up 14-7. Manning moved the Colts on their net drive from their own 14 to a 4th and 2 at the Washington 20. Caldwell decided on the 38 yard field goal, but Vinatieri missed it.

The Colts got the ball back at their own 22 with 5 minutes left in the half. Manning continued his passing clinic, hitting Collie for 9 and Garcon for 1, sandwiched around a 14 yard Addai run. On 3d and 1 from the Washington 25, Addai was stopped. With 2 minutes left in the half, Caldwell decided again not to gamble on 4th and 1, and this time Vinatieri connected from 43 to have the Colts up 17-7.

McNabb moved the Redskins from their own 38 to the Indy 30, but a 48 yard field goal attempt by Graham Gano was no good. 24 seconds still remained in the half, and the Colts were on their own 38. Manning hit White Perfectly for a 19 yard gain to the 30, but Vinatieri from 48 hit a golf shot that sliced somewhere into Chicago no good. It appeared to have been partially blocked. McNabb took a knee rther than try the Hail Mary as the Colts led 17-7 at intermission.

90 seconds into the third quarter, the Colts took over at their own 16. Manning was sacked, an a fumble was recovered by the Redskins at the Indy 13. McNabb hot Cooley for 8, and on 3rd and 2 at the 5, hit Cooley again for 4 more. From the 1, Torain banged it in to get the Redskins within 17-14.

The Colts came right back as Addai rambled 46 yards to the Washington 20. On 3rd and 3 from the 13, Addai banged his way up the middle, and near the goal line actually got knocked forward into the end zone to rapidly have the Colts back on top 24-14.

The Colts appeared poised to take command but gave the Redskins another opportunity to get back in the game when Moore had his second fumble of the game on a punt return. The Redskins took over at the Indy 40, and Torain took a handoff 26 yards to the 14. A sack of McNabb ended the drive, but Gano connected from 39 to get the Redskins within 24-17 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Colts again had a chance to salt the game away when the fourth quarter opened with the Colts facing 2nd and 4 at the Washington 28. Addai got the carry and the first down before being drilled by London Fletcher. The Redskins recovered the fumble as Addai stayed down on the ground.

The Redskins could not capitalize, and the Colts finally got the offense going again.  On 3rd and 10 from the Washington 24, a perfectly executed draw play set up 4th and 1 from the 15. Again, Caldwell was not taking any chances, as Vinatieri connected from 33 to have the Colts up 27-17 with 8 1/2 minutes left in the game.

McNabb brought the Redskins back with several short passes. McNabb turned into Houdini as several near sacks turned into completions. From the 10, McNabb avoided a sack, scrambled around the end, and made it into the end zone. However, offensive holding brought the touchdown back. McNabb hit Williams for the touchdown, and it stood. McNabb was 10 for 11 to complete the 92 yard drive in 12 plays. The Redskins were within a field goal with 2:46 to play. They had all of their timeouts.

Shanahan decided to kick it deep. From the 20, Caldwell decided to have Manning keep throwing rather than run the ball and force Washington to use the timeouts. Yes, Manning is amazing, but this was questionable. 3 straight incompletions meant 4th and 10 and the Redskins getting the ball back with all of their timeouts with only 11 seconds coming off of the clock.

The Redskins took over with 2:13 to go at their own 38. On 2nd and 5 the Colts finally sacked McNabb, forcing the Redskins to burn heir first timeout. On 4th and 10, with 1:40 to play, McNabb went for the bomb into double coverage and overthrew everybody. It was curious play calling by Shanahan, although the Redskins still had a pair of timeouts.

This time a pair of runs went nowhere. The Colts faced 3rd and 10 with 1:30 to play and the Redskins out of timeout. As expected, the Colts ran it safely and the clock wound down. With one second on the play clock from the Washington 38, a field goal was too long. The Colts took an intentional delay of game, and the punt resulted in a touchback. McNabb had 32 seconds to work with try and tie or win the game.

McNabb went deep and Francisco leapt in the air and made a stunning one handed interception. A few more inches and it could have been a touchdown. Instead Manning knelt down and the Colts had finally survived. Manning and McNabb entered the league in consecutive years, have both been NFL MVPs, and shared a warm hug at midfield. 27-24 Colts

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars was the Monday night game. Jeff Fisher and Jack Del Rio know defense, and both of their quarterbacks Vince Young and David Garrard have shown brilliance and ineptitude at times as a pair of 3-2 division rivals slugged it out. The winner would be in a 3 way tie for first place while the loser would be in last one game back.

Young went right to work, hitting Kenny Britt for 10 yards and Bo Scaife for 28 more. A facemask penalty on the defense tacked on 15 more, and a 23 yard touchdown pass to Britt had the Titans up 7-0 less than 2 1/2 minutes into the game.

The next time Tennessee had the ball, Vince Young got hit and left the game with a bad leg. Kerry Collins came in and quickly fired a completion to tie Dan Fouts for 10th all time in completions. Collins led Tennessee to a 13-3 record in 2008, so the Titans were not going to the practice squad.

The defenses took over, and the first big break occurred when Garrard was intercepted at midfield by Griffin, who returned it to the Jacksonville 37. Chris Johnson picked up 5, and Collins hit Scaife for 11 more. On 3rd and 2 from the 13, Collins hit Scaife at the 1. On 3rd and goal from the 2, Collins hit Scaife again to put the Titans up 14-0 midway through the second quarter.

Things got worse for Jacksonville as Garrard got belted on a third down incompletion. A short punt had the Titans starting at the Jaguars 44. On 3rd and 3 from the 25, an incomplete pass was nullified by defensive holding. The drive stalled at the 8 yard line, and Rob Bironas nailed a 26 yard field goal to have the Titans up 17-0 with just over 2 minutes left in the half.

It became a game of backup quarterbacks when recently acquired Buffalo castoff Trent Edwards came in for Garrard. Edwards finally got the Jaguars going in the 2 minute drill, moving them to the Tennessee 15 with 45 seconds left in the half. Yet a completed pass was fumbled away at the 10, ending the threat.

The second half was a virtually unwatchable slog. Edwards was quickly intercepted giving the Titans the ball at the Jaguars 33. Bironas kicked another field goal to make it 20-0 Titans. Edwards moved the Jaguars to a critical 3rd and goal at the 3. He was then sacked for a 12 yard loss. Del Rio opted for the field goal to avoid the shutout, and Scobee connected from 33 to have the Jaguars on the board.

The Titans took over at their own 27 with 7 minutes left in the third quarter. One minute into the fourth quarter, facing 4th and 1 at the Jacksonville 18, Fisher opted for the field goal, which Bironas connected on from 36.

Jacksonville took over at their own 22 and Edwards led an 8 minute drive, which is not good when a  team is down by 20. On 4th and 1 from the Titans 20, Edwards picked up 2. On 4th and 1 from the 9, Edwards picked up 2 more. On 4th and goal at the 1, Edwards pass to Underwood. The pass was right in his body. The sure touchdown was bobbled, and ripped out of Underwood’s hands for an interception and a touchback.

Although the game was garbage, Jacksonville did not even get the garbage touchdown. They did give up one, however. With Tennessee just trying to run out the clock facing 4th and 5 at the Jaguars 35, Chris Johnson broke loose all the way to the end zone to end the lack of suspense. Tennessee is 4-2 and Jacksonville is 3-3, after doing little to interest the home crowd. 30-3 Titans

Last year we had a pair of 13-0 teams, one in each conference. This year nobody made it to 4-0. In the NFC, every single team has at least 2 losses. The wild ride that is the NFL continues.

eric

Posted in MILITARY, SPORTS, WOMEN | No Comments »

My July 4th Tea Party

Sunday, July 4th, 2010

My mother sent me something that will allow Americans everywhere to thank our troops.

http://www.letssaythanks.com

You can pick out  a thank you card and Xerox will print  it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving  in Iraq.   You can’t pick out who gets it, but it will go to a  member of the armed services.

Today the Miami Shark and I are driving to San Juan Capistrano in Orange County. I am one of the featured speakers at a Tea Party.

Only in America could a guy like me get paid to tell people what he thinks.

There is so much opportunity in America. I am humbled and grateful to taste a small part of it.

Also, congratulations to Joey Chestnut for again bringing home the Yellow Mustard Belt at the annual COney Island Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Brooklyn.

As Lee Greenwood says, “God Bless the USA.”

God bless you all, and a safe and sane July 4th.

eric

Posted in MILITARY, SPORTS, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Memorial Day 2010–God bless our troops

Monday, May 31st, 2010

On this Memorial Day, I think of a commercial for the military that played man times when I was young.

“It wasn’t always easy…and it wasn’t always fair…when we were needed…we were there.”

Yes they were…and still are.

My father served in the Army. I never did. Yet I learned at a young age to respect our military.

I remember telling a Vietnam veteran in 1993 “thank you, and welcome home.” He started crying, saying that nobody had ever said that to him in the 20 years he had been home.

I remember meeting John McCain, and thinking what an honor it was just to shake his hand.

I remember meeting his cell mate at the Hanoi Hilton, Orson Swindle. I asked Mr. Swindle how he coped during the toughest of times. His response said it all.

“Ronald Reagan once said that ‘many Americans wonder if they made a difference. Marines don’t have to wonder.’ I’m a marine.”

I speak all around the country, and I run into so many young men either coming back from a hot spot, being deployed to one, or just getting ready to join the military.

While many people have political passions, these men and women keep their politics private out of respect for the uniform. They answer to the president, and he answers to us. They are fighting to keep this structure in place.

Too many have died way too young. Pat Tillman is a famous soldier, but the tomb of the unknown soldier is just as important.

Our soldiers did not die in vain. They defeated Nazism and Communism. They are on the front lines against Radical Islam.

All they ask from us is that we treat them with respect and dignity. This means making sure that they have solid medical care, enough money to live on, and leaders who understand and respect their culture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MtdIO23MKM

Most importantly, they want civilians to love this country, whether singing songs of praise or engaging in vigorous dissent. Both of these actions are noble.

God bless our troops.

A peaceful Memorial Day to every living soldier and their families.

To those still with us, thank you and welcome home.

eric

Posted in MILITARY | 6 Comments »

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