The Gestapo joins the Waffen SS.

Bottom line: Musical chairs. No change in policy or methods and no investigation of prior wrongdoings.

Boxturtle (Let’s pretend we are changing)

Will this come up at Petraeus’ confirmation hearing? Yes, that is a rhetorical question.

You mean Ringling Bros joining Barnum & Baily.

Boxturtle (All show, no substance, distractions, and lotsa clowns)

I probably missed it, but where is Gates going?

He’s going to spend more time with his family.

Next appointment: Glenn Beck, Press Secretary..

Just who is Obama working for? Finance, defense industries, a powerful family, the CIA itself? Who was greatly pleased by these moves?

LOL

No fracking shit! Petraeus will know better how to run the predator drones when the citizenry gets uppity due to starvation

If that were to happen, would he leave his nipple clamps at home?

Eikenberry the truth teller (“it’s not working folks,”) out, Bushie flunkie Crock O’ s— and assistant in cover up in.

Yeah, we’ll show those SOB’s in Michigan when an Emergency Financial Manager is appointed, he is to be obeyed!

Reply ain’t working. This is to Kassandra@10

Boxturtle (Ohio will let us base the anti-Michigan drones in Cleveland. Go Buckeyes!)

You didn’t get this story from the Onion, did you ? Sigh….I was afraid you didn’t.

Yes, but his penis extension would be front and center, so to speak.

For those who “believe” that Obama has, finally, started to make the “right” noises, and, George Lakoff, I’m speaking directly to you and your “New Obama Narrative” … it is not the verbiage that tells the truth, but the actions, and these actions, especially putting Petraeus in charge of the CIA, speak loudly and clearly: Obama is manipulating “the people’s” hopes and aspirations with a most vicious and deliberate vengeance, with a chilling heartlessness and a churlish arrogance which is quite unmatched in my experience and I have been contemplating this nation’s mindless (but fabulously lucrative for the precious “few”) rush into destruction and violence for longer than Obama has been alive.

Any who have considered Obama’s behavior and attitude these last several years, not as “believers”, but as conscience-possessing human beings are not surprised, in the slightest, by these recent actions of the confirmed pusillanimous fabulist which Barack Obama most certainly is …

DW

Workers at Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey won’t gun you down because you look suspicious.

x2

General Petraeus will be good at expanding the secret CIA military force and its contractors and with no messy public budget hearings nor KIA reports to worry about.

I realize that it’s probably too early in the day to have brought up “icky stuff” and I apologize for any stomach curdling that may have occurred. *g*

Pretty fancy words. Oh, yeah. You’ve been awake three hours more that me.
Hi ya.

Heya, demi!

Not pretty … nor fancy, my disgust, simply, has yet to discover any bounds.

With Obama AND his apologists.

DW

Petraeus? Wow. Horribles, horribles, horribles.

Why would someone like General Petraeus, who couldn’t win his war with his surge be considered for even running the trash department ?

He’s failure on two legs, ten years with the Magnificent Mindless ‘Merican Murder Machine at his command and couldn’t beat a rag tag group of homeland defenders, after pounding and making progress after ten years?

What kinda clown is this anyway ?

Now St. Pat gets to pass the failure buck again. What are his accomplishments again in Iraq/Afghan that earn him a promotion?

It figures. The CIA needs more F-up’s in charge.

Yes, and the reality that we’ll have Four More Years isn’t encouraging at all. Not good for the blood pressure.
Take care of yourself. I’m focusing on more local issues now.

Wow. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

Obama is manipulating “the people’s” hopes and aspirations with a most vicious and deliberate vengeance, with a chilling heartlessness and a churlish arrogance which is quite unmatched in my experience and I have been contemplating this nation’s mindless (but fabulously lucrative for the precious “few”) rush into destruction and violence for longer than Obama has been alive

Thanks to DWB @16. So very sorry to say exactly how right you are with this. Yet another nail in the coffin of – RIP – so-called US “democracy.” This stinks to high heaven. dizzzzzgusting, and now this giant sucking LOSER has released his birf sirteefikat as a distraction for the ignorant fringe rubes. gah! PTOUI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

amen.

and sad to say, what i did not see coming, is how much in the tank the cpc is and has been. lapdogs.

birth certificate release works as a distraction for more than the right. the right acts especially bat-shit-crazy and that works as the distraction for D partisans. 2 birds, one stone shiny object.

Leon Panetta has done a good job running the Humanitarians at CIA for Barry the Nobel Peace Prize Prez — you were hoping for some change at the Pentagon? Hows that “Yes We Can” working out for you?

The big part of this China Communist Party styled “musical chairs” story about DOD and CIA and who is the new American Viceroy to Afghanistan change outs and “promotions” is why David Petraeus and Ryan Crocker — both G.W.Bush regime carry overs are getting the nod from POTUS Obama?

Is the D Party roster so depleted or is this just Barry being the stealth R Party President we Americans elected in 2008?

Well now that these promotions and move arounds are done can we just cancel the 2012 WH election?

Why cancel you may ask? The answer perhaps because the DOD and CIA run the WH and Congress pretty much as is and sure as hell do not answer to anyone in real ways we Americans elect anyway.

We cannot find out what the Pentagon has done since 2003 regarding torture done and photos taken of it being done. Or where so much money has fallen thru black holes or into contractors pockets — when was Pentagon budget cut during last ten years? No one even tries anymore. American Militarism just keeps growing,getting bigger budgets and spending more on war making and death dealing.

The CIA runs on black budget hocus pocus and is not challenged by the WH or Congress — those we elect to be in the WH or Congress will not challenge the Pentagon or the CIA. What do you think would happen to an American POTUS elected to the WH who cut Pentagon budget by one third or proceeded to shut down the CIA? Allowed to do so or given the chop?

So why bother with the 2012 election?

The Pentagon/M-I-C and CIA run WashingtonDC and do not do elections while doing so. Get “put in” via the Chinese Communist Party Method. Fixed. Done.

I must be “grumpy” today, so I have to chuckle at the presupposed denigration for Obama moving the chairs around his command table. To wit, Panetta moving over to the DOD, is supremely “critical” should he understand what he has to do to right the ship of state for the long term.

During the Carter Era, the political affiliations of the Admirals and Generals were equally split between the Democrats and the Republicans. And along comes Reagan and Clinton, and this ratio moved to 75% Republicans, and Bush43, ramped it up even further to 90% Republicans. And that is Panetta’s challenge. And for those among us and whom are “memory-challenged” this “ratio” made it an “easy sell” for two wars, and the majority of Democrats and Republicans “bought the crappola”, on one hand, under the rubric of “exceptionalism” or Neo-liberalism and on the other, “infallibility” or Neo-Conservativism.

And lost in all this thunder for criminal stupidity, the “unmet needs” of the Privates, the Corporals, and the Sergeants, continue to this day.

Moreover, for all that rail and rant against the Military Industrial Complex, challenging this MIC, will take a tad of astuteness, as well as a big dose of nuance and subtlety, if one starts with the perspective for “empowering the Individual”. And we, here in our Indigenous Hemisphere and in particular, the Sonoran Desert, we have opted for the Academic-Military Draft. And how does this work? Here are your “training wheels”.

An Academic-Military Draft

Over at the Atlantic Monthly Magazine, Stephen Burd is the author of “The Subprime Student Loan Racket” and he has an excellent recap of private educational institutions and their impact on the economically disadvantaged students and whom are attempting the achieve their respective American Dream. This Dream, obviously, no longer exists. Regardless, I encourage you to read Burd’s article since it is an eye-opener. This article is in the latest issue of the Atlantic Monthly and is easily found on the Internet.

However, we, here at the Chicano Veterans Organization, have a much better approach to achieving the American Dream, given our historical and successful experiences and ongoing efforts. Thus, we offer this solution in the form of an Academic-Military Draft.

And by way of background, in a discussion on academic standards and the potentiality of a serious devolution or a lessening of these ‘standards’, the economically disadvantaged comprise only 2.5% of the overall student population in our colleges and universities, and thusly, if this devolution were to in fact occur, others in the majority would be doing this “devolution”. Therefore, having to defend institutions of higher learning can become a bitch, if the opponents and whom favor less use of governmental taxpayer monies for education, can be beaten back, then, the notional for the “fiscal scold” is just that, a propagandistic delusion, since a lessening of educational spending improves the viability of even more tax cuts as perpetuated and personified by the political operatives residing on our national political spectrum, and known as the Right.

Consequently, lost in all the political bluster and blather relative to “empowering the individual” and for looking at education as an investment for the economic development imperative, is easily dismissed, but not by us in the Spanish-speaking community. And we, whom have demonstrated our experience for political sophistication for all these many years, our vision of the American Dream, will eventually make it into public policy, given our rapidly expanding demographics in the years to come. Equally important, is that reality informs and teaches that the respective Community of Chicanos, Native Americans, and African Americans, and taken together, we are from communities that are inherently progressive in Philosophy as well as in Thought and Action. Long story short, being “regressive” is for dummies.

And how will this “individualized empowerment” take place?

In any event, a high school drop out or a high school graduate can enlist for a three-year period. During this time frame, the enlistee will spend 50% of the time on the military mission and the remaining 50% of time will be spent on the academic mission. Thus, at the completion of this time frame, the enlistee will have completed the GED, if necessary, and go on to complete a two-year course of study and leading to an Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies.

Upon separation and with an honorable discharge in hand, the now former enlistee can walk down to any financial institution and borrow the requisite monies to complete his or her third and fourth year of academics at any college or university in America.

Now, what are the tangible and intangible benefits that will accrue to our national community? Consider the following:

1. At the completion of this military enlistment, there is no financial burden that has to be carried forward from having completed the enlistment as well as the Associate of Arts Degree.

2. Parents do not have to contend with the added pressure that comes from having to scrimp and save over many years in order to send a son or daughter to college.

3. The institutional dilemma for matriculation into a qualitative college or university is easily mitigated or overcome by the respective former enlistee due his or her having created a three-year history for the actualization of self-discipline and leading to many successes. And more so, since there is no “test” that exists in America and which can effectively measure “ambition.”

4. And for those enlistees desiring to make a career in the armed forces, each will be on the receiving end of an opportunity to attend our military academies. Consequently, our Elected and Appointed Officials will not have the need to intrude with their Letters of Support. As such, there is no continuing institutional legacy perpetuate as is now found in the current status quo, of the political sort.

5. Traditional programs for loans, grants, and scholarships, will be directed to the students attempting to acquire their third and fourth year of academics. And with the availability of more monies, graduation rates will increase, unsurprisingly.

6. Student services will become better focused on “unmet needs” than on perceived needs.

7. Of course, State Legislatures will face a two-pronged dilemma. A reduction in spending patterns for first and second year students will have to be addressed. And the follow-on choice will be to ‘target’ the expansion of public spending on the graduate schools of our public colleges and universities.

8. Given that our ongoing Schematic for Community Colleges has been a boon to the business community, this low-level technical training is not going to disappear, notwithstanding or despite the many and loud voices to the contrary.

In closing, we can easily envision that the two-fold objectives of the Schema for Community Colleges—matriculation to a four-year institution, and providing for the requisite low-level technical training, requires that the Community College and the attendant decision-makers, consider expanding this low-level training component where necessary to meet the needs found in our respective communities. However, a greater effort is going to be required to solve the drop out rate–ongoing efforts will not solve this dilemma or even come close to any achievable succes from the macro-perspective– and the overall successes when it comes to increased graduation rates. To date, the usual and assorted decision-makers are neither addressing nor achieving our “unmet needs” in the Spanish-speaking communities all across America relative to our public policies. And this Academic-Military Draft does address our needs, effectively and efficiently when it comes to ‘empowering the individual’.

Jaango

Meanwhile, they seem to be waffling again over the appointment of Elizabeth Warren. Surprise, surprise.

At least it’s all more efficient this way, and Obama admires efficiency so very much.

Rumor has it Panetta and Petraeus play pool with Cheney and Rumsfeld once a week at Cheney’s house. No word on who serves the drinks and hor d’oeurves, though.

As-so-Fucking-ly incredible. *stunned*

We need another war for that “draft” to be viable – the Navy must get rid 3,000 by the end of the year because of too many enlistments. Seems the military is no longer the job when you can find no other job.

Where the money is.

He’s a crying on the inside kind of clown, I think.

“In politics, if something doesn’t work, that is the best reason to go on doing it. If something looks like it might work, stay well away. Things like that could make waves, and the boys at the top, they don’t like waves.” –William Burroughs

papau@35

Imagine if you can, a society that has participated in this Schematic for at least ten years, and thusly, there would be no more “wars” since these “volunteers” would well understand that the likes of the Kochs, Scaifes and the Mellons as well as the numerous Elected and Appointed officials in their pocket, would be unable and unwilling to create more wars to enrich the already rich. Consequently, an economic, political and social shift in the direction of the Middle Class.

Jaango

It is getting a bit confusing -

In the original post: “He’s been CIA Director in the Obama Administration, which as I understand it now is basically the Secretary of Defense job” -

Below is the org chart, so to speak – but I suspect that the above statement – post Rumsfield and Cheney – is the correct org chart, based on my personal experience. I do note that Rumsfield’s “special intel” folks are not listed on the cuurent org chart.

The IC (intelligence community) is led by the Director of National Intelligence, whose office, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), is not listed as a member of the IC. The DNI exerts leadership of the IC primarily through the statutory authorities under which he (1) Controls the National Intelligence Program budget; (2) Establishes objectives, priorities, and guidance for the IC; and (3) Manages and directs the tasking of, collection, analysis, production, and dissemination of national intelligence by elements of the IC. However, the DNI has no authority to direct and control any element of the IC except his own staff — the Office of the DNI — neither does the DNI have the authority to hire or fire personnel in the IC except those on his own staff. The member elements in the executive branch are directed and controlled by their respective department heads, all cabinet-level officials reporting to the President. By law, only the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency reports to the DNI.

Independent agencies
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
United States Department of Defense
Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency (AFISRA)
Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM)
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)
Marine Corps Intelligence
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)
National Security Agency (NSA)
Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI)
United States Department of Energy

United States Department of Homeland Security

Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A)
Coast Guard Intelligence (CGI)

United States Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

United States Department of State

Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR)

United States Department of the Treasury

Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI)

DW, you have caught the essence of Obama. Well done.

Btw, to David, the military and the CIA have been “one” in many ways for decades, really, since its inception. The military has provided cover and operational gear for covert operations for a very long time.

I suspect that without the education the folks understand – indeed understand that in the US they can not change a damn thing without violence, or money, and that elections are held just to keep the appearance of a chance for change, thus keeping the violence down. Auditing of Federal Elections never was passed and the GOP/Dems show no interest – nor is there interest in Federal financing of elections.

Once money has total power I do not see how it gives it up – the Court in giving corporations personhood have locked in total power for the rich. Meanwhile the right will worry about gov interfering with rights they think they have or do not have, and the left will worry about humanitarian problems and for some on the left, the importance of destroying religious thought in the public common – and the rich and corporate will laugh at both.

True in part – but my one time employer in the 80′s (worked for USLICO – a part of “International Bank” that ran Liberia flagging – USLICO is now part of INC) flagged the CIA navy in the 80′s (written up in an Australian Maritime Law article – at least in the first draft – so this is not a secret), it has a CIA Air Force, it has CIA financial assets in every country.

I do not know of much the CIA needs to borrow from the military other than toys like drones. The Hubble 2nd lens went to the CIA/NSA/NGA so as to give those great photos of license plates from space – but I’d be amused if it turned out that they launched a clone of the original myopic lens and had to do a secret fix! :-)

But then Rumsfield/Cheney did not like intel that had the wrong answers, so DOD has an off the org chart intel operation that gives better answers – which Obama has not shut down – but with no backbone how could he shut it down?

Atta boy Obama. Just keep copying Bush and the Neocons. Shuffle those deck chairs as the titanic sinks. And when far too few of us show up to save your sorry excuse for a Presidency in the next election, you will doubtlessly be shocked, SHOCKED to learn that you lost because you’re a corporate tool. And that even if you’d made the effort to routinely step outside of your nice insulated bubble, you STILL wouldn’t have a clue about how most Americans live, and what kind of shit they have to put up with because you are utterly failing as a principled leader.

Even outside of politics Mr. Obama, you don’t live anything like most of the rest of us, and have never really faced what many face daily. You’re ‘other’, not because of religion or politics, but because of your money and privilege. And you want to complain to us about what you can’t push for to make the majority’s life better because it’s TOO HARD? Really?!

I’ll tell you what. Let’s have one of those fireside chats. Only this time, invite exclusively unemployed, under-employed, and homeless citizens. (Yes, they’re citizens too.) And don’t vet the questions. THEN you’ll get a better idea of ‘too hard’.

Don’t insult us with this pointless crony shell game. If they’re failing in their current posts due to lack of suitability, putting them in charge of institutions they are ill-suited and ill-trained to run won’t help a damned thing.

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/08/18/wayne-madsen-obamas-cia-connections-part-i-and-ii/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_International_Corporation

Ted Westhusing was at a contractor site when he supposedly committed suicide. He had gone to the area the previous evening to speak to someone there and when it became too late to safely return to his base, he was forced to spend the night in the viper’s den. In the morning he was dead.
Not only is Petraeus linked to contractor abuses in Iraq, but he is BFF with that hack Judith Miller. Can we expect all sorts of leaks to Ms. Miller from CIA aimed at destroying the credibility of the elected representative government? Just what we need right now, a fascist in charge of the secret police. Petraeus will do nicely hooking up with the detritus of Bush Sr.’s Team B who still exist in that lesion on our democracy.

Thanks. However, I’m a WMR paid subscriber and have followed the “All in the family” that WMR has put forth. My big question is whether the CIA is owned, and by whom, or if it is the owner.

Obama pleases his bosses first-the CIA and the DOD. He just secured four more years. Rejoice Democrats- or whatever we are supposed to call ourselves with Mr. Manchurian in there. Me-I’m watching the royal wedding it’s certainly as relevant as any of our four billion WORDS on politics. Until we do something else they got us by zee balls and ovaries comrades. Words are not going to change those that have the dollars and the bullets.

Crocker has also served as Ambassador to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and is one of the most experienced diplomats Colonial Administrators in the foreign service.

There, fixed it for us.

Viceroy, comes to mind, too…

Robert Gates out at DoD. FINALLY.

If the Evangelical Christians are right about Hell, Robert Gates is going to get his own special circle in Hell.

Petreaus made sure there were enough “lost” weapons in Iraq that when soldiers killed innocents there was always a gun available that could be dropped alongside to make them appear insurgent. Winter Soldier had one soldier describing what they did after they killed someone, doing a weapon drop, that is was encouraged by their commanders.

The most important qualification of Petreaus is he is an ass kisser and I imagine no one likes that more than Barry.

I probably missed it, but where is Gates going?

If there’s any justice, to a place where it’s very hot and the warders have pointy ears, tails and pitchforks.

The most important qualification of Petreaus is he is an ass kisser

And not just any ass-kisser…he’s a…let’s see…how did General Sanchez put it?…

Don’t know about the rest of it, but very pleased that former class mate Ryan Crocker is back in the spot light again.

I figured that one out. Also, neither Petraeus nor Panetta are really qualified for the jobs he’s about to put them in.