So, What's with the Ads Against Iranian Nukes?

Scary!

We are not in election season. Despite the ramping up of the 2016 presidential race, there is no looming election. And yet, in the last few days, I've seen several ads from "Secure America Now," about stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. EVER! After seeing it for the seventh or eighth time, I decided to seek out the group.

They define themselves thusly, "Secure America Now is a non-partisan 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. Contributions are not tax deductible." Bolding is mine. So, who are they? Welllll.....

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Governor Mike Huckabee
Ambassador John Bolton
Pat Caddell

Aha! That's just three of them, the other names aren't on my radar. But these guys would seem decidedly partisan, wouldn't they? Especially when Bolton is quoted right below his name, saying, "The biggest threat to our national security is sitting in the White House," and Caddell is quoted saying, "We have a President who has suppressed the truth."

Huckabee is of course one of the many people running for the GOP nomination for president. What that has to do with Iran and nuclear readiness, I can't be sure. But I thought I'd just point out, this is just another one of those groups with a jingoistic name, claiming to be non-partisan when it isn't. It's the exact thing the IRS should be looking into, regarding tax exempt status.

Also of note, one of their other points of interest is Benghazi!

Here's one of their ads:
 

President Obama's Historic Deal with Iran Not Good Enough for Republicans?

Image from source, Slate

I've happened upon the internet abbreviation "SMH" a lot lately. I don't know how new it is, maybe I just started noticing it. If you didn't know, it means "shaking my head." It can be a three-letter response to just about anything, and can impart general bewilderment, honest confusion, resigned dismissal, disappointment, or even a sarcastic put-down (in the Southern, "bless your heart" style). But I find myself actually shaking my head at a lot of recent news, and controversies.

That's how I feel about the conservative reaction to President Obama's historic nuclear deal with Iran. I'm even more convinced than ever that Republicans would a) disagree with anything and everything this President ever did or will ever do, and b) will withhold credit for anything positive he ever accomplishes.

[Excerpt]
 
We Have a Deal With Iran. A Good One.
 
The Iranian nuclear deal struck Saturday night is a triumph. It contains nothing that any American, Israeli, or Arab skeptic could reasonably protest. Had George W. Bush negotiated this deal, Republicans would be hailing his diplomatic prowess, and rightly so. . .

Read more at: Slate

GOP Cuts in Nuclear Nonproliferation Funding?

Image from source, ThinkProgress

They can't be serious. I'm not speaking figuratively here. They. Can't. Be. Serious. You can't seriously claim to want to cut spending, and then make those cuts in important areas like nuclear nonproliferation, while refusing to make cuts in other areas.

[Excerpt]

House Republicans Cut Funding That Protects Us From Nuclear Terrorism



On Friday, House Republicans put forth a “continuing resolution” (CR) to fund the government past March 4th that was filled with spending cuts. While this came as no surprise, one focus of the cuts is causing some heads to turn. . .
 
Read more at: Think Progress

Why is GOP Refusing Sensible Cuts, and Cutting Important Things?

This is a really good question. When the Pentagon says, hey! We don't want this expensive stuff over here! Why on earth would any politician fight to keep spending millions and billions? If John Boner Boehner and Eric Cantor are fighting for useless stuff because it keeps jobs in their own districts, why not spend money on something useful?  And then, they turn around and want to slash funding for important things like food safety and nuclear nonproliferation? REALLY?

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FOX "News" Yanks Obama Presser for. . .Glenn Beck

Images from source, DailyKos

Way to stay classy, FOX. The President of the United States is giving a press conference after a historic nuclear proliferation agreement between the US and forty-six other world leaders, and they think Glenn Beck is more important? Really?

[Excerpt]

Fox cuts off Presidential news conference for Glenn Beck show

It's one thing for Fox to cut off speeches by President Obama...but a news conference? With reporters asking questions? And the President of the United States of America delivering unscripted responses? . . .

Read more at: DailyKos

Obama Leads Big World-Wide Changes at Nuclear Summit

This nuclear thing is a big deal for President Obama, and his administration. Probably for the US and the world too. I don't pretend to be an expert on any of it, but on the whole, it seems like a really good thing. I'm sure we'll hear lots of nay-saying from the right, but I think this is going to turn out to be as big a "legacy" moment as health care reform. Plus, I'm really glad a 24-type moment didn't happen with all of those world leaders in one place. Because. . .you know. . .Jack Bauer isn't real.

[Excerpt]

Obama: 'Real progress' at nuclear summit



President Obama said Tuesday that the 47-nation nuclear security summit he convened raised global awareness of the threat of nuclear terrorism and yielded commitments to better secure nuclear arsenals and materials. . .

Read more at: CNN

FOX "News" Still Cant Say Nuclear

I just finished watching Real Time with Bill Maher on the DVR, and when it was over, started flipping through the HD channels. I landed on FOX "News," for some reason, which was showing "America's News HQ" which would be a sad title were it true.

But what really made me yell at the TV is that both the host (a man named Kelly), and the guest, Gordon Chang, while discussing North Korea's missile test, both pronounced the word "nuclear" as "new-cue-lerr." And if you don't know it that is wrong. So wrong, it is the George W. Bush way of saying the word. And they did it over and over again. The host also said "bellergerant," but that didn't bother me so much.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, good ol' FOX still managed to ding President Obama with the framing of each segment. There isn't even a pretense anymore on FOX "News" that this is actually "fair and balanced." It's nothing more than a slogan. Perhaps it is supposed to be ironic?

UPDATE: I left FOX "News" on for noise, and it was really more of the same. Every show, every segment was very, VERY clearly from a right-wing standpoint. Every tease for "after the break" would be posed as a question, usually framed in such a way as to put down the Obama Administration. Also, the second biggest target seems to be "the media." "Is the media doing it's job. . ." is the framing used here, usually claiming that the "MSM" is too soft on the administration. And by "the media," FOX clearly thinks of itself as outside the mainstream media. They are half right. They ARE part of the media, but they are NOT a legitimate news source.

Stuck on Stupid: Nuclear Parts Sent to Taiwan

Photo from Wikipedia

Holy crap. First they "accidentally" sent nuclear warheads across the continental United States, then--apparently the same people--"accidentally" send parts for nuclear weapons to Taiwan. What the hell? I'm amazed we haven't "accidentally" invaded a country by now. . . Oh yeah.

[Excerpt]

Gates Orders Investigation In Missile Error

The Pentagon announced Tuesday that the United States mistakenly shipped to Taiwan four electrical fuses designed for use on intercontinental ballistic missiles, but has since recovered them.

The error is particularly disturbing, officials said, because of its indirect link to nuclear weaponry and because of the sensitivity of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, which China regularly denounces as provocative. The Defense Department said an investigation of the incident is under way. . .

Read more at: The Denver Channel