Your morning jolt: Johnny Isakson skeptical of claims that Pakistan didn’t know of Osama bin Laden raid
Morning TV chatter is circling around the likelihood that Osama bin Laden lived several years in his in-plain-sight compound.
How could the Pakistani government not know? many members of Congress are asking.
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson isn’t one of them. Nor is Isakson yet buying into assertions from both the U.S. and Pakistani governments that there was no contact between the two about the Sunday raid that resulted in bin Laden’s death.
“You don’t land helicopters in a compound like that, in the middle of a foreign country, without some help and cooperation. So let’s just leave it at that,” said Isakson, in an interview with Denis O’Hayer of WABE (90.1) on Monday.
In other words, Pakistani claims of ignorance, and U.S. claims of lone wolf-ism may be a ruse for local consumption.
Isakson said he would wait until a meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before he did any more speculating.
***
Politico.com this morning wonders whether the Osama bin Laden raid marked the end of Donald Trump’s presidential dreams:
The hope among establishment Republicans is that the succession of events will trigger an end to what they see as the silly season – that party activists will sober up and end their flirtation with the fringe.
“This is probably a wake-up call that the stakes of this game are very serious,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a veteran political strategist. “If the byproduct of this is that we get a little more serious about what it takes to lead the country in the Oval Office, then that will be a really good thing.”
***
Human Events has added former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich to the list of Republican candidates who will skip Thursday’s first GOP presidential debate in South Carolina:
Gingrich joins other top-tier contenders, such as Mitt Romney, in bypassing the debate, which is being sponsored by the South Carolina GOP and Fox News. Gingrich has indicated that an announcement concerning his candidacy will be made imminently, most likely within the next two weeks.
Those likely to attend the debate include former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, businessman Herman Cain, former Senator Rick Santorum, Rep. Ron Paul, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and potentially former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer.
***
Newt Gingrich, however, will appear at the state GOP convention in Macon next week – as will Herman Cain.
Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty and real estate magnate Donald Trump remain possibilities — but Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Michele Bachmann have all taken a pass.
***
The Macon Telegraph reports a shake-up in the local political structure:
State Rep. David Lucas, D-Macon, announced Monday he will run for the District 26 state Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Robert Brown, who will seek the office of Macon mayor.
In the wake of Lucas’ announcement, local optometrist James Beverly said he will soon launch his campaign for Lucas’ District 139 House seat.
***
Dorie Turner of the Associated Press put on her dancing shoes and went to Gov. Nathan Deal’s four-month delayed inaugural gala on Monday:
During the gala, attendees swarmed tables full of empanadas, hummus, cheeses and desserts as the band cranked out classic hits like “Electric Slide” and “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay.” Tables were festooned with centerpieces of cotton plants and fresh flowers, while displays about cities from Dalton in the north to Valdosta in the south lined the ballroom at Cobb Galleria.
A tuxedo-clad Deal stood in the lobby greeting attendees as festivities got under way.
“We’re just pleased we’ve had such a good turnout even though we planned this for January,” Deal said. “It’s a good time to have this occasion and have this opportunity to celebrate with the legislative session over.”
…The governor took the stage Monday night, asking for the thousands in attendance to take a moment of silence for the 15 people killed in the powerful tornadoes that swept through Georgia last week. Then he and his wife danced to “Georgia on My Mind” and mingled with the crowd.
***
AJC’s Politifact Georgia today takes a look at a claim from U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who said at a recent Atlanta Press Club luncheon that “one of three patients hospitalized are being harmed by the care they receive.”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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68 comments Add your comment
J Throckmorton Malcontent
May 3rd, 2011
12:23 pm
Wait. They served empanadas at the Governor’s inagural gala? I hope they weren’t illegal emanadas!
brad
May 3rd, 2011
12:28 pm
Did you have a point to make, Centrist?
RGB
May 3rd, 2011
12:30 pm
Dear President Obama:
I want to thank you for not standing in the way of Seal Team Six’s recent successful mission in Abbottabad. One of your top advisers termed the non-action “gutsy”. Since I was not there, I will concur with your employee and offer my congratulations. And please tell Vice-President Biden that he, too, was gutsy.
I am writing out of concern for the Seal Team and the possible legal action that you may direct against these fine Americans. Specifically, Rush Limbaugh reminded me that your administration earlier took action against Navy Seals who gave a terrorist a fat lip. After refreshing my memory, I recalled that this was the terrorist who masterminded the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater security guards in Fallujah in 2004.
My specific concern is that if you believed giving a fat lip to a four-time (or greater) murderer warranted Seals being court martialed, that the Abbottabad action might warrant even stronger action from your administration.
On second thought, go ahead and prosecute them. These fine Seals would be found “not guilty” similar to those you prosecuted earlier and the American people will be given an indelible example of your animus towards those in the military who risk their lives for ours on a daily basis.
Sincerely I Remain,
RGB
Alabama Communist
May 3rd, 2011
12:31 pm
No doubt this confirms that the Senator info came from the escape Alien Lizards from Area 51 and let’s leave it at that…
Bullwinkle
May 3rd, 2011
12:43 pm
Rockdale, you have officially become allies with the Taliban. They are skeptical that bin Laden is dead, too.
It’s very sad that some of you cannot give President Obama credit for anything.
No Revisionist History, Please!
May 3rd, 2011
1:14 pm
From March 13, 2002 (http://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/14/nation/na-osama14)
Q: But don’t you believe that the threat that bin Laden posed won’t truly be eliminated until he is found either dead or alive?
BUSH: Well, as I say, we haven’t heard much from him. And I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don’t know where he is. I — I’ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him. I know he is on the run. I was concerned about him, when he had taken over a country. I was concerned about the fact that he was basically running Afghanistan and calling the shots for the Taliban.
I’m glad we have a now have a President who did care about taking out Osama and backed it up with decisive action.
RGB
May 3rd, 2011
1:52 pm
I’m very glad that Revisionist found something (after an extensive search no doubt) that makes him feel good about President Obama.
But his point is, well, pointless.
Should President Bush have said: “Well, Jim, I AM frustrated that we’ve not found Bin Laden. And it really shows the failure of my presidency and, quite frankly, of our military. As we all know–when we stop Bin Laden, we will have ended all terrorism in the world forever. I’m just mortified that I haven’t accomplished that.”
Bush didn’t say that because he has something the current occupant lacks: maturity and discipline. Bush fought against the entire Democrat party, the media, and the academics to retain the intelligence assets and tools that began producing intelligence that aided the killing of Bin Laden. Bush also knew that Bin Laden was significantly marginalized. That doesn’t mean Osama was unimportant as one who inspired other terrorists. Osama was ultimately more of a figurehead. In that respect, he has commonality with Joe Biden. (It’s a joke. Laugh my Marxist friends.)
I did not say Bush did anything by himself. But he did stick to his (cover your ears libs) guns while Obama even punished Navy Seals who gave a terrorist-killer a fat lip. And Obama lost.
As I said: Your point was pointless.
deegee
May 3rd, 2011
2:28 pm
“Gingrich joins other top-tier contenders, such as Mitt Romney, in bypassing the debate, which is being sponsored by the South Carolina GOP and Fox News.”
They may be dumb but they’re not stupid. At least their handlers know better than to waste time and money on a meaningless attempt at serious political debate. Only the South Carolina GOP could be more irrelevant than Fox News.
RGB
May 3rd, 2011
2:35 pm
Why, taken literally, that means the SC GOP is highly relevant since FNC is cable’s most highly-rated news channel.
Who knew?!
RGB
May 3rd, 2011
2:35 pm
Wonder who taught Barry how to salute…..
mike
May 3rd, 2011
3:58 pm
Who cares what Johnny thinks. Matter of fact who cares what all you haters think. There was a reason why ole Johnny and his comrades were not a part of this historical happening. Maybe as history is written, you conservatives can change the story by doing what you guys do best. That is, just twist the facts, replace the names and make up events so the gop boys can tale ownership of this event. We certainly don’t want future generations to open a history book and learn the truth. God forbid.
No Revisionist History, Please!
May 3rd, 2011
11:35 pm
RGB=Real Gay B#tch. One ad-hominem to another – Don’t break “the googles” looking it up!
Bush was a colossal failure, time to get used to that fact.
No Revisionist History, Please!
May 3rd, 2011
11:41 pm
I’m glad chicken-sh#ts like RGB weren’t around during WWII, otherwise we would all be speaking German or Japanese. Unlike RGB, a lot of folks believe that a guy who killed over 3,000 American citizens plus thousands of others around the globe, to be a threat that should be dealt with.
Also, if Bush’s intelligence (oxymoron alert – this means you RGB) is responsible for catching bin Laden, they why didn’t Bush do the job when he got the information? Oh yeah, that’s right, because your pulling cr@p out of your @ss. Obama was the guy who got bin Laden, not the failure Bush. Deal with it.
SAM
May 4th, 2011
12:23 am
with due respect, would American lawmakers will like to answer, why the sole superpower of the planet USA was unable to stop 9/11? even they have CIA, FBI blah blah blah. Even those people were subordinate of Bin laden, Pakistani agency ISI alone netted more than 600 terrorist, 1000 time more than CIA, FBI, M16 ++++ Osama was dead in 2007, they are playing with a dead body to win elections.
Jezel
May 4th, 2011
7:54 am
Wish the Congress would entertain dialogues about why gas prices, medical cost, insurance cost and military budgets are so high. Our free market system is in a melt down…let’s talk about that. We need to forget all this conservative/liberal…Democrat/Republican…FRONTING.. and get to the real issues in our country.
candide
May 4th, 2011
7:31 pm
i AM SKEPTICAL THAT OSAMA WAS KILLED. WHO WOULD BELIEVE OBAMA BIN LADEN?
Trending Topic » Blog Archive » Unofficial bin Laden photo leaks – Politico (blog)
May 4th, 2011
9:01 pm
[...] honoring military, intelligence community for Osama …Los Angeles TimesMirror.co.uk -Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 128 news [...]
what a fine state of denial we live in
May 6th, 2011
5:49 pm
Centrist Thankfully, the American public has become numb to such claims and outright lies from the lunatic right and their tea party brethren. It has been clear from day one that they would do nothing to help this President and his administration get this country out of the ditch that the previous President and his Republican cohorts pushed us into. If Obama says Black-they say white. If he says left;they say right. If he says America ; they say Republican ideals! You and your entire leadership have no interest in doing what is best for America; instead you have the single minded purpose of trying to tear down Obama and run him down. The truth is that you have never accepted the fact that Obama defeated McCain in a LANDSLIDE!!! A landslide. AND – he is the first black President in our history. And you folks cannot stand it!!! It really sucks to be you I know.