Yes, Media Matters, There is a "War on the CIA" Whether You Want To Admit It or Not
The more I do my own “watch-dogging” of progressive “watchdog” Media Matters the happier I am that I never got the researcher job that I applied for with them years ago when I was still a leftist.
What a painfully boring, mind-numbing job it must be to be one of their “researchers” having to try and create something out of nothing. I can only try and put myself in the shoes of “J.K.F.” the researcher who wrote up yesterday’s “Conservative Media Call Review of Interrogations a ‘War on the CIA”:
Following Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement that a federal prosecutor will be conducting “a preliminary review into whether federal laws were violated” during interrogations of detainees suspected of terrorism, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) asserted that the investigation would be a “declaration of war against the CIA, and against common sense.” Several conservative media figures have similarly advanced the claim that by looking into interrogation abuses, the Obama administration or the Justice Department has “declared war” on the CIA.
“J.K.F.” cited several examples of this trend in his research. One of them was MSNBC’s Pat Buchanan who said:
[I]t’s dreadful in particular for this president, who is perceived as increasingly a man of the left, who have been traditionally, you know, in the caricature of the right, hostile to the security agencies of the country. To have the Justice Department declare war on the Central Intelligence Agency, to expose Leon Panetta, the CIA director as someone who can’t defend his own troops, to attack the guys who did the dirty work to keep us safe for seven years and succeeded — for a liberal president to do this is just to re-enact the worst mistakes of the Carter administration and just before it when Democratic Congress went after the CIA and the FBI, as though those were the enemies in the Cold War against communism and those were the enemies in the effort to prevent people blowing up buildings in the 1960s.
“J.K.F.” also singled out Human Events, Washington Times, and Fox and Friends among others. Go ahead and read his whole piece if you can — it’s dreadfully boring stuff.
Here’s the thing, though that “J.K.F” and Media Matters won’t acknowledge: there is a war on the CIA right now. There’s been one against it pretty much since its founding. And who’s waging this war? The Left.
The CIA has been one of the boogeymen of the Left for a pretty obvious reason: over the course of the 20th century few entities were as critical in defending America and fighting her enemies abroad as the CIA. And who were those enemies? The foreign Communists and Marxists who the modern American Left spent its time aligning itself with and defending. So of course the Left was going to run interference against the CIA, declare a war if you will, as its part in the global quest for “social justice.”
Few figures fall into this tradition better than socialist journalist and activist William Blum, author of Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II. Here’s an example of a Blum interview, you’ll get the idea rather quickly:
President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder both emerged out of the culture of the Left. Neither of them are as radical as Blum, but they still cut their teeth within this political tradition. And Obama has, in many regards, been forced to abandon much of the Left’s foreign policy demands — either out of political necessity or perhaps a genuine evolved perspective. (Who among us can actually read his heart and mind?) Initially Obama had rejected calls to go to war with the CIA and the Bush administration era policies of harsh interrogation. He was embracing the Left’s “Move On” mantra in a far different way than they preferred.
Abandoning the Left’s war with CIA and America comes with a cost, though: diminished support from the Left’s political machine that powers the Democratic Party.
Thus he was met with passionate anger and rejection from leftist broadcasters like Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. (Olbermann has had Blum on Countdown before and pretty much uncritically embraced Blum’s anti-CIA, Anti-American foreign policy ideas.)
So now we have to watch as Obama and Holder have to do a political dance. Do they move Left and satisfy their anti-American base by giving the anti-CIA war the full force of the Justice Department? Or does Obama slide to the Center, allowing both Justice and CIA to focus on more important tasks than the Left’s Anti-American crusade?
Time will tell, and you can bet money where Media Matters’ position will be. They’ll continue to do just as Blum does in the above clip: deny that those who oppose the American Idea exist and ridicule those who suggest otherwise.
ALL
Recc: Read “Masters of Deceit”. Circa 1953, By J. Edgar Hoover, the old FBI guy. Found on dusty shelves, out of print, but the best text on the above subject ever written
bt
CIA hits will continue. Holder and OBNA folks will continue to dance, trying to do the Potomac Two Step, with grace, eventually to fall flat.
bt
This is the 9th month of the Leftists thrust into the USA Electorate guts. So Far, the only reaction has been “MONEY”. Seems we can stand to lose, even tho that is becoming an issue, our basic liberties. Glenn Beck opened the OBNA Pandora box. A simple answer to most of his Questions would have set back the Left several decades.
bt
In the Fly Over country, folks are simply holding thier families close, knowing the costs and willing to learn, act and be decent USA Citizens.
end
Semper fi
Obama is shooting blanks and on the run his nine finger enforcer Rahm Emanuel and Leon Panetta just trying to get the news cycle back to Obama favor.
It has become obvious that mind control is at the forefront of Obama’s comrades, and no so obvious that Obama wants his legacy to be associated with the likes of Castro, Stalin & Chavez. He has a big problem as do those representatives hiding from their constituents.
Alinski lives on in blum…first create the attitude, then mobilize the force.
Whatever the ‘honest intentions’; we are challenged by this Administration’s many deceptions – aided and abetted; by a ‘deliberate MSM; or just their ‘useful idiots’. Dick Cheney; does not fear them nor those they speak for; and for that, can only add to the kudos; a ‘God Bless Dick Cheney. . .keep him strong and safe’.
Meantime; we must keep watching ‘both hands’ of this Administration; as they disparage (and destroy) our CIA. What are their plans for ‘replacement’? Can we get an idea from other Leftist MO’s?.
Could there be a plan for a ‘covert Intelligence’ that answers only to Obama, Inc.? (They have no problem; kneecapping our Military while funding/empowering Obama’s rising ‘citizen’s army’ Is there a clue here?). In which case; should this transpire; there would be no holding to public opinion; as to ‘who’ our enemies are; where they would be housed; and certainly, no public discussion of what interrogation methods would be employed.
Too much ‘Reynold’s Wrap’? Maybe; hope so. . .but do not think so.
Obama wants his legacy to be associated with Stalinist murderers?
I can only hope he sees the light, David, otherwise he is doomed, not us.
No David,
He wants his legacy to be associated with Stalinist ‘ideals’. The murders are just a minor annoyance best ignored. Can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs. Obama has done much for the benefits of terrorist. Holding open his hand to them while slapping down the CIA. Who truly benefits from all this? Only our enemies and the left of this country. The same left that nurtured Obama with Stalinist rhetoric and teachings. What better for our enemies than to set our agencies against each other so they will ignore outside threats. Or fear retribution if they are successful. Obama knows these will be the results. Why then allow it?
We are already seeing a split within their own party as Leon and Eric rattle their swords. Soon, their support shall wane if we keep the pressure up and enough will come to their senses before further embarrassing themselves.