Tag Archives: United State

~ my 2cents ...

TGIF &some News …


The Political climate in the country is sort of reflecting the current weather, which has been violent at times, frequently changing agitated by furious thunder or uproar and commotion… just like what is happening from everyone involved in the Paul Ryan Plan, which includes ending Medicare, as we know it

“The tempest in my mind/Doth from my senses takes all feeling” (Shakespeare).

As Senate Democrats go back to work for the People Republicans continue to act recklessly and create mayhem on both the State and Federal levels. The facts are becoming clear which Political Party will be considered on the right side of history by all the efforts they have shown trying to vote for and implement legislation that would change the way immigration, insurance, wall street, climate change, and jobs which were mishandled and or neglected by the last guy and his republican crew in office.

The current issue mishandled by this crew of Republicans in Congress, among others is the Paul Ryan Budget Plan. The Republican Party pushed it, backed it as if it was the best thing in the world though the particulars were not clear. Fortunately, a Democratic member of Congress challenged the content, structure and announced that the plan would not only make the Bush Bonus dollars permanent, had a health care mandate , a voucher system, probably end Medicaid as well. I don’t know about you but the lack of detail in this Budget Plan given by Republicans before and during their break just proved the Ryan Plan is was not what they say it is. In an attempt to hide or assume no one would actually read “the Plan” which was portrayed by Ryan and his crew as a matter of little or no importance like a tempest in a teapot. It is obvious in reality this plan has created a great big disturbance and or uproar in the Democratic Party but Republican constituents are feeling the betrayal and it is not just Seniors. The plan, aside from the other ill-advised requirements or stipulations listed on this plan is set to affect those 55 and under once considered no big thing quickly moved into something else.

The saying that keeps coming to mind is “a tempest in a teapot”, which is how I felt Republicans were acting. Now, well now that tempest has definitely turned into a storm and has raged out of control. The tempestuous relationship between the Democratic Party and Republicans has promoted violent behaviour by some, emotional responses by all in a time when both sides of the aisle need to come together to create and pass laws. Instead, the party of no has done whatever can do to ruin the President which is being done off the backs of the Middle Class let alone snatch whatever help is left for the working class and the poor. I have news for Republicans and it is that even your constituents are beginning to see the light though i won’t hold my breath i am expecting and demanding that the Democratic Party stand up an out for We the People and help continue that path toward the 21st Century by supporting Barack Obama efforts for a 2nd term.

Other News …. CSPAN

Obama to Meet with Israeli Prime Minister – http://c-span.org/Events/Obama-to-Meet-with-Israeli-Prime-Minister/10737421660/

AFL-CIO President to Address Unions and 2012 Campaign – http://c-span.org/Events/AFL-CIO-President-to-Address-Unions-and-2012-Campaign/10737421671/

Report: Pakistan In Need of Reform

Stability and development at risk – http://c-span.org/Events/Report-Pakistan-In-Need-of-Reform/10737421672/

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ).  http://c-span.org/Events/Medical-Update-on-Rep-Gabrielle-Giffords-D-AZ/10737421663/ 

A moment of Opportunity -the Middle East as a “historic opportunity in Mid East and North Africa.”   http://c-span.org/Events/Obama-Outlines-United-States-Mideast-Policy/10737421632/

President Obama Addresses Women’s Leadership Forum – http://c-span.org/Events/President-Obama-Addresses-Women39s-Leadership-Forum/10737421662/  

Obama Letter to Boehner: Blocking Property of Senior Officials of the Government of Syria – http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/18/text-letter-blocking-property-senior-officials-government-syria

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Congress: Debt Limit Blackmail


The United States officially hit its statutory debt limit yesterday, preventing the government from borrowing any more money, as Republicans continue to demagogue the issue but refuse to act. Since a large portion of federal spending is borrowed money, the Treasury Department has been forced to take extraordinary measures to allow the government to continue meeting its obligations, including tapping into government employee pension funds to free up cash. These measures and others should keep cash flow adequate until approximatly August 2, but if lawmakers have still failed to raise the debt limit by then, the effect could be “catastrophic,” as Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said yesterday in a letter to congressional leaders. In its 235-year history, the U.S. government has never defaulted, so the exact consequences are impossible to predict, but all experts agree that defaulting on our financial obligations would be disastrous for the global economy, shattering investors’ confidence in the American government and economy while increasing the cost of borrowing and possibly shutting down the government. Geithner has said defaulting on our obligations would almost certainly cause a double-dip recession, where a second dip could be worse than the Great Recession of 2008. Moreover, as Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman noted, failing to raise the debt limit would “act as a terrible signal about the US political system,” telling the world “we’re a banana republic, with crazy extremists having so much blocking power that we can’t get our house in order.” Indeed, fueled by far-right tea party anti-debt dogma, Republican leaders have taken the debt ceiling — and thus the entire global economy — hostage, refusing to raise the ceiling unless they are allowed to enact their partisan agenda of radical spending cuts. Many conservative lawmakers have said they will not vote to raise the limit under any circumstance, while others have demanded extraordinary concessions.

HOSTAGE TAKING: Hate radio host Rush Limbaugh said yesterday that the debt limit is a “manufactured crisis,” and in a way, he’s right — but not in the way he intended. The debt ceiling is an entirely arbitrary cap Congress sets on the amount of money the federal government can borrow. There is no real reason for having a statutory debt ceiling, which didn’t exist until 1917. The amoung of debt the government takes on should be determined by budgetary needs, through the normal Congressional budgeting process, not some arbitrary redline that offers politicians a perennial issue on which to grandstand. But even with some empty grandstanding, Congress has routinely raised the debt ceiling for decades, increasing the limit 100 times since 1940. Ths limit was raised seven times under President Bush, with hardly any real opposition from Republicans. “[I]t has been a regular, even routine matter. In fact, for many years, it was just rolled right into the budget process, and they didn’t have a separate vote to raise the debt limit,” NPR noted. But this year, Republicans have seen a convenient opportunity to score political points and advance their partisan agenda, even it means risking the American and global economies. Republican leaders, including House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have made it clear they understand the consequences of not raising the debt limit and have said publicly that the limit must be raised.Yet these same leaders have threatened to vote against any increase in the debt limit if their demands aren’t met — and their demands are huge: “We should be talking about cuts of trillions, not just billions,” Boehner said. “This is a hostage situation…blackmail,” Krugan wrote. “In effect, they will have ripped up the Constitution and given control over America’s government to a party that only controls one house of Congress, but claims to be willing to bring down the economy unless it gets what it wants.” Indeed, for their demands to be effective, Republicans have to be willing to “shoot the hostage” and let the U.S. government hit the debt ceiling and default on its financial obligations.

DOWNPLAYING THE THREAT: Meanwhile, a growing number of Republican lawmakers, especially Tea Party freshmen, have tried to downplay the threat of hitting the debt limit or defaulting. “The case has not been made that this is an absolute necessity,” Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) said last week. “The debt ceiling really doesn’t matter,” the conservative blog Red State wrote recently. But these claims ignore a danger that even former President Reagan, the great conservative icon, recognized. Arguing for raising the ceiling in 1983, Reagan said, “the risks, the costs, the disruptions, and the incalculable damage” of not doing so demanded the ceiling be increased. More reasonable conservatives today have come to the same conclusion. “Let me tell you what’s involved if we don’t lift the debt ceiling: financial collapse and calamity throughout the world,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told CNN. Even Boehner warned of “financial disaster, not only for our country but for the worldwide economy.” Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) said, “I won’t throw the country into the street” by not raising the debt limit. Conservative Washington Post columnist George Will said it could be “suicidal” for Republicans actually block an increase in the debt ceiling.

THE ‘PAY CHINA FIRST’ PLAN: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), chairman of the important Republican Study Committee, suggested yesterday that hitting the debt limit could be a good thing. “Keeping the debt ceiling at its current level would force Congress to prioritize spending , but it would not force a default on our debt.” Jordon’s claim that U.S. would not default is based on the assumption that the government would be able to cover all of its expenses through tax revenue alone. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) has made the same argument and even proposed a bill to implement this plan. But while they are technically correct, tax revenue contributes only around 60 percent of every dollar spent, so this plan would force the government to cut about 40 percent of its activities literally overnight to keep spending in line with revenues. Moreover, as CAP fellow Matt Yglesias points out, this approach doesn’t actually prevent a default from occurring. Deputy Treasury Secretary Neil Wolin said much the same thing, calling Toomey’s plan “unworkable.” Others have appropriately dubbed Toomey’s plan the “Pay China First” plan because it would prioritize payments to our debtors, including China, over paying for critical services Americans rely on. “This wouldn’t avert a potential global economic catastrophe, but it would make sure the United States wrote checks to foreign governments before anyone else,” the Washington Monthly’s Steve Benen wrote

~ my 2cents ...

wilful Wednesday &some News


It would be great if the Democratic Party would call out Republicans more often, heck it would be nice if talking heads getting paid to give the viewer news challenge everything people like Bachmann, McConnell, Boehner, Huckabee, Brown and Palin say. We all know freedom of speech is a right but how these people are using it and why they are getting away with it is what we all question because the rhetoric does promote fear, hate, and in some cases incited violence. The act or use of freedom of speech also means you should not only use it responsibly but be held accountable for any negative outcome as well, like what happened to Representative Gabrielle Giffords. I hope I am not the only one offended by Politicians willing to be on national TV saying questionable things that can be fact checked or are telling outright lies and allowed to because TV hosts, station owners, and reporters have opted in most cases to let them spread what can only be considered as their own truths. I have to say anyone with common sense should be able to easily hear loaded rhetoric and see through the negative or in the case of most Republicans, the noise, lies, and or half- truths that cable heads should have follow-up questions.

We all need to question authority on all levels. So, after hearing that Rep. Luis Gutierrez not only wants our President to exert his power and enforce immigration with an executive order he also stated that he has been patient and will probably withhold his vote to reelect Barack Obama. I have to ask you, i would like to ask if all leaders of the Latino caucus will do the same or  at least remind the community that change in any form on any issue and level takes time. I cannot imagine those who fought for civil rights were not on most occasions simply impatient that the mission was indeed taking too much time. We all know that even with the obvious impatience our fighters for civil rights stayed on task for the mission of freedom and never strayed, civil rights are definitely a part of our everyday lives just as human rights unfortunately more are trying to make “reasonably suspicious” a part of everyday language. The importance of directing our anger, impatience, and or opposition to the right party responsible is essenstial and that would be Republicans like Brewer. I feel and like to call legislation like SB1070  Race Control and it is spreading more and more . The President has consistently made moves to get the Dream Act started and voted on which would have moved American thought into the 21st Century. I truly believe we should spare children of undocumented any punishment because they were born on US soil and their parents were not Americans. We should challenge the President and his policies but what really helps create change is informing our members of Congress who not only make the laws but also pass them. We all need to make sure that they all know exactly what we expect from them. It definitely goes without saying that the President could invoke an executive order yet it is not law … and for that we need Congress to do their jobs for the rights of ALL Americans because We the People seem to be having trouble being treated fair and equal lately.

We may be in the 21st Century but our rights are being challenged, stripped and trashed by people like Governor Bob McDonnell, Scott, Walker, Snyder, others in the South, people from Arizona, which, I gotta say scares me as it should for all Americans. It is beyond me to think a State like Arizona which, for me is beautiful; truly a 7th wonder of the world, definitely unique and reminds me of the most representative of 1st nation/Mexican homeland . Though people say Arizona is a diverse state … imagine how many people are in hiding though they have been in the states for years but happen to be undocumented … this whole thing has my mind reeling. I would never have thought a birther law would pass anywhere in the USA let alone cross into what by all accounts is the business of being a Police State. I cannot help but feel this is just the beginning of reverting to the days when the line of who belongs and who does not will be enforced by people who took an oath to protect and serve, to help all people’s not practice legal racism.

Will they have the right to tell me and or my family i fit the profile of an illegal citizen ask for papers just because? Anyone of colour could be subject to a stop with lots of question and paper checks. I have to ask, is this the way America wants its fellow American to live and more importantly this move toward a Police State needs to be stopped so keep calling Republican Governors to stop the legalization of immigration laws through racial profiling.

Other News …

White House Poetry Workshop 2:25pmET www.whitehouse.gov/live

Renown poets and artists join the First Lady for a student poetry workshop, featuring students from California to New York

An Evening of Poetry at the White House  7:10pmET  www.whitehouse.gov/live  

A celebration of American poetry and prose featuring accomplished poets, musicians and artists.

 **Colorado man wins Seattle’s top library job

**Santana bringing George Lopez on tour for 5 shows

**Southern US Cities Brace for Historic Flooding

**Libya http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42989322/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/

**Syria Military Steps Up Shelling, Killing at Least 20 – http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703864204576316784098385542.html  

**Three die in San Jose State campus shooting

CSPAN

 

**Defense Authorization Debated in House Armed Services Committee

 http://c-span.org/Events/Defense-Authorization-Debated-in-House-Armed-Services-Committee/10737421453/

Markup of FY2012 Authorization Act

**ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Gingrich to Announce Candidacy Via Web

Trump, Romney also on trail http://c-span.org/Events/Gingrich-to-Announce-Candidacy-Via-Web/10737421469/

**Lawmakers discuss AT&T/ T-Mobile Merger

Looks at impact on competition http://c-span.org/Events/Lawmakers-discuss-ATT-T-Mobile-Merger/10737421452/

~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

making Monday &some News


Unless you live under a rock, much has happened in the news lately. While “the media” continues its quest for more info about OBL or have decided to put that special Media spin on the OBL story most seem to be having on and off camera tantrums. There are few reports on what Republicans Governors are doing, flooding in the South,Vermont’s quest for Single Payer, abortion, that family values platform, more oil spill news, Marches against discrimination and legislation that take away rights from our fellow Americans seemingly all led by Republicans are getting promoted on shows like fox and definitely take over real valuable news time. I am offended by and somewhat curious to know what the people from Right Wing Media tell family, friends and neighbors or others with diverse backgrounds that they know or kids know about the offensive platform and racist positions they push to millions. I do not understand allowing racism, discrimination and or lack of tolerance be a part of the news spot, segment unless of course the agency is private and then why would we subscribe to allowing a private entity promote discrimination, fear monger advocate or campaign for people who are racists or who fear the unknown. I wonder just how these people played or worked with others in school and were they mostly in private school or had vouchers.

Congress is back in Session with plenty to do and plenty of complaints about another recession or worse only a month ago or as talking heads and Republicans refer to it as a double dip. The fact is things look better than even “the Media” will allow us all to hear. The weekend panel shows swiped past the number of jobs gained by the private sector so quickly it seemed like bad news. Yes, the unemployment rate went up and just so, folks know … that was because more people jumped into the fray of looking for work again and unfortunately the Republican effort to squash Public Service jobs is succeeding . However, it is obvious that most if not all the JOBs BS could be avoided if folks in Congress would just work for the best interest of the people instead of what will keep them employed on the Hill. We all know Republicans voted against the unemployed, women, gays, children, first responders, people of colour and every social service that should be handled by our government or at the very least reformed to work better or is moved into the 21st Century. There are many, mostly those in “the media” who feel the vote for President Obama hangs on the employment numbers. I have to disagree with the idea that using polls and or jobs numbers to decide President Obama’s fate are legitimate. However, if you are having issues deciding whom to vote for President in 2012, which is odd because it seems obvious no one on the right is doing a thing to help we the people. I say use your vote for President Obama in 2012 to voice and or say how those NO votes made our Teachers, Police, First Responders and 99ers feel and vote out Republicans.

The party of no is living on borrowed time as more and more constituents probably have family, friends and neighbors directly affected or are now experiencing hard times with Republicans putting Profits before the People. It is hard to believe Republicans still think the outcome of the November midterms is still valid and unless they turned off their hearing aids, those comments and challenges from their constituents should put some fear into their moves between now and the 2012 elections. I can only hope that voters will continue to seek the truth, question and challenge what words Republicans seem to be leaving out of their speeches, seminars, and or town halls. If more people would just stop and listen more people would definitely see the light and stop supporting and or putting up with the Republican Tea Party lies let alone side with Wall Street waging a war on Main Street and those on The Street looking for work who might not have money but definitely have a vote .

Yes, the public is finally noticing the verbal conflicts, manipulation, and avoidance, lack of facts and truths having started calling out Republicans during that long break at town halls. It is upon us all to continue the push for more accurate information more truths to get the rest of those doubters to lean left.

Other News

 **Floods in Mississippi , Missouri

**Vermont continues it quest for Single Payer -insurance

CTV.ca

Hundreds Reported Arrested as Syria’s Crackdown Widens

Paula Abdul Joins Simon Cowell’s ‘X Factor’ as Judge – It’s Official

$2B for rail projects, speed upgrades announced

Newt Gingrich to launch presidential bid Wednesday

Yemen Security Forces Kill Two Protesters

EGYPT: Religious conflict becomes the revolution’s biggest enemy

CSPAN

U.S.-China Meet on Strategic and Economic Issues

http://c-span.org/Events/US-China-Meet-on-Strategic-and-Economic-Issues/10737421393/

Oil, Gas Prices and Budget Debate in Congress This Week

http://c-span.org/Events/Oil-Gas-Prices-and-Budget-Debate-in-Congress-This-Week/10737421391/

Tea Party Activists Take on GOP on Deficit

Address need for leadership http://c-span.org/Events/Tea-Party-Activists-Take-on-GOP-on-Deficit/10737421394/

Joel Lane was born in the colony of North Carolina in 1739 and lived there till his death in 1795. He was involved in North Carolina’s transition from colony to state and with Raleigh being chosen as the state’s capital.

http://c-span.org/Events/Joel-Lane-and-His-Slaves/10737421319/

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Terrorism: The End of an Era of Fear


Nearly ten years ago, on September 11, 2001, the United States suffered the worst terror attack in our history, as terrorists hijacked commercial airliners and used them to attack several targets, including the World Trade Center in New York City. Since that day, the primary suspected mastermind of those attacks, al Qaeda‘s Osama Bin Laden, had been at large. Despite promises by former President George W. Bush to capture or kill this terrorist leader, Bin Laden successfully evaded the United States and its allies. Last night, during a well-executed covert operation, the United States killed Bin Laden in a mansion he was housed in located right outside the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. The death of the terrorist leader marks the end of a decade-long search for the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Additionally, it should serve as a bookend to the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, both of which were launched at least partly with the stated goal of rooting out Bin Laden and his al Qaeda allies. With the proper leadership, Bin Laden’s death could mark the end of an era where the threat of terrorism was viewed anachronistically as the all-consuming threat used to justify unnecessary conflict and the degradation of civil liberties.

A LONG SEARCH: Although Bin Laden gained most of his notoriety from the 9/11 attacks, he actually had been sought even before those events for his role in the bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa, the attack on the U.S.S. Cole, and the first attack on the World Trade Center. Following the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush failed to capture him in Afghanistan — as even his administration conceded that they failed to capture Bin Laden at the battle of Tora Bora — and later started a war in Iraq that mis-directed U.S. resources to an unnecessary and disastrous war. Just six months after 9/11, Bush was already telling people that he “doesn’t spend that much time” on seeking Bin Laden. The Weekly’s Standard’s Fred Barnes reported in 2006 that the president told him “Bin Laden doesn’t fit with the administration’s strategy for combating terrorism.” Yet yesterday a number of major conservatives gave Bush praise anyway. Former Bush advisor Karl Rove said that “the tools that President Bush put into place — GITMO, rendition, enhanced interrogation, the vast effort to collect and collate this information — obviously served his successor quite well.” Heritage Foundation President Edwin Feulner wrote that “Bin Laden’s elimination vindicates U.S. strategy in the region, started under President George W. Bush.” On September 10, 2010, President Obama told a reporter at a news conference that “capturing or killing bin Laden and Zawahiri would be extremely important to our national security.”

HIDING IN A MANSION: While many expected the terrorist leader to be hiding out in a cave in Afghanistan or in the northwest provinces of Pakistan, U.S. forces and intelligence assets actually found Bin Laden to be residing in a mansion compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan, which is located approximately 75 miles from the capital city of Islamabad. The United States had been scoping out the location since 2010, and on April 29, it used a special operations team as a part of a “kill mission” that resulted in the death of the al Qaeda leader, his brother, one of his sons, and perhaps an unidentified woman. President Obama announced the news of Bin Laden’s killing at a press conference on Sunday night, saying, “The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.” The fact that Bin Laden was hiding so close to the Pakistani capital and a short drive from Pakistani military headquarters has raised eyebrows among many, with some analysts wondering how the terrorist could’ve avoided the eyes of the Pakistani intelligence services. White House counterterror adviser John Brennan said during a news conference yesterday that we shouldn’t forget that “Pakistan has been responsible for capturing and killing more terrorists inside of Pakistan than any country and it’s by a wide margin and there have been many, many brave Pakistani soldiers, security officials, as well as citizens who have given their lives because of the terrorism scourge in that country.” Soon after the death of the terrorist leader’s killing was reported, a bomb exploded at a mosque in northwestern Pakistan, killing a woman and three kids, perhaps the first retaliation from terrorists. The news of Bin Laden’s death served to bring closure to many Americans, with a large group of people converging outside the White House to sing the National Anthem, massive cheering taking place at the Mets-Phillys game, and Arab and Muslim Americans celebrating in Dearborn, Michigan. The reaction among many 9/11 survivors was also recorded in the media. “If this means there is one less death in the future, then I’m glad for that,” said Harry Waizer, who suffered third-degree burns while escaping from one of the Twin Towers. “But I just can’t find it in me to be glad one more person is dead, even if it is Osama Bin Laden.”

TORTURED CONCLUSIONS: Shortly after the death of Bin Laden, many right-wing commentators began crediting torture for the intelligence that led to finding the terrorist leader. Bush torture program architect John Yoo said that Bin Laden’s death was “yet another sign of the success of the Bush administration’s war on terror policies” and that the Al Qaeda courier who gave the intelligence was subjected to “enhanced interrogation methods.” Former Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen also said that the intelligence came from the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation program.” The National Review’s Dan Foster wrote that “it’s clear that we couldn’t have had this outcome without Bush-era counter-terror policies…Obama was wrong about the usefulness of…the interrogation methods they pursued.” Yet yesterday, in an interview with Newsmax, Bush Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said that the courier was not subjected to waterboarding or other torture methods. Additionally, the Associated Press reports that Al Qaeda “number three” Khalid Sheik Mohammed “did not reveal” information that led to Bin Laden’s location “while being subjected to the simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding, former officials said.” He identified them many months later under standard interrogation.”

A BOOKEND TO THE WARS: Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, the United States invaded Afghanistan along with a larger international coalition, seeking to uproot Al Qaeda and capture or kill Bin Laden. With Bin Laden’s death, the U.S. has now achieved one of its major war aim, and the killing of the terrorist leader should serve as a symbolic bookend to the conflict, smoothing the way for the U.S. and international community to draw down their forces from both Afghanistan, where Al Qaeda did have a major presence, and Iraq, where they did not. In fact, the Al Qaeda presence in Afghanistan has slowly dwindled to where the group has almost no active fighters in the country. As Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) said during a conference call with bloggers last year, “I think about how much we spend, a billion dollars per year per Al-Qaeda member to defeat them. It’s not making ourselves safer.” And the irony that Bin Laden was found in Pakistan, an ally with whom the United States cooperates with on military and intelligence operations, and not in Afghanistan, where it has well over a hundred thousand troops, was not lost on Afghan leadership. “Osama was not in Afghanistan: they found him in Pakistan,” said Afghan President Hamid Karzai. “The war on terror is not in Afghan villages…but in the safe havens of terrorism outside Afghanistan.” As Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) told ThinkProgress in an interview yesterday, “We went there to get Osama bin Laden. And we have now gotten Osama bin laden … So yes, I think this does strengthen the case [for withdrawal].” Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT), Rep. Jarold Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), and Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) echoed similar sentiments. Last night, 9/11 responder Kenny Specht told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that he hopes Bin Laden’s death could finally signal a coming peace after ten years of nonstop war: “I mean, we’re in a quagmire, for lack of a better term, in Afghanistan. I hope to God that tonight is one large step to maybe wrapping up operations in Afghanistan.”