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Watergate Was For Amateurs: Justice Department Spied For Months On Associated Press Reporters

Tyler Durden's picture




 

And so the final curtain falls on the myth of what was supposed to be, in its own words, the "most transparent administration" in history.

As it turns out, the big Friday story of Bloomberg journalists snooping on clients was just amateur hour compared to what the AP was about to serve. In fact, the Watergate affair may soon appear like a walk in the park compared to the First Amendment shitstorm that is about to be unleashed following the just reported news that the US Department of Justice had "secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news."

First amendment? Freedom of speech and press? Surely not when it comes to the Nobel-peace prize winning President and those who dare to expose his secret ways.

And what's worst, is that the AP breach has all the makings of a spiteful hack driven by personal vengeance against one of America's premier news outlets.

We can't wait to see the rest of the not so conservative media stands up in arms and defend one of their peers against an administration whose utter disdain for all checks and balances puts Stalinist Russia to shame. Or perhaps it will be merely a case of "first they came for AP's reporters, and we said nothing..."

And while it has long been known that the NSA actively intercepts and records every single form of electronic communication, the unspoken truth is that the government can do anything it wants as long as it doesn't get caught. It just did, and not only in Benghazi, or the IRS fiasco, but in making a complete mockery of the First Amendment.

As the NSA whistleblower told Wired Magazine over a year ago, “we are this far from a turnkey totalitarian state", all we can add is "we are now in a full-blown totalitarian state."

And nobody cares.

The AP story which must be read to be believed:

The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news.

 

The records obtained by the Justice Department listed incoming and outgoing calls, and the duration of each call, for the work and personal phone numbers of individual reporters, general AP office numbers in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn., and the main number for AP reporters in the House of Representatives press gallery, according to attorneys for the AP.

 

In all, the government seized those records for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP and its journalists in April and May of 2012. The exact number of journalists who used the phone lines during that period is unknown but more than 100 journalists work in the offices whose phone records were targeted on a wide array of stories about government and other matters.

 

In a letter of protest sent to Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday, AP President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Pruitt said the government sought and obtained information far beyond anything that could be justified by any specific investigation. He demanded the return of the phone records and destruction of all copies.

 

"There can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters. These records potentially reveal communications with confidential sources across all of the newsgathering activities undertaken by the AP during a two-month period, provide a road map to AP's newsgathering operations, and disclose information about AP's activities and operations that the government has no conceivable right to know," Pruitt said.

 

The government would not say why it sought the records. U.S. officials have previously said in public testimony that the U.S. attorney in Washington is conducting a criminal investigation into who may have leaked information contained in a May 7, 2012, AP story about a foiled terror plot. The story disclosed details of a CIA operation in Yemen that stopped an al-Qaida plot in the spring of 2012 to detonate a bomb on an airplane bound for the United States.

 

In testimony in February, CIA Director John Brennan noted that the FBI had questioned him about whether he was AP's source, which he denied. He called the release of the information to the media about the terror plot an "unauthorized and dangerous disclosure of classified information."

 

Prosecutors have sought phone records from reporters before, but the seizure of records from such a wide array of AP offices, including general AP switchboards numbers and an office-wide shared fax line, is unusual and largely unprecedented.

 

In the letter notifying the AP received Friday, the Justice Department offered no explanation for the seizure, according to Pruitt's letter and attorneys for the AP. The records were presumably obtained from phone companies earlier this year although the government letter did not explain that. None of the information provided by the government to the AP suggested the actual phone conversations were monitored.

 

Among those whose phone numbers were obtained were five reporters and an editor who were involved in the May 7, 2012 story.

 

The Obama administration has aggressively investigated disclosures of classified information to the media and has brought six cases against people suspected of leaking classified information, more than under all previous presidents combined.

 

Justice Department published rules require that subpoenas of records from news organizations must be personally approved by the attorney general but it was not known if that happened in this case. The letter notifying AP that its phone records had been obtained though subpoenas was sent Friday by Ronald Machen, the U.S. attorney in Washington.

 

Spokesmen in Machen's office and at the Justice Department had no immediate comment on Monday.

 

The Justice Department lays out strict rules for efforts to get phone records from news organizations. A subpoena can only be considered after "all reasonable attempts" have been made to get the same information from other sources, the rules say. It was unclear what other steps, in total, the Justice Department has taken to get information in the case.

 

A subpoena to the media must be "as narrowly drawn as possible" and "should be directed at relevant information regarding a limited subject matter and should cover a reasonably limited time period," according to the rules.

 

The reason for these constraints, the department says, is to avoid actions that "might impair the news gathering function" because the government recognizes that "freedom of the press can be no broader than the freedom of reporters to investigate and report the news."

 

News organizations normally are notified in advance that the government wants phone records and enter into negotiations over the desired information. In this case, however, the government, in its letter to the AP, cited an exemption to those rules that holds that prior notification can be waived if such notice, in the exemption's wording, might "pose a substantial threat to the integrity of the investigation."

 

It is unknown whether a judge or a grand jury signed off on the subpoenas.

 

The May 7, 2012, AP story that disclosed details of the CIA operation in Yemen to stop an airliner bomb plot occurred around the one-year anniversary of the May 2, 2011, killing of Osama bin Laden.

 

The plot was significant because the White House had told the public it had "no credible information that terrorist organizations, including al-Qaida, are plotting attacks in the U.S. to coincide with the (May 2) anniversary of bin Laden's death."

 

The AP delayed reporting the story at the request of government officials who said it would jeopardize national security. Once government officials said those concerns were allayed, the AP disclosed the plot because officials said it no longer endangered national security. The Obama administration, however, continued to request that the story be held until the administration could make an official announcement.

 

The May 7 story was written by reporters Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman with contributions from reporters Kimberly Dozier, Eileen Sullivan and Alan Fram. They and their editor, Ted Bridis, were among the journalists whose April-May 2012 phone records were seized by the government.

 

Brennan talked about the AP story and leaks investigation in written testimony to the Senate. "The irresponsible and damaging leak of classified information was made ... when someone informed the Associated Press that the U.S. Government had intercepted an IED (improvised explosive device) that was supposed to be used in an attack and that the U.S. Government currently had that IED in its possession and was analyzing it," he said.

 

He also defended the White House's plan to discuss the plot immediately afterward. "Once someone leaked information about interdiction of the IED and that the IED was actually in our possession, it was imperative to inform the American people consistent with Government policy that there was never any danger to the American people associated with this al-Qa'ida plot," Brennan told senators.

Ah... the illusion of "freedom"

And below is a stock photo of a very busy Eric Holder. Well, at least busy when he is spying on the 4th estate. Not so busy when he is avoiding investigating and prosecuting Too Big To Prosecutve bankers for being instrumental in some $15 trillion in global asset transfers from the middle to the upper classes (and counting at a pace of $160 billion per month).

* * *

Finally, in parallel news, following a FOIA request by the ACLU to learn more about the government’s practice of reading people’s email, text messages, social networking feeds and other private electronic communications without a warrant, here is one of "informative" responses the ACLU received back from the "most transparent" Department of Justice.

 

 

Update:

Updates via Politico:

Pruitt's full letter to Attorney General Holder:

There can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters. These records potentially reveal communications with confidential sources across all of the newsgathering activities undertaken by the AP during a two-month period, provide a road map to AP’s newsgathering operations, and disclose information about AP’s activities and operations that the government has no conceivable right to know.

We regard this action by the Department of Justice as a serious interference with AP’s constitutional rights to gather and report the news.

The Dept. of Justice has released the following statement:

We take seriously our obligations to follow all applicable laws, federal regulations, and Department of Justice policies when issuing subpoenas for phone records of media organizations. Those regulations require us to make every reasonable effort to obtain information through alternative means before even considering a subpoena for the phone records of a member of the media. We must notify the media organization in advance unless doing so would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of the investigation. Because we value the freedom of the press, we are always careful and deliberative in seeking to strike the right balance between the public interest in the free flow of information and the public interest in the fair and effective administration of our criminal laws.

House Oversight Committee chairman Darrell Issa has released the following statement:

This is obviously disturbing. Coming within a week of revelations that the White House lied to the American people about the Benghazi attacks and the IRS targeted conservative Americans for their political beliefs, Americans should take notice that top Obama Administration officials increasingly see themselves as above the law and emboldened by the belief that they don’t have to answer to anyone.  I will work with my fellow House Chairmen on an appropriate response to Obama Administration officials.

 

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Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:40 | 3558085 Che Guevara is Dead
Che Guevara is Dead's picture

I'm sure President Biden will pardon him.


Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:46 | 3558108 Spaceman Spiff
Spaceman Spiff's picture

God Help us!    He would be too stupid to not realize he has no mandate whatsoever...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:53 | 3558760 Jim in MN
Jim in MN's picture

But President Billary will send him to the chair.

Thu, 05/16/2013 - 12:36 | 3569602 tunnelvizn
tunnelvizn's picture

Da Prez gots a nice insurance policy rite der, non ?

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:29 | 3558511 Normalcy Bias
Normalcy Bias's picture

Fukking President William J. Lepetomane. God help us all...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:55 | 3558388 fxrxexexdxoxmx
fxrxexexdxoxmx's picture

I believe it is because of the fallout with his biological father, Frank Marshall Davis.

 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:09 | 3558624 Herd Redirectio...
Herd Redirection Committee's picture

Always did think the Kenya stuff was a bit of a diversion in re: to this.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 21:21 | 3558836 TuesdayBen
TuesdayBen's picture

Some suddenly 'investigative' reporter is about to notice how very much those old photos of a young FM Davis resemble a certain White House official...

Why he may even determine that the DNA of FM Davis' son Mark seems to match that of said White House official...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 23:15 | 3559129 Ident 7777 economy
Ident 7777 economy's picture

+1 Frank Marshall Davis reference ... 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:05 | 3558425 Bangin7GramRocks
Bangin7GramRocks's picture

This is not to be all red team, blue team but didn't the last gubmint actually jail people for not revealing sources? And the same gubmint that jailed these reporters let the actual leaker(a grown fucking man that called himself Scooter) walk away without penalty. You can hate Obama if you want, but realize that this country is fucked either way.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 21:01 | 3558780 Oldwood
Oldwood's picture

Scooter didn't leak shit. Lib state department Armitage did the leaking and was never charged with shit.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/08/leak.armitage/

 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:09 | 3558442 candyman
candyman's picture

"You never let a serious crisis go to waste." - Godfather rahm

 

Thanks for the lesson.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:16 | 3558472 Dingleberry
Dingleberry's picture

The press wil STILL give him daily blow, hand and/or rim jobs. And on demand.

You have to understand the type of "person" that goes into journalism to being with.

Imagine Feinstein and Reid fucking and producing offspring.

That's your typical journalist today.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 23:41 | 3559189 PAWNMAN
PAWNMAN's picture

At the risk of prompting a drone attack. Of course the press will still be up Barry's arse! After all, he's so hip, and good looking, and damn do the words just roll off of the teleprompter! Fact is, this man is an archcriminal who's only interests are power and control under the guise of "fairness". He's got to go before he does irreparable damage to the core of this nation. 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:27 | 3558684 Buck Johnson
Buck Johnson's picture

You got that right, no more free ride.  I think Obama has made a major mistake and it will cost him.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:53 | 3558749 Chuck Walla
Chuck Walla's picture

This is why Obomba had to get the 2nd Amendment neutered first.  Then the Stalinist paranoids will have free rein to kill the sycophants, then the friends, then starve everyone else.

 

FORWARD SOVIET!   FORWARD STALINISTS!  VICTORY IS IN OUR GRASP!

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 09:02 | 3559883 CaptainAmerica
CaptainAmerica's picture

Yeah, oboma with a free ride on his one trick pony

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:15 | 3557963 johngaltfla
Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:04 | 3558204 Ms. Erable
Ms. Erable's picture

Solution: drone strikes on Kenyan aspirin factories. Next guy 'in charge' gotsta feed the war machine, too.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:25 | 3558008 BraveSirRobin
BraveSirRobin's picture

"I am not a cook"

"But my little dog Checkers is."

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:25 | 3558015 BraveSirRobin
BraveSirRobin's picture

So, how do they blame this one on Bush?

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:47 | 3558120 imbrbing
imbrbing's picture

Easy, repeat after me "It was Bushs fault"....there

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:06 | 3558217 Van Halen
Van Halen's picture

Notice there has already been at least one "Well, Bush blah blah" comment on this board already. Because if Bush did it, somehow it's OK that Obama do it too.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:56 | 3558767 Jim in MN
Jim in MN's picture

Easy, Bush showed Obama the file cabinet with How To Be A Fascist Fuckface, And Oh By The Way The Israelis Have A Suitcase Nuke Under Your Ass So Don't Even Ask Certain Things written in tiny letters along the label.

Clearly Bush's fault. 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:07 | 3558221 Van Halen
Van Halen's picture

There is no "There", there!

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:28 | 3558305 mobtown
mobtown's picture

There there. Is is. Politicks is confusin.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:06 | 3558430 imapopulistnow
imapopulistnow's picture

Or, There's there there.  There's there here?  There's there somewhere...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 22:08 | 3559005 XitSam
XitSam's picture

It all depends on what your definition of there is.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:33 | 3558319 Freddie
Freddie's picture

Typical Democrat criminal behavior abetted by stinking RINOs, TV, Hollywood and the whores in teh media.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:55 | 3558385 Uncle Remus
Uncle Remus's picture

Well, I'm glad it's not serious then.

(I greenied ya BTW)

Aaaaand, just in case - /sarc

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 04:23 | 3559462 RafterManFMJ
RafterManFMJ's picture

I blame the seequester for this unfortunate incident.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:39 | 3558342 Clayton Bigsby
Clayton Bigsby's picture

What's the over/under for impeachment proceedings against dirty lying cocksucker obama?

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:25 | 3558500 slyhill
slyhill's picture

No.one.will.care.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:38 | 3558714 Jim in MN
Jim in MN's picture

"Waiter, there's a sprawling bipartisan mass of putrid corruption, fraud, and abuse of power in my democratic soup!"

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 22:09 | 3558993 anonnn
anonnn's picture

Watergate treachery was far more serious than the author fatuously calims.

Nixon's treachery just before the 1968 US Pres election, in which he sabotaged the already aranged Paris Peace Talks, was discovered by FBI/Hoover. LBJohnson had the docs on this sealed for 50 years [until about 2025].

Watergate was only part of Nixon's attempts to get/destroy the docs.

ZH readers can search YouTube for data on this

Also you can reference this:

 http://www.lars-klein.com/start/usa/nixon/nixonvietnam.html 

 

For a clue to how much has been wiped from Nixon's historical record, answer this question:

When was Nixon's firrst trip to Vietnam? [not the first trip as President].

It was in the 1950's  when he was Eisenhower's Vice-Pres. [IIRC, the year was 1953]] He was neck-deep in intrigue and covert operations even as VP.

See if you can GOOGLE search for it. It is pretty well hidden.

 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 23:10 | 3559122 Go Tribe
Go Tribe's picture

Wise up, whitey!

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 02:12 | 3559351 Wile-E-Coyote
Wile-E-Coyote's picture

Some sicko journo left a post-it-note on a PC monitor screen stating "We know everything"............... silly bastard.

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 08:27 | 3559752 Gene8696
Gene8696's picture

Two words... Patriot act.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:13 | 3557954 ParkAveFlasher
ParkAveFlasher's picture

Pravda, bitchez!

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:24 | 3558006 CClarity
CClarity's picture

More like TASS.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:27 | 3558023 Rustysilver
Rustysilver's picture

Pravda=Truth. May be may be not. Depends who is say it.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:55 | 3558389 Normalcy Bias
Normalcy Bias's picture

Pravda is now more truthful than US media. Sad, but true.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:22 | 3558493 The Shootist
The Shootist's picture

Russia Today, beaches.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:14 | 3557957 Normalcy Bias
Normalcy Bias's picture

Let's see if the AP reporters finally take off their kneepads...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:20 | 3557991 ParkAveFlasher
ParkAveFlasher's picture

Won't happen.  They are unionized.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:29 | 3558012 Normalcy Bias
Normalcy Bias's picture

I think they're all F'ing Jonestown Flavor Aid drinkers.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:50 | 3558139 pine_marten
pine_marten's picture

When it comes to Obama apologists, they do appear to have similarities to the Jonestown crew.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:20 | 3558487 Bad Attitude
Bad Attitude's picture

The comparison of Dear Leader to Jim Jones is appropriate. My wife has listened to hundreds of hours of recordings of the speeches (rants) of Jim Jones, and has studied numerous other cults. The speeches of Jim Jones and Dear Leader share many disturbing similarities. Further, the reaction of the adoring audiences are quite similar.

Plus, while Jim Jones was still in California, he was active in local politics and organized many astroturfing activities.

As my wife says, all cults are basically the same, and it never ends well.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:12 | 3558637 Herd Redirectio...
Herd Redirection Committee's picture

These people all speak with a cadence.  Doesn't matter what sh*t comes out their mouth, they know if they say it confidently that is enough. 

There is no cure for psycho/sociopathy.  Thats why sociopaths hate to be outed.  Its the end for them.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 21:23 | 3558845 Freddie
Freddie's picture

Look up neuro linguistic programming.  Obama does and probably Jim Jones.  Jones brought in lots of poor free shit army types from Oakland aka Obama type voters.  One of the last decent Dem Congressmen was the guy who actually had the guts to fly down there and was killed.  Rep. Leo Ryan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Ryan

 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 23:31 | 3559165 Miffed Microbio...
Miffed Microbiologist's picture

Scary thing is Obama simply reads what the telepromter tells him so you're left without a clear understanding who is running the show. The enemy is hidden in shadows. With Jim Jones at least the evil target was clear. TPTB have become increasingly stealthful in hiding their tracks and the sheeple continue to sleep.

Miffed;-)

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:53 | 3558153 Freddie
Freddie's picture

Union made knee pads.

Look for the union label.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO7VUklDlQw

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:02 | 3558417 Jim B
Jim B's picture

Unionized or LABOTAMIZD..... 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:32 | 3558043 Jim B
Jim B's picture

No shit, they are constantly sucking up to the child president! 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:14 | 3557958 johngaltfla
johngaltfla's picture

I'm telling you Tyler, it's not just the DoJ. Now the FT is picking up on this other scandal which is growing:

 

Did Bloomberg Violate Federal Wiretapping Laws?

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:18 | 3557982 GeezerGeek
GeezerGeek's picture

Bloomberg should simply claim to have been acting at the behest of the current administration. Carney might reject that claim, but no one believes him any longer.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:57 | 3558161 Freddie
Freddie's picture

LOL!  I would love for that evil shit Bloomberg to go to Rikers Island.  He woul dbe fed Big Gulps, Slurpees and non-kosher 7-11 hot dogs.   What a evil POS he is like Obama.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:29 | 3558033 johngaltfla
johngaltfla's picture

Panaf, it doesn't apply. Supervision for the wiretapping law falls to the Federal Reserve and State of NY because this is a financial instrument used to obtain information. The wiretapping laws apply but enforcement was shifted under Dodd-Frank as I understand it. That's why the FRBNY is "investigating" the breech.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:48 | 3558128 Political_Savage
Political_Savage's picture

Tyler(s) not going to listen to you... only his select "sources"

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:03 | 3558201 johngaltfla
johngaltfla's picture

LOL, how do you know I'm not one?

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 21:49 | 3558945 Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler's picture

If its the FRBNY, then we know the conclusin = Bloomberg recieves "out of jail" card. 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 22:32 | 3559063 johngaltfla
johngaltfla's picture

Only after they provide all the data "acquired" from rivals to GS, JPM, and a few other selected "winners" of the FRBNY board....

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:17 | 3557959 syntaxterror
syntaxterror's picture

Let me be clear. I am not a crook.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:23 | 3558003 THX 1178
THX 1178's picture

Who would lie to me? This is leave it to beaver country! We don't lie here. Lyin's what commies do.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:46 | 3558111 BurningFuld
BurningFuld's picture

AND if we are lying to you it's for your own good damn it!

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:15 | 3558647 Herd Redirectio...
Herd Redirection Committee's picture

"We absolutely do NOT have troops in Angola"

This is what the politicians told my parents, back in the day (70s) in South Africa.  Couple weeks later they had college friends tell them they just came back from military operations on the Angolan border.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:27 | 3558022 BraveSirRobin
BraveSirRobin's picture

Perhaps not, but what about your president?

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 22:30 | 3559060 ironsky
ironsky's picture

Does your wife wear a nice cloth coat.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 23:14 | 3559125 Go Tribe
Go Tribe's picture

They elected a black guy from Chicago. What the fuck did they think would happen?

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:15 | 3557960 algol_dog
algol_dog's picture

Never mind all that ... Do you think TSLA shorts have capitulated yet?

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:15 | 3557964 Gamma735
Gamma735's picture

Welcome to the New World of the Surreal. Please check your rights to the government bureaucrat on the left and you will receive one dystopia.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:01 | 3558394 Georgiabelle
Georgiabelle's picture

It's been a crazy year, that's for sure. Are there any of the rights in the Bill of Rights that this administration has not tried to abrogate over the past year? I was expecting bad things to happen as a result of Obama's election and reelection, but this far surpasses even my wildest predictions. It's hard to envision the Obama team skating through this many simultaneous crises without taking casualties. 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:37 | 3558533 Citxmech
Citxmech's picture

Like it would have been any different had Romey been elected?  JFC - the agenda is not set by the POTUS.  They just pantomime the script handed to them.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:51 | 3558545 Raynja
Raynja's picture

its the year of the snake, which seem to be turning points,

previous ones (non-inclusive just some highlights):

9/11 and euro

berlin wall

apple computer

vietnam

non-truce end to korean war

pearl harbor

start of great depression

russian revolution to turn ww1

war against japan leads to russian revolution and einsteins major theorys' published

panic 1893 and first motion picture

president garfield and alexander ii assassinated

 

 

this year of the snake seems to be off to a good start, it will be interesting to see what the headliner is

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 00:32 | 3559258 dvfco
dvfco's picture

That's interesting, and I don't mean to be harsh, but I"m pretty sure interesting things have happened in every year of Chinese animals.  

Just think, the Federal Reserve was founded in the year of Ox.  That was 1913  

In the next year of the ox, 1925, we had the first TV transmission and Mussolini took over Italy and the UK, South Africa and Australia returned to the gold standard, etc.

In 1937 had Howard Hughes flying from LA to NYC in 7 1/2 hours and Trotsky tried to overthrow Stalin, the United Auto Workers were recognized by GM and the Hindenburg went down.

Moving on, in 1949 (the next year of the Ox) nothing happened.  Odd.  Just kidding - David Ben Gurion was elected in the first Israeli elections. B-50 makes 1st round the world flight, NATO was created, Chinese take Nanjing, Israel admitted to the UN?!?, German Federal Reserve established and the Soviets tested their first atomic bomb.

1961 had Eisenhower's first warning of America's Military-Industrial complex in his State of the Union before Kennedy comes to power and established the Peace Corps. Adolph Eichman's trial begins in Israel, Fidel announces victory against the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Trujillo was killed,

etc, etc. etc.  -  Every year has many things that may seem interesting.  

1973 - Nixon announces an end to the N. Vietnam offensive, Roe v. Wade, Foreman beats Frazier, the US$ was devalued by 10%, Sears Tower was completed, I spoke for the first time and I shit in a proper crapper - forever foregoing diapers - etc.

MY OCD makes me want to continue.  My laziness has, thankfully, brought this post to an end.

Looking forward to future year of the Ox, I may return to diapers in 2045 or possibly 2058, if I stop dangerous hi-wire acts.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:16 | 3557969 Gamma735
Gamma735's picture

Dasvidaniya, comrade!

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:16 | 3557970 docj
docj's picture

Most. Transparent(ly Corrupt) Administration EVAH!

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:48 | 3558126 Pairadimes
Pairadimes's picture

There is no source of illumination powerful enough to render this administration transparent.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:44 | 3558357 seek
seek's picture

I hear for a few microseconds after a nuclear explosion it's so bright that you can see through anything.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:16 | 3557971 stinkhammer
stinkhammer's picture

where is my balance of power? where is justice? impeach the imposter!

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:16 | 3557972 astoriajoe
astoriajoe's picture

The funny part to me is that any of them expected something different.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:18 | 3557984 astoriajoe
astoriajoe's picture

It will be even funnier (in a sad, sad way) to watch them defend the administration that is doing it. sigh...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:16 | 3557974 GeezerGeek
GeezerGeek's picture

When one is hated by the MSM - think Nixon or Bush 2 - one gets reamed endlessly, even if no one died. When one is favored, nothing is beyond forgiveness. 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:18 | 3557985 Chupacabra-322
Chupacabra-322's picture

Their Criminality isn't "hidden in plain view" anymore.  It's has been for quite some time now, out in the open for everyone to see.

Fast  & Furious

Bengazi

Libor

MF Global

Torture

Rendition

NDAA / Patriot Act I II / John Warner Defense Act

Illegal Wire Tapping

Illegal Wars of Aggression

War Crimes / Murder

Arming, Funding, and Training AL CIA duh and destabilization campaigns into soverign countries

CIA drug running and arming the Sinoloa Mexican drug cartels to fund the Black Ops and laundering the money through the TBTF tax payer bail out Criminal Banksters.

 

 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:42 | 3558095 Oldwood
Oldwood's picture

Agreed, they obviously don't care who knows how corrupt they are. We have finally reached the transparency that was promised so long ago.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:44 | 3558104 johngaltfla
johngaltfla's picture

You left out stealing GM and Chrysler from the bondholders...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:04 | 3558424 A Lunatic
A Lunatic's picture

Might as well mention Obamacare while we're at it..........

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:51 | 3558144 therearetoomany...
therearetoomanyidiots's picture

Don't forget

 

Obama Care

Dodd Frank act

John Boehner's tan

 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:06 | 3558212 Frastric
Frastric's picture

Don't forget 9/11 and the Boston bombings.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:15 | 3558469 azzhatter
azzhatter's picture

Is boehner the love child of mozilo?

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:43 | 3558546 a growing concern
a growing concern's picture

Solyndra, bitchez.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 22:20 | 3559034 XitSam
XitSam's picture

In a sane county, any 2 from the list would be enough to prevent a second term.  There are too many deluded or bribed voters now. It's going to get bad. Prepare for the worst. 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:14 | 3558645 infinity8
infinity8's picture

I attended a pretty terrific shindig yesterday ( live music, food, the works) and got to talking to a guy older than me. He was refreshingly informed and sane. We dubbed all this shit "the daily face-slap". Told him to check out ZH and I think he will.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 22:14 | 3559025 Spaceman Spiff
Spaceman Spiff's picture

If I may add to the list, but look at Pigford and the agricultural department.   Was a heyday for the lawyers under the guise of minority justice.   People never wronged got nice pay days.

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 04:30 | 3559466 RafterManFMJ
RafterManFMJ's picture

Yup, but don't you drink a Big Gulp peasant!
9 bullets in your gun? Arrest!

Fuck these thieving fucks and the good little Nazis who serve them.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:19 | 3557990 lolmao500
lolmao500's picture

http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20130513/181114993/Russian-Pacific-Fleet...

Russian Pacific Fleet Warships to Enter Mediterranean

A group of warships from Russia’s Pacific Fleet is about to deploy to the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in decades, fleet spokesman Roman Martov said on Monday.

http://www.wnd.com/2013/05/game-changing-russian-missiles-already-in-syria/

Game-changing Russian missiles 'already in Syria'

A Russian convoy of game-changing S300 missile batteries reached Syria last week, claimed Arab intelligence sources speaking to WND.

Russia just made their Syrian move...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:34 | 3558044 BraveSirRobin
BraveSirRobin's picture

S300 SAM's are not game changers. They are, in fact, old systems, and both the US and Israel have had direct access to them for many years. I am sure they will prove quite ineffective.

Anyway, Israel is backing Assad, according to reports just out of Turkey. If you do not like that, don't worry, they will back Assad's opposition as soon as Assad gains the upper hand. If you don't like that, don't worry, because when the opposition gets the upper hand, they will switch back to Assad.

They are just trying to please everyone, it seems.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:40 | 3558087 BraveSirRobin
BraveSirRobin's picture

People like to make breathless reports. Calm does not sell analytical reports and services or get you air time on TV. I am pretty confident in my assessment.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:37 | 3558332 Freddie
Freddie's picture

I agree with your assesment.   My guess is Putin is trying to bail Obama out with a phony crisis.  Expect a false flag again.   Some drug up Manchurian kid will shoot up a mall or county fair.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:57 | 3558592 Raynja
Raynja's picture

S300 SAM's are not game changers.

 

but they will stop israel from flying into syria to blow shit up.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:26 | 3558681 RichardP
RichardP's picture

Israel did not fly into Syria to blow stuff up.  Even Syria admitted this.  Look at Google maps.  Israeli jets can sit in Lebanon and fire down on the stuff that Syria has stacked right at the Syrian/Lebanese border.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:33 | 3558701 Herd Redirectio...
Herd Redirection Committee's picture

When Israel compromised the S300 in the early 80s I am pretty sure it was a slightly more primitive version than currently.  Even still, the weakness they exploited was the blindspot on the sides of the Syrian airplanes.  If that weakness has been remedied, or is addressed in a strategic way (i.e. having planes flying perpendicular to one another,  or even in parallel, to minimize blind spots) then it becomes a lot tougher to shoot down those planes.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:27 | 3558297 Element
Element's picture

The naval deployments are not new. The question is what else arrived, and what more is coming.

Are the S-300s operated by Russians? (if they really were delivered last week that is, doubt it)

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:20 | 3557993 Little John
Little John's picture

Allow me to speak for the future Republic of Texas -  "YEEHAW!!! Let the shit storm begin.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:34 | 3558703 Herd Redirectio...
Herd Redirection Committee's picture

Better start building some fences to keep out those folk from California  :)

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 22:24 | 3559043 XitSam
XitSam's picture

I'll build a fence to keep texans in. 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:22 | 3557998 Chupacabra-322
Chupacabra-322's picture

The Antidote and cure for the Criminal Lawlessness is simple:

On 29 April 1945, the bodies of Mussolini, Petacci, and the other executed Fascists were loaded into a moving van and trucked south to Milan. There, at 3:00 am, they were dumped on the ground in the old Piazzale Loreto. The piazza had been renamed "Piazza Quindici Martiri" in honor of 15 anti-Fascists recently executed there.[122]

After being shot, kicked, and spat upon, the bodies were hung upside down on meathooks from the roof of an Esso gas station. The bodies were then stoned by civilians from below. This was done both to discourage any Fascists from continuing the fight and as an act of revenge for the hanging of many partisans in the same place by Axis authorities. The corpse of the deposed leader became subject to ridicule and abuse. Fascist loyalist Achille Starace was captured and sentenced to death and then taken to the Piazzale Loreto and shown the body of Mussolini. Starace, who once said of Mussolini "He is a god,"[123] saluted what was left of his leader just before he was shot. The body of Starace was subsequently strung up next to the body of Mussolini.

I would prefer to hang them upside down, slit their throats and watch them drown in their own blood.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:35 | 3558060 Rustysilver
Rustysilver's picture

Chupacabra-322.

In 1930's, NKVD in the Soviet Union, was doing even worst things. Peasant farmers, called  Kulaks, would be hung upside in front of the house. NKVD  guy would slice their stomach until the intestines would fall to the ground. Left like that to die and a lesson to others. Not much is written about this in the West because it would make communist look "bad".

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:08 | 3558620 Totentänzerlied
Totentänzerlied's picture

That is literally the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the crimes of the NKVD/OGPU/Cheka.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:42 | 3558094 kchrisc
kchrisc's picture

Now there you go, that's how you do it.

Rejection; Revolution; Retribution; Restoration of the Constitutional republic

         hujel

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:39 | 3558339 Freddie
Freddie's picture

Esso station owned by Rockefeller/Rothschilds.

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 19:13 | 3562625 are we there yet
are we there yet's picture

I heard once as a child that Washington DC orriginally had an actual tree of liberty that had also long ago been a hanging tree for justince of that eary era. Does anyone know if this is accurate? We need more of these trees spread around DC for convienience.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:23 | 3558000 godzila
godzila's picture

Nixon was a pussy... no, really... Actually I sincerely believe he would be amazed and even possibly dismayed with what the current administration can get away with.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:40 | 3558082 Temporalist
Temporalist's picture

"Why didn't I think of that?" -Slick Dicky

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:24 | 3558001 lolmao500
lolmao500's picture

If you believe it was just those two months... you're kidding yourself.

2006 :

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm?453

NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls

2012 :

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/all/

The NSA Is Building the Country’s Biggest Spy Center
Mon, 05/13/2013 - 21:40 | 3558899 Goldilocks
Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:23 | 3558004 PaperBear
PaperBear's picture

The best way to bring down a tyrant is for the world to be shown tyrannical behaviour.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:28 | 3558027 cougar_w
cougar_w's picture

Oh if that were only true.

History suggests it takes a large-scale civil or global war, and then you still have to find and hang the tricky little fucker.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:39 | 3558717 Herd Redirectio...
Herd Redirection Committee's picture

Even tougher when they hide behind so many proxies, and corporations, and committees!

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:24 | 3558009 fuu
fuu's picture

At least they don't have to worry about Swiss law suits.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:24 | 3558010 Fuh Querada
Fuh Querada's picture

We don't care.
Signed, the Free Shit Army

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:43 | 3558068 vato poco
vato poco's picture

Comment of the year raht chair. Simple, profound, horrifically truer than true. +1000

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:25 | 3558290 object_orient
object_orient's picture

cosigned, the Democratic Party, that doesn't mind when Obama breaks the law

and the Republican Party, that hates Obama but likes his ideas about civil liberties and the Constitution

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:26 | 3558017 Bob Sacamano
Bob Sacamano's picture

And every intrusion the government makes is for our "security" (as very broadly defined) -- hence lieing, tracking, recording, etc is for the "common good."  So do not dare question the government's motive. 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:27 | 3558018 PaperBear
PaperBear's picture

“The government would not say why it sought the records.”

This means we are to assume the government behaved criminally.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:28 | 3558028 G. Marx
G. Marx's picture

What we need is more regulation for the regulators.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 18:27 | 3558302 vato poco
vato poco's picture

Perhaps a new, highly empowered regulatory commission....

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:29 | 3558031 catacl1sm
catacl1sm's picture

Just some news for Fox... Nothing will come of this. Next!

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:51 | 3558135 dhengineer
dhengineer's picture

Double post, sorry.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:18 | 3558656 Hulk
Hulk's picture

Don't let it happen again...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:18 | 3558658 Hulk
Hulk's picture

Don't let it happen again...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:50 | 3558136 dhengineer
dhengineer's picture

Not so sure about that.  They have now pissed off one of the insider organizations, which was supposed to look the other way.  Like all tyrants, they thought they could get away with anything, and so they pushed further and further.   Combine this with the IRS scandal, the Bengazi fiasco, and the gun control pushback, and I think Soetoro and Jarret are going to have a very bad time going forward.  They can kiss the 2014 elections good-bye...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:29 | 3558032 Seasmoke
Seasmoke's picture

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of Communists.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:29 | 3558034 Little John
Little John's picture

this just in " The Obama administration, this weekend, announced an emergency bail-out of the Tea Parties' credibility" 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 19:17 | 3558479 azzhatter
azzhatter's picture

Ron Paul 2012.........oh.......wait

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:29 | 3558035 sus sapientiae
sus sapientiae's picture

Pondering...... has there ever been a series of orchestrated events designed to discredit a form of government, such that even believers in said form of government acquiesced to its overthrow?

 

I am cynical about Homeland Security, burdensome tax structures, IRS, military complex, preponderance of rules designed to curb individual liberties, lack of equality under the law.... and yet I feel a growing threat just beyond my periphery.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:29 | 3558036 TN Jed
TN Jed's picture

Hot tip Feds.... I heard it's that Tea Party member and subversive Constitutional patriot, Nancy Grace aka Pig Vomit.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:30 | 3558037 TheEdelman
TheEdelman's picture

 

If this doesnt turn the media (AP)...  it is definitive proof they are whores.

Anyway, we now know why Gitmo is still open.  Ink Terrorism

 

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:31 | 3558038 lolmao500
lolmao500's picture

It's to protect your freedomz.

- The sheep

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:31 | 3558039 astoriajoe
astoriajoe's picture

That's gonna have to be a big false flag...

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:32 | 3558041 apberusdisvet
apberusdisvet's picture

Hmmm  I wonder how much time we have before the final curtain falls?  Do they wait until the completion of the NSA Utah Orwellian complex, gun registration/confiscation, biometric ID in the new immigration bill?  Or do they just say fuckit and do the ultimate flase flag on the 4th of July?

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:33 | 3558053 astoriajoe
astoriajoe's picture

July 4 is like 7 weeks away. That's a long time amigo.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:33 | 3558047 Temporalist
Temporalist's picture

The AP article page took forever to load earlier.  The comments are exploding on there.

 

LOL color me surprised that there is another "scandal".  Bernie Madoff is laughing in his cell thinking "Glad I'm in here bitchez!"

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:33 | 3558048 PaperBear
PaperBear's picture

It would not surprise me if this terror plot was originated by a CIA informant.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:34 | 3558055 americanspirit
americanspirit's picture

Well, this is definitely the most transparent administration in history. Transparently corrupt, transparently tyrannical, transparently antithetical to everything that patriotic Americans care about and have been willing to lay down their lives for throughout the generations.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:34 | 3558058 EmmittFitzhume
EmmittFitzhume's picture

Uh,  Who's just now waking up to the fact that we have been living in a fucking police state?

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:59 | 3558179 Rustysilver
Rustysilver's picture

I have not woken up yet. I am taken my pills as prescribed.

Mon, 05/13/2013 - 17:35 | 3558062 q99x2
q99x2's picture

Show me the way to the FEMA camp. I'm tired of waiting.

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