Earlier today, Wikileaks made its latest startling release on Twitter, telling the media world to standby for a 'major announcement'. Alas, in keeping with the recent tradition from Wikileaks, the "release" was a dud and is merely the collected dump of all the emails previously hacked from Stratfor by Anonymous, as was noted here previously [9]. Alas a quick perusal through the emails so far reveals absolutely nothing exciting, except for the communiques of a paid intelligence provider, which may at times have had a few delusions of grandure and a mistaken and rather overblown sense of self-importance (hardly unique). Yet one exchange that is rather interesting is the following email thread [10]from 2009 which goes from discussing how the billionaires behind ACORN have lost all respect for Obama and Biden ("The billionaire (who also funds ACORN) is greatly disappointed over Obama's "weakness and wimpyness" towards China... She believes Biden is weasel and Obama is a pussy... The liberal factions in DC think Obama is being a pussy."), views on Rahm Emanuel ("I don't disagree that Biden is a weasel. I think Emanuel is emasculating Obama by selling him on clever Clintonesque tactics"), views on how Obama may get back into the thick of things: ("Obama needs to get in a fight and do something really mean and unfair to the right."), on Obama and the banks: ("he could also tell the banks to go screw themselves.") and from there going to analyzing the GOP field: ("The GOP folks I talk to are pushing Jeb Bush. I think that is a mistake. Who else is out there?") and culminating with the GOP frontrunning Mitt Romney - "Romney can't make it. Mormons are viewed as Voo Doo." Much more in the full email thread inside.
From Wikileaks [10]
Re: Insight - China/Tibet/Obama
Email-ID 391555
Date 2009-11-06 23:08:21
From Anya.Alfano@stratfor.com [11]
To burton@stratfor.com [12], mongoven@stratfor.com [13]
Maybe, but he's choked on the national stage a few times now. I can't get past his smile...makes him look sleazy.
burton@stratfor.com [12] wrote:
Bobby Jindel? He's some sort of Indian.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
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From: Anya Alfano
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:58:58 -0500
To:
Cc: Bartholomew Mongoven
Subject: Re: Insight - China/Tibet/Obama
Tim Pawlenty is about as close as the GOP gets to a sharp, young and eligible governor.
burton@stratfor.com [12] wrote:
Romney can't make it. Mormons are viewed as Voo Doo.
We need a sharp young Governor.
I also like Michelle Bachman.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
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From: "Bartholomew Mongoven"
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:52:13 -0500
To: 'Anya Alfano';
Subject: RE: Insight - China/Tibet/Obama
Pawlenty is good.
I think Romney could do it if he is himself. He was as badly handled in 2008 as Al Gore was in 2000. It should have been his nomination and he screwed it all up.
Newt might actually pull the trigger.
I think Huckabee could do it just to piss off people like me.
I would tell Jeb that his time came and went when Katrina went under water.
Frist would love to do it, but it'll take time for him to get up and running.
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From: Anya Alfano [mailto:anya.alfano@stratfor.com [14]]
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 4:46 PM
To: burton@stratfor.com [12]
Cc: Bartholomew Mongoven
Subject: Re: Insight - China/Tibet/Obama
The neocons on top of my hill all want Tim Pawlenty.
burton@stratfor.com [12] wrote:
The GOP folks I talk to are pushing Jeb Bush. I think that is a mistake. Who else is out there?
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
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From: "Bartholomew Mongoven"
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 16:39:03 -0500
To: 'Anya Alfano'
Cc: 'Fred Burton'
Subject: RE: Insight - China/Tibet/Obama
Depends on where you are. In your neck of the woods, people tend to think no one can do the right thing in Washington. They think the world here is so corrupt that progress will always be stifled by the moneyed interests. (Of course, the fact is that on domestic policy, it's like foreign policy -- the president can have his ideals but there are very few things he can do that won't screw up the country. So he doesn't do them. Watch climate, for instance. It's not corporate lobbying holding him from a deal, it's China. He won't commit economic suicide just to make environmentalists happy. The environmentalists don't think it's suicide, so they think Obama has sold out. It's sad really.)
I think Mrs. P is far closer to a D.C. view of things. The liberal factions in DC think Obama is being a pussy. They don't want a climate deal that kills the US economy and gives everything to the Chinese, but they want someone to stand up to the Chinese and say "this is the way it's going to be." From a West Coast liberal perspective, that's inflaming rivalry and inviting conflict. From an East Coast perspective, that's the only way to get a climate bill. Right now, he's not going to commit suicide (Bay Area approach) but he's not going to back the Chinese down (Mrs. P) either.
Obama needs to get in a fight and do something really mean and unfair to the right. (Gays in the military/revoke Don't Ask Don't tell). He's afraid of the backlash. He could also tell the banks to go screw themselves. Either way, he needs to do something that says he doesn't care about losing political capital. By front loading health care and climate, he made being politically safe his primary objective. He doesn't think he can afford to piss people off until those two are done. (Back to Emanuel, whose job is to tell him that he shouldn't front load all of his controversial proposals.)
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From: Anya Alfano [mailto:anya.alfano@stratfor.com [14]]
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 4:17 PM
To: Bartholomew Mongoven
Cc: 'Fred Burton'
Subject: Re: Insight - China/Tibet/Obama
Bart, do you believe Mrs. P's thoughts are fairly mainstream among Obama supporters, or are most still fairly content? I feel like I hear comments similar to Mrs. P all the time on other various issues, but my viewpoint is probably fairly skewed. (Marx himself couldn't satisfy half the people here.)
Bartholomew Mongoven wrote:
I don't disagree that Biden is a weasel. I think Emanuel is emasculating Obama by selling him on clever Clintonesque tactics. I would love to see Obama with someone more principled and less clever as Chief of Staff. He needs a James Baker and he has a Donald Regan. At least Clinton had Panetta at first to tell him when to not be a pussy. Without Panetta Clinton was just a great tactician but he didn't get anything done (except get re-elected).
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From: Fred Burton [mailto:burton@stratfor.com [12]]
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 3:58 PM
To: 'Bartholomew Mongoven'; 'Anya Alfano'
Subject: RE: Insight - China/Tibet/Obama
She blames Obama and Biden. I dropped Emanuel into the soup and she said that he would be added to her list. She believes Biden is weasel and Obama is a pussy. I want her to fund my bid for Congress. Yes, I can be bought.
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From: Bartholomew Mongoven [mailto:mongoven@stratfor.com [13]]
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 10:55 AM
To: 'Fred Burton'; 'Anya Alfano'
Subject: RE: Insight - China/Tibet/Obama
I remember that she had misgivings about supporting him during the primaries. I assume that rather than support a challenger, she'll just sit out 2012 (unless Obama finds a spine). I'd love to know if there was any talk about whether she and her set think it's him or his staff (esp. Emanuel) who is making his presidency so muddled so far.
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From: Fred Burton [mailto:burton@stratfor.com [12]]
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 9:02 AM
To: 'Bartholomew Mongoven'; 'Anya Alfano'
Subject: FW: Insight - China/Tibet/Obama
Mrs. P
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From: Fred Burton [mailto:burton@stratfor.com [12]]
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 8:01 AM
To: 'Secure List'
Subject: Insight - China/Tibet/Obama
From a billionaire Democratic fundraiser --
The billionaire (who also funds ACORN) is greatly disappointed over Obama's "weakness and wimpyness" towards China ("Fred, they only understand strength") and Obama's failure to meet with the Dhali Lama. The fundraiser stated he/she was personally disappointed ("betrayed") for helping Obama get into The White House and does not intend to support Obama next election, absent a drastic turn-around.