Cowboys, T. Jeff’s Declaration, Bond Bitchez and Teh Porn Stash

Hi there buckaroos and buckarettes. Sometimes a man has gots to do what a man has gots to do. Now is one of those times. Marcy up and penned this most awesome cutting, biting, truth to power wonderful post. And then she went and buggered the pooch with a sandpapered, plain vanilla, non confrontational milquetoast title.

Bleeeccchhh.

Responsible blog wingman and all that I am, I immediately pointed out the title should be “The Declaration of Independence, Obama’s Presidential Kill Cards and the Porn Stash”. Same old story; same old song and dance. Nobody ever listens to good old bmaz. Instead we went with the Wolf Blitzer/Jonas Brothers/Disney Lite title of “Keep Your Declaration of Independence Right Next to Your Assassination Cards”.

Yawn.

Come on, you just know that Michael Leiter, the designated human kill switch of the Obama Administration, keeps those two critical reference materials – the Declaration of Independence and the US Government’s deck of snuff cards – in the safest, most discreet and yet accessible, location to his bedroom. You know, right where he keeps his porn stash.

Now what is really odd about this report, and does not register at first blush, is that Leiter has mentally honed in and lasered his focus on the Declaration of Independence rather than the Constitution. Seriously; think about it. It is an incredibly telling difference.

Here is the opening text of the aggressive and intentionally somewhat in your face Declaration of Independence, the forward cry and belligerent marking of territory by a new nation staking its claim in the world:

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Then ponder the respectful, moral and enlightened reach of the Preamble to the Constitution, the hallowed document that Leiter and Obama ought to be paying attention to when deciding to remotely snuff human lives (including, by all reports, those of American citizens) without the protection of due process and by the cold mechanical death by drone:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The Declaration is an affirmative statement of manifest authority; the Constitution is a self imposed restriction of manifest authority and protection of due process in the face of it. So, there are a lot of issues with this whole gig surrounding Leiter and his nighttime is the right time to kill thing. And people were worried about Hillary getting a 3 am call; seems all so quaint now.

Oh, and by the way, T. Jeff it has now been concluded made a mistake in drafting the Declaration of Independence, and had it even more authoritarian than anybody ever knew:

Preservation scientists at the Library of Congress have discovered that Thomas Jefferson, even in the act of declaring independence from England, had trouble breaking free from monarchial rule.

In an early draft of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote the word “subjects,” when he referred to the American public. He then erased that word and replaced it with “citizens,” a term he used frequently throughout the final draft.

The Library released news of the struck word for the first time on Friday.

Jeebus, even dead presidents and founders are going rogue.

The other quite random thought I cannot pry from my beady little mind is the slathering coverage of the super hot, most awesomest, Redhead Rooskie Spy Babe, Anna Chapman. At first I could not figure out the singular fascination of the press with this chick who is being billed as the new “Bond Babe”.

Then it dawned on me. Chapman is hot, red, sultry and enticing. And she looks eerily like a young and come hither Maureen Dowd. Come on, you just know Howie Kurtz and his penis er the media is thinking that.

Well, that is yer friendly Friday Night Emptywheel Trash Talk. New and improved with no sports! Eh, it will be Favre season soon enough, so do not despair. Tonight’s musical interlude is a little slice of the old west I know and love. Actually, I like both kinds of music, country and western. The incomparable Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy with The Cowboy Song. Oh, and the Boys Are Back.

Happy trails pardners!

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  1. earlofhuntingdon says:

    Nice juxtaposition (not a Bushism describing page 103 of the Kama Sutra). This American intelligence official keeps the Declaration, not the Constitution, near his bedside, alongside his deck of snuff cards (dead men on top). Surely, the erstwhile Mr. Leiter (Michael, not Felix) is not so subtle as to suggest that he chose the Declaration because it reminds him of the motivations of his targets.

    Rather than average Americans rebelling peacefully against a running usurpation of their Constitution, are Mr. Leiter and his colleagues engaged, perhaps unwittingly, in a not so peaceful rebellion, post-Cheney, against the lawful limits of constitutional government?

    I imagine Mr. Leiter imagines he is defending the opposite position. Why, then, did he choose the Declaration rather than the Constitution, which he and his president have sworn to defend?

    • bmaz says:

      Awesome reference to Felix Leiter. Just outstanding. Actually, I think Felix hooked up with Anna Chapman a couple of times. Probably in San Tropez or something……

      • earlofhuntingdon says:

        If I remember my Fleming correctly, Mr. Leiter might have been surprised, disappointed even, if it had been Ms. Galore instead.

        As I suggested on the earlier thread, the WaPoop’s B movie breathlessness, its fawning over a he-man who keeps us safe, is gobsmacking. It mocks the respect and admiration that people who do dangerous work for the public deserve; it is an attempt to substitute adoration for analyzing, and approving of or demanding changes in what they really do.

  2. Suzanne says:

    wow… i totally missed that connection re the declaration of independence vs the constitution — judas priest!

    and i forking love the title dood

  3. tjbs says:

    Sad days for America. 4/20/10 may undo the 9/11 change.

    Most view the Constitution as granting or protecting rights when in fact it is a clear outline of the things governments tend to abuse and place severe limiting mechanisms on those activities.

    Like the power to declare war. By requiring the congress to openly declare war rather than a kinglike decree we would know the offenses and insults and the intended results of said war. The representatives in theory would reflect the will of the population against say, an invasion. The trouble with the AUMF is that it transfers the power and determination to go to war to one man and it amends the constitution without going through the limiting process contained in the constitution, the most important being the time to consider such a radical change.

    So now we have a president where we have a clown obtaining his collection of death cards, like baseball cards and after a while his most pressing issue is how many cards can he own.

  4. Peterr says:

    What hit me about Leiter’s use of the Declaration is how incongruous it is for the NCTC Director to be all thrilled with such a public statement.

    Phrases like this — “a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation” — are not exactly what spooks are known for.

    Declare the causes? In public? For everyone to see? Please. Spooks are more undercover, behind-the-scenes, in-the-dead-of-night, you-and-I-never-met folks. Just read that Washington Post piece that started this discussion.

    And all that clap-trap about respecting the opinions of mankind? What is this — is Jefferson trying to run a war based on opinion polls?

    So I’m confused as to why Leiter would have his Declaration of Independence so close at hand.

    • bobschacht says:

      Phrases like this — “a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation” — are not exactly what spooks are known for.

      This appeal to International opinion is interesting, to say the least. Republicans, at least under Bush II, despise international opinion, and regularly criticize the Supremes when they pay any attention whatsoever to “the opinions of mankind.” To them, Amurikan opinion is all that matters, and the rest of the world be damned. And of course, Amurikan opinion does not include opinions of “illegal” immigrants, or any citizens who do not speak English.

      Bob in AZ

  5. Mary says:

    Not to criticize, but I’d have gone with this ;)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s05jcrJw0as

    When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should . . .

    . . . send out assassination squads!

    BTW – was there ever a definable end to the War on Tyranny those guys declared?

    Or are we sending Queen Elizabeth to GITMO for the 4th?