Daily Kos

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  •  I have to admit (none / 1)

    that when I heard about this tape, my first reaction was suspicion that this was Karl Rove's October surprise.  Here are my reasons:

    1.  Tape was given to ABC as an outlet for a warning instead of tried-and-true Al Jazeera.

    2.  Instead of the speech being done in Arabic, done by a near-perfect English speaker (though not too perfect) so linguists can determine that not a native-speaker.

    3.  Reference linking Osama bin Laden and al-Zawahri and referering to them both being  "our leaders".

    4.  Claim that attack is in retaliation for *"for electing a president who has declared war on Islam by attacking the former Taliban rulers in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and waging war against al Qaeda."  Why bother mentioning electing, when Bush was already president on 9/11?  If this was legitimate, wouldn't the emphasis on "allowing" Bush to declare war?

    5.  Story that ABC had tape broken by Drudge before ABC could finish their authentification process.

    6.  David Brooks was just on NPR saying that elections are influenced more by news events than ads and campaign visits.  Rough quote: This explosives story might be the one this year, or it might be something the press reports on "tomorrow."

    7.  All the previous drumbeat continually asserting that al Qaeda wants to influence our election and that they don't want Bush because they a) don't like him or b) are scared of him.

    8.  What better way to distract from the missing explosives story and general Iraq mess?

    9.  Nothing has to happen and the tape can be quietly revealed to be a fraud after the damage is done and the election is over.

    Okay, someone please, tell me I'm just being paranoid and shouldn't have seen Manchurian Candidate when it came out?

    John McCain doesn't think kids need health insurance

    by katerina on Wed Oct 27, 2004 at 06:56:57 PM PDT

    •  Have a 4 (none / 0)

      You nail it on the head when you mention Drudge and ABC and not Al Jazeera! And the fact this guy speaks English! Remember how we got the Kuwaiti princess or whatever she was to tell her sob story about Iraqis throwing babies out of incubators to get us into Gulf 1 and how that turned out to be total fiction- after the war. By bringing this out right before the election it maximizes effect and minimizes risk of having truth known before the election.

      And not that many people have to be involved to make one silly video and leak it to Drudge, what kind of excuse it that? Remember the dude in California who faked a video showing him beheaded by terrorists when he never left the country? It takes one guy to make a video and one willing accomplice in the media to throw it in the river and see where the current takes it.

      The timing is perfect to throw media off missing explosives story. The last few days have been horrible for Bush.

      by Joe Willy on Wed Oct 27, 2004 at 07:07:36 PM PDT

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      •  You seem so upset (none / 0)

        Is there anything that can be done to stop Bush from winning, or do you think this has cinched it for him?

        by JamesB3 on Wed Oct 27, 2004 at 07:15:39 PM PDT

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        •  I think/know we'll win (none / 0)

          ...but I am upset that people don't seem to see the big picture. If this becomes a big story tomorrow- it is, after all, a "new" Al Qaeda warning (the first "real" warning on any imminent attacks in recent months) then we need to be prepared to counter it with talking points and an e-mail campaign. Seems to me like it's an obvious fake, but I think we ought to expect the media to hype this tomorrow- especially is Bush mentions it. We all knew Rove would try something completely underhanded in the last days especially if his boy was in trouble... and he most certainly is.

          One of the things this site does best is to help congeal the thoughts of this movement's brightest minds and form a set of talking points that be carried to the media via e-mail campaigns and other efforts like the Sinclair boycotts. I think sometimes we get carried away but the canaries in the coal mine are important despite the slightly-more-frequent Chicken Littles that overreact to every little blip in the polls and every new Bush attack. However, I put this new video on a different level than other supposed "suprises" that have been popping up in every other diary for the past month. We're all jumpy because we all expect some last gasp from the dying dog that is the Bush campaign. We'll know whether to jump on this early tomorrow if the morning shows play it up or if Bush & Co. play it up. Then it's time to hit 'em hard. But let's get our thoughts in order tonight in case we need to attack this.

          by Joe Willy on Wed Oct 27, 2004 at 07:38:29 PM PDT

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    •  The Wayne Madsen scenario (none / 0)

      No, I don't think your being paranoid.  This might interest you:

      http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0428/mondo7.php

      It's Wayne Madsen's scenario of a serious "terror alert" in the western states, aimed at capturing some big chunks of electoral votes in the event that the east coast does not go well for Bush.  If you could disrupt the L.A. freeway system, you could really shave off a lot of Dem votes.  And we have Schwarzenegger for Gov., and Democrat and anti-Diebold Kevin Shelley for Sec. of State-- who has been hit with some mysterious scandals that seem to be aimed at discrediting him (misuse of HAVA funds).  Could this have been deliberately designed for Swarz to overrule Shelley on an important election-terror alert issue (such as:  Is the CA vote okay if it is a partial vote?)?  

      Wouldn't surprise me at all.  Karl Rovianism writ large.  

      It certainly is indicative of our opinion of our government that we would be seriously considering it.  

      It seems like a lot of the pieces are falling into place (f.i., recent schools terror alert that turned out to be bogus--mind games on parents, re: choosing between picking up kids at school or voting).

      I hope some of the good guys, somewhere, have a plan for what to do, if they pull such a thing.  And I think, too, that we can only overcome it with moral force--with a huge Kerry mandate (GOTV!)--and persistence and steadfastness in reclaiming our democracy, whatever happens.  

      by PeacePatriot on Wed Oct 27, 2004 at 07:46:22 PM PDT

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    •  Off Topic (none / 0)

      Katerina:

      I can't find your email.  Hopefully, you'll get this.

      Here's a link to a Yahoo story to hit regardign the increase of unemployment claims:

      http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=716&e=7&u=/ap/20041028/ap_on_bi_go_ec_f i/economy

      John McCain a/k/a John Sidney "Grampy McSame"

      by MRL on Thu Oct 28, 2004 at 08:54:04 AM PDT

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