Beltway Insider: Obama Touts Nuke Deal; 9/11 WH Silence; Russia/Syria; Refugees; Biden Misstep; GOP

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Category: Beltway Insider

Published on Sunday, 13 September 2015 19:49

Written by Janet Walker

President Obama is continuing to hold Democrats and Republicans responsible for their actions, as once again the two sides refuse to negotiate, with the federal budget three weeks from expiring the nation remains perilously close to a government shutdown.

According to Gallup, President Obama's job approval, over the past week, decreased one percentage points to 45% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President remained at 50%.

Obama Touts Nuke Deal

President Obama scored another victory this week, as Senate Democrats united to stand with the president on the Iranian Nuclear deal.

"Thankfully, many in Congress who have taken the time to review the deal have concluded, as the President has, that diplomacy is the best way to cut off Iran's path to a nuclear weapon.  I expect we'll hear a lot of the same arguments today as we've heard for the past few months, but I don't expect them to carry any more sway than they already have," said Eric Schultz, Principal Deputy Press Secretary.

Syrian Refugees Continue on Freedom Quest

European countries have repeatedly, over the past week, opened their borders allowing thousands of Syrian refugees' safe haven as Assad's oppressive and authoritarian government continues to launch attacks against rebels leaving entire communities decimated.

In emergency sessions the European Union have taken up the most pressing issues including amnesty and made impacting rulings that did not include any amendments, proclamations that would call for an end to the exodus. 

The failure of Obama's Syrian policy, after years of tough talk and defiant rhetoric, has assisted in creating the deplorable conditions, lacking any of the basic necessities causing both a mental and physical breakdown of the people.

"The United States, it should be pointed out, has already taken a number of significant steps to try to address this humanitarian crisis.So we continue to be concerned about the vulnerable position of so many people who are fleeing violence in their home countries.  And the United States, in the way that we play a leading role in confronting so many other thorny difficult problems, are prepared to continue to play a leading role in trying to assist those organizations that are trying to meet the needs, basic humanitarian needs of these individuals." said Josh Earnest, White House Press Secretary.

Overall, the Syrians have been welcomed without incident which is just the beginning in the migration process.

*Update - Borders have closed throughout Europe following Germany's decision to suspend train service from Austria as the humanitarian crisis approaches unprecedented. European Union leaders have agreed to emergency meetings to determine the next course of action.

9/11 WH Silence; New Threat Issued

President Obama issued no formal statement or speech commemorating the 14^th Anniversary of the Terrorists attacks that killed 2,977 at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon and passengers on all four planes.

No representative from this administration was in attendance at individual ceremonies. The World Trade Center remembered the attack as they have every year with the reading of the names of those lost. No wreath or a designated emblem was placed at either the Pentagon, World Trade Center site or Shanskville, PA.

"In Moment of Silence on the South Lawn with the First Lady and the White House staff, the President will travel to Fort Meade in Maryland where he will meet with service-members on the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  The President looks forward to having a conversation with the patriotic men and women who work every day to keep America safe, and to honor the sacrifices of our troops and their families," said Eric Schultz.

President Obama Soft on Terrorism Unity

The Moment of Silence observed by the Frist Lady is not the first time in 2015 the President has missed an opportunity to exhibit solidarity with world leaders or others against the abominations of the terrorist organizations of the world.

His absence during the World Solidarity March in Paris after the Charlie Hebdo attack was an embarrassment. Without representation from the United States, the people of Europe, our allies, stood alone. Not surprising, President Obama missed the opportunity to stand with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu united against the face of terrorism.

Rumors of position and foreign dignitary placement swirled as the reason behind the intentional snub. The facts are the United States was in the middle of intense negotiations with Iran and any interpretation of loyalty to either our allies or Israel could be seen as a hindrance as Iran was not invited.

Thankfully, when it came time to fight an active threat recently the citizens of the United States did stand in unity with the French people which is more than the Commander-in-Chief displayed..

A continuation of the terrorist attack threat and assessment created by former President George W. Bush, which placed the nation under heighted alert for a decade has been extended for one year.

"Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children," said former President George W. Bush.

Al-Qaeda Issues New Threat Against West

Al-Qaeda Chief, name the name, has issued orders to lone wolf and rouge terror organizations loyal to the al-Qaeda manifesto to move forward demanding the west pay for the "sins" committed by the Great Satan America.

"I call on all Muslims who can harm the countries of the crusader coalition not to hesitate. We must now focus on moving the war to the heart of the homes and cities of the crusader west and specifically America," Ayman al-Zawahri said on a recording reported in Reuters.

Russia Extends Helping Hand To Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin has again put relations with his nation and world leaders in a precarious position with the announcement of assistance and buildup of military personnel and equipment within the Syrian boundaries.

"The United States is concerned by reports that Russia may have deployed additional military personnel and aircraft to Syria, precisely because it's difficult to decipher their intentions.  These steps could lead to greater loss of life.  They could increase refugee flows and risk confrontation with the counter-ISIL coalition that's operating inside of Syria.  This is all in the context of a Russian military buildup inside of Syria that could be used to support the Assad regime," said Josh Earnest, White House Press Secretary.

Earnest went on to describe as "unconscionable" any nation that would assist the Assad regime as the Syrian dictator has allowed ISIS a safe haven and conversely should Putin decide to work as a mediator to usher in a new era in Syrian history his actions would be welcome.

"Our bottom line is that we would welcome constructive Russian contributions to the counter-ISIL efforts.  But we've been clear that it would be unconscionable for any party, including the Russians, to provide any support to the Assad regime, which has not only failed to confront ISIL and those ongoing atrocities against the Syrian people, but have also continued to nurture the extremists that has led to this crisis," Schultz said.

Russia has been known to sell military weaponry to Assad and Putin has been quoted in past as his remains an ally with the dictatorial leader in as much as the two nations have engaged in military equipment sales. 

Biden Misstep Inadvertently Attaches Stigma to Rape Victims; Grant Provides Testing Funding

Vice President Joseph Biden and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced this week a 41million dollar grant which will be divided between 20 jurisdictions and used to pay for the hideous amount of untested rape tests shelved due to lack of funding.

"Rape kits are an essential tool in modern crime fighting, not only for the victim, but, for the entire community. Studies show we solve up to 50 percent of previously unsolved rapes when these kits are tested. When we solve these cases, we get rapists off the streets. For most survivors, seeing their rapists brought to justice, and knowing that they will not return, brings peace of mind and a sense of closure. The grants we're announcing today to reduce the national rape kit backlog will bring that sense of closure and safety to victims while improving community safety," Vice President Biden said.

Justice Watch

While coalitions fighting for justice or judicial watchdog organizations should be applauding the action, it, honestly becomes, too little too late for some whose states do have statutes of limitations. The testing may be welcome by law enforcement and those seeking political advancement but for the victim, time, in any criminal investigation, is of the essence.

States, including New York State, that have statutes for prosecution can test all the backlog rape kits they want, and pat themselves on the back for a job well done while in reality the real test of the job well done is prosecution and changing the statutes of limitation to include language like New Jersey that states "prosecution can commence at any time as long as there is DNA" evidence to support the crime.

"The groundbreaking initiative we are announcing today is part of the Justice Department's longstanding efforts to support survivors of sexual violence and to bring abusers to justice," said Attorney General Loretta Lynch.  "For anyone who has felt isolated and afraid, left out and left behind as a result of a sexual crime, our message is clear: we will not forget you.  We will not abandon you.  You are not alone."

Cold Justice

The effort by this administration to secure the necessary finding and allocate it to secure the possibility of prosecution, a greater case load and more work for overloaded D.A's is commendable.

In addition to testing what could possibly be decades old rape kits, which essentially equates to more than a decade without justice, and more than likely as reporting sexual assault crimes to proper authorities have been labeled "the second rape" as insensitive detectives, who initially and almost always blame the victim are now faced with reliving their own mistakes.

Victim survivors, who have hoped to start a new life as justice is nonexistent, an imaginary scenario in a naive mind, are now faced with angry detectives, who blame the victim for "making" them relive their mistake which goes right back to blaming the victim as it is always the victims fault as he or she is the motivator in securing "their" rapist

Biden's Misstep

Rape survivors do not associate with "their" rapist as if it were a personal choice they made and the action, usually reserved for intimacy, became the bind to a personalized, life long relationship. Webster defines the word to mean "belonging to or associated with the people or things previously mentioned or easily identified."

Unfortunately the Vice President used the same language to describe a relationship between victim and rapist by simple pronoun association. 

The brutalities of rape are unfathomable especially as rapists take on many personas. The taunting rapists, who show up repeatedly, appearing mild mannered or with the litany of credibility are often the most vicious.

A rapist is a violent predator deserving of death and death only, not rehabilitation or an association with the victim with the hope of compassion.

The victims and the rapists are not on the same team. Victim survivors want justice for the crimes committed not to spare their rapist the fullness of social scorn and punishment for the crime. The crime is against humanity not a personalized choice.

Survivors of the Rwanda genocide have told stories of both murder and rape and how before the rape is committed the word "marry" is used. The word choice is supposed to brainwash the women and implies what cultures around the world believe as marriage to be, intimacy, a joining, unity.

To use a word that signifies a togetherness is just another humiliation by a well-polished and skilled system to stop victims from pursuing justice as the walk is unbelievably difficult and reverberates with a continued victimization.

GOP 2016 Update

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry announced this week he was suspending his 2016 presidential bid. He indicated his staff had not been paid.

Donald Trump, the candidate/non-candidate has continued to crisscross the country greeted by large crowds and rock star treatment. He has signed away his bid for the White House after a meeting with Party Leaders.

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, considered the front runner and presumptive candidate, had a late night session on the inaugural episode of The Colbert Show, who took over for the retiring David Letterman this week.

Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, prevailed against the determining committee who decided which GOP candidates would face off in next week's Republican debate moderated by CNN anchor Jake Tapper. She will join ten of her fellow Republican Presidential hopefuls Wednesday at 8:00pm from Simi Valley, California.

For more information on President Barack Obama: www.whitehouse.gov

Sources: Whitehouse.org, Wikipedia.com