Donald Trump, what he stands for

 

 

  

 

 

I don’t think I have ever seen Trump’s plan detailed as this reporter has done. It is very interesting reading.

 

Peggy Noonan wrote about Trump this weekend in her Wall Street Journal
Trump - Things You Might Not Know About Him


  Trump, hopefully, is waking some of the RINOs up.  The criticisms of Trump are amazingly​ missing something. They are​ lacking in ​negative stories from those who work for him or have had business dealings with him.  After all the employees he's had and all the business deals he's made there is a void of criticism. In fact, long term employees call him a strong and merciful leader and say he is far more righteous and of high integrity​ than people may think​.  And while it may surprise many, he's actually humble when it comes to his generosity and kindness.  A good example is a story that tells of his limo breaking down on a deserted highway outside of New York City.  A middle-aged couple stopped to help him and as a thank you he paid off their mortgage, but he didn't brag about that.  Generous and good people rarely talk of charity they bestow on others.​But as much as all this is interesting, the real thing that people want to know is what Donald Trump's plan is for America. It's funny how so many people say they don't know what it is, or they act like Trump is hiding it. The information is readily available if people would just do a little homework.  But, since most Americans won't. 


1.) Trump believes that America should not intervene militarily in other country's problems without being compensated for doing so.  If America is going to risk the lives of our soldiers and incur the expense of going to war, then the nations we help must be willing to pay for our help.  Using the Iraq War as an example, he cites the huge monetary expense to American taxpayers (over $1.5 trillion, and possibly much more depending on what sources are used to determine the cost) in addition to the cost in human life.  He suggests that Iraq should have been required to give us enough of their oil to pay for the expenses we incurred. He includes in those expenses the medical costs for our military and $5 million for each family that lost a loved one in the war and $2 million for each family of soldiers who received severe injuries. 


2.) Trump wants America to have a strong military again.  He believes the single most important function of the federal government is national defense.  He has said he wants to find the General Patton or General MacArthur that could lead our military buildup back to the strength it needs to be. While he hasn't said it directly that I know of, Trump's attitude about America and about winning tells me he'd most likely be quick to eliminate rules of engagement that handicap our military in battle.  Clearly Trump is a "win at all costs" kind of guy, and I'm sure that would apply to our national defense and security, too 


3.) Trump wants a strong foreign policy and believes that it must include 7 core principles  American interests come first.  Always.  No apologies. Maximum firepower and military preparedness. Only go to war to win. Stay loyal to your friends and suspicious of your enemies.Keep the technological sword razor sharp. See the unseen Prepare for threats before they materialize. Respect and support our present and past warriors.


4.) Trump believes that terrorists who are captured should be treated as military combatants, not as criminals like the Obama administration treats them.


5.) Trump makes the point that China's manipulation of their currency has given them unfair advantage in our trade dealings with them.  He says we must tax their imports to offset their currency manipulation, which will cause American companies to be competitive again and drive manufacturing back to America and create jobs here. Although he sees China as the biggest offender, he believes that America should protect itself from all foreign efforts to take our jobs and manufacturing.  For example, Ford is building a plant in Mexico and Trump suggests that every part or vehicle Ford makes in Mexico be taxed 35% if they want to bring it into the U. S., which would cause companies like Ford to no longer be competitive using their Mexican operations and move manufacturing back to the U.S., once again creating jobs here. 


6.) Trump wants passage of NOPEC legislation (No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act – NOPEC – S.394), which would allow the government to sue OPEC for violating antitrust laws.  According to Trump, that would break up the cartel. He also wants to unleash our energy companies to drill domestically (sound like Sarah Palin's drill baby, drill?) thereby increasing domestic production creating jobs and driving domestic costs of oil and gas down while reducing dependence on foreign oil.



7.) Trump believes a secure border is critical for both security and prosperity in America.  He wants to build a wall to stop illegals from entering and put controls on immigration. (And he says he'll get Mexico to pay for the wall, which many have scoffed at, but given his business successes I wouldn't put it past him.)  He also wants to enforce our immigration laws and provide no path to citizenship for illegals. 


8.) Trump wants a radical change to the tax system to not only make it better for average Americans, but also to encourage businesses to stay here and foreign businesses to move here. The resulting influx of money to our nation would do wonders for our economy.  He wants to make America the place to do business.  He also wants to lower the death tax and the taxes on capital gains and dividends. This would put more than $1.6 trillion back into the economy and help rebuild the 1.5 million jobs we've lost to the current tax system.  He also wants to charge companies who outsource jobs overseas a 20% tax, but for those willing to move jobs back to America they would not be taxed. And for citizens he has a tax plan that would allow Americans to keep more of what they earn and spark economic growth.  He wants to change the personal income tax to: Up to $30,000 taxed at 1%. From $30,000 to $100,000 taxed at 5%. From $100,000 to $1,000,000 taxed at 10%. $1,000,000 and above taxed at 15%.


9.) Trump wants Obamacare repealed. He says it's a "job-killing, health care-destroying monstrosity" that "can't be reformed, salvaged, or fixed."  He believes in allowing real competition in the health insurance marketplace to allow competition to drive prices down.  He also believes in tort reform to get rid of defensive medicine and lower costs. 


10.) Trump wants spending reforms in Washington, acknowledging that America spends far more than it receives in revenue.  He has said he believes that if we don't stop increasing the national debt once it hits $24 trillion it will be impossible to save this country. 


11.) Even though he says we need to cut spending, he does not want to harm those on Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security. He believes that the citizens have faithfully paid in to the system to have these services available and that the American government has an obligation to fulfill its end of the bargain and provide those benefits. Therefore, he wants to build the economy up so that we have the revenue to pay those costs without cutting the benefits to the recipients.  He disagrees with Democrats who think raising taxes is the answer and says that when you do that you stifle the economy.  On the other hand, when you lower taxes and create an environment to help businesses they will grow, hire more workers, and those new workers will be paying taxes that become more tax revenue for the government. 


12.) Trump also wants reform of the welfare state saying that America needs "a safety net, not a hammock." He believes in a welfare to work program that would help reduce the welfare roles and encourage people to get back to work.  And he wants a crackdown on entitlement fraud. 


13.) Trump believes climate change is a hoax. 


14.) Trump opposes Common Core. 


15.) Trump is pro-life, although he allows for an exception due to rape, incest, or the life of the mother. 


16.) Trump is pro 2nd Amendment rights. 


17.) Trump's view on same-sex marriage is that marriage is between a man and a woman, but he also believes that this is a states rights issue, not a federal issue. 


18.) Trump supports the death penalty.  Trump believes that there is a lack of common sense, innovative thinking in Washington (Hmmm... looks like he believes in horse sense!).  He says it's about seeing the unseen and that's the kind of thinking we need to turn this country around.  He tells a personal story to illustrate the point: "When I opened Trump National Golf Club at Rancho Palos Verdes in Los Angeles, I was immediately told that I would need to build a new and costly ballroom. The current ballroom was gorgeous, but it only sat 200 people and we were losing business because people needed a larger space for their events.  Building a new ballroom would take years to get approval and permits (since it's on the Pacific Ocean), and cost about $5 million.  I took one look at the ballroom and saw immediately what needed to be done.  The problem wasn't the size of the room, it was the size of the chairs. They were huge, heavy, and unwieldy.  We didn't need a bigger ballroom, we needed smaller chairs!  So I had them replaced with high-end, smaller chairs. I then had our people sell the old chairs and got more money for them than the cost of the new chairs. In the end, the ballroom went from seating 200 people to seating 320 people.  Our visitors got the space they desired, and I spared everyone the hassle of years of construction and $5 million of expense.  It's amazing what you can accomplish with a little common sense.  On top of his saving years of construction and $5 million in expenses, he also was able to keep the ballroom open for business during the time it would have been under remodeling, which allowed him to continue to make money on the space instead of losing that revenue during construction time.


19. Donald Trump's entire life has been made up of success and winning.  He's been accused of bankruptcies, but that's not true.  He's never filed personal bankruptcy.  He's bought companies and legally used bankruptcy laws to restructure their debt, just as businesses do all the time.  But he's never been bankrupt personally.


20. He's a fighter that clearly loves America and would fight for our nation.  Earlier I quoted Trump saying, "I love America.  And when you love something, you protect it passionately – fiercely, even."   We never hear that from Democrats or even from most Republicans.  Donald Trump is saying things that desperately need to be said but no other candidate has shown the fortitude to stand up and say them.  Looking over this list of what he wants for America I see a very necessary set of goals that are long past due.


Before we criticize someone because the media does, maybe we should seriously consider what he has to offer, as it is important to know what each of our candidates to replace a President who has ruined us globally, and who has put us on a path to disaster!   This is not an appeal to vote for Trump, only to give some depth of comparison, before this week's debate.
 

---

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."    Ronald Reagan

G.O.P. Caution

Be careful Grand Old Party, you are about to fracture beyond repair. The people will decide who their candidate is not a committee of the Old Guard

Romney just secured my vote for Trump

I have been undecided for several months now on how I should vote but Romney’s BS today just put me over the edge. Yes I will back Trump if he is our candidate. I would like to see more substance from the campaign, more real answers but the cheap shot that Romney pulled today by the establishment republicans put me over the edge. There is no such thing as party politics anymore it is man on man. The Republican party is split as far apart as it can get and any Republican that stays home because of this move by the old guard of the party might as well vote for Hillary. Sending Romney out to try to destroy Trump is as desperate an act as I’ve seen in politics. The same brand of politics that took place by the old guard republicans in 1964 against Barry Goldwater, allowing Lynden B. Johnson an easy road to victory. We are still recovering from his term and a half in office. Barry Goldwater made the huge mistake in politics of telling the truth. I honestly believe that had Goldwater been elected there would be a lot more Viet Nam veterans still alive today. Once again the old guard republicans did their best to maintain status quo even if it meant losing the election.

The old guard establishment Republicans have once again brought out the sucker punch this time in the form of Nick Romney an old guard previous loser. I have been leaning towards Rubio but after the gang up by him and Cruz in the last debate they have both lost favor. It reminded me of a couple of Piranha’s nipping at the heels of faster swimmer. I am disappointed in Rubio and expected it from Cruz, I had hoped to have a campaign that centered on what’s wrong with America not cheap shot politics. The old guard doesn’t seem to understand how disgusted the general public is with politics as usual. Without a drastic change it really doesn’t matter who wins, we the general public lose. We are in a desperate time here in America, our economy has been in a slow and precarious recovery for the last 4 years. We have lost our leadership role in the world by leading from behind, it’s called following in the dictionary and it has left us weak and unresponsive at a time when we have some of the gravest enemies we have ever faced. Another 4 years of Liberal leadership will be disastrous. America was built to lead the world not follow. We have allowed the Obama Administration to weaken our resolve among nations. Another four years of leading from behind will leave us weak and inconsequential.

Benghazi is back

We are hearing a lot about Benghazi again lately, why is that, why does it matter?   The American people & I’m not talking republican or democrat, need to understand the bond that exists between the government and those who have chosen or have been appointed the honor of protecting our human assets in the world.  Whether they be CIA or active military, these people have swore an oath to die if necessary to protect those who serve our country abroad.  There are no odds too big nor conditions too bad to keep them from their sworn duty.  I know it must be tough for many to understand if you have never served but for those veterans who have stepped up in the face of enemy fire it matters.   We have heard Ms Clinton and President Obama, Susan Rice and Secretary Kerry all do their best to cover up their actions of that day.  First blaming the video about Mohamed for the rioting for days and weeks after the event while in fact knowing the truth and the seriousness of the situation.  We have heard from the families of those killed that night that this was what was told to them by Secretary Clinton and the President the day the bodies were returned at the Anderson AFB ceremony.  Are they lying?  What is the families motive to lie?  We have heard Ms Clinton ask “What does it matter” before the Congressional Committee.  The fact that the men who were there were held up for several hours because they were told to stand down and no responsibility for that order has been found screams cover up.  The fact that they had assets in the area that could have responded but again were not called upon tells a story in itself.  Political motivation, assessing the political damage from the top if it’s called a terror attack days before the election, the fact that they had a video stream in the White House coming from a drone circling the compound and were listening to the pleas of those on the ground by secure radio, tells me that their political motivation outweighed their compassion for those who they had sent into harms way.  Depending on your political views you may see it different.  No one wants to believe our government is so corrupt and self serving.  This one event has affected the attitude everything from the Secret Service officers to the CIA Operatives still working in the field.  Coming at a time when again politics had been used politically to attack the same people over their methods of obtaining information from terror suspects.  This has left our flank in the Middle East wide open.  Who in their right mind would want to be a field operator knowing that no one had their back.  Knowing that political power was more important to this group than the lives of those who served them.  Yes Benghazi is important because it tells a story of character, of bravery and of treachery from those who were supposed to care.   

 
As Americans we have the duty to call out those who would subvert any attempt to get to the truth by lying to protect their political power.  I don’t care what political party your affiliation is with, remember one thing being an American, a citizen of the United States your most important duty is to the protection of our freedom and our way of life.  Many of our politicians in each party have been corrupted by power and the money of Washington and will fight to maintain their position even to the point of subverting the rights of the people they have sworn to serve.  Turning to Socialism & expanding the power base in Washington is not the answer, just the opposite, only by returning power back to the States and therefore the people by reducing the vast over reach of the government will it destroy the corruption and power base that thrives in Washington today.  God Bless America, we desperately need help from above.

Our dear Hillary, the truth

By Dick Morris, former political advisor to President Bill Clinton If  you happen to see the Bill Clinton five minute TV ad for Hillary in  which he introduces the commercial by saying he wants to share some  things we may not know about Hillary's background, ---- BEWARE, as I  was there for most of their presidency and know them better than just  about anyone.  I offer a few corrections:

 Bill says:  "In law school Hillary worked on legal services for the  poor."

 Facts are:  Hillary's main extra-curricular activity in 'Law School' was helping the Black  Panthers, on trial in Connecticut for torturing and killing a 'Federal  Agent.'  She went to Court every day as part of a Law student  monitoring committee trying to spot civil rights violations and  develop grounds for appeal. 

 Bill says:  "Hillary spent a year after graduation working on a Children's rights project for poor  kids."

 Facts are:  Hillary interned with Bob Truehaft, the head of the California Communist Party.  She met Bob  when he represented the Panthers and traveled all the way to San  Francisco to take an internship with him.

 Bill says:  "Hillary could have written her own job ticket, but she turned down all the lucrative job  offers."

 Facts are:  She flunked the D.C. bar exam, 'Yes', flunked it, it is a matter of record, and only passed the  Arkansas bar.  She had no job offers in Arkansas, 'None', and only got  hired by the University of Arkansas Law School at Fayetteville because  Bill was already teaching there.  She did not join the prestigious  Rose Law Firm until Bill became Arkansas Attorney General and  was made a partner only after he was elected Arkansas Governor.

 Bill says:  "President Carter appointed Hillary to the Legal Services Board of Directors and she  became its Chairman."

Facts are:  The appointment was in exchange for Bill's support for Carter in his 1980 primary against Ted  Kennedy.  Hillary then became chairman in a coup in which she won a  majority away from Carter's choice to be chairman.

 Bill says:  "She served on the board of the Arkansas Children's Hospital."

 Facts are: Yes she did.  But her mainboard activity, not mentioned by Bill, was to sit on the Wal-Mart  Board of Directors, for a substantial fee.  She was silent about their  labor and health care practices.

 Bill says:  "Hillary didn't succeed at getting health care for all Americans in 1994 but she kept  working at it and helped to create the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) that provides five million children with health insurance."

 Facts are:  Hillary had nothing to do with creating CHIP.  It was included in the budget deal between  Clinton and Republican Majority Leader Senator Trent Lott.  I know; I  helped to negotiate the deal.  The money came half from the budget  deal and half from the Attorney Generals' tobacco settlement.  Hillary  had nothing to do with either source of funds.

 Bill says:  "Hillary was the face of America all over the World." (LOL)

 Facts are:  Her visits were part of a program to get her out of town so that Bill would not appear weak by feeding stories that Hillary was running the White House.  Her visits abroad were entirely touristic and symbolic and there was no substantive diplomacy on any of them.

 Bill says:  "Hillary was an excellent Senator who kept fighting for Children's and Women's issues."

 Facts are:  Other than totally meaningless legislation like changing the names on courthouses and post offices, she has passed only four substantive pieces of legislation.  One set up a national park in Puerto Rico.  A second provided respite care for family members helping their relatives through Alzheimer's or other conditions.  And two were routine bills to aid 911 victims and responders which were sponsored by the entire N.Y. delegation.  Presently she is trying to have the US memorialize Woodstock.

 Here is what bothers me more than anything else about Hillary Clinton.  She has done everything possible to weaken the President and our Country (that's you and me) when it comes to the 'War on Terror'.

 1. She wants to close GITMO and move the combatants to the USA where they would have access to our legal system.

 2. She wants to eliminate the monitoring of suspected Al Qaeda phone calls to/from the USA.

 3. She wants to grant constitutional rights to enemy combatants captured on the battlefield.

 4. She wants to eliminate the monitoring of money transfers between suspected Al Qaeda cells and supporters in the USA.

 5. She wants to eliminate the type of interrogation tactics used by the Military & CIA where coercion might be used when questioning known terrorists even though such tactics might save American lives.

 One cannot think of a single 'Bill', Hillary has introduced or a single comment she has made that  would tend to strengthen our Country in the 'War on Terror'.  But, one can think of a lot of comments she has made that weaken our Country and makes it a more dangerous situation for all of us.  Bottom line:

 She goes hand in hand with the ACLU on far too many issues where common sense is abandoned.

 Share this with everyone you know, ask them to prove Dick Morris wrong.  Think about it - he's (Dick Morris) said all of this openly, thus if he were not truthful he'd be liable for 'Defamation of Character' !

 And you better believe Hillary would sue him.

 Her winning in 2016 means the final death knell for America!  Her whole public life has been a LIE.

 By Dick Morris, former political advisor to President Bill Clinton

A letter from a friend

Don:

I know you favor Rubio but I just can’t bring myself to see him in the Oval Office. As I said, maybe in a few years. But now he’s playing the tough-guy game. And where’d he learn the adjective “unhinged?”

I liked the cut of Cruz’ jib – thought he could make a great VP -- until he started giving the finger to the front-runner.  The Beltway Bunch have banded together like a group of pre-schoolers and are acting more liberal than the liberals. ANYTHING to get elected!

Kasich went bonkers a couple weeks ago and dropped almost all the qualities I admired in him. He’s still at it…

Bush owes so many lobbyists in Washington and environs he’ll need a menu to see which of them he favors this week. Plus he’s too much of a wimp. I won’t mention his Mexican wife and half-breed kids … that wouldn’t be politically correct.

Carly doesn’t stand a chance. Nor does Rand, though if he’d shed some off-the-wall Libertarian views he keeps praising, he’d be more electable.

“Mr Nice Guy” Carson has changed his spots. Said last night he would run as an Independent if he didn’t get more inter-candidate support and do better.

Christie would make a good NY cab driver or Oakland bartender. At inopportune times he gives off some ruthless vibes and ill-advised actions (hugging Obama? Aargh!).

Graham, Huckabee and Santorum are, as us race-track touts used to call ‘em, “also rans.” Hey, they’ve got some good qualities, but so do I . . . if you overlook my many imperfections.

It’s not only the candidates that are peeing their pants, it’s the entire elite cadre in and around Washington. For example, Murdoch has told his zillion employees (including Fox) that he doesn’t want to see Trump get the nod. The only one I’ve seen that’s resisting that edict is Dobbs. John Wayne once said, “Never smile at someone just before you hit him.”  Trump obviously never heard him or he wouldn’t appear on O’Reilly … or at least never turn his back. Their guests (more of the elite) slip in subliminal barbs whenever they think they won't get caught by the gullible public.  The RNC is conferring with both Houses about having some sort of public auction at the convention. That makes sense the way the elections are heading: Let the money stand up and bid. That’s what it’s all about anyway. The biggest billionaire gets to own the president for four years.

We lived in the BEST OF TIMES!  It really makes me want to cry to think about how our children are going to have to learn to fare. And I’m serious!

--Ron

 

Please read this to the end without prejudice

Do yourselves a favor and take

The time to read this to the end. 

The single most prominent characteristic of contemporary America is that common sense has been abandoned to political correctness and "feelings". As President George W. Bush's top speech writer, Marc Thiessen was provided unique access to the CIA program used in interrogating top Al Qaeda terrorists, including the mastermind of the 9/11 attack, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad (KSM). Now, his riveting new book, "Courting Disaster", How the CIA Kept America Safe (Regnery), has been published.  Here is an excerpt from "Courting Disaster": "Just before dawn on March 1, 2003, two dozen heavily armed Pakistani tactical assault forces move in and surround a safe house in Rawalpindi. A few hours earlier they had received a text message from an informant inside the house. It read: "I am with KSM." Bursting in, they find the disheveled mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, in his bedroom. He is taken into custody. In the safe house, they find a treasure trove of computers, documents, cell phones and other valuable "pocket litter." Once in custody, KSM is defiant. He refuses to answer questions,informing his captors that he will tell them everything when he gets to America and sees his lawyer. But KSM is not taken to America to see a lawyer Instead he is taken to a secret CIA "black site" in an undisclosed location. Upon arrival, KSM finds himself in the complete control of Americans. He does not know where he is, how long he will be there, or what his fate will be. Despite his circumstances, KSM still refuses to talk. He spews contempt at his interrogators, telling them Americans are weak, lack resilience, and are unable to do what is necessary to prevent the terrorists from succeeding in their goals. He has trained to resist interrogation. When he is asked for information about future attacks, he tells his questioners scornfully: "Soon, you will know." It becomes clear he will not reveal the information using traditional interrogation techniques. So he undergoes a series of "enhanced interrogation techniques" approved for use only on the most high-value detainees. The techniques include water-boarding. He begins telling his CIA debriefers about active al Qaeda plots to launch attacks against the United States and other Western targets. He holds classes for CIA officials, using a chalkboard to draw a picture of al Qaeda's operating structure, financing, communications, and logistics. He identifies al Qaeda travel routes and safe havens, and helps intelligence officers make sense of documents and computer records seized in terrorist raids. He identifies voices in intercepted telephone calls, and helps officials understand the meaning of coded terrorist communications. He provides information that helps our intelligence community capture other high-ranking terrorists. KSM's questioning, and that of other captured terrorists, produces more than 6,000 intelligence reports, which are shared across the intelligence community, as well as with our allies across the world. In one of these reports, KSM describes in detail the revisions he made to his failed 1994-1995 plan known as the "Bojinka plot" to blow up a dozen airplanes carrying some 4,000 passengers over the Pacific Ocean. Years later, an observant CIA officer notices the activities of a cell being followed by British authorities appear to match KSM's description of his plans for aBojinka-style attack. In an operation that involves unprecedented intelligence cooperation between our countries, British officials proceed to unravel the plot. On the night of Aug. 9, 2006 they launch a series of raids in a northeast London suburb that lead to the arrest of two dozen al Qaeda terrorist suspects. They find a USB thumb-drive in the pocket of one of the men with security details for Heathrow airport, and information on seven Trans -Atlantic flights that were scheduled to take off within hours of each other: United Airlines Flight 931 to San Francisco departing at 2:15 PM Air Canada Flight 849 to Toronto departing at 3:00 PM Air Canada Flight 865 to Montreal departing at 3:15 PM United Airlines Flight 959 to Chicago departing at 3:40 PM United Airlines Flight 925 to Washington departing at 4:20 PM American Airlines Flight 131 to New York departing at 4:35 PM American Airlines Flight 91 to Chicago departing at 4:50 PM They seize bomb-making equipment and hydrogen peroxide to make liquid explosives. And they find the chilling martyrdom videos the suicide bombers had prepared. Today, if you asked an average person on the street what they know about the 2006 airlines plot, most would not be able to tell you much. Few Americans are aware of the fact al Qaeda had planned to mark the fifth anniversary of 9/11 with an attack of similar scope and magnitude. And still fewer realize the terrorists' true intentions in this plot were uncovered thanks to critical information obtained through the interrogation of the man who conceived it: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. This is only one of the many attacks stopped with the help of the CIA interrogation program established by the Bush Administration in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In addition to helping break up these specific terrorist cells and plots, CIA questioning provided our intelligence community with an unparalleled body of information about al Qaeda Until the program was temporarily suspended in 2006, intelligence officials say, well over half of the information our government had about al Qaeda; how it operates, how it moves money, how it communicates, how it recruits operatives, how it picks targets, how it plans and carries out attacks-came from the interrogation of terrorists in CIA custody. Former CIA Director George Tenet has declared: "I know this program has saved lives. I know we've disrupted plots. I know this program alone is worth more than what the FBI, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency put together have been able to tell us." Former CIA Director Mike Hayden has said: "The facts of the case are that the use of these techniques against these terrorists made us safer. It really did work." Even Barack Obama's Director of National Intelligence, Dennis Blair, has acknowledged: "High-value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qaeda organization that was attacking this country." Leon Panetta, Obama's CIA Director, has said: "Important information was gathered from these detainees. It provided information that was acted upon." John Brennan, Obama's Homeland Security Advisor, when asked in an interview if enhanced-interrogation techniques were necessary to keep America safe, replied: "Would the U. S. be handicapped if the CIA was not, in fact, able to carry out these types of detention and debriefing activities, I would say yes." On Jan. 22, 2009, President Obama issued Executive Order 13491, closing the CIA program and directing that, henceforth, all interrogations by U. S. personnel must follow the techniques contained in the Army Field Manual. The morning of the announcement, Mike Hayden was still in his post as CIA Director, He called White House Counsel Greg Craig and told him bluntly: "You didn't ask, but this is the CIA officially non-concurring". The president went ahead anyway, over ruling the objections of the agency. A few months later, on April 16, 2009, President Obama ordered the release of four Justice Department memos that described in detail the techniques used to interrogate KSM and other high-value terrorists. This time, not just Hayden (who was now retired) but five CIA directors-including Obama's own director, Leon Panetta objected. George Tenet called to urge against the memos' release. So did Porter Goss. So did John Deutch. Hayden says: "You had CIA directors in a continuous unbroken stream to 1995 calling saying,'Don't do this.'" In addition to objections from the men who led the agency for a collective 14 years, the President also heard objections from the agency's covert field operatives. A few weeks earlier, Panetta had arranged for the eight top officials of the Clandestine Service to meet with the President. It was highly unusual for these clandestine officers to visit the Oval Office, and they used the opportunity to warn the President that releasing the memos would put agency operatives at risk. The President reportedly listened respectfully-and then ignored their advice. With these actions, Barack Obama arguably did more damage to America's national security in his first 100 days of office than any President in American history. But how many people know this? ... Only the few that read this email from beginning to end!