Election Coverage, Politics
When will the other shoe drop?
On Sept. 21, Raw Story reported that Karl Rove was telling conservative groups that he had a surprise scheduled for the last two weeks of October that would turn the midterms in the Republicans’ favor.
Now, as mid-October approaches, we have to assume that Rove’s other shoe will drop within a week or so.
We have already seen how suddenly the narrative can change in an election. Eight days after the Raw Story report, Rove found the shoe on the other foot, for once, when an unnamed Republican operative outed GOP Rep. Mark Foley as chickenhawk who had been stalking Capitol Hill page boys for years. And worse, GOP leaders, including Speaker Dennis Hastert, Majority Leader John Boehner and others, have known about Foley’s predatory ways for months and years, and have been covering it up to keep Foley’s seat in GOP hands. The scandal has had Republicans on the defensive and off-message for two weeks.
There may be more surprises coming in the Foley case — a wholesale outing of all the GOP staffers and elected officials on Capitol Hill has been threatened, for example. But it is just as likely that the story will fade, or be trumped by bigger news. (When was the last time the word “macaca” was in the news?)
What is Rove’s October surprise? As early as Sept. 8, we suggested that the Bush team could have captured or killed Osama bin Laden recently, and have been waiting to reveal this news closer to the election. Others, including BuzzFlash, had similar thoughts.
This election is far from over, and Pres. Bush and his cohorts are desperate. Their entire agenda — not to mention their freedom from investigation, perhaps indictment and even impeachment — rests on a Republican victory on Nov. 7.
They will do anything to win.
Topics: Election Coverage, Politics
If bin Laden had been killed or captured, we’d know by now–al Qaeda would have announced it. Anyway, I am confident that this is not the “October Surprise” as it would mean that the Bush Administration had accomplished something positive, which would be a first.
My Guess is another OBL video.
I suspect “Jose Padilla” is correct: the surprise is likey to involve something to restore fear rather than mitigate it–nothing succeeds like success, you know. Something that overrides the awakening common sense of Americans and would lead some of them to choose the familiar devil over someone new at election time/
Speculation is that OBL had been dead for quite some time now. But I think they will suddenly claim that they just killed him. That will be their’ surprise’.
But the ’surprise’ is just to make people think they will rightfully win the election because they are planning to steal this next election as they have stolen the past 3, because nothing’s stopping them. They will ruthlessly keep stealing elections until they are in handcuffs and chains.
Iran, Iran, Iran – it’s “rally around the flag” one more time.
Take it to the bank – we’re bombing Iran. There is nothing else that will do the trick.
Rational people are saying this can’t happen, but we’re not talking about rational people – they’re not even close to sane. To bush&co. they’re right on scedule. Iran has always been the end-all target for the neo-cons. Read the Project for the New American Century “mission statement”.
And get this, after the disaster this will cause there’ll be no reason to rig elections, we’ll be lucky if we ever have them again. You think the over 800 detention camps that built by Haliburton & KB&R across this country were build for nothing?
Get ready folks – Hell in America is coming …
I agree with gonnuts – Iran. But there is another option. Remember a few weeks back when a story went through about a terrorist who supposedly slipped in through mexico with a “Weapon”. I think this may be the October Surprise. Afterall, the Bushites and the Repugents have a track record of looking the other way while Real Americans are being killed.
Gonnuts hit the nail on the head. Bush & Co. are going to bomb Iran and all hell is going to break loose. I don’t think the economy is going to survive this.
I don’t think that Bin Laden will be captured or killed. Bush and Bin Laden truly need each other. Bush needs Bin Laden “out there” so he can continually “scare” Americans. And, Bin Laden needs Bush to be in power in order to “scare” his fundamentalist Taliban regime and keep recruiting others.
America must not bomb Iran,
they will say its just limited
strikes, they make fake some
Gulf of Tonkin type of provocation, they’ve done it before. They want those oil prices to go up over $100 a barrel, they want to be able
to start a draft. Americans
might support another war based
on lies, but the Republicans will
fail, whatever they try. Lets not
be pessimistic.
The October suprise will be the Democrats will be allowed to win this time by a narrow majority in just one house. As with Clinton’s NAFTA and welfare reforms, it will be up to the Democrats to pick up the dirty work that the Repubs can’t hope to push.
The elephant in the room is the need for a military draft and all the supporters of draft bills are Democrats like Rangel and Clinton.
The Bush team will probably invoke more fear into their strategy. I think most people give the Bush team (Rove, Cheney, et al) more credit than they are due. The Bush Administration has failed at every gate to accomplish anything. Any attempt to bring the Republicans back into the favor of America is a moot point. There will be no October surprize…Bush and his tactics will fail again.
I am contacting my Senators and House Representative this week and telling them that any move by Bush to attack Iran without the express authorization of Congress demands Bush’s immediate impeachment. I urge every American to do the same.
Maybe they will send a message to bin Laden asking for another tape a few days before the election. Then, like the last time, the CIA will determine that it was sent to help Bush. After all, if you were at war w/America, wouldn’t you want the dumbest person in the country to be President? I would, and we sure have him.
Gonnuts is right!
Iran will be “an” october surpise. But there has to be a “trigger” (Gulf of Tonkin) event that will rally public support. A detachment of the 2nd Naval Fleet including the aircraft carrier Eisenhower is on its way to the Persian Gulf. A faked event after its arrival will pull the trigger possibly in concert with other presumable “terror” events here in U.S. and in Europe to be blamed on Shiite terrorists funded by Iran.
Remember, Rove promised
surprise(s) (in the plural). They may choose to announce capture or death of OBL, cashing in that chip as well. They have to pull out all the stops to assure victory.
What scares me most is that KKKarl has called up his buddy Osama been Forgotten for the next 9/11 attack… just like the first.
But I have also heard rumors that on October 21, US warships will be in place for a blockade of Iran… they’re on their way now.
Rove will set an A-Bomb in a soviet sub off NYC.
Then war in Iran!
it will be interesting, if they have delayed some big news for the sake of the election, how Republicants will respond, considering the fingers they have been pointing at Dems of late about the timing of the Foley thing… hopefully their unexpected October Surprise derailed them there… the public has a short memory, but not that short… they can’t spend weeks saying “political timing” and then introduce something of their own (Foley was actually already their own – the Rep and the scandal)
Why do the folks at BuzzFlash never mention 911 truth? Frankly, its a little suspicious. Who’s side are you really on?
Those who do not believe the Bush admin. planned and perpetrated the events of 911 (and these people usually refuse to even look at the proof) are supporting Bush without realizing it. Even though they may hate BushCo for many other good reasons, BushCo couldn’t care less about that. What’s most important to BushCo is that most people believe the U.S. was attacked by hijacking, middle eastern terrorists.
We were not!
Its very important to bust BushCo for this enormous and ongoing crime. Buzzflash should be helping. Why, instead, is BuzzFlash helping BushCo hide?
Why don’t you sponsor a contest “What do you think Rove”s October surprise will be?”
Don,
Buzzflash does promote 911 truth, but it’s like screaming into the wind.
Iran is the October surprise. The trigger is that the bombing of Iran with be initiated by Israel, and the US of course will have to come to Israel’s assistance.
I believe the deal was made this summer: Israel got free reign in Lebanon, and in return promised to bomb Iran nuclear facilities during the last few weeks in August.
I have no proof–this is just a hunch.
9-11, passport on the ground; 10-11, passport on the ground. We’re being made fun of. A very subtle surprise. Can’t wait for the big one.
An attack on Iran is the most probable “October Surprise”! Attacking Iran would set off a dire chain of events, that might include an emergency draft, martial law, and even cancelation of the election?!
2 + 2 might equal 4
Yesterday, the Bush Administration created a boogieman – ‘Azzam the American’. They charged him with treason yesterday and said, He was not in US custody. If hey “catch” him before Nov.7, they will tell us that they caught the boogieman. He has been making these types of statements for quite a while. Why charge him now? In whose custody is he in now? They say he is in or near Pakistan. If they announce his capture before Nov. 7th, I hope someone will ask when he was actually captured.
The GOP thinks everything the Dems do is political. That’s because everything they do is political.
Dem’s will be allowed to win one House this time- good bet.
Elections will be rigged again -even better bet.
Iran will be attacked – I don’t think this would ensure a Republican victory, so I’m betting against that one.
Bush being cast off by the Forces Behind the Throne – that could happen.
What do the Saudis desire?
That’s what will happen.
to continue,
I think Bush/Rove has painted itself into a corner: if he’s the one who has “protected us from another terrorist attack”, then any October surprise which includes a terrorist attack would chop away his only remaining credential.
You guys are a bunch of idiots.
Most likely war with Iran, set off by an alleged Iranian attack on the ‘Ike’. Losing a carrier with all hands would ramp up support for our war president, at least among the brain dead.
Personally,i think the only october surprise will come in november when they lose both houses.I think Rove is to busy covering his own ass to come up with anymore “suprises”.Every time i see Bush,i’m reminded of the tune “drownin man”.He’s sinking fast and he knows it.
Why are we all idiots Mr Ingle?Does the truth hurt?
Not sure about the surprise, many possibilities…OT, could Rove have been behind “Foleygate” to keep the headlines off a potentially more damaging story: “Abramoff visits white house 485 times”? Followed by Abramoff/Rove aide Ralston resigns?
If so, did it backfire?
I don’t see them bombing Iran, since that would vastly inflate gas prices. Right now the recent decreases in gas prices are the only positive thing the Republicans can point to as an accomplishment on their watch.
Of course we’ve been hearing an awful lot of noise from the third member of the Axis of Evil lately, and I don’t believe that they have any oil production to disrupt…
Why not look at the real truth behind 9-11 and all events included?
http://www.iamthewitness.com/mp3/DarylBradfordSmith-12Oct2006.mp3
http://www.thetruth247.com
http://www.iamthewitness.com
http://cytations.blogspot.com
http://nomorefraud.blogspot.com
http://whatreallyhappened.com
That’ll give you the real answer
In light of the ground swell of anti-Republican sentiment and voter disgust with their do-nothing Congress (for which they all got paid tidy salaries by the way), the only way to turn the election in their favor is:
Stop the election.
Major terrorist alert, raise the threat level to “red” for the first time, and then attempt installing marshal law, with the president “suspending” the elections for the first time in American history. What if their scare tactics involved frightening people from going to their polling places?
Scary, folks.
This is a dangerous world they’ve created. So much for their “culture of life.”
VOTE ABSENTEE–the only way NOT to be forced to use a machine. All paper ballots must be hand-counted.
It could be that, this time, Rove is just blowing smoke about an October Surprise to reassure his base. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for the Repugs.
If they do lose one or both houses, their plan might be to use the Democratic Congress becomes a handy scapegoat for each subsequent disaster this administration stumbles into. Between the right-wing media echo chamber and the “bipartisian” Vichy Democrats who are willing to cross the aisle if the price is right, they could avoid indictment/impeachment and still advance their agenda.
As pessimistic as this sounds, I certainly hope there IS no October Surprise. Any small surprise could be shouted down by the Democrats as “timed to manipulate the electorate”. To avoid that, any October Surprise would have to be jaw-droppingly HUGE and horrific, near 9-11 caliber. Whatever that might be, it’ll be far worse for our country than no surprise would be.
Have to go along with the “bomb Iran” crowd. The refinement this time will be that Iran can actually fight back outside its own borders, and there will be a US carrier battle group within cruise missile range. Of course, another unresisted slaughter-fest like Iraq would only backfire; but if we were actually losing fairly large numbers and big-ticket weapons platforms like carriers–sad but true–a big chunk of John Q. would feel obliged to rally behind the troops…where, of course, the commander in chief is already hiding.
I agree with Robert, there is a big suprise coming. But its only a suprise to the repugs. The democrats are going to kick some repug ass in Nov and move on to locking a bunch of them up.
This is no suprise to any true AMERICAN.
Re: war with Iran. Bush doesn’t need any authorization from Congress to attack Iran. The War Powers Act gives him 60 days of carte blanche to do whatever he wants, and an automatic 30-day extension if he wants one, without having to ask Congress’ permission.
Further, a Sept. 14, 2001 Senate Joint Resolution (S. J. R. 23) gave Bush explicit statuatory authority to attack any nation he deems, at his sole discretion (with no consensus, proof or even credible standard of evidence as a constraint), to have had anything to do with 9/11, or that now harbors, or is found by Bush, again at his sole discretion, to have harbored any al Qaida fugitives at any time in the past, if it’s deemed that such an action is necessary to prevent future attacks. Not too tough for the Prez to spin it that way if he wants to, eh?
Either of those items on their own, or combined, means the Prez can legally bomb Iran into the stone age tomorrow if he wants to. Nobody can say boo.
And there ‘aint a-gonna be no impeachment, cuz it’s all legal like, see? Heh heh heh…
All of this courtesy of the fine, upstanding folk we all sent to D.C. to represent us.
Neoliberal: No, paper ballots are no more secure than electronic ballots, unless they are hand-counted in a recount. The bulk of paper ballots are scanned and the data is dumped to a server; these servers have been shown by BBV.org to be easily hacked.
There will certainly be an October surprise for The Repubs are in trouble. Given their aggression, paranoia, and ultimate goal: my prediction is war with Iran – and, perhaps in such a way that it shuts down election day in the U.S.A.
If for some reason, like the entire military and the select Republican Senators told about this, refuse to go along with it – then they will fall back on their domestic plan of disrupting the elections in every significant state: Missouri, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, etc. etc.
Make no mistake, they cannot afford to lose.
The citizens of the United States are about to be faced with the largest crises of conscience since 1776. Believe it. Get ready. Fill your gas tanks, get your food and water and be prepared.
Rigged election will give repugs 51%.
A few hacked voter machines will be outed, giving reason to void entire election. To be rescheduled by the existing congress/supreme court someday(?) if ever. Meanwhile-incumbents quo.
Surprise everyone it wasn’t October it is November!
Good-bye America
There have been no free elections in our country for 6 years.
Guilt by association, legal gulags, and systematic torture are open government policy.
The Bill Of Rights has been cancelled along with the Magna Carta.
Our press, courts, ballot and congress have been respectively castrated by monopoly, nepotism, gerrymander, and presidential signing statements.
We have the highest per capita prison population in the world. The majority incarcerated for victimless crimes.
Our economy is being squeezed like a dry lemon. The only domestic industry expanding now is the military.
In short, the UnitedStatesOfAmerica is over. We have become what we were formed to oppose. You’re only permitted to read this page to promote an illusion of that controls your willingness to rebel.
Surprise.
Iran is clearly a possibility, but somehow I don’t think so. Too obvious. OBL/Al Quaeda tapes are too wimpy and wouldn’t work. Expect the unexpected.
These guys will not go gently into the night. Consider the possibility of mass death in either Israel or here, even nuclear or biological mass death.
Whatever it is, it must not be allowed to induce us to change “our course.” They have to go. Period.
Rove may know of something happening with Iran, but he cannot control the timetable. I do not think he would promise something in a 2 week period so specifically which is open to the vagariies of weather, military planning and execution, and Ramadan. Nor did he anticipate the North Koreans or the size the Foley matter. I suspect he planned something more controllable–a smear or fraudulent “I’m a victim” ploy–and he the timetable is still good, but the scenario needs amplification. Would the US have hidden bin Laden all this time? I am not so sure the Arab allies of bin Laden would be forthcoming if bin Laden were already killed or captured; it is possible he is out of commission. But I am not so sure the Saudi,Egyptian and Israeli secret services would be totally silent about it if they had foreknowledge either. Bin Laden’s stock isn’t what it used to be, so annoucing his death would cause a press frenzy for a while; however, his value as a “target” could be wiped off the map by the rising toll in Iraq. If 110 people in your hometown were found dead in one day–for any reason, let alone war– I think you would suspect something very rotten in your hometown. Bin Laden isn’t killing anyone in Baghdad.
These comments remind me of dogs nipping at the heels of a caravan, butterflys flapping in a hurricane, etc. Tis better to live out to live out our remainig days conitinuing to pursue those hedonistic pleasues that got us here.
-Bomb Iran after Gulf of Tonkin-type incident
-Raise terrorist threat
-Postpone/cancel elections
-Use those already built “camps
(remember no more habeas corpus!)
-Continue to gut the Constitution
They’ve got everything in place for alla that and more…..
The October surprise could just be Diebold voting machines. These elections are close. There is no paper trail. The machines will be hacked. The outcomes will be skewed. The media will label anyone who questions the results as ’sore losers.’ It’s all Rove needs.
Osama will never be caught by this administration. The Bush family and the BinLaden family have too long a relationship for one to whack a member of the other. The goal of the neoconservatives is to disable OPEC, and allow Israel to control the economies of the middle east. They don’t care how many innocents have to die to accomplish this.
Starting a war with Iran would hurt them and they know it – even the idiots who voted for them are getting sick of all that money being wasted and the sheer ugliness of the US being at war constantly.
Osama whathisname is a yawner for the average USian dolt.
Rove didn’t get where he is by being that dumb.
He got there by manufacturing terrorizing events (most of which we don’t know about because they were executed against individuals who were in his way).
He needs a terrorizing event so the repug Congress and Chimp in Chief can look smart, decisive, and in command. Think of the terrorizing events in Europe and you’ll get a clue.
And I think I’ll stop there – the CIA is catching every word of this conversation. Or at least I’m terrorized enough already to think so.
Surprise! There’s no surprise!
A major surprise is that nobody has gone to Diebold with a subpoena. Another surprise is that nobody has hacked Diebold’s software to completely disable it and put Diebold out of business. Until an independent, audited agency is established to regulate voting practices on a federal level no election in the USA will be reliable. The biggest surprise will be a Democratic win of any kind in November. Expect Iran to be invaded *after* the election, no matter who wins. Expect to be lied to, cheated, and robbed blind until an actual, functioning government of, by and for the PEOPLE is established in feral America!
Here’s part of what I emailed to the one lawmaker in my state who may be accidently listening to us (but probably not). I don’t refer to Bush as president, because he’s not, but I do call him Mr. Bush in the same spirit a criminal court would refer to a serial killer as “Mr.”. The more we publicize the coming war with Iran and any false flag attacks on our ships (or on our shores) that may spark it, the more we force these squirmy, dark loving maggots into the light:
It appears as though Mr. Bush is preparing for another war for political gain, but this time the American people are on to him: should anything happen to our ships heading for the Persian gulf, we will reasonably suspect Mr. Bush is behind it. Would Mr. Bush even do the unthinkable and sacrifice his own people in a false flag attack to avoid losing Congress in November? Would he dare sink , for example, the USS Enterprise, with it’s 5000 on board and claim Iran had done it? Would he then declare Martial Law and “disappear” innocent Americans who dare to speak up through the use of the egregious and unconstitutional Military Commissions Act? Are innocent Americans to be horribly tortured and killed in the “detention” camps Haliburton has set up countrywide?
Formerly in America, real statesmen who were deeply concerned with the well being of their people would have roared a resounding “NEVER could this happen in America”! Now, though, since many of America’s lawmakers are corrupt beyond human imagining, addicted to the senseless exercise of brute power, and overtly hostile to the Constitution, the answers to these awful questions are not at all clear.
I have seen references to the 800 camps constructed by BK&R many times, but have not found the genesis for this story. Can someone direct me to this information ?
Thanks,
Jeff
Valencia
Award-winning investigative reporter and journalist Dave Lindorff has written;
[Retired] Colonel Gardiner, who has taught military strategy at the National War College [of the United States], says that the [U.S. Navy] carrier deployment and a scheduled Persian Gulf arrival date of October 21 [2006] is “very important evidence” of war planning. He says, “I know that some naval forces have already received ‘prepare to deploy orders’ [PTDOs], which have set the date for being ready to go as October 1 [2006]. Given that it would take about from October 2 to October 21 to get those forces to the [Persian] Gulf region, that looks about like the date” of any possible military action against Iran. (A PTDO means that all crews should be at their stations, and ships and planes should be ready to go, by a certain date—in this case, reportedly, October 1.) Gardiner notes, “You cannot issue a PTDO and then stay ready for very long. It’s a very significant order, and it’s not done as a training exercise.” This point was also made in the Time article.
(…)
“I think the plan’s been picked: bomb the nuclear sites in Iran,” says [Colonel] Gardiner. “It’s a terrible idea, it’s against U.S. law and it’s against international law, but I think they’ve decided to do it.” Gardiner says that while the United States has the capability to hit those sites with its cruise missiles, “the Iranians have many more options than we [the United States] do.
(…)
[...] will be has been widely debated. We have speculated that it might be an announcement that Osama bin Laden has been captured and killed, and we have note [...]
McCain makes a halloween visit to the troops in Afghanistan. Just as he’s being filmed sipping coffee with some soldiers in the middle of nowhere, a tall bearded guy on a moped zips by and lobs a grenade. McCain picks it up and throws it back,detonating and knocking the rider off of the moped,injured but not dead. All this caught on film,McCain calmly walks over,realizes it’s Bin Laden and holds him down as the soldiers tie him up to be brought back alive. OCTOBER SURPRISE ‘08