Congress Now Blaming Obama For Its Embarrassing Override Of His Veto

This is too important to be a )#($* political issue. Think about what kind of doors this opens.
Not to mention the corruptible profits to be made with all that money swapping around.

a reply to: drewlander

Libya settled in order to get sanctions lifted. What sanctions does the U.S. have against Saudi Arabia? What makes you think the U.S. government would be willing to allow any seizing of S.A. assets in the U.S.?

I am not talking about suing terrorist cells directly. I was giving an example of a group of individuals (ISIS) suing the American government using their own court system (sharia). How willing would/should the U.S. be to pay up to ISIS?

a reply to: Open_Minded Skeptic

Blame Republicans for everything if you want , but this was passed by all but 1 congressman, Democratic and Republican overwhelmingly voted to override, it cracks me up when just like authorizing Bush to go to war was unanimous you want to blame the other side, i am glad they overrode his veto eff the Saudis they have had and continue to have their hand in terrorism for a long time.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Let them sue I say, get the bad blood out of their system. Better than bloodshed and perpetual warfare. At the same time I also believe "Only the dead have seen the end of War", but I don't believe in death, just transitions.

Thanks Obama! Now let me blame you for my own short comings and my frankly pathetic life. It's all your fault even though you will go down in history as the greatest president in modern history.Thanks Obama!

The deal, well what can a citizen of a sovereign nation do to sue participants in another sovereign nation? It all depends on the treaties that these nations sign and recognize between each other. I am only imagining that due to Saudi Arabia's resource advantage early on that they were able to stipulate things that other nations were mute to do. What this legislation possibly did was reverse that point in the "mutual" agreement.

This would only actually be a bad thing if Saudi Arabia had a navy and army powerful enough to invade the US to change our minds. They do not. They are worried enough as it is by Iran. This will blow over and people will get paid. Maybe it will take 5 or 10 years, but they will get paid.

originally posted by: Open_Minded Skeptic
a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

This Republican dominated Congress continues to reach new heights of stupidity. Or maybe it's venality. They are so focused on doing anything they can to obstruct or challenge Obama, consequences be damned that they've actually gone past the infuriating right on into the absurd.

Nice little dream world you're living in there.
You want to blame this on the rotten, mean, nasty and incompetent GOP. I guess you didn't see the vote count on the veto.

You really should read the Bertrand Russel quote in my sig.

Harte

originally posted by: kaylaluv
a reply to: drewlander

Libya settled in order to get sanctions lifted. What sanctions does the U.S. have against Saudi Arabia? What makes you think the U.S. government would be willing to allow any seizing of S.A. assets in the U.S.?

I am not talking about suing terrorist cells directly. I was giving an example of a group of individuals (ISIS) suing the American government using their own court system (sharia). How willing would/should the U.S. be to pay up to ISIS?

The law is upheld by power, why isn't neighbor Tom's word the law of the land? Because he's got less power than the U.S. government. So long as it is backed by force, the words of lesser entities are subject to the workings of the more powerful entity.

Right now nuclear weapons have put a check, and stopped the absolute concentration of power into one law, one government, one nation.

That still doesn't change the fact that some nations' words, some nations' laws supersede others, by virtue of their power either through collaboration with other nations to implement penalties or through their military might to bring about their will.

Corporations are slowly taking power over governments all over the world.

Once we've got the next generation of technologies, such as the ability to back-up minds, and more advanced automated systems able to rapidly restart civilization even from a small fragment of pre-existing society, nuclear weapons will hold no sway any more. As the leaders will be able to survive even MAD scenario, and the military industrial complex by virtue of the automated self sufficient machinery will be able to scale up and continue even under MAD scenarios.

That said, the more powerful government has no reason to upheld anything a lesser government asks for, that lesser government exists at all by virtue of the greater entity allowing it to exist, and solely by that virtue.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic

originally posted by: crazyewok
a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

This bill has got to be the ONLY right thing the USA has done in the ME.

Most terrorism is exported from these barbarians.

About time we hit them.

Typical emotional response...

I don't know where you've been for 13 years, but we have "hit" the ME a time or two. Read the OP. Congress already regrets the veto and are working to change the law.

Hence the real worry that it might lead to the US becoming bankrupt after the rest of the world sues the US government for the death and misery it has exported around the world wholesale during the last couple of decades...if that could happen, it's no wonder the government is worried...nobody exports the crap like the US.

It could literally lead to bancruptcy.

But Obama didn't offer any alternative to the families suing Saudi...there was no offer of the US swallowing the costs in lieu of Saudi, which if could have done if for no other reason than to stave off a slew of littigation from literally millions of people around the world.

originally posted by: Kale7
a reply to: Benevolent Heretic
Let them sue I say, get the bad blood out of their system.

See this post for why that's not possible:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: MysterX
But Obama didn't offer any alternative to the families suing Saudi...

Our government has given billions of dollars to the 9/11 families. See this post:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

How exactley are they expecting to be able to enforce the courts decision anyway?

What happens inthe USA means nothing to other countries, they can just ignore the ruling.

a reply to: Nexttimemaybe

You know... I don't know the answers to those questions, and I think it's CRAZY to think that a US citizen can (or should) be able to force the government of another country to abide by US law... It's just insane to me... See my link in the above post.

Most likely, since Congress is regretting their STUPID move, the law will be amended ASAP. They are scrambling to prevent the law from causing an international disaster, especially our soldiers abroad facing repercussions of this STUPID law!

Congress May Rewrite Saudi 9/11 Law After Veto Override

The two top Republicans in Congress said they’re prepared to rewrite legislation allowing victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia -- less than 24 hours after Congress took the extraordinary step of overriding President Barack Obama’s veto of the measure to make it law.

Both House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the measure could have unintended consequences -- including the fact that it could leave U.S. soldiers open to retaliation by foreign governments.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

The first lawsuit has been filed. They are projecting hundreds more by the end of the year.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Yeah, I saw that... Congress better get to work (for once)! I haven't looked into that lawsuit, but I can't imagine all the problems they're going to encounter!

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
Congress better get to work...

I love your sense of humor.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic

Our government has given billions of dollars to the 9/11 families.

Then there's the victims of the Oklahoma bombing.

Make sure if you get attacked by a terrorist, it's a foreign terrorist. Otherwise you'll be pretty much shoved aside and forgotten.

So, does this open a bigger door to homegrown victims suing the US Government?

OKLAHOMA CITY -- What is the value of an American life claimed by terrorists? The answer, it turns out, depends on where and when you die. Congress gave the families of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks generous federal compensation payments. Most ended up millionaires. Congress gave the families of victims of the April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City bombing a two-year reprieve on their federal income taxes. Some ended up losing their homes. The families of victims of future terrorist attacks may get nothing at all. www.apfn.net...

what are they going to do?

Pull money from our economy? You mean the money that is measured in dollars? LOL, yeah right. And do what with it? Buy rice paddies in China? Invest in Russia, only to have their investment nationalized in a few years? No, they won't pull money from our economy, because our economy is the only place they can grow their money.

Not allow us to fly over them? LOL, yeah right. The only reason that they still exist with security is because of us. If they want to pull the rug out from under our military, the pain will be felt much worse by them. Without us, Saudi Arabia would be nothing but a string of isis controlled oil wells.

Meddle with the oil supply? Cool...keep tugging on our cape. We haven't even begun to drill into our oil yet. It'll take a couple of years, but we could make saudi oil immaterial.

Their best bet: force it into class action and settle.

originally posted by: AgarthaSeed
I'd like to point out one absurdity of all this that sticks out to me:

Members of Congress have ONE JOB.

ONE RESPONSIBILITY!

LEGISLATURE!... That's it!!!

If your job paid half as well and gave you half the benefits of being a Congressman, wouldn't you actually READ the bills that you're supposed to vote on?! Including bills that could have massive implications?

More and more every year Congress resembles an elementary school cafeteria complete with fruit cups and juice boxes littered everywhere.

Yep. "Deliberative body", my a$$.

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
Two days ago, Congress overwhelmingly passed an override of Obama's veto, which denied 9/11 families the right to sue the country of Saudi Arabia for the deaths and injuries they suffered. Obama vetoed this measure for very good reasons and was vocal about his reasons and even spoke to members of Congress about his concerns that such a law would "open a can of worms" that would allow other country's citizens to sue the US government AND would cause friction between the US and its allies.

Obama pleaded with Congress not to override his upcoming veto, so much that Republicans accused him of doing too much to kill the bill. In April of this year, John Corwyn (R-Texas), criticized Obama, saying,

“Unfortunately, the administration has worked to undercut progress of this legislation at every turn. It appears that the Obama administration is pulling out all the stops to keep this bill from moving forward before the president’s visit to Riyadh,” he said. “I wish the President and his aides would spend as much time and energy working with us in a bipartisan manner as they have working against us trying to prevent victims of terrorism from receiving the justice they deserve.”

Yes, Obama spent a lot of time and energy trying to stop this ridiculous and possibly dangerous legislation... But Congress didn't listen. Instead, they participated in an emotional power play and overrode Obama's veto. So, now, 9/11 families can sue Saudi Arabia.

Congress really stuck it to Obama, huh?

Well, now, 2 days later, realizing the possible history-making, negative effects of what they've done (which Obama profusely warned them about), Congress is having "buyer's remorse" and they need someone to blame for their own thoughtlessness. Hmmm... Looks like the target is their favorite one... Obama!

Even 28 lawmakers who had just helped to pass the first override of Obama’s presidency sent a letter to their own leaders Thursday saying maybe there should be changes.

So Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) leveled at least partial blame on Obama.

“That was a good example, it seems to me, of a failure to communicate early about the potential consequences of a piece of legislation,” McConnell told reporters before Congress got out of town until after the elections. “By the time everybody seemed to focus on some potential consequences of it, members had already basically taken a position.”

“I think it was just a ball dropped,” McConnell added. “I wish the president — I hate to blame everything on him, and I don’t — but it would have been helpful had he, uh, we had a discussion about this much earlier than last week.”

Interestingly, Obama's been discussing it since at least April. That's not "last week", Mitch.

Congre ss Now Blaming Obama For Its Embarrassing Override Of His Veto

Yes it surely must have been an accidental oversight. Couldn't possibly be that they just do what they do behind doors and trust us to be idiots and fight about it in the open. BH I don't believe for a second that reality is as it appears to be here. I am very surprised you do.

originally posted by: Hazardous1408
a reply to: TheBulk

...hate...

One of our resident hatemongers doesn't like the shoe on the other foot...


Queue the world's smallest violin.

*Cue