I was talking to my co-worker and she made a great point...

[slor]

What is our candidate going to say if/when they "capture" Osama near the election? We need to prepare for this possibility and have a plan to respond to this event. What are some ideas/quotes/tactics to prevent the success of this october surprise?

[Speed8098]

1. I don't know

But I'd really like to know how they came up with a suspect so quickly.

I'd also like to know where they got the names of the 19 hijackers, whose names, it was reported, were not on the flight manifests.

I also have heard that 3 or 4 of the alleged hijackers have been confirmed alive.

If we open that can of worms first, it may render Osamas' capture irrelevant.

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. I have those same questions nagging me as well.

When that happens, someone ought to ask bush* why he said Osama was no longer of concern, after blustering on about "smokin' him out, and gettin' him on the run." When was that btw? I remember him saying it, just can't remember when he said it.

[radwriter0555]

23. bin laden has been dead since december 2001... show me ANY bit of proof

OTHER WISE.

[NoKoolAid]

26. Yes, dead or scared

I agree. You'd think he would have made an appearance somewhere by now. Either he's dead or he's so totally freakin' scared he won't show his face anywhere in the world.

[Hekate]

29. Names surfaced quickly because

Osama's activities were known for a long time -- there was good reason for his name to crop up right away.

As to the names of the hijackers, the new 9-11 hearings are finally giving us some of the info that was transmitted by courageous flight attendants. At least one gal sat in the back of her plane with a phone giving everything she could on the hijackers, from physical descriptions to their exact seat numbers. I always wondered how our govt got those names so fast, and this answers it for at least one of the planes.

If the Bush admin. were more forthcoming with both the 9-11 Commission and the public I think a lot of distrust could be laid to rest along with the victims. But since the Bushites keep stalling and hiding and lying, it gives a lot of us reason to think they have something to hide, doesn't it?

Hekate

"Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war." ~Donald Rumsfeld

"But why should we hear about body bags and deaths and how many,
what day it's going to happen, and how many this or what do you
suppose? Oh, I mean, it's not relevant. So why should I waste my
beautiful mind on something like that?" ~Barbara Bush

"I guess the 'nation's grandma' isn't the grandma of those her son sends into harm's way." ~Hekate

ARLINGTON WEST, SANTA BARBARA CALIF.
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/Default.htm
click on the large photo of AW to go here:
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/Arlington_west_121003.htm
Scroll down the page for all the photos...

[hlthe2b]

2. I agree. Did she have any ideas?

I just think we need to keep flooding the public with the fact that the Bushmeister's polls are dropping through the basement, that Rove, equipped with $200 mill is willing to do ANYTHING and keep "joking" about when Bush will have to pull out his October surprise (Osama bin forgotten). I think the public is smart enough to put two and two together...

[graywarrior]

3. Maybe Michael Moore's movie

will be out in enough time to point out the connections between the Bush and bin Laden families.

[CityZen-X]

33. Sooner The Better

Moore should be releasing Fahrenheit 9/11 now!!!!

[slor]

5. No she did not but...

we both agree that it will resonate a powerful note with many Americans. Sadly, they may very well forget his utter failure in EVERYTHING else including preventing 9/11 in the first place.

[devinsgram]

12. The problem is

they haven't been too smart up till now.

[salin]

4. I don't know... perhaps take a page out of the GOP play book

(ala the Wellstone memorial)... be thankful that finally there can be some justice for the survivors and families who were hit by 9-11... and that this is not the time for politics... or campaigning.. as that would cheapen the memory of each and every American that lost their life on 9-11.

[never cry wolf]

6. How about "It's about frikkin time!!"

If you wouldn't have diverted all our intel and military resources towards Sadaam and stayed after the real bad guy, the real one that did us harm, the real threat you may have had him well over a year ago!

[drb]

7. Here's my take on it...

Do you where Saddam is now? Of course you don't.

Your boy George will probably have his dad call Osama's dad about the first of October to see if Osama can spare a couple of days.

"Sure, George!" says Osama. "Whatcha need?"

"Hey Osama! I need you to pretend to be our prisoner on TV for a couple of days! We'll get some more fun shots of a dentist looking in your mouth and crap like that. Then you can go back to your 'hood in Pakistan! Tell you what - we'll throw in five thousand goats, ten virgins, and fifteen new Toyota pickups. Whatcha say, ol' buddy ol' pal?"

"Sure, Georgie! - you name the place and time - I'll be there! But tell your boys to take it easy with the rough stuff; I just had my nails done!"

[eaprez]

8. Focus

You will have to keep the public focused on the REAL issues. Capturing him will not improve security, jobs, the economy, health care, the deficit or bring the troops home. If American's fall for it and vote for Bush - then quite frankly they deserve the government they get.

[MI Cherie]

9. Preemptive strike ...

... or maybe they already have anticipated such speculation: OctoberSurprise.com has already been taken.

[guitar man]

10. Use *bush's own statements against him

"The MOST IMPORTANT thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our NUMBER ONE priority and we will not rest until we find him."
George W. Bush, September 13, 2001


"I don't know where he is. I have no idea and I really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."
George W. Bush, March 13, 2002


Now what,all of a sudden he is a "priority" again when he is needed to win an election? I could think of nothing more revealing,clear and simple than pointing out what's already been said.From "Wanted,dead or alive" to "It's not our priority" and back again on a whim.

Our candidate doesn't really need to say anything,just point out what has already been said,and keep pointing it out over and over.

[Tactical Progressive]

11. Innoculate in advance

Between now and the presumptive Republican 'October Surprise', Democrats would do well to push something like this on talk shows and on the internet:

"Bush should at least get Osama bin Laden before he is voted out in November 2004."

Then when he does what should already have been done - what Wes Clark already would have done - it won't be that big a deal.

Start now.

[ewagner]

13. We have a WINNER!

We need to keep making remarks that we Totally Expect the capture/killing of OBL before the election and also that we expect it to take place at a time that is politically adventageous for the Bush* Administration.

If we say all along that we expect it, nobody will be surprised when it happens.

btw: It's not just a ploy...I completely expect that this is in the works for the election season. I am a believer

[Pikku]

16. very nice

If, on the one hand, Bush does as we expect and "captures" OBL at a politically expedient time, we can point out that we were expecting and predicting such an outcome for 7-8 months, at least, and draw analogies to Bush's "capture" of SH just in time for Christmas.

If, on the other hand, Bush somehow DOESN'T capture OBL for whatever reason, we can add this to the list of his other failures while in office.

[lostnfound]

14. Listen up, Kerry/Edwards/Dean/Kucinich campaigns!

A good idea above: push this idea on talk shows and on the internet:

"Bush should at least get Osama bin Laden before he is voted out in November 2004."

Then when he does what should already have been done, it won't be that big a deal.

[alcuno]

20. "I'm surprised that the administration hasn't already gotten him"

Head them off at the pass.

[Tactical Progressive]

25. Yes, good.

'Nobody's blaming Bush, but we all expected that bin Laden would have been caught and in custody by now.'

[Fridays Child]

22. Anyone who wants to can use the graphic in my sigline.

It, or something like it, should be on t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc.

[Lindacooks]

31. Fabulous!!!

Please, send this to the Kerry, Dean, Edwards, etc. campaigns.

[willat]

17. Well

...if the reliance is on trying to convince the public that the President has been working with Sadaam and OBL, it will be an easy election for GWB.

[alcuno]

21. No. I think we're talking ineptitude here.

Unfortunately, our government ran out of Afghanistan and let the murderers get away. A nearly 7 foot tall Muslim and a one-eyed Mullah and we couldn't get them a year and a half ago?

[gulliver]

18. Tell them to watch a copy of last Sunday's Meet the Press

There will be no question that he is not fit for the office.

The "I'm a war president" comment was enough by itself, and there were about a dozen flubs and obvious evasions to seal the deal.

[bobbyboucher]

19. "I can't wait for our great troops to capture Osama!"

"That will be a great day, but our tactics have probably created thousands of wanna-be Osama all around the world. Our tactics must be seen to be honorable or we will lose this war. We must have the high moral ground, which, right now, we do not."

[Shopaholic]

24. So what?

Catching Saddam didn't lead to any huge leap of numbers for Shrub--and I've heard quite a few die-hard Republicans say, quite cynically, that they expected OBL to surface before the general election. We sit back, play it cool and scream at the top of our lungs when Bush & Co. try to "politicize" OBL's capture. Trust me, the seeds of doubt are already there in most people's minds. The sudden "surprise" capture of Osama will lead to more questions than answers--just like the release of Shrubbie's military records.

[leesa]

27. Well, for one he could demand proof of OBL's involvement in 9-11

Since the positive proof we were promised has never materialized. All of America has bought into the lies by a government that is proven to have lied to them over and over again. If they are so certain OBL did it, where is the proof? Why has it never been presented. Why have they blocked the 9-11 investigation?

Don't let them control the lies.

[Lefergus70]

28. Our candidate should say what he should be saying now,

that the terror threat to the US has risen dramatically since the occupation of Iraq, which is now wide open to terorist groups who can attack the US there. Remember, before the invasion, when Egypt's Mubarek warned the US that an attack on Iraq would create "a thousand Bin Ladens"? Well, if he was right, there'd be 999 more to go.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

30. If they catch Osama

A Spring offensive is supposed to launched in Afghanistan; some timing, huh?

If Osama's caught before the election, I'm sure the nominee will congratulate the men and women of our armed forces for a job well done, etc.

[Ksec]

32. Just say we know its coming

repeatedly. We really do. And when it does say we told you so. He endangered america by holding him until now.

[eleny]

34. Look at the circumstances of the "capture"

and if it looks like they had him for some time, then point out how they play with the lives of our military for political gain. This sort of October surprise can backfire if we act fast in the face of a put-up job.

[CityZen-X]

35. If We...

keep it an item that will be on the INTERNET, and info- circles we can take away the effect, on those who would rally behind this Bu$h*t!