Steve Hoffacker's Sales Quips

The Justice Department and the White House are said to be considering scraping their plan to bring KSM and 4 other 9/11 teeror suspect to New York City for trial and to have them brought before a military tribunal in Gitmo.

Not only is the practical thing to do, it preserves the American legal system for actual criminal and civial matters, it keeps dangerous persons from walking our streets (even in custody), it prevents access to them by lawyers and sympathizers, and it saves a ton of money. Presumably the move to Thomson would not be necessary either.

There's only one small detail, This is not a done deal. Everyone is on board except the President. In his typical style of procrastination, it is reported that his decision "is weeks away." Remember the Afghan surge decision?

Constitutionally, this is not his decision to make. It belongs squarely to the Congress, but they have chosen through inaction to let the President do it - just as they did with Bush. It would be nice to see the Congress define the process as they are Constitutionally charged to do - and avoid future disputes like this one, but as long as the tribunals are held and conducted at Gitmo, we all win.

Since they have left the decision to the President, let's hope he can do what his advisors are recommending.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Attorney General Eric Holder yesterday celebrated an easy victory when Zazi plead guilty in civilian court. Holder now thinks this gives him leave to prosecute all of the other terrorist cases on the mainland in civilian courts.

However, his own words do him in. He says that he wants to use "every means possible" to secure convictions - every means except the one surefire way to get a conviction, and that is the military tribunal. I think Holder is more interested in putting on a show than in getting results.

On a related point, the Administration and others are criticizing Congress (Lindsay Graham is introducing a bill today to deny funding for moving Gitmo detainees to the US and holding trials here) and saying that these decisions should be left to the professioanls and not the politicians.

As I read the Constitution. Congress is right, and it's about time they stood for something in the Constitution instead of caving or acquiesing to the President.

In Article I, Section 8 - the part where the 17 enumerated powers are given to the Congress - powers 10 and 11 are on point. Power 10 says "to define and punish Piracies and Felonies commited on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations" and 11 says "to declare War, grant Letters or Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water." Congress is totally within their purview on this and the Administration is clearly out-of-bounds.

Therefore, keep Gitmo open - this is not the President's call per the Constitution (which he should know as the Constitutional scholar that he is) - try all the terrorists with military tribunals, forget the purchase of Thomson, and stay the course.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Today, the President finally said that we at war with Al-Qaeda - only took a year. But does this include the Taliban? Don't know.

Then he said that we must do everything we can to win.

Does "everything" include sitting on a report for more troops for 3 months of indecision and no action and then only giving McChrystal three-fourths of what he had requested as the minium to get the job done? Does "everything" mean telling the enemy that we'll pull out in 18 months so they make their own plans for a surge after that? Does "everything" mean even thinking about a withdrawal until the entire mission is completed?

Does he intend to do everything to win the war the same way he won't raise taxes on the middle class, the same way he would have put the health care debate on C-Span, the same way he would have vetoed any spending bill that had earmarks in it, or the same way he'll have transparency in his administration? That's what I thought.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Our government tends to react rather than respond. The latest terrorist attack involved a blanket during the last hour of the flight so no more blankets and no more anything else the last hour of flight heading into the US.

What if he had done it soon after takeoff? Would all activity be banned during the flight? Might as well ban all carry-on luggage (actually Canada has done this on flights to the US), eliminate the restrooms, discontinue beverage service, and force everyone to ride along in a virtual catatonic state for the entire flight. Can't have anyone talking to anyone else either. Come to think of it, we won't need flight attendants either except as aisle monitors.

So far this is just on inbound international flights, but who knows if it will be expanded?

We already have to remove our shoes and belts and perform the 3-1-1 drill. Can't wait to see what the next terrorist uses so we can adapt our behavior to eliminate yet another possibility. Ban one activity, and something else will show up. Who thought of underwear or a syringe?

This entire incident could have been prevented. The President calls it "totally unacceptable" that it wasn't. He labels is a "systemic failure" yet stands behind the one person directly responsible for the incident - Homeland Security Chief Napolitano. It is her job to see that this was coordinated, and it wasn't.

I think creating the Homeland Security agency was a bureaucracy we did not need and an expenditure of money we did not need because the agencies already existed to do the work - they just needed the directive and authority to share information.. Now it looks like it can't even do the job it was created to do. Homeland Security was expressly formed to get all of the agencies reporting and sharing information with each other. Clearly that did not happen.

Here's my prediction. It will happen again unless Napolitano is replaced, Obama gets serious about the War on Terror (he doesn't even call it this), and Homeland Security steps up to the plate or goes away and lets the FBI, CIA, TSA, and other groups do their jobs.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Aides to the President defend his pronouncement that the troop surge would last until mid-2011 - regardless of conditions on the ground. Funny way to set a policy. Announce that you are all-in, but only for a limited time. Gives the enemy plenty of time top plan for after we retreat.

This enemy is famous for waiting out its opponent. It's happened before.

The troop withdrawal is couched in something called a "success" and not a victory. In war, they are the same. You are not successful if you don't win. It's a little like putting out a big brush fire and sending all the firemen back to the station when there are no more flames visible (a success at "putting out the fire) but having a hidden ember or hot spot flare up and start the entire blaze over again. Victory would mean waiting until there is no chance that anything will reignite the fire, and this is what fire departments typically do.

Once the troops are pulled out, it's a little difficult to put them back.

Oh, and forget the PC. We want unconditional, unequivocal victory, not just someone's idea of what "success" is.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

As if it's not bad enough that we are transporting 5 terrorists to New York City to be tried in a civilian court for attrocities on the battlefield, we now are being hit with a huge finiancial request for it.

These criminals terrorists are going to receive access to US courts and be afforded Constitutional rights even though they are not citizens. Kind of diminishes our rights as citizens, would't you say?

KSM has admitted guilt and said he would plead guilty in a military tribunal and accept execution - that was until he found out he could go to New York and plead not guilty and maybe not even get the death penalty - or even go free.

Now Chuck Schumer wants between $75-100 to help New York pay for this. I have a better idea, put it on Eric Holder's tab - he is responsible for this. it's only right he pay for it. Maybe he could put up the gang at his house during the trial.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.