The People Vs. Barack Obama

by Ben Shapiro

  15. Woodrow Wilson, “What Is Progress?,” 1912 campaign speech.

  16. “Historical Federal Workforce Tables: Total Government Employment Since 1962,” Office of Personnel Management, http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/data-analysis-documentation/federal-employment-reports/historical-tables/total-government-employment-since-1962/.

  17. William English Walling, State Socialism, Pro and Con (New York: Henry Holt, 1917), xiv.

  18. “Poll Chart: Obama Job Approval,” HuffingtonPost.com, January 5, 2013, http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/obama-job-approval.

  19. “Poll Chart: Obama Job Approval—Economy,” HuffingtonPost.com, August 2, 2013, http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/obama-job-approval-economy.

  20. “Poll Chart: Obama Job Approval—Health,” HuffingtonPost.com, August 2, 2013, http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/obama-job-approval-health.

  21. “Poll Chart: Obama Job Approval—Foreign Policy,” HuffingtonPost.com, August 2, 2013, http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/obama-job-approval-foreign-policy.

  22. Nate Silver, “Is Democratic Criticism on NSA Hurting Obama’s Approval Rating?,” NYTimes.com, June 17, 2013, http:/fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/17/is-democratic-criticism-on-n-s-a-hurting-obamas-approval-rating/.

  23. Lyneka Little, “Jay-Z Declares ‘My Presence is Charity,’ ” WSJ.com, July 29, 2013, http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/07/29/jay-z-declares-my-presence-is-charity/.

  24. Kyle Becker, “Obama: ‘I Am Constrained by a System That Our Founders Put in Place,’ ” IJReview.com, April 4, 2013, http://www.ijreview.com/2013/04/45095-obama-i-am-constrained-by-a-system-that-our-founders-put-in-place/.

  25. “Obama Taking Executive Action on Guns After Senate Vote,” FoxNews.com, April 20, 2013, http://nation.foxnews.com/gun-control/2013/04/20/obama-taking-executive-action-guns-after-senate-vote.

  26. Julie Mason, “Obama Tells Hispanic Roundtable He Can’t Fix Immigration Alone,” Politico.com, September 28, 2011, http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/64635.html. (The DREAM Act is a federal bill intended to provide benefits to the non-citizen children of illegal immigrants that are normally reserved for American citizens.)

  27. Peter Grier, “Obama on Immigration Reform: I’ll Act if Congress Doesn’t,” CSMonitor.com, January 29, 2013, http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2013/0129/Obama-on-immigration-reform-I-ll-act-if-Congress-doesn-t.

  28. Daniel Henninger, “Obama’s Creeping Authoritarianism,” WSJ.com, July 31, 2013, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324136204578639953580480838.html.?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop.

  29. Nicholas Ballasy, “Obama: As president, ‘You Can’t Do Things by Yourself,’ ” DailyCaller.com, February 26, 2013, http://dailycaller.com/2013/02/26/obama-as-president-you-cant-do-things-by-yourself-video/.

  30. Associated Press, “Obama Learned of IRS Targeting from News Reports: Aide,” HuffingtonPost.com, May 19, 2013, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/19/obama-irs-targeting_n_3302449.html.

  31. Jay Carney, White House Press Briefing, October 23, 2013.

  32. Jay Carney, White House Press Briefing, May 14, 2013.

  33. Jay Carney, White House Press Briefing, July 15, 2011.

  34. “Obama Unaware as U.S. Spied on World Leaders: Officials,” WSJ.com, October 27, 2013, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304470504579162110180138036?mod=djemalertNEWS.

  35. “President Obama Says Romney Should Answer Bain Capital Questions,” WJLA.com, July 13, 2012, www.wjla.com/articles/2012/07/president-obama-says-romney-should-answer-bain-capital-questions-77842.html.

  36. Tim Arango, “Ex-Prosecutor’s Book Accuses Bush of Murder,” NYTimes.com, July 7, 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/business/media/07bugliosi.html.

  37. Noel Sheppard, “Chris Matthews: ‘Obama Is the Perfect Father, the Perfect Husband, the Perfect American,’ ” Newsbusters.org, July 17, 2012, http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-shepard/2012/07/17/chris-matthews-obama-perfect-father-perfect-husband-perfect-american.

  38. Amie Parnes and Ian Swanson, “Obama Adviser Didn’t Threaten Woodward, Says White House,” TheHill.com, February 28, 2013, http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/285549-sperling-didnt-threaten-woodward-says-white-house.

  39. David Jackson, “New Sequester Battle: Woodward vs. White House,” USA Today, February 28, 2013, http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2013/02/28/obama-woodward-white-house/1953105/, and Ron Fournier, “Why Bob Woodward’s Fight with the White House Matters to You,” National-Journal.com, May 30, 2013, http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/why-bob-woodward-s-fight-with-the-white-house-matters-to-you-20130228.

  40. John Nolte, “Mainstream Media Did Not Break Even One of Four Obama Scandals,” Breitbart.com, June 6, 2013, http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2013/06/06/.Mainstream-Media-Did-Not-break-Even-One-of-Four-Obama-Scandals.

  41. Frank J. Marine et al., Criminal RICO: 18 USC §§ 1961–1968 (5th rev. ed., October 2009), 3–5.

  Count 1: Espionage

  1. James Nye and Beth Stebner, “ ‘Their Sacrifice Will Never Be Forgotten,’ ” Daily Mail (U.K.), September 14, 2012, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2203298/Victims-Benghazi-massacre-return-home-Obama-Clinton-pay-tribute.html.

  2. “President’s Schedule—September 14, 2012,” WhiteHouse.gov, http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/president/2012-09-14.

  3. Nicholas D. Kristof, “Obama: Man of the World,” New York Times, March 6, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/06/opinion/06kristof.html.

  4. President Barack Obama, “Text: Obama’s Speech in Cairo,” New York Times, June 4, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/us/politics/04obama.text.html.?pagewanted=all&_r=0.

  5. “Muslim Brotherhood Members to Attend Obama’s Cairo Speech,” FoxNews.com, June 3, 2009, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/03/muslim-brotherhood-members-attend-obamas-cairo-speech/.

  6. Marc Ambinder, “ ‘Brotherhood’ Invited to Obama Speech by U.S.,” The-Atlantic.com, June 3, 2009, http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/06/-brotherhood-invited-to-obama-speech-by-us/18693/.

  7. “Is Talking to the Taliban the Right Approach?,” CNN.com, March 9, 2009, http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/09/obama.taliban/.

  8. Josh Lev, “Fact Check: Was Obama ‘Silent’ on Iran 2009 Protests?,” CNN.com, October 9, 2012, http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/08/politics/fact-check-romney-iran.

  9. Spencer Ackerman, “U.S. Had Helo Deal with Ousted Tunisian Dictator,” Wired.com, January 14, 2011, http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/01/u-s-copter-sales-cant-save-wiki-ousted-tunisian-dictator/.

  10. Patrick Goodenough, “Obama Says He ‘Stood with’ Tunisians and Egyptians, but He Was Wary at the Time,” CNSNews.com, October 23, 2012, http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-says-he-stood-tunisians-and-egyptians-he-was-wary-time.

  11. Christopher Alexander, “Tunisia’s Protest Wave: Where It Comes from and What It Means,” ForeignPolicy.com, January 3, 2011, http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/01/02/tunisia_s_protest_wave_where_it_comes_from_and_what_it_means_for_ben_ali.

  12. Goodenough, “Obama Says He ‘Stood with’ Tunisians and Egyptians, but He Was Wary at the Time.”

  13. Tarek Amara, “Tunisian Islamists, Secularists Gird for Rival Shows of Strength,” Reuters, August 13, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/13/us-tunisia-crisis-idUSBRE97C0D220130813.

  14. Goodenough, “Obama Says He ‘Stood with’ Tunisians and Egyptians, but He Was Wary at the Time.”

  15. Matthew Shaffer, “Obama’s Speech After Mubarak’s Resignation,” NationalReview.com, February 11, 2011, http://www.nationalreview.com/egypt-watch/259611/obamas-speech-after-mubaraks-resignation-matthew-shaffer.

  16. Raymond Ibrahim, “Behind Benghazi: Muslim Brotherhood and Obama Administration,” HumanEvents.com, August 16, 2013, http://www.humanevents.com/2013/08/16/behind-benghazi-muslim-brotherhood-and-obama-administration/.

  17. Glenn Kessler, “Hillary Clinton’s
Uncredible Statement on Syria,” Washington Post, April 4, 2011, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/hillary-clintons-uncredible-statement-on-syria/2011/04/01/AFWPEYaC_blog.html.

  18. Joby Warrick, “Some Now Question U.S. Deal That Brought Gaddafi Back into Diplomatic Fold,” Washington Post, February 25, 2011, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/24/AR2011022407829.html.

  19. “Libyan Uprising One-Year Anniversary: Timeline,” Telegraph (U.K.), February 17, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/9087969/Libyan-uprising-one-year-anniversary-timeline.html.

  20. “We Came, We Saw, He Died,” Daily Mail Online, October 21, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051826/We-came-saw-died-What-Hillary-Clinton-told-news-reporter-moments-hearing-Gaddafis-death.html.

  21. Eli Lake, “Al Qaeda Offers Aid to Rebels in Libya,” Washington Times, February 24, 2011, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/24/al-qaeda-offers-aid-to-rebels-in-libya/?page=all.

  22. Praveen Swami, Nick Squires, and Duncan Gardham, “Libyan Rebel Commander Admits His Fighters Have al-Qaeda Links,” Telegraph (U.K.), March 25, 2011, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8407047/Libyan-rebel-commander-admits-his-fighters-have-al-Qaeda-links.html.

  23. “Al Qaeda May Already Be Among Libya’s Rebels,” CBSNews.com, March 30, 2011, http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503543_162-20048982-503543/al-qaeda-may-already-be-among-libyas-rebels/.

  24. Christopher Ayad, “ ‘We Are Simply Muslim’: Libyan Rebel Chief Denies Al-Qaeda Ties,” Time.com, September 4, 2011, http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2091744,00.html.

  25. Jean-Pierre Perrin, “Top Libyan Rebel Leader Has Deep Al Qaeda Ties,” WorldCrunch.com, August 29, 2011, http://www.worldcrunch.com/top-libyan-rebel-leader-has-deep-al-qaeda-ties/world-affairs/top-libyan-rebel-leader-has-deep-al-qaeda-ties/c1s3661/.

  26. “Congress Members Grill Administration Officials on Libya Mission,” CNN.com, March 31, 2011, http://edition.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/30/congress.libya.briefing/index.html.

  27. Tom Curry, “Obama, Libya, and the Authorization Conflict,” NBCNews.com, March 22, 2011, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/42201792/ns/politics/t/obama-libya-authorization-conflict/#.UgqTx2DrOR8.

  28. “Bipartisan Congress Rebuffs Obama on Libya Mission,” Washington Times, June 3, 2011, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/3/bipartisan-congress-rebuffs-obama-libya-mission/.

  29. Jeffrey M. Jones, “Americans Shift to More Negative View of Libya Military Action,” Gallup.com, June 24, 2011, http://www.gallup.com/poll/148196/americans-shift-negative-view-libya-military-action.aspx.

  30. Elisabeth Bumiller and Thom Shanker, “U.S. Is Unlikely to Arm Libyan Rebels, Obama Aides Say,” New York Times, March 31, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/01/world/africa/01military.html.?pagewanted=all.

  31. “Yes, We Can: Obama Waives Anti-Terrorism Provisions to Arm Syrian Rebels,” RT.com, September 17, 2013, http://rt.com/usa/obama-terrorist-arms-supply-966/.

  32. Karen DeYoung and Greg Miller, “In Libya, CIA Is Gathering Intelligence on Rebels,” Washington Post, March 30, 2011, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/in-libya-cia-is-gathering-intelligence-on-rebels/2011/03/30/AFLyb25B_story.html.

  33. Jake Tapper, Jon Karl, and Russell Goldman, “President Obama Authorizes Covert Help for Libyan Rebels,” ABCNews.com, March 30, 2011, http://abcnews.go.com/International/president-obama-authorizes-covert-libyan-rebels/storyNew?id=13259028&singlePage=true.

  34. James Risen, Mark Mazzetti, and Michael S. Schmidt, “U.S.-Approved Weapons Transfer Ended Up with Libyan Jihadis,” NYTimes.com, December 5, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/world/africa/weapons-sent-to-libyan-rebels-with-us-approval-fell-into-islamist-hands.html.?pagewanted=all.

  35. Rod Nordland and Scott Shane, “Libyan, Once a Detainee, Is Now a U.S. Ally of Sorts,” NYTimes.com, April 24, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/world/guantanamo-files-libyan-detainee-now-us-ally-of-sorts.html.?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1347728400-2My68hL/Qqy52SG0reimIg&_r=1.

  36. Ibid.

  37. Senator Rand Paul, “Hold Obama Accountable for Benghazi Cover-up,” NewsMax.com, August 7, 2013, http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/rand-paul-hillary-benghazi/2013/08/07/id/519270.

  38. AWR Hawkins, “Attorney for Whistleblower: 400 U.S. Missiles Stolen in Benghazi,” Breitbart.com, August 12, 2013, http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/08/12/Attorney-For-Benghazi-Whistleblower-400-U-S-Missiles-Stolen-In-Benghazi-Annex-Involved.

  39. Sheera Frenkel Antakya, “Syrian Rebels Squabble over Weapons as Biggest Shipload Arrives from Libya,” Times of London, September 14, 2012, http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/middleeast/article3537770.ece.

  40. Paul, “Hold Obama Accountable for Benghazi Cover-up.”

  41. Eric Schmitt, “CIA Said to Aid in Steering Arms to Syrian Opposition,” New York Times, June 21, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/world/middleeast/cia-said-to-aid-in-steering-arms-to-syrian-rebels.html.?pagewanted=all.

  42. Ben Swann, “One-on-One with President Obama: Why Is the U.S. Supporting Al Qaeda in Syria,” September 11, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_h_D_oAtnLI#t=122s.

  43. Perry Chairamonte, “Egypt Claims Jihadists Fired U.S. Hellfire Missile at Government Office,”FoxNews.com, August 5, 2013, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/05/us-made-hellfire-missile-believed-to-have-been-used-in-insurgent-attack-on/.

  44. Risen, Mazzetti, and Schmidt, “U.S.-Approved Weapons Transfer Ended Up with Libyan Jihadis.”

  45. Praveen Swami, Nick Squires, and Duncan Gardham, “Libyan rebel commander admits his fighters have al-Qaeda links,” Telegraph (U.K.), March 25, 2011, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindian ocean/libya/8407047/Libyan-rebel-commander-admits-his-fighters-have-al-Qaeda-links.html.

  46. Terence P. Jeffrey, “Hillary Clinton: Al-Qaida Got Arms out of Post-Revolutionary Libya,” CNSNews.com, April 17, 2013,http://cnsnews.com/blog/terence-p-jeffrey/hillary-clinton-al-qaida-got-arms-out-post-revolutionary-libya.

  47. Aaron Klein, “This Is What Benghazi ‘Consulate’ Really Was,” WND.com, October 16, 2012, http://www.wnd.com/2012/10/this-is-what-benghazi-consulate-really-was/.

  48. Aaron Klein, “Sources: Slain U.S. Ambassador Recruited Jihadists,” WND.com, September 24, 2012, http://www.wnd.com/2012/09/sources-slain-u-s-ambassador-recruited-jihadists/.

  49. Ben Shapiro, “BenghaziGate: Obama Admin Knew Libyan Terrorists Had U.S.-Provided Weapons,” Breitbart.com, December 5, 2012, http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2012/12/05/NYT-Benghazi-weapons-funneled.

  50. Adrian Blomfield, Damien McElroy, and Ruth Sherlock, “Islamists Blamed for Killing General Abdel Fattah Younes as Libya’s Rebels Face Up to Enemy Within,” Telegraph (U.K.), July 30, 2011, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8673021/Islamists-blamed-for-killing-General-Abdel-Fattah-Younes-as-Liyas-rebels-face-up-to-enemy-within.html.

  51. John Rosenthal, “Newsmax Exclusive: U.S. Hired al-Qaeda-Linked Group to Defend Benghazi Mission,” Newsmax.com, May 3, 2013, http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/benghazi-consulate-protected-alqaida/2013/05/02/id/502565.

  52. Jeryl Bier, “State Dept. Report Lists 6 Terror Attacks Last Year in Benghazi Before 9/11 Attack,” WeeklyStandard.com, May 31, 2013, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/state-dept-report-lists-6-terror-attacks-last-year-benghazi-911-attack_732051.html.

  53. Mel Frykberg, “British Say Weapons They Left at U.S. Consulate in Benghazi Are Missing,” McClatchyDC.com, October 12, 2012, http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/10/12/171421/british-say-weapons-they-left.html.#.UgrnYWDrOR8.

  54. Jeryl Bier, “State Dept. Report Lists 6 Terror Attacks Last Year in Benghazi Before 9/11 Attack,” WeeklyStandard.com, May 31, 2013, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/state-dept-report-lists-6-terror-attacks-last-year-benghazi-911-attack_732051.html.

  55. “Interim Progress Report for the Members of the House Republican Conference on
the Events Surrounding the September 11, 2012, Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, Libya,” April 23, 2013, http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Libya-Progress-Report-Final-1.pdf. Subsequently referred to as “Interim Progress Report.”

  56. Rosenthal, “Newsmax Exclusive: U.S. Hired al-Qaeda-Linked Group to Defend Benghazi Mission.”

  57. Eric Allan Nordstrom, “Prepared Statement at the Request of Chairman Issa and the Committee on Oversight & Government Reform,” Hearing on Security Failures in Benghazi, Tripoli on September 11, 2012, October 10, 2012, http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2012-10-09-NORDSTROM-Written-Statement-Final1.pdf.

  58. Jake Tapper, “U.S. Security Official in Libya Tells Congressional Investigators About ‘Inappropriately Low’ Security at Benghazi Post,” ABCNews.com, October 10, 2012, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/10/u-s-security-official-in-libya-tells-congressional-investigators-about-inappropriately-low-security-at-benghazi-post/.

  59. “Interim Progress Report.”

  60. “CNN Finds, Returns Journal Belonging to Late U.S. Ambassador,” CNN.com, September 23, 2012, http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/22/world/africa/libya-ambassador-journal/index.html.

  61. “Interim Progress Report.”

  62. Pat Buchanan, “The Smoking Gun of the Benghazi Cover-up,” WND.com, November 1, 2012, http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/the-smoking-gun-of-the-benghazi-cover-up/.

  63. Documents released by House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, October 19, 2012, http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/DEI-to-BHO-10-19-2012-attachments.pdf.

  64. Jonathan Easley, “Report: Officials Say Stevens Turned down Extra Benghazi Security,” TheHill.com, May 15, 2013, http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/299807-report-officials-say-stevens-turned-down-extra-benghazi-security.

  65. Harald Doornbos and Jenan Moussa, “ ‘Troubling’ Surveillance Before Benghazi Attack,” ForeignPolicy.com, November 1, 2012, http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/11/01/troubling_surveillance_before_benghazi_attack.