Category: Blogroll

Remember: When the GOP Was in Charge, They Flew $12 Bil in Cash into the Iraq War Zone – And Lost It All

Jon Ponder

It is nothing less than astounding that Pres. Obama and the congressional Democrats have allowed themselves to be put on the defensive about stimulus spending by the same Republicans who, with George Bush, ran the national debt into the trillions in just six short years.

It does not bode well that the president and the Democrats can’t find the cojones to cram the Republicans’ hypocrisy on spending back in their faces.

In particular, this would be a good time to remind Sen. McConnell, Rep. Boehner and the rest that it was they who sat idly by while Bush’s men shrink-wrapped $12 billion in U.S. currency — 363 tons of $100 bills — loaded it onto pallets and flew it on transport planes into the Iraq war zone in mid-2003.

That money vanished into thin air, and Republicans have stonewalled Democrats’ efforts to find out what happened to it ever since.

Republicans Have Hijacked the Stimulus Message

Trish

Joan Walsh at Salon says Republicans are winning the media war over the economic stimulus package.

This had merely been a stupid GOP talking point until 10 minutes ago; now it’s becoming a stupid media talking point. Funny how that works.

…the stimulus fight is tougher than it should be for Democrats. Clearly the best ally the Republicans have is the economic illiteracy of the pundit class in America. I’m watching NBC’s Chuck Todd say the Democrats have lost the “message war” over the stimulus, because it’s now just seen as a “spending bill.” There’s no way for a stimulus bill not to be a spending bill…This had merely been a stupid GOP talking point until 10 minutes ago; now it’s becoming a stupid media talking point. Funny how that works.

Walsh says timing is bad for Democrats, with the failures of the TARP bailout all over the news. The question is, why isn’t this bad for the Republicans? That bill was passed under Bush and managed by his Republican administration. It was their idea to take away taxpayer oversight of how the funds were distributed.

It’s not good that we’re debating how to spend the second “tranche” of the awful TARP program at the same time as we’re having the stimulus debate; I think the inequities and inefficiencies of TARP are smogging the atmosphere for the as-yet-unfinished stimulus bill. We all heard about a desperately needed $700 billion bailout bill a few months ago — it rewarded bad behavior and, worst of all, it didn’t work. So why should Americans be any more optimistic about the separate (and it’s hard to keep straight that it is separate) stimulus bill Obama has championed?

Walsh offers a good suggestion on how to salvage the media battle and get the right message to the citizenry.

…Obama and the Democrats need to break three or four categories of spending out of the bill, and crusade for them daily, in real-life, real-job, real-money terms. This mess is complicated, and I’m not suggesting that Obama demagogue or exaggerate, but what the plan will accomplish is getting lost in debate over tax cuts and tax credits, shovel-ready vs. forward-looking projects, and confusion over the stimulative role of direct grants to the states. There is so much confusion and ignorance at work here, only some of it willful. Obama has an enormous educational and not merely political task in front of him this week, and he can’t expect much help from most of the media.

Quote du Jour

Trish

“He’s from Hawaii, O.K.? He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there.”

— David Axelrod (1955 – ), White House senior advisor, explaining why people are allowed to take off their suit jackets in the president’s presence

Here’s Who Obama Plans to Watch the Super Bowl With

Trish

Here are the folks invited to the White House Super Bowl party. I’m not familiar with a lot of the representatives.

  • Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA)
  • Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  • Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA)
  • Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
  • Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL)
  • Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
  • Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA)
  • Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA)
  • Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)
  • Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
  • Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH)
  • Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC)
  • Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA)
  • Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)

The Year of the Ox is the Year of the Obama

Trish

Chinese New Year began Monday, Jan. 26, ushering in the Year of the Ox. As is customary, many Chinese, Vietnamese, and other Asian families spent a few days cleaning their homes to sweep away the bad luck from last year and make way for the good fortune to come.

Understanding the symbolism of the ox helps appreciate the meaning of this new year.

  • The ox is the second icon in the Asian zodiac. Because of its position near the top of the zodiac hierarchy, the ox typically represents a period of renewal and rebirth, or a fresh start.
  • For this Lunar New Year, the ox falls in alignment with one of the five important elements (fire, water, metal, earth and wood) identified in feng shui. This year may also be referred to as the Year of the Earth Ox. The earth element is commonly associated with stability, growth and a solid foundation.
  • The ox is strong and is viewed as a beast of burden. This year’s ox isn’t overly aggressive, and is viewed as more thoughtful in its approach to business and relationships. Oxen pull rather than push.
  • People born in the Year of the Ox are supposed to inspire others to become leaders. Oxen are also considered patient, dependable, hardworking, ambitious, modest, logical, resolute, and tenacious.
Pres. Barack Obama was born August 4, 1961 — the Year of the Ox

So who’s an ox? Anyone born in 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997 or 2009. Pres. Barack Obama was born August 4, 1961.

If that doesn’t make the hair on your arms stand up, consider this. The Vietnamese use a water buffalo instead of an ox, meaning the animal is more closely associated with the element water.

Since water and earth are considered opposites, some Asians and Asian Americans may view this year as a year of turmoil, instability and conflict.

Let’s just go with the Chinese version and leave it at that.

Except for one more thing. George W. Bush was born July 6, 1946, which was the Year of the Dog.

[Dogs] have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people’s confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues.

There might be something to this zodiac stuff after all…

Super Bowl Players are Among Obama’s Biggest (and We Mean Biggest) Fans

Trish

Cardinals mascot “Big Red” sends a message


The world (well, except for Buck and Jon) will watch as the Arizona Cardinals, who have never been to a Super Bowl, try to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have won the big game five times. The winners will take home gold and diamond rings, along with bragging rights that last right up until their next big loss.

But even though the Cardinals would like to show the world once and for all that they are a real football team by actually winning the Super Bowl, not just finally playing in one, there’s another reason they want to prevail: the team that wins Super Bowl 43 will have a chance to meet President 44.

“History has been made with Obama,” Arizona receiver [Steve Breaston] said. “I would be ecstatic if we could be the first team to go in and shake his hand.”

A day after the Steelers won the AFC championship and the Cardinals added to their surprising playoff run by claiming the NFC title, Obama took the oath of office in the nation’s capital. In central Florida, Arizona defensive end Bertrand Berry was filming a promotional spot with his daughter, but he took time off to watch history unfold.

“It was really emotional for me,” Berry said. “I don’t believe I stopped crying the whole time.”

You would think the team from John McCain’s adopted home state would be a little bitter toward his rival. But who besides Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter would stoop that low? In fact, the same opportunity to meet the president is motivating Pittsburgh.

“That would be very special,” Steelers linebacker James Farrier said Wednesday. “Everybody is excited about our new president. Being the first African-American president, it’s a great time in our country. We definitely want to be the first team to go meet him after the Super Bowl. That would be one of the highlights of being in the Super Bowl and winning the Super Bowl.”

Cook: One President, Two Nations

Buck Banks

The National Review’s Charlie Cook had a very interesting column today that gives a pretty good overview of where we are as a nation in relation to our new president. It’s worth a read:

John Edwards was right when he spoke about there being “two Americas.” The way Edwards framed it, there was an America of “haves” and an America of “have-nots.” My version is a bit different. There is an America that watched with hope and excitement as Barack Obama took the oath of office to become the 44th president of the United States. And there is an America that watched with dread and skepticism.

It’s not exactly that they want Obama to fail but more that they feel they have little reason to believe that he will succeed in a way that helps them personally.

In the first and much larger group, there are many people who have a deep appreciation for the historic nature of Obama’s presidency and a sense that he is the right person for the job and will do well. A subset of this group is so worried about the nation’s economic problems that they hope Obama succeeds even though they didn’t vote for him.

The second group is profoundly pessimistic. Because of his race and education, Obama is very different from any of their friends, neighbors, or co-workers. The people in this group are deeply suspicious of his motives. Some are afraid that he will dismantle our nation’s military and leave America vulnerable. Others fear he will tax away everything they worked hard to accumulate. It’s not exactly that they want Obama to fail but more that they feel they have little reason to believe that he will succeed in a way that helps them personally. Voters in this group rarely support a Democrat for president, but their pessimism about this particular Democratic president is especially acute. I doubt that Obama will ever be able to win these people over. The bigger question is whether they will ever accept him as president.

Recent poll results are fascinating and confirm that the first group is substantially larger than the second. Gallup found that 83 percent of Americans approved of the way that Obama handled his transition, compared with 12 percent who disapproved. This favorable rating is significantly higher than those of Presidents-elect Clinton or George W. Bush. In two Gallup Polls taken after Election Day, Obama’s approval numbers were 78 percent and 75 percent. Clinton’s final pre-inaugural Gallup approval rating was 68 percent; Bush’s was 61 percent.

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Chinese Censor Obama’s Inaugural Address

Buck Banks

While pundits picked apart President Barack Obama’s inaugural address — did it meet expectations, was it too sober, did he rip off earlier presidents’ speeches — Chinese authorities were busy censoring parts of the 20-minute speech. Though most Chinese news sites carried the full text of the speech in English, the versions translated into Chinese were mildly redacted, according to the BBC.

In his inauguration address, President Obama said: “Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.”

That entire passage was retained for an English-language version of the speech that appeared on the website of state-run Xinhua news agency.

But in the Chinese-language version, the word “communism” was taken out.

President Obama’s comments addressed to world leaders who “blame their society’s ills on the West” also fell foul of the censor’s red pen.

“To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history,” the president said.

Once again, Xinhua included the passage in full in its English version, but the sentence was taken out of the Chinese translation.

Man, those Chinese are sensitive. I mean, Obama could just as easily been referring to Russia or to the United Arab Emirates as China. But the Chinese may be on to something, as Obama might not be as cozy as George Bush was with world’s third-largest economy.

As an editorial in the state-run China Daily put it: “Given the popular American eagerness for a break from the Bush years, many wonder, or worry to be precise, whether the new president would ignore the hard-earned progress in bilateral ties.”

Well, as long as they stop trying to poison our dogs and babies and toothpaste and break our Internet, we’ll stay on good terms with the Commies, er, I mean Chinese.

The All-New White House Web Site is Up

Trish

While you were watching Obama being inaugurated on T.V., elves were busy transforming the White House web site. Actually, it might not have been elves but one Macon Phillips, who in the first blog post (!) to the site, identifies himself as the White House’s “Director of New Media.”

By clicking on “the Agenda” in the navigation, you get a to-do list Obama and his team are planning to complete. Under “Civil Rights” you find this:

Support for the LGBT Community

“While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It’s about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect.”

— Barack Obama, June 1, 2007

  • Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.

  • Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees’ domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

  • Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.

  • Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.

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