Where’s the Outrage?

In my opinion, there are lots of reasons to love the Rachel Maddow Show.  Maddow is really the only true progressive on the air today. I put Keith Olbermann in a category of populist more than progressive.

At any rate, her look at President-elect Barack Obama’s speech on the economy is truly progressive. She compares Barack Obama’s vision to Ronald Reagan’s. Ronald Reagan proclaimed that the government was the problem. This has been the dominant etiology of the United States and economic political thought for almost 30 years. Now, in this crisis, Barack Obama is stating that the government is the only agency that has the ability to fix this problem.

Some spending conservatives (blue dog Democrats and fiscal conservative Republicans) are trying to argue that spending cuts and tax cuts are what we need.  Here’s the problem — manufacturing is down because demand for American products is down. American consumers are not buying. American businesses are shedding jobs. Remember we lost over a half a million jobs in November. December’s job numbers are expected to be the same. Tax cuts are not going to stimulate buying. Tax cuts are not going to stimulate enough job growth. Targeted government spending will get businesses to begin to hire here at home to cover these government contracts. Businesses will then in turn have to buy supplies in order to do business which would stimulate more the economy. Individuals hired at a “fair” rate will then be able to spend money again stimulating the economy.

I believe that Barack Obama is on the right track. I’m just hoping that his powers of persuasion will be enough to pull Congress along with him.

Tags: Economy, Media, Obama administration by ecthompson
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• The United States abstained from a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate and durable cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. The United States abstained. The United States abstained? I just don’t understand how we are not taking the lead in this conflict. It would seem that sitting on the sidelines is not a viable option.
• A committee in the Illinois House of Representatives has recommended that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich be impeached. The recommendation was unanimous. Interestingly, Ronald Burris, soon to be the junior senator from Illinois, had to testify in front of this committee. He stated that there was no “quid pro quo” for his nomination.
• As of today, it appears that only one of Barack Obama’s nominations for his Cabinet posts is going to be scrutinized or beat up by the Republicans. Senator Arlen Specter and Senator Charles Grassley are gearing up to oppose Eric Holder (Obama’s choice for Attorney General). The part of this saga that I find intriguing is that no one had any specific objection to Eric Holder shortly after the nomination was announced. Early in December, Karl Rove called Eric Holder, “one controversial nominee.” Since then, Arlen Specter’s rhetoric has become more and more negative towards Eric Holder. So here are some of my questions. Is Alan Specter worried about a challenge from his Right in 2010? Do Alan Specter and Charles Grassley take marching orders from Karl Rove? Has Karl Rove become the de facto president of the Republican National Committee? Why would Karl Rove have any significant pull in the Republican Party after getting trounced in two national elections?
• Terrible flooding in Washington State.
• Missile strike has reportedly killed two top Al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan. Only time will tell if these guys where truly top Al Qaeda operatives or just Al Qaeda foot soldiers.
• Has Microsoft thrown in the towel on Vista? Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, has announced that Windows 7 is in Beta testings. He is calling it the best Windows ever. Well, it has to be better than ME.
• Missouri Senator Kit Bond is rumored to be retiring. No run in 2010. This opens up another Republican seat for the Dems to challenge.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Israel, Legal, Obama administration, Senate by ecthompson
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I briefly got a chance to look at Barack Obama’s speech on the economy. He isn’t president yet; nonetheless, he is urging Congress to get some work done. Working too slowly will worsen the problem. Passing a stimulus package that is too small will prolong the recession if it doesn’t lead to a depression. Congress for the first time in a long time matters. They need to get this right. 

Here’s what Steve Benen said and I agree 100%.

“I know the scale of this plan is unprecedented,” Obama said, “but so is the severity of our situation. We have already tried the wait-and-see approach to our problems, and it is the same approach that helped lead us to this day of reckoning. That is why the time has come to build a 21st century economy in which hard work and responsibility are once again rewarded.” To that end, Obama described an ambitious vision on energy, healthcare, education, infrastructure, and closing loopholes that “allow Wall Street wrongdoers to slip through regulatory cracks.”

But here’s the part of the speech that, at least politically, was the most important:

“It is true that we cannot depend on government alone to create jobs or long-term growth, but at this particular moment, only government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift us from a recession this deep and severe. Only government can break the vicious cycles that are crippling our economy — where a lack of spending leads to lost jobs which leads to even less spending; where an inability to lend and borrow stops growth and leads to even less credit.

“That is why we need to act boldly and act now to reverse these cycles. That’s why we need to put money in the pockets of the American people, create new jobs, and invest in our future. That’s why we need to re-start the flow of credit and restore the rules of the road that will ensure a crisis like this never happens again.”

Reagan told us that government “is the problem.” Clinton told us the “era of big government is over.” And Obama wants America to know that government is the “only” institution that’s capable of addressing an economic crisis of this severity.

For all of the talk in recent weeks about the president-elect’s ideology and partisan fealty, this speech was a reminder of the importance of government activism in a time of overwhelming challenges. And that, at its core, is an inescapably liberal message.

Tags: Congress, Economy, Obama administration by ecthompson
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Wednesday Evening News Roundup

• I feel pretty confident that Roland Burris will be seated in the Senate sometime soon. Everyone, slowly but surely, is coming to the same conclusion. We have no evidence that Roland Burris has done anything wrong. The man has an ego the size of the state of Illinois, true, but as far as I know, that is not a crime. Representative Bobby Rush, who looks something like Skeletor, is a perfect character in this relatively unbelievable tale. He was the one who was called to the podium after Ronald Burris was introduced as Governor Blagojevich’s choice for the vacant Senate seat. Rep. Rush keeps using these race-based analogies which just don’t fit. I would go so far as to say they’re completely and totally inappropriate. He went on Hardball with Chris Matthews and equated not seating Ronald Burris with the dogs that were commanded to attack blacks in Birmingham, Alabama. I just hope someone can find him a good psychiatrist.
• A cease-fire was negotiated in the Gaza Strip so that humanitarian aid could get into Gaza City.  The cease-fire which was supposed to last three hours lasted approximately 15 minutes.
• President-elect Barack Obama stated that the stimulus package may grow as change is needed. I find this completely appropriate.
• Senator Dianne Feinstein, who had nothing but venom to spew at Leon Panetta on Monday, is now supporting his nomination. Maybe Tuesday was the first time she had an opportunity to see how much progressives really despised her role in facilitating the crimes against the Constitution that George Bush perpetrated.
• President Jimmy Carter gives his assessment of what is happening in Gaza.  Whether you believe his version of events or not, it is clear that he has tired to broker peace and stop the blood-shed.

I am again having some computer issues and may not be able to post as much as I would like to this evening.

Tags: Hardball, Israel, Obama administration, Senate by ecthompson
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There’s been a lot of handwringing and consternation over Barack Obama’s choice of Leon Panetta to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. Dianne Feinstein (Democrat-California) issued a terse statement on Monday afternoon letting everyone know that she wasn’t consulted and she did not approve. Remember that I was reserved in my comments. Now that the dust has settled, I think it is clearer that Barack Obama has probably made the right decision. Leon Panetta will not be someone easily pushed around and isolated from the White House by any of the senators on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Instead, known as an excellent manager, Leon Panetta should be able to organize that agency.

I don’t think that this was a slap in the face. Instead, I think that it was an announcement that things are really going to be different. This will not be business as usual. After renditions, torture, illegal wiretaps and the like, I think that this strong signal that things are going to be different and different is a very good thing. Finally, I would add that the Obama team didn’t leak Panetta’s name. It was leaked by someone on the Hill who wasn’t happy. (Feinstein or Rockerfeller’s offices..? I’m just guessing but I bet that I’m close.)

From WaPo:

President-elect Barack Obama said yesterday that he has selected a “top-notch intelligence team” that would provide the “unvarnished” information his administration needs, rather than “what they think the president wants to hear.”

But current and former intelligence officials expressed sharp resentment over Obama’s choice of Leon E. Panetta as CIA director and suggested that the agency suffers from incompetent leadership and low morale. “People who suggest morale is low don’t have a clue about what’s going on now,” said CIA spokesman Mark Mansfield, citing recent personnel reforms under Director Michael V. Hayden.

On Capitol Hill, Democrats on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence were still stewing over Obama not consulting them on the choice before it was leaked Monday and continued to question Panetta’s intelligence experience. Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. acknowledged that the transition team had made a “mistake” in not consulting or even notifying congressional leaders, and Obama telephoned committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and her predecessor, Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), yesterday to apologize. (more… )

Tags: National Intelligence, Obama administration by ecthompson
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Monday Night News Roundup

• “Bernard Madoff” is becoming synonymous with “swindler” and “crook.” A very nice article in Newsweek details how he started his Ponzi scheme. Seeems it all began at the Palm Beach Country Club in Florida. Here’s a wonderful line from the article –They [the rich soon to be swindled] knew that money and social cachet could afford them access to exclusive services and experiences—private jets, club seats at sporting events, invitations to state dinners. Similarly, many believed a high fabulousness quotient entitled them to Madoff’s too-good-to-be-true service—consistent market-beating returns without volatility, all without big charges. Anything that sounds too good to be true usually is.
  
• New numbers from Detroit are out. Americans bought 2.9 million fewer cars in 2008 then they did the year before. Even Toyota and Honda have seen declines in car sales over the last four to eight weeks. I think this is a sign that this recession is not going anywhere any time soon. We need an economic stimulus package and we need it now.
• I would be remiss if I did not discuss some of the violence going on in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military has invaded the Gaza Strip and their forces have surrounded Gaza city. My question is… now what? Three Israeli soldiers have died from so-called “friendly fire.” The Palestinian death toll is now well over 500. Doesn’t the death of innocent citizens fuel some this Palestinian anger? The European Union has tried to mediate some sort of cease-fire. French President Nicholas Sarkozy is currently in the Middle East. Israel is calling for some sort of international monitoring contingent. Hamas has stated they will only stop the rocket attacks once the blockade is lifted off of Gaza. Of course, the blockade is the only thing that is preventing more guns, ammunition and rockets from entering Gaza. In my opinion, both sides need to learn how to behave.
• The rumor mill, which has so far been very accurate, has suggested that former White House Chief of Staff, Leon Panetta has been picked to run the CIA. Although Leon Panetta is not an intelligence expert, he is widely regarded as an excellent manager. I haven’t really made up my mind on this pick yet. Maybe a skilled manager is exactly what the Central Intelligence Agency truly needs. William J. Lynn, former top Pentagon official in the Clinton administration, has been chosen to be Deputy Secretary of Defense. Considering the information I laid out for you in my post earlier tonight about the amount of waste in the Defense Department, the Deputy Secretary of Defense is an extremely important position. That role will be crucial in preventing this kind of giant waste. (I’m still depressed over the withdrawal of Governor Bill Richardson.)
• Former Senator Claiborne Pell has died at the age of 90. For the last several years he suffered from Parkinson’s disease. I never knew the senator from Rhode Island, but I have benefited from the grants that now carry his name. A senator who championed the arts and education can be marked as “great” in my opinion. There’s a great editorial in the New York Times giving a personal account of how much these Pell grants have meant. We could sure use some more senators like Claiborne Pell.
• I just started a new book called “The Return of Depression Economics And the Crisis of 2008” by Paul Krugman. It turns out this really isn’t a new book. The book has been updated but it was first published nearly a decade ago to describe what was going on in Japan and Asia. His column today really comes from this book. Krugman outlines the need for bold action and the resistance he will find from some politicians who want “proof” that deficit spending will help prevent massive layoffs. Note that these same politicians did not require proof that tax cuts actually work to stimulate the economy. This is another great article.
• Finally, Media Matters analyzes Ann Coulter’s latest pack of lies called “Guilty.” Ann Coulter has been one of the best from the Right at spinning a lie. She usually starts with the truth and then moves to some topic that’s more obscure. She will state this topic as fact and then make her big point, which is almost always wrong. So the formula is: truth, which leads to half-truth, which then leads to outright lie. From Media Matters - These falsehoods come on a wide-ranging list of subjects including her defense of the claims made against Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth during the 2004 presidential campaign; her assertion that “Fox News has never been caught promoting a fraud”; her claim that President-elect Barack Obama was referring to Gov. Sarah Palin when he said “you know, you can put lipstick on a pig; it’s still a pig”; and attacks she makes against New York Times columnist Frank Rich.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Economy, Israel, Media, Obama administration, Party Politics by ecthompson
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I talked about this a couple of weeks ago. Governor Bill Richardson was just about to get himself into some deep hot water. He is under federal investigation for a quid pro quo. In my opinion, Bill Richardson is a good and thoughtful man who, unfortunately, got caught up in this problem.

From CNN.com:

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is withdrawing his nomination to be commerce secretary, citing the distraction of a federal investigation into ties to a company that has done business with his state.
Gov. Bill Richardson said a probe focused on him would delay work toward bettering the economy.

Two Democratic officials told CNN the investigation involves a California company that won municipal bond business in New Mexico after contributing money to various Richardson causes.

In a statement Sunday, Richardson said he asked Obama “not to move forward” with his nomination now.

“I do so with great sorrow. But a pending investigation of a company that has done business with New Mexico state government promises to extend for several weeks or, perhaps, even months,” the statement reads. “Let me say unequivocally that I and my Administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact. But I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process. (more… )

Tags: Obama administration by ecthompson
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I talked about this with Bill Scher, from Campaign for America’s Future and Liberal Oasis, on my radio show today. We do need a real economic stimulus package. This package must stimulate the economy now and invest in tomorrow (energy, technology).

From EPI:

Given the state of the country’s infrastructure, more investment is certainly needed:

• Roads: According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, over two-thirds of roads are in poor or mediocre condition (TRIP 2005), resulting in $54 billion per year wasted on repairs and operating costs (American Society of Civil Engineers 2005a).
• Bridges: More than a quarter of all bridges are rated structurally deficient or obsolete, leading to closings and in some cases collapse (TRIP 2005).
• Waterways: Half of all waterway locks are functionally obsolete, resulting in waterway shutdowns and substantial business losses (American Society of Civil Engineers 2005b).
• Schools: School facilities are also in disrepair, and studies have shown that an additional $127-322 billion is needed to bring facilities into good overall condition (National Center for Education Statistics 2000). A Department of Education survey found that 43% of schools indicate that the condition of their facilities “interferes with the delivery of instruction” (National Center for Education Statistics 2007).
• Wastewater management: The deficiencies of the wastewater management infrastructure has left 772 communities experiencing a total of 9,471 identified combined sewer overflow problems, resulting in the release of approximately 850 billion gallons of raw or partially treated sewage annually (Mishel, Eisenbrey, and Irons 2008).

This is only part of package.  The package must be broad enough to help out everyone.  Here’s the down payment on our future part of the plan (more from EPI).

• Energy efficiency: According to the McKinsey Global Institute, not only are energy efficiency programs the most cost-effective means of reducing pollution, but many of them provide savings that significantly outweigh their costs (McKinsey Global Institute 2008). Programs such as the Clean Energy Corps—which combines training and job placement in order to put middle- to low-income people to work auditing and retro-fitting homes to be more energy efficient—would lower energy costs, help struggling communities, and create jobs.
• Green manufacturing: Over the next 50 years, the world will need and demand more and more clean energy. By developing its green technology industry, America can revive its economy by becoming a leading exporter of clean energy technology. Incentivizing automakers to build energy efficient vehicles here in the United Sates would improve our trade deficit and balance of payments, create jobs, and reduce carbon emissions. Provisions such as public-private research partnerships, research prizes, intellectual property reform, and R&D tax credits should be included to incentivize the research, development, commercialization, and mass production of clean energy technology and products. These provisions will reduce the trade deficit, reenergize the manufacturing sector, and create millions of high-paying jobs.
• Transportation: While much of our transportation infrastructure is in need of repair, more people are driving and riding than ever before. Building a modern interconnected public transit system would reduce traffic-related wasted time and fuel, expand labor markets by increasing mobility, lower the regressive transportation costs on the average household, and create high-paying jobs in construction, operation, and maintenance. Congress will consider a reauthorization of the surface transportation bill later in 2009, but setting aside additional funding for transportation projects by pre-funding the highway-trust fund with general revenues would expand the options available during reauthorization.
• Broadband deployment: The United States currently ranks 15th of 30 developed countries in overall broadband penetration as measured by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (Irons and Townson 2008). Nations that have prioritized broadband infrastructure have already seen improvements. For example, Denmark’s broadband penetration reached 34 connections per 100 inhabitants in 2007, while the United States had just 22 per 100. Expanding broadband infrastructure in the United States would not simply improve the speed of our connections for entertainment purposes, but it would also bring a wealth of knowledge to more citizens in more areas. With greater reach, the United States could see improvements in education, health care, and first-responder capabilities as communications become faster, more efficient, and more effective.
• Health care information technology: Better management of health care records and delivery could result in better quality care at lower costs. Increased investments in better information technologies would yield significant economic returns (Girosi, Meili, and Scoville 2005) as well as better health care outcomes.

Tags: Congress, Economy, Obama administration by ecthompson
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Eight years ago, when many in the US thought that it really didn’t matter who was president and that the country could run on automatic pilot, George Bush was elected. At the time, he was thought to have had the greatest foreign-policy team of all time. Colin Powell. Dick Cheney. Condoleezza Rice. Incredible credentials. Yet, after the last eight years, to describe President Bush’s foreign-policy as being a disaster is simply being kind. He’s made little or no progress in the Middle East. As a matter of fact, some may suggest at this point that his administration has actually taken the peace process backwards five or ten years.

On January 20th, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have to hit the ground running. The lack of American leadership is palpable around the world. Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip for the last four days. They did this in retaliation to multiple rocket attacks into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. This is a typical scenario. Israel takes a pounding and then retaliates disproportionately. The retaliation inevitably causes an international outcry. Sometime soon thereafter, Israel stops the offensive and we go back to square one. Soon-to-be Secretary of State Hillary Clinton must break this cycle.

Personally, I think it is important that we support Israel. The Palestinians, though, are living in abhorrent conditions. Their standard of living must be raised. If you have something to live for, then you are less likely to want to turn yourself into a human bomb. Hillary Clinton must find the balance that has escaped George H. W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and her husband, Bill Clinton. She must find a way to get all the parties involved to begin the discussion and to find a solution to the problem. This means including Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. (Some of these Arab countries have treated the Palestinians like unwanted stepchildren.)

From a political standpoint, this is a huge time bomb. If Barack Obama spends a lot of political capital early in his presidency on trying to fix the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and can’t find a solution, that will hurt some of his domestic agenda. On the other hand, we have seen what eight years of neglect does. On the surface, this seems to be a lose-lose proposition. But, as an optimist, I think that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will need to (and, with luck, will be able to) balance this with the many other crises around the world. We do need to defeat Al Qaeda. We do need to do better in Afghanistan and make it a functioning nation.  We also need to help Pakistan, not only with its relationship to India, but also with its relationship to Afghanistan. We need to get out of Iraq and develop a presence in Africa. We need to bolster Africa’s attempt to control some of its violence within its own continent (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Darfur for come to mind). As a nation, we cannot ignore the problems of South and Central America. In addition, the growing challenges of Asia, which include the vulnerability of some Asian countries to Al Qaeda, may be as daunting as any challenge that I’ve yet mentioned. I have to make a special mention of North Korea, of course, since it was an original member of the Axis of Evil.

If history shows us anything, it is two definitive paths which have not yet led to the settlement of this long conflict. The first path was taken by President Clinton, which was to wait to the end of his presidency then throw his whole weight behind the peace process. He, like Bush, was a lame duck and, because of that, could not get an agreement. Then there is President Bush’s way… ignore the problem and hope it will go away, which doesn’t work either. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton must choose a different path. It is time for Hillary Clinton to be great.

Tags: Al Qaeda, Israel, Obama administration by ecthompson
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Tuesday Evening News Roundup

Probably the biggest news of the day was that Governor Rod Blagojevich has appointed former Lt. Gov. Ronald Burris to replace Barack Obama in the Senate. One thing I can say is that I would not want to play poker with this guy. This guy has nerves of steel, no doubt. (The other possibility is that he’s too stupid to understand that no one is going to accept this appointment.) The only winners here, seems to me, are the Republicans in the state of Illinois.

Mychal Bell, the teenager involved in the Jena Six debacle, has reportedly tried to commit suicide. Just last week, he was allegedly arrested for stealing clothes worth about $370. As you may recall, this young man was at the center of a media storm 18 months ago. The whole tale is so sad and so tragic.

Remember John Bolton, the really crazy guy in President Bush’s State Department who was appointed to the UN but never could get certified by the Senate? He stated yesterday on FOX’s Hannity and Colmes that we should attack Iran right now. At least John Bolton is consistently crazy.

I’m not sure that there is anything that Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson has done that has “fixed” our ailing economy. I guess the widespread panic we saw in late September and early October has somewhat subsided. Was that worth over $350 billion? (Note that this does not include what the Fed handed out in cash, which came out to over $1 trillion.) The Treasury Department is injecting $6 billion into GMAC. GMAC is being allowed to restructure the company so that it will now be a bank and able lend to a larger variety of customers… in theory. All of this is theoretical. We thought that infusing the banks with cash would “in theory” loosen up banks’ lending and it didn’t happen. GMAC should be able to lend more money to auto customers. That might help the auto industry.

Home prices dropped in 20 major US cities. It was the fastest drop on record. This kind of drop it has only been in the picture since 2001. The index dropped 17% from October last year to October of 2008. More details here.

Remember the lobbyist who was rumored to have had an inappropriate relationship with Senator John McCain? Vicki Iseman. She appeared in a New York Times article which I’ve mentioned occasionally. I considered the important thing about the article to be that John McCain was still extremely close to lobbyists. Well, Vicki has just filed a $27 million defamation suit against the New York Times. Where’s Judge Judy when you need her?

Senator John Cornyn (Republican, Texas) has suggested that the Republican Party intends to obstruct the seating of Al Franken in the Senate. Senator Cornyn, a George Bush protégé, sent out a inflammatory statement, basically accusing Al Franken of trying to steal the election. As this long recount continues Al Franken appears to be closer and closer to victory. Currently, it appears as if Franken is ahead by 4950 votes. There is still a dispute, though, about how to count some of the previously discounted absentee ballots which probably should not have been discounted. Question: Shouldn’t we have an election system where all of this would have been worked out a long time ago? Shouldn’t we know which ballots to count and which ballots not to count? We been electing people for local, statewide and national office now for over 250 years. Why don’t we have standards?

On a sad end note, the final report on the Space Shuttle Columbia was issued by NASA today. The most surprising thing in the AP account of the report was that “the spacesuits, restraints and helmets of the Columbia crew were not equipped to handle such an extreme catastrophe.” I find such a statement mind-boggling. Even the most novice of scientists (this includes me) knows that the two most dangerous times of the whole shuttle flight are takeoff and reentry. The fact that their protective equipment did not really protect them makes me sick to my stomach. The full report can be found here. MSNBC has a nice interactive of the whole disaster here.

Tags: Civil Rights, NASA, Obama administration by ecthompson
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As everyone knows by now, Barack Obama has chosen the hugely successful but quite controversial Reverend Rick Warren to perform the opening invocation at his inauguration. The gay and lesbian community has been outraged over this choice. It has been noted that on his website he has stated that unrepentant homosexuals will not be accepted as members of his Saddleback Church. These harsh statements have disappeared from his website, but does this mean that the Reverend Warren has changed his mind about homosexuality? I doubt it.

This has become a very big deal in the Progressive community. The dustup over Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich really did not affect the Progressive community. Republicans were up in arms, but Progressives really did not believe that Barack Obama or anyone within his inner circle would be involved in selling Obama’s Senate seat. On the other hand, true Progressives believe in equality. We believe in equality amongst the races and in equality concerning sexual orientation. Barack Obama and Joe Biden have clearly stated that they also support gay rights but do not support gay marriage. (I’m not sure that I have yet resolved this conflict in logic but many “progressive” politicians have these illogical thoughts. “I support gay rights, but I can’t support gay marriage.” It doesn’t make a bit of sense to me, but then again, I’m not a politician.)

Here’s the problem. The gay and lesbian community embraced Bill Clinton and his presidency. In 1996, the Republican Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act.  Republicans were hoping to trap Democrats and a weakened President Clinton into arguing against this bill, but Democrats supported this bill overwhelmingly and President Clinton signed it into law. The gay and lesbian community thought that they were thrown under the bus, and they were. So now, 12 years later, the gay and lesbian community thought they had an ally in Barack Obama. (see Rachel Maddow’s video clip. She is really pissed at Obama for choosing Rick Warren.)

Personally, I believe Barack Obama was caught between a rock and a hard place. Because of his choice in Jeremiah Wright, I think Obama and his team must have thought that choosing a well-known black minister would have brought Obama’s old Reverend again to the forefront. Choosing an unknown minister would have caused everyone to scratch their heads and ask why Obama couldn’t get someone with “star power.” I think that Barack Obama sought, therefore, the least offensive popular (white) minister. (I understand that “least offensive” is subjective and really depends upon who is being affected by it.) I’m not saying that this was the best choice or even someone I’d have considered. I’m just saying that I think I understand the reasoning behind it.

I also believe that Barack Obama continues to support legitimately the cause of equality for the gay and lesbian communities. I think that he supports 95% of the gay and lesbian agenda but that this is the way it’s going to go over the next four years. Not just for gays and lesbians, but for all Progressives. Obama is really going to try to walk the tightrope between progressive and conservative Americans. The black and Latino communities, as well as supporters of women’s rights, will get their (our) feelings hurt in the coming months and even years. In spite of some hurt feelings,though, I think Barack Obama will do more for our collective causes than any other president has over the past 30 years.

Tags: Civil Rights, Obama administration by ecthompson
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Barack Obama was the obvious pick for Time’s Person of the Year. Sometimes Time misses the obvious and chooses something else, so no one could be sure until it was official.

 

 Obama" Time Person of the Year: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: General, Obama administration by ecthompson
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Although we went to vote on November 4th, as we all remember from history class, the president is actually elected through this Electoral College process. It is clearly time that we take a look at this. The Electoral College needs to be eliminated, as there is no reason in 2008 for its existence. If we are truly a democracy, the people should decide - directly. If.

Tags: Election 2008, Obama administration by ecthompson
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Monday Evening News Roundup

President-elect Barack Obama has formally announced his environmental and energy team. I’ve already mentioned Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu and Carol Browner. For Secretary of the Interior, he has named Senator Ken Salazar from Colorado. It is also rumored that President-elect Barack Obama will choose Chicago Public School Chief Arne Duncan for Secretary of Education.

The Illinois House has voted 113-0 to begin impeachment proceedings against Governor Rod Blagojevich. Hearings will begin tomorrow morning. I believe that is vital for the citizens of Illinois to send a clear signal that the governor needs to step down. Pressure needs to be placed on the governor from all sides.

Multinational giant, Siemens, has agreed to pay $1.34 billion in fines to the United States and Germany. Siemens is accused of bribing officials all over the world. German prosecutors were able to find records of slush funds and illegal payments. All I know is that it’s nice talking about a company screwing up that’s not American. It seems as if it is always Halliburton or KBR that are screwing up.

A new report documents the multiple failures that have occurred in the rebuilding of Iraq. It appears to me that we simply have a lack of leadership. With President Bush asleep at the wheel, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was left in charge of reconstruction. Donald Rumsfeld had no interest in reconstruction; therefore, it failed.

Bernard Madoff is a legendary Wall Street trader who has now been indicted for defrauding investors of somewhere around $50 billion. Recently, I’ve often mentioned billions and billions of dollars as if I were talking about Monopoly money. Many on Wall Street were playing with real money as if it were really Monopoly money.

More information is coming out about the Mumbai terrorist attack. Increasingly, links to the banned Pakistani terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, are being discovered.

A grand jury in New Mexico is investigating one of Governor Bill Richardson’s Political Action Committees. (Governor Bill Richardson is Obama’s choice for Secretary of Commerce.) The question surrounds a company called CDR Financial Products and whether they were given government contracts only after having donated $100,000 to several of the governor’s efforts. This could be trouble.

The Federal Reserve is looking into reforming the credit card industry. New regulations could ban credit card companies from changing interest rates and charging exorbitant late fees without giving customers sufficient notice. I say almost any reform of the credit card industry is welcomed.

A huge storm in the Northeast has left approximately 1.2 million people without power. Maybe it’s just me, but it would seem like places that get a significant amount of snow and ice every year would have buried power lines.

Tags: Economy, Obama administration, Pakistan by ecthompson
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President-elect Barack Obama has named New York City’s Shaun Donovan to head Housing and Urban Developement. I had never heard of Mr. Donovan before this, but he appears to be another excellent choice. Below you will see the President-elect’s weekly video address.

From WaPo:

President-elect Barack Obama today named Shaun Donovan, New York City’s commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development, to be secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

As head of New York City’s housing agency, Donovan, 42, helped lead what was called the nation’s largest affordable housing plan, which aims to build or preserve 165,000 units of affordable housing by 2013. He also has led efforts to provide legal and credit assistance and financial education to homebuyers seen as being most prone to predatory lending. Most recently, he has worked as an Obama campaign adviser, after taking a leave of absence from his job in the administration of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Donovan previously worked as a deputy assistant secretary of HUD during the Clinton administration and at Prudential Mortgage Capital Co., as managing director of the firm’s Federal Housing Administration loans and affordable housing investments.  (more… )

Tags: Domestic Issues, Obama administration by ecthompson
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Thursday Evening News Roundup

It should be no surprise to anyone that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich still dominates the news. It appears that several members of the Illinois House of Representatives are testing the waters to see if an article of impeachment would pass the House. I would hope that the Illinois legislature would move quickly to impeach the governor, removing him from office and not allowing him to taint any appointment to the Senate.
From the Illinois Constitution:

The House of Representatives has the sole power to conduct legislative investigations to determine the existence of cause for impeachment and, by the vote of a majority of the members elected, to impeach Executive and Judicial officers. Impeachments shall be tried by the Senate. When sitting for that purpose, Senators shall be upon oath, or affirmation, to do justice according to law. If the Governor is tried, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall preside. No person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the Senators elected. Judgment shall not extend beyond removal from office and disqualification to hold any public office of this State. An impeached officer, whether convicted or acquitted, shall be liable to prosecution, trial, judgment and punishment according to law.

The bailout for Detroit is being held up by several Republican senators.  Senator Bob Coker (Republican from Tennessee) has proposed a plan that would reduce wages and benefits of union workers. US auto workers must have a big target on their backs. Republicans have been after them for years and this is their opportunity. Perhaps auto workers need to give in to concessions now and renegotiate once we have the new Obama administration. Seems GM and Chrysler need this money desperately…now. (Basically, this is union-busting by the United States Senate.)

There is ongoing violence in Greece. For the last six days there have been fiery protests over a 15-year-old boy’s shooting by the police. Youthful demonstrators have forced schools and universities to close. There has been looting of banks and other public buildings and raw anarchy seems to reign.

Glenn Beck, conservative CNN talk show host, gave an interview to Time Magazine recently. The interview focused on his move from CNN to Fox News. Mysteriously, Glenn Beck states, “I was the most well researched show on CNN.” If that is true, CNN needs to close its doors now. Here’s just a short list of falsehoods that could have easily been looked up by anyone who is actually doing “research.”

From Think Progress:

– On Taxes: Falsely claimed the U.S. is the “number two” highest taxed country in the world.

– On Energy: Falsely claimed “drilling in ANWR alone would yield 100 million barrels a day.”

– On Global Warming: Falsely claimed that “the globe was the hottest” and “America’s temperature peaked” in 1934.

– On Sub-prime Crisis: Falsely claimed that the sub-prime lenders were “blackmailed” into lending to the poor and minorities by community organizers.

– On The Iraq War: Falsely claimed that the U.S. “went into Iraq…to prevent World War III.”

– On the Middle East: Falsely claimed that Palestine is “being run now by Hezbollah,” President Abbas is an extremist.

– On Obama: Falsely claimed that Fidel Castro endorsed Obama’s candidacy.

A bipartisan Senate report released today clearly states that former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other top Bush officials are completely responsible for the abuse of detainees at Guantánamo Bay. Okay, the obvious report has been released…now what? Who goes to jail?

Just a little more about the auto industry bailout. A 22-year-old tax law has been reversed so that the auto industry can write off their losses. I feel pretty confident that this is a huge mistake by our lawmakers.

Pakistan made some arrests in the Mumbai attacks today, which is reassuring news since it shows that Pakistan is taking the attack seriously. With any luck at all, this will defuse some of the tensions between India and Pakistan.

Tags: Economy, Obama administration, Pakistan by ecthompson
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For reasons that aren’t really clear to me, Progressives are nervous, even about Barack Obama. His Cabinet choices aren’t “liberal enough.” His Cabinet choices have too many of President Bill Clinton’s old cronies. He’s moving too fast… he’s moving too slowly.

My statement to Progressives is simple — when you begin to sound like Sean Hannity, you know something’s wrong.  In the realistic running of a government, it is helpful to hire people who have been in government before.  So, in order to find people who’ve been in government previously, you can either hire George Bush’s old Cabinet or President Bill Clinton’s. Hmmm… There are only a few people from the Carter era who are still young enough to serve effectively.  So… whom would we rather see… more Bushies or Clintonites?

People like Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly are playing both sides of the fence. If Obama picks somebody with experience, then the question is - are we re-living Bill Clinton’s years in the White House? Is this really change? Alternatively, if Barack Obama picks somebody with vision and no experience, they are able to say this person is not qualified. Therefore, I do not listen to either of them … nor the other right-wing talking heads because they are trying to bring down Obama before he starts.

Barack Obama seems to be maneuvering through the political minefield with extreme expertise. His choices have been nothing short of brilliant. He chose Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, to run the Department of Energy. This should make Progressives jump for joy for a number of reasons. This pick shows that Obama is serious about climate change. It shows that he respects intelligence and doesn’t mind having some really smart people around him. I must say… I have even come around and warmed to Hillary Clinton. So let’s sit back, relax and see where Barack Obama is driving this (our) train.

Tags: Obama administration by ecthompson
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Wednesday Night News Roundup

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is getting high marks for stupidity, gall, and unwarranted chutzpah. As I mentioned yesterday, “candidate five” was thought to be Jesse Jackson, Jr.. He held a press conference today which did absolutely nothing to clear his name.

Barack Obama has chosen Steven Chu, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, to head the Department of Energy and Carol Browner as a White House staffer to oversee energy, environmental and climate-related policies. She led the Environmental Protection Agency for eight years under President Clinton. I believe Barack Obama is sending a clear signal that he is serious about the environment and climate change.

The automakers came to Capitol Hill with an initial proposal for $25 billion and were sent home. They came back with a “better” proposal for $34 billion. Last night an agreement was met for $15 billion. The White House and Capitol Hill had agreed… (in principle).  Somehow, though, in this process, the bill has lost another billion dollars. Now it’s a $14 billion bill which has passed the House but looks to get stuck in the Senate. Senate Republicans appear to be gearing up (pun intended) for a fight.  The fight will probably be led by Senator Shelby from Alabama. (This is all about unions and union power.) I find it interesting that Alabama manufactures cars and car parts, but none of them are American cars. Nice, huh? (Again we are seeing that there is no current leadership from the White House.)

Clint Hendler of the Columbia Journalism Review has some questions to ask Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and the editors of the Chicago Tribune. As I mentioned yesterday on this blog, the Chicago Tribune was asked by the FBI and the US Attorney’s office not to publish the information they had on the Illinois governor. They held the publication and should be commended for showing restraint. However, the tapes released yesterday clearly show that the governor was in contact with the Chicago Tribune about removing several of the editorial staff in exchange for $100 million in state funds for the Chicago Cubs. The Tribune company, which owns the Chicago Tribune, also owns Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs, you see. The Tribune has filed for Chapter 11. The only thing that we know for a fact is that the Chicago Tribune didn’t tell Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich to shove it. Were there ethics violations? In the coming days and/or weeks we will find out whether the Chicago Tribune is a paper with saving.

Yahoo! is about to lay off 1000 employees. I have previously been very critical of Yahoo! and their CEO Jerry Yang. No one should be laid off right before Christmas. No one. That’s just rude.

Senator Larry Craig of Idaho has lost his appeal to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. He now gets to decide whether or not he wants to appeal this to the Minnesota Supreme Court. The bottom line, as I see it, is he pleaded guilty. He was under no duress. When Republicans talk about people wasting courts’ time with unnecessary appeals, I hope they bring up Larry Craig.

A new study performed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reveals that blacks waited almost twice as long as whites to vote in the November election. Hispanics were asked to show identification more often than whites. Racism continues to exist in our country.

The Presidential Citizens Medal is the second highest honor bestowed upon a civilian. Past recipients include Mohammed Ali, Robert Rubin and Irene Morgan, who refused to give up her seat to a white couple in July of 1944 (10 years before Rosa Parks). Today President Bush gave the same medal to Watergate criminal Chuck Colson. HUH?

Tags: Economy, Obama administration, Party Politics, Race by ecthompson
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Sunday Morning News Roundup

Barack Obama announced a large public works project yesterday. This project will help rebuild roads, make public buildings more energy-efficient, renovate our crumbling schools and install modern computers with high-speed Internet access in our schools. It should put 2.5 million people to work. After the shocking news that we lost 533,000 jobs last month, this may be exactly the medicine we need for our ailing economy.

Retired four-star general Eric Shinseki has been named to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. This is the general who said before Congress that it would take several hundred thousand troops to secure Iraq and was promptly fired by Donald Rumsfeld. I argued on this blog a year or so ago that General Eric Shinseki deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

This also means that Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth will not be appointed to that position. Several veterans’ groups supported her for the position of Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. There is still a chance she may be named to Barack Obama’s Senate seat.

Louisiana voters have finally fired Representative William Jefferson , the indicted Congressman. Unfortunately, from a Progressive stance, his seat has gone not to a Democrat but to a Republican, Anh “Joseph” Cao.

William Ayres, the political football in Barack Obama’s past, has decided that he’s avoided the public spotlight for long enough. He has an op-ed in the New York Times in which he tries to explain that he was not a terrorist. I don’t know…on one hand, I think William Ayres should simply go away. On the other hand, however, I have seen people wrongly accused who have no way of clearing their names. His op-ed is very thoughtful. He mentions he never did “pal around” with Barack Obama. He also discusses his “real regrets” at some of the conduct of the Weather Underground. The problem as I see it is that those who vilified William Ayres will not be convinced by his pronouncement. I think one of the biggest problems is that there is no way to convey the pain, anguish and fear that existed in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Drugs, sex, war, sexual revolution, civil rights, and rights for workers are just a few of the issues that our country was trying to resolve in the United States at that time. It is nearly impossible to convey that in a 400-600 word op-ed piece.

Sunny von Bulow has died. She slipped into a coma back in 1980. Her husband was caught up in not one but two sensational trials in which he was accused of injecting her with insulin. She had been in a coma for 28 years. I’m sorry, but you cannot tell me that this was living. May she rest in peace.

Finally, this blog is still acting funny. Not “funny ha ha,” but funny as in weird.

The winner of the first Christmas Amazon prize for signing up for my blog will be named later today!

Tags: House of Representatives, Obama administration by ecthompson
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Monday Evening News Roundup

It appears that the United States warned India back in October that there was going to be an attack on the hotel and business centers in Mumbai.

Contrast the above intelligence “success” to President Bush’s interview with Charlie Gibson last night. Bush admitted that the biggest failure of his presidency was the cataclysmic lack of weapons of mass destruction. Bush had the audacity to place the blame for that travesty at the doorstep of the CIA, when in fact the blame is entirely his. It was his job to look at all the information.  It was his job to weigh the pros and cons. He abdicated that responsibility.

The indictments that a Texas grand jury turned in against Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have been dismissed. Who’s surprised?

Blogger Glenn Greenwald, who has been on my radio show on a number of occasions, had another great post yesterday. He commented on an issue of the New York Times in which an article brought attention to a number of conflicts of interest regarding General Barry McCaffrey. General McCaffrey is on the payroll of NBC News. Glenn does an excellent job highlighting the hypocrisy of NBC. Generals who show up on the evening news should really be free of conflicts of interest.

The National Bureau Of Economic Research has now officially stated that December 2007 was the start of this recession. So what has the Bush administration been doing for the last year? With the stock market dropping almost 700 points today, I must say I do not believe Bush administration has done enough.

Barack Obama has announced his national security team. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will continue in his present position. Eric Holder will be the Attorney General. Former General James Jones ( see the Jones commission report) will be his National Security Adviser. Janet Napolitano, governor of Arizona, will become Secretary of Homeland Security. Susan Rice will be nominated for Ambassador to the United Nations. Finally, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will serve as Secretary of State. This team is tremendously qualified. As usual, however, I have some questions. Where is General Wesley Clark? I really thought Senator Chuck Hagel would be appointed to Defense. Is there a spot for him in the administration? (By the way, the “fair and balanced” Fox News didn’t even cover the Obama press conference.)

Almost a quarter of United States employees who use the Internet at work spend a little time during the workday looking at on-line pornography. :-)  Nice. Nothing else need be said.

Tags: Bush Administration, Economy, Obama administration, Terrorism by ecthompson
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