Why is it so hard to find rich folk who haven't cheated on their taxes!
| | Daschle's tax records under fireWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate Finance committee will meet Monday to review the tax records of former Sen. Tom Daschle, President Barack Obama's nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services who, according to sources, didn't pay taxes on a car and driver he had been loaned. [More...] | |
All I can say, is "Wow!"
www.whitehouse.gov| | (CNN) -- In keeping with the theme that swept President Obama into the Oval Office, change has come to the official White House Web site. Almost at the instant Obama was sworn in, www.whitehouse.gov relaunched with a redesign to signal a new era in government. Gone was the staid site of the Bush White House, replaced by a dynamic new site reflective of his tech-savvy successor. [More...] | |
My new President!Either President-elect Obama is faking Right, or we're about to let another corrupt Republican President get off scott free.
| | BEDFORD HEIGHTS, Ohio (CNN) -- After two years of traveling around the country and criticizing President Bush, President-elect Barack Obama said Friday that he "always thought [Bush] was a good guy." [More...] | |
Finally, some good news to report. After beginning to waver on his commitment to close the American concentration camp in Occupied Cuba, President-elect Barack Obama said today he would call for the immediate closure of the site where war crimes were perpetrated on the orders of Vice President Dick Cheney.
| | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama plans to order the closing of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay as early as his first week in office to show a break from the Bush administration's approach to the war on terror, according to two officials close to the transition. (More...) | |
| | “Since I left Halliburton to become George Bush's vice president, I've severed all my ties with the company, gotten rid of all my financial interest," the Vice President said. "I have no financial interest in Halliburton of any kind and haven't had, now, for over three years.” (RawStory: More...) | |
President-Elect Barack Obama, seeking to quell nearly 4 weeks of criticism from pro-choice groups as well as the gay community for selecting the mega-church evangelical superstar Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation for January 20th's swearing in ceremony, has thrown the GLBT community a bone by inviting Bishop Gene Robinson to deliver the invocation at the kickoff of Obama's inauguration this Sunday before the Lincoln Memorial.
| | (CNN) — The Rev. Gene Robinson, Episcopal bishop in New Hampshire, has accepted an invitation issued by the Obama team prior to the announcement of the Rev. Rick Warren’s selection to deliver the invocation at the president-elect’s swearing-in, Politico reported Monday. Robinson had been a critic of Warren’s role, calling his inclusion in the event “really, really unfortunate” because of the California minister's support for California's Prop. 8, which barred same-sex marriage. [More...] | |
President-elect Barack Obama announced his pick today of Megachurch pastor Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation January 20th . The selection of Warren while controversial is nonetheless not surprising. It was convenient for Obama's Republican detractors when he was named the "most liberal Senator of 2007," but his votes in favor of FISA and the bank bailout as well as his opposition to gay marriage leave many progressives scratching their collective heads.
Warren's outspoken support for California's gay marriage ban, Prop 8 as well as his garden of Eden variety of fundamentalist evangelicalism (he preaches that domestic abuse is not a biblically valid reason for divorce) has already led to some criticism.
| | “In honoring Mr. Warren, the president-elect confers legitimacy on attitudes that are deeply contrary to the all-inclusive love of God,” said Episcopal Bishop John Chane of Washington. “He is courting the powerful at the expense of the marginalized, and in doing so, he stands the gospel on its head.” [More...] | |
Word is out that President-elect Barack Obama will nominate Federal Reserve Bank President Timothy J. Geithner for Secretary of the Treasury. With stocks rising nearly 500 points, Wall Street seems to be welcoming the news. So color me suspicious.
Geithner was a deputy under Bill Clinton's Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, a right-wing deregulationist. Geithner himself has been at the heart of the big bank bailout, engineering the rescue of Bear Sterns for which the US taxpayers are out $29 Billion.
Three Blind Mice
By KAREN TUMULTY AND MASSIMO CALABRESI
The largest government bailout in U.S. history was born before dawn on Sept. 17, when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke woke up at 6 a.m., checked his BlackBerry and saw the very thing he had dreaded: the futures market in free fall. Bernanke, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and New York Fed president Timothy Geithner had spent the past year staving off one disaster after another, for the most part working behind the scenes. Earlier in the month, they had let investment bank Lehman Brothers slide into oblivion and then ushered another, Merrill Lynch, into the arms of Bank of America. Just the night before, the trio had wrapped up a deal to rescue insurance giant American International Group and gone to bed praying it would halt the panic and worrying it wouldn't. It didn't. [Time: More...]
This is not the change I was hoping for...
Word is out today that President-elect Barack Obama plans to nominate Clinton era Deputy AG Eric Holder to the top spot in the Justice Department. This is not the change we were looking for.
Holder, the highest ranking Africa-American in the DOJ, served admirably under Bill Clinton. But he sullied his legacy with his involvement in Clinton's midnight pardon of white-collar corporate crook, Marc Rich, whose wife had bribed the Democratic Party in order to secure the pardon (which came just hours before George W. Bush assumed office in the stolen election of 2000.
Eric Holder lied* before Congress when he testified that he had first heard of the plan to pardon Rich (who was a fugitive at the time) late in November 2000. Email has since come to light which indicate Eric Holder was approached for the quid pro quo pardon eas early as February 2000.
| | [Holder] contends he knew little about the Rich case, and would have opposed a pardon application if it had come across his desk.But former White House Counsel Beth Nolan, as well as Clinton, have said that Holder leaned in favor of the pardon. Nolan and the rest of Clinton's legal team opposed it. Also, Justice's pardon attorney Roger Adams has testified that Holder knew that Rich was a fugitive before he did, and yet Holder didn't tell Adams. (WorldNetDaily: More...) | |
"My friends" count during McCain's interview: 15
| Warren: Define marriage. Obama: I believe that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. Now for me as a Christian [raucous applause] for me as a Christian it's also a sacred union. You know God's in the mix. Would you support a Constitutional amendment with that definition? No I would not. Why not? Because historically we have not defined marriage in our Constitution. It's been a matter of State law. That has been our tradition. I mean, let's break it down. The reason many people believe there should be a CA (some people believe) is because of the concern about same-sex marriage. I'm not somebody who promotes same sex marriage, but I do believe in civil unions. I do believe that for gay partners to want to visit each other in the hospital, for the State to say, "That's alright," I don't think it an any way inhibits my core beliefs about what marriage are. I think that my faith is strong enough and my marriage is strong enough that I can afford those civil rights to others even if I have a different perspective or different view. | Warren: Define marriage. McCain: A union between a man and woman, between one man and woman. That's my definition of marriage. We've got a bill right here in California, proposition 8, that's going on because the courts overturned this definition of marriage. Was the supreme court of California wrong? I believe they were wrong, and I strongly support preserving the unique status of marriage between man and woman. I am a Federalist. I believe that states should make those decisions. In my state I hope we will make that decision. In other states, they have, to recognize the unique status between man and woman. And that doesn't mean that people can't enter into legal agreements. It doesn't mean that they don't have the rights of all citizens. I'm not saying that. I am saying we should preserve that unique status of marriage between one man and one woman and if a federal court decided that my state of Arizona must observe what the state of Massachusetts decided, then I would favor a Constitutional amendment. Until then, I think the states should make the decisions in their own states. |
| Warren: Greatest personal failure? I experimented with drugs... I drank... in my teenage years" ... I learned it's not about me America's greatest moral failure in my lifetime - we still don't abide by that basic precept in Matthew (what you do to the least of my brothers.) | Warren: What's been your greatest moral failure and what do you think is the greatest moral failure of America? They don't get any easier... [laughter] My greatest moral failing and I have been a very imperfect person is the failure of my first marriage - is my greatest moral failure. I think America's greatest moral failure has been throughout our existence perhaps we have not devoted ourselves to causes greater than our own self interests, although we've been the best at it of anybody in the world. I think after 9/11 my friends instead of telling people to go shopping or take a trip, we should have told Americans to join the Peace Corps, Americorps, the military. Expand our volunteer. Expand what you're doing. Expand the great missions that you are doing, that you are carrying out not only here in America, but throughout the world, especially in Ruanda and I hope we have a chance to talk a little bit about that later on. |
| went against Party loyalty: (worked with John McCain) on campaign finance reform. "I opposed the initial decision to go to war in Iraq" | Warren: Can you give me an example of where you lead against your party's interests - oh this is hard - [laughter] And really maybe against your own best interests, for the good of America? McCain: You know, by a strange coincidence, I was not elected Miss Congeniality again in the United States Senate. I don't know why. I don't know why. I don't know why. Climate change, out of control spending, torture... the list goes on on a large number of issues that I have put my country first and I've reached acrossed the aisle. But I probably have to say that one of the time that probably was one of the most trying times was when I was first a member of Congress, a Freshman in the House of Representatives and very loyal and dedicated to President Reagan, who I still think is on of the great, great presidents in American history who won the cold war without firing a shot, in the words of Margaret Thatcher. He wanted to send troops to Beirut for a peace keeping mission. My knowledge and my brackground [sic] told me that a few hundred Marines in a situation like that could not successfully carry out any kind of peace keeping mission, and I though they were going into harms way. Tragically as many of you recall, there was a bombing of the Marine barracks, and well over a hundred brave Marines gave their lives. [NB! from Wikipedia: In the attack on the American barracks, the death toll was 241 American servicemen: 220 Marines, 18 Navy personnel and three Army soldiers.] But it was tough that vote because I went against the president I believed in and a party that believed maybe I was disloyal very early in my political career |
| Warren: Who are the three wisest people in your life and who are you going to rely on heavily in your administration? Excluding you of course, Warren: [and your wife] Michelle (wise and honest), grandmother, (for the administration: Sam Nunn, Dick Lugar for foreign poicyl; (friends) Ted Kennedy, Tom Coburn!!! for domestic policy - "a table where lots of points of view are represented"     | Warren: Who are the three wisest people you know, that you would rely on heavily in an administration McCain: [pause] The first one I think would be General David Petraeus, one of the great military leaders in American history who took us from defeat to victory in Iraq. One of the great leaders... [applause] Fourth of July a year ago Senator Lindsey Graham and I were in Baghdad. 688 brave young Americans whose enlistment had expired swore an oath of re-enlistment to stay and fight for freedom. Only someone like General David Petraeus could motivate someone like that. I think John Lewis. John Lewis was at the Edmond Pettus Bridge. Had his skull fractured. Continued to serve. Continues to have the most optimistic outlook about America. He can teach us all a lot about the meaning of courage and commitment to causes greater than our self interests. [heavy sigh] Meg Whitman. Meg Whitman the CEO of Ebay. Meg Whitman, 12 years ago there were 5 employees. Today, there are one and a half million people that make a living off Ebay in America and the world. It's one of these great American success stories. And in these economic challenging times we need to call on the wisdom and knowledge and background of people like Meg Whitman who have been able to make such great American success stories part of the world's folklore. |
| Warren: Which existing Supreme Court Justice would you not have nominated? Clarence Thomas. Justice Scalia. John Roberts [whom Obama did vote against] | Warren: Which existing Supreme Court Justice would you not have nominated? With all due respect Justice Ginsberg, Justice Breyer, Justice Souter and Justice Stevens... By the way Justices Alito and Roberts are two of my most recent favorites. They really are. They're really fine. And I'm proud of President Bush for nominating them. |
As I heard the quote from the Obama campaign, "good, ol' fashion ass whoopin'" I clapped such that the Chris'mas lights, left hanging (abandoned, really) came on. And here comes the Senator on the telly right now.
[Update]
With 99% of the returns in, a fuller extent of Obama's South Carolina victory comes into focus:
| Obama | 295091 | 55% |
| Clinton | 141128 | 27% |
| Edwards | 93552 | 18% |
| Kucinich | 551 | 0.1% |
| McCain | 147283 | 33% |
| Huckabee | 132440 | 30% |
| Thompson | 69467 | 16% |
| Romney | 67132 | 15% |
| Paul | 16054 | 4% |
| Giuliani | 9494 | 2% |
| Hunter | 1048 | 0.2% |
Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama will be coming to to River City, but you better bring your change jar if you want to get a peek at this candidate for change. It will cost you $25 to get into the Oregon Convention Center for this "rally." For the blue blood blue Oregonians, you can buy into a smaller reception with Obama on a "sliding scale" from $500 to $2300.
I still recall getting to listen to Gov. Jerry Brown back in 2000 as he stood atop a table amongst the stacks at Powell's Book Store. I didn't have to pay for the pleasure, but i did buy a book that day. Then Gov. Clinton stole his thunder. He filled Pioneer Courthouse Square and then some. I tossed a bill in the bucket for Bill.
In reality, this is a fundraiser for Obama and not a rally, so i'm not really complaining. Ralph Nader held the same kind of event here last time around. (Note to Nader: I'll be voting me fears, not my hopes this time around.) But on the topic of "some voices being louder" one has to admit that some voters are more valuable. The current supreme law of the land states that "money is speech" so the richer you are, the more you hear and get heard. We do still have free speech in America, just no free tickets this time to see Obama. Maybe next time.
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Here's an interesting note from Charlie Burr at BlueO. "Because Obama already enjoys Secret Service protection, advance staff will need names before the event if you're attending. Thanks."
Do all senators enjoy Secret Service Protection? (Does anyone really enjoy it?) I mean, not a single delegate has been chosen, so no one can claim yet to be on the road to the White House. Anyone? anyone...
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Update 9:15am: BlueO's Kari Chisholm is trying to burnish his "independent" cred commenting on Charlie's post:
Edwards Supports Gay Marriage
... but it's the wrong Edwards [more...]
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"it's something that I struggle with. Do I believe they should have the right to marry? I'm not there yet. [...] I think it's from my own personal culture and faith belief. [...] I struggle myself with imposing my faiths [...] it's just part of who I am." [John Edwards, Feb. '07]
Sounds like a case of 'good cop, bad cop' to me. Members of the GLBTXQ# community can support Edwards for President with a clear conscience since his wife is so preciously progressive.
I suppose we can look to Obama's wife for the same kind of backdoor support.
"I'm a Christian, and so although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman." [Barack Obama, Sep. '04]
And so sadly, i get no warm fuzzies when i ponder any of the first tier presidential candidates. Either they're being honest, in which case i really question their ability to govern a secular society, given their "struggle" to keep their church out of our bedrooms) or they've chosen their fucus [sic] group tested response, and they're sticking to it.
My ideal candidate would say something to this effect: "You know, i've got no problem with gays getting married. In fact, i think marriage strengthens families... all families. But as President, i will not push for gay marriage. As the people's representatives however progress on this issue, it would be my pleasure one day to sign equal marriage rights into law."
I was surprised (not) to see BlueO's chief editor calling for off topic comments. This is a thread about Barack Obama after all. He came to his senses after a good night's rest.