–bumped – cross-posted on Huffington Post– In the special election to replace Edward M. Kennedy, Barack Obama and the Democratic Party leadership were handed their heads in the most stunning, avoidable repudiation of ineptitude in recent political memory. Obama’s reaction, which was given through an interview with George Stephanopoulos, as translated by Paul Krugman is: [...] [...more]
I have no idea whether this statement from Pres. Obama will satisfy Sally Quinn, though it’s doubtful. A larger theme is involved for her and the DC establishment. For Ms. Quinn, Obama’s troubles go back to Greg Craig’s firing, which she writes was “a turning point for a lot of people, who began to question the [...] [...more]
updated Someone tell Matthew Yglesias it’s 2010. So, misattribution of a quote not Sect. Hillary Clinton’s really is so 2008. Besides, the Reuters headline didn’t even offer quotation marks on global threat. Reuters read: Clinton calls instability in Yemen a global threat. It should have tipped Yglesias off, but instead he used it as a Clinton [...] [...more]
bumped What happened between the reports to the U.S. embassy in Nigeria from Abdulmatallab’s own father, Umaru Mutallab, a Nigerian banker, and the decision to put the young Nigerian on a watch list, but not on the no-fly list? The WSJ is reporting that State shared the information with U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism bureaus. Where [...] [...more]
If you want to understand Obama’s problems, the latest polling is representative. So is this: “Labor is looking to make the bill better,” American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said after the meeting. … …Another labor official warned that while labor leaders will very likely grudgingly support the legislation, some may be bitter enough to [...] [...more]
The latest podcast is up. TM-DC Podcast Listen now! Afghanistan meets health care, the little lies edition, with culture on the side. Your humble hostess quite pissed off at the moment. Long ago realizing that whatever happens in Congress is likely a foregone conclusion, with Pelosi’s behavior regarding Stupak-Pitts foreshadowing of worse to come, which certainly has [...] [...more]
She did a walk on and made a point of not reading from a script. Easy, light and effective. It will drive haters nuts. But Sarah Palin isn’t worried. She’s riding the rogue wave right now. In Texas, Houston voters elected an openly gay mayor. It’s a proud day in the Lone Star state. And it looks [...] [...more]
That was our president today and I couldn’t have been prouder. Unflinching, reversing the muddled message of last week, once again regaining the moral authority of why we fight. That there are “just wars,” of which I’ve always believed Afghanistan is one. Today’s speech unraveling last week’s tangled rhetorical mess that had Pres. Obama [...] [...more]
Can you imagine this conversation? The President of the United States calling up a United States Representative complaining that he was “demeaning” him? Conyers, the second-longest-serving member of the House, said, “[Obama] called me and told me that he heard that I was demeaning him and I had to explain to him that it wasn’t anything [...] [...more]
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy “Actively countering a clear and present danger,” says Rice, that’s what we’re doing in Afghanistan, regardless of the reality that there are less than 100 al Qaeda in that country, with the Taliban embedded in the consciousness of that country. With Rice claiming there [...] [...more]
Seriously, I don’t think anyone knows. A glimmer of reality surfaces, via Thomas Friedman: To now make Afghanistan part of the “war on terrorism” — i.e., another nation-building project — is not crazy. It is just too expensive, when balanced against our needs for nation-building in America, so that we will have the strength to play [...] [...more]
“I am convinced our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan.” – Pres. Obama The most important line in the speech, because both of these countries have people who are plotting against us and our international allies. Unfortunately, what grew up around those words broke it down. As someone who has supported Obama’s Afghanistan strategy, [...] [...more]
From the White House, a couple of excerpts. Note the parts in bold, because they tell the tale. Adding 30,000 troops to target “the insurgency,” but also to “secure key population centers,” with the goal of withdrawal, known in Obama speak as “accelerate handing over responsibility,” beginning the year before Pres. Obama runs for re-election. [...] [...more]
I’ll be at an economic conference most of the day today. It’s sponsored by the Aspen Institute, Intel, Democracy (A Journal of Ideas), and The News Hour (with or without Jim Lehrer’s name on it). Call it a day of listening and learning. I’ll weigh in on Twitter for those interested. Pres. Obama’s big speech is [...] [...more]
In the quest to sell magazines, evidently Mr. Meacham thinks train wreck journalism is the way to go. So, he’s turning Newsweek into The Onion, with no offense intended to the far superior latter named, whose mission is actually purposefully on point. The title tells it all: Why Dick Cheney Should Run in 2012. But I [...] [...more]
