–bumped– Mr. Hiatt’s love note op-ed today trying to bolster Prime Minister Netanyahu is one for the books. Coming just before the AIPCAC conference, it continues the drum beat from the elite right who refuse to accept that the Israeli settlement issue is a major challenge to Pres. Obama and his entire administration as he endeavors to [...] [...more]
On national security, the poll found that 50 percent of likely voters prefer Republicans, while only 33 percent prefer Democrats. It’s the return of a “security gap” that all but vanished in 2008 because of Obama’s popularity and Bush’s mishandling of Iraq, Bennett said. – Politico Here we go again. Democrats are once again losing the [...] [...more]
“Now we need to elect a wom(a)n to the US presidency!” – Margot Grimmer (via Facebook) Well, it’s not the presidency, but it’s history none the less. The Academy tired of giving it to the guy with all the muscle, choosing a female who built her machine one brick at a time against all odds over him. Seeing [...] [...more]
“We are evaluating based on New York logistical and security concerns on trial in federal courts.” – Robert Gibbs to CNN (see video) Damage done, no matter what’s decided. You simply don’t hang a question mark out there on something this emotional, especially when it’s contrary to declarations already made. The video from CNN [...] [...more]
Two important editorials today, one on China, with this closer: China is no enemy, but inflating the challenge from China could be just as dangerous as underestimating it. The other from former Vice President Al Gore, who finally addresses the latest scandals and Rush Limbaugh induced hysteria on climate change. I’ve also got something up [...] [...more]
–updated below– Newsweek was here first. Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidman getting the story at the end of January. DOJ official David Margolis has overruled the Office of Professional Responsibility, saying John Yoo and Jay Bybee were not guilty of misconduct on the Bush-Cheney era torture memos, they simply “exercised poor judgment”. Ya think? From the Washington [...] [...more]
“I think all the perspective candidates out there have a lot of work to do if they’re going to persuade the majority of Americans that they’re ready to take on the world’s toughest job.” – Dick Cheney, former vice president on “This Week” (see video below) That’s the Republicans’ biggest challenge, but especially for Sarah Palin, [...] [...more]
Some news that’s surfacing slowly is Iran’s new bluster on refining higher grade uranium. Russia and Israel seem to be talking the same language, while China still isn’t willing to sign on to harsh sanctions, something SecDef Gates is promising will come sooner rather than later. Even as it will take some time to reconfigure [...] [...more]
–updated– The news came from his office, with more from the Washington Post. Chris Cilizza runs down the coming special election. Congressman John Murtha Passes Away at Age 77 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman John P. Murtha (PA-12) passed away peacefully this afternoon at 1:18 p.m. at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA. At his bedside was his [...] [...more]
It was Sarah Palin’s night. After a day when the “birthers” took a lot of heat from the Tea Partiers. Breitbart sounding beyond himself. “I was talking to her,” said Breitbart. “She was asking me if I thought it was was to bring it up, and I said, no. We have a lot of strong arguments [...] [...more]
Here’s the beginning of Shelby’s statement, with the rest at TPM: Sen. Shelby has placed holds on several pending nominees due to unaddressed national security concerns. … Everything else is just defensive posturing to back up the unprecedented Republican stall by Shelby’s blanket hold, pretty much a Senate first. The move freezes everything in place on Obama’s [...] [...more]
“It would be an inconvenience at the least, and probably that’s too mild a word for people that live in the neighborhood and businesses in the neighborhood,” Bloomberg told reporters. “There are places that would be less expensive for the taxpayers and less disruptive for New York City.” – White House asks Justice Department to [...] [...more]
“We face a deficit of trust… close that credibility gap…” with Pres. Obama as ambitious as ever. Climate change? That’s right. But nuclear energy? Yep. Clean coal? An oxymoron if ever there was one, but Pres. Obama talked about it, delivering a conservative speech for a Democrat. It’s a wonder Gov. Bob [...] [...more]
President Obama will address his Republican opponents directly in his State of the Union address Wednesday night, a senior administration official said, as he seeks to generate new momentum and rebuild his credibility as a leader able to change the way Washington works. – Washington Post I say it’s “bipartisanship” or anything having to do with [...] [...more]
–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]
