++David Frum pens a must-read article in The Atlantic "The Seven Broken Guardrails of Democracy" where he eviscerates Trump and his supporters and ponders how the conservative movement can ever be rebuilt. Frum expresses astonishment over how everyone from fiscal conservatives to the religious right just folded like kleenex. Frum pointed out that Trump's biggest foreign policy speech was given with the Russian ambassador in the audience but no representative from a single American ally.
++Fred Malek, perpetual Republican operative, writes in the Washington Post on why TRUMP must stop attacking fellow Republicans.
++Michael Gerson won't give up in his fourth straight anti-Trump article "The Most Depressing Moment of the 2016 Race." He was talking about "the Future of the GOP" Marco Rubio bowing down to endorse Trump.
++ Charles Pierce had some good fun with Mark Halperin pretending to have an exclusive of Bill Kristol's surprise conservative choice. It turns out Kristol may have persuaded David French, a staff writer for the National Review and an Iraqi war veteran, to run against Trump.
++Eugene Robinson could not resist mocking Trump's Rolling Thunder Review performance and the series of lies he told,including the one about thousands couldn't get in. As I reported there were no one else there. It was a sad sack affair with 5,000.
++You may have missed David Brooks' column on why #Never,Ever Trump".
Showing posts with label Charles Pierce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charles Pierce. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Movement After Paris
++John Kerry and Lavrov reached an agreement for a Syrian ceasefire and a deal whereby the opposition would write the new constitution, which would be followed by UN-monitored elections.
++The agreement which was supported by 12 countries said that ISIS and the Al-Nusra Front will be attacked even during the ceasefire. Other groups could be added and that is up to Jordan to decide.
++Lavrov said afterwards that you might not agree on Assad but every country agrees that ISIS is the true enemy of everyone.
++The participants said that the Paris events pushed them to reach an agreement.
++Meanwhile Arab states and Iran as well as opposition groups have denounced the terrorist attacks in Paris as having nothing to do with Islam and denounced them as political and criminal attacks.
++Meanwhile in the Democratic debate,the candidates sparred over Radical islam as the enemy. The head of NATO denounced the attacks was extremists against democratic ideals and noted the cooperation in the attack on ISIS of Islamic countries. He made note of the antagonism to the attacks by the Arab states.
++Juan Cole, who lived in France, commented on the attacks today in an essay reprinted in Reader Supported News. Cole said there were three coordinated sets of cells aimed to attack areas of popular culture with the goal of having as many casualties as possible. He said that the French had stepped up their bombing of ISIS targets in Syria in September when they discovered plots against France. Cole speculated that the other goal was to intimidate France from carrying on its mission in Syria but said that Hollande and other security experts told him that this would only mean an escalation of actions.
++VoX reported that these attacks were more sophisticated and coordinated than attacks before and indicated that ISIS wanted to go international to blunt the perception that they are losing. VOX points out that they have lost 25% of their territory and have abandoned recruiting foreigners for nation-building but instead are training them for overseas missions. The difference of the Paris attack was that it was probably ordered from ISIS Central. This would mean a new development in their strategy and an increasingly dangerous one.
++Charles Pierce woke up from the darkness of last night to say that Wikileaks indicated who funds ISIS. It is the political and financial elite of the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. He says that Hillary Clinton knew this and that international pressure should be brought against these people because they have never paid a price for terrorist acts and now they should. Pierce pointed out that no F35 to new Aircraft carrier will be able to prevent terrorists targeting soft targets like cafes and concert halls. Instead, we should make their funders pay.
++VOX pointed out that ISIS has money from oil and contraband unlike Al Qaeda and that they can fund more complex operations.
++Meanwhile the Washington Post which always wants a war thinks the Paris events will force President Obama to act more forcefully in Syria.
++European authorities busted up a cell in Belgium meant to support the French terrorists. The Germans arrested a man with a cache of arms meant for the French terrorists and the British nailed a mail at Gatwick for trying to smuggle guns into France.
++The agreement which was supported by 12 countries said that ISIS and the Al-Nusra Front will be attacked even during the ceasefire. Other groups could be added and that is up to Jordan to decide.
++Lavrov said afterwards that you might not agree on Assad but every country agrees that ISIS is the true enemy of everyone.
++The participants said that the Paris events pushed them to reach an agreement.
++Meanwhile Arab states and Iran as well as opposition groups have denounced the terrorist attacks in Paris as having nothing to do with Islam and denounced them as political and criminal attacks.
++Meanwhile in the Democratic debate,the candidates sparred over Radical islam as the enemy. The head of NATO denounced the attacks was extremists against democratic ideals and noted the cooperation in the attack on ISIS of Islamic countries. He made note of the antagonism to the attacks by the Arab states.
++Juan Cole, who lived in France, commented on the attacks today in an essay reprinted in Reader Supported News. Cole said there were three coordinated sets of cells aimed to attack areas of popular culture with the goal of having as many casualties as possible. He said that the French had stepped up their bombing of ISIS targets in Syria in September when they discovered plots against France. Cole speculated that the other goal was to intimidate France from carrying on its mission in Syria but said that Hollande and other security experts told him that this would only mean an escalation of actions.
++VoX reported that these attacks were more sophisticated and coordinated than attacks before and indicated that ISIS wanted to go international to blunt the perception that they are losing. VOX points out that they have lost 25% of their territory and have abandoned recruiting foreigners for nation-building but instead are training them for overseas missions. The difference of the Paris attack was that it was probably ordered from ISIS Central. This would mean a new development in their strategy and an increasingly dangerous one.
++Charles Pierce woke up from the darkness of last night to say that Wikileaks indicated who funds ISIS. It is the political and financial elite of the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. He says that Hillary Clinton knew this and that international pressure should be brought against these people because they have never paid a price for terrorist acts and now they should. Pierce pointed out that no F35 to new Aircraft carrier will be able to prevent terrorists targeting soft targets like cafes and concert halls. Instead, we should make their funders pay.
++VOX pointed out that ISIS has money from oil and contraband unlike Al Qaeda and that they can fund more complex operations.
++Meanwhile the Washington Post which always wants a war thinks the Paris events will force President Obama to act more forcefully in Syria.
++European authorities busted up a cell in Belgium meant to support the French terrorists. The Germans arrested a man with a cache of arms meant for the French terrorists and the British nailed a mail at Gatwick for trying to smuggle guns into France.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Bernie Announces in Vermont--a Ben&Jerry's Flavor To Follow
++Charles Pierce at Esquire writes that Bernie Sanders is the Last Bull Moose,invoking Theodore Roosevelt's progressive campaign where he lost to Taft. Pierce's point is that Bernie may not be Eugene V. Debs but he is sounding the same notes as TR in breaking up the banks and tackling income inequality.
++In his campaign announcement, he said after his first day haul of $1.5 million, that he sees he can run a competitive campaign for the Democratic nomination. Saying he can't out raise his opponents, but with $40 million he expects to raise he can compete with them.
++The Washington Post called him an aging hippie. Now what did the hippies get wrong? The hippie tag was put on Sanders when he moved from Brooklyn to Vermont and started in politics there.
++As one democratic blogger noted, Sanders seems to get good coverage from respectable writers. That's a plus.
++Other Democrats note that Sanders for all his Democratic Socialism sure sounds like an old-time democrat to them.
++Next Sanders will be in New Hampshire where he will speak to the AFL-CIO. His primary financial support has come from unions.
++Not as electrifying as Jerry Brown, but should provide some ballast to the race. However,Sanders begged the press to cover real issues this campaign so naturally they talked about his hair.
++In his campaign announcement, he said after his first day haul of $1.5 million, that he sees he can run a competitive campaign for the Democratic nomination. Saying he can't out raise his opponents, but with $40 million he expects to raise he can compete with them.
++The Washington Post called him an aging hippie. Now what did the hippies get wrong? The hippie tag was put on Sanders when he moved from Brooklyn to Vermont and started in politics there.
++As one democratic blogger noted, Sanders seems to get good coverage from respectable writers. That's a plus.
++Other Democrats note that Sanders for all his Democratic Socialism sure sounds like an old-time democrat to them.
++Next Sanders will be in New Hampshire where he will speak to the AFL-CIO. His primary financial support has come from unions.
++Not as electrifying as Jerry Brown, but should provide some ballast to the race. However,Sanders begged the press to cover real issues this campaign so naturally they talked about his hair.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Last Fragments on Ferguson
++ No, Michael Brown did not have an arrest record.
++Charles Pierce at Esquire had an excellent op-ed on The Body on the Ground. Michael Brown's corpse was allowed to stay on the road with blood coming from his head for four hours before it was removed.
++Darren Martin, the cop, was not mangled and his eye socket fractured by Michael Brown. His neighbor say him mowing his lawn short thereafter.
++Darren had worked for a Police Department that had been so corrupt and racist it had to be disbanded. I guess he picked up his habits then.
++Fund-raising for Darren has overtaken the fund-raising for Michael Brown's family. The KKK is fund-raising for him as well as conservative blogs.
++The District Attorney will not recuse himself even though he has three generations of relatives on the Ferguson police force and his father was killed by a black man.
++Missouri law gives the benefit of the doubt to police who kill unarmed citizens.
++President Obama sent three White House aides to Michael Brown's funeral.
++Eric Holder flew out to Ferguson and has had the DOJ all over the ground there. Kudos to Holder.
++Charles Pierce at Esquire had an excellent op-ed on The Body on the Ground. Michael Brown's corpse was allowed to stay on the road with blood coming from his head for four hours before it was removed.
++Darren Martin, the cop, was not mangled and his eye socket fractured by Michael Brown. His neighbor say him mowing his lawn short thereafter.
++Darren had worked for a Police Department that had been so corrupt and racist it had to be disbanded. I guess he picked up his habits then.
++Fund-raising for Darren has overtaken the fund-raising for Michael Brown's family. The KKK is fund-raising for him as well as conservative blogs.
++The District Attorney will not recuse himself even though he has three generations of relatives on the Ferguson police force and his father was killed by a black man.
++Missouri law gives the benefit of the doubt to police who kill unarmed citizens.
++President Obama sent three White House aides to Michael Brown's funeral.
++Eric Holder flew out to Ferguson and has had the DOJ all over the ground there. Kudos to Holder.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Detritus
++The New York Times had a long piece on Bergdahl's platoon today. They sound like F-Troop. Or maybe Fox Troop since they have been appearing on television attacking him. Unfortunately,they have "less than honorable discharges".
++Charles Pierce has been shooting fish in a barrel with his coverage of the Bergdahl chronicles. Today, he recalls the great Ernie Pyle's columns from WWII about the complaints of average soldiers and includes excerpts from novelists on Vietnam to suggest Bergdahl's complaints were those of any soldiers at war.
++Young Wallace on Fox News opined whether Bergdahl should be shot. Odd idea since only one American has been executed since WWII.
++Lawyers for the Gitmo detainees get the real game in all this. The deal will make it harder for President Obama to release more of the detainees from Gitmo even though nearly 80 are already cleared for release.
++John McCain has not presented himself well today,first claiming that the Taliban All-Stars were responsible for 9-11 and that any soldier who takes the oath knows they will have to face being shot out or tortured. I have no idea what he was trying to say. I guess "We support our troops but one."
++Even Bowe Burgdahl's religion has gotten analyzed. Huffington Post printed a piece that showed he grew up in a conservative Presbyterian home and went to the Pacific Northwest where he became active in Buddhism. Cool combination.
++John Kerry defended the deal today in a fist-pounding way saying that there were more than the Qataris watching the Taliban released prisoners. Why doesn't the media tell the American people that our whole Middle Eastern command is there.
++Senator Chambliss told Face the Nation that he doubts Bergdahl was tortured. That he would tell the doctors anything--and, of course, they would just believe him.
++This is not going to end well for the GOP. They have been desperate to win back the security mantle from the Democrats and believe Benghazi and Bergdahl will do it for them. With their increasingly strange defense of Gitmo, when even George W. Bush said it should be closed years ago,you really have a sense that these are not serious people. Who would let them near the military at this point.
++Tom Friedman in a rare piece of solid journalism has excerpts from his interview with President Obama on climate change. Worth a read in the New York Times.
++Charles Pierce has been shooting fish in a barrel with his coverage of the Bergdahl chronicles. Today, he recalls the great Ernie Pyle's columns from WWII about the complaints of average soldiers and includes excerpts from novelists on Vietnam to suggest Bergdahl's complaints were those of any soldiers at war.
++Young Wallace on Fox News opined whether Bergdahl should be shot. Odd idea since only one American has been executed since WWII.
++Lawyers for the Gitmo detainees get the real game in all this. The deal will make it harder for President Obama to release more of the detainees from Gitmo even though nearly 80 are already cleared for release.
++John McCain has not presented himself well today,first claiming that the Taliban All-Stars were responsible for 9-11 and that any soldier who takes the oath knows they will have to face being shot out or tortured. I have no idea what he was trying to say. I guess "We support our troops but one."
++Even Bowe Burgdahl's religion has gotten analyzed. Huffington Post printed a piece that showed he grew up in a conservative Presbyterian home and went to the Pacific Northwest where he became active in Buddhism. Cool combination.
++John Kerry defended the deal today in a fist-pounding way saying that there were more than the Qataris watching the Taliban released prisoners. Why doesn't the media tell the American people that our whole Middle Eastern command is there.
++Senator Chambliss told Face the Nation that he doubts Bergdahl was tortured. That he would tell the doctors anything--and, of course, they would just believe him.
++This is not going to end well for the GOP. They have been desperate to win back the security mantle from the Democrats and believe Benghazi and Bergdahl will do it for them. With their increasingly strange defense of Gitmo, when even George W. Bush said it should be closed years ago,you really have a sense that these are not serious people. Who would let them near the military at this point.
++Tom Friedman in a rare piece of solid journalism has excerpts from his interview with President Obama on climate change. Worth a read in the New York Times.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Welcome Home, Creep
++The Lunacy has heated up. The Right has gone from zero to impeachment on Bergdahl in seconds.
++Charles Pierce at Esquire blog has the title of this post. He goes sardonic on the weirdness.
++Rudepundit expresses mystification about the flap, pointing out that even he can see a slimmer of fact in the Open Carry insanity but not the nuttiness over having the sole POW released.
++What is very bizarre is that Romney's aide is the one ginning up the interviews against Bergdahl from his Platoon mates.
++Drudge has gone nuts. The released Taliban are walking all over Qatar free and clear.
++O'Reilly says that the POW's Dad looks like a Muslim. Others said he looks like the Taliban. I think he's better groomed than Dynasty Duck.
++Frank Luntz tried to warn the GOP that making an issue of the conditions of Bergdahl's release an issue will come back and haunt them in 2014.
++The Right thinks this is their winning Benghazi. I have received e-mails this morning from the Right, who think I guess the war in Afghanistan is still viable for the future.
++Charles Pierce at Esquire blog has the title of this post. He goes sardonic on the weirdness.
++Rudepundit expresses mystification about the flap, pointing out that even he can see a slimmer of fact in the Open Carry insanity but not the nuttiness over having the sole POW released.
++What is very bizarre is that Romney's aide is the one ginning up the interviews against Bergdahl from his Platoon mates.
++Drudge has gone nuts. The released Taliban are walking all over Qatar free and clear.
++O'Reilly says that the POW's Dad looks like a Muslim. Others said he looks like the Taliban. I think he's better groomed than Dynasty Duck.
++Frank Luntz tried to warn the GOP that making an issue of the conditions of Bergdahl's release an issue will come back and haunt them in 2014.
++The Right thinks this is their winning Benghazi. I have received e-mails this morning from the Right, who think I guess the war in Afghanistan is still viable for the future.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Wingnuts Ahoy
++The reason President Obama persuaded the American people in his State of the Union address was, according to the American Family Association, he possessing supernatural powers.
++Rand Paul after his homage to Ayn Rand in his response to the State of the Union doubled down on his criticism of Bill Clinton by saying he is a "serial philanderer."
++Charles Pierce writes today of how much he will miss the Obama presidency because of the entertainment provided by the GOP clown car in their responses to the State of the Union.
++George Will today found an obscure legal clause in the Affordable Care Act that might be used to cripple it. He argues subsidies are only allowed for the state exchanges but not the federal and that Red states might use this to sue.
++Ted Cruz says that the time is right to repeal Obamacare because he established the language of the national debate over the terrible things the healthcare law does. He even says he will fight his own attempts to close the government.
++PPP shows that "Sugar Uncle" Mike Huckabee is in the lead for the GOP presidential nomination and that his call for woman to keep their libidos in check pushed his approval rating among the GOP up to 64%. In second is Jeb Bush and third is Chris Christie.
++In the National Journal, Ron Fournier apologized for his 2013 support of Chris Christie as the savior of the GOP.
++Rinse Penis has ordered all RNC staff and board members not to appeal on MSNBC.
++Some wag noted that GOP responder to the State of the Union wanted government out of healthcare but neglected to mention she had government healthcare through her Navy husband, which took care of the expenses for her son who was born with Downs Syndrome. Also, while she wanted the government out of healthcare decisions, she voted only hours before to prevent any insurance coverage for abortions.
++The Tan Man wants to throw in the towel over the debt ceiling. The House can't agree to any appropriate ransom. Ted Crus says he will go for a fight on this.
++The Tan Man told the House retreat that the GOP has to be an alternative to Obama, not the opposition. Good luck with that one.
++Quinnipiac reports that Governor Medicare Fraud Rick Scott is down 46 to 38 to Charlie Crist.
++The Post/ABC poll shows Hillary Clinton trouncing Chris Christie 53 to 41.
++In a generation of polling, Hillary Clinton has the largest primary lead of all-time. Among Democrats she is 73 to Joe Biden's 12 and Elizabeth Warren's 8.
++Michelle Nunn is in the lead against all GOP opponents in Georgia.
++Democratic Senator Kay Hagen is now down 7 points to any Republican challenger.
++The number of federal employees is almost the same number as during the time of Reagan. The Post reports that more than a third of current Federal employees will be eligible to retire in 2017.
++A man named James Meachem appeared on Morning Joe to say that FDR and Lincoln would never use executive orders to improve the economy. FDR is the champion of executive orders, while President Obama has less than George W. Bush.
++Rand Paul after his homage to Ayn Rand in his response to the State of the Union doubled down on his criticism of Bill Clinton by saying he is a "serial philanderer."
++Charles Pierce writes today of how much he will miss the Obama presidency because of the entertainment provided by the GOP clown car in their responses to the State of the Union.
++George Will today found an obscure legal clause in the Affordable Care Act that might be used to cripple it. He argues subsidies are only allowed for the state exchanges but not the federal and that Red states might use this to sue.
++Ted Cruz says that the time is right to repeal Obamacare because he established the language of the national debate over the terrible things the healthcare law does. He even says he will fight his own attempts to close the government.
++PPP shows that "Sugar Uncle" Mike Huckabee is in the lead for the GOP presidential nomination and that his call for woman to keep their libidos in check pushed his approval rating among the GOP up to 64%. In second is Jeb Bush and third is Chris Christie.
++In the National Journal, Ron Fournier apologized for his 2013 support of Chris Christie as the savior of the GOP.
++Rinse Penis has ordered all RNC staff and board members not to appeal on MSNBC.
++Some wag noted that GOP responder to the State of the Union wanted government out of healthcare but neglected to mention she had government healthcare through her Navy husband, which took care of the expenses for her son who was born with Downs Syndrome. Also, while she wanted the government out of healthcare decisions, she voted only hours before to prevent any insurance coverage for abortions.
++The Tan Man wants to throw in the towel over the debt ceiling. The House can't agree to any appropriate ransom. Ted Crus says he will go for a fight on this.
++The Tan Man told the House retreat that the GOP has to be an alternative to Obama, not the opposition. Good luck with that one.
++Quinnipiac reports that Governor Medicare Fraud Rick Scott is down 46 to 38 to Charlie Crist.
++The Post/ABC poll shows Hillary Clinton trouncing Chris Christie 53 to 41.
++In a generation of polling, Hillary Clinton has the largest primary lead of all-time. Among Democrats she is 73 to Joe Biden's 12 and Elizabeth Warren's 8.
++Michelle Nunn is in the lead against all GOP opponents in Georgia.
++Democratic Senator Kay Hagen is now down 7 points to any Republican challenger.
++The number of federal employees is almost the same number as during the time of Reagan. The Post reports that more than a third of current Federal employees will be eligible to retire in 2017.
++A man named James Meachem appeared on Morning Joe to say that FDR and Lincoln would never use executive orders to improve the economy. FDR is the champion of executive orders, while President Obama has less than George W. Bush.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
The Afternoon Coffee Break
++AIPAC has 76 Senators signed to back whatever they want on Iran.
++Duncan Hunter,Jr. says that the United States must be prepared to drop nuclear weapons on Iran as part of its military option.
++The California GOP is defending their bogus healthcare website as getting the word out on how terrible Obamacare is.
++Obamacare in the last two days has enrolled more than twice the number it did in November.
++Governor Rick Perry is negotiating with the federal government expansion of Medicaid in Texas. Texas has the most uninsured of any state.
++Texas is forcing navigators for healthcare to undergo background checks as a way to slow down the implementation of the law.
++Consumer Reports pronounces the website "excellent" and urges Americans to go shopping for healthcare.
++John Boehner blames President Obama and the Senate for the worst Congress in history. Boehner's crew only tried to repeal Obamacare 48 times, a very productive use of time.
++President Obama came out today rock and rolling on economic opportunities and zinged the Republicans on unemployment benefits, the SNAP program and any ideas about jobs. The Twitter feed for the whole speech had zinger after zinger.
++In their outreach to minorities,the RNC asked,"What did President Obama ever do for African-Americans?"
++Eyes were on Boehner hiring John McCain's staff aide on immigration. Harry Reid crowed that Boehner will cave on immigration reform, which is backed by labor,the evangelical churches,the Chamber of Commerce and all minority groups.
++Charles Pierce was right yesterday when he wrote in the Esquire political blog that the campaign against Obamacare would be eternal. Today, the GOP is back to criticizing Obamacare for Medicare cuts. They used this in the 2012 election but failed to convince anyone. The RNC is offended by the way Obamacare appeals to the young through its ads. And of course, Obama just took over 1/16th of the national economy.
++Peggy Noonan says the Obama White House is disorganized. This comes on the whole competence complaint against Obama.
++Former White House spokesman Gibbs argues someone has to be fired for the lousy healthcare rollout.
++Fans of Obama's electoral campaigns might notice the same techniques being applied in Obamacare. Political activists, labor unions, nurses and navigators are targeting inner cities for the quickest way to roll up the numbers for health insurance.
++The Democrats seem to be off the floor and back on their feet by challenging GOP Governors on the issue of Medicaid expansion.
++The Washington Post today teems with stories about how toxic Republican politics has become and the serial lies told about Obamacare.
++Duncan Hunter,Jr. says that the United States must be prepared to drop nuclear weapons on Iran as part of its military option.
++The California GOP is defending their bogus healthcare website as getting the word out on how terrible Obamacare is.
++Obamacare in the last two days has enrolled more than twice the number it did in November.
++Governor Rick Perry is negotiating with the federal government expansion of Medicaid in Texas. Texas has the most uninsured of any state.
++Texas is forcing navigators for healthcare to undergo background checks as a way to slow down the implementation of the law.
++Consumer Reports pronounces the website "excellent" and urges Americans to go shopping for healthcare.
++John Boehner blames President Obama and the Senate for the worst Congress in history. Boehner's crew only tried to repeal Obamacare 48 times, a very productive use of time.
++President Obama came out today rock and rolling on economic opportunities and zinged the Republicans on unemployment benefits, the SNAP program and any ideas about jobs. The Twitter feed for the whole speech had zinger after zinger.
++In their outreach to minorities,the RNC asked,"What did President Obama ever do for African-Americans?"
++Eyes were on Boehner hiring John McCain's staff aide on immigration. Harry Reid crowed that Boehner will cave on immigration reform, which is backed by labor,the evangelical churches,the Chamber of Commerce and all minority groups.
++Charles Pierce was right yesterday when he wrote in the Esquire political blog that the campaign against Obamacare would be eternal. Today, the GOP is back to criticizing Obamacare for Medicare cuts. They used this in the 2012 election but failed to convince anyone. The RNC is offended by the way Obamacare appeals to the young through its ads. And of course, Obama just took over 1/16th of the national economy.
++Peggy Noonan says the Obama White House is disorganized. This comes on the whole competence complaint against Obama.
++Former White House spokesman Gibbs argues someone has to be fired for the lousy healthcare rollout.
++Fans of Obama's electoral campaigns might notice the same techniques being applied in Obamacare. Political activists, labor unions, nurses and navigators are targeting inner cities for the quickest way to roll up the numbers for health insurance.
++The Democrats seem to be off the floor and back on their feet by challenging GOP Governors on the issue of Medicaid expansion.
++The Washington Post today teems with stories about how toxic Republican politics has become and the serial lies told about Obamacare.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Obama's Syria Speech
++Before listening to the President's speech, I read Andrew Bacevich's new book Breach of Tust:How Americans failed their Soldiers and their Country. And sadly, it has to be said that no one has any skin in the Syrian game from the American side, except the servicemen and women who might have to respond. Bacevich does a brilliant job of analyzing the changing military strategies from WWII on and how the divide between the state and the society widened so that there exists no accountability or desire for accountability of the gigantic war machine.
++Having said that President Obama's speech was surprising in some aspects. I expected an Oval Office War Speech. Instead, it was delivered in the East Wing. Yesterday's flurry of events forced the speech to be about fluid events with two dramatically opposed endings--war or peace. The President made mention of the enormous war-power capabilities which have accrued to the executive branch and spoke how it was better that Congress share in the responsibility. While noting he has the constitutional right to strike, he believed it was best if a President made military actions with the full support of Congress. He distinguished this strike from Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya in terms of scale and duration. He also mentioned the history of the use of chemical weapons. My great uncle Paul Demme would have been pleased since he was attacked with mustard gad during WWI and remained badly scarred for the rest of his life. President Obama said it was imperative that the United States act to prevent these attacks again. Then he sequed into the recent diplomatic offers that Syria surrender its arsenal of chemical weapons to the international community. For this diplomacy to take place, he was sending John Kerry tomorrow to Geneva to meet the Russian minister in charge of Syria.
++So The President requested the Senate suspend consideration of the authorization of military force.
++I thought the speech was fine basically framing the call for permission to use force as a deterrent to enhance a diplomatic solution. It reminded me of diplomatic gambits from yesteryear.
++Parenthetically, President Obama gave an even more moving speech today at the Pentagon to commemorate the real 9-11 attacks. But sometimes I wish he would pull back from the scripture. President Obama quoted at least six biblical passages, which even the Fundies would be hard pressed to quote.
++So how did the Syria speech go over. The CNN/ORC poll said 69% were favorably disposed to the President overall. 61% support Obama's position.37% oppose. On the question of whether Obama was convincing on his position: 47% said he did; 50% said he didn't.
++Andrew Sullivan, who spent the past week in different states of cardiac arrest because he feared Obama had made a blunder, called the talk "the clearest, simplest and most moving presidential speeches to the nation I can imagine." Read his full analysis at Daily Dish and subscribe to his blog. It is well worth the read.
++Michael Tomasky at the Daily Beast also writes favorably about President Obama's speech and position but says he still has an uphill battle.
++Former Obama aide, John Faureau writes about why this was the man he supported.
++John Podhoretz writes in the New York Post that President Obama shamed the country.
++Charles Pierce in his blog for Esquire writes a perfect analysis of why Washington doesn't understand Obama because they like "guts" and not someone who engages in the active process of deciding among options. I think Pierce is right on the money because I thought President Obama had an abstract goal to sell and more sophisticated options to consider than the win-lose media could comprehend.
++John Stewart did a marvelous attack on Fox News caterwauling about Obama "losing" to the Russians. Stewart likened John Kerry to Mr. Magoo who gaffed into a diplomatic solution. Stewart asked," Do we care who gets the credit if there is no war." He cut to videoclips of people shouting they Obama lost. "Who did he lose to? Do we lose if there is no war?"
++Today's drumbeat from the Right is that Obama is letting Russia back in as a major geopolitical force.
++Marco Rubio and John Boehner spent this 9-11 blasting President Obama for failing to bring the perpetrators of the 9/11 Benghazi attack to justice. No mention he brought the perpetrator of the original 9/11 to justice when their President didn't.
++Having said that President Obama's speech was surprising in some aspects. I expected an Oval Office War Speech. Instead, it was delivered in the East Wing. Yesterday's flurry of events forced the speech to be about fluid events with two dramatically opposed endings--war or peace. The President made mention of the enormous war-power capabilities which have accrued to the executive branch and spoke how it was better that Congress share in the responsibility. While noting he has the constitutional right to strike, he believed it was best if a President made military actions with the full support of Congress. He distinguished this strike from Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya in terms of scale and duration. He also mentioned the history of the use of chemical weapons. My great uncle Paul Demme would have been pleased since he was attacked with mustard gad during WWI and remained badly scarred for the rest of his life. President Obama said it was imperative that the United States act to prevent these attacks again. Then he sequed into the recent diplomatic offers that Syria surrender its arsenal of chemical weapons to the international community. For this diplomacy to take place, he was sending John Kerry tomorrow to Geneva to meet the Russian minister in charge of Syria.
++So The President requested the Senate suspend consideration of the authorization of military force.
++I thought the speech was fine basically framing the call for permission to use force as a deterrent to enhance a diplomatic solution. It reminded me of diplomatic gambits from yesteryear.
++Parenthetically, President Obama gave an even more moving speech today at the Pentagon to commemorate the real 9-11 attacks. But sometimes I wish he would pull back from the scripture. President Obama quoted at least six biblical passages, which even the Fundies would be hard pressed to quote.
++So how did the Syria speech go over. The CNN/ORC poll said 69% were favorably disposed to the President overall. 61% support Obama's position.37% oppose. On the question of whether Obama was convincing on his position: 47% said he did; 50% said he didn't.
++Andrew Sullivan, who spent the past week in different states of cardiac arrest because he feared Obama had made a blunder, called the talk "the clearest, simplest and most moving presidential speeches to the nation I can imagine." Read his full analysis at Daily Dish and subscribe to his blog. It is well worth the read.
++Michael Tomasky at the Daily Beast also writes favorably about President Obama's speech and position but says he still has an uphill battle.
++Former Obama aide, John Faureau writes about why this was the man he supported.
++John Podhoretz writes in the New York Post that President Obama shamed the country.
++Charles Pierce in his blog for Esquire writes a perfect analysis of why Washington doesn't understand Obama because they like "guts" and not someone who engages in the active process of deciding among options. I think Pierce is right on the money because I thought President Obama had an abstract goal to sell and more sophisticated options to consider than the win-lose media could comprehend.
++John Stewart did a marvelous attack on Fox News caterwauling about Obama "losing" to the Russians. Stewart likened John Kerry to Mr. Magoo who gaffed into a diplomatic solution. Stewart asked," Do we care who gets the credit if there is no war." He cut to videoclips of people shouting they Obama lost. "Who did he lose to? Do we lose if there is no war?"
++Today's drumbeat from the Right is that Obama is letting Russia back in as a major geopolitical force.
++Marco Rubio and John Boehner spent this 9-11 blasting President Obama for failing to bring the perpetrators of the 9/11 Benghazi attack to justice. No mention he brought the perpetrator of the original 9/11 to justice when their President didn't.
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