The Senate approved unanimously the International Protecting Girls by the Prevention of Child Marriage Act of 2010. In the Senate there were 42 co-sponsors and people like the YMCA actively lobbied for it. It is estimated that over 60 million young girls are forced into marriage every year in developing countries. The bill would have put the United States in the lead in fighting these marriages as a violation of human rights. There were 112 House co-sponsors. But it died in the House because Gentleman John Boehner and Ricky Cantor objected to the expenditure of funds for the bill--this a day after getting billions in tax-cuts for the rich--and because the Christian Right argued it might--might--lead to more abortions.
The President addressed the country through his weekly address that the Senate needs to ratify the New Start Treaty for the sake of the country's national security. Since every living Republican Secretary of State supports the treaty as well as two former Presidents, this would seem to be a no-brainer. As President Obama said, party differences stop at the water's edge. Oh no,they don't. Senator Corker of Tennessee, the man who was against the Auto industry bailout,went on the floor of the Senate to link the New Start Treaty to DADT. If the Democrats managed the vote to repeal DADT, then Republicans would kill the New Start Treaty. Who knows where this bluff will lead. But it's clear that Republicans, who once held the edge in national security matters, have now lost it in my mind for a long time to come.
If an undocumented immigrant or a foreigner volunteers to fight for our country, isn't it rather logical to allow that person--if they lived through a war--to apply for American citizenship? Or if a similar person is in college, wouldn't you want that person to remain in the United States and become a citizen? That's why the DREAM Act was thought up by a wide group of bipartisan sponsors. While it passed the House,the Latin community has spent the last two days lobbying the Senate intensely. Now this act is labelled as part of the "liberal" agenda, having once had as a cosponsor Orrin Hatch of all people. Harry Reid promised during his campaign he would bring the Dream Act up on the Lame Duck Session. He did.
This is an act, which over 70% of Americans support. The cloture vote for the Dream Act was 55 to 41. In other words, it did not reach 60 to be even voted on. In essence, the Dream Act died with every single Republican voting against it. Hopefully, the Latino community will remember those who opposed it.
The United States has spent $2 billion--that's right--to discharge 16,000 gay and lesbian servicemen and women. Not only is this a waste of money but it also doesn't include the additional waste of the millions spent training these service people. Forget the civil liberties argument on DADT. It's a big waste of money and it also perverts the Military Code of Honor--you have to tell the truth. This was Admiral Mullens biggest complaint about DADT--it forced service people to lie--which he thought incompatible with military service.
I've always been against DADT, even in the Clinton days. We're lucky to get as many people who volunteer to fight for our country as it is. But I never have really experienced the vitriol this issue conjures up. Last night the Washington Post printed a small piece about today's procedure and quoted advocates of repeal on their hopes for success. The posted comments were simply amazing by right-wing homophobes, who went into graphic descriptions of anal sex and the biblical admonishments against gay behavior. As in the same sex marriage debate, lesbians get a pass. The fixation on gay men was over the top and the webmaster for the Washington Post should have deleted these endless rants about the United States going the same way as Sodom. One earnest soldier posted a comment saying that he served with gays and found them focused on combat and that he was proud of them. This was countered by alleged Korean war vet saying his men won't serve with gays. Another commenter remarked that George Washington hired a gay general Von Steuben to train our revolutionary troops. The response to this was that Von Steuben was cashiered from the German Army for pedophilia. And off we went down the rabbit hole.
The Focus on Your Family, not Mine crowd--now known as the Family Research Group (or some other vanilla name) sent out a prayer request to their members to pray to defeat the repeal and also vowed to primary all Republicans who voted to repeal. And of course they named all Republicans who have been on the record to vote for repeal.
It seems they are going to do alot of campaigning. Hapless Harry went for the clouture vote this morning. Here again about 70% of Americans support repeal. The cloture vote passed by 63 to 33 so the standing alone repeal will have to be voted on. At last count I had 62 votes committed to repeal. Even before the vote, the Obama Administration informed Barney Frank they would not defend anymore the cases before the courts.
If it is repealed as it seems, we have to acknowledge the role played by Joe Lieberman, who actively rounded up the votes to repeal it, along with Susan Collins from Maine.
And special mention has to be made of the sad fate of John McCain. Now he's not only the first white man who ran and was beaten like a drum by a black man for President but he also lost on a gay rights issue this week. What a legacy!
In the How Do You Sleep At Night category (tip of the hat to John Lennon), the Republicans actually managed to block medical assistance to the 9/11 responders through filibuster. John Stewart's last show of the year is devoted to the 9/11 responders. Somehow this doesn't surprise me. The New GOP would like to have 9/11 as a holiday but not do anything responsible for those who ran through fire and flames to rescue people. It all makes sense really.
One horrible side note to this week in Congress is the passage in the Defense Bill of the prohibition of trying Gitmo prisoners in civil trials in the United States and closing down Gitmo. Even the Democrats couldn't muster up a reasonable explanation for this nuttiness.
As of now, I count 66 votes for the New Start Treaty. That's one short. We've been through all the ancillary reasons it needs to pass such as Iran, Afghanistan and other nuclear proliferation. Perhaps once the bluff is called, Republicans will buckle under.
And I am grateful that our media didn't forget Captain Beefheart. His death even made it in the Washington Post. Maybe I should spend the day listening to Trout Mask Replica.
Showing posts with label New Start Treaty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Start Treaty. Show all posts
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Tuesday in Crazy Town
Run, Mike, Run! Michael Steele is running again for head of the RNC.
It's sad day when any President declares victory because the Senate voted to bring a bill to the floor. That's what we've come to. By 83-15, the tax bill will be voted on. Probably it will happen tomorrow because Senate rules mean you have 30 hours after the cloture vote for the floor vote. This can be waved. But if one Senator objects, then you can't. Progressives really shouldn't feel bad. The rich don't pay taxes anyway. And would we be concerned about the wealthy if the economy was humming along with low unemployment?
The Administration says that it has the votes for the New Start Treaty. Here the Senate can't filibuster because it's a treaty.
Steny Hoyer is readying a stand-alone repeal of DADT for the House. They've already repealed it but it looks like the Senate will only entertain their own stand alone. Maybe because people are saying time is running out and no one wants to stick around. However yesterday those soldiers discharged for being gay filed suit to be reinstated which brings home Gates concern of having this linger forever and be resolved by the Courts.
Speaking of courts, Virginia Judge Henry Hudson appeared to have a conflict of interest problem on the healthcare bill since he owned shares in a consulting company which lobbied against the bill. The Obama Administration downplayed yesterday's ruling, pointing to some 22 challenges of the healthcare bill, which have either been dismissed or ruled against. Ricky Cantor agrees with the Cooch that this case--the only one they won so far--should be short-circuited to the Roberts Court, Limited immediately.
But problemo--conservative law professors who analyzed Hudson's opinion says the judge committed a big Whopper--he basically over-ruled the Commerce Clause in the Constitution. They claim he didn't heed the "Necessary and Proper Clause" of the Constitution and say that opinion has to be thrown out as a matter of course. Interesting. Sorry, Charlie. The other trivial part of the opinion is that he upheld the healthcare bill, except for the individual mandate. The individual mandate is the only part of the bill the health insurance industry insisted on because it would brng them 40 million new customers.
Julian Assange's lawyer told David Frost--remember him--on Al-Jeezera that there indeed was a grand jury secretly empaneled in Alexandria to nail Assange. Assange was granted bail this morning in the U.K. Michael Moore chipped into pay the bail.
Richard Holbrooke died after his aorta ruptured. Seen as vital to the Afghanistan War strategy, he reportedly said as his last words," You've got to stop this war." I have a little problem accepting this. Remember Bill Casey's famous last words, "I believed." Casey's widow always denied Woodward's account of this, saying that Casey at that time was brain dead. I tend to believe Sophia.
In the interest of civility, I am abandoning the term "Tan Man" or "Old Swizzle Stick" for John Boehner. Since he showed his sensitivity on 60 Minutes, I'm going to call him Gentleman John Boehner. One slight problem in his interview--he wept when he talked about children having the same opportunity as he did to achieve the American Dream. Then why does he never reflect that attitude when it comes to policy? Boehner did admit Obama was "smart, even brilliant", which is better than Huckabee calling Obama "amateurish". Gentleman John longs to play 18 holes of golf with Obama, since he played some 190 rounds of golf this past legislative year. That should give us hope that the next Congress won't do anything too negative.
So President Obama is going to stay in D.C. and not depart to Hawaii until the Start Treaty is approved. He already gave Michelle her Christmas gift--he signed the Child Nutrition Act.
The Left criticizes that the administration cut food stamps by two billion down the road to pay for the bill. The Administration had already raised the sums spent on food stamps by some $50 billion the previous year. This stuff is just more trivial carping.
The Economist Intelligence Unit put out their Democracy Index for 2010. They rate by full democracy, flawed democracy, hybrid system, and authoritarian regime. We're number 13--I think. Norway is number 1 as a full democracy. So much for American exceptionalism. Remember they hate our freedom.
George W. Bush gave a radio interview yesterday and he wants everyone to stop referring to Bush Tax Cuts. He apparently hates the term.
Mitt Romney has surfaced to denounce the tax deal. He thinks workers should pay for their own unemployment compensation. I guess this is the next permutation of a "compassionate conservatism." Or maybe he suggests all American workers should have golden parachutes. I'll take it.
The recent Bloomberg poll reinforces what all polls have said before and after the election--more Americans trust Democrats , than Republicans on economic issues. So what was the mid-term all about? We will see soon enough the fruits of the voters' labor.
So we're down to tax deal (basically done deal), New Start Treaty (looks good), DADT (iffy) and the Dream Act (I believe dead duck.) Then we will wait for the tsunami of the next Congress.
Gentleman John Boehner says his first vote will be to cut the budget for Congress. Hmmm.
It's sad day when any President declares victory because the Senate voted to bring a bill to the floor. That's what we've come to. By 83-15, the tax bill will be voted on. Probably it will happen tomorrow because Senate rules mean you have 30 hours after the cloture vote for the floor vote. This can be waved. But if one Senator objects, then you can't. Progressives really shouldn't feel bad. The rich don't pay taxes anyway. And would we be concerned about the wealthy if the economy was humming along with low unemployment?
The Administration says that it has the votes for the New Start Treaty. Here the Senate can't filibuster because it's a treaty.
Steny Hoyer is readying a stand-alone repeal of DADT for the House. They've already repealed it but it looks like the Senate will only entertain their own stand alone. Maybe because people are saying time is running out and no one wants to stick around. However yesterday those soldiers discharged for being gay filed suit to be reinstated which brings home Gates concern of having this linger forever and be resolved by the Courts.
Speaking of courts, Virginia Judge Henry Hudson appeared to have a conflict of interest problem on the healthcare bill since he owned shares in a consulting company which lobbied against the bill. The Obama Administration downplayed yesterday's ruling, pointing to some 22 challenges of the healthcare bill, which have either been dismissed or ruled against. Ricky Cantor agrees with the Cooch that this case--the only one they won so far--should be short-circuited to the Roberts Court, Limited immediately.
But problemo--conservative law professors who analyzed Hudson's opinion says the judge committed a big Whopper--he basically over-ruled the Commerce Clause in the Constitution. They claim he didn't heed the "Necessary and Proper Clause" of the Constitution and say that opinion has to be thrown out as a matter of course. Interesting. Sorry, Charlie. The other trivial part of the opinion is that he upheld the healthcare bill, except for the individual mandate. The individual mandate is the only part of the bill the health insurance industry insisted on because it would brng them 40 million new customers.
Julian Assange's lawyer told David Frost--remember him--on Al-Jeezera that there indeed was a grand jury secretly empaneled in Alexandria to nail Assange. Assange was granted bail this morning in the U.K. Michael Moore chipped into pay the bail.
Richard Holbrooke died after his aorta ruptured. Seen as vital to the Afghanistan War strategy, he reportedly said as his last words," You've got to stop this war." I have a little problem accepting this. Remember Bill Casey's famous last words, "I believed." Casey's widow always denied Woodward's account of this, saying that Casey at that time was brain dead. I tend to believe Sophia.
In the interest of civility, I am abandoning the term "Tan Man" or "Old Swizzle Stick" for John Boehner. Since he showed his sensitivity on 60 Minutes, I'm going to call him Gentleman John Boehner. One slight problem in his interview--he wept when he talked about children having the same opportunity as he did to achieve the American Dream. Then why does he never reflect that attitude when it comes to policy? Boehner did admit Obama was "smart, even brilliant", which is better than Huckabee calling Obama "amateurish". Gentleman John longs to play 18 holes of golf with Obama, since he played some 190 rounds of golf this past legislative year. That should give us hope that the next Congress won't do anything too negative.
So President Obama is going to stay in D.C. and not depart to Hawaii until the Start Treaty is approved. He already gave Michelle her Christmas gift--he signed the Child Nutrition Act.
The Left criticizes that the administration cut food stamps by two billion down the road to pay for the bill. The Administration had already raised the sums spent on food stamps by some $50 billion the previous year. This stuff is just more trivial carping.
The Economist Intelligence Unit put out their Democracy Index for 2010. They rate by full democracy, flawed democracy, hybrid system, and authoritarian regime. We're number 13--I think. Norway is number 1 as a full democracy. So much for American exceptionalism. Remember they hate our freedom.
George W. Bush gave a radio interview yesterday and he wants everyone to stop referring to Bush Tax Cuts. He apparently hates the term.
Mitt Romney has surfaced to denounce the tax deal. He thinks workers should pay for their own unemployment compensation. I guess this is the next permutation of a "compassionate conservatism." Or maybe he suggests all American workers should have golden parachutes. I'll take it.
The recent Bloomberg poll reinforces what all polls have said before and after the election--more Americans trust Democrats , than Republicans on economic issues. So what was the mid-term all about? We will see soon enough the fruits of the voters' labor.
So we're down to tax deal (basically done deal), New Start Treaty (looks good), DADT (iffy) and the Dream Act (I believe dead duck.) Then we will wait for the tsunami of the next Congress.
Gentleman John Boehner says his first vote will be to cut the budget for Congress. Hmmm.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Tax Cuts, DADT, New Start and Debt
While Bernie Sanders is filibustering the tax cut deal on the Senate floor as I write,the Democrats added two sweeteners--ethanol subsidies and cash grants for renewable energy projects. By the end,this is going to look like a Christmas Tree, which will superpass the stimulus package.
The New York Times' editorial was on the mark today,blasting the Senate for falling to repeal DADT and the Republicans blocking medical assistance to the 9/11 First Responders. And I thought 9/11 was a Republican holiday. I guess they didn't want to share ownership with people who had to clean up the mess. That's beginning to sound all to familiar.
The roller-coaster end to DADT has made me dizzy. The Advocate, the gay paper, had a splendid statement by President Obama criticizing the Senate vote and pledging to get DADT repealed. Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins promise to bring up the repeal as a stand alone bill at the end of the Lame Duck Session. But now, DADT is no longer a civil rights or moral issue, it's a political nuisance. Bob Gates wrote in today's Washington Post that if Congress doesn't repeal then he's at the mercy of the courts and this will create a situation where the Pentagon will be played like a yo-yo. If this session of Congress does not repeal, then this closes Congress off as the vehicle for its justified demise. For everyone's sanity, President Obama will have to end it by executive order and stay all discharges of gay personnel. But an executive order will disappoint because there will be an agreed upon timeline that the Pentagon must implement the order.
One interesting note--the father of DADT--former Senator Sam Nunn came out yesterday and said it was time for it to be repealed.
It's fascinating to watch the Guardians of National Security--the Republican Party--delay the Defense Appropriations Bill--for the first time in 49 years. All because they want the tax cuts for the rich. Neat, huh. Aside from DADT, the Defense Appropriations Bill contains vital support for veterans' mental illness programs and the treatment of PTSD as well as a restructuring of the military's TRICARE health insurance system to cover families. The Obama Administration has been trying to upgrade medical services for military personnel suffering from PTSD for the past year and a half and the effort has floundered because of this delay in Defense. Remember under George W., the treatment for PTSD was each victim was given Rick Warren's Purpose-Driven Life. I wish this was just a cruel joke but under W. PTSD sufferers were treated as the shell-shock victims of WWI.
Susan Collins finally ran out of excuses not to support the New Start Treaty. She asked for either President Bush to endorse it. President George H.W. Bush sent out a terse statement he backed the ratification. Condi Rice, finally came out of the closet (not that one), and openly supports ratification, making it every Republican Secretary of State for the last 5 Republican Presidents. Now both Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have openly supported the ratification of the treaty but Jim deMint is threatening to filibuster but no one knows why.
President Obama obviously was listening to me yesterday. He told NPR that he would be presenting proposals to reform the entire tax code to Congress next year. This was how I thought he would avoid the 2012 Rich Tax trap. He also met with Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson of the Catfood Commission yesterday and talked about what measures they suggested he would adopt. He has already put a freeze on government wages and looks like he may adopt the McColm Social Security measure of raising the cap on the FICA tax, which would instantly solve Social Security's problems for about a century.
The Pew Foundation has a new poll out that shows that Americans are deeply concerned about the national debt but when they asked what should be done Americans favor tax increases and cuts in programs but no one can agree on any. Well, only two--freezing government wages and raising the cap on the FICA tax. Beyond that, there is no agreement on anything. Andrew Sullivan believes this provides President Obama with an opportunity to nail the inconsistencies of the GOP to the wall by outlining his plan to reduce the national debt in the State of the Union Address.
I solved the national debt problem by taking the interactive survey at the New York Times. It was a wonderful exercise. I did it by 45% in program cuts and 55% in tax increases. And voila, I got it down gradually in a manageable way. I've heard from others that they did too. So if Times readers can solve the debt, anyone can.
Republicans are flabberghasted that Democrats are rebelling at President Obama over the tax deal. Charlie Krauthammer woke up to the scene by rightfully saying that Obama picked the Republicans' pocket and laid the ground for his re-election. But Ralph Nader says that Obama should be challenged politically from the Left. Remember when Nader ran in 2000, that really came out well.
I had enjoyed the comeback of progressives in the field of policy ideas. It's been a good four years of solid policy proposals. But now, they have gone into a funk over the tax deal and become self-referential again. I hope progressive snap out of it because conservatives are in the death spiral of epistemic closure. We can't afford it to happen to the Left.
Meanwhile, the new Republican House has been hiring lobbyists like mad for key staff positions. Old Swizzle Stick Boehner has hired key lobbyists against the healthcare reform for his staff. Teabaggers have hired former employees of Koch Industries. The teabaggers in all their populism marched over to K Street on promises their campaign debts would be retired by corporations. Maybe the Democrats should wake up and see that the next two weeks are the last hurrah for now of any progressive change. Then the Battle Royale will begin and President Obama will have moved on to the Middle East Peace Talks and Afghanistan.
The New York Times' editorial was on the mark today,blasting the Senate for falling to repeal DADT and the Republicans blocking medical assistance to the 9/11 First Responders. And I thought 9/11 was a Republican holiday. I guess they didn't want to share ownership with people who had to clean up the mess. That's beginning to sound all to familiar.
The roller-coaster end to DADT has made me dizzy. The Advocate, the gay paper, had a splendid statement by President Obama criticizing the Senate vote and pledging to get DADT repealed. Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins promise to bring up the repeal as a stand alone bill at the end of the Lame Duck Session. But now, DADT is no longer a civil rights or moral issue, it's a political nuisance. Bob Gates wrote in today's Washington Post that if Congress doesn't repeal then he's at the mercy of the courts and this will create a situation where the Pentagon will be played like a yo-yo. If this session of Congress does not repeal, then this closes Congress off as the vehicle for its justified demise. For everyone's sanity, President Obama will have to end it by executive order and stay all discharges of gay personnel. But an executive order will disappoint because there will be an agreed upon timeline that the Pentagon must implement the order.
One interesting note--the father of DADT--former Senator Sam Nunn came out yesterday and said it was time for it to be repealed.
It's fascinating to watch the Guardians of National Security--the Republican Party--delay the Defense Appropriations Bill--for the first time in 49 years. All because they want the tax cuts for the rich. Neat, huh. Aside from DADT, the Defense Appropriations Bill contains vital support for veterans' mental illness programs and the treatment of PTSD as well as a restructuring of the military's TRICARE health insurance system to cover families. The Obama Administration has been trying to upgrade medical services for military personnel suffering from PTSD for the past year and a half and the effort has floundered because of this delay in Defense. Remember under George W., the treatment for PTSD was each victim was given Rick Warren's Purpose-Driven Life. I wish this was just a cruel joke but under W. PTSD sufferers were treated as the shell-shock victims of WWI.
Susan Collins finally ran out of excuses not to support the New Start Treaty. She asked for either President Bush to endorse it. President George H.W. Bush sent out a terse statement he backed the ratification. Condi Rice, finally came out of the closet (not that one), and openly supports ratification, making it every Republican Secretary of State for the last 5 Republican Presidents. Now both Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have openly supported the ratification of the treaty but Jim deMint is threatening to filibuster but no one knows why.
President Obama obviously was listening to me yesterday. He told NPR that he would be presenting proposals to reform the entire tax code to Congress next year. This was how I thought he would avoid the 2012 Rich Tax trap. He also met with Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson of the Catfood Commission yesterday and talked about what measures they suggested he would adopt. He has already put a freeze on government wages and looks like he may adopt the McColm Social Security measure of raising the cap on the FICA tax, which would instantly solve Social Security's problems for about a century.
The Pew Foundation has a new poll out that shows that Americans are deeply concerned about the national debt but when they asked what should be done Americans favor tax increases and cuts in programs but no one can agree on any. Well, only two--freezing government wages and raising the cap on the FICA tax. Beyond that, there is no agreement on anything. Andrew Sullivan believes this provides President Obama with an opportunity to nail the inconsistencies of the GOP to the wall by outlining his plan to reduce the national debt in the State of the Union Address.
I solved the national debt problem by taking the interactive survey at the New York Times. It was a wonderful exercise. I did it by 45% in program cuts and 55% in tax increases. And voila, I got it down gradually in a manageable way. I've heard from others that they did too. So if Times readers can solve the debt, anyone can.
Republicans are flabberghasted that Democrats are rebelling at President Obama over the tax deal. Charlie Krauthammer woke up to the scene by rightfully saying that Obama picked the Republicans' pocket and laid the ground for his re-election. But Ralph Nader says that Obama should be challenged politically from the Left. Remember when Nader ran in 2000, that really came out well.
I had enjoyed the comeback of progressives in the field of policy ideas. It's been a good four years of solid policy proposals. But now, they have gone into a funk over the tax deal and become self-referential again. I hope progressive snap out of it because conservatives are in the death spiral of epistemic closure. We can't afford it to happen to the Left.
Meanwhile, the new Republican House has been hiring lobbyists like mad for key staff positions. Old Swizzle Stick Boehner has hired key lobbyists against the healthcare reform for his staff. Teabaggers have hired former employees of Koch Industries. The teabaggers in all their populism marched over to K Street on promises their campaign debts would be retired by corporations. Maybe the Democrats should wake up and see that the next two weeks are the last hurrah for now of any progressive change. Then the Battle Royale will begin and President Obama will have moved on to the Middle East Peace Talks and Afghanistan.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Obama Abroad Again
President Obama punched back at the Republicans over the New Start Treaty with his address to the nation on Saturday. He even singled out Senator Kyl as a culprit. Besides the worthy goal of down-sizing our nuclear arsenal, President Obama stressed that failure to ratify the treaty would jeopardize Russian cooperation on Iran and its facilitation of American troops and equipment to Afghanistan. Of course, it would make the United States look like chumps and diminish the country's influence abroad, which Republicans either neglect to think about in their venegeance against Obama or simply don't care. Obama invoked literally every living Republican favoring the treaty and even the dead President Reagan. Senator Lugar did his part on television interviews stressing the urgency and importance of this treaty.
Retired General Egan, who was the deputy commander of U.S. nuclear forces, lashed out at conservative saying that they have literally no respect for the military. He claimed that all the brass and the majority of retired brass favor this Treaty and that it was clear that conservatives no longer trust the armed forces.
Since Day One, conservatives accused President Obama of neglecting our allies in Europe. They even attacked this treaty early on as precluding the implementation of the missle defense program--the famed Star War project. Of course, this was not true. Then they accused President Obama of neglecting to modernize our nuclear arsenal, which is doubly not true with the allocation of $85 billion to this task.Then the accusation was that were abandoning Eastern Europe. This weekend all of the East European governments urged the U.S. Senate to ratify the treaty.
Is there some secret to the fact that conservatives have ignored the recent news of the United States' successful covert action smuggling tons of uranium and plutonium out of Kazakhstan--enough to make hundreds if not thousands of nuclear weapons? So far I have only read analyses by the left.
At the NATO meeting in Lisbon, most observers talked about the agreement to start withdrawing troops in 2011 and eventually handing over the security of the country in 2014. Sadly, this would mean the United States would be at war in Afghanistan longer than the Soviet Union was. Sadder still is the poll that found that the vast majority of Afghanistan don't know what 9/11 is or what the war is about in the first place.
If you think the United States should be diplomatically engaged, it's useful to note that NATO with the help of the Obama Administration over the past two years has finally produced their first mission statement about the 21st century after ten years with none. This doesn't get the headlines but these things used to matter.
Also, as the Drudge Report reminds us, Russia might be participating in the missle defense system, something Ronald Reagan actually promised them years ago.
While debating the future of Afghanistan with Hamid Karzai, the United States and the European Union met to discuss the global economic situation and continued plans to reach a new DOHA agreement on trade this coming year. From the major media--crickets.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the absolutely disasterous Asian trip of President Obama, Steven Chu, our Energy Secretary, is following up with both Japan and China on joint programs to develop alternative energy technologies. And that failed free trade agreement with South Korea should be coming along within the next month, even though the delay robbed President Obama of the final feather in his hat on the Asian trip.
North Korea always seems to act out when everyone else is getting all the attention. For opaque reasons, they escorted an American professor around several hundred more centrifuges as if bragging about a new phase in their atomic program. This weekend American diplomats were dispatched to notify Japan, South Korea and China of the new threats.
One disturbing undercurrent to President Obama's trip to Europe has been the renewal of concerns by NATO states that he is not investigating the admissions of torture by former President Bush and Vice President Cheney. The United Kingdom has already decided to compensate British citizens detained and tortured at Gitmo and the conservative Mayor of London strongly hinted that George W might want to forego a book tour in the United Kingdom because he would be subject to arrest for warcrimes. The Mayor even linked George W. Bush with General Augusto Pinochet, who was arrested in London for war crimes and money laundering. Only last week conservative Prime Minister Cameron denied Bush's claim that torture saved the lives of thousands of Londoners because waterboarding produced inavluable intelligence.
While President Obama is repairing relations in Europe, the legacy of George W lives on--organized crime gangs in Scotland have now adopted waterboarding as their technique of choice in their war with rivals over the drug trade. They did this with specific reference to the United States. Apparently, a rival gang leader was waterboarded and gave up the location of a cache of stolen drugs. So maybe we should relay this to Marc Thiessen as evidence that torture works.
President Obama now is looking at ways to meet his commitments made to the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change. Now that cap and trade is permanently dead and over half the House Republicans are on record disbelieving climate change, President Obama has ordered the EPA to seriously monitor carbon emissions and has focused on expediting clean energy alternatives and electric cars through the executive branch.
Finally, Happy 90th Birthday to Stan "The Man" Musial, who had a career batting average of .331.
It rains diamonds on Neptune.
Retired General Egan, who was the deputy commander of U.S. nuclear forces, lashed out at conservative saying that they have literally no respect for the military. He claimed that all the brass and the majority of retired brass favor this Treaty and that it was clear that conservatives no longer trust the armed forces.
Since Day One, conservatives accused President Obama of neglecting our allies in Europe. They even attacked this treaty early on as precluding the implementation of the missle defense program--the famed Star War project. Of course, this was not true. Then they accused President Obama of neglecting to modernize our nuclear arsenal, which is doubly not true with the allocation of $85 billion to this task.Then the accusation was that were abandoning Eastern Europe. This weekend all of the East European governments urged the U.S. Senate to ratify the treaty.
Is there some secret to the fact that conservatives have ignored the recent news of the United States' successful covert action smuggling tons of uranium and plutonium out of Kazakhstan--enough to make hundreds if not thousands of nuclear weapons? So far I have only read analyses by the left.
At the NATO meeting in Lisbon, most observers talked about the agreement to start withdrawing troops in 2011 and eventually handing over the security of the country in 2014. Sadly, this would mean the United States would be at war in Afghanistan longer than the Soviet Union was. Sadder still is the poll that found that the vast majority of Afghanistan don't know what 9/11 is or what the war is about in the first place.
If you think the United States should be diplomatically engaged, it's useful to note that NATO with the help of the Obama Administration over the past two years has finally produced their first mission statement about the 21st century after ten years with none. This doesn't get the headlines but these things used to matter.
Also, as the Drudge Report reminds us, Russia might be participating in the missle defense system, something Ronald Reagan actually promised them years ago.
While debating the future of Afghanistan with Hamid Karzai, the United States and the European Union met to discuss the global economic situation and continued plans to reach a new DOHA agreement on trade this coming year. From the major media--crickets.
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the absolutely disasterous Asian trip of President Obama, Steven Chu, our Energy Secretary, is following up with both Japan and China on joint programs to develop alternative energy technologies. And that failed free trade agreement with South Korea should be coming along within the next month, even though the delay robbed President Obama of the final feather in his hat on the Asian trip.
North Korea always seems to act out when everyone else is getting all the attention. For opaque reasons, they escorted an American professor around several hundred more centrifuges as if bragging about a new phase in their atomic program. This weekend American diplomats were dispatched to notify Japan, South Korea and China of the new threats.
One disturbing undercurrent to President Obama's trip to Europe has been the renewal of concerns by NATO states that he is not investigating the admissions of torture by former President Bush and Vice President Cheney. The United Kingdom has already decided to compensate British citizens detained and tortured at Gitmo and the conservative Mayor of London strongly hinted that George W might want to forego a book tour in the United Kingdom because he would be subject to arrest for warcrimes. The Mayor even linked George W. Bush with General Augusto Pinochet, who was arrested in London for war crimes and money laundering. Only last week conservative Prime Minister Cameron denied Bush's claim that torture saved the lives of thousands of Londoners because waterboarding produced inavluable intelligence.
While President Obama is repairing relations in Europe, the legacy of George W lives on--organized crime gangs in Scotland have now adopted waterboarding as their technique of choice in their war with rivals over the drug trade. They did this with specific reference to the United States. Apparently, a rival gang leader was waterboarded and gave up the location of a cache of stolen drugs. So maybe we should relay this to Marc Thiessen as evidence that torture works.
President Obama now is looking at ways to meet his commitments made to the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change. Now that cap and trade is permanently dead and over half the House Republicans are on record disbelieving climate change, President Obama has ordered the EPA to seriously monitor carbon emissions and has focused on expediting clean energy alternatives and electric cars through the executive branch.
Finally, Happy 90th Birthday to Stan "The Man" Musial, who had a career batting average of .331.
It rains diamonds on Neptune.
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Lame Duck Session
We only have a short time before this Congress will give way to the clowncar of the next circus.
If you were President Barack Obama, you need two basic things--the ratification of the New Start treaty and the passage of the Defense Appropriations Act with the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Those should be the two top priorities.
For the purpose of the economy and the general welfare,perhaps, the most important issue would be the extension of the unemployment benefits. At no time in American history have these not been extended when our unemployment rate is above 7.5%. The House Democrats tried to fast-track approval, which requires 2/3rds of the House. The measure failed but it did put all the Republicans on the record as opposing these benefits, while all are for tax cuts for the wealthiest.
As for the extension of the tax cuts, House Democrats are already plannng to vote on the middle class tax cuts. Harry Reid plans several votes on different tax packages. If I were the Obama Administration and I didn't get credit for the larges middle class tax in history, I would not force the issue at the expense of either the Defense Bill or the Treaty.
The New Start Treaty is vital because it compliments the administration's efforts at non-proliferation. Failure to ratify would be applauded by Tehran and North Korea. The problem if the Treaty fails to ratify is that America will lack on-the-ground inspection ability in Russia,which most experts say terrorists will acquire nuclear materials.
After yesterday's summit of Secretary of States and NSC advisers at the White House in support of the Treaty and Dick Lugar's insistance that Harry Reid call the vote on his Republicans, the time to move is now. Otherwise,the momentum will be lost.
The Repeal of DADT will be a kabuki play choreographed around the release of the Pentagon Report and the hearings on the subject. The votes are there to break the filibuster and approve the repeal if the correct procedure will be used. But this will have to be compressed within a short time.
With the republican leadership conspicuously dissing the President's invitation to the White House, President Obama should just forget about reaching any accomodation with the GOP over the tax issue. He should simply ask his plan be voted on--step back from the fray--and have the GOP work to give the rich the tax breaks. Democrats shouldn't even play the game, just let the GOP try to muster their own votes for the tax breaks for the rich.
I have no idea how any extension of unemployment will work or even if it has a chance to pass.
But the Obama Administration must keep their eye on the prize. Secure the Treaty and repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
Harry Reid wants a straight up and down vote on the DREAM Act, which Hispanics have been pushing. This Act once began with wide bipartisan support but now faces a divided Congress with the GOP' new embrace of anti-immigration ideas.
That's about all that really can get done in the Lame Duck. If they accomplish these things, it would have been one of the most productive sessions in history.
Then, we can begin the Republican campaign to roll back all of Obama's accomplishments. Don't lose heart. It will take much more effort than the GOP thinks.
If you were President Barack Obama, you need two basic things--the ratification of the New Start treaty and the passage of the Defense Appropriations Act with the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Those should be the two top priorities.
For the purpose of the economy and the general welfare,perhaps, the most important issue would be the extension of the unemployment benefits. At no time in American history have these not been extended when our unemployment rate is above 7.5%. The House Democrats tried to fast-track approval, which requires 2/3rds of the House. The measure failed but it did put all the Republicans on the record as opposing these benefits, while all are for tax cuts for the wealthiest.
As for the extension of the tax cuts, House Democrats are already plannng to vote on the middle class tax cuts. Harry Reid plans several votes on different tax packages. If I were the Obama Administration and I didn't get credit for the larges middle class tax in history, I would not force the issue at the expense of either the Defense Bill or the Treaty.
The New Start Treaty is vital because it compliments the administration's efforts at non-proliferation. Failure to ratify would be applauded by Tehran and North Korea. The problem if the Treaty fails to ratify is that America will lack on-the-ground inspection ability in Russia,which most experts say terrorists will acquire nuclear materials.
After yesterday's summit of Secretary of States and NSC advisers at the White House in support of the Treaty and Dick Lugar's insistance that Harry Reid call the vote on his Republicans, the time to move is now. Otherwise,the momentum will be lost.
The Repeal of DADT will be a kabuki play choreographed around the release of the Pentagon Report and the hearings on the subject. The votes are there to break the filibuster and approve the repeal if the correct procedure will be used. But this will have to be compressed within a short time.
With the republican leadership conspicuously dissing the President's invitation to the White House, President Obama should just forget about reaching any accomodation with the GOP over the tax issue. He should simply ask his plan be voted on--step back from the fray--and have the GOP work to give the rich the tax breaks. Democrats shouldn't even play the game, just let the GOP try to muster their own votes for the tax breaks for the rich.
I have no idea how any extension of unemployment will work or even if it has a chance to pass.
But the Obama Administration must keep their eye on the prize. Secure the Treaty and repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
Harry Reid wants a straight up and down vote on the DREAM Act, which Hispanics have been pushing. This Act once began with wide bipartisan support but now faces a divided Congress with the GOP' new embrace of anti-immigration ideas.
That's about all that really can get done in the Lame Duck. If they accomplish these things, it would have been one of the most productive sessions in history.
Then, we can begin the Republican campaign to roll back all of Obama's accomplishments. Don't lose heart. It will take much more effort than the GOP thinks.
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