In his weekly video/radio address, President Barack Obama promises credit card reform and discusses his moves to crack down on offshore corporate tax havens and to assess the stability of the troubled banking system.
** OBAMA TODAY – SUNDAY. President Barack Obama has no public events today.
Vice President Joe Biden delivers the commencement address at Syracuse University in upstate New York.
Obama met yesterday in the Oval Office with Richard Phillips, the American freighter captain rescued last month by the Navy from Somali pirates.
In the evening, Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended the annual White House Correspondents Dinner at the Washington Hilton.
He made fun of himself, for his use of teleprompters, and of the press, saying “all of you voted for me.”
And he had some fun with conservative Republicans, saying former Vice President Dick Cheney – who is again today attacking Obama for supposedly making America less safe – is working on his memoir, “How To Shoot Friends and Interrogate People.”
Obama mocked Republican National Chairman Michael Steele, who is black, for his use of stereotypical idiom, and noted that the federal government will not give the Republican Party a bailout even if Rush Limbaugh is “a toxic asset.”
** OBAMA TODAY – SATURDAY. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend the annual White House Correspondents Dinner tonight at the Washington Hilton.
The Obamas skipped another fixture on the DC social scene, the annual Gridiron dinner, at which Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proved to be the star draw with his funny speech. (The speech was pretty funny, too.)
But they can’t push the Beltway media establishment too much, so they will be at this increasingly circus-like event. I won’t, but I’ll have a special correspondent there, so if anything really interesting happens …
Meanwhile, Obama’s troubled AfPak summit is bearing fruit in the form of major action on several fronts. Pakistana and Afghanistan agreed to form a joint border force to interdict Afghan Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters using Pakistan as a safe haven. The two countries have also agreed to coordinate their intelligence services. How well these things work out is, as the saying goes, another matter.
The Pakistani Army offensive against the Taliban, urged by the Obama Administration, has reportedly produced a million refugees.
And the Pakistani Army is engaged in a major offensive against Pakistani Taliban who have been conducting a slow-rolling jihad.
The Obama Administration has one of its major wishes of the AfPak summit a few days ago fulfilled. The Pakistani Army is engaged in a major offensive against the Taliban running things in the Swat Valley, once the country’s resort area.
Al Jazeera reports that there are now one million refugees in Pakistan from the fighting between the Army and Taliban.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE – SATURDAY. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visits an evacuation shelter at UC Santa Barbara on Saturday morning.
Some 30,000 Californians have been displaced from their homes by the wildfires raging near Santa Barbara. Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency there on Thursday.
The rebooted Star Trek cleverly sets up a coming-of-age saga for a new generation.
** STAR TREK‘S NEW COMING-OF-AGE SAGA FOR GENERATION O. Let’s get the straight-up politics out of the way up front. Barack Obama, as he says himself, grew up on Star Trek. And both the new Spock, young Heroes TV star Zachary Quinto, and the classic Spock, Leonard Nimoy, each of whom star in the new movie, backed him for president, with Quinto campaigning around the country.
Obama even flashed the Vulcan hand sign — not so easy to do the first few times you try — at Nimoy at an Obama fundraiser in, for those of you who were johnnies-come-lately, January 2007.
Now for the part that’s not quite so obvious. This Star Trek hinges on the original captain of the Enterprise. But not the one you’re thinking of.
In rebooting the saga, the new stewards of Star Trek have neatly set up a classic coming-of-age journey for a new generation, the Obama generation. …
** OBAMA’S TROUBLED AFPAK SUMMIT. The optics seem more telling than the rhetoric.
President Barack Obama is hosting his first summit of his wartime allies, the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the so-called “AfPak” summit, dealing with what Obama calls the biggest geopolitical threat to America’s security. But there’s no state dinner in their honor. No address to Congress, which must fund Obama’s plans (and may attach conditions).
And the principal social event, a dinner for the presidents hosted by Vice President Joe Biden at the Naval Observatory, has its own ironic backstory. Biden famously walked out of a dinner last year with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
After their meetings today, Obama struck a note of optimism. …
** OBAMA’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT: OF FLU AND AFPAK. President Barack Obama has had two more crises to deal with in the past week. And, as he did with the crises around Somali pirates and a North Korean missile launch, he gave the most public attention to the least consequential crisis, while working heavily behind the scenes on the most consequential crisis.
This time it was the so-called swine flu and the rolling jihad in deteriorating Pakistan. The flu has caused media mayhem, with the cable culture locking on to it around the clock.
By now, however, the light is starting to dawn that this really is not like the flu in Stephen King’s The Stand. … From my May 4th column.
** THIS X DOESN’T MARK THE SPOT. Big comic book and scifi movie extravaganzas can make big points about society, sometimes even catching the zeitgeist, as we saw with 2008’s The Dark Knight. The X-Men series has been at the forefront of this, exploring the changing nature of humanity, our relationship with technology, and the concept of otherness in a mass society. And doing it amidst unique powers, cool tech, and some bracing action.
Unfortunately, most of that which intrigues one intellectually and moves one emotionally is missing in the fourth entry in the franchise, X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
It’s not a bad movie. (And it does provide an amusing explanation for one of the most famous events of the 1970s.) In fact, it is shaping up as a big hit. It’s a pretty good action flick, but the movie lacks the intellectual depth and soul frequently found in the X-Men series. I was entertained. But it’s going to fall far short measured against the Star Trek and Terminator movies coming later this month in the cultural significance sweepstakes.
The basic plot seems borrowed, at least in part, from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1985 action vehicle, Commando. …
** OBAMA’S DEEPENING AFPAK CRISIS. With the appropriate huzzahs for President Barack Obama’s first 100 days still ringing in the air, his new AfPak strategy, for the linked crisis of Afghanistan and Pakistan, is already in deep trouble. Events have accelerated beyond the assumptions underlying it, especially in Pakistan, and much of the past few days in the administration was taken up with re-strategizing, including discussions on Air Force One as the president flew back-and-forth for a Missouri town hall yesterday and a full-scale National Security Council session before that.
This could be a tremendous disaster for America. As we are serially distracted by the various ADD obsessions of our media culture.
What’s wrong? Most immediately, the slow-rolling jihad in Pakistan and a relatively new government there that’s been fighting with functional modernist governmental rivals and cutting deals that don’t work with the Pakistani Taliban. And in the long term, an approach in Afghanistan that leans in the direction of nation-building rather than simply — though it’s not simple — keeping Al Qaeda too disrupted to launch serious attacks on America. …
** OBAMA’S CALIFORNIA: ANGST AND IRONY FOR WINNING DEMOCRATS. … From my April 28th column.
** OBAMA’S EARTH DAY ENERGY DECLARATION: CALIFORNIA MAY BE THE NATIONAL MODEL HE SAYS, BUT IT’S NOT ENOUGH. … From my April 23rd column.
** THE REPUBLICAN CHOICE: REACT OR MODERNIZE. … From my April 22nd column.
** THE STATE OF PLAY OF STATE OF PLAY. … From my April 18th column.
** OBAMA AND MEXICO: MANAGING INCIPIENT CHAOS. … From my April 17th column.
** EARL GREY, ANYONE? A CALIFORNIA CAPITOL TEA PARTY. …… From my April 15th column.
** OBAMA’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT: OF PIRATES AND MISSILES. … From my April 13th column.
** OBAMA: RIDING WITH HISTORY. (NOTE: As Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, this column was the featured column on the top of the front page of the Huffington Post.) … From my January 19th Huffington Post column.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti. While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM AL JAZEERA. With the US entangled in two wars in the region, it’s valuable to keep up with news and perspectives from the leading Middle Eastern-based TV news network. Based in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, Al Jazeera is very influential and more than a bit controversial. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer. The NWN live link to AJ does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** SCHWARZENEGGER’S CALIFORNIA. Here is my series of five columns on the governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Los Angeles Times in debate last fall, prior to the global economic meltdown, with Pulitzer Prize-winning former Times reporter/editor Bill Boyarsky, whose columns are also included. Among them is what I’m sure is the first piece examining Schwarzenegger’s legacy as governor of California. Since he will actually be governor of California until 2011. No technology known to be disruptive to the space/time continuum was used in its preparation.
You can listen to my April 21st video webchat with Schwarzenegger here.
** TRACK GLOBAL AND NATIONAL ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Having crashed over $147 for yet another record on July 11th, crude oil closed on Friday at $58.63 per barrel, a six-month high. Energy markets are closed on the weekend.
This is up about $25 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, due in part to some positive economic signs and in part to fresh geopolitical jitters over Pakistan.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum.
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| Comments (24) |
Good speec by Obama, he better crack down on the banks and credit card companies.
A million refugees in Pakistan is a lot.
I love that “Star Trek” trailer.
I saw the movie last night.
It’s EXCELLENT!
The new Kirk is good, the new Spock is great, the old Spock is great, Pike is great, the rest of the cast is good, it had my attention from beginning to end.
It’s totally set up to be a great new series of movies.
I guess it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Jonas Blane Says:
May 9th, 2009 at 9:04 am
A million refugees in Pakistan is a lot.
Spock Barack is always good.
Jonas Blane Says:
May 9th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Good speec by Obama, he better crack down on the banks and credit card companies.
At least it’s not the Eagles.
Jonas Blane Says:
May 9th, 2009 at 9:07 am
I love that “Star Trek” trailer.
There is that …
You can’t make an omelette …
># Capitol Boy Says:
May 9th, 2009 at 10:10 am edit
I guess it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Jonas Blane Says:
May 9th, 2009 at 9:04 am
A million refugees in Pakistan is a lot.
Indeed.
># Capitol Boy Says:
May 9th, 2009 at 10:09 am edit
I saw the movie last night.
It’s EXCELLENT!
The new Kirk is good, the new Spock is great, the old Spock is great, Pike is great, the rest of the cast is good, it had my attention from beginning to end.
It’s totally set up to be a great new series of movies.
I suspect the estimate is high.
># Jonas Blane Says:
May 9th, 2009 at 9:04 am edit
A million refugees in Pakistan is a lot.
New video today?
Barack got off some good lines last night!
Yes, he did. One could see that he hesitated to deliver the savage line on Boehner.
I can understand how he grates on his detractors, though. Even his jokes making fun of himself are self-referential. That’s the joke, I know, but it feeds into the meme.
>Barack got off some good lines last night!
How can he make a joke about himself without being self-referential?
I like that.
TRIATHLON Says:
May 10th, 2009 at 11:50 am
I read your Huffington Post piece. Great stuff!
I see some Trekkies are nitpicking the script.
Jonas Blane Says:
May 9th, 2009 at 9:07 am
I love that “Star Trek” trailer.
What new video today?
Obama, Pelosi, Schwarzenegger, big Red Square parade.
Thanks!
And, ah, you could say that …
># Jack Aubrey Says:
May 10th, 2009 at 6:15 pm edit
I read your Huffington Post piece. Great stuff!
I see some Trekkies are nitpicking the script.
Jonas Blane Says:
May 9th, 2009 at 9:07 am
I love that “Star Trek” trailer.
With difficulty.
># Capitol Boy Says:
May 10th, 2009 at 10:46 am edit
How can he make a joke about himself without being self-referential?
The line’s not that savage …
># Clutch J Says:
May 10th, 2009 at 10:02 am edit
Yes, he did. One could see that he hesitated to deliver the savage line on Boehner.
I can understand how he grates on his detractors, though. Even his jokes making fun of himself are self-referential. That’s the joke, I know, but it feeds into the meme.
>Barack got off some good lines last night!