The Obamas are off to Camp David for an abbreviated 4th of July prior to dad’s Moscow Summit next week. Here are some touristy things the Obama daughters can do in Moscow while dad is spending a lot of time talking with the guys in suits.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … OBAMA’S FIRST 4TH.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama has had his daily intelligence and economic briefings and met with senior advisors in the Oval Office.
At 7:30 AM Pacific, Obama , accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha, departed for Camp David.
He’ll celebrate daughter Malia’s 11th birthday there tomorrow before returning to to the White House.
On the weekend, he travels to Moscow for his major summit next week with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
Obama is engaged in major preparations prior to the Moscow Summit. Word is that the US and Russia have reached tentative agreement on a plan to regularly ship military supplies across Russia to aid the US effort in Afghanistan.
This summit in Moscow from July 6th to July 8th may be Obama’s most important. It will be followed by the G-8 summit in Italy. Key issues, which of course will be explained here, involve America’s role in NATO expansion and missile defense seemingly aimed at Russia and potential major Russian assistance to America’s agenda in Afghanistan, Iran, and the Middle East.
Obama is closely monitoring the first offensive he has ordered involving large numbers of American troops.
This is Operation Strike of the Sword, involving more than 4000 US Marines and about 750 Afghan troops, as well as hundreds of British troops. They have moved into the Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan, a hotbed of Afghan Taliban activity. They have encountered little resistance, and only one Marine has been killed so far.
The Marines will set up a series of bases there and pursue active patrolling with the near-term goal of preventing Taliban disruption of Afghanistan’s presidential election in August.
Obama clarified yesterday that the overall goal is to deny Afghanistan as a base for Al Qaeda.
With the withdrawal of US combat troops from Iraqi cities, Obama and his advisors are monitoring the security situation there.
And Obama is of course monitoring the situation in Iran, where once large protests have, as expected here, fizzled in the face of a massive security presence ordered by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The time in Tehran is eleven-and-a-half hours ahead of California.
Yet another day has nearly passed in Iran with demonstrations effectively tamped down. A top Iranian cleric announced that the state will try some Iranians working for the British Embassy for allegedly helping to plan the demonstrations.
Obama is also closely monitoring the situation with North Korea, which fired off four short-range missiles yesterday. But the threatened long-range missile test launch toward Hawaii on the 4th of July does not appear imminent.
Pakistani officials are claiming significant success in their offensive against the Taliban.
He is also monitoring the situation in Pakistan, whose government accepted his suggestion that the army launch an offensive against the Pakistani Taliban who were surging around the country. That offensive has driven Taliban forces back, and the Pakistani Army is conducting operations in Taliban strongholds.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger holds a press conference this morning in San Francisco on California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis.
He then engages in private meetings and discussions in and around the Capitol.
IOUs are being printed in lieu of payment for many state services due to the intractable budget impasse.
It may be that progress is being made. Or it may not.
** THE GOP’S PALIN FOOD FIGHT: WHY NOW? You have to hand it to Sarah Palin. For a sideshow, she’s very good at being the center of attention. Even when she doesn’t want to be.
She had a few big controversies earlier this year — her on-again/off-again headlining of the big GOP congressional fundraiser, her pregnant teenage daughter, the usual Alaska stuff — but she’s hit the jackpot this week with a huge food fight among big name Republicans. What’s unexamined is this question: Why now? …
** TRANSFORMATIVE: LE CINEMA DE MICHAEL BAY. I love the films of Michael Bay. In fact, they are so dramatic and compelling that …
Gotcha! I actually do not love the films of Michael Bay. I don’t hate them, either. And there are a couple that I like. But the fact that it is considered preposterous for a writer — a writer who writes about anything, even wallpaper — to not dismiss Bay’s work in the most vehement of terms points up a dramatic disconnect between the critical community and the movie-going audience.
Bay’s new flick, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, just took in an astounding $200.1 million at the domestic box office in its first five days of release. …
** STAR TREK FIRSTS … 43 YEARS ON. Some 43 years after it began, and seven years after the movie franchise seemed completely played out, Star Trek is making firsts again. And so far, it’s the most popular movie of the year in America. …
** OBAMA AND THE AYATOLLAH. Two weeks after his landmark address in Cairo, where he honored traditional Islam and extolled engagement with modern Islam, President Barack Obama finds himself in a conundrum. Determining what to do about Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who just told the people of Iran, in an unusual nationally-televised sermon at the end of Friday prayers, to stop acting like they live in a democracy.
It’s a particularly tricky question for Obama, because he has an unusual dual role to play: Inspirational global icon and president of the United States.
As the president of the United States, it’s Obama’s job to figure out the needs of America and go about meeting them. As a global icon, he is expected to inspire. … From my June 19th column.
** OBAMA’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT: NORTH KOREA, AGAIN. President Barack Obama changed the old kabuki in dealing with his second North Korean crisis. The first time around, back in April, dealing with a long-range missile test that failed to place a satellite in orbit, Obama treated the effort as more of the same rather baffling attention-seeking by the Hermit Kingdom. This time, after a string of provocations including an underwhelming underground nuclear detonation, a series of missile launches, and the imprisonment of two California-based journalists, Obama went in another, tougher, direction that may lead to a naval confrontation. … From my June 12th column.
** REMEMBERING AMERICA: OBAMA’S D-DAY SPEECH AND TWO DAYS IN JUNE. There’s no question that timing is, as it were, of the essence in politics. Consider the timing of President Barack Obama’s address to the Muslim world, coming as it did just two days before the 65th anniversary of D-Day.
Most focus simply on the Cairo speech. But that speech exists in a larger context, alongside the speech over the weekend in Normandy which bookended it on Obama’s second big international tour.
On Thursday in Cairo, Obama gave his rhetorical best to reposition a mostly peaceful America in the future of the Muslim world. On Saturday in Normandy, he reminded of America’s glittering, and far more martial, past. … From my June 8th column.
** REPOSITIONING AMERICA: OBAMA’S CAIRO SPEECH AS THE ULTIMATE IN EVENT MARKETING. … From my June 4th column.
** TERMINATING THE DARKNESS: HOPE FLOATS, BUT ANXIETY ABIDES. … From my May 31st column.
** THE AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY OF CALIFORNIA’S PROP 8. … From my May 26th column.
** OBAMA’S NEW CALIFORNIA-BASED CLIMATE POLICY: SIX KEY THINGS TO KNOW. … From my May 20th column.
** 24 AND THE TORTUOUS POLITICS OF TORTURE. … From my May 18th 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 recent 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 last July 11th, crude oil is trading around $67 per barrel.
This is up about $33 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum.
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| Comments (28) |
Pakistan looks better.
Moscow looks pretty fun.
Fun? Who thought 20 years ago we’d be saying that about Moscow?
It looks like Barack’s plan is working in Pakistan.
I wish any plan was working in Sacramento…
Don’t bring me down talking that crazy stuff. Happy 4th of July weekend!
Indeed.
I’ll provide those wishes tomorrow …
It does.
> Capitol Boy says:
July 3, 2009 at 9:25 am (Edit)
It looks like Barack’s plan is working in Pakistan.
No one.
> Capitol Boy says:
July 3, 2009 at 9:22 am (Edit)
Fun? Who thought 20 years ago we’d be saying that about Moscow?
It is. Though that’s the PG version there for the Obama girls …
> Jonas Blane says:
July 3, 2009 at 8:59 am (Edit)
Moscow looks pretty fun.
I’d love to hear the R-rated version.
What happened to the refugees? If there are a bunch of new unhappy people, that’s a recruiting ground for the Taliban, maybe.
Jonas Blane says:
July 3, 2009 at 8:58 am
Pakistan looks better.
Interesting Huffpo article on Palin, even though I disagree strongly with the analysis. I think the food fight with the GOP comes from the fact that those who dislike her are mostly beltway elite politicos and what she represents is a repudiation of the Washington media-pundit-operative crowd.
If she were a liberal, it wouldn’t pose so much of a threat because liberal thinking is hyper-government thinking, and even these supposed GOP spokespersons are totally dependent on government largess. If Washington isn’t setting the agenda, then nobody has any use for Kristol. I believe this is why Kristol and his ilk on the “right” tend to push for guys like McCain who are big-government types. Palin on the other hand represents a threat because she strikes a chord with what used to be called Middle America. These are mostly ordinary working people who don’t really like people from the government who are here to help. (Where I come from, most of these folks were traditionally democrats, Blue Dog perhaps, but democrats) She shares the same motivations, goals and, yes, values they do, which are rather simple: hard work, self-reliance, limited government programs and taxes, very little more. This is a big threat not only to the Bill Kristol blowhards, but I would suggest that she strikes fear into the hearts of those who now hold the reins of power in Congress and the White House. When the people get stirred up, look out.
That crazy Palin is resigning as governor of Alaska!
She’s never done a thing. Totally bizarre.
She is so WEIRD!
Weird? Hap tells us she represents the motivations, goals, and values of Middle America. She’s also a quitter, but Hap didn’t know that when he wrote.
I agree it is bizzare. There has to be a better reason than her explanation. After all the McCain infighting someone probably dropped a dime to rat her out on something serious. Quit before you are fired. How easy is it to raise money when you are not in office? Alaska = Big oil = mothers milk. Hopefuilly she will drift off into obscurity. Have a fun 4th everyone.
Anchorage Daily News has a good overview of the response to Palin’s surprise announcement
http://www.adn.com/palin/story/852419.html
“Hopefuilly she will drift off into obscurity” – I would guess that the prediction market price on this proposition will be very low
She’s a joke. What new video today?
Obama’s address, and Palin’s …
She won’t drift into obscurity.
Which is bad news for the Republican Party.
> Hap Hazard says:
July 3, 2009 at 11:03 pm (Edit)
“Hopefuilly she will drift off into obscurity” – I would guess that the prediction market price on this proposition will be very low
I don’t know. I haven’t made any calls on it, as it’s a holiday and Palin simply doesn’t interest me much.
> tom says:
July 3, 2009 at 6:34 pm (Edit)
I agree it is bizzare. There has to be a better reason than her explanation. After all the McCain infighting someone probably dropped a dime to rat her out on something serious. Quit before you are fired. How easy is it to raise money when you are not in office? Alaska = Big oil = mothers milk. Hopefuilly she will drift off into obscurity. Have a fun 4th everyone.
It’s a bizarre move, for someone who has virtually no accomplishments to point to and who seems to be a major flake.
> Jack Aubrey says:
July 3, 2009 at 1:47 pm (Edit)
That crazy Palin is resigning as governor of Alaska!
She’s never done a thing. Totally bizarre.
You have really developed a fantasy view of Sarah Palin, Hap.
She worked out in the campaign exactly as I predicted. A disaster.
> Hap Hazard says:
July 3, 2009 at 1:32 pm (Edit)
Interesting Huffpo article on Palin, even though I disagree strongly with the analysis. I think the food fight with the GOP comes from the fact that those who dislike her are mostly beltway elite politicos and what she represents is a repudiation of the Washington media-pundit-operative crowd.
If she were a liberal, it wouldn’t pose so much of a threat because liberal thinking is hyper-government thinking, and even these supposed GOP spokespersons are totally dependent on government largess. If Washington isn’t setting the agenda, then nobody has any use for Kristol. I believe this is why Kristol and his ilk on the “right” tend to push for guys like McCain who are big-government types. Palin on the other hand represents a threat because she strikes a chord with what used to be called Middle America. These are mostly ordinary working people who don’t really like people from the government who are here to help. (Where I come from, most of these folks were traditionally democrats, Blue Dog perhaps, but democrats) She shares the same motivations, goals and, yes, values they do, which are rather simple: hard work, self-reliance, limited government programs and taxes, very little more. This is a big threat not only to the Bill Kristol blowhards, but I would suggest that she strikes fear into the hearts of those who now hold the reins of power in Congress and the White House. When the people get stirred up, look out.
Perhaps.
> Jack Aubrey says:
July 3, 2009 at 10:48 am (Edit)
What happened to the refugees? If there are a bunch of new unhappy people, that’s a recruiting ground for the Taliban, maybe.
Jonas Blane says:
July 3, 2009 at 8:58 am
Pakistan looks better.
An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.