White House press secretary Robert Gibbs today previewed President Obama’s Tuesday night speech at West Point on the new Afghanistan strategy.
** NEW ESSAY COMING UP … NORTH BY NORTHWEST‘S 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION: ITS ENDURING APPEAL AND THE MAD MEN FACTOR.
** THE NEW SENATE REPORT ON BIN LADEN’S DECEMBER 2001 ESCAPE AT TORA BORA. Excerpted from “TORA BORA REVISITED: HOW WE FAILED TO GET BIN LADEN AND WHY IT MATTERS TODAY,” released today and available here.
NOTE: SORRY FOR THE LOOK OF THIS. THE SPACING IS DISTORTED TRANSFERRING FROM PDF.
Removing the Al Qaeda leader from the battlefield eight years
ago would not have eliminated the worldwide extremist threat. But
the decisions that opened the door for his escape to Pakistan al-
lowed bin Laden to emerge as a potent symbolic figure who con-
tinues to attract a steady flow of money and inspire fanatics world-
wide. The failure to finish the job represents a lost opportunity
that forever altered the course of the conflict in Afghanistan and
the future of international terrorism, leaving the American people
more vulnerable to terrorism, laying the foundation for today’s protracted Afghan insurgency and inflaming the internal strife now
endangering Pakistan. Al Qaeda shifted its locus across the border
into Pakistan, where it has trained extremists linked to numerous
plots, including the July 2005 transit bombings in London and two
recent aborted attacks involving people living in the United States.
The terrorist group’s resurgence in Pakistan has coincided with the
rising violence orchestrated in Afghanistan by the Taliban, whose
leaders also escaped only to re-emerge to direct today’s increasingly
lethal Afghan insurgency.
This failure and its enormous consequences were not inevitable.
By early December 2001, Bin Laden’s world had shrunk to a complex of caves and tunnels carved into a mountainous section of
eastern Afghanistan known as Tora Bora. Cornered in some of the
most forbidding terrain on earth, he and several hundred of his
men, the largest concentration of Al Qaeda fighters of the war, endured relentless pounding by American aircraft, as many as 100 air
strikes a day. One 15,000-pound bomb, so huge it had to be rolled
out the back of a C-130 cargo plane, shook the mountains for miles.
It seemed only a matter of time before U.S. troops and their Afghan allies overran the remnants of Al Qaeda hunkered down in
the thin, cold air at 14,000 feet.
Bin Laden expected to die. His last will and testament, written
on December 14, reflected his fatalism. ‘‘Allah commended to us
that when death approaches any of us that we make a bequest to
parents and next of kin and to Muslims as a whole,’’ he wrote, according to a copy of the will that surfaced later and is regarded as
authentic. ‘‘Allah bears witness that the love of jihad and death in
the cause of Allah has dominated my life and the verses of the
sword permeated every cell in my heart, ‘and fight the pagans all
together as they fight you all together.’ How many times did I
wake up to find myself reciting this holy verse!’’ He instructed his
wives not to remarry and apologized to his children for devoting
himself to jihad.
But the Al Qaeda leader would live to fight another day. Fewer
than 100 American commandos were on the scene with their Afghan allies, and calls for reinforcements to launch an assault were
rejected. Requests were also turned down for U.S. troops to block
the mountain paths leading to sanctuary a few miles away in Pakistan. The vast array of American military power, from sniper
teams to the most mobile divisions of the Marine Corps and the
Army, was kept on the sidelines. Instead, the U.S. command chose
to rely on airstrikes and untrained Afghan militias to attack bin
Laden and on Pakistan’s loosely organized Frontier Corps to seal
his escape routes. On or around December 16, two days after writing his will, bin Laden and an entourage of bodyguards walked
unmolested out of Tora Bora and disappeared into Pakistan’s un-
regulated tribal area. Most analysts say he is still there today.
The decision not to deploy American forces to go after bin Laden
or block his escape was made by Secretary of Defense Donald
Rumsfeld and his top commander, Gen. Tommy Franks, the architects of the unconventional Afghan battle plan known as Operation
Enduring Freedom. Rumsfeld said at the time that he was concerned that too many U.S. troops in Afghanistan would create an
anti-American backlash and fuel a widespread insurgency. Reversing the recent American military orthodoxy known as the Powell
doctrine, the Afghan model emphasized minimizing the U.S. presence by relying on small, highly mobile teams of special operations
troops and CIA paramilitary operatives working with the Afghan
opposition. Even when his own commanders and senior intelligence
officials in Afghanistan and Washington argued for dispatching
more U.S. troops, Franks refused to deviate from the plan.
There were enough U.S. troops in or near Afghanistan to execute
the classic sweep-and-block maneuver required to attack bin Laden
and try to prevent his escape. It would have been a dangerous fight
across treacherous terrain, and the injection of more U.S. troops
and the resulting casualties would have contradicted the risk-
averse, ‘‘light footprint’’ model formulated by Rumsfeld and Franks.
But commanders on the scene and elsewhere in Afghanistan argued that the risks were worth the reward.
After bin Laden’s escape, some military and intelligence analysts
and the press criticized the Pentagon’s failure to mount a full-scale
attack despite the tough rhetoric by President Bush. Franks, Vice
President Dick Cheney and others defended the decision, arguing
that the intelligence was inconclusive about the Al Qaeda leader’s
location. But the review of existing literature, unclassified govern-
ment records and interviews with central participants underlying
this report removes any lingering doubts and makes it clear that
Osama bin Laden was within our grasp at Tora Bora.
For example, the CIA and Delta Force commanders who spent
three weeks at Tora Bora as well as other intelligence and military
sources are certain he was there. Franks’ second-in-command during the war, retired Lt. Gen. Michael DeLong, wrote in his auto-
biography that bin Laden was ‘‘definitely there when we hit the
caves’’—a statement he retracted when the failure became a political issue. Most authoritatively, the official history of the U.S. Special Operations Command determined that bin Laden was at Tora
Bora. ‘‘All source reporting corroborated his presence on several
days from 9–14 December,’’ said a declassified version of the history, which was based on accounts of commanders and intelligence
officials and published without fanfare two years ago.
The reasons behind the failure to capture or kill Osama bin
Laden and its lasting consequences are examined over three sections in this report. The first section traces bin Laden’s path from
southern Afghanistan to the mountains of Tora Bora and lays out
new and previous evidence that he was there. The second explores
new information behind the decision not to launch an assault. The
final section examines the military options that might have led to
his capture or death at Tora Bora and the failure to bring him back ‘‘dead or alive.’’ …
** OBAMA BACK ABOVE 50% APPROVAL. The day before he announces his big new strategy for Afghanistan, President Barack Obama has moved back above the 50% level in presidential approval.
Obama had dipped below 50% following his eight-day trip to Asia. He generally drops in the polls during these long international trips.
There was a great deal of yip-yap over this, of course, which didn’t mention the second sentence of the preceding paragraph.
A week ago, Obama’s approval rating was at 48%, with his disapproval rating at 44%. So he’s gone from plus 4 to plus 10.
Don’t expect to hear much about that.
It doesn’t fit the usual media hysteria.
Iran is vowing to step up its uranium enrichment program by building ten new sites. It accuses the West of provoking the move, after the UN’s nuclear watchdog condemned Iran’s pattern of secrecy and deception.
** MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK.
It’s a very big week in presidential politics, and a slow week in California politics.
Following a meeting last night in the White House Situation Room — which included Defense Secretary Bob Gates, National Security Advisor General James Jones, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Amdiral Mike Mullen, and Central Command chief General David Petraeus — President Barack Obama has issued his orders for a new escalation in Afghanistan. He will reveal the details, which include some 30,000 new troops and some sort of exit strategy, in a nationally televised speech Tuesday night at West Point.
Some 9000 Marines are expected to arrive in Afghanistan in short order.
In addition to Afghanistan, there is the linked crisis of Pakistan. The Taliban have been pushed back there from gains made last year and early this year, but Obama is committing more military and civil assistance. There is also something of a crisis of governance there, with President Asif Ali Zardari, husband of the assassinated Benazir Bhutto, in danger from the end of an amnesty on past corruption charges. He has turned over nuclear codes to the military and to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, who is not affected on corruption.
As I’ve written for months, the Iranian nuclear crisis is again destined for the front burner. And after weeks of delay, confusion, and ultimately saying no to the plan its negotiators had accepted, followed by Friday’s censure by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran is saying it will build 10 new nuclear sites.
This is called dropping the pretense of cooperation with inspectors in place to try to ensure that Iran’s nuclear energy program is not really a nuclear weapons program. The IAEA is telling Iran to immediately cease work on the previously secret underground facility next to a Revolutionary Guards base outside Qom and to accept the deal its negotiators agreed to earlier in which Iran’s uranium would be shipped to Russia and France for further enrichment.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said on Friday that the investigation of Iran is at “a dead end” because of a lack of cooperation.
A top hardline Iranian legislator who sometimes speaks for the regime said over the weekend that Iran should withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty. Which would simply confirm its intent.
Iran wrapped up six days of anti-aircraft exercises aimed at protecting its nuclear sites on Thanksgiving Day.
Incidentally, Obama’s diplomacy in Asia appears to have paid off to a certain degree, with China finally taking part in the condemnation of Iran and agreeing to address greenhouse gases in advance of the Copenhagen negotiations.
Amidst all the noise over health insurance reform, and with Senate debate starting again this week, Vice President Joe Biden says that he wants to know who you trust.
Turning to domestic affairs, Obama also hosts the White House Jobs Summit this Thursday. Obama got some good news last week regarding the sluggish early stage of economic recovery. Unemployment claims were down and housing sales were up.
And the Senate begins debating the pending national health care legislation this week. I expect a big bill to gain passage. Whether it contains the public option, or what form that public option takes, are live questions.
In California politics, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will push for the state Assembly to follow the Senate’s lead and adopt education reform legislation needed to make the state eligible for Obama Administration “Race To the Top” grants.
He will also be working on gaining confirmation of his appointee as the state’s new lieutenant governor, state Senator Abel Maldonado. The biggest hurdle may be the ability of state Democrats to put together a winning campaign in his Senate district, which they should be able to win.
Then there is the state’s chronic fiscal crisis, with billions in changes needed in the current budget.
Schwarzenegger will also prep for the Copenhagen climate summit, which begins next week. With Congress deadlocked on the issue, California has the only plan existing in America.
He also inducts the new class for the California Hall of Fame.
With regard to the 2010 governor’s race, the Democratic favorite for governor of California, former Governor-turned-Attorney General Jerry Brown, will keep on consolidating his position.
I will explain fairly soon how Brown cleared the Democratic field for governor of California, which was anticipated from the beginning on NWN.
Republican hopefuls will keep scuffling this week over who’s the real right-winger. Ex-eBay CEO Meg Whitman, who has already spent over $20 million and has a reputation for impulsive hiring practices, will work on figuring out how to make her newest high-priced hire, ex-Schwarzenegger chief strategist Mike Murphy, who I know quite well, fit into her bulging operation.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington today.
Obama has had his daily intelligence briefing in the Oval Office.
At 8:10 AM Pacific, Obama began meeting with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in the Oval Office.
Their focus? Afghanistan and climate change. Both leaders will be in attendance next week in Copenhagen.
At 1 P Pacific, Obama receives his daily economic briefing in the Oval Office.
At 1:45 P Pacific, Obama meets with senior advisors in the Oval Office.
Obama is prepping today for his address to the nation on his new strategy for Afghanistan Tuesday night at West Point.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger holds private talks in and around the Capitol today.
He has no scheduled public events.
** HEADS SHOULD ROLL OVER OBAMA STATE DINNER SECURITY BREACH.It turns out to be shockingly easy to assassinate President Barack Obama.
In a fabulous show of security, it emerged late Wednesday that a pair of reality show contestants succeeded in crashing the Obamas’ first state dinner. One posted photos of the couple with Vice President Joe Biden and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who she referred to as “Ron,” on her Facebook page.
Amusing though it may seem, this situation is very serious, and totally unacceptable. Heads should roll over this. … From my November 27th column.
** TONY BLAIR’S CAUTIONARY TALE FOR OBAMA.Tony Blair’s recent travails, last week over his bid to become the first president of the European Union and today with the start of Britain’s Iraq War inquiry, stand as something of a cautionary tale for President Barack Obama. Blair was long the favorite to become the first president of the European Union. But in the end, pilloried on the left for his leading role in the Iraq War and still not supported by the right, he was supplanted by a little-known Belgian bureaucrat.
Just as America had Obamamania in 2008, Britain had Blairmania in 1997. “Things Can Only Get Better” blared, as it were, the ubiquitous Blair campaign song.
“Everybody voted for him. He wasn’t a politician; he was a craze.” That’s how the title character puts it in the deliciously vicious roman a clef novel by former Blair friend Robert Harris, The Ghost (as in ghostwriter of the ex-prime minister’s memoirs), which was was being made into a movie by Roman Polanski when he was arrested in Switzerland. … From my November 24th 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 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, 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.
This is up about $42 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum. You can send me a private tip by clicking on the “Contact” button in the upper right.
President Barack Obama had a lovely first state dinner heading into the holiday season, honoring India a year after the shattering terrorist attacks in Mumbai. But for the Secret Service’s incredible security failure, that is.
** OBAMA TODAY – SUNDAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington today.
Obama has received his daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
He has no scheduled public events.
Obama is prepping for his big speech Tuesday night at West Point revealing his latest strategy for Afghanistan.
He is also monitoring the Iranian crisis.
As I’ve said before on a few occasions, this is a crisis deferred while other matters move forward.
But Iran seems intent on accelerating its own crisis, perhaps because of internal power struggles.
Iran today reacted today to its strong censure by the IAEA — with Russia and China on board — by announcing that it will accelerate its nuclear program, saying it will build 10 more sites for nuclear enrichment.
Iran wrapped up six days of anti-aircraft exercises aimed at protecting its nuclear sites on Thanksgiving Day.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE – SUNDAY. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Los Angeles today.
He has no scheduled public events.
As the Senate prepares to hold a full debate on health care reform, the outcome could rest in the hands of a few key centrist players.
** OBAMA TODAY – SATURDAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington today.
Obama has received his daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
He has no scheduled public events.
Obama is prepping for his big speech Tuesday night at West Point. There he will lay out his latest strategy for Afghanistan.
He’s also presumably getting to the bottom of how two reality show contestants crashed his first state dinner, gaining close access to every VIP in the White House.
He is also preparing for the start of debate, well, the latest debate, this time on legislation which is moving, on national health care in the Senate.
He is also monitoring the Iranian crisis.
The International Atomic Energy Agency voted on Friday to censure Iran for refusing cooperate to with nuclear investigators and for secretly developing nuclear facilities.
25 of the 35 nations comprising the IAEA, which is part of the United Nations, voted to censure Iran for its persistent secrecy in its nuclear program, telling it to immediately cease work on the previously secret underground facility next to a Revolutionary Guards base outside Qom and to accept the deal its negotiators agreed to earlier in which Iran’s uranium would be shipped to Russia and France for further enrichment.
Notably, Russia and China took part in the censure of Iran, which they have previously backed. So Obama’s diplomacy may be paying off.
A top hardline Iranian legislator who sometimes speaks for the regime said today that Iran should withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty.
Which would simply confirm its intent.
Iran wrapped up six days of anti-aircraft drills around its nuclear sites on Thanksgiving Day.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE – SATURDAY. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Los Angeles today.
He has no scheduled public events.
A spokeswoman for Bravo says the couple who crashed a White House state dinner were trying to get on a reality TV show.
** HEADS SHOULD ROLL OVER OBAMA STATE DINNER SECURITY BREACH.It turns out to be shockingly easy to assassinate President Barack Obama.
In a fabulous show of security, it emerged late Wednesday that a pair of reality show contestants succeeded in crashing the Obamas’ first state dinner. One posted photos of the couple with Vice President Joe Biden and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who she referred to as “Ron,” on her Facebook page.
Amusing though it may seem, this situation is very serious, and totally unacceptable. Heads should roll over this. …
** OBAMA TODAY – FRIDAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington today.
He has no scheduled public events.
The White House Christmas tree arrives today.
Obama has had his daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
He is prepping for his big speech Tuesday night at West Point, where he will lay out his newest strategy for Afghanistan.
Obama is also monitoring several crises.
There is Afghanistan, of course.
There is also Iran.
The International Atomic Energy Agency today voted to censure Iran for refusing cooperate to with nuclear investigators and for secretly developing nuclear facilities.
Then there is the matter of Dubai. The Gulf Arab emirate is on the verge of walking away from $60 billion in debt used to develop a sort of adult magic kingdom there. This is having a significant impact on markets around the world.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE – FRIDAY. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Los Angeles today.
He has no scheduled public events.
In his Thanksgiving weekend video/radio address, President Barack Obama discusses the sacrifices of America’s men and women in uniform, the progress of health care reform, and the state of economic recovery.
** OBAMA TODAY – THURSDAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington today.
Obama has had his daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
He has no scheduled public events.
In a fabulous show of security, it emerged late yesterday that a pair of reality show contestants succeeded in crashing the Obamas’ first state dinner. One posted photos of the couple with Vice President Biden and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who she referred to as “Ron,” on her Facebook page.
It’s great that his Secret Service detail liked Obama enough to give him the watch they wear for his 46th birthday two years ago, a watch he wears constantly — it’s a terrific watch, I have one — but this is ridiculous.
Especially since Obama, the first black president, assailed by right-wing extremists as illegitimate, gets far more death threats than any previous president.
In other good news, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said today that the investigation of Iran is at “a dead end” because of a lack of cooperation.
** JERRY BROWN’S THANKSGIVING MESSAGE. From former Governor-turned-Attorney General Jerry Brown, the two-time Democratic presidential runner-up who has cleared the Democratic primary field and established himself as the favorite for governor of California in 2010:
As Anne and I get ready for Thanksgiving, many fond memories of past family gatherings come to mind. It is on these occasions that my father would often share stories of his family, particularly his grandfather who came across the plains and over the Sierras to Sacramento in 1852. In those days, the challenges were enormous and of a type we can barely imagine.
Today we face entirely different challenges. Whether they are bigger or smaller, I can’t say. But I do know that California is still a state of imagination and boundless possibility. Our pioneering spirit is very much alive and will enable us to handle any of our problems, however daunting they may now appear.
As you take time to enjoy Thanksgiving with your own family and reflect on the year that is drawing to a close, you can take renewed encouragement from the courage and achievements that have made California such a unique and wonderful place.
My best wishes to you and your family.
With respect,
Jerry Brown
** MEG WHITMAN’S THANKSGIVING MESSAGE. From former eBay CEO and McCain for President national co-chair Meg Whitman, the present frontrunner for the Republican nod to succeed Arnold Schwarzenegger:
I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.
I am truly grateful for all the blessings in my life – good health, happiness, loving family and friends, and the privilege to call this extraordinary state my home.
Every day I spend on the campaign trail, I’m reminded of the resilience, the hard work, and the successes that built our communities and our state. I will never lose my appreciation for Californians’ strength of character.
For many it has been a year filled with challenges and uncertainty, but I am hopeful that Californians will know better days ahead and that by working together, we can build A New California.
Happy Thanksgiving and may this holiday be a special time to come together with family and friends to celebrate traditions and share thanks for all that we have.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE – THURSDAY. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Los Angeles today.
He has no scheduled public events.
Schwarzenegger’s Thanksgiving message: For years, Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving with turkey, family gatherings and football. More importantly, this holiday provides us with an opportunity to reflect on, and express thanks for, the wonderful blessings that each of us has.
Many of us live very busy lives filled with crowded schedules and countless demands. Thanksgiving reminds us that regardless of the challenges we face, we have blessings to count. The early Americans at our nation’s first Thanksgiving embodied a spirit of hope, unity and compassion, and by drawing upon these same values, not just today but every day, we can strength ourselves, our relationships and our state.
As we come together with our loved ones for this fantastic American tradition, I ask that we also remember those who cannot be with their family and friends today, including our brave first responders and troops, especially those I recently visited in Iraq. They have my gratitude for working so hard to keep us safe.
I wish all Californians a very happy Thanksgiving filled with love and joy.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Republic of India at their first State Dinner on November 24, 2009.
** UPDATE: The White House has announced that President Barack Obama will unveil his new strategy for Afghanistan at 5 PM Pacific on Tuesday, December 1st in a speech at West Point. One can safely assume he will not be announcing withdrawal.
** OBAMA TODAY – WEDNESDAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington for Thanksgiving.
Obama has had his daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
At 8:35 AM Pacific, Obama participates in a turkey pardoning ceremony on the North Portico.
In the afternoon, the Obamas participate in a service event in the Washington, D.C. area.
Last night was the first state dinner of Obama’s presidency, held in honor of the prime minister of India, a rising economic power and a key ally in the struggle against Islamic jihadism.
Despite early reports to the contrary, there was not a big contingent from Hollywood on hand. However, DreamWorks moguls Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, who last week held a big fundraiser in Los Angeles for the Democratic favorite for governor of California, former Governor-turned-Attorney General Jerry Brown, were on hand.
Geffen, who rose to prominence as the impresario of the Southern California rock sound, sat at the president’s table. He famously backed Obama very early on, blasting his old friends Bill and Hillary Clinton in the process.
Also on hand were Sony Pictures chief Michael Lynton, actors Alfre Woodard and Blair Underwood, director M. Night Shyamalan, and agent Ari Emanuel, brother of White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.
Obama got some good news today regarding the sluggish early stage of economic recovery. Unemployment claims are down and housing sales are up.
The White House announced today that the president will go to Copenhagen next month for the global climate change summit. He will go early in the meeting, which runs from December 6-18, on the 9th. It will be part of his trip to Oslo, Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.
As often pointed out on NWN, Copenhagen will not result in a global climate treaty to replace the Kyoto accords of 12 years ago. It will instead be an interim event pointing toward an accord next year in Mexico City.
Copenhagen comes as evidence of climate change continues to mount.
Obama will bring binding targets like those in the bill passed by the House but stalled in the Senate. He will also bring four Cabinet secretaries and other top officials. For the first time, there will be an American pavilion.
Following his AfPak war council meeting late Monday night, Obama will address the nation regarding his new strategy for Afghanistan next Tuesday night.
He will apparently pursue the middle course of sending 30,000-plus new troops to Afghanistan. He will also announce some sort of exit strategy.
It will take at least a year for those troops to get there, at which point there will be over 100,000 American troops in Afghanistan.
The head of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps today blamed America and Israel for pressuring Russia into refusing to provide Iran with the S-300, perhaps the world’s leading anti-aircraft system.
Iran, which continues to stall in negotiations, is worried that Israel will strike its nuclear facilities.
He didn’t merely announce the new lieutenant governor of California … Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger blows up Jay Leno’s Ford Focus with a bazooka.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE – WEDNESDAY. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Los Angeles and Fresno today.
At 10 AM, he drops by the Hollenbeck Youth Center — headed by his old friend Danny Hernandez — in East Los Angeles where he will hand out turkeys at the Hollenbeck Youth Center’s Turkey Giveaway.
At 1 PM, Schwarzenegger drops by the Catholic Charities Diocese of Fresno.
There he will hand out Thanksgiving meals and clothing.
** TONY BLAIR’S CAUTIONARY TALE FOR OBAMA.Tony Blair’s recent travails, last week over his bid to become the first president of the European Union and today with the start of Britain’s Iraq War inquiry, stand as something of a cautionary tale for President Barack Obama. Blair was long the favorite to become the first president of the European Union. But in the end, pilloried on the left for his leading role in the Iraq War and still not supported by the right, he was supplanted by a little-known Belgian bureaucrat.
Just as America had Obamamania in 2008, Britain had Blairmania in 1997. “Things Can Only Get Better” blared, as it were, the ubiquitous Blair campaign song.
“Everybody voted for him. He wasn’t a politician; he was a craze.” That’s how the title character puts it in the deliciously vicious roman a clef novel by former Blair friend Robert Harris, The Ghost (as in ghostwriter of the ex-prime minister’s memoirs), which was was being made into a movie by Roman Polanski when he was arrested in Switzerland.
Blair ushered in an era of “Cool Britannia,” which many critics say morphed into “Cruel Britannia” as he swapped his famous friendship with Bill Clinton for an infamous friendship with George W. Bush. …
** THE INEVITABLE FLUKE THAT IS SARAH PALIN.Five minutes into yesterday’s Oprah extravaganza with Sarah Palin, I messaged Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s presidential campaign manager: “So how did you know Bristol was pregnant before it was announced?”
** OBAMA IN FLUX.As he embarks on his first big trip to Asia, President Barack Obama’s strategies are in flux in many areas. …
It’s no surprise that Obama is being followed on his Asian trip by other crises. Because so much in his geopolitics is so fundamentally unresolved, making that Nobel Peace Prize more than a bit premature. … From my November 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 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, 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.
** 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, 2008, crude oil closed on Friday at $76.05 per barrel. Energy markets are closed on the weekend.
This is up about $42 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum. You can send me a private tip by clicking on the “Contact” button in the upper right.
President Barack Obama said today that he plans to “finish the job” in Afghanistan but its people “ultimately have to provide for their own security.”
** QUICK HITS.The Perm 5 +1 group (United Kingdom, China, France, Russia, the United States — the permanent five members of the UN Security Council — and Germany) have agreed on a resolution condemning Iran for hiding a second nuclear site. … Arnold Schwarzenegger strategists today hit back at state Democratic senators who responded tepidly to the appointment of moderate Republican state Senator Abel Maldonado as lieutenant governor of California. Responding to complaints of the cost of a state Senate special election if Schwarzenegger’s appointee is confirmed, they pointed out that the special election can be combined with the regular primary election (with the extra cost evaporated) if he is confirmed in 84 days and, if they fail to do that, the cost is more than made up by giving up on fighting their pay cut. And that the state senator who wants to be lieutenant governor is well behind in the Democratic primary. The other issue seems to be that party legislative leaders are unsure they can win what should be a winnable state Senate seat. Well, they certainly won’t win if they won’t try.
** WHITMAN GETS ANOTHER STRATEGIST: MIKE MURPHY. Ex-eBay CEO Meg Whitman’s campaign for the Republican nomination for governor of California picked up a new strategist this morning. That’s Mike Murphy, who I know very well from his days with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Here’s what the campaign said in its statement:
“Our campaign is proud to announce that Mike Murphy will be joining the team to advise, at a senior level, our campaign’s winning strategy.
“There is no one in Republican politics who has been more successful in electing statewide candidates than Mike Murphy and his experience will be an invaluable addition. Mike has played a central role in electing Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, Tommy Thompson, Christine Todd Whitman, Dirk Kempthorne and John Engler.
“His role in our campaign will be central as well. Mike will be helping to shape our campaign’s strategy, refine our message and build support for Meg’s mission to grow jobs, cut wasteful spending and fix California’s public schools.”
So there’s the spin. It’s evident that he is not the chief strategist. He’s a high-profile addition to an already crowded crew.
Murphy did very well working with other strategists to help Arnold Schwarzenegger win the dramatic California recall election of 2003. As the only journalist who predicted that he would run, and who was in touch with Schwarzenegger throughout, it occurs to me that Murphy sometimes gets too much credit from credulous reporters who were playing catch-up (or who looked at the LA Times coverage). And who relied on him as a ready source they would not otherwise have had.
Murphy, who shrewdly placed himself on the plane with Schwarzenegger, fared much less well when Schwarzenegger made him chief political strategist after he was elected governor of California. Murphy’s consulting and lobbying firm, DC Navigators, made itself an embarrassment to the governor through its very aggressive marketing of the tie to Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger fired Murphy after the 2005 special election debacle, which he ran.
** TONY BLAIR’S CAUTIONARY TALE FOR OBAMA.Tony Blair’s recent travails, last week over his bid to become the first president of the European Union and today with the start of Britain’s Iraq War inquiry, stand as something of a cautionary tale for President Barack Obama. Blair was long the favorite to become the first president of the European Union. But in the end, pilloried on the left for his leading role in the Iraq War and still not supported by the right, he was supplanted by a little-known Belgian bureaucrat.
Just as America had Obamamania in 2008, Britain had Blairmania in 1997. “Things Can Only Get Better” blared, as it were, the ubiquitous Blair campaign song.
“Everybody voted for him. He wasn’t a politician; he was a craze.” That’s how the title character puts it in the deliciously vicious roman a clef novel by former Blair friend Robert Harris, The Ghost (as in ghostwriter of the ex-prime minister’s memoirs), which was was being made into a movie by Roman Polanski when he was arrested in Switzerland.
Blair ushered in an era of “Cool Britannia,” which many critics say morphed into “Cruel Britannia” as he swapped his famous friendship with Bill Clinton for an infamous friendship with George W. Bush. …
The White House is bracing for a tough sell of President Barack Obama’s long-awaited decision on whether to commit tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops to the stalemated war in Afghanistan.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington.
Tonight is the first state dinner of his presidency, held in honor of the prime minister of India, a rising economic power and a key ally in the struggle against Islamic jihadism.
The guest list is not yet disclosed, but it will include Hollywood moguls Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, who last week held a big fundraiser in Los Angeles for the Democratic favorite for governor of California, former Governor-turned-Attorney General Jerry Brown.
Following his AfPak war council meeting late yesterday, Obama will likely address the nation regarding his new strategy for Afghanistan next Tuesday night.
I expect him to pursue the middle course of sending 30,000-plus new troops to Afghanistan. He will also announce some sort of exit strategy
He has had his daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
At 6:15 AM Pacific, Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcome Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India and Mrs. Kaur to the White House on the South Lawn.
At 6:20 AM Pacific, Obama holds a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Singh in the Oval Office.
At 7:55 AM Pacific, Obama holds an expanded bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Singh in the Oval Office.
At 8:35 AM Pacific, Obama and Prime Minister Singh hold a joint press conference in the East Room.
At 11 AM Pacific, Obama meets with senior advisors in the Oval Office.
At 11 AM Pacific, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary Clinton host a lunch in honor of Prime Minister Singh and Mrs. Kaur at the State Department.
At 1:10 PM Pacific, Obama meets with Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the Oval Office.
At 1:30 PM Pacific, Obama and Biden meet with Secretary of Defense Bob Gates in the Oval Office.
At 4 PM Pacific, Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet Prime Minister Singh and Mrs. Kaur on arrival for the State Dinner at the North Portico.
At 4 PM Pacific, the Obamas host their first State Dinner in honor of Prime Minister Singh and Mrs. Kaur.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announces on The Jay Leno Show that he will appoint State Senator Abel Maldonado as California’s new lieutenant governor.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Los Angeles today.
Late yesterday, Schwarzenegger announced his appointment of State Senator Abel Maldonado as California’s new lieutenant governor.
NWN predicted this weeks ago.
Today at 10 AM in Ruben Salazar Park in Los Angeles, Schwarzenegger will introduce Maldonado as the new lieutenant governor of California and hold a press conference.
There have been very few Latinos in statewide office in California, despite their massive role in the Golden State. The last Latino Republican to hold statewide office was well over 100 years ago.
To hold on to the office, Maldonado must be confirmed by the California Legislature. That will hinge in large part on the ability of state Democrats to come up with a strong candidate in his district.
** THE INEVITABLE FLUKE THAT IS SARAH PALIN.Five minutes into yesterday’s Oprah extravaganza with Sarah Palin, I messaged Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s presidential campaign manager: “So how did you know Bristol was pregnant before it was announced?”
** OBAMA IN FLUX.As he embarks on his first big trip to Asia, President Barack Obama’s strategies are in flux in many areas. …
It’s no surprise that Obama is being followed on his Asian trip by other crises. Because so much in his geopolitics is so fundamentally unresolved, making that Nobel Peace Prize more than a bit premature. … From my November 13th column.
** OBAMA’S OFF TO A VERY GOOD START.One year ago, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. Is his presidency delivering on the promise of his candidacy? Yes. I think he’s off to a very good start. But I’m not doing handstands. … From my November 4th 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 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, 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.
This is up about $43 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum. You can send me a private tip by clicking on the “Contact” button in the upper right.
President Barack Obama, celebrating intellectual endeavor, says he will have a national science fair next year to honor young inventors with the same gusto that college and professional athletes celebrate their victories at the White House.
** 7 PM UPDATE ** … Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will hold a press conference Tuesday morning at 10 AM in LA’s Ruben Salazar Park to introduce his appointee as California’s new lieutenant governor, State Senator Abel Maldonado.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … TONY BLAIR’S CAUTIONARY TALE FOR OBAMA.
** QUICK HITS. California GOP gubernatorial hopefuls MegWhitman, the ex-eBay CEO and McCain for President national co-chair, and Steve Poizner, the state insurance commissioner and ex-Silicon Valley entrepreneur, continued their long-running tussle over debates. The only one that Whitman, who has a CEO-type book coming early next year, has agreed to doesn’t take place till March. There have been four debates so far between Poizner and ex-Silicon Valley Congressman Tom Campbell. … Iran is in the midst of a six-day exercise drilling its air defenses near its nuclear sites, prepping to repel potential Israeli air strikes. But, perhaps tellingly, the Islamic republic is complaining bitterly about longtime ally Russia, noting that there is yet another delay in completing the Bushehr nuclear plant and that hoped-for S-300 anti-aircraft systems, among the most advanced in the world, have not materialized. … The Israelis easily bested Syria’s air defenses, said to be equivalent to Iran’s, two years ago in destroying a reported nuclear weapons development site.
** PALIN STRONG WITH IOWA G.O.P. While she certainly can’t win Iowa in a general election, the new Iowa Poll shows that Sarah Palin is strong with Iowa Republicans. However, she would be in for a real fight with Mike Huckabee, who won Iowa last year in the GOP presidential contest.
Palin will flog her new book in Iowa in a few weeks.
The first public poll to test Palin’s favorability in the leadoff nominating state found 55 percent of all Iowans hold an unfavorable opinion of Palin a little more than a year after the last election. Only 37 percent feel favorably about her.
And those feelings are intense: The percentage of Iowans who view Palin very unfavorably is more than twice as large as the percentage who view her very favorably.
But more than two-thirds of Republicans like what they see, making her a credible candidate for the 2012 caucuses should she decide to run for president, strategists say.
“These numbers put her in a position where she can obviously look at Iowa,” said David Winston, a national Republican pollster. “But she has this big jump that she’s got to overcome. People like her personally on the Republican side, but there’s this policy substance question.”
Only 8 percent of Iowans are unsure about Palin just 15 months after the former Alaska governor burst on the national scene.
The 45-year-old self-styled “hockey mom” ignited the Republican National Convention as an establishment outsider, and quickly became a focal point of the media during the 2008 campaign’s final months. Iowa Republican activists raved when John McCain named her his running mate and later turned out in big, enthusiastic audiences as she campaigned solo for the ticket in Des Moines, Dubuque and Sioux City.
Iowans’ feelings about Palin track generally with the national mood. A Washington Post-ABC News national survey taken this month showed 52 percent of Americans had an unfavorable opinion of Palin, compared to 42 percent favorable.
Marlys Popma, a former Iowa Republican Party director and leading GOP activist, said Palin was treated poorly by the McCain campaign and the news media, but she can now reintroduce herself on her own terms.
“This is a smart, bright driven woman who got herself from city council, to mayor to governor exactly because she is smart, bright and driven,” said Popma, who was an adviser to McCain in Iowa. “So, I think her unfavorable ratings are because she is misunderstood and has taken the brunt of mistakes that are not her own. She’s getting the chance to set the record straight.”
Palin plans to make her first appearance in Iowa since the 2008 election on Dec. 6, when her national book tour rolls into Sioux City. She is scheduled to sign copies of her book, “Going Rogue,” at 1 p.m. that Sunday at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at the Southern Hills Mall. …
Sixty-eight percent of Iowa Republicans view Palin favorably. That’s close to the 70 percent who hold favorable views of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 caucuses, and it’s higher than the 66 percent who view former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich favorably. Palin’s number is also higher than that of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, runner-up in the 2008 caucuses, who is viewed favorably by 58 percent of the state’s Republicans.
Huckabee, Romney and Gingrich are considered 2012 presidential prospects.
“With those kind of numbers, if she were to become a candidate, while it’s not a sure thing, she would be starting out in a very good position,” said veteran Iowa GOP strategist David Roederer, who ran McCain’s 2008 Iowa campaign.
But 24 percent of Iowa Republicans view Palin unfavorably, compared with 12 percent for Huckabee.
The five men facing trial in New York City for the 9/11 attacks will plead not guilty so that they can air their criticisms of U.S. foreign policy.
MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK.
This is a short week in presidential politics and in California politics.
President Barack Obama confers again today and later this week on his new strategy for Afghanistan. The strategy will be announced sometime in the next few weeks.
Obama has his first state dinner on Tuesday night, in honor of visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who arrived in Washington yesterday for a few days of talks.
Obama will also be dealing with the next phase of the national health care bill. Debate will pick up again in the Senate after Thanksgiving.
Obama, whose globe-trotting has cost him in the polls, will spend Thanksgiving in Washington.
Obama won a big victory Saturday night when the Senate, in a rare weekend evening vote, defeated the Republican effort to block consideration of national health care via a filibuster.
The vote was 60-39, with all Democrats holding together as proponents invoked the memory of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, a great favorite of the Senate and the longtime champion of national health care reform whose loss hurt the legislation’s prospects. Senator Joe Lieberman, the independent who caucuses with the Democrats, voted with the party.
Which is not to say that there is not a lot of horse trading ahead. The final shape of the legislation, including the controversial public option which the massive insurance industry is dedicated to defeating for obvious reasons (and how a public option might take place should it be included), is still unclear.
But with this hurdle cleared, it is very likely that a big national health care bill will be enacted.
Opponents might try to filibuster again, and some more conservative senators might peel off (and a couple of moderate Republicans could come on board), but a bill could be enacted through a process called reconciliation, which wold require only 51 votes and not the 60 needed to beat a filibuster. While not a preferred option, it is an option, and added leverage on senators who, once all the smoke clears, might not want to be seen as having opposed important new legislation of public benefit.
In other action, Iran, stalling and intransigent on its nuclear program, began its largest ever air defense drills over the weekend. These drills are centered on defending against potential air strikes against its nuclear sites.
The Iranian exercise will continue through Thanksgiving Day. The Iranians are concerned about Israeli air strikes.
In California politics, not much will happen unless Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger chooses to appoint the new lieutenant governor before Thanksgiving. I expect that choice to be State Senator Abel Maldonado. It may that Democrats have been having some difficulty lining up the right candidate for that state Senate seat.
Schwarzenegger is also considering options for the latest phase of California’s chronic fiscal crisis. The state is now seen to be over $20 billion in the hole for the current and coming fiscal years.
Federal court decisions have had a big impact on California’s fiscal woes. One court blocked reductions in in-home care for disabled people. Thanks to another federal court decision, prisons are spending $1.4 billion more than budgeted. The court also stopped the state’s general fund from taking $800 million in gas tax money from the transportation fund.
In the 2010 governor’s race, California Attorney General Jerry Brown, the former governor, continues consolidating his position as the Democratic favorite to be the next governor. As predicted here, the teapot tempest over an ex-aide recording on-the-record interviews with a few reporters without telling them has fizzled, despite efforts by a few very interested parties to keep it alive.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington.
He has had his daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
Obama has also delivered remarks at an event highlighting science, technology, engineering and math education.
At 9:35 AM Pacific, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have lunch in the Oval Office.
At 10:45 AM Pacific, Obama meets with the Cabinet in the Roosevelt Room.
After that, he confers with his national security team on Afghanistan in the Situation Room.
At 1:50 PM Pacific, Obama meets with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office.
At 2:50 PM Pacific, Obama delivers remarks and presents the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award at the White House.
Californian Jimmie Johnson is the first driver in NASCAR history to win his fourth straight Cup championship, clinching it in the series finale yesterday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Los Angeles today.
He has no scheduled public events.
Schwarzenegger congratulated Jimmie Johnson, a native of El Cajon, for becoming the first person to ever win four consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles:
“On behalf of all Californians, I congratulate Jimmie Johnson on his amazing fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title. Jimmie broke records and showed remarkable talent, determination and sportsmanship in today’s race. His performance is a testament to our state’s championship spirit and I am proud to say that he is from California. Tonight we celebrate Jimmie, his team and their fans on this tremendous achievement.”
** MAD MEN: THREE SEASONS ON AND LOOKING FORWARD. …
** THE INEVITABLE FLUKE THAT IS SARAH PALIN.Five minutes into yesterday’s Oprah extravaganza with Sarah Palin, I messaged Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s presidential campaign manager: “So how did you know Bristol was pregnant before it was announced?”
** OBAMA IN FLUX.As he embarks on his first big trip to Asia, President Barack Obama’s strategies are in flux in many areas. …
It’s no surprise that Obama is being followed on his Asian trip by other crises. Because so much in his geopolitics is so fundamentally unresolved, making that Nobel Peace Prize more than a bit premature. … From my November 13th column.
** OBAMA’S OFF TO A VERY GOOD START.One year ago, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. Is his presidency delivering on the promise of his candidacy? Yes. I think he’s off to a very good start. But I’m not doing handstands. … From my November 4th 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 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, 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.
This is up about $45 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum. You can send me a private tip by clicking on the “Contact” button in the upper right.
President-elect John F. Kennedy declares victory at the Hyannis Armory on November 9, 1960. He was assassinated 46 years ago in Dallas on November 22, 1963.
** OBAMA TODAY – SUNDAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington today.
He has no scheduled public events.
Neither does Vice President Joe Biden.
Obama won a big victory Saturday night when the Senate, in a rare weekend evening vote, defeated the Republican effort to block consideration of national health care via a filibuster.
The vote was 60-39, with all Democrats holding together as proponents invoked the memory of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, a great favorite of the Senate and the longtime champion of national health care reform whose loss hurt the legislation’s prospects. Senator Joe Lieberman, the independent who caucuses with the Democrats, voted with the party.
Which is not to say that there is not a lot of horse trading ahead. The final shape of the legislation, including the controversial public option which the massive insurance industry is dedicated to defeating for obvious reasons (and how a public option might take place should it be included), is still unclear.
But with this hurdle cleared, it is very likely that a big national health care bill will be enacted.
Opponents might try to filibuster again, and some more conservative senators might peel off (and a couple of moderate Republicans could come on board), but a bill could be enacted through a process called reconciliation, which wold require only 51 votes and not the 60 needed to beat a filibuster. While not a preferred option, it is an option, and added leverage on senators who, once all the smoke clears, might not want to be seen as having opposed important new legislation of public benefit.
In other action, Iran, stalling and intransigent on its nuclear program, has begun its largest ever air defense drills.
These drills are centered on defending against potential air strikes against its nuclear sites.
The Iranian exercise will continue through Thanksgiving Day.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives in Washington today for a few days of talks.
Obama will hold his first state dinner at the White House this coming week in honor of Singh.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE – SUNDAY. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Los Angeles today.
He has no scheduled public events.
** MAD MEN: THREE SEASONS ON AND LOOKING FORWARD. …
In his weekend video/radio address recorded in Seoul, South Korea, President Barack Obama discusses his trip to Asia, casting his primary objective as engaging in new markets with potential to spur job creation here at home.
** OBAMA TODAY – SATURDAY. President Barack Obama, back from his eight-day trip to Asia, is in Washington today.
He has no scheduled public events.
He is working with Senator Harry Reid to line up votes for national health care reform. A vote to stop a Republican filibuster in the Senate is slated for tonight.
Democrats are optimistic.
The decision on Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan is expected in a few weeks. Obama continues conferring with advisors and allies.
The new Afghanistan strategy will not be announced before Thanksgiving.
Vice President Joe Biden celebrated his 67th birthday yesterday at home in Delaware.
Nevada’s Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, says the national health care reform bill reduces short-term and long-term debt, expands coverage, contains reform and promotes competition.
In a sign of confidence about the rare Saturday night vote, Biden delivers remarks at tonight’s Iowa Jefferson Jackson Dinner in Des Moines, a key annual Democratic Party event.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE – SATURDAY. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in California following his trip to Israel, Iraq, Austria, and Italy.
Schwarzenegger has no scheduled public events today.
He has private talks in Los Angeles.
Schwarzenegger is pushing the state Assembly to follow the lead of the Senate in passing legislation to make California eligible for the Obama Administration’s Race to the Top education challenge grants. Asssembly Speaker Karen Bass says that the Assembly will vote to follow the lead of the Senate sometime next month.
** THE INEVITABLE FLUKE THAT IS SARAH PALIN.Five minutes into yesterday’s Oprah extravaganza with Sarah Palin, I messaged Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s presidential campaign manager: “So how did you know Bristol was pregnant before it was announced?”
** OBAMA IN FLUX.As he embarks on his first big trip to Asia, President Barack Obama’s strategies are in flux in many areas. …
It’s no surprise that Obama is being followed on his Asian trip by other crises. Because so much in his geopolitics is so fundamentally unresolved, making that Nobel Peace Prize more than a bit premature. … From my November 13th column.
** OBAMA’S OFF TO A VERY GOOD START.One year ago, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. Is his presidency delivering on the promise of his candidacy? Yes. I think he’s off to a very good start. But I’m not doing handstands. … From my November 4th 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 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, 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.
** 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, 2008, crude oil closed on Friday at 77.47 per barrel. Energy markets are closed on the weekend.
This is up about $43 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum. You can send me a private tip by clicking on the “Contact” button in the upper right.
President Barack Obama got a big reaction from the troops at Osan Air Base in South Korea, saying that their work has helped transform millions of lives in the region.
** QUICK HITS. President Barack Obama conferred privately today with generals and other advisors on his new strategy for Afghanistan. He will reveal it after Thanksgiving. … Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said today that a surge of foreign troops into Afghanistan could destabilize part of Pakistan, forcing terrorists into its territory. .. It’s like old times at Berkeley, where students protesting a one-third hike in fees have taken over Wheeler Hall, home of the English Department. Other campuses have also experienced vociferous protests. … An anti-tax recall move against Assemblyman Anthony Adams (R-Hesperia) failed to gather enough valid signatures to trigger a recall election. The recall was launched after Adams provided one of three GOP votes needed in the California Assembly to pass a temporary income tax increase early this year.
** OBAMA DROPS BELOW 50% APPROVAL. The new Gallup daily tracking poll has President Barack Obama dropping below 50% approval for the first time.
If it’s any consolation, Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton dipped below 50% faster than he did.
The Rasmussen tracking poll has had Obama below 50% approval for months. But that has established itself as the outlier amongst all national polls. It’s owned by a fundamentalist Christian and is very popular in the right-wing echo chamber.
Although the current decline below 50% has symbolic significance, most of the recent decline in support for Obama occurred in July and August. He began July at 60% approval. The ongoing, contentious debate over national health care reform has likely served as a drag on his public support, as have continuing economic problems. Americans are also concerned about the Obama administration’s reliance on government spending to solve the nation’s problems and the growing federal budget deficit. Since September, Obama’s approval rating had been holding in the low 50s and, although it has reached 50% numerous times, it had never dropped below 50% until now. …
But all presidents except John Kennedy dropped below the majority approval level at some point in their presidencies, and all recovered after the first time below this mark to go back above 50% approval. …
It doesn’t say so in the Gallup analysis, but Obama was I believe at 54% when he left on his eight-day trip to Asia.
I’ve noticed that his numbers dip during international trips, especially ones which are so far out of the usual time zones. And this trip didn’t seem to accomplish very much. At least in the short term, aside from stabilizing relations.
Obama gave no ringing speeches, and no new pacts were announced, aside from the nuclear pact with Russia which took place in Singapore, the first stop on the trip. And most don’t view Russia as an Asian nation.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama, back from his eight-day trip to Asia, is in Washington today.
He has no scheduled public events.
He and First Lady Michelle Obama accompanied daughter Sasha to her school, Sidwell Friends, this morning.
Yet Obama has other pressing issues on his plate in addition to fatherhood.
He is working with Senator Harry Reid to line up votes for national health care reform. A vote to stop a Republican filibuster in the Senate is slated for Saturday night.
Obama’s trip to Asia had mixed tidings. He probably stabilized relations in the region — a good thing to do, given our fateful fixation on the Middle East and South Asia — without achieving any breakthroughs.
And other issues, as I wrote in last week’s column linked below, followed the president to Asia.
Speaking in Seoul, Obama strongly criticized Iran for its endless delays on the nuclear pact its negotiators agreed to last month, delays which have apparently ended with Iran saying no to the deal which would have sent its uranium to Russia for enrichment.
I think it’s clear that the president is postponing the next phase of the Iranian crisis as he deals with other matters.
Iran’s foreign minister has ruled out sending enriched uranium out of the country to Russia for processing, rejecting the United Nations plan to resolve the crisis.
The decision on Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan is expected in a few weeks.
It will not be announced before Thanksgiving.
And there are other pressing matters for Obama.
His attempt to re-regulate the financial industry has big opposition in Congress.
His decision to try 9/11 terror suspects in federal courts has drawn strong Republican attacks.
He also faces the prospect of an expensive new jobs bill from House Democrats.
And his polls have dipped as they tend to do when he takes a long international trip.
Vice President Joe Biden is celebrating his 67th birthday today at home in Delaware.
He is also calling senators in advance of Saturday’s key national health care vote.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in California following his trip to Israel, Iraq, Austria, and Italy.
Schwarzenegger has no scheduled public events today.
He has private talks in Los Angeles and in and around the Capitol.
Schwarzenegger is pushing the state Assembly to follow the lead of the Senate in passing legislation to make California eligible for the Obama Administration’s Race to the Top education challenge grants. Asssembly Speaker Karen Bass says that the Assembly will vote to follow the lead of the Senate sometime next month.
Schwarzenegger will also be doing some interviews on the big statewide water package that he and legislative leaders finally enacted.
** THE INEVITABLE FLUKE THAT IS SARAH PALIN.Five minutes into yesterday’s Oprah extravaganza with Sarah Palin, I messaged Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s presidential campaign manager: “So how did you know Bristol was pregnant before it was announced?”
** OBAMA IN FLUX.As he embarks on his first big trip to Asia, President Barack Obama’s strategies are in flux in many areas. …
It’s no surprise that Obama is being followed on his Asian trip by other crises. Because so much in his geopolitics is so fundamentally unresolved, making that Nobel Peace Prize more than a bit premature. … From my November 13th column.
** OBAMA’S OFF TO A VERY GOOD START.One year ago, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. Is his presidency delivering on the promise of his candidacy? Yes. I think he’s off to a very good start. But I’m not doing handstands. … From my November 4th 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 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, 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.
This is up about $42 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum. You can send me a private tip by clicking on the “Contact” button in the upper right.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she is encouraged by Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s pledge to battle corruption and get his security forces sufficiently trained to take the lead within five years. Clinton attended Karzai’s inauguration today in Kabul.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … CONSIDERING MAD MEN.
** QUICK HITS. Little-known Belgian Premier Herman Van Rompuy was selected as the first full-time European Union president tonight at a dinner in Brussels. British Baroness Cathy Ashton was selected as the EU’s first foreign minister, a consolation prize for Tony Blair being denied. If only he hadn’t backed George W. Bush so strongly. He would then have had the left’s backing. Despite Iraq, he never had the right, which runs most small European countries. … University of California regents voted today to raise student fees by one-third over the next year, bringing the annual cost of a UC education over $10,000 before basic costs. … California Assembly Speaker Karen Bass says the state Assembly will act on legislation to qualify the state for Obama Adinistration education challenge grants by mid-December. The Senate has already done it, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is now quite insistent.
President Barack Obama today responded at length to a series of questions from Cuban blogger Yoanni Sanchez, a sharp critic of the Castro regime — and of America’s efforts to isolate the island nation — on her blog.
The president’s answers to seven questions she had sent him run more than 1000 words in length.
Thank you for this opportunity to exchange views with you and your readers in Cuba and around the world and congratulations on receiving the Maria Moore Cabot Prize award from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism for coverage of Latin America that furthers inter-American understanding. You richly deserve the award. I was disappointed you were denied the ability to travel to receive the award in person.
Your blog provides the world a unique window into the realities of daily life in Cuba. It is telling that the Internet has provided you and other courageous Cuban bloggers with an outlet to express yourself so freely, and I applaud your collective efforts to empower fellow Cubans to express themselves through the use of technology. The government and people of the United States join all of you in looking forward to the day all Cubans can freely express themselves in public without fear and without reprisals. …
He makes it clear that he wants to talk with Cuban President Raul Castro, but not for the sake of talking alone. And that while he has eased some sanctions on Cuba, there will be no further easing without reciprocal liberalization.
** BRING THE CRAZY: 52% OF REPUBLICANS SAY ACORN STOLE THE ELECTION FOR OBAMA.A brand new Public Policy Polling survey says 52% of Republican voters are saying that the controversial organization ACORN actually stole the presidential election last year for President Barack Obama.
It’s an even bigger conspiracy theory result than the “birther” nonsense that Obama isn’t really an American citizen.
Precisely how ACORN, a community organization which really isn’t very powerful, could pull off such an incredible feat is left unmentioned. I can’t recall the last time I talked with anyone from ACORN, and I do follow Democratic politics a little.
PPP’s newest national survey finds that a 52% majority of GOP voters nationally think that ACORN stole the Presidential election for Barack Obama last year, with only 27% granting that he won it legitimately. …
Belief in the ACORN conspiracy theory is even higher among GOP partisans than the birther one, which only 42% of Republicans expressed agreement with on our national survey in September.
Overall 62% of Americans think Obama legitimately won the election to only 26% who think ACORN stole it for him, as few Democrats or independents buy into that line of thinking.
The organization is generally unpopular though, with only 11% of voters viewing it favorably to 53% with an unfavorable opinion and 36% without one. The only politician we’ve polled on this year with comparably bad favorability numbers is John Edwards. The constant harping on ACORN by Republican politicians may sound nutso in some circles, but it certainly has hurt the organization’s image and it looks like the anti-ACORN message may resonate with a decent portion of the American electorate. ACORN is probably well overdue for a rebranding.
** BROWN SAYS CALIFORNIA COMMISSION CAN SLASH STATE OFFICIALS’ SALARIES. A few weeks ago, top staffers for the California Legislature requested a legal opinion from Attorney General Jerry Brown as to whether the California Citizens Compensation Commission can reduce the salaries of legislators and other state elected officials in the middle of their terms.
Brown’s answer is yes, it can.
Brown pointed to the voters’ 1990 approval of Proposition 112, which requires the Commission to “adjust the annual salaries of state officers” each year. Proposition 112, he says, contradicts and supercedes a ballot measure adopted in 1972 that prohibited mid-term salary reductions.
“Any other interpretation would require assuming against all evidence that the voters in 1990 intended mid-term annual adjustments to only go up and never down, even in the face of a faltering economy and huge budget deficits.”
Legislative leaders had questioned the Commission’s authority after it voted earlier this year to reduce their and their colleagues’ salaries by 18%.
** BLAIR REPORTEDLY WITHDRAWS. When the day began, Britain’s Gordon Brown was still pushing for Tony Blair to become the first president of Europe.
The dinner to decide the presidency of the European Council is tonight in Brussels, with 27 heads of government gathering. Blair had heavy opposition, but it had yet to coalesce.
But now, according to British sources, the former prime minister is pulling out of contention, which he’d never formally announced. Most Eropean governments are center-right, which Blair is not, and the emerging description of the post is centering more on a facilitator than a leader.
As a consolation, Britain may get the new European foreign minister post, with Baroness Catherine Ashton, leader of the Labor Party in the House of Lords and a European commissioner for trade, a likely choice.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama finished his visit to Korea today and is en route to Washington on Air Force One, with a brief stopover in Alaska.
The time in Korea is 17 hours ahead of the time in California. It is GMT + 9.
At 10:20 PM Pacific, Obama spoke with service members at Osan Air Force Base in Soth Korea.
At 11:05 PM Pacific, he departed South Korea on Air Force One en route to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska.
At 6:40 AM Pacific, Obama arrived in Anchorage, Alaska.
At 8:40 AM Pacific, he departs Anchorage, Alaska en route to Washington, DC.
At 3:05 PM Pacific, Obama arrives at Andrews Air Force Base, where he boards Marine One.
At 3:20 PM Pacific, he lands on the South Lawn of the White House.
Back in Washington, Vice President Biden meets with Senator Richard Lugar at the White House, attends a memorial service for Monsignor William Kerr, and hosts a reception at the Naval Observatory for leading members of the arts community.
And Senator Harry Reid is lining up votes for national health care reform. There may be a vote to stop a Republican filibuster this weekend.
Obama’s trip to Asia had mixed tidings. He probably stabilized relations in the region — a good thing to do, given our fateful fixation on the Middle East and South Asia — without achieving any breakthroughs.
President Barack Obama held a rather stilted town hall meeting with students handpicked by the Chinese government early this week in Shanghai. Obama was joined by his new ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, former Republican governor of Utah.
For example, in their various remarks, Obama and Chinese leaders sounded like they agreed on Iran, climate change, and trade. But the devil is in the details. And the details so far indicate no specific agreements, unlike the progress that Obama made with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in Singapore.
And other issues, as I wrote in last week’s column linked below, followed the president to Asia.
Speaking in early today in Seoul, Obama strongly criticized Iran for its endless delays on the nuclear pact its negotiators agreed to last month, delays which have apparently ended with Iran saying no to the deal which would have sent its uranium to Russia for enrichment.
I think the president is postponing the next phase of the Iranian crisis as he deals with other matters.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flew on from China to Afghanistan, where she attended today’s inauguration of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The decision on Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan is expected in a few weeks.
In other action, Britain’s Gordon Brown is still pushing for Tony Blair to become the first president of Europe.
The dinner to decide the presidency of the European Council is tonight in Brussels, when 27 heads of government gather. Blair has heavy opposition, but it has yet to coalesce.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in California following his trip to Israel, Iraq, Austria, and Italy.
Schwarzenegger is pushing the state Assembly to follow the lead of the Senate in passing legislation to make California eligible for the Obama Administration’s Race to the Top education challenge grants.
Since California had specifically de-linked student performance from teacher evaluation, it is currently ineligible for the big pot of money that President Obama set aside to promote edcational reform. And with the state budget in crisis, those funds will be needed.
At 1 PM, Schwarzenegger tours Sixth Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles, then delivers remarks.
** THE INEVITABLE FLUKE THAT IS SARAH PALIN.Five minutes into yesterday’s Oprah extravaganza with Sarah Palin, I messaged Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s presidential campaign manager: “So how did you know Bristol was pregnant before it was announced?”
His immediate reply: “I didn’t, untrue.”
Palin had just said that Schmidt, the evident villain of her new book, “Going Rogue,” and other top McCain advisors had already known that her teenage daughter was pregnant with an illegitimate child and had marching orders for her even before she was picked as McCain’s shock vice presidential nominee.
Palin continued in a similar vein throughout her ballyhooed Oprah interview, constantly hitting the girrrl power/female victimization tropes of daytime TV, casting herself as an individual struggling against male control. Except, of course, for “God and Todd.” It’s all a tissue of nonsense when you think about it, including her silly notion that an interview with the anchor of CBS News was supposed to be “light and fun.” Whether Oprah really bought the act or not, she appeared to appreciate it. That is, after all, how it’s done.
Which took me back to when I learned that the preposterous Palin had become the possible next vice president of the United States …
Sarah Palin was a fluke. Had to be. A non-serious and irresponsible fluke. That was what I thought when I saw she was about to be named McCain’s running mate on August 29, 2008. …
** OBAMA IN FLUX.As he embarks on his first big trip to Asia, President Barack Obama’s strategies are in flux in many areas. …
It’s no surprise that Obama is being followed on his Asian trip by other crises. Because so much in his geopolitics is so fundamentally unresolved, making that Nobel Peace Prize more than a bit premature. … From my November 13th column.
** OBAMA’S OFF TO A VERY GOOD START.One year ago, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. Is his presidency delivering on the promise of his candidacy? Yes. I think he’s off to a very good start. But I’m not doing handstands. … From my November 4th 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 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, 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.
This is up about $43 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum. You can send me a private tip by clicking on the “Contact” button in the upper right.
President Barack Obama concluded his first-ever trip to China early today by visiting the Great Wall of China. This is what we call a metaphor.
** QUICK HITS. President Barack Obama’s trip to Asia continues in Korea. … At 5:10 PM Pacific, Obama visits US Embassy staff and their families in Seoul. At 6 PM Pacific, Obama arrives at the Blue House and participates in an arrival ceremony. At 6:15 PM Pacific, Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak hold a bilateral meeting. At 6:50 PM Pacific, they hold an expanded bilateral meeting. At 7:30 PM Pacific, they hold a joint press conference. And at 8:10 PM Pacific, they have a working lunch. … Attorney General Eric Holder testified today on Capitol Hill, scoffing at the notion that trying Al Qaeda 9/11 suspects in New York — 1000 yards from the late World Trade Center — was anything but a good idea. He promised convictions and the death penalty as punishment. … While former Governor-turned-Attorney General Jerry Brown prepared for his big fundraiser tonight in Hollywood, his would-be GOP rivals for governor in 2010 continued their scuffling. Over debates, which aren’t happening, despite promises, and who is the real right-winger. … Okay then. … After endless mixed messages, Iran now appears to be turning down the nuclear deal its negotiators agreed to in Vienna some weeks ago. Do they want Israel to attack? …
** JERRY-RIGGING: A VERY BIG DAY FOR BROWN. This is a big day for California’s most likely next governor, former Governor-turned-Attorney General Jerry Brown.
This morning in Oakland, Brown announced that he has won a settlement of $1.4 billion from Wells Fargo Bank for bilking its investors.
Tonight in Los Angeles, he appears at a fundraiser organized by legendary director Steven Spielberg, his DreamWorks studio partner Jeffrey Katzenberg, and rock impresario-turned-Hollywood mogul David Geffen. (Think Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, et al, the cream of the famed Southern California rock sound.) There are some 30 co-chairs for this event, each of whom pledged to raise or give $50,000 for Brown.
The event, at a private home, is two-tiered.
“Wells Fargo convinced thousands of investors to purchase auction-rate securities with promises of robust returns and liquidity, but when the market collapsed, investors were left out in the cold,” Brown said at the press conference in his Oakland office. “Based on misleading advice, investors bought these risky securities. Now, retail investors and small businesses are finally getting their money back.”
Under today’s settlement, Wells Fargo will buy back $1.4 billion in non-liquid auction-rate securities from thousands of retail customers, charities, and small businesses nationwide, including paying about $700 million to California investors.
Earlier this year, the two-time runner-up for the Democratic presidential nomination filed suit against three Wells Fargo affiliates — Wells Fargo Investments, LLC; Wells Fargo Brokerage Services, LLC; and Wells Fargo Institutional Securities, LLC-for violating California’s securities laws.
Brown’s suit charged that Wells Fargo routinely misrepresented, marketed and sold auction-rate securities as safe, liquid and cash-like investments, omitting material facts.
Wells Fargo is the nation’s fourth largest bank. It is headquartered in Brown’s (and my) hometown of San Francisco.
** CALIFORNIA FISCAL CRISIS, AGAIN. Well, here we go again. As expected.
And the LAO says that next year’s budget will likely be $14.4 billion out of balance.
The vast majority of the new budget problem we have identified for 2009‐10 can be attributed to the state’s inability to implement several major solutions in the July 2009 budget plan, such as:
· The expected inability of several programs—in particular, the prison system and Medi‐Cal—to collectively achieve billions of dollars of spending reductions assumed in the 2009‐10 budget. · The expected inability of the state to sell the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF), a quasi‐public workers’ compensation insurer, for the budgeted amount of $1 billion in 2009‐10.
· The state’s loss of a court case that makes the General Fund unable to benefit from over $800 million in transportation funds in 2009‐10. · A nearly $1 billion increase in the Proposition 98 funding guarantee for K‐14 education in 2009‐10.
The ongoing impact of most of these problems further expands the multibillion‐dollar operating shortfall that policymakers already expected in the 2010‐11 budget year. Additional court cases threaten to drive our identified budget problem even higher.
Good news.
Consistent with legislative action in 2009 to eliminate most automatic cost‐of‐living adjust‐ments (COLAs) for state programs, our forecast assumes no COLAs and no salary increases for state employees through 2014‐15. Furthermore, under our forecast that assumes school funding at the minimum guarantee level for Proposition 98, districts will be affected by the loss of billions of dollars of temporary federal stimulus funding over the next two years.
Even in this stringent scenario, we forecast that operating deficits after 2010‐11 will be around $20 billion each year. The forecasted gap between revenues and expenditures is the greatest—$23 billion—in 2012‐13 (the year when the state must pay back its loan from local governments pursuant to Proposition 1A of 2004).
Earlier in 2009, the Legislature adopted major temporary tax increases and significant cuts affecting most state‐funded programs. An unexpectedly strong economic recovery theoretically could reduce the deficits we forecast. Nevertheless, the scale of the deficits is so vast that we know of no way that the Legislature, the Governor, and voters can avoid making additional, very difficult choices about state priorities. Moreover, strings attached to federal stimulus funding will result in much less spending flexibility than usual for the state in 2010‐11. In the coming years, major state spending programs will have to be significantly reduced. Policymakers will also need to add revenues to the mix.
California voters, in their infinite wisdom, turned down an extension of temporary tax hikes and the creation of state spending limits in last spring’s special election.
The tax hikes run out, and the budget deficit gets bigger.
Of course, raising taxes in the depths of a recession was not fated to be the most popular of ideas …
President Barack Obama on Wednesday met with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing. Nearing the end of his first-ever trip to China, Obama said he came determined to strengthen a vital partnership. It’s unclear what he’s getting.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama finished his visit to China and flew on to Korea today.
The time in Korea is 17 hours ahead of the time in California. It is GMT + 9.
Obama finished the Chinese leg of his trip by touring the Great Wall of China.
At 1:10 AM Pacific, he departed Beijing on Air Force One en route to Seoul, South Korea.
At 2:45 AM Pacific, Obama arrived in Seoul and participated in a welcome ceremony.
In their various remarks, Obama and Chinese leaders sounded like they agreed on Iran, climate change, and trade. But the devil is in the details.
And the details so far indicate no specific agreements, unlike the progress that Obama made with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in Singapore.
America is in a weaker position now, due to its role as epicenter of the global financial crisis.
But China, while it’s fast emerging as an economic and military power, doesn’t look so strong, either.
Chinese officials heavily censored coverage of Obama’s visit to China. His town hall in Shanghai was not nationally televised, and the students who took part were all hand-picked. The questions to the president were all posed by members of the Young Communist League.
In South Korea, Obama has a different set of challenges. Namely, maintaining good trade relations and dealing with the aggressive behavior of North Korea, which intermittently pursues nuclear weapons. The American military presence on the Korean Peninsula is key to restraining North Korea from attacking South Korea.
He’s been strong on North Korea, so this should not be too difficult.
Back home, Vice President Biden meets with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid about health insurance reform legislation in the morning.
Biden then confers privately with senators off the Senate floor.
In the afternoon, Biden meets with Terry O’Sullivan, President of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, at the White House.
Later, he swears in Aaron Williams as Director of the Peace Corps, and Danny Werfel as Controller of the Office of Federal Financial Management in the Office of Management and Budget.
In the evening, Biden hosts a reception at the Naval Observatory for The New School.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flew on from China to Afghanistan.
Clinton will attend the inauguration of Afghan President Hamid Karzai tomorrow.
The decision on Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan is expected in a few weeks.
In other action, Britain’s Gordon Brown is still pushing for Tony Blair to become the first president of Europe. Blair has heavy opposition, but it has yet to coalesce.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited yesterday with U.S. troops in Iraq and met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the road today.
Schwarzenegger began yesterday in Iraq, where he worked out with American troops and met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Then he flew on to Graz, Austria, where he visited his parents’ graves.
Today Schwarzenegger spoke in Milan, Italy, in advance of a key sub-national meeting leading up to next month’s Copenhagen conference on climate change.
Schwarzenegger and Roberto Formigoni, the president of Italy’s Lombardy Region, urged regional and local leaders to take action to fight climate change and help create green jobs while highlighting the World Regions Forum to be held in Milan, Italy over the next three days.
“This Forum is about harnessing the power of regional and local governments to drive change. No single issue threatens our planet’s health and prosperity more than climate change. And, in the absence of action from national and international governments, sub-national leaders must take strong steps without them. We have to take action now to combat global warming and seize the incredible economic opportunity in this fight. That is why we took action on our own in California. We know firsthand that we can create a new economic foundation for the 21st Century, built on clean fuel, clean energy, clean cars and green jobs. But to make this vision a reality, we need help from more governors, mayors and local leaders. And with that help, I know that together, we can leave our children and grandchildren a world that is more prosperous, clean and secure.”
Schwarzenegger is flying back to California today.
** THE INEVITABLE FLUKE THAT IS SARAH PALIN.Five minutes into yesterday’s Oprah extravaganza with Sarah Palin, I messaged Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s presidential campaign manager: “So how did you know Bristol was pregnant before it was announced?”
His immediate reply: “I didn’t, untrue.”
Palin had just said that Schmidt, the evident villain of her new book, “Going Rogue,” and other top McCain advisors had already known that her teenage daughter was pregnant with an illegitimate child and had marching orders for her even before she was picked as McCain’s shock vice presidential nominee.
Palin continued in a similar vein throughout her ballyhooed Oprah interview, constantly hitting the girrrl power/female victimization tropes of daytime TV, casting herself as an individual struggling against male control. Except, of course, for “God and Todd.” It’s all a tissue of nonsense when you think about it, including her silly notion that an interview with the anchor of CBS News was supposed to be “light and fun.” Whether Oprah really bought the act or not, she appeared to appreciate it. That is, after all, how it’s done.
Which took me back to when I learned that the preposterous Palin had become the possible next vice president of the United States …
Sarah Palin was a fluke. Had to be. A non-serious and irresponsible fluke. That was what I thought when I saw she was about to be named McCain’s running mate on August 29, 2008. …
** OBAMA IN FLUX.As he embarks on his first big trip to Asia, President Barack Obama’s strategies are in flux in many areas. …
It’s no surprise that Obama is being followed on his Asian trip by other crises. Because so much in his geopolitics is so fundamentally unresolved, making that Nobel Peace Prize more than a bit premature. … From my November 13th column.
** OBAMA’S OFF TO A VERY GOOD START.One year ago, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. Is his presidency delivering on the promise of his candidacy? Yes. I think he’s off to a very good start. But I’m not doing handstands. … From my November 4th 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 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, 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.
This is up about $45 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum. You can send me a private tip by clicking on the “Contact” button in the upper right.
With the Obama Administration criticized for not going after Wall Street malfeasance, Attorney General Eric Holder and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner today announced the creation of a joint task force to combat financial crimes.
** QUICK HITS. President Barack Obama’s trip to Asia continues. … At 8 PM Pacific, Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao hold a bilateral meeting. … At 8:45 PM Pacific, Obama and Premier Wen Jiabao hold a working lunch. … I know, absent President Hu, no more Doctor Who humor. Oh, well. … At 10:30 PM Pacific, Obama tours the Great Wall of China. … At 1:10 AM Pacific, Obama departs Beijing on Air Force One en route to Seoul, South Korea. … At 2:45 AM Pacific, Obama arrives in Seoul and participates in a welcome ceremony. … Before he leaves China, Obama does a round of network TV interviews. … More confusion from Iran regarding its nuclear program. Now President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is saying he favors the deal Iran negotiated in Vienna last month, to transfer nuclear fuel to Russia and France for enrichment. But has to deal with extremists in Tehran. Er, isn’t he the big extremist?
** MCCAIN DENIES PALIN CHARGE. Senator John McCain is asking his presidential campaign advisors to avoid engaging Sarah Palin in the latest set of controversies.
McCain said the bill was for legal work related to allegations that Palin made improper use of her influence as Alaska’s governor to press for the dismissal of a state trooper named Mike Wooten. Wooten was embroiled in a custody dispute with Palin’s younger sister, Molly McCann.
“That was addressed by Trevor Potter,” said McCain, “That was over the troopergate.”
In a statement to the Associated Press, Potter, McCain’s general counsel, denied that McCain’s campaign billed Palin for vetting her.
“To my knowledge, the campaign never billed Gov. Palin for any legal expenses related to her vetting and I am not aware of her ever asking the campaign to pay legal expenses that her own lawyers incurred for the vetting process,” he said.
** THE INEVITABLE FLUKE THAT IS SARAH PALIN.Five minutes into yesterday’s Oprah extravaganza with Sarah Palin, I messaged Steve Schmidt, John McCain’s presidential campaign manager: “So how did you know Bristol was pregnant before it was announced?”
His immediate reply: “I didn’t, untrue.”
Palin had just said that Schmidt, the evident villain of her new book, “Going Rogue,” and other top McCain advisors had already known that her teenage daughter was pregnant with an illegitimate child and had marching orders for her even before she was picked as McCain’s shock vice presidential nominee.
Palin continued in a similar vein throughout her ballyhooed Oprah interview, constantly hitting the girrrl power/female victim tropes of daytime TV, casting herself as an individual struggling against male control. Except, of course, for “God and Todd.” It’s all a tissue of nonsense when you think about it, including her silly notion that an interview with the anchor of CBS News was supposed to be “light and fun.” Whether Oprah really bought the act or not, she appeared to appreciate it. That is, after all, how it’s done.
Which took me back to when I learned that the preposterous Palin had become the possible next vice president of the United States …
Sarah Palin was a fluke. Had to be. A non-serious and irresponsible fluke. That was what I thought when I saw she was about to be named McCain’s running mate on August 29, 2008. …
President Barack Obama said that he and Chinese President Hu Jintao spoke about economic recovery and climate change.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in China today.
The time in China is 16 hours ahead of the time in California. It is GMT + 8.
Obama has finished his day in China.
He and President Hu Jintao of China made joint press statements at the Western Hall in Beijing.
They sounded like they agreed on Iran, climate change, and trade. But the devil is in the details.
(Note: President Hu is not a doctor.) Sorry, can’t resist.
Obama then toured the Forbidden City.
After that, he visited United States Embassy employees and their families at the Atrium.
Then it was back to negotiating with China’s second highest-ranking official.
Obama and Chairman Wu Bangguo held a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People.
And at 2:30 AM Pacific, Obama attended a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People.
Obama is monitoring several geopolitical crises.
These are discussed in my recent column linked below.
In other action, Britain’s Gordon Brown is still pushing for Tony Blair to become the first president of Europe. Blair has heavy opposition, but it has yet to coalesce.
The prime minister also proposes to host a NATO meeting in London in January to “set a timetable” for transfer to full Afghan control.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited with troops yesterday in Iraq.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the road today.
Schwarzenegger began the day in Iraq, where he worked out with American troops and met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Then he flew on to Graz, Austria, where he visited his parents’ graves.
Schwarzenegger will speak tomorrow in Milan, Italy, in advance of a key sub-national meeting leading up to next month’s Copenhagen conference on climate change.
** OBAMA IN FLUX.As he embarks on his first big trip to Asia, President Barack Obama’s strategies are in flux in many areas. …
It’s no surprise that Obama is being followed on his Asian trip by other crises. Because so much in his geopolitics is so fundamentally unresolved, making that Nobel Peace Prize more than a bit premature. … From my November 13th column.
** OBAMA’S OFF TO A VERY GOOD START.One year ago, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. Is his presidency delivering on the promise of his candidacy? Yes. I think he’s off to a very good start. But I’m not doing handstands. … From my November 4th 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 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, 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.
This is up about $45 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum. You can send me a private tip by clicking on the “Contact” button in the upper right.
Earlier today in Shanghai, President Barack Obama said that individual expression is not an American ideal but a universal right that should be available to all.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … THE INEVITABLE FLUKE THAT IS SARAH PALIN.
Russia is perhaps the leading fossil fuel — oil and natural gas — power on the planet. The big fossil fuel powers have either ignored greenhouse gases — for obvious reasons — or given the quietest of lip service to the threat.
“If we don’t take joint action, the consequences for the planet may be very distressing to the point that the Arctic and Antarctic ice can melt and change ocean levels,” he said shortly before leaving Singapore.
“All of this will have catastrophic consequences.”
Russia signed the Kyoto protocol after years of haggling about its implementation, but has been criticized by environmental groups for not offering more ambitious emissions cuts ahead of December’s Copenhagen summit.
In the past, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had appeared to shrug off the threat from climate change, joking that Russians would welcome warmer weather and would need to buy fewer fur coats.
Some prominent Russian scientists argue that climate change is a natural phenomenon.
Russia, as reported repeatedly on NWN, has been moving aggressively to stake energy claims beneath the Arctic Sea in anticipation of its eventual clearing of ice.
The fabled Northwest Passage through the Arctic has been clear the past two summers.
But that doesn’t mean she can’t win the Republican presidential nomination. Not in a multi-candidate field with largely winner-take-all primaries.
I can hardly believe I’m watching Oprah today.
The survey indicates that a majority of Republicans, 54 percent, feel Palin is qualified, with 44 percent indicating she isn’t. But only 29 percent of independent voters questioned feel she is qualified to serve as president, with 68 percent disagreeing. According to the poll, nine in 10 Democrats feel Palin is not qualified.
The poll’s release comes one day before the release of Palin’s book, “Going Rogue: An American Life.” …
According to the survey, nearly half of all Americans think Romney is qualified to be president, with 43 percent feeling the same way about Huckabee. Among Republicans, Palin is still lagging other potential 2012 primary candidates: 63 percent of GOPers think that Romney and Huckabee are qualified, 9 points higher than the number that say the same of Palin.
MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK.
A big week ahead in presidential politics. And a rather light week in California politics.
President Barack Obama continues his big Asia trip this week, in China and South Korea.
In Singapore over the weekend, Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev agreed that America and Russia will produce an accord cutting nuclear weapons by the end of the year.
Medvedev also said that Russia is increasing pressure on Iran to accept the deal its negotiators agreed to last month — in which Iran would ship its uranium to Russia for enrichment — and to demonstrate that its program is not geared to producing nuclear weapons.
Should Iran fail to do so, he said, Russia is open to “other options” to ensure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons. He brushed aside a threatening demand on Friday by a top Iranian legislator that Russia provide Iran with the S-300, one of the world’s most advanced anti-aircraft systems.
The news was not so good, though not surprising, on climate change.
The Asia Pacific leaders in Singapore agreed that next month’s Copenhagen conference will be an interim event, with no global accord to be reached.
Instead, they agreed to a plan proposed by a top UN official who flew in from Europe; namely that progress be achieved in Copenhagen toward an eventual agreement next year.
At a conference to be held in Mexico City.
Given that European leaders, as reported on NWN, failed to agree on subsidies for developing nations at their recent summit, this was an inevitable outcome.
Obama is working to achieve a cooperative relationship with China, on Iran and in other areas. Which makes sense, since China and America have a symbiotic relationship economically.
He’ll also be working behind the scenes on his new strategy for Afghanistan, which will be revealed when he’s back in Washington. And the ongoing crisis around Iran’s nuclear program.
While Obama is practicing geopolitics, ex-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is getting yet another shot of the limelight with this week’s publication of her memoirs.
She’s a deeply non-serious figure, but she is very popular in the Republican Party, and that is affecting national politics in a deep way.
So I’ll have a column about her shortly, discussing how she came to be selected as the GOP’s vice presidential candidate and various charges she makes in her book about her purported treatment by the McCain campaign.
The first president of the European Union is slated to be picked on Thursday in Brussells. Tony Blair has made a late push, including a big speech in Switzerland, but appears to be coming up short, with most reports indicating that the post will go to a smaller, less controversial figure.
Herman Van Rompuy, the Belgian premier, is the favorite. Massimo D’Alema, Italy’s former prime minister, looks well placed for the other big new job: EU foreign policy chief.
Neither is likely to impress Washington and Beijing.
David Miliband, UK foreign secretary, has ruled himself out of the race for the foreign policy job.
In California politics, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is continuing his international trip this week. He might appoint the new lieutenant governor, who I expect to be State Senator Abel Maldonado, when he’s back in California at the end of the week.
Jerry Brown continues consolidating his position as the Democratic favorite to win the governorship in 2010.
This week Brown has a big Hollywood fundraiser hosted by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. Incidentally, new Star Trek director J.J. Abrams and his wife recently gave Brown $50,000.
A teapot tempest around Brown’s former aide recording interviews by a few reporters, notably one who had bollixed another story, is proving to have short legs despite efforts by the reporter and her paper to turn what was at the time her latest mistake into a crusade for press freedom.
Brown’s would-be GOP rivals, meanwhile, are scuffling again over debates. Who said what, and when? It’s all very exciting.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in China today.
The time in China is 16 hours ahead of the time in California. It is GMT + 8.
Obama held a town hall meeting with 500 Chinese stdents at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. The event was heavily screened by Chinese officials and not broadcast on Chinese television.
Obama then flew from Shanghai to Beijing, China’s capital, where he will be until Wednesday.
Obama arrived in Beijing, China and participated in a welcome ceremony.
He then went to the Diaoyutai State Guest House, where he was greeted by President Hu Jintao.
At 2:35 AM Pacific, Obama and President Hu held a bilateral meeting.
(Note: The president is not a doctor.)
At 3 AM Pacific, Obama and President Hu had dinner.
Meanwhile, Vice President Biden is in the West today.
He holds an economic recovery event and attends fundraisers for four members of Congress in Arizona and New Mexico.
On the geopolitical front, Obama is monitoring crises in Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
These are discussed in my latest column linked below.
>>>>>>video Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was interviewed yesterday by Channel 2 News in Israel as seen in this video from Haaretz.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is on the road today.
Schwarzenegger flew from Israel to Iraq, where he is today visiting the troops and meeting with Iraqi government leaders.
He has no public schedule in Iraq, for reasons of security.
On Sunday, he took part in the Saban Forum in Jerusalem, where he and Los Angeles Congressman Henry Waxman discussed renewable energy and climate change.
Prior to that, he signed a memorandum of understanding on renewable energy with Israeli Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Binyamin Ben-Eliezer.
Schwarzenegger also met with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.
** OBAMA IN FLUX.As he embarks on his first big trip to Asia, President Barack Obama’s strategies are in flux in many areas. …
It’s no surprise that Obama is being followed on his Asian trip by other crises. Because so much in his geopolitics is so fundamentally unresolved, making that Nobel Peace Prize more than a bit premature. … From my November 13th column.
** OBAMA’S OFF TO A VERY GOOD START.One year ago, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. Is his presidency delivering on the promise of his candidacy? Yes. I think he’s off to a very good start. But I’m not doing handstands. … From my November 4th 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 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, 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.
This is up about $45 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum. You can send me a private tip by clicking on the “Contact” button in the upper right.
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