In advance of tonight’s Oval Office address on the end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq, President Barack Obama visited with the troops at Fort Bliss outside El Paso, Texas.
** QUICK HITS. California’s chronic budget crisis dragged on today, with predictably failing votes for the various alternative budget proposals in a Legislature which has accomplished nothing on the matter all year. … Billionaire Meg Whitman launched yet another TV attack ad against Jerry Brown in her latest effort to get some momentum in the governor’s race. More than two months before the election, Whitman has already shattered all spending records for a non-presidential candidate in American history. With the Whitman campaign’s trademark mixture of falsehood and distortion, it claims Brown failed to solve Oakland’s school problems as mayor, causing the state to take over the district. In reality, Brown got the state to take over the district when the school board was unresponsive to his reform ideas. It also claims he was soft on crime. Murders did go up at the end of his term (Oakland is a dumping ground for parolees) but crime went down throughout and as mayor Brown was a great favorite of the police department. … Now California’s attorney general, Brown today announced a major takedown of the notorious Nuestra Familia crime gang, with major arrests in the Central Valley and a move to block the communications of gang leaders operating out of the maximum-security Pelican Bay state prison way up on the North Coast.
** EXCERPTS FROM OBAMA’S ADDRESS TO THE NATION TONIGHT ON THE END OF U.S. COMBAT OPERATIONS IN IRAQ.
“But this milestone should serve as a reminder to all Americans that our future is ours to shape if we move forward with confidence and commitment. It should also serve as a message to the world that the United States of America intends to sustain and strengthen our leadership in this young century.”
***
“At every turn, America’s men and women in uniform have served with courage and resolve. As Commander-in-Chief, I am proud of their service. Like all Americans, I am awed by their sacrifice, and by the sacrifices of their families.”
***
“Tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country. This was my pledge to the American people as a candidate for this office. Last February, I announced a plan that would bring our combat brigades out of Iraq, while redoubling our efforts to strengthen Iraq’s Security Forces and support its government and people. That is what we have done. We have removed nearly 100,000 U.S. troops from Iraq. We have closed or transferred hundreds of bases to the Iraqis. And we have moved millions of pieces of equipment out of Iraq.”
***
“Ending this war is not only in Iraq’s interest – it is in our own. The United States has paid a huge price to put the future of Iraq in the hands of its people. We have sent our young men and women to make enormous sacrifices in Iraq, and spent vast resources abroad at a time of tight budgets at home. We have persevered because of a belief we share with the Iraqi people – a belief that out of the ashes of war, a new beginning could be born in this cradle of civilization. Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it is time to turn the page.”
***
“Today, our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work. To strengthen our middle class, we must give all our children the education they deserve, and all our workers the skills that they need to compete in a global economy. We must jumpstart industries that create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil. We must unleash the innovation that allows new products to roll off our assembly lines, and nurture the ideas that spring from our entrepreneurs. This will be difficult. But in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people, and my central responsibility as President.”
** OBAMA REMARKS TODAY AT FORT BLISS ON IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. In a preview of his Oval Office address tonight, President Barack Obama made some remarks today to Iraq and Afghan War veterans at Fort Bliss outside El Paso, Texas.
Hello, everybody. (Applause.) Everybody have a seat. Well, listen, I am extraordinarily honored to be with all of you today, and I want to thank General Pittard, I want to thank Command Sergeant Major Dave Davenport, who have shown such extraordinary leadership here.
I wanted to come down to Fort Bliss mainly to say thank you and to say welcome home.
I’m going to make a speech to the nation tonight. It’s not going to be a victory lap. It’s not going to be self-congratulatory. There’s still a lot of work that we’ve got to do to make sure that Iraq is an effective partner with us. But the fact of the matter is that because of the extraordinary service that all of you have done, and so many people here at Fort Bliss have done, Iraq has an opportunity to create a better future for itself, and America is more secure.
Now, I just met with some Gold Star families, and yesterday I was at Walter Reed. And there are no moments when I feel more keenly and more deeply my responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief than during those moments. I know we lost 51 fellow soldiers from here in Fort Bliss. A lot more than that were injured, some of them very severely. A million men and women in uniform have now served in Iraq. And this has been one of our longest wars.
But the fact of the matter is that there has not been a single mission that has been assigned to all of you in which you have not performed with gallantry, with courage, with excellence. And that is something that the entire country understands.
There are times where, in our country, we’ve got political disagreements. And appropriately we have big debates about war and peace. But the one thing we don’t argue about is the fact that we’ve got the finest fighting force in the history of the world. (Applause.)
And the reason we have it is because of the men and women in uniform, in every branch of service, who make so many sacrifices, and their families make those sacrifices alongside them.
And so the main message I have tonight and the main message I have to you is congratulations on a job well done. The country appreciates you. I appreciate you. And the most pride I take in my job is being your Commander-in-Chief.
It also means that as we transition in Iraq, that the one thing I will insist upon for however long I remain President of the United States is that we serve you and your families as well as you served us.
So we spent a lot of time over the last couple of years making sure that we’re increasing our support of veterans: that we are making sure that our wounded warriors are cared for; that some of the signature injuries of our war, like post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, that we are devoting special services there; that we’ve got a post-9/11 GI bill that ensures that you and your family members are able to come back and fully contribute and participate in our economy; that our veterans are constantly getting the care and honor that they have earned.
So that’s part of my message to the country. And one of the great things about the last several years has been to see how unified the country is around support of our veterans and of our men and women who are currently serving.
Now, I know that, as I said at the beginning, our task in Iraq is not yet completed. Our combat phase is over, but we’ve worked too hard to neglect the continuing work that has to be done by our civilians and by those transitional forces, including some folks who are going to be deploying I understand today. And I’m going to be talking to them later.
The work that continues is absolutely critical: providing training and assistance to Iraqi security forces because there’s still violence in Iraq, and they’re still learning how to secure their country the way they need to. And they’ve made enormous strides thanks to the training that they’ve already received. But there’s still more work to do there.
We’re going to have to protect our civilians, our aid workers and our diplomats who are over there, who are still trying to expand and help what’s going to be a long road ahead for the Iraqi people in terms of rebuilding their country.
We’re still going to be going after terrorists in those areas. And so our counterterrorism operations are still going to be conducted jointly. But the bottom line is, is that our combat phase is now over. We are in transition. And that could not have been accomplished had it not been for the men and women here at Fort Bliss and across the country.
The other thing that I’m going to talk about this evening is the fact that we obviously still have a very tough fight in Afghanistan. And a lot of families have been touched by the way in Iraq. A lot of families are now being touched in Afghanistan. We’ve seen casualties go up because we’re taking the fight to al Qaeda and the Taliban and their allies.
It is going to be a tough slog, but what I know is that after 9/11, this country was unified in saying we are not going to let something like that happen again. And we are going to go after those who perpetrated that crime, and we are going to make sure that they do not have safe haven.
And now under the command of General Petraeus, we have the troops who are there in a position to start taking the fight to the terrorists. And that’s going to mean some casualties and it’s going to mean some heartbreak. But the one thing that I know from all of you is that when we put our minds to it, we get things done. And we’re willing to make some sacrifices on behalf of our security here at home.
So to all of you, and to your families, I want to express my deepest gratitude, the gratitude of Michelle, the First Lady, and our entire family. But also I just want to say thank you on behalf of the country, because without you we couldn’t enjoy the freedoms and the security that are so precious. And all of you represent that long line of heroes that have served us so well generation after generation.
You know, when I was talking to the Gold Star families there, there were some widows dating back to World War II, and then there was a young woman who had just had a baby and had just lost her husband. And that describes the arc of heroism and sacrifice that’s been made by the men and women in uniform for so many generations. You’re part of that line, part of that tradition, part of that heroism.
So what I’d like to do is just to come around and shake all of your hands personally, to say thank you to all of you, to say thank you for a job well done, and to know that you are welcome home with open arms from every corner of this country. People could not be prouder of you, and we are grateful.
Thank you very much, everybody.
** NEW GLOBAL SURVEY: THE LINK BETWEEN RELIGIOSITY AND AFFLUENCE, OR LACK OF SAME. A new Gallup Poll survey of religious influence and involvement in countries around the world bears out what I learned as an undergrad major in history and sociology; religion is most important in poor and relatively poor societies.
As affluence and education increases, religious intensity decreases.
There are only two regions of the world which buck that trend: The Gulf Arab oil states and the United States.
Gallup surveys in 114 countries in 2009 show that religion continues to play an important role in many people’s lives worldwide. The global median proportion of adults who say religion is an important part of their daily lives is 84%, unchanged from what Gallup has found in other years. In 10 countries and areas, at least 98% say religion is important in their daily lives. …
Each of the most religious countries is relatively poor, with a per-capita GDP below $5,000. This reflects the strong relationship between a country’s socioeconomic status and the religiosity of its residents. In the world’s poorest countries — those with average per-capita incomes of $2,000 or lower — the median proportion who say religion is important in their daily lives is 95%. In contrast, the median for the richest countries — those with average per-capita incomes higher than $25,000 — is 47%. …
The United States is one of the rich countries that bucks the trend. About two-thirds of Americans — 65% — say religion is important in their daily lives. Among high-income countries, only Italians, Greeks, Singaporeans, and residents of the oil-rich Persian Gulf states are more likely to say religion is important.
Most high-income countries are further down the religiosity spectrum. In 10 countries, no more than 34% of residents say religion is an important part of their daily lives. Six of those are developed countries in Europe and Asia with per-capita incomes greater than $25,000.
In three of the four lower income countries on the list — Estonia, Russia, and Belarus — the Soviet government restricted religious expression for decades until the U.S.S.R.’s collapse in 1991. The final country is Vietnam, where the government also has a history of limiting religious practice. …
Social scientists have put forth numerous possible explanations for the relationship between the religiosity of a population and its average income level. One theory is that religion plays a more functional role in the world’s poorest countries, helping many residents cope with a daily struggle to provide for themselves and their families. A previous Gallup analysis supports this idea, revealing that the relationship between religiosity and emotional wellbeing is stronger among poor countries than among those in the developed world. …
President Barack Obama discussed the economy yesterday. Tonight he delivers an Oval Office address on Iraq, which the last U.S. combat unit has departed, and Afghanistan.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington and Texas.
Obama is traveling on Air Force One to El Paso, Texas. After he lands there, he will proceed to the massive Army base at Fort Bliss. Obama is receiving his daily intelligence and economic briefings on Air Force One.
At 9:30 AM Pacific, Obama arrives in El Paso, Texas.
At 10:10 AM Pacific, Obama meets with troops at Fort Bliss Army Base.
Most have returned from Iraq and Obama will make some remarks.
Incidentally, my bottom line on Iraq is that the surge worked. And the invasion was a multifaceted disaster (though as predicted a short-term military success), a misbegotten gift that will keep on giving for a long time.
At 11:20 AM Pacific, Obama departs El Paso, Texas on Air Force One en route to Andrews Air Force Base.
At 2:55 PM Pacific, Obama lands at Andrews Air Force Base, where he boards Marine One.
At 3:10 PM Pacific, Obama lands on the South Lawn of the White House.
At 5 PM Pacific, Obama addresses the nation on Iraq and Afghanistan from the Oval Office.
Obama is monitoring geopolitical crises in Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq.
Speaking of Iraq, that’s where Vice President Joe Biden is today.
Although U.S. combat units have departed, the Iraqi military will be dependent on America for a long time.
Among other things, Biden’s purpose is to bring together the disparate factions of Iraqi politics to at last form a new government, nearly six months after national parliamentary elections.
I believe this is Biden’s third trip there for this purpose. Sunni and Shiite factions are refusing to work together, which is no surprise since it was only Saddam Hussein’s autocratic rule that kept Iraq together prior to the U.S./U.K. invasion in 2003.
As countries go, Iraq is something of an artificial construct, an artifact of colonial times.
FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento today.
At 11 AM, Schwarzenegger will discuss California’s chronic budget crisis with the San Francisco Chamber of Commer
The event will be webcast live on www.gov.ca.gov.
Schwarzenegger will also hold private talks, much of them around the now very late state budget.
In the last day of its regular session, the Legislature will hold votes on competing budget plans which can’t pass.
This, even though state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg loathes the term, amounts to a drill.
Steinberg says that holding votes on plans which can’t pass will open up the process and create some action. Well, considering how little the Legislature has done on the budget, I suppose it’s all relative.
… THE CALIFORNIA AS FIRST “FAILED STATE” DEBATE: SCHWARZENEGGER, DAVIS, WHITMAN, AND JERRY BROWN. … From my March 2nd column.
Here is my series of five columns on the governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Los Angeles Times in debate in fall 2008, prior to the global economic meltdown, with Pulitzer Prize-winning former Times reporter/editor Bill Boyarsky, whose columns are also included. You can listen to my video webchat last year with Schwarzenegger here. It covers most of the major issues and also reveals his cameo in the latest Terminator movie.
** HARSH REALM: THE MEG WHITMAN PROGRAM FOR FUTURE CALIFORNIA. Billionaire Meg Whitman keeps plugging what she says is a program for California’s future as a key reason to make her governor of the nation’s largest state. She must be counting on people not paying attention to what her program actually is.
For quite awhile, Whitman, still struggling to develop any momentum in her race for California governor against Jerry Brown despite having already broken all spending records for a non-presidential candidate in American history, has touted her program as the reason to vote for her as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s successor. Namely, that she has one and Brown doesn’t. Or didn’t. Lately, Brown has released a lot of program points, none of which are a surprise since they reflect what he’s been doing and saying throughout his decades in public life.
But that didn’t stop Whitman from trying to have what she calls her “book” — it’s actually a 40-page pamphlet, with big type and many pictures and graphics — placed in California’s public libraries. Virtually all of them turned her down, since it’s campaign advertising and decidedly not a book. Nor did it stop her from using it as one her many excuses to avoid debates with Brown (I have a policy book and he doesn’t have one yet), or from mailing it around the state, or from having it lovingly photographed for one of her incessant TV ads.
For quite awhile, the much diminished state press corps bought into the whole Whitman-has-a-program thing. No one really took a look at what it is. Which is interesting, because the program makes no sense. … From my August 30th feature.
** MAD MEN REVIEW: ANOTHER FAMOUS ANTHROPOLOGICAL STUDY. The reports of Don Draper’s descent into chaos have been greatly exaggerated.
“The Chrysanthemum and the Sword,” a distinctly odd title for those who were not students of anthropology, sociology, or history, is a significant improvement over last week’s episode. Much more happened in this episode, and there was a sense of greater forward motion. There be spoilers ahead, as usual.
Let’s get the title out of the way first. It’s a direct reference to a famous book, published in 1946 by anthropologist Ruth Benedict, a close associate of Margaret Mead. Benedict, sadly, died not long after, but her work lived on. In particular this book, which drew from a series of papers Benedict prepared during World War II for American intelligence. Their purpose? To understand the Japanese, with whom we were then engaged in a war in the Pacific far more brutal than the war against Germany. … From my August 25th review.
** MAD MEN REVIEW: “THE REJECTED” IS A ROUTINE EPISODE, BUT BETTY DRAPER HAS JOINED THE X-MEN! … From my August 18th review.
** HARSH REALM: MEG WHITMAN AND THE C.E.O. MYTH. … From my August 17th feature.
** MAD MEN REVIEW: “THE GOOD NEWS” IS SAD YET VERY GOOD. … From my August 9th review.
** HARSH REALM: THE LEGACY THAT MEG WHITMAN INVOKES. … From my August 7th feature.
** MAD MEN REVIEW: “CHRISTMAS COMES BUT ONCE A YEAR,” EXCEPT FOR THESE THREE WISE GUYS. … From my August 3rd review.
** HARSH REALM: THE POST-PRESS ERA AND MEG WHITMAN. … From my July 30th feature.
** 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, 2009 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 is trading around $74 per barrel.
This is up about $40 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity.
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| Comments (40) |
Good speech by President Obama on the economy.
Good news video on the Iraq military.
But it’s not good news.
Barack’s going to give a better speech tonight on Iraq.
Jonas Blane says:
August 31, 2010 at 8:52 am
Good speech by President Obama on the economy.
What a waste of time…
BB:In the last day of its regular session, the Legislature will hold votes on competing budget plans which can’t pass.
This, even though state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg loathes the term, amounts to a drill.
Steinberg says that holding votes on plans which can’t pass will open up the process and create some action. Well, considering how little the Legislature has done on the budget, I suppose it’s all relative.
Another strong takedown of Meg Whitman on the HuffPo.
What did you think about Mad Men’s latest and the big Emmy win?
I wish we really were out of Iraq.
Bravo on the Whitman piece – well done sir.
That’s a big challenge for our current nation-building exercise, isn’t it? There really isn’t an Iraqi people with shared national heritage other than that of oppressed subjects, whether by external colonialists or internal shah or dictator.
Interestingly, though, Brooks argues that economic progress is being made in Iraq thanks to the invasion, even if political harmony is lagging.
>BB: As countries go, Iraq is something of an artificial construct,
Where’s Schwarzeneger?
More video today?
Yes.
Thanks.
I assume you’re referring to David Brooks, a longtime cheerleader for the Iraq adventure.
A lot of people still don’t have electric power in Iraq, more than seven years after the invasion, so I doubt they agree with what you call his rosy view of economic progress in Iraq …
> Clutch J says:
August 31, 2010 at 10:36 am (Edit)
That’s a big challenge for our current nation-building exercise, isn’t it? There really isn’t an Iraqi people with shared national heritage other than that of oppressed subjects, whether by external colonialists or internal shah or dictator.
Interestingly, though, Brooks argues that economic progress is being made in Iraq thanks to the invasion, even if political harmony is lagging.
>BB: As countries go, Iraq is something of an artificial construct,
Thanks, I appreciate it.
> Brasky says:
August 31, 2010 at 10:34 am (Edit)
Bravo on the Whitman piece – well done sir.
Out is a relative term.
> Len says:
August 31, 2010 at 10:31 am (Edit)
I wish we really were out of Iraq.
Thanks, I appreciate it.
The Mad Men piece is next. I thought the last episode was good, and funny, and was thrilled by Mad Men’s third straight Best Drama award.
> Requiem says:
August 31, 2010 at 10:02 am (Edit)
Another strong takedown of Meg Whitman on the HuffPo.
What did you think about Mad Men’s latest and the big Emmy win?
I’d stick needles in my eyes if I were covering that Capitol day to day …
> Capitol Boy says:
August 31, 2010 at 9:55 am (Edit)
What a waste of time…
BB:In the last day of its regular session, the Legislature will hold votes on competing budget plans which can’t pass.
This, even though state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg loathes the term, amounts to a drill.
Steinberg says that holding votes on plans which can’t pass will open up the process and create some action. Well, considering how little the Legislature has done on the budget, I suppose it’s all relative.
True.
>#
Jonas Blane says:
August 31, 2010 at 9:03 am (Edit)
Good news video on the Iraq military.
#
Capitol Boy says:
August 31, 2010 at 9:54 am (Edit)
But it’s not good news.
I like what President Obama said at the Texas Army base.
“Not a victory lap,” he sure got that right…
There are few things more delusional than hack politicians.
Bill Bradley says:
August 31, 2010 at 12:19 pm
I’d stick needles in my eyes if I were covering that Capitol day to day …
> Capitol Boy says:
August 31, 2010 at 9:55 am (Edit)
What a waste of time…
BB:In the last day of its regular session, the Legislature will hold votes on competing budget plans which can’t pass.
This, even though state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg loathes the term, amounts to a drill.
Steinberg says that holding votes on plans which can’t pass will open up the process and create some action. Well, considering how little the Legislature has done on the budget, I suppose it’s all relative.
Heh.
Bill Bradley says:
August 31, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Out is a relative term.
> Len says:
August 31, 2010 at 10:31 am (Edit)
I wish we really were out of Iraq.
We should neither overstate nor understate what Prez is announcing tonight w/r/t Iraq. It’s a very important step towards extricating us from Bush’s awful creation. There’s still a ways to go.
Bill Bradley says:
August 31, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Out is a relative term.
I think Roy Ashburn can second that.
Really?
I’d say it’s an absolute term with regard to him.
For those readers who’ve no idea who this is, don’t worry about it, it has nothing to do with the topic.
True.
> Clutch J says:
August 31, 2010 at 2:29 pm (Edit)
We should neither overstate nor understate what Prez is announcing tonight w/r/t Iraq. It’s a very important step towards extricating us from Bush’s awful creation. There’s still a ways to go.
Indeed.
> Jack Aubrey says:
August 31, 2010 at 2:04 pm (Edit)
Heh.
Bill Bradley says:
August 31, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Out is a relative term.
> Len says:
August 31, 2010 at 10:31 am (Edit)
I wish we really were out of Iraq.
And … they held their votes, which went exactly as anticipated, and blah blah blah …
> Jack Aubrey says:
August 31, 2010 at 2:04 pm (Edit)
There are few things more delusional than hack politicians.
Bill Bradley says:
August 31, 2010 at 12:19 pm
I’d stick needles in my eyes if I were covering that Capitol day to day …
> Capitol Boy says:
August 31, 2010 at 9:55 am (Edit)
What a waste of time…
BB:In the last day of its regular session, the Legislature will hold votes on competing budget plans which can’t pass.
This, even though state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg loathes the term, amounts to a drill.
Steinberg says that holding votes on plans which can’t pass will open up the process and create some action. Well, considering how little the Legislature has done on the budget, I suppose it’s all relative.
You did another big number on Whitman with your latest HuffPost feature, man…
They must hate you.
It’s ridiculous…
Bill Bradley says:
August 31, 2010 at 3:09 pm
And … they held their votes, which went exactly as anticipated, and blah blah blah …
> Jack Aubrey says:
August 31, 2010 at 2:04 pm (Edit)
There are few things more delusional than hack politicians.
Bill Bradley says:
August 31, 2010 at 12:19 pm
I’d stick needles in my eyes if I were covering that Capitol day to day …
“Now, it is time to turn the page.”
I like these excerpts from Barack’s big speech tonight!!
I don’t know her well enough. I wish her success in all of her efforts to move the Middle East peace process forward.
Bill Bradley says:
August 31, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Because you don’t like Hillary?
> Elizabeth Miller says:
August 30, 2010 at 7:50 pm (Edit)
Smart is putting Secretary Clinton in charge of that file.
Okay, I’m sorry … I couldn’t resist. I’m not that strong.
>Bill Bradley says:
August 30, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Unless there is a settlement freeze, those talks could be over before they get underway …
>>>Jack Aubrey says:
August 30, 2010 at 2:13 pm (Edit)
Obama’s smart to jump right back on the economy issue today.
But he’s not smart to get in the middle of the Israeli-Palestinian mess again the rest of the frakking week…
POTUS looked and sounded presidential tonight. Surely most people will be glad to hear that the combat mission is over. Let’s see if he’s really able to pivot to economic issues in the coming weeks.
President Obama made an excellent speech.
What new video today?
Uh, I forget.
It was a good speech. America survives its stupidity again!
>#
Clutch J says:
September 1, 2010 at 12:01 am (Edit)
POTUS looked and sounded presidential tonight. Surely most people will be glad to hear that the combat mission is over. Let’s see if he’s really able to pivot to economic issues in the coming weeks.
#
sergei says:
September 1, 2010 at 6:49 am (Edit)
President Obama made an excellent speech.
I think you can’t stand her, Liz.
> Elizabeth Miller says:
August 31, 2010 at 7:42 pm (Edit)
I don’t know her well enough. I wish her success in all of her efforts to move the Middle East peace process forward.
Bill Bradley says:
August 31, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Because you don’t like Hillary?
> Elizabeth Miller says:
August 30, 2010 at 7:50 pm (Edit)
Smart is putting Secretary Clinton in charge of that file.
Okay, I’m sorry … I couldn’t resist. I’m not that strong.
He certainly likes that phrase, which was first applied to the Clintons …
> Capitol Boy says:
August 31, 2010 at 4:00 pm (Edit)
“Now, it is time to turn the page.”
I like these excerpts from Barack’s big speech tonight!!
I am very popular there …
> Jack Aubrey says:
August 31, 2010 at 3:39 pm (Edit)
You did another big number on Whitman with your latest HuffPost feature, man…
They must hate you.