Hurricane Irene continued to wreak havoc on Sunday, but the worst fears of New Yorkers have not been realized. Nevertheless, there are substantial risks of further flooding.
** OBAMA TODAY- SUNDAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington.
He has received the daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
He has no scheduled public events today.
Obama is, of course, very closely monitoring the advance of Hurricane Irene up the Eastern Seaboard.
The hurricane fortunately weakened as it hit some of the nation’s most populous areas, most notably New York City. But as the saying goes, better safe than sorry. Being safe includes the recognition that flooding will continue even as the hurricane itself passes. And there is more than enough sorrow to go around as it is, with billions in damages and more than a dozen people killed.
Unlike the situation with Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FECMA) is winning widespread praise for its assistance to state and local government. But, quite bizarrely, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the libertarian hero and a leading Republican presidential candidate, said over the weekend that FEMA isn’t necessary.
In other action, Tripoli is relatively quiet as the weekend comes to an end, with Gaddafi forces either suppressed or fled from their remaining pockets of resistance.
Libyan rebels are driving toward Gaddafi’s remaining stronghold, his home town of Sirte. Erstwhile Gaddafi regime Information Minister Moussa Ibrahim, who — after the fashion of the hapless Iraqi information minister of 2003 — insisted that the rebels were about to be crushed in a trap as they moved into Tripoli just last weekend, now says that Gaddafi wants to work a deal for a transtion from power.
The rebels, naturally, are not interested in that.
Late on Saturday, the Arab League welcomed the rebels’ National Transitional Council to the body as a full member and the legitimate member representing Libya.
The Arab League also called on Syria to cease its bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. And it called for prompt democratic elections in Syria.
Both calls were rejected today by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Obama is monitoring a variety of other geopolitical crises, mostly related to the Arab awakening, AfPak, and Iraq.
War Zone Times: Libya is nine hours ahead of Pacific time, Iraq is ten hours ahead of Pacific time, and Afghanistan is eleven and a half hours ahead of Pacific time.
** JERRY BROWN MOVES BEHIND THE SCENES, BREAKS COVER ON THE ECONOMY, BUT NEED TO BREAK BIGGER.
** FROM THE JERRY FILES – SUNDAY. Governor Jerry Brown is in Northern California.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
In his weekend video/radio address, President Barack Obama pays tribute to the first responders, those who have served in the military, and those who lost their lives ten years ago in Al Qaeda’s September 11th attacks on New York and Washington.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … WHY OBAMA WAS RIGHT ON LIBYA AND BIN LADEN, AND WRONG ON AFGHANISTAN.
** OBAMA TODAY- SATURDAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington.
He has received the daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
He has no scheduled public events today.
Obama is, of course, very closely monitoring the advance of Hurricane Irene up the Eastern Seaboard.
Al Qaeda’s new second-in-command has reportedly been killed in Pakistan’s Waziristan province. Atiyah Abd al-Rahman was a confidant of Osama bin Laden who moved up in the ranks after the Navy SEAL raid which took down the Al Qaeda founder in May. He was killed by a U.S. drone strike on August 22nd.
Al-Rahman was Al Qaeda’s emissary to Iran. Evidence of his role as Al Qaeda’s operations officer was found in bin Laden’s Pakistan compound.
Meanwhile, Afghan Taliban fighters killed over two dozen Pakistani soldiers and police along border checkpoints today.
While UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon urged a smooth transition to the new Libyan government today in a New York speech, and rebel fighters have largely suppressed organized resistance in Tripoli, the African Union late yesterday followed South Africa’s lead in refusing to recognize the Libyan rebels. South African President Jacob Zuma, a longtime Gaddafi ally, argued that the outcome in Libya is still in doubt. Which it is not.
This move, which is holding up release of frozen Libyan assets to the rebels, could be a gambit to give Gaddafi some deal-making leverage as his forces continue from his remaining stronghold, home town Sirte. Though the 54-member African Union, co-founded and financed by Gaddafi, did not recognize the Libyan rebels, 20 of its member states have.
Incidentally, though Libya has major nation-building needs, one very good thing is that the fighting has not significantly damaged the oil infrastructure, and the rebels will honor all pre-war contracts. This is not Iraq.
While mopping up operations continue in Tripoli — where intense firefights have essentially ended — Libyan rebels, helped by NATO air power, are beginning a move on the last big Gaddafi stronghold, his home town of Sirte. They are also clearing a key road/supply line into the country and engaging in mopping up operations elsewhere in the country.
New York Governor Andrew Cumo, deploying the National Guard in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Irene, urged New Yorkers not to dally in the face of repeated warnings.
Meanwhile, the National Transitional Council has moved from Benghazi to Tripoli, setting up its new seat of government.
Obama is monitoring a variety of other geopolitical crises, mostly related to the Arab awakening, AfPak, and Iraq.
War Zone Times: Libya is nine hours ahead of Pacific time, Iraq is ten hours ahead of Pacific time, and Afghanistan is eleven and a half hours ahead of Pacific time.
** FROM THE JERRY FILES – SATURDAY. Governor Jerry Brown is in Northern California.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
California Republicans are starting a referendum drive to block the Citizens Redistricting Commission’s revamp of state Senate districts. But, despite ex-Governor Pete Wilson jumping in to try to help spearhead the drive, fundraising is sparse so far, with four GOP senators contributing less than $100,000, and backers have barely ten weeks to gather the needed signatures. And signature gatherers will, per Attorney General Kamala Harris, have to carry a fairly lengthy packet describing the measure they seek to overturn.
** OBAMA’S BIG DISCONNECT. There’s no question that President Barack Obama is an outstanding orator, able to articulate important messages. But he has a big disconnect going on the biggest issue for most Americans. Even on some things that he has actually focused on of great importance, like energy prices.
Through all of 2010, as I wrote in my November 2010 election “pre-mortem”, “Obama’s Big Mistake,” here on the Huffington Post, Obama was just about to “pivot” to the economy. But it never quite happened. … From my August 22nd column.
** OF “A THEORY THAT’S OUT THERE,” GOP STRAW POLLS, MARTHA’S VINEYARD VACATIONS, AND OTHER FOLLIES. Who says that August is the silly season?
* “A THEORY THAT’S OUT THERE.” I love Rick Perry. I really do. With Michele Bachmann, even though she’s listening to her smart advisors and doing things Sarah Palin can’t, like speak in sentences and even paragraphs, you know you’ve got a fringe character no matter how many supporters she’s attracting. That’s supporters in a party in which half the members believed that the president of the United States is really an illegal alien, and maybe even the Manchurian Candidate.
But Perry is a different kind of deal. He’s the governor of a big state, the second biggest, in fact. He has to be a serious figure. Right? I mean, he’s got that whole Texas Mirage, er, Miracle thing going and all. … From my August 18th essay.
** HARRY POTTER: A CONFESSION, AND AN APPRECIATION. … From my August 11th essay.
** LESS THAN MEETS THE EYE: THE BIG BUDGET DEAL AND OBAMA’S REAL PROBLEM. … From my August 8th essay.
** JERRY BROWN MAKES SOME MOVES. … From my August 1st essay.
** OVER AND OUT, ABOVE AND BEYOND: IS THE SPACE AGE OVER OR JUST BEGINNING? … From my July 28th essay.
** OBAMA KABUKI: THE BUDGET AND THE POLITICS OF POSITIONING. … From my July 13th column.
** FROM GOVERNATOR TO MOONBEAM. … From my January 3rd, 2011 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 AL JAZEERA. With the US entangled in three wars in the region, and the Arab awakening underway, 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.
** 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.
** 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 $85.37 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Energy markets are closed on the weekend.
This is up about $51 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 (25) |
Good weekend address on 9/11 by Prsident Obama.
Good advice from Governor Cuomo.
Another significant victory over Al Qaeda. For which the President will receive little credit. Bin Laden must have felt very safe in his bunker to have left so much intel laying around for the CIA to gobble up.
By the way, I caught some footage of Perry attempting to answer questions on abstinence ed. He twisted himself soft, doughy pretzel of dumbness. More alarming for the GOP, his voice and mannerisms are eerily similar to that other Texas governor–you know, the one conservatives would like to forget they put into the Oval Office (twice).
It’ll be “interesting” to see him in a debate.
The sense of unity is gone long ago…
Jonas Blane says:
August 27, 2011 at 11:42 am
Good weekend address on 9/11 by Prsident Obama.
New Yorkers are so arrogant, they have got to be told again and again to get of the way of a hurricane!!!
Jonas Blane says:
August 27, 2011 at 11:46 am
Good advice from Governor Cuomo.
I bet Barack will wrap it altogether when he goes up against the right wing Republican…
Pat Skipper says:
August 27, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Another significant victory over Al Qaeda. For which the President will receive little credit. Bin Laden must have felt very safe in his bunker to have left so much intel laying around for the CIA to gobble up.
Except for the Bush part, that sounds like Romney…
lol
Pat Skipper says:
August 27, 2011 at 12:54 pm
By the way, I caught some footage of Perry attempting to answer questions on abstinence ed. He twisted himself soft, doughy pretzel of dumbness. More alarming for the GOP, his voice and mannerisms are eerily similar to that other Texas governor–you know, the one conservatives would like to forget they put into the Oval Office (twice).
It’ll be “interesting” to see him in a debate.
South Africa leader is owned by Gaddafi.
Hurricane video, or Libya War video?
The hurricane, as we await the assault on Gaddafi’s home town.
It’s a twitchy field.
>Capitol Boy says:
August 27, 2011 at 1:12 pm (Edit)
Except for the Bush part, that sounds like Romney…
lol
Pat Skipper says:
August 27, 2011 at 12:54 pm
By the way, I caught some footage of Perry attempting to answer questions on abstinence ed. He twisted himself soft, doughy pretzel of dumbness. More alarming for the GOP, his voice and mannerisms are eerily similar to that other Texas governor–you know, the one conservatives would like to forget they put into the Oval Office (twice).
It’ll be “interesting” to see him in a debate.
I’m acquainted with Perry, who is a good performer but prone to that sort of thing.
Of course, Pat, what you think is dumb is not necessarily what Republican primary voters think.
>Pat Skipper says:
August 27, 2011 at 12:54 pm (Edit)
By the way, I caught some footage of Perry attempting to answer questions on abstinence ed. He twisted himself soft, doughy pretzel of dumbness. More alarming for the GOP, his voice and mannerisms are eerily similar to that other Texas governor–you know, the one conservatives would like to forget they put into the Oval Office (twice).
It’ll be “interesting” to see him in a debate.
I wonder why bin Laden felt so safe in Pakistan …
>Pat Skipper says:
August 27, 2011 at 12:49 pm (Edit)
Another significant victory over Al Qaeda. For which the President will receive little credit. Bin Laden must have felt very safe in his bunker to have left so much intel laying around for the CIA to gobble up.
And if they’re not smashed by it, they’ll feel even more special.
Of course, hurricane season is just beginning.
>Capitol Boy says:
August 27, 2011 at 1:11 pm (Edit)
New Yorkers are so arrogant, they have got to be told again and again to get of the way of a hurricane!!!
Jonas Blane says:
August 27, 2011 at 11:46 am
Good advice from Governor Cuomo.
Indeed.
>Capitol Boy says:
August 27, 2011 at 1:05 pm (Edit)
The sense of unity is gone long ago…
Jonas Blane says:
August 27, 2011 at 11:42 am
Good weekend address on 9/11 by Prsident Obama.
I’m glad New York didn’t wash away. (I think.)
The fact Romney was the front-runner told us the Reeps are in weird shape…
Bill Bradley says:
August 28, 2011 at 12:06 pm
I’m acquainted with Perry, who is a good performer but prone to that sort of thing.
Of course, Pat, what you think is dumb is not necessarily what Republican primary voters think.
>Pat Skipper says:
August 27, 2011 at 12:54 pm (Edit)
By the way, I caught some footage of Perry attempting to answer questions on abstinence ed. He twisted himself soft, doughy pretzel of dumbness. More alarming for the GOP, his voice and mannerisms are eerily similar to that other Texas governor–you know, the one conservatives would like to forget they put into the Oval Office (twice).
It’ll be “interesting” to see him in a debate.
Gaddafi forces are all gone from Tripoli.
What new video today?
Good news video on Hurricane Irene.
Obama’s new economic advisor, the hurricane, and Usain Bolt’s DQ heard round the world.
>Jonas Blane says:
August 29, 2011 at 8:13 am (Edit)
What new video today?
Indeed they are. And his wife and several children fled to Algeria.
>sergei says:
August 29, 2011 at 2:50 am (Edit)
Gaddafi forces are all gone from Tripoli.
I think there’s a lot of damage we’ll be learning about for awhile longer …
>Capitol Boy says:
August 28, 2011 at 5:21 pm (Edit)
I’m glad New York didn’t wash away. (I think.)
join the palestinian effort at eliminating the zionist state!