President Barack Obama met today with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, slated to be China’s next leader.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … BEWARE THE HYSTERICS.
** TEEING UP TUESDAY, AND BEYOND.
An intriguing week is underway in presidential politics, with the Republican race, now in thorough disarray, in a something of a lull and President Barack Obama dealing with major geopolitical crises as he pushes congressional Republicans to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance.
And in California politics, a quieter week, as last weekend’s California Democratic Party convention passed uneventfully and Governor Jerry Brown continues working on his November revenue initiative, his proposed state budget, public pension reform, and adjustments to the state’s high-speed rail program. The Tea Party right and representatives of the old energy economy have succeeded in blocking the Obama Administration’s drive for high-speed rail everywhere else. But not in California, where it’s been a priority since before the election of Obama.
It’s finally obvious to most of the media the Mitt Romney is an ever evitable “inevitable” sort of presidential candidate. Which might suggest it’s time to call him inevitable again.
But that’s a ways off.
Meanwhile, as I reported here NWN on Saturday, Rick Santorum is surging into the lead in national polling. Among Republicans, that is. As the Republican disarray deepens and fighting over who is a true right-winger intensifies, Obama is gaining advantage in the polls.
But this week there is something of a lull. The next serious action comes with a Republican debate on February 22nd, and primaries on February 28th in Michigan and Arizona. Santorum looks to mount a serious challenge in Michigan, where Romney’s father ran a major car company and was a popular governor, but where Romney’s financier persona is problematic.
In the slow-rolling, low-turnout Maine Republican presidential caucuses, that began a week earlier and ended this past Saturday evening — well, except for the town caucuses that have yet to occur, showing how truly odd this election is — Mitt Romney finished first with 39% of the vote to Ron Paul’s 36%.
Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, neither of whom campaigned there, finished far back with 18% and 6%, respectively. There was something just over 5000 total votes cast in this awe-inspiring exercise in democracy.
The libertarian icon Paul seemed poised for an upset there, in what was almost certainly his best ever chance to actually win a state. Romney and company, fearing a fourth straight loss, to the oddball Paul, no less, rolled into Maine again yesterday for a series of candidate events Friday and Saturday while family members fanned out across the state.
The result? A 194-vote edge over Paul, whose backers at his election night party in Portland, Maine reacted with anger and disbelief at the outcome.
I’m no fan of Brother Paul and his ideological zealots, but the outcome does seem odd. Only 83% of the caucuses have been held so far. And one big one, which Paul supporters said they expected to dominate, was canceled Saturday. Because of weather, according to the state party leaders. And there are reportedly town caucuses that have been held whose results have not been counted by the Romney-backing Maine party leadership. This looks like yet another gong show state Republican Party caucus, following in the notorious footsteps of Iowa and Nevada.
You might ask why Santorum and Gingrich didn’t throw their support to Paul, guaranteeing another Romney loss. Paul is so far off the Republican reservation on national security policy that the idea of him succeeding is simply anathema to them. Which is short-term thinking on their part, since he’s already passed his high-water mark.
Romney managed to finish first in the Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll on Saturday. Which, considering how unpopular he seemed to be with most participants according to most media reports, again points up how silly straw polls are. How did he manage it? By shipping in college students and paying for their votes.
While the GOP’s shenanigans play out, Obama has major geopolitical crises to contend with, as well as a week devoted to his budget proposal and economic themes.
On Monday, Obama unveiled a budget that would taxes on the rich, promotes infrastructure programs, and largely eschews deficit reduction.
The plan includes funds for a few billion more on R&D on advanced manufacturing, $476 billion on transportation and other infrastructure projects, $350 billion on jobs programs, and $60 billion for schools and the securing of jobs for public safety officers and teachers.
The deficit would increase under the proposed Obama budget, which is obviously pitched to a sense that last year’s frightening stall in the economy shattered an elite consensus for deficit reduction as the paramount concern in a sluggish economy.
Congressional Republicans have apparently caved on the payroll tax cut extension, now calling for 10 months of “unfunded,” i.e., without accompanying budget cuts or tax hikes, cuts for 160 million Americans. But the extension of unemployment insurance is unclear.
Obama and his administration take the measure today of China’s heir apparent, current Vice President. Xi Jinping. China, which most Americans inaccurately believe is the world’s leading power (see last week’s NWN discussion of this misperception, a misperception for now), is increasingly a rival as well as a financial and trading partner.
The US and China have a symbiotic relationship; the US needs China’s money and China needs America’s markets. But Obama and many critics who want sharper action is urging China to stop undercutting US industry.
And, as I discussed last November in the “Darwinian: Obama Goes Post-Iraq in Oz, Republicans Race to the Past” piece on Obama’s new geopolitical moves in the Asia Pacific region, with the US disentangling itself from its major conventional post-9/11 wars, Obama is unfolding a strategy bringing most of China’s neighbors into a heightened coalition with the US.
Which would all be complex enough if Obama did not not only the usual AfPak problems to deal with but also the major crises with Syria and with Iran and Israel.
In Syria, with China and Russia having vetoed a UN Security Council resolution backed by the other 13 members, the Assad regime continues attacking centers of protest against it. There is now a great deal of sentiment in Gulf Arab states and elsewhere for shipping arms to the Syrian rebels. And in this country, John McCain and others are talking up a US role in this. Which would place the US directly at loggerheads with Syria and its remaining allies.
Then there are Iran and Israel. Not only are there the ongoing threats by Iran to block the critical oil choke point in the Strait of Hormuz and by Israel to launch air strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, now there is a further ratcheting up of the intelligence war between Iran and Israel. Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated and missile centers bombed.
Now there are claimed Iranian attacks on Israeli personnel in Delhi, Tblisi, and Bangkok, the respective capitals of India, Georgia, and Thailand. The balloon is not yet up. But it is getting filled.
As Obama deals with all this, he prepares for journeys Wednesday to the Midwestern battleground state of Wisconsin to push his economic revival that lasts / Made in America themes, followed by Thursday and Friday trips to California for major fundraisers in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area followed by a trip to Seattle for more economic revival messaging and a fundraiser.
In comparison to this, Jerry Brown, dealing with California’s chronic fiscal crises and dysfunctional political culture, has the plush life.
Brown appeared this past Saturday at the annual California Democratic Party convention in San Diego. He spoke at a labor breakfast, then delivered a trademark address, sans text, to the convention’s delegates, criticizing “conventional, status quo” thinking.
Brown talked up California’s historic leadership role, especially with regard to innovation and diversity.
He spoke of the excitement of being present for the LA unveiling the other night of Tesla’s latest electric vehicle, noting that the non-polluting SUV is faster than a Porsche. In keeping with his green tech theme, he talked up the state’s pioneering renewable energy efforts, which he pioneered during his first go-round as governor, former chief of staff Gray Davis revived, and former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger enlarged into a signature issue.
He also talked up jobs and education reform.
Brown strongly defended high-speed rail, noting that it won’t be cheap but it is cheaper, and better, than the conventional, old energy economy alternatives in a growing state in which Obama Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently spent the better part of a week coordinating with local and state officials and community leaders.
And he spoke of the Dream Act, which he signed into law, which will allow aid to the children of all immigrants, legal or not, who go to college.
He also talked of the need to raise revenue, touching briefly on his own November initiative and sidestepping any controversy about two potentially competing initiatives.
Brown was undoubtedly mindful that the convention, which greeted self-avowed socialist Senator Bernie Sanders’ keynote last year with a rapturous response — when Brown skipped following minor surgery — was filled with activists whose version of red meat is a doppelganger to their market-loving Republican activist counterparts.
And that activists are excited about the “Millionaire’s Tax” initiative, pushed by the smaller teachers union and a coalition of activist groups, which would ratchet up taxes higher than his own proposal on the wealthy, and do it permanently.
“Marching orders,” he said, will be forthcoming, leaving it at that, as he talked of the need to deal with heightened inequality in wealth and income.
Brown got a strong reaction from the delegates, most of whom were waving “We’re With Jerry” signs (backed with “Fighting for California”) as he arrived and spoke, then departed, saying little, as planned, to a diminished press contingent about any dueling initiatives storyline, or anything else.
Aside from some fierce local party endorsement fights, discussed some here on NWN last week, and which delivered nothing dramatic in the way of developments, the convention was strictly routine.
Now Brown’s back working behind the scenes on his priorities.
And he will welcome China’s vice president and future president, Xi Jinping, to Los Angeles on Thursday.
As international pressure on Iran mounts, Russia’s military says it sees the probability of a Western strike against the Islamic Republic as being high. Concerns of pending military action grew after Israel blamed Tehran for two bomb attacks on its diplomatic staff on Monday.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington.
Obama has received his intelligence and economic briefings and met with senior advisors in the Oval Office.
He then delivered remarks in the South Court Auditorium to push Congress to act to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance.
South Court Auditorium
Following that, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden held a meeting with Vice President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China in the Oval Office.
Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton then hosted a lunch in honor of Vice President Xi at the State Department.
Pooled Press
At 1 PM Pacific, Obama is interviewed by regional television outlets in the Diplomatic Room.
At 1:45 PM Pacific, Obama meets with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta in the Oval Office.
Obama is monitoring a variety of geopolitical crises, mostly related to the Arab awakening, AfPak, Iraq, Iran and Israel.
Military Crisis Zone Times: The Arabian Gulf is eleven hours ahead of Pacific time, and Afghanistan is twelve and a half hours ahead of Pacific time.
** FROM THE JERRY FILES. Governor Jerry Brown is in Sacramento.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
Brown issued this statement today after Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Rating Services shifted California’s credit ratings outlook from stable to positive:
“The fact that California’s ratings outlook has shifted from negative to positive in less than a year is a powerful vote of confidence in our state. Let’s keep the momentum going.”
S&P, one of the big three credit rating agencies, announced today that it is shifting California’s ratings outlook from stable to positive, saying that California’s state government “is poised for credit improvement – and potentially higher rating – pending its ability to better align its cash performance and budget assumptions.”
Last summer, S&P changed its outlook on California from negative to stable following an on-time adoption of a relatively balanced budget with built-in trigger cuts in the event that revenue forecasts were not met.
** RICKROLLED: ROMNEY WILL BE “INEVITABLE” AGAIN WHEN … So, when will Mitt Romney be “inevitable,” again? And why are his weaknesses and failures a constant source of surprise?
Romney will be the inevitable challenger to Barack Obama when and if he walks on stage in Tampa to deliver his acceptance speech. A good start would be winning somewhere with a positive message, rather than the avalanche of negativity he’s relied on so far in taking only three of the first eight states, losing three in embarrassing landslides.
As to why the ever “inevitable” Romney’s repeated belly flops come as surprise, well, chalk it up to a sort of hive media phenomenon.
Romney, naturally, is doing what he always does.
His new move, having lost three states in Tuesday night’s big blow-out, is to attack Rick Santorum. As “an insider.” (Actually, he is a far right neocon fundamentalist.) Like Romney is an “outsider?”
The “outsider” Romney is in Washington Thursday raising money from lobbyists. He’s even designating “Industry Finance Chairs” for the oil and energy, finance, and defense sectors. So much for being an “outsider.” … From my February 9th essay.
** NEWTONIAN MOTION, THE BIG NEVADA BUST, THE ROAD AHEAD (AND THE RISE OF RICK?). The bust that was the Nevada Republican presidential caucuses revealed much about brewing Republican swing state problems and the decided limitations of both Mitt Romney’s candidacy and that of his most persistent pursuer, Newt Gingrich. Which in the latest twist may redound to the benefit of the unsung winner of Iowa, Rick Santorum. … From my February 7th essay.
** ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT SILVER: HOW NEVADA AND THE WEST GOT SHORT-CHANGED. One of the major untold stories in this wacky election season is how far off plan the Republican presidential primaries have gotten.
The Republican Party planned to copy what the Democrats did in their 2008 election cycle. Stage four early contests, spaced out over time, with one state from each of the major regions, with each of the selected states small enough that prior fame and big money on the part of some competitors would not overwhelm a candidate’s ability to break through.
In the process, the candidates would be forced to learn about regional issues that were not part of the usual Beltway/East Coast “national” media lexicon, and develop a way to appeal to voters in key regions. … From my February 3rd column.
** WHAT LIGHT FROM THE SUNSHINE STATE? What light has been shed by the Florida Republican presidential primary? It’s not easy to see how Newt Gingrich wins. And it’s not hard to see how Mitt Romney falls. … From my February 2nd column.
** REPUBLICANS LOSE BIG ON REDISTRICTING GAMBLE, BROWN MOVES FORWARD. … From my January 30th essay.
** NEWTONIAN MOTION: WILL GINGRICH BLOW IT (AGAIN)? … From my January 26th essay.
** NEWTONIAN MOTION: UNDERLYING THE DECIDEDLY UNDEAD. … From my January 20th column.
** STATING THE STATE: JERRY BROWN GETS DISCIPLINED AND LAYS IT OUT. … From my January 19th feature.
** EXTREMISM IN DEFENSE OF IRONY: BY ROMNEY’S RADICAL DEFINITION HIS OWN CHIEF STRATEGIST IS “ANTI-FREE ENTERPRISE.” … From my January 15th essay.
** 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.
Whitney Houston’s body is back in her hometown of Newark before being finally laid to rest. Houston passed away on Saturday afternoon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. In a last journey befitting a pop idol, the singer’s coffin was transported to New Jersey from Los Angeles by private plane and gold-painted hearse. Her funeral service will be held on Saturday at the Baptist church where she first sang in public.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM AL JAZEERA. With the US entangled in several major military operations 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 is trading around $101 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
This is up about $67 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity, and down about $13 from the price at the time of the Osama bin Laden raid.
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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| Comments (38) |
Good video of President Obama with the Chinese leader.
Good bad news RT news video on the Iran and Israel crisis.
Good sad news news video on Whitney Houston. May she rest in the peace she did not find in this world.
Youre back, yay, watch the jumping!
Barack has the right strategy to handle China…
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Good video of President Obama with the Chinese leader.
Uh-Oh…
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Good bad news RT news video on the Iran and Israel crisis.
This is soooo sad, I can’t watch it.
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Good sad news news video on Whitney Houston. May she rest in the peace she did not find in this world.
Great news, JB IS getting it done!!!!
Brown issued this statement today after Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Rating Services shifted California’s credit ratings outlook from stable to positive:
“The fact that California’s ratings outlook has shifted from negative to positive in less than a year is a powerful vote of confidence in our state. Let’s keep the momentum going.”
He’s doing fine not that the press slobs get it…
“Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Rating Services shifted California’s credit ratings outlook from stable to positive”
Frack S&P – they rated mortgage-backed securities as AAA that turned into junk. Why anyone would listen to them anymore is beyond me. Would you go back to a surgeon who’s malpractice nearly killed you?
I don’t know the Russians are right since they keep trying to stir up shit now that Putin is back running foreign policy… But they could be right. Nobody is backing down.
Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Uh-Oh…
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Good bad news RT news video on the Iran and Israel crisis.
Drugs kill.
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Good sad news news video on Whitney Houston. May she rest in the peace she did not find in this world.
Yeah, Brown should definitely turn down the good news…
Brasky says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:54 pm
“Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Rating Services shifted California’s credit ratings outlook from stable to positive”
Frack S&P – they rated mortgage-backed securities as AAA that turned into junk. Why anyone would listen to them anymore is beyond me. Would you go back to a surgeon who’s malpractice nearly killed you?
He’s going to keep China in a box.
Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Barack has the right strategy to handle China…
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Good video of President Obama with the Chinese leader.
Welcome back from your big break Bill.
I hardly recognize the place, as it’s been so long …
Perhaps more like a rather expansive force field …
>Jack Aubrey says:
February 14, 2012 at 4:01 pm (Edit)
He’s going to keep China in a box.
Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Barack has the right strategy to handle China…
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Good video of President Obama with the Chinese leader.
Sometimes, evidently, though the autopsy results are far off.
>Jack Aubrey says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:57 pm (Edit)
Drugs kill.
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Good sad news news video on Whitney Houston. May she rest in the peace she did not find in this world.
The water keeps getting warmer.
>Jack Aubrey says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:54 pm (Edit)
I don’t know the Russians are right since they keep trying to stir up shit now that Putin is back running foreign policy… But they could be right. Nobody is backing down.
Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Uh-Oh…
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Good bad news RT news video on the Iran and Israel crisis.
S&P is still very widely recognized and accepted.
>Brasky says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:54 pm (Edit)
“Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Rating Services shifted California’s credit ratings outlook from stable to positive”
Frack S&P – they rated mortgage-backed securities as AAA that turned into junk. Why anyone would listen to them anymore is beyond me. Would you go back to a surgeon who’s malpractice nearly killed you?
There was some unintentionally amusing “reporting” as vain wish fulfillment out there.
>Jack Aubrey says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:50 pm (Edit)
He’s doing fine not that the press slobs get it…
You’re not going to end up liking this week, I’m afraid.
>Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:18 pm (Edit)
This is soooo sad, I can’t watch it.
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Good sad news news video on Whitney Houston. May she rest in the peace she did not find in this world.
Indeed.
>Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:18 pm (Edit)
Uh-Oh…
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Good bad news RT news video on the Iran and Israel crisis.
I think it works, as I wrote in November.
>Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:15 pm (Edit)
Barack has the right strategy to handle China…
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Good video of President Obama with the Chinese leader.
Or skip it altogether.
So to speak …
>Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:00 pm (Edit)
Youre back, yay, watch the jumping!
Hahahah!
Bill Bradley says:
February 14, 2012 at 4:54 pm
You’re not going to end up liking this week, I’m afraid.
>Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:18 pm (Edit)
This is soooo sad, I can’t watch it.
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Good sad news news video on Whitney Houston. May she rest in the peace she did not find in this world.
The California media are falling apart.
Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:19 pm
Great news, JB IS getting it done!!!!
Brown issued this statement today after Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Rating Services shifted California’s credit ratings outlook from stable to positive:
“The fact that California’s ratings outlook has shifted from negative to positive in less than a year is a powerful vote of confidence in our state. Let’s keep the momentum going.”
Jack Aubrey says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:50 pm
He’s doing fine not that the press slobs get it…
President Obama is looking great. He has the leadership, his economic plan is working, he stands for a righteous America in disorienting complicated times.
In contrast are his extreme “severely conservative” opponents. The more they are exposed they more they will fail.
Dang, Bradley. You had me worried.
Crisis video today?
Yes.
I’m not going to write around the clock, especially during a lull campaign period.
>Pat Skipper says:
February 14, 2012 at 11:07 pm (Edit)
Dang, Bradley. You had me worried.
The contrast works very well for Obama.
>marcos leon says:
February 14, 2012 at 7:35 pm (Edit)
President Obama is looking great. He has the leadership, his economic plan is working, he stands for a righteous America in disorienting complicated times.
In contrast are his extreme “severely conservative” opponents. The more they are exposed they more they will fail.
Saturday is the big day.
>Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 5:18 pm (Edit)
Bill Bradley says:
February 14, 2012 at 4:54 pm
You’re not going to end up liking this week, I’m afraid.
>Capitol Boy says:
February 14, 2012 at 3:18 pm (Edit)
This is soooo sad, I can’t watch it.
Jonas says:
February 14, 2012 at 2:46 pm
Good sad news news video on Whitney Houston. May she rest in the peace she did not find in this world.
The Spirit of the Lord is with them that fear him.
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