After touring wildfire damage in Colorado Springs, President Barack Obama says that the devastation from the fires is enormous, but added that they are starting to see progress. This is a “super-fire” driven by the buildup of foliage and by increasing climate change making that foliage very dry and flammable.
** QUICK HITS. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met today in St. Petersburg with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss Syria and Iran in advance of this weekend’s conference in Geneva on the Syrian crisis. The joint UN/Arab League negotiator, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, wants the conference to agree on a transitional Syrian government, something Russia, longtime ally of the Assad regime, has balked at. But both Clinton and Lavrov said after their discussions that the US and Russian positions are moving closer together. There is heavy fighting again in the suburbs of Damascus. … Not surprisingly, the major state that is best prepared for the new national health care law is California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made its implementation a top priority, and Governor Jerry Brown followed in his stead. … Brown is dispatching units of the California Air National Guard to Colorado to aid in fighting the Colorado Springs super-fire. Two C-130s with modular firefighting systems and 30 crew members will fly to Colorado early Saturday morning. All costs will be reimbursed by the federal government.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … DARK KNIGHTS, AVENGERS, BONDING RETRO ACTION HEROES: SUPERHEROES AND A BIG YEAR OF ACTION CINEMA.
** NEW POLL: SPLIT DECISION ON HEALTH CARE RULING. Reflecting the decidedly mixed view that Americans have of President Barack Obama’s national health care program — surprisingly upheld by yesterday’s US Supreme Court decision — a new Gallup Poll reveals the electorate split right down the middle on its view of the ruling.
It’s 46-46, with Democrats strongly in favor and Republicans even more strongly opposed.
Independents back the decision very narrowly, 45-42.
Which is very important for Obama, in that if he holds on to independents overall he will be re-elected, and independents have at times been sharply opposed to “Obamacare.”
After the court announced its decision Thursday, presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney immediately vowed he would begin repealing “Obamacare” on day one of his presidency. His reaction and that of other Republicans suggests that the battle over U.S. healthcare reform isn’t over, but is likely to move back to Capitol Hill — or the White House, should Romney be elected.
When asked what they want Congress to do now that the high court has upheld the 2010 law, 31% say they would repeal the law entirely and 21% would keep the law in place but repeal parts of it. A quarter of Americans swing in the other direction, saying they would like Congress to pass legislation to expand the government’s role in healthcare beyond what the current law does. Thirteen percent want to keep the law in place and do nothing further. …
Stock markets made gains around the world Friday after the latest European summit agreed on more substantive moves to resolve the continent’s debt crisis. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was left defending concessions she made as part of the deal.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … DARK KNIGHTS, AVENGERS, BONDING RETRO ACTION HEROES: SUPERHEROES AND A BIG YEAR OF ACTION CINEMA.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington and Colorado.
Obama and Vice President Joe Biden received the daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
Obama then departed the White House on Marine One for Joint Base Andrews, where he boarded Air Force One and flew to Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Following his arrival in Colorado Spring, Obama toured the largest fire in Colorado state history and met with victims of the conflagration.
At 11:45 AM Pacific, Obama departs Colorado Springs, Colorado en route to Joint Base Andrews.
At 4:50 PM Pacific, Obama arrives at Joint Base Andrews, where he boards Marine One.
At 5:05 PM Pacific, Obama lands on the South Lawn of the White House.
Chief Justice John Roberts’s decision to join more liberal members of the Supreme Court in narrowly upholding the Obama health care law would tee up things rather nicely for a Republican presidential nominee to campaign against the law, which is still widely misunderstood at best. But for two things, that is.
First, Roberts is a pretty conservative Republican. (Which is why the more baroque explanation could work.)
Second, Mitt Romney, who championed the very thing which is most unpopular in the law, is the Republican candidate. (Roberts must understand that Romney is wildly vulnerable on the issue as a result, thus taking away from the baroque explanation for his action.)
Syrian rebel forces have increased their captures of Assad regime soldiers. The UN holds a peace conference on Syria this coming weekend in Geneva.
The US on Thursday granted China and Singapore exemptions from sanctions now going into effect against banks handling Iranian oil transactions.
China has cut its imports of Iranian oil, and the US, moving to beef up its presence in the Pacific, isn’t looking to ratchet up confrontation now.
As for Singapore, which also has cut Iranian oil, down the line the city-state will host a squadron of US Navy ships as part of the Pacific Pivot I’m writing about.
Obama is monitoring several geopolitical crises involving the Arab Awakening, Iran and Israel, Syria, Iraq, and AfPak.
Military Crisis Zone Times: The Arabian Gulf is ten hours ahead of Pacific time, and Afghanistan is eleven and a half hours ahead of Pacific time.
** FROM THE JERRY FILES. Governor Jerry Brown is in Northern California.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
Heiress Molly Munger filed suit late yesterday in her latest bid to bolster her zombie income tax hike for nearly initiative on the November ballot.
Her aim? She’s trying to block the legislature’s move placing Brown’s revenue initiative at the top of the ballot.
Munger has spent many millions on her pet scheme to solve educational woes while doing little for the overall budget crisis, including flights of TV ads which fell predictably flat.
Consultants are making a fortune off this one.
** THE “MOMENTARY MEDIA” STRIKES: EPIC FAILS BY CNN AND FOX NEWS HIGHLIGHT DYSFUNCTIONALITY. … From my June 28th column.
** THE “SLOW BORING OF HARD BOARDS” IN AN ERA OF LIMITS. … From my June 27th essay.
** A RUGGED TIME FOR OBAMA’S BIG GEOPOLITICAL PIVOT. … From my June 22nd essay.
** THE “FAIR SHOT” VS. THE “TO DO LIST” — A BIG REVEALING BLAH IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE. … From my June 20th column.
** THE ENLIGHTENMENT DIVIDES AMERICAN POLITICS. … From my June 16th essay.
** LOOKING FORWARD FROM MAD MEN‘S MEANDERING SEASON 5: YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (ONE CAN ONLY HOPE) … From my June 13th essay.
** MIDWAY: 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF ONE OF HISTORY’S MOST PIVOTAL BATTLES CAME IN MIDST OF OBAMA’S BIG STRATEGIC PIVOT TO THE PACIFIC. … From my June 9th essay.
** MAD MEN: THE ANVIL HAS LANDED. … From my June 6th review.
** JERRY BROWN FOR PRESIDENT + 20. … From my June 6th essay.
** FIAT LUX, WILLARD! … From my June 1st 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 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. 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 from the Russia Today channel. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the state-run 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 $85 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
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, and down about $31 per barrel from the price at the time of the Osama bin Laden raid.
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| Comments (29) |
Good good news news video on the Eurozone agreement.
Good Al Jazeera news video of the Syria crisis.
The eurozone deal is more great news for Barack!!
This one really worries me…
Jonas says:
June 29, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Good Al Jazeera news video of the Syria crisis.
Mittens is gonna look like a fool!!
I love it.
BB:Chief Justice John Roberts’s decision to join more liberal members of the Supreme Court in narrowly upholding the Obama health care law would tee up things rather nicely for a Republican presidential nominee to campaign against the law, which is still widely misunderstood at best. But for two things, that is.
First, Roberts is a pretty conservative Republican. (Which is why the more baroque explanation could work.)
Second, Mitt Romney, who championed the very thing which is most unpopular in the law, is the Republican candidate. (Roberts must understand that Romney is wildly vulnerable on the issue as a result, thus taking away from the baroque explanation for his action.)
This woman is too arrogant and dumb to know better…
BB: Heiress Molly Munger filed suit late yesterday in her latest bid to bolster her zombie income tax hike for nearly initiative on the November ballot.
Her aim? She’s trying to block the legislature’s move placing Brown’s revenue initiative at the top of the ballot.
Munger has spent many millions on her pet scheme to solve educational woes while doing little for the overall budget crisis, including flights of TV ads which fell predictably flat.
Consultants are making a fortune off this one.
This is indeed very fine news for us and for the President.
When you have Angela Merkel having to explain why she did not sell out the right at home, that is a good thing for bailing out the Eurozone.
Capitol Boy says:
June 29, 2012 at 2:04 pm
The eurozone deal is more great news for Barack!!
That column yesterday on the HP really does rock hard…
I dont like the thing with Syria. Did Hillary make any progress with the Russians??
Who the frak is she any way??
Capitol Boy says:
June 29, 2012 at 2:13 pm
This woman is too arrogant and dumb to know better…
BB: Heiress Molly Munger filed suit late yesterday in her latest bid to bolster her zombie income tax hike for nearly initiative on the November ballot.
Her aim? She’s trying to block the legislature’s move placing Brown’s revenue initiative at the top of the ballot.
Munger has spent many millions on her pet scheme to solve educational woes while doing little for the overall budget crisis, including flights of TV ads which fell predictably flat.
Consultants are making a fortune off this one.
Obama is pretty lucky that he’s running against Romney and voters don’t know much.
** NEW POLL: SPLIT DECISION ON HEALTH CARE RULING. Reflecting the decidedly mixed view that Americans have of President Barack Obama’s national health care program — surprisingly upheld by yesterday’s US Supreme Court decision — a new Gallup Poll reveals the electorate split right down the middle on its view of the ruling.
It’s 46-46, with Democrats strongly in favor and Republicans even more strongly opposed.
Independents back the decision very narrowly, 45-42.
Good video of President Obama at the Colorado fires.
Enough with the politics I want the superheroes essay.
This is going to work out fine and we get our health care reforms too.
BB:Independents back the decision very narrowly, 45-42.
Which is very important for Obama, in that if he holds on to independents overall he will be re-elected, and independents have at times been sharply opposed to “Obamacare.”
Leading the way…
… Not surprisingly, the major state that is best prepared for the new national health care law is California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made its implementation a top priority, and Governor Jerry Brown followed in his stead. …
The Russians will end up helping, the look bad and the bloodshed hurts their image.
** QUICK HITS. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met today in St. Petersburg with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss Syria and Iran in advance of this weekend’s conference in Geneva on the Syrian crisis. The joint UN/Arab League negotiator, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, wants the conference to agree on a transitional Syrian government, something Russia, longtime ally of the Assad regime, has balked at. But both Clinton and Lavrov said after their discussions that the US and Russian positions are moving closer together. There is heavy fighting again in the suburbs of Damascus. …
Syria and Iran crisis video today?
Not so much.
That is sort of what is happening.
>Capitol Boy says:
June 29, 2012 at 5:22 pm (Edit)
The Russians will end up helping, the look bad and the bloodshed hurts their image.
** QUICK HITS. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met today in St. Petersburg with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss Syria and Iran in advance of this weekend’s conference in Geneva on the Syrian crisis. The joint UN/Arab League negotiator, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, wants the conference to agree on a transitional Syrian government, something Russia, longtime ally of the Assad regime, has balked at. But both Clinton and Lavrov said after their discussions that the US and Russian positions are moving closer together. There is heavy fighting again in the suburbs of Damascus. …
Indeed.
>Capitol Boy says:
June 29, 2012 at 5:21 pm (Edit)
Leading the way…
… Not surprisingly, the major state that is best prepared for the new national health care law is California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made its implementation a top priority, and Governor Jerry Brown followed in his stead. …
Well, something like that.
>Capitol Boy says:
June 29, 2012 at 5:21 pm (Edit)
This is going to work out fine and we get our health care reforms too.
BB:Independents back the decision very narrowly, 45-42.
Which is very important for Obama, in that if he holds on to independents overall he will be re-elected, and independents have at times been sharply opposed to “Obamacare.”
Right after the holiday.
>Cooper Hawks says:
June 29, 2012 at 4:54 pm (Edit)
Enough with the politics I want the superheroes essay.
Yes to the former, no to the latter (overall).
>Jack Aubrey says:
June 29, 2012 at 3:37 pm (Edit)
Obama is pretty lucky that he’s running against Romney and voters don’t know much.
** NEW POLL: SPLIT DECISION ON HEALTH CARE RULING. Reflecting the decidedly mixed view that Americans have of President Barack Obama’s national health care program — surprisingly upheld by yesterday’s US Supreme Court decision — a new Gallup Poll reveals the electorate split right down the middle on its view of the ruling.
It’s 46-46, with Democrats strongly in favor and Republicans even more strongly opposed.
Independents back the decision very narrowly, 45-42.
It turns out that she did.
>Jack Aubrey says:
June 29, 2012 at 3:35 pm (Edit)
I dont like the thing with Syria. Did Hillary make any progress with the Russians??
Thanks!
>Jack Aubrey says:
June 29, 2012 at 3:29 pm (Edit)
That column yesterday on the HP really does rock hard…
They are muddling through.
>Requiem says:
June 29, 2012 at 2:51 pm (Edit)
This is indeed very fine news for us and for the President.
When you have Angela Merkel having to explain why she did not sell out the right at home, that is a good thing for bailing out the Eurozone.
Capitol Boy says:
June 29, 2012 at 2:04 pm
The eurozone deal is more great news for Barack!!
Quite likely.
>Capitol Boy says:
June 29, 2012 at 2:12 pm (Edit)
Mittens is gonna look like a fool!!
I love it.
BB:Chief Justice John Roberts’s decision to join more liberal members of the Supreme Court in narrowly upholding the Obama health care law would tee up things rather nicely for a Republican presidential nominee to campaign against the law, which is still widely misunderstood at best. But for two things, that is.
First, Roberts is a pretty conservative Republican. (Which is why the more baroque explanation could work.)
Second, Mitt Romney, who championed the very thing which is most unpopular in the law, is the Republican candidate. (Roberts must understand that Romney is wildly vulnerable on the issue as a result, thus taking away from the baroque explanation for his action.)
As well it should.
>Capitol Boy says:
June 29, 2012 at 2:07 pm (Edit)
This one really worries me…
Jonas says:
June 29, 2012 at 1:37 pm
Good Al Jazeera news video of the Syria crisis.
It is pretty good news.
No big crisis, no Romney.
>Capitol Boy says:
June 29, 2012 at 2:04 pm (Edit)
The eurozone deal is more great news for Barack!!