Flashing a diagram showing the progress Iran’s nuclear program has made, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the United Nations General Assembly it is getting “late, very late” to stop Iran. He says that Iran can move on to “the final stage” of preparing a nuclear bomb by next summer at the latest.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … OBAMA’S POLICY GETS REWORKED IN U.N. WEEK.
** QUICK HITS. The realization that President Barack Obama’s lead is real is setting in among Mitt Romney’s cheerleaders in the media and elsewhere, with Romney’s old friend Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu praising Obama today in his much anticipated UN address and appearing to concede that there will be no Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear program before the election and seemingly before next spring at the earliest. … Of course, if I were planning a daring and risky military attack, I would do something to bring back the element of surprise, which Netanyahu’s endless saber rattling had certainly removed. … Now Romney boosters are looking for a breakthrough in the first presidential debate, set for October 3rd in Denver. Having watched Romney in 20 Republican debates last year and earlier this, I would suggest that that is a thin reed of hope. … Still going through the fruits, as it were, of California’s recently concluded state legislative session, Governor Jerry Brown today signed legislation enabling Californians to keep their social media passwords private from prying superiors and bureaucrats, and to require transparency and notice on college fee increases and provide free digital textbooks to college students.
** NEW SURVEY: SHIFT TOWARD PREFERENCE FOR ONE-PARTY GOVERNMENT. A new Gallup Poll survey shows a record plurality of voters now favoring one party controlling the presidency and both houses of Congress. And a record low number opposing that result.
This is a shift from the frequent preference for divided government, and a dramatic shift from views held just a year ago.
If Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan continue on their course, this renewed preference for one-party government may be met.
A record-high 38% of Americans prefer that the same party control the presidency and Congress, while a record-low 23% say it would be better if the president and Congress were from different parties and 33% say it doesn’t make any difference. While Americans tend to lean toward one-party government over divided government in presidential election years, this year finds the biggest gap in preferences for the former over the latter and is a major shift in views from one year ago. …
Americans are more supportive of one-party government now than previously, including presidential election years. This is mainly due to a surge in Democrats’ preference for unified party control of government, as President Obama seeks a second term after dealing with a Republican-controlled House the last two years. Republicans also prefer unified government rather than divided government this year.
As the 2012 election approaches, these findings suggest that Americans may be somewhat less open to ballot splitting than in prior years. At the same time, support for one-party government typically increases in presidential election years, and the surge in Democrats’ preferences may reflect their growing enthusiasm about the election more broadly.
On the day after Yom Kippur, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu arrived this morning in New York City to address the United Nations, where he is expected by many to lay out definitive “red lines” which should trigger a military strike against Iran’s nuclear program.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … OBAMA’S POLICY GETS REWORKED IN U.N. WEEK.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington and Virginia.
Obama and Vice President Joe Biden received the daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
Obama then flew on Air Force One to Virginia Beach, Virginia.
He then delivered remarks at a campaign event at Farm Bureau Live in Virginia Beach.
At 10:15 AM Pacific, Obama departs Virginia Beach on Air Force One en route Joint Base Andrews.
At 11 AM Pacific, Obama arrives at Joint Base Andrews, where he boards Marine One.
At 11:15 AM Pacific, Obama lands on the South Lawn of the White House.
Obama has the lead in swing state Virginia, which he is attempting to lock down in his column.
His conservative Republican presidential opponent, Mitt Romney, is also campaigning today in Virginia.
Obama got some good news on the economy this morning, with new unemployment filings dropping. But he remains vulnerable on geopolitical wild cards.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday became the highest ranking administration official to talk about an Al Qaeda tie in the assassination of Ambassador Chris Stevens and the killing of three other Americans in Benghazi.
On the anniversary of 9/11? Who could have guessed?
Back at the big United Nations week in New York — where Obama scored with a well-received address Tuesday while dodging Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, who persists in trying to rope the US into his very aggressive agenda against Iran even as much of the Israeli security establishment turns away — the bete noire of the blue-and-white, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, delivered his last address to the UN General Assembly.
He denounced the UN Security Council and called for “a new world order” free from “the hegemony of arrogance.”
Speaking on Yom Kippur, Israel’s Day of Atonement and the highest holy day in the Jewish faith, Ahmadinejad, who on Monday called Israel “a fake regime” with no history in the region, referred to Israel as a collection of “uncivilized Zionists.”
I suspect that Netanyahu will fire back in kind when he addresses the UN today.
In fact, he is expected to delineate what he thinks should be the “red lines” on Iran’s nuclear program.
But as he does so, his own foreign ministry has just released a report saying that international sanctions have had massive impacts on Iran, calling for another round of sanctions.
Netanyahu, whose talk of military strikes against Iran had already been publicly opposed by various notable figures from the Israeli military, intelligence, and security establishments, seems to be at the head of a divided government.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN this morning and announced that he will push for formal observer state status in the UN after the November election in the US.
He pushed for full member nation status last year only to find it blocked by the US. But observer state status does not require approval of the UN Security Council, only the support of the UN General Assembly.
Obama is monitoring several geopolitical crises involving the Arab Awakening, Iran and Israel, Syria, Iraq, AfPak, and the South China Sea.
Military Crisis Zone Times: The Persian/Arabian Gulf is ten hours ahead of Pacific time and Afghanistan is eleven and a half hours ahead of Pacific time. The time in Manila, on the South China Sea, is fifteen 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.
Brown is continuing to go through bills from the recently concluded legislative session.
And he is working on his Prop 30 revenue initiative.
Climate change is costing millions of lives and billions of dollars according to a new study, commissioned by 20 countries. And it is especially affecting Pacific island nations, such as Nauru, whose president is calling for more help from the United Nations.
** IS POST-PARTISANSHIP PASSE? SCHWARZENEGGER AND COMPANY (AND BILL CLINTON) SAY NO. … From my September 26th column.
** DETHRONED: MAD MEN‘S DOWN SEASON OPENED THE DOOR FOR A SUPERLATIVE HOMELAND. … From my September 24th column.
** JERRY BROWN: GEARING UP A CAMPAIGN AT LAST? … From my September 22nd feature.
** HOW ROMNEY SHOULD HAVE ATTACKED OBAMA: ANATOMY OF A GEOPOLITICAL CRISIS. … From my September 19th essay.
** CONSIDERING THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY. … From my September 15th essay.
** WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED SINCE 9/11? … From my September 11th essay.
** PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE ELEPHANT: THE CONVENTIONS AND THE CLIMATE. … From my September 8th essay.
** WHILE ONE CLINTON WOWS AT THE OBAMARAMA, ANOTHER PIVOTS TO THE LONG GAME. … From my September 6th essay.
** SO WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED WITH CLINT EASTWOOD? (AND THE PERILS OF ARGUING WITH IMAGINARY OBAMAS). … From my September 4th essay.
** AFTER THE ROMNEYRAMA, AND MORE SERIOUS MATTERS. … From my August 30th essay.
** SPACE, JERRY BROWN’S PLACE, AND A RACE. … From my August 27th 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.
** 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 $92 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
This is up about $58 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 $22 per barrel from the price at the time of the Osama bin Laden raid.
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| Comments (33) | 

Good video of Netanyahu arriving in New York.
Good bad news Al Jazeera news video on climate change.
Does he ever say anything new??
Jonas says:
September 27, 2012 at 10:56 am
Good video of Netanyahu arriving in New York.
America is the worst offenders…
Jonas says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:02 am
Good bad news Al Jazeera news video on climate change.
What’s happening with JB and the campaign??
** FROM THE JERRY FILES. Governor Jerry Brown is in Northern California.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
Brown is continuing to go through bills from the recently concluded legislative session.
And he is working on his Prop 30 revenue initiative.
Wow, his own Foreign Ministry is undercutting him!
BB:I suspect that Netanyahu will fire back in kind when he addresses the UN today.
In fact, he is expected to delineate what he thinks should be the “red lines” on Iran’s nuclear program.
But as he does so, his own foreign ministry has just released a report saying that international sanctions have had massive impacts on Iran, calling for another round of sanctions.
Netanyahu, whose talk of military strikes against Iran had already been publicly opposed by various notable figures from the Israeli military, intelligence, and security establishments, seems to be at the head of a divided government.
I watched Netanyahu live on the Al Jazeera link. The “redline” is right before enrichment gets to 90 pct.? How does he know when that is?
That is very gripping. When will the island nations disappear into the Pacific?
Jonas says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:02 am
Good bad news Al Jazeera news video on climate change.
Crisis video besides the UN today?
Good bad news news video of Netanyahu’s speech about Iran.
Bibi baby is like the boy who cried wolf…
Who knows??
Requiem says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:50 am
I watched Netanyahu live on the Al Jazeera link. The “redline” is right before enrichment gets to 90 pct.? How does he know when that is?
Stealth mode?
Capitol Boy says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:29 am
What’s happening with JB and the campaign??
** FROM THE JERRY FILES. Governor Jerry Brown is in Northern California.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
Brown is continuing to go through bills from the recently concluded legislative session.
And he is working on his Prop 30 revenue initiative.
I like that post-partisanship shit, it worked better than what we got now.
God will tell him?
Jack Aubrey says:
September 27, 2012 at 2:47 pm
Who knows??
Requiem says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:50 am
I watched Netanyahu live on the Al Jazeera link. The “redline” is right before enrichment gets to 90 pct.? How does he know when that is?
Prime Minister Netanyahu is in danger of becoming a caricature.
In fact, he may have already stepped over a line of sorts and fallen off the deep end.
This is the best news I’ve heard in a very long time!
Romney/Ryan are indeed making the notion of one-party government more appealing with every move they make as more voters come to realize that – for the purposes of this presidential election, at the very least – divided government can be equated with dysfunctional government. Of course, the dangerously imbecilic behavior of the Congressional Republicans over the course of the last few years may have also contributed mightily to this very welcome shift.
BB: A new Gallup Poll survey shows a record plurality of voters now favoring one party controlling the presidency and both houses of Congress. And a record low number opposing that result. This is a shift from the frequent preference for divided government, and a dramatic shift from views held just a year ago. If Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan continue on their course, this renewed preference for one-party government may be met.
Why does Romney get to talk with Netanyahu? Does he have any hand in policy decisions? Or just a chance for Netanyahu to stick it in Obeezy’s craw?
Mitt and Romney are old business buddies, as I may have mentioned.
Mitt’s policy parrots what Bibi says.
Yes, it’s quite striking, isn’t it?
> Elizabeth Miller says:
September 28, 2012 at 4:10 am (Edit)
This is the best news I’ve heard in a very long time!
Romney/Ryan are indeed making the notion of one-party government more appealing with every move they make as more voters come to realize that – for the purposes of this presidential election, at the very least – divided government can be equated with dysfunctional government. Of course, the dangerously imbecilic behavior of the Congressional Republicans over the course of the last few years may have also contributed mightily to this very welcome shift.
BB: A new Gallup Poll survey shows a record plurality of voters now favoring one party controlling the presidency and both houses of Congress. And a record low number opposing that result. This is a shift from the frequent preference for divided government, and a dramatic shift from views held just a year ago. If Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan continue on their course, this renewed preference for one-party government may be met.
He was actually pretty effective, aside from the stage prop.
> Elizabeth Miller says:
September 27, 2012 at 9:51 pm (Edit)
Prime Minister Netanyahu is in danger of becoming a caricature.
In fact, he may have already stepped over a line of sorts and fallen off the deep end.
Unknown.
Actually, he left some vagueness there, but it’s within a year.
> Cooper Hawks says:
September 27, 2012 at 4:28 pm (Edit)
God will tell him?
Jack Aubrey says:
September 27, 2012 at 2:47 pm
Who knows??
Requiem says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:50 am
I watched Netanyahu live on the Al Jazeera link. The “redline” is right before enrichment gets to 90 pct.? How does he know when that is?
Uh, thanks.
> Cooper Hawks says:
September 27, 2012 at 4:28 pm (Edit)
I like that post-partisanship shit, it worked better than what we got now.
Something like that, along with raising money …
> Jack Aubrey says:
September 27, 2012 at 3:09 pm (Edit)
Stealth mode?
Capitol Boy says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:29 am
What’s happening with JB and the campaign??
** FROM THE JERRY FILES. Governor Jerry Brown is in Northern California.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
Brown is continuing to go through bills from the recently concluded legislative session.
And he is working on his Prop 30 revenue initiative.
Intel.
> Jack Aubrey says:
September 27, 2012 at 2:47 pm (Edit)
Who knows??
Requiem says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:50 am
I watched Netanyahu live on the Al Jazeera link. The “redline” is right before enrichment gets to 90 pct.? How does he know when that is?
Except I think that Iran is going for nukes.
> Jack Aubrey says:
September 27, 2012 at 2:47 pm (Edit)
Bibi baby is like the boy who cried wolf…
I don’t know.
> Requiem says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:53 am (Edit)
That is very gripping. When will the island nations disappear into the Pacific?
Jonas says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:02 am
Good bad news Al Jazeera news video on climate change.
Mossad will tell him.
> Requiem says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:50 am (Edit)
I watched Netanyahu live on the Al Jazeera link. The “redline” is right before enrichment gets to 90 pct.? How does he know when that is?
Yes, Avigdor Lieberman, while an anti-Islamic hawk, is not on board with the strikes.
> Capitol Boy says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:30 am (Edit)
Wow, his own Foreign Ministry is undercutting him!
BB:I suspect that Netanyahu will fire back in kind when he addresses the UN today.
In fact, he is expected to delineate what he thinks should be the “red lines” on Iran’s nuclear program.
But as he does so, his own foreign ministry has just released a report saying that international sanctions have had massive impacts on Iran, calling for another round of sanctions.
Netanyahu, whose talk of military strikes against Iran had already been publicly opposed by various notable figures from the Israeli military, intelligence, and security establishments, seems to be at the head of a divided government.
Stay tuned.
> Capitol Boy says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:29 am (Edit)
What’s happening with JB and the campaign??
** FROM THE JERRY FILES. Governor Jerry Brown is in Northern California.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
Brown is continuing to go through bills from the recently concluded legislative session.
And he is working on his Prop 30 revenue initiative.
China is swiftly surpassing us.
> Capitol Boy says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:26 am (Edit)
America is the worst offenders…
Jonas says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:02 am
Good bad news Al Jazeera news video on climate change.
He thinks he is our generation’s Churchill.
> Capitol Boy says:
September 27, 2012 at 11:24 am (Edit)
Does he ever say anything new??
Jonas says:
September 27, 2012 at 10:56 am
Good video of Netanyahu arriving in New York.
I wasn’t referring to his funny drawing of a ‘nuclear’ bomb or whatever the heck it was. It’s his interpretation of the facts that diminish any credibility he may have.
Bill Bradley says:
September 28, 2012 at 4:46 pm
He was actually pretty effective, aside from the stage prop.
> Elizabeth Miller says:
September 27, 2012 at 9:51 pm (Edit)
Prime Minister Netanyahu is in danger of becoming a caricature. In fact, he may have already stepped over a line of sorts and fallen off the deep end.