President Barack Obama is warning the public that the massive storm that struck the East Coast “is not yet over.” Obama spoke Tuesday during a stop at American Red Cross headquarters.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … OBAMA: SIX DAYS OUT.
** QUICK HITS. President Barack Obama will tour superstorm-smashed New Jersey tomorrow with his new admirer, Governor Chris Christie, the GOP convention keynoter who today is calling Obama “outstanding,” a “great partner” in managing the massive crisis. … Governor Jerry Brown delivers a significant address tomorrow at Town Hall Los Angeles. A good time for him to focus in on his message regarding the California’s chronic budget crisis, Prop 30, and what sort of society this is going to be. … Today at Cal State LA, Brown denounced the No on 30 crew as dominated by “shadowy figures” of great wealth including “bandits” in the form of the odd Arizona super PAC which has made the largest anonymous contribution in the history of California politics. … A California court this afternoon issued a tentative ruling that the Arizona super PAC must reveal the true source of the funds. But there will be another hearing tomorrow. More to follow. … New polling shows Prop 30 clinging to a lead but in serious trouble, while heiress Molly Munger’s rival Prop 38 initiative is far behind, with support in the lows 30s, despite no money being spent against it. … Her impact has been non-serious throughout, unless her real agenda has been to join forces with brother Charlie Jr., who has spent over $35 million to defeat Prop 30 and push Prop 32, the anti-public employee union measure which is losing, with his money funneling through the “Small Business” Action Committee.
** NEW SURVEY: PRE-SANDY SOUNDING INDICATES SLIGHTLY LESS ENGAGEMENT IN ELECTION THAN 2004 OR 2008, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN IN ELECTIONS PRIOR TO THAT. A new Gallup Poll survey, conducted prior to the advent of Superstorm Sandy, suggests a slightly lesser engagement and likelihood of turnout than in the past two elections, but higher than that in the three elections previous to them.
Of course, the impact of the extreme weather event may turn all that into a cocked hat. Not the least because of a sudden out-cropping of anti-politics politics.
Key Gallup indicators of voter turnout, collected prior to superstorm Sandy, suggest voter turnout will fall short of what it was in 2004 and 2008. U.S. registered voters report giving less thought to the election, and are less likely to rate their chance of voting as a “10″ on a 10-point scale, than in 2004 and 2008, two higher-turnout elections. However, the 2012 figures are higher than in 1996 and 2000, two lower-turnout elections. …
U.S. voters have not been quite as engaged in the 2012 election as in the two that preceded it, even before Sandy. However, their stated voting intentions and reported thought given to the election suggest turnout would likely not revert to the lower levels of 1996 and 2000. If turnout does come in lower this year — that is, it looks more like 1996 and 2000 and less like 1992, 2004, and 2008 — that may be another effect of Sandy in addition to flooding and widespread power outages.
** 12 NOON PACIFIC, OBAMA SCHEDULE UPDATE: While he has canceled a day of campaigning in Ohio, President Barack Obama will not be out of the public eye tomorrow.
He will tour super-storm damage in New Jersey, visiting the sites with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Christie, of course, was the keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention and is one of Mitt Romney’s main surrogates.
But Christie praised Obama’s leadership in this crisis earlier today. His state is heavily reliant on assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Association, an agency that Romney during the current campaign said he would slash.
Now he is dodging repeated questions from reporters at his event on his FEMA stance.
Running mate Paul Ryan’s touted budget plan would also severely slash FEMA funding.
Millions of people in the eastern United States have been affected by the giant storm Sandy that has caused flooded homes, fallen trees, widespread power outages and swamped New York City’s subway system, closing the stock exchange and knocking major news sites offline.
** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … OBAMA: ONE WEEK OUT.
NOTE: Due to the extreme weather event, the Huffington Post went down overnight and into this morning, which will affect the timing of the new piece.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in Washington.
He received the daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.
Obama has no scheduled public events today. He is monitoring and managing the effects of Super-Storm Sandy. (So-called because of its truly massive nature.)
I suspect he will show up sometime today in a super-storm related event.
Obama canceled campaign events today.
He has also canceled campaigns events previously set for Wednesday, including major appearances in the crucial swing state of Ohio, where he has the edge but is under siege from conservative Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and the the panoply of Republican Party and super PAC operators on the right.
Romney, incidentally, was anti-FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration) during the Republican debates, saying that badly-strapped state and local governments should be responsible for disaster management.
Vice President Joe Biden is off the campaign trail.
Romney appears today in Ohio, re-branding a campaign rally outside Dayton as a “storm relief event.”
Congressman Paul Ryan is campaigning in Wisconsin at rallies re-branded as storm relief events.
Hurricane Sandy has struck the Eastern seaboard, with some fearsome impacts. Coastal areas, including much of lower Manhattan island, have been evacuated and areas inland are experiencing tremendous winds and massive power outages.
The impact on the presidential race will not be clear for some time, but crises always present an opportunity for leadership, assuming that blame is not also apportioned for whatever might go wrong.
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.
Governor Jerry Brown spoke on Monday at Chico State on behalf of the Prop 30 revenue initiative.
** FROM THE JERRY FILES. Governor Jerry Brown is in Los Angeles and Northern California.
At 10 AM, Brown speaks at the grand opening of the Space Shuttle Endeavour exhibit at the California Science Center in downtown LA. Endeavour, which flew in from across the country a few weeks ago, as shown in videos here, made its laborious way 12 miles across town from LAX to its new home a couple of weekends ago.
He then appears at noon at Cal State LA at a rally for the Prop 30 revenue initiative, where he will be joined by state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, state Senator Kevin de Leon, Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, and other Latino and student leaders.
If Prop 30 does not pass, the state university system will endure more budget cuts.
Private polling indicates that the race is competitive.
The mystery millions funneled into the No on 30 campaign through a non-descript Arizona super PAC and the “Small Business” Action Committee laundromat come up before a California judge today, who may decide that the true source of funding must be revealed.
** CALIFORNIA STORY: THE INITIATIVES SHAKE DOWN WHILE BANANA REPUBLIC POLITICS REVS UP. … From my October 26th column.
** BOND AT 50: SKYFALL‘S NOTABLE PREMIERE HARKENS BACK TO BOND’S LATE IMPERIAL BEGINNINGS. … From my October 24th essay.
** OBAMA WINS THE FOREIGN POLICY DEBATE ON … OHIO? … From my October 23rd essay.
** RECALLING GEORGE MCGOVERN’S LAST CAMPAIGN. … From my October 22nd essay.
** CALIFORNIA REPUBLIC: PASS THE BANANAS. … From my October 19th essay.
** OBAMA TAKES DEBATE 2: SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? … From my October 17th essay.
** GEOPOLITICS: OBAMA FACES BIG CHALLENGES DESPITE DEBATE WINNER ROMNEY’S LATEST POLICY WHIFF. … From my October 9th essay.
** JERRY BROWN GETS AN OCTOBER SURPRISE. … From my October 8th feature.
** RECALLING TOTAL RECALL: SCHWARZENEGGER’S COMEBACK PROCEEDS WITH A BIG (NATURALLY) BOOK. … From my October 5th essay.
** BOND AT 50: DR. NO IS A TIME CAPSULE FROM THE EARLY MAD MEN ERA. … From my October 4th 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 $86 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
This is up about $52 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 $28 per barrel from the price at the time of the Osama bin Laden raid.
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| Comments (41) | 

Good bad news Al Jazeera news video on the super storm.
Jerry Brown sounds good.
Wow, good thing the climate is not changing or anything…
Jonas says:
October 30, 2012 at 10:29 am
Good bad news Al Jazeera news video on the super storm.
Really good speech by JB, he can win this yet!
Jonas says:
October 30, 2012 at 10:34 am
Jerry Brown sounds good.
Video, please??
BB:At 10 AM, Brown speaks at the grand opening of the Space Shuttle Endeavour exhibit at the California Science Center in downtown LA. Endeavour, which flew in from across the country a few weeks ago, as shown in videos here, made its laborious way 12 miles across town from LAX to its new home a couple of weekends ago.
That must have been scarey…
NOTE: The Huffington Post went down overnight and into this morning, which will affect the timing of the new piece.
Mittens is such a phony.
BB:Romney appears today in Ohio, re-branding a campaign rally outside Dayton as a “storm relief event.”
Congressman Paul Ryan is campaigning in Wisconsin at rallies re-branded as storm relief events.
The “Ryan Plan” would wreck FEMA. These are hypocrites of the worst order.
<<< Romney, incidentally, was anti-FEMA during the Republican debates, saying that badly-strapped state and local governments should be responsible for disaster management.
Non storm crisis video today?
Smart smart politics by Obama today. Is Christie looking ahead to 2016??
What else is new?
Requiem says:
October 30, 2012 at 11:49 am
The “Ryan Plan” would wreck FEMA. These are hypocrites of the worst order.
<<< Romney, incidentally, was anti-FEMA during the Republican debates, saying that badly-strapped state and local governments should be responsible for disaster management.
Brown’s speech is good. Don’t like the ads much tho…
Grand Klongg moment for all the Bradley articles?!
Capitol Boy says:
October 30, 2012 at 11:03 am
That must have been scarey…
NOTE: The Huffington Post went down overnight and into this morning, which will affect the timing of the new piece.
Feels good not hearing all campaign all the time on cable.
Good video of President Obama talking to the Red Cross.
Barack is the leader this country needs, now more than ever.
Almost, maybe!
Jack Aubrey says:
October 30, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Grand Klongg moment for all the Bradley articles?!
Capitol Boy says:
October 30, 2012 at 11:03 am
That must have been scarey…
NOTE: The Huffington Post went down overnight and into this morning, which will affect the timing of the new piece.
I love this!!!!
** QUICK HITS. President Barack Obama will tour superstorm-smashed New Jersey tomorrow with his new admirer, Governor Chris Christie, the GOP convention keynoter who today is calling Obama “outstanding,” a “great partner” in managing the massive crisis. …
JB and you and others were right to attack these criminals right away. We WILL find out who they really are!
… Today at Cal State LA, Brown denounced the No on 30 crew as dominated by “shadowy figures” of great wealth including “bandits” in the form of the odd Arizona super PAC which has made the largest anonymous contribution in the history of California politics. …
Molly Munger is a horrible ego-maniac.
… New polling shows Prop 30 clinging to a lead but in serious trouble, while heiress Molly Munger’s rival Prop 38 initiative is far behind, with support in the lows 30s, despite no money being spent against it. … Her impact has been non-serious throughout, unless her real agenda has been to join forces with brother Charlie Jr., who has spent over $35 million to defeat Prop 30 and push Prop 32, the anti-public employee union measure which is losing, with his money funneling through the “Small Business” Action Committee.
I’m very proud of President Obama, win or lose. However, I believe he will win.
He is handling the Super Storm in the right ways. Romney is exposed as a charlatan like he was as a racist and elitist. He would have wrecked FEMA and left the response to disaster to charity and state governments which cannot pay their bills already.
The Super Storm (I fear we will become accustome to this phrase) damage looks horrific in England. Is it as bad as all that?
Syria crisis video today?
Perhaps.
It is where the cameras are.
> axel white says:
October 31, 2012 at 1:25 am (Edit)
The Super Storm (I fear we will become accustome to this phrase) damage looks horrific in England. Is it as bad as all that?
He’ll win.
> marcos leon says:
October 30, 2012 at 9:35 pm (Edit)
I’m very proud of President Obama, win or lose. However, I believe he will win.
He is handling the Super Storm in the right ways. Romney is exposed as a charlatan like he was as a racist and elitist. He would have wrecked FEMA and left the response to disaster to charity and state governments which cannot pay their bills already.
There are ways to stall, though.
> Capitol Boy says:
October 30, 2012 at 6:20 pm (Edit)
JB and you and others were right to attack these criminals right away. We WILL find out who they really are!
… Today at Cal State LA, Brown denounced the No on 30 crew as dominated by “shadowy figures” of great wealth including “bandits” in the form of the odd Arizona super PAC which has made the largest anonymous contribution in the history of California politics. …
Shocking, positively shocking.
> Capitol Boy says:
October 30, 2012 at 6:18 pm (Edit)
I love this!!!!
** QUICK HITS. President Barack Obama will tour superstorm-smashed New Jersey tomorrow with his new admirer, Governor Chris Christie, the GOP convention keynoter who today is calling Obama “outstanding,” a “great partner” in managing the massive crisis. …
But then the disaster stuff got old. All over-exposure.
>
Cooper Hawks says:
October 30, 2012 at 4:04 pm (Edit)
Feels good not hearing all campaign all the time on cable.
For me? Yes, for about 10 minutes …
> Jack Aubrey says:
October 30, 2012 at 3:12 pm (Edit)
Grand Klongg moment for all the Bradley articles?!
Capitol Boy says:
October 30, 2012 at 11:03 am
That must have been scarey…
NOTE: The Huffington Post went down overnight and into this morning, which will affect the timing of the new piece.
I hear you.
> Jack Aubrey says:
October 30, 2012 at 3:11 pm (Edit)
Brown’s speech is good. Don’t like the ads much tho…
Pertinent is more to the point, I think.
> Jack Aubrey says:
October 30, 2012 at 3:00 pm (Edit)
What else is new?
Requiem says:
October 30, 2012 at 11:49 am
The “Ryan Plan” would wreck FEMA. These are hypocrites of the worst order.
<<< Romney, incidentally, was anti-FEMA during the Republican debates, saying that badly-strapped state and local governments should be responsible for disaster management.
Yes, and probably, though Christie’s nature seems a bit more spontaneous than that.
> Jack Aubrey says:
October 30, 2012 at 2:59 pm (Edit)
Smart smart politics by Obama today. Is Christie looking ahead to 2016??
Sorry.
> Jonas says:
October 30, 2012 at 12:36 pm (Edit)
Non storm crisis video today?
Correct.
> Requiem says:
October 30, 2012 at 11:49 am (Edit)
The “Ryan Plan” would wreck FEMA. These are hypocrites of the worst order.
<<< Romney, incidentally, was anti-FEMA during the Republican debates, saying that badly-strapped state and local governments should be responsible for disaster management.
The T-1000 has nothing on him.
> Capitol Boy says:
October 30, 2012 at 11:03 am (Edit)
Mittens is such a phony.
BB:Romney appears today in Ohio, re-branding a campaign rally outside Dayton as a “storm relief event.”
Congressman Paul Ryan is campaigning in Wisconsin at rallies re-branded as storm relief events.
Very, for about half an hour, with only 10 minutes of panic, though …
> Capitol Boy says:
October 30, 2012 at 11:03 am (Edit)
That must have been scarey…
NOTE: The Huffington Post went down overnight and into this morning, which will affect the timing of the new piece.
Delivered today.
> Capitol Boy says:
October 30, 2012 at 11:02 am (Edit)
Video, please??
BB:At 10 AM, Brown speaks at the grand opening of the Space Shuttle Endeavour exhibit at the California Science Center in downtown LA. Endeavour, which flew in from across the country a few weeks ago, as shown in videos here, made its laborious way 12 miles across town from LAX to its new home a couple of weekends ago.
Perhaps.
> Capitol Boy says:
October 30, 2012 at 11:01 am (Edit)
Really good speech by JB, he can win this yet!
Jonas says:
October 30, 2012 at 10:34 am
Jerry Brown sounds good.
Heh.
> Capitol Boy says:
October 30, 2012 at 10:50 am (Edit)
Wow, good thing the climate is not changing or anything…
Jonas says:
October 30, 2012 at 10:29 am
Good bad news Al Jazeera news video on the super storm.
Incidentally, NWN passed 126,000 comments sometime in the past few weeks.