Joining two topics about which I usually have a profound lack of interest — golf and what politicians do on holiday weekends when they aren’t called on for big events — there is a press controversy of sorts over President Barack Obama’s private Presidents Day weekend in Florida.
** OBAMA TODAY – MONDAY. President Barack Obama is in Florida.
Obama is in Palm City, Florida for the Presidents Day weekend.
He has no scheduled public events.
Politico, looking to spin up some controversy now that its favored controversy around Chuck Hagel is spinning down, reports breathlessly that the White House press corps is “extremely frustrated” not to have access to Obama on this holiday weekend while he plays golf with Tiger Woods and some of his golf buddies.
Really? Reporters have nothing better to do on a holiday weekend? (Is it irrelevant to note that the head of the White House press association who issued the statement is with Fox News?)
Has this topic already exhausted my interest?
In Mali, jihadists are reportedly infiltrating towns from which French and Malian government forces cleared them in the past few weeks, raising the specter of guerrilla war.
First thing they have to do, of course, is generate more support from the residents, most of whom were glad to be rid of them and their extreme versions of sharia law.
Obama is monitoring several geopolitical crises involving Mali and Algeria, the Arab Awakening, Iran and Israel, Syria, Iraq, AfPak, and the South China Sea.
Military Crisis Zone Times: Mali is eight hours ahead of Pacific time, 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 – MONDAY. Governor Jerry Brown is in Northern California.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
Meanwhile, Brown is pushing back against efforts by some Democrats to undo his modest public pension reforms.
Click here for my compendium of articles laying out the re-emergence of Jerry Brown as governor of California.
Click here for my compendium of articles providing a narrative of his governorship.
In the latest spate of ultra-violence in Iraq, a series of car bombs exploded within minutes of each other on Sunday as Iraqis were out shopping in and around Baghdad, killing at least 35 people in mainly Shiite areas. With a mostly pro-Iranian Shiite government in charge, many Sunnis feel disenfranchised.
** OBAMA TODAY – SUNDAY. President Barack Obama is in Florida.
Obama is in Palm City, Florida for the Presidents Day weekend.
He has no scheduled public events.
As I expected (see essay linked below), Senator John McCain is signaling an impending end to the conservative Republican blockage of former Senator Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama’s pick as secretary of defense.
McCain and running mate Senator Lindsey Graham, appearing on separate Sunday chat shows, said that the brief blockade of Hagel’s appointment will end after the latest congressional vacation.
“No, I don’t believe he’s qualified,” McCain told NBC’s Meet the Press. “But I don’t believe that we should hold up his nomination any further.”
Regarding McCain’s view of Hagel’s qualifications: Back when Hagel was a national co-chairman of McCain’s first presidential campaign, and for several years after, McCain said he would make a fine secretary of defense.
They fell out over the Iraq War, as I may have mentioned once or twice.
Hagel has long been backed by the most eminent Republican experts in geopolitics and national security, including a host of former national security advisors and secretaries of defense, state, and homeland security.
Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in the wake of civilians deaths in another NATO airstrike, declared that no Afghan forces are allowed to call up US airstrikes. (US policy on its own is to avoid air strikes unless needed for self-defense.) He also urged the US and its allies to accelerate its already accelerated withdrawal schedule.
Obama is monitoring several geopolitical crises involving Mali and Algeria, the Arab Awakening, Iran and Israel, Syria, Iraq, AfPak, and the South China Sea.
Military Crisis Zone Times: Mali is eight hours ahead of Pacific time, 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 – SUNDAY. Governor Jerry Brown is in Northern California.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
Brown appeared Saturday night at the end of Showtime’s new documentary, History of the Eagles.
That’s the new three hour-long documentary — shown in two parts on Friday and Saturday nights, and now in the Showtime rotation — on the most popular American rock band of all time, California’s own Eagles.
Brown provided a hint of perspective on the Eagles, noting that, perhaps not unlike someone else who is on his mind, they’re not just about their ’70s heyday, they are flying high in the 21st century.
Which is quite true. The band, which ruled the American airwaves from its 1972 debut to 1980 when it essentially broke up at a benefit for Senator Alan Cranston in Long Beach, which I attended, got back together in 1994 after finding its music had become even more ubiquitous via the classic rock format on radio.
The big difference between Brown and the Eagles is that he has a lot more new material, though much of it relates back to things he was saying and doing going on 40 years ago, and more.
The Eagles have toured on and off, although they’ve only released two dozen new Eagles songs in the meantime. (Though there is plenty of other solo material produced by leaders Don Henley and Glenn Frey in the mix as well.)
More to follow.
Click here for my compendium of articles laying out the re-emergence of Jerry Brown as governor of California.
Click here for my compendium of articles providing a narrative of his governorship.
In his weekend video/radio address, President Barack Obama calls for action on the laundry list liberal agenda laid out in his State of the Union address, focusing on economic revitalization.
** OBAMA TODAY – SATURDAY. President Barack Obama is in Florida.
Obama is in Palm City, Florida for the Presidents Day weekend.
He has no scheduled public events.
Obama has two controversial top picks in the security and intelligence arenas to get through Senate confirmation.
I discuss the situation around former Senator Chuck Hagel, the next secretary of defense, in the eassy linked below.
Hagel will have to wait till Congress’s latest vacation — say, isn’t there this latest fiscal cliff thing coming up at the end of February? — is over a week from the Presidents Day holiday on Monday for a vote to end a Republican filibuster that they want to call something else but which isn’t a real filibuster anyway since they are no longer required to talk endlessly.
Which I think has to be required for a filibuster. It’s too casual and easy otherwise.
I think that it is actually Obama’s other big appointment, that of White House counter-terrorism advisor John Brennan to be director of the CIA, which is more problematic for Obama.
Because it is around Brennan, master of drone warfare in the Obama White House, that revelatory and potentially disturbing material coheres.
Which is not to say that Brennan won’t be confirmed, too. I think he will be and should be. But that’s the least of Obama’s problems with that pick.
Obama is monitoring several geopolitical crises involving Mali and Algeria, the Arab Awakening, Iran and Israel, Syria, Iraq, AfPak, and the South China Sea.
Military Crisis Zone Times: Mali is eight hours ahead of Pacific time, 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 – SATURDAY. Governor Jerry Brown is in Northern California.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
The California Republican Party convention the first weekend in March has some scheduling changes. Headline speaker Karl Rove is now the Saturday luncheon rather than dinner speaker due to Rove’s schedule requirements.
The Saturday dinner speaker will now be someone named Ben Shapiro, with whom I’m not familiar, who is the new editor of Breitbart.com now that the far right Internet flamer Andrew Breitbart has passed away.
The party had said initially that conservative humorist Ben Stein was taking that slot, perhaps also due to a lack of familiarity with Ben Shapiro.
Other GOP convention speakers include some comedians and writers I’m also not familiar with, as well as former state Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, who ran for the U.S. Senate — losing badly in the 2010 primary to former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina — and then moved to Texas.
He’s involved with some sort of right-wing think tank there.
Former state Senate and Assembly Republican leader Jim Brulte, now a consultant and lobbyist, will become the party’s new state chairman. He’s saying that there will be a Republican opponent for Brown, who has not officially announced anything about going for an historic fourth term, but I am sure will do so.
Brulte is also telling people that the state Republican Party may be close to a million dollars in debt, with virtually no cash.
Click here for my compendium of articles laying out the re-emergence of Jerry Brown as governor of California.
Click here for my compendium of articles providing a narrative of his governorship.
** THE ANTI-HAGEL GAMBITS: CLEVER, BUT NOT REALLY THAT CLEVER. … From my February 15th essay.
** WITH LITTLE POLITICAL OR POLICY IMPACT AND DUMBED DOWN LANGUAGE, DOES THE STATE OF THE UNION EVEN MATTER? … From my February 12th column.
** JERRY BROWN FINDS FUN (IN NEW FOIL RICK PERRY) AND MORE THAN A BIT OF ILLUMINATION. … From my February 7th column.
** COME HAGEL OR HIGH WATER: IN THE SHADE OF IRAQ. … From my February 1st essay.
** THE STATE OF JERRY BROWN’S STATUS: AFTER THE STATE OF THE STATE. … From my January 30th essay.
** OBAMA’S CLEAR YET MUTED TRUMPET: HOPE’S AUDACITY MEETS LOWERED EXPECTATIONS. … From my January 23rd essay.
** HOW NOT TO STAGE MANAGE THE WORLD. … From my January 18th column.
Libyans on Sunday, February 17th will mark the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gaddafi. But while there are celebrations, there is also resentment toward the government. Many in the country’s east are demanding more security and autonomy.
** 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 closed at $95.86 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Energy markets are closed on the weekend.
This is up about $62 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 $18 per barrel from the price at the time of the Osama bin Laden raid.
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| Comments (18) |
Good weekend speech by Obama on the economy.
Good kind of good news Al Jazeera news video on the anniversary of the Libyan revolution.
Barack is on message…
Jonas says:
February 16, 2013 at 9:52 am
Good weekend speech by Obama on the economy.
… It’s me!
Gaddafi is gone and Libya is better off.
Jonas says:
February 16, 2013 at 10:08 am
Good kind of good news Al Jazeera news video on the anniversary of the Libyan revolution.
What capital L Loser will run against JB??
BB:Former state Senate and Assembly Republican leader Jim Brulte, now a consultant and lobbyist, will become the party’s new state chairman. He’s saying that there will be a Republican opponent for Brown, who has not officially announced anything about going for an historic fourth term, but I am sure will do so.
Brulte is also telling people that the state Republican Party may be close to a million dollars in debt, with virtually no cash.
Syria crisis video today?
Sad news from Iraq… What a disaster that war was.
OMG, I have to see this.
BB:Brown appeared Saturday night at the end of Showtime’s new documentary, History of the Eagles.
That’s the new three hour-long documentary — shown in two parts on Friday and Saturday nights, and now in the Showtime rotation — on the most popular American rock band of all time, California’s own Eagles.
Brown provided a hint of perspective on the Eagles, noting that, perhaps not unlike someone else who is on his mind, they’re not just about their ’70s heyday, they are flying high in the 21st century.
Good, enough of their CRAZINESS!
BB: As I expected (see essay linked below), Senator John McCain is signaling an impending end to the conservative Republican blockage of former Senator Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama’s pick as secretary of defense.
McCain and running mate Senator Lindsey Graham, appearing on separate Sunday chat shows, said that the brief blockade of Hagel’s appointment will end after the latest congressional vacation.
“No, I don’t believe he’s qualified,” McCain told NBC’s Meet the Press. “But I don’t believe that we should hold up his nomination any further.”
Sectarian violence in Pakistan is spiraling out of control.
Hard to blame the Americans for this.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/17/pakistan-rulers-quetta-bombing
Neocon and Israel Lobby hatred already spiraled out of control.
Capitol Boy says:
February 17, 2013 at 11:25 am
Good, enough of their CRAZINESS!
BB: As I expected (see essay linked below), Senator John McCain is signaling an impending end to the conservative Republican blockage of former Senator Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama’s pick as secretary of defense.
McCain and running mate Senator Lindsey Graham, appearing on separate Sunday chat shows, said that the brief blockade of Hagel’s appointment will end after the latest congressional vacation.
“No, I don’t believe he’s qualified,” McCain told NBC’s Meet the Press. “But I don’t believe that we should hold up his nomination any further.”
Any crisis video today?
Funny video about Barack and his golf weeekend!
Good on JB, bad on those Democrats…
BB:Meanwhile, Brown is pushing back against efforts by some Democrats to undo his modest public pension reforms.
Good video on President Obama and his golf game.
Good man on golf. Strictly a duffers joy. No point to its stuffy and overly expensive waste of good open spaces. One of the things that make me wonder about Obama.
China cyber crisis video today?