Rodent scurries by as Obama lauds Wall Street vote

“The British Government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa .”

George W. Bush, ‘ State of the Union ,’ 28 January 2003

. . . at April’s Nuclear Security Summit, we will bring forty-four nations together behind a clear goal: securing all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world in four years, so that they never fall into the hands of terrorists.

These diplomatic efforts have also strengthened our hand in dealing with those nations that insist on violating international agreements in pursuit of these weapons. That is why North Korea now faces increased isolation, and stronger sanctions – sanctions that are being vigorously enforced. That is why the international community is more united, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is more isolated. And as Iran’s leaders continue to ignore their obligations, there should be no doubt: they, too, will face growing consequences.

Barack Obama ‘ State of the Union ,’ 27 January 2010

We continue to assess Iran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons in part by developing various nuclear capabilities that bring it closer to being able to produce such weapons, should it choose to do so. We do not know, however, if Iran will eventually decide to build nuclear weapons.

Admiral Dennis Blair – 2010 Annual Threat Assessment

…the Obama administration is asking Congress to increase spending on the US nuclear arsenal by more than $7 billion dollars over the next five years. …despite a pledge to cut the US arsenal and seek a nuclear weapons-free world. The Obama administration argues that the boost in spending is needed to ensure that US warheads remain secure and work as designed as the arsenal shrinks and ages. … Part of the proposal includes large funding increases for a new plutonium production facility…

Despite Non-Proliferation Pledge, Obama Budget Request Seeks Additional $7B for Nuclear Arsenal Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!

A tip of the hat to Montag and Charles Davis.

Hope is tasty.

Need that cash to feed that jones.
And the politicians throwin’ stones,
Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down.
Ashes, ashes, all fall down.
- The Annotated “Throwing Stones”

A question, “Are Democrats so cowed by Republican attacks on Obama’s foreign policy that they’re unwilling to defend him?” Well my Dirty Hippies, Contrarians, Libertarians, Anarchists, what say you? How many Democrats voted against the various Homeland Security and Defense appropriations bills during the Bush years again? Sounds like someone is looking for backbone where there is none to be found.

Despite fumbles, Biden’s a player
Cementing his value to Obama, the vice president has been tapped to take on key issues. Next up: healthcare.
By Peter Nicholas and Paul Richter
August 18, 2009

Reporting from Washington – The gaffes keep piling up: the untimely comments stoking fears of swine flu, dismissals of Russia that seem straight out of the Cold War.

But in defiance of the normal rules of American politics, Vice President Joe Biden appears to be solidifying his relationship with his boss and accumulating more assignments central to the administration’s agenda.

Having lined up support in the Senate to assure passage of the $787-billion economic stimulus plan, Biden was recently tapped by President Obama to play a bigger role in the healthcare debate that is now dominating the congressional agenda. He is at the table on major foreign policy issues and has been asked to oversee the stimulus spending effort.

“For the president to give him the single largest initiative to date [the stimulus] with all the potential risks and pitfalls attached, speaks to a level of trust that’s quite real,” said Anita Dunn, White House communications director.

I think the above picture from the Whitehouse photostream sums it all up…all that’s missing is a “Fail” printed in the lower left hand corner in Ariel font.

Update: If Jim had just read my post he’d have had his answer…

. . . Obama has some progressive instincts but was naive about the opposition he’s facing, and has gotten rolled on almost every issue since taking office as a result; yes, even including the stimulus that he allowed the Senate to chop down. You can conflate this with another theory that Obama imagined that much milder measures would suffice than the present moment calls for. This seems to be the Ron Beasley school. Here the question is one Beasley doesn’t address: whether the Obama administration can learn. Can Obama change approaches and personnel in time to make a successful (in political and policy terms) first term?

unintellectual shit heels clogging up my intertubes with gossip about Obama’s transition team/plans and counterfactuals of what a Hillary Administration would have look and acted like. It is what it is people.

For one week only, at The Great Alaskan Bush Company, Seraphin.

• CNN: OBAMA TO BE NEXT PRESIDENT
• President Barack Obama !
• NBC: OBAMA ELECTED 44TH PRESIDENT

“. . . At this stage in the campaign, I’ll take any version of Barack Obama as president over McCain/Bush/Palin.

However, I will gladly have this second discussion with you 1 second after – we should be so lucky – Barack Obama is sworn in.” – tristero

The discussion being Glenn Greenwald’s observation, “it’s far from clear which version of Barack Obama will end up governing.” Greenwald, perhaps still chaffing at Monsieur IOZ’s oft restated “defender of the status quo ante” characterization, was in the middle of letting the rhetorical guns blaze:

. . . it’s worth underscoring — in fact, it’s vital to keep in mind — that the option of politically empowering Democrats is the opposite of a panacea. The Democratic Party structure in Washington, and particularly its leadership in Congress, is more corrupted and destructive than anything else there is — with the exception of the right-wing faction that has been running the country for the last eight years. Contrary to the inane conventional Beltway wisdom that bipartisanship is oh-so-tragically scarce, Democrats as an entity have, over and over, passively acquiesced to, and frequently actively enabled and participated in, many of the worst abuses of the last eight years. Their leadership in Congress is corrupt and craven to the bone in many of the same ways the GOP leadership has been — and they’re about to be far more entrenched and their power far less checked.

Waiting until one second after Senator Obama has been inaugurated–should that occurrence indeed happen–is far too late in the game to start criticizing. While the Daily Kos crowd crows for the back of the Republican Party to be broken, the pendulum swings, and “the same standards of clarity and candor must now be applied to my opponent.”

See also: Can Obama See the Grand Canyon?

Defending Obama’s Foreign Policy
Comment
By Tom Hayden
September 29, 2008

It is as if frustration with Obama is greater than anything some people on the left feel towards McCain. I feel their pain, but let me offer this formula: no candidate will move further left than their base demands and public opinion allows.

…

I personally wish he hadn’t, but Obama has decided to close off any possible attacks from the right or the media on his national security policies and credentials. I believe that this stance will have serious consequences, like John Kennedy encountered at the Bay of Pigs. But I also know that his position is a political one, and can be (and should be) taken up by the left after election day.

-Shorter Messer Hayden: Hold your nose and pull the lever you stinking Hippies.

And in other news:

• End of Iraq’s Awakening?
• The Next Step on the Bailout.
• Suspected U.S. missile strike kills 6 in Pakistan

Dear MoveOn member,

The “Yes We Can” video by will.i.am. The 1000+ positive Obama ads created by MoveOn members. The iconic Obama “HOPE” poster created by artist Shepard Fairey.

Barack Obama’s historic candidacy has sparked an unprecedented artistic outpouring. Now, in partnership with Shepard Fairey and his Obey Giant collective, we’re offering a new way for artists—anyone with a pen and paper qualifies—to share their talents and help elect Barack Obama at the same time.

It’s called Manifest Hope, and it’s a new Obama art contest for 2D and 3D art, from painting to photography to sculpture. The winners will be shown at the Manifest Hope Gallery online and in Denver during the Democratic convention alongside works from dozens of established and influential artists.

If you think you might want to enter, or want updates on the contest, please let us know here:

http://pol.moveon.org/mh/signup/?id=13385-9747684-FEvfWgx&t=3

If not, can you pass this on to friends of yours who might be interested?

Anyone can enter. You don’t have to be Picasso, you just need to be inspired by Barack Obama and willing to donate your creativity and time to the cause.

But you need to get started soon. The final submissions deadline is August 18th at 11:59 a.m. ET. That’s not much time to conceive and create a piece of art, so get started today.

All submissions will be judged by a distinguished panel of judges—artists from Obey Giant, contemporary art curators, and multi-talented musicians. Finalists will be asked to auction off their pieces, and donate the proceeds to progressive organizations.

Denver will be buzzing during the convention, but this gallery is going to be one of the coolest places to visit there. Plus, the gallery’s going to have an amazing party with live performances by Death Cab For Cutie, Moby, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

We’re not going to send any more emails to the full MoveOn list before the submission deadline. So if there’s any chance you might be interested, you have to sign up for contest updates now:

http://pol.moveon.org/mh/signup/?id=13385-9747684-FEvfWgx&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Peter, Karin, Laura, Ilyse and the rest of the team

P.S. It’s okay to enter a piece of art you’ve already created, as long as you’re willing to offer it up for auction if it becomes a finalist. If you’re ready to enter right now, you can upload your entry here:

http://pol.moveon.org/mh/enter/?id=13385-9747684-FEvfWgx&t=5

Want to support our work? We’re entirely funded by our 3.2 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

Is it stereotypical? Yes. Offensive? Quite possibly. What was I getting at when I made it? Basically, why stop at one stereotype? I think Mr. Fish knows what I mean:

What I’m trying to say is I see a pattern where Obama is attacked, we rush to his defense, and then he slaps us in the face with a policy change or a change of tone that has that Friday news dump kinda feel to it. I wasn’t going to vote for him anyways, but I was going to confront the Rovian tactics of the McCain campaign. Doesn’t even seem worth it now.

—

In related yet more personal news I’ll be taking a break from blogging for a bit. I hope to have my friend David up and blogging soon so there will be content (of a decidedly less political nature) here to check out. Music is the answer.