“President Obama’s national-security team shuffle: a shrewed set of moves, picking Petraeus to run the CIA is a move worthy of chess masters”

Posted on by

 Hi guys,

1. On the right, you can see the link to OFA donation page. Use it. 🙂

2. Very busy Friday for PBO, but first of all, please take a few minutes to contact The Washington Post and tell them what you think about their disgusting decision to invite Donald Tramp as their guest to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

**********************************************************************************

3. Today’s schedule:


08:00 AM

The President meets with participants in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike

8:30 AM
The first family departs the White House en route Andrews Air Force Base

8:45 AM
The first family departs Andrews Air Force Base en route Alabama

9:00 AM

10:00 AM

The Vice Biden meets with Director of the OMB Jack Lew, Director of the NEC Gene Sperling, and senior advisers to discuss fiscal policy. meets with Director of the OMB Jack Lew, Director of the NEC Gene Sperling, and senior advisers to discuss fiscal policy.

10:50 AM
The first family arrives in Alabama

11:00 AM

11:10 AM
The President and First Lady Michelle Obama view the damage as well as meet with Governor Bentley, state and local officials and families affected by the storms

12:00 PM

12:45 PM
The first family departs Alabama

1:00 PM

2:00 PM
2:10 PM
The first family arrives in Cape Canaveral, Florida

2:45 PM
The first family tours the orbiter processing facility


3:00 PM

3:30 PM
The first family views the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour

4:00 PM

5:00 PM

5:40 PM
The President arrives in Miami, Florida

6:00 PM
6:55 PM
The President delivers the Miami Dade College commencement address

7:00 PM
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
9:05 PM
The President departs Miami, Florida

10:00 PM
11:00 PM
11:30 PM
The President arrives at the White House

***************************************************************************************

4. Fred Kaplan:

Why Obama’s reshuffling of his national security team makes sense

So the rumors of recent weeks, about the impending shuffles in President Obama’s national-security team, turn out to be true. And under the circumstances, it’s hard to imagine a shrewder set of moves, both politically and substantively.

// snip

Picking Petraeus to run the CIA is a move worthy of chess masters. Many reporters have speculated (and a few Democrats have feared) that an unloosed Petraeus could run on a Republican presidential ticket in 2012. This is nonsense. First, Petraeus has repeatedly denied that he has such ambitions, and he seems unsuited for them as well. (There is scant evidence of flair as a stump-speaker.) Second, it’s nearly inconceivable, in the post-MacArthur era, that a recently retired general would run against a sitting president. The concept of civilian control over the military really is sacrosanct. (Retired Gen. Wesley Clark made a run for the Democratic nomination, but he’d never served under the Republican incumbent, George W. Bush, and even so, many of his fellow generals regarded his quest as unseemly.)

However, Obama would have to worry that Petraeus could write policy papers for the American Enterprise Institute (where he has many friends); that a paper subtly criticizing, say, the administration’s policy on Afghanistan (or anything) would be widely reported as front-page news; that Obama would be asked about “the Petraeus study” at his next press conference; and that it would compete for the president’s policy as the center of public attention on the issue.

Keeping Petraeus on the inside—in a job that’s related to, but not quite of, the military—is a judicious stroke.

//

None of this is to say that all will now be right with the world or the wars we’re fighting (or the shortfall of money that we have for that purpose). But the disruptions that unavoidably come with such a massive turnover of military, diplomatic, and Cabinet-level leaders may not be as intense as many anticipate.

********************************************************************************************

5. Jonathan Bernstein:

// snip

Kaplan correctly identifies the problems facing the Obama Administration: First, downsizing and ending the active military commitments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya without the politically damaging perception of “losing” those conflicts; and second, the prospect of real Pentagon budget cuts.

// snip

Budget cuts mean that there’s going to be a whole lot of “put up with it.” And Panetta, with his vast experience with bureaucratic politics, particularly in the budget realm, should be good at sniffing out which cuts would be “intolerable” and which would be merely inconvenient. Meanwhile, keeping on the popular Petraeus will help the President manage the difficult politics of drawdown in Iraq and Afghanistan. He’s a nonpartisan figure who is a master of the Congressional hearing and has a great deal of credibility with the national security establishment. His presence will make it easier for everyone from generals in the field to foreign policy experts to accept the idea that each step towards withdrawal represents movement towards overall victory.

*************************************************************************************
*


*****************************************************************************************

*

********************************************************************************************

103 thoughts on ““President Obama’s national-security team shuffle: a shrewed set of moves, picking Petraeus to run the CIA is a move worthy of chess masters””

  3. Thanks for the donation button. So want BWD to get some credit for all her work.

    Another full day for the President and family. I hope they get some rest this weekend.

    Have a great day everyone.

  4. Good morning. Does anyone have the video of Bob Woodward telling Mika and Joe off on Morning Joe yesterday regarding the media’s coddling of Trump? I read that the looks on their faces as Woodward accused them to their face of their complicity of this mess stunned them so much they were visibly embarrassed. I have to see that.

  5. I LOVED YOUR HEADLINE ON THIS ONE…WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT PRESIDENT. THE PETRAEUS MOVE IS EXCEPTIONAL. THE PRESIDENT HAS TO KEEP HIS LINES OF INTEL COMMUNICATION OPEN…THIS WILL CERTAINLY UNCORK THE BOTTLE! WE NEED TO KEEP OUR EYES ON CHINA…THEY AREN’T ALL THAT QUIET.
    AS FOR ‘TRUMP’…HIS NAME PARTNERS WELL WITH ‘DUMP’ AND THE WASHINGTON POST WILL BE GREAT FODDER FOR MY CAT’S LITTERBOX!

  6. I SAW THAT…HIS STATEMENT WAS THAT HE BLAMED THE PRESS AND MEDIA FOR ALOT OF THE RESULTING VERBAL CESSPOOL. HE ALSO DUBBED IT ‘MANUFACTURING CONTROVERSEY’…AND YES THE JAVA JOE CREW LOOKED SURPRISED AT HIS STATEMENTS. THIS IS WHERE I HAVE TO SAY..’THE TRUTH HURTS…DOESN’T IT?’ GOD BLESS OUR AWESOME PRESIDENT AND HIS PARENTS FOR GIVING SUCH A GIFT TO OUR COUNTRY!

  8. THIS IS MY THOUGHT ON THE ROYAL WEDDING…WILLIAM AND KATE WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF GREAT AND ‘JUST’ CHANGE IN THAT MONARCHY…THANX TO DIANA! SHE HAD SUCH A COMPASSIONATE HEART.
    PERSONALLY…I FEEL SHE WAS A VICTIM. CAMILLA COULDN’T HAVE CHILDREN. DIANA WAS CHOSEN TO FULFILL A PURPOSE. ‘LOVE’ WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. THOSE PLANS WILL MEET WITH ‘JUSTICE’ VIA THE SONS SHE HAS LEFT BEHIND. THAT’S MY 2 CENTS.

  9. Here’s my letter to Wapo:
    It’s hard to believe that one of the most important newspapers in the country would invite one of the least important carnival barkers of all time to anything, much less the national correspondents’ dinner. In a world full of interesting, thoughtful, hardworking people are there seriously no other possibilities? Is the Post truly willing to sit down to dinner with a man who finds nothing wrong — in fact, finds glory — in fanning racism to better the ratings of a ridiculous television show? I’ll never be able to take your paper seriously again.

    And now I’m clicking the OFA button!

  12. Not what I saw on the video because I have not watched this awful propoganda hour or two since October 2008.
    The “hosts’ of the Morning Joe show blamed PBO and accused him of causing America disrespect around the world.
    At the end that Joe character said something to the effect that the matter would end if PBO would stop talking about it.

    These people don’t deserve to have any media platform whatsoever. They were made shame and instead of accepting that the media had any role in this (themselves included) they sought to blame PBO and insinuate that some headline in the UK Independent was his fault.

    Most of the US News media is empty morally and intellectually and needs to be gutted and re-shaped. Until then, expect nothing but spin and the selling of the memes of their corporate and Republican masters.

    I am truly disgusted.

  15. That empty suit Joe Scarborough said WHAT ???

    I don’t watch his show. Did this happened after Bob Woodward SHAMED them and the media ? It would make total sense. Joe is so thin-skinned, like all republicans. All the media people, in fact, are very thin-skinned. Have they ever been able to look at THEMSELVES ???!!!

    I’m FUMING right now. “Empty morally and intellectually” . You got it.

    If it could do any good, I would suggest we all call MSNBC and express our outrage at Joe S. Unfortunately, we all know how he will respond. He’ll get back at President Obama.

    The only response we can give is to stop watching them, and convincing the maximum of people to do the same.

  16. The first quarter ended on an up beat with consumer spending looking healthier than had earlier been feared despite the higher costs of gasoline, the Commerce Department reported Friday. The March data showed consumer spending in current dollar terms rose 0.6%. roughly in line with expectations on Wall Street. But consumer spending in January and February was revised higher. Spending in February rose a revised 0.9% compared with the prior estimate of a 0.7% gain. Consumer spending in January rose a revised 0.5%, compared with a 0.3% increase. Personal income rose 0.5% in March, above expectations of a 0.3% gain.

    http://www.marketwatch.com/

  20. President Obama’s trip with his family to Cape Canaveral is about as educational it can be.

    The Obamas, who will land in Florida after stopping in Alabama to see damage left by the deadly storm, plan to get a grand tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center before watching the launch of the shuttle Endeavour.

    The White House said in guidance to reporters: “The First Family will be led on the tour by Astronaut Janet Kavandi. Dr. Kavandi is the Director of Flight Crew Operations for the Johnson Space Center and is a three-flight veteran, having logged more than 33 days in space.

    “The First Family’s tour of the facility has two stops. In the first stop, they will see a tile and water demonstration showing how the shuttle’s tiles can retain water. In the second stop, the First Family will see a close-up view of the landing gear from beneath the nose of the Atlantis shuttle.”

    Kavandi and NASA chief Charles Bolden will watch the launch of the Endeavour with the first family, the White House says.

    After the shuttle flies into space, Obama will go to Miami Dade College to give an evening speech to its graduates.

    ————-

    Tune to the NASA channel. Our stupid MSM will not be airing it! My channel on Direct tv is 289.

    Peace-

  21. Best I’ve seen today—Eugene Robinson:
    “To those deniers who can’t come to terms with the fact of the Obama presidency, I have nothing to offer but this: Yes, he’s smarter, richer, luckier and better looking than you, and he’s your president. Yours, mine and ours. And he’s black. Get over it.”

  22. America Ferrera snuck out the Northwest Gate of the White House, but Eva Longoria — fake eyelashes, skintight dress, Louboutins — came to the driveway stakeout to answer questions following the president’s Thursday afternoon meeting with prominent members of the Hispanic community. “It was a very candid conversation that went really well,” Longoria said of the meeting with President Obama. “We were able to hear his agenda and his plan for Hispanics.”

    Obama convened the private roundtable to talk about a range of issues, notably immigration reform. Other invited guests included actress Rosario Dawson, Emilio Estefan (the husband of singer Gloria Estefan), Telemundo host Jose Diaz-Balart (brother of Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida), and radio host Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo of Los Angeles.

    “The president asked a couple of us to be here for a roundtable discussion to talk about issues pertaining to Latino community — health care, the economy and obviously immigration and education,” Longoria said.

    Also on the table was the DREAM Act, of which Longoria pertly stated, “We will be reintroducing that next week and hopefully get it to pass.” Here’s the White House readout on the meeting:

    In a meeting in the Roosevelt Room today, the President and Senior Administration officials met with influential Hispanics from across the country to discuss the importance of fixing the broken immigration system for our nation’s 21st century economic and security needs so that America can win the future. The President reiterated his deep disappointment that Congressional action on immigration reform has stalled and that the DREAM Act failed to pass in the U.S. Senate after passing the U.S. House with a bipartisan majority in December.

    http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/0411/a_frank_discussion_aed37365-ec77-4f27-bab6-a6015f0c765c.html

  25. Supercomputers Crack Sixty-Trillionth Binary Digit of Pi-Squared
    Submitted by Linda Vu on April 28, 2011 – 11:28am
    Australian researchers have done the impossible — they’ve found the sixty-trillionth binary digit of Pi-squared! The calculation would have taken a single computer processor unit (CPU) 1,500 years to calculate, but scientists from IBM and the University of Newcastle managed to complete this work in just a few months on IBM’s “BlueGene/P” supercomputer, which is designed to run continuously at one quadrillion calculations per second.

    Their work was based on a mathematical formula discovered a decade ago in part by the Department of Energy’s David H. Bailey, the Chief Technologist of the Computational Research Department at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The Australian team took Bailey’s program, which ran on a single PC processor, and made it run faster and in parallel on thousands of independent processors.

    http://blog.energy.gov/blog/2011/04/28/supercomputers-crack-sixty-trillionth-binary-digit-pi-squared

    They should have asked me, I knew this a long time ago. Not so much. LOL!

  26. And they will conveniently ignore this.

    The influential SEIU, one of the nation’s largest labor unions, also is among the first donors to the joint effort.

  31. WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Thursday, May 5th, 2011 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will join members of the National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL) Commission and bipartisan Members of Congress to celebrate the submission of the Commission’s Final Report to Congress and the President.

    Authored by 23 members of the Congressionally-established Commission, the report provides the findings and recommendations for the potential creation of a National Museum of the American Latino in Washington, D.C. Submitted months ahead of schedule, the comprehensive report also reflects the input generated from eight public forums held across country to engage communities in this important study.

    WHO: Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar
    Henry R. Muñoz III, Chairman, National Museum of the American Latino Commission
    Eva Longoria, Activist and Actress
    Emilio Estefan, Vice Chair, National Museum of the American Latino Commission; Producer
    Susan Gonzales, Vice Chair, National Museum of the American Latino Commission
    National Museum of the American Latino Commission members
    Members of Congress

    WHAT: Press Conference: National Museum of the American Latino Final Report

    WHEN: Thursday, May 5th 2011
    10:00 a.m. EDT

    WHERE: U.S. Capitol
    Washington, D.C.
    Mansfield Room (S. 207)
    *Please enter through the Senate official visitor’s entrance, located on the East Side of the Capitol (near the intersection of Constitution and Delaware Ave NE)
    RSVP: Media interested in attending, please RSVP to jordan_montoya@ios.doi.gov

  32. USDA Rural Development officials and Congressman Glenn Thompson celebrated Earth Day this week in Benezette Township, Elk County, Pennsylvania. Benezette Township, home of the largest wild elk herd in the Northeastern United States, lacks public sewer, preventing economic growth and damaging two watersheds with run-off from malfunctioning on-lot septic systems.

    Despite the overwhelming thought that building a $2.5 million wastewater treatment facility would be an impossible task in a small, rural community like Benezette, Pennsylvania Rural Development was able to make it possible through a USDA Water and Waste Disposal loan and grant. The new sewage system will serve the year-round residents and the 50,000 tourists who visit this area each year to hunt, fish, camp and view the elk.
    http://blogs.usda.gov/2011/04/28/high-tourism-area-in-pennsylvania-to-benefit-from-new-usda-funded-wastewater-system/

  33. Why did they have to note that Langoria had eyelashes, tight dress and heels? Her statement sounded very articulate to me, and sounded as if she was paying deep attention to the issues. How she dresses is how she dresses; that’s the standard Hollywood bombshell uniform (that is part of Langoria’s brand) and I’m trying to understand why this was of note to politico.

    Anyways…despite the usual little stank, fresh-mouthed remark from politico, thanks for this link and thanks to Eva for reporting that the DREAM Act is back on the table. There are a lot of Hispanic, Caribbean, and Asian kids in my city who would really benefit from this legislation and I hope that congress acts on this.

  35. They’re not covering it ??? Are you sure ? Because given the connection with Gabby Giffords, this is exactly the kind of story they like to cover…

  36. (btw, that beyonce video is the business; a million terrorist fist bumps to her for joining Let’s Move and looking out for the kiddies).

    Repeating what I said at tpv in response to someone who understandably feels upset and humiliated by the events of the past few days (people people people remember that Trump is a clown; don’t let him take you there):

    One hesitation: someone like Donald Trump cannot shake my personal dignity at all. He has none. He is a shameless (and when I say shameless I mean it) publicity hound who will do *anything* for attention and whose arrogance is a self-caricature as part of that nonstop gambit for attention. Neither he nor the media ambulance chasers who he is playing for suckers have any effect on my dignity as a black woman, not in this lifetime does The Donald make me feel anything but amusement and slight embarrassment *for him* when his media stunts go over the top and leave egg on his face. He’s a fool.

    F- him, f- Buchanan, f- fauxgressives.

    Four more years!! (Love to POTUS for throwing this birther grenade and exposing some pointy hoods).

    ******************

    This buffoon and his phony media stunt is what is it. I love America, and we’re going to be just fine.

  38. Here we go again:

    Crews on Wednesday were still cleaning up more than 600 gallons of crude oil and more than 25,000 gallons of a water-oil mix that spilled out of a pump facility Monday in the Los Padres National Forest, U.S. Forest Service officials said.

    The spill near Four Forks Creek, a tributary of Sespe Creek, was contained as of Wednesday afternoon, but only 5 to 10 percent of the material had been cleaned up, said Andrew Madsen, a spokesman for the Los Padres National Forest.

    Madsen said 610 barrels, or about 25,700 gallons, of mostly water mixed with oil spilled on the surface, as well as 15 barrels, or 630 gallons, of crude oil. The spill was caused by a pump failure, he said.

    “This is a relatively small spill, but we don’t like any spills,” Madsen said.

    Madsen said the Bureau of Land Management gave Seneca Resources the rights to extract minerals in the area.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state Department of Fish and Game, California Coastal Commission and Ventura County Resource Management Agency were among the agencies who responded to the spill, Madsen said.

    Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/apr/27/crews-clean-up-oil-spill-in-los-padres-national/#ixzz1Kv2tP6i7
    – vcstar.com

  49. Well, the thing is, conservatives do not know how to repsond to an accomplished beautiful lady, like Miss Langoria.

  52. ST. LOUIS–U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today joined leaders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), state and local officials, and more than 3 million Americans across the central United States to participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut— the largest-ever, multi-state earthquake drill to be held in the United States, and the first major drill to take place along the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which was the site of one of the worst earthquakes in U.S. history nearly 200 years ago.

    “The devastating storms and tornadoes that have impacted our nation this week are a vivid reminder that disasters of all kinds can strike at any time, and it is vital that all members of our nation’s emergency management team—including the American public—are prepared.” said Secretary Napolitano. “The Great Central U.S. Shakeout exercise will help millions of Americans know how to protect themselves in the event of an earthquake and strengthen the resiliency of communities across the central United States.”

    “The safety of our nation’s children is everyone’s responsibility,” said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “Community leaders, elected officials and educators need to work together to make sure their schools and communities are prepared to respond to earthquakes and other natural disasters.”

    Secretaries Napolitano and Duncan joined Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to participate in this morning’s drill with school officials and students at Carnahan High School of the Future in St. Louis. In total, 2,644 K-12 schools and 117 colleges participated in the ShakeOut, along with businesses, local, state and federal government agencies, child care centers, and many other organizations. Ten states participated in today’s drill, including Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee; Indiana conducted their drill last Tuesday, April 19, 2011.

    http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/administration-officials-join-millions-americans-public-earthquake-drill

  54. Love the cartoons. Love the woodward smackdown. although for those toolbags he probably would have been better drawing them a picture.

    letter to WAPO sent. trashy garbage is all i can say about that paper.

    PBO wins the week imo. He’s stayed classy, above the fray, and kept his focus on the issues.

    Is it just me, or is he also the only one in washington that actually cares if people can get jobs or healthcare?

  56. HUD SECRETARY DONOVAN ANNOUNCES $216 MILLION IN HOMELESS GRANTS
    Grants represent historic investment to confront rural homelessness

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded more than $216 million to nearly 700 new homeless programs across the country. The grants announced today are $26 million more than last year’s grants and, combined with renewal funding announced earlier this year, represents the most homelessness assistance ever awarded by HUD. HUD is also continuing to confront rural homelessness by targeting a record $16.4 million to 87 never-before-funded programs in less populated areas of the country (see attached list of the local programs awarded grants today
    http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2011/HUDNo.11-067

  57. Just remember eugene swings both ways. He’ll do a “fair & balanced” pos shortly. Just watch.

  58. Gn it is Politico’s disgusting and juvenile attempt to delegitimize Longoria’s assessment of the meeting by first portraying her as a “bimbo.”

    Maybe if Eva had come on teevee and spewed teabagglish about Obama’s birth certificate, they wouldn’t have felt the need to degrade her. Not only is she MUCH better looking than any of their fake chlorox-dyed blond,sunburn-tanned, botuxed blow-up dolls in the media/Teapublican party, but clearly, she is head and tails in intelligence above the smartest of their lot, and they CAN’T STAND IT.

  62. 04/28/2011 02:34 PM ShareThis

    US Wind Industry Adds 1100 MW in Q1
    SustainableBusiness.com News

    1,100 MW of new wind capacity was installed in the first quarter of 2011, with another 5,600 MW under construction, reports the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

    That’s nearly twice the amount that was under construction during this same time period in 2009 and 2010. Two-thirds of those megawatts are already locked in under long-term power purchase agreements with electric utilities.

    The US now has a total installed wind base of 41,400 MW -serving 10 million homes.

    http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/22330

    Nice.

  63. 04/28/2011 03:34 PM ShareThis

    LEED Green Building Certification Launched for Healthcare
    SustainableBusiness.com News

    Medical centers, hospitals and other healthcare facilities can get help to reduce their energy and waste costs, while creating healthier buidlings for patients, now that he U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) introduced LEED for Healthcare.

    The latest in the series LEED certification systems, LEED for Healthcare is the culmination of seven years of close collaboration between the Green Guide for Healthcare and USGBC. Green Guide conducted a pilot program with over 100 health care facilities, which assisted in developing the new rating system to meet the unique needs of healthcare facilities.

    http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/22331

  65. 04/28/2011 02:25 PM ShareThis

    Wells Fargo Invests $120M in SunEdison Solar PV
    SustainableBusiness.com News

    Wells Fargo say its subsidiaries will invest up to $120 million over the next year in US solar PV projects developed by SunEdison.

    In 2007, Wells Fargo invested over $200 million in a SunEdison solar investment fund. It financed about 150 SunEdison solar projects in eight states.

    SunEdison offers solar energy to corporations and municipalities under power purchase agreements (PPA), where it builds, manages, and operates the solar systems and customers pay fixed prices at or below retail rates. The model allows customers to avoid upfront installation costs, while protecting them from electricity price hikes.

    SunEdison is responsible for over 400 solar projects totaling over 160 MW in North America, and over 100MW elsewhere.

    http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/22329

  66. Yes, I was annoyed with him on the Tweety Hardball show on Wednesday when he was giggling and agreeing with Hack Howard Fineman that the President felt compelled to to release his long-form certificate because he was slipping in the polls.

    On the other hand, Jonathan K of the Washington Post was in no such mood for bullshyte. He told it like it is on Lawrence O’Donnell’s Countdown: This media-enabled race-baiting Trump stunt is a terrible insult and affront to ALL African-Americans, and should be taken seriously and treated as such.

  67. I plan to watch the Shuttle Endeavour launch this afternoon. I hope most of us can tune in.

  68. There is only one cure for the utter failure of the media to report the truth, and that is:

    BECOME THE MEDIA!

    Shout the truth from rooftops!
    Post it on Facebook!
    Tweet it!
    Write letters to the Editor!

  69. ‘The Independent newspaper,UK 28/4/11″ The day America took leave of Its Senses”. Couldn’t have said it better.
    What Anerica doesn’t understand is that most of the globalites are saddened, not necessarily shocked or surprised at the blatant racism.
    But I do think they are disheartened at the level of disrespect and demonization of their own President that is enabled by the msm,via cable pundits/analysts/reportings in this travesty.

  70. Love it! This is how you make fundamental change…from the ground up. That’s why I can’t believe the so-called black leaders who bash the president that he is not doing enough for people of color. Thank you WIW!

  72. or if she wrote notes on her hand, mis-pronounced words, and could not spell, they would consider her a genius. Or, if she was a faux christian who had daughters who got knocked up and then decided to become abstinate. The right wing pols would consider her a hero.

  74. This is nothing but my guy reaction. I have not had time to sift through facts. But I don’t trust Petraeus. I never have. He has never been a serious friend of this President, has he?

    I understand using him militarily — that’s what he does. And even that has made me uneasy. ‘Keeping him close’? I guess at some point I wish this President could pick his own people to carry out his own agenda. I know confirmation is an issue with the Batshit Crazy Party, but…..

    I don’t trust Petraeus. I do see him writing policy papers for AEI. I see him capable of undermining this President. I also have some issues with a military man at the CIA.

    I will withhold final judgment until I explore it more. But I just don’t trust Petraeus. Hopefully Obama knows a whole lot more than I do (gee, ya think?).

  77. There have been many times I have had an initial question about some of PBO’s appointments, starting with Gates and Clinton. However, I can’t think of an appointment that, in retrospect, hasn’t had a touch of genius to it. Petraeus is an extremely intelligent and, IMO, very patriotic individual. He is a genius at organization. So, having learned my lesson in the past, I am going to withhold any judgement on thsi pick.

  78. Okay, I admit it: I watched the wedding this morning. I watched the BBC America coverage.

    I had forgotten what decent news coverage looked like. I had totally forgotten and that is so damned sad. Through the entire ceremony, except for announcing the pieces of music, the reporters were silent. Silent. You watched the event with no stupid interference from stupid reporters who know nothing about what they’re spouting about. I’m sure the American MSM chattered constantly.

    After the ceremony they had historians and documentarians who actually had something substantive to contribute to historical context. They had silly stuff, too (there were plenty of silly people to cover after all).

    The wedding was stunning. As a former costumer, Kate’s dress was beyond compare. The elegance of the event combined with modernity from a young, yet mature, couple bodes well. My husband thinks the monarchy is nothing but parasites, but I appreciate the 1,000 year old history of the English monarchy.

    And I can’t believe I’m talking about the royal wedding at BWD’s site!

  79. He probably had a high draft number, but he was gaming the system to stay out of Vietnam. After his parents sent him to the military academy because of bad grades and behavioral problems. He allegedly got his act together there.

    So you have rich parents who can ship you off to a military academy, and then choose to not serve your country while expecting others to do so in your place? You effing hypocrite.

    And the middle class, biracial kid did it on his own, with a hardworking mother and grandparents who instilled values of true self-reliance in their son.

    Lawrence Tribe says Obama was a brilliant intern in law school. Jonathan Alter said his SAT scores were fantastic. And Barack Obama did it with his strength of character, hard work. Not rich parents who paved the way.

    Barack Obama spent his entire career in some form of service to his country. Running casinos into bankruptcy is not what I call public service.

  80. There needs to be MORE people calling the media shame on you! You are the one NOT making these accusers show proof or STFU! He goes on teevee after teevee so-called news and political shows and NO ONE challenges the idiot who steps up to the mike to prove their point..where are the facts? no facts, why are you interviewing this idiot? SHAME on ALL MEDIA to entertain liars and people with less than stiller backgrounds. People who prove themselves to be attention whores to increase their ratings by saying anything controversal and the media eats it up to be the first, 2nd, or third so that they can get ratings.

  81. This one has me scratching my head. What possible good can knowing the 60 billionth digit of pi be?

  82. I agree, certainly. Gates, actually, was an inspired choice. I think Hillary has been fine; but I still think there were better choices for SoS.

    Unfortunately, Geithner has been a lightning rod. It will be a good few years before we know the truth about his tenure. I wouldn’t have minded a few more progressive voices on Obama’s economic team.

    Is it so difficult (dKos!) to have honest discussions about Obama’s choices without hurling insults and understanding — like Republicans do — that this President is moving us in a progressive direction, that it will take time to achieve? That supporting this President is the best way to assure a return to progressive values?

  83. This is beyond smart. The New Madrid fault zone has been acting up a lot lately and those people are in just as much danger of suffering from a major earthquake as those of us on the Ring of Fire.

  85. Amazing how people just don’t get how much this administration is doing for people in poverty. Thanks, Jovie.

  86. Geithner has been a lightning rod, but here is my thinking on all this. When Obama became President we were in a mess, largely as a result of things going on in the banking industry. It might be nice to bring in a progressive theoritician to deal with that, but I think, more important is to bring in somebody with inside knowledge of what has been happening and with some degree of trust from the industry. I have seen nothing to indicate that Geithner has been kowtowing to the industry, rather trying to do the things that can be done to correct an awful situation with all relevant aspects taken into consideration.

  87. As I said, I wanted more info on Petraeus. This is enlightening:

    “[F]or Marc Thiessen, Petraeus’ appointment to the CIA is a cause for worry, because of his outspoken opposition to torture:

    Thanks to Obama the CIA is out of the interrogation business, so there is no immediate impact on U.S. interrogation policy (or lack thereof). But that is also the problem. Appointing a CIA director with such restrictive views on interrogation does not bode well for the chances of much-needed improvements in our detention and interrogation policy.

    When Thiessen says that the Obama administration has no “interrogation policy” what he means is that it doesn’t torture people. For him, the two are basically synonymous.

    While Thiessen offers the obligatory praise for the general’s military acumen and leadership in Iraq and Afghanistan, he goes on to point out that Petraeus said in 2009 the U.S. violated the Geneva Conventions and should instead have lived up to “the agreements we have made in the international justice arena, and to practice those.” That’s not how Thiessen sees it:”

  88. oops: More:

    In fact, as I make clear in my book Courting Disaster, the United States did not violate the Geneva Conventions. When Petraeus declares that CIA officials did so, he is effectively calling them war criminals. That is not encouraging to the men and women he may be about to lead.

    Of course, his statements are in line with those made by Attorney General Eric Holder and President Obama, each of whom has leveled similar accusations. Current CIA director Leon Panetta was also a critic of CIA interrogations before taking the helm of the agency. But once he arrived at Langley, while not backing off his prior opposition to the program, Panetta became a strong defender of the agency’s interrogators—vigorously opposing the release of the Justice Department memos detailing the CIA’s interrogation techniques, and fighting Holder’s decision to re-open criminal investigations into their conduct, overriding the considered opinions of career prosecutors who declined to prosecute them. In light of Petraeus’s unfortunate comments, CIA officials have a right to wonder: will they have a similarly vigorous advocate in their new director?

  89. I’m still not sold on Vilsack at Agriculture. That’s a place I really wish we could get someone with no ties to industry who supported permaculture and sustainable agriculture in that office. Yet another reason to keep on working toward our President’s re-election–the hope that he can walk away from some of the ‘favors’ he gave out to staff his cabinet.

  90. Absolutely. I totally agree. I did NOT think some fire-breathing liberal was ever the right choice for Secretary of the Treasury. I do think that a few more progressive voices on the team, not subject to confirmation, would have assuaged some of the fears of the base.

    Geithner was chosen because he could talk Wall St.’s language. Americans still have no idea how close to total global collapse this economy was. I would have liked to have seen more leverage used on economic help for Main St: mortgage relief, etc. The banks did get bailed out and stovepiped their windfall to shareholders. The optics were not great. I think Geithner failed on that.

    I completely support this President. I am completely aware of the immense political challenges he has faced, unprecedented in American history. Let’s be clear that 30 years ago, Republicans supported their elected officials without question and built and waited until they could ‘earn’ the unleashing of the Crazy. The Glenn Greenwalds and Jane Hamshers were never going to support this President. But a more ideologically balanced economic team may have tipped the scales toward the base in ways that could have helped us a lot. Democrats in general are terrible at keeping their base happy. That being said, the Democratic base is laden with childish people who want perfection and they want it RIGHT NOW. It’s why we can’t build sustainable momentum.

    I said in 2008 that if Democrats finally behave, it would take about a decade to turn this country back to progressive discourse and ideals. But they did not. However, I think Obama’s economic team could have included a few more progressives. It would have helped a lot.

  91. Unfortunately, Republicans have been merciless on confirmations of Obama’s appointments. As it is, he has been unable to put together a fully functioning government, like every other President has enjoyed. It’s unconcionable. And unfortunately, Wall St., after this President brought it from 6,000 to 12,000 in two years, is not supporting Obama. because there isn’t enough money for them. God forbid he should be able to exercise some control on their cowboy tactics and actually build a sustainable, safe economy FOR EVERYONE.

    Vilsack, Salazar — mixed bags to be sure. But what ‘liberal’ was going to get confirmed? As it is, if you’re batshit Republican crazy they won’t confirm you.

    That this President has been able to accomplish what he has under these conditions is a miracle.

  94. That’s awesome; those holistic programs are fabulous and most important…they work; they succeed in moving those children ahead. Terrific news; thank you WiW!

  95. This is my favorite part:

    “While we agree that fundamental campaign finance reforms are needed, Karl Rove and the Koch brothers cannot live by one set of rules as our values and our candidates are overrun with their hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Bill Burton, a former White House spokesman and co-founder of the organization.

    “We will follow the rules as the Supreme Court has laid them out, but the days of a double standard are over,” he added.

    Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. I’m not at all pleased at the morass of money that modern politics has become, but until we get the House back and stronger majorities in the Senate, and can come up with some common-sense campaign finance laws — and a Supreme Court that isn’t beholden to immortal corporate “persons” — our side has to stock up on ammunition as well.

  96. Yes, it happened after Bob chastised them; he said if the President would stop talking about it, he would stop talking about it. I was so mad. What a fu*k*ng a**ho*e.

  98. I don’t watch Mika and Joe, infact I thought maybe Mika was a Dem and Joe was a GOP and they present both sides. Guess I was wrong in that supposition. I did watch this clip and decided they are both GOP. Mika protests too much as to the media’s role in the Birther crap not being the catalyst in the incident of the reveal of the long form bc. She kept wanting to lay it at the feet of PBO. Joe at the end put in his dig if the President would quit talking about it it might go away. Bob Woodward kept up his rational points about the media not using facts in deciding what is credibly worthy of coverage and what is not. Thanks for the link so I could see what happened myself.

  99. I read where the WA Post invited Trump as their guest to some WH media event. WTF!!! I think I read it on OFA this morning and there was a plea to let the WA Post know how terrible they were to do this.

  100. Thanks for the responses on the previous thread, where I reported in that I had joined many of you in contacting Macy’s about their showcasing the “Trump collection” among their product line.

    Just sent another email back to them, responding to their answer to me that they, more or less, just sell stuff and not Trump’s “political viewpoint.”

    I added: “OMG, you think ‘racism’ is a ‘political viewpoint’?”

    Then I told them I wouldn’t be writing again, but would share their “viewpoint” with others via social media.

    I’m frosted, but I’m not done. Actually, I’M IN!

  102. Donald Trump must be continually “thrust” upon us by himself and others (Washington Post), etc., to keep the attention on [PRESIDENT OBAMA’S] legitimate birth certificate. In other words, there are (3) things missing on Donald Trump’s birth certificate.

    1.) Certificate Number

    2.) Signature of attending physician

    3.) Signature of hospital administrator

Leave a comment