Sure, Obama is willing to talk with, and listen to, members of the GOP — and solicit their views. But it's nice to know that he's no pushover: President Obama listened to Republican gripes about his stimulus package during a meeting with congressional leaders Friday morning – but he also left no doubt about who's in charge of these negotiations. "I … Read More
Wardrobe Malfunction
I guess the question is, why doesn't this happen more often? Actually, why doesn't this happen more often, too?
Sacrifice
I know in these hard economic times, we have been called upon to make sacrifices. But really. This is just too much to ask: If you seem to be tearing through those Girl Scout Thin Mints a little faster this year, you aren't imagining things. Fewer cookies were packaged into Thin Mints, Do-si-dos and Tagalongs boxes this year, and the … Read More
Time To Change The Fourth Circuit
This op-ed piece in the New York Times reminds me: we can (and should) do something about the Fourth Circuit. The article is written by Judge Wilkinson, a staunch conservative, and a main driving force that gives the Fourth Circuit the reputation as being the most conservative in the country. The Fourth Circuit is the federal court of appeals (one … Read More
Another Good Beginning
Obama reversed the gag rule: THIS WEEK marks the 20th anniversary of a profound and misguided change in US foreign policy: the Reagan administration's "global gag rule," which was first announced at an international family planning conference in Mexico City in August 1984. The "Mexico City" policy prohibits US dollars and contraceptive supplies from going to any international family planning … Read More
The “West Wing” Opening Sequence Reworked
Emily will dig this… Sadly, I don't know who a lot of these people are (yet)….
Gillabrand Takes Clinton’s Old Seat
Who? I still don't know why Carolina dropped out. And the first thing I heard about Kirsten Gillabrand was that she was endorsed by the NRA. That doesn't bode well.
The “Obama Is Dangerous” Meme Starts
Over at The Corner, Mark Thiesson (former Bush speechwriter) gripes: Less than 48 hours after taking office, Obama has begun dismantling those institutions without time for any such review. The CIA program he is effectively shutting down is the reason why America has not been attacked again after 9/11. He has removed the tool that is singularly responsible for stopping … Read More
I Didn’t Think So
While watching the inauguration, I wondered how Yo-yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman and their buds could possibly be playing their stringed instruments in that frigid cold. Don't strings snap? Doesn't the temperature affect their instrument's tone? Turns out, they weren't playing them at all. It was a recording.
To Boldly Split Verbs Where No One Has Split Them Before
Did Chief Justice Roberts mess up the Constitutional oath? Or was he just a stickler for proper English grammar? The oath says "…will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States…". Roberts prompted Obama to say "…to execute the Office of the President of the United States faithfully…" But this op-ed suggests that Roberts simply was using … Read More
Hitting the Ground Running
From closing Gitmo to transparent governing, from freezing last-minute Bush regulations to slowing the government-lobbying revolving door, the Obama administration has been very busy these past 24 hours. WaPo has the full rundown, all of it extremely gratifying to read. Glenn Greenwald praises: Barack Obama will have spent his first several days in office issuing a series of executive orders … Read More
Revelations From Bush Era: American Journalists Spied Upon
One day into his administration, and Obama is already making leaps and bounds in removing the secrecy that so characterized the Bush Administration. In the sweep of a pen, Obama has made the process of governing more open and transparent. But the damage has been done. MSNBC's Keith Olbermann interviewed Russell Tice, a former National Security Agency analyst last night. Tice … Read More
2008 Oscar Nominees (And My Predictions)
Let's get right to it: BEST PICTUREThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonFrost/NixonMilkThe ReaderSlumdog Millionaire Probably one of the easiest categories to predict this year. It's Slumdog Millionaire. BEST DIRECTORDanny Boyle, Slumdog MillionaireDavid Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonRon Howard, Frost/NixonStephen Daldry, The ReaderGus Van Sant, Milk When in doubt (as I am), go with the guy who directed the … Read More
Do-Over Done
Obama was sworn in again. Hope restored. UPDATE: Well, you would think that would be the end of it. I mean, it wasn't necessary in the first place (George Washington wasn't sworn in until seven weeks until his administration). But no. NOW the gripe is going to be that Obama, when he re-took the oath, did not have his left … Read More
What’s Different About This Picture?
Well, the obvious. It's President Obama, rather than President Bush. But there's something else. Scour photos of the Oval Office over the last eight years and there is one thing you won't see — a man sans jacket. That's because Bush had a rule — jackets always in the Oval Office. Obama, consciously or subconsciously in keeping with his … Read More