“Rahm, for the last time, we aren’t putting a stripper pole in the Oval Office.”
More interesting White House in October photos at TPM.
October
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Category Archives: politics
Monday
Yesterday was a fun-filled day of biking, sun and pictures of things. Now back to the grind, if it can really be called that. Not really sure what we’re working on this week, but that’s part of the fun of my job.
Onward!
On the front lines
Today was a very fun day. I got to help be right in the middle of one of the bigger news stories of the day. Zipping from one side of town to the other to both Norm Coleman’s home and Al Franken’s home to take pictures.
Not to belabor the point, but I really dig my job, even when it is stressful. Grats Al.
Sunday talk lineup*: John McCain on ‘This Week’, Clinton, Obama campaign advisers on ‘MTP’
Guest lineup for the Sunday TV news shows:
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ABC’s “This Week” — Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
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CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Gov. Ed Rendell, D-Pa.
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NBC’s “Meet the Press” — David Axelrod, campaign adviser for Barack Obama; Geoff Garin, campaign adviser for Hillary Rodham Clinton.
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CNN’s “Late Edition” — Former presidential candidate Bill Bradley; Gov. Jon Corzine, D-N.J.; Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter; Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa.; Catholic University President David O’Connell; Delia Gallagher, Vatican analyst; Carly Fiorina, adviser to McCain.
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“Fox News Sunday” — Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
*I know these aren’t related to my normal subject matter anymore, but I’ve been posting these for close to a year now, so it’s just habit and I’m sticking to it.
Iraq War, cost breakdown
In the wake of testimony by General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker to both the Senate and the House regarding the state and future strategy of the Iraq War, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi posted an Iraq War cost breakdown on her blog (yes, she has a blog):
The Cost of Iraq War Broken Down
Second: $3,919
Minute: $235,160
Hour: $14.1 million
Day: $338.6 million
Week: $2.4 billion
Month: $10.3 billion
Year: $123.6 billion
There’s a little perspective for you.
I believe I’d like that kettle in black.
Today Bush responded to the passing of a House bill that outlined a timeline for withdraw of troops from Iraq with this:
“The purpose of the emergency war spending bill I requested was to provide our troops with vital funding. Instead, Democrats in the House, in an act of political theater, voted to substitute their judgment for that of our military commanders on the ground in Iraq.”
Is that so? Then what would you call this?
Then of course there is also this little gem (mind you this was made while there was a war going on and kids were dying in Iraq).
What the right-wingers are also leaving out when they talk about the bill, is that it actually funds the war rather than take it away. They are attempting to frame the bill as an attempt to take money and supplies away from troops in order to fund special interests (i.e., the “sweeteners” you’ve heard so much about). Right, this from the people that are continuing to let VA hospitals go to shit. It’s all bullshit.
Here’s the deal. The bill approves $100 billion dollars for Bushes war if he agrees to pull troops out if the war effort is still going to shit come October (I think, it might be August). The other $24 billion is the part that Republicans are calling “pork.” According to the LA Times, that extra money breaks down like this:
Spinach growers got $25 million because the E. coli scare last fall depressed their sales. The shrimp industry received $120 million because of Hurricane Katrina-related losses. Federal support for peanut storage, due to expire after 2006, was extended for one more year at a cost of $74 million. Shellfish producers were compensated $5 million for their losses to a disease known as viral hemorrhagic septicemia.
Hmm, a couple billion dollars to help out agribusiness, doesn’t seem like wasteful spending to me (not like a bridge to nowhere or anything).
So this bill, that Republican and right-wing hacks are calling “a slap in the face to our troops” would actually give them money AND an incentive to get the job done in Iraq. It would basically say to them, “…hey, here’s all the equipment and money you’ve been asking for, secure this shit ASAP and you get to go home and sleep with your wife. Hooah!”
Political theater? I think not Mr. President.
Apropos.
Watada Court-Martial Begins
The court-martial of Lt. Ehren Watada began yesterday with lawyers on both sides questioning potential jurors. In June 2006 Watada openly refused to be deployed to Iraq stating that the war has been proved unjust because unconventional weapons have not been found in Iraq and that American soldiers have mistreated the Iraqis. He also said that President Bush and his administration have unjustly used 9/11 to justify the war.
Currently there are three charges pending against Watada:
- conduct unbecoming an officer (for statements made in speeches and interviews)
- missing movement (for refusing to deploy to Iraq on June 22)
- contempt toward officials (in this case, President Bush)
These charges carry the possible sentence of up to six years in a military prison and dismissal, which is more severe than a dishonorable discharge.
The case has become a rallying point for the anti-war movement and over 1,000 Watada supporters turned out at Ft. Lewis on the first day of his court-martial.
Commenting on the case Capt. Dan Kuecker said at one hearing that: “He betrayed his fellow soldiers who are now serving in Iraq.” Kuecker has not commented on the case outside of court. Many others in the military share Kuecker’s sentiment.
The defense’s attempts to question the legality of the war were thwarted by a judge citing that the legality of the war was not at issue in this case, only Watada’s refusal to be deployed to Iraq and his public statements against the president.
The case continues later this week with Watada’s own testimony which could be the ultimate deciding factor in his verdict.
Reflections
Obama’s Book Deal
Barack Obama and the Book Business
By Peter Osnos, The Century Foundation
Now comes the part in which Obama showed a steely side and displayed an element of character which, while completely legal and entirely within his rights as a writer, makes me uneasy. Everyone agrees that our political system and values are being corroded by money. One subset of the cash culture is that public figures use books funded by large media companies to support a lifestyle that is possible only because their service to the country makes them salable. Generals Tommy Franks and Norman Schwarzkopf came home from their Persian Gulf stints and took about $5 million each to write about their triumphs. Bill and Hillary Clinton earned tens of millions of dollars telling the stories of their lives in the White House. As soon as Newt Gingrich led the GOP to a 1994 takeover of the House of Representatives, he signed a $4 million contract with Rupert Murdoch–owned HarperCollins. Revelation of the deal backfired on Gingrich. Eventually, he took $1 and royalties on copies sold. But the episode made Gingrich a target on ethics issues.After his victory, Obama, on the advice of friends I have been told, decided to replace Dystel as his agent with Robert Barnett, the formidable Washington lawyer who has represented the Clintons and a host of other major Washington political figures and writers. Whereas agents take a flat percentage of all the clients’ earnings—usually 15 percent these days—Barnett charges by the hour, which means that the bill is substantially smaller as a portion of the proceeds on big deals. Dystel, a feisty sort, was furious. I have no idea about the details of interaction between Barnett, Dystel, and Obama, but I would bet it was not warm and fuzzy.
Between Election Day 2004 and his swearing in as a Senator, Obama signed a two-book deal with Crown for “seven figures” (probably somewhere in the vicinity of $1.5–$2.0 million). By signing the contract before taking office, which Hillary Clinton also did on her book deal, Obama does not fall under various requirements for disclosure and reporting that applies to members of Congress. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream was published this month to great fanfare and sold, according to Bookscan, the service that tracks about three-fourths of book sales, 67,000 copies in its first week.
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Like Osnos says, while entirely legal it is a little shady for Barack to be cashing in on services not yet rendered (so to speak, he may in fact prove live up to the hype). Once again, I love Barack Obama, but he is walking a very thin line between celebrity and public servant. He needs to decide which role he prefers more and go with it.
DailyKos Blogger v. George Allen Staffers
You’ve probably heard about it already, but here is some video of the Mike Stark/George Allen incident. Now I don’t know about this. Sure the George Allen staffers went a little overboard in “taking down” Mr. Stark, but his question and the way he went about it was a little overboard as well.
I by no means support George Allen or his racist-laden campaign, but to characterize what Mike Start did as:
…a constituent trying to ask a question after a campaign event is automatically a “protester”.
That’s a little misleading if you ask me. Stark is almost charging toward Allen yelling, “Senator Allen, why did you spit on your first wife?” Now come on, how did he expect Allen and his staff to react?
“Well frankly she was lousy in the sack and she burnt my pancakes whitey!”
While it is wrong how the Allen staffers reacted, I don’t think that Mike Start is totally innocent in the matter. He instigated it with a blatantly ignorant question that served no other purpose than to illicit just such a reaction.
Come on Democrats, if you want the Republicans to be playing fair in the sandbox you can’t be pissing in the corner as well.
Building the Dream Team.
Fantasy Congress: Where People Play Politics
Though still in its infancy, having only been launched three weeks ago, FantasyCongress.com looks to be for armchair pundits what the fantasy sports leagues have been for the sports aficionados. I for one am looking forward to it, though I wonder how well this will play out when people are choosing members of congress merely to win, and not by how much they believe in a Congressman’s stance on the issues.
Right now scoring is simply based on whether or not a chosen Senator or representative submits legislation and how far that legislation makes it in Congress. It will be interesting to see how this pans out, but judging by the enthusiasm of the creators I doubt they will sit on their laurels and not incorporate new methods for calculating scores. It would be interesting to be able to take into account greater statistical data, poll numbers, approval ratings and similar numbers. Like I said though, it still has hardly even spread its wings.
The NY Times has a story.
NOTE: Due to the story in the NY Times as well as coverage on MSNBC (and likely other places) the site is getting some heavy traffic. If it is unavailable or sluggish try again later.
Saving Our Country
Bubba vs. Wallace: P1
For those that haven’t seen it yet the interview between Bill Clinton and Chris Wallace has been floating around. FOX of course promos the video on their website as “Clinton Gets Crazed” because he sort of goes off on Wallace for baiting and switching.
Apparently the deal was that they would split the interview 50/50 between talking about Clinton’s Global Initiative and then whatever else Wallace wanted to talk about. The problem is that within the opening minutes of the interview Wallace immediately launches into a “Why didn’t you kill Bin Laden?” line of questioning. Deciding not to act like so many Democrats these days and just answer with the sound byte and then move on, Bubba answers the question as well as telling Chris why he is annoyed at the question. Clinton then asks Chris why he never asks people from the Bush administration the same question, which Chris dodges like an errant spear.
I love it how the media criticize Democrats for not having some balls and then when one finally shows that they do (although there was never any doubt with Bubba), they say he overreacted. Bull! Here’s one to you Bubba, show ‘em who’s boss.
Judge for yourself.