Obama's Got Flaws?

If you weren't paying attention this summer, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama caused a mini shock wave when he suggested that American children should learn Spanish.

"It's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is merci beaucoup, right?"

As our new Commander in Chief, President Obama has made education a top priority, hoping to prove to parents that learning a foreign language shouldn't be a luxury or a hobby, but a priority. In today's global economy, language skills can make the difference when looking for a job, structuring business deals, or running the most powerful country in the world.

Curiously, President Obama has some shortcomings of his own when it comes to this problem. As he stated during his controversial comments, "I don't speak a foreign language. It's embarrassing!"

While there are reports that President Obama may speak a bit of Indonesian and Spanish, one has to wonder if he will take up his own challenge.

Comedian of the Day: Blago!

I seriously doubt that I'll be more entertained by another politician's sheer stupidity as I've been by Rod Blogojevich's. Wow. This guy may be getting impeached, but he should win something for the "most references to cultural and global icons that have absolutely nothing to do with you, or your situation." F-bomb phone calls trying to sell a Senate seat......get you impeached. Trying to tie the image of Ghandi into this mess as an explanation......priceless.

The Chicago Tribune posted a time-line of the implosion of our Dear Mayor. Have a look an savor the moment.

Dec. 5: The Tribune reveals that federal investigators have secretly wiretapped Gov. Rod Blagojevich as part of a long-running probe of his administration.

Dec. 8: Blagojevich, asked about the Tribune report, says, "I don't believe there's any cloud that hangs over me. I think there's nothing but sunshine hanging over me."

Dec. 9: FBI agents call up Blagojevich in the early-morning hours and tell him he is being arrested. He asks, "Is this a joke?" and is told it is not. The agents lead him away in handcuffs. U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald announces at a news conference that Blagojevich and chief of staff John Harris are accused of trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama and pressuring Tribune Co. to fire editorial writers critical of Blagojevich.

Dec. 10: Obama joins the growing calls for Blagojevich to resign. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., referred to as "Senate Candidate 5" in the criminal complaint, declares that he had no involvement in the alleged scheme by Blagojevich to sell the Senate seat.

Dec. 12: Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan asks the state Supreme Court to remove Blagojevich from office because of a "disability."

Dec. 15: The Illinois House launches its first-ever impeachment probe of a governor.

Dec. 17: The Illinois Supreme Court rejects Lisa Madigan's move to have the governor declared unfit.

Dec. 19: In his first public remarks about the charges against him, Blagojevich declares: "I will fight, I will fight, I will fight. Until I take my last breath. I have done nothing wrong." He also recites poetry by Rudyard Kipling.

more please...

Obama Signs First Legislation

Yet another good sign from our new president. This law will ensure the equitable treatment and protection of all those that were unfairly treated; it also slaps back at the SCOTUS decision that denied Ms. Ledbetter's rights. And besides, you can't go wrong with something called "the Fair-Pay Act", can you? Oh wait, who remembers the Clean Air Act? Orwell must be having a great time.

From the NY Times:

Mr. Obama told Ms. Ledbetter’s story over and over again during his campaign for the White House; she spoke frequently as an advocate for him during his campaign, and made an appearance at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Now 70, Ms. Ledbetter discovered when she was nearing retirement that her male colleagues were earning much more than she was. A jury found her employer, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company plant in Gadsden, Ala., guilty of pay discrimination. But in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court threw out the case, ruling that she should have filed her suit within 180 days of the date that Goodyear first paid her less than her peers.

Congress tried to pass a law that would have effectively overturned the decision while President George W. Bush was still in office, but the White House opposed the bill; opponents contended it would encourage lawsuits and argued that employees could delay filing their claims in the hope of reaping bigger rewards. But the new Congress passed the bill, which restarts the six-month clock every time the worker receives a paycheck .

Ms. Ledbetter will not see any money as a result of the legislation Mr. Obama signed into law. But what she has gotten, aside from celebrity, is personal satisfaction, as she said in the State Dining Room after the signing ceremony.

“Goodyear will never have to pay me what it cheated me out of,” she said. “In fact, I will never see a cent. But with the president’s signature today I have an even richer reward.”

Cartoon of the Day!

From Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartonnists Index

Obama Al-Arabiya Interview

So I happened to be channel-flipping and to my dismay, I landed on Hannity's Hannity. He was in full manatee mode, ridiculing Obama for talking to a Muslim outlet about Muslim issues.
For some reason, Obama's move makes a lot of sense to me. I mean, talking directly to the people is a good idea, right? And again, for some reason, Hannity doesn't like good ideas. Still, it's nice to see him squirm. Here's what the Washington Times had to say about it:

President Obama's choice of an Arab news channel for his first sit-down television interview since taking office jolted the Muslim world Tuesday, with Saudi Arabia voicing approval and Iran offering a tepid wait-and-see assessment.
Mr. Obama's decision to give his first TV interview to the satellite news channel Al Arabiya was intended as an olive branch to the Middle East and to Muslims, the White House said.
"The president believed that this was an opportunity to show the world that he would be personally involved and engaged in seeking long-lasting peace in the Middle East," said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.
A prominent Palestinian lawmaker, Hanan Ashrawi, said of the interview: "People are starting to feel this isn't just lip service."
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal called the Obama interview a positive development.
Prince Saud said the president expressed a "desire to have a strong and fruitful relationship with the Arab world."
A Jordanian Cabinet minister said Mr. Obama's Middle East vision matches Jordan's desire for a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.
"It sounds like the new American administration seems keen on implementing the desires of the region rather than imposing their desires on the region," said Nasser Judeh, the Cabinet minister.
All too often, the president said, "the United States starts by dictating."
Even Hamas, which originally dismissed Mr. Obama's administration as a continuation of the Bush administration, has softened its stance.
"He respects the freedom of others. He respects the rights of others. He respects the rights of nations. He is forthcoming," said Nasser al-Din Sahaer, the deposed Hamas deputy prime minister from the West Bank city of Nablus.
"Palestinians should invest in such a personality," he said.

Dismiss this as hot air all you want, but I see a marked improvement in the "for show" attitudes of diplomats and leaders in these countries. I know it's only been a few weeks, but at least on the surface, things seem to be different. Somehow, I'm hopeful. Not ecsatic. But hopeful.

HUGE Bailout Passes

Well, our natinal debt just shot up a bit. Gosh, I love paying interest. And all this time, I've been foolishly watching my credit, and not overspending.

I'm just glad that I'm young and flexible enough not to be crushed by this mounting debt. Form the AP:

In a swift victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House approved a historically huge $819 billion stimulus bill Wednesday night with spending increases and tax cuts at the heart of the young administration's plan to revive a badly ailing economy. The vote was 244-188, with Republicans unanimous in opposition despite Obama's frequent pleas for bipartisan support.

"This recovery plan will save or create more than three million new jobs over the next few years," the president said in a written statement released moments after the House voted. Still later, he welcomed congressional leaders of both parties to the White House for drinks as he continued to lobby for the legislation.

Earlier, Obama declared, "We don't have a moment to spare" as congressional allies hastened to do his bidding in the face of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

The vote sent the bill to the Senate, where debate could begin as early as Monday on a companion measure already taking shape. Democratic leaders have pledged to have legislation ready for Obama's signature by mid-February.

A mere eight days after Inauguration Day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the events heralded a new era. "The ship of state is difficult to turn," said the California Democrat. "But that is what we must do. That is what President Obama called us to do in his inaugural address."

With unemployment at its highest level in a quarter-century, the banking industry wobbling despite the infusion of staggering sums of bailout money and states struggling with budget crises, Democrats said the legislation was desperately needed.

"Another week that we delay is another 100,000 or more people unemployed. I don't think we want that on our consciences," said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and one of the leading architects of the legislation.

Republicans said the bill was short on tax cuts and contained too much spending, much of it wasteful, and would fall far short of administration's predictions of job creation.

The party's leader, Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, said the measure "won't create many jobs, but it will create plenty of programs and projects through slow-moving government spending." A GOP alternative, comprised almost entirely of tax cuts, was defeated, 266-170.

On the final vote, the legislation drew the support of all but 11 Democrats, while all Republicans opposed it.

Man Freezes to Death

President Obama has a lot on his plate. But making sure this doesn't happen anymore has got to be a priority. And the city thinks it did nothing wrong. People should hang for this. Literally. In the middle of the city. With people watching.

From ABC News:

The Michigan Attorney General's Office is reviewing the case of a 93-year-old man who died of hypothermia after a municipal power company restricted his use of electricity. Neighbors on Tuesday said they were outraged that the city apparently restricted Marvin Schur's power use because of unpaid bills. Schur's body was discovered on the floor next to the bed inside his Bay City home on Jan. 17, a few days after a limiter was installed to control his power use.

"I am just livid over this," said Jerome Anderson, 55, who lives across the street from Schur. "It's unconscionable that something like this could happen."

A city commission voted on Monday to raise electric rates by three percent, as angry voters peppered city officials with questions about Schur's death, according to the Bay City Times.

Mayor Charles Brunner said the city will ensure something similar doesn't happen again, the Times reported.

"It's just unfortunate that this gentleman didn't reach out," Brunner said. "We would have been there. We would have pointed him in the right direction or put him on some sort of payment plan."

The temperature inside Schur's house was below 32 degrees and the water in the kitchen sink had frozen, said Dr. Kanu Virani, the Oakland County deputy chief medical examiner who performed the autopsy on Schur, a World War II veteran.

A New Tone

Wow. What a difference a new administration makes. Who can tell me how Susan Rice differs from Bolton? I'll wait. (But just in case you're stuck, I've highlighted the answers for you.)

From VOA News:

Repeating what she told Congress during her confirmation hearing earlier this month, Ambassador Susan Rice said the United States' goals at the United Nations are four-fold.

"Strengthening the capacity of the organization to engage effectively in complex peace operations at a time when the burdens and challenges placed on the institution are greater than ever," Rice said. "Advancing our national and collective agenda to address climate change and the challenges of non-proliferation are two other important objectives. And putting the United States at the center of international efforts to support poverty reduction, development, fighting disease and achieving the Millennium Development Goals."

She said President Barack Obama's view is clear - that the United States' security and well-being can best be advanced in cooperation and in partnership with other nations.

"There is no more important forum for that effective cooperation than the United Nations. I am looking very much forward to engaging in a cooperative, constructive fashion with my colleagues here in New York," Rice said.

Change Hits Gas Tanks

I can't wait for the arguments that are going to roar up over this move. It's about time. I mean, I own part of the automakers now; and I want MY companies to be competitive. Make efficient cars; compete with Toyota (just recently topped GM) and Honda.

Change is coming. From USA Today:

President Obama reversed more Bush administration policies Monday, endorsing state efforts to restrict tailpipe emissions and ordering higher fuel-efficiency standards.

These are "the first steps" toward "energy independence," Obama said during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House.

The actions are aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and curbing greenhouse gases and global warming. They will make it easier for states to adopt tougher fuel-efficiency rules than the federal standard.

"I cannot promise a quick fix," Obama said, but he pledged a "steady, focused, pragmatic" effort.

Obama asked the Environmental Protection Agency to revisit its Bush-era refusal to allow California and 13 other states to enact higher tailpipe emission standards.

"The days of Washington dragging its heels are over," Obama said.

Obama ordered the Department of Transportation to develop higher fuel-efficiency standards automakers would have to follow.

The administration is not trying to burden struggling automakers, Obama said, "it is to help American automakers prepare for the future."

Still Bombing Pakistan

President Obama is keeping his campaign promises, as the newest wave of Pakistani raids has shown. He's not backing down from his position: we'll strike when we can, and when they can't. Makes sense. I just wonder what the next move is, because if this keeps up, the pro-western government of Pakistan isn't going to last until 2010. We'll call this the latest installment of the crap hitting the fan. From the Times Online:

Missiles fired from suspected US drones killed at least 15 people inside Pakistan today, the first such strikes since Barack Obama became president and a clear sign that the controversial military policy begun by George W Bush has not changed.

Security officials said the strikes, which saw up to five missiles slam into houses in separate villages, killed seven "foreigners" - a term that usually means al-Qaeda - but locals also said that three children lost their lives.

Dozens of similar strikes since August on northwest Pakistan, a hotbed of Taleban and al-Qaeda militancy, have sparked angry government criticism of the US, which is targeting the area with missiles launched from unmanned CIA aircraft controlled from operation rooms inside the US.

The operations were stepped up last year after frustration inside the Bush administration over a perceived failure by Islamabad to stem the flow of Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters from the tribal regions into Afghanistan. Mr Obama has made Afghanistan his top foreign policy priority and said during his presidential campaign that he would consider military action inside Pakistan if the government there was unable or unwilling to take on the militants.

Pakistan has objected to such attacks, saying they are a violation of its territory that undermines its efforts to tackle militants. Since September, the US is estimated to have carried out about 30 such attacks, killing more than 220 people.

Nashville Stays Immigration-Friendly

Honestly, I don't really care about this issue, one way or the other. But I thought the highlighted part of the story was hilarious. Ladies and gentlemen, your elected officials at work. From the NY Times:

Nashville voters on Thursday rejected a proposal to make English the city’s official language and largely prevent government workers from communicating in other languages.

The proposal was introduced by Eric Crafton, a metropolitan councilman. It was opposed by a broad coalition including the mayor, civil rights groups, business leaders, ministers and the heads of nine institutions of higher education.

“The results of this special election reaffirm Nashville’s identity as a welcoming and friendly city,” Mayor Karl Dean said in a statement.

Mr. Crafton had said the policy would encourage immigrants to learn English and save the city more than $100,000 in translation and related costs. The policy allowed exceptions to its English-only rule for issues of health and safety.

Critics said the proposal would tarnish Nashville’s reputation as a cultural mixing pot and drive away immigrants and international businesses. They also accused Mr. Crafton of worsening anti-immigrant sentiment and wasting at least $350,000 of taxpayer’s money on a special election.

Gitmo Closure Overview

Great article about the challenges of closing Gitmo. Even if this move wasn't exactly monumental in scope when you look at everything that is going on and what Obama has inherited, the symbolism goes a long way to suggest that Obama was the same candidate that his supporters voted for in November. Gitmo has to close. From Reuters UK:

Q: How many detainees are still at Guantanamo and why was it opened?

A: About 245 detainees remain at Guantanamo, which was set up in January 2002 to hold foreign terrorism suspects captured after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States that prompted former President George W. Bush's war on terrorism. Most have been held for years without being charged and many have complained of abuse. At least 525 have been released and five died in custody -- four of suicide by hanging and one of cancer.

Q: If Guantanamo Bay prison is closed, where will the detainees go?

A: The Bush administration negotiated for many months with countries whose nationals are still at Guantanamo, trying to get them to take in detainees.

Some governments have denied the Guantanamo prisoners are in fact their citizens, while others have been reluctant to agree to U.S. requests to imprison or monitor returnees.

Some of those being held include Chinese Muslim Uighurs who Washington says would face persecution if they returned home, together with Libyans, Uzbeks and Algerians who are also at risk.

Some could be granted asylum by other nations if their own countries refuse to take them.

Last month, Portugal's foreign minister urged other European countries to take in Guantanamo prisoners, saying such a move could make it easier for Obama to close the prison. Switzerland has said it is open to taking in detainees.

Q: What other problems does Obama face in closing the prison?

A: There are a host of legal and practical problems, particularly concerning those who are deemed "too dangerous" to free. More than a third of the prisoners left are from Yemen and the State Department has still not been able to reach a deal with that country on either security assurances or guarantees that prisoners would be treated humanely.

The Bush administration wanted to try about 80 Guantanamo prisoners on terrorism charges and held a few dozen others it did not intend to try but believed should be kept locked up. Those facing charges include five accused Sept. 11 plotters.

Q: What about transferring detainees to the U.S. mainland where they could face trials for their alleged crimes?

A: This option has been discussed often but is unpopular with local communities where they might be settled, including military base prisons in Kansas and California. There is a "not in my backyard" response to such a move. Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, a Republican, has been particularly vocal in opposing Guantanamo detainees being moved to Fort Leavenworth's military prison in his state. Brownback has invited Obama to visit the high-security facility to make his case of how unsuitable he deems it for Guantanamo prisoners.

Q: If the detainees are transferred to the U.S. mainland would they have the same rights as other Americans?

A: This was a strong argument made by the Bush administration in opposing a move to the U.S. mainland from Guantanamo. By transferring them to the U.S. mainland, more legal options could be open to detainees to challenge their imprisonment.

(Editing by Eric Beech and Frances Kerry)

It's Palin!

I am fully aware that I run the risk of incurring the wrath of the "real Americans"; you know, the small-town folk in fly-over country that merit such a moniker from a VP candidate, whose opinion is based solely on their support for the GOP. So to those people, I apologize in advance.

Now, I'm all for leaving kids out of the mess that defines our political process. Families should be protected and left alone. But if you're going to use your family as a background for your campaign, and use them to drive home the point that you're a hockey MOM, then that opens the door for the media. HOLD ON - LET ME FINISH. Even at that point, I think that the kids should be left out. They didn't ask for anything. They shouldn't suffer the consequences of fame.

But when the candidate herself promotes policies that clearly fail, and her own family is a shining example of her stubbornness and refusal to see the errors of her judgment, then by all means, lets get it out. I don't mean to imply that the press should report stupid rumors and unchecked "facts", but when Palin's daughter ends up pregnant, then the Barracuda's policies come into question.
What annoys me even more is how Palin touts the fact that her daughter "had a choice", when she clearly is on the side of NO choice. And that's where I circle her picture in the paper and write HYPOCRITE over her winking face.
Let me be clear. I would never counsel anyone to get an abortion. But that's MY opinion. And even though I feel that way, I don't think MY opinion should be held over anyone's head. That's the fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives. One side wants freedom of choice, and the other wants freedom for their choice.

Judging Obama By Book Covers

In the closing weeks of the presidential race, a picture of Obama carrying a copy of "A Post-American World" circulated the blogosphere. More often than not, it was accompanied by eloquent displays of enlightened verbiage, such as : "he hates America", or "it's written by a Muslim", and my personal favorite "he's planning the destruction of our country with his Muslim accomplices".
Now I'm not going to go into why each and every one of those thoughts is stupid. (Although it was in fact written by a Muslim, the reason behind explicitly saying so makes it a stupid argument.) But I am going to extrapolate something: if a book choice warranted that kind of attention, maybe there is something to the idea that you CAN tell something about a man by the books he reads. The NY Times thinks so:

In college, as he was getting involved in protests against the apartheid government in South Africa, Barack Obama noticed, he has written, “that people had begun to listen to my opinions.” Words, the young Mr. Obama realized, had the power “to transform”: “with the right words everything could change -— South Africa, the lives of ghetto kids just a few miles away, my own tenuous place in the world.”
Much has been made of Mr. Obama’s eloquence — his ability to use words in his speeches to persuade and uplift and inspire. But his appreciation of the magic of language and his ardent love of reading have not only endowed him with a rare ability to communicate his ideas to millions of Americans while contextualizing complex ideas about race and religion, they have also shaped his sense of who he is and his apprehension of the world.
As a boy growing up in Indonesia, Mr. Obama learned about the American civil rights movement through books his mother gave him. Later, as a fledgling community organizer in Chicago, he found inspiration in “Parting the Waters,” the first installment of Taylor Branch’s multivolume biography of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
More recently, books have supplied Mr. Obama with some concrete ideas about governance: it’s been widely reported that “Team of Rivals,” Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book about Abraham Lincoln’s decision to include former opponents in his cabinet, informed Mr. Obama’s decision to name his chief Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, as Secretary of State. In other cases, books about F. D. R.’s first hundred days in office and Steve Coll’s “Ghost Wars,“ about Afghanistan and the C.I.A., have provided useful background material on some of the myriad challenges Mr. Obama will face upon taking office.
Mr. Obama tends to take a magpie approach to reading — ruminating upon writers’ ideas and picking and choosing those that flesh out his vision of the world or open promising new avenues of inquiry.
His predecessor, George W. Bush, in contrast, tended to race through books in competitions with Karl Rove (who recently boasted that he beat the president by reading 110 books to Mr. Bush’s 95 in 2006), or passionately embrace an author’s thesis as an idée fixe. Mr. Bush and many of his aides favored prescriptive books — Natan Sharansky’s “Case for Democracy,” which pressed the case for promoting democracy around the world, say, or Eliot A. Cohen’s “Supreme Command,” which argued that political strategy should drive military strategy. Mr. Obama, on the other hand, has tended to look to non-ideological histories and philosophical works that address complex problems without any easy solutions, like Reinhold Niebuhr’s writings, which emphasize the ambivalent nature of human beings and the dangers of willful innocence and infallibility.
What’s more, Mr. Obama’s love of fiction and poetry — Shakespeare’s plays, Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick” and Marilynne Robinson‘s “Gilead” are mentioned on his Facebook page, along with the Bible, Lincoln’s collected writings and Emerson’s “Self Reliance“ — has not only given him a heightened awareness of language. It has also imbued him with a tragic sense of history and a sense of the ambiguities of the human condition quite unlike the Manichean view of the world so often invoked by Mr. Bush.

Obama's Service on MLK Day

I'm sure there are some out there who sneer at the thought that President-elect Obama was actually trying to make a difference today as he volunteered his last day as -elect at a homeless shelter. I'm also equally sure that that those same people will come out tomorrow mocking the symbolic gesture.
I have one question for those people: where were you today? If you did not have to go to work, did you volunteer? Or did you think, like you always do, that it's pointless, and not really worth your time?
It may have been symbolic on his part; it may have been a good photo op. But he put in real hours; and symbolic or not, if all of us volunteered ONE hour a week, how much of a difference can we make?

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?' MLK Jr.

From the NY Times:

Barack Obama rolled up his sleeves on Monday and helped out at a homeless center, devoting much of his last full day as president-elect to paying tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and to the spirit of volunteerism and public service he said Mr. King represented.
Mr. Obama began the day visiting wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, his second homage to the military in two days, after a somber visit Sunday to Arlington National Cemetery. Mr. Obama was accompanied at Walter Reed by Martin Luther King III.
Monday is the federal holiday commemorating the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights icon, who for some people foreshadowed the ascendance of someone like Obama with his “I Have a Dream” speech delivered in 1963 from the Lincoln Memorial.
“Today, we celebrate the life of a preacher who, more than forty-five years ago, stood on our national mall in the shadow of Lincoln and shared his dream for our nation,” Obama said in a statement. “His was a vision that all Americans might share the freedom to make of our lives what we will; that our children might climb higher than we would.
“Dr. Martin Luther King’s was a life lived in loving service to others. As we honor that legacy, it’s not a day just to pause and reflect — it’s a day to act.” He called on ordinary Americans to take part Monday in public service projects across the country and then to make “an ongoing commitment to enriching the lives of others in their communities, their cities and their country.”
It was a call to service not unlike that issued by another young American leader, President John F. Kennedy, though perhaps with added resonance because of Obama’s experience as a community organizer working with the jobless and needy on the South Side of Chicago.
In late morning, Obama arrived at the Sasha Bruce House, said to be the only emergency shelter for homeless teens in Washington. Television showed him doffing his overcoat and rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt — which he wore tieless, and with an open collar — before helping paint a wall shades of blue, using a roller with an extension handle. He chatted easily with the young people, and at one point appeared to bend over to tie a shoe.
The house, situated about 10 blocks northeast of the Capitol Building, seeks to provide homeless teens with a sense of comfort and community; residents stay in furnished apartments, and the center trains them in cooking, cleaning and computer use, and counsels them in finding work and medical help, with an emphasis on cultivating self-reliance.
Separately, Michelle Obama and Vice president-elect Joseph Biden Jr. arrived, amid considerable excitement, to take part in other service projects.

Jewish Extremists Target Other Jews

Just goes to show...There are crazies on all sides of every issue. Form the Independent:

British Jews have been attacked for expressing support for Palestinians suffering under Israeli military strikes in Gaza. Police confirmed yesterday that they have provided protection to a number of people believed to be victims of UK-based Zionist extremists angered by expressions of solidarity with Palestinians.
Israel's assault on Gaza has prompted a rise in anti-Semitic attacks in Britain, with more than 150 incidents reported by the Community Security Trust (CST), an organisation for the protection of Jews. But the past two weeks have also seen aggression within the Jewish community towards those sympathetic to the plight of Gaza.
Rabbi Elchenon Beck, 39, was among six rabbis expressing support for Gaza's Palestinians who were set upon by a gang of what they allege were Zionists while walking back from opposing rallies outside the Israeli Embassy on 6 January. "They were shouting and pushed someone to the floor, so we called the police," Rabbi Beck said. "All the time they are trying to intimidate us, but we get used to it."
Rabbi Aharon Cohen, a Palestinian sympathiser and member of the anti-Zionist group Neturei Karta, had his letter box destroyed by a powerful firework after attending the peace march in Manchester this month.
Mark Gardner, of the CST, said it had not kept records of attacks within the Jewish community, but condemned those using the situation in Israel to justify violence in Britain.
"There's passionate political debate," he said, "but what's vitally important is that it does not spill over so that we become participants in a war by proxy."

Fighting Ends In Gaza

Farewell President Bush

I've waited for this moment for quite some time. I couldn't wait for President Bush's last speech; couldn't imagine a day marked by a president that could deliver a speech without giving comedians enough material to last for years. But today, I was surprised.

President Bush looked and sounded sincere. I thought he was going to lose it when talking about the surgeon and his son. He was at his best. HE related to me as a regular guy; and I was moved by his portrayal of the decisions he had to make, and the unprecedented challenges that he faced.

That said, I feel he could have done more. Just like the days following Spetember 11th, this was a chance to deliver a unifying message; a message that would have been well received by a public still anxious for direction and reassurance. None of his material was forward-thinking.

So I'd score this as a mediocre speech; it did send President Bush off on a good note; but it did not even begin to change opinions about his presidency, or his legacy. Only time will tell, but even the examples that he directly mentioned are tenuous at best. The moderates in this country could have used a unifying message from this President. They really didn't get that tonight.

Airplane Crashes in the Hudson - Exclusive Perspective

Picture taken by a ferry passanger at the site of the crash.

Torture at Guantanamo Bay

So much for the administration's stance on whether or not the US tortures people. Surely, the ones that are going to pay for this are the front-line soldiers that actually carried out the interrogation. I wonder when some higher-ups will get their comeuppance.

From the BBC:

US agents at Guantanamo Bay tortured a Saudi man suspected of involvement in the 11 September attacks, the official overseeing trials at the camp has said.

Susan Crawford told the Washington Post newspaper that Mohammad al-Qahtani had been left in a "life-threatening condition" after being interrogated.She said Mr Qahtani had been subjected to sustained periods of cold, isolation and sleep deprivation.Mr Qahtani remains at Guantanamo, but all charges against him were dropped.He had been facing trial on counts of conspiracy, terrorism, and murder in violation of the laws of war.

'Overly aggressive'

Although officials gave no reason for halting the prosecution in May 2008, Ms Crawford said in her interview that the decision had been taken because of the methods used by US agents."His treatment met the legal definition of torture. And that's why I did not refer the case," she said.

Ms Crawford, who was appointed convening authority for military commissions in February 2007, said Mr Qahtani had been interrogated for 18 to 20 hours a day almost continuously for eight weeks."The techniques they used were all authorised, but the manner in which they applied them was overly aggressive and too persistent," she said.Ms Crawford said she was shocked, upset and embarrassed by the treatment he had received.

She said: "If we tolerate this and allow it, then how can we object when our servicemen and women, or others in foreign service, are captured and subjected to the same techniques?"How can we complain? Where is our moral authority to complain? Well, we may have lost it."

Cartoon of the Day!

Mike Keefe @ Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonists Index

Your Tarnished Civil Rights

Incredible. I wonder how much of this kind of stuff will come out after Bush leaves office. All of the sudden, I'm wondering if any probe into illegality and deception on the part of this administration will uncover something so massive and interconnected, that it will literally singe the Constitution.

But I guess the my incredulity can just as easily turn into amazement; how did they manage to do this, and keep doing this, over the course of EIGHT years. I AM amazed.

From ABC:

A former Justice Department official discriminated against liberal job applicants at the department and then made false statements to Congress on the matter, according to a Justice Department report released Tuesday.

The probe, conducted by two watchdog groups within the department, reviewed "allegations that political or ideological affiliations were considered in hiring, transferring and assigning cases to career attorneys in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice," specifically under former DOJ official Bradley Schlozman, who held an interim post at the head of the division.

According to the report, Schlozman circumvented many of his colleagues and arranged the hiring of lesser-qualified applicants based on their conservative political ideology.

The jobs involved were not political appointments but career positions for which candidates, according to federal law and guidelines, are to be selected for their qualifications, not their political or ideological leanings.

The report notes that Department of Justice officials interviewed as part of the investigation said Schlozman believed many career employees at the departments were holdovers from the Clinton administration and not, as Schlozman reportedly said, "on the team." He wanted to hire "real Americans," a term those interviewed said Schlozman used "when referring to political conservatives."

Additionally, in a February 2006 voice mail Schlozman left for a colleague, he said that in hiring volunteer interns, experience relevant to the job should not always work in the candidate's favor.

Mideast Peace

From the NY Times:

Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton signaled on Tuesday that the United States would try to increase its diplomatic contacts with Iran and Syria, and she declared that the vision of Israelis and Palestinians co-existing in peace and prosperity must not be abandoned.

Despite the “seemingly intractable problems” in the Middle East, “we cannot give up on peace,” Senator Clinton said before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is considering whether to confirm her selection as President-elect Barack Obama’s top diplomat.

Mrs. Clinton said America must recognize Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas rockets but cannot ignore the suffering of Palestinians citizens, as well as Israelis. “Real security for Israel, normal and positive relations with its neighbors” as well as genuine security for Palestinians must continue to be America’s ideal, she said.

The 61-year-old senator, who was warmly received notwithstanding pointed remarks from the committee’s leading Republican about her husband’s fund-raising activities, acknowledged that lasting peace in the Middle East, and the idea of Israel and a Palestinian state living side by side, are dreams that have been elusive.

Noting that “many presidents, including my husband,” have spent years trying to achieve peace in the Middle East, Mrs. Clinton said: “We cannot give up on peace. The president-elect and I understand and are deeply sympathetic to Israel’s desire to defend itself under the current conditions and to be free of shelling by Hamas rockets.

“However,” she went on, “we have also been reminded of the tragic humanitarian costs of conflict in the Middle East and paid by the suffering of Palestinian and Israeli civilians. This must only increase our determination to seek a just and lasting peace agreement that brings real security to Israel, normal and positive relations with its neighbors; independence, economic progress and security to the Palestinians in their own state.”

That's Strange

Just a quick observation, if I may. When I found the preceding story, I read the title and immediately thought of Bill Clinton when I read "Clinton". Obviously, this story and every other story about foreign relations will feature the female Clinton. But I find it a bit strange that I thought of Bill. That said, I wonder if he really will take a role in our foreign relations.

I don't know how I feel about that.

Now THAT Is An Idea

Just when you thought our foreign policy was created and carried out by the Three Stooges, it turns out that there are some people in our government that are still able to think outside the Bush box. Enter the new plan: help Palestinians rebuild, and back their less agitated political leaders. What a great idea!

Instead of shooting at them and wondering why their kids blow themselves up in our faces, we help build schools and hospitals so their lives get better. Then they have something to live for; something to look forward to. Then the number of attacks go down, and cooperation with extremists goes down as well.

Why it takes so long for our government to realize these obvious solutions is beyond me. But at least they're moving in the right direction.

From Reuters:

The United States hopes to use post-war reconstruction of the Gaza Strip to help the Western-backed Palestinian Authority reassert its presence and influence in Hamas's stronghold. U.S. and Western officials said details have yet to be worked out and depended on the extent to which Israel's military offensive, which has killed more than 900 Palestinians, weakens Hamas's hold on power.

The aim would be to ensure that credit for reconstruction accrues to President Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority, and not to the Iranian-backed Islamists who won a 2006 Palestinian election and seized control of Gaza 18 months later. A senior European diplomat involved in the discussions dismissed the idea "as a recipe for failure from the start".

Any major reconstruction programme is likely to face major hurdles, from Palestinian infighting and corruption to Israeli obstructionism, that could further undermine the credibility of "moderates" like Abbas, who advocates a peace deal with Israel, aid officials said. "Whoever rebuilds Gaza will be the real winner," said one Western diplomat, describing Israel's war in Lebanon in 2006 as a sobering lesson for Washington about the political dangers of not moving quickly enough on reconstruction. At the end of that conflict, the guerrilla group Hezbollah, with Iranian financial support, pumped money into reconstruction, undercutting the Western-backed government in Beirut. Hezbollah emerged "stronger than ever", the Western diplomat said.

Nobody knows how much money Gaza will need, but aid officials said the sums would be vast given the destruction.

Guantanamo Bay Prison Will CLOSE

It's about time. President-elect Obama may have to compromise on a number of points that got him elected, but this was a big one. I'm glad he's seeing it through. It's a step toward restoring our credibility.

I guess you can look at this as a symbolic gesture, although it is fraught with uncertainty, especially when considering the legal implications and immigration status of the detainees. But this will please the Obama supporters that have been disappointed as of late. So this is a win-win.

From the Times Online:

Barack Obama is to issue an executive order declaring the closure of the Guantánamo Bay prison camp on his first day in office next week, aides to the President-elect said today.

The directive will be an immediate and high-profile declaration by Mr Obama that he intends to make a clean break from President Bush on the most controversial aspects of the way his predecessor has prosecuted the War on Terror.

Mr Obama is also expected to issue another order explicitly banning the use of torture on terror suspects and other controversial security policies, as he seeks to persuade the rest of the world that, under him, America is entering a new era where the Geneva Conventions are respected.

The order to close Guantánamo Bay is more symbolic than an immediate reality. Mr Obama conceded on Sunday that closing the prison camp would take time and was a complex issue with no easy solutions. Yet he is also expected to suspend all further military commissions and hearings at the camp until it is disbanded.

No Jail for Madoff

So a guy who gets caught driving without a license goes to jail, but a guy who defrauded investors, governments, and our awesome SEC, doesn't need to go to jail. He can just sit at home in front of his TV, drinking his liquor, and waving a big Fuck You to all of the working stiffs that have to make sure that they can afford health care and DMV costs. What the fuck?!?

I've never cursed in a post before; I try to keep things as professional as possible. But what the fuck? How does this shit keep happening? We've locked up millions for being self-destructive, but a guy who ruins countless lives, and who helps create a toxic financial climate that touches many other people, gets to sit at home. Bullshit.

From Bloomberg:

Bernard Madoff will remain free on a $10 million bond, a federal judge ruled, denying a request by U.S. prosecutors that he be jailed while awaiting trial on a federal securities fraud charge.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis in Manhattan today said Madoff, arrested last month for running an alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme, may continue to live under house arrest in his Manhattan apartment on the Upper East Side. Ellis imposed new conditions, ordering Madoff to compile an inventory of all items in his home and barring him from transferring property.

“Because the government has failed to meet its legal burden, the motion is denied,” Ellis wrote in the order. “The government has failed to articulate any flaw in the current conditions of release.”

Prosecutors agreed to delay seeking a grand jury indictment of Madoff. He is now scheduled to appear in court Feb. 11 for an evidentiary hearing. If indicted before then, he must appear before a judge to answer the new charges, at which time the government may ask again for him to be jailed. Now charged with one count of securities fraud, Madoff faces as much as 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine if convicted.

Prosecutors on Jan. 5 asked Ellis to jail Madoff because he mailed items including a diamond bracelet and watches to relatives in violation of a court-ordered asset freeze. In a letter to Ellis two days later, Madoff’s defense lawyer, Ira Sorkin, said his client didn’t know the order from a related lawsuit by securities regulators applied to personal items.

What's Your Biggest Worry?

For some people throughout the world, getting something to eat is a very real and pressing concern. For others, clean water, medication, and general survival top the day-to-day problem list. In the US, entertainment seems to creep pretty close to number 1.

Close enough to merit the President-elect's attention, even while he struggles with strife at home and abroad. If this doesn't say it all about our society in general, I don't know what does. Coupons for TV? Really? I bet if they take that money and use it for food stamps, there would be less starving people AND less fat kids sitting in front of their boob-tubes. I can't believe this is even an issue. But I guess people have to get their fill of American Idol. And that's the Real America for you.

From the Washington Post:

President-elect Barack Obama's transition team today asked key members of Congress to consider delaying the nation's switch to digital television scheduled for Feb. 17, saying there is "insufficient support" for the problems consumers will experience during the shut-off of analog signals.

In a letter sent to Capitol Hill this afternoon, and obtained by The Washington Post, the transition team said congressional action is needed. The action would be the "first step" toward helping consumers get ready for the transition to digital television. It also called funds provided to support the conversion "woefully inadequate."

The request for a delay comes 41 days before the government-mandated switch to all-digital broadcasts, which requires the nation's full-powered television stations to permanently shut off the traditional analog signals they have used for more than half a century. Analog television sets that rely on "rabbit ear" or rooftop antennas to receive broadcasts will not work unless they are upgraded with a converter box. Consumers who have digital TV sets, or who subscribe to cable or satellite service, will not lose programming.

Preparations for the switch to digital television have been rocky, causing lawmakers and consumer advocates to seriously worry that television watchers, particularly low-income, rural and elderly Americans who rely most heavily on over-the-air signals, will lose access to their main source of news and entertainment. This week, federal officials said the program to distribute $40 coupons to consumers to help defray the cost of converter boxes has run out of money, so consumers who need the coupons may not receive them in time for the transition.

Brace Yourselves

Wal-Mart is cutting its forecast? This is not going to be pretty. From Bloomberg:

U.S. stocks slid for a second day after retailers from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to Limited Brands Inc. said profit will trail forecasts as the recession limited holiday spending and sent jobless claims to a 26-year high.

Wal-Mart tumbled as much as 9.4 percent, the most in a year. Limited, owner of the Victoria’s Secret chain, and Gap Inc. retreated more than 5 percent as their weakening profit outlooks spurred concern that President-elect Barack Obama’s $775 billion in proposed government spending and tax cuts won’t prevent the economy from shrinking this year.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index fell 0.8 percent to 899.77 at 11:35 a.m. in New York and is down 0.4 percent in 2009. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 97.09 points, or 1.1 percent, to 8,672.61. After falling more than 50 percent from its November record, the VIX, which measures the cost of using options as insurance against declines in the S&P 500, has climbed 14 percent over the past two days.

“Things look really, really bleak right now,” said Tom Wirth, senior investment officer at Chemung Canal Trust Co. in Elmira, New York, which manages $1.4 billion. “We knew the fourth quarter was absolutely horrid and now we’re getting confirmation of that. Between now and mid-spring, I think we’re going to see the market in flux and not making much progress.”

Who's That Guy? It's Joe the Plumber

Hey, I'm all for the little guy getting a shot at real news reporting. Kinda makes me feel like I could do it too. And that's nice, because I'd love to do reporting. Maybe that's why we start blogging.
My only problem with Joe is that from all I've known and seen of him, he has not one clue as to what's going on over there. That's a big detraction. But, if he manages to report and keep politics out of it, then he give AC360 a run for his money.

Not that "real" reporters keep politics out of their stories. It's just that they seem to be informed when they do it.

But hey, Good luck Joe.

From the Philly Inquirer:

Joe the Plumber, whose pronouncements during the campaign established him as the most influential political pundit since Bart Simpson, plans to save journalism - from itself. London's Guardian says Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher is "dropping his unlicensed plunger and picking up a reporter's notebook" to cover the latest eruption of violence in the Gaza strip for conservative Web site pjtv.com. Joe the War Correspondent, who will immerse himself in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for 10 whole days, promises to report "without a politically correct filter." Joe, who became a mascot for John McCain's campaign when he challenged Barack Obama's economic plan, tells NBC News he will try to explain Israel's reason for the offensive against Hamas. "I get to go over there and let their 'average Joes' share their story, what they think, how they feel, especially with world opinion," he said. "It's very tragic," he said of the rising death toll. "But at the same time what are the Israeli people supposed to do?"

Starving Children Found In Gaza

As if Israel needed more pressure to end its Gaza incursion and lift its blockade, the Red Cross has announced that it has seen the horrible effects of the conflict first-hand. It's one thing to claim that Hamas is using human shields; it's quite another when the Red Cross finds starving children sitting next to their mothers' corpses. Photos of that tragedy would bring this conflict to a halt within two days. Lets hope this adds pressure on both sides, and they accept the French-Egyptian truce. From the NY Times:

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday it had discovered “shocking” scenes — including small children next to their mothers’ corpses — when its representatives gained access for the first time to parts of Gaza battered by Israeli shelling. It accused Israel of failing to meet obligations to care for the wounded in areas of combat.

In response, the Israeli military did not comment directly on the allegation. In a statement, it accused Hamas, its foe in Gaza, of deliberately using “Palestinian civilians as human shields” and said the Israeli Army “works in close cooperation with international aid organizations during the fighting so that civilians can be provided with assistance.”

The Israeli military “in no way intentionally targets civilians and has demonstrated its willingness to abort operations to save civilian lives and to risk injury in order to assist innocent civilians,” the statement said, promising that “any serious allegation” would “need to be investigated properly, once such a complaint is received formally, within the constraints of the current military operation.”

In an unusually blunt criticism, the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross said it had been seeking access to shell-damaged areas in Zeitoun in the east of Gaza City since Saturday but the Israeli authorities granted permission only on Wednesday — the first day that Israel allowed a three-hour lull in the attacks on Gaza on humanitarian grounds.

The statement said a team of four Palestine Red Crescent ambulances accompanied by Red Cross representatives made its way to Zeitoun Wednesday where it “found four small children next to their dead mothers in one of the houses. They were too weak to stand up on their own. One man was also found alive, too weak to stand up. In all, there were at least 12 corpses lying on mattresses.”

In another house, the statement said, the rescue team “found 15 other survivors of this attack including several wounded. In yet another house, they found an additional three corpses. Israeli soldiers posted at a military position some 80 meters away from this house ordered the rescue team to leave the area which they refused to do. There were several other positions of the Israeli Defense Forces nearby as well as two tanks.”

Because of berms built by Israeli forces, the ambulances could not enter the area so “the children and the wounded had to be taken to the ambulances on a donkey cart,” the statement said.

The statement quoted Pierre Wettach, an International Red Cross representative for Israel and the Palestinian areas, as calling the incident “shocking.”

“The Israeli military must have been aware of the situation but did not assist the wounded. Neither did they make it possible for us or the Palestine Red Crescent to assist the wounded,” he was quoted as saying.

The statement said the international Red Cross “believes that in this instance the Israeli military failed to meet its obligation under international humanitarian law to care for and evacuate the wounded. It considers the delay in allowing rescue services access unacceptable.”

Lebanese Rockets Hit Israel

So far, this has been played down as a freak occurrence. Let's hope it stays that way. From the NY Times:

Rockets fired from Lebanon landed in northern Israel on Thursday, raising concerns they could represent a broadening of the conflict, but both governments played down their significance. International efforts to end the 13-day war in the Gaza Strip continued with the arrival of Israeli negotiators in Cairo. [...]

But the Israeli Army later dismissed the rockets on Thursday as “a minor event” and, in Lebanon, the government said Hezbollah had distanced itself from the attack. Prime Minister Fouad Siniora of Lebanon immediately condemned the rocket-fire. In a statement, Lebanese Information Minister Tarek Mitri said: “Hezbollah assured the Lebanese government that it remains engaged in preserving the stability in Lebanon and respects Security Council resolution 1701.”

United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 laid out the terms of the ceasefire that ended the war between Israel and Lebanon in August 2006.

The Israeli Army said it “responded with fire against the source of the rockets,” which landed near the town of Nahariya. Two Israelis were slightly wounded, the police said.

The rockets from Lebanon fell in residential areas. Shimon Koren, head of the northern district police, instructed residents of Nahariya and Kabri to enter bomb shelters and he instructed residents in nearby localities to open their shelters. School was canceled in Nahariya and nearby Shlomi.

So far there has been no claim of responsibility.

Blackwater Guards Enter Not Guilty Plea

What a surprise. This trial, and the machinations around it should play like an epic drama. At stake is the very notion of resposibility, government complacency, and the scope of our past and future relations with Iraq and her people. From the Washington Post:

Five former Blackwater Worldwide security guards pleaded not guilty this afternoon in federal court here to charges they unleashed an unprovoked salvo of bullets and grenades in a busy Baghdad square in 2007, killing at least 14 Iraqi civilians and injuring 20 others.

A federal judge in the District set a trial date for January of next year in the high-profile shooting that strained relations between Washington and the Iraqi government and raised questions about the oversight and use of security contractors in war zones. The guards did not speak during the brief arraignment on 14 counts of voluntary manslaughter, 20 counts of attempting to commit manslaughter and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The guards declined to speak to reporters after the hearing. They face a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison under the firearms charge.

In coming months, defense lawyers are expected to file numerous motions challenging the evidence and whether the government can bring charges in the case. A hearing on some of those legal issues has been scheduled for Feb. 17.

New Congress Sworn In

Let the games begin. Again. The 111th Congress is ready to get down and dirty, and probably make everyone's lives just a bit more miserable. Here's some highlights of the new team, courtesy of the LA Times:

Roland Burris -- who says he is the lawfully appointed replacement for President-elect Barack Obama -- showed up at the Capitol but was turned away by Senate officials because his paperwork was incomplete.

The Illinois secretary of state had not signed the certificate of appointment for Burris, whom embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich named to the seat. The certificate is a Senate requirement for admittance.

Another Democrat waiting to take his place in the chamber, Al Franken of Minnesota, did not even come to Washington to claim his seat.

The Minnesota state canvassing board on Monday certified Franken's 225-vote victory over Republican Norm Coleman following an extended recount. But Coleman is challenging the results, and Senate leaders had said they would not seat Franken today.

Inside the chamber, Hillary Rodham Clinton -- who has yet to resign her seat in advance of taking as secretary of State -- was sworn in. So was Vice President-elect Joe Biden. He took the oath of office for his seventh term as a senator from Delaware, but will resign soon and be replaced by his longtime aide, Ted Kaufman.

Others who returned to the Senate today were Republican presidential candidate John McCain of Arizona and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), who earned the wrath of Democrats for his support of McCain.

Traditionally, those being sworn in are escorted to the presiding officer's desk by sitting and former senators. Sen. Richard J. Durbin, the assistant majority leader, currently is the only senator from Illinois.(Now that Obama is moving to the White House.) So he was presented by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the chamber's liberal leader who is suffering from brain cancer.

Kennedy's niece, Caroline Kennedy, is a leading contender to fill Clinton's Senate seat.

Israel Strikes UN School

Who thought this WASN'T going to happen? From the AP:

An Israeli bombardment struck outside a U.N. school where hundreds of Palestinians had sought refuge on Tuesday, the U.N. and Palestinian medics said, killing at least 30 people — many of them children whose parents wailed in grief at a hospital filled with dead and wounded.

An Israeli official said its soldiers came under fire from militants hiding in the school and that the building stored Palestinian munitions.

Despite international criticism over civilian deaths and calls for a cease-fire, Israeli soldiers edged closer to two major Gaza towns. A total of 58 Palestinians were killed Tuesday — with just two confirmed as militants, health officials in Gaza said.

The explosions marked the second time in hours a U.N. school came under attack. It was the deadliest assault since Israel sent ground forces into Gaza last weekend as part of a larger offensive against the ruling Hamas militant group that has killed nearly 600 Palestinians.

Nearly half of the dead are civilians, according to U.N. and Palestinian officials.

"There's nowhere safe in Gaza. Everyone here is terrorized and traumatized," John Ging, the top U.N. official in Gaza, said after the first strike on the compound of a U.N. school killed three people in a courtyard. The school has served as a shelter for Gaza City refugees fleeing the blistering 11-day offensive.

New Blog

The two previous posts are excerpts from my new blog, SADLY REAL. I decided to start it as a way of trying to help. Maybe it sounds foolish. Sometimes I feel like I'm kidding myself. But I hope some good comes out of it. It's full of pictures like these. It's not really pretty. But I do try to provide links and information to places and organizations that can help. Here's a bit more about it:

This is new direction for me. Comically Partisan has a growing following; I've started a new job in downtown Philadelphia, and I'm just about to celebrate my first Christmas in a new apartment.With all of this stuff going on, and so many things working out for me, I still can't shake the images that I've seen from all over the world. Maybe it's the holidays rolling around, or maybe I'm just more "in tune" with my feelings lately; I'm not sure what brought this on. I feel as though I have to give back, but I have so little to give. Relatively speaking. I mean, in some parts of the world, the daily wage is a dollar or less.So I've decided to put my Communication degree to some use, and I'm going to try to help in any way I can.This blog will showcase the suffering going on throughout the world, every minute of every day. I'll let the images I find do the talking for me, although I may occasionally comment or post a relevant article that illustrates my point. And I'll also try to include contact information for NGOs or other organizations that deal with the people and children that will fill these pages.This blog is probably not going to be a hit. I know it's a grim view. But it's reality, no matter how far away it seems to be. I only hope it brings some attention to the problems faced by the helpless.

Africa

Africa

Coulter Lies Again

I have no idea how this poor excuse for a human being keeps getting paid. I guess she appeals to the same part of the brain that makes you slow down to look at an accident. So imagine my surprise when Media Matters runs a story ripping her new book apart for numerous inaccuracies. Here's the link to the story. I will post a bit of it, because as always, this broad lies like a rug:

Media Matters for America has examined a copy of author and syndicated columnist Ann Coulter's new book, Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America, which Media Matters obtained in advance of the book's release, and presents a sampling of the book's numerous falsehoods, including misrepresentations of the sources she cites. These falsehoods come on a wide-ranging list of subjects including her defense of the claims made against Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth during the 2004 presidential campaign; her assertion that "Fox News has never been caught promoting a fraud"; her claim that President-elect Barack Obama was referring to Gov. Sarah Palin when he said "you know, you can put lipstick on a pig; it's still a pig"; and attacks she makes against New York Times columnist Frank Rich. Coulter has announced that she is scheduled to appear on the January 6 broadcast of NBC's Today to promote Guilty.
Media Matters has also documented that Coulter made numerous inflammatory and offensive comments in Guilty.

Franken's a Winner

The comedian and author has just been declared the winner of the Minnesota Senate recount. Let the games begin. The highest echelons of the GOP are fuming about this development, blaming the state government and a skewed recount process. So it looks like we're heading to court, with the Senate Republicans threatening a filibuster to keep Franken from taking his place on the Hill. Sore losers or heroes of fairness and justice? I'm not sure, but I can remember an election that was won in a court room, after a recount.....

From ABC News:

Two months after Minnesota voters went to the polls, Democrat Al Franken has been declared the winner of the U.S. Senate race, but his opponent, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman, is ready to challenge the results in court.

The Minnesota Canvassing Board ruled Franken, the comedian and former radio host, won the razor-close election recount by 225 votes out of nearly 3 million cast Nov. 4.

Though Franken has been declared the winner, the contest will not end today. Coleman has a seven-day window in which to file a lawsuit contesting the board's ruling before Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie sign the election certificate.