Political News Dump

This post is exactly what the title says it is - a place where I dump a ton of different news stories and write briefly about each one.

Report: Obama Continues Strikes Inside Pakistan

Front-page NY Times: The president has expanded its covert war attacking a militant network seeking to topple the Pakistani government. There's been two missile strikes within the country over the past week.

Obama is using the CIA for this, and I feel it is important for everyone to know about it. Click here for the full story.

Ayers: Obama Presidency Could "Burn Up in the Furnace of War"

The former Weather Underground member and Obama acquaintance tells Fox News sending more troops to Afghanistan is a “colossal mistake.”

“I fear that this brilliant young man, this hopeful new administration, could easily burn their prospect of a great presidency in the war in Afghanistan or elsewhere.”

Full interview to air Monday at 9 pm ET on “Hannity.”

I found it interesting that Ayers is appearing on Fox News for two reasons: (1) I didn't think he would want to be on Fox and (2) I didn't think Fox would want him on. As for what he said, I think he has a good point.

Clooney, Biden to Discuss Darfur

The two will meet in Washington Monday evening to discuss the conflict and the actor's recent travels in the region.

I am happy that the administration is looking into the situation.


Holder Headed to Gitmo

Obama's AG will visit the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay Monday as the administration weighs what's needed to shut it down.

Please, please shut this place down. However, it is important that we don't put so much focus on Gitmo that we forget about other similar camps, like one being currently built in Afghanistan.

Rice to Ink Trio of Memoirs

The former Secretary of State signs a three-book deal with Crown Publishers reportedly worth at least $2.5 million. The first book is planned for 2011, will focus on years in White House.

I won't read them.

Debate Begins on D.C. Representation

Senators start debate Monday on a bill that would give the 600,000 residents of Washington, D.C., their own voting member of the House.

Adding a Democrat would be offset by giving red Utah another seat, bringing the House to 437 members.

I hadn't heard anything about this, so it surprised me. I've always felt that D.C. should have representation, although I find the Utah part of the proposal odd. I understand that there should be an odd number in the House, but why Utah now? I think this should wait until congressional redistricting in 2010, in which case the new seat would go wherever it was needed most.

Bunning Apologizes for Ginsburg Remark

Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning (Republican) has apologized after making some pretty awful comments.

U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning predicted over the weekend that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would likely be dead from pancreatic cancer within nine months.

During a wide-ranging 30-minute speech on Saturday at the Hardin County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner, Bunning said he supports conservative judges "and that's going to be in place very shortly because Ruth Bader Ginsburg ... has cancer."

"Bad cancer. The kind that you don't get better from," he told a crowd of about 100 at the old State Theater.

There may be a reason why nobody likes him and he is likely to lose re-election if he makes it out of the Republican primary. Meanwhile, Ginsburg is now back on the bench.

Bobby Jindal's Big Moment

Politico: When the Louisiana Governor delivers the GOP response to the president's message to Congress, most Americans will see him for the first time.

A lot of people like Jindal and compare him to Obama. I think they do this because he is a minority and is young. I really don't think Jindal is anywhere near the skilled politican Obama is.

GOP Governors Split on Stimulus

A rift among Republicans over the spending plan goes on full display on Sunday's TV shows. Schwarzenegger: "I think it's terrific and will help us." Crist: “It’s a matter of helping the people." vs. Sanford: "We're digging yet another hole for ourselves." Jindal: "We should be unafraid to stand up on principle...." NY Times: Debate "will go a long way toward shaping how the national party redefines itself...."

Schwarzenegger (CA) and Crist (FL) represent a more moderate wing of the party. Jindal (LA) and Sanford (SC) represent the stubborn right wing of the party. Whether they like it or not, the stimulus money will help their constituents a lot. I don't think the citizens will appreciate this very much. Meanwhile:

Empire State Senators (Schumer and Gillibrand) call on Obama to give their state the stimulus money that several GOP governors say they don't want.

“If any governor -- Democrat or Republican -- leaves stimulus money on the table, then we respectfully request that funds be distributed to New York.”

Schwarzenegger made a very similar comment. If you don't want it, please, let us take it off your hands.

Schwarzenegger Heads Back to the Big Screen

The California governor will make a cameo in the upcoming Sylvester Stallone film "The Expendables." Will be his fourth movie appearance since being elected.

Cool.

Sebelius: No Talks on HHS

The Kansas governor says she hasn't had any talks with Obama on taking over the Department of Health and Human Services. "There really isn't anything to tell. I haven't had any meetings about the position."

Believe her if you will.

Rulings Diminish Coleman's Chances

A series of court rulings have dealt the Republican long odds for overturning Franken's lead. And/But: He could still be laying the ground for another appeal.

I've been reading about Coleman suffering setbacks for over three months now. This is ridiculous, as is this:

RNC Gives $250,000 to Coleman Recount

FEC reports show the party has invested a quarter of a million dollars in the fight over Minnesota's contested Senate seat. The funds were given to the Republican Party of Minnesota on Jan. 26.

It must be so frustrating to live in Minnesota.

Citigroup Possibly Headed For Nationalization

WSJ: Citigroup is in talks with federal officials that could result in the government substantially expanding its ownership of the bank.

Meanwhile: NYT reports Obama aides will begin taking a hard look at the financial condition of the country’s 20 biggest banks this week.

Plus: Federal regulators deny plans to nationalize any bank but announce they will launch an effort to get more money to banks on Wednesday.

Citigroup is dead. My guess is that the federal government is going to have to nationalize some banks, turn them around, and try to privatize them again as quickly as possible.

Alright, that was a massive dumpage. My apologies. Have a nice day.

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My Night With Bill Ayers

I have a cool post for you guys today. One of my jobs at Northwestern is to do sound and lights at one of the auditoriums on campus. Last fall I was able to do the sound for a speech by the Reverend Jeremiah Wright (the picture is one I took of Wright and Ayers together in November, and yes, I met and talked with them both). Well on Wednesday I did the sound for Bill Ayers. If you don’t know who Bill Ayers is, let Wikipedia help you:

William Charles Ayers (born December 26, 1944) is an American elementary education theorist who was a 1960s anti-war activist. He is known for the radical nature of his activism in the 1960s and 1970s as well as his current work in education reform, curriculum, and instruction. In 1969 he co-founded the violent radical left organization the Weather Underground, which conducted a campaign of bombing public buildings during the 1960s and 1970s. He is now a professor in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, holding the titles of Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar.

Ayers became a huge name during the Presidential campaign as some Republicans did their best to link Ayers with Obama because they live in the same neighborhood and served on an education panel together some years ago.

Anyway, here are the juicy details of the event:

The Muslim-cultural Students Association Presents:
Peaceful Progress: A Discourse on Affecting Change
Wednesday, February 4th 2009

With:
Bill Ayers – a distinguished professor of education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Ayers helped shape Chicago’s school reform program and in 1997 was awarded Citizen of the Year by the city for his work.

Bernadine Dohm – a professor of law at Northwestern University. Ayers and Dohm were involved in the radical left organization Weather Underground in the 1970s, but since then have become prominent educators and social activists in Chicago.

Rami Nashashibi – is the Executive Director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN). Nashashibi has lectured across the country on a range of topics related to the American Muslim identity, community activism and social justice issues. He was also a recent recipient of the LISC Community Hero Award and the National Housing Service Community Leaders Award.

I will only give a summary of the speech by Bill Ayers, although the whole event was interesting. This won’t flow very well, since it is more in the form of notes, but you guys will get the overall picture.

A Discourse on Affecting Change with Bill Ayers

Central Station, which is a movie from Brazil – Lady in Rio de Janeiro is paid one hundred dollars to pick up a ten year old boy, bring him across town, and give him to an American couple who is going to adopt him.

She does the deed, takes the money, and buys a television and takes it back to her modest appointment. A neighbor visit and asks her where she got it. She tells her the story.

Dora, are you that stupid? He wasn’t being adopted; he was being sold into the international market for organs. He is going to die. He may even be dead now.

Before she understood what it was, she was living her normal life. There was no question of right or wrong. Then someone pried her eyes open and she saw life differently.

This is the beginning. This is what we need.

Book – Blindness by José Saramago

Starts out with man in a city. He suddenly becomes blind. He is helped from his car and then his car is stolen. He is taken to a hospital and he joins a large group of other blind people. The blindness spreads. Slowly everyone in the society becomes blind.

They start to pray with each other, but then they do terrible things to each other. Just as it seems like there is no hope, the first man regains his sight. Slowly they all regain their sight.

Why did we do these things? Why did we go blind, and why can we now see?

Maybe we were already blind. We had the power of sight but were blind. We only saw what we wanted to see.

We all are against slavery…right? Of course we are.

But would we have been in 1840? We would have been against the law, against convention, against our friends. Why would we have been?

When you are 60 years old and you have a granddaughter she will ask if you were in Chicago when that fine young black man was elected.

Yes, I was there.

Were you in Grant Park?

Yes, of course.

Were you at the inauguration.

Yes, I was in the first row, practically on the stage.

Is it true that it cost him half a billion to be elected?

Really? I didn’t hear about that part.

And you thought that was democratic?

Well…he raised it on the Internet.

Is it true that when you were at Northwestern there were 2.2 million Americans in prison?

Really…I don’t remember that.

I’m not saying these are the things that matter, but you must exile yourself from convention to see what you are not seeing. What is out of balance?

There is a good scene in the Monty Python movie Life of Brian.

A reluctant messiah is up on a rampart. Saying to the crowd below:

I am not the messiah.

CROWD: You are not the messiah!

No, no, no you have minds of your own!

CROWD: We have minds of our own!

MAN IN CROWD: It’s funny, I don’t feel like I have a mind of my own.

CROWD: Shut up! You have a mind of my own!

In reflection, you become a better activist, a better citizen. Open your eyes, doubt, act, repeat. Light one candle, challenge the darkness.

Love your own life enough to take care of your children, the elders, to enjoy a sunset. Love humanity enough to put your shoulder on history’s wheel and create change.

- The End-

Quote of the Night by Rami Nashashibi:

“The election of Barack Obama as president did not destroy white supremacy, but it did give it a black eye.”

Have a nice day!

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