Text: Senator Gregg Statement on Withdrawal From Commerce Consideration

(Source: Drudge Report)

Senator Gregg Statement on His Withdrawal for Consideration of U.S. Commerce Secretary

Sen. Gregg stated, “I want to thank the President for nominating me to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce. This was a great honor, and I had felt that I could bring some views and ideas that would assist him in governing during this difficult time. I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle.

“However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy.

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Transcript: Rahm Emanuel on Meet the Press, January 18, 2009

(Source: NBC’s Meet the Press)

MR. DAVID GREGORY:  Our issues this Sunday:  the transition ceremonies are under way, and in just two days the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as our nation’s 44th president.  He’ll inherit a country in economic turmoil, an ongoing multifront war on terror and renewed violence in the Middle East. What will be his first priority?  And is he already facing his first fight on the Hill, as Democrats and Republicans clash over a proposed stimulus package?

(Videotape)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH):  Oh, my God.  I don’t even–my notes here say that I’m disappointed.  I just can’t tell you how shocked I am at what we’re seeing.

(End videotape)

MR. GREGORY:  Will Mr. Obama be able to find a bipartisan solution?

Plus, a bump on the road to the Cabinet; Obama’s Treasury pick admits a taxing mistake.  What could this mean for the nomination of Timothy Geithner?  This morning, an exclusive interview with the man who will be by Obama’s side in the office:  the gatekeeper of the president, incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Then, Inauguration Day will be a time of great significance in this country. How will Mr. Obama capture the moment?  And will his presidency be able to live up to the high expectations?  Insights and analysis from our special roundtable:  NBC News special correspondent Tom Brokaw; columnist for The New York Times David Brooks; presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin; host of PBS’ “Tavis Smiley” and PRI’s “The Tavis Smiley Show,” Tavis Smiley; and NBC News political director and chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd.

But first, incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Welcome back to MEET THE PRESS.  As we look forward to an historic day, Inauguration Day and the inaugural address, the president-elect has spoken about the need to capture the moment that Americans are in.  What does he want to say on Tuesday?

MR. RAHM EMANUEL:  Well, I, I don’t–at one level, I don’t think it’s different than what you’ve heard over the campaign.  On the other hand, it’s a–the inaugural and the inaugural address is something significant in American history and its culture.  I think the–what you will hear is a time and a place in which we all have an era of responsibility, that too long there’s been a culture of anything goes, and that to do what we need to do as a country, to, to regain America’s greatness and continue to move forward and be an example around the world, that we need that culture of responsibility not just to be asked of the American people, but that its leaders must also lead by example.  And so that for–in both business, in the corporate boardroom, to in government offices, that there has been a culture of–that anything goes and is permissible, and that we want–must once again restore a values system that respects and honors a sense of responsibility, and that we all have something to give to our country and have an obligation to do that, to return it to its greatness.

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The Plastic President: Very Cool Lego Display of What Inauguration May Look Like

A Carlsbad, CA theme park is the home of the Lego Inauguration.  The Times of London has a great photo gallery of the display, which features a tiny Oprah, Aretha Franklin – and of course the new President and his family.  Above is a closeup of folks on the National Mall lining up for portable toilets … Click Here to See Photo Gallery.

Call to Action: Citizens Briefing Book to Close – Vote or Submit Your Ideas This Weekend

I would encourage anyone who is online this weekend to visit and participate in the Obama team’s Citizens’ Briefing Book.

Let go of the cynic in you for just a few minutes and give them the benefit of the doubt that the ideas being collected and the voting on those ideas will actually be considered in the Obama policy agenda.  The signup was easy and after that you can ideate and vote to your heart’s content.

I posted two ideas today, which I’ll write about later.  One deals with a potentially constructive way to handle the torture legacy and another speaks to the need for a bridge to the energy future, not just an Apollo-style grand solution.

The more we use web-based outreach efforts by government, perhaps the more they will be offered.  Perhaps this attempt at transparency, or at least government collection of ideas and opinion will have effect.

One thing I will say is that if government at various levels is going to seek information in this manner, government cannot just “reply” to the ideas which they find “easy”  to speak on.  Some of the highly voted ideas are not mainstream, but due to their “popularity” an acknowledgment from somewhere in government might go a long way to fighting cynicism.  The briefing book closes at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Click Here for the Obama Transition Citizens’ Briefing Book

Pentagon Roughs Up Obama

Here go the Washington games.

Yesterday, it became known that our President-elect may intend to issue an Executive Order during his first week in office which would order the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Military Prison.  According to Reuters, this information comes from an Obama transition adviser.  It’s a leak, pure and simple, but who knows if it was intentional.

What’s interesting is that the leak came on the same day after President George W. Bush was asked pointed questions about the degradation of America’s “moral standing” in the world during his administration.

Day Two

Today, another illuminating story from Reuters shines the light of political hardball played Washington-insider style.  This dispatch details comments made by Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell regarding the numbers of former Guantanamo inmates who returned to their alleged terrorist ways:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon said on Tuesday that 61 former detainees from its military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, appear to have returned to terrorism since their release from custody.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said 18 former detainees are confirmed and 43 suspected of “returning to the fight.”

He said the figures, updated at the end of December, showed a higher rate of recidivism than seen in a previous report showing 37 former detainees as active militants.

He provided no details about the detainees or their countries of origin.

“The overall known terrorist re-engagement rate has increased to 11 percent” from about 7 percent, Morrell said.

I guess you could call this the first Republican salvo in the war over who will become king of homeland security mountain.  If Obama were President today, the Pentagon wouldn’t be releasing such information.  It’s meant to have an effect.

The problem is, can we believe anything these guys say?  They trot out the number “61,” yet there are only 18 they say are confirmed to have returned to the fight.  What does the number of 43 suspected to have returned to terrorism mean?  If we could prove they were terrorists in the first place, would they have been let go?  There are other detainees at Guantanamo who are ready to repatriated but the U.S. cannot find a country willing to accept them.  These 43 were obviously accepted somewhere.

These numbers mean nothing in the absence of information regarding specific detainees.  This was raw politics.  One might consider it somewhat un-patriotic.  We have the guy who is almost president talking about a potential policy move.  A mere hours later you have the Pentagon casting doubt on the policy with numbers seemingly pulled from the air.

Welcome to Washington Barack Obama.  First order of business, fire Geoff Morrell.  Second order of business, call Secretary Gates for a dress-down on whose in charge.

Bush’s Last Stand – Or, You Won’t Have Bush to Kick Around Anymore

Bush Tells ‘Opiners’ to Pound Salt

Uh, Mr. President, it’s not just the media elite and a few Norwegians and Swedes over there in Europe who feel your Administration has eviscerated America’s moral authority.

The Real Clear Politics average approval rating for George W. Bush stands at 27%.  Check out the Pew Research World Opinion Map.  It doesn’t look like Mr. Bush is popular anywhere except for Tanzania and for some reason, India.

I only got to hear a bit of Bush today on the radio at work.  What I heard didn’t completely sound like the usual Bush newser.  There was a bit of wistfulness, but there was still a great deal of that Bush defiance.  Damn those who don’t agree with him, he’s right — just ask him.  You can check out the transcript here.

This was so much better than the sit-down interviews he’s done on all the networks.  Someone actually asked him, directly, what he thinks about President-elect Barack Obama and others who have said there is a lot of work to be done to restore America’s moral standing in the world. In part, he answered:

I’ve heard all that. My view is, is that most people around the world, they respect America. And some of them doesn’t like me, I understand that — some of the writers and the, you know, opiners and all that. That’s fine, that’s part of the deal. But I’m more concerned about the country and our — how people view the United States. They view us as strong, compassionate people who care deeply about the universality of freedom.

The first thing I thought when I read, “they respect America” is that perhaps the healthy respect you have for a beloved member of the family who is always there for you has been replaced by the fearful respect you have for the neighborhood bully when you’re a kid.  When I was surfing around looking for info on world public opinion I found this piece from The Guardian, a newspaper in London, U.K.  The story is about a group of newspapers around the world that banded together to do a world opinion survey during the latter days of the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign.  This part was interesting when it comes to the fear factor:

Many people now fear rather than warm to America. In France 25% of voters say relations with the US are tense, against 38% who say they are friendly and 39% who think they are neutral. In Japan only 16% say friendship and 19% tension, with 62% neutral. In no country does a majority think relations should be described as friendly.

Even America’s two neighbouring states are sceptical of US intentions. Only 23% of Mexicans describe relations as friendly and 28% say they are tense. In Canada, which has just re-elected a Conservative minority government, voters are strongly supportive of a Democratic presidency; 43% say relations with the US are friendly and 14% tense.

Today may have been Bush’s Last Stand with the media, but America, brace yourselves, the long goodbye continues on Thursday night when we hear the 43rd President’s farewell address.  Let me guess, he’ll tell us that he’s right and the rest of us are wrong.

Transcript: President George W. Bush Final Press Conference – January 12, 2009

(Source: White House Press Office)

9:17 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Tapper. We have been through a lot together. As I look through the room, I see Jake, Mike, Herman, Ann Compton. Just seemed like yesterday that — that I was on the campaign trail and you were analyzing my speeches and my policies. And I see a lot of faces that travel with me around the world and — to places like Afghanistan and Iraq and Africa. I see some new faces, which goes to show there’s some turnover in this business.

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Text: President-Elect Obama Weekly Radio Address | Economic Stimulus to Create 3 to 4 Million Jobs | January 10, 2009

(Source: Office of the President-Elect)

We start this new year in the midst of an economic crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetime.  We learned yesterday that in the past month alone, we lost more than half a million jobs – a total of nearly 2.6 million in the year 2008.  Another 3.4 million Americans who want and need full-time work have had to settle for part-time jobs.  And families across America are feeling the pinch as they watch debts mount, bills pile up and savings disappear.

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Full Text: Barack Obama on Economy | Economic Recovery and Reinvestment | January 8, 2009

(Source: Office of the President-Elect)

Throughout America’s history, there have been some years that simply rolled into the next without much notice or fanfare.  Then there are the years that come along once in a generation – the kind that mark a clean break from a troubled past, and set a new course for our nation.

This is one of those years.

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Transcript: Obama Presser – Economy, Panetta, Middle East | January 6, 2009

(Source: CQ TranscriptsWire)

SPEAKER: PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA

[*] OBAMA: When the American people spoke last November, they were demanding change, change in policies that helped deliver the worst economic crisis that we’ve seen since the Great Depression, but they’re also looking for a change in the way that Washington does business. They were demanding that we restore a sense of responsibility and prudence to how we’d run our government.

One of the measures of irresponsibility that we’ve seen is the enormous federal debt that has accumulated, a number that has doubled in recent years. As we just discussed, my budget team filled me in on — Peter Orszag now forecasts that, at the current course and speed, a trillion-dollar deficit will be here before we even start the next budget, that we’ve already looked — we’re already looking at a trillion-dollar budget deficit or close to a trillion-dollar budget deficit, and that potentially we’ve got trillion-dollar deficits for years to come, even with the economic recovery that we are working on at this point.

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Sanjay Gupta Would Be Another Inspired Pick

How about a U.S. Surgeon General who still practices neurosurgery from time to time, donates his time to worthy health-related causes around the world and has the media chops to liven up the staid post?  How about Dr. Sanjay Gupta?

Word out tonight is that the Obama team has approached the CNN star who was also a health care adviser to Hillary Clinton when she was First Lady.

I’ll be honest with you, I have no idea who currently holds the surgeon general’s post.  I’m not even going to expend the energy to look because whoever it is won’t be there in a month or two.

I remember Jocelyn Elders – I think she advocated something that the right wingers got all bent out of shape about.  I also remember C. Everett Koop, he was the guy who stood up to the cigarette industry.  I also remember that if you held a picture of Koop upside-down, it looked like Koop right-side up.

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Ohio Newsbreak – January 7, 2009: Budish, Jimmy Crum Dies, Blackwell’s Quest, Dannettes Reject Offer, Ohio Economy, Fingerhut warns on tuition

• 
• Ohio’s college tuition freeze in jeapoardy – Dayton Daily News
• Lobbyists prepare for another power shift – Columbus Business First
• Somebody wants to hit Blackwell without leaving fingerprints – National Review Online
• With big dreams, Budish takes over as Speaker – Columbus Dispatch
• Budish plans to work hard for cities – The Plain Dealer
• New Ohio House Speaker sworn in – Dayton Daily News
• Dems run House again – Toledo Blade
• Jimmy Crum passes – Columbus Dispatch
• Local credit scores sliding – Cincinnati Enquirer
• Editorial: Cuyahoga Sheriff likes nepotism – The Plain Dealer
• Blackwell talks about guns and Facebook – Dayton Daily News
• Blackwell states his case – The Plain Dealer
• Blackwell continues campaign for RNC – Columbus Dispatch
• Dann Women Reject Settlement – Columbus Dispatch
• Medical Mart realty co. asks for Federal bailout – The Plain Dealer
• Capital Notes – Columbus Dispatch
• Kids’ health insurance touted – Columbus Dispatch
• Editorial: Ohio Courts’ Secrecy – Columbus Dispatch
• OU Prof will be Obama’s photog – The Plain Dealer
• Climbing prices for rock salt - Toledo Blade

Hey Senator Feinstein – Get Over Yourself!

The more I think about it, the more inspired I think President-elect Barack Obama’s pick of Leon Panetta for CIA Director is.

Senator Diane Feinstein apparently doesn’t.  Why?  Because she wasn’t consulted.  CALL THE WAHMBULANCE!

Dame Feinstein is apparently having a hissy.  Here’s what she’s sending around to the media this afternoon:

“I was not informed about the selection of Leon Panetta to be the CIA Director.  I know nothing about this, other than what I’ve read,” said Senator Feinstein, who will chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in the 111^th Congress.

“My position has consistently been that I believe the Agency is best-served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time.”

Guess what, Lady?  The O is in charge of presidential appointments.  You’re just making yourself look like an ass by complaining.  I should also note that as of 5 p.m. EST, your crybaby statement wasn’t posted on your Senatorial website for all of the constituents to see what a political hag you are.

Just looking at what’s on the president-elect’s plate – Gaza, depression economics, Wild Man Putin, China building aircraft carriers, Gitmo, his girls starting at a new school, Bill Richardson – do you think you could give the man a break, Diane?

Seeing as how Leon Panetta is supposedly a friend of yours, could you have handled this tirade with a call to Rahmbo?  This the kind of shit that guy lives for – Rahm would’ve made it right.

Instead, you act like a bitter, old hag and look like a tool.  Get over yourself!

Bill Richardson a Single Example of Democratic Party Core Off the Beam

N.M. Governor Withdraws Name from Commerce Secretary Consideration

This is what happens when we finance all of our political activities the way that we do.  Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico is under investigation for allegedly pressuring N.M. state authorities to steer financial services business to a firm which donated money to his political organizations.

Since the Clinton Administration – of which Richardson was a high-profile member – our Democratic Party has been owned by hedge funds, limousine liberals and other interests who make their money through market manipulation and investing rather than by adding to the economy in a manner which creates tangible value and employs people.  When these big donors come calling, the doors to Congressional suites and governors’ offices come flying open.

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Transcript: Sen. Harry Reid on Meet the Press | Israel, Roland Burris, The Economy | Sunday, January 4

(Source: NBC’s Meet the Press)

MR. GREGORY: And here with us now, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid.

Welcome back to MEET THE PRESS and happy New Year.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): Thank you very much.

MR. GREGORY: Let me ask you about the ground invasion into Gaza.  Do you think on the part of this Israeli–of the Israelis this was offensive or defensive?

SEN. REID: I spoke to Prime Minister Olmert a couple of days ago.  He indicated that they would do the ground activities.  Let’s understand the background.  For eight years they’ve been firing rockets into Israel.  They’ve become more intense the last few months.  Israelis have been killed, maimed and injured.  Sometimes more than 200 a day coming into Israel.  If this were going on in the United States from Vancouver, Canada, into Seattle, would we react?  Course we do.  We would have to.  I think what the Israelis are doing is very important.  I think this terrorist organization, Hamas, has got to be put away.  They’ve got to come to their senses.  The Fatah group, which is–makes up part of Palestinian group, has a peace arrangement with Israel. Hamas should do the same.

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