Why I’m Voting for Obama – Reason 2 of 3 – Our Standing in the World
Filed under: Barack Obama, Bush Foreign Policy, Presidential Campaign 2008
Where you can blame about half of our economic woes on Congress and Clinton-era policies, there is no doubt that our poor standing within the family of nations lies squarely at the feet of Bush and Cheney. Around the world we are either derisively snickered at for being brutish or boorish, or, worse, feared or hated. The tragedy is that sometimes the fear and hate are born of events and rational analysis due to our seeming irrational actions in places like Iraq. Read more
News – Strickland, DHL, Palin in Lebanon, Obama in Ohio, ODOT, Brunner and ballots, Space, Husted, Kim Jong-Il Revered Glorious Leader, Hurricane Ike, Pakistan-Afghanistan, U.S. Budget Deficit
Filed under: Barack Obama, Bush Foreign Policy, Cuyahoga Corruption, Gov Strickland, Ohio Economy, Presidential Campaign 2008, Russian/Georgian Conflict, Sarah Palin, State of Ohio Govt
Ohio News
- Strickland administration says DHL job-cutting plan may be illegal – Columbus Dispatch
- Moonbats wild about Palin in Lebanon – Columbus Dispatch
- Obama wants to double funding for charter schools – Columbus Dispatch
Dear Politicians: Charter Schools are the easy way out. Fix public education.
- ODOT pays $2 million in overtime to workers who aren’t eligible – Columbus Dispatch
- Ohio Lawmakers Reluctantly back Bailout – Columbus Dispatch
- Absentee ballot policy under fire – Columbus Dispatch
- Space-Dailey Race – Columbus Dispatch
- Husted won’t say whether he’s SecState candidate – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- J. Kevin Kelley campaign contributors draw FBI scrutiny – Cleveland Plain Dealer
Hurricane Ike
- Across Haiti a Scene of Devastation – Washington Post
- Billions of damage in Cuba, Ike Sets Sites on Texas – Reuters
World News
- Glorious leader almost certainly ill – BBC
- Russians hail Georgia deal as big win – Christian Science Monitor
- U.S. still weighing stronger action against Russia – Los Angeles Times
- Zadari, Karzai pledge new era of cooperation – Washington Post
Has Zadari told the ISI?
- U.S. federal budget deficit approaches $407 billion – Associated Press
Thanks, Shrub! We’re not only safer because you created terrorists over there in Iraq so you could talk about not having to fight them here … you’ve left us bankrupt! You Jackass.
Sunday p.m. - Woodward’s new book, Fannie, Freddie, Prez Campaign, Pakistan
Filed under: Barack Obama, Bush Foreign Policy, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Iraq, John McCain, Presidential Campaign 2008, Russian/Georgian Conflict, Sarah Palin, Terrorism, U.S. Economy
Bob Woodward’s New Book - WaPo Series Kicks Off
- Doubt, Distrust, Delay - Washington Post
- Spying on Iraqi Leader - Worth the Risk? - Washington Post
National & World News
- Palin’s politics and family mix - Washington Post
- U.S. unveils takeover of two mortgage giants - New York Times
- A tangled web with many masters - New York Times
- What the takeover means for your mortgage - Washington Post
- Bhutto’s widower elected Pakistani president - Washington Post
- Talibanistan - New York Times Magazine
- The vanishing Republican voter - New York Times Magazine
- Rival tickets are redrawing battlegrounds - New York Times
- Coming to grips with Russia’s new nerve - New York Times
- Hurricane Ike kills 59 on Hispaniola, headed for Cuba - Chicago Tribune
Tuesday a.m. – Russia blockades Georgian port, GOP still protests its own law in OH, payday lenders, Napolitano, Crites, Ohio jobless fund in trouble, Ohio Ethics probe of U of A, Obama’s Veep, Musharraf replacement
Filed under: Barack Obama, Bush Foreign Policy, Ohio Economy, Presidential Campaign 2008, Russian/Georgian Conflict, Terrorism
Ohio News
- GOP warns of suit over election law – Toledo Blade
- Editorial: Those phony petition claims – Toledo Blade
- Dayton Co.’s Chinese plan doing well – Dayton Daily News
- Napolitano is Dem candidate – Cincinnati Enquirer
- College presidents back drinking age debate – Columbus Dispatch
- Capitol Notes: Includes new email rules for AG’s Office – Columbus Dispatch
- Editorial: The $53 Trillion Question – Columbus Dispatch
- Crites stumps for corruption commission – Plain Dealer
- Ohio jobless fund could seek taxpayer help – Plain Dealer
- Ohio Ethics Commission reviews U of Akron land purchase – Plain Dealer
World/National
- Wrangling begins over Pakistan’s next president – New York Times
- Russia blockades Georgian port; seizes soldiers – New York Times
They can’t be trusted and George Bush has us overextended and therefore impotent.
- Obama Veep Pick? – Washington Post
Musharraf, Pakistan Update
Pervez Musharraf Resigns as Pakistan President
Definitely an imperfect ally, but the General was an ally nonetheless. Let’s add things up, then think about the team we have in the White House:
- Pakistan with Nukes, Taliban, and Al-Qaeda and our guy is out
- Iran announces its warplanes can strike Israel (that’s just the bellicose statement of the week)
- Russia is able to attack a democratic neighbor with no repercussions
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
The News:
- Musharraf announces his resignation – New York Times
- What’s next for Pakistan and Musharraf? – CNN
- Pakistan poses US policy headache – BBC
- Pakistan’s president steps down – BBC
- Spies challenge Pakistan government – BBC
This last one is the scary story …
Wednesday Clips – Jobs and China, Dimora, Russo, Sick Days, Bridges, Obama, Cali Quake, Etc.
Filed under: Barack Obama, Cuyahoga Corruption, Marc Dann, Ohio Economy, Presidential Campaign 2008, State of Ohio Govt
Ohio News
- China siphons Ohio’s jobs – Columbus Dispatch
- Ohio bridges rated safe but costly work ahead – Columbus Dispatch
- Election Board has plan for long lines – Columbus Dispatch
- Ohio Roundtable to fight sick days – Columbus Dispatch
- Capital Notes – Columbus Dispatch
- Ohio EPA chief asks Congress to restore regional rules – Columbus Dispatch
- Editorial: Make it right – Columbus Dispatch
- Cuyahoga Corruption: Probe bad for Democrats? – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Raids sought records that could show favors, influence – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Raid kept secret, even from agents – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- How Democrats would replace them – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Bush visits factory, attends fundraiser – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Some BP gas customers charged twice – Associated Press (Dayton Daily News)
- Suspected bombs found at two Ohio Post Offices – Associated Press (Toledo Blade)
Nation/World
- CIA outlines Pakistan links with militants – New York Times
- Energy prices bright sliver in grim economy – New York Times
- Teaching law, testing ideas, Obama stood out – New York Times
- With security at risk a race to patch the Web – New York Times
- ‘Really scary’ quake in Chino Hills – Los Angeles Times
- Quake registers 5.4 – Los Angeles Times
Catching Up on the Natl Media – Sunday Night: Obama, McCain, Hillary’s Fundraising, Pakistan, Iraq, Housing, Paulson, FDIC
Filed under: Barack Obama, Clips, Iraq, John McCain, Peak Oil, Terrorism, U.S. Economy
2008 Race
- Black radio on Obama’s left is answer to Limbaugh – New York Times
- Lobbyist reports show $181,000 for McCain – New York Times
- Going for that presidential look, but trying not to overdo it – New York Times
- Obama on vacationing and time to think – Associated Press (New York Times)
- Op-Ed, Frank Rich: How Obama became acting president – New York Times
- Hillary on the money trail: twice the challenge – Washington Post
- Op-Ed, Chris Cillizza: A time to gain, a time to lose – Washington Post
- Challenges await Barack Obama at home – Los Angeles Times
- Op-Ed, Walter Russell Mead: Obama the irony man – Los Angeles Times
- Insider has Obama’s ear, can she help him win – Chicago Tribune
Other Stuff
- U.S. war on terrorism loses ground in Pakistan – Los Angeles Times
This subject has been dealt with recently on C&C here and here.
- Editorial: Dream on – Why Federal Housing Policy is Due for Overhaul – Washington Post
- Op-Ed, David Ignatius: A history for Iraqis to write – Washington Post
- A Shiite militia in Baghdad sees its power ebb – New York Times
- Congress sends housing relief bill to president – New York Times
- FDIC takes over two banks – Associated Press (New York Times)
- Can Hank Paulson defuse this crisis? – New York Times
- Op-Ed, Alan S. Blinder: A modest proposal: Eco-friendly stimulus – New York Times
- Letter (From Energy Secretary Bodman) – New York Times
Good Money After Bad in Pakistan
Bush Administration Wants to Divert Funds From Terrorism to Paki F-16s
Those who follow the war on terrorism know that we’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars in additional aid to Pakistan since 9/11. What that money was supposed to buy us was a rock-solid moslem ally right next door to the Taliban and Afghanistan.
For the most part, Pakistan seems to have gotten the better part of the deal for going on seven years.
The Bush Administration and the informed public have known since the beginning of this envigored U.S.-Pakistan relationship that some of this money would go down the rat hole of the Pakistani military-political complex. The ISI, Pakistan’s version of the CIA has a history of support for Islamic extremists and there have always been questions about whether or not it was under the complete control of the Pakistani government.
Our tax dollars bought us an easier road to hoe in late 2001 and 2002 while the Taliban was officially routed from Afghanistan. Since then, the picture is not so clear.
The Taliban is resurgent in areas of Afghanistan, basing their operations just across the border in Pakistan’s semi-autonomous Tribal Areas. You may as well drop the semi, because the Pakistani government has shown neither the will nor the ability to semi-control those lands.
Heading for 2001 All Over Again?
On Sunday 11 people, mostly police officers were killed by a suicide bomber in Islamabad, Pakistan. Today, in Kabul, Afghanistan, 41 people were killed by a car bomb outside the gates of the Indian embassy. Also on Monday, six small explosions wounded 37 in Karachi, Pakistan. Nearly seven years after 9/11 and Al Qaeda’s brand of militant Islam is stronger than ever.
The Kabul bombing is being reported as the largest such attack since U.S. and allied forces toppled the Taliban from power in 2001. That 2001 campaign showed the American intelligence community and military at its best. The problem is, the war in Iraq sucked all the oxygen out of the Afghani room for too long. The Taliban is resurgent. Along with the remnants of Al Qaeda, the Taliban reconstituted itself just across the border in Pakistan. The New York Times reported on June 30 that among other things terrorist training camps – albeit smaller – have also been rebuilt in Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal regions.
That article, which you can read here, also outlines several other disturbing trends in Bush administration foreign policy which seem to mirror the mistakes made by the Clinton and Bush administrations leading up to 9/11.
The New York Times documents several instances of bureaucratic infighting among the intelligence and military arms in the U.S. war on terrorism. Although the Clinton administration’s problem was with White House approval for the trigger to be pulled on Bin Laden or other terrorist targets, the problem this time seems to be more internecine. The Times’ story recounts conflict between the CIA’s own field operations in Kabul and Islamabad. At other times the Pentagon has stood in the way of Special Forces operations planned for inside the Pakistani tribal areas. After all this time and money, the U.S. government still cannot operate efficiently or make crucial decisions at the right moment as it regards the military and intelligence communities, covert operations, and the proper use of military power.
This state of affairs is not what we were promised after 9/11 or after the release of the 9/11 Commission Report in July of 2004.
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