ThinkFast: January 22, 2009
ThinkFast: January 22, 2009
This morning, Caroline Kennedy released a statement reading, “I informed Governor Paterson today that for personal reasons I am withdrawing my name from consideration for the United States Senate.” Paterson had planned to announce his Senate choice on Friday or Saturday, but it’s not clear if the timeline has now changed.
After running “the most technologically savvy presidential campaign in history,” President Obama’s staffers encountered “a jumble of disconnected phone lines, old computer software, and security regulations forbidding outside e-mail accounts” on their first day at their new jobs. “It is kind of like going from an Xbox to an Atari,” said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.
It appears that President Obama will get to keep his Blackberry. More specifically, he’ll get a “spy-proof” alternative that is “reportedly capable of encrypting top secret voice conversations and handling classified documents.”
Yesterday, President Obama began “fulfilling his campaign promise to pull combat forces out of Iraq in 16 months” and ordered a new mission to end the war. He “held off ordering a troop withdrawal right away to hear concerns and options from his military commanders.” Also, Gen. Ray Odierno said that if the country held peaceful elections this year, the relative calm that had settled on Iraq would be “irreversible.”
Amnesty International said it found “indisputable evidence” of Israel’s widespread use of white phosphorus “in densely populated residential areas in Gaza City and in the north,” a violation of international law. The Israeli military said yesterday that it is investigating the matter.
President Obama is expected to sign executive orders today “directing the Central Intelligence Agency to shut what remains of its network of secret prisons and ordering the closing of the Guantánamo detention camp within a year, government officials said.”
“Medicaid rolls are surging, by unprecedented rates in some states, as the recession tightens its grip on the economy and Americans lose their employer-sponsored health coverage along with their jobs.” In many states, Medicaid rolls grew by 5 to 10 percent in the last year, often double the growth the previous year. Congress is likely to extend Medicaid aid to states in the upcoming stimulus package.
In a move signaling his “intent to keep one of the most ambitious and politically crucial campaign promises at the top of his agenda,” President Obama will convene a White House working session on health care reform in the late winter or the early spring. The meeting, which could come as early as March, is expected to bring together members of Congress and other stakeholders in health care reform.
President Obama’s ethics rules may slow the nomination of William Lynn, a former Raytheon lobbyist, as deputy defense secretary. “[I]t’s a problem,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who may place a hold on the nomination. “You can’t just recuse yourself from huge programs at the Pentagon if you’re going to do that job.”
And finally: Bill O’Reilly is “kind of an a-hole,” says actress Jessica Alba. “I don’t know how he does it. Maybe he’s born that way.” When pressed for an example of O’Reilly’s a-holeness, Alba said she didn’t have one, “because that means I’m admitting I actually watch Fox.”
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Good morning, campers.
Obama re-took the Oath of Office last night. He did not use a Bible this time. I will bet my bottom dollar that the reichwing nuts seize upon that to claim that the Oath he took last night is invalid, and he is an illegitimate President.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:03 amDon’t worry, Uncle Ho. The first time was sufficient. Obama just figured that Roberts could use the practice.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:09 amTeh ekonomie sux, in case you didn’t know.
Article does also reinforce Dumb Fox’s #1 recommendation to stabilize the housing market – knock down unoccupied houses. Especially McMansions. Sounds wrong, but how else should we deal with the issue of massive inventories?
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:10 amPres. Obama inspires a lot of hope for this country in so many ways. Finally, we have a true Leader who is dedicated to the consitution and what it really means for the people and by the people. He will bring many sweeping changes which are needed and good to America, all the while reaching out his hand to other countries with goodwill and malice toward none. Finally we can renew and rebuild our cities, streets, bridges and schools and renew our innovative and scientific skills to meet the need of future energy and not rely on old and outmoded ways of doing things. We will have new scientific discoveries which will meet our times and new medical discoveries. We will become progressive and evolutionary.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:12 amWhistleblower: NSA spied on everyone, targeted journalists
Former National Security Agency analyst Russell Tice, who helped expose the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping in December 2005, has now come forward with even more startling allegations. Tice told MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann on Wednesday that the programs that spied on Americans were not only much broader than previously acknowledged but specifically targeted journalists.
“The National Security Agency had access to all Americans’ communications — faxes, phone calls, and their computer communications,” Tice claimed. “It didn’t matter whether you were in Kansas, in the middle of the country, and you never made foreign communications at all. They monitored all communications.”
Tice further explained that “even for the NSA it’s impossible to literally collect all communications. … What was done was sort of an ability to look at the metadata … and ferret that information to determine what communications would ultimately be collected.”
According to Tice, in addition to this “low-tech, dragnet” approach, the NSA also had the ability to hone in on specific groups, and that was the aspect he himself was involved with. However, even within the NSA there was a cover story meant to prevent people like Tice from realizing what they were doing.
“In one of the operations that I was in, we looked at organizations, just supposedly so that we would not target them,” Tice told Olbermann. “What I was finding out, though, is that the collection on those organizations was 24/7 and 365 days a year — and it made no sense. … I started to investigate that. That’s about the time when they came after me to fire me.”
When Olbermann pressed him for specifics, Tice offered, “An organization that was collected on were US news organizations and reporters and journalists.”
“To what purpose?” Olbermann asked. “I mean, is there a file somewhere full of every email sent by all the reporters at the New York Times? Is there a recording somewhere of every conversation I had with my little nephew in upstate New York?”
Tice did not answer directly, but simply stated, “If it was involved in this specific avenue of collection, it would be everything.” He added, however, that he had no idea what was ultimately done with the information, except that he was sure it “was digitized and put on databases somewhere.”
More on RawStory
**I haven’t posted for a while. I think I have just been “overloaded” from 8 years of Bushco. But, last night, I sat completely stunned when I watched this story. Tice will be on tonight to continue his interview. NOT ONE corporate story about this. I am sure that we will hear lots about Caroline withdrawing, though. What are their priorities? I guess they aren’t concerned about their constitional rights. Crickets chirping…
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:13 amPresident Obama could take the oath first thing in the morning, every day of his term, and it wouldn’t matter to the bitter clueless ignorant GOP base.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:16 amAmnesty International said it found “indisputable evidence” of Israel’s widespread use of white phosphorus “in densely populated residential areas in Gaza City and in the north,” a violation of international law. The Israeli military said yesterday that it is investigating the matter.
Yeah. Nothing like asking the fox with chicken feathers in his mouth to punish the one responsible for eating the chickens.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:18 amIsrael is out of control. The leaders of the governments of Israel and the US need to be prosecuted for war crimes. Freaking world bullies.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:21 amWait till they find the cache of Medieval torture instruments.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:22 am.
Russel Tice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUSZHC1Gu7U
ALL Americans were spied on.
.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:23 amA few small steps back onto the path of Democratic due process and respect for human rights. The road ahead will be rocky and the slopes slippery.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:23 amAnd the beat goes on Says:
Former National Security Agency analyst Russell Tice, who helped expose the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping in December 2005, has now come forward with even more startling allegations.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:13 am
____________
ATTN: Mr. Tice
Do not under any circumstances travel via private airplane for at least the next decade or so. You don’t want to end up Roved like Mike Connell.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:23 amAnd the beat goes on Says:
Tice told MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann on Wednesday that the programs that spied on Americans were not only much broader than previously acknowledged but specifically targeted journalists.
…..
NOT ONE corporate story about this.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:13 am
___________
I’m pretty sure Microsoft and NBC are corporations, so there’s at least one corporate story about it. But you’re right – the rest of the corporate media will not likely make much of this story.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:25 amObama’s nominee for Dir of Nat Intel admiral blair has some big strikes against him that are being ignored in the Congress and the MSM. There have been several reports on this by Amy on Democracy Now. blair apparently did not carry out US government instructions on not supporting the Indonesian military in the slaughtering of East Timor citizens, but he actually offered more support. Allan Nairn, a journalist with many years of working in Indonesia and working with Amy, pointed out some documentation exposing some lies told by blair about the East Timor slaughters. I simply cannot accept this in our best interests. If there is reaction against the torturers under w, then there should be reaction against blair, he has no legitimate place in our government.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:28 amWhoa…Hold on there. If you’re using e-mail at the White House then it should go into the National Archives. I don’t want some Bush crap where the country’s business is being hanled through people at @DNC.com or @GOP.com
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:29 amPresident Obama’s ethics rules may slow the nomination of William Lynn, a former Raytheon lobbyist, as deputy defense secretary. “[I]t’s a problem,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who may place a hold on the nomination. “You can’t just recuse yourself from huge programs at the Pentagon if you’re going to do that job.”
When in doubt, decide in favor of erring on the side of not wanting to present the appearance of a conflict of interest.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:31 amThe Lynn nomination will be the first clear indication of whether the Obama Administration will not just talk the talk, but also walk the walk.
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:33 amSo will we see Coulter and Drudge issue retractions today? For the entire week, Drudge has posted a link to an “inside” source saying that Kennedy would be given the senate seat.
Since that is not happening, Drudge will likely just make the link disappear. Yet Coulter went on NBC last week shouting that Drudge NEVER has to retract his stories.
So will they finally admit their mistakes are not news scoops?
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:36 amI took this directly from wikepedia:
Incandescent particles of WP cast off by a WP weapon’s initial explosion can produce extensive, deep (second and third degree), burns. Phosphorus burns carry a greater risk of mortality than other forms of burns due to the absorption of phosphorus into the body through the burned area, resulting in liver, heart and kidney damage, and in some cases multiple organ failure.[38] These weapons are particularly dangerous to exposed people because white phosphorus continues to burn unless deprived of oxygen or until it is completely consumed. In some cases, burns are limited to areas of exposed skin because the smaller WP particles do not burn completely through personal clothing before being consumed. According to GlobalSecurity.org, quoted by The Guardian, “White phosphorus results in painful chemical burn injuries”[39] .
Now, how would you feel if your child or baby was “completely consumed” by white phosphorus, resulting in an unbearable, painful death?
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:46 amGod forbid your baby or child survive such an attack!
#7 – The Neocons and their AIPAC buddies have been so emboldened by the last eight year’s of illegal military operations and crimes against humanity that I’m not really surprised how disgusting and savage Israel has behaved regarding the Gaza “conflict.” It’s laughable that it is even referred to as any other than slaughter consider the 100-1 ratio of casualties…
#9 – The won’t find those medieval torture instruments, Cheney keeps them in his bunker.
#14 – how about a link of some sort?
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:50 amDynamut (who’s afraid of the big scary black man),
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:51 amIf you’re going to play, at least stop cutting and pasting from a right wing blog.
You’d at least have some respect if you could argue on your own accord.
Being a dittohead or weinernation shows your lack of intelligent discourse.
But, I’ll give you one chance before I flag your sorry arse:
Care to discuss my post about white phosphorus?
Care to debate my disheartening reference to YOUR child?
Dynamo deposits a load of troll droppings
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:43 am
_________________________________________________________
So what’s your point? That you can find somebody who didn’t like Obama’s speech? That’s hardly earth-shaking. That Obama’s aunt attended the inauguration? Ditto. That some Iranians chose to trash Obama’s picture? They would have done that with any American president. That abandoned rats were euthanized? This isn’t exactly a story that many will get worked up about.
These stories are pretty irrelevant from any angle, and hardly demonstrative of “liberal policies”.
Do you have anything meaningful to contribute this morning?
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:58 amDynamo, Dynamo, Dynamo…Obama’s speech was great. What did you expect? How were you let down?
I guess Tehran and some of the Deep Red States have much in common. Anti-American sentiment is shared by yourself and extremists in the Muslim world – doesn’t that comfort you?
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:58 amRegarding my post at #5 – We really need to ask some serious questions. O.K. what was done with the information? How long did this continue? Were programs currently being done by the NSA reviewed when the FISA rework was passed or just new programs? Which other groups were targeted? I would put money on Congress (if I had any) political types. This is just so much bigger than Nixon breaking into the DNC offices. How about spying on the ACLU? I know, I am possibly getting carried away but suspecting it was happening and now HEARING by someone involved are very different. I would like to hear from someone in the House or Senate calling for an immediate investigation. Too bad we don’t have an AG yet. So, are any other whistleblowers going to step up? Will someone finally seriously investigate Sibel Edmunds? Wait and see…
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:59 amIs it me, or have the trolls become increasingly desperate, pathetic, and just lame as the reichwingers have run aground?
Dynamo, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t exactly “liberal” policy that had those rats euthanized. Why didn’t a compassionate conservative such as yourself step up and adopt the poors rats before they were led to slaughter?
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:00 amWhile laudable, President Obama’s ethics rules apply only to registered lobbyists. WaPo stated this about lobbyists during the campaign:
The rules apply to lobbyists who must register with the federal government; many people who work for lobbying firms or in other areas of the influence business in Washington do not have to register, because they do not personally lobby federal officials on specific issues.
Tom Daschle worked for Alston & Bird, a large lobbying firm. He did not register as lobbyist. Thus he’s free to reform our healthcare system, badly in need of reform. It will take much more than electronic health records. Expect pay for performance to do the same damage as Wall Street executive incentive compensation.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:02 ammisshusseinmolly; to expect a troll to contribute anything coherent is like expecting a planet from orbiting its sun.
It ain’t gonna happen.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:06 am#30,
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:07 amBecause journalists are scared to go there and Americans are apathetic if we don’t have it shoved in our faces. I would say barbarism isn’t limited to headlines anywhere, but that’s what we talk about.
He wants to make sure Roberts gets it right at the 2012 inauguration.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:07 ammk3872 Says
January 22nd, 2009 at 9:36 am
So will we see Coulter and Drudge issue retractions today?
____________________________________________________________
Nah — Coulter is whining about the differences between Obama’s and Reagan’s inaugurations. And plugging her book. She’s really not concerned about Caroline Kennedy, Drudge, or lies she’s told in the past.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:11 am#19. DynaTroll Says:
…and the language not insufficiently inspiring.
So we should pay any attention to something written so poorly?
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:11 amoops, should be- expecting a planet to stop from orbiting its sun
sorry about that
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:11 amLinks to Democracy Now! concerning blair: Democracy Now, scroll down, more for today.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:11 amIt appears that President Obama will get to keep his Blackberry. More specifically, he’ll get a “spy-proof” alternative that is “reportedly capable of encrypting top secret voice conversations and handling classified documents.”
_________________________________________________________
And I expect that the “spy-proof” Blackberry will be appearing in SkyMall before the year is out.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:16 amNot all of the links showed up so I’ll try again.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:19 amHere.
Today.
Kongo, that’s a pretty big assumption on your part. I wrote about the exploitation of Congo myself about 7 months ago. http://tpzoo.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/congos-other-dirty-little-secret/
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:23 amDon’t get all high and mighty about things you are assuming. Way to come here and piss people off instead of trying to further your cause. You might want to try a different approach.
There are people on the Right who think that the ASPCA is a dirty liberal organization?
Impressive.
And at the same time, killing rats is a reason for RW chortling about lib hypocrisy?
Even more impressive.
So not only is Dynamo ceding all animal lovers to our side, we can take credit for the concept of public health?
Because rats–and not carefully raised laboratory rats, but rats of unknown origin probably trapped somewhere, are extremely dangerous disease vectors. (The Black Death killed a third of Europe.)
You don’t give 280 rats their shots and try to put them in good homes. You put them to death painlessly, and incinerate their corpses.
And gosharootie, Dynamo’s post about the Iranians doesn’t seem to jibe with the ‘dancing in the streets’ thing the Right’s been pushing, does it? Unpopular with radical Muslims? That’s an indictment?
Liberals gain puppies and kitties–lose Iranian militants.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:33 amQuite a gift so early in the morning.
Bluedahlia, I may be wrong but I think Kongo K is just another pseudonym for our pesky trolls.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 amUncle Ho, you are quite right at #1.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:47 amThe reichwingers are indeed criticizing Obama for not using a Bible the second time around.
Suddenly, this is all Obama’s fault, when the republican SCJ Roberts created the problem.
The “so help me, God” part is an ad lib that is traditional, and is not part of the Constitutional oath.
As for using the Bible, there have been presidents in the past who did not use the Bible for their swearing in (Teddy Roosevelt comes to mind).
The msm, instead of correcting the misinformation, is simply playing it over and over again, giving it more validity every time.
Good morning!
I had the same thought about Mr. Tice (i.e., that he’ll be “Roved” – thanks for that, BTW). I hope he’s very careful.
I hope more people will come forward and tell the truth about the Bush administration’s law-breaking.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:05 amCaroline Kennedy added, “it turns out this whole ‘public service’ thing is actually really hard.”
.
Olmert: “like it freakin’ matters, what are you going to do about it, cut our military aid?”
.
Uncle Ho Says:
I will bet my bottom dollar that the reichwing nuts seize upon that to claim that the Oath he took last night is invalid, and he is an illegitimate President.
Gawrsh, I guess any legal challenge to the legitimacy of Obama’s presidency, in order to be upheld, would have to go through… oh yeah, the Roberts court. Good luck with that.
.
Dynamo Says:
Obama’s speech — a failure
Quite a day, but not much of speech unfortunately. Obama got where he is by speechifying, but this effort would not have won him many votes
The delivery, as ever, was first class, but the message was wasn’t clear enough and the language not insufficiently inspiring.
To be honest, I kinda wanted some more hopey-changey rainbows and unicorns. But then he told us all about the hard stuff we had to do and I was like, “bummer.” However, there’s a difference between a feel-good speech and a well-written speech.
Also: “history will be the judge,” ha ha.
.
Dynamo Says:
One special guest who commanded attention at the party was Zeituni Onyango, 56, Obama’s aunt from Kenya who has been in this country illegally
Is she here illegally now? You don’t really care, do you?
.
Dynamo Says:
They didn’t wait for the inauguration to deliver their verdict on Obama, dragging his portrait through the streets of Tehran
Does that mean he’s already winning the GWOT? Y’all define success in the number of enemies you have, right?
.
Dynamo Says:
Police say Duffany crammed 280 rats into aquariums and cages, and left them on the side of the road in Foster last month. The rats were discovered several days after they were abandoned.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals euthanized the living rats.
Don’t you just love to see liberal policies in action. They make so much sense.
So you’re saying there’s no difference between leaving animals crammed into cages to die in the street and being put down painlessly? That doesn’t make any sense to you? Oh yeah, you’re a Republican.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:07 amThe whole Carolina Kennedy situation seems a bit bizarre, in that I cannot remember any other time where an individual publicly campaigned for an appointment to the Senate. It’s because of this public campaign that we now have a public withdrawal.
It’s possible she genuinely has some valid “personal reasons” for withdrawing. It’s also possible that Patterson has decided to appoint someone else, and as a courtesy to Kennedy, gave her a chance to bow out gracefully.
Her moment in the spotlight certainly generated controversy, though. Not so much regarding the appropriateness of a public campaign, but whether or not she was qualified for the job.
“No experience!”, people have cried. Um, that would mean experience in elected office? There are other Senators who came to the Senate with no more political experience than Caroline has — Orrin Hatch, Robert Bennett, and Caroline’s own uncle Ted Kennedy.
“No qualifications!”, others have cried. Caroline is a constitutional law expert (heaven knows we could use a few more of those), has served on numerous boards of non-profit organizations, and has served as a prolific fund-raiser for public schools and other charities. And she’s smart. This is the kind of experience that builds skills needed in politics — diplomacy, persuasion, cooperation, and compromise. Caroline is more than just her famous last name, although many people can’t see beyond that — and therefore assume she’s an empty Kennedy suit.
I assume Patterson will appoint someone worthy of the office. But I hope Caroline won’t fade from public view. She has much to contribute.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:30 ammisshusseinmolly,
Nicely said. And the appointment would only be until a replacement Senator gets elected in 2010. Then that person, whehter or not it’s Caroline Kennedy, would have to run again in 2012.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:37 ami heard a historian (beschloss?) remark that even john kennedy’s “ask not” line was not judged immediately to be so profound as later years have made it… not at all worried that PRESIDENT OBAMA’S Inaugural Address will gain it’s rightful acclaim…
it was “good”, malia… it was even great!
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:53 pmProud, When will you slackers that start illegal wars be the first ones to go in? And speaking of paying taxes, I suppose you are too stupid to realize those tax cuts Bush pushed did not help you at all, unless you are not paying your fair share. Well, how about it Proud?
January 25th, 2009 at 7:31 pm