ThinkFast: February 5, 2009
ThinkFast: February 5, 2009
Yesterday, the Obama administration “canceled 77 leases its predecessor sold to oil and gas companies that wanted to explore beneath the red rock country of Utah, the first of several expected steps to reverse the Bush administration’s Western legacy.” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the U.S. needs to be independent from foreign oil, but added that “we need to do so in a thoughtful and respectful way.”
Two British High Court judges “ruled against releasing documents describing the treatment of a British detainee” at Guantanamo Bay saying the Bush administration “had threatened to withhold intelligence cooperation with Britain if the information were made public.” The judges expressed dismay that “there would be made a threat of the gravity of the kind made by the United States government.”
House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) said yesterday that he will introduce the Employee Free Choice Act “soon.” Miller said that the bill will be “unveiled in a matter of days or weeks.” Though Miller couldn’t say how many co-sponsors he has on the bill, he said that the process is “going very well.” The Senate HELP Committee will also be voting on Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor today.
“This plan is more than a prescription for short-term spending — it’s a strategy for America’s long-term growth and opportunity in areas such as renewable energy, health care and education,” Obama writes on the stimulus plan in the Washington Post today. “Every day, our economy gets sicker — and the time for a remedy that puts Americans back to work, jump-starts our economy and invests in lasting growth is now.”
Incoming Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is “launching a top-down review of his embattled department” in order to ensure “highest levels of integrity, transparency and performance.”
Robert Sussman of the Center for American Progress is returning to the Environmental Protection Agency to become senior policy counsel to Administrator Lisa Jackson, “advising her on climate and environmental issues across the agency.” In the past, Sussman has blogged on the Wonk Room.
Americans “are waiting longer than they should for unemployment benefits at a time when they need the money the most because rising joblessness is overwhelming claims offices, records show.” The problem is compounded by cuts in federal funding and, with jobless claims up by 35,000 from last week, the problem will likely get worse.
A new study tracking 9/11 responders who “became ill after working at the World Trade Center site found many had lung problems more than five years later.” The researchers said the results prove that “toxic dust” resulting from the collapse of the Twin Towers caused “long-term” and “persistent” illnesses.
And finally: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) “was the star at last night’s annual congressional press dinner.” Noting the potential takeover of the New York Times by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu, Klobuchar quipped that “this could be the first time Lou Dobbs tries to deport an entire newspaper.” “So much for Democrats being against torture,” joked Klobuchar about the Purple Tunnel of Doom Inauguration Day debacle.
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Let’s face it, if it doesn’t benefit the rich, and only the rich, it’s not getting past the Republican blockade in the Senate. Look at what got through: a $15,000 tax credit for homebuyers. Who pays $15,000 in taxes anyway? Certainly not the unemployed.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:13 amWar Crimes Trials coming soon to an International Court near you.
The judges expressed dismay that “there would be made a threat of the gravity of the kind made by the United States government.”
Really? When a government allows terrorists to launch a successful attack on it’s own people in order to further the agenda of the war-mongering Neocon PNACers, this kind of school-yard taunt should be expected – along with future criminal activity to divert attention from the ensuing War Crimes Trials whick limp-Dick-boy-Cheney all but guaranteed by his threat yesterday.
These traitorous anti-American fcukwits should have been assassinated years ago.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:15 amTwo British High Court judges “ruled against releasing documents describing the treatment of a British detainee” at Guantanamo Bay saying the Bush administration “had threatened to withhold intelligence cooperation with Britain if the information were made public.” The judges expressed dismay that “there would be made a threat of the gravity of the kind made by the United States government.”
One president at a time, right? The era of the bully is over… at least I hope so.
PEACE
February 5th, 2009 at 9:17 amTwo British High Court judges “ruled against releasing documents describing the treatment of a British detainee” at Guantanamo Bay saying the Bush administration “had threatened to withhold intelligence cooperation with Britain…
Why does this not surprise me? It’s no wonder the world let out a collective sigh of relief when Obama was elected.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:18 amHis committee will also be voting on Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor today.
Other than the fact that she voted to expand the H-B1 visa program, I think that Solis is a great pick. I also love how the Republicant’s want Obama to appoint someone who is anti labor to the Labor cabinet position. That’s what they did, that’s not what Obama is going to do.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:20 amAnd now for something completely different.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:21 am“Every day, our economy gets sicker — and the time for a remedy that puts Americans back to work, jump-starts our economy and invests in lasting growth is now.”
This is something that the Republicant’s either don’t get or don’t care about. The Economic Recovery bill isn’t perfect, but we don’t have the luxury of time to make it perfect. It’s time for Obama to stop playing nice with the Republicant’s and call a vote on the bill. Let them obstruct and then hold them responsible as more and more Americans lose their jobs and houses.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:22 amTwo British High Court judges “ruled against releasing documents describing the treatment of a British detainee” at Guantanamo Bay saying the Bush administration “had threatened to withhold intelligence cooperation with Britain if the information were made public.” The judges expressed dismay that “there would be made a threat of the gravity of the kind made by the United States government.”
Man, it just keeps getting better and better doesn’t it campers?
February 5th, 2009 at 9:23 amSaddle up, BnF, and head out west!
Here’s a bit of local insight regarding oil and gas leases…
February 5th, 2009 at 9:23 amhttp://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/hard-left-turn
Americans “are waiting longer than they should for unemployment benefits at a time when they need the money the most because rising joblessness is overwhelming claims offices, records show.”
I drove by my local Employment Office yesterday and was shocked to see people waiting in line on the street in the cold. I live in a town that is relatively immune to downturns in the economy and didn’t realize it was impacting my community so heavily.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:25 amA new study tracking 9/11 responders who “became ill after working at the World Trade Center site found many had lung problems more than five years later.”
I hope that Obama fixes this. I would be happy to see my tax dollars going to these brave people who have been totally ignored by the Bush Administration. And think about the message it sends First Responders. They may hesitate doing their job they way they were trained for fear that they may become injured or ill and then be ignored.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:26 amFormer Bush vice president Dick Cheney seemed to reassert his influence even today, warning that the new administration’s anti-terror policies risked exposing the US to a catastrophic attack and saying that President Obama would regret his determination to close down Gitmo and end harsh interrogations of terror suspects.
The U.S. government is being blackmailed by “terrrrrists” within it’s own ranks.
Can we start the real class WAR yet, my trigger finger is itchy, and I’m sick and tired of allowing these criminals to operate with impunity.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:31 amTwo British High Court judges “ruled against releasing documents describing the treatment of a British detainee” at Guantanamo Bay saying the Bush administration “had threatened to withhold intelligence cooperation with Britain if the information were made public.” The judges expressed dismay that “there would be made a threat of the gravity of the kind made by the United States government.”
PROOF positive that the BUSH cabal were simply a bunch of criminals.
HANG THEM ALL!!!!
February 5th, 2009 at 9:32 amHouse Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) said yesterday that he will introduce the Employee Free Choice Act “soon.” Miller said that the bill will be “unveiled in a matter of days or weeks.” Though Miller couldn’t say how many co-sponsors he has on the bill, he said that the process is “going very well.” His committee will also be voting on Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor today.
Not to be a nitpicker but George Millers committee wont be voting on Solis’s nomination, Miller is a member of the House, it’s the senate, specifically the senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and pensions, which is Kennedy’s committee, taht will be voting.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:35 amIf cheney says an attack is coming believe him.
He ran the last one…
February 5th, 2009 at 9:35 amYesterday, the Obama administration “canceled 77 leases its predecessor sold to oil and gas companies that wanted to explore beneath the red rock country of Utah, the first of several expected steps to reverse the Bush administration’s Western legacy.” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the U.S. needs to be independent from foreign oil, but added that “we need to do so in a thoughtful and respectful way.” These are the same leases which were screwed up by the heroic, monkey-wrenching, Univ Utah grad student,last year, Tim DeChristopher.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:35 am>saying the Bush administration “had threatened to withhold >intelligence cooperation with Britain
Actually it doesnt say “bush administration” in the linked article..it says “us government”…I’m really curious to know exactly what entity or government official is doing the threatening, and if obama is going to have the strength of will to make a clean break from this kind of bullying…..the bush administration policies have been so akin to a banna republic dictatorship that I honestly cant see how Obama is going to be able to deal with the choice between continuing their policies vs. trying to do a 180. Pretty soon the obama administration is going to be asked to start defending telecom immunity, for example…I’m really on the edge of my seat to see how thier going to deal with that…
February 5th, 2009 at 9:38 amI predict: Hilda Solis probably won’t get approved…
The GOPukes–well, their Cor[poRat bosses and paymasters– really, really, really HATE “uppity” minority chix…
February 5th, 2009 at 9:38 amDid you guys see this on the White House blog last night? Obama said this about the economic recovery bill during the S-CHIP signing.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog_post/chip/
“In the past few days I’ve heard criticisms that this plan is somehow wanting, and these criticisms echo the very same failed economic theories that led us into this crisis in the first place — the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems; that we can ignore fundamental challenges like energy independence and the high cost of health care; that we can somehow deal with this in a piecemeal fashion and still expect our economy and our country to thrive. I reject those theories. And so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change. So I urge members of Congress to act without delay. No plan is perfect, and we should work to make it stronger. No one is more committed to making it stronger than me. But let’s not make the perfect the enemy of the essential. Let’s show people all over the country who are looking for leadership in this difficult time that we are equal to the task.”
February 5th, 2009 at 9:39 amI’m no fan of Ken Salazar, but as a retired employee of the Department of the Interior I am doing backflips today because he put a stop to the Chimp’s attempts to rape land near Utah National Parks. The Chimp and the rest of his crime cabal never once considered the fact that the United States cannot make itself energy independent by drilling more. This nation consumes 40 percent of the worlds oil products but has <25 percent of the known reserves. Those things don’t add up – something even a Bush appointee could have figured out. We will become energy independent when 1) Americans drive less, 2) consume fewer products produced from oil, and 3) have car makers produce products that get 60 miles per gallon on average instead of 20. Raping Federal land near National Parks for purely economic purposes will not get us there.
Good on ya, Ken Salazar. Now is there anything you can do about that ridiculous cowboy hat you can’t seem to remove from your head?
February 5th, 2009 at 9:49 amRegarding the UK/USA Gitmo story:
British Foreign Sec. David Milliband claims that “the disclosure of the intelligence documents at issue by order of UK courts against the wishes of the US authorities would indeed cause real and significant damage to the national security and international relations of this country”
and goes on to say:
“The issue at stake is not the content of the intelligence material but the principle at the heart of all intelligence relationships – that a country retains control of its intelligence information and it cannot be disclosed by foreign authorities without its consent.
( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7871226.stm )
Milliband is actually confirming the US threat to re-write ( or rescind) the longstanding UK-USA agreement.
If the UK is so dependent on that relationship then the UK has literally no soverignity.
Milliband is declaring the UK as the 51st State, minus any form of representation. He is allowing an unaccountable foreign intelligence community to override the British legal system.
I’d call that treason.
There’s no way for an ordinary citizen to tell what benefits or value the UKUSA really provides but it is clearly not a contract of equals.
The US (under Bush)has refused to cooperate in numerous friendly-fire investigations and, it should be remembered blew the cover of a British developed Al-Qaeda mole for US political gain in 2006 which ruined the surveillance of a network of operatives.
Given those simple facts, I fail to see what’s so special about the UK-USA intelligence-sharing agreement, nor how allowing the relationship to be controlled only by US interests does anything for the safety of British citizens.
February 5th, 2009 at 9:55 amTwo British High Court judges “ruled against releasing documents describing the treatment of a British detainee” at Guantanamo Bay saying the Bush administration “had threatened to withhold intelligence cooperation with Britain if the information were made public.” The judges expressed dismay that “there would be made a threat of the gravity of the kind made by the United States government.”
Europeanview has a post on this at TheZoo.
February 5th, 2009 at 10:09 amNow, this is not acceptable, Mr President!
curlew says…”Now is there anything you can do about that ridiculous cowboy hat you can’t seem to remove from your head?”
It’s camo gear, curlew, makes it easier for Ken to sneak up on the cattlemen and the oil rig workers…
February 5th, 2009 at 10:15 amWhy would one democracy interfere with the legal proceedings of another? Obama’s keeping the threat is Cheneyish.
Israel, Britain and Israel are three of the meanest democracies around.
February 5th, 2009 at 10:22 amstateofthedivision Says:
Israel, Britain and Israel are three of the meanest democracies around.
______________
Hmmmm… I see you used “teh math” to reach your answer.
February 5th, 2009 at 10:27 amHe might have meant the Israel within the United States in addition to the physical state …
February 5th, 2009 at 10:31 amA new study tracking 9/11 responders who “became ill after working at the World Trade Center site found many had lung problems more than five years later.” The researchers said the results prove that “toxic dust” resulting from the collapse of the Twin Towers caused “long-term” and “persistent” illnesses.
Gosh, that’s unusual for air that was perfectly safe, isn’t it?
People who ran TOWARD those buildings to help others, without considering their own health and well-being should get free treatment for any lung or mental health problems they may have — for life. The same goes for our war veterans.
February 5th, 2009 at 10:38 amGood Morning youngster’s…..Question….Is there a posted copy of the stimulious bill some where.? It would be most helpful to be able to read it in it’s full form..Blessings
February 5th, 2009 at 11:09 amHere ya go, witchy-poo:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/15/stimulus-bill-draft-circu_n_158145.html
February 5th, 2009 at 11:23 amGood morning, oh wise one….
February 5th, 2009 at 11:26 amhere’s a link that will take you to a link…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/24/house-stimulus-bill-full_n_160569.html
Here’s the direct link to FULL text version of the “big stimulus”:
http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/HR1.pdf
February 5th, 2009 at 11:27 am…it’s ONLY 647 pages, so get crackin!
February 5th, 2009 at 11:29 amTake some stimulants before you start.
February 5th, 2009 at 11:32 amPrepare to swim the treacherous and mind-numbing world of “legalese-speak”.
Why do these things always read like a “contract” (CYA – cover your arse?), and if so, why can’t we sue them for “breach” when the legislation fails in it’s intent?
February 5th, 2009 at 11:35 amThanks DNFP and Nevar,.Will start my reading post haste…I read another mess of 1,500 page’s awhile ago, even Kerry and his aid’s had not read before they voted on it so this should be a snap…..Will let ya know my thought’s when I finish…Many Blessings…
February 5th, 2009 at 11:37 amGiven enough words, any contract can create it’s own loopholes.
February 5th, 2009 at 11:39 amWhich gives lawyers a never ending task, and a steady source of income.
I suppose I should start reading the Patriot Act, that’s only 6,000 or so… do you think anyone else has gotten around to it yet?
February 5th, 2009 at 11:40 amI’m independently self-employed so every job comes with a contract, and although I admit, I might not read 100% of them, I’ve learned to surf the nuances and look for weighted options.
February 5th, 2009 at 12:00 pmThose ridiculous oil and gas leases in the backyards of some of our most beautiful monumental national parks?
They were nothing more than a gigantic middle finger to America, to ‘liberals’, to enviros, because Georgie knew they would be stopped as soon as Obama took office.
It was a futile, adolescent and asinine gesture that would never stand.
February 5th, 2009 at 12:06 pmoh no! did we lose a trooll? (no disrespect intended)
Cramps founder and punk pioneer Lux Interior dies
The Associated Press – 1 hour ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Lux Interior, co-founder and lead singer of the pioneering horror-punk band the Cramps, has died, the group’s publicist said.
Clip du jour: The Cramps’ “Tear it Up” Entertainment Weekly
Lux Interior, RIP CMJ.com
Prefixmag – The Plain Dealer – cleveland.com – BBC News – LA Weekly
all 238 news articles »
http://news.google.com/?ncl=1300983005&hl=en&topic=e
never heard of the band…
February 5th, 2009 at 12:28 pmObama warns U.S. may never recover if bill not passed now
Obama warned today that failure to act on an economic package could plunge the nation into a long-lasting recession that might prove irreversible
Cheney’s Reprised Scare Tactic: Warns Of WMD Attack If Bush Policies Are Reversed»
Former Vice President Cheney sat down with Politico yesterday for his first interview since handing the reigns of power to the Obama administration. During the interview, Cheney wasted no time trying to defend the Bush administration’s unpopular (and perhaps illegal) counterterrorism policies, many of which he created. Cheney warned that if those policies are repealed (as many of them have already) then the U.S. is at greater risk of “a nuclear weapon or a biological agent of some kind” going off in an American city:
What is the difference here?
2008 Socialist Presidential candidate Brian Moore says Obama is making ‘Good start toward socialism’
TAMPA BAY (Spring Hill), FLORIDA, February 5, 2009 —President Barack Obama, who on Wednesday imposed $500,000 caps on senior executive pay for the most distressed financial institutions receiving federal bailout money, saying Americans are upset with “executives being rewarded for failure,” has joined his 2008 minor party opponent who called for executive caps throughout the presidential election campaign
What a surprise!
February 5th, 2009 at 1:32 pmJugendbund der Says:
__________
Gee… how brave of you. Sneak back onto an empty thread and post your gibberish when no one’s here to ridicule you.
You really should have chosen a name that didn’t scream ‘Nazi Germany’, Dynamo.
February 5th, 2009 at 1:38 pm