ThinkFast: April 13, 2009
ThinkFast: April 13, 2009
Before Capt. Richard Phillips was rescued from Somali pirates, President Obama twice authorized the military to use force to rescue him. “Obama first gave permission around 8 p.m. Friday, and upgraded it at 9:20 a.m. Saturday,” expanding the order “to encompass more military personnel and equipment that arrived in the Indian Ocean to engage the pirates.” The AP writes that Obama passed his first national security test.
The Obama administration plans to “ratchet up pressure on Congress to pass climate change legislation this year by declaring its authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions through the Environmental Protection Agency.” In 2007, the Supreme Court said the EPA could regulate CO2 emissions, and Obama “has given the EPA the green light” to declare them a danger to public health and welfare.
In Afghanistan, Ahmad Wali Karzai a “female provincial legislator was shot dead Sunday in the restive southern province of Kandahar.” A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred as she was heading home from work.
Prosecutorial misconduct in Ted Stevens’s case does not mean he is “innocent.” One of the jurors in the case, Colleen Walsh, wrote on her blog as if speaking to Stevens, saying: “You may be innocent on corruption charges which were never brought up. But you are still guilty of not disclosing some of your major gifts to the public.”
“The private student lending industry and its allies in Congress are maneuvering to thwart a plan by President Obama to end a subsidized loan program and redirect billions of dollars in bank profits to scholarships for needy students.” The private loan industry “has begun lobbying aggressively to save a program that has generated giant profits with very little risk.”
Michael Astrue, the commissioner of Social Security, “says benefits for tens of thousands of people with severe disabilities are being delayed by furloughs and layoffs of state employees around the country.” Astrue said that “governors are hurting their own states” by furloughing workers to help balance state budgets, calling the response “completely illogical.”
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is pushing the House Republicans’ message through a coordinated and disciplined group of committee-level communications staffers. Boehner’s spokesman said the communications meetings were part of his “‘entrepreneurial insurgency’ tactics to communicate Republicans’ better solutions to the American people.” “The committee communicators are in the vanguard of that effort,” he said.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, laid-off workers over the age of 45 “were out of work 22.2 weeks in 2008, compared with 16.2 weeks for younger workers.” Further, after finding new employment, “they typically experience a much steeper drop in earnings than their younger counterparts.”
Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said on CNN yesterday that the U.S. is on track to withdraw combat troops by August 2010 but the pace could adjust depending on stability. He added that U.S. troops may have to remain in Iraqi cities after the June 31 deadline but said “ultimately it will be the decision of Prime Minister Maliki.”
And finally: Glenn Beck announces his long-awaited comedy tour! Calling himself a “poor man’s Seinfeld,” Beck said he will be taking his entertainment act on the road for six live performances over six days during the first week of June.
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“Paranoid schizophrenic homeless person’s Seinfeld” is probably closer to the truth.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:05 am“Glenn Beck announces his long-awaited comedy tour! Calling himself a “poor man’s Seinfeld,”
who would pay to see that sheeyat when you can tune in and catch his comedy routine for free on faux noise?
April 13th, 2009 at 9:08 amHouse Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is pushing a the House Republicans’ message through a coordinated and disciplined group of committee-level communications staffers. Boehner’s spokesman said the communications meetings were part of his “‘entrepreneurial insurgency’ tactics to communicate Republicans’ better solutions to the American people.” “
MESSAGE:No No No No No NOOOOOOOOOOOOBAMA!
April 13th, 2009 at 9:09 amBoehner’s spokesman said the communications meetings were part of his “‘entrepreneurial insurgency’ tactics to communicate Republicans’ better solutions to the American people.”
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I must have missed something. The Republicans have “better solutions”? All I’ve heard from them is “more tax cuts for the rich”, and “block everything Obama tries to do, no matter what it is”. These can’t even be fairly called solutions, let alone “better” ones.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:10 amBeck’s comedy comes from his spot-on imitation of a paranoid, right wing coward.
What do you mean it’s not an act?
April 13th, 2009 at 9:10 amAnd finally: Glenn Beck announces his long awaited comedy tour!
His entire ‘career’ has been a joke.
Paranoia & fear aren’t funny, however. Beck is a domestic terrorist. He inflames people with racist & over the top scenarios while avoiding any responsibility for his actions.
That’s what happens when you give people like Beck a microphone.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:11 amGlenn Beck announces his long-awaited comedy tour!
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Does this mean Beck is finally admitting he’s nothing more than a clown?
April 13th, 2009 at 9:12 amAnd finally: Glenn Beck announces his long-awaited comedy tour!
Hasn’t he already been on one? Just televised whether than live?
April 13th, 2009 at 9:12 amI would think Beck would be afraid to go out in public. Didnt Billdo say that NBC and libs were out to get them.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:13 amHouse Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is pushing his “‘entrepreneurial insurgency’ tactics to communicate Republicans’ better solutions to the American people.”
does this include introducing a budget with no numbers in it, and re-releasing it again on april fool’s day? if that’s the case, i think i’ll take a pass on their ideas for our country.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:13 amGlenn Beck announces his long-awaited comedy tour!
LOL !
April 13th, 2009 at 9:17 amlong awaited?
By who?
And six performances over six days?
Whoa there Becky. Ya might want to pace yourself. Being in such high demand and such.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:17 amI don’t think you are right that Obama has passed his first national security test. It isn’t that I think Obama did anything wrong, it is just that this is not a national security test.
Hostage situations will occur in the future. People in positions of responsibility can act as well-intentioned as they possibly can, and hostages can still get injured or killed. Tragedies will occur. Along with good judgment, these sorts of things rely in some measure on pure dumb luck. I don’t know that it is fair to make this a test of our leaders when that is the situation.
Had this ship captain been killed by the pirates, I am sure the right wing would claim it was a failure of Obama’s abilities. That would be untrue and unfair. Let’s recognize it for what it was: the success of some well trained Navy SEALS in accomplishing their mission.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:19 amWas John Boehner’s “entreprenurial insurgency” modelled after Chris Ward, the NRCC CFO who embezzled money from campaign donors? Highly likely.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:19 am“entrepreneurial insurgency”??
“willing to take risks to make a profit” + “armed rebellion” = Republican politics??
April 13th, 2009 at 9:25 amGlenn Beck, how dare you insult Seinfeld. Your act is funny, but in a sad point and laugh pathetic kind of way.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:25 amBoehner says: “entreprenurial insurgency”.
Evidently those webinars with the Taliban are beginning to pay off. Just look what ‘ambush’ interviews did for Billo.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:25 amBravo to the U.S. Navy for rescuing Captain Phillips. And may God forgive me — I’m not terribly sorry for the three pirates who got killed when they resisted capture.
Yes, my bleeding liberal heart can understand why Somali pirates do what they do. Yes, Somalia is a complete anarchy at the moment and its citizens have a crappy existence. And yes, the pirates are just trying to survive, blah blah blah.
But this is piracy we’re talking about, and it’s unacceptable under any circumstances. Even if every navy of every country affected by the attacks patrols the waters of the Gulf of Aden, they can’t be everywhere at once. Even though I personally have some misgivings about arming merchant ships, it’s time to do whatever has to be done to make the Gulf of Aden safe for shipping. And if that means allowing merchant ships the ability to defend themselves, so be it.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:28 amI would think this would be the perfect job for Blackwater and other private security companies. I’m delighted that the Captain was rescued, but why should countries, including the U.S., pay for the costs in protecting merchants with, potentially, troops’ lives and certainly countries’ taxpayer money?
Captain’s Rescue Revives Debate Over Arming Crews
By KEITH BRADSHER
Many ship owners are reluctant to allow weapons, fearing their crews will be killed if they try to fight pirates during an attack.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/world/13shipping.html?hp
April 13th, 2009 at 9:30 amHouse Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is pushing the House Republicans’ message through a coordinated and disciplined group of committee-level communications staffers. Boehner’s spokesman said the communications meetings were part of his “‘entrepreneurial insurgency’ tactics to communicate Republicans’ better solutions to the American people.” “The committee communicators are in the vanguard of that effort,” he said.
Let’s not forget the definition of “insurgency.”
“Insurrection against an existing government, usually one’s own, by a group not recognized as having the status of a belligerent.”
April 13th, 2009 at 9:34 amThe AP reports that Obama passed his first national security test — the repug pundits are claiming the AP is in the tank for Obama.
Obama remains calm and cool while receiving numerous updates and gives the orders – he doesn’t go on camera himself, and when it is over, he takes no credit, he praises the Captain and the crew and the military.
Apparently this is not setting right with repugs.
I really believe the repugs want to see mayhem, chaos and slaughter if it would mean that their party could exploit it.
How do you think McCain and his short fuse would have handled this?
April 13th, 2009 at 9:38 amThe AP writes that Obama passed his first national security test.
but, according to fox, obama is taking too much credit for the rescue…
huh?
that was just on stephanie miller… she noted that he barely spoke about it and gave all the credit elsewhere…
April 13th, 2009 at 9:39 ama program that has generated giant profits with very little risk.”
even after paying all those lobbyists fees?
April 13th, 2009 at 9:42 amApril 13th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Glenn Beck’s comedy tour? I thought it was a joke when I first heard about it — hmmm, he thinks Seinfeld, I think Dennis Miller, another comedic wing nut who is not funny.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:44 am“Beck said he will be taking his entertainment act on the road for six live performances over six days during the first week of June.”
Let’s see, then, I need to stock up on tomatoes, lettuce, cumquats and cabbage about May 1st or so. No refrigeration required.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:46 amLet me say first that I do not condone piracy; their actions are criminal and must be halted. But, I do understand the desperation of some of the pirates – as I read somewhere — one man’s pirate is another man’s coast guard.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:51 amThis is a matter wherein not only must the piracy be stopped, but the reasons for piracy (theft and ransom) in the first place must be addressed.
Don’t know if this is true, but I read that the captured pirate is not old enough to be tried as an adult in any court.
I’ll agree that he didn’t do much, but over all he handled the incident brilliantly. He took neither the Clinton approach of expressing empty empathy or the Bush approach of projecting fear.
This wasn’t a national incident, there is no need for a response by the president. Our Navy did the job flawlessly.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:52 amwinddancer Says:
I would think this would be the perfect job for Blackwater and other private security companies. I’m delighted that the Captain was rescued, but why should countries, including the U.S., pay for the costs in protecting merchants with, potentially, troops’ lives and certainly countries’ taxpayer money?
April 13th, 2009 at 9:30 am
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I’m not so sure. I mean, wasn’t that the purpose of having a Navy in the first place – to protect shipping interests? I fear the prospect of arming cargo ships and fishing vessels in international waters with Blackwater/Xe personnel, divorced from any type of oversight.
What if a big corporate fishing vessel suddenly decides that a small indigenous fishing boat is a threat? What if a Japanese whaling ship decides that a Greenpeace vessel is a threat? What if an oil tanker decides some angry villagers on the Niger Delta are a threat? I fear lots of Mansour Massacres with no jurisdiction that can prosecute them.
This is a poverty problem that demands a holistic solution.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:55 amObama did what a good CIC should do. He listened to his military advisers, took in all the known facts and then gave the orders to act. He then kept his mouth shut and said nothing to inflame the situation. What a breath of fresh air compared to the last eight years of “I’m the decider” in your face BS.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:58 ammarie – at least dennis miller USED to be funny, and on purpose…
April 13th, 2009 at 10:00 amThis has already happened.
In 1999, a group of Nigerians of the Niger Delta region, where Chevron engages in oil production activities, brought a lawsuit against Chevron in US federal court. The plaintiffs allege that they suffered human rights violations, including torture and summary execution, at the hands of the Nigerian military and police acting in concert with Chevron to suppress the plaintiffs’ protests against Chevron’s environmental practices in the Niger Delta.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:01 amNo remarks on age discrimination?
April 13th, 2009 at 10:15 amEverybody here under 45 and employed?
This could not be more wrong. “Pirate” is the freaking antonym of “coast guard”.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:18 am… Calling himself a “poor man’s Seinfeld,”
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I’ve never quite understood the fascination and attachment some folks like Beck have w/ poverty… somehow, seeing themselves as “poor”, or having some special insight into and empathy for “the poor”… and if you question the validity of their arguments, the answer is always… “Do you know how much he makes a year?” as though the dollars make him more right… BUT… he’s “poor” in the hearts and minds of his followers.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:25 amwatchdog Says:
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I seriously doubt you even read the articles you link to. You just find the silliest Cheney you can every morning and post it, huh?
I get the feeling you’re a very bitter, angry person behind it all… still feeling sorry for yourself over the demise of Rove’s Permanent Republican Majority.
Too bad… as John Stewart said, losing is SUPPOSED to taste like a Sh!t taco…
April 13th, 2009 at 10:29 amnellre Says:
No remarks on age discrimination?
Everybody here under 45 and employed?
I have to admit that sent a chill up my spine. I’m thinking America of the future will be poorer than America of the past. And it seems like that’s what the Repubs want: they want to do away with unions and drive down wages overall. So when there’s an economic downturn, it’s the perfect time to drop the 45 year olds at the prime of their careers and hire younger workers at lower wages. The execs get richer and the country gets poorer.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:35 amwatchdog posts a lot of cut-and-paste crap:
April 13th, 2009 at 10:24 am
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Seriously, dog — this is the best you got today?
A British right-winger finds fault with Obama’s latest international trip. Big surprise.
Michelle Obama gets a makeup artist added to her travel entourage. Wow, big whoop — how much is this setting the American taxpayer back? Somehow, I think we can live with it.
A half-brother that President Obama is hardly responsible for (and probably barely knew, if at all) is in an embarrassing situation. This has nothing to do with the President.
And Al Gore’s cable company is affected by the bad economy. He’s certainly not the only one.
You’ve got a whole lot of nothing here.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:37 amCZ-1 Says:
And it seems like that’s what the Repubs want: they want to do away with unions and drive down wages overall.
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I recall reading an essay several years ago that said conservatives blamed the prosperity of the 50’s for the social upheavals of the 60’s. Because the middle class was doing so well, their children had the largesse to actually go to college and cause all that trouble. So, if you dry up the prosperity, no more middle class and no more college and no more upheavals, roughly speaking.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:40 amI just listened to Amy Goodman interview Noam Chomsky. Chomsky pointed out how talk radio is reminniscent of radio in Germany that helped bring Hitler to power. The view that I have of talk radio, and repug books and blogs today is Rwanda where the talkers targeted a group of people and continually railed against them. The talkers (which includes the authors) are constantly implying that these opponents don’t deserve to live. coulter’s “jokes” and suggestions that obama should be assasinated are examples.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:41 amwatchpuppy always has a whole lot of nothing
he’s just another ignorant right wing coward
April 13th, 2009 at 10:41 ammisscoleopteramolly Says:
You’ve got a whole lot of nothing here.
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That’s just Karl Rove posting, missmolly. He STILL can’t get his head around the idea he’s out of power. I’d expect more of this general silliness.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:42 amBearCountry Says:
I just listened to Amy Goodman interview Noam Chomsky. Chomsky pointed out how talk radio is reminniscent of radio in Germany that helped bring Hitler to power.
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But but but Glen Beck is JUST a comedian. Well, he is “funny”… in a creepy kind of way… that isn’t flattering to him.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:45 amThe Republic of Hymenoptera Stupidity Says:
… their children had the largesse to actually go to college and cause all that trouble.
and one of those trouble makers, THEN, was david horowitz – not?
this was in my local paper… i couldn’t read it… schlafley is not allowed in my brain…
College Student Alert: Beware of One-Party Classrooms
http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2009/apr09/09-04-10.html
oh, and according to her eagle forum sight (gaa! i’m infected now!), ol’ phyllis is promoting the tea-baggers too!
April 13th, 2009 at 10:50 amnellre Says
April 13th, 2009 at 10:15 am
No remarks on age discrimination?
Everybody here under 45 and employed?
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No — I just hadn’t gotten there yet. I’m 53 and employed, but my company is carefully looking at the bottom line and figuring out how they’re going to ride out the recession just like every other company is. Therefore, I’m keenly concerned about the future of my job, just like millions of other Americans.
However, unlike the majority of younger Americans, I know that if I lose my job, it will be very difficult at my age to find another one. And if I do find another job, it will certainly pay less than the one I have now.
I’ve been through this fairly recently. I was laid off my job about three and a half years ago and found myself looking for work at age 50. It’s not easy! Even jobs I was well-qualified for went to younger people. I got the job I have now on what was literally my last week of unemployment benefits, and it pays less than what I was making before. But I’m grateful to have it.
Working for one company your whole career up to retirement has become a thing of the past. Hiring people with skills and experience is going the way of the dinosaur. Corporate America wants to do business with young, cheap labor (or even better, outsourced labor), and quality is considered to be quaint and old-fashioned. After all, the quality of goods and services isn’t nearly as important as stock price, is it?
It’s a pity such short-sightedness exists. An economy does best when the most people are participating in it. But as our middle class becomes poorer and poorer, and as people start to realize that middle age becomes synonymous with being undesireable (causing the middle-agers to hoard and save for the upcoming bad times), there will be fewer and fewer people spending money. Not a good plan.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:57 amI gave up on blotchdog ever since it disrespected the family and friends of a fallen soldier.
April 13th, 2009 at 11:17 amI believe that only the vile, profanity filled posts which do nothing but disrupt, should be flagged.
I wave my own philosophy on this with blotchdog’s anti-americanism, though, and will continue to flag it’s ridiculously stupid counter posts.
chiroptera toasterhead Says:
winddancer Says:
I would think this would be the perfect job for Blackwater and other private security companies. I’m delighted that the Captain was rescued, but why should countries, including the U.S., pay for the costs in protecting merchants with, potentially, troops’ lives and certainly countries’ taxpayer money?
April 13th, 2009 at 9:30 am
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I’m not so sure. I mean, wasn’t that the purpose of having a Navy in the first place – to protect shipping interests? I fear the prospect of arming cargo ships and fishing vessels in international waters with Blackwater/Xe personnel, divorced from any type of oversight.
The initial purpose was NOT protecting U.S. shipping interests. Actually, the first navy (called the “Continental Navy”) was established during the Revolutionary War and was used to blockade or destroy ships carrying supplies from England to be used against the Americans. The Navy was disbanded after that war, and didn’t become an active force again until the Barbary Pirates began attacking American merchants in 1797. Then after the war of 1812 ended. the U.S. Navy once again started protecting American shipping interests. It also continued to used in wars (Mexican-American, Civil, etc). up to the present time. However, in 2007, it became official policy due to the global nature of our economy, so we now also protect other country’s shipping assets as well as our own.
On the other hand, I certainly see your point about about private security interests being used on these ships without some kind of oversight. But on the other hand, companies have certainly been known to pay some very bad people for protection in the recent past. For instance, Chiquita Banana hiring right-wing death squads in Columbia. So far, that company has paid $25 million in fans, but NO criminal charges have been brought against the top executives who APPROVED those payments.
April 13th, 2009 at 11:27 am“The private student lending industry and its allies in Congress are maneuvering to thwart a plan by President Obama to end a subsidized loan program and redirect billions of dollars in bank profits to scholarships for needy students.” The private loan industry “has begun lobbying aggressively to save a program that has generated giant profits with very little risk.”Phuck these lobbying bastards all to hell and back.I can`t afford college for my kid and and she going to have an enormous amount of debt when she gets done.What these PHUCKTARDS don`t understand is my wages have not grown hardly at all much less kept up with inflation much less kept up with the rising cost of tuition.Once again it`s these re=pukes that want a dumbed down populace and that isn`t going to happen on my watch,the greed and corporatist power has got to stop and I sure the Obama adminstration doesn`t cave to these PHUCKTARDS from the Reich.
April 13th, 2009 at 11:34 amCollect the taxes and penalties from Stevens at least!!!!!!!!!!
April 13th, 2009 at 11:34 amHope Beck will be entertaining the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially those on the frontiers!
April 13th, 2009 at 11:37 amHow about this. Put UN soldiers on the ships, just as they enter the the dangerous part. It can’t be more than a few days? hours? that they are needed. Once they are clear of the pirate area, they get dropped off.
April 13th, 2009 at 12:31 pmwatchdog Says:
Editorial (read: non-factual, opinion based) article by a cranky British conservative – check.
Superfluous story regarding the entourage required by the first lady in the new age of 24/7/365 ALL THE TIME ON CAMERA IN YOUR FACE age we live in that is supposed to somehow display hypocrisy of some sort on Michelle Obama’s part. And if she didn’t have a stylist/make-up artist/hairdesser on staff and was put on television looking anything but her best, the Right would mock that as well – check.
Inane story that has nothing whatsoever to do with President Obama aside from being about a relative he probably has never met or spent substantial time with, seeing as how he is a half-brother from Obama’s father’s side, which he did not grow up in substantial contact with. Check.
Story about Al Gore’s business decision as a perceived failure. Check!
Jeez, you suck.
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April 18th, 2009 at 5:30 amsac ekimi