President Barack Obama journeyed to Capitol Hill for a rare Sunday visit as the Senate pushed through the weekend on health care reform. The president spent more than 40 minutes rallying the Senate Democratic caucus, underlining to them the importance of passing a bill not only to the economy, but to the 2010 elections and “the …
What Barack Obama Really Thinks Of The White House Press
We are past, for the moment, the White House “war” on Fox, such as it was. (Obama did an interview with Fox News’ Major Garrett a few weeks back, and General Petraeus is on Fox News Sunday today, with close Obama ally Dick Durbin.) Summer is gone too, and with it the “wee weed up” “silly season” of political coverage that Obama and his …
Sarah Palin, Barney Frank and the Gridiron Club
Sarah Palin and Barney Frank were the featured speakers at last night’s winter dinner of the Gridiron Club. The event also marked what could be the beginning of a new era for the 124-year-old club, which is an institution where traditions die hard. (It was only five years ago that they decided to open up membership to journalists from …
Baucus’s Legal Affairs
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus found himself the center of a scrum of reporters Saturday as the Senate worked through the weekend on health care reform, though not for the usual reasons. The topics did not include the public option, abortion, health care affordability or his hearings on global warming legislation but, …
In the ArenaUncategorized
Afghan Thoughts
This piece by David Sanger reminds me of several points that have gone unmentioned in the discussions of the President’s new Afghan policy:
1. The policy and troop surge is not intended to “defeat” the Taliban; indeed, there’s a recognition that the Tals will always be a part of the picture in Afghanistan. The intent of the policy is …
Tennessee Mayor Accuses Barack Obama Of Hating On Charlie Brown, Peanuts
Russell Wiseman, the mayor of Arlington, Tenn., (pop. 2,569 in 2000), was infuriated by President Obama’s address on Afghanistan Tuesday night. This is what Wiseman posted on his Facebook page, according to the Commercial Appeal in Memphis.
Ok, so, this is total crap, we sit the kids down to watch ‘The Charlie Brown Christmas Special’
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Loving The Joke
A correction published today by the Washington Post:
A Nov. 26 article in the District edition of Local Living incorrectly said a Public Enemy song declared 9/11 a joke. The song refers to 911, the emergency phone number.
Here is the story, as corrected. More importantly the video for “911 Is A Joke”–released in 1990 on the album Fear …
The Joint Statement Lost In Translation? Or Time Change?–Russia And U.S. Still Working On New Nukes Treaty
In Singapore last month, the President Obama’s Senior Director for Russia, Mike McFaul, announced that the U.S. and Russia would not be able to conclude an agreement on the a follow-on to the START nuclear warhead treaty before Saturday, Dec. 5, when it is set to expire. “We have a bridging agreement that we also are working with the …
1,000 Words: West Point Edition
The Stimulus That Obama Won’t Support: Legalizing Prostitution, Drugs, Gambling, Nonviolent Crime
At the town hall in Schnecksville, Penn., today, President Obama got a rather direct question from a college student.
QUESTION: Mr. Obama, I really appreciate how you’re trying to stimulate the economy to help this country out. And I was just wondering in LCCC in college we’ve been studying some criminology and I was wondering if
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Tai Shan’s Extradition To China Imminent–D.C. To Lose A Panda
File under Super-Fauna Drama:
Tai Shan, aka “Butterstick,” for those who do not live in the Washington D.C. area, is a cute panda bear. Really cute. (See pictures here.) Born about four years ago at the National Zoo, he is the property of the People’s Republic of China. And Panda diplomacy, it seems, has its limits. The
Unemployment Today: The White House Reacts
Good news–at least temporarily–from the Department of Labor today. (Maybe the job summit did work some magic!) Council of Economic Advisers Chair Christina Romer blogs the details (and spin) over at the White House website:
Today’s employment report was the most hopeful sign yet that the stabilization of financial markets and the
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Obama’s White House Job Summit Takes On Unemployment, Baking Bread
Up on Capitol Hill Thursday, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke painted yet another grim picture for the future of work in America:
The high unemployment rate is a major concern because we’re seeing, not just 10 percent unemployment, but we’re seeing very long duration of unemployment. We’re seeing a lot of people on part-time work or in short
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