Jim Geraghty, "The Campaign Spot" @ National Review
. . . I checked my e-mail and came across this report from CQ, too good not to share immediately:
Here's some change that supporters of President-elect Obama may not want to see: all of the policy commitments on specific issues have been removed from his transition Web site.
On Nov. 7, global health advocates noticed that some of the details of Obama's "fight global poverty" statement had been removed. Specifically, the site no longer promised to fully fund debt cancellation for the world’s poorest countries or provide the full U.S. contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Activists already were concerned, since boosting foreign aid was the one thing Obama mentioned during the campaign when asked what proposals he’d have to scale back due to the faltering economy...
By this morning, all of the issue-specific pages on the transition site had been removed from the agenda section. In its place, a statement that mentioned details but provided none at all: "The Obama Administration has a comprehensive and detailed agenda to carry out its policies."
Too bad for Obama that I went through and saved copies of his promises in most issue areas.
Everybody, all together now: "All statements from Barack Obama come with an expiration date. All of them."
Posted by: Mike ||
11/12/2008 13:53 ||
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#1
Do we have access to some bottomless pit of money that I don't know about? Even tax dollars and T-bills have a limit.
#4
Every disaster is a new opportunity. I see the Left working with the Right over what O wants to deliver and what he cannot deliver. We will both be pi$$ed. Common ground.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/12/2008 17:10 Comments ||
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#5
What! President HopeyChangey is RENEGING ON HIS PROMISES? But, but, I thought he wasn't like all the other politicians...He's the LIGHTBRINGER! How can he do this? I'm just SHOCKED, SHOCKED, I TELL YOU!
#6
Nonsense....! If you are TRUE believer in Change you will give him at least two terms, then rescend the antiquated Twenty-Second Amendment to that old constitution thing. There is no reason The One's tenure shouldn't be on a par with Supreme Court Justices. Come on, get with the Change program.
#7
You mean 52.5% of us got duped? You mean there's no lemon law wrt President Elects? One more reason why libz are morons. It's hilarious how these idiots bought off on all the crap the street agitator sold them.
#11
Specifically, the site no longer promised to fully fund debt cancellation for the worlds poorest countries or provide the full U.S. contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
The former has already been agreed to, and the latter are the usual United Nations slush funds for buying 5 course lunches at 6 star hotels for nepotistic appointees of 2 bit 3rd world dictators.
Now Bishop Robinson intends to make the Catholic Church his new mission field for this crusade. In a report first confirmed by the Associated Press and later confirmed in numerous Press and Media venues, Bishop Robinson has acknowledged that he led a "confidential retreat" of 75 Roman Catholic Priests in 2005 at which he encouraged their open dissent from the teaching of the Church and their overt disobedience to their vowed celibacy.
His intention now seems to be to take his self styled libertine revolution into the Catholic Church.
He somehow misses that the Catholic Church has had 2,000 years of experience in dealing with heretics ...
The retreat occurred with no approval from any Bishop or religious superior of the men who attended. Among the many suggestions and instructions he gave to the priests in attendance was to tell them, "It's too dangerous for you to come out as gay to your superiors, but I believe that if you work for the ordination of women in your church, you will go a long way toward opening the door for the acceptance of gay priests."
#1
He's probably lying. Even though there are 50,000 priests in this country, having 75 of them dissappear for a week for a "secret" conference seems had to pull off.
#2
I'd suspect it would be easy enough if they all just happened to vacation at the same time in the same place, Carbon Monoxide, or held some sort of 'reunion'...
Don't bishops serve at the pleasure of the Vatican? I'm sure that the College of Cardinals could find seventy-five rather amusing little assignments, eg each in a single-roomed hermitage at the tops of isolated mountain tops in need of hourly prayer for the salvation of the souls of humanity. There have been libertines and dissenters in the Church since it began. We know of some of the dissenters... but somehow very few of the libertines are known of outside the walls of the Vatican.
The retreat took place three years ago. I wonder how much longer dear Bishop Robinson will rule as a prince of the Church?
#4
"Bishop" Robinson is a "Bishop" only in the eyes of a few thousand Episcopalians. He is not a prince of the Church. He is not a validly ordained Bishop of the Universal Church.
I imagine most of these supposedly gay priests are probably quite old and will not be around much longer.
#5
He somehow misses that the Catholic Church has had 2,000 years of experience in dealing with heretics ...
Well, in the good old days we used to burn them at the stake, but then Martin Luther came along and spoiled all that...
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
11/12/2008 17:22 Comments ||
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#6
That's what I getting for taking a few days off: I completely missed the Episcopal bit in the headline. :-( Hopefully I'll be smarter tomorrow.
BURBANK, California (Reuters) - Former U.S. presidential candidate John McCain on Tuesday shrugged off criticism leveled at his running mate, Sarah Palin, saying he expects her "to play a big role in the future of this country." The Republican senator from Arizona rallied to the defense of his vice presidential pick in an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," his first television interview since losing his White House bid to Democrat Barack Obama a week earlier.
Asked by Leno about commentary from pundits across the political spectrum who judged the Alaska governor to be a drag on the Republican ticket, McCain, 72, denied she had hurt his campaign. "I'm so proud of her and very grateful that she agreed to run with me. She inspired people. She still does," McCain said. "I couldn't be happier with Sarah Palin, and she's gone back to be a great governor, and I think she will play a big role in the future of this country."
Palin, virtually unknown outside her home state before McCain tapped her as his running mate in late August, in recent interviews has left open the possibility she may seek higher office.
Palin has drawn a strong following among the Republican Party's conservative base, but also substantial fire from critics who charged that her record as Alaska governor was at odds with her image as a political reformer.
As the 2008 presidential race drew to a close last Tuesday, the media was filled with stories attributed to McCain campaign aides questioning Palin's judgment, her readiness to serve and her intellect. In addition to mounting criticism about pricey wardrobe purchases for her during the race, a recent Fox News Channel report cited unnamed campaign sources saying Palin did not know Africa was a continent and could not name the three countries that had signed the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Palin has dismissed such criticism as false smears planted by "jerks" too cowardly to speak publicly. William McGurn, a former speech writer for President George W. Bush and editorialist for the Wall Street Journal, urged McCain in a newspaper column on Tuesday to condemn the attacks on Palin.
Asked about them by Leno, McCain suggested such criticism amounted to sour grapes from people claiming to be campaign insiders. "I think I have at least a thousand, quote, 'Top advisers,'" he said. "These things go on in campaigns, and you just have to move on."
Choosing the relaxed setting of America's top-rated late-night talk show for his first post-election TV interview, McCain joked that since the election he has been "sleeping like a baby."
"I sleep two hours, wake up and cry," he said to laughter, but when pressed he declined to second-guess his own campaign.
He also ruled out another run for president, saying: "I wouldn't think so, my friend ... we're going to have another generation of leaders coming along."
Barack Obama will keep his distance from this weekend's G20 summit and will not meet with any of the world leaders attending the event, it emerged yesterday.
John Podesta, part of the troika overseeing Obama's transition to the White House, told reporters the president-elect would meet none of the leaders coming to the summit in Washington. "It is not appropriate for two people to show up at this meeting," he said. "The president-elect will respect the fact that we have one president at a time."
Oh he will, will he ...
The Obama camp cast his decision to stay away from the summit as a sign of respect for George Bush's authority as president. It could also be politically convenient for Bush to maintain sole ownership of the crisis and the increasingly controversial $700bn (£445bn) rescue package for the banking insurance and mortgage industries.
Obama's spokesman, Dan Pfeiffer, said he would send no observers to the event. "It's the president's meeting," Pfeiffer said. Obama's advisers would meet visiting leaders, but the president-elect planned to remain in Chicago while the summit takes place.
Posted by: Steve White ||
11/12/2008 00:00 ||
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#4
STFU zebulon. Snark is the price of success without qualification or vetting or achievement. We can and will expose each and every cheap move he makes and there's not a goddamn thing you or his minions can do about it. Get over it. We had to, right?
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/12/2008 7:31 Comments ||
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#5
Anyone seen liberalhawk recently? Or anyone know if he has a blog of his own or such? I miss his POV.
#9
the troika overseeing Obama's transition
Great way to describe it, Guardian.
Actually the reason he's not there is that he's here, moving into an office across the street from me (in Chicago).
#10
Is there a need to be snarky everytime that Obama shows?
We snarked Rummy (R), George (R), John (R), et al. Why the hell should the 'One' be exempted? It's called equal opportunity [or are those hollow words just used to manipulate the gullible into blind submission?] Here's some advice from another Donk - If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Harry S. Truman (D)
#11
I am not a donk, i am not even an American. Anyway you can only be effective if you can attack with full power when he makes leftist moves. If you set up your side to atack everytime, you loose efficiency and clear message.
You are in minority so you must think what is the best way to bring to your side those that voted Obama.
#12
Zeb S - Actually we don't have to "think" too much about what is the best way to bring Obama voters to our "side". One of the beauties of the founders is they did a lot of that thinking long ago, and rather convincingly decided that 4 years of observation is a simply fabulous way to convince voters.
That, and the whole checks and balances thing, various sections of the Bill of Rights, the impeachment clause, and so forth.
#14
It could also be politically convenient for Bush to maintain sole ownership of the crisis and the increasingly controversial $700bn (£445bn) rescue package for the banking insurance and mortgage industries.
The one 90% of democrats, including THE ZERO, voted for?
#15
OK, what was the turnout? pewcenteronthestates puts the elegable voter turnout at just over 30%. To say that the Rebulicans hold the minority in Federal Government is true. To say that represents the overall feeling of Americans is erroneous.
Doesn't mean there isn't going to be an after-hours party; that is if someone were to look at his record of meeting foreign officials even before the election was held or the bullcrap leaking of the private conversation with President Bush.
And snark is what this site is *for*, Zeb. Pay attention!
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
11/12/2008 10:40 Comments ||
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It sounds like Obama and his team have not yet figured out how they want to approach this problem and don't want to be put on the spot.
I think its a good move. The other 19 participants are either going to make proposals and want commitments from the U.S., or just bitch about the U.S. Bush will not be in a position to make any promises, and Obama will not be there.
#19
The opposition to Obama has learned its lesson and takes its tone from 8 years of glorious setting of example by previous opposition to W. Set snark phasers to maximum. Use flux capacitors if necessary.
#21
The Obama camp cast his decision to stay away from the summit as a sign of respect for George Bush's authority as president. It could also be politically convenient for Bush to maintain sole ownership of the crisis and the increasingly controversial $700bn (£445bn) rescue package for the banking insurance and mortgage industries.
I'd say the 'blame my predecessor gambit' is the more likely reason.
#23
As snarky as we wanna be - thank God for the 1st Amendment (while we still have it - & same goes for the 2nd which is the only one that really ensures the others). BTW - as no one here (that I know of) is an elected official - it really doesn't matter what we say - as if our clowning on Obama is going to move some voter left or right.
#24
Mocking our elected officials is a long-standing American tradition, Zebulon Spase1139 dear. The only one we all ever treated with respect was President George Washington. I agree that we don't want to appear ravening maniacs to others, but I promise solemnly to keep an eye on them, and prescribe chamomile tea as necessary. ;-) We aren't anywhere near as uptight as we were on Election Day. It is very kind of you to be concerned, truly; I hope we will continue to inspire such friendship over the next four years.
Posted by: Bob Phavise6306 ||
11/12/2008 20:38 Comments ||
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#25
Bob, you sound suspiciously like our Trailing Wife.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/12/2008 21:37 Comments ||
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Frank G -- I agree ---
But - Bambi isn't ducking the summit......
The transition office also announced that Mr. Obama will be represented at the global economic summit this weekend by former Clinton administration Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and by former Republican congressman Jim Leach, of Iowa.
Tom Scott conducted the interview. WELI killed it. Now you can hear it.
Scott, one of Connecticut's leading conservative voices of the past three decades, was the last local on-air voice at WELI-AM, once a fully-staffed Greater New Haven news station . Scott hosted a weekday 5 to 7 p.m. drive-time talk show until Oct. 29. That was the day he taped a combative interview with U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut.
Watching the TV news monitors in the WELI newsroom, Tom Scott (pictured), a former state senator and Congressional and gubernatorial candidate, had grown frustrated that reporters seemed to be going easy on Dodd. So he savored the chance to push Dodd on why, for instance, he won't release the documents connected to his personal Countrywide loans.
The result was riveting radio. But WELI's listeners never got to hear it.
Click here to hear the interview that never aired.
Asked why the interview never ran, Todd Thomas, Clear Channel's regional operations manager, said, "That's something that happened behind closed doors." He declined to comment further.
Posted by: Mike ||
11/12/2008 12:24 ||
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#1
Bad link. Accident or design?
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
11/12/2008 14:02 Comments ||
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It worked for me - clicked on the link to the article and then on the audio link.
I do think the interview was pretty unfair. Scott stated a number of provocative premises which were probably not well-founded, and then asked Dodd to release his mortgage papers. Dodd handled it pretty well. His position was that the loan was not a special deal, and things are under investigation, anyway. The argument was repeated several times.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
BURBANK, California (Reuters) - Former U.S. presidential candidate John McCain on Tuesday shrugged off criticism leveled at his running mate, Sarah Palin, saying he expects her "to play a big role in the future of this country." The Republican senator from Arizona rallied to the defense of his vice presidential pick in an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," his first television interview since losing his White House bid to Democrat Barack Obama a week earlier.
Tom Scott conducted the interview. WELI killed it. Now you can hear it.
