Political Hotdish

Obama's New White House Blog

2009-01-21T08:45:00.000-08:00

President Obama pledged to make his the most transparent and accountable administration in American history. His new website is a great start. You can check out the brand new, clean and lean White House website and the new White House blog. Tuesday's entry Change has come to WhiteHouse.gov is written by Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House. He is just one of the people who will be writing this blog.

I like the attempt at including interactive elements. A blog is one way to connect with people. Not sure when true interactivity starts on the blog. No comments allowed at this time for the blog. I can imagine comments on this blog would be a logistics nightmare. We'll see what happens.

The World Watches

2009-01-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

We may be in the midst of crisis, but this sunny inauguration day was picturesque. You could sense the excitement in the air. Despite the chilly temps in the 30s--the reflection pool in the mall was frozen--millions crowded the mall to catch a glimpse of the inauguration ceremony on the jumbo trons.

Obama's speech was optimistic, challenging all of us to grow up as Americans and "set aside childish things."

Obama reminded us that our greatness as a nation can never be taken for granted, it must be earned through "honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism."

His words ring true. We do need to grow up and face our challenges. It is a new era of responsibility to ourselves, our nation and our world.

"Our challenges may be new... But those values upon which our success depends--hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism--these things are old... What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility--a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

We are a great nation that is forever linked to the world around us.

Stephen Colbert on Election '08 and Shakespeare

2008-10-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan of the Colbert Report. I also love great literature. At first glance, the two don't seem to go together. Did Shakespeare know a thing or two about modern politics?

Here's a six-minute clip (thanks to Hulu video) from The Colbert Report on October 9th featuring an interview with Shakespeare expert Stephen Greenblatt.

What Shakespearean character is McCain most like? How about Obama? Watch the clip and see if you agree.

If Sarah Palin Meets Woody Allen

2008-10-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

Sarah. Funny, crazy Sarah. We only have a few more days to get to know you before the big election.

You were a star on Saturday Night Live last weekend. Is there a movie part in your future?

Maybe....Check out the Vimeo video by Radar below.

Sarah Palin Meets Woody Allen from RADAR on Vimeo.

Sarah Palin on SNL

2008-10-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

I have been clear about my support for Obama, but you have to admit McCain's running mate at least proved she had a sense of humor. The Saturday Night Live skit was humorous. I would imagine working with the crew at SNL would be both fun and also a bit risky because the jokes could backfire. Appearing alongside her impersonator Tina Fey, Palin helped bring the highest ratings for SNL in 14 years.

If Palin can handle performing in a major comedy show, I still can't figure out why she hasn't held a formal news conference.

A President for All of Us, Not Just the Top 10 Percent

2008-10-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, We Can!

2008-10-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

Hope for change.

Change that matters.

Gloves Off

2008-10-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

Tune in tonight to watch the second debate between McCain and Obama beginning 9 p.m. Eastern. The format will be a town-hall style meeting with 80 uncommitted voters on stage with the candidates.

Will this style help McCain? He seems to love talking before a live audience. It might be his best forum. The media has hyped his success in this format so much that you wonder just how Obama can keep up.

Oh yeah, there's a little financial crisis on Wall Street, and the credit crisis is spreading. Maybe voters will remember MCain's involvement in the Keating Five savings-and-loan scandal.

Even though Obama doesn't have the same folksy manner of McCain, Obama knows how to inspire a crowd too. I expect Obama to stay focused on the issues. I don't expect to hear smear tactics from Obama, he knows voters are more concerned about the economy.

Thanks to a tip from NYTimes.com, check out the YouTube clip below about McCain and his beloved town hall format.

SNL: VP Debate Spoof

2008-10-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

She Winks, She Smiles, She Flirts, She Plans to Change the Constitution

2008-10-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

Things that made me wonder during the VP debate...

In the past Gov. Sarah Palin has been criticized for repeatedly commenting that she can see Russia from her house in Alaska (see The New Yorker cover above) so I would think she would really want to get her foreign policy stuff right. Does she know that the top American commander in Afghanistan is Gen. David D. McKiernan and is not "McClellan" as she says in the debate?
Palin likes to wink a lot. Does Palin suffer from an eye twitch?
Palin ignored the questions moderator Gwen Ifill asks and instead looks directly into the camera and delivers one canned line after another.
When Palin says over and over "darn right" or "you betcha" I wondered if this is really how she learned to talk in a debate? At this week's debate camp was she coached on folksy expressions?
Where exactly is "Eye-ran?"
She has said that Iran must not even be allowed to have nuclear energy. But isn't Iran a member of the IAEA and a signatory to the NPT?
She called Iran's President Ahmadinejad "insane." Why did she also repeated mispronounce his name? (She says it incorrectly with a K sound exactly like McCain says it too.)
Did she ever answer the questions moderator Gwen Ifill asked. Oh yeah, I asked that before.
Why did Palin say Biden's college teacher wife will "get her reward in heaven" when she knows that Biden's first wife died tragically in a car accident.
Palin was well-rehearsed. She avoided the use of "um" or "uh." But she didn't seem to be thinking on her feet and responding to a question.
Does the McCain energy plan really just boil down to "Drill, Baby, drill?"
Is Palin too power hungry for the VP slot? Palin mentioned that she wanted to take a new look at the US Constitution and make some revisions specifically in Articles I and II that are explicit in enumerating and limiting the powers of the Executive, including the Vice President.

There She Goes Again

2008-10-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

I'm old enough to remember the debate when President Carter offered a long list of statistics and with perfect timing Ronald Reagan commented, "There he goes again." I'm not a fan of Reagan, but his ability to charm the audience was impressive.

Will Sarah Six-Pack Palin be able to charm voters in her debate tonight with Joe Biden? I expect tonight's debate will have a few surprises. It won't be as scripted as debates in the past. Each candidate has the potential to make blunders. In my opinion, no one really wins the debate, but someone always loses.

Will Biden be able to control his long winded banter? Will Palin provide more material for SNL writers?

Biden will be able answer any question. No worries there. He knows his stuff--even the political and personal trivia Palin struggled with such as financial regulation, Supreme Court decisions and favorite newspapers. I am more concerned that he will be too nice. You know, that whole gender issue. Even with the best intentions, Biden will have to balance being tough on Palin and not taking a patronizing attitude.

Not so sure about one moose-hunting hockey mom from Alaska. She's full of surprises. And based on her many gaffes in recent interviews with Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric. I'm guessing instead answering questions she'll just offer generalities. Call it flip flop journalism. Palin benefits when instead of answering the question asked, she answers a question she wants to answer. And she'll be praying for divine intervention in her favor.

If Palin keeps that sunny smile going, you might be tempted to excuse her biting comments. The same comments made by Hillary would be unfairly called "bitchy," but somehow Palin keeps the sun shining even in a thunderstorm.

Will this hockey mom win the game? With all her previous mistakes made so publicly on the network news, our expectations are pretty low. Oh yeah. She is a hockey mom and hockey moms don't like to lose.

Helicopter Parenting on the Campaign Trail

2008-09-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Recently Sarah Palin expressed a view on Pakistan that contradicted McCain's stand. In the world according to McCain, when the "gotcha journalists" recognized this gaffe by Palin they should have ignored the event.

Ooops. I guess the reporters didn't read "The World According to McCain." Oh well... Palin shouldn't worry, we all make a few mistakes. And last time I checked Palin was over forty and she should be old enough to not require her parents (or McCain) to bail her out.

Why did McCain, the over-protective parent figure, tag along on the interview? Instead of letting Palin explain herself in the interview with Couric on Monday, evidently McCain felt he needed to tag along just in case she needed help. What does this rescue by McCain say about his opinion of Palin's competence and how she handles herself on foreign policy or any policy?

Watch CBS Videos Online

A joint interview with Palin and McCain is fine with me as long as they both bring something to the interview. However, in Monday's joint interview with Katie Couric, McCain appeared to be like the helicopter parent who goes to the principal's office in a weak attempt to blame others and excuse Palin's bad behavior.

In this case, McCain felt he needed to set the record straight and rescue Palin because evidently she couldn't handle the interview situation on her own. (Was he thinking about her recent train wreck of an interview with Couric?)

According to McCain, the problem is not Palin's sound byte. The "real" problem is: Gotcha journalism.

Hmmm. I thought that was something a high profile politician should know how to handle. Couldn't Palin clarify her statement to Couric without her helicopter parent?

SNL: Sarah and Katie

2008-09-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

Tina Fey returned to Saturday Night Live to impersonate Sarah Palin over the weekend . The skit featured in the video below mocks the recent interview with Katie Couric and Palin's unusual responses to questions about the United Nations, foreign policy, her comments about Russia, and the economic bailout.

Did Palin Really Say That?

2008-09-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin is new to the media interview routine. McCain handlers shielded her from interviews for weeks after her VP announcement. Just last week, I asked readers "Why?"

Palin seems like she could speak for herself. Her speech at the RNC was a success according to her supporters. Yet, she wasn't hitting the interview circuit to pump up the McCain campaign.

Well, now we know why. Her train wreck interview with Charlie Gibson should have been the signal of the trouble to come. But I thought that was just because it was her first big interview.

Katie Couric's interview with Palin is filled with memorable moments, just not the kind for someone suited for high office:

When Couric asked Palin for examples of McCain supporting financial regulation, Palin seemed flustered because she can't think of any. Couric: "I'm just going to ask you one more time, not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation. Palin: "I'll try to find some and bring them to you." (See video clip below.)
When Couric asked Palin about the state of our economy, Palin says we "might be headed for another Great Depression." (So comforting to hear from a future leader.)
When asked about the conflict in Gaza and what will happen if the goal of democracy doesn't produce the desired outcome? It's one of the vexing foreign policy qestions of the day that even freshman congressman know how to answer. Palin's answer was so strange that I'm not sure if Palin even knows where Gaza is or what happened in Gaza? Palin tells Couric, "Yeah, well especially in that region, though, we have to protect those who seek democracy and support those who seek protections for the people who live there. What we're seeing in the last couple of days here in New York is a President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, who would come on our soil and express such disdain for one of our closest allies and friends, Isreal ... and we're hearing the evil that he speaks and if hearing him doesn't allow Americans to commit more solidly to protecting the friends and allies that we need, expecially there in the Mideast, then nothing will." Hmmm. I'm not sure I know what she meant there... This interview doesn't say much for her foreign policy insight. But, at least she can see Russia from her backyard.

Palin Eyewear Has Special Powers

2008-09-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

When I first saw Sarah Palin on the news I noticed her glasses were just like mine. If my glasses weren't so expensive to replace, I'd be running to Lens Crafters right now.

Anyway, I thought Conan O'Brien's glasses-themed joke last week was so appropriate:

"Experts say that since Sarah Palin became vice-presidential nominee, there's been a spike in the sale of her style of eyeglasses. With Palin's glasses, you can see everything, except what the helll your teenage daughter's up to!"

Economic Meltdown

2008-09-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

No brilliant plans yet. Only a 700 billion dollar rescue package by the federal government to bail out the financial industry.

In case you haven't noticed...

"We have a big problem," said President Bush when an earlier agreement dissolved amid political fighting on Thursday.

Oh yeah, and he had some more encouraging words according to the NY Times, "If money isn't loosened up this sucker could go down," President Bush declared when the bailout package fell apart.

Can anything else go wrong? Can't imagine why the Republicans and Democrats are arguing over this one.

Do you think all the finger pointing has anything to do with upcoming election? Hmmm... If we brought a bunch of cute little puppies to romp around Capital Hill, would that help make anyone smile and maybe help end the partisan finger-pointing?

Oh yeah, we're talking about 700 billion dollars.

So what were Obama and McCain doing during the negotiations? Obama wants a bipartisan solution. We still don't know what McCain's position is. In fact, it appears that McCain was silent during the meetings.

Earlier this week Bill Clinton shared his advice on the economy on The Daily Show. Check out the full episode here.

Is Silence Golden?

2008-09-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

The election is just around the corner. Campaign ads monopolize the airwaves. I expected to see the news filled with candidate interviews and photo ops, but this year the McCain team has taken a quieter approach.

They aren't talking. Really.

And reporters are getting frustrated. Reminds me of the Wizard of Oz. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain."

Check out the YouTube video of frustrated reporters. Thanks for the tip from The Huffington Post.

McCain's not talking. And Sarah Palin has ruffled more than a few feathers by refusing to talk to reporters too. The campaign has restricted journalist access to her meetings and events. Makes me wonder just what is going on. At the United Nations conference, journalists threatened to boycott her events unless they're allowed more access. What is the McCain team hiding? Are they worried what she might say? Does she need more time to prepare for it? Ask any high schooler and they could tell Palin just how to cram for a test like the UN meeting.

Palin, the small-town mayor turned governor, has accomplished a great deal recently. She seems like she would be able to handle herself just fine. All the secrecy just seems plain odd. What exactly does the McCain team think reporters would witness?

Oh yeah... She does need to brush up on her American History trivia. Shouldn't be too tough. Even my kids can do it. I think you can even quiz yourself online. (I suppose this cram session would work, that is unless you expect a VP to know more than a typical high school student. I'm thinking I have slightly higher expectations--our Prez and VP should be able to hold forth free form and discuss almost any question intelligently.)

But back to the issue at hand: Meeting foreign leaders. We all know Palin has never met a foreign head of state before. This fact didn't seem to bother her, in fact she told ABC news recently that although had never met another foreign leader, "I think if you go back in history and if you ask that question of many vice presidents, they may have the same answer I just gave you.

Hmmm. Sure sounds believable, but it's not! In fact, Spiro Agnew (former governor of Maryland) who served as VP under Nixon (1969-1973) is the most recent VP with no experieince meeting a foreign head of state before taking office.

The McCain campaign gave in and finally agreed to let a CNN reporter in the UN meetings. And at the UN on Tuesday Palin met two foreign heads of state.

What was all the fuss about?

Better Not Get Really Sick If You Vote For McCain

2008-09-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

No one wants to get sick. But it happens. If you vote for McCain, let's hope you stay healthy or only get moderately sick. But good luck if you have a pre-existing condition like cancer, arthritis, or severe food allergies. If you vote for McCain, then you better be rich enough to buy private health insurance.

McCain's solution to the health care crisis: tax rebates. Wow! Talk about blind faith in the free market. His plan might work for some of us, but what happens to the poorest people who won't benefit from a $5000 family tax rebate because they don't pay $5000 in taxes? Since administrative costs can dramatically increase on the open market, private health insurance could end up being more expensive and less generous according to the WSJ.com.

McCain wants more competition between private health insurers. He wants to bring down the cost of health care by having individuals/families shop for their own insurance. McCain would give direct refundable tax credits to individuals to offset the cost of buying private insurance. But inorder to keep the costs down for the insurance companies, the "human price" of moving to private insurance will be that some people with pre-existing conditions like cancer would be denied insurance by private insurance companies. Corporations would be less likely to offer health insurance benefits because McCain's plan would eliminate the current tax exclusion for health care benefits. McCain has mentioned some plan requiring individual states develop plans to help those with pre-existing conditions, but I haven't seen the details on this. Makes me wonder if under his plan, those under-insured people will then be forced to move just to find the best state health care.

Obama would increase federal regulations while still giving consumers more options like private insurance. His plan would set up a new national health plan to cover everyone so no one would fall between the cracks. To help pay for it he would tax large corporations that do not provide health insurance. Obama's plan would include private insurance plans with increased federal regulation to ensure coverage to everyone, at consistent prices and include those with pre-existing conditions. Private insurance plans under Obama's plan would feel the pressure to offer the same generous benefits as the government-run plan. The cons? This would lead to higher premiums for private insurance. How would the uninsured fare under Obama's plan? Much better. Sometimes children--the most vulnerable--are the ones who lack appropriate care because under current plans they are not insured. By mandating health coverage for all children, Obama's health plan would improve the health care of children. Obama's plan is expected to reduce the number of unisured people by 18 million in the first year according to the Tax Policy Center.

It's ironic that under McCain's health plan, McCain himself would not be covered. Under his plan insurance companies do not have to cover individuals with pre-existing conditions like melanoma and breast cancer.

Elizabeth Edwards forcefully denounced the McCain health care proposal during yesterday's House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing.

"Sen. McCain and I have something in common, and that is neither one of us would be insured under his health care plan...If you're 55 with cancer...good luck to you," said Elizabeth Edwards during the hearing according to The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report.

To read a detailed comparison of the McCain and Obama health care plans, check out this link in the WSJ.com

Elizabeth Edwards talks health care on Capital Hill during a House subcommittee hearing on health care reform.

Do We Need a Reflective President and VP?

2008-09-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

According to the New York Times, Sarah Palin says she doesn't blink when she confronts a problem. Do we need a reflective President and VP? Do we need someone who can hold forth free form and answer almost any question intelligently?

Check out what John McWhorter, seen below on the left, of the Manhattan Institute and Glenn Loury of Brown University say about the importance of a president's intelligence

Bloggingheads TV: Palin's IQ Test

Mom-icans vs. Mom-ocrats

2008-09-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

Some have said that when McCain added a woman to the ticket, things got interesting. Perhaps. But I'm not so sure that Sarah Palin will be the one breaking that infamous glass ceiling. At first glance she seems to have all the qualifications: She's governor and a mom with five kids. That's got to count for something. She's married to a guy who appears to have stepped down from his career goals just to help her achieve the VP spot. She's gutsy and tough. She's a pretty good shot. Even downing dozens of wolves from a plane. (Definitely not a sport I support.) She is a regular mom attending her kids events. She told her supporters that hockey moms are like pitbulls--just add some lipstick. Impressive images for all those mom-icans, but the mom-ocrats beg to differ.

Palin's leadership profile:

Foreign diplomacy skills are a must for a VP, but Palin has never met with foreign leaders.
Does she have any foreign experience? Well, Palin has exaggerated that point a bit. She has visited three countries to meet with the Alaska National Guard: Ireland, Germany and Kuwait. However she didn't really visit Ireland as she has said, her plane only had a refueling stopover. She also has said she went to Iraq, but her trip to Iraq meant she went to a checkpoint at a Kuwait-Iraq border.
Palin's famous "I told Congress thanks, but no thanks to that bridge to nowhere" was more than just an exaggeration. In fact, congress killed off the earmark first. (And initially Palin supported the bridge when she ran for governor.) She is not a tough reformer of earmarks as the campaign claims.
Not all politicians possess integrity. The trouble is that you have to earn it. Which makes me wonder, is is okay for Palin to ask her town librarian just how she would feel about removing controversial books?

Thanks, But No Thanks

2008-09-12T07:35:00.001-07:00

One of the amazing things about words is that you can pick ones that multi-task. And sometimes even when your words suggest an idea that is so compelling, they really mean something entirely different.

When referring to the infamous Bridge to Nowhere, what exactly did Sarah Palin mean when she boldly told Congress "Thanks, but no thanks for that Bridge to Nowhere."?

Palin has been called a maverick. She is being packaged as a politician who is not a flip flopper and is not afraid to speak her mind. So why was Palin for the Bridge to Nowhere and why did she flip flop and decide to be against the Bridge to Nowhere?

Like I said, words can multi-task. Makes me think of a wooden puppet with humble beginnings who dreamed of one day becoming a real VP...... Check out Ann Telnaes cartoon in this Washington Post link.

Bristol's Decision: She Had a Choice

2008-09-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

Semantics matters...

I don't always get bogged down with semantics, but some quotes are just so telling. We are still getting to know Sarah Palin and recently she said a lot about her views without really saying much. She got me thinking, what is the deal with "choice?" Do you still have a choice if you are anti-choice?

Here's the deal: I'm still trying to figure out why Republican vice-presidential running mate Sarah Palin said in the statement she released on Monday: "We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents."

Her decision?

Since Sarah Palin said her daughter Bristol made the decision to keep the baby doesn't that mean she believed that Bristol actually had the right to make a "choice" in the matter?

Since Sarah Palin is Anti-Choice (or Pro-Life) then why did her seventeen-year-old daughter have a choice?

Just like McCain, Sarah Palin opposes a woman's right to choose. Palin has also stated that she opposes abortion even in cases of rape or incest. Palin is a member of the anti-choice group Feminists for Life.