The President flew into Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan on Air Force One shortly after midnight, then went by helicopter to the Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul where he signed a long term strategic agreement with Afghan President Karzai. The agreement is aimed at cementing a lasting commitment to Afghanistan after Military action comes to an end. President Obama said the agreement will "pave the way for a future of peace." Karzai said the postwar agreement will seal an "equal partnership between Afghanistan and the United States."

Obama's unannounced visit comes on the anniversary of the killing of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, and is expected be on the ground for about seven hours, during that time he will make an announcement to the American people at 7:30 PM EDT. It will be 4:00AM in Afghanistan when he makes his announcement about the agreement that will broadly govern the U.S. role in Afghanistan after the American combat mission stops at the end of 2014 — 13 years after it began.

The partnership spells out the US relationship with Afghanistan beyond 2014, covering security, economics and governance. The agreement is limited in scope and essentially gives both sides certain powers. Afghanistan will gets it to maintain it's sovereignty with a promise it won't be abandoned, while the U.S. gets to end its combat mission but keep a foothold in the country.

The deal does not commit the United States to any specific troop presence or spending. But it does allow the U.S. to potentially keep troops in Afghanistan after the war ends for the purpose of continuing to train Afghan forces and target operations against al Qaida.

Media traveling with the President on the long 14 hour flight had to agree to keep it secret until Obama safely finished the helicopter flight to Kabul, the Afghan capitol, where Taliban insurgents still launch lethal attacks.

After the historic document was signed the President flew back to Bagram, where is at the time of this posting. Bagram is much more secure (supposedly) and is where he will make his 7:30 announcement from.

Given the recent security breaches as recently as two weeks ago resulted in the shooting deaths of U.S. Servicemen by assailants in Afghan uniforms, I personally think the trip was unnessessarily risky and will not be at ease until the President is safely back on U.S. soil.

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Suddenly the Supreme Court is looming large in yet another presidential election.

In the 2000 contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore, the High Court ruled the recounting of votes in Florida - remember those hanging chads - must stop.

Al Gore got about 500,000 more popular votes. But the Supreme Court gave Bush the edge in Florida - and he went on to win the election.

That decision effectively handed the presidency of the United States to George W. Bush.

Flash ahead to 2012. Twice within the last four weeks, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear cases - health care and immigration - that could have huge implications for the outcome of another presidential election.

Start with Obamacare.

Court watchers say the justices seem to be leaning toward rolling back part - or all - of President Obama's hallmark legislation of his first term. The individual mandate appears to be in serious jeopardy - and with it, the whole law might go.

Then, almost without missing a beat, the Supreme Court decided to hear arguments on Arizona's tough new immigration law.

It's no secret the federal government under Presidents Obama, Bush - go back as far as you like - has made virtually no serious effort at securing our nation's borders – especially with Mexico.

Finally being fed up, Arizona took matters into its own hands.

Interestingly it looks like the Supreme Court may side with Arizona. And again the implications could be huge.

Both rulings are expected in June - just a few months before America elects its next president.

Republicans will use any decision against President Obama as ammunition.

However if the president loses either of these cases it could become a perfect way to mobilize the Democratic base, including Hispanic voters.

Here’s my question to you: What role might the Supreme Court play in the next presidential election?

Visit The Cafferty File

At the tail end of his 90 minute meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev Monday, President Obama said that he would have "more flexibility" to deal with controversial issues such as missile defense, but incoming Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to give him "space."

President Obama speaks "privately" to President Medvedev over open mic ---->

The exchange was picked up by microphones as reporters were let into the room for remarks by the two leaders.

The exchange:

President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it's important for him to give me space.

President Medvedev: Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you…

President Obama: This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.

President Medvedev: I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir. See video;

Will Rick Perry’s blend of Christian-right, small-government, and pro-corporate fervor land him in the White House?

In April, Rick Perry traveled to North Texas for a taping of televangelist James Robison’s TV show, Life Today.

For six months, starting as soon as he was re-elected Texas governor in November 2010, Perry had been crisscrossing the country to promote his second book, Fed Up!, while testing the presidential waters with potential donors and conservative activists. 

His visit with Robison, a hellfire-breathing pastor known as “God’s hit man” (for “giving ’em so much hell nobody will ever want to go there”), had the potential to pay serious dividends. 

Robison had led the Christian-right campaign that helped lift Ronald Reagan to the White House in 1980, and he was re-emerging as the chief instigator of a national effort to mobilize evangelicals to defeat Barack Obama in 2012. Read more;

President Obama did not include any reference to God during his weekly address titled, “On Thanksgiving, Grateful for the Men and Women Who Defend Our Country.”

His remarks were void of any religious references although Thanksgiving is a holiday traditionally steeped in giving thanks and praise to God.

The president said his family was “reflecting on how truly lucky we truly are.”

For many Americans, though, Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on how blessed and thankful they are.

The president said the “most American of blessings” is the “chance to determine our own destiny.”

He called the very first Thanksgiving a “celebration of community”. [See video]

Raising prospects for a major election-year ruling, the Obama administration launched its Supreme Court defense of its landmark health care overhaul Wednesday, appealing what it called a "fundamentally flawed" appeals court decision that declared the law's central provision unconstitutional.

Destined from the start for a high court showdown, the health care law affecting virtually every American seems sure to figure prominently in President Barack Obama's campaign for re-election next year. Republican contenders are already assailing it in virtually every debate and speech.

The Supreme Court almost always weighs in when a lower court has struck down all or part of a federal law, to say nothing of one that aims to extend insurance coverage to more than 30 million Americans. Read more;

President Barack Obama is expected to seek a new base tax rate for the wealthy to ensure that millionaires pay at least at the same percentage as middle income taxpayers.

A White House official said the proposal would be included in the president's proposal for long term deficit reduction that he will announce Monday. The official spoke anonymously because the plan has not been officially announced.

Obama is going to call it the "Buffett Rule" for Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor who has complained that rich people like him pay a smaller share of their income in federal taxes than middle-class taxpayers. Read more;

The Repbulican primary lineup took on a more clear batting order after Wednesdays Reagan Center debates. Michele Bachmann failed to shine as she did in the first debate, and appears to have lost some of her luster as a GOP front-runner. Ron Paul was more of the same old Ron Paul rhetoric, and it's doubtful he gained any significant number of followers (he never does), but it's just as doubtful he lost any significent number of followers (he never does). I have no idea why Rick Santorum is still hanging around, however Gingrich, Cain and Huntsman at this point, are pretty much campaigning for the VP spot. (I doubt that Bachmann would be considered for the number two spot -too much dejavu Sarah Palin) 

While Romney used his experience gained from being in numerous presidential debates in the past to counter each of Perrys' jabs, Perry did little to allay concerns that his controversial record in Texas and his hard-line conservative positions will present problems in a general election.

If the economy does not improve, Romneys' experience as a governor and private businessman could offer voters what could seem like a more comfortable choice in '012 and Obama could be in some trouble. However if Perry gets the nod, I'm not so sure Americans are going to be willing to take a chance on another flamboyant, opinionated Texas governor, and Obama could survive regardless of the economy in '012.

So, right now, Liberals have to be careful in their criticism of Perry, because if they go after him too strongly, they could make Republicans aware that Perry is "too hot to handle" and nominate Romney, who is clearly the more dangerous candidate for Obama.

New data suggest that the bitter debate in Washington over raising the debt ceiling not only drove the United States to the edge of default and cost the nation its triple-A credit rating, but crushed American confidence like few recent events and may well help tip the economy back toward recession. 

(Republicans; : "Mission Accomplished!")

Nearly every poll shows Americans lacking any confidence in the ability of political leaders to agree on significant steps to boost the economy,including a recent Washington Post poll that found 33 percent of Americans have confidence in Obama to make good decisions on the economy and just 18 percent have confidence in Congressional Republicans to do so.

Read more: 

President Barack Obama, during a high-profile LGBT fundraising event Thursday night, expressed support for the idea that the state of New York should have the power to codify marriage for same-sex couples. But he did not personally endorse the pending New York bill -- which is nearing passage in the statehouse -- or same-sex marriage itself.

 Obama praised vocal LGBT activism and offered his ear in return. He ran through his list of achievements -- extending hospital visitation rights to gay couples, a comprehensive national AIDS strategy, the ending of Don't Ask Don't Tell, to name a few -- and pledged a commitment to a " simple American value, the notion that "we are all created equal."

But when it came to the pressing substantive matter of the day -- marriage equality -- Obama's speech wasn't simple at all.

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

It's coming up on 10 years since we went to war in Afghanistan. The stated purpose at the time was to get Osama bin Laden and the rest of al Qaeda who had attacked us on 9/11. Bin Laden is dead now, and we're still fighting and dying in Afghanistan. The U.S. death toll recently passed 1,500.

In a speech in December 2009, President Obama announced he would begin the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan in July 2011. Well, a year and a half has passed, July is almost here, and Americans are waiting to hear his plan.

The previous ten presidents were staunch prohibitionists. Meanwhile, Obama has taken the federal hand off the scale quite a bit.

In October 2009, the Justice Department declared that prosecuting medical-marijuana users and caregivers who clearly comply with state laws was not a wise use of its resources. That declaration has dominated public perception of President Barack Obama's policy on the issue-minimal progress, but is a welcome improvement on his predecessors.

However, ..........

The glow of national pride seemed to rise above partisan politics, as support for the president rose significantly among both Republicans and independents. In all, 57 percent said they now approved of the president's job performance, up from 46 percent last month.

Though there has been talk in some quarters that the United States military can now leave Afghanistan, the poll showed that public sentiment on the issue seems more complicated.

Nearly half said the nation should decrease troop levels in Afghanistan. But more than six in 10 also said the United States had not completed its mission in Afghanistan.

The nail-biting, 40-minute clandestine operation that resulted in Osama bin Laden's death could have been a calamitous political and military failure; a bloodbath in Pakistan that left U.S. forces and scores of civilians dead or captured by America's most ferocious enemy.

By secretly sending a team of special operations forces into an enemy fortress in a suburban neighborhood of a sovereign country, President Barack Obama chose the path of greatest risk, but also greatest reward.

But, there were so many ways it could have gone wrong ........

With the nation due to shatter its debt ceiling later this month, legislators in both parties are strategizing on ways to seal a deal to extend the ceiling on the best possible terms.

The possible scenarios for a resolution — or collapse — are ridiculously complicated, made even more so by the Obama administration's desire to strike a "grand bargain" that cuts the deficit by $4 trillion over the next dozen years with a combination of budget cuts, changes to entitlement programs and, most controversial, tax hikes for the rich.

As if that weren't befuddling enough, the Senate's bipartisan Gang of Six could release its own plan for deficit reduction within days.

<b>See article for five scenarios of what lies ahead</b> 

A Look at the World's New Corporate Tax Havens

(CBS News) Our government is in knots over ways to lower the federal budget deficit. Well, what if we told you we found a pot of money - over $60 billion a year - that could be used to help out?

When President Obama threatened to clamp down on tax dodging, many companies decided to leave the Caribbean. But instead of coming back home, they went to safer havens like Switzerland.

If Obama talks too tough, he's picking a fight, if he doesn't talk tough enough, he's a wuss.

He's in the worlds all time greatest "no win job"!

What the hell ..... the GOP is going to criticize every speech he makes no matter what he says ..... so he had nothing to lose by telling it like it is when he made his televised speech to the nation about the budget battle.

It was beautiful thing, the way he started with Saint Reagan, depicting how the economy was on a roll from the Reagan era to 2000, (when George W. Bush took office) and we had a surplus. Then, without mentioning any other names or events besides the 2 wars, he brought us to the mess we were when he took office in 2008, saying "That is how we got to where we are today!"

The Republicans bristle whenever someone refers to the Bush 2 area, (can you blame them?) But it is what it is, they think that saying "it's time to stop blaming Bush", it will somehow make it all better and justify their attempts to shift the blame to Obama for the nightmare we are now dealing with.

The Republican leadership has convinced their base that Obama has gone berserk with spending, is hell bent on destroying the Nation, driving us into socialism, ..... bankrupt Socialism at that. They display charts showing how this administration has spent more money than God or any other President in history. What they like to omit however, is the fact that little of the cost of the Bush wars were paid for during the Bush era, but were passed on for the next administration to deal with.

The "spending" that Obama is doing is being used to stimulate the economy by investing in infrastructure, innovation for Green Energy and retrofitting existing facilities to be more energy efficient. But it makes no difference what this administration does, the Right Wing is going to find a way to criticize it. And they don't care if that criticism is factual or not ..... they say anything they want, knowing it will be amplified by the media and bounced around the Right Wing echo chamber until their followers believe it to be true.

Like Senator Kyl saying Planned Parenthood spends 90% of it money and efforts funding abortion, which is what his base already believes to be true, and that comment they heard, however, Planned Parenthood actually only spends 3% of its funding on abortion. When the media pointed out that Kyl was incorrect with his comment, Kyls' office issued a statement that the Senators comment was"Not meant to be a factual statement". (watch the video) But that comment the Right Wing has chosen NOT to hear.

It's about time Obama has started with the "tough talk", it's the only way he will be able to get his message heard in that Right Wing echo chamber. Eventually a few of the more astute Right Wingers will realize they have been listening to the the wrong message and come around to the reality of how we actually got into the situation we are in.

President Barack Obama's foreign policy "A" team — led by Cabinet secretaries Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates — failed to quiet criticism of U.S. military action in Libya Wednesday during a pair of classified briefings on Capitol Hill.

Lawmakers said they weren't told much by Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Defense Gates, Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen or Director of National Intelligence James Clapper that they couldn't read in the newspaper or see on television.

More than anything, the meetings served to underscore how little influence Congress has in shaping the war.

The building -- completed in 1955 and known to Chicagoans by its original name, the Prudential Building -- at 130 E. Randolph is a very short walk from Obama's 2008 headquarters, which was on the 11th floor of 233 N. Michigan. Obama's team has been scouting locations in Chicago for weeks and settled on the Prudential Building in part because of the ability to make it a secure location.

A source inside the Obama operation confirmed what Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun Times already knew, ...... the headquarters will be in the Prudential Building and that a skeleton crew of Obama 2012 staffers are already in Chicago, including Obama 2012 campaign manager Jim Messina. The headquarters is not yet up and running; it will open for business at a later date.

Newsmax.com, one of America's most slanted online news services, is conducting an national online poll about President Obama, the new 2011 Congress and whether it should repeal President Obama's healthcare plan and other policies.

They are also asking if he should be re-elected in 2012

Newsmax does these polls in their GOP echo chamber all the time, keeping themselves convinced they're telling one another the truth.

Let's all vote in this poll and help get a more balanced result!

Barack Obama’s primetime address – in which he announced that the U.S. military will hand NATO allies enforcement of the no-fly zone and arms embargo in the North African nation – was roundly applauded by GOP moderates and conservatives alike.

House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Ga.) said Obama offered “surprising details” about America’s strategy and greatly clarified the question of how large a supporting role the U.S. military will play in Libya.

The Presidents speech satisfied concerns about his handling of America’s involvement in Libya,” Price said. “It provided a substantive plan for the future and that it has provided the type of clear, coherent leadership need.”

Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), said it was helpful for Americans to hear from Obama and they were very pleased to get satisfying answers to their questions on Libya.

“Whether it’s the American resources that will be required, our standards and objectives for engaging the rebel opposition, or how this action is consistent with U.S. policy goals, the speech provided Americans much clarity to our involvement in Libya,” Steel said in a statement. “Only nine days into this military intervention, and Americans can see the answer to the fundamental question: what does success in Libya look like?”

During his nearly half-hour address, Obama pledged to seek the ouster of Libya dictator Muammar Qadhafi through diplomatic efforts, but said using military force to remove him would be a “mistake.”

America had already gone down that road in a costly war in Iraq, Obama said.

“Of course, there is no question that Libya – and the world – will be better off with Gaddafi out of power. I, along with many other world leaders, have embraced that goal, and will actively pursue it through non-military means,” Obama said. “But broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake.”

His 2008 presidential rival, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), characterized Obama’s comments as “powerful,” adding that “Qadhafi must be very unnerved by that.”

“If we end up in a situation where Qadhafi is able to cling to power, then we could easily see a reenactment of the first Gulf War: stalemate, a no-fly zone that lasted for 10 years that didn’t bring Saddam Hussein out of power, I can see where President Obama is not going to allow that to happen.” McCain said during an interview on CNN.

Other GOP senators expressed similar confidence about improbability of a long-term military campaign in Libya.

“When our men and women in uniform are sent into harm’s way, Americans and troops deserve a clear mission from our commander-in-chief, like the one the President gave on Monday night,” said Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman John Cornyn of Texas.

Freshman Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said Obama defined the goals and mission of U.S. involvement in Libya weeks ago, and called the president’s response to the Libya conflict “steady and certain.”

“I’m hopeful our efforts in Libya are met with quick success,” he said, “and at this time I remain deeply committed to the President’s strategy which I know will result in great respect for America in the region and throughout the world.”

Democratic leaders also lauded the speech, saying that he laid out a clear vision for Libya’s freedom. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) emphasized that the U.S. acted alongside a broad coalition of international partners.

“America and its allies stand alongside the Libyan people as they determine their future,” Reid said in a statement. “While I support the president’s decision not to commit ground troops to this mission, I share the president’s determination to see this tyrant removed from power.”

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also commended the president adding that members of Congress will receive classified briefings later this week about the U.S.’s role in the Libya conflict.

“Tonight, President Obama spoke to the nation about limited American participation in international efforts to protect innocent Libyans from the ‘show no mercy’ threat by Qaddafi,” she said. “Action was taken to stave off a humanitarian crisis saving thousands of lives.”

A handful of House Democrats said Obama’s speech still left them with unanswered questions.

“Tonight the president stated his rationale for the military action in Libya, but I still have significant questions about our involvement in that country,” Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Co.) said in a statement. “I remain eager to hear additional details regarding the causes for and the scope of our continued engagement in Libya on Wednesday, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Gates will provide a classified briefing to Congress.”

And Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) said he remained concerned “we didn’t get a clear and accurate accounting from the president” about the cost of the Libya conflict.

“We’ve got two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – and Americans deserve to hear from our President what this third conflict is going to cost us,” he said.

Freshman Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who himself is entertaining a run for president, accused Obama of overstepping his executive authority by failing to seek Congress’s approval before ordering military strikes on Libya.

“If President Obama had consulted Congress, as our Constitution requires him to do, perhaps we could have debated these questions before hastily involving ourselves in yet another Middle Eastern conflict,” Paul said in a pre-taped video response to Obama’s speech.

“While the President is the commander of our armed forces, he is not a king. He may involve those forces in military conflict only when authorized by Congress or in response to an imminent threat. Neither was the case here.”

But then that's just Rand Paul ...... he's an ass hole, ........ everybody knows that!

(I suppose I should have put a note at the top of the article saying this article should only be read on April 1st.) 8^)}

Barack Obama's primetime address – in which he announced that the U.S. military will hand NATO allies enforcement of the no-fly zone and arms embargo in the North African nation – was roundly criticized by GOP moderates and conservatives alike.

Now, isn't THAT a big surprise!

Palin's unfavorable numbers with Republicans are at an all-time high in the new ABC/Washington Post poll released Wednesday.

The poll shows other top Republicans including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with more encouraging numbers.

Palin has a 58 percent net favorable rating among Republicans, and a 37 percent net unfavorable rating. While that rating is still positive, it's the worst she's had with Republicans since she emerged on the national stage; her previous low was 63-31 percent.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Former Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday called Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak a good friend and U.S. ally, and he urged the Obama administration to move cautiously as turmoil continued to shake that nation's government.'

"He's been a good man, a good friend and ally to the United States," Cheney said. "We need to remember that."

Cheney's comments came a day after President Barack Obama pressed Mubarak to consider his legacy and exit office in a way that would give his country the best chance for peace and democracy.

The year 2010 ended on a disappointing note, as the American economy produced just 103,000 jobs in December, suggesting that economic deliverance will not arrive with a great pop in employment.

Rather, many signs point to a long slog of a recovery in the United States job market, with the unemployment rate quite likely to remain above 8 percent — it now sits at 9.4 percent after Friday's report — at least through the rest of President Obama's four-year term.

That could pose a big challenge to Mr. Obama, who on Friday appointed a new head for his National Economic Council, Gene Sperling, to succeed the departing Lawrence Summers.

Today, as his first book for children was released, Fox News ran this headline on its website: "Obama Praises Indian Chief Who Killed U.S. General."

Has anyone told President Barack Obama lately that he will never catch a break?

The brief item is quoted from a USA Today piece about "Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters," Obama's lyrical ode to 13 Americans "whose traits he sees in his own children." Addressed to daughters Malia and Sasha, the picture book begins: "Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?"

The newspaper notes in passing, "His most controversial choice may be Sitting Bull, who defeated Custer at Little Bighorn."

America's voters sent strong signals Tuesday that they're tired of Washington's endless partisan bickering, but newly empowered Republican lawmakers suggested Wednesday that they aren't likely to heed that message anytime soon

In the House Republicans "Pledge to America", the campaign guidebook which rails against "an arrogant and out of touch government of self-appointed elites." is a punch aimed squarely at the Democratic gut: It calls for repealing this year's health-care overhaul, extending permanently all Bush-era tax cuts and imposing budget discipline by rolling back most domestic spending to 2008 levels.

President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress won't go along.

Forecast: gridlock.

Obama Heading to India, 3 Other Asia Stops

As the world's largest democracy, and the second-most populous country, after China, with 1.2 billion people, India is increasingly important to the United States on a number of fronts:

* How it chooses to balance against China militarily and economically.

* How its relationship with its neighbor and rival, Pakistan, affects the war in Afghanistan, regional nuclear tensions and global efforts to combat Islamic terrorism.

* How its investments in technology and education and its response to climate change affect global relations.

[See article for map of Obamas' Itinerary and agenda]

"America's crumbling infrastructure weakens our economy and leaves the nation trailing foreign competitors in investment, including China, Russia and Europe."

With the weak economy driving voter discontent three weeks out from congressional and state elections, President Barack Obama Monday renewed his call to spend an additional $50 billion on improving the nation's transportation infrastructure.

His plan calls for rebuilding 150,000 miles of roads — "enough to circle the world six times" — laying and maintaining 4,000 miles of railways, restoring 150 miles of airport runways and advancing a new air-traffic control system.

.

UNITED NATIONS — In a blur of headlines over the past few days, Americans have been surprised with brief, seemingly contradictory glimpses of how China is wielding its newfound power.

There was China the neighborhood bully, cutting off Japan's access to rare-earth minerals unless Tokyo folded in a minor, but longstanding, territorial dispute. (The Japanese folded.)

There was China the schmoozer, with its prime minister, Wen Jiabao, trying his hardest on Thursday to deflect President Obama's pressure over the value of China's currency — really a battle over whether jobs go to workers in Seattle or Shenzhen. The two leaders talked for two hours at the United Nations. The outcome was left unclear.

And there was China the classic realist, opting for convenient inconsistency on sanctions against North Korea and Iran in efforts to balance its competing national interests. (The first is to engage the West on the Security Council. The others include securing oil and protecting a client-state from collapse.)

IT is a safe bet that Asian currency intervention was not on the minds of Republican primary voters in Delaware this month when they selected a Tea Party favorite, Christine O'Donnell, as their Senate candidate. But the pendulum swings in American politics are a key concern of Wen Jiabao and Naoto Kan, the prime ministers of China and Japan, respectively, who both met with President Obama in New York on Thursday, with the loss of American jobs to Asian competition high on the agenda.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich accused President Obama of having a 'Kenyan, anticolonial' worldview in an interview Saturday with National Review Online.
The comments are part of a pattern of extreme positions lately. Last month, Mr. Gingrich compared backers of the Ground Zero mosque to Nazis, and has said that if Republicans take back Congress in November they should consider a government shutdown over the budget.

Not quite two years ago, I noted America's waning patience with efforts to close the income, education and achievement gaps between the races, and I predicted that the election of Barack Obama as president would mark a turning point in such attitudes.

My intuition was that, with a black man in the Oval Office, people of color would have a hard time ascribing poverty or lack of opportunity to underlying historical causes. They wouldn't get far blaming the lingering effects of legalized segregation, which helped create America's poor urban centers, or discrimination in lending and hiring, which made it hard for blacks to build wealth that could be passed down through generations.

(Reuters) - Senate Republicans have enough votes to block President Barack Obama's plan to extend tax cuts for the middle class while allowing those for the rich to expire, a spokesman for the Senate Republican leader said on Monday.

The issue has the Obama administration and Republicans in a political showdown, with Democratic lawmakers caught in the middle as they struggle to keep control of both chambers in November's midterm congressional elections.

After a week mostly focused on Iraq and Mideast diplomacy, it's back to the economy for President Barack Obama, who will deliver remarks Friday on the August unemployment numbers.

Obama hinted at the options on the table on Monday in the Rose Garden, when he accused Republicans of blocking a separate $55 billion legislation package that would cut small business taxes. Senate Democrats hope to pass the package later this month and get it to the president's desk before the election.

Obama: "The United States cannot want it more than the parties themselves . . . we cannot do it for them." In late afternoon remarks from the Rose Garden, the President told skeptics of the latest round of talks, "If we do not make the attempt, then failure is guaranteed."

President Obama took three sometimes maddening months to decide to send more forces to Afghanistan, other decisions as commander in chief have come with dizzying speed, far less study and little public attention.

He is the first president in four decades with a shooting war already raging the day he took office — two, in fact, plus subsidiaries — and his education as a commander in chief with no experience in uniform has been a steep learning curve.

Perhaps his most important tutor has been Robert Gates, the defense secretary appointed by George W. Bush and the first kept on by a president of another party. They are an unlikely pair, a 49-year-old Harvard-trained lawyer turned community activist and a 66-year-old veteran of cold war spy intrigues and Republican administrations.

Sarah Palin has called President Obama the most pro-abortion president ever and criticized Senate candidate and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist for vetoing a bill that called for women to get ultrasounds before having the procedure.

Last week I (Greg Sargent) noted here that Michele Bachmann and Sharron Angle had rolled out a new argument against the $26 billion state aid package passed by Dems: It's all a money-laundering scheme to funnel cash via public employee unions to Dem campaign coffers for use this fall.

President Obama should drop Joe Biden and put Hillary Clinton on the ticket with him if he runs for re-election in 2012.

It's an idea that's getting lots of attention these days... despite the fact that the election is still more than two years away.

This all heated up after a piece on Politico.com this month by former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder. He says as Secretary of State, Clinton has been nothing but a team player. Wilder says she's been tough and commanding when necessary... as well as graceful and diplomatic. He then compares her to Biden, who as Vice President has continued to make his infamous gaffes.

The economy's slow growth is sputtering. Forecasters project moderate growth at best for the second half of this year. No one's quite sure what drivers will emerge to propel the bruised and battered economy forward.

Economic uncertainties have rattled Wall Street. On Wednesday (08/11/10). The Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 blue-chip companies fell 265.42 points!

The White House and many congressional leaders want to extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for everyone but the wealthy; they'd let tax rates on the rich rise back to 1990s levels. Republicans, and moderate Democrats, want to extend the tax cuts for the wealthy, and may balk at anything short of that.

For many of these long-term unemployed, the financial and psychological damage will last for years. For most other workers, however, the situation has had a perverse, and mostly overlooked, silver lining.

Even the recent barrage of headline-dominating news about the two wars hasn't vaulted the issue, which dominated American political debate in the last decade, into the forefront of 2010 voter concerns.

"The economy is everything," said Gary Jacobson, a professor of political science at the University of California San Diego.

The British Guardian newspaper, called the disclosures one of the biggest leaks in U.S. military history.

The New York Times and the German weekly Der Spiegel were the other news organizations to receive documents.

The three news organizations has received a trove of over 90,000 records of events and intelligence reports from the whistleblower website WikiLeaks, covering six years, that provide a grim assessment of the U.S. war in Afghanistan, portray a Taliban insurgency that has gained in strength, and suggests that Pakistan's spy service has met with the Taliban in secret strategy sessions to organize resistance to the American effort.

As the recession continues to play a monumental role in the midterm election battle, CNN has learned that President Barack Obama quietly met with billionaire Warren Buffett for an hourlong meeting at the White House Wednesday, according to senior officials familiar with the chat.

The 11:15 a.m. meeting was not listed on Obama's public schedule, the officials said, but the White House released a photograph of the encounter after it had ended.

In addition to the economic crisis, the two men discussed energy reform and other issues, according to the officials.

Politico looks at President Barack Obama, and why he's still viewed as a loser when he keeps on winning

The reality is the opposite. You can argue over whether Obama's achievements are good or bad on the merits. But especially after Thursday's vote you can't argue that Obama is not getting things done. To the contrary, he has, as promised, covered the uninsured, tightened regulations, started to wind down the war in Iraq and shifted focus and resources to Afghanistan, injected more competition into the education system and edged closer to a big energy bill.

Is it bad form to attend a ribbon cutting celebration when you voted against paying for the project? Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Michigan, sat smiling in the front row today as President Obama marked the groundbreaking of a new stimulus-funded project in Holland, Michigan.

"We are pleased to have in attendance with us today, and seated in the front row, Congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Pete Hoekstra, in attendance to show his support for a robust Recovery Act investment right here in Michigan," tweaked President Obama.

President Obama is once again stumping for stimulus at one of his favorite spots: a plant that makes batteries for electric cars.

These plants have been a high profile piece of the controversial stimulus package, and Obama has visited at least four of them since stimulus was enacted.

"These are jobs in the industries of the future," Obama said Thursday at the groundbreaking of the Compact Power plant in Holland, Mich.

The Senate is expected Tuesday to break its deadlock over extending jobless benefits

The vote will come a day after President Barack Obama escalated his attacks on Republicans, blasting them for opposing an extension of unemployment benefits while pushing tax cuts for the wealthy. Republicans fired back, saying that Obama omitted an important point. (See Comment #1)

Obama hailed the measure's passage, calling it "a Wall Street reform bill that will bring greater economic security to families and businesses across the country.

Congressional passage of the 2,323-page bill was a striking triumph for Obama, the third landmark legislative victory of his 18-month-old presidency. Like the other two — last year's $862 billion economic stimulus and the health care overhaul approved earlier this year — it came with virtually no Republican support.

President Barack Obama on Saturday congratulated Congress for restoring a requirement that the federal government spend only what it can afford --

-- a day after authorizing $1.9 trillion more federal debt.

Obama used his weekly radio address to report that he signed into law on Friday night (7-09-10) the legislation commonly known on Capitol Hill as "Pay-Go," Obama credited the concept with the balanced budgets of the 1990s and its abandonment for the deficits of the past decade. He signed the law as part of a larger measure that raised the government's debt ceiling from $12.4 trillion to $14.3 trillion, as Congress authorized in a divisive vote last month.

Obama's address did not mention the debt ceiling increase.

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows 62 percent of Americans say the country is on the wrong track - that's the highest level since before the 2008 election... and only one-third think the economy will improve in the next year... the lowest in Mr. Obama's presidency and a seven-point drop from one month ago.

It gets worse - support for the president is not only declining among independents... it's also dropping among his base. And, the president has lost support among Latinos, small-town residents, white women and seniors.

When President Obama took office almost 18 months ago, he had a lot to blame on his predecessor, George W. Bush - the economy was on life support, and the country was fighting two wars half a world away and the country was spiraling ever more deeply into debt. The general mood in this country wasn't so cheery. But a year and a half later, not a whole lot has changed. The economy isn't much better, the wars continue, and the debt has gotten a lot worse.
[Jack Cafferty- CNN]

Apparently, by attending the G20 summit, President Obama is taking us a step further toward a one world government. Also, Zimbabwe sucks:
"......when you join the economic policy of different nations, it is one short step to joining political unity and then you would have literally, a one world government......"

So that's why those bleeding-heart DFH commie socialist presidents Dubya and St. Ronnie attended and supported these summits. Turns out they were both working on a super-secret plan to force the United States to cede its authority to the will of Zimbabwe.

Thanks for clearing that up, Michelle..
[By; Kaili Joy Gray aka Angry MouseThe Daily Kos]

President Barack Obama on Thursday once again urged Congress to tackle comprehensive legislation to overhaul immigration law, citing the urgency of Arizona passing its own punitive statute in the absence of federal action.

"Time and time again the issue has been used to divide and inflame and demonize people," Obama said in a speech in Washington. "The natural impulse among those who run for office is to turn away and defer this question for another day, another year or another administration."

Congress appears to be on course to do just that, because many lawmakers are reluctant to deal with such a hot-button issue on the eve of congressional elections in November.

That is exactly what has brought us to where we are. It was left to it's own devices, but the players controlling those devices took advantage of them and let their greed rule the day. There are other devices, called regulations, that are designed to control the way the players use their devices. However, if those regulations aren't enforced, they are of no value. Overseeing the enforcement of those regulatory devices is the responsibility of the Executive Branch.

During the Clinton administration the GOP distracted the President and his staff from concentrating on oversight, by forcing them to defend the GOP push for impeachment. The American public wanted to end the whole thing and get back to the business of running the government, but the GOP was on a mission, and they were going to have their way.

And it worked. Gore lost his bid for the White House. (Not really)

So next, we have the laziest President ever to occupy the oval office take over the show. The GOP knew he was lazy and would put no effort into oversight, that's why he was the perfect man for them.

He did exactly what they expected him to do. Nothing. Except of course start a war, which the GOP folks have no problem with, they make money when we are at war. Where do you think all that money goes that it cost the government to prosecute a war? Into the pockets of the troops? Or into the pockets of the corporate Fat Cats that are providing the equipment for the troops?

But, that all should be a boost for Capitalism, right?

Wrong, the Fat Cats that run the capitalism show, changed the "ism" to "ist". The money went into the pockets of the Capitalist, hanging Capitalism out to dry. When the Capitalist started measuring their salaries in the BILLIONS, Capitalism started to shrivel on the line, where the Fat Cats hung it, and you and I found ourselves in a hefty recession. Which may not be over.

Obama is making a valiant effort to prop up the economy before it collapses completely, but the GOP folks are determined not to let him do that. They want the White House back, and a failed economy is a sure way to accomplish that goal.

If we have to go through an extended recession or even a depression, they really don't care. So they have to take a half billion dollar cut in pay hear or there, so what, they'll make it up when they get the oval office back.

Your turn.

Obama's Rating Steady Despite Tough Environment
Since the beginning of this year, President Obama has signed a controversial health care measure, coped with a stubbornly high jobless rate and struggled to manage the largest environmental disaster in the nation's history. In that period, Obama's overall job approval rating has moved from 49% to 48%.

The Pew Research Center; is a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does so by conducting public opinion polling and social science research; by analyzing news coverage; and by holding forums and briefings. It does not take positions on policy issues.

Obamas concern is the rejection of a bill in the Senate that would have provided more money for the long-term unemployed, aid for strapped state governments and the renewal of popular tax breaks for businesses and individuals.

"If this obstruction continues, unemployed Americans will see their benefits stop," Obama said. "Teachers and firefighters will lose their jobs. Families will pay more for their first home. All we ask for is a simple up or down vote. That's what the American people deserve."

To spend or not to spend? That is the question that's pressing President Barack Obama

As it spends billions to stimulate the economy, the Obama White House wants to spend more to create jobs, as it faces growing pressure from labor unions to keep the federal spigot open to help the jobless and to save endangered jobs.

However, Obama also faces a growing number of Americans who are saying that he's making the economy worse, not better and Congress — skittish about a voter backlash in a congressional election year, appears torn between spending more to create jobs and pulling back to keep from adding to the national debt.

In a poll released Tuesday, the Pew Research Center found that the ranks of people who think that Obama's policies are making things worse has nearly doubled to 29 percent from 16 percent a year ago. At the same time, 23 percent said that the president was making the economy better, down slightly from 26 percent a year ago.

This article discusses both sides of this dilemma but offers so solutions. The solutions are to be decided by the voters this coming November.
[Source; Steven Thomma | McClatchy Newspapers]

"There's been a cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill".Obama said, "It seems as if permits were too often issued based on little more than assurances of safety from the oil companies. That cannot and will not happen anymore. To borrow an old phrase, we will trust, but we will verify."

In the days after an oilrig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, White House aides feared that a story line would take hold that President Barack Obama had responded too slowly to the spreading oil slick, which could damage him politically much as the slow federal response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 discredited former President George W. Bush

So as the federal government began reacting to the spreading oil, the White House message machine swung into action, too.

An example of the media using unethical tactics to create controversy

Paragraph 2 of the article;

White House logs show that Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein traveled to Washington for at least two events with President Barack Obama, whose 2008 presidential campaign received $994,795 in donations from Goldman's political action committee, its employees and their relatives. He also met twice with Obama's top economic adviser, Larry Summers.

Paragraph 9 of the article;

According to White House visitor logs, Blankfein was among the business leaders who attended an Obama speech on Feb. 13, 2009, and he also joined more than a dozen bank CEOs in a meeting with Obama on March 27, 2009.

So, how about this for a headline;

McClatchy Manipulates facts to Make White House Look Bad.

On April 15, 2010, a U.S. District Judge in Wisconsin ruled that the annual National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional The ruling is a result of a lawsuit against the National Day of Prayer brought in Wisconsin by a group of atheists and agnostics called the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which argued that it violated the separation of church and state.
The Obama administration had argued that the National Day of Prayer is legal because it simply acknowledged the role of religion in the United States
In a Tweet, the White House said that regardless of the ruling, the president still "intends to recognize a National Day of Prayer." The decision does not ban the president from issuing a proclamation, the White House said.

According to polls, Crist was once ahead by about 30 points in a primary contest widely viewed as a certain rout, a steppingstone for the 53-year-old Crist toward a bigger national stage and a future White House run. Now, targeted for extinction by "tea party" activists and the right-wing of his party, Crist is behind by more than 20 points, yet another reminder of the intraparty dangers awaiting Republicans viewed as too moderate.

Could all this be because, shortly after Barack Obama's inauguration, the new president had come to Florida to pledge federal help for this economically reeling state -- and Crist had reacted by embracing Obama on stage?!

Same-sex partners must get the same privileges granted heterosexual couples in hospitals that get Medicare or Medicaid funds, he says in a memo.

"The presence of loved ones is more important during a hospital stay than at any other time", Obama wrote in his memo. Yet widows and widowers with no children are often denied the "support and comfort of a good friend," he said, as are members of religious orders.

"Also uniquely affected are gay and lesbian Americans, who are often barred from the bedsides of the partners with whom they may have spent decades of their lives," he wrote.

President Obama admitted to his supporters that the anti-tax rallies "amused" him, as he mingled with Florida Democrats at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser, while thousands of Tea Partiers stood across from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to protest "Tax Day."

The president then went over the laundry list of tax cuts instituted in Washington over the past year. "In all, we passed 25 different tax cuts last year. And one thing we haven't done is raise income taxes on families making less than $250,000 a year -- another promise that we kept," he told supporters at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. "So I've been a little amused over the last couple of days where people have been having these rallies about taxes." he said, "You would think they would be saying thank you."

The president's 2009 income does NOT include the $1.4 million received for the Nobel Peace Prize,because it was all donated to charities.

Beyond the Nobel money, Mr. and Mrs. Obama also reported donating $329,100 to 40 other different charities.

The Internal Revenue Code provides that if the recipient of the Nobel Prize directs the Nobel Committee to donate the prize income directly to charity, as the President did, the recipient does not have to recognize the prize as income on his federal income tax return. The President is not permitted to take a charitable deduction on the value of the prize since it is not included in his income.

The White House also released tax returns for Vice President Biden and his wife.

Solicitor General Elena Kagan and Chicago-based appellate judge Diane Wood were seriously considered for the last court vacancy, before Obama opted for Sonia Sotomayor. Kagan and Wood are again presumed top-level contenders, though in the past year their relative chances may have shifted.

Potential nominee Merrick Garland, a 57-year-old appellate judge who serves in the District of Columbia, is another academic standout, having graduated summa cum laude from Harvard and Harvard Law School.

CNNs Rick Sanchez reported today that the 750 billion dollar bailout is "now" 4.6 TRILLION dollars. However, I found this story posted on The Big Picture blog by Barry Ritholtz back in November 25th, 2008 (!?)

In it he said;

"Whenever I discussed the current bailout situation with people, I find they have a hard time comprehending the actual numbers involved. That became a problem while doing the research for the Bailout Nation book. I needed some way to put this into proper historical perspective."

"If we add in the Citi bailout, the total cost now exceeds $4.6165 trillion dollars. People have a hard time conceptualizing very large numbers, so let's give this some context. The current Credit Crisis bailout is now the largest outlay In American history."

Bianco Research crunched some inflation adjusted numbers combining 9 of the largest expenditures in the history of the country and it came up some 700 billion short of this bailout..

(Read the whole story and post a comment).

With the passage of the health care reform bill last week and today's signing of a student loan bill that will remove commercial banks from the student loan market, President Barack Obama has a lot to celebrate. With these recent successes, Obama is making some of his campaign promises real, and it is clear that his administration is able to pass sweeping reform bills through the current Congress.

With national health care reform finally checked off President Barack Obama's domestic "to do" list, many Americans wonder where the administration goes next

Immigration reform champions argue it's their turn
Advocates of dramatic revisions to the No Child Left Behind education law insist their time has come
So do clean-energy activists and supporters of tougher Wall Street regulation.

What do you think he (we) should work on next?

The recent capture of the Taliban's No. 2 is a big score for the Obama administration in the war on terror, but so far, the White House has said little about how Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was captured, where he is being held and what intelligence, if any, he is providing

Seeking common ground with Republicans on energy and climate issues, President Obama on Tuesday pledged $8 billion in loan guarantees needed to build the first U.S. nuclear reactors in nearly three decades. The move represents a new federal commitment to the low-carbon-emitting, but highly controversial, nuclear power sector long championed by the GOP.

White House officials say they have been unmoved by criticism from Cheney, whom they note is one of least popular political figures in America. Meanwhile, polls show that Obama scores higher on his management of national security than on any other issue, with a majority of Americans supporting his approach

Speaking to an audience at the Hilton Washington hotel that included Vice President Biden, congressional leaders, Secretary of State Clinton and an array of religious leaders and foreign dignitaries, Obama called on leaders to step outside their comfort zones to bridge divisions and unite around their common goals.

The president criticized a political culture where disagreement on policy quickly morphs into questioning one another's motives. Obama, a Christian who was born in Hawaii, alluded to the undercurrent of allegations that he is actually a Muslim who was born outside the United States, saying, "I am the first to confess that I am not always right. . . . But surely, you can question my policies without questioning my faith, or, for that matter, my citizenship,"

"Challenging each other's ideas can renew our democracy," Obama said. "But when we challenge each other's motives, it becomes harder to see what we hold in common."

The White House shrugged off Beijing's warnings about a meeting between Obama and the Dalai Lama, which may happen as early as this month.

"The president told China's leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama and he intends to do so," White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters traveling with Obama to New Hampshire.
[Source: Chris Buckley - Reuters]

President Obama's 2011 budget request for NASA cut the agency's Constellation program completely, effectively canceling a five-year, $9 billion effort to build new Orion spacecraftand Ares rockets which were slated to replace NASA's space shuttles and launch astronauts to the moon.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said that he and senior White House officials expect to spend the upcoming months crafting a new overarching goal for NASA, one which is focused on developing the technologies and capabilities for sending humans beyond low Earth orbit once more. Under Obama's proposed budget request, NASA would receive $6 billion a year for five years to support commercial spacecraft development.
[Source: Tariq Malik - MSNBC

Democrats rallied around Obama the day after the president committed a rare breach of political etiquette. criticizing the controversial ruling on campaign advertising in his State of the Union address as members of the high court sat only a few feet away, which triggered something equally unusual from Justice Samuel Alito, a conservative backer of the ruling, who frowned and appeared to mouth the words "not true."

The actions of both men may be unprecedented, according to one longtime court observer.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito didn't like President Obama's public criticism of the high court's ruling removing corporate campaign spending limits - and he didn't try to hide it.

It is not established, as Obama suggested it was, that domestic and foreign corporations can now have free reign regarding political contributions, given other prohibitions in place.

Uses Israeli occupation of Gaza to motivate Muslims

In an audio tape obtained by Al Jazeera on Sunday, the world's most wanted man and the leader of al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, warned Barack Obama, that there will be further attacks on the United States unless he takes steps to resolve the Palestinian situation. He also praised the Nigerian accused of a failed attempt to blow up an airliner heading for Detroit on Christmas Day.

,

Voter discontent with the direction of the government, helped send Republican Scott Brown to his Senate victory. .About 63 percent of voters in Tuesday's election said the country is seriously off track, and Brown won two-thirds of those voters. According to the poll, nearly two-thirds of those who supported Brown said their vote was intended partly to show opposition to the Democratic agenda in Washington, including the health care overhaul. Still, rather than just blocking proposals, 75% of those polled, said they wanted to see Brown work with Democrats to get GOP proposals into legislation in general; nearly half said that specifically about the health care legislation. [Source:Washington Post/AP]

The question: will we ever any get bi-partisan legislation passed in this Counrty again?

Health care is part of the drag on our economy,"

Obama said at a town hall event. "We've gotten pretty far down the road but I've got to admit, we hit a little bit of a buzz saw this week."

President Obama on Friday pledged not to "walk away" from health care reform, Saying that he's still committed to driving down health care costs despite the "crippling effect" (The FOX take) his party's loss in the Massachusetts Senate election had on the Democrats' bill.

The President, who with party leaders has urged Congress to take a step back on health care reform, downplayed the drama and "confusion that has dominated Capitol Hill" (more FOX spin)since Republican Scott Brown's upset win in Massachusetts. He aggressively defended the work his administration has done so far on the economy, urged Congress to pass a new jobs bill, explaining how health care reform is tied to that issue.
Health care is part of the drag on our economy," Obama said at a town hall event. "We've gotten pretty far down the road but I've got to admit, we hit a little bit of a buzz saw this week."

[FOXNews.com/Associated Press]

"Mr. Obama seemed to suggest that if he could not pass an ambitious health care bill, he would be willing to settle for what he could get."

"I would advise that we try to move quickly to coalesce around those elements of the package that people agree on," Mr. Obama said in an interview on ABC News, notably leaving near-universal insurance coverage off his list of core goals. But it was not clear that even a stripped-down bill could get through Congress anytime soon.

Inside the White House, top aides to the president said Mr. Obama had made no decision on how to proceed, and insisted that his preference was still to win passage of a far-reaching health care measure. Democratic leaders said they were weighing several options. But some lawmakers in both parties began calling for a scaled-back bill that could be adopted quickly with bipartisan support.

[Source: Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Dadiv M. Herzenhorn-NY Times]

President Obama will travel to the international climate summit meeting in Copenhagen....

.....to tell the delegates that the United States intends to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by levels that reflect the targets specified by legislation passed in the House this past June, but is stalled in the Senate. Congress has never enacted legislation that includes firm emissions limits or ratified an international global warming agreement with binding targets. Obama, on his way to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Dec. 10, will stop at the United Nations talks to deliver the same promise in hopes of spurring significant progress at the summit meeting, officials said..
[Source: John M Broder - NY Times]

Phillip Carter, who was named deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee policy in April, resigned last Friday because of "personal issues,....."

..... a Pentagon official said. Mr. Carter could not be reached for comment and no other reasons were given for his departure. Carter's departure comes as the administration has acknowledged that it will not be able to close the prison by Jan. 22, the self-imposed deadline Mr. Obama announced immediately after taking office.

Gregory B. Craig, the White House counsel in charge of detainee policy for Mr. Obama, also announced his resignation this month. Craig drafted the executive orders ordering Guantánamo closed within a year of President Obama's inauguration.

President Obama called his war council together in the White House situation room as he moves toward a decision regarding troop deployment in Afghanistan

Sources have told NPR, the President plans to make an announcement Dec. 1, followed shortly thereafter by testimony on Capitol Hill by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan.

What's going on?

Roughly one in five Americans oppose more troops, yet also believe that Obama should pay attention to the U.S. military leaders in that country, says Holland. "That suggests that a lot of people who don't support a troop build-up are unaware of General Stanley McChrystal's request for a bigger U.S. military presence there," he says. While the public is divided right down the middle over whether Obama is taking too long to make the decision on troops, the poll suggests that there is widespread agreement that Afghanistan will never have a stable democratic government.
[Source: CNN Staff writers]

A Citizens Council on Health Care fundraiser will feature Maria Anne Hirschmann. who compares Obama's administration to the rise of Hilter's Nazi Germany

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, Hirschmann has said, "Obama, like Hitler, is 'a charismatic leader who promises full pocketbooks.' Obama's pro-choice stands, she writes, resembles those of Hitler, who 'brought abortion to a systematic level and declared the killing of unborn babies a national duty.'"

A really interesting article in Newsweek

written in partnership with the Web site Who Runs Gov, gives the inside rundown on the most important but largely invisible hands in Obama's Washington. They've been divided them into two categories: friends of Obama and his agenda, and those lesser-known wonks and politicos who are fighting him tooth and nail

Obama Marriage Examined in New Book

A new book on the Obamas' marriage, 'Barack and Michelle: Portrait of a Marriage,' says that Michelle Obama has influenced some important moves in her husband's political career, and that the couple have faced some struggles in their relationship.

About 100 world leaders are due to gather at the UN in New York to try to revitalise talks on climate change.

The meeting comes two months ahead of a summit in Copenhagan aimed at approving a global climate change treaty.

"I was actually black before the election,"

Obama told Letterman. "The American people … gave me this extraordinary honor. That tells you a lot, I think, about where the country is at."

"In the fall of the campaign, you could find many similar sentiments at McCain-Palin rallies and certainly at Sarah Palin rallies," said White House communications director Anita Dunn. "These aren't new arguments. The level of vehemence, the emotional level of it, is at a campaign peak, which is unusual to find in a non-campaign year."
[Garance Franke-Ruta - Washington Post]

Her inglorious quest for undeserved fame and unearned riches is exceeded only by the insane reality that there is an audience for her random verbalizations of her voodoo politics.
[Paul Henry Sibek - The Signal]

The President insisted he would not be rushed in deciding whether to send more troops -- an action favored by top military leaders but questioned by a growing number of Democrats -- saying that additional time is needed to refine strategy and assess needs.

News of that cash haul comes after Wilson directly asked in a Web video for campaign cash to fend off attacks from political opponents and said he's standing by his opposition to Democratic efforts at health care reform.
[CNN]

President Obama told Congress that his healthcare overhaul would cost $900 billion over 10 years. Where does that figure come from?..............

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who has been working on a bill designed to attract moderates in both parties, has indicated his legislation should cost about $900 billion.