I totally agree with this call:

DADT and ROTC

Congratulations to all whose negotiation and persuasion over the years led to yesterday's vote repealing the Don't Ask Don't Tell rule for the military.

Among the consequences: this removes the last stated objection to the return of ROTC programs to on-campus operations at Harvard and some other elite universities. I've discussed the background extensively, starting here and here. ROTC left these campuses four decades ago, because of bitter disagreements over the Vietnam war. That's long in the past; for most of the past two decades, the main argument against ROTC's return has been the military's exclusion of openly gay members.

Now that policy has been officially overturned. It is time for Harvard, which took an early lead in removing ROTC programs in the Vietnam era, to set an example in bringing them back.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/12/dadt-and-rotc/68247/

Columbia President: DADT Repeal "Effectively Ends" Our Problem with ROTC

Ben Smith reports that schools that currently ban ROTC from campus are moving toward ending their discriminatory practice now that Congress has repealed the law banning openly gay people from serving in the military:

The vote, said Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, provides "the opportunity for a new era in the relationship between universities and our military services."

"This is an historic development for a nation dedicated to fulfilling its core principle of equal rights. It also effectively ends what has been a vexing problem for higher education, including at Columbia -- given our desire to be open to our military, but not wanting to violate our own core principle against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation," he said in a statement through a spokesman.

No specifics yet on a timeline, but Harvard's president Drew Faust says, "I look forward to pursuing discussions with military officials and others to achieve Harvard's full and formal recognition of ROTC." And a Yale spokesman tells Smith: ""We are aware of the vote and have plans in consideration."

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/colu...otc_523596.html

Congress (Quietly) Passes landmark Local Community Radio Act

Yesterday, on the same day that Don't Ask Don't Tell was repealed, another significant bill was passed by both the House and Senate: the Local Community Radio Act. This legislation allows for the creation of new non-commercial stations on American airwaves-- a number that could reach to the hundreds or even thousands.

In a press release, the Future of Music Coalition said, "The addition of more Low Power FM (LPFM) stations will increase local civic engagement, diversify the airwaves, support local music and culture, assist during emergencies, expand religious expression, and provide a platform for the voices of underrepresented communities to be heard."

http://pitchfork.com/news/41066-congress-passes-landmark-community-radio-act/

According to this NeoCon ad, Lady GaGa has the power to bring back the draft!

Ladies and gentlemen, watch as a bitter old man pisses away a once decent legacy as a "Maverick" with moderate legislative accomplishments in favor of Neoconservatism:

By JO BECKER The New York Times updated 12/23/2010 5:50:53 PM ET 2010-12-23
NEW YORK — Despite sanctions and trade embargoes, over the past decade the United States government has granted special licenses allowing American companies to do billions of dollars in business with Iran and other countries blacklisted as state sponsors of terrorism, an examination by The New York Times has found.

At the behest of a host of companies — from Kraft Food and Pepsi to some of the nation’s largest banks — a little-known office of the Treasury Department has made nearly 10,000 exceptions to American sanctions rules, approving deals involving countries that have been cast into economic purgatory, beyond the reach of American business.

Most of the licenses were approved under a decade-old law exempting agricultural and medical humanitarian aid from sanctions. But the law, pushed by the farm lobby and other industry groups, was written so broadly that allowable humanitarian aid has included cigarettes, Wrigley gum, Louisiana hot sauce, weight-loss remedies, body-building supplements and sports rehabilitation equipment sold to the institute that trains Iran’s Olympic athletes.

olivant - Unfortunately that shit doesn't surprise me one bit.

On Hawaii Vacation, Obama Reads Up On Reagan

US President Barack Obama is using his Christmas holiday in Hawaii to read up on former president Ronald Reagan, an icon for the resurgent Republicans he will face next year.

The president "is reading a biography right now on Ronald Reagan by Lou Cannon," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs wrote Friday on the micro-blogging website Twitter.

Obama has taken an interest in the former president ahead of his return to a more deeply divided Washington next month, when the Republican opposition will assume control of the House of Representatives.

Reagan, who occupied the White House from 1981 to 1989, is revered by Republicans for his hard line towards the Soviet Union and his conservative fiscal reforms, which included cutting taxes and reforming the tax code.

He managed to pass a raft of legislation despite presiding over a divided government with Democrats in control of the House, a feat that Obama, despite occupying the opposite ideological pole, hopes to repeat.

Obama will face a similar divide in January, after a "shellacking" by Republicans in November that gave them a majority in the House and a bolstered presence in the Senate.

Obama is spending the Christmas holiday with his family in his home state of Hawaii.

Next year the United States will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Reagan, who passed away in 2004 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/20...gan.php?ref=fpa

Speaking of Hawaii, evidently Hawaii's new governor wants to provide additional proof that Obama was born in Hawaii. He said that he knew BHO's parents.

Now, keep in mind Obama's birth certificate was released and confirmed by the then Republican Governor of Hawaii. I really hope that they don't provide any more proof. These nutjobs will doubt any paperwork from anybody. We all KNOW why it is they continue to pursue this ridiculous venture don't we?

TIS




http://beforeitsnews.com/story/327/066/H...rs_to_Rest.html

To be fair, Barry aint the first U.S. President to be accused (without proof) of being born in another nation.

But yeah, TIS I believe you're right. Considering 2008 was the first Presidential election in our history where both candidates weren't born in the continental U.S. (McCain was born in the Panama Canal), I just don't see a similar "Birthers" cult arising around Johnny. Or at least not to the size as the one we're stuck with.

Really I can't decide which is dumber: This bullshit or the 9/11 Conspiracy freaks.

From the creators of the whacky "Birthers" conspiracy theory from the Right-Wing comes...

*RRA reads headline*

Appleonya, do you believe this shit?

Obama Wants To Give Manhattan Back To Native Americans

The good news is that the right-wing isn't talking about President Obama being a secret Muslim right now. The bad news is that they're now concerned that he's going to use his honorary status as a Crow Tribe Indian to return the United States to Native Americans.

The outrage began after the President announced on December 16 that the U.S. would reverse course and support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. The Declaration was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2007, but the U.S., under President Bush, opposed it.

"The aspirations it affirms -- including the respect for the institutions and rich cultures of Native peoples -- are ones we must always seek to fulfill," the President said of the Declaration at White House Tribal Nations Conference where he announced the reversal. He went on to describe efforts to improve health care, education, and unemployment rates in tribal areas.

"While the declaration is not legally binding, it carries considerable moral and political force," the State Department wrote of the Declaration, "and complements the President's ongoing efforts to address historical inequities faced by indigenous communities in the United States."

Despite this, the right has seized onto some of the language to attack the President -- including Article 26, which says:

1. Indigenous peoples have the right to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired.
2. Indigenous peoples have the right to own, use, develop and control the lands, territories and resources that they possess by reason of traditional ownership or other traditional occupation or use, as well as those which they have otherwise acquired.
3. States shall give legal recognition and protection to these lands, territories and resources. Such recognition shall be conducted with due respect to the customs, traditions and land tenure systems of the indigenous peoples concerned.Obama was adopted as an honorary member of the Crow tribe during the 2008 campaign, and was even given the name "One who helps people throughout the land." Most of the outrage lobbed at the President in the wake of the announcement, naturally, references that fact.

Last week, the "Director of Issues Analysis" for the Christian conservative American Family Association, Brian Fischer, wrote a blog post claiming that "President Obama wants to give the entire land mass of the United States of America back to the Indians. He wants Indian tribes to be our new overlords."

"Perhaps he figures that, as an adopted Crow Indian, he will be the new chief over this revived Indian empire," Fischer wrote. "But for the other 312 million of us, I think we'll settle for our constitutional 'We the people' form of government, thank you very much."

Yesterday, the right-wing blog World Net Daily took it a step further in a post called "Obama to give Manhattan back to Native Americans? President believes nation can spare some sovereignty." The article describes how "President Obama is voicing support for a U.N. resolution that could accomplish something as radical as relinquishing some U.S. sovereignty and opening a path for the return of ancient tribal lands to American Indians, including even parts of Manhattan."

The article continues: "Obama's interest is personal. He noted during the 2008 presidential campaign he was officially adopted by the Crow Nation, an Indian tribe in Montana, and he was given an Indian name."

Joseph Farah, the founder and editor of WND, followed up on the article today with a facetious column called "I'll Take Manhattan." He writes: "Truth be told, I have a fair amount of Indian heritage on my mother's side. So this proposed redistribution of wealth is welcome news for me. Where do I apply? I want to return wampum for Manhattan."

"Anyway, what do we have to lose?" he writes. "The U.S. economy is in shambles. What harm could it do to redistribute lands based on nothing more than the racial and ethnic heritage of Americans?"

"I suspect Obama himself plans to cash in on this action," he wrote.

Former Ambassador John Bolton was more concerned that the resolution would result in new legal claims. "It's a kind of feel-good document that has so many unclear phrases in it that nobody's really sure what it means when you agree to it," he told FoxNews.com. "It's wrong and potentially dangerous to sign onto a document that you don't fully understand the implications of."

"Hopefully most judges will say it's not binding," Bolton added. "But there are enough judges who couldn't care less about strictly applying the law."

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.co..._ma.php?ref=fpa

So if Obama gives Hawaii back to its indigenous people, then it won't be a state and the birthers would be right.

Which he got during his second term.

Obama Eyes Ex-Clinton Aide as Top Economic Adviser
Monday, 3 Jan 2011
By: Reuters

A trusted aide with first-hand experience negotiating with Republicans has emerged as the favorite to become President Barack Obama's new top economic policy adviser, Democratic sources said on Monday.

Several sources close to the deliberations said Gene Sperling, a Clinton administration veteran, has gained traction in the last few weeks as a potential successor to Larry Summers, who is departing as director of the National Economic Council.

Sperling is seen as having an edge over two other leading contenders, investment banker Roger Altman and Yale University President Richard Levin.

A source familiar with the matter also said Obama is considering tapping J.P. Morgan Chase executive William Daley for a senior role within the White House, possibly as chief of staff.

Sperling, 52, brings a unique characteristic to the table: he has actually done the NEC job, a role that coordinates economic advice throughout the administration.

Sperling, who serves as counselor to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, has a reputation as a savvy political and economic expert and is known for his tireless work ethic.

"The president is considering a number of qualified candidates and he has not made a decision or offered a job," White House deputy communications director Jen Psaki said.

"The most important qualification is finding the right person for the job, who can lead the team at this pivotal time in recovery."

Psaki declined to say whether Sperling had emerged as the leading candidate.

Some liberal Democrats see Sperling as too close to Wall Street because of work he has done as a consultant and because he was at the NEC during a period of financial deregulation under former President Bill Clinton.

Sperling helped put together the $858 billion tax-cut deal hammered out late last year and has helped focus attention on small-business issues within the administration.

Some in the White House were initially hesitant about tapping an administration insider for the NEC job.

After crushing losses by Obama's Democrats in the November congressional elections, the White House was intrigued by the idea of filling the role with a business executive, a move that would signal a fresh policy course.

Sperling's candidacy gained momentum after Obama scored a series of legislative wins in December on the tax cuts and other measures. Those victories removed some pressure to recruit an outside figure for the NEC job.

Critics have accused the administration of being too insular. If Daley ends up moving into a White House job, that would ease some of that criticism.

"What the White House has got to look at is: Who is going to have the best economic plan?" said Julian Zelizer, a history professor at Princeton University.

"Two years from now, they're going to want the person who brought the jobs back and I think that's what makes Sperling attractive. He's very well-respected and his economic advice is well thought out," Zelizer said.

Obama, whose chances of re-election in 2012 may hinge on bringing down the 9.8 percent unemployment rate, is expected to make an announcement soon on the NEC job.

Clashes are looming this year between the White House and newly empowered Republicans over issues including the budget, the economy and regulatory issues.

Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives this week, and following the November elections, will have strengthened numbers in the U.S. Senate, though not a majority.

Not only has Sperling run the NEC but he did so during a time when Clinton, a Democrat, had to contend with a Republican-led Congress.

"You couldn't find a person who has more hands-on experience navigating difficult economic issues for a Democratic president dealing with a Republican House," said Neera Tanden, a former policy aide to both Obama and Clinton who has worked closely with Sperling.

"He has an experience that few others have," said Tanden, who is now with the Center for American Progress.

A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Sperling graduated from the University of Minnesota and Yale Law School and attended Wharton Business School. He was named head of the NEC in December 1996, coordinating economic policy during a period marked by budget battles and an economic boom.

The biggest drawback for Altman, currently the chairman of Evercore Partners, is a perception among some that he would be too sympathetic toward Wall Street. Some have criticized Sperling on the same grounds based on consulting work he did for Goldman Sachs and for some hedge funds.

"This administration and the last one are just too influenced by the big banks on Wall Street," said Peter Morici, an economist at the University of Maryland business school.

Those who have worked with Sperling dismiss such criticisms. They note that he championed a proposal that Obama unveiled last year to slap a fee on the nation's banks and has been a voice for small businesses within the administration.

Some in the business community were disappointed that Obama seemed to be moving away from naming a CEO to the NEC.

"Sperling is a Washington insider par excellence. I think the hope among some quarters was that someone with more experience in areas that would create jobs — the private sector — would have been a really nice thing to have," said Michael Holland, founder of the investment firm Holland & Co.

I have to when mentioned or beckoned in a post, regardless of subject!! Nothing like proving that good or bad, one has made one's mark.

Thanks, ronnierocket & with regard to the article who cares really...other than those who feel a need to post it in its entirety...!!!

Yes, Apple has identified what seems to be a pathology on the part of some Board members: posting lengthy articles in their entirety. Instead, why not post a little bit of the article, provide a link to it, and then post your comments? It can be a challenge to navigate through Board threads and posts without having half or more of the page taken up by an article quote.

If only we had like a scroll option.

Boehner: The state of Hawaii has said that President Obama was born there. That's good enough for me.

Even when they were reading the Constitution today, about qualifications for President and how one must be a natural born citizen, some lady yells out "except Obama, God help us." I hear she was escorted out and arrested. For God's sake, let it go already.





TIS

I agree...2yrs into his presidency it's sort of a moot point.

However, I wonder who would be 'letting it go' if the shoe were on the other foot and this President belonged to another party.

True. Extreme partisans only seem to make an issue of things outside their own party.

I still don't understand why it is even an issue. Some stupid internet rumor run wild and then some radical partisans won't let it go. As for the shoe being on the other foot - I don't recall any other President having this as an issue, so the comparison is moot. Perhaps when we find out that Elvis and JFK are actually alive and living on a South Pacific island the nut cases will be distracted enough to let it go.

Fox News to interview Obama on Super Bowl Sunday
President grants interview to network host Bill O'Reilly
Below:

The Associated Press updated 1/7/2011 8:50:51 AM ET
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will sit for an interview with Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly on Super Bowl Sunday.

Again?? And why Super Bowl Sunday?

$$$

Though honestly, I'm certain O'Reilly won't grill Obama as hard as Jon Stewart did. Watch that Daily Show interview sometime, and see a guy unwittingly walk into a minefield.

~How does O'Reilly feel Beck breathing down his neck and his 8:00 slot? You're old news Bill.

Maybe its a break from the mindless pre game hype?

Three questions (I am NOT a sports fan), WHEN is the superbowl and when is the interview (before or after); who is the halftime entertainment (one year they had the Stones)? The hell with the game.




TIS

TIS -

(1) February 6
(2) No idea, Don't Care really
(3) Black Eyed Peas

The Super Bowl is the most overhyped event in history, and more often than not the game is not all that great. Also, it takes about 9 hours to play the stupid thing with the expanded halftime and the thousands of commercials.

You can make a good drinking game out of it, however. Everytime a receiver barely misses a catch the announcer will
say "You've got to make those tough catches if you want to beat this defense." Take a drink every time that is said and you'll be toast by the 3rd period.

No. The Black Plague was.

I vote for Noah's flood.