Just a year ago

I'm a little late in this post, but what's a few days, a few dollars, a few votes....

The Upside: THIS YEAR: Republican gubernatorial candidate, Bob McDonnell, won the other evening -- as Virginia shifts back into the red (that's a good thing in politics, bad thing in balance sheets). Republican candidates for Lt. Gov and Attorney General also won.

The Flipside: LAST YEAR: After spending the end of 2007 and most of 2008 working 70-80 hours a week, and spending a few weeks in the battleground state of Colorado organizing Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) efforts -- my work became mostly for naught as then-Senator Obama won the 2008 Presidential election.

One day I'll actually have to write up this experience. In short, it was the greatest, most fun, hardest, and wildest roller coaster of a job. I made a lot of great friends -- from fellow staffers to donors to volunteers to fundraisers -- and have lots of great memories.

Since I'm not about to start my novel about my participation in the 2008 election cycle tonight, I'll leave you with some random photos that I found from circa Election Day 2008.

The title of this post and of the Picasa album come from a song my great-grandpa used to sing a song that went something like this:

I remember, last December
Just a year ago -
I went to see a show...

I can't believe it's now more than a year since the walls came a'tumblin' down. Some things haven't changed -- I still had a Halloween, complete with a witch telling a story about a broomstick.

Long live Team Surge!

I voted

Elections 2009

NPP

[[UPDATE: I've posted here some of the Facebook discussions I found humorous from the other day. Feel free to add any comments to the original thread on the document, or start a new one!]]

Dalai Lama

October 6, 2009
Front page of the " express " (a free publication of The Washington Post):

Dalai Lama in D.C. Amid White House Flap
[[Large photo, ~60% of front page]]
Caption: WELCOMED GUEST: The Dalai Lama greets spectators outside the Park Hyatt in Georgetown on Monday. The White House postponed a meeting with Tibet's spiritual leader in an apparent nod to China. It's the first time since 1991 that the Dalai Lama will not visit the White House while in Washington.

==Commentary==
At this time, I have nothing really serious to say on this matter. I'm not really sure what to think.

But, the President can add "Meet with the Dalai Lama" to the list of things he * hasn't * done (see SNL for a more complete list...).

Jeremy L. Erb
Sent from my mobile device

Funny Lady

An excerpt from the NightWatch for 23 July 2009, with links added for your enrichment:

North Korea-US: In Thailand for a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum, Secretary of State Clinton said today North Korea has "no friends left" to protect it from U.N. penalties, The Associated Press reported.

Clinton said the Obama administration would soon send Philip Goldberg, its coordinator for implementing the U.N. Security Council sanctions, back to Asia for a new round of consultations on a joint enforcement strategy. Clinton also said the administration intends to appoint a special envoy to focus on North Korean human rights.

North Korea’s view: The head of the North Korean delegation said North Korea would not return to six-party talks with the United States, Japan, South Korea, China and Russia about its nuclear weapons program because of the "deep-rooted anti-North Korean policy" of the United States.

He also responded to Clinton's remarks earlier in the week when she likened North Korea's recent spate of missile launches to an unruly child demanding attention.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement that said her remarks "suggest she is by no means intelligent. … We cannot but regard Mrs. Clinton as a funny lady as she likes to utter such rhetoric, unaware of the elementary etiquette in the international community. Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping. It is our view that she can make even a little contribution to the implementation of the U.S. administration's foreign policy as Secretary of State only when she has understanding of the world, to begin with."

[...]

Comment: The level of exchange today devolved into name calling and farce. Farcical exchanges between powerful countries do not seem conducive to peace. No US diplomat of any rank should ever insult a country with whom the US is at war; which has a million-man standing army that has prepared for war for more than 50 years; and has demonstrated at least a vestigial nuclear weapons capability, unless the US is baiting that country into a war.

The good news is that the North did not vilify or demonize “Mrs. Clinton”, as they called her instead of Secretary Clinton. It is a significant insult that shows the North Korea does not take Secretary Clinton seriously as a power player in policy formation. However, it does not portend escalation. On the other hand, she and her staff no longer have credibility in any future negotiations with North Korea.

Well, the Secretary of State is losing face with a country that we'd really like to keep an eye on (and keep in line), and so we're going to send a former US ambassador who was expelled** from Bolivia -- I'm sure his fluent Spanish, experience dealing with Columbians, South Africans, and Bolivians, and his upbringingin in Boston, have prepared him to deal effectively with the North Koreans.

**I don't know the story behind this, maybe I'm reading too much into it. Can anyone fill me in?

Weekend Reads: 07/25/2009

Wow... where to begin. My list of "things I found that I want to blog about but don't have time to do so right now" keeps growing larger. And, unfortunately, the time delay weakens some of the relevancy of the material I discovered. But, I'll try to catch up a little bit here today, so we'll see how that goes.

I'm realizing that my "politics" blog (1) has been dwindling rapidly over the past few months, and (2) the content has been sporadic: stuff about the ODNI, fodder for TOTUS, our trip to Andrews AFB, Memorial Day, and RNC videos. I'd apologize for the randomness, but i you were put off by it all I imagine you're not reading this anymore anyway... Just know I'll be trying to be a little more focused; but no promises.

Here are a few things I thought you should know about:

CONTENTS

• Afghanistan
• Canada
• Interrogation Methods
• Iran
• Judicial News
• Lebanon
• Polls
• Random
• Somali Pirates
• Swine Flu

Afghanistan
I follow a great nightly news review and analysis compiled by someone who used to be "in the know" and is now retired. He writes NightWatch, a (usually) daily review of events around the globe, drawn from open source material, and intermixed with his observations from years of experience. He wrote the following for the night of 17 May 2009, following reports of several US air strikes in Afghanistan.

US air strikes on 4 May killed 140 villagers, an Afghan government investigation concluded on Saturday, putting Kabul at odds with the US military's account. The official death toll, announced by the Defense Ministry, made the bombing the deadliest incident for civilians since US forces began fighting the Taliban in 2001, and is likely to worsen anger over the presence of foreign troops.

Readers need to understand that the USAF almost certainly did not kill close to 140 villagers. Strategypage.com posted a valuable summary narrative of how the process works. Any time US or NATO operations result in damage to a village, regardless of any sympathy towards the Taliban, the elders must find a way to make the loss of lives have meaning for the village.

This impulse transcends religion or other considerations. This is a survival instinct. Village elders might actually like US Marines, but will bury goats and vermin to exaggerate the death toll so as to extort money benefits from the US – up to $5,000 per person, and a fortune in a rural village.

The graves cannot be opened in an Islamic country, frustrating any scientific calculation of the deaths. It is the price of fighting the Pashtun uprising in a single engagement.

I did not know about either the practice of the animal burial fraud or the grave non-opening cultural angle. Bring in the ground penetrating radars?

Canada
Apparently, being an essentially neutral state hasn't helped Canada avoid terrorist attacks on its own soil. According to the NightWatch for 5 July 2009:

The Canadian Press reported today, “It’s been nine months since the first explosion targeting EnCana's (TSX:ECA) natural gas operations in northeastern British Columbia. - the start of six attacks the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are now labeling "domestic terrorism."

RCMP are asking for patience as they investigate the two latest explosions in the Dawson Creek area. The bomber apparently is still at large. Investigators have made no progress reports in months.

A blast on Canada Day at a wellhead near the village of Pouce Coupe marked the first attack since January, and crews working to repair that site heard yet another explosion Saturday on a nearby pipeline.

RCMP no doubt will capture the bomber. Nevertheless, the official Canadian admission that Canada has domestic terrorists is worth a mention. Liberal neutrality is no safeguard from terrorist attacks.

Interrogation Methods
[1]If you read the note above for the Afghanistan comments, the same individual wrote the following comments related to the discussion that was going on regarding the suggestion by some to release documents related to the interrogation methods employed by the CIA on individuals detained in the Global War on Terror (GWOT). He opined on 14 May 2009:

Some American leaders have argued for the release of the terrorist-related information obtained from waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques. That is a useful and important proposal in a free-speech democracy, provided that the results of other interrogation techniques also are released.
What the US press does not seem to appreciate is that there exists another body of evidence obtained from using friendlier techniques. This condition is confusing because, occasionally, press outlets have reported anecdotal snippets from this other body of evidence that focused on the success of CIA interrogators who befriended Islamist terrorists as an information gathering technique. These techniques also provided useful information, according to the press accounts and the testimonials of the interrogators who used these techniques.

NightWatch recommends that both bodies of evidence should be compiled, declassified and released to the public, if either is released, and let a full and professional debate on the merits ensue. The results of the evidence on the merits should drive the conclusions about which techniques work best and the policy decisions of national decision-makers.

The key point for Readers is that multiple interrogation techniques apparently were applied, based on press reports, and achieved results worth comparing.

[2]In what seems to be an interesting stance to take (considering the President's rhetoric against Gitmo and the interrogation methods approved of and used in the past), The Washington Post reports that "The Obama administration has objected to a provision in the 2010 defense funding bill currently before the Senate that would bar the military's use of contractors to interrogate detainees." The article also states, "The White House statement said that in 'some limited cases,' contractor skills might be necessary 'to obtain critical information' and that the provision 'could prevent U.S. Forces from conducting lawful interrogations in the most effective manner.'"

I wonder if the Obama Administration sees the irony in their attempts at justifying retaining these contracted interrogation skills to meet hypothetical needs to produce "critical information."

Iran
[1]Earlier this year, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released an "Unclassified Report to Congress on the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions" in Iran that law (Section 721 of FY 1997 Intelligence Authorization) requires it submit to Congress. The DNI report indicates that Iran is dramatically increasing the amount of low-enriched uranium produced by its nuclear fuel production system. Also, Iran is continuing to develop missiles of increasing range. And it maintains the capability to produce chemical warfare agents "that may have offensive applications". This doesn't sound like good news...
[2]In June 2009, I caught the following post from CQ Politics titled, "Should the CIA Meddle in Iran Now?" Jeff Stein wrote in part:

A half century ago the CIA could bring down an Iranian prime minister with a few rent-a-crowds, well placed payments to key generals and a pliable replacement.

Could it do the same today?

Not likely, but events in Iran have often contradicted the prognostications of Westerners, especially at the CIA.

This year's protests in Iran following the election, the almost-crazed use of Twitter to follow the events, and the clashes that still occur are watched with great interest.

Judicial News
[1]According to a Heritage Foundation "Morning Bell" email, "Despite being the first president in U.S. history to have voted to filibuster a Supreme Court nominee, President Obama hoped Saturday, 'that we can avoid the political posturing and ideological brinksmanship that has bogged down this [Supreme Court nomination] process, and Congress, in the past.'"
[2]I wrote back in April about the nomination of transnationalist Harold Koh to be the chief legal advisor to the Department of State. Apparently, no one in the Senate read my thoughts, nor did they heed the warning from the Center for Security Policy when they wrote "A Transnationalist Cannot Uphold the Constitution."

Lebanon
A "prophecy" from the Nightwatch for 25 May 2009:

No international news services are reporting on the emergence of Russia as an influence in strategic Middle Eastern events. From Iran to Lebanon, Russia is making progress in building influence by backing a variation of self-determination. Some analysts label this practice “judo diplomacy.’ The impulse for democracy is being used against itself to vote into power authoritarian leaders based on demographics. Lebanon could become an Islamist dominated state in two weeks.

Polls
A Gallup poll found that respondents -- for the first time in Gallup's history -- are slightly more likely to be pro-life than they are to be pro-choice.

Random
[1]Back in May [I told you I've kept stuff in the queue for a while], I wanted to start a daily quote surrounding the Pelosi/CIA "scandal". Obviously, that didn't happen. So, here's a classic quote from this moment in America's history, as reported by The Campaign Spot:

Those CIA officers chosen to brief the Congress, and especially the intelligence committees, are very senior, experienced officers, who well know the reputation and future of the CIA, as well as their own jobs, are on the line should they be perceived as not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Such restrictions, however, do not apply to members of the Congress when they then appear before the public.

[2]Found this picture through a VA GOP blog.
I decided to share it today because (1) check out that concentration!, (2) nice form [I think, I'm not the bowling instructor], (3) check out that wall paper!, (4) do you think they still have some of the same old bowling balls?, and (5) how cool is that to have a bowling alley in your basement?

Pretty cool, apparently.

Although the wallpaper has changed, that little alley is still there in the depths of the White House compound. Last fall, I had the opportunity to go bowling with some friends down there. I can't remember all the pictures that hung along the wall, but perhaps the one above was there. The one below was definitely there, and I took a self-portrait in front of it.

Unfortunately, President Bush wasn't able to join us ... but his picture was there to remind us of how it was done. I noticed similar expressions on the faces of the presidents in those two pictures; however, note the different approaches. I'm sure someone out there could come up with some deep meaning for what it all means.

The teams were West Coast (WC) vs. East Coast (EC). I was on the WC team, by virtue of my heritage (plus, if we considered my year on the east coast as qualifying for that team, the teams wouldn't have been even). WC went one win, one loss that night. As the (honored? haha) guest that night, I was able to keep the official White House Bowling Alley scorecard, documenting our win. I wonder if I should frame it and hang it with my other campaign memorabilia.

Somali Pirates
[1]NightWatch comments on the Somali pirates that attacked a US Navy supply ship with small arms fire. How crazy are these pirates? If there's a supply ship - there's bound to be the warship it's tending close by, right? Pretty sure the Navy would have a little more than small arms fire to return to the pirates...
[2]StategyPage, another blog I like to read (and one referenced by NightWatch in the past), recently shared a photo of "members of a USS Gettysburg visit, board, search and seizure team and a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement vessel approaching a suspected pirate mothership after responding to a merchant vessel distress signal." Click through for the full-sized image and full caption.


Swine Flu
As of 07/06/2009 the WHO reports 94,512 cases / 429 deaths
As of 06/15/2009 the WHO reports 35,928 cases / 163 deaths
As of 05/13/2009 the WHO reports 5,728 cases / 61 deaths
As of 04/26/2009 the WHO reports 38 cases / 0 deaths]
Visit the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Alert and Response (GAR) Situation Updates for Pandemic (H1N1) 2009.

Bahamabama, or No Jobama

Cap and Trade

Two different (yet related?) videos:

Cap'n'Trade

Who thinks it's a good idea to pass over 1,500 pages of a single bill without actually reading what's in it? Oh yeah, the US Congress. I think this Cap and Trade thing is great: it's going to drive up prices on non-essential consumer commodities like gas and food and heating/cooling, and it's going to make the Democratic-lead Congress so popular that people will just keep asking for more and more. The Dems will totally win in 2010 and 2012, because people will just love what this--and other fine pieces of legislation coming out of Congress--have done to the country.

And then, there's a shout-out to my 'hood:

National Memorial Day Concert 2009 (rehearsal)

On Saturday, 23 May 2009, @jill636 and I (@jedci) attended the dress rehearsal for the National Memorial Day Concert on the west lawn of the US Capitol.

View My Saved Places in a larger map

We moved to the area last year just in time to attend last year's dress rehearsal and had such a fun time that we wanted to go again. We carpooled with some neighbors, brought our picnic, and enjoyed the evening. Below are pictures and some comments from our Twitter updates (hence the shorthand, trying to get it to fit in 140-characters). We also took a few videos, and we'll try to get those posted soon.

@jedci 5:39 PM
getting ready to head to #DC for the Nat'l Memorial Day Concert dress rehearsal

@jedci 6:38 PM
En route to Capitol for concert

@jedci 6:46 PM
Looking for parking - wish us luck #DC WTOP.com had an interesting article re parking / tickets in the District

@jedci 6:58 PM
Almost there ...excited for Natl Memorial Day Concert *rehearsal*

@jedci 7:04 PM
Entered to fanfare =)

@jedci 7:11 PM
Not as good of seats as last year. Asked tents and umbrellas to be taken down. Some ppl w/seats, some on ground

@jedci 7:40 PM
Looking behind us - the view from the Capitol #DC as the rehearsal begins

@jedci 8:18 PM
Lang Lang and Katherine McPhie perform "America, the Beautiful" (Natl Memorial Day Concert rehearsal)

@jedci 8:36 PM
Intermission at Natl Memorial Day Concert rehearsal? Technical difficulty?

@jedci 8:56 PM
10,000 parents caring full-time for their injured veteran children nationwide (Nat'l Memorial Day Day concert rehearsal)

@jedci 8:58 PM
Brian Stokes Mitchell "I can go the distance" #NMDC rehearsal

@jedci 9:11 PM
Colm Wilkinson, "Bring Him Home" #NMDC (Jean Valjean, Les Mis) Amazing!

@jill636 9:18 PM
Enjoying the national memorial day conference dress rehearsal. Very moved by those who sacrifice so much

@jedci 9:19 PM
Armed Forces Salute: USCG USAF USN USMC USA great turnout of servicemembers here 2night 4 the rehearsal (est. Army had most ppl)

@jedci 9:20 PM
Trace Atkins #NMDC rehearsal "Say a Prayer for Peace"


@jedci 9:22 PM
Its been a great night here at #NMDC 2009 rehearsal

@jedci 9:24 PM
Marine choir joins Trace Atkins #NMDC 2009 rehearsal


@byualumni 10:35 PM
A memorial day family tradition... http://www.pbs.org/memorial... #byualumni - Connected for Good

@jedci 10:51 PM
@byualumni went to the MemDayConcert rehearsal tonight on the Capitol lawn - it'll be a great show tomorrow

@byualumni ~8:30 AM (25 May 2009)
Fantasic show - worth rewatching http://www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert/concert/ Check out photos by BYU Alumnus @jedci. #byualumni

@jedci ~10:55 PM (25 May 2009)
RT @byualumni Fantasic show-worth rewatching MemorialDayConcert -Check out photos by BYUAlumnus @jedci |Thx! Pics here http://bit.ly/JRqnj

And more photos!


Wishing you all a happy Memorial Day, and extending our deepest gratitude for the men and women of our armed forces who serve now -- and the veterans who served us in times past -- to keep us, and others, free.

[NOTE: I was thinking about two days that I spent on a tour with several of our veterans, meeting other veterans. Their stories were incredible, and it had a deep impact on me. I should try to write it down - so check back for updates!]

Weekend Reads: 05/23/2009

An Assortment of Quick Political Updates

President Obama

• When Spanglish goes wrong. The President wishes you a "Happy Fifth of the Fourth."
• President Obama and Vice President Biden Ray's Hell. Or, Where "normal" people go to lunch. Or, how to skip the WH Mess, go from NW DC to Arlington in 5 minutes flat, and get a burger while you're at it.
• A quick demonstration of the budget cuts proposed by the President.
  
• Three out-of-state Obama campaign workers plead guilty to voter fraud in Ohio.
• The President wants to release not release torture photos.
  (When will the media make more of a deal of his "flip flops" on torture, Gitmo, etc.? Granted, I'm all for not releasing the photos [but I think he should have taken a stronger stand on their non-release] so good job for changing stands. But what about when other politicians make changes based upon additional information they gain? Although, the headlines did use some fun words like--delay, opposes, switches, u-turn, moves to stop, shifts, reverses position, reverses--when talking about the switch.)
• From The Heritage Foundation: "Although President Obama has vowed that citizens will be able to track “every dime” of the $787 billion stimulus bill, the government website dedicated to the spending won't have details on contracts and grants until October and may not be complete until next spring - halfway through the program."

The Obama Administration

• White House won't release NYC Air Force One photos. They stage a photo shoot, and then don't release the photos. Instead, we're stuck with the "creatively edited" photos that several blogs featured in their discussion of this administration road bump. The funny(?) thing, I thought, was that--at the time--the Administration was calling for the release of the "torture" photos, but wanted to withhold the AF1 photos. Now, they're withholding both...
• According to the Wall Street Journal, the Obama administration is weighing plans to detain some terror suspects on U.S. soil -- indefinitely and without trial -- as part of a plan to retool military commission trials that were conducted for prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (WSJ, 5/14/2009)
• More free money? From The Heritage Foundation: An administration official confirmed that the Obama administration’s $4 billion “loan” and $3.2 billion in “bankruptcy financing” to Chrysler won't be paid back to taxpayers.

The GOP

• While POTUS was Ray's'ing Hell, Governor Romney, Governor Bush, and others got some pizza at Pie-tanza and held a "listening tour" meeting.

Other Stuff

• Washington can't meet the Cheerios standard. Michelle Malkin compares the FDA standard in advertising (and its recent reversal on some claims featured [for years!] on boxes of Cheerios) with the (non)standard for advertising the so-called stimulus.
• Larry Echohawk to head Bureau of Indian Affairs. The BYU professor and BYU-Idaho forum presenter (I ate lunch with him, President Clark, and some others before the speeech) has been confirmed by the US Senate.

Andrews Air Force Base: 3 Day Air Extravaganza 2009

[UPDATE: 16 May 2009 @ 1925: The official website is back up - finally. For more information, go to www.jsoh.org/ . Also, you can see the Twitter traffic HERE (#JSOH) and HERE (Andrews AFB).]

I saw an advertisement for the air show on the side of one of the Metro buses, and my wife and I decided that we'd like to try to go. We each tried to search for information on the show on several occasions, and everything we found told us to visit www.jsoh.org for more information (or www.jsoh.org/show.html or www.jsoh.org/schedule.html).

But, frustratingly, the site has been down.

Finally, I came across this article on the Washington Post website that outlined the schedule of events, as reported on 15 May 2009. I'm recreating Saturday's schedule here, in a hope that someone else might be interested (and frustrated) and find this guide.

Schedule for 16 May 2009
(Saturday)(24/hr time format)

0945 to 1000

• Sean Tucker and the Collaborators

1000 to 1100

• Opening ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Army's elite parachute team, the Golden Knights, and the 65th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. Attended by special guests, veterans who participated in the invasion
• Liberty Jump Team
• Team McCowan Jump
• Army's 82nd Airborne jump

1100 to 1200

• Fagen Inc.'s Greg Poe
• Army's Golden Knights
• Air Force Thunderbirds engine run

1200 to 1600

• GEICO Skytypers demo
• Navy F/A-18F tactical demo
• Oracle's Sean Tucker
• Fagen Inc.'s Greg Poe
• Air Force A-10 demo

1400 to 1500

• Air Force F-22 demo
• Air Force Heritage Flight
• Red Bull Air Force helicopter, MiG, and Sky Jumpers
• Army's Golden Knights 2nd show

1500 to 1630

• Air Force Thunderbirds

Political Perks?

Hey DC drivers: Ever wondered how to get from 17th and F Street NW to 1713 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia in 5 minutes? At lunch time?

Google Maps says the trip takes about 8 minutes. Personal experience has put it at 10 to 15 minutes - in no traffic. But at lunch time? Locals will tell you to plan for 20 minutes if you want to run across the river for lunch.

Guess who did it in 5 minutes flat?

That's right, the President and Vice President when they decided they'd go on over to Ray's Hell Burgers (and escape the White House mess) for lunch. According to the President's daily log:

• 12:26 p.m. - The President leaves the White House.


• 12:31 p.m. - The President is standing in line, waiting to order a medium-well burger with dijon mustard

The WTOP article continues:

Five minutes. Seriously. Five minutes to get down 17th Street, go across the Roosevelt Bridge, and make it past all the traffic lights along Wilson Boulevard. Man, it's worth it becoming the President just for that simple perk alone.

So, why are you running for President?

If you like the dining around Arlington and Alexandria, but work in the District, Presidential motorcades might just make your Top 10 List.

Or Top 11, if you think "10-item lists are for cowards".

Blog Highlights

One of the "Some Political Blogs" I highlight on the blog here is the Fred Malek Blog. There are two recent posts that I wanted to direct your attention to. Below are some quick snips from them, click through for the full posts.

Arlen's Easy Way Out

However, in leaving the Republican Party, Arlen has abandoned people who have been his allies for another team. He has thrown in with people who have a fundamentally different vision for America, and one that I profoundly disagree with.

Why did he do this? It seems as if Arlen took the path of least resistance. He knew that his primary fight would be difficult. Arlen has never stepped down from a fight, but he did this time. Undoubtedly his Democratic primary campaign will be safe. Ed Rendell, Arlen’s former boss at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, will get his former Deputy Mayor out of the race now. So after a career of fighting for what he believed in, Arlen took the easy way out to keep his job.

Obama 100 Days Scorecard

There has been a lot of talk about President Obama’s first 100 days in office. Both online and off, there’s also been much analysis about the so-called Obama “FAIL” movement. I don’t hope for President Obama’s failure. I’d like for him to succeed in making our country safer, stronger and much more prosperous. I hope and pray that he does so both for America’s success as well as capitalism’s future. However, his policies are unlikely to achieve desired results.

Given that we the taxpayers are now significant shareholders in a heck of a lot of companies due to the bailout, it is important to remember, that whether you are running just a company or our entire country, in order to achieve success you need to measure success qualitatively and quantitatively along the way.

Weekend Reads: 05/02/2009

The Obama administration is pushing for a deal that will make the United Auto Workers union the majority owners of Chrysler LLC.

Lobbyists skirting ban to work for the Obama White House.

Boston Globe fails to "credit" WH for NYC plane scare. The White House approved the Air Force One Photo Op over New York City, cost $328,835.

A guy I work with discovered a plutino.

Electric cars not as green as you think.

Scientists have repeatedly proven that we are products of our environment. So when you want your employees to do something new, why send out memos, rewrite policies and issue directives — often to no avail? Instead, look at the environment your people are working in and ask yourself — and them — what's holding them back from changing. Remove cubical walls if you want them to talk to each other more. Install Skype and video cameras on all computers if you want people in different locations to connect more often. Make your online expense system more intuitive if you want employees to submit their expenses on time. Simple changes in the environment can have a big impact on people's behavior.

President Obama acknowledged that harsh interrogation techniques might have yielded useful information.

The Question that Didn't get Asked: "While pressing Obama on a variety of national security questions, the White House press corps failed to ask: 'Mr. President, if your administration is already claiming credit for jobs created in this economy, when can the American people start holding you accountable for all the jobs lost?'"

The Foundry: Fact Checking Obama

Topic du jour - Swine Flu

The latest news, as far as I know:

• The first confirmed US fatality from swine flu.
  "A 22-month-old child from Mexico who was taken to Houston, Texas, for medical treatment is the first confirmed U.S. fatality from swine flu, health authorities said Wednesday.
  "The toddler was not a U.S. citizen, said Kathy Barton, a spokeswoman for the Houston Department of Health and Human Services, adding she could provide no other details."
• First officially confirmed fatality in Mexico
  "The first officially confirmed fatality from the disease occurred April 13. Maria Adela Gutierrez died in the southern city of Oaxaca, capital of the state of the same name.
  "Gutierrez was a door-to-door census-taker for the tax board, meaning she could have had contact with scores of people at her most contagious point, before being hospitalized."
  
  Also, from the same article, the beginnings (?) and a town that has been complaining since March:
  "With the death toll climbing, Mexican authorities at the center of an international swine flu epidemic struggled Monday to piece together its lethal march, with attention focusing on a 4-year-old boy and a pig farm.
  "The boy, who survived the illness, has emerged as Mexico's earliest known case of the never-before-seen virus, Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said Monday. It provides an important clue to the unique strain's path."
  
  "In Perote, residents of the hamlet known as La Gloria have complained since mid-March that contamination from the pig farm was tainting their water and causing respiratory infections. In one demonstration in early April, they carried signs with pictures of pigs crossed out with an X and the word "peligro" -- danger. Residents told reporters at the time that more than half the town's 3,000 inhabitants were sick and that three children under the age of 2 had died."

But, there's an alternative explanation offered in the article:

The infection may have started with a migrant farmer who returned from work in the U.S. and gave the disease to his wife, who in turn passed it on to other women in the community.

Remember, you can't get swine flu from eating pork products, and Israel flip-flopped on the Kosher label [initially saying "swine flu" was not a Kosher name, they encouraged the term "Mexican flu." After diplomats expressed some misgivings, Israel reversed course and "deems 'swine flu' kosher after all".].

For more information and background, I encourage you to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Key Facts About Swine Influenza (Swine Flu)".

The Land of No Smiles

See photos from a photographer who posed as a businessman and traveled to North Korea.
From Foreign Policy: The Land of No Smiles

Renowned documentary photographer Tomas van Houtryve entered North Korea by posing as a businessman looking to open a chocolate factory. Despite 24-hour surveillance by North Korean minders, he took arresting photographs of Pyongyang and its people—images rarely captured and even more rarely distributed in the West. They show stark glimmers of everyday life in the world’s last gulag.

Weekend Reads: 04/25/2009

DoD
Their Government at Work: (Chinese?) Hackers Steal terabytes worth of information from the U.S. relating to the new Joint Strike Fighter

President Obama
The President's Bad Move regarding Banking Executives

President Obama did the political equivalent of asking his mother-in-law how much he owed her for Thanksgiving dinner — and moved the discussion away from social responsibility, and into the pay-for-effort market, where the negotiations for spoils now dominate the discourse.

Interrogation Methods
Much media of late has been discussing the recently declassified and released memos relating to the issue of "harsh interrogation techniques," and the U.S. use of waterboarding on individuals who planned the 9/11 attacks. Below are some key resources that have been released. Take some time to get familiar with the actual source material; then perhaps we'll have a discussion here of what the reports say vs. what the media reports vs. public perception vs. your opinion. Or something like that.

• “Inquiry Into the Treatment of Detainees in U.S. Custody” (263 pp.), compiled by the Senate Armed Services Committee in November but only released in April, may be found HERE.
• “Communist Control Techniques” (124 pp.), written by the CIA in 1956 and originally classified as Secret, may be found HERE. (This is the report cited in “In Adopting Harsh Tactics, No Inquiry Into Their Past Use” (New York Times) available HERE.)
• An analysis of harsh interrogation technique legal rationale as prepared by the U.S. Select Committee on Intelligence available HERE.

Some suggested commentary on this issue:
Wall Street Journal Article

After analyzing the memos, David Rivkin and Lee Casey concluded in The Wall Street Journal, "The four memos on CIA interrogation released by the White House last week reveal a cautious and conservative Justice Department advising a CIA that cared deeply about staying within the law. Far from 'green lighting' torture--or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees--the memos detail the actual techniques used and the many measures taken to ensure that interrogations did not cause severe pain or degradation."

The Heritage Foundation Article

Set the record straight; publish all key memos.

Karl Rove Note

"Decision to Release Interrogation Memos"
Read the documents provided below. "You'll be reassured about the precautions the Bush administration took to guarantee compliance with the federal prohibition on torture. You might even characterize its diligence as overcautious."

Blast from the Past
I think I mentioned in a different setting that we had recently watched some "old" movies, like Red Dawn, Hackers, and War Games. In War Games, if you recall, the kid hacks WOPR, plays a game--which turns out to be a DoD simulation, which nearly starts a nuclear war. Obviously there's more to the story (but I won't ruin it for you--go rent it), but it must have been a scary proposition for that time (as well as now) that someone could hack a government system and trick the U.S. into launching nuclear weapons based on false information. Well, you may not know that this nearly happened, for real.
Back in 1980, the U.S. "detected" nuclear missiles launched from submarines. B-52 bombers had their engines running, land-based missile crews were put on high alert, and the Pacific Command airborne command took off, to prepare to pass messages to U.S. warships. Although THIS REPORT doesn't say we actually got to the point where someone had to push the button, like "Leo's"

ASIDE:(I love how the stuff we watch is so related. The reluctant Air Force officer, John Spencer, in the movie later plays Leo in "The West Wing" TV series. Now, we watch a show with "Josh" from "The West Wing".)

dilemma in War Games. However, can you imagine coming that close to retaliating to a perceived nuclear launch, only to find out that there was a computer glitch?

Weekend Reads: 04/11/2009

Photo Gallery: Past and Present - The Queen of England with our U.S. Presidents

Op-Ed: Rove Says Obama "Keeping Score"

Op-Ed: Obama's Unreality Tour

The Courts: Judge "Angrily Throws Out [Sen. Ted] Stevens Corruption Verdict"

Video: Barney Frank Argues With Harvard Student

Homeland Security: Chinese, Russian Spies Penetrate U.S. Energy Grid

Homeland Security: Chinese Firms, False Companies, and Iran - Obtaining Nuclear Materials Through U.S. Banks (HERE, HERE, and HERE)

Homeland Security: Pilot Enters U.S. Airspace, Followed for Hours, Attempts Suicide by Fighter Plane

Business: Do As I'm Doing - Canadian Government Backs Warranties for GM, Chrysler

Do You Know Who's Advising Your President?

The Senate will meet to decide whether or not to confirm Harold Koh as Legal Adviser to the U.S. Department of State (DOS).

His nomination to this post has stirred quite the tempest in the blogosphere, HERE is just one example [a quite good one, I might add] of someone questioning Koh's suitability as the DOS Legal Adviser.

Koh caught my attention when he became the nominee for this position, and I recalled that I had read some of his articles for a paper I wrote relating to International Law. I was pretty sure I had argued against some of his positions in my paper [I'll have to dig it out and post it HERE], but my objections for the paper pale in comparison to Ed Whelan's (above) and to others (below).

Thanks to my RSS subscription to The Volokh Conspiracy, I learned about THIS post from Julian Ku, a Professor of Law at Hofstra University and former student of Koh.

Ku provides a list of "Ten Questions for Legal Advisor-Nominee Harold Hongju Koh." Here are a few of the questions:

• One your predecessors, William Taft, argued that the 2003 invasion of Iraq was legal under international law and offered a number of legal opinions to that effect during his tenure. Do you agree with his interpretation of international law governing the use of force in Iraq?
• You have argued in your writings that transnational legal processes can and should be used to develop and eventually “bring international law home” to have binding force within the U.S. legal system. Do you think it is appropriate as Legal Advisor to support such efforts to use litigation to incorporate international legal norms within U.S. law?
• According to newspaper reports, the U.S. government has been engaged in the use of covert military attacks in at least seven different countries, as part of the “global war on terrorism.” These attacks have included missile attacks in Yemen, Syria, and Pakistan. Such attacks, by U.S. Special Forces, were authorized by President Bush. Do you believe these attacks are lawful, under U.S. and international law?
• Recently, universal jurisdiction has been invoked in Spain to potentially prosecute six officials from the Bush administration for giving legal advice that allegedly sanctioned torture. Universal jurisdiction has also been the basis for or potential prosecutions of Israeli officials involved in military operations in the Gaza Strip. Given your past advocacy of transnational legal processes and the invocation of universal jurisdiction in the United States under the Alien Tort Statute, do you believe it is appropriate for Spain to open that investigation into U.S. officials? At what point would it be appropriate for the United States to protest such an investigation?

I think Ku asks some valid questions, and that other individuals have legitimate concerns about Koh's role as Legal Adviser.

We'll see how in-depth the Senate questions him, and if any of these questions come up. If your Senator serves on the committee that will question him, you might suggesting that s/he picks one or two to ask...

Some have noted that Koh will only be a legal adviser, and not a policy maker. Oh really? And where was that distinction during the "torture memo" scandal back in 2001/2002? But, I guess you're right: advisers only persuade the policy makers; they don't make any policy themselves... Oh wait, let's see what The New York Times Editorial for March 26, 2009 says. Granted, they're talking about the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) that advises the President in legal matters; but I think that aptly compares to the Legal Adviser to the DOS, which advises State Department officials in legal matters:

The Office of Legal Counsel is little known to the public, but it plays an important role in guiding national policy. As the legal adviser to the executive branch, it informs the White House and the agencies about what the law requires — and what it prohibits. The office was thrust into the limelight a few years ago when word leaked out of an O.L.C. torture memo that cleared the way for horrific forms of interrogation.
(emphasis added)

Not a Bow*

* Any by "not a bow," we mean, "indeed, a bow."

In honor of alternate-reality footnotes:

According to an unnamed White House aide, President Obama did not bow to the Saudi leader. I'm not sure who the Obama Administration thinks they can fool; but maybe I need to get my glasses checked.

Watch the video, and tell me what you think:

Liar, liar, pants on fire...

According to an article in today's Washington Post, five OPM investigators have pleaded guilty to falsifying Security Clearance reports.

One investigator admitted he lied in 30 of 67 background investigations [wow!]. Another said he lied in a dozen. Sometimes investigators conducted cursory interviews of just a few minutes, too truncated to gather meaningful information about applicants' potential drug use, associations, foreign travel and loyalty.

"This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed [you think?!]," Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Chubin Epstein said during the February sentencing of an investigator, the same day two others pleaded guilty in the same District federal courthouse. In court papers in another case, Epstein wrote that such lax investigations "can pose a serious risk to national security."
[interjections my own

Thankfully,

Federal authorities said they do not think that anyone who did not deserve a job or security clearance received one or that investigators intentionally helped people slip through the screening. Instead, law enforcement officials said, the investigators lied about interviews they never conducted because they were overworked, cutting corners, trying to impress their bosses or, in the case of one contractor, seeking to earn more money by racing through the checks.

[emphasis added. So, money was the only motivation behind these lies?]

We'll see where the next few months take us. In the words of Kenneth M. Mead, quoted in the article,

"I am astonished."

When Up Really Means Down*

Stumbled across this post the other day:
"Driving increases* in metro area (* actually decreases)"

Apparently, the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance released a report that stated that "more people drive, while fewer walk, bike and ride public transit."

However, as reported at Greater Greater Washington, this report contained a long footnote explaining that the data actually shows the opposite of the report findings.

Gotta love it.

The GGW.org article states:

Here's the email. The table claims driving increased from 81.3% of trips to 83% between 1994 and 2007/2008. The footnote, however, states that, "The geographical boundaries of the 2007/2008 and 1994 studies differ slightly. When the 1994 boundaries are used for both samples, the 2007/2008 results" show auto use declining to 80.3%.
The actual results from the survey, the Household Travel Study, are very interesting.

Reminds me of some other statemens we're hearing in the news - like how we have no desire to bloat bureaucracy but we're going to hire thousands of new federal employees; or how no lobbyist will work in an Obama White House, but they do.

Yeah, just what I thought. I guess Up really does mean Down these days*.

* [Enter your own footnote in the comments.]

Crossposted at RedState.

More fodder for TOTUS

From The Washington Times website, contributor Joseph Curl writes "In France, Obama takes no questions from French" (my emphasis below):

President Obama held a much ballyhooed town hall in Strasbourg, France, on Friday, touted by the White House as an outreach to Europeans on the second leg of the president's "listening" tour.

But the first person he called on was an American -- and the third, too. By the end of the hourlong session, not a single French citizen got to ask the U.S. president a question.

In all, Obama took just five questions from the thousands of people packed into a sports arena after delivering a lengthy speech read from a teleprompter. And the query topics were on the light side; one asked about the expected acquisition of a family dog, another about whether "you regret to have run for presidency."

The president had opened his remarks by saying he had come to "take some questions."

Have at it, TOTUS.

Give the Queen a Present

In light of the Obama's presenting the Queen with an iPod "loaded with video and photos of her 2007 trip to the United States, as well as songs and accessories," states the New York Times. But they neglected to mention the best parts:

• Photos from President Obama's Inauguration
• Audio of then-state senator Obama's speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention
• Audio of President Obama 2009 Inauguration Address

The Heritage Foundation held called "Give the Queen of England a New Present." Asking their readers questions like these ("Putting aside the fact that this gift very well could’ve been bought at the Duty Free shop at Heathrow Airport, it raises so many other questions. Does the Queen already own an iPod, given they have been widely and cheaply available for nearly a decade? [...] What do these symbolic gifts from the Obamas tell us about how they view the world and diplomacy?), Heritage offered a prize (not an iPod!) for the best gift suggestion.

The winners (they chose two, one each for a funny and thoughful gift) suggested the following:

“The Smithsonian has the original plaster molds of Abraham Lincoln’s hands from the day after his inauguration – customary at the time. The right hand is swollen from all his handshakes and is demonstrated in the casting. I suggest a mounted bronze copy of the pair of hands as the gift. It would be a reminder of the courage of leadership which the Queen and England has demonstrated as well as a reminder of the freedoms fought and died for.”

“President Obama could give the Queen GM since he has already given the Italians Chrysler.”

Some honorable mentions also made the results, HERE.

Other suggestions can be found HERE.

What would you have given the Queen?

The ODNI in the news

A report from the Inspector General relating to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) titled "Critical Intelligence Community Management Challenges" was recently release, amid some fanfare and lambasting.

According to the AFP, "US spy agencies are still hamstrung by the same turf battles and financial mismanagement that led to massive intelligence failures revealed by the 9/11 attacks and the Iraq war, an internal report has found."

And the New York Times reports, "The report, by the inspector general, was the most detailed account to date of problems that bedevil America’s intelligence agencies more than four years after Congress and President George W. Bush created the director’s office to overcome weaknesses exposed by the Sept. 11 attacks."

Here's how some other people have summarized its contents:

Ongoing turf battles between intelligence agencies and a bloated bureaucracy point to key failings within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, says a report by its inspector general. And a survey found a majority of its employees “were unable to articulate a clear understanding” of its mission, roles and responsibilities," the IG says.

Chief deficiencies cited in report were "poor integration and barriers to information sharing," but there are other major findings in here related to financial management, acquisition oversight, etc.

The Director of National Intelligence has failed to exercise adequate leadership of the Intelligence Community (IC), which continues to suffer from poor integration, unjustified barriers to information sharing, and other defects, according to a remarkably critical November 2008 report of the Office of the DNI (ODNI) Inspector General that was released [recently].

The unclassified report, which is only 16 pages long, is available through the New York Times HERE, or through the Federation of American Scientists HERE, although I'm sure you can find it other places.

The report identifies the following as the most critical management challenges to the DNI:

1. Strengthening leadership and governance.
2. Accelerating progress in driving IC information sharing.
3. Removing impediments to IC collaboration and integration.
4. Improving financial management and acquisition oversight.
5. Resolving major legal issues.

Since I've been on a law kick recently (scroll through my shared items), and (most) everyone is encouraging me to prepare to go to law school, I was most interested by the fifth section pertaining to "major legal issues."

A paragraph from the document (emphasis mine):

Throughout our work we came across Intelligence Community leaders, operators, and analysts who claimed that they couldn’t do their jobs because of a “legal issue.” These “legal issues” arose in a variety of contexts, ranging from the Intelligence Community’s dealings with U.S. persons to the legality of certain covert actions. And although there are, of course, very real (and necessary) legal restrictions on the Intelligence Community, quite often the cited legal impediments ended up being either myths that overcautious lawyers had never debunked or policy choices swathed in pseudo-legal justifications. Needless to say such confusion about what the law actually requires can seriously hinder the Intelligence Community’s ability to be proactive and innovative.

First, the U.S. persons issue. Much ado was made about the PATRIOT Act, the FISA legislation, and the UK monitoring and storing social network traffic from sites like Facebook. Rightfully so, right? We don't like the idea of Big Brother, and we demand a right to privacy (even though it is not enumerated in the Constitution, but is instead a penumbra). I don't want to go any further with this U.S. persons thing right now; suffice it to say there are limits and/or restrictions as to what information can be collected and stored by government agencies on U.S. persons.

The second thing I found interesting about this paragraph was that, although legal restrictions exist, often the claim that legal reasons prevent analysts from doing their job are (institutional?) myths or pseudo-legal policy choices. I'm sure we've all run across these types of policy choices -- you know, where your organization's policy is that you do X, not because you (legally) have to, but because someone decided that it would be good policy, maybe out of a need to manage potential risk, and there is legal reasoning applied in abstract ways about why it's a good policy ... but it nevertheless falls under the category of a pseudo-legal policy choice. I was trying to think of some examples from previous jobs; if they're not too revealing I might post them here later as updates. Can you think of one?

[UPDATE: Being as vaguely descriptive as possible: Legal "requiring" you to put "disclaimers" on an email going out to a few individuals. The law does not require it; the email would not be illegal without it. But, just in case the email gets forwarded to a million people and your name is on it as the originator and the Federal commission that oversees this activity gets a complaint about the email and decides to investigate and decides to choose to apply a rule to an email that was distributed beyond the intent of the author, ... the organization's policy is to include the disclaimer.]

Last, I'm glad the writers of that paragraph realize that the IC needs to be proactive and innovative.

The report goes on to say, "U.S. persons rules are complicated, differ substantially between agencies, and pose significant impediments to analysts accessing intelligence possessed by other agencies."

Really? You mean to tell me this government rule or regulation is complicated and convoluted? Heaven forbid similar rules exist between different agencies performing the same task of collecting U.S. persons information... Out of the many things this report suggests should be fixed, this is one that I think is both troublesome and important. Troublesome because of the privacy issues; important because of the homeland security issues. And I'm not just talking terrorism here (although I'm sure that's a big part of it), but other homeland security issues like drug trafficking or human trafficking or other issues?
From CNET
From DNI



What do you think?


[update] DNI names new Inspector General, April 3, 2009. While this may look bad, the current DNI wasn't the subject of the November 2008 report. But still, kind of funny.

Talk about a lemon

Wow.
Thought I'd post some snips from this Morning Bell article:

As great of a lawyer, community activist, and law professor as President Obama may have been, when has he ever run any company or come up with a single business plan. Now he’s running General Motors? But Obama didn’t stop at auto company CEO:
No one can deny that our auto industry has made meaningful progress in recent years.

Some of the cars made by American workers are now outperforming the best cars made abroad. In 2008, the North American Car of the Year was a GM. … just in case there are still nagging doubts, let me say it as plainly as I can –- if you buy a car from Chrysler or General Motors, you will be able to get your car serviced and repaired, just like always. Your warranty will be safe. In fact, it will be safer than it’s ever been. Because starting today, the United States government will stand behind your warranty.

Did we elect a president or a car salesman? Problem is, when we let the government become a market participant, there is no difference. Hence the slew of other incentives Obama threw at the auto industry.

I agree with Heritage and Governor Romney: bankruptcy is the best policy for these automakers.

All your cars are belong to us.

Now the bastion of timeliness, personalized service, and quality known as the Federal government stands behind (and will administer?) your GM warranty. How much is that going to cost us?

What about my Toyota? Sure, it's a foreign auto maker, but Toyota has 13 manufacturing locations in North America and directly employees over 36,000 individuals in the US. I'd like my warranty to be "safer than its ever been" ... Right?

No, not really.
I'd like my government to keep out of corporations, especially to this degree.
White House tour, anyone?
From McClatchy.

Just say "No"

To Card Check.

Governor Romney wrote an op-ed for The Washington Times called "Cautionary Tale of Card Check." In it, he shares his experience as the Governor of Massachusetts in vetoing a piece of card check legislation, only to have it reintroduced after he left office and signed into law by the next governor.

Since that time, Romney points out some (unintended?) consequences of allowing the legislation. The two paragraphs from his op-ed that struck me the most were these:

Conservatives like me are opposed to card check, but not to unions. At their best, labor unions have always fought for the rights of workers, and generations of Americans have been better off for it. But the card-check proposal is not an example of unions at their best - it is a case of union organizers rewriting the rules at the expense of working people.

Its advocates claim that card check is a step forward for labor, as if workers should thank them for making unions less democratic. But anyone who would deny a worker's right to vote on unionization by secret ballot is not advancing the cause of labor. They are just expanding the power of labor bosses. No one should be forced to publicly declare their intention before their employers and co-workers.

First, I thought it was interesting that "conservatives like [him]" aren't opposed to unions. Discussions usually seem pretty polar: the liberals push for more union power and rail against "the man" who's keeping the workers down and getting rich of of them, and the conservatives who rail against the pernicious unions and how they're destroying the very fabric of free markets.

Recognizing the value unions have, and do, provide for workers is great from a rhetorical standpoint, it also helps level out the discussion and, I feel, puts him in a better position. For, unions are good - they helped get workers decent pay, better working conditions, and other things. And I think conservatives should remember this more often.

But, I also agree with the idea that suggests that unions should be "localized" to one company, not across an industry. I think this industry-wide unionization has not helped workers, or the economy, in the long run. See the automakers for some case studies on this. But I digress.

It seems strange that the unions want to "give more" to workers by "taking away" a liberty I think we take for granted: the secret ballot.

Romney continues:

Leaders in the Democratic Party are eager to pay back the union bosses for their campaign support, even if it means selling out the American worker. Responsible members of Congress need to make it clear that Washington will not act to virtually impose unions on businesses. It is undemocratic, and it would devastate business formation and employment, worsening the present economic crisis.

By guarding against coercion and intimidation in the workplace, we can protect our economy from great harm, and secure the rights of employers and employees alike. The working people of America should be able to unionize the way their fathers and mothers did - by free choice and secret ballot.

There you have it. Just say "No" to card check. And tell your Senator and Congressman to do the same.

In recent news, Senator Specter stands up and in "a blow to card check" says he will vote to block the card check legislation.

White House Easter Egg Roll

For those who have children 10 years old or younger, make a note of March 26, 2009.

That's when you can get online and reserve your tickets for the Annual Easter Egg Roll.

The White House Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878 and is an event designed to encourage children and their families to come outdoors and celebrate the start of the spring season. This year’s theme, ‘Let’s go play’, encourages America’s youth to lead healthy and active lives. The White House will open the South Lawn to children age ten and under, along with their families, to enjoy sports, cooking classes, live musical performances, storytelling and, of course, the traditional Easter egg roll. Please come dressed to be active and participate in all of the events.

Ticketing will be available here beginning Thursday, March 26th

A maximum of six tickets will be issued per order. Children age ten and under, along with their families are invited to attend. There must be at least one child ten years old or under and no more than two adults per group. Tickets are required for every attendee, including small children and infants, to enter the South Lawn of the White House.

Three things they're not talking about in "Bonus-Gate," but should be

Most of you have heard the rumblings (and sometimes screamings) surrounding the $165 million (ish) that was paid out in retention bonuses to AIG employees. I personally think Congress has better things to do than tax these bonuses (and what, get back enough money to cover 0.015% of the "Stimulus" outlay?). But I can see how the AIG bonuses give people a "face" to the whole crisis of credit, something to lash out at in anger, ill-informed.

So, the three things they're not talking about, but should be:

1) If the bill is not sufficiently narrow (i.e., does not only apply to AIG bonuses), like the version that passed overwhelmingly in the House, there are other businesses that will be unfairly and negatively affected.
* For example, I was informed by a friend who works as a Tax Policy Advisor for a member of the Senate noted that some banks did not request TARP funds, but the Treasury "forced" them to take the funds anyway. Now, based on the House version of the bill, those banks, and other financial institutions in similar circumstances, cannot give bonuses to their employees without being affected by this bill (should it become law).

2) Despite outrage from the Congress, the bill that came out of conference committee and was signed by President Obama grandfathered in specific AIG bonuses. In other words - not only did they know about them, they passed a law that would protect some of them. Now, they want to hit the UnSend button? Senator Cornyn speaks about this situation (I only wish he came at it with a little more "fire power" [that's for you, Marriott.]).

3) The bonuses are not just going to "employees of the division that had been the primary source of AIG’s collapse."
* Many of these employees have since left the company. Since that time, AIG (and other financial institutions) have either collapsed (Lehman Brothers disappeared and some employees have been merged into other companies, such as Barclay's) and others have been held up by tax dollars (AIG). Since AIG is still operating, it needs employees. Those that left or were fired have likely been mostly replaced by (hopefully competent) people who were brought in to help turn the company around.
* Would you take a job at AIG? What if you were really good at your job in the financial sector, and could possibly help get us out of this rut? What would it take to get you to go to a failing company? Maybe, just maybe, you might be enticed, er, encouraged, er, persuaded to go work for AIG if they promised you a bonus as part of your hiring package.
* Now what? You signed on to help out, and Congress and some pausing-from-thinking American people want to take your bonus away.
* Are the bonuses excessive? Perhaps the answer to that question doesn't really matter. What we're seeing is that the financial industry has long rewarded its employees with bonuses. Perhaps the market should take another look at employee compensation - but Congress should not start deciding that some people who make more than others should give up their money.

[Go see this interesting post. Although a bit extreme ("So ask yourself; how much do you make? Is it more than your neighbor? Might someone else think that its not fair that you got something that they didn't? Because that’s all it will take. If we let them get away with this."), it also points out some legal questions that should be considered.]

Thankfully, the Senate is delaying their action, for the time being. Hopefully calmer heads will prevail there and allow Congress to focus on other issues.

Red Rover, Red Rover,

send China right over.

Ok, maybe that's not the best tag line for this blog, but I wanted to share some videos that the Navy released recently regarding a run-in one of its observation ships had with five Chinese vessels.

Basically, the incident occurred in international waters, and two of the five ships came within about 50 feet of the US ship. It appeared, among other things, that the Chinese were trying to disrupt the towed array that is part of the ship's surveillance equipment.

I posted them below in the sequence that they were labeled. *CAUTION* Some of the clips do have audio, and these are sailors. [I think the "announcer" is funny in Clip #3.] [Some brief language in Clips #5, 6, 8.]
#1 [below]

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8