5 posts tagged “israel”
UPDATE on 1/12/2009: Listen to Matt Miller discuss "The Tyranny of Dead Ideas" on Tue., Jan. 13 at 2:30 pm PT at www.KCRW.com/etc/programs/pc (streaming, podcast and on-demand) with LA City Council President Eric Garcetti.
Please get creative: show us what a Panetta Kerfuffle looks like.
Economy/Unemployment; Gaza Burning; Panetta Kerfuffle
We’ve invented a new dessert: the Panetta Kerfuffle, but that comes later in the show. First we collectively decide that Obama’s big speech about the economy may not be big enough. Then the inevitable disagreements over the Israel/Gaza conflict are discussed. No end in sight. And finally: the Panetta Kerfuffle. Take one former Clinton Chief of Staff, throw in the initials CIA, mix together with whining establishment Senators and Congressional Representatives, add a dose of media and questions about Biden’s involvement and – you’ve got the Panetta Kerfuffle.
Just for fun:
Watch Matt Miller on COLBERT REPORT here: http://mattmilleronline.com/index2.php
LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S SHOW:
Paul Krugman, THE OBAMA GAP NY Times 1.9.09.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/opinion/09krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&pagewanted=print
“I don’t believe it’s too late to change course, but it will be if we don’t take dramatic action as soon as possible. If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years.”
So declared President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday, explaining why the nation needs an extremely aggressive government response to the economic downturn. He’s right. This is the most dangerous economic crisis since the Great Depression, and it could all too easily turn into a prolonged slump.
But Mr. Obama’s prescription doesn’t live up to his diagnosis.
Today’s must read MSM piece is a brutal Bloomberg column, delineating why the Bailouts have been such a sweet deal for the banks. Despite the gross incompetence and sheer recklessness of Wall Street and the Financial sector, they were handed massive amounts of money with little in the way of returns to the taxpayer, no specific guidance or requirements....
Source:
Paulson Bailout Didn’t Give Taxpayers What Goldman Gave Buffett
Mark Pittman
Bloomberg, Jan. 9 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aAvhtiFdLyaQ&
Geithner Preparing Overhaul Of Bailout
Obama Team Broadens Scope to Secure Final $350 Billion for Rescue
By David Cho
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 9, 2009; A01
Confronted with intense skepticism on Capitol Hill over the $700 billion financial rescue program, Treasury Secretary nominee Timothy F. Geithner and President-elect Barack Obama's economic team are urgently overhauling the embattled initiative and broadening its scope well beyond Wall Street, sources familiar with the discussions said.
ARIANNA MENTIONED http://bailoutsleuth.com/
Here are columns by Tony Blankley and Robert Scheer, both about Barack Obama, which we'll be discussing on tomorrow's show. (Other topics TBA, but probably the housing bill that's moving fast to help prevent total mortgage meltdown.)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
BLANKLEY: The GQ statesman
By: Tony Blankley
OP-ED:
Watching Sen. Barack Obama glide through his foreign trip so far, nervous Republicans and other patriots have to hope that American voters will not view him through the eyes of a Hollywood casting director. Because one could not cast a man, who can better visually portray a worldly statesman?
Obama on the Brink
Posted on Jul 22, 2008
By Robert Scheer
Barack Obama is betraying his promise of change and is in danger of becoming just another political hack.
AND here's a special report from FOX News -- about John Bolton's comments:
Fox News
Bolton: Bush Paving Way for Obama Admin.
by Major Garrett
I wanted to share an interview former Bush United Nations Ambassador John Bolton did with Fox about the administration's decision to send the State Department's No. 3 diplomat, William Burns, to meetings this weekend in Geneva to discuss an incentive package aimed at deterring Iran for building and deploying nuclear weapons.
Bolton is on the outside looking in at an administration he barely recognizes. A hard-liner on Iran, Bolton sees only folly in attempts to negotiate Iran away from what he considers its single-minded obsession with obtaining nuclear weapons and using that leverage to make itself an even bigger player in the Middle East.
More importantly, Bolton appeared to concede Obama will win the White House. He went so far as to say Bush's Iran moves could take the Iran issue off the table for McCain and give Obama a boost in credibility on national security he believes is unfounded but will nevertheless occur.
The interview occurred Wednesday and I apologize for the late posting.
Tony Snow's funeral set me back professionally and emotionally yesterday and I'm playing catchup on several fronts as a result.
This is the Bolton verbatim:
"This is not going to be a one time meeting. I can tell you what the State Department will say the day after the meeting: 'It went really well, we made a lot of progress, now we've got a process going, surely we should go to the next meeting.'
In any event it's the Bush administration legitimizing the Obama presidency's policy. It's like Senator Obama already has a transition office in the West Wing.And, I think, it will make it very difficult for congressional Republicans and Sen. McCain to continue their critique of the weaknesses of the existing administration policy.
The problem is that the negotiations with Iran have already been underway for 5 years. This is not a new idea. It's not a new idea when Sen. Obama proposes it, it's not a new idea for the us to sit at the table. After 5 years of negotiation, the only consequence is that Iran is 5 years closer to nuclear weapons. Iran is not going to give up its pursuit of those weapons voluntarily, the diplomatic options have been tried and failed and our real options are now, unfortunately, quite limited.
I think the State Department is doing its best to ensure a smooth transition toward the Obama administration. So, I have little doubt that an interest section is highly likely before the end of the Bush Administration. Once again, Tehran will read that as a weakening of the administration's resolve and will use it to their advantage."
Again, this interview occurred Wedneday. The Bush administration confirmed work on creating an interest section in Iran on Thursday.
On the eve of Obama's overseas trip, this criticism from a former Bush insider suggests John McCain may have less latitude to criticize Obama on Iran. He may have lost ground in criticizing Obama on Afghanistan due to his endorsement of sending more troops there this week - after Obama called for the same thing on Aug. 1, 2007.
Mentioned in Today's Show: David Brooks editorial in New York Times:
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Playing Innocent Abroad |
A really good show today. Lawrence O’Donnell sits in for Matt Miller this week and next, everyone’s in a studio and the conversation was both substantive and filled with collegial banter! Lotta love here...well, you know what I mean...and some feisty back-and-forth, too. Don't miss all the links I posted, the notable quotables and blogger Michael's summary of Mr. Scheer's comments...continue scrolling through all of today's posts -- then join the fray!!!
Oil’s Up, Market’s Down; Iran’s Missiles; Iraq’s Timetable
Today’s show raised the issue of the Presidential candidates’ response to the tanking of the Stock Market and the announcement that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are in free-fall. Plus, Iran shot some missiles and shot their credibility in the foot by doctoring photos. But that doesn’t mean the threat of Israel versus Iran isn’t scary and dangerous. Plus, Iraq appears to be calling for a timetable for a US departure. Is that serious--do they really want us to go?
Notable quotables from the show by bloggers Marisa and Andi:
Tony on Iranian missiles and Israeli worries: “I've been talking to Israeli officials for years and they think 6-12 months is the drop dead time” for action.
Bob questioned Tony's statement that there was "no evidence that McCain is looking forward to a conflict between Iran and Iraq" by referencing McCain's lyrics that he sung to the tune of a Beach Boys classic, "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran." Tony snarked back "it was a joke, even if you're on the left, you have to have a sense of humor."
Arianna says: “Obama’s making a serious mistake if he ignores the foreign policy of Iraq and targets only the economy." “Iraqis don’t want us to leave any time soon” according to Tony. And he agrees with her that Obama missed an opportunity in reacting to Iraqi government's call for a timetable for US pullout.
This week's hot topic hoedown included Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac foreclosure crisis; Iran and Israel and whether the former might bomb the latter, and how the latter will deal (this vis a vis the Iranian-doctored nuclear test photo; and Israel's policies moving forward...
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