Jan. 20, 2009', Out With the Old, In With the New!

[wkmac]

 

[Babagounj]

Of 47 appointments so far.........31 have / had associations with Bill Clinton's administration.

So much for bringing fresh faces. ( another promise that has not been kept ).

 

[chev]

Of 47 appointments so far.........31 have / had associations with Bill Clinton's administration.

So much for bringing fresh faces. ( another promise that has not been kept ).

Wow....Look at all the Washington insiders. It's all about CHANGE ........What a joke.

 

[chev]

Only one problem with that pic. You need to remove the lapel pin on the second pic. You wouldn't want to offend his terrorist buddies.

 

[wkmac]

From Glenn Greenwald @ Salon:

Wednesday Nov. 12, 2008 15:28 EST
The Democrats of 2002 and 2007 haven't gone anywhere

Though it hasn't happened yet, it is appearing increasingly likely that Senate Democrats -- led by Barack Obama (who seems to be playing a much more active role in all of this than his spokesperson yesterday suggested) -- are going to choose Joe Lieberman to serve as their Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in the next Congress....

It is worth remembering that the Democrats who are going to exert dominant political control are the same ones who have provoked so much scorn -- rightfully so -- over the last several years, and particularly since 2006. This is the same Democratic Party leadership which funded the Iraq War without conditions (and voted to authorize it in the first place); massively expanded the President's warrantless eavesdropping powers; immunized lawbreaking telecoms; enacted the Patriot Act and then renewed it with virtually no changes; didn't even bother to mount a filibuster to stop the Military Commissions Act; refrained from pursuing any meaningful investigations of Bush lawbreaking; confirmed every last extremist Bush nominee, from Michael McConnell to Michael Mukasey; acquiesced to even the worst and most lawless Bush policies when they were briefed on them; and on and on and on. None of that has changed. That is still who they are........

That is who Senate Democrats appear well on their way to selecting to serve as their Chairman of Homeland Security, of all committees. That's because nothing that Lieberman has done really bothers them. Endorsing the Iraq War and the full panoply of radical Bush policies isn't disqualifying in the least because so many of them also endorsed that and support it, or, at the very least, it's not a priority for them....

Few things in this world are less likely than them ever taking even a mild stand -- such as stripping Lieberman of his Chair -- in order to defend some sort of political principle, or to punish ineptitude, or to announce that there are certain lines to the Right that can't be crossed. They don't do that. They never have. And it shouldn't surprise anyone that they won't now.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/

He also points out in the same piece an area of concern for those who think real change is coming:

Yesterday's vague and poorly-sourced Wall St. Journal article reporting that "Obama is unlikely to radically overhaul controversial Bush administration intelligence policies" is not, in my view, evidence of what Obama will do, but it is definitely compelling evidence that people close to him -- those whom he has chosen to be influential -- are pushing him in that direction. Notably, the article actually describes minor modifications to (as opposed to wholesale overhaul of) Bush's torture policies as the "centrist" and "pragmatic" approach.
It's just a fact that there are all sorts of people close to Obama who have enabled those Bush policies and who are mobilizing now and attempting to ensure that nothing meaningful occurs in these areas.

Say Clintonistas!

For those still under the illusion that Bush was some bad anomally of nature, you better wake up real quick.

May 27, 1999

Lawmakers Raise Questions About International Spy Network

By NIALL McKAY

n international surveillance network established by the National Security Agency and British intelligence services has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, as lawmakers in the United States question whether the network, known as Echelon, could be used to monitor American citizens.

http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/05/cyber/articles/27network.html

Even Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes on Feb. 27th 2000' said the following on a 60 Minutes piece on Echelon:

'If you made a phone call today or sent an e—mail to a friend, there's a good chance what you said or wrote was captured and screened by the country's largest intelligence agency.'

'is to eavesdrop on enemies of the state: foreign countries, terrorist groups and drug cartels. But in the process, Echelon's computers capture virtually every electronic conversation around the world.'

There is more to this "Clinton" era civil liberteries violation if you dare read it.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2006/01/under_clinton_ny_times_called.html

we also have a huge number of allegedly liberal Democrats in both houses of Congress who were willing to cede immense power to President Clinton, then suddenly discovered civil liberties during the Bush administration.

Here, for example, is a statement made by Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee on July 14th, 1994:

"The Department of Justice believes, and the case law supports, that the president has inherent authority to conduct warrantless physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes, and that the President may, as has been done, delegate this authority to the Attorney General."
​

http://civilliberty.about.com/od/waronterror/a/clinton_legacy.htm

On the Echelon program: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON

It got so bad with even claims of industrial espionage that European gov't launched major investigations.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+REPORT+A5-2001-0264+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN

Democrats like to point the boney figure of contempt at Bush but they forget to look in the historical mirror and see the framework laid by their own previous messiah who occupied the White House. It's this same messianic adminstration who will now provide the footsoldiers for the new messiah going forward.

Considering the hues and cries against the nationalistic state over the last 8 years, I find it ironic at the deafning silence from the same crowd over this:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/service/

and when you consider this from the chief "go-too" guy Obama just picked.

November 11th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Rahm Emanuel and compulsory universal service

» by Walter Olson
We said something relatively nice yesterday about the president-elect’s incoming chief of staff, but there’s no way to sugar-coat one of the less appealing items on the Illinois congressman’s record: his vocal advocacy of mandatory national service. From his 2006 book The Plan: Big Ideas for America, co-authored with Bruce Reed, currently the #1 selling book in several political categories at Amazon and #91 overall:

It’s time for a real Patriot Act that brings out the patriot in all of us. We propose universal civilian service for every young American. Under this plan, All Americans between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five will be asked to serve their country by going through three months of basic training, civil defense preparation and community service.
​

http://overlawyered.com/2008/11/rahm-emanuel-and-compulsory-universal-service/

Had Bush on his Neo-Con Chorus publically proposed such an idea, I dare say democrats might have actually repealed all gun laws, purchased every assault weapon in sight and have taken to the streets in opposition.

Listen closely and you'll hear the loudness of the protests from them on this new idea. Listen! Hear it? No? Oh yeah, I thought those crickets were them protesting. Goes to show I just give them way to much credit!

"V" for Vendetta!

 

[Babagounj]

Looks like the mighty O has picked another " insider ".
His choice for White House Consul is a well known Wash DC lawyer who ran Bill Clinton's impeachment defense.

If he does offer a job to Hillary, she will fit in quite comfortably , so many familiar faces.

 

[diesel96]

Kmac.......I think you've been watching to many Scooby Doo episodes....Rut Row.....

 

[wkmac]

Truth hurts don't it D!



Have a good Sunday!

 

[wkmac]

Hey D, did ya see this today?

Mr. Obama, who sent emissaries but did not attend at the meeting, will find common ground with the leaders in his support of a further stimulus program in the United States — something President Bush opposes. The group called for more fiscal measures to cushion the blow of a downturn that is hitting rich and poor countries.
Two senior advisers for Mr. Obama, Madeleine K. Albright and James A. Leach, met privately with leaders on the sidelines. And Mr. Obama addressed the meeting only obliquely on Saturday in his first radio address as president-elect, in which he expressed appreciation that Mr. Bush “has initiated this process, because our global economic crisis requires a coordinated global response.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/business/worldbusiness/16summit.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

This concerns the G20 Summit but what I wanted to point out was who Obama sent. Madeleine Albright we all know her abysmal record of neo-imperialism but what I wanted to bring out was Jame A. Leach. Mr. Leach is a fromer republican Congressman from Iowa who on the one hand you might think, "Ah, bipartisanship! Good thing." but let's consider a bit deeper. Leach is also well know in the form of legislation that includes his name in the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act that repealed much of Glass Steagall and was considered one of the reasons behind the subprime mortgage crisis.

It's a bit like having the thugs who nearly beat the victim to death now be the ICU doctors taking care of said victim!

You're Right! You're Right! This new adminstration is all about

CHANGE!

The only change is the mask itself!

 

[Babagounj]

Read an article today praising O for having so many Clintonites on his staff. The article implied that these " insiders " could bridge the gap to Congress.
Funny I thought his campaign was all about being an " outsider " who was going to reform all of washington ?

 

[Catatonic]

Read an article today praising O for having so many Clintonites on his staff. The article implied that these " insiders " could bridge the gap to Congress.
Funny I thought his campaign was all about being an " outsider " who was going to reform all of washington ?

You actually believed any of that crap? LOL

 

[wkmac]

You actually believed any of that crap? LOL

56 million people did so what the hay! Then again, nearly 50 million believe the otherside's crap being thrown around. Makes you wonder what's the point of going through the motions every 4 years because in the end America just gets on when it's all said and done.

No wonder the rest of the world hates us. We always smell like !

 

[over9five]

Funny I thought his campaign was all about being an " outsider " who was going to reform all of washington ?

You actually believed any of that crap? LOL

Many of us didn't believe that "crap", and we're all now proved right! Unfortunately, MANY gullible fools did fall for that "change" crap!

 

[diesel96]

Of 47 appointments so far.........31 have / had associations with Bill Clinton's administration.

So much for bringing fresh faces. ( another promise that has not been kept ).

Truth hurts don't it D!



Have a good Sunday!

Read an article today praising O for having so many Clintonites on his staff. The article implied that these " insiders " could bridge the gap to Congress.
Funny I thought his campaign was all about being an " outsider " who was going to reform all of washington ?

Obama's first major appointments have been Democrats who worked for or associated with President Clinton BUT did not endorse him or the Mrs. in the primary: Transition chief John Podesta and Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who will be White House chief of staff, stayed neutral, and Ron Klain, who will be Joe Biden's chief of staff, backed Biden. And who knows, Obama and advisers may or may not be weighing offers to Hillary herself the Cabinet plum of Secretary of State.
Anyhow, most of those appointees weren't West Wing heavy-hitters at all, but lower-profile policy hands. I say the jury is still out, and most here are way over-reacting like eating sour grapes.