Political Ruminations

Libyans Thank Allies

Jubilant Libyans celebrate in Benghazi. The sign in the middle of the square reads  “The Fantastic 4 (left to right - Pres. Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Susan Rice) God Bless You All. Thanks For All.”

Image credit: AP/Alexandre Meneghini

The GOP is already spinning.

Via Think Progress

Quote of the Day

Vince Cable, the Minister for Business (Coalition government- Britain) on the threat to the global financial system posed by American wingnuts:

“The irony of the situation at the moment, with markets opening tomorrow morning, is that the biggest threat to the world financial system comes from a few right-wing nutters in the American congress rather than the euro zone.”

Via Sullivan

Quote of the Day

Outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates on President Obama’s authority to continue hostilities in Libya:

“I was in the White House and the NSC (National Security Council) staff not long after the War Powers Act was passed. And I believe that President Obama has complied with the law, consistent in a manner with virtually all of his predecessors. I don't think he's breaking any new ground here.”

Margaret Thatcher Snubs Sarah Palin

Thatcher Ally: “Sarah Palin is nuts.”

Last year it was announced that Palin was to meet with Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, and Ronald Reagan’s closest ally.

Sarah Palin reportedly has plans in the works to meet with former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher when she makes an upcoming trip across the pond to the United Kingdom.

British tabloid the Daily Mail first broke news of Palin's visit to the UK on Sunday, reporting that representatives for the ex-Alaska governor had reached out to Thatcher and asked "for a meeting as part of a bid to enhance her claim to be the 'heir to Ronald Reagan' and prepare to challenge Mr Obama."

According to the British tabloid, Thatcher accepted Palin's "informal" invitation to meet should she travel to London.

Meanwhile, Palin relayed news of her upcoming trip to the UK with a slightly different twist. When the ex-governor took to Facebook to address the matter Monday, she signaled that her arrangement to meet with Thatcher arose from an invitation extended by the former Prime Minister:

It seems that Palin’s plans will now have to change, as Mrs. Thatcher’s allies are apparently on to Sarah, and Mrs. Thatcher will not be meeting with Mrs. Palin. The Guardian, emphasis mine:

Wrapped Up

Seriously idiotic. The GOP's New Constitutional Amendment: Give States Veto Power Over Federal Laws

 Mitt Romney, the flip-flopper.

What do GOP senators, C Street and The Family have to do with the kill-the-gays law in Uganda? You’d be surprised. And here. The GOP. The party which strives to spread hate everywhere.

Uganda is a country where American-style evangelical Christianity is exploding, and there are close links between many American anti-gay preachers, politicians, and activists, and their Ugandan counterparts….

More Koch brothers influence. REPORT: Koch Fueling Far Right Academic Centers At Universities Across The Country

 Unethical conduct from FCC commissioner, Meredith Baker and Comcast.

Federal Communications commissioner Meredith Baker announced yesterday that she will resign her post in June to join Comcast/NBC as a senior vice president. Baker, a Republican, was appointed to the FCC by President George W. Bush in 2009, and made her announcement only four months after voting to approve a merger between Comcast and NBC Universal.

Paul Krugman Blasts Elites Who Blame Self-Serving Public

Krugman reflects on the worldwide economic apocalypse of the past three years, and asks what went wrong:

The past three years have been a disaster for most Western economies. The United States has mass long-term unemployment for the first time since the 1930s. Meanwhile, Europe’s single currency is coming apart at the seams. How did it all go so wrong?

According to elites, it’s the “self-serving public’s” fault because we wanted something for nothing.

Well, what I’ve been hearing with growing frequency from members of the policy elite — self-appointed wise men, officials, and pundits in good standing — is the claim that it’s mostly the public’s fault. The idea is that we got into this mess because voters wanted something for nothing, and weak-minded politicians catered to the electorate’s foolishness.

Yeah, right. The public is “self-serving”. Elites have wings and halos.

Krugman tells the truth:

Game Over

Via Reuters: “A caricature of Muammar Gaddafi is painted on the wall of the garrison headquarters beside a destroyed tank where a major battle took the lives of more than 100 people last month in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi March 11, 2011. Like many dictators, Gaddafi carefully controlled how his image was used, often portraying himself as a deity or beloved leader. With the rebellion, however, freedom of expression in rebel controlled areas means that ridicule has become a key weapon in the fight against the climate of fear that has long gripped the country. Anti-Gaddafi caricatures and graffiti have sprung up across cities such as Benghazi portraying him in an unflattering light.”
REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly

Right Wing Trying to Paint Pres. Obama as a Wannabe Dictator

The right wing blogosphere is making a huge deal out of a remark made by President Obama, reported by the New York Times, and taken out of context by the right wing. The New York Times, emphasis by mmfa:

“Striking a very balanced, and in many ways, neutral approach is recognized by many people in the region as not being with them, or on their side," said J. Scott Mastic, the head of Middle East and North Africa for the International Republican Institute. "It's very important that we be seen as supporting the demands of the people in the region.”

How Mr. Obama manages to do that while also balancing American interests is a question that officials acknowledge will plague this historic president for months to come. Mr. Obama has told people that it would be so much easier to be the president of China. As one official put it, "No one is scrutinizing Hu Jintao's words in Tahrir Square."

As you can see from the screenshot, Fox Nation blew it all out of proportion.

Bill Kristol responds on the Weekly Standard blog:

Mr. Obama is right.

If you're president of China, people around the world who are fighting for freedom don't really expect you to help. If you're president of China, you don't have to put up with annoying off-year congressional elections, and then negotiate your budget with a bunch of gun-and-religion-clinging congressmen and senators. If you're president of China, you can fund your national public radio to your heart's content.

Leader of Egyptian Labor Unions Supports Wisconsin Protesters

Have to get some sleep, but I wanted to get this up....it's inspiring and very cool, at that.

From Think Progress:

One of the most underreported stories about the pro-democracy movement in Egypt was the role of labor unions in the demonstrations, many of which were protesting against neoliberal right-wing economic policies just as much as they were protesting against the Mubarak dictatorship. During the uprising in that country, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka praised the role of organized labor, saying, “The people’s movement for democracy in Egypt and the role unions are playing for freedom and worker rights inspires us and will not be forgotten.”

Now, as tens of thousands of union members and other Wisconsin residents are taking to the streets to protest against Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) attempt to abolish collective bargaining rights for most public workers, a leader of Egypt’s largest umbrella group of independent labor unions is praising the Wisconsin movement. In a videotaped statement, Kamal Abbas, the General Coordinator of the Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services, tells the Wisconsin protesters, “We stand with you as you stood with us.” He says “no one believed” that the revolution against the Mubarak regime would succeed, yet they were able to bring the dictator down within 18 days. He encourages demonstrators to stay strong, saying, “Don’t give up on your rights. Victory always belongs to the people who stand firm and demand their just rights”:

Egypt Supports Wisconsin Workers!

Making the rounds on Twitter, a compelling image.

Quote of the Day

President Obama to students at Parkville Middle School in Maryland, on Feb. 14:

We live in a world that is getting smaller because of technology. We saw recently what was happening in Egypt, people with Facebook and Twitter led an entire revolution in their country and we were watching it live on television,

Watch:

 

Political Cartoons of the Week

It’s been one hell of a week in politics, so I think something to laugh or snicker at couldn’t hurt…I hope these cartoons will work for you! To enlarge, click on each image. Enjoy.

Adding….a big “thank you” to the cartoonists who give us something to laugh at after all!

Egypt's Military

A must read article for those with an interest in the most recent developments in Egypt is the BBC's  "Egypt unrest: Military at heart of Egyptian state".

Mubarak Steps Down

I am not knowledgeable enough to write about current events in the Middle East, but, I would like to offer my best wishes to the Egyptian people who surely deserve democracy. My fear is that they may not get that in spite of Mubarak’s resignation, and I do think it is concerning that the military is now in charge. Time will tell.

Morning Quote: Anderson Cooper

CNN’s Anderson Cooper from Egypt on February 4, after being attacked by protesters in Cairo:

I can't tell you where we are, frankly for our own safety. Systematically, we have seen journalists attacked...we would like to be showing you instead of...this strange image of us sitting on the floor of an undisclosed location in dim lighting, we would like to be showing you pictures, live pictures, of what's happening in Liberation Square right now, but we can't do that because our cameras have systematically been taken down through threats, through intimidation, through actual physical attacks.

I don't mind telling you I am a little bit scared, because we frankly don't really know what the next few hours will hold. And I think there's a lot of people who are scared tonight in Egypt.

Watch:

Updating Daily Political News Brief

What we're reading today:

Good news for the Affordable Care Act came in the form of a Mississippi judge’s dismissal of a lawsuit.

Egyptian government officials have joined the protests in Cairo, as the cries for Mubarak’s resignation grow louder.

Gov. Jan Brewer [R-AZ] struck out at Mayor Bloomberg [I-NYC] over the Arizona gun sales sting conducted by his administration.

President Obama will take questions from reporters today at a press conference regarding the crisis in #Egypt. There is chatter on the Hill that he is talking to Egyptian officials regarding a plan for Mubarak to resign immediately. UPDATE: the Obama administration is now in talks with Egyptian officials, and has said that the U.S, wants Mubarak to resign immediately.

What happened to the Republican chatter about shutting down the federal government?

We know that thanks to the rulings of activist judges in the matter of the Affordable Care Act, the case will very probably go to the Supreme Court sooner rather than later. Looking forward, Sen. Orrin Hatch [R-UT] is calling for Justice Elena Kagan to recuse herself from the consideration of the case, because she is partisan. Using that criteria, of course we should also excuse Alito, Thomas, Roberts, Scalia, and Kennedy. Ridiculous. H/T Ashby

The government has agreed to grant full collective bargaining rights to 40,000 airport screeners. Stay tuned for the massive Republican meltdown! H/T Ashby

Are the decisions Clarence Thomas made serving on the Supreme Court making his wife rich?

A Republican wants to raise taxes? Sen. Saxby Chambliss [R-GA] believes a tax increase is essential for deficit reduction.

No, President Obama did not order blackouts.

Income Inequality in the US and Egypt

The protests we’re witnessing in #Egypt are a reaction to Egypt’s stagnating economy, and the overwhelming poverty that exists in the ancient country.

Shockingly, the U.S. is behind Egypt in income inequality. Think Progress has the story [emphasis mine]:

Protests in Egypt continued for a seventh day today, and pro-democracy demonstrators are organizing a “march of millions” to take place tomorrow. As financial markets dip across the Middle East, financial prognosticators are trying to divine what continued unrest will mean for the economies of the Middle East and the price of oil.

One of the driving factors behind the protests is the decades-long stagnation of the Egyptian economy and a growing sense of inequality. “They’re all protesting about growing inequalities, they’re all protesting against growing nepotism. The top of the pyramid was getting richer and richer,” said Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in the Middle East.

As Yasser El-Shimy, former diplomatic attaché at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote in Foreign Policy, “income inequality has reached levels not before seen in Egypt’s modern history.” But Egypt still bests quite a few countries when it comes to income inequality, including the United States:[……]

Der Spiegel on the Latest Wikileaks Document Release

Embarrassment matters. In diplomatic circles, it matters a lot. Der Spiegel, emphasis mine.

Such surprises from the annals of US diplomacy will dominate the headlines in the coming days when the New York Times, London's Guardian, Paris' Le Monde, Madrid's El Pais  and SPIEGEL begin shedding light on the treasure trove of secret documents from the State Department. Included are 243,270 diplomatic cables filed by US embassies to the State Department and 8,017 directives that the State Department sent to its diplomatic outposts around the world. In the coming days, the participating media will show in a series of investigative stories how America seeks to steer the world. The development is no less than a political meltdown for American foreign policy.

Never before in history has a superpower lost control of such vast amounts of such sensitive information -- data that can help paint a picture of the foundation upon which US foreign policy is built. Never before has the trust America's partners have in the country been as badly shaken. Now, their own personal views and policy recommendations have been made public -- as have America's true views of them.

H/T Das Gelbe Forum

Update on Wikileaks Document Release

The New York Times has a number of documents already online for your viewing, along with several articles on the current batch of releases. One of the articles speaks to consequences for the world [emphasis mine].:

The anticipated disclosure of the cables is already sending shudders through the diplomatic establishment, and could conceivably strain relations with some countries, influencing international affairs in ways that are impossible to predict.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and American ambassadors around the world have been contacting foreign officials in recent days to alert them to the expected disclosures. A statement from the White House on Sunday said: “We condemn in the strongest terms the unauthorized disclosure of classified documents and sensitive national security information.”

American Hiker Released From Iranian Prison

Sara Shourd was released after having been imprisoned in Iran for more than a year. The two people arrested with her remain in Iran

The English-language Press TV reported that Shourd, 32, had been released "on a bail of $500,000" but did not give more details. Iran's judiciary, meanwhile, issued a statement saying the "pretrial detention" of the two American men – Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal – has been extended for two more months.

Her family had said it was having difficulty raising the money. However, Tehran's chief prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dowlatabadi said later that the bail had been paid to an Iranian bank in Muscat, Oman.

And the bail was likely paid at taxpayer expense.

So, Americans, in future, please stay the fuk away from countries where Americans are prone to become hostages. Is that too freaking much to ask?? I mean, causing diplomatic incidents, distracting our government from governing, and costing your fellow American taxpayers money is simply WRONG.

Basel III Global Regulators Agree to New Bank Capital Rules

Ezra Klein on the Basel III agreement, with a plug for Tim Geithner:

But their agreement is, arguably, more consequential then the financial regulation bill we just passed: Where the bill itself left capital requirements -- the amount of cash and other safe assets banks have to hold to protect themselves (and us) from disasters -- blank, the international agreement fills them in. And they look, well, pretty good. That's a huge coup for Timothy Geithner, as Europe wanted a much weaker agreement.

Reuters:

New bank capital rules agreed by global regulators brought relief to the world's banks on Monday although one of the architects said the sector would eventually have to raise hundreds of billions of euros.

The new requirements, known as Basel III, will demand banks hold top-quality capital totaling 7 percent of their risk-bearing assets, but a long lead-in time eased fears that lenders will have to rush to raise capital.

Felix Salmon on how the Basel III agreement works [very wonky].

World: In Nairobi, Women Risk Rape to Use Communal Bathrooms

In Nairobi, Kenya slums, landlords won't spend money to install bathrooms, and thus, women are forced to risk rape in order to get to a communal sanitation facility a half mile away.

Yet another shining example of the wealthy of the world sticking it to the poor and downtrodden. All hail the Sky Fairy who keeps the masses in line.

NAIROBI, Kenya — Imagine, for a moment, that the nearest bathroom to your house is half-a-mile away. And that, after dark, making the 20-minute trip would mean you cross paths with men out to rape any women they can find.

This, according to Amnesty International, is the daily — or nightly — reality for hundreds of thousands of women living in the slums of Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

In a tersely worded, 54-page report titled "Insecurity and Indignity," launched on July 7, the organization detailed repeated failures on the part of Kenya’s government to safeguard women’s basic human rights, particularly access to sanitation facilities for toilets and bathing (pdf report). [......]

Contact Amnesty International if you can help.