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The Heretik
Judge Obama on Performance Alone (by Juan Williams, an African American conservative, thanks to LisaB at No Quarter)
If his presidency is to represent the full power of the idea that black Americans are just like everyone else — fully human and fully capable of intellect, courage and patriotism — then Barack Obama has to be subject to the same rough and tumble of political criticism experienced by his predecessors. To treat the first black president as if he is a fragile flower is certain to hobble him. It is also to waste a tremendous opportunity for improving race relations by doing away with stereotypes and seeing the potential in all Americans…
There is a lot … at stake now, and to allow criticism of Mr. Obama only behind closed doors does no honor to the dreams and prayers of generations past: that race be put aside, and all people be judged honestly, openly, and on the basis of their performance. President Obama deserves no less.
Unfortunately, he’s getting a lot less from many so-called liberals and so-called progressives. Democratic Underground, for example, has revoked my posting privileges. At DU, see, you could tell all the vicious, right-wing lies about Hillary Clinton you wanted to, but you can’t criticize Barack Obama, even with the truth, even after he won the nomination, even after he won the election and now, even after he’s been installed in office.
It’s the same way the Bushbots treated their guy—it showed they thought he was so fragile that he had to be propped up by their anti-democratic, free speech stultifying tactics. Of course, Bush needed all the help he could get. So-called progressives do their favorite no favor by trying to swathe him in bubble wrap.
BET: We’ll cover the Obama administration objectively (Poynter Online)
“There’s been so much talk about the black journalist, about is this something that a black journalist can cover with a level of integrity, or are all black journalists just drinking the Kool-Aid, celebrating Barack Obama before he won,” BET anchor Jeff Johnson told viewers on Tuesday. “There’s a question for us as a network: Are we going to be able to cover this the right way? Well, I’m telling you we are.”
A Day of Worthy Self-Congratulation (by David Sirota at Open Left, thanks to vastleft at Corrente)
I’d just like to take a moment not to congratulate Barack Obama, but to congratulate all of us – America – for electing him. While I am deeply disdainful of presidentialism, Obama as a person has built an image for himself that is about as close to a superhero as you can find these days. I consider myself an admirer and fan of his (though I do not see him as a Dear Leader, and think that Dear Leader-ism is dangerous – but I digress). And that superhero image – while exaggerated by a starstruck media – is grounded in some truly amazing qualities in our next president.
Sirota has dared to be a bit critical of the Big O lately. I guess he had to do this bowing and scraping as penance.
Obama retakes the oath of office after busy first day (McClatchy)
Chief Justice John G. Roberts was ushered into the Map Room of the White House on Wednesday night to re-administer the oath of office to President Barack Obama because the original oath on Tuesday had a word out of sequence. White House counsel Greg Craig said the move was made out of “an abundance of caution.”
Obama Halts New or Pending Bush Regulations (Washington Post)
Acting only hours after his inauguration, President Barack Obama has ordered a freeze on new or proposed regulations at all government agencies and departments… The memo also orders the withdrawal of all final or proposed regulations not yet published by the Federal Register. Department and agency heads have also been asked to “consider extending for 60 days the effective date of regulations that have been published in the Federal Register but not yet taken effect” unless they impact health, safety, environmental, financial, or national security matters — obviously now subject to the interpretation of Obama’s appointees.
Obama Orders Could Open Records (Washington Post)
Barack Obama’s first acts as president included signing three orders today that could open public access to documents and records that had been closed off during the Bush administration. Obama reversed George W. Bush’s restrictions on access to records of former presidents. He also told the Justice Department to write new guidance to agencies on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to improve transparency, and gave top officials in his administration four months to create a new “Open Government Directive” that he said would go beyond the requirements of the open records law.
Obama’s New FOIA Rules: A Quick Victory for Transparency (Columbia Journalism Review)
Addressing his new White House staff yesterday, President Barack Obama spoke repeatedly of the importance of open government to his new administration. He then signed several new executive orders, two of which were specifically designed to increase access to government information.
Limbaugh: I Fear Obama’s Repeal Of Bush-Era Secrecy Rules ‘Make It Easier’ To Hold Bush To Account (Think Progress)
In response to the “new standard of openness,” conservative talker Rush Limbaugh said that he fears that the more open FOIA rules will make it easier for Bush to be held to account for any misdeeds he committed as president.
Click through to watch the video. That’s the idea, Rush. But there’s a big roadblock in the path of holding the Bush administration accountable. See below.
Hold Them Accountable Too: Many Democrats Supported Policies of the “Worst President” (Part I) (Dissenting Justice)
This article is the first in a series that examines the extent of Democratic support for Bush’s most criticized policies. This essay examines Democratic endorsement of “Bush’s” wars and his administration’s restraints on civil liberties contained in the Patriot Act and amendments to FISA. Subsequent articles will examine other aspects of Democratic support for Bush’s policies.
You have put your finger, Dissenting Justice, on the very reason why no one will ever be held accountable for the crimes of the Bush administration. Some Democrats would have to go to prison, too. Why, oh why, can’t we have more than two parties?
U.N. special rapporteur on torture calls on U.S. to prosecute Bush and Rumsfeld. (Think Progress)
In remarks that aired on German television [Tuesday] night, Manfred Nowak, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, urged the U.S. to pursue former President George W. Bush and defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld on charges that they authorized torture and other harsh interrogation techniques: “‘Judicially speaking, the United States has a clear obligation’ to bring proceedings against Bush and Rumsfeld.”
President Obama Circulates Draft Order to Close Guantánamo (Center for Constitutional Rights, thanks to lambert at Corrente)
January 21, 2009, New York – Center for Constitutional Rights attorneys for Guantánamo detainees responded today to portions of President Obama’s draft executive order to close the offshore prison camp that appeared in the news… CCR Executive Director Vincent Warren issued the following statement: “It only took days to put these men in Guantanamo, it shouldn’t take a year to get them out… President Obama should commit to dismantling the military commissions, not just suspending them, and to prosecuting any cases before federal criminal courts – real courts with real laws.”
Family of 9/11 victims voice anger at delay in proceedings (McClatchy)
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVY BASE, Cuba — Families of the Sept. 11 victim s here to observe military commission hearings reacted with fury and frustration Wednesday to President Barack Obama’s instruction to freeze the war court.
Hillary Clinton sworn in as secretary of state (CNN)
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Hillary Clinton was sworn in as the 67th U.S. secretary of state Wednesday afternoon after the Senate approved her nomination by a vote of 94-2. Former President Clinton and her Senate staff looked on as Clinton’s childhood friend and D.C. appeals court Associate Judge Kathleen Oberly swore her in on a Bible belonging to the former first lady’s late father, in a ceremony in her Senate office.
Click through to watch the video
Reuters
“if it weren’t hard, somebody else could do it” (by Alegre)
Hillary was quoted as saying that this morning as she arrived for her first day of work at the State Department. Hillary noted that the task ahead wasn’t going to be easy… Truer words were never spoken in DC. After 8 long, horrible years under Dubbya’s administration, I can just imagine how delighted those career diplomats in Foggy Bottom are at seeing Hillary walk through the doors as their new boss. She got a rousing cheer and a round of applause from her staff as she arrived to work this morning… Go get ‘em Madam Secretary – we’re behind you ever step of the way!
Things I just don’t get (by riverdaughter at The Confluence)
No amount of so-called “arrogance” on Hillary’s part justified this ridiculous behavior from the Washington establishment. Without self-confidence and a healthy ego, she couldn’t have come this far. But it didn’t stop the clique from finding fault in everything she did. Still, it should be time to put it aside now. She has triumphed over them. They’ve been beaten. Oh, she’ll never be president. They’ve seen to that, to our detriment. But she will be one of the most powerful Secretaries of State we’ve ever had… Still, I just don’t get why the pettiness and snobbery continues. Like, what’s up between the Carters and the Clintons that resulted in the incident below? Is this the way we treat successful former presidents and their honorable wives these days?
Click through to watch the video of the Carters snubbing both Clintons backstage at the inauguration. I’ve lost a lot of the respect I had for Carter.
Barack Obama, The Underachiever’s President (by sm77 at The Confluence, a Latina)
[Watching the inaugural,] Grandma PUMA … said, “But this is a BLACK man, just enjoy the moment that we finally got one!” I said, “There are tons of more qualified Black people to take that spot, and you know it.” She said “Yes, I know, but it doesn’t matter now. “ I said, “It matters to me because we could’ve had a great woman who earned that spot and comes through with what she promises. She said, “You mean Hillary?” I nodded, then she said, “Oh yes, I love Hillary, she is the best there is.” I said, “So you actually think that Obama is going to be just as good as Hillary?” She said, “It don’t matter, she’s going to be there to help him.” I said, “Don’t you think that’s wrong though, to have a more experienced qualified woman be looked over for the inexperienced younger man?” She said “James Brown said ‘it’s man’s world’, so we just gotta deal with it.” I said, “Remind me never to tell my daughter what you just said.”
At Republicans’ Request, Committee Delays Holder Vote (Legal Times)
Republicans have delayed for one week a committee vote on Eric Holder Jr.’s nomination to be attorney general, giving them extra time to pore over Holder’s long record and force him to answer questions in writing about policies he would pursue at the Department of Justice.
Concern over Geithner shifts from tax returns to bailout role (McClatchy)
WASHINGTON — Timothy Geithner is expected to win Senate confirmation as Treasury secretary as early as this week after apologizing to senators on Wednesday for making a number of errors on his income tax returns.
Crisis may force approval of U.S. Treasury nominee (Reuters)
President Barack Obama’s nominee for U.S. Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, though tarnished by disclosures of his failure to pay taxes, is likely too uniquely qualified for Congress to reject amid hopes to contain the worst economic downturn in decades.
Cornyn delays Holder’s confirmation to make sure Bush administration isn’t prosecuted for torture. (Think Progress)
In his confirmation hearing, Attorney General nominee Eric Holder unequivocally declared that “waterboarding is torture” and has signaled a willingness to investigate Bush officials. But torture advocate Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is holding up the nomination because he wants to know exactly whether Holder will pursue criminal prosecutions of “intelligence personnel” involved in torture. “‘It could well be there will be a request to delay the markup for a week so those questions can be asked and answered,’ Cornyn said. ‘Part of my concern relates to his statements at the hearing with regard to torture and what his intentions are toward our intelligence personnel who were operating in good faith based on their understanding of what the law was.’”
Foxman: George Mitchell is too ‘fair’ and ‘even-handed’ to serve as Middle East envoy. (Think Progress)
The media is reporting that former Sen. George Mitchell, who handled the Northern Ireland peace process, is being eyed by the Obama administration to be a top diplomatic envoy to the Middle East. In 2001, Mitchell produced a report on the Middle East which recommended that Israel freeze all its settlement activities. Without a freeze, a cessation of violence would be “particularly hard to sustain,” he argued. While Mitchell’s impending appointment is earning a great deal of praise, the Anti-Defamation League’s Abe Foxman complains the diplomat is too fair and balanced for the post.
Presumably, Foxman wants the un-evenhandedness in favor of Israel to continue.
Boy, He’s No Howard Dean (by Susie at Suburban Guerrilla)
Via the comments, Gov. Tim Kaine talks about the new, Republican-friendly Democratic party!!
Click through to watch the video.
Brazile Swipes Obama’s Blanket (Political Wire)
Former Al Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile acknowledged on ABC News that she took the fleece blanket that President Obama left on the platform after giving his inaugural address yesterday. Said Brazile: “Barack Obama had this fleece. You know, we were all given this blue fleece and someone took it. When it was over with, I went over to the president’s chair and I took it… If he wants it back, I’ll give it back, but I have that. This is the blanket that was at his chair in case he got cold. He left it, I took it.”
She stole the nomination for Obama, and all she got was a lousy blanket. But at least she got SOMETHING. Howard Dean got zilch.
CAROLINE KENNEDY ENDS SENATE SEAT BID (New York Post)
Caroline Kennedy last night withdrew from consideration to replace Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton - just two months after she rocked the New York political landscape by throwing her hat in the ring, The Post has learned… Sources close to Kennedy said she had decided to bow out for “personal” reasons. But others said she made her move after it became clear Paterson wasn’t going to pick her for the seat.
Silly Caroline, someone should have told you that the only way you can get a political job you’re not qualified for is to have a penis.
Franken Wants Senate to Decide (Political Wire)
Al Franken (D) made a bid “to short-circuit the court case that’s intended to give Minnesota a winner in its closely contested Senate race,” CQ Politics reports. Attorneys for Franken argued that a state court should dismiss the lawsuit filed by Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) “because the three-judge panel designated to hear the case lacks jurisdiction for Coleman’s type of complaint… The proper venue, Franken’s attorneys argued, is the U.S. Senate, which has the power to judge the election of its members.”
GOP gets crack at women’s paychecks thanks to Harry Reid (by riverdaughter at The Confluence)
Oh, yeah, our lives are so cushy that the Republicans are going to have a chance to offer amendments to the bills that would have evened things out and Harry Reid is giving them the means to do it: “Further, when those bills were considered on the floor and there were no opportunities for Republican senators to offer amendments, millions of our constituents were denied the right to be heard.”… Hey, if they want to defend the indefensible in a public forum, by all means, let’er rip! I’m sure we’ll hear all about the poor put-upon company owners with less than 25 employees who can’t afford to give women raises. Or we’ll hear about frivolous lawsuits, like women struggling to make a living wage will have the money for a lawsuit. Oh yeah, legal bills, court costs and time off from work. How frivolous. It makes me want to run out and buy a Kate Spade handbag and a pair if Jimmy Choo shoes just thinking about it.
Congress Pressures Obama To Extend Unnecessary F-22 Program, Claims It’s ‘Too Big To Fail’ (Think Progress)
Boeing and Lockheed Martin have been “pouring money into a publicity campaign” and stepping up congressional lobbying efforts to maintain funding for the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor. Their efforts appear to be paying off. 200 members of the House and 44 members of the Senate have signed letters to President Obama urging him to extend the $62 billion F-22 Raptor program. Currently, the Air Force has funds to purchase 183 of the stealth aircraft, “but the letter says, ‘We are convinced that this number is insufficient to meet potential threats.’” The members write further that the jobs at stake make the program, as Matthew Yglesias recently paraphrased, “too big to fail”:
Obama Tells Congress Just Say No To Cramdown (by masslib at Alegre’s Corner)
According to the Hill, President Obama is at odds with his Party in Congress who are seeking to include provisions that would change current bankruptcy law. President Obama fears inclusion of so-called “cramdown” provisions would mean less Republican support for his stimulus package: “…Obama thinks the so-called ‘cramdown’ provision would cost GOP votes and endanger bipartisan support in the Senate.” Way to watch out for the little guy, Mr.President.
Nearly 37.8 Million Watch President Obama’s Oath And Speech (Nielsen)
Nearly 37.8 million Americans watching at home viewed President Barack Obama’s oath of office and inaugural speech on January 20, 2009. This is the most viewed inauguration since the record of 41.8 million viewers who watched Ronald Reagan’s 1981 inauguration.
Obama Inauguration Got Unprecedented News Coverage (Reuters)
President Barack Obama’s inauguration generated an unprecedented 35,000 stories in the world’s major newspapers, television, and radio broadcasts over the past day — about 35 times more than the last presidential swearing-in — a monitoring group said on Wednesday.
CNN Is Top-Rated Cable Channel For Inauguration (TVNewser, Media Bistro)
CNN was the top-rated cable news channel for Inauguration coverage, according to Nielsen’s Fast National data.
NBC (broadcast plus cable) was highest overall. Click through for all of the results. It’s interesting to see cable almost catching up to broadcast, at least for special events.
Front Page News (Political Wire)
The Newseum displays more than 700 newspaper front pages from all over the world covering Barack Obama’s inauguration.
Click through for a link
Chicago Sun-Times more than doubles its single-copy press run for inauguration issue (Poynter Online)
The Sun-Times’ usual 420,000-copy press run was increased to 950,000, says editor Michael Cooke. “Every time I think I have a handle on the public appetite for newspapers reporting on Obama, I underestimate,” he tells Joe Strupp. The Chicago Tribune printed 475,000 extra copies today, while the New York Times printed two million copies — about 800,000 more than usual.
Obama’s speech goes too far for China’s censors (Philadelphia Inquirer)
China censored its translation of President Obama’s inauguration speech, removing references to communism and dissent, and halted state TV’s live broadcast of the address when Cold War-era animosities were mentioned.
NYT marketing department throws an Obama party (Poynter Online)
“When I arrived at the party, an attendant instructed me to wear a red, white, and blue pin showing an illustration of Obama in profile with the date 01/20/09 stenciled in white, all floating above the Times’ logo,” writes Gabriel Sherman. One Times staffer tells him: “I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t know what the thinking was.”
Chris Matthews’ Inaugural Jib-Jabbery (by Jack Shafer at Slate)
Nobody in TV news stir-fries his ideas and serves them to the audience faster than MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. The sizzling free-associations skitter through his limbic system, leap out his mouth, and look for a resting spot in the national conversation, where they steam like fresh lava in untouchable heaps.
ABC News Demands, Gets Correction From Gawker (WebNewser)
Gawker has a compilation video of Diane Sawyer’s ABC News coverage before, during and after the inauguration. The insinuation is that Sawyer was drunk on the air. ABC was none too happy with the post and demanded a correction. And in true Gawker style, the correction comes with commentary.
Why was Bush’s 2005 inauguration so wildly expensive? (County Fair, Media Matters for America)
That’s the question the press ought to be asking. But apparently unwilling, or incapable, to perform actual journalism, lots of reporters and pundits remained fixated on the supposed cost of the Obama bash, which the press excitedly claims will cost $160 million, including security costs. As Media Matters has been noting for close to a week now, the tab for Bush’s second inauguration, after figuring in security costs, totaled $157 million… But let’s move on. The official crowd estimate for Tuesday’s swearing now stands as a eye-popping 1.8 million. How many attended Bush’s 2005 inauguration? The official estimate was 400,000. So let’s do some math. 157 million divided by 400,000 equals 392. It cost nearly $392 per-person to cover the expenses for Bush’s modest sized bash.
For Obama? Based on the current projection of $160 million (the final official tab, once security costs are factored in won’t be known for months), and divided by 1.8 million people in attendance, the per-person cost for the Obama bash came out to $88. So we ask again, why was the Bush inauguration so wildy expensive?
J-prof uses satellite images to calculate that 800,000 attended inauguration ceremony
Arizona State University Cronkite school professor Stephen Doig’s number is lower than other estimates. The Washington Post reported a crowd of 1.8 million.
Obama’s was still cheaper per head than Bush’s, even if he’s right.
Somebody get the Washington Times newsroom a paper bag (County Fair, Media Matters for America)
Because after (goofy) hyperventilating dispatches … from Jon Ward, we’re concerned about the health risk. Apparently at a joint appearance [Wednesday], Joe Biden made a quick joke at the expense of Chief Justice John Roberts who botched the inauguration oath yesterday, and Barack Obama asked an aide “Are we done”? Blockbuster stuff, we know. But get a load out of the Times’ hysterical, almost parody-like, language [emphasis added] used to describe how the pedestrian events unfolded: “That didn’t take long. During his first full day in office, Vice President Joseph Biden made a jarring verbal gaffe, shooting a public dig at the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court that left President Obama grim-faced.”
There’s more.
Palin Keeps Up Attack on Media (AP)
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is going on the offensive against news organizations and bloggers she says are perpetuating gossip about her and her children. But political observers say she can’t have it both ways: trotting out the children to showcase her family values, then trying to shield them from scrutiny.
$25K GOP retreat fee draws fire (The Hill)
Lobbyists willing to pay a $25,000 fee will mingle with House Republicans at their annual winter retreat next week in Hot Springs, Va… Lobbyists attending the event will have no part in the closed-door caucus planning session, but lawmakers and lobbyists alike said business does come up informally… No one attending the conference — lawmakers or lobbyists — are breaking any House rules. While lawmakers cannot take trips that last more than two days with an entity that employs lobbyists, the rules say nothing about travel put together by a nonprofit organization with lobbyists as board members.
Three news agencies refuse to distribute WH-provided photos of Obama at work
The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse say that access should have been provided to news photographers, who have always been allowed to capture the president at work in the Oval Office on his first day. “We are not distributing what are, in effect, visual press releases,” says AP managing editor/U.S. news Michael Oreskes.
I hope they’ll start posting them on WhiteHouse.gov. We bloggers will use them.
Lunch: Special Post-Inauguration Edition (by Diane Clehane at FishbowlNY, Media Bistro)
While everyone agreed the president was near perfection in every possible way, the verdict was somewhat mixed on the First Lady’s fashion sense. A few media mavens told me they were less than thrilled with Michelle Obama’s Isabel Toledo dress and coat (“A little dowdy,” sniped one stylista), but gave her higher marks for her Jason Wu ivory gown. I admit, I didn’t love the “lemongrass” lace daytime look at first, but by day’s end it had grown on me. I will say that Sasha and Malia looked darling in their custom J.Crew Crewcuts coats. When my good pal Fern Mallis, looking sleek and chic in her Tracy Reese Obama shirt, stopped at the bar for a chat, I asked her what she thought about Michelle’s fashion choices for the big day. “I’d give her a 10,” said Fern. “I could not think of a better ambassador for the fashion industry right now. She looked great.”
Please, please, PLEASE let’s not have four years of this kind of crap. A vain hope, I’m sure.
Reality TV Deal for Michelle Obama’s Stylist (Reuters)
Michelle Obama’s hairstylist has landed a development deal to star in a reality show. Johnny Wright, who styled the first lady’s coif for the Democratic National Convention, has signed a deal with 44 Blue, which produces such reality shows as Style Network’s Split Ends and A&E’s L.A. Gang Unit.
Hope Is The New Black, And Starbucks Is Draped In It (AgencySpy, Media Bistro)
Regardless of what can be said about Starbucks riding President Obama’s coattails, they have a message — not only does it add to what the president is doing but it takes it a step further by providing a little incentive. Commit to five hours of community service, get a cup of coffee. No big deal, just hope and a cup of joe — American gusto, know how, spirit, talent, boot straps, pick-up truck-toughness, all to the tone of MC Yogi. Snap!
Let this ad be what it is meant to be. Inspirational. Watch it once and move on. No need for commentary — let it and other videos like it move you an inch toward hope. Cynicism is fine, and it’s what we do here, but today we’re hopeful. Tomorrow we may not be, so let’s enjoy the moment and this weekend pick up a shovel or a garbage bag or a soup ladle or a person who’s fallen down.
Click through to watch the ad.
What’s next for post-Bush ‘Daily Show’?
“With a whole new administration, we’re going to have to adjust,” admits co-exec producer Josh Lieb. “It would be backwards to plan the adjustment first,” explains the vet comedy writer, who notes that in the waning days of the Bush administration the ex-president was an easy laugh. But the future is not without promise. “There’s going to be plenty of scandals, plenty of missteps and plenty of things to take out of context to get our 22 minutes of comedy every night. I’m not worried.”
O’Reilly: Sens. Leahy and Sanders would “torture the hell out of Bush if they could” (video at County Fair, Media Matters for America)
As always, O’Reilly is telling us a lot about himself with the statement, but nothing at all about Leahy and Sanders.
Limbaugh on Obama: “We are being told that we have to hope he succeeds, that we have to bend over, grab the ankles … because his father was black” (video at County Fair, Media Matters for America)
Wasn’t Limbaugh one of the jerks who accused us of being unpatriotic if we criticized George Bush?
The Obama presidency: Here comes socialism (by Dick Morris, The Hill)
Simply put, we enter [Obama’s] administration as free-enterprise, market-dominated, laissez-faire America. We will shortly become like Germany, France, the United Kingdom, or Sweden — a socialist democracy in which the government dominates the economy, determines private-sector priorities and offers a vastly expanded range of services to many more people at much higher taxes.
Would that it were so. Morris is, as always, full of effluent. Many so-called progressives loved him during last year’s primary, when he offered them all the Hillary hate they wanted. Now he’ll turn his poison pen on Obama, and he’ll once again be personal non grata.
Revenge of the Nerds (by Steven Stark, Boston Phoenix)
Barack Obama’s new administration has been characterized many ways — as a return to liberalism, a Chicago Mafia, and the harbinger of a new age. But what it represents on a grander, political-science level is the return of the intellectual establishment to the seat of power in American politics. Or call it revenge of the nerds… The good news, of course, is that this elite comprises people who are very smart, and smarts are what we need to get out of the economic mess we’re in. “Egghead” should no longer be a pejorative term, as it has been for two generations, going back to the original egghead in the 1950s, Adlai Stevenson… [But] the best brains of the ’60s got us immersed in the Vietnam War… There is an extremely fine line between audacity and arrogance. Not confusing one with the other may be the toughest challenge facing the new administration.
Is Obama going to allow interrogation techniques outside the Army Field Manual? (Think Progress)
President Obama [issued] an executive order banning torture by requiring that the Army Field Manual be used as the guide for interrogations. But the New York Times reports that in a briefing with lawmakers yesterday, White House Counsel Greg Craig hinted at a willingness to allow some “other” interrogation tactics: “A Congressional official who attended the session said Mr. Craig acknowledged concerns from intelligence officials that new restrictions on C.I.A. methods might be unwise and indicated that the White House might be open to allowing the use of methods other the 19 techniques allowed for the military.”
Dear Mr. President: can you help the CTA? (by Greg Hinz, Crain’s Chicago Business)
Now that Barack Obama finally has moved into that big house off Pennsylvania Avenue, I have a request for the world’s most powerful Chicagoan: Can you, sir, make Chicago’s public transit system look more like the one here in Washington?
No, Greg, sorry, but we all must sacrifice. All, that is, except the big financiers, the arms merchants, the auto makers, members of Congress—you know, all the usual suspects. We regular folks have to stop expecting so much. WE’re the ones who have to sacrifice.
Sad if true (by Paul Krugman)
The emerging stimulus plan contains surprisingly little funding for mass transit. According to Talking Points Memo, mass transit funding may have been slashed to make room for tax cuts. I feel a bit of post-partisan depression coming on.
Obama’s Disturbing Bipartisanship (by Marie Cocco)
The root of our financial crisis is that for much of the past three decades, we have implemented very bad economic ideas. Obama seems to get this — and not get it — at the very same time. The question, he said in his inaugural address, is not whether the market is a force for good or ill. He noted that “without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control” and that “the nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.” Nonetheless he keeps telling congressional Republicans that he will work with them — even though they are among the chief architects of this disaster…
Another is the mantra that “entitlements” — that is Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — are costly, bloated and threaten the nation’s economic future. Obama already has pledged to undertake “entitlement reform,” a phrase that sends a shudder down my spine. With banks and other financial institutions now “entitled” to hundreds of billions in public money to bail them out of disastrous decisions, it is impossible to see why taxpayers who have paid for their future benefits through their payroll taxes should not be “entitled” to receive them. Besides, since there is no immediate crisis in Medicare — and certainly not in the healthier Social Security program — there isn’t even a reason to mention this right now.
Social Security: Passive Aggressive Gutting & Perception Management (by Al Schumann at Stop Me Before I Vote Again)
According to the court intellectuals from the Brookings & Heritage workgroup (pdf), the best way to approach gutting entitlements is through hostile, ‘triggering-event’ additions to the budget process and the elimination of the entitlements’ automatic adjustments to keep up with real world costs. In this way they can avoid the appearance of explicit attacks. The people who perform the gutting can wring their hands and cry, “the Budget made us do it!”. As the gutting unfolds, there would be no single activist decision anyone could point to. An explanation of what had happened would take time. Anyone trying to explain would have to be careful not to step on the brand-loyalty corns of the listeners.
Needless to say once the changes have been made, undoing the harm would require more effort than went into it. The defensive collegiality of the dirty legislators would work against it.
Here’s an idea: Spend and DON’T tax (by Owen Paine at Stop Me Before I Vote Again)
Despite what the matrons of a better America claim, hacking away at taxes is not just the free-range oligops’ better gambit. Isn’t it obvious that after 30 years of bipartisan burden shifting from progressive income taxes to regressive payroll taxes, there’s a job-class kick-back cutback aching to happen? So I submit it’s time to reverse the 30 year payroll robbery at the heart of the big shift. As of today, sweep through the past 30 years of hikes and other finger-fucks, and retroactively cut the social security tax rate back to a pay-as-we-go pathway. And yes, as a result, rebate to the actual payers-in, as close as possible, the nearly 2 trillion dollar trust fund swindle ripped of their labor all these years.
Shoot the bankers, nationalise the banks (by Philip Stephens, Financial Times, thanks to lambert at Corrente)
I cannot understand why the [British] government did not take the next logical step of assuming majority stakes in all those institutions now dependent on public money. It would be a lot simpler… I cannot think of a more popular policy than shooting the bankers and nationalising the banks. It might even win Mr Brown an election. Come to think of it, it could also be the way to get us out of this mess.
I love the Brits!
Bailout (by Susie at Suburban Guerrilla)
I’m not happy with Obama’s plan - specifically, the so-called “bad bank” solution. (Hello? Moral hazard???)… The thing is, this is, as Paul Krugman warned, a half-hearted solution that won’t work. I can’t help but wonder how many of the bankers who gave him early support are whispering in his ear – and that’s the problem when someone has an intellectual, rational approach: Almost anything can be made to sound reasonable, and of course you want to be “fair.” But what’s not fair is that bank executives and shareholders, who were more than happy to share in exorbitant profits, won’t pay for their greed - we will. And there’s no way that’s fair.
By Switching Their Charters, Banks Skirt Supervision (Washington Post)
At least 30 banks since 2000 have escaped federal regulatory action by walking away from their federal regulators and moving under state supervision, taking advantage of a long-standing system that allows banks to choose between federal and state oversight, according to a Washington Post review of government records. The moves, known as charter conversions, highlight the tremendous leverage that banks hold in their relationships with government supervisors.
John Thain’s $87,000 Rug
In a Daily Beast/CNBC exclusive, Charlie Gasparino reveals how Merrill Lynch’s CEO spent over $1 million to redecorate his office last year—even as the firm faced a financial crisis.
Risk test study of Madoff claims (Financial Times, U.K.)
Two simple risk management techniques, available to investors at low cost, could have shown the hedge fund run by Bernard Madoff, which is at the centre of allegations of a $50bn fraud, was claiming investment returns that were all but impossible. A study to be published on Thursday by Riskdata, a risk management specialist, argues that Mr Madoff’s returns are called into question by the bias ratio – a mathematical technique that identifies abnormalities in the distribution of a series of investment returns.
Forensic accountants use a similar method – known as Benford’s law – to identify potential accountancy fraud. In addition, the study says that comparing the risk profile of Mr Madoff to his peer group would have shown it to be inconsistent with his claimed investment style.
So, are we to understand that the SEC didn’t know about this simple test? It could have told them all they needed to know about Madoff’s thievery—years and years ago. Why wasn’t it applied? Were any of the ratings agencies negligent here, too?
A Breakthrough Against Hunger? (by Mark Thoma at Economist’s View)
Jeff Sachs: “…Today’s world hunger crisis is unprecedentedly severe and requires urgent measures. Nearly one billion people are trapped in chronic hunger – perhaps 100 million more than two years ago. Spain is taking global leadership in combating hunger by inviting world leaders to Madrid in late January to move beyond words to action… African farmers know that they need fertilizer; they just can’t afford it. With donor help, they can… My colleagues and I, serving on an advisory committee for the Spanish initiative, have recommended that donors pool their funds into a single international account, which we call the Financial Coordination Mechanism (FCM). These pooled funds would enable farmers in poor countries to obtain the fertilizer, improved seed varieties, and small-scale irrigation equipment that they urgently need.” Perhaps, with a new administration, we’ll see more emphasis and leadership on these issues. That would be a welcome change.
Indonesian Obama Look-Alike (Reuters)
A combination photograph [below] shows U.S. President-elect Barack Obama (L) at a ceremony for his whistle stop train trip at the train station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania January 17, 2009 and Indonesian photographer Ilham Anas (R) chatting with his colleagues in his office in Jakarta January 17, 2009. Anas won’t be at U.S. President Barack Obama’s inauguration on Tuesday. Instead he’ll be starring as an Obama look-alike on Indonesian TV. Anas, 34, who from some angles bears a resemblance to the new U.S. president, shot to fame in Jakarta after Obama, 47, won the election in November, and is now earning income as an Obama double.
If you can help:
Visions of Collapse (by Arthur Silber at the Power of Narrative)
Oh my, yes. Lots of visions of collapse, my own personally and our society’s more generally… I offer my sincere thanks to those who have made donations in the last week or so, as I thank all those who support my writing… [A]nother first of the month rapidly approaches, so the begging bowl comes out again… The PayPal button is in the upper right. When you use it, it still indicates that you’re donating to The Sacred Moment, which is my other site… But the designation is immaterial; donations using PayPal come to me via either site.
Media Matters for America headlines
Fox & Friends’ Carlson falsely claimed Geithner “kind of put the blame a little bit on a computer program” for tax failure
Dobbs, Bozell join a growing list of media figures who made false comparison of inauguration costs
Goldberg falsely suggested Democratic presidents did not “invok[e]” Founders during their inaugural addresses
Ignoring Toussie case, USA Today claimed Bush “eschewed controversial pardons”
Reporting on Warren’s invocation, NY Times repeatedly ignored his comparison of same-sex marriage to incest, pedophilia, polygamy
Fox News’ Wallace falsely claimed “unemployment in 1937, 1938 was higher than it was in 1933″
Hume baselessly claimed Bush “was well-liked … by everyone in the military”
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Supreme Court won’t revive online content law
The government lost its final attempt Wednesday to revive a federal law intended to protect children from sexual material and other objectionable content on the Internet.
Judge delays Internet streaming of court hearing
BOSTON – A judge has postponed a hearing that would have been the first in federal court in Massachusetts to be streamed online.
South Korea’s “prophet of doom” blogger indicted
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean prosecutors indicted a blogger on Thursday who had warned of financial doom for the country with critics saying he was targeted because his gloomy forecasts upset the government battling an economic downturn.
It’s okay to take sides: a new journalism paradigm (by Sirikit Syah, Jakarta Post)
How could journalists restrain themselves from reporting devastating facts? In the words of Uri Avnery (Israeli writer and human rights activist), the situation is like this: “Every baby metamorphosed, in the act of dying, into a Hamas *terrorist’. Every bombed mosque instantly became a Hamas base, every apartment building an arms cache, every school a terror com-mand post, every civilian government building a *symbol of Hamas rule’.” It is not a fiction. Journalists bear a lot of burden if we expect them to cover both sides, waiting till they get the other side to publish your reports.
‘Israeli, Arab media rallied round the flag during Gaza campaign’ (by Ehud Zion Waldoks, Jerusalem Post)
Both Israeli and Arab media rallied around the flag during the Gaza operation, panelists told the audience during an Israel-Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) event on Wednesday.
Sticks and Stones (by James Marcus, Columbia Journalism Review)
Sly, snotty, and often irresistible, snark has been flourishing in the petri dish of the American media for decades now. The Internet, however, has spread the contagion faster than ever. And according to New Yorker film critic David Denby, we may be reaching a new level of toxicity. That’s the gist of his slender new polemic, whose tongue-clucking subtitle pretty much says it all: Snark: It’s Mean, It’s Personal, and It’s Ruining Our Conversation.
Click through to read an interview with the author.
The Missing Watchdogs: How Staff Cuts at Newspapers Hurt Democracy (by Deborah Jacobs, Editor & Publisher)
Without paid reporters on the ground it’s almost impossible to hold our government accountable. While the prospect of having no one to look over their shoulders anymore could make a politician or two giddy, it’s at the public’s expense.
You mean like all those paid reporters who stopped the Iraq War, Deborah, and the housing bubble? It would be nice if we’d EVER had reporters like that. How was that segue?
Did Portland’s mayor hire a reporter to stop her from investigating his sex life?
Portland Mayor Sam Adams, who has admitted lying about a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old male, hired Portland Mercury news editor Amy Ruiz … as a planning and sustainability policy adviser in December — even though she had no experience in planning, policy or as an analyst. There are now questions about whether the 45-year-old mayor gave Ruiz the $55,000-a-year job to stop her from digging deeper into the story about his relationship with the teen.
Exclusive: Top 30 Newspaper Sites for December Show Big Dips After Election Mania
December monthly uniques at NYTimes.com, for example, declined 13% in December compared to November uniques. The Washington Post lost 15% and the Los Angeles Times shed 29%. Only one paper in the top 5 increased its online audience in December.
Powder Mailed to Wall St. Journal Is Harmless
The powder, apparently flour- or food-based, was declared harmless after field tests by the city’s Department of Environmental Protection.
Rocky biz columnist makes two predictions about rival paper
“One is that 18 months after the Rocky closes, the Denver Post will have retained very few of the Rocky’s subscribers, loyal to the tabloid format,” writes David Milstead. “And two: Once we stop speculating when Denver will become a one-newspaper town, we will begin to ask when the Post will close as well.”
Gannett exec heads to the golf course after delivering bad news to Tucson Citizen staff
Tucson Citizen editor Jennifer Boice appreciated Gannett newspaper division chief Bob Dickey flying from Virginia to Arizona last Friday to announce the Citizen will be closed if a buyer isn’t found. Apparently the trip didn’t inconvenience Dickey at all; he’s in Palm Beach, Calif. this week for the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic golf tournament.
Mariotti says ex-colleague Ebert “can kiss my ass”
Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert complained last August that sports columnist Jay Mariotti left the Chicago tabloid in “an ugly way.” Now with AOL Sports, Mariotti says: “Roger Ebert, whom I’ve met once, can kiss my ass. No one gave more blood to that place than I did, and if I decide it’s going to die an imminent death, it’s my call. And based on events of the last four months, I couldn’t have been more accurate. The place is dead.”
Food critic who took Orlando Sentinel’s buyout has blogging tips for unemployed journalists
“This may be a no-brainer, but think about the topic you want to blog,” writes Scott Joseph, who was the Orlando paper’s restaurant critic for 20 years. “Preferably it’s your current beat, one that you’ve been covering for a long time, a topic in which you have become known as a respected authority. What can you offer to the readers that they can’t get elsewhere? Don’t let competition dissuade you, but try to find the niche that isn’t being filled.”
Teen Literature, Entertainment Company Wants You
Alloy Entertainment, a New York book packager, churns out teen books and movies at a rapid clip. The company produces books by committee with a team of editors and writers who brainstorm ideas and make edits. But now a new department at Alloy will also package books written by outside authors.
That Shrinking Feeling: Time, Newsweek Narrow Their Focus (by Howard Kurtz, Washington Pos)
Morale in both shops has been devastated as staffers complain about a blurred identity, lack of direction, maagement snafus and outsourcing to big-name writers that has left them wondering if reporters still have much of a role.
Teen Bows Out
Hearst Magazines will shutter Teen magazine and its Web site, teenmag.com. A spokeswoman said the winter 2008 issues will be the last, adding the title did not take subscriptions and was a newsstand-only publication (with 200,000 distributed copies each quarter).
Postal Rate Expected to Increase 4 Percent
Postal rates for Periodicals, Standard, and First Class are expected to increase about 4 percent this year, according to recent estimates by postal experts. Publications co-mailing in decent-sized co-mail pools will probably see increases at or below average.
Sirius XM to raise some prices as debt looms
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Sirius XM Radio Inc plans to increase prices for subscribers with multiple accounts and begin to charge for its online music feed, moves that may help the pay-radio service meet looming debt payments.
This may be the year of Internet radio
After years of being out there and talked about, but not much more, internet radio may finally go from an interesting idea to a stand-alone commercial medium. And that promise is pretty grand in the view of some analysts. “In 2009, internet radio may not just reinvigorate the medium of radio. It may reinvent it,” predicts Deloitte, the consulting outfit. What will allow that to happen is what spawned internet radio in the first place: technology that untethers internet radio from the computer, making it far more portable. Enter the WiFi radio set, which uses wireless technology to access the internet and play internet radio stations and podcasts.
Studios proceed cautiously for 2010
In every segment of the film community, the current feeling of paralysis brings with it a high level of anxiety. Studio executives, under orders from above, are driving the hardest deals in memory and eviscerating the backend deals of stars and directors (who are also being challenged on final cut). Writers have been cut to a fraction of the quotes they received before the WGA strike. Those execs, in turn, don’t just worry about strong slates. They are as concerned with margins, and they fret over the possibility that the economic downturn will force New York and other locations to reconsider government-mandated discounts to shoot films there.
MSNBC Wants to Add a 3rd Prime-Time Show (New York Times)
Building on the momentum of its prime-time hours, MSNBC is developing a 10 p.m. program that would complement its left-leaning evening lineup, the cable news channel’s president said this week. There is currently no obvious candidate to host the 10 p.m. hour.
Publisher Rethinks the Daily: It’s Free and Printed and Has Blogs All Over
The Printed Blog, a Chicago start-up, plans to reprint blog posts on regular paper, surrounded by local ads, and distribute the publications free in big cities.
Slate’s Double X Aims for Growing Women’s Online Market
Women’s Sites Attract More than 53% of Web Audience
Meredith Launches Women’s Online Network
Meredith Corp. today announced the launch of the Meredith Women’s Network, a portal for the company’s collection of women’s Web sites. The network will consist of three sub-networks: Better Homes and Gardens, Parenting, and the Real Girls Network.
GodTube to Become GodBook? (Mashable)
GodTube, the popular YouTube-clone for the religious, might be ready to make a broader move into social networking. According to a video posted to the site, GodTube is making a name change, and “becoming a hybrid of Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube.” The site will still be faith-based, but moving beyond video sharing to include other social networking features.
Publicis Invites Microsoft, Hulu, Yahoo To Online Video Pool Party (Paid Content)
Ad agencies and broadband sites continue to hold out hope for some secret to unlocking cascades of revenue from online video. So while YouTube tinkers at the margins with various ad formats and programs, Publicis Groupe’s media agency Starcom MediaVest Groupe isn’t waiting for the solution to pop from the minds at Google. The WSJ has the details on the Paris-based company’s attempts to gather a team of online media firms to finally figure out what ad features work best for online video.
YouTube Expands Click-to-Buy, Takes Over Your Videos (Mashable)
The platform, which enables YouTube partners to include click-to-buy links on videos in English, seems to be working well for both YouTube and its partners. The YouTube blog touts that, “when Monty Python launched their channel in November, not only did their YouTube videos shoot to the top of the most viewed lists, but their DVDs also quickly climbed to No. 2 on Amazon’s Movies & TV bestsellers list, with increased sales of 23,000 percent.” So … YouTube is announcing that they will be expanding the functionality to support links to the iTunes store for German, Spain, and Netherlands users, which they hope will result in more product sales for partners and more revenue for themselves.
Media Firms Team Up to Test Online-Video Ad Formats
The recession is making for some strange ad fellows. Media companies including Microsoft, Yahoo, CBS’s CBS Interactive, and Hulu.com are joining forces to attract more money to the fledgling online-video advertising marketplace by testing ad formats.
In ‘Trust Me,’ a Fake Agency Really Promotes
A new series on TNT is writing actual products into scripts of episodes — including some that are also sponsors of the series.
Adams knew “Dilbert” plug for file storage firm would get strong reaction
Scott Adams didn’t get complaints from newspapers about Monday’s strip promoting the new Dilbert online file storage business; some readers griped, though. “This isn’t funny, and is nothing more than a blatant attempt at advertising,” said one. Adams responds: “While some comic purists will get the heebie jeebies from what they see as gross commercialism (a comment I get on a regular basis anyway), the business community will mostly find it an interesting experiment. …I did anticipate a strong reaction.”
