Obama Following in Bush's Footsteps? Sorry NY Times, But Not So Much!

I guess I just don't like absolutes. Today's New York Times has a front page, (front page internets, and A3 hard copy, I guess,) story about how Obama, like Bush, is leading by second thought. This story and stories like it, infuriate me because apparently the 100 day examiners and the knee jerk liberals, not to mention whats left of the fringy right, would hold the President to every campaign promise regardless of the passage of time or what he might've found out upon taking office. I would say that actually, unlike Bush, Obama will, hopefully, thoughtfully and intelligently weigh what he feels that he has to do to try to dig us out of the hole that Bush dug, and if it means that he might have to rethink things he said even last week, so be it. Our laws may allow some of the bad guys to go free because of Bush's abuse of the system or even system flaws, but our laws are all we've got.

David Sanger, in his news analysis, writes:

Mr. Obama balked on releasing the photographs of prisoners after the military — and his influential defense secretary, Robert M. Gates, the cabinet’s one holdover from the Bush administration — argued that making them public would hand Islamic militants a propaganda coup that could lead to renewed attacks on American forces.

Balked? Really? In the real world, with a real leader, this might be a little more than "oh my god, I cant do that because of the terra!" I call this piece lazy writing by Sanger, who obviously hasn't the inclination to consider that maybe there is more to it. I'm trying to be careful to not blindly follow whatever is coming out of the Obama administration, because my knee jerk tendency always is to question, and especially after the past 8 years, (when many reporters, by the way, were glad to repeat the talking points.) But I am leaning towards trying to give Obama the benefit of the doubt in the issues that he is struggling with. To me, balking on this thing would be to not allow prisoners to have due process. I think that the rest is going to take a little time.

Look, I don't agree with everything that Obama is doing, but then, I never thought I would; did any of you? We liberals have this tendency to turn on our own, blindly, if something has the whiff of a shift right, regardless of what might be best for the country. Do any of us think that Obama would want make us unsafe, much less, for the really skeptical out there, would he want to anger his base? Its unlikely that he is considering winning over anyone with any of these decisions, considering whats left of the right, so maybe, just maybe, there is some reason out there. Would we not want him to listen to the military commanders or his advisors? Wouldn't that be more like Bush, really?

Are we gonna throw open the jail doors and say that they can all just go free? Or does it make more sense to look at the cases and give the prisoners the rights that have been denied them? Chances are that the Bush administration's handling of these cases will not stand up to even the lightest scrutiny and we will lose bad guys anyway; but did any of us think that Obama was gonna head out and put flowers in the muzzles of the guns of the enemy that the Bush administration went so far out of their way to inflame? We can't reverse force so quickly as to put our forces and our country in danger. To act so precipitously would be exactly like Bush!

We are stuck with what Bush left us, and the echo of Cheney telling us that nothing will work except all out destruction; destruction of our rights and of the enemy. Those people don't speak in diplomatic terms and they have a heavy hand. There is danger, and just because Obama has entered into the impossible job of unraveling a terrible knot woven, seemingly purposely, by these freaks, how can we not give him the space to sort this out?

So when Sanger says:

In announcing on Friday that he would retain the military commission system set up by Mr. Bush, even while expanding the rights of detainees to mount a vigorous defense, Mr. Obama suggested that there was no inherent conflict between keeping the nation safe and reasserting values that he and many of his supporters believed had been swept aside during the Bush years.

Isn't the real point that what Obama's first steps consist of is the "expanding the rights of detainees to mount a vigorous defense," part, as opposed to the "system set up by Mr. Bush," part? Are we that easily inflamed? Further, we are treated to the thoughts of one of Karl Rove's ex-staff members (who is not worth mentioning by name because as assholes, these Bush people seem to all have an opinion,) from during his time in the White House, telling us how the left feels that these course changes are "just this side of a betrayal...." And he is so in step with the feelings of the left because...?...he is studying us or something? His kid is a leftie? Screw him and his Rovian propaganda bullshit of planting ideas so that the American people can absorb them and spew them back out!

Military tribunals may be necessary or not, depending on what Obama's team finds out about the detainees. But it seems clear that Obama is interested in extending the prisoners their rights, first and foremost. It may take more that 100 days to close Guantanamo, and it may cost some of the money that the Bushies were busy funneling to their private contractors and cronies. For God's sake, lets take a step back and see what this administration can accomplish. I'm not saying that we shouldn't criticize, but to flat out say that Obama is following in Bush's footsteps is just plain lazy, formulaic, and idiotic!

c/p Brilliant at Breakfast

The Grammys and Crippled Chicken Farming While Reading Sunday's NY Times...Livin' in the Future and None of This Has Happened Yet....

I know, I know...where's she been? I don't know, I say, as I look through the unfinished drafts of the past couple of lousy weeks of school meetings and a sick, paralyzed chicken.... and just feeling overwhelmed by the political climate and the climate of my life which seem to meld like the mud and relentless rain that makes us run to the window at the sight of flurries, wondering what happened to our snowy winters? Is the end nigh?

All craziness aside, if i don't get something down about whats going on, I find that thoughts upon thoughts run round in my head, so maybe its better to just spit out a little something, rather than waiting for the time to get it all down here....and maybe its just a little shorter...maybe...just a little...

So, sitting here watching the Grammy's and with my fingers crossed for a positive outcome from the meeting(s) this week between the Writer's Guild and the Producers; the hope for 24 with Janeane Garafolo as an investigator looking into the actions of Jack Bauer, and, no doubt, swept up into the action of the world of 24; or I hope so anyway. Janeane is my favorite action hero!

The Grammy's show sucks, and maybe thats because a large percentage of the new talent out there sucks...and the snippets of a nod they give to what might be a real part of the canon of American Music are just not enough...for whatever thats worth anymore; like, if you were still proud to be an American and wanting to promote our culture. Funny how the Band, Canadians and one American, and the Beatles, represented by Ringo Star of the new smash non-hit, Liverpool 8, an oddly horrible song, and by Yoko Ono in a white top hat....where is Paul? Ah, I don't know/don't care about the most eligible batch in the world....and the Cirque du Soliel doing a pretty fantastic dance number out of the over pimped legacy (THERE! I used it!!) Are John and George looking down on this and smiling or just out there in the nothingness realizing how meaningless that anything of beauty that we've created is in the face of the real power in this world? Still, the bright point is really this Cirque strangeness set to Beatles music.

Oh, and the writers are pretty damned right in their demands, and absolutely correct to hang in there and disrupt the prime times of the lazy American couch people until the greedy producers give in.

Being a big MSNBC watcher, I've got to say that I'm pretty disgusted by whats been going down over there regarding the bad boyz club and their mysogynistic bullshit that is actively thrust upon us daily by the usual suspects, and the parade of the same old horrible pundits. Thats why I find it sort of disingenuous that the suits over there decided to suspend one of the better and more intellectual members of the reporting staff, for saying the word "Pimp" in regard to what Hillary Clinton has done with her daughter. Its a crappy, knee-jerk and overly PC reaction to a few letters written about someone who never ever says that kind of stuff. As opposed to the long history of abuse by Joe Scarborough and Tweet Matthews, I'm aghast that the management felt that Schuster was the right vehicle for whatever repositioning they are attempting. I wrote to them, and I would suggest that anyone else who has a position on this do the same.

I couldn't concentrate much on the morning shows today, except to re-register that the republicans hate McCain; and more power to them and him. I'm feeling confused by what we've been left with on our side. It isn't working very well for me, though I did vote for Obama. I just don't feel represented and I still cant figure out why Edwards backed out so soon. I hope that it becomes clear as time goes on because I just cant imagine that we can possibly go into what comes next without his values and vision. For Christ's sake, people are suffering, and we have to get some money back into the education system.
Oh, so many other things too, I know...but from the get go, the system in this country seems stacked, like a wall over which the poor can't see, to even know what it is they could have or what they might want to strive for...This is a blindness that is meant to keep the underclass permanent, regardless of the wasted talent and dreams that are left there...That, to me, is un-American. Aren't we all supposed to have some value?

Today, I went through the Sunday papers and, as usual, pulled out a few things to read in paper form rather than online. There is something about the Sunday New York Times and how it feels in your hand...the smudge of it, the smell of it.

The book review this week is a political issue, and between the candidates, partisans, and the wars, is a piece on African American Identity Politics, which reviews the book Sellout, by Randall Kelly, and the book A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why he Cant Win, by Shelby Steele. They both seem to cover the difficulties faced by black people who either break out from the popular African American culture, or are not considered to be "black enough." Both raise some legitimate questions that are really timely but, according to the reviewer fall short in heavy handed, overwrought prose, and the authors also being somewhat self centered in their assessment of their subjects. I expect the market to be flooded with this sort of material before long. Honestly, I'm not surprised to see this so soon...and I hope that we see some deeper insight than the "who's to blame?" argument about the African American culture not taking responsibility for itself. I am going through some of this with some kids Im helping, and in the world of no-snitching and being trapped in the community center and/or in a dangerous neighborhood vs. getting out, even a little, there is the reality of accusation of not being "black enough." I wouldn't have thought it for afar, but on the ground, its very real.

Thanks so much to travel writer, James Vlahos, for exploring "The Other Iran," in the Travel Section. If you didn't get a chance to see this, pop over and see the slide show. This is the other Iran in the sense that it is the old Persian part of Iran, but the title of the article, the content, and the slide show, beg us to look at what John McCain and possibly Hillary Clinton have their sights set on as a threat worthy of preemptive strikes. Look, Im not saying that I endorse or understand their culture...nor do I know much about the weapon issue...but I sure as hell don't trust any sort of warning coming out of this administration. I would hope that a new administration wouldn't just continue the path of the war, but restart the investigations and involve the UN in them. This is a beautiful and intricate culture that the people of Iran have obviously preserved carefully. Other parts of the country range from sophisticated cities with universities and business, to countryside. Why don't the American people get to see more of this before Iran is totally demonized as part of the Bushco oil plan?

And finally, In the Connecticut Section, is a horribly sad story about 3 brain-injured soldiers who are struggling to pull out of what seems to amount to vegetative states, and after family struggles, horrible care, testimony before a senate committee, one was able to get the VA to pay for private care. The mother then called another mother from the VA hospital to help her get her son treatment...and so it goes. Why we cant provide our soldiers with better care is a question that is probably best posed to the existing administration that ignores these guys as much as is possible without getting caught. But the story is really about the mother's sacrifices, and about the support that they give each other. The soldiers are never going to be OK and there is just so much help a rehab hospital can be in these cases. This story is about the effect of this war on entire families, and on the very foundation of our country, if we are all not included in the war effort. We have to end this thing right away, but in the meantime, maybe we can actually sacrifice beyond shopping with our tax rebate. Maybe we can reach out to those in need and send to soldiers at the hospital and abroad...and help those in need right in our own towns...people are suffering and we are all a part of this thing, even if we opposed it and even if we despise it.

I also strongly suggest the magazine section ...the whole thing, this week. Its got the Defense secretary Gates on Iraq and Iran, and the beginning of pain...as in, does pain start in the womb? Do babies feel pain? This is not only interesting to those who suffer from chronic pain, but also to anyone who has a stake in the abortion battle. If it can feel pain, is it a human life?
And then a guy who eats bugs, as part of the usual food report, and a piece on the ethics of organ donation....on to a portfolio of Oscar contenders.

OK, enough is enough. I haven't even gotten to frank Rich yet. Why is it that weeks can go by without much or much to say about the Times, and then there is a day with some really, really bright points?

Finally, for Springsteen fans, here is a song from his new record, Magic, which is really kind of fantastic, for the amount of the time Ive had to listen to it. I really like the words to this....there isn't much of a video here; just stills...Ill try to find a better cut of it. Magic really deserved the Grammy, and as of this publishing time, he hasn't won anything for it.



For Springsteen's commentary on this song see the live show cut below..."this is a song about the future, but its really about whats happening now."...I wish I had the energy to see Bruce live again...But look at that crowd; the size of that place...that used to really give me a thrill, but anymore, its just anxiety provoking. I've seen him plenty anyway...