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CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU, BARACK AND JOE!
YES WE DID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WELCOME TO A BETTER WORLD!!!! In celebration, here's Aaron Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u1X1f3Nxy8 *** And, of course, the President's Marine Band playing "Hail to the Chief": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC837oh98_Y *** Love and Hugs to All, Cleo  -- "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke "I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." From "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven", W.B. Yeats
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(133 of 1858)
Re: Barack Appoints Former Senate Majority Leader (D-SD) Tom Daschle HHS Secy
Nov 19, 2008 4:49 PM
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Good news indeed. This and Sen. Steven's rejection, coupled with Cheney and Gonzales under indictment, gotta keep me smiling! It's like Christmas in November.
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Re: Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States
Nov 19, 2008 4:45 PM
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I wonder if Obama will ever appoint me to look after the poor prostitutes trying to turn their lives around.
I've the skill to help.
--
Barack Obama = Dubya II
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(131 of 1858)
Barack Appoints Former Senate Majority Leader (D-SD) Tom Daschle HHS Secy
Nov 19, 2008 4:37 PM
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Well, Daniel, here's a Barack appointment that will disappoint no one, period.
And the offer has been made and accepted. No circus will ever surround this guy, for sure!
NBC: Tom Daschle to be Obama's HHS Secretary - Former majority leader wrote a book proposing health care improvements
NBC News and news services
November 19, 2008
"WASHINGTON - NBC News confirms from Democratic sources that former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., has accepted President-elect Barack Obama's offer to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.
He has accepted the offer, according to Democratic officials.
The appointment has not been announced, but officials said the job is Daschle's barring an unforeseen problem as Obama's team reviews the background of the South Dakota Democrat. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Daschle is a close adviser to Obama throughout the former Illinois senator's White House campaign. He recently wrote a book on his proposals to improve health care, and he is working with former Senate leaders on recommendations to improve the system.
Organizations seeking to expand health coverage were quick to praise the selection.
"Sen. Daschle has a deep commitment to securing high-quality, affordable health care for everyone in our nation," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA. "His new leadership position confirms that the incoming Obama administration has made health care reform a top and early priority for action in 2009."
Here's the link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27805121
A great evening to all,
Cleo
--
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." From "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven", W.B. Yeats
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(130 of 1858)
Re: Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States
Nov 19, 2008 11:43 AM
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And another thing...
I DO hope Hillary says no or Obama offers the job to someone else.
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(129 of 1858)
Re: Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States
Nov 19, 2008 11:33 AM
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> What if the change is only superficial?
>
> Won't everybody be fighting for nothing?
Only if you believe the right-wingnut's propaganda about the Democratic party's inclination to "Destroy America." These potential members of the POTUS Cabinet represent change, even if it's only change from the Republican war mongers to moderation in policy. We are much better off with Clinton III. But I hold out much higher hope than that. These people have proven abilities to broker peace abroad, have promised to bring much needed re-regulation of key banking and trading functions. That alone is change I can believe in. Even the structure of his campaign was a good sign - if he pisses off his donors, literally the everyman in the trenches, his pantry will be bare come re-election time.
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(128 of 1858)
The Clintonian Dramarama Circus Begins Again....
Nov 19, 2008 7:17 AM
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GB, I share your trepidation - fearing that, with the potential appointment of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, we are on the verge of a protracted and gloomy end to a gloriously brilliant beginning of a new age in our politics.
Already, Chris Matthews and MSNBC guest pundit, Michelle Bernard are taking tremendous heat for agreeing with this proposition. And the left leaning Media Matters is waging a full court press in favor of this appointment, that for me, spells imminent disaster for Barack Obama and his presidency, bar none.
To wit - the vetting process is only just underway and what Carl Bernstein calls the Clintonian Dramarama Circus has returned in earnest, worsening the sick feeling I've had in the pit of my stomach since this story broke last week.:
NYT: Clinton said to be unsure about Cabinet
Adviser says senator likes to be her own boss, is agonizing over decision
By Raymond Hernandez and Michael Luo
MSNBC/The New York Times
November 19, 2008
"WASHINGTON - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York has reservations about accepting an appointment as secretary of state in the Obama administration an adviser to Mrs. Clinton who is familiar with her thinking said on Tuesday.
The adviser described Mrs. Clinton as flattered by President-elect Barack Obama?s interest but said she was agonizing over the decision. Mrs. Clinton likes being her own boss and is reluctant to give up the independence that comes with that, said the adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the process was at a delicate stage.
?If you are secretary of state you work for the president,? the adviser said in an e-mail response to questions from The New York Times. ?If you are a senator, you work for yourself and the people that elected you.?
It was unclear if Mrs. Clinton?s stated hesitation was part of a bargaining tactic as the Obama team weighs whether to appoint her secretary of state, a genuine moment of indecision or, perhaps, a signal that she was preparing to withdraw from consideration.
Philippe Reines, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton, declined to comment, referring questions to the Obama transition team.
Review of Bill Clinton's dealings
The Clinton camp on Tuesday sought to rebut reports that former President Bill Clinton's finances and other interests could block Mrs. Clinton?s path to an appointment.
Mr. Obama?s aides this week have been reviewing Mr. Clinton?s business dealings, focusing on the array of his post-presidential activities, some details of which have not been made public.
That includes the identity of most of the donors to his foundation, the source of some of his speaking fees ? he has earned as much as $425,000 for a one-hour speech ? and his work for the billionaire investor Ronald W. Burkle.
?Issues around W.J.C. won?t be the stumbling block,? the adviser to Mrs. Clinton said in the e-mail message to The Times. ?She hasn?t decided whether she wants to leave the Senate.?
The adviser added that lawyers conducting the vetting process for Mr. Obama and aides to Mrs. Clinton made progress on Tuesday in resolving some questions around Mr. Clinton?s interests.
Another run for president?
Mrs. Clinton?s advisers do not believe that joining the Obama cabinet would preclude her from running for president again, if she sought to do so, though she has played down the possibility of another bid for the White House.
?In fact I could argue it would be better for that,? the adviser said, noting that it would provide her ?full immersion into the Obama wing? of the Democratic Party.
Mrs. Clinton was rebounding from her primary defeat at the hands of Mr. Obama and expressed eagerness to dive into some of the major domestic policy proposals Congress will grapple with in the coming term, especially health care.
But last Thursday, her onetime rival reached out to her and Mrs. Clinton traveled to Chicago, where they discussed the possibility of the secretary of state job.
?She thinks Obama has been great to ask, and she has been well-treated during the process,? the adviser to Mrs. Clinton said. ?But she?s unsure.?
Mountain of campaign debt
One complication that Mrs. Clinton will face if she becomes secretary of state is the mountain of campaign debt leftover from her presidential run.
Mrs. Clinton has $7.6 million in outstanding bills from the campaign, Mr. Reines said, not including personal loans she made to her campaign.
The Hatch Act, which governs the political activities of federal employees, prohibits the solicitation and receipt of political contributions. Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the United States Office of Special Counsel, which enforces the Hatch Act, pointed to a 2001 advisory opinion issued by the agency.
The opinion stipulates that a federal employee seeking to retire campaign debt incurred before his or her federal employment would be barred from personally soliciting the donations, but the ?campaign organization of a candidate who later becomes a federal employee may continue to organize and promote fund-raising events to retire campaign debt.?
The advisory opinion goes on to say that the former candidate cannot ?assist in promoting the event and may not otherwise actively participate in such events.?
On the other hand, it says that the former candidate can attend the fund-raising events and ?be recognized and briefly state his appreciation to all whose efforts contributed to the retirement of his campaign debt,? but any participation beyond ?this passive role? would violate the law.
There is also the obvious question of appearances. Michael Toner, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, said that cabinet members were typically given wider latitude when it came to political activities, but pointed out that there was special sensitivity when it came to the State Department and the Pentagon."
Here's the link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27797924
Because of the recent arrival of a large work project, I will be unable to continue posting daily in this, the "Why I'm For Senator Barack Obama" and "McLame Brain" threads.
I hope you will all continue to consider these threads your home for posting your thoughts and information about Barack, his Presidency and the sins, crimes and foibles of the GOP, etc., not to mention as a place to hang out with each other and have some fun as the spirit moves you.
I'll still be lurking and posting from time to time throughout the transition, just not nearly as frequently.
Finally, it goes without saying that watching this victory come to pass has been wonderful beyond imagining - you know who you are who've made it so for me to experience it in that light as well here on the internet.
A great Wednesday to all and Thank you!
Cleo
--
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." From "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven", W.B. Yeats
--
Edited by CleopatraVIII at 11/19/2008 4:29 AM PST
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(127 of 1858)
Re: Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States
Nov 18, 2008 5:22 PM
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What if the change is only superficial?
Won't everybody be fighting for nothing?
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(126 of 1858)
Re: Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States
Nov 18, 2008 5:15 PM
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"Everyone that fights for change makes a difference."
yes, definitely!
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(125 of 1858)
Re: Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States
Nov 18, 2008 3:09 PM
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> The issue of same-sex "marriage" is no longer one of
> religion, equal rights, natural law,
> constitutionality or common sense - if it ever was.
> It's now a matter of pure politics and nothing else.
> Given that, it's practically certain that the
> California Supreme Court will find some rationale to
> overturn the vote on Proposition 8 and nullify
> November's results "whether you like it or
> not".
>
> A similar scenario will play out nationally, I think,
> under Obama's presidency.
>
> --
> I, Beagle CMXIV, am the author of this post;
> opinions expressed are my own.
Beagle, are you sure you posted this in the right thread?
Because you know the answer you'll get from me.
I think the Prop 8's of this world are very well deserving of being thrown onto the dung heap of history as should any prejudice, custom or "law" that seeks to marginalize or separate a portion of humanity from the rest of it.
And apparently this way of thinking has permeated the military establishment in the matter of gay people serving in the military. According to an AP piece published today:
More than 100 retired generals and admirals called Monday for repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays so they can serve openly, according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press.
Here's the link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27774058/
Have a great afternoon and evening,
Cleo
--
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." From "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven", W.B. Yeats
--
Edited by CleopatraVIII at 11/18/2008 12:12 PM PST
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1,604
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(124 of 1858)
Re: Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States
Nov 18, 2008 2:54 PM
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The issue of same-sex "marriage" is no longer one of religion, equal rights, natural law, constitutionality or common sense - if it ever was. It's now a matter of pure politics and nothing else. Given that, it's practically certain that the California Supreme Court will find some rationale to overturn the vote on Proposition 8 and nullify November's results "whether you like it or not".
A similar scenario will play out nationally, I think, under Obama's presidency.
--
I, Beagle CMXIV, am the author of this post; opinions expressed are my own.
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Isikoff: Eric Holder is Barack's Top Choice for AG
Nov 18, 2008 2:46 PM
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Breaking news just in is Barack's preference for Eric Holder to be his AG.
You may remember Holder, a partner in the top flight D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling, for working with Caroline Kennedy to vet Barack's Veep candidates.
If Eric Holder is offered the job and takes it, from the looks of what's written in Michael Isikoff's piece, the future of the U.S. Justice Department would be in very good hands, indeed!
Obama's Attorney General
By Michael Isikoff
Newsweek
November 18, 2008
"President-elect Obama has decided to tap Eric Holder as his attorney general, putting the veteran Washington lawyer in place to become the first African-American to head the Justice Department, according to two legal sources close to the presidential transition.
Holder, who served as deputy attorney general during the Clinton administration, still has to undergo a formal ?vetting? review by the Obama transition team before the selection is final and is publicly announced, said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified talking about the transition process.
But in the discussions over the past few days, Obama offered Holder the job and he accepted, the source said. The announcement is not likely until after Obama announces his choices to lead the Treasury and State departments.
Holder, 57, has been on Obama?s ?short list? for attorney general from the outset. A partner at the D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling, Holder served as co-chief (along with Caroline Kennedy) of Obama?s vice-presidential selection process.
He also actively campaigned for Obama throughout the year and grew personally close to the president-elect. Holder has not returned a call seeking comment; the Obama transition team did not respond to e-mail messages.
The sources said the Obama transition team is still debating over who should serve under Holder in the key post of deputy attorney general. One top candidate, favored by Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and other former Clinton White House officials, is Elena Kagan, dean of the Harvard Law School and a former lawyer in the White House counsel?s office under Clinton.
Another top candidate, favored by other Obama advisors, is David Ogden, a former chief of staff to Attorney General Janet Reno, who is currently heading Obama?s Justice Department transition team. Kagan brings legal policy credentials; Ogden has more experience in the Justice Department trenches.
The only hesitancy about Holder?s selection was that he himself had reservations about going through a confirmation process that was likely to revive questions about his role in signing off on the controversial pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich.
Although there is no evidence that Holder actively pushed the pardon, he was criticized for not raising with the White House the strong objections that some Justice Department lawyers and federal prosecutors in New York had to pardoning somebody who had fled the country. But after reviewing the evidence in the case, and checking with staffers on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Obama aides and Holder both decided the issue was highly unlikely to prove an obstacle to his confirmation, one of the sources said--especially given the Democrats? more sizable post-election majority in the Senate.
A New York City native who graduated from Columbia University and Columbia Law School, Holder spent years as a federal prosecutor?a job in which he earned a reputation as tough and aggressive foe of public corruption.
After serving in the pubic integrity section of the Justice Department?s Criminal Division and later a District of Columbia Superior Court judge, Holder was named by President Clinton as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. He became deputy attorney general in 1997 under Janet Reno and was viewed as a centrist on most law enforcement issues, though he has sharply criticized the secrecy and the expansive views of executive power advanced by the Bush Justice Department."
Here's the link:
http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/poweringup/archive/2008/11/18/obama-s-attorney-general.aspx
A great afternoon and evening to all,
Cleo
--
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." From "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven", W.B. Yeats
--
Edited by CleopatraVIII at 11/18/2008 11:49 AM PST
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Video of Obama-McCain Mtg. of 11/17/08; "60 Minutes" Seen by 24.5 Million
Nov 18, 2008 6:27 AM
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Courtesy of HuffPo, below is a link of the meeting between President-Elect Barack Obama and his vanquished opponent, John McCain, that resulted in the following joint statement issued by Obama and McCain regarding their get-together:
"At this defining moment in history, we believe that Americans of all parties want and need their leaders to come together and change the bad habits of Washington so that we can solve the common and urgent challenges of our time. It is in this spirit that we had a productive conversation today about the need to launch a new era of reform where we take on government waste and bitter partisanship in Washington in order to restore trust in government, and bring back prosperity and opportunity for every hardworking American family.
We hope to work together in the days and months ahead on critical challenges like solving our financial crisis, creating a new energy economy, and protecting our nation's security."
Here's the link to the video and the statement from the Obama-McCain post-election meeting of November 17, 2008.:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/17/obama-to-meet-with-mccain_0_n_144264.html
***
And, here's a link to a piece entitled Obama interview sets '60 Minutes' viewership record reporting that:
Barack Obama's first televised post-election interview gave Sunday night's "60 Minutes" its biggest audience in at least nine years.
The CBS News program was seen by 24.5 million viewers and earned a 6.4 preliminary adults 18-49 rating. That marks the show's largest viewership since 1999.
http://www.thrfeed.com/2008/11/obama-interview.html
Reminding you that there is a link to the video and transcript of Barack and Michelle's "60 Minutes" interview telecast on CBS on Sunday, November 16th at post #122 below.
***
A great Tuesday to all,
Cleo
--
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." From "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven", W.B. Yeats
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2,955
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(121 of 1858)
Re: Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States
Nov 18, 2008 12:30 AM
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> " The real problem is that nobody questions
> anything,
> nobody speaks up, nobody protests, nobody
> y THINK."
>
>
> "Please.....in just the last week I have done all
> those things. What was the last protest you attended?
> "
>
> I was talking about this attitude in general. What
> happened the day Obama was elected was fantastic!
> People spoke up and made the right choice.
> Now wait and see.
In some ways you are correct....or at least you were at one time. But today we are seeing an upsurge of protest for gay rights.
Tomorrow we will see the world change. It will change. It has no choice. As much as the conservative movement may be broken it is still a dangerouse subversive distraction. That is all they can do at the moment.
America is in peril. Everyone that fights for change makes a difference.
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(120 of 1858)
Re: Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States
Nov 17, 2008 8:29 AM
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" The real problem is that nobody questions anything,
nobody speaks up, nobody protests, nobody THINK."
"Please.....in just the last week I have done all those things. What was the last protest you attended? "
I was talking about this attitude in general. What happened the day Obama was elected was fantastic!
People spoke up and made the right choice.
Now wait and see.
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(119 of 1858)
Video & Transcript of Barack's & Michelle's "60 Minutes" Interview 11/16/08
Nov 17, 2008 7:24 AM
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Courtesy of a kindly Daily Kos diarist, here's a link to the video of Barack's and Michelle's first post-election "60 Minutes" interview with Steve Kroft last night, November 16, 2008.
The interview was great, but was a little late getting started thanks to the NFL game finishing up before "60 Minutes" could be aired.
There's a link to a transcript at the end of the piece on the left.
Enjoy!
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/17/0811/2773/1020/662082
A great Monday to all,
Cleo
--
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
"I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." From "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven", W.B. Yeats
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