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February 22nd, 2009:

A Second Look | DN!: Obama Faces Decision on Indefinite Detention//Obama’s Counterterrorism Strategy

Feb 22nd, 2009
by Tom.
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Democracy Now! wrote:

DN!: Obama Faces Decision on Indefinite Detention//Obama’s Counterterrorism Strategy


From: Democracy Now! [outreach@democracynow.org]
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 12:20 PM
To: Democracy Now! Daily Digest
Subject: DN!: Obama Faces Decision on Indefinite Detention//Obama’s Counterterrorism Strategy/

* Despite Gitmo Closure and Torture Ban, Obama Admin Converges with Several Bush Policies in So-Called “War on Terror” *

After a month in office, the Obama administration has surprised many of its supporters by embracing or appearing receptive to key parts of the Bush administration’s counterterrorism strategy, from indefinite detention, to kidnapping and rendition, to invoking “state secrets” privileges. Salon.com blogger Glenn Greenwald joins The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer to discuss.

Listen/Watch/Read
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/2/20/despite_gitmo_closure_torture_ban_obama

You should go read the transcript for yourself because it is way too long to copy and paste here and it is worthy of your time. The gist of the story is that some thoughtful individuals such as Glen Greenwald have gotten together to discuss why President Obama has seemingly taken up where Bush left off with rendition and detainment of suspects. Greenwald complains that Obama’s lawyers or Justice Department is misusing the state’s secrets privilege ultimately shutting down entire law suites when the rule should be used on a document by document basis.

Here is my point. Let’s talk about this later. Let’s focus on the things that this country desperately needs like health care and then later, when Obama has a minute to breathe, then let’s ask him why he is being such a knucklehead. During the scant thirty days he’s been in Office he has done great and wonderful things faster than any President in history. My thinking on this is that the situation with the detainees and states secrets couldn’t get much worse so give him time. After all, in this short month he has ordered Gitmo closed and is in the process of determining the fate of the detainees there. There may be a good reason why he hasn’t tackled states secrets. Give him time to solve all the other problems, too. And besides there may be good reason to shut down law suites that ask to examine secret documents. Maybe it is a case by case issue.

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A Second Look | Schwarzenegger To GOP Governors: Give Me Your Unwanted Stimulus Money

Feb 22nd, 2009
by Tom.
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via Schwarzenegger To GOP Governors: Give Me Your Unwanted Stimulus Money.

While some Republican governors with presidential ambitions struggle to balance their state’s budgetary needs with their own ideological opposition to the stimulus package, others don’t find themselves feeling nearly as constrained.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Appearing on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger giddily embraced the idea that more money would be available for California should his GOP colleagues — like Govs. Mark Sanford of South Carolina and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana — refuse stimulus funds.

“Well, Governor Sanford says that he does not want to take the federal stimulus package money. And I’ll say to him, I’ll take it,” Schwarzenegger said. “I’m more than happy to take his money or any other governor in this country that doesn’t want to take this money. I’ll take it, because we in California need it. I think it’s a terrific package…”

It’s finally happened. A Republican has opened its eyes and has seen reality and the bare-boned truth. This is a day to rejoice. Any Republican that by-passes ideology and goes straight to problem solving, whether it be a Governor or a Senator, or a Congressperson, deserves the Presidential Freedom Award for they are finally free from spin.

Grover Nordquist isn’t going to like this.

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A Second Look | CullmanTimes.com, Cullman, Alabama – Shelby discusses stimulus bill, other issues

Feb 22nd, 2009
by Tom.
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via CullmanTimes.com, Cullman, Alabama – Shelby discusses stimulus bill, other issues.

To Sen. Richard Shelby, borrowing $787 billion is not good fiscal responsibility.

“You can’t borrow your way to prosperity,” Shelby said. “We’re the largest debtor in the world. We’re stealing from our grandchildren.”

Where was this idiot when Bush was borrowing on our children’s future like a dead-beat dad. In 2003 Bush quitely signed a bill authorizing  a then record $984 billion increase in the amount the government can borrow, pushing the borrowing limit to over $7.4 trillion. Bush had to borrow for a $350 billion stimulus bill that authorized $330 billion in tax cuts and $20 billion in state aid. What did Senator Richard Shelby have to say about that? Nothing. He voted for it.

He also voted for every other borrowing bill that Bush wanted. As a matter of fact, Shelby backed everything Bush did, including sending our economy into a free-fall. He voted with Bush 92% of the time, more than John McCain. Bush was the king of borrow and spend and Shelby was his knight in shining armor.

The article in the Cullman Times continues:

Senator Shelby contradicts himself on deregulation

Shelby said to bring the country out of the current recession, Congress should not spend taxpayer dollars but instead straighten out the banking system that brought the economy to this point in the first place.

“I’m for more regulation of banks,” Shelby said. “The federal reserve is the regulator of big banks and they did a poor job.”

For regulation? Really, Senator?

Senator Shelby voted YEA on the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act 0f 1999 that deregulated the banks and deregulated the large investment institutions and directly caused the near collapse of our economy. This bill killed the Glass-Stegall act that had kept strict regulations on the banking and finance fat cats on Wall Street. Shelby voted to DEREGULATE!

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