By GottaLaff What's up with politics these days? According to John Podesta, it's suckitude, pure and simple. Can't argue with that:
Asked in an interview with the Financial Times to comment on "the health of American political system," Podesta responded: "Sucks." [...]
"I think the president is trying to re-engage with Republicans, but quite frankly he is not dealing with the party of Lincoln, he is dealing with the party of Palin and the party of McConnell and the party of Boehner," Podesta said in the interview, which was filmed and posted online Monday. "They have a political strategy, really, which is that fierce opposition, trying to say no to everything will endure to their political benefit, and so far it looks like that is working for them, so I don't see them changing all that much." [...]
"All the concentration was on working the inside legislative process and I think they paid a price for that, in my mind, the administration paid a price for that because I think the narrative was all about the deals and not what was in it, what the substance of what the legislation was and how it connected to the broader project" of improving people's lives and strengthening the economy, Podesta said.
Another "that said" moment: He still thinks a health care bill and an energy bill can be passed.
Recently, Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-DE) — a former top aide to Biden and co-chair of the Vice President’s transition team — said that the Bush administration basically just “threw” the report “to the transition team as they were going out the door”:
KAUFMAN: So for him [Cheney] to come in at the end and say, “Well, we did it wrong for eight years. But then, in the end, we gave them a plan which really is what they should have used.” Let me tell you something: This administration came in. Rahm Emanuel was there. I was on the transition team on this. They started from scratch on Afghanistan. They took a blank piece of paper out and said, “What are we going to do to get this thing done?” … It was absolutely the perfect time to take a hard look at what we’re doing.
AmericaBlog’s John Aravosis has argued that the Obama administration’s legal brief filed in the DOMA case is “despicable, and gratuitously homophobic.” Human Right Campaign’s Joe Solmonese penned a letter to Obama, stating that, “reading the brief, one is told again and again that same-sex couples are so unlike different-sex couples that unequal treatment makes sense.”
[...] Greg Sargent reports that the "Obama Justice Department has reached out to major gay rights organizations and scheduled a private meeting for next week with the groups, in an apparent effort to smooth over tensions in the wake of the controversy over the administration’s defense in court of the Defense of Marriage Act."
That's a good move, but I hope he does more than listen and try to "smooth things over", because, as things stand now, it's pretty rough out there.
(Watch the video all the way to the very last second. John Podesta was the head of Obama's transition team.)
Dear everyone:
Can we agree that torture is wrong, kills people, is ineffective, and illegal? Good. Now can we agree that when people break the law, they should be investigated and/or prosecuted? And that by ignoring the rule of law, a horrendous precedent is set?
And can we also agree that if the tables were turned, the Rushpublics would be looking back, not forward, as they did with President Clinton? And finally, can we agree that we shouldn't even have to ask these questions?
I trust that things will unfold the way they should. I am focusing primarily on the punditiots more than anyone... for now.
I am writing to ask you to consider holding impeachment hearings against 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jay Bybee, should he decide not to voluntarily resign.
As you are well aware, Judge Bybee is the only architect of the Bush administration’s torture program to currently hold public office.
A legal memorandum signed by Judge Bybee when he was the head of the Office of Legal Counsel and recently released by the Obama administration approved the use of cruel, inhuman, and degrading techniques, including waterboarding, slamming a detainee into a wall, depriving a detainee of sleep for up to eleven days at a time, and trapping a prisoner in a "confinement box" with insects in order to induce terror. The techniques endorsed by Judge Bybee’s memoranda violated U.S. law and our commitments under the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
On March 13, 2003, Judge Bybee was confirmed by a 74-19 vote in the Senate. During his Senate hearings, Mr. Bybee stonewalled the Judiciary Committee when asked about his role in national security matters. He said at the time, “As an attorney at the Department of Justice, I am obliged to keep confidential the legal advice that I provide to others in the executive branch." A number of Senators have now acknowledged that, had they known then what they now know, Judge Bybee would not have been confirmed.
Jay Bybee currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals, one level removed from the U.S. Supreme Court. He has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution. Yet, having issued opinions that violate the Constitution and concealed relevant aspects of his legal views and professional conduct from the Senate, Bybee has neither the legal nor moral authority to sit in judgment of others.
My organization, the Center for American Progress Action Fund, has collected signatures from approximately 20,000 Americans (see attached) who have expressed their deep-felt and sincere desire to see that Judge Bybee is held to account for authorizing torture. It is unacceptable to allow him to continue to serve in his current role. Judge Bybee should resign, but if he fails to do so, I urge you to begin impeachment proceedings against him.
Sincerely,
John Podesta President and CEO, Center for American Progress Action Fund
Think Progress has two original videos of a Q and A session they held with John Podesta. Examples of questions: “Why is President Obama giving up so much to try to appease the conservatives?” and “Does Obama plan to create some kind of commission to look into past abuses of our obligations under both domestic law and foreign treaty?”
Since they did all the work, I won't post the videos here. I'd rather give them the traffic. Go take a look.
President-elect Barack Obama has a lot on his plate: a struggling economy, two wars, international terrorist threats… and pressure from UFO enthusiasts to release government files about alien sightings. In a letter, the Extraterrestrial Phenomenon Political Action Committee, which has gathered 40,000 signatures,asked Obama to “end the six-decade truth embargo regarding an extraterrestrial presence engaging the human race.” Obama may also be hearing about the cause from John Podesta and Bill Richardson, who have expressed support in the past for transparency concerning the mysterious 800 million pages.
And here everyone was poking fun at Dennis Kucinich. I never really understood that, considering all he said was that he saw something he didn't recognize.
Did you notice how much younger Barack Obama looks? And that was only a year ago. He also gave a great response, but that's not important now.
The campaigners, who resent their common portrayal as nuts and conspiracy theorists, have high hopes of success due to their inside track with Mr Obama.
Having Podesta and Richardson on their side is making them optimistic that they'll finally make some headway.
Transition chief John Podesta told Bloomberg that President-elect Obama would complete "virtually the whole Cabinet" by Christmas, and the new president's team will reach beyond the Democratic Party. He said there will be "multiple Republicans" in the administration.
Said Podesta: "You'll see them spread throughout the administration."
Which reminds me, doesn't Podesta count as a Progressive also?
Later today, President-elect Barack Obama will announce that our friend and former colleague Melody Barnes will be named as Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. The Council “coordinates the domestic policy-making process in the White House and offers policy advice to the President.” In her new role, Melody will be working with allies such as incoming HHS Secretary Tom Daschle to bring about comprehensive health care reform.
Barack Obama is seriously considering the creation of an Energy Security Councilwithin theWhite House, according to sources close to the transition.
President-elect Obama and his staff are examining a white paper written by former President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, John Podesta, who is heading up the Obama transition, the sources said.
The outline details how the committee would be formed, the sources said, and addresses how power would be balanced between a new National Energy Council and other White House entities, particularly the Council on Environmental Quality, which now oversees federal agency implementation of environmental policy.
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