When vacation ends, Obama’s to-do list will be daunting
While President Obama takes a well-deserved and no doubt needed vacation, things back at the office aren’t getting any easier.
In Afghanistan, an election intended to boost the legitimacy of the Karzai regime may not end up having that effect. Allegations of fraud are widespread, and Jim Moody, the head of the U.S. election monitoring effort, was less than convincing in his defense of what happened.
“”Our preliminary conclusion is that it is conceivable that this was a fair election,” he told the Washington Times. “It is hard to tell. A lot of people voted properly.”
Karzai’s finance minister has announced that the current president won re-election with 68 percent of the vote, easily enough to avoid a runoff. But Bloomberg reports that Karzai has distanced himself from that claim. His campaign is “not able to confirm the figures from Mr. Zakhilwal,” said Jaafar Rasuly, an official at the president’s headquarters.” We are not sure why he mentioned this. It’s outside his responsibility and we have to wait for the official results from the Independent Election Commission.”
In Washington, Attorney General Eric Holder has announced a criminal probe of alleged excesses in the CIA interrogation of prisoners. A CIA inspector general report, compiled in 2004 but released in redacted form only now, tells of fake executions, threats against prisoners’ family members and the use of a power drill to frighten a prisoner. While excessive, somehow I don’t think those are the cases that would have — or should have — touched off a politically dangerous criminal prosecution. The real problems are hinted at in this paragraph from a Washington Post story:
The precise reasons for the inspector general’s review remained censored in the version released Monday, but officials have said privately it was provoked in part by alarms sounded within the CIA after the freezing death in November 2002 of a young Afghan at an agency-funded prison outside Kabul. A CIA case officer had ordered the detainee stripped and shackled to a concrete floor without blankets.
As the CIA inspector general report warned, the interrogation program “diverges sharply from previous Agency policy and practice, rules that govern interrogations by U.S. military and law enforcement officers, statements of U.S. policy by the Department of State, and public statements by very senior U.S. officials, including the President, as well as the policies expressed by members of Congress, other Western governments, international organizations, and human rights groups.”
The report also offers little evidence that the “enhanced interrogations” produced intelligence not accessible by legal means.
In another difficult moment for the Obama administration, an updated 10-year deficit projection to be released this morning will estimate a $9 trillion increase in the federal debt by 2019, an increase of two trillion dollars. It’s true that Obama inherited much of that mess, and that the federal stimulus and other emergency spending was absolutely necessary. It’s a tough economy out there, but the overwhelming consensus of economists is that it would have been much worse without government interventions by both the Bush and Obama administrations.
But all that said, Obama is president now and the problem is his. There are real questions whether investors will be willing and able to finance all that debt, and a good portion of the higher deficit projection is reportedly due to lower projections for economic growth, including jobs. Nobody should underestimate the seriousness of our financial situation, nor the pain and sacrifice needed to correct it over the long term.
And as both parties know, pain and sacrifice are not exactly a popular campaign theme.
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227 comments Add your comment
Peadawg
August 25th, 2009
8:05 am
“But all that said, Obama is president now and the problem is his.”
I can’t believe a Democrat actually admitted that for once on these blogs. Good job Bookman!
Kayaker 71
August 25th, 2009
8:13 am
All that in the face of increasing lack of confidence in Bozo’s ability to tackle and solve these problems. Poll numbers down, even fellow Demos voicing concern over his ability to lead and his spending extravaganza which will lead us to the most debt in our history. These town hall protests are about more than health care. We just don’t trust him and his cronies to make the right decisions for us…. in most any situation.
Paul
August 25th, 2009
8:14 am
Okay, I just posted off-topic in the previous thread. But they were spot-on topic here. So…
“A profanity-laced screaming match” at the White House involving CIA Director Leon Panetta, and the expected release today of another damning internal investigation, has administration officials worrying about the direction of its newly-appoint intelligence team, current and former senior intelligence officials tell ABC News.com. …According to intelligence officials, Panetta erupted in a tirade last month during a meeting with a senior White House staff member. Panetta was reportedly upset over plans by Attorney General Eric Holder to open a criminal investigation of allegations that CIA officers broke the law in carrying out certain interrogation techniques that President Obama has termed “torture.” ”
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=8398902
A few days ago Jay wondered if the terror alert system was manipulated for political purposes.
Declining approval ratings, support for health care reform slipping every few days, a 2 trillion budget mistake released after everyone’s gone for the weekend; lousy, lousy assessments from the military regarding Afghanistan, and what do we have? A new Bush torture investigation (noted in the Times, the career lawyers at Justice declined to recommend prosecution, so that questions the line the Bush Justice Dept was entirely politicized). A new head guy reverses the careerists and opens a new investigation. (Add that to Holder’s reversing career lawyers in the Civil Rights Division over the prosecution of the New Black Panthers and one has an entirely new consideration of which administrations politicizes Justice).
So which president is using America’s national security for political gain? Both of them?
The more things change, the more they stay the same -
Paul
August 25th, 2009
8:16 am
and
“Oh, did I mention the Obama Administration’s confirmed it is continuing renditions? Remember renditions? Darth Cheney’s program? Yup, that renditions. But, big difference, says the Obama Administration. We will provide oversight! We will ‘make sure’ none of those interrogations carried out in say, Egypt, or Jordan, or maybe some countries we don’t want to list, will not include torture. No demeaning questions. No making people feel uncomfortable. Nice temps in the cells. Good food. Yup, Obama’s gonna make sure of that.
Really. And people believe it. Didn’t say how he’s gonna ‘make sure,’ though.
Did I mention the Obama Administration likes rendition?
Change…..”
and Taxpayer –
You may want to read some of those reports. And the memos listed in the back. The ones the CIA released AFTER the CIA Inspector General’s report went public. Seems to back up VP Cheney’s assertions. Pretty unequivocal language.
Watch the spin begin!
okay, that about brings me in sync with the current thread -
NRB
August 25th, 2009
8:16 am
Obama’s to-do list:
1.) bankrupt the country
2.) take whitey’s guns
3.) kill whitey
4.) jail all ceos
5.) put homeless people in ceo job positions to usher in new prosperous era of “tickle up” economics
Davo
August 25th, 2009
8:22 am
“It’s a tough economy out there, but the overwhelming consensus of economists is that it would have been much worse without government interventions by both the Bush and Obama administrations.”
Ya…like your go-to liberal mouthpiece Paul Krugman? Bookman throws this talking point around to bolster the whole ‘govt intervention is good’ line when, in fact, it was govt intervention that gave us this mess.
Taxpayer
August 25th, 2009
8:24 am
and Taxpayer –
You may want to read some of those reports. And the memos listed in the back. The ones the CIA released AFTER the CIA Inspector General’s report went public. Seems to back up VP Cheney’s assertions. Pretty unequivocal language.
Watch the spin begin!
Just to get this thread up to date, here is my post, from below, that prompted Paul’s little retort:
Taxpayer
August 25th, 2009
8:03 am
Code red! Code Red! Imminent release of documents! Watch for falling reams of paper. They can be hazardous if you get struck by them. Puhleeeez
NRB
August 25th, 2009
8:25 am
The economy is improving IN SPITE of the government, not because of them.
Jesus, Jay. Please pick up even a basic book on economics. The government can only have a negative effect on the economy…never ever a positive one.
And Jay, when is the AJC going to finally go out of business? What liberal organization is funding you guys so that you can keep the doors open? La Raza? NAACP? Al Queda?
Paul
August 25th, 2009
8:26 am
Davo
Some would argue it was lack of intervention (oversight and regulation) that precipitated this mess. That, and a lot of people gaming the system so what they did wasn’t illegal.
Krugman writes a lot about this topic. But there were many, many others – some quite towards the other end of the spectrum – who were wondering, as Pres Bush was considering action to take – that left unchecked, we could face a depression.
jt
August 25th, 2009
8:27 am
Jay- You forgot to mention global warming.
Obama has to stop that too.
I am sure that his Harvard Law degree and his community organizing skills will save us all.
I Report/ Vast White Wing Conspirator (-: You Whine )-:
August 25th, 2009
8:28 am
I sense an outburst of whining and moaning coming in about two weeks.
Paul
August 25th, 2009
8:28 am
Taxpayer
Which is why I suggested you may want to read them…. rather than engage in the oft-used tactic of ‘belittle and distract.’
stands for decibels
August 25th, 2009
8:28 am
1.) bankrupt the country
2.) take whitey’s guns
3.) kill whitey
4.) jail all ceos
5.) put homeless people in ceo job positions to usher in new prosperous era of “tickle up” economics
Well, a guy can dream.
Later, kiddies.
Taxpayer
August 25th, 2009
8:30 am
Kayaker 71
August 25th, 2009
8:13 am
All that in the face of increasing lack of confidence in Bozo’s ability to tackle and solve these problems. Poll numbers down, even fellow Demos voicing concern over his ability to lead and his spending extravaganza which will lead us to the most debt in our history. These town hall protests are about more than health care. We just don’t trust him and his cronies to make the right decisions for us…. in most any situation.
Tell us all about how you would have done things differently and how we would be in so much better shape as a result.
Taxpayer
August 25th, 2009
8:34 am
Paul
August 25th, 2009
8:28 am
Taxpayer
Which is why I suggested you may want to read them…. rather than engage in the oft-used tactic of ‘belittle and distract.’
A few days ago Jay wondered if the terror alert system was manipulated for political purposes.
Declining approval ratings, support for health care reform slipping every few days, a 2 trillion budget mistake released after everyone’s gone for the weekend; lousy, lousy assessments from the military regarding Afghanistan, and what do we have? A new Bush torture investigation (noted in the Times, the career lawyers at Justice declined to recommend prosecution, so that questions the line the Bush Justice Dept was entirely politicized). A new head guy reverses the careerists and opens a new investigation.
Hyperbolate much, Paul. You have zero room to go there with the ‘belittle and distract’ bullshiite.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
August 25th, 2009
8:37 am
Well, they wouldn’t have to worry about election results in this Afghanistan if they had a Photo ID law like GA has. You just can’t go with making voters dip a finger in ink that they could just wash off and then go and vote again. I hear Those People over there are just voting 20 or 30 times.
Anyhow, I don’t blame this CIA guy for getting upset about this report. You can’t even slap a few Terrists around and threaten their kids and maybe accidently kill one or two when you question them without some librul raising all kind of heck. We’re getting to be just a namby-pamby country.
And what’s another trillion bucks or two when you’re so far in debt it don’t matter? We need to nip this stuff in the bud right now. Forget about health care for the bums and the illegals. Cut out this Social Security and make these old coots go back to work. Get rid of Medicare and junk like that. The only thing we should be spending money on is the military. You never can tell when another war is going to break out and if we have to fight three of them all at once we’ll need all the money we can save and print.
Anyhow, things were good when My President was in office. As I recall it, there was plenty of jobs and we didn’t spend so much and everybody was waiting for Trickle Down to happen. This Obama done ruint things.
Have a good a.m. everybody.
stands for decibels
August 25th, 2009
8:40 am
Jesus, Jay.
that’ll be “Jay-zus Christ” to you, bub.
Please pick up even a basic book on economics.
In my experience, whenever a conservative whinges about a liberal “not understanding basic economics”?
The conservative doesn’t understand basic economics.
Later, kiddies.
USinUK
August 25th, 2009
8:41 am
“I sense an outburst of whining and moaning coming in about two weeks”
gee, whiner, are you leaving us for a 2-week vacation??? whatever will we do in the interim ???
stands for decibels
August 25th, 2009
8:41 am
Argh. Ah hates me some refresh gremlins. Thought my post @ 8.28 got eated.
Really outa here now…
Mrs. Godzilla
August 25th, 2009
8:43 am
Obama’s do to list as ALWAYS been daunting.
That’s why we elected the smart guy, not the grumpy old guy.
Chill…..He’s got this.
Paul
August 25th, 2009
8:46 am
Taxpayer
You’re not back on arguing for the sake of arguing, are you?
Jay described events in the Bush Administration and said it appeared they used national security for political purposes.
I described a number of events that are not good news for the Obama Administration and pointed out how the culminating event (CIA special investigator) appeared to be the same.
I then compared still another way (rendition, in addition to the before-mentioned wiretaps and spying) that the Bush and Obama Administrations appear similar. If you consider that belittling, well, that reveals more about your attitude than anything.
And as far as distracting – just what was I distracting from? I raised the issue of the CIA memos and assessments referred to by VP Cheney. Seems to me your ‘oh no the sky is falling’ was more distracting than factually enlightening.
Normal
August 25th, 2009
8:47 am
USinUk, Your comment dowwnstrais about the caps…I never put it together but I believe you are correct. Thanks, I was being really
fooled.
Taxpayer
August 25th, 2009
8:47 am
There’s not much that Bush administration lawyers considered torture in their infamous Office of Legal Counsel memos, but mock execution made the list.
It now turns out it was also among the techniques used on detainees in U.S. custody, according to a long-suppressed CIA report that was partially declassified Monday.
Walling? Waterboarding? Acceptable “enhanced-interrogation techniques,” according to the Bush-era Justice Department. Mock executions, however — along with burning with cigarettes, rape and electric shocks to the genitalia — were considered not to meet the legal standards…
ByteMe
August 25th, 2009
8:48 am
But there were many, many others – some quite towards the other end of the spectrum – who were wondering, as Pres Bush was considering action to take – that left unchecked, we could face a depression.
Not “could”, but would. Without TARP, we were looking at several trillion in FDIC liabilities at the top 10-20 banks (which were all technically insolvent once the derivatives market fell apart). The FDIC fund was not set up to handle anything that massive, so it would have had to come from Treasury. TARP was the “discounted” way of handling this. No doubt about it, losing those banks and not paying off AIGs bad bets would have sent the world economy into a depression and likely brankrupted most of Europe in the process.
Peadawg
August 25th, 2009
8:49 am
“That’s why we elected the smart guy”
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I’ve some great jokes in my time, but that was the funniest.
Bosch
August 25th, 2009
8:49 am
“That’s why we elected the smart guy, not the grumpy old guy”
Best line of the morning so far.
Oh dear what a mess we’d be in if the grumpy old guy had won. Yeah, I know it’s irrelevant speculation, but it’s still fun. McCain would be too busy screaming at the press to get off his lawn while puddering around in his underwear and bathrobe. Hehehehehehe.
Normal
August 25th, 2009
8:51 am
jt
August 25th, 2009
8:27 am
I am sure that his Harvard Law degree and his community organizing skills will save us all.
jt, I’m glad to see you have come around to our side…welcome to the left, heh, heh…
Bosch
August 25th, 2009
8:51 am
Peadawg,
I know you suffer from Obama Derangement Syndrome and hate the man, but please, the dude is smart, and much classier than his two predecessors.
USinUK
August 25th, 2009
8:52 am
Paul -
“Jay described events in the Bush Administration and said it appeared they used national security for political purposes.”
before you start wailing on Jay about that, HE wasn’t the one who said it … that would be the former head of the DHS, Gov. Ridge who said it. And, let’s face it – he would know. RIDGE was the one who said that he fought raising the security threat level, but that the administration would insist. All Jay did was raise it as a topic.
Normal –
“Thanks, I was being really fooled”
meh. there’s plenty o’ misinformation floating around, don’t beat yourself up about it! (although your doctor is doing nothing but fearmongering)
Normal
August 25th, 2009
8:53 am
Bosch, If he even remembered his bathrood at all…
Normal
August 25th, 2009
8:53 am
BATHROBE!!!
Peadawg
August 25th, 2009
8:53 am
I don’t hate anybody Bosch. Hate is a very strong word. I just don’t agree with some of his policies so far.
TnGelding
August 25th, 2009
8:54 am
It’s daunting while he is on vacation.
TnGelding
August 25th, 2009
8:56 am
NRB
August 25th, 2009
8:16 am
Would you settle for “gushes up economics?”
USinUK
August 25th, 2009
8:57 am
“Hate is a very strong word. I just don’t agree with some of his policies so far.”
yeah. it sounds like it: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I’ve some great jokes in my time, but that was the funniest.”
Hef
August 25th, 2009
8:57 am
NRB@8:16-To funny!! And,not out of realm of thinking.
USinUK
August 25th, 2009
8:58 am
TnG –
“Would you settle for “gushes up economics?””
sounds like what you would have after a bad Mexican …
Shawny
August 25th, 2009
8:59 am
Unfortunately, we can’t afford this administration. Slice the budget and get back to reality before we have to print money to cover the costs. Then the scant few dollars we have accumulated won’t be worth squat.
Mrs. Godzilla
August 25th, 2009
9:00 am
Bosch
If the grumpy guy would have been elected…..EEEEEK!
Here’s a scarey thought…..what if Palin turned out to be McCains Brain?
Paul
August 25th, 2009
9:00 am
Taxpayer 8:47
Thanks, but allow me to clarify. Many have spoken in the absolute terms of ‘torture NEVER works.’ I see problems when speaking in absolutes. The CIA memos, however, said the interrogation program was an ‘absolute success.’ For a bureaucratic assessment in a culture used to hedging its bets, that’s pretty remarkable.
So, again, I wasn’t referring to what was done. I was addressing the question of whether or not it was successful in meeting its objectives.
USinUK
August 25th, 2009
9:01 am
“before we have to print money to cover the costs”
um. dear. what do you think we’ve been doing since the Great Depression …
TnGelding
August 25th, 2009
9:02 am
Peadawg
August 25th, 2009
8:05 am
So Jay’s a Democrat? Obama himself has taken the reins, and we supporters have said all along it would be his soon enough. And with economic growth expected by many this qtr, why not?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/14/obama-on-economy-i-want-t_n_232265.html?page=24&show_comment_id=27112307#comment_27112307
Paul
August 25th, 2009
9:04 am
USinUK
I said “Jay” simply because he is, as you pointed out, the one who raised the topic. All the topics he raises (or nearly all, have to watch speaking in absolutes!) are based on some source –
Normal
I like ‘bathrood.’ Sounds like something one would find in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy -
Bosch
August 25th, 2009
9:04 am
Peadawg,
No man, it’s obvious, you hate him. Passionately.
Kayaker 71
August 25th, 2009
9:04 am
Taxpayer,
Here’s a wish list:
1. Round up all of the illegals and send them home. If they try to re-enter the country, cut off aid to Mexico as a first step, then bring out the AK-47s. It’s time we did something about this fiasco and no one has the balls to get involved.
2. Make major revisions in the tax code. Whether or not you are a Flat Tax advocate or not, something must be done about the system as it stands. It get’s more complicated every year and before long, we will be working until July to pay off the government.
3. Get Bozo off the campaign trail. He is President now…. he should act like it.
4. Propose health care revision without a government option. True, we have Medicare and VA coverage which is government sponsored but the vast number of Americans who are insured (80% or so) don’t want the government make decisions about how the health care system is run. Pass caps on medical liability law suits and quit pandering to the American Trial Lawyers Assn.
5. Pass term limits for elected officials…. two terms for Senators and the same for Representatives. These political hacks are killing this nation with their inactivity and inability to come with solutions to common problems. All they can do is spend money.
6. Cut substantial foreign aid to those countries who vote against most everything we propose in the UN. These people are not our friends and we need to trying to buy their loyalty with a few billion here and a few billion there.
7. Enter Pakistan and fight this war in Afghanistan the way it ought to be fought. If the Pakistanis don’t like it, so be it. The Taliban is winning and we should be able to turn the tide without being afraid of offending someone.
8. Legalize weed.
9. Quit being so politically correct about everything we do to preserve this country and what it stands for. Free speech is not a luxury, it is right. So is carrying a weapon if you are licensed.
10. Stop trying to spend us out of debt. It doesn’t work, despite what John Maynard Keynes said.
That’ll do for starters.
Bosch
August 25th, 2009
9:06 am
Normal,
I liked “bathrood” too. Yeah, guys that old — he might have even forgot the underwear. Ewwww. New mental image. Please.
USinUK
August 25th, 2009
9:07 am
Paul –
“The CIA memos, however, said the interrogation program was an ‘absolute success.’ For a bureaucratic assessment in a culture used to hedging its bets, that’s pretty remarkable.”
so. the CIA does something that goes against International Law. they KNOW it goes against International Law. and you’re surprised that they say that the “interrogation” program was a success???
have you never heard of CYA???
Taxpayer
August 25th, 2009
9:08 am
Paul
August 25th, 2009
8:46 am
Taxpayer
You’re not back on arguing for the sake of arguing, are you?
rather than engage in the oft-used tactic of ‘belittle and distract.’
Try to belittle and distract someone else with your hyperbolating, Paul. Surely, you can manage to engage one of your fellow right wing nutter butters in some stimulating rhetoric. As for me, I’m not interested. I do so hope that helps to allay your ‘concern’ that I would choose to argue with you for the mere sake of arguing. That would be such a waste of my valuable time and I would be reduced to nothing more than, well, a right wing nutter butter, the ones that just say nothing but no or something of equal or lesser value, dontcha know.
George American
August 25th, 2009
9:08 am
OBOOZO IS NOT GONNA TAKE THIS WHITEY’S GUN!!!!
USinUK
August 25th, 2009
9:09 am
Paul –
“I said “Jay” simply because he is, as you pointed out, the one who raised the topic. All the topics he raises (or nearly all, have to watch speaking in absolutes!) are based on some source – ”
but there is a world of difference between saying that HE asserts that the security alerts were politically motivated and TOM RIDGE saying that they were. that’s not splitting hairs – that’s called being accurate.