Barney Frank is a good guy...

... per this evidence 1. Last fall he tried to investigate where the bailout money was going. 2. In previous years defended Bair and iirc Born and perhaps some other women against sexism when they weren't listened to by the male experts 3. Now, with Carolyn Maloney, he is sponsoring a bill to help consumers against the credit card companies. Ref: NY TIMES BIZ SECTION: BANKS HOLD SWAY OVER DEMS nytimes.com/2009/04/22/business/22consumer.html

PUMA project triage

Say we have our top five issue list. Then we watch current events and look at what different Pumas are interested in. We pick a short term clear cut project that serves all five goals (and if it serves some more goals that’s okay too).

For example, Caroline Kennedy as Hillary’s replacement. Some people who are anti-Kennedy because the Kennedys opposed Hillary did their thing against CK. Some who wanted a woman chosen did their thing for Maloney and Gillibrand. Some who wanted media reform challenged the media bias for CK. Some who saw corruption in the IL appointments agitated for a special election instead of an appointment. Some LGBT supporters promoted Randy whatshername.

It all worked together. Almost every Puma did some kind of dig at CK and the media while they were pushing their own pet issue. And it worked!

Another project might be a recount situation. The focus might be election reform, but some Pumas would be drawn in by sympathy for a particular candidate, or wishing to deny the Dems their veto-proof majority, or caring about some pet issue of one of the candidates. Some might be debunking media inaccuracy. Whatever they are pushing, each statement would probably include some dig at the recount procedure problem. It wouldn’t even matter whether all Pumas supported the same candidate! They would still all be digging at the recount procedure.

Currently we might focus on media treatment of the Tea Parties. Some people would re-cap media treatment of Hillary and Sarah, debunking some of those slanders. Some might find a woman journalist to praise — perhaps Greta or Lynn Sweet. Some might show evidence that the protests against May 31 were bigger than reported, and explain the DNC election procedure issues that caused those protests.

Once we’ve narrowed down to say 5 issues, then it doesn’t matter which issue is the nominal focus on each particular project. We can choose projects by how much interest there is in them already in the general public (eg with CK there was a lot of interest). And by how achievable each particular small project is!

[ trying to post this at RD in "Puma planning", it's in moderation ]

background sources on superdelegates

Here is some backgruond on superdelegates.

google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGLS_en-USUS299US303&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=Ferraro+superdelegates+1972+McGovern+commission

superdelegates.org

Here is Ferraro's complete op-ed: nytimes.com/2008/02/25/opinion/25ferraro.html  

See also by Uppity Woman at NQ: noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/04/02/dispelling-the-obama-moose-poop-about-super-delegates/ 

Scroll down to the quotes from McGovern. Some comments by RD regulars too. This might be a good place to start for an overview of the whole issue.

LJ: Obama "allowed procedures to operate"

"He stepped back and let the professionals do what they are supposed to do," Johnson said. "Since the 1980s we've built national security doctrine for how to handle these matters, and Obama allowed these procedures to operate."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97HP1180&show_article=1

Summary re rescue orders

UPDATE: Here's another view:

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-story-of-a-successful-rescue-and-obamas-attempt-to-claim-credit/2/

He needs to update some details (he has Phillips jumping a second time) but he has the important points.

I've seen one entry from a reliable person (wbboei) saying that a Navy Seal went on CNN (anonymously) and shamed Obama into supporting action. 

Blackfive.net's take seems very likely: standing orders permitted shooting the captors when the hostage was in 'imminent danger'. This occurred, with a clear shot at all the pirates, on Sunday morning, so the snipers took action. "This was not a rescue attempt ordered by National Command Authority i.e. the President. It was a reaction by the on scene commander under standard authority to safeguard the life of a hostage."

Larry Johnson at noquarterusa.net has good info about teh standard operating procedure, what authorizations are required by what agencies, etc. Aiui, there are several stages of SOP and the President has to sign more than one of them. -- Johnson praised Obama for keeping quiet publically and privately signing what the military put in front of him, but sfaik it didn't add up to Obama being really supportive or encouraging on actual action.

Links and details are in my recent posts.

Seal on CNN forced Obama to act

[Navy]  has been ready, willing and able to execute this rescue for three days but for one crucial thing: this is not a military decision but a political one. Translation: the White House has not had the political will to act.

From wbboei

http://www.hillaryis44.org/2009/04/10/marines-hymn/#comment-245960

The pirate boat has been out of gas and drifting with the current for several days. The first Navy ship arrived on station on Thursday and the second Navy ship arrived on Friday. Hostage negotiations were convened and failed. No rescue attempt was made at either time, or by Sunday morning. The White House maintained its position that Obama would not get involved. The problem was that by then the pirate boat was drifting toward shore, and if it moved in closer the Navy ships would be unable to follow because of their deep draft. If the pirate boat reached shore then the pirates and their hostage would disappear into the hinterlands. And the Navy would be blamed for losing them.

Consequently, the Navy had to find a politically acceptable way to force Obama to make a decision. Therefore, a Navy Seal appeared on CNN on Sunday morning at approximately 11:20 a.m. However the Navy wanted CNN to hide his identity so the Obama Administration could not retaliate against him through its newly appointed Secretary of the Navy for speaking out. So they projected a silhouette only and disguised his voice. After establishing the fact that the pirate boat had been drifting for several days and was now moving toward shore where escape would be possible the moderator asked the Seal why we had not attacked the pirate boat?

Whereupon the Seal told the moderator that the Navy practices such rescues on a routine basis and has been ready, willing and able to execute this rescue for three days but for one crucial thing: this is not a military decision but a political one. Translation: the White House has not had the political will to act. Mr. Obama was unable to make a command decision. Suddenly, the captives problem, the company’s problem, and the country’s problem while Obama was too busy shooting hoops was ultimately Barack’s problem. Worse, if the pirates got away everyone would know is was his fault.

Within one (1) hour Navy seals attacked the boat, killed two pirates, apprehended the others and rescued the captain. Thereafter, Obama claimed that he had given an order on Thursday when the first Navy ship arrived to attack the pirate boat if it appeared that the Captains life was in imminent danger. He further claimed that he reissued the same order on Friday when the second ship arrived. Thereafter, he called the family of the captain which he had not done before, promised to rid the area of pirates and basked in the glory of it all.

Captain's rescue NOT ordered by Obama

"This was not a rescue attempt ordered by National Command Authority i.e. the President. It was a reaction by the on scene commander under standard authority to safeguard the life of a hostage."

See also Larry Johnson's take in my previous post.

 

blackfive.net/main/2009/04/how-the-rescue-happened.html

I just finished listening to the press conference w/ ADM Gortney about the rescue of Captain Phillips. At the time it happened the USS Bainbridge was towing the lifeboat to calmer waters as the sea state was deteriorating. One of the pirates was on board the Bainbridge as the talks about obtaining Phillip’s release continued. The lifeboat was approx. 25 m behind the Bainbridge when snipers on the fantail observed one of the pirates in the pilot house of the lifeboat pointing an AK-47 at the back of a tied up Phillips and the other two pirates on board were visible (at least shoulders and heads). The standing authority gave them clearance to engage the pirates if the life of the captain was in imminent danger. The on scene commander deemed this to be true and gave the order to fire. All three bad guys were taken out and then a rigid inflatable boat went to the lifeboat to retrieve Phillips. It is unknown at this point whether the shooters were SEALs or Marine Scout Snipers as both would have been available.

This was not a rescue attempt ordered by National Command Authority i.e. the President. It was a reaction by the on scene commander under standard authority to safeguard the life of a hostage.

The AP is reporting that President Obama gave the order to use military force to rescue the hostage, that is misleading.

Why didn't the USN cover Phillips' FIRST escape?

This was the second time the Captain had jumped out and tried to swim — followed by swimming pirates.

This time he was given cover by the US forces. Why did the US Navy not give him cover the FIRST time?

Had Obama ordered the Navy not to shoot pirates — and finally the Navy disregarded Obama’s order?

Obama in Somali dress

Not dressed by a pirate.... 

Somali pirates, hm? Has anyone yet connected this  piracy hostage story with the famous picture of Obama being wrapped in white cloth by a 'Somali elder'?

To be fair, here is a BBC story saying the dress has no special or religious meaning and does not need to be applied by an 'elder'.

h..../ no w's

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7265115.stm

But see

http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2009/04/11/obamas-barbary-coast/#comment-1179923

for background on the pirates and the Somali elders backing them.

New twenty-somethings' chant

ADMIN! Wish you had been here to witness three twenty-somethings on a ferry boat chanting loudly: “Obama cannot be trusted! Obama cannot be trusted by his friends, Obama cannot be trusted by his enemies, Obama cannot be trusted on any issue, Obama cannot be trusted!”

From hillaryis44.org, addressing their wonderful Admin

http://www.hillaryis44.org/2009/04/10/marines-hymn/#comment-245706

Turkish paper: Beautiful American [ Hillary ]

Davutoglu added that [Hillary] had long been interested in foreign policy and that her power comes not from her name, but her background. A warm temperament and a clear mind obviously signal a better period for Turkish-US relations. [....]

Another very positive side of Clinton’s visit was that it ended the paranoia over ‘moderate Islam.’ The Bush administration didn’t have any policy meant to turn Turkey into a country ‘which applies shariah moderately,’ but terminology mistakes led to paranoia. It’s a good thing that Clinton ended it. She stressed such values as democracy, a secular constitution, freedom of religion, a free market economy, and a sense of responsibility, and said that the US didn’t categorize any country by its religious leanings. 

Now we can approach Turkey’s domestic sociological dynamics and Turkish-US relations free of the paranoia over moderate Islam.

Results of the first Clinton administration (1993-2000)

On August 14, 2000, President Clinton spoke at the Stapleton Center. Clinton could just as easily be describing Obama’s America:

Eight years ago, when our party met in New York, it was a far different time for America. Our economy was in trouble, our society was divided, our political system was paralyzed. Ten million of our fellow citizens were out of work. Interest rates were high. The deficit was $290 billion and rising. After 12 years of Republican rule, the federal debt had quadrupled, imposing a crushing burden on our economy and our children.

Welfare rolls, crime, teen pregnancy, income inequality - all had been skyrocketing. And our government was part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Below Clinton touts his economic achievements:

Today, we are in the midst of the longest economic expansion in our history. More than 22 million new jobs, the lowest unemployment in 30 years, the lowest female unemployment in 40 years, the lowest Hispanic and African American unemployment on record, the highest home ownership rate in our history. In 1995, we turned back the largest cuts in history in Medicare, Medicaid, education, and the environment; and proved two years later that we could find the way to balance the budget and protect our values. Today, we have gone from the largest deficits in history to the largest surpluses in history - and if we stay on course, we can make America debt-free for the first time since 1835.

For the first time in decades, wages are rising at all income levels. We have the lowest child poverty rate in 20 years, the lowest poverty rate for single mothers on record. The average family’s income has gone up more than $5,000 and, for African American families, even more.

Obama Recovering After Closed Captioning ‘Mishap’

Obama Recovering After Closed Captioning ‘Mishap’ 

by Mac Johnson

04/01/2009 

Bethesda, Md. — Doctors were said to be treating President Barack Obama at Bethesda Naval Hospital today for exhaustion and possible vocal cord injuries after a freak television accident occurred at the White House Tuesday evening. 

According to a statement read by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, President Obama, noted for his near total dependence on the teleprompter when speaking, was leaving a practice session for an upcoming press conference when he happened upon a muted television set near the White House Briefing Room on which someone had activated the “closed captioning” function. “Apparently, Mr. Obama mistook the captioning for his new flat screen teleprompter and began reading the text aloud,” Gibbs said. Gibbs stated that “what followed was a tragic marathon speaking session that lasted for nearly 14 hours before staff discovered Obama and disconnected the device.”

The President’s accidental filibuster was said to have included a 2-hour episode of “The Biggest Loser,” a much anticipated “Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit,” the local evening news, and a late night paid infomercial for “natural male enhancement.” The press later described Obama’s reading of the captioning as “eloquent” (New York Times), “historic” (CNN), and “emotionally moving” (Newsweek).

This event comes on the heels of several embarrassing teleprompter gaffes by Obama, including one in which he thanked himself for being invited to the United States [....]

humanevents.com/article.php?id=31285

[ The date says it all. ]