Monday, November 10, 2008
Barack Obama's roast of Rahm Emanuel in 2005 with transcript
Well thank you so much for that introduction. First of all, let me say how glad I am to be here with David and Susan. David, as many of you know, was media director for my campaign and did an outstanding job, but frankly, it was Susan who really ended up touching my heart because she is just as wonderful a person as everyone says up here. You know after the difficult weeks we've had as a country, it’s great that we can come together to do something great for a good cause like curing epilepsy, it’s also great that we can come together to do something that makes everyone feel better, which is to insult Rahm Emanuel.
My colleagues Hillary Clinton and Chris Dodd have known Rahm for years and despite that fact they decided to come anyway. Bill Saphire, we have not met, but it is wonderful to see you here today; I know you are a master of the English language, which you have used for decades you've used as a stiletto in your columns at the New York Times. I read your Sunday columns religiously. You know, you are such a literate, erudite guy that I wonder why are you hanging around with Rahm Emanuel. There are only so many ways to say, "I'm going to rip your head off." Most of Rahm's vocabulary cannot appear in the Sunday Magazine section, though I think it is wonderful though that you are here, along with Congressman Tom Cole. Other Republicans were invited to the roast this evening, but they said they would come only if there was a real fire.
But the truth is I admire Rahm Emanuel greatly, he is a wonderful politician, his skills and instincts are extraordinary, I mean think about it, can you imagine someone with a weird name like Rahm Emanuel getting elected to Congress from Illinois? It's astonishing.
You know its fashionable in politics in politics these days to profess our faith. The truth is Rahm is very serious about it, he keeps the Sabbath, he goes to synagogue. He doesn’t just talk about the Ten Commandments, he lives them.... with some modifications. The one, "Thou shall not kill," unless he's a target. "Thou shall not covet," unless absolutely necessary. Isn't ironic though that every year Jews celebrate Passover, recalling the day that the angel of death passed over their homes in ancient Egypt, today, Republicans celebrate when Rahm passes over their district.
All of this causes people to ask me, is there tension, within the Illinois delegation? With Denny Hastert and Rahm, after all Rahm is trying to take the job away from Speaker Hastert. And I have to insist in fact that there is no tension, though I think our meetings are the only delegation that has to have an official taster.
You do get a lot of gut coming from Chicago. We already heard it here tonight, you heard some of the cracks about ethics in Chicago. The amazing thing though about Rahm is that in all his years as Bill Clinton’s campaign finance director, as White House aide, politics swirling around him, he has never been subpoened by Congress or called before a grand jury.
Did I mention he has the same attorney as Bob Novak?
But the truth is when you really get to know Rahm, he does have a softer side, Amy will attest to this; very few people know, I think, know prior to this evening that he studied Ballet for a few years. In fact, he was the first to adopt Machiavelli’s the prince for dance. It was an intriguing piece, as you can imagine, there were a lot of kicks below the waist.
But as I think Rahm will tell you, ballet is actually great training for politics: he learned to leap, he learned to spin, he learned to splay his feet to the left and to the right so nobody knows which direction he’s heading in.
It hasn't been easy for Rahm though as a young man he had a serious accident. I think, as many of you were aware of this, he was working at a deli, accident with a meat slicing machine, he lost part of his middle finger, and as a result of this, this rendered him practically mute.
Has he ever flashed that little stubby thing at you? That’s appalling.
Just recently, the polls came out, Democrats are doing better, Rahm turned around and gave his colleagues the high 4 and a half.
For those of you who don't know, Rahm came from a family where failure is not an option. I used to think that Rahm was slightly abrasive because he’s short and sort of funny looking. Then I met his brother Ari who is tall and good looking and also abrasive and annoying.
His brother Ezekiel is here tonight, who is also one of America’s most respect medical ethicists. This does not happen by accident, people. Their parents Ben and Marsha drove them extraordinarily hard. So much so that Rahm has determined not to put the same kind of pressure on their children, who are 7, 5 and 3. Unfortunately, they couldn’t come here tonight, they are studying for their SATs.
Some of you may also know that Rahm’s brother Ari is a model for the lead character, on the big hit on HBO, Entourage. What some of you might not know that Rahm himself is also an inspiration for that other HBO character, Tony Soprano.
Rahm is a little intense, he is strong, he is aggressive, he is emotional, he is moody and the Republicans have finally figured out one way to control him: they are going to start steroid testing members.
What they are going to find out though that its all natural. Rahm is one of a kind, we love him dearly, although we are all glad to say, and I will say what everyone in this room is thinking, which is: thank G-d he is one of a kind.
Alessi, the Senate and more
Listen, pal, it had nothing to do with religion. It's about what does Mitch McConnell have to offer him that Harry Reid doesn't? And I don't hold grudges nor was I one of those that said I was proud to be an American for the first time since who knows when last Tuesday. Was I proud of the way many Americans voted? Yes. I'm an American citizen and every day I'm proud to be an American where we have the rights of freedom of speech, religion, assembly, press, etc. The fact is, Joe Lieberman is more Democrat than Lincoln Chafee or Chuck Hagel. It's only on the Iraq War where most Democrats differ. I say most because I have no clue as to what conservative or liberal Democrats still want us over there. LOOK AT THE DOMESTIC ISSUES!
In other news, I, too, wish Ryan Alessi the best. I don't read his articles or get on Pol Watchers as much as I used to in the past. He wrote his last political column, which was published this morning.
In other news, I, too, wish Ryan Alessi the best. I don't read his articles or get on Pol Watchers as much as I used to in the past. He wrote his last political column, which was published this morning.
After more than four years of writing the weekly political notebook column, this is my final one.As Joseph Gerth at the CJ notes, the race is on for Senate 2010. Gerth even went far enough to give us the odds on the race.
Later this month, I will begin covering Kentucky's colleges and universities, as well as higher education policies and trends, for the Herald-Leader.
It's a new challenge that I'm eager to tackle. But it doesn't signal a cutback in the Herald-Leader's commit ment to covering state government and politics. Eventually, a new political writer will be named.
For the nearly six years I served in that capacity, I had the tremendous fortune of learning from some of the most knowledgeable and insightful sources and analysts, who patiently taught me the history and nuances of Kentucky's unique and colorful brand of politics.
And although the ranks of the Frankfort press corps have shrunk in recent years, a host of talented reporters remain. Many of those journalists — starting with the dean of the Capitol press corps, the Herald-Leader's Jack Brammer, and including some of this newspaper's chief competitors — unknowingly served as role models for me.
To all of them and to those dedicated readers of the Herald-Leader's political coverage, I will be forever grateful.
Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo -- he's been making more appearances in Louisville recently than Mayor Jerry Abramson, and following the 2004 race that he narrowly lost to Bunning, he's been itching for a rematch. But other Democrats may have more support from the party elite and he'd have to give up his position on Gov. Steve Beshear's ticket in 2011 if he were to run. Odds of entering the Democratic primary: 2-1.
Attorney General Jack Conway -- says he's looking at the race and people around him say he wants to run. Youngest among those looking at the Senate, Conway could build up the kind of clout and power that Sen. Mitch McConnell has amassed in four terms. But he won't run without the OK of the next two potential candidates. Odds: 3-1.
State Auditor Crit Luallen -- like Mongiardo, she's had a high profile at Democratic events in Louisville lately. Respected by Democrats and Republicans alike, she's amassed a strong record as auditor. But she's balked at running for higher office in the past and could step aside to give Conway a chance. Odds: 5-1.
U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler -- being governor and U.S. senator has long seemed to be the birthright of the grandson of the late senator and governor A.B. "Happy" Chandler. But he likes what he's doing in the House. If he won, he'd have to give up his seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee. If he lost, he'd have to go back to practicing law -- nahhh. Probably not a candidate unless he gets a call from Barack Obama. Odds: 25-1.
Former Gov. Paul Patton -- sound crazy? That's been the talk around Frankfort. Patton was seen as the presumptive Democratic candidate in 2004 until a sexual affair seemingly ended his political career. He's re-emerged in Frankfort on the Council for Postsecondary Education. While he told one reporter he's not interested, scuttlebutt says otherwise. Odds: 50-1.
Bruce Lunsford -- he's already spent $25 million of his own fortune running for office. What's another $10 million? While some might counsel against another run despite a respectable showing against Sen. Mitch McConnell, Lunsford could be feeling his oats. And Sen. Chuck Schumer owes Lunsford for keeping McConnell and his money tied up in Kentucky. He could go unless his daughters, who stand to inherit less than they did five years ago, tie him up and hide him in the basement. Odds: 25-1.
Darlene Fitzgerald Price -- who? She's a former U.S. customs agent who lives in Whitley City. She has announced she's running but will find it tough sledding against any of the other candidates listed here. Odds: 1-1
Marvel announces Joe Johnston as Captain America's director
It's official. Cap now has a director. It's Joe Johnston.
"This is a guy who designed the vehicles for 'Star Wars,' who storyboarded the convoy action sequence for 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' " Feige said. "From 'Rocketeer' to 'October Sky' to 'The Wolfman,' you can look at pieces of his movies and see how they lead to this one."
Created in 1941 by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon for Timely Comics, Captain America is the heroic alter ego of Steve Rogers, who is rejected by the Army for being too sickly and undergoes an experiment that takes him to the pinnacle of human form. Paired with an indestructible shield, he became a symbol of the war effort, in and out of comics.
The character disappeared in the 1950s but was revived during the early era of Marvel Comics. He was reintroduced as part of the Avengers, the absence explained by having him being in a state of suspended animation during a war mission until found by the superteam.
First Avenger: Captain America is scheduled for a release on May 6, 2011. It will be a World War II-set movie, and the character will appear in the modern day-set The Avengers.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Hello, kosher food crisis...
It's official...there's a meat shortage.
It is safe to say that we will no longer be getting deliveries from Agriprocessors, Inc. Their facilities have been closed since late last week, and there is no reason to believe that they will re-open. We have been using alternate suppliers for the past 3 months trying to supplement our beef inventory. Although we have long expected that this would happen, the kosher beef market has been devastated. They supplied a majority of the kosher beef in the US.. The demand for beef far exceeds the supply chain.In other Jewish related news, check out this NY Times article on Joseph's Tomb.
Wildcats in the House...
ESPN previews the Kentucky Wildcats for the 2008-09 season.
The Farrelly brothers are bringing the Three Stooges back to the big screen. Sadly, it's not a biopic.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSISThirteen voters placed Kentucky somewhere in the top 25 in the latest preaseason poll.
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: A
INTANGIBLES: A
Year two of the Billy Gillispie era can't be any more difficult than year one. If the injury bug has departed, the returning players can continue to learn what Gillispie expects and the newcomers, particularly Liggins and Galloway, can blend in quickly, this team will once again be on track to play in the NCAA Tournament.
Times are different in the SEC East. Old nemesis Florida isn't the only team to worry about anymore. First place in the division might be asking a bit much, but the Wildcats should win enough games to keep alive an NCAA streak that last season, despite all that went down, stretched to 17 years.
Thirteen voters placed UK on their ballots in The Associated Press pre-season poll announced on Friday.Mark Story had an interesting take on the election and sports.
Of the 13 voters, none held the Cats in higher regard than Roger Clarkson, who covers Georgia for the Athens Banner-Herald. He placed Kentucky at No. 10 on his ballot.
Clarkson explained the lofty position by noting he shared the home state of Texas with UK Coach Billy Gillispie. Growing up in Waco and later working for the newspaper in Amarillo, he kept an eye on basketball in Texas. He was especially impressed with Gillispie making Texas A&M's program rise from the dead.
"They weren't just bad; they were awful," he said. "Not only was it a bad team, the fan base didn't care that they were a bad team. To make the fan base care about basketball was just amazing."
If Gillispie could make Texas A&M relevant, Clarkson figures he'll do wonders for Kentucky.
"It's hard for me to believe the cupboard is completely bare at Kentucky," he said. "There's got to be a lot more to work with at Kentucky."
Clarkson acknowledged that the No. 10 spot might be overly optimistic.
"I might have over-voted them," he said. "Once you get past four or five teams, it's really a crapshoot. ... I think they have to be in the top 15 or so.
Of the 13 voters placing the Cats on their ballot, six work in SEC states: Clarkson, Gentry Estes of The Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register, Ryan Malashock of The Morning News (Ark.), Israel Gutierrez of The Miami Herald, Mike Griffith of the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel and yours truly.
ESPN commentator Dick Vitale, one of two at-large voters, also put Kentucky on his ballot.
Brooks vs. KragthorpeIn their first game of the season, Kentucky beat Missouri-St. Louis with a final score of 111-53. Josh Harrellson had 21 points with 12 rebounds.
What you'll see: A dejected Brooks after Kentucky lost to Ohio University at home in 2004. (Cut to) Andre Woodson's 2007 game-winning pass to Steve Johnson against Louisville. (Cut to) Braxton Kelley's 2007 game-winning tackle in the third overtime against LSU. (Cut to) A smiling Brooks with Wesley Woodyard holding the 2007 Music City Bowl trophy. (Cut to) The Papa John's Cardinal Stadium scoreboard in 2008 showing "Kentucky 27, Louisville 2."
What you'll hear: In uncertain times, you need an experienced leader. Rich Brooks is making old school cool. In 2003, he inherited NCAA probation. In 2008, Kentucky is bowl eligible for a third straight year. Rich Brooks. Kentucky's glass is now half-full.
Campaign Theme Song: (Don't) Rock the Boat (Hues Corporation)[...]
Billy G. vs. Ricky P.
What you'll see: Shot of Bruce Pearl, sweating through that gray suit. (Cut to) Billy Donovan clipping the nets after winning the NCAA title. (Cut to) Billy Gillispie furiously sending text messages while watching middle schoolers play basketball. (Cut to) Dejected Rick Pitino shaking hands with Billy G. in Rupp Arena after Louisville lost to Texas A&M in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
What you'll hear: Kentuckians are tired of the status quo. Tired of seeing the winningest basketball program of all time outworked. Tired of seeing less-deserving basketball schools cutting down nets. Billy Gillispie has a bold, new plan to get Kentucky back on track. Billy G.: He's putting the gray (area) back in (Big) Blue.
Campaign Theme Song: Amarillo By Morning (George Strait)[...]
Barnhart vs. Jurich
What you'll see: Quick shot of scoreboard that says 'Syracuse 38, Louisville 35.' (Cut to) Rich Brooks accepting Music City Bowl championship trophy. (Cut to) Tom Leach and Mike Pratt broadcasting a UK basketball game. (Cut to) Mitch Barnhart in the stands at UK women's volleyball match. (Cut to) Scoreboard that says 'Syracuse 28, Louisville 21.'
What you'll hear: Mitch Barnhart stayed with Rich Brooks when it was not popular. Now Kentucky goes to bowls. No one thought it was possible to get priority status on WHAS radio for Kentucky games. Mitch Barnhart found a way. Before, women's sports at UK were an afterthought. Now, Mitch Barnhart is the best friend women's athletics at UK has ever had. Mitch Barnhart. He didn't hire Kragthorpe.
Campaign Theme Song: Hip To Be Square (Huey Lewis and The News)
The Farrelly brothers are bringing the Three Stooges back to the big screen. Sadly, it's not a biopic.
"It’s not a biopic. It takes place in present day, and they look, dress and sound exactly like the Stooges," Peter Farrelly told Daily Variety. "When the economy started turning, we felt like the world could use a Stooges slapfest. Bobby and I haven’t done a real physical comedy in a while, and it’s the most exciting thing we could think of now, to have people go to the movie, see some great slapstick fun family humor."
Farrelly said that an "American Idol"-like search will be conducted to find Curly, the most physically gifted member of the trio. Auditions will be held in three or four cities and a finalist will be chosen in Los Angeles. The film will be structured similarly to the shorts, as a feature storyline plays out over three installments that run between 25 and 30 minutes each. A second contest will be held to find several comedy shorts that will precede the film. The goal is to create the feeling that audiences got when they watched the original Stooges shorts as part of a diversified film program.
"We know this is extremely difficult to pull off; we realize some Stooges fans will be upset no matter what we do," Farrelly said. "We love the Stooges and honor their memory, and we don’t want them to disappear. We hope that next Thanksgiving, dads will introduce their kids to the Stooges and create a new generation of knuckleheads."
Israeli leaders offer congrats to President-elect Barack Obama
Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC:
President Shimon Peres:
"It was an American election and a worldwide choice. I don't recall any other election that practically all of humanity was following with hope and concern. I want to congratulate the newly-elected President: young, fresh, promising, representing a change and introducing change. The changes that I can mention – it is an opportunity to escape the present world crisis and enter into a new era of cooperation, of productive economy and of human solidarity. In a way, it is an end of racism. There is no longer any way that any white man can claim superiority, nor any black person feel discrimination. We are the same people, and this election is a great statement to that effect. I must say that the elections themselves were a great event for the American democracy. I also have the utmost respect for the other candidate John McCain, who fought with great courage and stamina. And when it was over, they shook hands together. For us, America is a great friend and a great hope. We are connected by the Bible and we are together for peace. When President Obama was here, he asked me what he can do for Israel. My answer was: be a great President of the United States of America. If you will be a great President of the United States of America, you will have great promise for Israel as well, and for all of the region and for all of our neighbors. Nobody should look at whose side the President is on – he just has to be on the side of peace. And if he will be on the side of peace, peace will come closer and more possible. I think that all of us are excited and hopeful and send our best wishes from the eternal capital of Jerusalem."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert:
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today (Wednesday), 5 November 2008, congratulates President-elect Barack Obama on his historic and impressive victory in the US presidential election. Once again, America has proven that it is, indeed, the greatest democracy and constitutes an example for all other democracies in the world. President-elect Obama has proven his leadership and his talents to the entire world. Prime Minister Olmert said that the special Israel-US relationship is based on shared values and interests and is characterized by ties of close cooperation. Israel and the US have a common desire to advance peace and stability in the Middle East. We have no doubt that the special relations that prevail between the two countries will continue to strengthen during the Obama administration.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni:
"This is a mark of merit for American democracy. During Barack Obama's visit to Israel, and especially during the tour we conducted together in the city of Sderot, the people of Israel were impressed by his commitment to the peace and security of Israel. Israel looks forward to continued close strategic cooperation with the new administration, the new president and the US Congress, in order to continue to strengthen the unchanging special relationship between our two countries."
Guest Post: Jonathan Miller
Former State Treasurer and former state party chairman Jonathan Miller penned this op-ed for the Lexington Herald-Leader and I thought it was worth reposting here in full.
My children see visions my father could only dream of
By Jonathan Miller
"Your old men shall dream dreams. Your young men shall see visions."
That passage from the Book of Joel was my late father's favorite verse of Scripture. I've been thinking a whole lot about it during this election year: a year of magical dreams and unimaginable visions; a year with the constant, present, tangible sense that we were living history.
I've also been thinking a whole lot about my father.
It really struck me a few months ago, smack in the middle of a live radio interview I was giving to my friend Dave "Kruser" Krusenklaus. Every four years, I've called into his program from the site of the Democratic National Convention.
This was the final day from Denver, a few hours before Sen. Barack Obama would deliver his much-anticipated acceptance speech before a packed crowd of screaming partisans in the huge, open-air Invesco Field.
Kruser asked me whether I thought the unpredictable contingencies of an outdoor setting could distract from Obama's message. Unprepared for the question, I spouted off some of the greatest political speeches in history, all outdoors: Lincoln's at Gettysburg, Kennedy's inaugural, Reagan's "Tear down this wall, Mr. Gorbachev."
Then I recalled my favorite speech of all. In fact, that very day happened to be the 45th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s majestic "I Have a Dream" oration.
My father had been there on the Mall, having spent the summer of his 25th year helping plan the logistics of the March on Washington.
And that's when it hit me. From his heavenly perch, through the open stadium, my father would be in Denver watching with us as well. Along with the many hundreds of patriotic Americans who had given their lives in the civil rights struggles of the 20th century. And along with the many thousands of African-Americans who had died in uniform, proudly serving their country, even though their own dreams of full equality had not yet been realized.
As I stood among 75,000 that clear, crisp, perfect August evening, I could feel the presence of so many more, so many proud American dreamers.
It really struck me again on Election Night.
This time, there were only a few hundred of us in downtown Lexington. But what was remarkable about the crowd was not its size, but its age. Interspersed among the dozens of Democratic diehards were the faces of young Kentucky: from 20-something professionals to college students to my own daughters, who are 14 and 12.
This was their election. They had debated the issues, worn campaign paraphernalia with pride, knocked on hundreds of thousands of doors and voted in record numbers. More significantly, they had provided the energy and intensity — and most important, the idealism — that had been missing from our political system.
Many had feared that American idealism had taken its final breaths in 1968 on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel and in the kitchen pantry of the Ambassador Hotel.
But precisely 40 years later — after 40 years of partisanship and polarization and politics of self-interest — our democracy has been resuscitated by our youngest generation of Americans.
Will this be the next Greatest Generation? Will they be like the Biblical Joshua Generation, leading us after 40 years of wandering into a promised land, where politics are civil, where culture is color-blind, where policies are compassionate?
It's up to us to empower them with the education and civic values to enable them to restore America's greatness, to make us again a light unto the nations.
And, of course, it's up to them to translate their passion for the planet and all of its inhabitants into a more compassionate community.
As I kissed my daughters good night Tuesday, I told them that their grandfather would be awfully proud of them.
Your old men shall dream dreams. Your young men — and women — shall see visions.
My children see visions my father could only dream of
By Jonathan Miller
"Your old men shall dream dreams. Your young men shall see visions."
That passage from the Book of Joel was my late father's favorite verse of Scripture. I've been thinking a whole lot about it during this election year: a year of magical dreams and unimaginable visions; a year with the constant, present, tangible sense that we were living history.
I've also been thinking a whole lot about my father.
It really struck me a few months ago, smack in the middle of a live radio interview I was giving to my friend Dave "Kruser" Krusenklaus. Every four years, I've called into his program from the site of the Democratic National Convention.
This was the final day from Denver, a few hours before Sen. Barack Obama would deliver his much-anticipated acceptance speech before a packed crowd of screaming partisans in the huge, open-air Invesco Field.
Kruser asked me whether I thought the unpredictable contingencies of an outdoor setting could distract from Obama's message. Unprepared for the question, I spouted off some of the greatest political speeches in history, all outdoors: Lincoln's at Gettysburg, Kennedy's inaugural, Reagan's "Tear down this wall, Mr. Gorbachev."
Then I recalled my favorite speech of all. In fact, that very day happened to be the 45th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s majestic "I Have a Dream" oration.
My father had been there on the Mall, having spent the summer of his 25th year helping plan the logistics of the March on Washington.
And that's when it hit me. From his heavenly perch, through the open stadium, my father would be in Denver watching with us as well. Along with the many hundreds of patriotic Americans who had given their lives in the civil rights struggles of the 20th century. And along with the many thousands of African-Americans who had died in uniform, proudly serving their country, even though their own dreams of full equality had not yet been realized.
As I stood among 75,000 that clear, crisp, perfect August evening, I could feel the presence of so many more, so many proud American dreamers.
It really struck me again on Election Night.
This time, there were only a few hundred of us in downtown Lexington. But what was remarkable about the crowd was not its size, but its age. Interspersed among the dozens of Democratic diehards were the faces of young Kentucky: from 20-something professionals to college students to my own daughters, who are 14 and 12.
This was their election. They had debated the issues, worn campaign paraphernalia with pride, knocked on hundreds of thousands of doors and voted in record numbers. More significantly, they had provided the energy and intensity — and most important, the idealism — that had been missing from our political system.
Many had feared that American idealism had taken its final breaths in 1968 on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel and in the kitchen pantry of the Ambassador Hotel.
But precisely 40 years later — after 40 years of partisanship and polarization and politics of self-interest — our democracy has been resuscitated by our youngest generation of Americans.
Will this be the next Greatest Generation? Will they be like the Biblical Joshua Generation, leading us after 40 years of wandering into a promised land, where politics are civil, where culture is color-blind, where policies are compassionate?
It's up to us to empower them with the education and civic values to enable them to restore America's greatness, to make us again a light unto the nations.
And, of course, it's up to them to translate their passion for the planet and all of its inhabitants into a more compassionate community.
As I kissed my daughters good night Tuesday, I told them that their grandfather would be awfully proud of them.
Your old men shall dream dreams. Your young men — and women — shall see visions.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
McConnell says he will work with Obama
Mitch McConnell has gone on record as saying he will work with Obama. What he actually did say was, "You son of a gun, if you ever interupt my grocery shopping again, I'll tell the world your dirty little secret. Don't you know how hard it is to find the perfect apples. Apparently, you don't. Now, what apple was I at?"
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was shopping at the Kroger on Bardstown Road in Louisville on Thursday when his cell phone rang.Um, Mitch, he's been in the Senate the last three years or so, how do you not know him well?
On the other end was President-elect Barack Obama.
The Kentucky Republican had called Obama, an Illinois Democrat, and left him a message Wednesday night.
Obama's return call lasted about five minutes.
The two congratulated each other on their victories in Tuesday's election, according to McConnell spokesman Robert Steurer.
McConnell, who will be the most powerful Republican in Washington when President Bush leaves in January, told Obama he would move quickly on the Senate confirmations of the president-elect's Cabinet nominees.[...]
Obama, of course, campaigned for the White House in part by attacking the Republican record of the last eight years, most of which McConnell supported.
McConnell ran for re-election to his fifth term in the Senate in part by attacking what he called the "liberal" Democratic ticket that he said did not reflect Kentuckians' values.
And McConnell, who was first elected to the Senate in 1984, is not close to Obama, who was elected to the Senate in 2004.
"I don't know him very well, but I think he's certainly an impressive individual," McConnell told reporters Wednesday. "He ran a great race, and I intend to have a good relationship with him.
"I try to deal with my colleagues in a cordial manner, regardless of which side of the aisle they're on," McConnell continued. "And he's certainly somebody that's easy to like personally."[...]
McConnell said it is "much too early" to talk about how much support Obama can expect from Republicans.
"I think it will depend in large measure on the direction the administration takes," he said.
"What I have said," McConnell added, "is that we intend to be very cooperative if he presents, and I'm sure he will, qualified candidates for the Cabinet and trying to get those Cabinet positions confirmed as quickly as possible, particularly in sensitive area like defense and Treasury, homeland security and the attorney general."
Friday, November 07, 2008
Possible cabinet appointees?
Here's a list of names being discussed as possible cabinet members or cabinet-level members in an Obama administration.
DEFENSE SECRETARY
Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig
Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., critic of Iraq war, retiring from Senate
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., member of Senate Armed Services Committee
TREASURY SECRETARY
Timothy Geithner, president of Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker
Lawrence Summers, former treasury secretary and one-time Harvard University president
SECRETARY OF STATE
Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., former U.N. ambassador and energy secretary
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., 2004 presidential nominee
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., former chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., critic of Iraq war, retiring from Senate
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Eric Holder, former deputy attorney general
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano
Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., member of House Judiciary Committee
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, former assistant U.S. attorney for civil rights
ENERGY SECRETARY
Former Rep. Philip Sharp, D-Ind., president of Resources for the Future think tank
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
EPA ADMINISTRATOR
Lisa P. Jackson, commissioner of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Mary Nichols, head of California Air Resources Board
Kathleeen McGinty, former secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.
Howard Dean, chairman of Democratic National Committee, physician, former Vermont governor
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY
Jane Garvey, former head of Federal Aviation Administration
Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of House transportation committee
Mortimer Downey, former deputy transportation secretary
INTERIOR SECRETARY
Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber
Former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles
Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., former executive director of Colorado Natural Resources Department
HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY
James Lee Witt, former FEMA director
Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton
Former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, chairman of 9/11 commission
Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., chairwoman of Homeland Security intelligence subcommittee
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER James B. Steinberg, former deputy national security adviser
Susan Rice, former assistant secretary of state for African affairs
EDUCATION SECRETARY
Colin Powell, former secretary of state, former chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Former North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt
Arne Duncan, chief executive officer of Chicago public schools
Inez Tenenbaum, former South Carolina schools superintendent
AGRICULTURE SECRETARY
Tom Buis, president of National Farmers Union
Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack
Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., chairman of House Agriculture Committee
OFFICE OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR
Rep. John Spratt Jr., D-S.C., chairman of House Budget Committee
Gene Sperling, economic aide to President Clinton
Jason Furman, Obama's campaign economic policy director
Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY
Valerie Jarrett, Obama friend, chairman and CEO of Habitat Co.
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.
LABOR SECRETARY
Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of House Education and Labor Committee
Former Rep. David Bonior, member of Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board
Andy Stern, president of Service Employees International Union
DEFENSE SECRETARY
Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig
Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., critic of Iraq war, retiring from Senate
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., member of Senate Armed Services Committee
TREASURY SECRETARY
Timothy Geithner, president of Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker
Lawrence Summers, former treasury secretary and one-time Harvard University president
SECRETARY OF STATE
Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., former U.N. ambassador and energy secretary
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., 2004 presidential nominee
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., former chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., critic of Iraq war, retiring from Senate
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Eric Holder, former deputy attorney general
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano
Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., member of House Judiciary Committee
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, former assistant U.S. attorney for civil rights
ENERGY SECRETARY
Former Rep. Philip Sharp, D-Ind., president of Resources for the Future think tank
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
EPA ADMINISTRATOR
Lisa P. Jackson, commissioner of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Mary Nichols, head of California Air Resources Board
Kathleeen McGinty, former secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.
Howard Dean, chairman of Democratic National Committee, physician, former Vermont governor
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY
Jane Garvey, former head of Federal Aviation Administration
Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of House transportation committee
Mortimer Downey, former deputy transportation secretary
INTERIOR SECRETARY
Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber
Former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles
Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., former executive director of Colorado Natural Resources Department
HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY
James Lee Witt, former FEMA director
Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton
Former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, chairman of 9/11 commission
Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., chairwoman of Homeland Security intelligence subcommittee
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER James B. Steinberg, former deputy national security adviser
Susan Rice, former assistant secretary of state for African affairs
EDUCATION SECRETARY
Colin Powell, former secretary of state, former chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Former North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt
Arne Duncan, chief executive officer of Chicago public schools
Inez Tenenbaum, former South Carolina schools superintendent
AGRICULTURE SECRETARY
Tom Buis, president of National Farmers Union
Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack
Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., chairman of House Agriculture Committee
OFFICE OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR
Rep. John Spratt Jr., D-S.C., chairman of House Budget Committee
Gene Sperling, economic aide to President Clinton
Jason Furman, Obama's campaign economic policy director
Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY
Valerie Jarrett, Obama friend, chairman and CEO of Habitat Co.
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.
LABOR SECRETARY
Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chairman of House Education and Labor Committee
Former Rep. David Bonior, member of Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board
Andy Stern, president of Service Employees International Union
Biden a prophet? Obama tested with first crisis
It's not even January 20, 2009 and President-elect Barack Obama is already being tested with his first major crisis: selecting the presidential dog.
They would like a shelter dog but his one daughter is allergic, therefore they must reconcile their differences before selecting a dog to move in with them to the White House.
They would like a shelter dog but his one daughter is allergic, therefore they must reconcile their differences before selecting a dog to move in with them to the White House.
Don't do it, Joe!
There is nothing that Mitch McConnell can offer you. In time, Democrats will forgive you for what you did this year. As upset as I was this year by your actions to endorse John McCain and speak at the RNC, I am probably more willing to forgive you than anyone else.
The Iraq War is probably the only area where you disagree with other Democrats. Are you with the Republicans on DOMESTIC POLICY? No, you aren't!
Don't switch parties!
In response to this report, I can say nothing good about Mitch McConnell. He's a douchebag, a schmuck, you get what I'm saying.
The Iraq War is probably the only area where you disagree with other Democrats. Are you with the Republicans on DOMESTIC POLICY? No, you aren't!
Don't switch parties!
In response to this report, I can say nothing good about Mitch McConnell. He's a douchebag, a schmuck, you get what I'm saying.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has reached out to Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) about the prospect of joining the Republican Conference, but Lieberman is still bargaining with Democratic leaders to keep his chairmanship, according to Senate aides in both parties.The GOP is not in power anymore. They have nothing to offer you!
“Sen. Lieberman’s preference is to stay in the caucus, but he’s going to keep all his options open,” a Lieberman aide said. “McConnell has reached out to him, and at this stage, his position is he wants to remain in the caucus but losing the chairmanship is unacceptable.”
A Republican Senate aide said Friday morning that there was little McConnell could offer in terms of high-ranking committee slots, which is why Lieberman is resisting overtures from the Republican side.[...]
Senate aides from both parties caution that Lieberman’s state is still truly up in the air and Reid could still craft a scenario where Lieberman keeps his chairmanship.
Lieberman’s aide told Politico on Friday morning that “essentially what transpired is that Sen. Reid talked about taking away his position perhaps for another position, and Sen. Lieberman indicated that was unacceptable.”
A person with direct knowledge of the Reid-Lieberman meeting yesterday on Capitol Hill said Reid turned to Lieberman at one point and said, "I prefer to work this out" after Lieberman hinted he would "explore his options" with Republicans if he was stripped of the committee.
“Senate leadership has begun discussing scenarios in which he keeps it,” said one senior Democratic aide of Lieberman's committee post.
Lieberman argued that "he had been a loyal vote on everything except Iraq, gave them the majority [by caucusing with Democrats], had contributed generously to the Democratic Senate campaign committee and voted with the Democrats in greater margins than several of his colleagues over the past two years.”[...]
The aide also said that Lieberman was not offered a subcommittee, as has been reported, but rather was offered chairmanship of a lesser committee. He didn’t specify which one he was referring to. However, if Lieberman left Homeland Security, Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) would be next in line and would have to give up Veterans Affairs, which would then be open for Lieberman.
If Lieberman were to join the Republican conference, however, there’s not much McConnell could offer him. Virtually every ranking position is already spoken for, and Republican senators who have spent years moving up the ranks might not look kindly upon Lieberman leapfrogging them if he switches parties.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Obama starts transition
Robert Gibbs will be the press secretary for the administration.
Vice President-elect Joe Biden looks to Walter Mondale as his inspiration for his role as vice president.
Vice President-elect Joe Biden looks to Walter Mondale as his inspiration for his role as vice president.
is former Vice President Walter Mondale, not Cheney, who is the likely model for Biden. Mondale, who served under President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s, was consulted on almost every appointment and had access to the same documents as the president.Jeffrey Goldberg has a bit more on the Rahm Emanuel connection to Israel.
Mondale, 80, met with Biden in August during the Democratic National Convention in Denver, where the two men discussed the vice presidency, Mondale said in an interview. Biden has also read a memo that described the role of the vice president in the Carter White House, Mondale said.[...]
Biden, according to Axelrod and other Obama aides, is expected to be an important adviser on Obama's initial national- security and foreign-policy appointments, as well as on policy questions.
Like Obama, Georgia Governor Carter was inexperienced in Washington. He relied heavily on Mondale, who spent 12 years as a U.S. senator from Minnesota, to guide his congressional agenda.
A Biden adviser said the vice president would be a full partner in governing and involved in all the Obama administration's big decisions.
An example of the unique relationship that vice presidents have with their bosses is the regular weekly lunch that has become a tradition since the 1970s, when Gerald Ford served under Richard Nixon.
1) This choice makes the entire "Does Obama secretly hate Israel?" conversation seem a bit ridiculous (Though the vast majority of Jewish voters seemed to have figured that out by the election). Rahm did not, despite the rumors, serve in the Israeli Army, but he is deeply and emotionally committed to Israel and its safety. We've talked about the issue a dozen times; it's something he thinks about constantly, and his appointment gives me further reason to believe that the Obama Administration will not wait seven years to address the Israeli-Arab crisis.David Axelrod will sign on as a senior advisor.
2) Peace-processors take heart: Rahm, precisely because he's a lover of Israel, will not have much patience with Israeli excuse-making, so when the next Prime Minister tells President Obama that as much as he'd love to, he can't dismantle the Neve Manyak settlement outpost, or whichever outpost needs dismantling, because of a) domestic politics; b) security concerns, or c) the Bible, Rahm will call out such nonsense, and it will be very hard for right-wing Israelis to come back and accuse him of being a self-hating Jew. This is not to say that he's unaware of Palestinian dysfunction, or Iranian extremism, but that he has a good grasp of some of Israel's foibles as well. All in all, it's a very heartening choice.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Barack Obama's Victory Speech
This is Obama's speech as delivered:
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. Watch Obama's speech in its entirety »
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain.
Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.
And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.
It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.
This is your victory.
And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.
There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.
There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.
But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.
Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.
Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. Watch Obama's speech in its entirety »
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain.
Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.
And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.
It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.
This is your victory.
And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.
There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.
There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.
But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.
Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.
Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
Rahm Emanuel is Obama's Chief of Staff
National Journal:
Barack Obama is losing no time in assembling his new administration, offering up the White House chief of staff position to House Democratic Caucus chairman Rahm Emanuel of Illinois just one day after he secured the title of president-elect. Emanuel, who had apparently been whispering to friends and colleagues that he was interested in the position, accepted this afternoon, according to NBC and Fox News.
Emanuel, who served as an adviser in Bill Clinton's White House and currently ranks as the fourth-highest Democrat in Congress, certainly fits the bill of a Washington insider who knows the ins and outs of the policy-making process. He and Obama share a close personal friendship and their Chicago roots.
RIP: Michael Crichton
TV Gude:
Michael Crichton, whose contributions to pop culture ranged from the human drama of ER and Disclosure to the sci-fi adventures Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain, has died after what his family called "a private battle with cancer." He was 66.
"While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us ... family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes," his family said in a statement. "He did this with a wry sense of humor that those who were privileged to know him personally will never forget."
Crichton died Tuesday, the family said.
His page-turner novels — and later the plethora of TV shows and films based on his work — balanced hard science with rip-roaring adventure and small-scale emotion. They sold more than 150 million copies worldwide.
In classic sci-fi fashion, he began with small questions — could dinosaurs walk the earth again? — and blew them out in books that fantasized as much as they informed.
Countless television shows and films in recent years have featured clones, for example, and all owe the public's easy embrace of the concept to Jurassic Park's simple explanation of how dinosaur remains trapped in amber might lead to living dinosaurs.
But also in the sci-fi tradition, Crichton anticipated new technology before it appeared in real life. His terrifying raptors were terrorizing kids in Jurassic Park six years before the birth of Dolly the Sheep.
Crichton's interest in controversial scientific advances — and his right-wing views — earned him plenty of critics. His 2004 bestseller State of Fear, for example, argued that global warming was a hoax.
At 6'9", he could be intimidating in person — or on the page. After political writer Michael Crowley wrote an article accusing Crichton of using "potboiler prose" to push Republican causes, Crichton introduced a child molester in his 2006 book Next — and gave him the name "Mick Crowley."
Crichton attended Harvard College as an undergrad and obtained an M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1969. He did post-doctoral fellowship study at the Jonas Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, from 1969 to 1970, and was a Visiting Writer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1988.
His first book, Odds On, was published in 1966 under the pseudonym John Lange. His first major success was the The Andromeda Strain in 1969. It has since been made into a 1971 movie, and, this year, into a mini-series.
Michael Crichton, whose contributions to pop culture ranged from the human drama of ER and Disclosure to the sci-fi adventures Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain, has died after what his family called "a private battle with cancer." He was 66.
"While the world knew him as a great storyteller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us ... family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes," his family said in a statement. "He did this with a wry sense of humor that those who were privileged to know him personally will never forget."
Crichton died Tuesday, the family said.
His page-turner novels — and later the plethora of TV shows and films based on his work — balanced hard science with rip-roaring adventure and small-scale emotion. They sold more than 150 million copies worldwide.
In classic sci-fi fashion, he began with small questions — could dinosaurs walk the earth again? — and blew them out in books that fantasized as much as they informed.
Countless television shows and films in recent years have featured clones, for example, and all owe the public's easy embrace of the concept to Jurassic Park's simple explanation of how dinosaur remains trapped in amber might lead to living dinosaurs.
But also in the sci-fi tradition, Crichton anticipated new technology before it appeared in real life. His terrifying raptors were terrorizing kids in Jurassic Park six years before the birth of Dolly the Sheep.
Crichton's interest in controversial scientific advances — and his right-wing views — earned him plenty of critics. His 2004 bestseller State of Fear, for example, argued that global warming was a hoax.
At 6'9", he could be intimidating in person — or on the page. After political writer Michael Crowley wrote an article accusing Crichton of using "potboiler prose" to push Republican causes, Crichton introduced a child molester in his 2006 book Next — and gave him the name "Mick Crowley."
Crichton attended Harvard College as an undergrad and obtained an M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1969. He did post-doctoral fellowship study at the Jonas Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, from 1969 to 1970, and was a Visiting Writer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1988.
His first book, Odds On, was published in 1966 under the pseudonym John Lange. His first major success was the The Andromeda Strain in 1969. It has since been made into a 1971 movie, and, this year, into a mini-series.
Bruce Lunsford's Concession Speech
This is Bruce Lunsford's speech as prepared for delivery. I wish I could place the victory speech here instead but it just wasn't meant to be. But Bruce Lunsford gave Mitch McConnell a serious run for it. It was a better campaign than that of Lois Combs Weinberg in 2002. The results did not go our way but Kentucky will have a better time in 2014 during the next go around. In the meantime, let's have someone announce now that they will take on Jim Bunning. Jonathan? Ben? Jack? Anyone?
Thank you.
More than 9 months ago, I entered this race with a pledge to unite Kentucky Democrats, independents and Republicans who want to change Washington.
But while it looks like we’ll receive more votes than any Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Kentucky history, we’re going to fall just short of victory.
We started this race as a 50 to 1 shot and there weren’t many people who gave us a chance. But together, we made it race down the stretch and made Mitch McConnell spend every dime of that $20 million in special interest money. In doing so, we all helped contribute to several other victories around the country…that we should be proud of.
But we didn’t quite get there for Kentucky. I’m disappointed…but not for me. I’m disappointed because there were big things I wanted to accomplish for Kentuckians. And I’m disappointed for my staff, who worked tirelessly for months, and for the thousands of volunteers and supporters who helped us get this close.
This has been the journey of my lifetime. I’ve worked this Commonwealth from Pikeville to Paducah and along the way, I’ve met thousands incredible people with amazing and inspiring stories.
I’ve been honored to have the support of so many Kentuckians, from folks I bump into at the supermarket, to loyal Democratic activists and officials who had never supported me before, to County Judges, Sheriffs, and former Governors, to Organized Labor, and to volunteers and donors who contributed their time and effort to a noble cause…to get our country back on track. Thank you all. I cannot tell you how much your support means to me.
Thank you to the hardest working campaign staff in America. I know we outworked the other side so there was nothing more we could have done. I’m so proud of you all.
And to my family. Amy, Cindy and Brandy. You’ve been behind me all the way. I love you all very much and you know I will always be there for you.
So a few minutes ago, I called Senator McConnell to congratulate him on winning a fifth term…no, no, no. Please.
These are tough times and despite what it is we believe has brought America to this point of recession and debt, this is a time to urge our representatives in Washington to do better.
Now is the time for the country to come together behind a new administration and new congress, and get America back on track.
I urge Senator McConnell to work hand in hand with the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate and the Obama Administration to help correct the problems brought on by the past eight years.
This is not a time for partisanship or obstructionism. This is a time for our elected officials to unite and work together to help people who are hurting. People are worried about losing their jobs. Retirement accounts have lost billions. And health care costs keep going up. The middle class of this country is being squeezed from all sides but Washington can help.
These are serious challenges and I urge Senator McConnell to go outside the box. To listen to the more than the hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians who demanded change. And to use the leadership and clout he ran on to steer the Republican Party in a different direction…one that realizes we build our economy from the bottom up, not the top down.
If you’re willing to move the Republican Party in that direction, I know Kentuckians will be behind you 100% because those are Kentucky values. The next six years cannot be like the last six.
As for me, I will remain active and involved in projects to further the agenda of change that I campaigned on and to help rebuild our economy from the bottom up.
This has been the journey of my lifetime.
Congratulations to all those Democrats who won big victories tonight, including my old friend John Yarmuth.
Thank you again to all of you who’ve helped me so much over this past year and let’s continue to work together to bring America back.
Thank you!
Thank you.
More than 9 months ago, I entered this race with a pledge to unite Kentucky Democrats, independents and Republicans who want to change Washington.
But while it looks like we’ll receive more votes than any Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Kentucky history, we’re going to fall just short of victory.
We started this race as a 50 to 1 shot and there weren’t many people who gave us a chance. But together, we made it race down the stretch and made Mitch McConnell spend every dime of that $20 million in special interest money. In doing so, we all helped contribute to several other victories around the country…that we should be proud of.
But we didn’t quite get there for Kentucky. I’m disappointed…but not for me. I’m disappointed because there were big things I wanted to accomplish for Kentuckians. And I’m disappointed for my staff, who worked tirelessly for months, and for the thousands of volunteers and supporters who helped us get this close.
This has been the journey of my lifetime. I’ve worked this Commonwealth from Pikeville to Paducah and along the way, I’ve met thousands incredible people with amazing and inspiring stories.
I’ve been honored to have the support of so many Kentuckians, from folks I bump into at the supermarket, to loyal Democratic activists and officials who had never supported me before, to County Judges, Sheriffs, and former Governors, to Organized Labor, and to volunteers and donors who contributed their time and effort to a noble cause…to get our country back on track. Thank you all. I cannot tell you how much your support means to me.
Thank you to the hardest working campaign staff in America. I know we outworked the other side so there was nothing more we could have done. I’m so proud of you all.
And to my family. Amy, Cindy and Brandy. You’ve been behind me all the way. I love you all very much and you know I will always be there for you.
So a few minutes ago, I called Senator McConnell to congratulate him on winning a fifth term…no, no, no. Please.
These are tough times and despite what it is we believe has brought America to this point of recession and debt, this is a time to urge our representatives in Washington to do better.
Now is the time for the country to come together behind a new administration and new congress, and get America back on track.
I urge Senator McConnell to work hand in hand with the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate and the Obama Administration to help correct the problems brought on by the past eight years.
This is not a time for partisanship or obstructionism. This is a time for our elected officials to unite and work together to help people who are hurting. People are worried about losing their jobs. Retirement accounts have lost billions. And health care costs keep going up. The middle class of this country is being squeezed from all sides but Washington can help.
These are serious challenges and I urge Senator McConnell to go outside the box. To listen to the more than the hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians who demanded change. And to use the leadership and clout he ran on to steer the Republican Party in a different direction…one that realizes we build our economy from the bottom up, not the top down.
If you’re willing to move the Republican Party in that direction, I know Kentuckians will be behind you 100% because those are Kentucky values. The next six years cannot be like the last six.
As for me, I will remain active and involved in projects to further the agenda of change that I campaigned on and to help rebuild our economy from the bottom up.
This has been the journey of my lifetime.
Congratulations to all those Democrats who won big victories tonight, including my old friend John Yarmuth.
Thank you again to all of you who’ve helped me so much over this past year and let’s continue to work together to bring America back.
Thank you!
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Obama wins Jewish vote by 78-21
JTA:
The first exit poll on the Jewish vote is out, and it has Barack Obama bettering John Kerry's Jewish vote total from four years ago.
The preliminary poll, which is likely to be updated later this evening or tomorrow, has Obama receiving 78 percent of the Jewish vote, to just 21 percent for John McCain. Kerry garnered 74 percent of the Jewish vote in 2004, and Al Gore won 79 percent of the Jewish vote (with a Jewish running mate) eight years ago. The Jewish vote was 2 percent of the poll sample.
If those numbers hold up, it would vindicate Jewish Democrats like Rep. Robert Wexler, who claimed this summer -- to skeptical reporters at the Democratic convention -- that Obama would hit traditional levels of the Jewish vote for Democratic presidential candidates. At the time, Obama had been totaling slightly more than 60 percent in polls of Jewish voters.
NBC calls it for Obama-Biden
Say hello to your 44th President of the United States of America: Barack Obama!
North Carolina: Kay Hagan defeats Liddy Dole in US Senate Race
Based on exit polling, Kay Hagan (Democrat) has defeated Elizabeth Dole (Republican).
This means that, for the first time since 1952, there will not be a Bush or Dole serving in elective office either as a governor, senator, congressman, or president. If you remember, Prescott Bush was elected as a Congressman in 1952.
This means that, for the first time since 1952, there will not be a Bush or Dole serving in elective office either as a governor, senator, congressman, or president. If you remember, Prescott Bush was elected as a Congressman in 1952.
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