President-elect Barack Obama's At The Lincoln Memorial 1-18-09

Barack Obama's Inauguration really got kicked off with a star-studded concert held at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington. The event was packed with celebrity guests and world-renowned musicians who all gave voice to a stirring message.

Then near the end President-elect Obama gave remarks near the end of festivities at 4pm. This man really can really give a great speech.



Here's President-elect Obama's speech:

I want to thank all the speakers and performers for reminding us, through song and through words, just what it is that we love about America. And I want to thank all of you for braving the cold and the crowds and traveling in some cases thousands of miles to join us here today. Welcome to Washington, and welcome to this celebration of American renewal.

In the course of our history, only a handful of generations have been asked to confront challenges as serious as the ones we face right now. Our nation is at war. Our economy is in crisis. Millions of Americans are losing their jobs and their homes; they're worried about how they'll afford college for their kids or pay the stack of bills on their kitchen table. And most of all, they are anxious and uncertain about the future -- about whether this generation of Americans will be able to pass on what's best about this country to our children and their children.

I won't pretend that meeting any one of these challenges will be easy. It will take more than a month or a year, and it will likely take many. Along the way there will be setbacks and false starts and days that test our fundamental resolve as a nation.

But despite all of this -- despite the enormity of the task that lies ahead -- I stand here today as hopeful as ever that the United States of America will endure, that it will prevail, that the dream of our founders will live on in our time.

What gives me hope is what I see when I look out across this mall. For in these monuments are chiseled those unlikely stories that affirm our unyielding faith -- a faith that anything is possible in America. Rising before us stands a memorial to a man who led a small band of farmers and shopkeepers in revolution against the army of an Empire, all for the sake of an idea.

On the ground below is a tribute to a generation that withstood war and depression -- men and women like my grandparents who toiled on bomber assembly lines and marched across Europe to free the world from tyranny's grasp. Directly in front of us is a pool that still reflects the dream of a King, and the glory of a people who marched and bled so that their children might be judged by their character's content. And behind me, watching over the union he saved, sits the man who in so many ways made this day possible.

And yet, as I stand here today, what gives me the greatest hope of all is not the stone and marble that surrounds us today, but what fills the spaces in between. It is you -- Americans of every race and region and station who came here because you believe in what this country can be and because you want to help us get there.

It is the same thing that gave me hope from the day we began this campaign for the presidency nearly two years ago; a belief that if we could just recognize ourselves in one another and bring everyone together -- Democrats, Republicans, independents; Latino, Asian and Native American; black and white, gay and straight, disabled and not -- then not only would we restore hope and opportunity in places that yearned for both, but maybe, just maybe, we might perfect our union in the process.

This is what I believed, but you made this belief real. You proved once more that people who love this country can change it. And as I prepare to assume the presidency, yours are the voices I will take with me every day when I walk into that Oval Office -- the voices of men and women who have different stories but hold common hopes; who ask only for what was promised us as Americans -- that we might make of our lives what we will and see our children climb higher than we did.

It is this thread that binds us together in common effort; that runs through every memorial on this mall; that connects us to all those who struggled and sacrificed and stood here before.

It is how this nation has overcome the greatest differences and the longest odds -- because there is no obstacle that can stand in the way of millions of voices calling for change.

That is the belief with which we began this campaign, and that is how we will overcome what ails us now. There is no doubt that our road will be long, that our climb will be steep. But never forget that the true character of our nation is revealed not during times of comfort and ease, but by the right we do when the moment is hard. I ask you to help reveal that character once more, and together, we can carry forward as one nation, and one people, the legacy of our forefathers that we celebrate today.

Thank you, America. God bless you.

Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger and Seeger's grandson came out onton the stage after Barack Obama and sang one of this country's classic patriotic songs, getting the whole crowd to join in.

LibertyAir Blog

My Post to Barack Obama's Change.gov

Here is my post to Barack Obama's Change.gov. It concerns me that we keep hearing this idotic clap trap about "looking forward as opposed to looking backwards." This is just a dumb answer being put forth by very intelligent men. Over the last eight years the laws of this nation were routinely disregarded, and our Constitution took a very serious hit.

We, as a nation, can't make things right going forward by ignoring the crimes of the recent past. As I said in my post to Change.gov, we are actually looking forward when we want the Bush Administration investigated, and prosecuted when warrented. To not do so is to take anther step towards the fall of this great Republic. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney took to many of these steps already. If all future presidents are led to believe there will be no penalty for their criminal wrongdoing, what incentive will they have to honor the law?

You can read my post below, and I ask that people go to Change.gov and vote it up, so maybe it will be read. I ask people go to Change.gov and give your thoughts, make your suggestions, and ask your questions. It is one small step to taking back this country.

Here is my post:

Barack Obama noted the other day that he believes the nation should "look forward as opposed to looking backwards." This comment came in response to a question about investigating alleged crimes committed by the Bush administration.

This answer was stupid.

It suggests that I am only interested in punishing those members of the Bush Administration. This is in no way my priority. My main concern is that by sweeping away all the crimes that may have been committed by members of the Bush Administration, and possibly even the Vice President and the President, we set prescedent. If the Bush administration has proved anything is that it is too easy for the Executive Branch to break the laws of this nation, and disregard the Constitution.

While I believe President-elect Obama to be a man of honor, this nation was not set up to just trust we will always have honorable individuals entrusted with these important possitions. Quite the contrary it was set up to expect that there would one day be men like Dick Cheney who had little regard for the Constitution or the laws of this land. Part of the problem is that the balance that the legislature was supposed to offer was not there. Our Constitution was let down by members of Congress, who did not do their job.

Now the President-elect is suggesting he will also ignore his Constitutional responsibilities. I am just one voice in a sea of people, but what truly makes this nation great is I have the right to voice my concerns. If an adminstration can be allowed to break the law, and have no fear of penalty, my rights are diminshed, and are in jeapardy of being restricted more in the future. Therefore to protect and defend the Constitution, a president must do more than just obey the Constitution himself; he must hold those who have violated the Constitution accountable. This is why the response of Mr. Biden and now Mr. Obama is stupid. The President-elect must reconsider his apparent decision to let the previous administration get away with their crimes.

Political consequences aside, it's not a decision he has the right to make.

Note: the final line was taken from today's Paul Krugman editorial.

Keith Olbermann discussed the need for Barack Obama to investigate the Bush Administration for War Crimes on Countdown with Jonathan Turley. Watch it here:

LibertyAir Blog

10 Big Goals for Obama

1. Reduce poverty a third by 2016. With poverty increasing by five million in the Bush years - and with only Great Britain having less upward income mobility than the U.S - the country needs to reduce the 37 million indigent (nearly equal to the State of California) by a third by 2016.

So the 44th president should strive to: increase the bi-partisan Earned Income Tax Credit; raise and index the minimum wage and move toward a "living wage"; better link inner-city residents to good jobs in the regional economy; create a national program to help ex-offenders successfully integrate into society; seek a temporary increase in food stamp benefits as part of any stimulus package (since $1 in benefits generates $1.84 in economic activity); make a national commitment to pre-K for all as part of an overall system of developmental care for children; establish a national version of the very successful Harlem Children's Zone, an after-school program that stays with children through their education; and make a renewed effort at bi-partisan, comprehensive immigration reform so one in 20 undocumented workers get out of the shadows by paying taxes and fines and learning English on the path to citizenship.

2. Enhance Democracy to stop special interest vetoes. Pro-democracy reforms often take a back seat - in campaigns and governance - to bread-and-butter, life-and-death issues such as economy, war and health. But process is policy, especially if a flawed democracy allows big commercial interests in the legislative and administrative arenas to stymie change.
So the new administration should push for: universal voter regulation (adding up to 50 million to the rolls); matching public funding of congressional elections; protective measures for electronic voting; criminalization of voter suppression techniques; national standards in a Fair Elections Now Act; instant run-off voting; a requirement that all agencies catalogue and post all information in a timely and feasible way; a comprehensive national broadband strategy so all Americans have access to an affordable network of at least 100 megabits per second; national standards to give state redistricting responsibilities to a neutral body - and ideally establish a "Democracy Czar" within the White House to make sure that all such often-ignored reforms are this time advanced and enacted.

3. Get economic growth rates back to at least 3% of the Kennedy and Clinton years. The world now understands how Bush's tax cutting, deregulation, laissez faire approach has led to slow growth, no growth or near economic collapse. From Enron to e Coli Bacteria to imported Chinese toys and drugs to the subprime mortgage criss, it turns out that laissez wasn't fair.
So even beyond the consensus for a super-sized "stimulus" plan, the new president should do everything feasible to bolster the squeezed middle-class and those seeking to enter it by: pushing for tax reform that increases top rates back to 38 percent while reducing rates on families suffering real income losses this decade; proposing an Innovation Agenda involving Research Fellowships and employment-based permanent immigration visas; including enforceable labor and trade standards in all future trade agreements; experimenting with wage-loss insurance; developing a long-term national surface transportation policy emphasizing light-rail and a national infrastructure bank; expanding one-stop job centers especially given rapidly rising unemployment as places to both obtain training and get placement in available positions; creating a 90 day moratorium on home foreclosures; and restoring enforcement of securities, anti-merger and labor laws at the SEC, Justice Department and Labor Department.

4. Move to a clean, green low-carbon economy. With a scientific unanimity that an increase of even 2° C above pre-industrial levels would be a global disaster, it's surely inadequate for a country with 3 percent of human oil reserves using 25 percent of all energy to focus on drilling and production. Yet while man-made global warming was burning the planet in the past eight years, two oil men in the White House simply fiddled away.
So the new president will be creating a new White House National Energy Council that directs his energy/environment agencies (EPA, DOE, DOT, DOA, DOI) to develop a comprehensive energy plan that a) replaces carbon-based energy with clean, renewable energy and b) promotes policies for millions of green collar jobs. Consistent with that effort, the 44th president should: alter the government's procurement process by giving "energy points" to contract bidders who demonstrate more efficiency and utilize more renewable energy; establish a national Clean Energy Corps to help cities and neglected rural communities retrofit and weatherize homes, business, school houses and public buildings; require the EPA to promote "total appliance efficiency"; increase auto fuel efficiency standards to European levels of 43 mpg by 2020; pursue a joint R&D project with China to develop new carbon capture-and-storage technologies for coal-fired plants; and prepare legislation to create a carbon cap-and-trade bill reducing fossil fuel use and generating $100 billion+ to mitigate negative effects on low-income consumers.

5. Reduce the costs - and expand the coverage - of health care. Over 70 million Americans are either uninsured or under-insured, leading to more illness, death and overtaxed emergency rooms. We have both the most expensive and least effective health care system in the industrialized world.

So the new administration should: expand coverage of S-CHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) to cover all children in need; create a Prevention & Wellness Trust Fund to provide more preventative services for long term cost savings; order the FDA to focus on and reduce obesity and tobacco use by adolescents; invest in health care information technology to avoid medical errors and better spread effective research; investigate the causes of racial disparities in health care and mandate that HHS reduce them; provide better long-term care through assisted living technology to allow home monitoring, as well as more community health workers and home health aides; require the Surgeon General to issue annually a publicly understandable report on the nation's health; and eventually move to a universal healthcare system that's citizen-based, not job-based.

6. Elevate science over politics in federal decision-making. While most presidents will weigh facts which lead to conclusions, Bush deployed the reverse methodology of "Lysenkoism" - conclusions led to "facts." Repeatedly, political appointees from affected industries ignored data because of partisan or religious concerns, especially in the area of climate change.
So the new administration should: issue an executive order to permit federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on all ethically derived stem cell lines; re-establish the White House Office of Science and Technology; make the Research and Development tax credit permanent; and appoint only qualified experts, not industry cronies, to science-related positions.

7. Restore the rule of law and human rights as American values. Constitutional scholar David Cole, challenging friends to name constitutional rights that Bush-Cheney didn't try to sabotage, concluded, "After the right to bear arms and not quarter soldiers, the game will be over." Apparently, when W swore to "faithfully execute the laws," he took it literally.
So a new president - who's a constitutional law professor to boot - should: pay a "decent respect for the opinions of mankind" (Jefferson) by closing the prison camp at Guantánamo and assigning to federal civilian courts the task of trying terrorist suspects; unequivocally ban the use of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment by any U.S. official or contractor; greatly restrict presidential "Signing Statements" to obviously unconstitutional provisions; renounce the blatant politicization of the Justice Department as occurred during Gonzalez's tenure, appoint judges based on merit, not only ideology; repeal the "Global Gag Rule" which prohibits Non- Governmental Organizations that receive federal funding from promoting or performing abortions in other countries; end the "don't-ask-don't tell" policy for military services and ban discrimination in the workplace due to sexual orientation; and create either a congressional or presidential independent, bi-partisan commission to investigate and expose alleged illegality over the past eight years in order to deter future misconduct--a government that can't impeach or prosecute such illegality for political reasons needs to find some way to deter such corruption.

8. Educate children better for the global economy. In an increasingly global economy based on information - and with production techniques duplicatable anywhere - education is the new gold. Unless our children are better educated and more innovative, they and we will lose out in a world of open trade.

So the new administration should: push expanded learning time for all students especially in low-performing and high-poverty school; expand Early Head Start because of the proven success of high-quality pre-school for all; invest particularly in middle schools with high concentrations of low-income students who, in a sense, start dropping out of college in the 7th grade; enact a college tuition tax credit so that middle-class families can write off up to $4,000 per child; create a federal "Grow What Works" fund to identify and document the best practices to be shared; pay more to teachers who assume added responsibilities or work in challenging schools or in a shortage subjects; and create a program that focuses on teacher recruitment, and preparation and professional development since the difference between a good and a bad teacher can be the equivalent of a full year of school.

9. Fight terrorism by working more cooperatively with allies. Terrorism by non-state actors is a palpable threat to American interests that cannot be diminished merely by invading countries or overreacting with apocalyptic, belligerent language. Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups have grown since the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.

A new president should utilize the patient deployment of all instruments of national power, emphasizing intelligence, information operations and covert action. Specifically, the U.S. should: repeal the Bush Doctrine of preemptive war and exit Iraq as quickly and as safely as possible; undermine al Qaeda recruitment by developing a counter-narrative for at-risk Muslim youth that impugns its reputation and enhances ours; schedule a major address on terrorism by the new President in a Muslim country; focus on regional diplomacy in the Middle East by engaging other states (Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt) in a conference to coordinate post-war Iraq policy; cooperate better with other intelligence agencies to treat terrorism as in part a police matter; and create a process of engagement between the U.S. and Iran both to discuss common interests and warn Teheran of the consequences of supporting terrorism and a nuclear weapons program.

10. Reduce nuclear proliferation. Because the greatest threat to America - economic threat and national security threat - is the detonation of a nuclear device in a major American city, a top priority for President Obama is to reduce that risk and to announce the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons.

So he specifically should: push to develop technologies allowing all air and sea cargo to be inspected by 2012; compile an inventory of all nuclear weapons and materials on earth to determine the best strategy of securing them from terrorist acquisitions; consider unilaterally announcing plans to reduce U.S. forces to 1000 weapons and extending the warning time for the launch of U.S. ballistic missiles, urging Russia to do the same; implement the agreement to end the North Korean nuclear program; prevent the lapse of the U.S. Russian Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START; and maintain the interlocking network of treaties, export controls and security pacts to discourage 183 non-nuclear states from starting a cycle of nuclear weapons competition.

These 10 are top goals now and benchmarks for 2012 or 2016 to measure the success of the new administration.

President-Elect Obama's Weekly Address - 01/10/09

President-elect Barack Obama gave his weekly address this morning. In this week's address Obama highlighted the challenges facing the nation's struggling economy and introduced a new report (pdf) that has been drafted by Christina Romer and Jared Bernstein. This report outlined the expected effects of its economic rescue package.

In his weekly radio/internet address, President-elect Obama explained:

"I asked my nominee for Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, Dr. Christina Romer, and the Vice President-Elect's Chief Economic Adviser, Dr. Jared Bernstein, to conduct a rigorous analysis of this plan and come up with projections of how many jobs it will create, and what kind of jobs they will be. Today, I am releasing a report of their findings so that the American people can see exactly what this plan will mean for their families, their communities, and our economy.

"The report confirms that our plan will likely save or create three to four million jobs. 90 percent of these jobs will be created in the private sector -- the remaining 10 percent are mainly public sector jobs we save, like the teachers, police officers, firefighters and others who provide vital services in our communities.

"The jobs we create will be in businesses large and small across a wide range of industries. And they'll be the kind of jobs that don't just put people to work in the short term, but position our economy to lead the world in the long-term."

You can watch the address here:

LibertyAir Blog

Obama Transition Report Finds ‘No Indication Of Inappropriate Discussions’ With Blagojegivich

Of course this will do nothing to shut down the rightwing whakos like Sean Hannerty. He will continue to bloviate away. Some in the corporate media, especially AP, and the rightwing have been speculating whether President-elect Obama or chief of staff-designate Rahm Emanuel were hiding their involvement in Illisnois Govenor Blagojevich’s pay-to-play scandal, with scant attention paid to any actual facts.

Yesterday, White House Counsel nominee Greg Craig released the report, for the Obama transition team, on their involvement with Blagojevich. They had been holding this report for a week, the release had been delayed “at the request of” U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, but that didn't stop bloviating pundits from bellowing that Obama should have released it last week.

The report states that there is no indication of inappropriate discussions with Governor Blagojevich or anyone from his office about a ‘deal’ or a quid pro quo arrangement.

Other highlights:

– Barack Obama: Had “no contact or communication” about the Senate seat with
Blagojevich or his office and did talk to Axelrod and Emanuel about “other
qualified candidates. Obama never heard “that the Governor expected a personal
benefit” for the seat.

– Rahm Emanuel: “Had one or two telephone calls with Governor Blagojevich” and “about four telephone conversations with John Harris,” Chief of Staff to Blagojevich about other candidates but never discussed “a cabinet position, 501c(4), a private sector position for the Governor or any other personal benefit for the Governor.”

– David Axelrod: Had “no conversations with anyone outside the President-Elect’s immediate circle” about the seat, and nothing came up in any conversation about any “quid pro quo.”

– Valerie Jarret: Had “no contact or communication with Governor Blagojevich” or
anyone in his office about the seat.

You can read the full report here.

My letter to Barack Obama's Transition Team

To the Transition Team for Barack Obama,

Really? Who thought it was a good idea to invite Pastor Warren to give the invocation at the Inauguration? Seriously, I am a liberal progressive who gave money to Obama, who volunteered for Obama, and voted for Obama, and what do I get as one of the first acts by Obama is a slap in the face. i understand that the President-elect is trying to reach out and change the tone of Washington, and I support that. But you can do that with an invitation to Rick Warren to visit the White House. You can have a very public debate where you invite Warren to give his thoughts, and someone of the Gay community to offer their counter-point. What you don't do is give Warren the invocation. You mean there is no liberal progressive man of faith you could have asked? Would it not have been nice for a change to show that there are people of faith who actually are liberal and progressive?

Why do we always defer to the evangelicals? Why does the invocation always get done by an evangelical? How about showing some inclusion of those who are always left on the outside instead of again pandering to the white evangelicals?

I understand that Rick Warren is supposed to be some lovable fat man with a big heart, but he is also a bigot; plain and simple. He dresses it up, and hides it in platitudes that are supposed to show he really cares, but in the end he is a bigot.

As proof I submit this video recorded yesterday by Pastor Warren:http://www.saddlebackfamily.com/blogs/newsandviews/index.html?contentid=1723

In the new video, Warren accuses gays of "hate speech," of launching "hateful attacks" against him, and he then says that gay and lesbian Americans have "Christ-ophobia," a clear effort to mock the term "homophobia." He goes on to explain that gays are "afraid of any Christian," suggesting that gay and lesbian Americans - gay and lesbian Obama voters - are not Christians. He then goes on to call gays criticizing him "evil." All this from a man who compared gay marriage to incest and pedophilia, and who explicitly bans "unrepentant gays" from his church membership.

Really? This is the man who will step into the mantle of America's Pastor because you all decided to kick a large portion of your supporters in the groin.

Does Obama agree with Rick Warren that gay and lesbian Americans have been "evil" and "hateful" in this affair?

Does Obama agree with Rick Warren’s dehumanization of homosexuals?

Does Obama agree with Rick Warren’s characterization of homosexuality to incest and pedophilia?

Does Obama aprove of Rick Warren’s ban on "unrepentant gays" from his church membership?

Does Obama agree that gay Americans are not Christians?

Does Obama agree that gays have "Christ-ophobia"?

I would really like to know. For eight long years I have had to take the turd burgers that President Bush and Dick Cheney have forced upon the American public. Inauguration day was supposed to be a day of hope, a day of change. It was a day for liberals and progressives to take heart, but no, for cheap political points you decided to spit on many of your supporters.
There is only two forms of bigotry that are allowed today in America, bigotry against Muslims and Gays. This is not to say there is no other bigotry or racists, but those bigots have to do it on the sly or behind closed doors. The only bigotry that can be done in the open is to say hurtful and slanderous things about Muslims and Gays. This is why Rick Warren can say out loud that the marriage of Gays and Lesbians is the equivalent of incest, child rape and polygamy, and not suffer any consequence.

Would it be different if he said that the union of Obama's parents was the equivalent of incest, or that it was a sin versus God, or the equivalent of rape? These were all the same things said by men like Warren in the last 50 years. There were all the same arguments based on interpretations of the bible.

So is it okay to be a bigot as long as it's directed towards gays?

You know a lot of bigots came out against Obama during the election, are you going to invite one of their representatives to give a speech in the name of inclusiveness?

I am not completely against some of the things that Rick Warren has done, nor do I think that as President, Barack Obama should never speak with Pastor Warren, but this was not the time or the forum. You screwed up, and you were hurtful for no good purpose. It did not need to be done, and now cannot be rectified, but Obama should apologize. We have gone 8 years with a man who never once apologized for any of his mistakes, a real change would be to have a
President who actually steps up when he made a mistake.

Thank you

Obama talks housing in the weekly radio address

In the weekly radio address, the president-elect talked again about the housing crisis, another of the Bush disasters which will soon be on his plate, and named his Secretary of Housing and Urban Development:

LibertyAir Blog

Obama's Energy and Environment Team

The president-elect has unveiled his energy and environmental team, and it is good.

President-elect Barack Obama has selected his top energy and environmental advisers, including a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, presidential transition officials said Wednesday.

Collectively, they will have the task of carrying out Mr. Obama's stated intent to curb global warming emissions drastically while fashioning a more efficient national energy system. And they will be able to work with strong allies in Congress who are interested in developing climate-change legislation, despite fierce economic headwinds that will amplify objections from manufacturers and energy producers.

The officials said Mr. Obama would name Steven Chu, the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as his energy secretary, and Nancy Sutley, deputy mayor of Los Angeles for energy and environment, as head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Mr. Obama also appears ready to name Carol M. Browner, the E.P.A. administrator
under President Bill Clinton, as the top White House official on climate and energy policy and Lisa P. Jackson, New Jersey's commissioner of environmental protection, as the head of the E.P.A.

This is a good liberal/progressive team. And you would be hard pressed to find better prepared individuals for these jobs. Here's information on Chu; here's information on Sutley; and here's information on Jackson.

Obama Takes Questions on Blagojevich

In a press conference designed to focus on the appointment of Tom Daschle as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Barack Obama was besieged almost entirely with questions about the role he and his staff played (or didn't play) in the Rod Blagojevich corruption scandal.

The President-elect gamely fielded three questions on the issue and addressed it in his opening remarks, saying (twice) that he was appalled and disappointed "by the revelations earlier this week." He declared that he "had no contact with the governor's office" and "did not speak to the governor" about the process of who should replace him as Senator. "That I know for certain," Obama said.

Pressed on several occasions to reveal the extent, if any, of his staff's contact with the Illinois Governor -- contact that likely took place, considering Obama's seat was under discussion -- the President-elect urged a bit of patience.

"I have asked my team to gather the facts of any contacts with the governor about his vacancy so that we can share them with you over the next few days. What I'm absolutely certain about is that our office had no involvement in any deal-making about my Senate seat ... That would be a violation of everything this campaign was about and that is not how we do business."

Watch it here:

LibertyAir Blog

Barack Obama's Radio Address: "Aggressive Growth Measures"

In his weekly radio address today, President-elect Barack Obama unveiled some of the specific ideas in his plan. Reuters calls the proposals "aggressive growth measures."

In today's address the President-elect discusses the job losses that our nation continues to endure and offers his solutions to the challenges we face. The plan he outlines is to create at least 2.5 million new jobs as part of the largest infrastructure investment since the the Eisenhower Administration. A huge part of this effort is to reduce U.S. government energy use and to expand access to high-speed Internet and modernize school buildings across the country.

As the President-elect says, "We need action -- and action now."

For more information, visit http://change.gov/.

Watch his address here:

LibertyAir Blog

Should Obama Be More Involved NOW?

Are some Democrats growing impatient with President-elect Barack Obama's refusal to inject himself in the major economic crises confronting the country?

I have been hearing more and more of this lately. To be honest I would love to have Obama take over now, but I am not sure if Obama can or should.

Obama has sidestepped some policy questions by saying there is only one president at a time. For some this is not good enough.

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank has been dealing with both the bailout of the financial industry and a proposed rescue of Detroit automakers is reported to have said that President-elect Obama needs to play a more significant role on economic issues. Frank is reported to have said:

"He's going to have to be more assertive than he's been."

Obama has maintained one of the most public images of any president-elect. He has held half a dozen press conferences, where he has entertained question after question about the economy, the mortgage crisis, and the flailing auto industry. Frank though makes the argument that this may not be enough. He was quite serious as he stated that President-elect Obama needs to play a more significant role on economic issues.

"At a time of great crisis with mortgage foreclosures and autos, he says we only have one president at a time."

"I'm afraid that overstates the number of presidents we have. He's got to remedy that situation."

Is Barney Frank is right?

He may be. There is a compelling argument. Yes we don't have two presidents. But do we even have one president now? Currently Bush is doing nothing, but that actually is okay because when Bush does come out and speak the markets plummet. But can we wait for Obama. Is treading water enough? Are we treading, or are we slowly sinking?

Two Democratic senators involved in trying to salvage the auto companies are reported to have said President-elect Obama could help move the process along and should become more engaged in this debate. Senator Chris Dodd is the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and one of the lead negotiators of the auto industry bailout. He has recently said:

"The Obama team has to step up. In the minds of the people, this is the Obama
administration. I don't think we can wait until January 20."

Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, who obviously is a point man in helping his state's main industry to get this bailout has, called on President-elect Obama to help resolve the dispute over money for the auto loan package. He has said:

"It would be very helpful if the president-elect would become more involved in resolving the issue over the source of the funds. I want him to offer his assistance. He is a person who can really bring people together."

It might be appropriate for Obama to be even more outspoken about what he wants and the direction this nation is going to take with him as president.

Brennan Withdraws From Consideration

Liberal bloggers -- most notably Glenn Greenwald, Big Tent Democrats, The Young Turks, Digby, and the Washington Monthly's Political Animal – had spoken out against John Brennan being given either the CIA director or the Director of National Intelligence in the Obama administration. The liberal blogs were seriously uneasy about intelligence official John Brennan having an influential position in an Obama administration, after being a water-carrier for Bush on torture and rendition.

Brennan's detractors have charged him of supporting some of the Bush administration's most disgusting intelligence-gathering policies, including rendition and "enhanced interrogation techniques."

If Obama was honest in his intention to move far away from the thuggish policies the Bush administration, then he should not have Brennan in his administration.

The criticism seems to have had the desired effect. Brennan withdrew from consideration for any intelligence post in the Obama administration, and he specifically sited opposition of him by the liberal blogs.

Brennan did get in a good whine in his letter, saying:

"It has been immaterial to the critics that I have been a strong opponent of many of the policies of the Bush administration such as the pre-emptive war in Iraq and coercive interrogation tactics, to include waterboarding. The fact that I was not involved in the decision-making process for any of these controversial policies and actions has been ignored."

Glenn Greenwald however pretty much debunks Brennan’s defense, as he highlighted Brennan's "lengthy, empathic statements" that made clear he "defended 'enhanced interrogation techniques' and rendition -- grounds enough for making him unacceptable for any top intelligence post -- to say nothing of his strident advocacy for warrantless eavesdropping and telecom amnesty." For anyone who has read Greenwald's blog, you know he was a lawyer, and so writes out his arguments as if he were laying out a case in court. He documented at length why Brennan was not the right choice for the Obama administration.

As for the broader context, Brennan's withdrawal appears to be the direct result of blog coverage. For those who believe bloggers' concerns are inconsequential, this is clear evidence to the contrary.

Check out what Cenk Uyger of the Young Turks had to say about today's news:

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Krugman and Olbermann Discuss Transition

Keith Olbermann spoke with Professor Paul Krugman about Barack Obama, his press conferences, and the transition from Bush. It's a good discussion about the state of the economy and what could happen in the next two months.

Olbermann again gave a good break down of Barack Obama's press conference, highlighting the difference between Obama and Bush after their respective elections.

Krugman spoke to how much money Obama will be able to trim from the fat of the budget. I'm afraid that there is not enough fat for Obama to balance the new spending that is needed, but there is a lot that will be noticed by the public.

Watch their discussion here:

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Gates to stay at Pentagon

Seeking continuity and experience while the nation is involved in two wars, President-elect Barack Obama has asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to remain head of the Pentagon — if only temporarily — and has chosen retired Marine general James Jones to be White House national security adviser.

Both Bob Gates and retired General James Jones will bring decades of experience to an administration that has to bring two wars to an end, has potential conflicts in Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea, and has potentially dangerous situations in Africa and Asia.

Personally I like the idea of keeping Gates for one year, which will allow for a smoother transition. I have heard some rightly argue that it is bad precedent for a Democratic administration to concede the Defense Secretary position to the Republicans, as if Democrats are not strong enough o defense issues, but in this case I think stability in this position is better for the country and our troops.

That said I do hope in one year's time we see a new nominee for Defense Secretary who is a Democrat.

Here is how this story was covered by Keith Olbermann tonight:

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Should we be worried that as a candidate Barack Obama ran on change, but he is putting a lot of old Washington hands in office? I don't believe so. I think that to get things done in Washington are very hard, so having people who knows how to work the system is very important. As long as the person setting the agenda and steering the ship does not forget his promise of change, I think we will get the change that this nation voted for.

Nothing I have seen has led me to worry. I think Barack Obama is at his core a realist, who will bring real change to this country.

Paul Krugman on Obama's Economic Team

Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman was on the Today Show this morning to discuss President-elect Obama's news conference yesterday, the emerging economic team, and the transition of power. There has been a lot of talk lately about the lack of leadership right now in Washington DC, and the need for a quicker transition. Krugman does not see that happening with this White House, though he has written about this lack of leadership and how it could make a bad situation worse. Personally I think Obama has recognized this problem, and that is why they are doing this multiple day roll-out of his economic plans and team.

Watch Professor Krugman here:

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Is Obama a co-president with Bush?

Does America really have two President's right now? America has never seen anything quite like this: The president and president-elect are really acting like co-presidents, consulting and cooperating on the day's biggest crises. There are a lot of unique forces converging which have forced this unprecedented situation:

— The 24/7 nature of the global economic crisis, which demands timely reaction.

— Incoming and outgoing presidents who have personal and political reasons to show that they can manage a crisis.

— A president-elect who believes in strong government and wants to get things under way immediately.

— A lame-duck president who's pretty much surrendered his responsibilities as President.

It's not unusual for presidents and their successors to talk and consult each other, but this particular crises has brought a shared spotlight this time that takes these consultations to a whole new level. With 24-hour cable news channels, Internet videos and markets gyrating on the slightest hint of news, and President Bush's low poll numbers, President-elect Obama has really had no choice but to assume greater leadership. People feel a need for immediate action, whether they are on Wall Street or on Main Street. When the media began suggesting last Friday that Obama had picked New York Federal Reserve Bank President Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, or 6.5 percent. At the same time a recent poll showed that 65% of people responded highly favorably to Obama's response to the economic crisis so far.

Barack Obama's Economic Press Conference - 11/24/2008

President-elect Barack Obama came out and held a press conference today to introduce his economic team. At the press conference Obama formally named New York Federal Reserve president Timothy Geithner as the next Treasury secretary to replace current holder Henry Paulson, and tapped former Treasury chief Larry Summers as his chief White House economic advisor.

During the news conference Obama said, 'We can't allow the auto industry to vanish,' Obama says, but urges no 'blank check'

Here is video of today's press conference:



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Obama's Economic Leadership Team to be Unveiled

President-elect Obama is planning a press conference today to introduce the leaders of his economic team, which is headed by Harvard economist Larry Summers, who will run the White House National Economic Council, and New York Federal Reserve Bank President Timothy Geithner, his choice for Treasury secretary.

The president-elect is likely to use the event to assure investors and consumers that he will take rapid, large-scale action in the coming weeks and months. The message will be: "This is an extraordinary time, and extraordinary responses are going to be needed."

At the news conference, President-elect Obama will likely offer for the first time an explicit pledge to honor all commitments already made by the Bush administration in the TARP program, without imposing new conditions even if there are changes are made to the program in the future. Obama officials also say the president-elect will promise to find spending cuts to try to keeps short-term stimulus spending from exploding the budget deficit even more than it already has over the long term.

Since winning the presidency, Obama has expressed reluctance to begin steering economic policy, repeatedly saying the country can have only one president at a time. Large-scale economic stimulus is all but impossible before Obama takes office, since Bush has said he would oppose big new spending plans before he leaves the White House.

But President-elect Obama and his team have in recent days indicated fairly explicitly that a considerable boost to the economy will come as soon as he takes office. While Obama advisers have so far declined to detail publicly just how large the stimulus would be, there have been credible reports calling for a $500 to $700 billion stimulus package that would be injected directly into the economy.

Democratic leaders in Congress are preparing to hurry passage shortly after New Year's to have a stimulus-plan bill ready for Mr. Obama to sign once he is inaugurated Jan. 20.

Clinton accepts Secretary of State nomination; Geithner and Richardson also likely cabinet choices

The New York Times reports that Sen. Hillary Clinton “has decided to give up her Senate seat and accept the position of secretary of state.”

According to MSNBC, it is “also expected Monday” that New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson will be named Commerce Secretary,” and New York Fed President Tim Geithner is expected to be announced as Treasury Secretary, “barring last minute changes.”

Obama selects Summers to lead National Economic Council, Gibbs as press secretary

ABC News reports that President-elect Obama “has decided to name former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers the director of the National Economic Council, essentially the president’s senior economic adviser.” Also today, Obama named his campaign spokesperson Robert Gibbs as White House press secretary and Ellen Moran of Emily’s List as communications director.