Obama’s turnout historical in numbers, diversity

The estimated 136 million Americans who voted are part of a radical transformation of American politics – and not just in terms of ideology and party identification.

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Heard last night that 40% were brand new voters that have never voted before. Amazing!

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by Jimmy Orr | 11.05.08

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/11/05/president-elect-barack-obamas-acceptance-speech/

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Hi Jess! It's true. lol.

Obama brought the newbie 18 year olds and others who usually never voted before...

Some are saying that his win is based on color and making history... 

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The voting turnout wasn't as  great as they tho't

No landslide

The younger vote was the same as usual what I heard on the news. Nothing significant.

So if all the # are right now and in, that link is correct  

from what I researched last;

Obama got 63 mil  course

McCain had 56mil

course # probably up since 2 state didn't get counted in that

So those # probably are Right

USA 

303,824,640 (July 2008 est..) 

But this includes ilegals, green card holders 

The voting here in TX they said was down  this term 59%  last term 63% .  Bet that is b/c of no military votes.

So I wouldn't call it a all great voting election.  I know people that were so set on voting for McCain, as the elections got closer and they heard all the news they got discussed w/everything and didn't vote. 

Course everyone is cheering....there hoping to get a piece of the pie.

All his illegal donors are saying now " give me back something!"

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Mr Emanuel, who received training in ballet as a boy, has shown no lightness of step in his political career: would-be enemies are advised to heed the story of a pollster who wronged him and promptly received a large, decomposing fish in the post.

Reflecting on his own foul-mouthed, attack-dog style, Mr Emanuel has said: "I wake up some mornings hating me too." Commentators have suggested that Mr Obama, who ran a lofty campaign based on national unity and bipartisanship, has recognised the need to employ a tough enforcer to push through his policy programme.

Born in Chicago, Illinois on November 29, 1959, to a doctor and a hospital technician, Mr Emanuel was brought up in a household that combined black civil rights activism with devout Judaism. His religious devotion has endured: he recently secured a special waiver from his rabbi to work through Rosh Hashanah during negotiations over the $800 billion banking bail-out.

Mr Emanuel grew up with a sister and two brothers - one of whom, Ari, grew up to be a talent agent in Los Angeles and provided the inspiration for the character Ari Gold in the television series Entourage. He himself was the real-life spark for the character of Josh Lyman, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the West Wing.

As a teenager, while working part-time in a fast-food restaurant, Mr Emanuel severed the middle finger on his right hand in a meat-slicing machine. After he chose to go swimming in Lake Michigan rather than go to hospital for stitches, Mr Emanuel's wound became severely infected and, after he came close to death, the top of his finger was amputated.

While studying at a Jewish day school, Mr Emanuel trained in ballet, and was talented enough to be offered a scholarship to the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet company. However, he turned it down in favour of studying the dance style at Sarah Lawrence College, a liberal arts institution, from where he graduated in 1981.

While at Sarah Lawrence, Mr Emanuel joined the team for the congressional campaign of fellow Chicagoan David Robertson. Via a master's degree in speech and communication at Northwestern University in 1985, he went on to work for several other Democratic campaigns, culminating in a role as chief fundraiser in Richard Daley's successful campaign for Mayor of Chicago in 1989.

He took a break from politics during the 1991 Gulf War, volunteering as a mechanic on an army base in Israel. It was on his return that he joined the presidential primary campaign of Bill Clinton, then the Governor of Arkansas. It was to prove the move that launched his national political career.

Mr Emanuel became Mr Clinton's chief fundraiser, a role in which he gained a fearsome name for extracting exactly what he wanted from wealthy donors. He collected enough money for the campaign to ride out several potentially damaging scandals. The president later said of his money man: "I doubt we could have done it without him."

The intense, eventually successful campaign took a serious toll on him. Colleagues reported that amid a discussion over a celebratory dinner about which political figures had earned the new president's enmity, Mr Emanuel became so enraged that he grabbed a steak knife, stood up and began reciting a list of names, plunging the knife into the table and shouting "Dead! Dead! Dead!" after each one.

None the less, Mr Emanuel remained closely involved with Mr Clinton, and was made a senior White House advisor when the new administration began work in 1993. It was reported that when Tony Blair was preparing to appear in public alongside the president amid the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal in 1998, he told the prime minister: "This is important. Don't ---- it up."

In 1994, he married his partner Amy Rule, who converted to orthodox Judaism shortly before their wedding. The couple now have three children: Zachariah, 11, Ilana, 10 and Leah, 8. 

Following the messy end to the Clinton presidency, Mr Emanuel went into investment banking, reportedly earning $8million (£5million) in his three years as managing director of Dresdner Kleinwort.

However, the temptation to return to politics proved too great. This time, Mr Emanuel ran for office himself, and was elected member of the House of Representatives for Illinois's fifth district in 2002.

Once in Congress, he made a swift return to the top of the Democratic establishment, and was named the Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee - which recruits candidates and raises funds - in 2005. He was praised for his role in orchestrating significant success for the party in the 2006 elections, in which it gained 30 seats in the House, securing control for the first time in 12 years.

Ray LaHood, a Republican Representative from Illinois, said at the time: "He legitimately can be called the golden boy of the Democratic Party today. He recruited the right candidates, found the money and funded them, and provided issues for them. Rahm did what no one else could do in seven cycles."

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Now the fourth-highest ranking House Democrat, Mr Emanuel has been widely touted as a potential successor to Nancy Pelosi in the plum Capitol job of Speaker, and was reported to be "agonising" over his career dilemma after the offer from the president-elect. However, it seems an offer to sit in the driving seat of the Obama White House simply proved impossible to resist.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/3390625/Rahm-Emanuel-A-profile-of-Barack-Obamas-enforcer.html

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I don't think it's too early to declare this a failed Obama Presidency.

As usual I agree with you. I think he bit off more than he could chew... I see a great problem with Rahm... What is funny is that the loons beat us up bad regarding Rove... This will be interesting.

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Los Angeles Times By Paul Richter November 6, 2008  

Reporting from Washington — President-elect Barack Obama is expected to quickly distance himself from the unpopular foreign policy of President Bush, seeking to mend relations with foreign leaders and considering advice to swiftly shutter the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison and inaugurate a new climate change effort. However, the economic crisis that helped him at the polls also reshuffled his priorities, some advisors acknowledged. The crisis will siphon away his attention and may slow some foreign policy efforts, they said.
On more intractable problems, such as Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, Obama is expected to move gingerly as he reshapes the U.S. approach while preserving his options and accounting for the concerns of allies in the Middle East, advisors said.
"He needs to say, 'I'm listening to our allies, and to our military leaders, and we're developing a plan,' " said an advisor, who discussed deliberations on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly. "He doesn't need to lock himself into a rigid schedule that would allow the enemy to game this out in advance, and would make it harder for us to withdraw."
Obama placed heavy emphasis on foreign policy issues during his campaign, and the president-elect's team expects his early moves to be "appreciated overseas, and create a more favorable environment for the new administration right at the start," another advisor said, also speaking on condition of anonymity.
Such steps would provide a needed break from the past, the second advisor said. The world has so soured on the Bush administration that foreign leaders have become suspicious of American proposals, "even when they're good ones," the advisor added.
The enthusiastic reaction to Obama's election could help him in early initiatives to strengthen international ties, a frequent campaign theme, and to change U.S. policies that have been condemned abroad, such as Guantanamo and policies on interrogating detainees.
Obama has declared that the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba should be closed and that detainees should be handled through the U.S. military justice system. He also has pledged to organize an international coalition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
These issues have been a source of friction between the Bush administration and many allies, but are under the control of White House decision-making more than are certain entrenched problems in countries where the American military is involved.
Obama has declared that a withdrawal from Iraq would be the "first priority" of his administration and has called for combat troops to be out within 16 months. But he has also reserved some flexibility in his position.

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Obama and his aides have been talking to Iraqis and other Middle Eastern officials. Several foreign diplomats believe that the new administration intends to leave some flexibility in its withdrawal timetable.
Samir Shakir Mahmoud Sumaidy, the Iraqi ambassador to the United States, said after recent talks with Obama and his aides that he believes the new administration will bring "some change, but I don't think a fundamental change" in the U.S. approach.
Officials of several Arab countries, though ambivalent about the U.S. presence, said they have been urging the Obama team not to scale back the Iraq troop presence in a way that risks an upheaval that could spill across the region.
Obama's advisors are split on the timetable issue, with some saying he remains committed to completing a combat troop withdrawal within 16 months of his inauguration.
Some of the advisors have suggested that Obama send top officials of his administration, perhaps including the secretaries of State and Defense, to begin consultations in the Middle East early next year. A campaign official said there were no plans yet to do so.
Obama also said during the campaign that he intended to conduct high-level talks with officials of the Iranian government. Now, however, some advisors are emphasizing the careful preparations needed before any such meeting.
"I don't think he needs to rush to that," said a third advisor. "He's made it clear that engagement will be a hallmark of this administration, but he never said that there wouldn't be the proper groundwork for engagement."
U.S. officials may want at least to postpone any high-level talks until after June, when Iran holds elections that will determine whether hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remains in office. Direct talks before then potentially could strengthen Ahmadinejad, who is under fire for Iran's steep economic downturn.
Obama is likely to move more quickly to publicly reaffirm the American commitment to the international effort to pressure Tehran to give up its nuclear ambitions. Persian Gulf countries and Israel, as well as others, want Obama to make it clear that he does not intend to ease off the economic and diplomatic pressure.
On Afghanistan, Obama has argued that the United States must give greater emphasis to combating extremism, by boosting troop levels, among other measures.
But he is coming to office at a time when U.S. and other Western officials are debating how to reshape strategy amid setbacks in the fight against Islamic militants. Developing a new approach is likely to take some time, advisors say.
Some aides expect Obama to name key Cabinet officials this month. But he could follow tradition and opt to withhold most foreign policy announcements until after his inauguration.
Darryl West, a political scientist at Brookings Institution, said presidents-elect generally avoid specifics about their policies until they are sworn in. Obama, he noted, has avoided particulars in comments on the economy.
"He sees a virtue in ambiguity," West said.

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Obama and Biden met before the news conference with the transition economic advisory board, a high-powered collection of business, academic and government leaders. They included Lawrence Summers, who some have mentioned as a candidate for Treasury secretary, a post he held in the Clinton administration; Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, whose state has been hit hard by losses in the auto industry; Google CEO Eric Schmidt; and former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker. Other participants in the meeting included executives from Xerox Corp., Time Warner Inc.; and the Hyatt hotel company. Investor Warren Buffett called in by telephone. Obama has been meeting privately with his transition team, receiving congratulatory phone calls from U.S. allies and intelligence briefings, and making decisions about who will help run his government. One person frequently mentioned for a Cabinet post, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, will not be available until 2011, officials close to him said Friday. Rendell has two years left of his term, and Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll, a Democrat, is ailing. Next in line to be governor is the Republican president pro tempore the state Senate. Rather than take the chance that the GOP would gain control of the governor's office, Rendell has signaled he will stay put for the time being. On Friday morning, Obama and his wife, Michelle, attended a parent-teacher conference at the University of Chicago Lab School where their daughters, Malia and Sasha, are students. Obama planned to stay home through the weekend, with a blackout on news announcements so he and his staff can rest after the grueling campaign. He is planning a family getaway to Hawaii in December before they move to the White House, and to honor his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who died Sunday at her home there.

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/Content/Article.aspx?rsrcid=39014

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One of the first appointees being mentioned for the Obama Cabinet hits a grand slam home run. Robert F. Kennedy,Jr.,  according to politico.com, is being "strongly considered.

The selection of Kennedy would be a shrewd early move for the new presidential team. Obama advisers said the nomination would please both Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).

It also would raise the profile of the EPA, which would help endear Obama to liberals who may be disappointed on other issues important to the Democratic left because of budget restrictions.

The EPA enforces clean air and clear water laws. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and son of the late senator and attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, has long championed a cleaner water supply for New York City.

As an officer and attorney for the environmental watch group Riverkeeper, Kennedy has taken on governments and companies for polluting the Hudson River and Long Island Sound.

Kennedy, a falconer and white-water rafter, also worked as an assistant district attorney in New York City.

Kennedy gained Washington experience by fighting anti-environmental legislation in Congress in 1995 and 1996, when Newt Gingrich took over as House speaker.

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working link I hope!

 http://www.opednews.com/articles/Robert-F-Kennedy-Jr-Bein-by-Rob-Kall-081105-235.html

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Obama election fails to excite markets

Madlen Read - Associated Press Business Writer - 11/7/2008 8:35:00 AM

NEW YORK - Wall Street's resolve to rebound from a two-day selloff was shaken Friday by a worse-than-expected employment report that drove up the nation's 2008 tally of job losses to 1.2 million.

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Obama Takes Swipe at Nancy Reagan 9:04 PM President-elect Barack Obama asked Americans at his first news conference to end partisan bickering and "politics," but he used his forum to take a swipe at former First Lady Nancy Reagan. The not-so-kind comment was made after Obama was asked how he was preparing for the job of president. "Have you spoken to any living ex-presidents," one reporter asked. "I was wondering what books you might be reading, everyone wants to know what kind of dog are you going to buy for your girls, and have you decided on a private or public school for your daughters?” Obama responded: “Hey, I didn’t want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about doing any séances . . . " The remark garnered a laugh from the press, though the statement was not true. In fact, it was First Lady Hillary Clinton who admitted to having at least one séance in the White House residence in which she and a small circle of friends summoned the spirit of Eleanor Roosevelt. Nancy Reagan had consulted an astrologer during her White House years. Mrs. Reagan said she did so after her husband was shot almost fatally in 1981. She said she feared for his life and thought the astrological information might help protect him. Mrs. Reagan has not responded to Obama's swipe. The former first lady was hospitalized last month after sustaining a fractured pelvis. Late Friday, news reports indicated that Obama had called Mrs. Reagan to apologize for his remarks about her.

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/obama_reagan_seance/2008/11/07/148959.html?s=al&promo_code=70BC-1

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Once more a public figure exposes the fact that without a writer and scripted message, they say incorrect things. There should be an apology to Mrs. Reagan and Sen. Clinton for the inappropriate remark.

How many think these men and women are eloquent while presenting impromtu speeches?

This radical chief of staff fits the mold. Hire some profanity speaking bully to keep people in line? yeah that should work! Remember Mr. Nixon,  a very profain man.  I have no doubts  that would apply in part to many of our leaders. Why do people resort to profanity when making a point? It makes an impression, but what kind?

This I can say with certainty, this man, the chief of staff would shout in my face!

This will be the most difficult situation for any person to repair. If the president-elect is sucessful, it will be a miracle. The fact that he has little to no experience may not matter, maybe!

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MIDLOTHIAN, Va. - When 10-year-old Austin Smith heard Barack Obama had been elected president, he had one question: Does this mean I won't get a new gun for Christmas?

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Obama apologizes to Nancy Reagan for 'careless' joke

President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan this afternoon to apologize for a joke about her having held "séances" in the White House, an Obama aide said.

“President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan today to apologize for the careless and off-handed remark he made during today’s press conference," said transition spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter. "The President-elect expressed his admiration and affection for Mrs. Reagan that so many Americans share and they had a warm conversation."

Obama was asked at his press conference today if he'd spoken to all the "living" presidents.

"I have spoken to all of them who are living," he responded. "I didn’t want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about doing any séances."

He was apparently confusing stories about Reagan's consulting with an astrologer with those about other First Ladies -- from Mary Todd Lincoln to Hillary Clinton -- who tried to make contact with figures from the past.

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http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1108/Obama_apologizes_to_Nancy_Reagan.html

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JERUSALEM – Representatives of President-elect Barack Obama recently told Syrian officials that Obama supports ending their county's isolation and that as president he would work to bring Damascus into the international community, a Syrian diplomatic source revealed to WND. The source said the pledges were made this past summer in a meeting in Washington, D.C., between Obama's policy aids and Syrian Ambassador Imad Moustapha. The source said Moustapha was asked at the time by Obama's camp not to comment on the meeting. The source said Moustapha was told that Obama favors engagement and economic cooperation with Syria as opposed to the Bush administration's policy of isolating the country and imposing economic sanctions. The source also disclosed Obama's team said the president-elect favors talks between Israel and Syria leading to an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, strategic, mountainous territory looking down on Israeli population centers that was twice used in the past by Syria to mount ground invasions into the Jewish state. The information comes at a time when U.S.-Syrian relations seem to be reaching a low point following a U.S. military raid on Syrian soil last month that reportedly targeted elements of a robust foreign fighter logistics network operating from Syria and planning attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq. A U.S. military official said the raid was carried out due to Syrian inaction against insurgents working in its country. The U.S. has long accused Syria of failing to halt insurgents from using Syrian territory to smuggle weapons into Iraq or to stage attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq. Syria is accused of fomenting instability in Lebanon and has been widely blamed for a series of political assassinations there against anti-Syrian leaders, including the 2005 car bomb murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Syria also openly hosts the chiefs of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups. Yesterday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called on the U.S. to pull its troops out of Iraq, claiming the troops pose a threat to neighboring states. "The presence in Iraq of American forces of occupation is a permanent threat to neighboring countries and an element of instability in the region," Assad said in a speech to Arab parliamentarians in Damascus. Obama has been a harsh critic of the war in Iraq and has pledged to make ending the war a top priority. After the Illinois senator won last week's election, the official Syrian state-run SANA news agency quoted Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal as expressing hope that Obama would "change US foreign policy from a policy of war and siege to one of diplomacy and dialogue." Bilal made the comments during a trip to Cuba last Wednesday, the report said. While the Syrian diplomatic source speaking to WND said his country was told Obama supports diplomacy over sanctions, it wasn't immediately clear what was asked of Syria in return for U.S. engagement. Last April, a top Syrian official told WND his country floated a proposal to the Bush administration stating that if the U.S. helps facilitate billions of dollars in business for Syria and builds up Damascus as the primary American ally in the Arab world in place of Saudi Arabia, the Syrians would be willing to discuss scaling back alliances with Iran and making peace with Israel. He said Syria also demanded as a key condition for considering altering its alliances that the U.S. cease opposing Syrian influence in Lebanon. "Syria is the key to the Arab world. We have influence with Hezbollah and Lebanon and hold many cards in the Palestinian and Iraqi arenas," said the official, who spoke by phone from Damascus on condition his name be withheld. "The U.S. needs to rethink the value of the investment it places in Saudi Arabia." The official said Syria is asking the U.S. to end its opposition to a trade and association agreement between Damascus and the European Union drafted in 2004 that is said to be worth about $7 billion per year for the Syrian economy. The agreement was not signed or implemented, largely due to American pressure, said the Syrian official. Syria is also asking the U.S. not to object to Syrian "influence" in Lebanon, which was occupied for nearly 30 years by Syrian forces until protests prompted by Hariri's assassination. Pro-democracy Lebanese leaders accuse Syria of meddling in Lebanon's affairs by directing the Hezbollah terrorist group, which holds key parliamentary seats, to interfere in the election of a new Lebanese president. The main Syrian request is that America uphold Damascus as its main "partner" in the Arab world instead of Saudi Arabia, said the Syrian official. He said in exchange Damascus would discuss severing "many ties" with Iran, but he would not specify which ties and whether Syria is willing to cut off all coordination with the Iranians. "We are ready to significantly and deeply reduce relations with our Iranian brothers if conditions are met," the official said. He said Syria is willing to sign a treaty with Israel and come to some sort of accommodation regarding the strategic Golan Heights, mountainous territory looking down on Israeli population centers which Syria used twice to launch ground invasions into the Jewish state. The official claimed the Golan was not "the biggest obstacle" in preventing a Syrian-American-Israeli agreement. He claimed Syria would "not categorically reject the idea of leasing some sections of the Golan to Israel for up to 99 years." Just yesterday, Israeli leaders, including sitting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni, expressed public willingness to engage in direct negotiations with Syria regarding the Golan Heights.

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Security officials in Jerusalem confirmed in April to WND their knowledge of the Syrian offers to the U.S., which they said prompted a major crisis between Syria and Saudi Arabia.

According to the security officials, Saudi Arabia earlier this year began shipping weapons to the anti-Syrian leadership in Lebanon to bolster them against Damascus' influence and the Syrian-backed Hezbollah.

The Syrian-Saudi crisis was highlighted at last March's Arab Summit, a major annual meeting of Arab leaders, which was held this year in Damascus. Saudi Arabia sent only a low-level representative – which was seen as a major snub to Syria – and used the platform to blast Syria.

According to knowledgeable Arab diplomatic sources, Saudi Arabia wanted to boycott the event altogether, but sent the low-level delegation to uphold its record of attending every Arab Summit.

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Obama’s ‘Change’ Likely to Include Funding Abortions Abroad Tuesday, November 11, 2008 By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer President Bush and President-elect Obama walk along the West Wing Colonnade of the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 10, 2008, prior to their meeting in the Oval Office. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (CNSNews.com) – The “change” that President-elect Barack Obama promised on the campaign trail will likely include overturning President George W. Bush’s 2001 executive order to prohibit the use of federal tax dollars for performing or advocating abortion as a means of family planning in foreign countries, Obama’s transition team has said. “There’s a lot that the president can do using his executive authority without waiting for congressional action, and I think we’ll see the president do that,” John Podesta, head of Obama’s transition team, said when he appeared on “Fox News Sunday.” One of those executive orders is the Mexico City Policy, or as critics call it, the “global gag act,” a U.S. policy first put into place at an August 1984 Conference on Population in Mexico City by President Ronald Reagan. The Reagan policy required all non-governmental agencies, or NGOs, that received population aid dollars from the United States to agree to not perform or actively promote abortions. In what has become a partisan tradition in the first days of both Republican or Democratic administrations, President Bill Clinton removed the order shortly after taking office in 1993, and Bush reinstated it on Jan. 22, 2001. Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, told CNSNews.com that Obama has backed the pro-abortion agenda throughout his political career. “And when he’s in the oval office he will nullify (the Mexico City Policy), and the result will be hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars going to organizations in developing countries that promote abortion,” Johnson said. Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, has publicly criticized the policy, saying it limits abortion counseling even in countries where the procedure is legal. In the 1980s, International Planned Parenthood-London, and Family Planning International Assistance tried but failed through court challenges to reverse the policy. As a U.S. senator, Obama has backed proposed legislation to reverse the Mexico City Policy. After he is inaugurated on Jan. 20, his advisers are predicting the swift reversal of this and many other Bush executive orders, including the ban on medical research that creates and then destroys human embryos to harvest stem cells.

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=39104

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By Aaron Klein
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

Barack Obama speaks to media during trip to Israel in July

JERUSALEM – Hamas held a meeting in the Gaza Strip several months ago with aides to President-elect Barack Obama, but the terror group was asked to keep the contacts secret until after last week's elections, according to a senior Hamas official.

Ahmed Yousef, Hamas' chief political adviser in Gaza, told the leading Al-Hayat Arabic-language newspaper Hamas has maintained regular communication with Obama aides that even continued during the past week.

"We were in contact with a number of Obama's aides through the Internet, and later met with some of them in Gaza, but they advised us not to come out with any statements, as they may have a negative effect on his election campaign and be used by Republican candidate John McCain (to attack Obama)," Yousuf told Al-Hayat.

Yousuf said Hamas's contact with Obama's advisers was ongoing, adding that relations were maintained after Obama's electoral victory last Tuesday.

Yousef could not be reached by WND for immediate comment. It wasn't clear which Obama aides Hamas is claiming to have met in Gaza. Obama's transition team did not immediately respond to a WND e-mail and phone message requesting comment.

Obama's senior foreign policy adviser, Denis McDonough, told the Jerusalem Post today, "This assertion is just plain false."

Yousef gave WND a series of recent interviews in which he praised Obama as the leading candidate. Last week, he called Obama's win a "historic victory" for the world and told WND that Hamas was sending a letter of congratulation to the president-elect.

Six months ago, Robert Malley, a Mideast expert described as an ancillary adviser to Obama, resigned amid a report in a London newspaper that he had contact with Hamas. According to some media reports, Malley is again representing Obama's positions in meetings in Egypt and Syria, although it wasn't immediately clear whether he was acting independently. FrontPageMagazine.com claims Malley was dispatched by Obama.

Hamas is responsible for scores of suicide bombings, rocket attacks, shootings and cross-border raids. Its official charter calls for the murder of Jews and destruction of Israel. Just today, Hamas members took responsibility for launching dozens of rockets from Gaza aimed at Jewish civilian population centers.

Last week, Yousef told WND of Obama's win: "This is a historic day, a turning point. I think this is the very first time in history that one country's election concerned everyone everywhere all over [the] world. Everybody is looking forward to Obama's change, for a change in the U.S. policy, particularly in the Israeli-Palestinian equation, which is the mother of all conflicts."

Yousef said he believes an Obama administration will be more willing to engage in dialogue with Hamas.

He said Obama's job will be to "restore America's dignity in the world and put an end to the wars in the region."

Yousef took the occasion to blast the policies of President Bush, commenting he hopes "that after January the Bush administration will not be heard from again."

"We are sick of wars and conflict," the Hamas official said.

Yousef seemed aware his comments may generate some negative publicity for Obama, but he said he feels it important to "reach out and to express our thoughts and engage."

"I praised him six months ago, some people tried to use that against him. But I knew he would win. Like everyone else, we expected this important victory," he said.

Yousef was referring to an interview he gave to WND and WABC Radio in April in which he praised Obama and then found his comments had fueled a firestorm of accusations in the presidential campaign.

In April, Yousef stated he hoped Obama would become president, comparing the Illinois senator to President John F. Kennedy.

"We like Mr. Obama, and we hope that he will win the election," Yousef told WND at the time.

"I hope Mr. Obama and the Democrats will change the political discourse. ... I do believe [Obama] is like John Kennedy, a great man with a great principle. And he has a vision to change America to make it in a position to lead the world community, but not with humiliation and arrogance," Yousef said.

Sen. John McCain repeatedly used Yousef's remarks to criticize Obama's judgment foreign policy.

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http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80730 You Tube video link..again!!

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A conservative Christian activist says it's a sad omen for the Obama administration and the United States that Barack Obama has been seeking guidance from the Episcopal Church's first openly homosexual bishop.

The Times of London reports that the president-elect sought out New Hampshire homosexual bishop Vicki Gene Robinson for advice three times during his presidential campaign. Robinson, whose ordination in the Episcopal Church has caused a deep rift within the Anglican Communion, was reportedly sought out by Obama to discuss what it feels like to be "first."
 
Robinson notes in their three private conversations, Obama voiced his support for "equal civil rights" for homosexuals and described the election as a "religious experience." Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, believes Obama's consultations with Robinson show the true tenor of his upcoming administration.
 
"It looks like Billy Graham has been replaced by a gay bishop. We're moving to, perhaps, our first anti-Christian president; it's beyond post-Christian. Gene Robinson advocates homosexuality as part of the Christian experience," he explains. "Now Bible-believing Christians cannot accept that. Homosexual practice is sinful, as taught by the scriptures. This man [Obama] pretends to be faithful to Christianity, even as he works very hard to undermine it."
 
LaBarbera suggests Robinson may possibly replace Jeremiah Wright as one of Obama's main spiritual advisers. Wright was Obama's Chicago pastor for 20 years before disassociating with the controversial preacher during the presidential campaign.

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http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=315364

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Begin to RULE???

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I think that was a REAL give away that was stuck in there real subtle like!!

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ContentType:Spot Development; ContentElement:FullStory; Breaking:True; By BETH FOUHY Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Transition officials call it Obama 2.0 - an ambitious effort to transform the president-elect's vast Web operation and database of supporters into a modern new tool to accomplish his goals in the White House. If it works, the new president could have an unprecedented ability to appeal for help from millions of Americans who already favor his ideas, bypassing the news media to pressure Congress. "He's built the largest network anyone has ever seen in politics, and congressional Republicans are clueless about the communications shift that has happened," Democratic strategist Joe Trippi proclaims. The results, he says, "will be amazing to watch." Republicans say they'll be watching for White House Web outreach that appears overly political. "Hopefully, Obama will be a president for all Americans, not just the political supporters on his e-mail list," said Republican National Committee spokesman Alex Conant. Obama's people know they'll have to extend their reach. During his 21-month campaign, Obama built a list of 3.1 million contributors and over 10 million supporters who helped power his victories over Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican John McCain. In addition to helping raise a staggering $660 million, the campaign's Web effort reinforced his message and themes, responded to political attacks and created volunteer social networks that served as the basis for his field operation. Obama's team is determining how best to convert his army of online activists into a viral lobbying and communications machine. Staffers are reluctant to discuss specifics, but Obama clearly is poised to become the first truly "wired" president of the digital age. For legal and privacy reasons, Obama's campaign list must be kept separate from White House operations. Aides are figuring out if that list should be run through the Democratic National Committee or as a freestanding political entity that will eventually become his 2012 re-election committee. But transition officials have already begun a new digital outreach effort, based on the campaign model, aimed at supporters and others interested in being connected to the activities of the Obama White House. The transition operation has a new Web site, www.change.gov, designed for anyone who wants to post a message of congratulations, offer suggestions for the new administration or apply for a government job. People are invited to submit their names and e-mail addresses, with the goal of creating a new list for the president-elect to tap when he wants to communicate directly about a program he's promoting or seek help urging members of Congress to support legislation he's proposed. "Just imagine what happens when a congressman comes back to his district and 500 people are lined up for his town hall meeting because they got an e-mail from Obama urging them to attend," said Thomas Gensemer, managing partner of Blue State Digital which designed Obama's campaign Web site and change.gov. Gensemer said to be most effective, Obama needs to make clear that his Web outreach efforts aren't directed only at partisan Democrats. "If you're looking to build a community as president, the net needs to be cast a little broader," Gensemer said. "If you want to bring Republicans along, you use the Web to say, 'Work with me. Help me cut through the partisan rancor."' Such direct online contact with voters could also present a challenge for reporters covering Obama, since the new president will in many ways be able to bypass traditional media while also taking advantage of it to reinforce his online messaging. "He can do a half-hour YouTube address every Saturday, addressing millions," Trippi said. "The networks would never give the president that much television time each week, but the press is still going to have to cover what he says on YouTube." Aides say the Obama team will staff a robust "new media" operation out of the White House and plans a complete overhaul of the White House Web site to make it more interactive and user-friendly. On the campaign trail, Obama promised to use the Internet to make his administration more open, such as offering a detailed look at what's going on in the White House on a given day or asking people to post comments on his legislative proposals. Such freewheeling use of new technology also carries certain risks, as Obama discovered last summer when he signaled he would vote in the Senate for a sweeping intelligence surveillance law reviled by liberal activists. Thousands of angry supporters jammed his campaign Web site to express their outrage - a phenomenon that could easily be repeated when he becomes president. There are also limits for reaching citizens not yet on the digital grid. Peter Daou, who ran Internet operations for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, said her campaign's Web outreach was limited by the fact that older and lower-income people - demographic groups most supportive of the former first lady - weren't using the Internet for communication. Obama will need to find ways to reach those people, Daou said. "We spent a year trying to bring these people to the Web, and President Obama and his team will have to do the same thing," Daou said. "It requires a huge public relations effort, using more traditional communications efforts to invite then to participate this way."

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/obama-to-pioneer-web-outreach-as/n20081112155409990022

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http://israelinsider.ning.com/profiles/blogs/report-obama-backs-saudi-plan

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President-elect Barack Obama has reportedly selected Gregory Craig, a Williams & Connolly partner and former Clinton White House special counsel, as his White House counsel. The Politico first had the story over the weekend, and the news has been widely reported since. In March, Legal Times reported Craig's first meeting with Obama at a 2003 fundraiser dinner held at the home of one of the Clintons' closest friends, Vernon Jordan Jr. Jordan, now senior counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, told Legal Times that Craig had "been in love with [Obama] ever since" the dinner. And Craig said, "I became convinced that [Obama] had the ability to bring people together, and to end the partisan bickering in a way that no one else did." Craig has known the Clintons since they all attended Yale Law School, but in March, he told Legal Times that he hadn't spoken to them since the 2008 presidential campaign began. Craig served as a surrogate and foreign policy adviser during Obama's campaign, and helped with debate preparation.http://www.dailyreportonline.com/Editorial/News/singleEdit.asp?origin=NewsAlrt&individual_SQL=11/17/2008@27607

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Looks like all the old Clinton crew will be back in the White House... or at least all the ones who are now Kool-Aid drinkers.

I wonder if Monica will be heading the intern program?  

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Michelle's way too scary for any of that to happen.

Michelle? Scary??

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I wonder if Monica will be heading the intern program?  

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 BUTT UGLY MICHELLE PHOTO....None of her photos look decent!  Ugliest 1st lady!

There is someting wrong w/her face, mainly mouth area.  Something just doesn't look right.  She had some kind of surgery.  Maybe it is her teeth.  Made too big for her mouth.  I don't know, but something was done and it just doesn't look right.

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Is that Aunt Esther from Sanford and Sons?

http://patdollard.com/2008/06/michelle-hussein-the-lost-sessions/

http://www.israpundit.com/2008/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/michelle_obama.gif

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington attorney Eric Holder is President-elect Barack Obama's top choice to be the next attorney general and aides have gone so far as to ask senators whether he would be confirmed, an Obama official and people close to the matter said Tuesday.Holder, a former U.S. attorney who served as the No. 2 official in the Justice Department under President Bill Clinton, would be the nation's first black attorney general.An Obama official and two Democrats in touch with the transition team confirmed that Holder is Obama's top choice but the Obama official said the decision has not been finalized. Holder did not return messages seeking comment Tuesday.In the past week, Obama aides have asked Senate Republicans whether they would support Holder. In particular, the aides questioned whether Holder's confirmation would be delayed because of his involvement in the 2001 pardon of fugitive Marc Rich by Clinton at the end of his presidency.One person involved in the talks said the Obama team has received some assurances that, while the Rich pardon would certainly come up during hearings, the nomination likely wouldn't be held up. All spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.On the last day of Clinton's term, Holder was asked whether the president should pardon Rich, a wealthy commodities dealer who had spent years running from tax charges. Holder said he was "neutral, leaning towards favorable" on the pardon. Clinton later cited that as among the factors that persuaded him to issue the pardon.Holder has publicly apologized for what he said was a snap decision that he should have paid more attention to. Had he taken more time to review the case, he would have advised against a pardon, he said.___Associated Press writers David Espo, Nedra Pickler and Liz Sidoti contributed to this report.
http://www.dailyreportonline.com/Editorial/News/singleEdit.asp?origin=NewsAlrt&individual_SQL=11/18/2008@27658

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Obama picks presidential assassin’s lawyer as White House counsel posted at 9:20 am on November 17, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Barack Obama has selected Gregory Craig as White House counsel, a move that will recall some controversial legal cases over the last few years.  Craig has plenty of experience in politics as well as the courtroom, having served as Bill Clinton’s legal counsel during the impeachment hearings.  Craig flipped from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama early in the primaries, and Obama has repaid his support — but Craig’s caseload will raise a few eyebrows:

Gregory B. Craig, a well-known Washington lawyer who quarterbacked President Bill Clinton’s impeachment defense, has been chosen White House counsel by President-elect Barack Obama, according to Democratic officials.

Craig is intimately familiar with the president-elect’s record because he played the role of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in debate preparations.

The officials said Obama has settled on Craig but were not sure when the appointment would be announced.

The choice gives the president-elect both experience and loyalty. During the primaries, Craig was an early Clinton alumni defector to Obama. Columnist Robert D. Novak reported back in the winter of 2007 that Craig had told him he “was impressed with Obama when he first met him at the home of investment banker Vernon Jordan, an intimate friend and supporter of the Clintons.”

Craig was an Obama foreign policy adviser during the campaign. At the start of the Clinton administration, he had been the State Department’s Director of Policy Planning, the head of State’s in-house think tank. He also was senior adviser on defense, foreign policy and national security to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).

Besides defending Clinton through the impeachment process, an effort that Craig lost, who else had the benefit of Craig’s counsel?

• Elian Gonzalez’s father - Craig represented the father who demanded the return of his son after his estranged wife died trying to take Elian to freedom.  Most people saw this as a thinly-veiled publicity stunt from Fidel Castro, attempting to embarrass the US.  The dispute got resolved when Janet Reno ordered an armed assault on the house where Elian’s family in the US provided him a home.
• John Hinckley, Jr - Craig presented and won the insanity defense that allows Ronald Reagan’s would-be assassin to spend weekends with his family now.
• Kofi Annan - The former Secretary-General of the UN hired Craig to defend his interests in the Volcker Commission probe of the Oil-for-Food scandal, which put billions of dollars into Saddam Hussein’s pockets while providing cash for Annan’s son, his deputies, and some allege Annan himself.
• Pedro Gonzalez Pinzon - A Panamanian legislator wanted for murdering an American soldier in 1992.  The Dallas Morning News demanded that Obama force Craig to drop the case during the campaign, but no report of whether he did is easily available.

I doubt that any President has selected the defender of a presidential assassin as White House Counsel before now. Does anyone want to guess how long that takes to become a Trivial Pursuit question?

Given Craig’s dubious client list, especially Gonzalez Pinzon as an apparent active client, this selection is a disgrace.  The last person we need in the White House is an attorney who represented assassins, Castro and his goons, corrupt UN executives, and a suspected killer of an American soldier.  Those are the people the White House should focus on stopping, not embracing.

Update: I’m not saying that people should not have defense counsel when charged with a crime; that’s an absurd response to this post.  What I’m saying is that Craig is an absurd choice for White House counsel on the basis of the kinds of cases he himself pursued.  No one forced him to take Hinckley, Gonzalez Pinzon, Annan, or Gonzalez/Castro as clients.  Like most attorneys looking to boost their practice, Craig undoubtedly competed hard for their business.

Was Craig the only attorney available for this gig?  No.  Could Barack Obama find someone qualified who wasn’t currently representing a man suspected of murdering an American soldier or who represented a presidential assassin?  If not, then Obama’s more incompetent than anyone figured.  

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http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/17/obama-picks-presidential-assassins-lawyer-as-white-house-counsel/

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US President-elect Barack Obama is set to fill key roles in homeland security, commerce and foreign policy as his new team takes shape, US media reports say.

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is tipped to be homeland security chief, Democratic sources said.

Penny Pritzker, who chaired the finance team for Mr Obama's presidential campaign, could be commerce secretary.

And Bill Clinton has reportedly agreed to vetting of his affairs ahead of his wife becoming secretary of state.

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US President-elect Barack Obama will appoint senior Democrat Tom Daschle as Health and Human Services Secretary, according to US media reports.

Mr Daschle was the Democrats' Senate Majority Leader from 2001 until 2003.

As head of the health and human services department, Mr Daschle will oversee Mr Obama's proposed reforms to the US healthcare system.

Mr Obama's transition team has confirmed a number of other key advisers and top administration posts.

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The White House press secretary, Dana Perino, said, “The President has insisted that help for the auto industry be contingent on the industry making the changes needed to be viable. We are pleased the Democratic leadership now agrees that is necessary.

“The bipartisan Bond-Levin compromise meets that test,” she added. “Their plan provides assistance from already appropriated funds, and has strong taxpayer protections. While we need to review the language, this is an agreement the

President could support. We encourage the Congress to pass it as soon

as possible."

Earlier, in Detroit, the president of the United Automobile Workers union, Ron Gettelfinger, on Thursday urged Congress to approve some type of financial support for automakers before adjourning for the year to prevent millions of people from losing their jobs.

“If one of these companies goes over the cliff, it could for sure take at least one of the others, if not both, with them,” Mr. Gettelfinger said, speaking at a news conference at the U.A.W.’s headquarters, known as Solidarity House. “We cannot allow one of these companies to fall off a cliff.”

Mr. Gettelfinger joined the leaders of General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler in testifying before two Congressional committees in Washington this week, as the companies requested $25 billion in loans to avoid bankruptcy.

The executives encountered harsh criticism and little sympathy on Capitol Hill toward the auto industry’s plight, and so Mr. Gettelfinger is now attempting to focus the discussion on saving jobs rather than the much-maligned automakers.

He said that a Detroit bankruptcy, which many industry critics have said is the best option to allow for effective restructuring, would ripple throughout the United States economy and that “the current recession would be made much worse.”

Hundreds of thousands would be laid off by companies that supply parts to the automakers, he maintained, and each job related to automotive manufacturing supports many more in other fields.

Mr. Gettelfinger blasted members of Congress whose states enticed foreign automakers like Honda and Mercedes to open plants there by giving out $3 billion in tax breaks and other incentives since 1992 but who oppose help for Detroit.

He specifically cited Alabama, the home of four nonunion car factories, and of Senator Richard Shelby, a Republican who condemned the Detroit carmakers and their chief executives this week.

“We can help the financial industry and give incentives to let foreign automakers compete against us,” Mr. Gettelfinger said, “but at the same time we’re able to walk away from the industry that is the backbone of our economy.”

Mr. Gettelfinger insisted that the union had done its fair share to help the carmakers become more competitive but did not directly say whether he would be open to more concessions if Congress demanded them as part of any assistance package. He said his chief concern is getting aid to Detroit fast enough to save the automakers. G.M. and Chrysler have warned that they could run out of money within several months, and Ford, while healthier in relative terms, has also been rapidly depleting its cash reserves.

“There’s a long way to go and a short period of time to get there,” Mr. Gettelfinger said.

Nick Bunkley contributed reporting from Detroit.

XImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/global/word_reference/ref_bubble.png', sizingMethod='image'); MARGIN: -20px 0px 0px -20px; WIDTH: 25px; CURSOR: pointer; POSITION: absolute; HEIGHT: 29px" undefined="margin:-20px 0 0 -20px; position:absolute; background:url(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/global/word_reference/ref_bubble.png);width:25px;height:29px;cursor:pointer;_background-image: none;filter: progidXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src=" http:="" sizingmethod="image">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/business/21auto.html?hp

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By Daniel Whitten

Nov. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Congress will send President-elect :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Barack Obama an economic stimulus package the day he takes office Jan. 20, two Democratic lawmakers said today.

Senator :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Charles Schumer of New York said on ABC’s “This Week” program that the package will be between $500 billion and $700 billion. House Majority Leader :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Steny Hoyer, of Maryland, said on “Fox News Sunday” that he believed the Inauguration Day goal would be met, but he declined to put a price tag on the bill.

“I think Congress will work with the president elect starting now and will have a major stimulus package on his desk by Inauguration Day,” Schumer said. “I think it has to be deep. My view it has to be between five and $700 billion.”

:S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Obama said yesterday he aims to save or create 2.5 million jobs in his two-year plan to stimulate an economy facing a “crisis of historic proportions.”

The U.S. economic slowdown has been exacerbated by the worst credit crisis in seven decades. More firings will weigh on the economy and consumer spending will pressure Obama and Congress to agree on legislation that will stimulate growth, economists say.

Economic Team

Obama is moving quickly to assemble his economic team.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=afJphVfI1_0s&refer=home

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Liberals Angry over Obama's Pick of Gates, Jones
Saturday, November 29, 2008 5:06 PM

President-elect Barack Obama is under fire from liberals as he assembles his administration.

Obama is expected to keep Robert Gates, a President George Bush appointee, as secretary of defense. Retired Gen. Jim Jones, a John McCain supporter, is expected to be named national security adviser, reports Fox News.

Both moves have outraged liberal blogger Chris Bowers of OpenLeft.com, according to Fox News.

"The message would be clear," he writes in his blog. "Even Democrats agree that Democrats can't run the military."

Bowers says Gates was an advocate of such practices as waterboarding and the use of psychotropic drugs on terror detainees. He also calls Jones' selection "very disappointing."

"It is just so very frustrating," Bowers writes. "It seems like the only place progressives are making any gains is in the House. We are being entirely left out of Obama's major appointments so far. I guess everyone gets to play in Obama's administration, except progressives."

Another Democratic blogger, Brent Budowsky, writes: "It is unfortunate that on an issue so momentous as who runs the Pentagon at time of war, the views that were stated in the campaign, and supported so deeply by the base of the Democratic Party and the new voters and small donors who were the heart of the Obama campaign, are sacrificed so quickly, for Bob Gates."

The Washington Post says Gates' appointment "would probably disappoint some on the left of the Democratic party, who would prefer a clear and sharp break with Bush-era policies." Politico.com has echoed that sentiment, stating that "it could lead to criticism from his party's left wing that the lineup is more hawkish and less revolutionary than his supporters expected."

GOP strategist Dave Winston told Fox News that he isn't surprised at the reaction.

"The base is clearly going to say, where are you headed in terms of this policy?" he said. "And I think it will cause him some headaches with the base, although for the overall country, I think they will see it quite favorably."

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/obama_robert_gates/2008/11/29/156394.html

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In my research the only experience McCain has over Obama is that of military regard. Nothing wrong with that. I would not call McCain inexperienced, nor would say that of Obama. His record includes years of politics on top of years of community organizing, let alone his formal education. However, I truly do not support Obama overwhelmingly as some do. He has bitten off more than he can chew, but I just don't like to see mis-information perpetuated, the fact is both Senators McCain and Obama are educated, experienced individuals.

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Jimmie Hendricks said it first, Are you experienced? Of course his reference was off in some other place.

Not trying to discount one's age, but if all else is equal, then experience is, for me, the tie breaker. In my 63 years, this concept has been more true than not.

One Senator had years in the political arena, in dealings with foreign policy understanding, and a military background. Does that make him the better man? No!

The second senator had little time in "big league" politics, had next to no foreign policy working knowledge and no experience of military protocol. Does this make him the lesser man? No!

Yet the one talked of the reality of life through the knowledge gained over years of....(experience). The other one talked of change which even Superman would have a difficult time bringing about. The reason why I include Old Super, is because much of what I gleaned from one candidate seemed to be pulled from the pages of a comic book.

Lois Lane dies, so Superman speeds off into space and creates a vortex which reverses the direction of spin for the planet. This causes time to reverse itself, and,....... Lois lives! Amazing!

There seems to be a degree of slickness about OB that exceeds the norm. Big egos are a requirement for life in DC, but for me, the limit has been breeched. If this man can do what he claims, Amen! But like the "tortise and the hare", change comes with time and the experienced man realizes this.

One of our future leader's first comments to the American people was, "Have patience"! This is what we've had for eight years. If you want to be the Man, be prepared to hit the ground running!

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Any person can be an activist. These men and women are political wannabees. Men as young as Ob are generally considered lacking in the maturity one needs to be President. JFK just barely defeated Nixon and any thought JFK too young. The millions his father was able to throw at his son's feet didn't hurt either. As now the stoic administration of Ike, caused people to wish for new blood.  To credit OB's time at supporting others or some policies does not add to his ability to lead. What it does do is create friends for those who are active, and which can be asked for return support at a later date. 

Did OB win the eletion for the Democrats, or did Bush lose the election for the Republicans? Any republican would have been hard pressed to over come the Bush legacy.

Consider what this selection means to just 117 individuals which constitute this group. People are arming themselves in ways not done in the past. Due to the fact that the possible next president has hidden important information, has cuased many to doubt him and his words. This is usually reserved for new presidents after their second day in office. He is still a wannabee until the middle of December and then must control his impulses until January.

The tradition of having the outgoing and the incoming, share dinner at the whitehouse was broken by Ike. He nor his followers would enter the whitehouse until Truman had left. I considered that very rude, but since OB has in part, taken the stage from GW, I would classify this to be rude as well.

The country is slowly being torn asunder. As time continues it may be the situation where those who think of OB as their personal champion will begin to clash with those thinking him to be a fraud.

Being able to rcall in my mind when Truman defeated Dewey in 1948 to the surprise on many and the disrust many had for Kennedy because of his religion, nothing else has come close to shaking this country apart. After sixty plus years, i do fear for the life of my son and any offspring he made have. If this sounds dramatic, it's not half as dramatic as the thoughts of armed confrontation in the streets if OB's lies are revealed. Should this happen, he could and should be removed from office, and this will result in making the events of 1968 seem like a chess match.

God spare the innocent!

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President-elect Barack Obama has named half of his Cabinet members at record speed and earned positive reviews from both sides of the political aisle. 

After naming his economic team and his national security team at record speed, President-elect Barack Obama will now focus on filling the last half of his Cabinet.

Rounding out his Cabinet will be the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Veterans Affairs, Transportation and Education.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is expected to be named commerce secretary and Tom Daschle has been widely touted as secretary of health and human services. And speculation is growing that Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, will get the nod to lead the national department... *Continued...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/01/obama-dales-cabinet-picks/

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By Andrew Gray

WASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who will stay on under Barack Obama, said on Tuesday he supported the president-elect's Iraq policy but declined to back his proposed timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

Gates, who had previously insisted he wanted to bow out at the end of the Bush administration, also vowed he would not be a "caretaker" under Obama and said no time limit had been put on how long he would continue to serve.

"The president-elect and I agreed that this would be open-ended," said Gates, introduced on Monday as Obama's pick for the Pentagon in a national security team that also includes Sen. Hillary Clinton as his choice for secretary of state.

The decision by the Democratic president-elect to retain Gates, a Republican, was historic. Gates said it was the first time a new U.S. president had chosen to retain the secretary of defense from a previous administration.

Gates, a former CIA director, was hired by President George W. Bush in late 2006 primarily to help turn around a deeply unpopular Iraq war that was almost out of control.

He oversaw a surge of 30,000 extra U.S. troops that helped produce a dramatic decline in violence and he has been widely praised for repairing relations with the military, Congress and the media that frayed under his predecessor Donald Rumsfeld.

But Obama and the Bush administration had clashed over withdrawals from Iraq, where the United States still has 146,000 troops, more than five years after the 2003 invasion.

Obama and other Democrats have demanded a pullout timetable while the Bush administration insisted any troop cuts should be based on commanders' assessments of the security situation.

Obama restated on Monday that be believed U.S. combat troops could be withdrawn in 16 months.

RESPONSIBLE PULLOUT
Gates declined to say whether he backed the 16-month goal but indicated he was comfortable with Obama's position because the president-elect had pledged to act responsibly and listen to U.S. commanders.

"I would subscribe to what the president-elect said yesterday in Chicago," he said.

"He repeated his desire to try and get our combat forces out within 16 months. But he also said that he wanted to have a responsible drawdown. And he also said that he was prepared to listen to his commanders," Gates said.

"So I think that that's exactly the position the president-elect should be in."

Both Obama and Gates are committed to sending more troops to Afghanistan, where insurgent violence has risen sharply.

Gates pledged to give personal attention to a wide range of issues, from the needs of wounded troops to modernizing weapons systems.

"We need to take a very hard look at the way we go about acquisition and procurement," he said.

But Gates declined to comment on specific weapons programs or his position on the purchase of additional top-of-the-line F-22 fighter jets, made by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

Gates said he expected Obama's transition team to suggest nominees for almost all the political posts at the Pentagon. He would interview nominees and make recommendations but the final decision would be Obama's.

Gates' deputy Gordon England, who took the post under Rumsfeld, announced on Tuesday he would not stay on. (Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed2/idUSN02288401

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AP

Thursday, December 04, 2008

MIAMI -- When a man sounding remarkably like President-elect Barack Obama called a Florida congresswoman Wednesday, she assumed it was a crank call.

So Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen hung up. But, the Miami Herald reports, this was no prank.

"I thought it was one of the radio stations in South Florida playing an incredible, elaborate, terrific prank on me," Ros-Lehtinen told the newspaper. "They got Fidel Castro to go along. They've gotten Hugo Chavez and others to fall for their tricks. I said, 'Oh, no, I won't be punked."'

The call came about 1 p.m. Obama congratulated her on her re-election, saying he was looking forward to working with her as the ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs committee, Ros-Lehtinen told the newspaper.

The conversation lasted about a minute when she cut Obama off, telling him she wasn't falling for the hoax and that he was a better impersonator than the guy on Saturday Night Live, she said.

Then Rahm Emanuel, Obama's chief of staff, called the congresswoman to tell her it wasn't a joke. But she hung up on him, too. It took a call from Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, to persuade Ros-Lehtinen that Obama really did want to talk to her.

When the two finally talked, Ros-Lehtinen said she and Obama had a good conversation and she congratulated him for his victory despite how hard she campaigned for his opponent, Sen. John McCain.

He didn't even blame her for mistaking him for a radio-station prank, she said.

"He laughed a lot, saying in Chicago they do it all the time," Ros-Lehtinen said. "He said, 'I don't blame you for being skeptical."'

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/04/oh-wont-punked-congresswoman-hangs-obama/

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Congress, Obama could spar over $350B request

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-01-12-bailout_N.htm

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090111/ap_on_go_co/republican_retrenchment

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Bursting the Hopey/Changey Bubbles

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Economy/story?id=6619291&page=1

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Economy/story?id=6619291&page=1

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Economy/story?id=6619291&page=1

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Economy/story?id=6619291&page=1

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By SHARON THEIMER – 57 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton, President-elect Barack Obama's choice for secretary of state, rejected calls Tuesday for more details about donors to her husband's foundation, saying she has revealed enough to avoid even the hint of conflicts. An Associated Press review found that Clinton stepped in at least a half-dozen times on issues involving businesses and others who later gave to the charity.

Clinton said as secretary of state she will not be influenced to act on behalf of her husband's contributors, which include foreign governments.

"It will not be in the atmosphere," Clinton said.

Richard Lugar of Indiana was among GOP senators on the Foreign Relations Committee pressing for full transparency about contributors to the William J. Clinton Foundation and one of its main projects, the Clinton Global Initiative.

Under an agreement with Obama, Bill Clinton recently released the names of donors to his foundation, a nonprofit that has raised at least $492 million — including millions from Saudi Arabia and other foreign governments — to fund his library in Arkansas and charitable efforts worldwide on such issues as AIDS, poverty and climate change. He pledged to release similar information annually. The donor list doesn't provide exact amounts, background on donors such as their employers, or the dates of donations.

Lugar, the committee's top Republican, urged Hillary Clinton to immediately disclose donations of $50,000 or more; alert ethics officials when any gift of that size is pledged or given by a foreign entity, whether an overseas government, individual or business; and reveal the year a donation was made and the amount, or at least the range, of a donor's giving in that year.

Cont - http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jukRz1P39g94NusdB_OuO7KUJU2AD95MILGG0

Secretary of State-designate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., right, is greeted by Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., left, as the committee's chairman Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., looks on center, prior to the start of the committee's hearing on her nomination, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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By Kristin Jensen and Brian Faler

Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Barack Obama lobbied Democratic senators today as he seeks to build support for his economic stimulus proposals and for tapping the second half of a $700 billion financial-markets rescue fund.

Senate Majority Leader :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Harry Reid said he’s confident his chamber won’t block the rescue funds.

Obama spent a little more than an hour with his former Senate colleagues a day after President :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >George W. Bush, acting on the president-elect’s behalf, notified lawmakers of the intent to release money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program. Lawmakers are demanding greater oversight of the program and more restrictions on how the money is used.

With the U.S. economy in recession, Obama also is calling for quick action on a $775 billion economic stimulus package. While Democratic leaders promise to pass the legislation by mid- February, the plan met criticism last week from lawmakers of both parties over its size and the balance of tax cuts and spending.

“There’s a recognition that the country’s in a deep economic crisis, but there’s a way out of it,” Reid said after the meeting. He said passing the stimulus and the release of $350 billion from the bailout fund are crucial. The Nevada Democrat said he’s “confident” the TARP money won’t be blocked by the Senate, adding that a vote will be held by Jan. 18.

‘Not Popular Vote’

“This is not a popular vote,” said Senate Banking Committee Chairman :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Chris Dodd of Connecticut, saying that some lawmakers question “the underlying need for this.” He said legislators don’t have time to take up legislation to impose new restrictions on the TARP program.

Representative :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has proposed limits on the TARP funds. Today, he said he wants his measure to pass the House so it can be available for Senate consideration if Obama’s administration doesn’t live up to its commitments on spending the money.

Democrats who met with 0bama said he reassured them the next $350 billion in bailout money wouldn’t be spent the way the first half was doled out.

“He has the same qualms we do,” Michigan Senator :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Carl Levin told reporters.

Obama told lawmakers they would be provided specific reassurances the money wouldn’t be spent to pay dividends, Levin said. There would also be limits on executive pay and mechanisms to “track the money,” the senator said.

Levin and others predicted Obama would be able to defeat an effort in the Senate to block release of the money.

‘He’ll Prevail’

“He’ll prevail,” West Virginia Senator :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Jay Rockefeller said after the meeting.

Connecticut Senator :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Joseph Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, predicted “overwhelming support among Senate Democrats” for releasing the money. Obama “made a strong economic case,” the senator said, adding, “The anger about TARP is all based about how things were done in the past.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aDRI3F1soZ8M&refer=home

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Senator :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat who has called for more transparency and accounting for how the money is spent, said, “I feel much better” after Obama’s presentation.

Senator :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Mary Landrieu, who voted against the TARP plan last year, said she is “leaning no” though “trying to remain open.”

The chairman and vice chairman of the Federal Reserve also weighed in today on the economic stimulus and TARP.

Fed Chairman :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Ben S. Bernanke, speaking earlier today in London, warned that the stimulus plan being proposed by Obama won’t be enough to sustain a long-lasting economic recovery. The government also must take “strong measures” to strengthen the financial system, he said. That may include buying or guaranteeing the tainted assets of banks to open up credit markets.

Fed Vice Chairman

The Fed’s vice chairman, :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Donald Kohn, told a House Financial Service Committee hearing that the second half of the $700 billion financial-rescue fund should be used to reduce foreclosures, help restart credit markets and continue direct aid to banks.

“The remaining TARP funds will play an essential role in further strengthening the financial system and restoring normal credit flows,” Kohn said.

Under the TARP legislation passed last year, Congress can vote to block the release of the money. Republican Senator :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >David Vitter of Louisiana introduced a resolution today to prevent the fund from being tapped.

Senate Republican leader :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said members of his caucus are skeptical about releasing more money without more specifics about how it will be spent.

‘Discontent’

McConnell said there was “discontent” among Republicans with a letter sent to congressional leaders yesterday by Obama economic adviser :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Larry Summers. While some Republicans will vote not to block the funds, the administration doesn’t have “significant levels” of support from Republicans, McConnell said.

McConnell also said one idea discussed during a Republican caucus lunch was a two-year suspension of the payroll tax as part of the stimulus.

“It’s worth taking a look at,” the Republican leader said.

Summers outlined the conditions Obama supports in tapping the second half of the TARP money, including “tough but sensible conditions” on executive compensation and dividends for those getting “exceptional assistance,” and greater accountability for the money.

Obama also wants more of the funds funneled to community banks and small businesses as well as steps to loosen credit for individuals and help for homeowners facing foreclosure.

To contact the reporters on this story: :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Kristin Jensen in Washington at kjensen@bloomberg.net; :S:d1" rel="nofollow" >Brian Faler in Washington at bfaler@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 13, 2009 19:15 EST

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aDRI3F1soZ8M&refer=home

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Obama is losing a battle he doesn't know he's in

The president-elect's silence on the Gaza crisis is undermining his reputation in the Middle East

• 
• • Simon Tisdall
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 4 January 2009 15.55 GMT
  • Article history

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On the campaign trail, Obama (like Clinton) was broadly supportive of Israel and specifically condemnatory of Hamas. But at the same time, he held out the prospect of radical change in western relations with Muslims everywhere, promising to make a definitive policy speech in a "major Islamic forum" within 100 days of taking office.

"I will make clear that we are not at war with Islam, that we will stand with those who are willing to stand up for their future, and that we need their effort to defeat the prophets of hate and violence," he said.

As the Gaza casualty headcount goes up and Obama keeps his head down, those sentiments are beginning to sound a little hollow. The danger is that when he finally peers over the parapet on January 21, the battle of perceptions may already be half-lost.

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NEW YORK, Feb 25 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday on disappointment U.S. President Barack Obama provided few new clues about how his administration would shore up the economy in a major speech before Congress.

* Late on Tuesday Obama sought to reassure the country it would emerge stronger from the crisis but investors found little in his speech that could help the market hold onto its attempted rebound on Tuesday from 12-year lows. For more see [ID:nN24394594].

* The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI fell 38.95 points, or 0.53 percent, to 7,311.99. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX was off 5.01 points, or 0.65 percent, to 768.13. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC was down 14.73 points, or 1.02 percent, at 1,427.10. (Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by James Dalgleish)

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2547680120090225

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Obama's behavior looks silly to me: he signs the big stimulus bill ($800 billion), has a meeting on how to fix the deficit, and then he's not saying anything about a pork laden bill ($410 billion) that just passed the house. When he campaigned he said he would go through government spending programs "with a scalpel" and eliminate waste. So why doesn't he stand up to congress?! The only good thing now is that I won't have to listen to him blame Bush for this deficit he inherited; he owns it now. He's certainly done a lot in his first few weeks in office. As far as I'm concerned his "100 days" are up. We can't afford any more of this.

The stock market has no confidence because they either can't figure out what Obama is going to do, or they don't like it. Obama has to realize that he needs these "rich" people to invest if we're going to get out of this mess.

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Obama is an asss who does not know what the heck he is doing and it is becoming more and more apparent. We have great cause for alarm as to who we let through the front doors of the White House...

Good post Dan. 

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Posted all of the posts on the following thread here... My bad... So here's a link...

Bush was Pres in Q4 and other News today -...

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Lena,

I wouldn't use your term to describe Obama. He was elected with a clear majority and I have to respect him as my president. He is a smart guy, but from watching him now and his past behavior, I'd say he's an opportunist who believes that the end justifies the means (this is my opinion). Given the way he's spending us into permanent debt to get his ideological agenda through (govenment health care, etc.), I'd say he's willing to sacrifice the economy, and even a second term, for what he perceives as the overall good.

Dan

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Elected by a clear majority of people who just didn't know. He's educated, I'll agree, but education does not mean intelligence, but knowledge in the field of learning. One man or a hand full do not understand what is best for all.

He may have grown up underprivledged, but overcame that stigma. Those days are as foreign to him now as the atmosphere on pluto. Is he or is he not a lawyer? A lawyer and a doctor are as different as a plumber and a electrician. Each has his area of expertise.

Why are people so ready to accept his concept as the correct one. Like Chavez, will he ask congress for unlimited presidential terms? That way he can complete this miracle idea, I think not!

Most every President needs advice from advisors. No one can know all which needs to be known, but a smart man gathers several opinions before deciding which to follow. If one is told they have cancer, isn't the advice given to seek other opinins. The same with any enterprise, seek advice of more then one other person. Ask America- don't tell America.

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Hi Dan - Well we differ then on a few things which isn't a bad thing in the course of life... However, Obama is an asss. What is so smart about taking an economy which is already having problems and tacking on 8 trillion more hardship?

More examples that I just happened to post today...

Bush was Pres in Q4 and other News today -...

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Lena and John,

I disagree with what Obama's doing. I'm giving him the benefit of a doubt and assume his motives are good. I still have some admiration for him coming as far as he did but I don't think he's really been tested. On just character, I admire John McCain much more. He was willing to sacrifice years of torture for me and his fellow prisoners and came out of it with little bitterness, even towards his enemies.

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Hi Dan! Don't get me wrong. I agree with you mostly. I even gave Obama the same considerations as you at first. I guess I don't have enough patience...

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I think the influences of Obama's past affiliations are really becoming obvious. Besides Ayers & Wright, don't forget one of BO's mentors was the author of "Rules for Radicals", Saul Alinsky.

The book itself is dedicated to Lucifer [called the "very first radical"]. Below are excerpts from "Tactics":

"Tactics are those conscious deliberate acts by which human beings live with each other and deal with the world around them. ... Here our concern is with the tactic of taking; how the Have-Nots can take power away from the Haves." p.126

Always remember the first rule of power tactics (pps.127-134):

1. "Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have."

2. "Never go outside the expertise of your people. When an action or tactic is outside the experience of the people, the result is confusion, fear and retreat.... [and] the collapse of communication.

3. "Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy. Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. (This happens all the time. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address.)

4. "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules. You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity."

5. "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counteract ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage."

6. "A good tactic is one your people enjoy."

7. "A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag. Man can sustain militant interest in any issue for only a limited time...."

8. "Keep the pressure on, with different tactics and actions, and utilize all events of the period for your purpose."

9. "The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself."

10. "The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition. It is this unceasing pressure that results in the reactions from the opposition that are essential for the success of the campaign."

11. "If you push a negative hard and deep enough, it will break through into its counterside... every positive has its negative."

12. "The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative."

13. Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.  In conflict tactics there are certain rules that [should be regarded] as universalities. One is that the opposition must be singled out as the target and 'frozen.'...

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http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=555&pst=1340269&thread_options_open=1

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The FOX Transition Tracker

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03.19.09

The public and political uproar could make what's expected to be a tough reelection fight next year even tougher for the Connecticut Democrat.

03.19.09

Some advocates say his policies on federal whistleblowers are too much like Bush’s.

03.18.09

Edward Liddy is praised by some lawmakers for taking on a tough task. But others excoriate him for large payments to those who helped bring down the company.

03.18.09

Members of both parties are mad at the insurance giant. But big questions remain over what they can do about it.

03.17.09

03.17.09

03.17.09

Public outrage over $165 million in bonus pay puts his political capital at risk.

03.15.09

The new party chair has been mired in internal feuds, but expectations for next elections are building.

03.12.09

Continued -

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03.11.09

Bolstered by high approval ratings, the president sees a limited window of opportunity to enact his agenda.

03.11.09

The business community says the bill, which makes it easier for workers to unionize, would be a job killer.

03.11.09

On Tuesday, Congress passed the spending bill to keep the government running - 160 days late, and not without some unusual friction between House and Senate leaders.

03.10.09

Lawmakers agree that big financial institutions are in trouble. But they want more help for their constituents.

03.10.09

The president’s pragmatic worldview is likely to temper military engagement overseas.

03.09.09

Scientists had charged the former administration with political interference.

03.06.09

The House passed a bill giving some homeowner relief. Now it's on to the Senate.

03.05.09

Continued -

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03.04.09

03.04.09

For now, the first lady avoids policy issues, sticking to meet-and-greets with federal workers and citizens.

03.03.09

‘Member projects’ are a tiny part of the federal budget, but they’re a problem for Obama.

03.03.09

03.02.09

His introduction of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) for secretary of health and human services marks an attempt to press for reforms even amid the economic crisis.

03.02.09

02.27.09

http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/story-list/?post_author=4

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And now it's all in the toilet.

The number of voters in the 2008 prez election was less than in the 2004.  That BHObama, he's dynamic...

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Hi Antonio! Glad to see you here! I know that English is not your first language, so please do not worry. We will communicate just fine. I wish I could speak another language as you do...

The argument regarding the Iraq war and WMD are pretty much like beating a dead horse these days.

There are those who believe as you do and there are those who don't buy it.

I am a firm believer that the UN inspectors prior to the war, allowed Saddam by way of stalling, to move the WMD that he massacred millions of Kurds with in the 80's, over the Syrian borders.

As for the war in Iraq being the right war at the right time... I agree with GW. There is proof in Iraq that Saddam and one of his sons were providing the 911 terrorists with training at Salman Pak.

So there you have it.

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I have joined the American Politics group, but I don't Know the American politics very well. I only know, that there are the Republicans, more conservators and the Democrats, more liberals. My sympathy goes to the Democrats.

I don't agree with G. W. Busch's war against the Iraq, with the pretext of the massive destruction weapons (MDW), that didn’t existed and also with the pretext to combat the Alcaeda, that before the invasion of Iraq, wasn't there. The Alcaeda's terrorists come into the Iraq during the Iraq´s War. America has spent blood and money in that war and Iraq’s people don't accepted the foreign army in their country, as a liberator and they see the Americans as invasors. I know that there are many other causes to the increase of the oil price, but the first one was that war, that’s when it begins. The Iraq's War also is the first cause of the American Economic Crises.

I think that when America choose Barack Obama as it's President, a New Era of World Peace have begin.

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Hi Lena!

The only mistake I have made in English, in my first post, I can make it in Portuguese language too. It was to repeat "very well". So, I have repost my first post to correct it.  But if you have found another mistake, I ask you the favour to tell me, so I will learn the English language.

The UN inspector’s didn’t found any MDW (Massive Destruction Weapons) and the UN didn’t approve the War that G. W. Busch begins without the UN agreement.

The only MDW that´s was show to G. W. Busch in a Power Point Presentation, which I see in the TV, was made with Photoshop, the worst Photoshop work I have seen in my life!

The proof that the information was faked, is the resignation of the CIA Director, as you must now.

The US Army, all long these years, didn’t show in the Television any MDW.

The US Army has used weapons that are not approved by the UN, such as phosphorous bombs!...

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Hi Antonio, you have made no mistakes that I can see.

I think your English is good.

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Hi Lena,

I'm glad to hear that from you. Thank you very much!

Hugs!

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Hi Antonio! You can help me with my Portuguese too!

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Yes, I can! Here you have the Portuguese translation of your post above:

Olá Antonio! Você pode ajudar-me com o meu Português também!

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Hi Antonio -> Olá Antonio

You -> você

can -> pode

ajudar-me -> help me

with -> com

my -> o meu

Portuguese -> Português

too -> também

Hugs,

Antonio

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Thank you Antonio!

I think I'll start a thread exclusivley for learning Portuguese.

Should I ever get the chance to visit your beautiful country, I will not be so lost with how to communicate!

Thank  you again.

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Hi Lena!

You are welcome!


Hugs,

Antonio

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