Dec. 31, 2008
Obama's "One President" Gambit
Washington Post: Democrat Defers To Bush On Foreign Policy - But Not On Economy
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Face The Nation, 12.28.08
Chip Reid speaks with President-elect Barack Obama's White House Senior Advisor David, Ill. Lieutenant Gov. Pat Quinn and Nobel Laureate in Economics Paul Krugman.
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When it comes to repairing the faltering U.S. economy, Barack Obama offers vision, numbers and detail. But as Israeli bombs and Palestinian rockets explode in the Middle East, the president-elect has responded with silence.
With 20 days until he takes office, Obama is likely to encounter a region reshaped by new violence once he becomes commander in chief. But he has refused to engage in diplomatic conversation before then, insisting that to do so would undermine President Bush. "President-elect Obama is closely monitoring global events, including the situation in Gaza, but there is one president at a time," said Brooke Anderson, Obama's national security spokeswoman.
But while the "one president" philosophy has kept Obama mum on emerging foreign policy crises since the Nov. 4 election, he has abandoned it when it comes to the economy, talking at great length and in great detail about his plans for the nation's financial recovery.
Obama -- and the usually loquacious Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. -- are deferential to Bush on international affairs. Meanwhile, they have all but taken over from the current White House occupant the job of designing an economic rescue, declaring weeks ago that "work starts today."
The difference offers a glimpse into Obama's careful governing style, in which the 44th president and his team weigh the risks of action against the political advantages of doing or saying nothing.
"It seems clear he's just cherry-picking those things that serve his purpose and staying as far away from Middle East troubles as he can," said G. Calvin MacKenzie, a professor of government at Colby College in Maine. "Come January 21, he's going to have to deal with some of these issues. But politically, there's no good news there. There's no benefit in him getting involved with that sooner than he has to."
Aides say the president-elect's silence on foreign policy follows a long-held principle that reserves such issues to the president. Offering a competing voice could have immediate consequences for U.S. policy.
"President-elect Obama believes it is important to adhere to the constitutional principle that there is only one president at a time, and it is extremely important in the arena of foreign policy that it is clear who is speaking on behalf of the United States," incoming press secretary Robert Gibbs said.
As a candidate, Obama said he would rebuild the nation's reputation and promised to end the Iraq war while shifting resources to Afghanistan. But the economic collapse has dramatically refocused his agenda, especially for the first few months of his administration.
In the most recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, two-thirds of Americans highlighted economic issues as the top priority for Obama and the next Congress. Fewer than 1 percent cited a "foreign policy" concern as their primary issue. Nine percent singled out the war in Iraq as the top problem they want the next administration to tackle, a big drop from the issue's prominence before the primaries.
Even among Americans' foreign policy concerns, the Israeli-Palestinian issue ranks low. In a September Pew Research Center poll, 25 percent called "finding a solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians" a top long-range priority for the United States, putting it at the bottom of a 12-item list topped by protecting the country against terrorism and preserving U.S. jobs.
Shortly after the election, Obama signaled that he would spend the 11-week transition largely in the background, deferring to his predecessor. But when it comes to the economy, he has been anything but a political wallflower.
Obama has asked Congress to have a stimulus package ready to "jolt" the economy by the time he is sworn in. And weeks ago, he assigned his economic advisers to work with Congress to write the legislation. "With our economy in distress, we cannot hesitate and we cannot delay," Obama said Nov. 25. "Our families can't afford to keep on waiting."
On Dec. 2, he met with the nation's governors, pledging to work with them to put people back to work. Five days later, in a radio address, he unveiled a plan to fix the nation's infrastructure, including the crumbling transportation grid, and to invest in green technology.
His aides are deep in discussion with the Democratic leadership in the U.S. House, which will return next week to take up an economic plan that Obama designed. On Dec. 21, after meeting with top economic advisers, the president-elect upped his job creation goal from 2.5 million to 3 million.
"A hemorrhaging financial system and economy, where there's got to be some confidence in the Fed and the U.S. government, leads to a departure from what would otherwise be 'one president at a time,' " said Graham Allison, a presidential scholar at Harvard University.
But Allison said the ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip -- like the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month -- does not present the same need to break from a long-standing tradition of deference. "It's not that clear what the U.S. can do or necessarily even should do," Allison said. "Given that [Obama] doesn't have responsibility, it gives him a way to avoid being just another part of the story."
That has been Obama's approach to foreign policy since the day after he was elected, when Russian President Dimitry Medvedev warned in a speech that he would deploy short-range missiles capable of striking NATO territory if Obama proceeded with plans to build a missile defense shield in Europe.
Obama declined to comment. Biden, who late in the campaign wondered aloud about a foreign policy test, was silent as well.
A few weeks later, when terrorists killed 171 people in India's financial capital, Obama condemned the attacks and said they demonstrated the need to stand with "nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks."
But his aides refused to take the bait when reporters raised Obama's campaign statement that the United States should act unilaterally in Pakistan to eliminate terrorist threats. "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President [Pervez] Musharraf won't act, we will," he said at the time.
Obama's top advisers have been equally hesitant during the Gaza crisis, even as Israeli politicians have been quoting the president-elect's words from the campaign: "If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I'm going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing."
Senior Obama adviser David Axelrod acknowledged the statement during an interview on NBC's "Meet The Press" on Sunday. But he added: "The Bush administration has to speak for America now."
Obama, who is vacationing in Hawaii, has made no statements about the Mideast situation since Israel's aerial assault on Gaza began Saturday. A handful of pro-Palestinian activists gathered in front of Obama's $9 million rental home Tuesday, some of them carrying signs urging him to address Mideast policy when he becomes president.
Ann Wright, 62, a retired Army colonel, wore a T-shirt that read "We will not be silent" and carried a sign that said: "Change U.S. foreign policy. Yes we can." Her group, Veterans for Peace, later issued a news release: "We call on President-elect Obama to place the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the top of his list of priorities of his new administration."
Polling director Jon Cohen contributed to this report.
By Michael D. Shear
© 2008 The Washington Post Company
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See all 82 CommentsThe economy is a crisis of immediate impact on Americans. Israel and the Palestinians will be fighting in 100 years.
The author of this article simple-mindedly conflates two completely different situations. It seems that is all we can expect from most journalists today who are always looking for an "angle."
Bitter, divisive, racist and delusional. America is soooo tired of these uneducated Limbaugh-lovin'' hicks!
Y''all just crack me up--the fact is, NO ONE could be the abysmal failure the Bush tribe has been.
Sorry, Obama will not stoop down to the gross criminal levels of this administration, much to the chagrin of all you naysayers.
Hale announced this during his evening Internet broadcast on PlainsRadio.com, Tuesday, 12/30 and confirmed it with I.O. in an online interview, later that night. He reported that certified copies of this documentation have been sent from Hawaii by the investigator to himself and four others. Hale is to receive his copy today, Wednesday, 12/31 and plans to post it graphically on the site, during the day. He will also discuss this on a special Internet broadcast, between 6 pm and 10 pm Central Time, tonight. The site streams audio as soon as it is accessed via Web browser.
Link to PlainsRadio and their message forum
2. US troops in Iraq would be brought home.
3. Tax cut
4. Tax increase for the wealthy
I will be tapping my hands waiting. Who knows maybe he will live up to the promises ? Or who knows, we will be waiting 4 years and listening to great speeches with no action.
I will give him a fresh start, but my patience will run thin with no action.
Trust me.
Posted by Moderator672 at 07:55 PM : Dec 31, 2008
A Free "Congress style" Medical, Dental and drug plan.
#####
There is no "free" Congress style Medical, Dental and drug plan.
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
http://www.opm.gov/INSURE/HEALTH/
The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) is a system of "managed competition" through which employee benefits are provided to full-time permanent civilian employees of the United States Government. It allows insurance companies and employee associations such as labor unions to develop health, dental, and allied plans to be marketed to governmental employees.
Posted by AlanW1077
Took a while, but the "next" was George Bush.
Perhaps it is long past time to mind our own business, we sure have enough problems of our own to solve for now!
Obama will solve everything including the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. *** ???
Why how could this be ?" Posted by Moderator672
And who told you this, can you reference exact quotes?
Posted by hitoyou11 at 08:12 PM : Dec 31, 2008
*** Obama is still a better choice than amnesty supporting Juan Mccain! Give us better candidates republicans... or you will keep losing elections... alot of independ white and hispanic voters all voted democrat this past election.. republicans need to learn they will get the indepenedent white voters, or the independent hispanic voters, but not both... I hate amnesty mccain!
Bush is like Adolf Hitler.
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa *** Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
%u201CGEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY%u201D BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG
andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com Posted by Wang111 at 03:22 AM : Jan 01, 2009
*** heck, I have more respect for Hitler than I do for bush! Atleast with Hitler you knew what you got.. with bush he says one thing*secure the border* and does the opposite*try to pass amnestY* Heck, Hitler would have solved our problem with illegal latinos... too bad bush has no backbone!
Posted by peace4321 at 04:24 PM : Dec 31, 2008
We''ll say ''Good, you''re finally concentrating on the right country. Too bad you wasted so much time and money in Iraq''.
Soetoro Divorce Decree
Active learning
Maximizing talent from all sources
Proactive vs. reactive enthusiasm
Popular vote was a clear mandate by the people to rewrite rulebook and craft a new, era of America first, for Americans government that can deliver as promised.
Deeds not words. Action not rhetoric.
Foreign policy has mutated into a US tax dollar consuming Hydra.
US can long longer afford luxury of being a self appointed savior of the world.
Simply say no to most foreign problems, burdens, and complications since they prove time after time to be bad investments offering little return for our heavy investment.
Well intentioned flag waving glory days of generous, reoccurring US government foreign aid ventures must stop.
Prudent US government agendas and tax spending must be focused on US economy and home front issues.
Other countries must find their own paths to peace or first world status their own way in their own time even if they never achieve their aspirations; so be it.
Not our obligation to year after year exhaust US tax dollars collected by law from hard working, law abiding US citizens to be our number one export.
Hurricane Katrina was clear message bearer that US must circle our national wagons and take care of our own.
Time to practice what we preach.
Posted by tanarg at 06:58 AM : Jan 01, 2009
Hey, idiot, did you read the part in your link where it said:
''Hale does admit to incomplete certainty of his investigator''s work until he receives it, partially due to the PI''s accent, the telephone connection, and his slight hearing impediment.''
And this is reported in Russia''s ''Pravda''? Definitely credible journalistic investigation...NOT!
Good luck with that! Obama is going to legitimately be the next POTUS whether you like it or not.
" Oh please, make love not war"
Idiots. Grow up.
Posted by peace4321 at 09:01 AM : Jan 01, 2009
Don''t tell me what I think or put words in my mouth. You''re the idiot that needs to grow up since you refuse to admit that people don''t adhere to your pathetic stereotypes.
Time to practice what we preach.
Posted by Riptide213 at 07:43 AM : Jan 01, 2009
You don''t need ANYONE to tell you that my friend. In OUR area you can get in your car and SEE with your own eyes what NEGLECT has done to this nation.
" Oh please, make love not war"
Idiots. Grow up.
Posted by peace4321 at 09:01 AM : Jan 01, 2009
You know WHEN I look at the position this nation is in, in the WORLD and here at home, If fine people like you to be about the most disgusting on this planet! ANYONE who doesn''t support George Bush AND the insanity of the Fascist Republican''s are always something bad to you freaks. Guess what Crackpot?? THEY were right ALL ALONG! Yep that''s right you poor simple minded fascist... those YOU threw rocks at, called names and did EVERYTHING in your power to silence?? THEY WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG! Now you can go to your corner and rub your Confederate Flag Pin as long as you want!!
What''''s wrong with you people up there?
Posted by RowdynTex at 09:42 AM : Jan 01, 2009
Best answer I''ve seen all day. Thanks RowdynTex
ams/081231http://decalogosintl.org/docum
ents/Soetoro_Divorce.pdf
Soetoro Divorce Decree
Posted by tanarg
Soetoro wasn''t his father, Obama was his father---find the divorce decree from his mother and father.
Posted by slownewsdaze
Ah yes from the mouths of children, Are you smarter than a fifth grader? Not a chance. Stay in the North Kool Aid sucker. We don''t want you down here polluting our atmosphere.
Posted by RowdynTex at 09:40 AM : Jan 01, 2009
Sorry that your 24/7 ranting didn''t help your candidate win.
What are you going to whine about when he does well?
I''m going to use your benchmark of GWB to compare how well he does with actual statistics, so gear up your spin doctor garbage, Rowdy.
Posted by liberalme at 10:06 AM : Jan 01, 2009
Exactly! What a load of BS they are trying to pull.
Best of luck with that, kids! Even Bush''s conservative SCOTUS won''t touch it because they know it''s a load of BS!
I live in the South already, *******.
Posted by slownewsdaze at 10:32 AM : Jan 01, 2009
INTELLIGENT people in the South! Thank You!
Posted by slownewsdaze at 10:40 AM : Jan 01, 2009
Right back at ya'', slownews!
Don''t know if you saw it, but I''m on Rowdy''s list as of last night as one of your multiple nics (in her delusional world)!
Hahahahahahaha, I''ve been posting here for over a year as ''ofbyfor'', but she discredits me because the number after my name has changed during that time. How many nics has Rowdy had over the past year? At LEAST 6, ya think.
She''s a total psychopath!
Posted by slownewsdaze
One, I doubt that you live in the South, Two, It wasn''t an attack, as you lefties are fond of saying, "It was a commentary on your intelligence".
Why can Y''all "Attack" those who dissagree with you then cry foul when you get a taste of your own medicine.
Oh silly me I forgot, when you have no argument, "Attack Your Opponent" yes the mantra of the left.
Posted by slownewsdaze at 10:56 AM : Jan 01, 2009
I completely agree with all you had to say!
Happy New Year from the Yankee state of CT!
I would love to visit TN someday. I know you guys have great scenery, music and BBQ.
If you''re ever up this way, we have excellent seafood and early American historical sites. The Yale Art Museum is also very worth a visit as is the Yale British Art Museum which is directly across the street.
Posted by jmagarotz at 11:02 AM : Jan 01, 2009
Sore loser. Don''t you see that you just did the same thing that you accused other people of doing--attack when you have no argument?
What part of ''GO TO HELL'' don''t you understand???. The American public kicked your sorry as$es out of government. YOU will be on the sidelines, crying sour grapes for another 20 years(hopefully).
No, I gave one a taste of his own medicine. There is a difference, think about it. If most on this site would debate not demean we might find a solution or two. Alass im afraid this is not going to happen.
In the next year we will see things from D.C. none of us want even though some will support blindly. Franklin said, "We must all hang together or we shall all hang separately"! (paraphrased)
We all shall surely lose if we keep name calling.
If there is a Joe Magarotz in Key West I owe him an appology as jmagarotz is a nomdeplume I have used for 10 or so years. *** the bad luck. My appologies to you Joe in Florida
Posted by slownewsdaze at 11:15 AM : Jan 01, 2009
That''s all they have to go by, slow.
And by the way, Joe Magarotz from Key West, FL, it''''s pretty ignorant to use your real name as such a significant part of your screen name...
Posted by slownewsdaze at 11:23 AM : Jan 01, 2009
Are you using Rowdy''s IT people to determine who he is? LOL ;)
You know that Rowdy thinks that you and I are the same person now.
Hello, my newfound clone. ;)
Posted by slownewsdaze
My pleasure, the coffee cup''s empty, Ihave things to do and you just proved my point. Thanks fifth grader.
Posted by RowdynTex at 11:31 AM : Jan 01, 2009
As stated by a paranoid, delusional psychopath!
I also love the fact that Rowdy thinks I have 20 different IP addresses running into the house... Like she''''d be worth that bother.
Actually, I think that''''s Sharon''''s (whoops, "Rowdy"s) biggest psychosis - that she''''s would be important enough for ANY extra effort in whomping her.
Posted by slownewsdaze at 11:41 AM : Jan 01, 2009
Any of us can kick her butt easily any day--whether it''s from TN or CT or anywhere in between. She''s just a paranoid, delusional lying FREAK! And she always runs away after she gets her butt kicked! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Posted by RowdynTex
LOL! wellhell13, RowdyWicca, GetRealTex, LovefromTex (or whatever that was) and the list goes on, and on, and on.
Posted by slownewsdaze at 11:47 AM : Jan 01, 2009
LOL! She''s soooooooooooo busted...
Posted by RowdynTex at 11:47 AM : Jan 01, 2009
No, Rowdy, they are mostly held by entities such as Wells Fargo.
And Sharon runs away again. Run, little girl, run!
Posted by slownewsdaze at 11:52 AM : Jan 01, 2009
She runs away every time anyone proves her wrong, What a psychopath she is! What do you want to bet that she''s hiding and will show up in another 5 minutes? ;)
I''m going to go for now. Have a great New Year in TN!
Kick Rowdy''s butt for me (especially since she thinks we''re the same person).
Washington Post: Democrat Defers To Bush On Foreign Policy - But Not On Economy"
He had to get involved with the economy because Bush and his economic team started their end of term vacations a little early.
It would not be good for the president elect would spend some of his international good will on a patchwork diplomacy of the Bush administration.
American and he should comment on that. But when it
comes to Diplomatic issues, he should remain silent.
There is a big difference between our economic issues
and world issues. All President Bush needs right now is
confusion about our foreign policy at the world front!
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