Obama: One Year On

It was one year ago today the world watched Barack Obama make history by becoming America's first black president and a commander-in-chief who would save the world from the disasters the previous administrations created.

I came upon a article today about a website that is keeping an eye on Obama's greatest hits and misses in the last 12 months.

From Boston Metro:

Two New Yorkers who volunteered for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign wanted to make sure he kept his election promises. So, they created a Web site encouraging people to rate Obama on everything from his Cabinet members to weekly radio addresses.

“We’re trying to make it as easy as Netflix,” said Chirag Patel, 34, co-founder of the TabsonObama.org. “We hope it promotes transparency, accountability and civic engagement.” He also wants to provide “deeper insights than standard Gallup polls.”

Developed by a bunch of like-minded, tech-head liberals in Patel’s Brooklyn, N.Y., loft, the site shows low favorability for the president. In fact, ex-Bush appointee, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, is the most popular...

...How does Patel rate Obama, on a scale of one to five? He’s disappointed in the lack of a public option in health care reform, campaign finance reform and troop withdrawal from Iraq. “I might give him a three … or maybe a two and a half.”

Between the ongoing health reform debacle, Martha Coakley's Senate defeat, the escalation in Iraq, the Nobel Peace Prize and Chicago Olympics fails, I would give him a 3.

How do you rate President Obama so far?

Human Rights Day? I think not...

So, apparently today was International Human Rights Day, but nothing about today seemed to celebrate that feeling. President Obama was in Oslo, Norway today to receive his "much-deserved" Nobel Peace Prize. I'm so glad I am not the only person that sees the absurdity in Obama's award.

From Marc Lamont Hill:

...How can a president who is not only managing but escalating unnecessary wars receive an award as an agent of peace? Even more absurd is the reaction from the Left, which has failed to call Obama on the carpet for the very policies and practices for which we lambasted President Bush.

Like George W. Bush, Barack Obama’s Afghanistan policy is rooted in a belief that military escalation and indefinite occupation are the keys to global security and the expansion of democracy. Like Bush, Obama has refused to substantively invest in Afghani jobs, housing, and education, all of which are traditional keys to an effective counter-insurgency strategy. Like Bush, Obama has dipped into the reservoir of fear, scaring Americans into thinking that military aggression, even the pre-emptive sort, is the only thing that will keep Americans safe. Yet somehow, despite these and other eerie similarities to President Bush, the anti-war Left has sat on its hands while President Obama operates.

Even more disturbing than Obama’s warmongering is the blatant calculation behind it. Unlike Bush, whose wrongheadedness was at least borne out of a coherent (though perverted) set of principles, Obama appears willing to act out of pure political expediency. After getting public pressure from his generals and bloodthirsty Republicans for his “dithering” (a Bushian term used to mock the President’s audacious use of facts, evidence, and wise council) Obama finally caved to his rivals and sent troops. Then, in order to satisfy the anxious anti-war left, Obama promises a withdrawal date. Sound good? Sure, except for one catch: He never promised a completion of the withdrawal, which hinges upon the ability of a severely compromised Karzai government and woefully underprepared Afghani troops to take over the military reigns. In short, Obama, like Bush, has American troops and innocent Afghani citizens in harms way without a clear or reasonable exit strategy...

All I have to say about this is that if the Dalai Lama doesn't think you are deserving the prize, you know you got issues.

NAFTA Drama

Forget the Real Housewives of Atlanta - the real drama is going down this week south of the border, where President Obama is meeting with Mexico's Felipe Calderon and Canadian Stephen Harper.

NAFTA was such a great idea that I thought I would give a wrap up of what's really going on.

From Canada Country Guide:

...Hit hard by low prices for their crops, many Mexican farm families have been forced to relocate to large cities or find work at border-town maquiladoras (factories using low-cost labour to make cheap goods for export to the U.S. and elsewhere), the NFU said.

Forced off the land into major urban areas, Mexico's farmers find these cities to be "increasingly lawless and dangerous" due to rising organized crime spurred by poverty and desperation, the NFU said.

"Many Mexicans are now trying to escape. Some are coming here. We need to connect the dots. Many of the Mexicans coming to Canada are refugees from NAFTA," the NFU's Saskatoon-based international co-ordinator Martha Robbins said in the group's release.

What's ironic, Robbins said, is that "as we are forcing open Mexican borders to our products, we are closing our borders to a significant portion of the Mexican people." ...

What about food safety?

From Foreign Policy in Focus:

...The abject failure of NAFTA and its SPP offshoot to bring "security and prosperity" to North America is clear with the economic, environmental, and social crises now affecting this region and much of the world. Unemployment is high, global warming is escalating, and the need to transition away from carbon-intensive energy sources is irrefutable. Multiple food and consumer product safety scandals, notably the recent swine flu epidemic that has been linked to poorly regulated meat processing plants that have spread throughout Mexico since NAFTA came into effect, have called the bluff of business lobbies seeking further deregulation. So has the financial crisis — which resulted from unregulated trade in novel financial products totally detached from the real economy...

Leave it up to lobbyists to spread the wealth of NAFTA to the rest of the world.

From Eyes on Trade:

Reuters reported on Wednesday that the leaders of six major U.S. business groups have called for President Barack Obama to back speedy passage of NAFTA-style “free trade” agreements (FTAs) with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. Wisely, the president has yet to send Congress any of the bilateral trade deals negotiated by former president George W. Bush with the three nations. In addition to pressing for passage of the three pending trade agreements, the groups urged Obama to pursue “major market-opening agreements with the Asia-Pacific and beyond,” essentially advocating for even more NAFTA-style FTAs.

In a letter to the president, the associations acknowledged that trade agreements can ship jobs overseas, and stated that "[T]rade agreements can have adverse effects on specific industries, workers and communities…”. Actually, this is true, and Obama knows it. On the campaign trail, President Obama repeatedly expressed opposition to NAFTA and promised to usher in an era of U.S. trade policy that would require respect for labor rights, environmental standards, and human rights. The Colombia FTA is especially controversial due to the repressive regime of President Álvaro Uribe. Colombia has a longstanding and egregious record of violations of labor and human rights, especially with regard to those of its indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples...

Oh, yeah, no love between Colombia and Venezuela these days either.

From BBC News:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused Colombia of carrying out a military incursion into Venezuela.

Mr Chavez said Colombian soldiers had recently been seen crossing the Orinoco river, which forms part of the border, and entering Venezuelan territory.

He said the incursion - which Colombia denies happened - was a "provocation".

South American leaders are gathering in Ecuador for a summit which is set to discuss Colombia's planned accord to allow the US use of its military bases.

Mr Chavez has been embroiled in a diplomatic row with his Colombian counterpart, Alvaro Uribe, since news of the plan emerged.

"The threat against us is growing," he said. "I call on the people and the armed forces - let's go, ready for combat!"

There goes the neighborhood...

Better Trade, Not Aid

President Barack Obama is in Ghana right now, and sustainable food security for the African continent is one of his top issues. Obama was able (I think) to get the other G8 leaders to fork over $20 billion to deal with world hunger.

From New York Times:

The food security initiative is designed to transform traditional aid to poorer countries beyond simply donated produce, grains and meats to assistance building infrastructure and training farmers to grow their own food and get it to market more efficiently.

The $20 billion amounts to a substantial commitment if carried out, but it remains unclear how much is actually additional money. The American share of $3.5 billion over three years represents a doubling of previous spending levels.

“The sums just aren’t adding up,” said Otive Igbuaor, head of ActionAid’s hunger campaign. “Is this all really new money? Given the Group of 8’s record on delivery, this is still very much a work in progress. So far they have been counting not just apples and oranges but more like apples, oranges, cauliflowers and beets.”

Well, good on Obama for taking on the mantra of "why give them fish when you can teach them how to fish." I have been saying this for years.

However, in order to do this, there is serious need for Washington to overhaul its trade policies towards developing countries. We can't begin to have a discussion about food security without talking about the business of food.

Africa is the most resourceful place in the world. So, one would believe that the continent should be in better shape economically and be able to feed itself. However, because of disasterous trade agreements the developing world has with many Western powers and the "good" folks over at the World Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund, poverty in the most vulnerable countries have only gotten worst over the last 40 years.

From Christian Science Monitor:

Although American and European chicken farmers do not receive direct subsidies, the grains used to feed their birds do qualify for state aid, and this indirect assistance puts the African farmers at a disadvantage. "Even after shipping it over and the retail markup, the imported chicken can sometimes be 40 percent cheaper than birds reared here in Ghana," explained Mr. Quartey, who has had to lay off 50 workers this year alone.

Global imports of chicken into Ghana are ten times what they were a decade ago. After much lobbying from the industry, which directly employs an estimated 10,000 people, Ghana's government agreed to double tariffs on imported chicken to 40 percent.

However, in March this year, using emergency legislation, parliament overturned the hikes in a move government officials, trade campaigners, and poultry farmers alike attribute to pressure from the International Monetary Fund, which sits atop a pyramid of donors on whom Ghana relies for 45 percent of its money.

So what's a West African poultry farmer to do? Quartey believes the key to pressuring the World Trade Organization into cutting them some slack is banding together and speaking out.

Here are some current stats on US-Ghana trade relations:

Total two-way trade between Ghana and the United States was valued at $840 million in 2008. Ghana is the fifth largest sub-Saharan African market for U.S. goods.

The leading U.S. exports to Ghana were motor vehicles, machinery, and mineral fuel. U.S. imports from Ghana are primarily oil, cocoa, and timber.

The Obama administration has not spent much time discussing trade since coming to the White House, as health reform has been prioritized. Nonetheless, based on some of the language I have seen come from his people, there may be hope for a better, fair trade world.

From 2009 Trade Policy Agenda Report:

Expanded trade can make an important contribution to boosting growth in developing countries and lift their national income levels. Economic growth in these countries benefits the American economy by expanding markets for American exporters. We shall promote trade policies, including technical assistance for capacity building, that will help these countries engage successfully with the world economy.

Trade preference programs help entrepreneurs in developing countries compete effectively in the world trading system. Many of our nation's trade preference programs are coming due for legislative review. We will work with the Congress and public stakeholders on their renewal and reform. We will give careful consideration to proposals to concentrate benefits.

I guess we have to wait and see how sincere Obama is on this issue.

In Defense of Black Foodies: Michelle Obama

Black food justice activists have come under attack lately

The first lady is taking hits for her kitchen garden these days. Andrew Kimbell, Center for Food Safety executive director, argued recently that the garden has high levels of lead, due to some "nastiness issues."

From Huffington Post:

Unfortunately, something happened on the way to the realization of the First Lady's good intentions. Recently the National Park Service discovered that the White House lawn, where the garden was planted, contains highly elevated levels of lead -- 93 parts per million. It's enough lead for anyone planning to have children pick vegetables in that garden or eat produce from it to reconsider their plans: lead is highly toxic to children's developing organs and brain functions -- however, it's below the 400 ppm the EPA suggests is a threat to human health.

What caused this alarming contamination of the White House lawn? Some news outlets speculated that residue from lead paint might have caused the toxicity. However an article running on Mother Jones online has a more probable explanation. During the 1990s, the Clintons agreed to have the South Lawn of the White House "fertilized" with ComPRO, a commercially available "compost made from a nearby wastewater plant's solid effluent, a.k.a. sewage sludge."

Thanks Bill and Hill!

Then, Obama Foodorama's Eddie Gerham Kohan slammed him back with possibly not the best defense of the garden.
And Kimbell came back with the quickness.

What do I think? I think it's great that Mrs. Obama wants to teach Americans about sustainable gardening; however, she must also include dialogue on this most pressing issue on sludge fertilizer, which can be a teachable moment for all Americans about these hazards of gardening.

Will the Obama administration take on the sludge industry about this matter? Maybe Mrs. Obama will use her newly-found influence to take on Big Ag? Don't hold your breath, but for now, I want to keep an open mind about the garden.

Michelle Obama's First 100 Days

I'm not going to go into another wall-to-wall discussion about everything President Obama has done since coming to the White House like other bloggers, but I did want to give some shine to Lady O. Despite my indifferent views on her dress sense (that vomit green number she wore on Inauguration Day...) and getting criticized for "molesting" Queen Elizabeth II last month, Mrs. Obama has come through the fire, and is now even more popular than her husband.

My only disappointment is with the media, which seems to focus so much on what she is wearing, are missing the real story about a woman who came from a modest background and went on to become a successful power-broker in her career path.

From Wikipedia:

Following law school, she was an associate at the Chicago office of the law firm Sidley Austin, where she first met her future husband. At the firm, she worked on marketing and intellectual property. Subsequently, she held public sector positions in the Chicago city government as an Assistant to the Mayor, and as Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development. In 1993, she became Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies, a non-profit organization encouraging young people to work on social issues in nonprofit groups and government agencies. She worked there nearly four years and set fundraising records for the organization that still stood a dozen years after she left.

In 1996, she served as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago, where she developed the University's Community Service Center. In 2002, she began working for the University of Chicago Hospitals, first as executive director for community affairs and, beginning May 2005, as Vice President for Community and External Affairs. She continued to hold the University of Chicago Hospitals position during the primary campaign, but cut back to part time in order to spend time with her daughters as well as work for her husband's election; she subsequently took a leave of absence from her job. According to the couple’s 2006 income tax return, Michelle's salary was $273,618 from the University of Chicago Hospitals, while her husband had a salary of $157,082 from the United States Senate. The total Obama income, however, was $991,296 which included $51,200 she earned as a member of the board of directors of TreeHouse Foods, and investments and royalties from his books.

She served as a salaried board member of TreeHouse Foods, Inc., a major Wal-Mart supplier with whom she cut ties immediately after her husband made comments critical of Wal-Mart at an AFL-CIO forum in Trenton, New Jersey, on May 14, 2007. She serves on the board of directors of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

Damn, she was even getting paid more than her husband! How many men would be "secure" with that?

I am even glad to see that she is taking on food justice initiatives!

But best of all, it is great that she is also changing stereotypes.

From CNN:

Heather Ferreira works in the slums of Mumbai, India, where she has watched thousands of women live under a "curse."

The women she meets in the squalid streets where "Slumdog Millionaire" was filmed are often treated with contempt, she says. They're considered ugly if their skin and hair are too dark. They are deemed "cursed" if they only have daughters. Many would-be mothers even abort their children if they learn they're female.

Yet lately she says Indian women are getting another message from the emergence of another woman thousands of miles away. This woman has dark skin and hair. She walks next to her husband in public, not behind. And she has two daughters. But no one calls her cursed. They call her Michelle Obama, the first lady.

"She could be a new face for India," says Ferreira, program officer for an HIV-prevention program run by World Vision, an international humanitarian group. "She shows women that it's OK to have dark skin and to not have a son. She's quite real to us."

Doha revisited?

While President Obama was doing the comedy circuit last week, the global economy continues to collapse.

From Washington Post:

Global trade will shrink by 9 percent this year in the most devastating collapse since World War II, the World Trade Organization said Monday.

The WTO said commerce in rich countries would fall furthest, by about 10 percent. But poorer nations may suffer the most because they are more dependent on exports for growth.

Trade has grown unabated since 1982.

For the last 30 years trade has been an ever increasing part of economic activity, with trade growth often outpacing gains in output," WTO chief Pascal Lamy said.

"The depleted pool of funds available for trade finance has contributed to the significant decline in trade flows, in particular in developing countries."

Meanwhile in Addis Ababa, the Doha Round may still be breathing.

From Reuters:

"African countries would highly benefit from the conclusion of the Doha negotiations," WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy told reporters at a conference of African Union trade ministers.

Lamy said WTO ministerial discussions had been delayed for reasons including the change of administration in the United States.

He said he intended to resume the political discussion "as soon as possible" but was waiting for the right time.

"I'm waiting impatiently for signals because (a ministerial meeting) would be the right way to respond to the desire of developing countries and to give a signal that during this crisis, at least the low hanging fruit has been cropped."

African trade ministers have been discussing the global crisis and their relationship with the Group of 20 nations for two days at African Union headquarters in Ethiopia.

Lamy warned that protectionist policies by western governments could hurt poor countries during the crisis.

"Africa would probably be the biggest victim of protectionism if we don't resist it," he said. "We have to make sure we don't constrain trade more with protectionist policies."

When Tech is NOT appropriate: Diplomacy

Dude, what were you thinking? Was Desirée Rogers smoking rocks when this happened?

From YourHub:

If you have an open mind whatsoever, Google "gifts that Gordon Brown gave to Obama". You will see 3 PRICELESS gifts including an ornamental desk penholder made from the oak timbers of a Victorian ANTI-SLAVERY SHIP named the HMS Gannet. That's just ONE of the gifts, also pay attention to what Gordon Brown's wife gave to the Obama girls... they were both given VERY expensive dresses by a highly regarded European designer.

In return, the anointed one, our messiah, our President, gave Gordon Brown (our most important ally) a 25 DVD set of classic American films. Something anyone of us could drive down to Best Buy right now and purchase for under $100 bucks. Michelle Obama gave Gordon Brown's 2 boys replicas of Marine One (items that can be found at the Whitehouse gift shop for under $20. Before you start saying "So what, they're stupid gifts to the Brits", you need to know these gifts are honored traditions. They reflect upon the world opinion of this country greatly. Now he appears to be the "Commander in Cheap".

The Brits are not too pleased about this.

From NPR:

President Barack Obama's gift of a set of DVDs to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown appalled the British media, furious about the lack of traditional protocol afforded to Brown while he was in Washington.

Iain Martin, a columnist and blogger for the Daily Telegraph, wrote that he found Obama to be rudeness personified toward Britain.

Martin tells NPR's Robert Siegel that Britons are used to a full news conference when their prime minister is in town.

"Only at the last moment was it agreed that there would be a small press conference, and, I think, it was read as a metaphor for the concern that Obama really just didn't like having the Brits in town," Martin says. "Yes, he's dealing with the biggest global crisis in 70 years.

"Still, it would have been nice if he could have welcomed Brown with just a hint more enthusiasm."

I have to agree with Martin on this one. I love technology, but DVDS???, While I am happy to hear Obama apologized, sometimes the gifts you give are a reflection on you.

American DVD's have a different encoding on them that renders them inoperable on DVD players sold in the UK.

Prime Minister Brown is blind in one eye.

PM Brown brought dresses from a high-end store and books for President Obama's daughters. PM Brown's sons received replicas of Marine One, from the White House gift shop.

The gift exchange reminds me of those instances where folks unexpectedly show up and you have to race around your house looking for some to give to them instead of admitting that you don't have anything for them.

We are taught that it is the thought that counts in gift-giving. The thoughts behind the gifts to the British PM seem to be little to none at all.

Mr. President, next time, please don't raid the $5 DVD rack at Wal-Mart for your gifts.

Iraq, Afghanistan and Mexico

So, if you haven't been paying attention to the news lately on the war front, let me break it down for you.

President Obama is "allegedly" bringing the troops home by August 2010, while an additional 17,000 enter Afghanistan.

Yes, I am happy to see Iraq disaster come to some kind of end, but for some reason, I'm not feeling the love like the rest of America.

From Reuters:

American public opinion is broadly on the side of President Barack Obama's decision to end U.S. combat operations in Iraq in 18 months, leaving 50,000 troops behind for stability.

"I think it's time to bring 'em home," said Dallas-area dentist Andre Ellis, 46.

"We can't afford it, that's the bottom line. The country's broke," he said.

The timetable, promised by Obama during his campaign for president, marked the beginning of the end to a war that cost the United States tremendously -- financially and in prestige -- and defined the presidency of George W. Bush. The war has killed 4,250 U.S. soldiers since it began in March 2003.

Withdrawing resources from Iraq will allow Obama to boost troop numbers in Afghanistan, which he has declared central to the U.S. fight against terrorism. He hopes it will also help him slash a ballooning $1.3 trillion (911 billion pound) budget deficit.

Not too fast, America. Because the Bush administration left Afghanistan hanging for so long, it is back to pre-9/11 conditions, with the Taliban being ringleaders. I wouldn't be surprised if more than 17,000 troops end up hitting the ground. And lets not forget Iran, North Korea, Pakistan and Somalia are on the horizon.

In addition, if you watched Meet the Press this morning, you should also be aware of the madness in Mexico that Washington has to keep an eye on, and reevaluate US-made ammunition that is fueling the war there.

From Associated Press:

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the U.S. is in the position to provide more help to Mexico in the fight against drug cartels operating near the U.S. border.

Gates says some of the old biases against cooperation between the U.S. and Mexican militaries are being set aside amid the growing violence. He sees the U.S. providing Mexico with training, resources and surveillance and intelligence capabilities.
In Gates' words, the border drug war is "clearly a serious problem."

Gates also praises Mexican President Felipe Calderon (fay-LEE'-pay kahl-duh-ROHN') for taking on the drug cartels. The Pentagon chief says one reason the situation has gotten so bad is that previous Mexican presidents wouldn't deal with the problem head-on.

For more on the war next door, check out this great documentary Current TV did recently.

Mary Frances Berry on post-racial America

Mary Frances Berry, historian and former chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, was in Boston February 19 to discuss her latest book, as well as her career in Washington.

Highlights:

Berry on Eric Holder's "nation of cowards" speech: "It was a gutsy thing for him to do."

Berry on NY Post cartoon depicting Obama/chimpanzee : "I can agree that it's racist, but they have a right to say that."

The original conversation is about an hour long, so I cut it into 7 10-minute segments. It is well worth worth watching the whole conversation if you can.

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Post-Racial America?

And to think, some people believe that black history month is obsolete now that we have a black president.

From Reuters

African Americans criticized a New York Post cartoon as racist Wednesday, saying it likened President Barack Obama to an ape -- a potent image in the history of racism toward blacks.

The cartoon, which the newspaper defended as a parody of Washington politics, depicts a police shooting of an ape, playing off the real shooting of a pet chimpanzeee in Connecticut this week. One of the police officers says, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

Because Obama promoted the $787 billion economic stimulus that he signed into law Tuesday, critics of the cartoon interpreted the dead chimp as a reference to Obama, who became the first black U.S. president on January 20.

"The cartoon in today's New York Post is troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African Americans as being synonymous with monkeys," civil rights activist Al Sharpton said.

Calling the cartoon "offensive and divisive," he promised to stage a demonstration outside the Post offices Thursday.

New York City Councilman Leroy Comrie said he received numerous calls from outraged constituents.

"To run such a violent, racist cartoon is an insult to all New Yorkers. This was an unfortunate incident in which a human being was seriously injured, not an opportunity to sling dangerous rhetoric," Comrie said in a statement.

Police in Stamford, Connecticut, shot and killed a 200-pound (90-kg) chimpanzee Monday after the pet nearly killed its owner's friend and attacked a police car. The chimp, named Travis, had once starred in television commercials and was taking medication for Lyme disease.

New York Post Editor-in-Chief Col Allan said in a statement the cartoon was "a clear parody."

"It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist," Allan said.

But the National Association of Black Journalists called the cartoon "the lowest common denominator of taste and class."

"The publisher and editors of The New York Post owe its readers an explanation," association President Barbara Ciara said in a statement.

The right-leaning Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch's international media conglomerate News Corp.

If this is what a post-racial America looks like, then maybe we really are a nation of cowards!

Peanuts for Obama

About President Barack Obama's first press conference...

From Washington Post:

Rather than engage in a spirited dialogue with members of the press corps, Obama filibustered. After an eight-minute opening statement, he got through only 13 questions in an hour -- and allowed no follow-up questions. His answers were an oddly unexciting combination of familiar talking points and wonky dissertations. It wasn't particularly good TV, and it wasn't necessarily what Obama needed, either...

I would give the president a "B+" for at least answering some hard questions on the economy. Maybe I would also give his press secretary, Robert Gibbs, extra credit for making the rounds on the morning cable shows today to peddle the White House's upcoming website, http://www.recovery.gov, which will be "part of an unprecedented effort to root out waste, inefficiency, and unnecessary spending in our government." But I digress for now...

If I had a chance to ask President Obama a question last night, it would certainly not have anything to do with Alex Rodriquez and steroids (why did you ask that question????).

My question: Mr President, do you promise that the next FDA commissioner will hold companies accountable for the safety of their products being sold to the American people?

Because of the "surprising" departure of Tom Daschle, the search for the new head of the Food and Drug Administration is being put on hold.

From Reuters:

..."In general, the Daschle mess slows everything down ... it has frankly really made a mess of all the appointments," said Capital Alpha Partners health care analyst Kim Monk.

On Friday, the White House said it planned to announce a new FDA commissioner in the next few days. But many FDA watchers have said a nominee is not likely until an HHS secretary is confirmed.

Many are eager for new leadership at the FDA, which regulates products that make up roughly a quarter of the nation's economy and has been hammered by a string of safety issues, from the withdrawal of Merck & Co Inc's Vioxx painkiller to the current salmonella outbreak from tainted peanuts...

While some people are concerned about dumb athletes and the choices they make in their personal lives, our food system is silently killing Americans, unbeknownst to them. Is it me, or does there seem to be more salmonella outbreaks that usual in recent years? Well, I say there is no coincidence to this issue. The latest outbreak - peanuts - started in a Georgia factory, where workers knew that their product was tainted and didn't bother to tell anyone.

Did you know that this is just business as usual in the corporate food world and the FDA? Food producers are not necessarily required (in practice) to tell the FDA that their products are crap. You did know that, right?

At least someone in Washington is keeping it real...

From Hartford Courant:

...While innocent people continued to get sick from contaminated peanut butter, the case lingered in jurisdictional limbo between the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, causing critical delays. And when the salmonella's source was finally identified, FDA officials had to wait for industry approval before they could go live with the recall. That is not how a fully functioning regulatory agency is supposed to operate.

To truly fix inherent problems in our food safety system, we must fundamentally restructure the food safety bureaucracy at the FDA. Today, food safety is divided among multiple, separately managed units at the FDA — the Office of the Commissioner, the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, the Center for Veterinary Medicine, the field force (Office of Regulatory Affairs) and the National Center for Toxicological Research. As a result, there is no one single individual to be held accountable for food safety at the FDA or anywhere else at the federal level.

Separating food safety regulation from drug and device approvals would go a long way toward restoring the balance that has long been missing at the federal Department of Health and Human Services, and give food safety the attention it deserves. By establishing a Food Safety Administration within Health and Human Services, headed by its own commissioner, we can give food safety experts and researchers the room and the resources to do their jobs...

Obama Memorabilia = $$$$

If you haven't noticed, President Obama has not been having a good week. (And big-ups to Katie Couric for her hard hitting questions!)

Now that I am getting older, I need to start thinking about saving more stacks in my bank account for retirement. Unlike Tom Daschle, I don't have the luxury to get away with not paying up to Uncle Sam annually. Also, with the down economy these days, even less money is being saved and actually going towards my rising rent and bills.

So, I have discovered a way to invest in my future. What better way to make money than to invest in Obama memorabilia! Hey, if the US government would rather give bailouts to corporate executives than to average Americans, I need to get my own hustle on.

From American Society of Appraisers:

Holders of a Barack Obama button or a McCain-Palin bumper sticker may want keep their collectibles in a safe place, as items from the historic 2008 elections may become valuable memorabilia in years to come, appraisal experts who are members of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) advise.

They say campaign memorabilia may likely increase in value over the years, depending on election outcomes, an office-holders’ legacy, or the events that shape an administration. Not only was this an historic presidential election, but there were scores of pivotal House, Senate and gubernatorial races. It was also the first time a former first lady ran for president.

“The value of an item comes after the campaign is over,” said Allan Stypeck, a 35-year personal property appraiser and member of the American Society of Appraisers. “Political memorabilia is so much a part of this country.”

Paula Hantman, Accredited Senior Appraiser of the American Society of Appraisers, said a president’s profile plays a large part in the value of memorabilia. Hantman also said the rarer the item—such as an inaugural address or a pen used to sign an important document--will become more valuable. A PT109 tie tac from the Kennedy legacy is less valuable because there are a large number of them available through various commercial outlets.

Stypeck, an ASA Accredited Senior Appraiser who appraised the holdings of Fords’ Theater in Washington, D.C. that houses an exhibit on President Abraham Lincoln, said the history of items plays a large part in an object’s value. Items from the term of Willliam Henry Harrison hold particular value, Stypeck said, because the president died only 30 days into office.

Another key determinant in the value of political memorabilia is its desirability. Hantman and Stypeck said if an item is mass produced or in wide circulation, it won’t be worth as much. Stypek added that as electronic campaigning becomes more popular, there are fewer tangible collectibles whose values may rise.

The rarer the item, the more value it holds. Stypeck counts a jug commemorating the inauguration of George Washington as the nation’s first president as one of the oldest items he’s appraised.

Now you have to figure that Obama being the first black president, anything with his name on it is solid gold. So, for the last few weeks, I have been collecting a lot of commemorative magazines, mostly from the black press like Ebony, Essence and the local black newspaper, as well as an assortment of Obama campaign buttons, literature and bumper stickers, which I am wrapping in plastic and putting in a undisclosed place so I can peddle them on Ebay in 20 years. Or even better, I can be featured on Antiques Roadshow with my collectibles.

But I am not that desperate...

Check out some of the other "memorabilia" people are putting out:



Now this is getting a little out of hand.

Obama's peeps and taxes...

Doesn't anyone in Obama's administration pay taxes?

First Timothy Geithner, then Tom Daschle, and now Nancy Kilefer, the person who was "suppose" to oversee how the federal budget is handled.

From CNN:

...Killefer is a senior director at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. She was nominated last month as Obama pledged to cut unnecessary spending and bring "a new sense of responsibility to Washington." Officials said her position would restore fiscal order and reform government.

"We can no longer afford to sustain the old ways when we know there are new and more efficient ways of getting the job done," the president said in announcing her nomination...

Say it with me: The more things change, the more things remain the same.

President Obama Achieves First Victories

No, silly rabbit, I am not talking about him being allowed to keep his Blackberry (although I am happy for him.)

I am talking about two good policy decisions President Obama has made since taking office. One is regarding closing down Guantanamo Bay.

From CNN Wire

In one of his first acts in office, President Obama has ordered the U.S. government to suspend prosecutions and review all cases of suspected terrorists at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, military officials announced late Tuesday.

Papers filed at the U.S. prison camp said the request is made “in the interest of justice and at the direction of the president of the United States.” It seeks a 120-day continuance in all cases to carry out a “thorough review of both pending cases and the military commission process generally.”

“The judges will receive the requests and review them, and we anticipate a ruling soon,” said Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon, a Defense Department spokesman.

Also, on the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Obama is expected to overturn the Mexico City Policy.

From New York Times

There was also speculation about whether President Obama would use today’s anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision to reverse the so-called “Mexico City policy,” which forbids the flow of federal money to international family planning organizations that provide abortions or related services and counseling.

The policy, which President Ronald Reagan put in place in 1984, was repealed by President Clinton early in his term. President Bush’s reinstated the ban in his first executive order on Jan. 22, 2001.

Inspite of these positive agenda items, I guess my overall beliefs of Obama's long term vision is on the same line of thinking as Aaron MacGruder's, who understands the reality of American Empire.

But you know, I have pledged to make sure I will hold the Obama administration accountable whenever necessary and possible.

It was a good thing I looked at my email a few minutes because I got a notice about a really cool project the National Black Programming Consortium is doing these days.

The Virtual Open Letter project was conceived and produced as part of the New Media Institute 2008. The project was conceived as community record of voices to the new President Barack Obama and his administration. Here are the voices of all Americans eager to give the president their honest opinions on what he should prioritize as his administration deals with a tall order of crises.

To write a letter to President Obama: http://tothepresident.com/

Or give him a call at 866-927-1216

Who knows? Maybe Obama will see some of these comments on his Blackberry!

Change Has Come to - Cyberspace?

Being the fabulous new media consultant that I am, I noticed on WhiteHouse.gov that the Obama administration took over the website at 12:01 PM today (Obama was technically the president already, even though he hadn't taken the oath yet) His new media director, Macon Philips, has already posted three blog entries.

As far as transparency is concerned...

From WhiteHouse.Gov

...President Obama has committed to making his administration the most open and transparent in history, and WhiteHouse.gov will play a major role in delivering on that promise. The President's executive orders and proclamations will be published for everyone to review, and that’s just the beginning of our efforts to provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government. You can also learn about some of the senior leadership in the new administration and about the President’s policy priorities...

Apparently, President Obama will keep his promise of publishing "all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it."

However, please note that one can view his blog posts, but CAN NOT comment directly on entries for the world to see. Commenters have to fill out a private comment form. I just want to know how selective the administration will be about reposting comments on the blog and/or if they will reply directly to commenters. Like we mentioned here before, no space to respond on new media tools implies shady business is happening.

So much for transparency...so far.

A New Day in America

"This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath."
- From President Barack Obama's inaugural speech

Today I am filled with the joy and excitement of my ancestors who bear witness to this day in American history.

Online activists want US drug reform

As the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama nears, many Americans are putting together a wish list of the most pressing issues that they would like to see the Obama Administration work on first. While the war on terror continues to take up primary attention worldwide, America’s longest and most difficult war – the War on Drugs - has been given a back seat. However, with recent popular culture depictions of the drug trade and urban blight on the acclaimed show, The Wire (and Obama’s favorite TV show), some digital activists hope that with “change” in the White House, there will also be some change in how to approach this timely domestic issue.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a grassroots network of activists concerned about drug abuse, are running an “online rally” on their Facebook group page through the end of January, with a goal of getting 100,000 people to sign a petition, asking Obama to reform the nation’s drug policy. The petition specifically wants the next head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to have a background in health, science, or education rather than in military, law enforcement or "tough on drugs" politics. “The next ‘Drug Czar’ should treat drug abuse as a health issue rather than a criminal issue and move away from a 'War on Drugs' paradigm,” according to the group.

Obama is aging and needs bliss

All U.S. presidents physically age more rapidly during their tenures due to the pressures the office puts forth. However, President-elect Barack Obama's aging process will hasten exponentially because of the troubling economy and the ongoing war on terror, and not to mention the stress of being the first black leader of the free world.

From CNN:

..."Chronic stress can produce lots of wear and tear on the body," said James A. McCubbin, a Clemson University professor of psychology and senior associate dean of the College of Business and Behavioral Science. "This is what we see in the changes in the appearance in the beginning and end of the presidency."

Roizen points to the experience of Ronald Reagan.

"When Reagan came into office, he stood up absolutely straight. He was joking and incredibly quick-witted about current events. When he left office, he was hunched over. The age signs on face was there. His jokes were those of olden days rather than current events," he said...

While it was obvious that he was aging during the last few months of the campaign, Obama regularly exercises and has a healthy diet including arugula and Hawaiian pizza, which will contribute to his longevity (of course this is based on him staying away from cigarettes).

Like me, I think he needs more bliss in his life.



I saw the above image on the back cover of the February 2009 Yoga Journal the other day at the gym. The president-elect and I have many things in common; we are both embarking on work this year that will create much physical and emotional tension. For me, I am thinking about doing more exercise, maintaining my diet and experimenting with yoga.

I am even looking more closely at Eastern philosophies these days. No, I am not going Buddhist anytime soon, but this quote interests me.

The Drepung Loseling Institute states:

"Like all major religions, Buddhism contains an explanation of the origin of existence, a morality, and a specific set of rituals and behaviors. ... Buddhism presents a transformational goal, a desire to improve one's situation, and a distinct moral code."

I can already see more chanting opportunities in the Oval Office.

A few words on Israel...

No news is good news out of Gaza tonight, but we still need to keep prospective on what's really going on here.

From Metro:

...Unrestrained by the rules of international legality, and indifferent to the most elementary considera-tions of morality, Israel is bombing into the Stone Age a besieged, battered and largely defenseless society of 1.5 million people. At the time of writing, it had killed at least 437 people, wounded more than 2,300, and flattened every building in sight. The final casualties will undoubtedly be higher.

How has Israel managed to get away with such behavior? The short answer is that there is no serious countervailing pressure on the Jewish state, neither from a weak and divided Arab world, nor from the European Union, still struggling to become a coherent political entity, nor from emerging powers such as China and Russia. The total absence of any balance of power means that Israel has been able to do as it pleases.

The world is a jungle, largely because the U.S. administration of outgoing President George W. Bush has made it so. Bush’s illegal war in Iraq; his unbridled “Global War on Terror;” his cross-border air strikes; his subversion of the rule of law and of the Geneva Conventions; his license for the use of torture and for detention without trial: All these have given Israel the freedom to do likewise.

Instead of seeking to resolve long-running conflicts and promote peace, the Bush administration has instead fanned the flames of war. The world is praying that President-elect Barack Obama will bring about a sharp and decisive change of direction in American foreign policy...

I can't really put all the blame of Israel's actions on Bush; the Middle East has been a mess due in large part to blind U.S. support for 60 years. Furthermore, one can't honestly expect Obama to really "change" foreign policy towards the Jewish state when he gets into the White House, considering recent statements...