Strange Order in Political News

Today on Yahoo's home page news section, there was an unusual juxtaposing of stories.

 

1. Obama: Republican Party hasn't been honest with Americans
2. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's ethics pledge falters

A Journey: My Political Life by Tony Blair

A Journey: My Political Life
Product Description

Tony Blair is a politician who defines our times. His emergence as Labour Party leader in 1994 marked a seismic shift in British politics. Within a few short years, he had transformed his party and rallied the country behind him, becoming prime minister in 1997 with the biggest victory in Labour’s history, and bringing to an end eighteen years of Conservative government. He took Labour to a historic three terms in office as Britain’s dominant political figure of the last two decades.

A Journey is Tony Blair’s firsthand account of his years in office and beyond. Here he describes for the first time his role in shaping our recent history, from the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death to the war on terror. He reveals the leadership decisions that were necessary to reinvent his party, the relationships with colleagues including Gordon Brown, the grueling negotiations for peace in Northern Ireland, the implementation of the biggest reforms to public services in Britain since 1945, and his relationships with leaders on the world stage—Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, Vladimir Putin, George W. Bush. He analyzes the belief in ethical intervention that led to his decisions to go to war in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and, most controversially of all, in Iraq.

A Journey is a book about the nature and uses of political power. In frank, unflinching, often wry detail, Tony Blair charts the ups and downs of his career to provide insight into the man as well as the politician and statesman. He explores the challenges of leadership, and the ramifications of standing up, clearly and forcefully, for what one believes in. He also looks ahead, to emerging power relationships and economies, addressing the vital issues and complexities of our global world.

Few British prime ministers have shaped the nation’s course as profoundly as Tony Blair, and his achievements and his legacy will be debated for years to come. Here, uniquely, we have his own journey, in his own words.

About the Author

Tony Blair became an MP in 1983, leader of the Labour Party in 1994, and was prime minister of the United Kingdom from May 1997 to June 2007. Since leaving office, he has served as the Quartet Representative to the Middle East, representing the U.S., the UN, Russia, and the EU in working with the Palestinians to prepare for statehood as part of the international community’s effort to secure peace. In May 2008 he launched the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which promotes respect and understanding among the major religions. His Africa Governance Initiative works with leaders and their governments on policy delivery and attracting sustainable investment in Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. He also works with world leaders to build consensus on an international climate-policy framework.

An Inconvenient Truth: Al Gore and Wife Quit Marriage

An Inconvenient Truth author Democrat Al Gore and moralist wife, Tipper, are backing off their wedding vows. Once, Al said of Tipper, that she's "someone I've loved with my whole heart since the night of my high school senior prom."

Legally separated, divorce looks likely on the way. After 40 years, this decision was not made at Britney Spears divorce speeds.

Tipper was not the usual vice presidential who heads up feel-good programs on behalf of the White House (usually this includes the stereotypical female role of nurturing children, be it through improving literacy or decreasing obesity). Instead, Tipper created the Parents Music Resource Center. Like other well-connected wives, she used Al's influence to move it forward.

 To be noted, no mention of a John Edwards-type scandal has appeared. Not even a Monica Lewinsky - Bill Clinton level event. Just two people who find marriage inconvenient.

How will this play on President Barack Obama? For starters, Al is not an elected official. Obama is still married, and no scandals is in any way connected to his marriage. Yet, Gore is a Democrat, Obama is pushing various action for gay marriage. The current gulf oil spill, North Korea and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is biggest on his to-do list, and probably, for Obama, working to the Iraq War follows soon after. In other words, talk shows will mention it, as will blogs like this one, but it will be inconsequential. The average Democrat's view of marriage is flexible, and open top revision. Republicans might crow about Al and Tipper's personal failure to stick with their marriage, but Al's political career is over anyway.

more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100601/ap_on_re_us/us_gore_separation

Is The Gulf Oil Spill Barack Obama's Katrina?

Some are saying that Obama's slow reaction to the gulf oil spill is a travesty. Is it, or is it simply because it isn't his fault?

No one could capably argue George Bush cause the Katrina hurricane that hit New Orleans, but he was blamed for his response - too little, too slow, and mismanaged.

Obama is looking at serious fallout if he fails to take swift and clear action. He is already looking like a politics as usual guy, having tried to buy out Joe Sestak's run for the Senate by offering him a job if he stepped out and let the eventual loser Arlen Specter win the primary. Sestak turned him down. Republicans are naturally overracting to a perfectly legal offer, yet it hardly is helping Obama look like more than the last guy.

Bad week to be Obama.

Another thought on this:

Two crises: Where's Obama?
If the White House doesn't step up soon on both the gulf oil spill and Arizona's anti-immigrant law, it risks economic woes in the gulf and loss of control of the immigration issue.

Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City

Strange Glee in the White House With Tea Party Victory

Strange glee. The Tea Party crowd won an election in Kentucky. Rand Paul, Ron Paul's son won a primary. It made national news. Why are the Democrats happy?

Meanwhile, our dear President Barack Obama suffers from an all-time low approval rating (42%). While he has pushed the barely supported health care bill forward, nothing has changed. Life in 2010 is pretty much the same as the day before he entered office. He has another year to fix this, but that will come quickly. He cannot delay.

Are the Obama people really concerned Paul's modest victory represents something? Maybe not, but with the gust of wind which blew him into office now a mere breeze, they need to gather up the troops. Since part of the campaign for 2008 was reactionary, they want to grab the antiTea Party movement who do not realize one election in Kentucky is just that.

The Tea Party victory gives the Democrats something to threaten lapsed followers with. "Look, if you don't start lapping at out heels, Sarah Pail will be president. and you know she is not a feminist."

In other words, the antiTea Party movement's energy and fervor needs to be manipulated back into the Obama camp, otherwise the very deft and bright Hillary Clinton will use her increasing influence to steal away the 2012 election. She's already raising interest in her work in China, and her tough talk about Korea.

Obama's Problem Du Jour: Pakistan Muslim Terrorists

It might seem like President Barack Obama's current problem is his nomination of Elena Kagan, as she is being decried by conservatives. The reality both Obama's liberal tendencies, his supporters' patent agreement with his decisions, and conservatives tendency to dislike anything he does is nothing new. We saw this pre-election, both the liberalism, the swooning, and the opposing blind hate.

His problem of the day, apart from the constant issues of the economy, employment market and the non-stop Middle East war, is Pakistan's Taliban.

We are no longer a George Bush nation. Cowboy George has ridden off into the sunset, albeit out on the rails, but he is gone, and has been gone for something like a year and a half.

According to Reuters,

"Pakistani Taliban militants have warned America that it will soon "burn" while calling for Pakistan's rulers to be overthrown for following "America's agenda".

America's agenda is not Bush's agenda. It is Obama's. He owns this one. This doesn't mean anyone thinks the Taliban felt a warm thrill up their leg for Bush. They hated him. They hated America then.

Apparently, the non-love extends to Indonesia as well, where Islamic militants wanted to kill him.

Politically, a mess, of course, as Obama works hard to build a sense of trust so that he can negotiate with the terrorists.

Bigger than that, though, is America's safety, not to mention his own.

While the cowards among those Islamic terrorists are so convinced that no one in their right mind would accept their beliefs, they do try to proselytize through murder. Billy Graham and free will theology is hardly their MO. Obama is working to get beyond this, but is finding that when a group prone to killing, whose goal is to convert the world by force, is difficult, to say the least. He now knows what Bush knew and could not resolve.

Hopefully, Bush's failure will not be Obama's. Bush did, in general, after 9-11, keep America safe.

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Buy The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Barack Obama, a Liberal Man's George W Bush: A cowboy without a hat, he wears a mitre.

Constitutional expert and definer Barack Obama, America's current president, is moving forward with speed toward his health care initiative. It is, of course, his Iraq War. Just as cowboy George pushed the Iraq War on a a public which did not exactly understand, Barack is pushing the health care project.

Just like Iraq, a real threat is before us. With Iraq, we looked at terrorism, now vanquished thanks to Barack's excellent negotiating skills. We were scared and stupid. "Crucify them!" we cried, trading the Barabbas of Truth for the Christ of the Middle East. And crucify them we did, not matter how innocent they were. But thankfully, Barack was chosen by the college of blue birds. With the signal of blue smoke, they announced his elevation, and now, troubles no more. Can I hear a sweet amen from his pews?

Here we are now with another looming disaster, but Barack is here, thank God. He has seen their corruption, their malfeasance, their evil. With health care in disarray, ready to topple Washington DC, a new cowboy has ridden into town. Like George W. Bush, he does not need to work bilaterally, but has an agenda that American must have, lest in fall to the the health terrorist. Free markets have gone on long enough, and need wrangling and slaughtering.

As the Constitution so clearly demands, health care is the right of all, Father B as we lovingly like to think of him, has touched this and is healing America. The Constitution declares: Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and health care to be provided by the people for the people at the expense of the people. A tear in my eye is welling up. Please. I need a moment to salute those blessed words as I type.

Rev. George only looked at Iraq. He, never now to become Pope, did not know what to do with health care. His priorities were short-sighted, incapable of caring for his flock. As such, he only served eight years in office, having been merely elected and not chosen.

In St. Washington's Basilca, Father B. speaks from the chair, and has said that he will do whatever is necessary to ensure health care. The Republicans, or as he refers to them, "separated brethren," will deter him no longer. He is working now to institute Slaughter House Rules (Mother Pelosi is assisting), which will assist him in pushing bills not even the great John Kerry dreamed of in the Crusades of 2004.

Tears run still from my eyes. I know now my sins of trusting the corporate insurance companies. How did I dare think they were good? Why did I let them exist? Why did our forefathers miss the inalienable right of health care? Roosevelt? Truman? Dear lords, how, how, how!

George W., you have failed us, though, like your predecessors, you were only human. Repent, and thank God with us that Father B. is here to hear our prayers.

Buy your own POPE HAT VELOUR.

Pro-Patriot Act President Obama Signs One-year Extension

While this action no doubt will cause freedom-focused citizens to cringe, President Barack Obama's decision to renew the Patriot Act will continue:

* Authorize court-approved roving wiretaps that permit surveillance on multiple phones.

* Allow court-approved seizure of records and property in anti-terrorism operations.

* Permit surveillance against a so-called lone wolf, a non-U.S. citizen engaged in terrorism who may not be part of a recognized terrorist group.

America's President George Bush took considerable heat from Democrats when the Patriot Act was first begun, as they suggested it stole various forms of free speech from average people. Obama is boldly standing against those who were against Bush as he attempts to get his hands around the continued threat of terrorism.

Obama's Approval Rating an Impressive 50%

Almost equally George W Bush's 82%, and slightly better than Ronald Reagan's 49%, President Obama's approval ranks a solid eighth in presidents since Dwight D Eisenhower.

Better than Reagan? Worse than Bush?

Incidentally, that's Eisenhower on the dollar, not Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Did Reid Really Say That?

Democrat Harry "Reid described Obama as a "light-skinned" African-American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." as quoted in today's Washington Post.

Did he really say something this foolish, or is this just Republican political maneuvering?

What? Harry Reid said something off-color? Never happened.

Waitaminute.

He apologized to Barack Obama. Maybe he really did say that.