I don't know what kind of bird this is, but it's cute.
On this day in history September 12, 1910, Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, referred to as the “Symphony of a Thousand,” premiered in Munich, Germany with Mahler conducting.
And on September 12, 2000 Hillary Rodham Clinton became the first first lady to win an election when she prevailed in the New York Democratic Senate primary against opponent Dr. Mark McMahon.
Here are your Sunday morning links:
~So, Austan Goolsbee is going to be the next head of the Council of Economic Advisors? If Megan McArdle of the Atlantic is for it, I’m immediately suspicious.
~More Warren Watch. Some are saying Obama’s statements the other day about his “dear friend” Elizabeth are a sign that he will eventually nominate her. If that is the case, not sure what he’s waiting for. You know, because it’s not like we need a banking watchdog right now or anything.
~Earlier this week the sort of liberal Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit handed the Obama administration a huge victory which essentially allows them to continue with Bush’s accountability-shielding use of “state secrets”- the court upheld the DOJ’s argument that Bush’s rendition program(s), used to send victims to be tortured in other countries, are “state secrets” and the programs legality thus cannot be questioned by the courts. Change We Can Believe In? Gee, what’s that “enthusiasm gap” all about? I won’t even bother to go link surfing to find all the examples of Candidate Obama denouncing such unjust tactics because it’s five minutes of my life I’ll never get back.
~However in another ruling this week, a judge ruled the DADT policy unconstitutional. But don’t worry, the administration is studying the ruling to decide what to do next.
~On Friday, Jason Linkins over at HuffPo wrote a commentary that every member of the mainstream media should read and then they should feel really, really embarrassed. Followed by feelings of shame. And then guilt. The commentary explains how the MSM, perpetually in search of an attention-grabbing headline, managed to hijack a 24 hour news cycle for more than three days by heaping tons of attention on a two-bit, previously unknown, crackpot Florida “pastor.” In my humble opinion the media has been thoroughly manipulated (willingly?) by the rightwing Islamophobes for about the past, oh, 4 months and counting.
~Hey, today is the National Taxpayer’s March on Washington sponsored by lobbyist Dick Armey’s Freedom Works group! I hope they bring their guns!
~After some back and forth, Iran now appears ready to release detained American hiker Sarah Shourd- on $500K bail?!? Bail?
~Speculation has begun over who will likely replace Rahm Emanuel if he leaves. Good riddance.
~You made it this far, strong work. Three baby squirrels fell out of a tree during a storm but they have a new foster mother- a cat! My faith in the world has been restored.
~President Obama marked the 9th anniversary of 9/11 at the Pentagon and called for tolerance while he also sought to remind people that those who attacked us on 9/11 endeavored not only to kill but to divide us. This is an irony that seems lost on most of the anti-Park 51 and anti-Islam protesters.
~Meet the possible next Speaker of the House. He is a lobbyists dream. More so than most of them.
~The Bipartisan Policy Center’s National Security Preparedness Group released a report Friday saying that the US faces significant threats from home-grown terrorists- more so than 9 years ago.
~The U.S. poverty rate reached near record levels in 2009 with 1 in 7 Americans meeting the federal definition of “poor.” Really, we can do better than this. We should be talking about THIS, not non-Mosques being built at not-Ground Zero.
~Here’s a guide to one of the most important international banking meeting you’ve never heard of. Don’t feel bad though, apparently the MSM hasn’t heard of it either.
~I think the New York Times- is itching for a confrontation with Iran. It’s just a feeling I get.
~International aid groups are saying that Afghanistan is more dangerous now than at any other time during the conflict. So, is the “surge” working?
~Nick Kristof calls out the Islamophobes and in particular, The New Republic’s editor and resident hate-monger, Marty Peretz. Peretz has really lost hold of the reigns- more so than usual. Kristof reminds us what being an American really means.
The End.
Ah, Martin Peretz, let me count the ways in which I’ve taken after this guy. But instead of sharing one of my old links, see Jack Shafer’s classic must read on Mr. Peretz:
http://www.slate.com/id/2134011/
…as for the NY Times, they’re *always* ready to rumble with Iran. Remember them during the Iraq war build up?
As for the bird, it’s quite likely a female Finch, though I’m the first to say there are so many varieties/species that another is possible, but that’s my bet. We see these very same birds around our gourmet bird food feeder, though the bright Yellow Finch abstains.
But the black cat adopting those squirrels!!! Must see video, SCB.
Outstanding round up, as always.
Thank Taylor.
I just love that cat/squirrel video. Watching those little kittens try to play with the baby squirrels is cute and the squirrels don’t seem afraid but boy they look like they are newborns.
Re: the NYT- you would think they would have been humbled by their role in helping to sell Bush’s lies. But no. It just goes to show you how they are motivated by a very hawkish, even neoconservative foreign policy agenda and they aren’t going to let anything, like accountability or asking hard questions, get in their way.
Yep, neoconservatism has not come close to being snuffed out yet. You are so right about that.
The one(neocon) this morning on Fareed Zakaria’s show looked pretty bumbling and foolish.
Obama’s out going budget guy Orszag sounded confused and unable to articulate an Obama economic philosophy.The recently elevated Goolsbee sounded defensive.Neither had anything like a narrative or any visionary thinking.
Omg, I am so glad you brought that up because I was wondering if anyone here was watching Zakaria. He looked and sounded pathetic! It was so obvious he doesn’t want the government to make any gains against terrorism because he and his pals just want to keep the Fear Factor going. Fear is all they have to sell- it’s the same old, same old. If it’s not Al Qaeda then it’s Iran and after Iran it will be Syria and on and on and on until we take part in “regime change” in country after country in the region.
Oh, btw, when I say “he looked and sounded pathetic” I meant the neocon, not Zakaria
secyclintonblog writes, “until we take part in “regime change” in country after country in the region.” Well, with a couple of notable exceptions. No matter how much fear is stirred up against Muslims, our Saudi “friends” will never face the wrath of the neocon elites (at least, not until the last drop of Saudi oil is gone). Then, of course, there’s Israel. The neocons, backed by the fundie evangelical movement, won’t so much as raise a finger or voice against Israel, regardless of how many UN resolutions are broken by Israel (at least the resolutions that actually made it past the Israeli–I mean, American–Security Council veto).
The bird definitely has a Finch attitude.
I love the photo because it kind of looks to me like he’s (or she) trying to subtly get at those seeds but doesn’t want to be noticed.
Flip the photo so the bird’s on the left of the seeds, and the bird would look almost like a baseball player getting ready to “steal second.”
The 9-11 attacks appeared as blowback for Bush foreign policy with the Taliban from Jan 2001 until Sept 11, 2001. Bush wanted the Taliban to allow UNOCAL which Hamid Karzai worked for to build oil and gas pipelines accross Afghanistan. The Taliban kept on refusing. By July 2001 Bush made it known to the Pakistanis through retired diplomats that the Taliban run country of Afghanistan would get invaded. As soon as the Pakistanis informed the Taliban of this invasion threat the Taliban got their guests Al Qaeda to strike us first with their sleeper cells on 9-11. Not only do the Republicans look weak on national defense and security but they threatened a country basically for economic reasons and that Republican threat literally blew up in their faces.
Help me change America. Please go to http://www.democratz.org
Not quite, democratz.
I was privileged enough to be present at a serious Afghanistan debate inside the the beautiful Caucus Room in the Russell Senate office building:
http://www.taylormarsh.com/2009/10/29/afghanistan-in-the-caucus-room-levin-slams-cheney/
The pipeline to which you refer was not an issue, but has remained a storyline for many, including Ray McGovern who asked about it that day. No one off the record or otherwise believes it was a real issue at the time Bush invaded. No one.
Now, if you want to talk about looming future possibilities that’s quite different.
But at the time of invasion the notion this could be done in the current climate in Afghanistan was a fantasy, but also part of a wider conspiracy story that held no sway in the real world.
Sorry, but Guilliaume Dasquie and Jean Charles Brisard who wrote Forbidden Truth say this. in their book.
The US 9-11 commission appears a cover up.
No LIHOP
No MIHOP
Provocation over oil pipelines and gas pipelines.
I have my problems with Frank Rich but I think he nailed it today.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/opinion/12rich.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss.
Thanks for the link. I hadn’t seen that and I agree that he nails it.
I think one of the problems for Obama is that more and more Americans, including Obama supporters, don’t know whether he truly is for them or not. He talked a good talk during the campaign but then as Rich points out, he hires the very people as key players of his economic team, that helped to create the global financial crisis. Then he cuts deals on financial reform and seems loathe to nominate Elizabeth Warren because of a possible nomination fight? Believe me, that’s a fight you want to have right now. And whoever in the WH is telling Obama that Warren is a bad idea right now, should have their heads examined – I’m guessing the people whispering that in Obama’s ear include Larry Summers, Timmy Geithner and Rahm Emanuel. Could they be any more clueless?
and Chris Dodd, not in the white house but making his bias known