National - by Charlie Eisenhood on Friday, November 14, 2008 16:30 - 3 Comments
Oh. Em. Gee. Did you hear the latest unsubstantiated leak about a possible new Obama cabinet member? This is totally not news, but, well, without a campaign to cover, what else can we political junkies talk about? I guess we’ll just give in and blather about this for days.
Auggh, I knew this would happen. The pundits were so wrapped up in talking about the election that, now that it’s over, they’re bitterly clinging to their trusty guns of overanalysis.
Right now, everyone is buzzing about Hillary possibly joining the shortlist for secretary of state. The Washington Post reports, “There’s increasing chatter in political circles that the Obama camp is not overly happy with the usual suspects for secretary of state these days and that the field might be expanding somewhat…There’s talk, indeed, that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) may now be under consideration for the post.”
Wait a minute, “there’s increasing chatter?” That counts as news? Of course, this scenario really fits the media tory line of Obama “reaching out” to Hillary after their long-fought primary battle. But this non-story will probably dominate the news cycles for a day or two more, numbing our minds and probably irritating Obama, who just wants to pick the best team that he can.
I hope everyone just shuts up until people are actually picked. Then the blathering can begin.
3 Comments
kay young
Chris Kennedy
I guess she is just spamming this post since this has nothing to do with the subject. Is she actually a NYU student?
tim smith
i don’t know if she is or isn’t, but that article is good to know. i didn’t know the mandate was coming up for approval today.
And after checking online…
BAGHDAD – Iraq’s Cabinet on Sunday approved a security pact with the United States that will allow American forces to stay in Iraq for three years after their U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year.
Damn. Does this mean Obama MUST stay in Iraq for that duration, or can he pull troops out as he planned starting in his first year?
from wikipedia bio - “During his original 2002 campaign, Emanuel “indicated his support of President Bush’s position on Iraq, but said he believed the president needed to better articulate his position to the American people”.[17]
From the way Obama and all have been talking, It seems our country will be in the middle east for the forseeable future, and that is very sad for the civilians of afghanistan and iraq.
Iraq’s Cabinet to vote on security pact with US
By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer Hamza Hendawi And Qassim Abdul-zahra, Associated Press Writer
1 hr 31 mins ago
BAGHDAD – Iraq’s Cabinet will vote Sunday on a security pact with Washington that would keep U.S. forces in the country for another three years, a major step in efforts to balance Iraqi demands for national sovereignty with the security concerns of the two allies.
In a bid to secure support for the agreement from the country’s top Shiite cleric, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Saturday dispatched two senior lawmakers to see Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, with a copy of the pact’s final draft.
A senior official at al-Sistani’s office said the cleric told the two legislators — Khalid al-Attiyah and Ali al-Adeeb — that the document represented “the best available option” for Iraq, signaling that he would not object to it if the Cabinet and later parliament approve it.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said al-Sistani indicated to al-Attiyah and al-Adeeb that he wanted the agreement to pass by a comfortable majority in the 275-seat parliament.
Al-Sistani commands enormous influence with Iraq’s majority Shiites. The Iranian-born cleric does not speak to reporters, communicating his views through edicts or leaks from his office. His public silence on a major policy decision is often taken to mean he has no objections.
Al-Attiyah said al-Sistani had stressed the need for “national accord” over the agreement. Al-Adeeb said “His eminence, al-Sistani, is comforted by the thoroughness of Iraqi officials who shoulder the responsibility of safeguarding national interests.”
The U.N. mandate covering the presence of U.S. and other foreign forces in Iraq expires Dec. 31, and failure to pass the agreement would leave Iraq with little choice but to seek a renewal of the mandate.