Katie Couric: Bush and Obama should work together on Gaza.

I was pre-occupied yesterday with happening in the UK and Irish broadcast media, so this entry in the notebook by Katie Couric got missed by me when it was initially posted but I'm glad I caught up with it now, cos it is worthy of note, even if it is a mere pipe dream that she proposes.



I just cannot see Bush and Obama getting together on this issue. I have a feeling that Obama is going to be very different when it comes to the Israel/Palestine situation, and I think the Israelis knew that too. That's why the military operations had to be now, because they know when Obama comes into office, they will not have such strong support as they have had from "Dubya". I have to say that I think this may be the last throw of the dice for Israel to get what they want, because they're scared that an Obama administration may just force a settlement on both sides, that neither want, but may have to live with. Israel is trying to get the upper hand now, rather than possibly come of worst in a diplomatic situation.

McCain goes off the deep end!

It seems to be a little early in the election campaign to be ranting like this!  Marc Ambinder reports that John McCain basically told Obama not to be a demagogue!  Well according to the Free Dictionary, a demagogue is...

"...A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace..."

Erm, isn't that what President Bush did?  And isn't that what McCain is trying to do in this election?

Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points Memo: Obama vs Bush/McCain over talking to Iran.

Bill O'Reilly has a habit of saying things in a way that if you were to read it yourself, you'd think it sounded neutral, but Bill O has a way of making it sound anything but.  In this case, it's Obama vs Bush & McCain over the issue of negotiating with Iran.

 

 

Now, for once, I have to give Bill O some credit for doing a very analytical (mostly) memo.  But as usual, Billy's view is pretty much clearly defined even if he doesn't state it explicitly.

There are two key parts of the memo, which highlight Bill's right-wing sensibilities.  The first is sneakily located just after Bill has played clips from both President Bush and the Obama camp.

"...Now this skirmish is important for all of us. The next president will have to fight Islamic fascism, but the battle plan has to be smart..."

This is a Republican talking point all over.  Unfortunately, the Republican strategy of not negotiating with Iran has done absolutely no good.  And comparing negotiating with Iran to the appeasement of the Nazis that was attempted in the run up to the Second World War, which Bush did in his speech in Israel, is not going to aid the poor view that the world holds about America currently and the Bush administration in particular.

The second key part is right at the end of the memo.

"...Now I'm glad President Bush put this on the table, because Americans have to seriously think about this ongoing terror war, which includes Iran.

Lately, gas prices and health care have somewhat obscured the danger we all face from overseas. But now, it's back in play."

This is simply trying to scaremonger us into voting for McCain and not Obama.  The tactic has worked before, but it will not work again.  By saying that gas prices and health care has 'obscured' the danger, it makes it sound like they are distractions rather than current, everyday, everyperson issues that the administration should be dealing with, rather than obsessing over Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Put simply. Bill O wants McCain to win, not because he actually likes McCain and his so-called Straight Talk Express, but simply because McCain is the least worst option in Bill's view.  Compare this to the likes of Dick Morris and Ann Coulter, whose referencing of The Manchurian Candidate, a film about a former POW who was brainwashed in SE Asia by the Chinese, running for President, makes them appear to be somewhat traitorous to their own cause, especially considering who the Republican candidate is this election year.  Hmm, maybe for 2008, we should consider renaming it "The McCainian Candidate"!!!

Keith Olbermann Special Comment: Mr Bush, this war isn't about you.

Keith Olbermann has done one of his most emotional, heartfelt and loudest Special Comments yet on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. 

 

 

I think at the end of the piece, he was a split second away from releasing an F bomb that would have truly exploded very loudly and been heard around the world. 

Crooks and Liars and MSNBC of course have the transcript.

Australia Votes 2007: International response

Not surprisingly, word has spread round the globe and the responses have been coming in from world leaders.

US President Bush called Howard a good friend and staunch ally, and congratulate d Kevin Rudd on his victory. UK PM Gordon Brown and New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark also both praised Kevin Rudd on his victory.

Iranian International News Channel highlights story about Impeaching President Bush. Surprised?

Well,I can honestly say I'm not surprised about the decision by Press TV to highlight this story on their front page.

It's well known that George W Bush is not exactly the most popular US President in the world at large, except of course to American conservatives and Republicans. But remember this is a state-funded media organisation, much like the BBC and Voice Of America. The head of Press TV claims that they maintain editorial independence from the government, though this is disputed.

Whether they are independent or not, ultimately how they will be judged is on the stories they cover and how they cover them.

CIA prisons in Europe 'confrimed' by investigation

BBC News is reporting that an investigator for the Council of Europe has confirmed the existence of CIA prisons in Poland and Romania, which were used for the interrogation of suspects in the USA's 'war on terror'.

Well, it's nice to know that the proof is there, but let's be honest, anybody who has been following the presidency of George 'Dubya' Bush would have 'known' that the CIA would have been running secret jails in places where they were not likely to be found out.

I wonder if this will make Keith Olbermann's Countdown tonight on MSNBC in the US. He'll be spoilt for choice tonight. CIA Secret Prisons, Paris Hilton, the US Secretary of Defense replacing his Chief of Staff, the G8, there's tons of stories out there, and it will be an interesting edition tonight