the Squid's Ink

Unfinished War

2009-11-30T21:00:00.027+05:00

The "embeds" aren't on the TV twenty four seven anymore. The Defense Department's propaganda pushing generals were all but gone from the talk show circuit, replaced by health scare, and former beauty pageant stars. But alas, the two wars Our last president got us into continue, costing thousands of American soldiers their lives (5,130 so far), an uncounted number of Iraqi and Afghan civilians their lives, and Hundreds of Billions of Our dollars ($940 billion so far). The first with Afghanistan (more specifically "the Taliban"), who would not produce al qaeda, living and training within their borders, and the second war, a "pre-emptive"/"bush doctrine" war with Iraq, who was bluffing Iran with talk of WMD's, had a connection to al qaeda more tenuous than the bush administration and saddam, and had no connection with the attacks that "started" the war on the noun "terror", which it turns out is a convenient way to get around the international rules of engagement and the execution of war. Guns and bombs blazing through towns and cities induce terror, no matter who is firing them.

Candidate bush's stance (circa 1999) against "nation building" was just about the only thing I ever agreed with him on. Of course, this "stance" turned out to be about as solid as "compassionate conservatism" was to anyone who disagreed with him, or more importantly, his party. Failure 43's "war president" focus left the unfinished, and internationally supported, war in Afghanistan to focus in on the invasion of Iraq. A war for regime change he, and his, were planning before they figured out the justifications and rationalizations for rushing us into it. Now after 8 years, elections fraught with fraud, and reports of corruption, the weak Afghan government established and secured by the US and others receives little, if any, faith or respect from the public who are starting to think back to the taliban days of, albeit Oppressive, security and stability. With no exports, but heroin. No jobs, but fighting. Afghanistan needs to be rebuilt, but can we stay and rebuild it? Should we stay and rebuild it?

The President's speech "on the Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan" was a straight forward, "somber" one. No anecdotes about soldiers he's met. No big applause lines. A history of what brought us there, and I'm sorry but "September 11th" did. It's al qaeda's headquarters, though some would say that has moved across the border to Pakistan, which the President mentioned several times. He also mentioned, to a lesser extent, Somalia and Yemen. He also admitted to the fraud and corruption in Afghan elections, and repeated the need to support the Afghan people in restoring their government and country. But while speaking to those who compare Afghanistan to Vietnam, the President showed, what I believe is his real rationale for staying and "escalating".

"And most importantly, unlike Vietnam, the American people were viciously attacked from Afghanistan, and remain a target for those same extremists who are plotting along its border. To abandon this area now -- and to rely only on efforts against al Qaeda from a distance -- would significantly hamper our ability to keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and create an unacceptable risk of additional attacks on our homeland and our allies."

I know it is echoes of the last guy, and I don't know if we need 100,000 soldiers and 100,000 contractors to do it, but for some reason I have more faith in the current guy in the White House than the last. I hope I'm not just misOverestimating him. That is not to say I agree with escalating the war in Afghanistan. I Do Not. Al qaeda is not locked down to a country, so neither should our "war" on them be, and right now it's hard to think of building another country while Ours is in, though relatively speaking much less, dire straits. I also think that using the Afghanistan border as a doorway into Pakistan is a big part of this, and that scares me.

Agree with it or not, President Obama's decision to increase troop levels in Afganistan while decreasing Our numbers in Iraq should come as no surprise to anyone who was paying attention during his campaign. He made it clear several times. Supporters who thought he would immediately withdraw, despite his campaign rhetoric, are more wishful than even I am when it comes to Barack Obama. The President put a lot of time and thought into this decision. He had a lot of input from all sides. But how does a Nobel Peace Prize winner end a war? I guess We're going to find out. First, slower than some expected, in Iraq. And now, hopefully in two years, in Afghanistan. Achieving that, righting the economy, passing a meaningful health care bill, and moving us toward alternative energy, would make a "heckuva" first term. We'll have to see if any of it comes true. I still have the Audacity to Hope.

"And Justice for All"

2009-11-25T02:01:00.001+05:00

In case you have forgotten, on September 11th, 2001, 2,819 people were murdered. The people who committed, and conspired to commit, these murders are mass murderers, and should be treated as such. In the United States, committing murder is a criminal offense. The people that commit, and conspire to commit, murder are tried in a criminal court. No one has been tried or convicted for the criminal acts that took place more than eight years ago. Post September 11th, then president (for eight months by the time of the attack) george bush junior declared a war on the noun "terror". By saying someone is a "terrorist", Our government could, and unfortunately still can, convert them into an "enemy combatant", imprison them as long as they want without charge, ship them wherever they want (or keep them on US soil in Cuba) to torture them. Not to mention that as long as "terror" exists so will the war on it.

The attacks of September 11 were/are not considered a military strike. Members of al qaeda are not considered members of any military, so military tribunals are out, in my opinion.

The recent decisions coming from the Department of Justice do bother me. There will still be "enemy combatants" held, by the United States, indefinitely, because they are "a danger" to Us, and there is not a good enough case against them to "assure" conviction. Which is the case, I believe, with Khalid Sheik Mohammed. I agree with Attorney General Holder's decision to try him in the City where the crime was committed. I do Not however agree with his Joe Namath-style prediction of conviction and execution. No matter who the defendant, no matter the crime, they are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law in the United States, or at least they should be. That being said, the United States Justice Department, this one in particular, would not be bringing this to trial without an air tight case, even after all the waterboarded evidence is thrown out. Defense attorneys are now saying that the defendants will plead not guilty to air their grievances with American foreign policy. This may just be a ploy to rally those who are against abiding by US law and having a trial for these criminals, because they are too Afraid of what the defendants must say or "spew". Who cares what they say? What, can they see Russia from their cell, or something? If I were the judge presiding over this case, it would be closed to the press. Only bad pastel sketches would come out of the room, and maybe some conspiracy theories to make these extremists sound like lyndon larouchites. I'm sorry larouchites, I don't mean to equate you with September 11th attackers, but are We not strong enough to take a speech from a zealot that may have plotted to kill thousands of Us? Iraq was strong enough to try saddam, no?

I am thankful that Ours was created to be "A government of laws and not of men". That idea is one of the many that make the United States an amazing and inspiring nation.

Here's another one:
"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence."
- Amendment VII to the United States Constitution - The Bill of Rights

Possible future topics:
1) Major Hasan and the ongoing investigation. Did al qaeda or a "similar" group plant him eight years ago in the army to be a never approved for combat duty major psychiatrist so he could shoot up the Soldier Readiness Center? Or did a desparate and deranged man completely lose it, possibly turn toward an extremism, and become a mass murderer in the Soldier Readiness Center?
2) Health Care, the public option, and debating to vote for debate, only to have to vote to vote. (Why does a democratic majority for health care for Americans have to be so much bigger than the republican majority was to kill foreigners?)
3) The quagmire left in Afghanistan. Is it worse than the quagmire left in Iraq? (How's the quagmire of an economy coming?)
4) An ex-governor of Alaska, an ex-Miss USA, an ex-talk show host, an ex-mayor, an ex convict, and a pretend plumber walk into a studio and at least one blogger doesn't give a shit.

Here's to Progress!
david calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ 07030

Two State wins do not a trend make.

2009-11-04T21:18:00.002+05:00

The republicans won two state elections last night. There was the Gubernatorial election in Virginia, you know the one that came about because the democrats took the Governor of Virginia (D) to become the head of the dnc and there was my home state of New Jersey where an unpopular incumbent governor corzine spent Four forgettable Years (even with banning the death penalty) as governor, after leaving the Senate to replace Richard Codey. Who became acting governor when the last Democratic Governor came out of the closet. These are the big telling wins that show a public trend against the President and towards the republicans? Nationally?? Rationally?

How about that NY-23 Congressional race where the republican party's splitting in half gave the Democrats a win in a district, parts of which have voted republican since the 1800's? Now that's a trend I can get behind.

In other election news, sadly, gay marriage was not legalized in Maine, but an openly gay mayor was elected in Chapel Hill, NC and an anti-discrimination (against homosexuals) bill was passed in Kalamazoo, MI

"Don't believe the hype-it's a sequel"
david calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

"In New Jersey, the party in power in the White House hasn't won the Governor's office since 1985 and the party in power in the White House hasn't won the Governor's office in Virginia since 1977."
From dnc chair Tim Kaine's statement on last night's election

Happy Election Day!!!

2009-11-03T22:33:00.002+05:00

I have received several emails asking who I am going to vote for, and even though it is a secret ballot something is driving me to tell you.. sort of.

I don't pay much attention to State politics. (I know, I know act local..) Governor Corzine should have stayed Senator Corzine, and he heard from this IP address about that. He has been lack luster as Governor of New Jersey. Not too bad, not too good. Not that it's easy to take over a State when the Country's economy is tanking. Christie has rooted out corruption, on both sides of the aisle, but he's a man with a plan that no one has, or maybe can, see. The main factors for me are his "relationship" and enthusiastic support of bush jr , the fear that he would have New Jersey opt out of the public option on health care and/or turn away additional stimilus monies like other bush republican governors have said they would, only to take it and take credit for it. And Christie is a union buster. Now I know unions aren't what they used to be, but I believe that this country favors the management (upper especially) in so many ways that workers still need and deserve protection . All that being said, New Jersey goes back and forth from Democratic to republican every couple of elections. If Christie does pull this squeeker out, our property taxes will go down by Spring, right? Oh yeah there's a third party candidate, Chris Dagget, from the middle (expect to see more of them) who can't win, but might be a good protest vote, especially if your republican.

On a local level, Hoboken may finally have an official Mayor again, hopefully hanging on for a full term. Full disclosure, my position with the City of Hoboken has improved under Acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer (see the Greening of Hoboken), though I do fear for the positions of other City workers once she is made Mayor of Hoboken tomorrow (More of a prediction than an endorsement). Acting Mayor Zimmer has been met with a few reality checks since she has taken her chair in the Mayor's office (see balanced budget), but has not made any glaring errors. Her hiring practices have not been as outside the box (or loop) either, which doesn't really surprise me. Her top three opponents are vying for the same pile of peter "the indicted" cammarano votes. Councilwoman Mason may have a reformer or two, but Acting Mayor Zimmer will not shed any of the votes (almost exactly half the voting public) she received in the last Mayoral election. Councilwoman Mason's campaign has been brutally nasty. Former Judge Glatt is the candidate no one has heard of, unless you're part of the Hudson County Democratic machine. And Developer Frank "Pupie" Raia is a glimpse at old "Hey oh, How You Doing?" Hoboken, that would be a step backward. Truthfully though, looking at what Hoboken continues to turn into (men's spas, sushi, and national chains) backwards isn't such a bad way to look.

So that's what I got a squeeker in the Governor's race and Zimmer winning Mayor. What's important is that you vote and take part in Our Democracy. How else will you be justified in comp[laining about it?

To Us!
dave calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

What a Difference a year or few makes.

2009-10-24T00:19:00.000+05:00

"I just have to remind everybody — I know the campaign got fun, but those of you who were there early — you remember that? When nobody could pronounce my name?... We all remember, back in the very beginning, a lot of people said having hope was naive You remember that?" AUDIENCE: "Yes!" THE PRESIDENT: "That our faith in this country was misplaced. There’s a whole industry feeding cynicism and skepticism, and promoting a notion of, well, it hasn’t happened yet so it’s not going to happen. And for a while, you remember, those folks looked like they were right. You remember? Until we proved them wrong. Until we proved there isn’t anything false about hope. Until we proved that in America nothing can withstand the power of millions of voices that are calling for change. That’s the spirit that we need right now."

The President spoke to an Organizing for America fundraiser at the Hammerstein Ballroom in the New York City on October 20th. My friend (whose donations got me in the joint) and I sat in the Upper Balcony watching, listening and recording (shhh.) as a relaxed President Obama delivered a speech that addressed where we've come from, what has been accomplished, and what we have ahead of Us after his first nine months in office. The speech, primarily addressing health "insurance" reform, addressed critics from the left. One anonymous audience member shouted "single payer" , to which the President delivered a retort with the refrain "the bill you least like" that started with "the one you least like of the five that are out there would provide 29 million Americans health care — 29 million Americans who don’t have it right now would get it" followed by the much quoted since (in blogland, at least), "You know, sometimes Democrats can be their own worst enemies. Democrats are an opinionated bunch. You know, the other side, they just kind of — sometimes — do what they’re told. Democrats, you all are thinking for yourselves. I like that in you. But it’s time for us to make sure that we finish the job here. We are this close. And we’ve got to be unified." And to the critics on the right Obama hit with a "what I reject is when some folks decide to sit on the sidelines and root for failure on health care" and his newly crafted "Grab a Mop!" (and "Help us clean up this mess") bit. (A slogan that my mom thinks should be used by Active Democrats, the way "tea bag" was used by the minority of the minority party)

A year or few ago, stopping and arresting "terrorist plotters" (in NYC and Boston) would have been met with fanfare and a general lauding of the President for "keeping us safe" (with faux news taking the lead). A year or few ago, Alaskan wilderness was in greater danger of being drilled for oil than of being preserved for polar bear habitats. A year or few ago, opposing minority members were not yelling at the President of the United States during one of his Few addresses to Congress and gunmen were not tolerated at Protests (wooden dowels to hold up signs weren't). A year or few ago, there was still a discussion on water boarding, stem cells, the need for guantanamo bay, not to mention, getting out of the war of choice in Iraq. I realize that the list of everything the progressive left (me included) wants has yet to be addressed. All the promises that Candidate Obama made have yet to be completed. But a year or few ago would an extension of hate crimes to include sexual orientation ever get through Congress or be signed by the President (failure 43 threatened to rewrite the Constitution to discriminate against homosexuals)? Would the government be planning to cut upper corporate management's pay? Would criticism of the President be seen as un-American or dissent and debate (no matter how ludicrous the claims, unfortunately )? Would Congress be doing their job discussing and formulating legislation or would they just be doing their party's president's bidding?

So yeah, has Barack Obama saved the world? No, but the world does have a much more favorable opinion of us. Has he saved the United States? No, though you don't hear the Great Depression talk very much anymore, even house sales are starting to trend in the right direction. Has he saved the Earth? No, but Major strides have been made in mileage and emission standards already. And he's "just getting started!"

More on President 44's first year and how it compares to other presidents when it's closer to over. Until then, call Congress, call the White House, and call the Media. Let your voice be heard. It is, after all, as much your country as it is any other American citizen's.

"This is such a rare moment in our history. Now is not the time to start getting disillusioned, or now is not the time to start thinking, oh, this is too hard. We’ve got this opportunity to change our world for the better. But the change — we said this in the campaign, it is true now — it never starts in Washington. It always starts with you. It starts with ordinary people — — men and women who love their country, who are standing together and fighting for its future.... So I just want everybody here to understand, we are in this for the long haul. Some of these changes may not happen in 18 months, or 36 months, or 72 months. It’s going to take time. But I don’t know about you, I just want to let you know — I'm just getting started. I’m not tired. I don’t know about you, but I’m not tired. All these folks who are throwing stuff at us and getting all crazy and — you know, I’m just getting started. I feel refreshed. I feel energized. And it’s because of you. " President Barack Obama October 20, 2009 New York City

To Progress (one step in the right direction at a time)
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

A guiding, underlying philosophy.

2009-10-07T22:08:00.005+05:00

"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

With the exception of security, which is meant to protect the first (while, at times, negating the second), Our society is focused on the third, and regardless of the cliche "Money can't buy Happiness", it is money that so many are in pursuit of in its name.

An underlying, guiding, principle serves as a foundation or constant to political argument. The lack of one gives the appearance of, or in fact is, hypocrisy. How can one argue that banks (which made millions and sent the economy tanking through deregulation) were not too big to fail, turn around and say that health insurance companies (the 10 largest of which saw their profits go up 428% between 2000 and 2007 (page 7) while costing American People their homes and worse through deregulation) are too big to fail, or even compete? Or if the man, who is quoted as saying “Blessed are the meek”, is your own personal savior, why would you not do all you can to help them? Where is the guiding principle?

The Health Care Reform “debate” has been, more than anything else, about dollars and cents (with a little nonsense throw in by the power$ that be). “Your taxes will go up”, but your premiums will go down. “How can you justify spending billions in this recession?”, but we’re spending that on war. Well it turns out the Baucus bill, which I am not thrilled with, will Reduce the deficit over the ten years. How do you like that? Health Care Reform will provide for some, unfortunately not all, of the uninsured, save the insured money, And save the Country money. But again, money shouldn’t be the driving issue of this debate on Our Nation’s Health Care, currently ranked 37^th in the world and costing Americans more than most other populations. No, the issue should be what is best for the Health of America and the Americans that inhabit her.

The "inalienable rights" in the Declaration of Independence were and are meant for all Americans, those who agree and those who disagree, those who "deserve it" and those who "don't". It is the government's job to afford All Americans security in attaining and maintaining these rights. As the homeless American goes, so does the CEO. Trouble is we are all so focused on that Pursuit of Happiness, currently defined by money and convenience, we're too blind to see it. 45,000 people die a year because they don't have health insurance. There are American people that need help maintaining "Life" and the US Government needs to help them. Period.

Next week's topic: What a difference a few years make: How I'm pissed at the Democratic Congress because they're not rubber stamping slaves to the President like the Republicans were, also Presidential First Years: A Greatest Hits.

"“I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors,” “There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other, to learn from each other, to respect one another, to seek common ground.” -President Barack Obama - Winner of the Nobel Prize for his Diplomacy in 2009.

Health sCare (health care reform part 1)

2009-08-12T08:24:00.030+05:00

Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed by the 111th Congress as the 111th United States Supreme Court Justice. She is a woman. She is Puerto Rican. She grew up in public housing in the Bronx. Fine example she sets. The top taliban leader in Pakistan was killed by the United States. Former President Bill " Big Dog" Clinton talked two American journalists, from Al Gore's Current TV, out of North Korea's hard labor camps. So many people have taken advantage of the Cash for Clunkers program it has been approved to get more money. Along with helping auto dealers sell cars, it's fuel efficiency requirement has played a significant role in June's jump in average gas mileage (the largest in years). Saying this program is a failure is like saying a concert is a failure because it was sold out. Sadly, another plane crashed into the Hudson. This time, tragically, after colliding with a helicopter. There were no survivors. And newly released documents prove rover and miers' direct involvement in the political firings of US attorneys.

Now that all of that is out of the way, it's on to the health care reform "debate" that has Stephen Hawking and republicans (along with the Democrats who aren't afraid to speak) calling "bullshit" on protesters' ridiculous claims and lies. And by protesters I mean concerned citizens asking pertinent questions at "town hall" meetings on health care reform.

Here are some Fun Facts regarding the current Health sCare Reform "debate":
There are no "death panels" in the House Health Care Reform Bill, despite what republicant sentors, ex-governors , and faux journalists have to say. The "end-of-life" services in the legislation do not refer to euthanasia. They refer to hospice and assistance to the family in the last days of a loved one's life. To quote one republican, on the House committee through which the bill passed, referring to these services as "death panels" is "nuts". Though there is something that could be construed as similar currently at private insurance companies. There are no provisions in the House health care bill for "rationing" "abortions paid for by tax dollars" or "health care for illegal immigrants". You, or if your employer provides it your employer, can choose to keep your current insurance under the House health care bill. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi did not call protesters "un-american". She said "[d]rowning out opposing views is simply un-American." She didn't call them "nazis" either. She said they were carrying swastikas, which they were. A swastika was recently painted on a Congressman, who happens to be black,'s house after his town hall " discussion". On a more positive note, the American Medical Association, the Federation of American Hospitals, PhRMA (the trade group of the pharmaceutical industry) SEIU (the service employees union) and the AARP all support and are pledging millions in support of the health care plan. No need to remind me that there were deals made for some of this support, but I'm not afraid of a good compromise if it extends health benefits to 40 million Americans who are currently uninsured.

Violence and wild eyed hate is not the usual debate for a 1000+ page of legislation. A lot of the vocal protests seem to have little to do with the proposed bill itself. The more I hear the concerned citizens entering the free speech town hall debate on health with nothing to say but "I am afraid of Obama", the more I am afraid for him and for America. Bringing a loaded hand gun to the President's town hall in NH? They took my key chain when I saw Candidate Barack Obama speak in New York. Armed militias are on the rise. More guns and knives are showing up at town hall "discussions" on health care. Why? Who's responsible for distributing and pushing all the disinformation and slanderous comparisons? Look no further than lou "you gotta put a stake through his [Howard Dean's] heart to stop him" dobbs, rush "adolph hitler, like Obama" limbaugh, glenn "obama is a racist" beck, and sarah "death panel" palin, to name a few. They are calling fire in a theater, and throwing gasoline on the flames they create, along with the teabag/birther organizers who want No Reform at all. They, and handful of old politcos like dick "no nickname needed" armey, are responsible for being so irresponsible. Remember when the guy got tasered after refusing to leave the lectern for asking a volatile question? Remember the anti-Iraq war protesters being rounded up in NYC and held in a warehouse? Remember when the right wingnuts were referring to those of us protesting an unnecessary, illegal, pre-emptive war of choice as "zealots" and "nazis". I guess hanging US congressmen in effigy, threatening their lives, shutting down public meetings and shouting down elected officials so they can not speak isn't that bad to them. Billions for killing? Good. Billions for health? Unacceptable. I wonder how many of the protesters use the VA, are on medicare, or would be helped by the legislation they are being used to oppose. I wonder if the republicants that oppose "government run health care" will shed their tax payer funded federal employee health care plan to buy private insurance of their own. I say no government run health care for Congressmen and women who say they oppose it, and that includes the VA, Medicare, and TriCare.

Americans are dying and/or going bankrupt because they can not afford health care or their insurance provider has denied them treatments. The thought of this issue as the politics of a "win" or "loss" for the President or a political party is disgusting. Defending Health Insurance companies, who made a 428% from 2000-2007 while dropping one to two million people per yer from their roles isn't much better. The House bill is an attempt at extending health benefits to 40 million Americans who are currently uninsured. This debate should be about finding a way to provide health care to average and low income Americans versus the current corporate model, which puts the bottom line ahead of the health of Our country's citizenry. About whether or not we should treat the issue the same way we do police protection or national security or car insurance for that matter. Instead, it's a "debate" about whether a government providing for its citizenry is socialist.

Enough about the faux debate. I'm going to go read the 1018 page H.R.3200 - America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (full text, summary).

To your health!
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

P.S. This same crap's going to happen during the Climate Change Bill debates.

Quitting, and other things.

2009-07-07T08:31:00.016+05:00

Remember that nut from Alaska? It turns out she's a quitter. "Say it ain't so Joe". She put in her three weeks notice. Her explanation was an ambiguous 7,000+ word screed that any teenager would be proud of, complete with unnecessary quotation marks (I'm flattered.) and explanation points. "You Betcha!" Some say this salmon is swimming up stream, some say the lipsticked Bush is running from something somebody has on her. Maybe it's one of the bloggers she has threatened to sue. I say WHO CARES!!!!

Some real important news stories have been hidden recently by failed republican governors and the death of, arguably, the biggest pop star, greatest entertainer, and most enigmatic celebrity of all time (RIP Michael Jackson). American troops pulled out of Iraq's cities on Iraqi National Sovereignty Day. 5,014 American soldiers dead, 100,000's wounded and they had fire works to celebrate the Us withdrawal. That worked out great. We may not even get at their oil. Well, at least we still have Afghanistan, right? Iranian clerics made a bold move and "defied" the Ayatollah. Maybe there is some power to the people, not to mention the seeds of change in Iran. Good thing we didn't openly meddle or take sides. If we had, Iran's hard-liner claim that "the opposition leader is a US agent" might hold more weight. Honduras is on fire. A coup has taken place there, but don't worry they don't have any oil, or plans for nuclear power. The Uighur uprising in China, that has claimed 156 lives, has China's president, Hu Jintao, threatening the death penalty for rioters, who are keeping him from his Italian Summit with President Obama and the G8. In bad domestic news, unemployment rose to 9.5%. President Obama has said it would hit 10%, and more recently Vice President Biden left his disclosed bunker to say "we and everyone else misread the economy" possibly leading up to the next stimulus package. They said the stimulus package was to be implemented over 18 months (we're about 4 months in), but this is starting to hurt really badly. Just look at States like California and Michigan.

So yeah one republican governor used state funds to see his goumade (mistress) in Argentina, and another republican state chief executive quit before her first term in office was over, but it's a big world out there, and we have plenty of big problems here at home. At least there's a comedy writer/Mic Jagger impersonator in the Capitol Building. Senator Al Franken is "ready to work". But before you get too giddy, that magic Senatorial number 60 everyone keeps talking about only matters if the Democrats walk lock step toward things like Health Care for all and clean, renewable, sustainable energy. Something they have yet to do. We need to push them. It's going to take more than voting to change this country.

I'll leave you with this from Henry Kissinger on Obama's "speech to the Islamic world:
"Obama is like a chess player who is playing simultaneous chess and has opened his game with an unusual opening. Now he's got to play his hand as he plays his various counterparts. We haven't gotten beyond the opening game move yet. I have no quarrel with the opening move."

I just couldn't resist.

To Progress (the "We're going to have to do Our part" kind).
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

Respect, Strength, and [a] Justice

2009-06-12T22:36:00.000+05:00

It was a week ago, but I am still somewhat awestruck by the President of the United States' speech to the Muslim people of the World, those living in the Middle East in particular, at Cairo University in Egypt. It was the first time I have ever heard an elected official from the US treat the people of the "Muslim world", and their religion, with such respect. Neither extremists nor their appeasers or sympathizers were let off the hook, but to hear an American President recognize the largest religion in the world by speaking (a better attempt than failure 43's Spanish) in its native tongue was something different. The New President has gone as far as to say that Iran has the right to use nuclear power for electricity. Any country with nuclear Weapons is extremely dangerous, just ask Japan. But has Our "do as we say, not as we do", "we're in charge" "we know better" approach worked? Has it stopped Iran or North Korea? Did it stop Pakistan? Has it brought any lasting peace to the "Middle East"? When you are threatened, do you back down, compromise and discuss or do you push back even harder? Four days after Obama's speech hezzbollah lost seats in Lebanon's election? Let's hope Iran's election (that's right , ahmadinejad was democratically elected, as opposed to Our Saudi King ally, among others) goes "our" way too.

Another jaw dropping change in Middle East policy was the President's and the Secretary of State's strong stance opposing Israel's expanding its territory through settlements. Wow! Elected officials who are not of the "Israel can do no wrong" ilk are usually way below any position of policy making power. More on Prime Minister Netanyahu's response after his upcoming speech on "security".

But these were not the only historic and possibly transformational moments recently. In what may become President Obama's Reagan moment (not for the reasons you may think) he has nominated Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. I type "Reagan moment", not because he nominated a woman, but because the nominee may turn into more of a right center leaner than a left, which would be reminiscent of Reagan's appointment, Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra O'Connor, turning out to lean left center. Justice Sotomayor came from the projects in the Bronx, went on to graduate from Princeton University and Yale Law School. She has more judicial experience than anyone on the Supreme Court had when they were nominated. She was first nominated to the Federal bench by President George H. W. Bush and then was promoted by President William Clinton. So far the republicants have had a problem with the way she pronounces her name, the kind of food she eats, the fact that she once said her experience as a "Latin woman" would give her an insight that an old white man or woman might not have (i'm paraphrasing) and of course she said that "the court of appeals is where policy is made". Supreme Court Justice antonin scalia was a bit more blunt when he said "courts often 'make law,' since the precedent of the highest court does not cover every situation, and not every case is reviewed. " Justice Sotomayor has ruled in favor of pro-lifers and pro-choicers. She has been on both sides of discrimination cases during her tenure. She has been a part of thousands of decisions, authored 380+ published opinions, ruled in favor of the Wall Street Journal over the Clinton Justice Department, and ended the baseball strike. But alas, she is a "hispanic" woman, and that has some old white men in a panic.

Speaking of panicking old white men, the republicant party has turned from defeated and disorganized to Down Right dangerous and the Department of Homeland Security's report last month warned us of it. The pro-lifer that murdered a doctor while he was ushering at his church and the white supremist anti-semite opening fire, killing a guard, at the Holocaust Memorial in DC will hopefully be the peak of the violence perpetrated by these domestic terrorists. When the pro-life murderer warned of "more violence to come" where was the outcry from the pro-torture crowd to waterboard him to find out more.

Well, next up health care reform. Why doctors at the AMA may not like it. Why you don't have a choice of whatever doctor and/or procedure you want or need Now. Why a tax increase that is lower than the health care cost it does away with is a good deal. Why America is one of, if not thee, last industrialized, "civilized" nation in the world not to have public health care to go with Our public education and public safety (police & fire).

To Progress.
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

I Still Hope He Succeeds.

2009-05-23T21:24:00.000+05:00

The General in charge of Afghanistan was pulled, before his tour is over, and replaced with a General from Special Ops. Signaling a change in direction in that "arena" though the US drone bombings and civilian deaths in Afghanistan and Pakistan are more of the same. War as an answer (even part of the answer) is more of the same. Military commissions at Guantanamo Bay, even though they are not your failure's military commissions, sound a heckuva lot like more of the same, as well. The President's reticence in overturning "don't ask, don't tell" has been disheartening to say the least, though there is talk that a new "LGBT" policy is "imminent". I am still holding out hope on Obama's policies on torture. Stopping the practice, and disallowing testimony from torture in trial (or military commission) are both changes, but the hesitation in prosecuting? My hope is he's holding out for the big fish. The "following orders" defense the CIA got away with, unlike the abu ghraib soldiers, is offensive. Non-prosecution of lawyers who twisted Our Law to rationalize using methods we executed japanese soldiers for is unacceptable. Speaker of the House Pelosi recently stirred up a hornets nest saying Federal spies mislead Congress, something officials on both sides have said. What if her "cover her own aft" defense was really bait to get republicants to use the word "investigation". I am a hopeful man. On war, Obama has never been a pacifist. He was against the war in Iraq before it started, like the millions of us who marched against it. But he was "not anti-war, just anti dumb wars". To some of us, all war is dumb, but alas, Congressman Kucinich did not win.

On most other policy fronts foreign and domestic, President Obama has changed the direction of the past 8+ years. His recently announced program for increased gas mileage (CAFE standards) and reduced emissions from US autos is a long awaited revelation. Some argue that the Obama administration is still for big business, because they're trying to save the banking industry by flooding it with Our capital, but his budget definitely tips Our coffers away from the top 1% to the majority of the remaining 99%. Banks are pretty integral to Our economy too, as is the auto industry. The regulation rhetoric is certainly a welcome change from the "ownership society". A "Guantanamo Bay Detainee", charged with the '98 embessey bombings, is actually facing trial in an American Court. Could this be a return to the rule of law in America? Congress's not funding the closing of the detention center, one can only hope, is to stall so the President and the Justice Department can continue to figure out what to do with the detainees. Mr. President, Our "super max" maximum security prisons (and I'm not proud of this) can hold anyone and anything. They are a lot stronger and more secure than the chain link fence that's holding Our suspects in Castro's Cuba.

So, yeah President Obama is doing things I don't agree with. He hasn't changed everything. The flag still has the same unlucky number of stripes. The White House is still painted white. It doesn't help that the majority of the current toothless (another word comes to mind) Congress is still bought and paid for by coal, pharmaceutical, insurance, and "energy" companies, to name a few. It's hard to say and to hear, with unemployment still increasing (albeit at a slower rate), but I do believe We are proceeding in a better direction than We have been in recent times, at least as it pertains to the President of the United States. Did you see him at Notre Dame? Or speaking about National Security and Guantanamo?

The administration's drug czar talking about doing away with "the War on Drugs", the unprecedented amount of press conferences, the new and improved foreign diplomacy (Now with Respect!), the de"sloganizing" of politics, the organic garden in the back yard, getting Us out of dick, bush and rummy's religious war in Iraq. These are changes in direction. The Obama administration has done a lot in their first four months. Not to keep comparing them, but it wasn't until after the tragedy that took place eight months into their watch that failure 43 and boss dick really got anything done. The issues and policies where the President and I differ are by no means insignificant, but in the "big picture"? Barack Obama continues to have my support. I still Hope He Succeeds.

I think one of the biggest mistakes that is made in Washington is this notion you have to dumb things down for the public.
-President Barack Obama

More on the man who lied, and continues to lie and use fear to convince the world he cares. The man who pushed (through waterboarding) for an al qaeda-iraq link, who "simply stated" there was "NO DOUBT" about Iraq's WMDs, who said years ago that Iraqi insurgents were "in their last throes", who gave a company, that was still paying his severance, plenty of no bid contracts. The only former executive brancher, I can remember, to come out full blast against a new executive mere months after being wheeled out of the Inauguration versus The President of the United States on National Security, torture, and how the United States should treat its prisoners of war later.

Is dick speaking out to pre-emptively mount his defense?

P.S. Good Police work FBI on the Bronx synagogue bombing plot. No torture necessary.

Hoboken Mayoral Election 2009

2009-05-09T21:19:00.000+05:00

My usual focus, as you all know, is National politics, but a number of people have asked me "Who should I vote for" in Hoboken's Mayoral Election on Tuesday. My first response is check out the candidates' forum, and what the candidates and campaigns have written about themselves. But after the recent rumor turned "news story" on Hoboken's most read gossip/business blog, along with negatives stories on that same blog referring to only two out of the three "major" candidates (another completely unbiased bastion of news), I felt the need to type. Negative campaigning, coming mostly from Beth Mason's campaign unfortunately, is usually more susceptible to lies and spin and is Far less constructive than positive/issue based campaigning. Not to say the candidates do not have negatives. They all do.

Up until this campaign, Councilwoman Beth Mason (Her Website) had my pretty vocal support for Mayor, but the "mccain-esque" "win at any cost" campaign she is running and the bed-fellows she has made worry and disappoint me deeply. While on the City Council, Councilwoman Mason went line by line through appropriations. Every other councilperson simply would give a blanket yes or no. She was independent of the mayor's contingent, the previous mayor's contingent, and the "reform" contingent. Her calculated, thoughtful management style, could seem cold at times, but struck me as exactly what this town needs, at least budgetarily. Fighting for information the City was trying to hide from the public. And then one day the old "russo civic association" was covered in Beth Mason signs. The former mayor's club sign taken down, broken on the sidewalk. In case you don't remember anthony russo, he was mayor of hoboken before he was convicted on Federal corruption charges. He was sitting in a City Council seat right before he was sent to jail for 30 months and assessed a $300,000 fine. His replacement (an appointment by current Mayor Roberts) on the City Council is one of Candidate Mason's current Council Candidates, Vincent Addeo. Mr. Russo, his family, and his minions have all been campaigning "old hoboken" for Candidate Mason, sometimes in that "old hoboken" style that made them famous. Giving up her "independence" from corrupt politicians by aligning herself with old ones is a major blow to Councilwoman Mason's integrity and to the idea of her independent leadership. That coupled with this latest smear campaign (whether it's them or their supporters) has been enough to put me from firmly on the fence to really leaning towards Councilman Cammarano.

Candidate Peter Cammarano (His Website and Platform) is intelligent, well schooled in governmental law, and a somewhat fresh face to Hoboken politics. He is a political animal and came into town as part of the Hudson County Democratic Organization machine that now backs Candidate Zimmer. His voting (with the current "politically radioactive" mayor) record certainly does not serve him well, but in the last year or so it has not been as one sided as some make it out to be. His argument that the Council should have passed the current mayor's more than flawed budget, so the State wouldn't have to come in and fix things (eventually I guess) seems a bit ludicrous. The Council has been saying we'll fix this next year for as long as I lived here. I also don't like the fact that he moved here, after running Kerry's underwhelming Hudson County campaign, almost exactly the minimum time you need to be a resident before being elected Councilman. Not that Candidate Mason's candidate Raul Morales III has voted in very many elections before presumably voting for himself on Tuesday. Stealing Candidate Obama's logo doesn't help him with me very much either. All that being said Candidate Cammarano has sent out has many positive issue based emails as the Mason camp has mailed me negative 8.5x11 coated card stock ads. He has addressed environmental issues and has an environmental engineer on his Council slate.

Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer (her Website) is probably the most concerned about the environment of all the candidates, becoming Councilwoman with flooding as her #1 issue. But Candidate Zimmer has only been involved in politics/government for two years and already wants to be Mayor. She is intelligent and driven and would be a dramatic "change" even though some within her campaign came in with the current mayor's campaign for a real change. She seems to be more idealistic than practical. Big ideas are great, but right now Hoboken needs a level headed pragmatist to deal with the realities of Our city more than someone who wants to rapidly change it into something it's not. And Councilwoman Zimmer's recent "abstaining" from the current budget was troubling to say the least. Councilman Cammarano voted yes. Councilwoman Mason voted no.

There are three independent candidates as well. Their chances for victory are Much slimmer. But as a former Naderite ('96, '00) that's no excuse. So here are a couple of quick ones. Tom Vincent, though a great MC of many City run events, has absolutely no experience in government. His "platforms" sound great, but are vague at best. I'm not completely familiar with Ryn Melberg but nothing she is saying or doing inspires me to go out on a limb to vote for her. Frank Orsini is the most established of the independent candidates. His old school signs can be seen around town and his tag lines of "they have falied" (referring to the top three candidates who have been Councilpeople during this whole mess) can be heard from speakers attached to the roof of a minivan. If I had to pick from the Indepents, I would pick him.

But I think my vote is going to Councilman Cammarano for the reasons above. He'll certainly do a better job than has been done over the past eight years. There is secondary reason as well. To push for a run-off between Councilwoman Mason and Councilman Cammarano. Maybe an extra month will help Mason see the err of her ways. And that she could win on her own merit, with her own ideas... on the issues. I know it's probably too late for that.

P.S. For City Council, (Video of their Forum) I'm picking one from each Camp. Carol Marsh made an excellent Councilwoman and belongs back in that seat. Mike Novak is an environmental engineer and has served on the zoning board. His experience will help us Green Hoboken. And Anthony Pasquale, who is an accountant and has dealt with huge budgets and we sure need as much help with Ours as possible.

Full disclosure: I was hired by the Russo Administration. I've worked for the City of Hoboken for ten years (6 inside City Hall). My decisions are not based on who is for layoffs and furloughs and who is for no layoff and furloughs.

Heaven, Hell, or Hoboken!
Davey the Squid

The Torture Never Stops.

2009-04-28T06:51:00.002+05:00

When pol pot and the khmer rouge used waterboarding, I guess they were just gathering valuable information. The spanish inquisition may have used a different rationale. The japanese soldier, who was sentenced to 15 years hard labor by "the greatest generation" for WAR CRIMES for waterboarding, may have been using it for information on attacks with weapons of mass destruction (see hiroshima and nagasaki). United States soldiers have been court-martialled for waterboarding north vietnamese soldiers. I can only assume they were using the "torture techniques" to obtain useful information.

Fact is the techniques used by the bush era inTERRORgators are and have been a CRIME.

The third Geneva Convention reads

"No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatsoever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted, or exposed to any unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind."

The federal statute, which implements the 1984 Convention Against Torture, reads

"(A) the intentional infliction or threatened infliction of severe physical pain or suffering;

(B) the administration or application, or threatened administration or application, of mind altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or the personality;

(C) the threat of imminent death; or

(D) the threat that another individual will imminently be subjected to death, severe physical pain or suffering, or the administration or application of mind altering substances or other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or personality.

There' a rationale being used by people, like dick's daughter liz (I'm not kidding), that US soldiers have to endure these techniques, not at the same intensity of curse, as part of their training, so it can't be torture. This is pretty ridiculous since the SERE training referred to is meant to ready soldiers for possible tortures by the enemy. Torture defender peggy noonan thinks we should "keep walking and not look back". Drug addled limbag thinks mccain's signing of a statement he did NOT mean because of torture is proof that "it works".

Granted face slapping, water boarding, extreme stress positions and sleep deprivation (as much as 11 days straight) aren't as disgustingly vile as the fatal anal gluing and diarrhea inducing of homosexuals that's going on right now in the nation that we "brought freedom to" by Iraqi militias. The fact remains that it is and was illegal. Ex vice dick says release all the torture advocating memos, perhaps because he shredded any dissent along with evidence of anyone he met with as the vice president of the United States. Looks like the shredders may have missed the "anything for a link between iraq and al qaeda" torture is pushed. I'm gonna have to side with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she said "It won’t surprise you that I don’t consider him [dick] a particularly reliable source." Maybe we should waterboard him, have dogs snap inches from his "manhood", throw him against the wall 20-30 times, chain him up naked, cover him in excrement, in a stress position and keep him awake for 2 weeks by slapping him, while blasting hannah montana into his hood to find out what really happened. Our Country's moral "compass" and standing depends on it, which, of course, directly relates to Our National Security. Did I leave out putting him into a small coffin-like box and dropping insects in, telling him they are poisonous. But why stop at dick, repeat for tenet, rice , ashcroft, yoo, rummy, gonzales, powell (yeah I said it), their deputies and let's not forget "the decider" at whom the buck stops. Or at least it did when Presidents of the United States took responsibility for their actions.

It is the Department of Justice's job, not the White House's, to find out if a crime was committed and who committed it. It is Not the Justice Department's job to be used as the president and his party's legal rationale lap dog, like we saw it reduced to for the eight years prior to the Inauguration of President Barack Obama.

A couple of other opinions:

Krugman is on it!: "America is more than a collection of policies. We are, or at least we used to be, a nation of moral ideals. In the past, our government has sometimes done an imperfect job of upholding those ideals. But never before have our leaders so utterly betrayed everything our nation stands for. “This government does not torture people,” declared former President Bush, but it did, and all the world knows it."

Vanity Fair: Have any attacks on America been disrupted thanks to intelligence obtained through what the administration still calls “enhanced techniques”?

“I’m really reluctant to answer that,” Mueller says. He pauses, looks at an aide, and then says quietly, declining to elaborate: “I don’t believe that has been the case.”

“Jim [Psychiatrist and "harsh tactic advocate mitchell] believed that people of this ilk would confess for only one reason: sheer TERROR,” said one C.I.A. official
- From a great piece at the New York Times (I thought it was the enemy that used "terror")

"They were well aware, these people, Rumsfeld, Sanchez, all of them and were well aware of these policies and these memorandums while these soldiers were being accused....five years ago. And if it was okay Mr. Former Vice President, if you're saying that this was necessary today and that it produced good intelligence..where were you five years ago stepping up to the plate and saying hold on, we can't discuss this because this is classified information, but these soldiers did not design these techniques? Where were all of those heros then to step up to the plate and defend these soldiers and to defend me?"
-former Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski about how the torture at Abu Ghraib was a direct result of policies which were crafted by the higher ups in the Bush administration

"We are America! I don't give a rat's ass if it helps," Smith declared. "We are America! We do not fucking torture!" Shepard Smith of faux "news"

Frank Zappa: ... then it goes into a song called "The Torture Never Stops".
Which is about what?
Frank Zappa: Er, it's about torture not stopping.
- Zappa On Air, Nuggets, No. 7, April 1977(I guess I owe gail money for that quote not to mention the title)

To Progress.
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

The (latest) speech on the US economy, the "right wing", and accountability

2009-04-18T01:56:00.000+05:00

The President recently gave a speech at Georgetown University on the US economy. It was, as he put it, "prose, not poetry". The speech is heavy and dense, but reassuring. As a republican "leader" suggests his State secede from the Country they claim to love so much, it's reassuring to see a President display such an understanding of what's going on, while explaining his administration's plan to fix and build Our economy. The speech explains, in detail, how we got here, why banks are important, and why governments spend to inject revenue into a recessing economy. Agree with him or not, it's nice to see someone firmly at the helm. Not to mention an elected official that treats the American public as if We were adults. There's a good chunk of Us who are (from time to time).

I would bet that the vast majority of "teabaggers" that protested on tax day will see their taxes Go Down as a result of the Obama budget. I wonder how many will turn down their stimulus check/credit. Part of the in-cohesive and almost inexplicable rationale for the protests was Constitutional rights. No need to go into the last eight years' depletion of Our rights, but which "Constitutional" rights are "tea baggers" getting taken from them? True a recent leaked NSA report targeted "right wing extremism". If there had not already been a report from the NSA on "left wing extremism", I would undertsand the right's fear of a politically motivated attack on free speech, akin to the last administration's on the left's. They are being lied to by the likes of joe the "plumber" and shawn insanity. And it isn't the first time. Maybe that's why there are less of them. Perhaps that is something that could be further realized if the Obama Administration would do something to hold george w. bush jr.'s failure of an administration accountable.

With detailed torture memos being released and Administration officials saying that CIA interrogators will Not be prosecuted (Watch Olbermann's Special comment) I can only hope Attorney General Holder is building a case against those interrogators' superiors. As it is we are stilling waiting for President Obama to prove that he is reinstating Habeus Corpus, the Bill of Rights (Amendment 4 specifically) and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). While in fact, we've seen some proof of the opposite. Glen Greenwald is a Must read when it comes to these issues, especially FISA. Maybe we should stage a Whiskey Rebellion until we get what we want. I'm kidding, of course.

Darwin help Us.
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

The Fear, the Froth, and the Teabagging.

2009-04-15T05:07:00.001+05:00

These are truly scary times for people. No, I'm not referring to the fear that republinuts (Read Krugman!) want to "tea bag" (NSFW) me in my sleep. Over the last month there have been 8 mass killings by Americans on Americans claiming 53 lives. Not to worry, the vast majority of the domestic terrorists' weaponry was registered with the proper authorities. The murderer that killed 3 people in Pittsburgh was said to be "afraid Obama was gonna take his guns away", even though it looks like under President Obama the assault weapons ban debate will fade away. I wonder how this racist gunman got that idea? Talking clown glen bark put Obama in a nazi uniform in his magazine and pretended he was President Obama pouring gasoline on the average American. The fox "news" channel is not only endorsing and encouraging "tea bag" protests of the three month old Administration (something no one in the "liberal" media ever did during any protests of failure 43 and there were hundreds of thousands, if not Millions of us), but they are organizing fundraisers for them. Now that's fair and balanced. The hypocrisy of hearing the people that called me anti-American and unpatriotic for protesting the decisions of the last administration now saying that dissent is the highest form of patriotism makes me physically ill.

But is their frothing up fear and frustration among people who have lost their jobs (another 600,000 last month), their homes, and their retirement wise, rational, or even justifiable. Congresspeople calling for people to be "armed and dangerous" in their "revolution" should realize their words can lead to actions, intended or not. Disturbing the peace is not the only reason you can't yell fire in a crowded theater. It's also to protect people from getting killed in the resulting chaos.

President Obama has seen a "glimmer of Hope" in the economy lately, but people are still losing their jobs, failing on the mortages and realizing the deep hole that once was their life savings. I don't think we're at France's G20 protest violence level (they burned a hotel down) or that of the protests in Thailand but, to be sure, Americans are angry. Corporate lobbyist, media sponsored protests, against bringing the tax code back to "what it was under Clinton for the rich" (10% less than under raygun) while cutting taxes for everyone under $200,000, are not going to qwell that anger. They are only exploiting it.

The Squid says: "Hey fox "news"! Go 'tea bag' (NSFW) yourselves!"
The activists that participated in the Boston Tea Party in 1773 are rolling in their graves. Oh and, by the likes of glen bark's standards, Thomas Paine was a Socialist.

"if you are planning simultaneous tea bagging all around the country, you’re going to need a Dick Armey." -David Shuster 4/13 on MSNBC

Give Hope a Chance.
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ USA

The Heartening, the Homeless, and, dare I say it, Change.

2009-03-29T23:58:00.000+05:00

It's heartening to see that it's no longer "Unpatriotic" or "UnAmerican" to criticize a sitting President during wartime. Some "ditto heads" go as far as to hope the President's attempts to pull Our country out of the "Great Recession" "fail". President Barack Obama held his second prime time press conference this week. That's six months earlier than his predecessor held his first. Of course, the cracker-jack media reported on the big stories. The President skipped over the major papers. He read his opening and closing remarks from a teleprompter. He wasn't "angry populist" enough for some. He was calm, cool, and competent to others. What did it for me was when President Obama said "It took a couple of days because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak." to a "journalist" whose question for the President of the United States was about why he wasn't more reactionary in the wake of the AIG bonus "scandal". Personally, I think the public outcry against the top rungs of this corporate giant makes the environment much more conducive for government regulation of Big Business, at least those who have been bailed out by Us, through Our taxes and not just outrageous pricing. But knowing that the President actually thinks before he reacts is almost comforting enough for now.

The President was comfortable and knowledgeable on a range of subjects, though there were little to no questions on foreign policy or Our two wars. At times he was almost professorial. The new President's (he's been in office for two and one quarter months) demeanor was a welcome change from the smirks, winks and nicknames that we've come to expect from the "leader of the free world". A world that is rapidly changing, with Russia and China calling for the dropping of the US dollar as the major monetary metric for a global currency. A world that sees the Governor of California opening up festival grounds to deal with a growing "tent city" or "shantytown" population of homeless. It was heartening to hear the President of the United States being asked about "the homeless" during his recent press conference, but Obama's "Part of the change in attitudes that I want to see here in Washington and all across the country is a belief that it is not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours." made me realize something else that seems to be changing, perhaps because of the sleeping giant that has been awakened by all the populist talk being thrown around. The idea that the wealthy are robbing the common citizen in America, a distinction that used to be reserved for welfare mothers. As the common American gets more pink slips and foreclosure notices, wealthy ceo's are complaining that they can't live on $500,000.00 a year or without Million dollar bonuses. The public outrage is getting scary in places with death threats and worse being made to ceo's and the like. Who knows if this outrage will spill over to republican governors, like jindal and sanford, who are putting politics ahead of federal aid for their constituents who have lost, or will lose, their jobs during these hard economic times.

Of course, one of the first two things that Congress has talked about trimming in Obama's budget proposal is the $400 Make Work Pay tax cut, but there may be a time in the near future when the tax cut can be pushed on its own. Politicians love tax cuts, right? The Obama budget proposal readies the stage for major health care, energy, and education reform. It lays out funding in 2009 for programs that do not yet exist but that would, and Hopefully will, be created in 2009. It does increase spending, which can seem ridiculous in this economy, but how could Our problems be fixed by simply running and cutting funding for programs as they currently stand. Another point that's important to make is that Obama's budget proposal includes items that haven't been included in the "budgets" in the past, like say the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our version of capitalism has, for years, rewarded those on top, while ignoring or sticking it to the majority. Any person or small business that makes less than $200,000.00 per year receives a tax cut in the Obama budget proposal (about 95% of working American families). Who did the $1.3 trillion dollars in tax cuts over the last 8 years help? For those of Us that have some money to spend, let's let Our dollar be Our vote. To businesses going under every dollar counts. We can support companies and businesses whose practices and products we believe should be encouraged and supported. In this "economic climate", buying trends could turn into industry trends pretty quickly. Wouldn't it be nice to see a stock rise because a company was more "environmental" or health conscious or helped to increase employment here in the United States, rather than simply based on what's cheapest and most convenient?

To Progress.

David Calamoneri
Hoboken NJ
USA

Change, Truth and the Majority of the American People.

2009-03-15T22:42:00.000+05:00

After reports of 651,000 more jobs being lost in February, the national unemployment rate is now officially 8.1% and climbing. Unemployment is over 10% in California. Michigan's is at 11.6%. Seeing lines of suits going around the block at ";job fairs" make one realize that the Obama Administration, and the 111th Congress, extension of unemployment benefits was a good idea, as was increasing funding for food stamps. A record 31.8 Million are now in need of them (an increase in 700,000 last month) . Helping millions of children get health care through SCHIP helps American people, who have children in need medical attention, while they face the recent economic Downturn. Spending billions in "stimulus" on Health Care may also help in curbing government costs. If Health Care was either provided for or Really made affordable by the end of a year or two (a dream of President Obama's), it would not only help families, hit hard by lay offs, foreclosures, etc. to not have to choose between medicine or food. It would also dramatically lower spending by State and Local governments, and businesses who provide insurance. Not to mention, easing the strain on the majority of the American people who are paying in some fashion for their own health care or don't have any at all (emergency room visits of the uninsured cost all taxpayers money).

Isn't that who government should be in the business of helping? The Majority, if not all, of the American people. A budget that cuts taxes for 95% of working families in the United States is more than making good on a campaign promise. It is also a good start at making Our government Change its focus from helping the wealthiest 10% or less and the military to helping the Majority of the American People and the military . Defense spending is something that's not going to go down. The Obama budget proposes $75 billion More in '09 and $130 billion in in '10 for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars failure 43 failed to finish. It is a change from the last 8 years to actually include war spending in the budget.

The stock market has been nose diving (with the exception of the uptick with Citi's profit news) with every jobs report, report on consumer spending, or on the housing industry (12% of Americans with mortgages are in foreclosure). Reports stating that the FDIC, which insures the money you have in the bank, may become insolvent, and AIG the world's largest insurer needs another huge chunk of money to keep insuring the millions it currently does, haven't helped ease wall street's slide. Neither has news that GM is no longer viable and may go bankrupt or that GE is in some real tough shape. In the past, like say the eighties, when unemployment was this high and the market was falling, the Fed cut interest rates, which encouraged lending and borrowing. Problem is the Fed dropped those to zero before Barack Obama even took office.

President Obama's budget represents a real change in how and on whose behalf the United States Government spends, but there have been other marked changes from the past occurring For one, the government seems hesitant to let Senator Leahy further a truth commission to investigate the laws failure 43 and his minions "may have" committed in prosecuting their war on the noun terror (see warrantless [FISA included] wiretapping, torture at American detention centers, extraordinary rendition). This is a marked change in Congress's willingness to investigate a former President's extra-marital affair and real estate deals he and his wife were involved in Before they became the First Family. The release of the "shocking" to some memos from failure 43's minions explaining how, in the words of another President, "when the president does it that means that it is not illegal", further evidence the fact that for the last eight years (at least the second half of 2001 through 2007) We were ruled by a "unitary" Executive with no checks and balances whose concern for the United States Constitution was not to uphold it, but to figure out how to get around it.

But while we debate whether or not the truth is important and whether tax payers' money should be spent to help the Majority of the American people, the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, told Israel it did something wrong and did so publicly. Of course, her words were not as strong as Obama's National Intelligence Council pick, distortions of which have made his stepping down the right move. The United States State Department also announced that it will meet with Iran and Russia, when it comes to supporting NATO's effort in the Afghanistan War. The Obama administration has also reopened talks with Russia, offering to ease up on the missile defense shield in Poland for some help in getting Iran to not build a bomb like the thousands that we and Russia currently possess. On the domestic front, President Obama is reversing failure 43's decision's on stem cell research and Science, endangered species, the office of "drug czar" being cabinet level, and Carbon Dioxide as a pollutant. (Does that mean we won't be allowed to exhale?). And of course, US combat troops will start leaving Iraq in September.

I'll leave you with a few things I just don't understand:
Why is it, only Jon Stewart of the "liberal media", tore up CNBC for their "cheap populism" rallying the losers on the "trading floor" while assailing the "losers" who have lost their homes?

How can you care about the DOW going down and be against bailing out big companies?

Hasn't the Dow been dropping since October 2007?

Did you know that $3.8 Billion dollars in "earmarks" in the $410 Billion dollar budget is .01% of the total bill and that 40% of those "earmarks" came from republicans? I guess that's why 8 "(R)" Senators joined all but 3 "(D)" Senators.

Does everyone who makes $250,000 per year own a small business?

How do tax cuts touted by most on the republican side, help poor people making less than a taxable income, if any income at all? (Anyone making under $250,000 will see their taxes cut or at least not go up with the Obama budget. Anyone over that will have there tax rate raised by a whopping 4.6%)

How can you complain about the wage of an assembly auto worker that works 40 hours a week and not have a problem with the salaries of upper management of major corporations?

Does anyone's health insurance allow them to choose any procedure they want and/or any doctor they want?

Does anyone remember that failure 43's "choice" for the second highest office in the land went to a CEO of the biggest no bid contractor the US employs? (The ethical bar for the current administration is exponentially higher)

Are the Green Bay Packers communist because they are "owned by the community"?

And are public education, taxpayer paid police and fire departments examples of "socialism"? (Big Hat Tip to M.M.'s movie Sicko for that one.)

Your Compatriot,
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ, USA

What passed and what passes for fact.

2009-02-25T09:03:00.002+05:00

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been signed into law. There is a break down of how the money is to be allotted here and here ($288 Billion in tax cuts) and estimates of jobs saved/created by State here (Texas = 269,000). Now that it passed, some "just say no" republicans who voted against spending and tax cuts for Our Country are touting what their districts are getting. Even some very vocal opponent republican governors are starting to come around to accept the Federal funding allotted to their states. The latest to join this category was South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Governor Jindal of Louisiana is still unsure about additional Federal funding going to his state for things like fixing levees. It's understandable though. He is in the running for the republican nomination in 2012, and is hoping the Country has completely gone under by then so he, and the hip hop republicans can run against the failure. The way Candidate Barack Obama ran against the failures of the past 8 years of their party's presidency, 6 of which had them in control of both houses of congress. Hell, they had congress for 12 years. Check out the Pork and Earmarks (there are no ear marks in this bill) from the 6 years of Failure 43 and his rubber stamp reds' appropriations bills from 2001-2006 (Where is that confounded bridge to nowhere?). Yup, tax cuts for the rich, increased spending to build other countries, increased domestic spending for things like "abstinence training" but not the poor to middle class here at home, and the market will regulate itself policy, really worked out. As the Rude Pundit put it "Do you remember who put us into this goddamn vortex of financial suck?"

There have been no shortage of pundits, me included, making feeble attempts at becoming Economic experts. The arguments ranged from the "stimulus package" should be bigger to the government should do nothing to help the Country's economy or the millions who have lost their jobs. There's even been talk of a complete tax holiday that would severely reduce the Government's revenue. I assume that the people proposing this would cut the non-existent funds to Our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (where $125 Billion US has been "misused"). 17,500 more troops were ordered to Afghanistan last week. However you slice it, opinions are one thing (Everybody's got one), but Out "right" lies, falsehoods, and "myths" are another.

1. There is no provision in the stimulus package for a mouse preserve in San Francisco.

2. There is no provision for a high speed rail in Nevada. Which would be bad because Harry Reid is the Senator there.

3. President Obama opposes, much to my dismay, any decrease in the defense budget.

4. The CBO (Congressional Budget Office) said the bill's spending Would stimulate the economy.

5. The bill is not just for "Democratic pet projects" (See what States get what , relative to the size of their economy, at this interactive map)

6. The New Deal reduced unemployment.

7. ACORN is not mentioned in the bill.

8. Anyone , "illegal" or not, without an officially issued Social Security number is ineligible for "make work pay" tax credits.

There are more, but you get the idea. For those of us who didn't read the whole 1,000+ page document there remain some questions as to how and to whom it will help. There are portions of the bill I don't understand. There is spending that I am glad to see, but can not see the connection with economic stimulus (see NASA). Before you say it, red failure 43 gave NASA billions for his "mission to mars". Remember that doozy? We all knew there would be no grace period (Typically the First 100 days) for Barack Obama, who has put together an administration faster than any President. He has already passed several pieces of Major legislation. He has given his first presidential press conference (a feat that it took failure 43 nine months to do). President Obama's "kind of a" State of the Union after only a month in office is yet another sign of how his administration has hit the ground running, sprinting actually. If the stakes were not as high as they are, if the situation was not as dire, there would be greater faith/benefit of the doubt/mandate given to the Leader who received more votes than any other President, and won by a greater margin than reagan did in his first presidential election, not to mention Obama's current and start off approval ratings.

I hope the stimulus bill, with the housing crisis plan, whatever happens to the remainder of the bush bank bailout, and everything else helps to get us out of Our downward spiral of an economy that is getting worse by the day. We won't know for some time. My guess is a more stabilized economy will start building steam in the beginning of 2010. Until then I think we should do Our best to help the people that need help the most. We Are All Americans.

Topic for next week:
The Disconnection: A Lack of Empathy and Understanding

There is Someone at the Wheel.

2009-02-11T00:26:00.002+05:00

Wow. What a difference a month makes. Barack Obama's First Press Conference as President.

Stimulus, Fear, and Obstruction.

2009-02-10T22:13:00.000+05:00

598,000. That's the number of Americans who lost their jobs in January 2009. 598,000. That is the highest number since I was Two Years Old (1974). Let's say the average salary for each of those jobs was $20,000. If they don't find a job in a year, $11,960,000,000.00 will not be spent (in the "US" economy) over that year and that's just the people who lost jobs in January. The economy is Scary and getting Worse. It's going to take more than former secretary to failure 43, and former goldman sachs ceo, paulson's "bank bailout", which gave out $254 billion in capital purchases (with virtually no oversight) for bank assets worth about $176 billion. Why was no one concerned about the conflict of interest with a Former CEO giving his old bank a "$2.5 Billion subsidy"? It's going to take more than the second half of the $700 Billion bush bank bailout (expect more on the Obama plan for that later). It's going to take more than the $800+ Billion dollar Stimulus Bill that's meant for US (haves And Have Nots). Of course, anti-stimulus republicans are pushing for even more tax cuts in the bill, because their tax cut and spend policies have worked so well for Us so far. As Our President said "We are not going to get relief by turning back to the very same policies that for the last eight years doubled the national debt and threw our economy into a tailspin," The obstructicans have been stalling/trying to stay relevant/"standing their ground" because of 2% of the spending in a $800+ BILLION "stimulus" bill. Would they bicker and pick all the way to depression? There's part of me that thinks to change Our society and its view of money, it would take a crisis of this predicted proportion, but the suffering may be too much for me to condone. That's not to say that is why the republicans "hope it fails". We Have already given hundreds of billions to war, to banks, and to tax cuts for the rich. Why shouldn't We the People (poor included) get some help?

Barack Obama has only been President for a little over two weeks. He's already got former vice president, mr. potter, pausing from "moving boxes" to tell us that if and when we're attacked by "nuclear or biological weapons" (remember that phrase?), it will be Obama's fault. We will never forget what happened 8 months, and several warnings, into his administration, but that was President Clinton's fault, right? Not to mention the hate and anger bushco. filled hearts and minds with all over the globe. I know, who cares what the "evil doer" former vice dick has to say. Probably the same wing nuts that care what treasonous drug addict limbag has to say or hatetity or o'lielly or glen bark. The republican party has become "regional" and reasonless. They're so splintered, it took six votes to elect a new "leader". He's their first African American "leader". Isn't that a funny coincidence? But seriously, mr. potter brought back that feeling of fear, as does, the President of the United States' call on Americans and their representatives to act now on the economic stimulus or there will be "a catastrophe".

The republicans are playing politics while Our economy is At The Cliff. The Old gOp tax cuts or death policy hasn't worked for the Country since it was called "reaganomics". Reinvestment in infrastructure and education, along with investment in up and coming industry, like the Clinton administration's investment in the internet and Pell Grants, provide the foundation for extended economic growth. Forward, long term thinking and planning isn't something recent administrations have considered and that is one of the reasons we find ourselves in the predicament we're in today, and it looks like it's going to get worse before it'll get better.

President Obama did sign his first law, the Lilly Ledbetter Law. It states that women doing equal work should get equal pay. I still can't believe that 1. In 2009 we still need a law like this and 2. It took until 2009 to get it. Barack also autographed a law giving health care to millions of children by expanding SCHIP. My favorite Presidential move so far was limiting ceo pay at companies that receive "bail out" money from US taxpayers. Some say it isn't strict enough. Some say its just a political stunt. I say it sends a great message from the White House. $500,000.00 a year should be plenty, especially when so many Americans are losing their jobs and having trouble staying sheltered and fed.

Obama nominated not one, not two, but three people who had "trouble" paying their taxes (Come On daschle?!??!), and one whose husband's business had tax problems. But President Obama's response to "the embarrasment" and "mistakes made" was honest and straight forward. He "screwed up" and owned up to it, as if he was an Adult in the White House who understands what taking responsibility actually means. Another thing to come out of the "back taxes" issue is the fact that government officials are no longer above the law to republicans. This is a real change of heart from the past eight years.

Campaigner Barack Obama was never one to react immediately. He was patient. He thought before he acted or spoke. A patience that, at times, drove some of us crazy. But more times than not he was working several moves ahead. President Obama, with Democratic control of the House and Senate greater than that of the republicans under bush, held out his open hand. The republicans did not unclinch their fist. One red senator went as far as to advise the republicans to learn from the taliban and form an "insurgency" to "disrupt and change" President Obama. In recent days, President Barack Obama has come out much stronger for his plan and against his critics. He's taking his push to the people this week, but it's the Congress that will bend and twist the legislation into something that he hopefully won't have to hold his nose while signing, and We won't have to hold Our noses while swallowing.

"In recent days, there have been misguided criticisms of this plan that echo the failed theories that helped lead us into this crisis -- the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems; that we can meet our enormous tests with half-steps and piecemeal measures; that we can ignore fundamental challenges such as energy independence and the high cost of health care and still expect our economy and our country to thrive.

I reject these theories, and so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change. They know that we have tried it those ways for too long. And because we have, our health-care costs still rise faster than inflation. Our dependence on foreign oil still threatens our economy and our security. Our children still study in schools that put them at a disadvantage. We've seen the tragic consequences when our bridges crumble and our levees fail."

-From the President of the United States of America's Op-Ed to with Washington Post

"I am the eternal optimist. I think that over time people respond to civility and rational argument."
Barack Obama at his First Press Conference as President. Not that it's fair to compare, but bush gave his first "presser" after 9 months in office.

the First First Week.

2009-02-02T00:12:00.002+05:00

Not that we heard much from him as "president" for the last year of his tenure, but talk about a clean break. Since junior got on that helicopter and headed back to his ranch photo set in Texas, the only peep in the news about him or his minions hasn't come from them as much as it has come from the percolating talk of investigations, subpoenas, and war crimes. Faux news pundit rover received another subpoena last week from the Honorable Congressman John Conyers. This time the White House might not back his executive privilege defense for not honoring it. A UN official said this week that there is enough evidence on rummy to prosecute him for War Crimes. Neither of these stories made Major headlines. There was another big story outshining them.... President Barack Obama's First Week in Office.

It's been a little over a week since the Inauguration (that even had the Rude Pundit feeling verklempt). There's a Great zoomable picture of it here (if only it was taken from the other side I could have found myself). Since January 20th, President Obama has signed executive orders and Presidential directive memoranda strengthening ethics rules in the Executive branch (an order that has made the appointment of the Secretary of Defense's choice/Obama's nominee for Under Secretary a bit sticky). In another order, President Obama opened presidential and ex-presidential records, reversing one of his failure of a predecessor's secrecy policies. He repealed the ban on funding international groups who provide information about abortion. He halted "war crimes trials" at Guantanamo Bay (for review). His administration will close Guantanamo Bay in a year, along with all the other CIA "black sites". He has ensured "lawful interrogations", stating plainly "the United States will not torture". He talked with both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Day One, as well as his military leaders. He struck a Respectful/we're all in this together tone when he gave the first presidential interview to an ARABIC television station. During the interview, the President of the United States said "Americans are not your enemy" and "all too often the United States starts by dictating". He has the Environmental Protection Agency reevaluating the 13 states that want higher gas mileage regulations. He froze pay increases on his highest paid (about 100) aides. He has his new and improved www.whitehouse.gov up and running, where he has started his weekly video addresses. The "most technologically advanced campaign" walked into a White House complete broken email systems and old computers running on old operating systems. One aide commented ";It is kind of like going from an Xbox to an Atari," President Obama departed from junior on global warming, wolves, and drilling in Utah. He and Secretary of State Clinton spoke of "direct diplomacy" with Iran. The New President met with Republicans from the Senate and the House to show his respect (however unwarranted) and to listen to their ideas most specifically on his far reaching, high price tag "stimulus package" which will focus on energy, infrastructure, and education projects, mainly. How many times did the previous administration talk to Democrats when they were the minority on policy matters? The republicans have been grasping at arguments against the "package", even after the Democrats gave into their billions (33% of the price tag) in corporate tax cuts, and cut the funding for medicaid family planning, because republicans couldn't understand how contraceptives, preventing disease and unwanted pregnancy, save US money in Health Care and Welfare (These are the same people who were for millions on "abstenance training"). The obstructicans didn't understand how resodding and upgrading the National Mall in Washington DC would create jobs. I guess none of them have hired grounds keepers or landscapers at home. It too has been removed. Some suggest that it, along with the family planning funding, were put in the legislation to be removed as "compromise". But obstructicans are literally making up fictious reports to prove their pathetic points. President Obama's outreach, given his mandate, seemed pretty unprecedented and unfortunately unappreciated. The obstructicans won't be happy unless as big fat idiot and known doper limbag hopes "Obama fails" or at least there are more tax cuts for the rich and big business, because they've been so effective since reagan came up with his "trickle down" reagonomics... Not! Bipartisanship may have meant republicans get whatever they want when they were in the majority for twelve years, but does it have to be the case now that the Democrats hold the House, the Senate and the White House. I'm sure we'll talk more about "the American Recovery and Reinvestment plan" that the President says he plans to sign by the middle of February. It passed the House, without one republican vote (talk about a strictly political vote for republicans). I wonder how much spending they'll vote yes to for building infrastructure in Iraq. President Obama had this to say on the vote.

And speaking of the economy...
Home Depot, Caterpillar, Sprint Nextel, Texas Instruments, Microsoft, Pfizer, Ford, Boeing, Starbucks, and Allstate announced they were cutting thousands of jobs, probably about 100,000 in all. Unemployment is over 7%. The GDP is down 3.8% (suffering its biggest drop in 27 years). "New-home sales collapsed". And "durable-goods orders slumped". And wall street executives received $18.4 billion dollars in bonuses, which the New President of the United States called "shameful" and "the height of Irresponsibility", with Secretary of the Treasury Geithner at his side.

So as Cindy Sheehan is printing her t-shirts that read "Adios Mother F&#@er" bush, I join with Most Americans in saying "Hello President OBAMA!" Pretty damn good first week, Sir, but there remains a HUGE and deepening hole for Us to get out of.

Here are some excerpts from the President's interview with al-Arabiya Television (Dubai):
"Ultimately, we cannot tell either the Israelis or the Palestinians what's best for them. They're going to have to make some decisions. But I do believe that the moment is ripe for both sides to realize that the path that they are on is one that is not going to result in prosperity and security for their people. And that instead, it's time to return to the negotiating table."

"We have not been perfect."

"ultimately, people are going to judge me not by my words but by my actions and my administration's actions. And I think that what you will see over the next several years is that I'm not going to agree with everything that some Muslim leader may say, or what's on a television station in the Arab world -- but I think that what you'll see is somebody who is listening, who is respectful, and who is trying to promote the interests not just of the United States, but also ordinary people who right now are suffering from poverty and a lack of opportunity. I want to make sure that I'm speaking to them, as well."

"Q: President Bush framed the war on terror conceptually in a way that was very broad, "war on terror," and used sometimes certain terminology that the many people -- Islamic fascism. You've always framed it in a different way, specifically against one group called al Qaeda and their collaborators. And is this one way of --

THE PRESIDENT: I think that you're making a very important point. And that is that the language we use matters. And what we need to understand is, is that there are extremist organizations -- whether Muslim or any other faith in the past -- that will use faith as a justification for violence. We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith's name.

And so you will I think see our administration be very clear in
distinguishing between organizations like al Qaeda -- that espouse violence, espouse terror and act on it -- and people who may disagree with my administration and certain actions, or may have a particular viewpoint in terms of how their countries should develop. We can have legitimate disagreements but still be respectful. I cannot respect terrorist organizations that would kill innocent civilians and we will hunt them down.

But to the broader Muslim world what we are going to be offering is a hand of friendship."

I witnessed Something Extraordinary.

2009-01-23T06:21:00.002+05:00

"Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths."
- President Barack Hussein Obama, Inaugural Address, January 20th, 2009

The sun was just peeking around the Washington Monument to warm me up a little as the proceedings Officially began. Throngs of people milled about, moving their legs to keep the circulation going, up on their tip toes to get a better view (mostly of the screen). Kids were up on shoulders, crowds parting slightly behind them. The level of excitement was high and unanimous. There were smiles everywhere. Volunteers greeted us as we crossed the Memorial bridge from Virginia with "Good Morning"s and "Welcome to DC"s. There's always something to see in DC for a political junkie like me. As we made Our way in, we passed peaceful, somber Arlington Cemetery, the strong, proud Iwo Jima Memorial, and the pensive and classic Lincoln Memorial, the steps of which an all star cast sang and spoke from two days prior. People were standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to watch President Barack Obama be sworn in and speak, 1.9 miles away. And speak he did. He spoke to Christians, to Muslims, to Jews, to Hindus and to Non-believers. He spoke of feeding "hungry minds" and of science. He spoke of responsibility and service, curiosity and imagination, of respect and of a willingness to "extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist." He spoke of tolerance.

At times i felt like I finally understood church, not in the "religious" way that warren had thrust upon the crowd with one religion's "Our Father". I found myself bowing my head, while The President was speaking, Listening to every word. It brought me to tears more than once. The crowd was unlike anything I have been a part of or have seen, gathered together as One, to see a New President and feel the flood of emotions that came with him. From tears to laughter. From hope to reassurance. The crowd's diversity and inclusiveness was on display throughout. From a child in a shirt that read "The Future Starts Now" to an eldery African American man crying, perhaps further understanding what he has seen in his lifetime, alongside a young white woman crying for, not wholey, different reasons. 1.8 million people were there, and not one arrest. It was Truly Something.

More than anything else, it felt as if the clouds had parted, like the first sign of Spring, like something had shifted. It wasn't just Obama's words that "We are ready to lead ONCE MORE." or his thoughts on how "false the choice between our safety and our ideals" that signalled the end of the bush error. It was more than just his speech against "worn-out dogma"s. It was more than his rebuke of arguments about government being "too big or too small". My "mate" said it best, immediately following the Inauguration, "For the first time I feel like we're all Americans" Yep, and I'm a damn proud one at that.

Now, if we could just get rid of the tax evading accountant that's holding up the full sweep of appointments to the cabinet, we'll have a first hundred days like President Barack Obama's "Day One". Day two hasn't been that bad either actually.

That being said... What a Day! What a Speech! What a Crowd! What a Moment!

There are some pictures up from my adventure of a weekend here, if you care to take a gander.

This Land is Your Land!

GObama Go!!!

Other favorite quotes:
"What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works"

"The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good."

"We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders"

"We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories."

Aaaahhhhhh..

2009-01-22T01:13:00.001+05:00

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

Barack Obama IS the President of the United States!!!!!

2009-01-21T02:07:00.003+05:00

Truly an unbelievable, inspiring, and incredible feeling to be enveloped in such a moment. Two million people gathered to hear and cheer one hell of a speech by the New President of the United States Barack Obama.

Congratulations America!

Congratulations!

Amazing!

Historic!

I am in Awe. It's going to take a little while for it all to sink in. I'll let you know when it does.

To Progress!
David Calamoneri
Hoboken, NJ
USA!!!!!

Opening Ceremony (part two)

2009-01-19T06:08:00.003+05:00

Simply Amazing! So many people!!! High points? Obama's speech, This Land is Your Land by Springsteen and Seeger, Stevie Wonder, and Herbie Hancock!!! I have never experienced a crowd like that before. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like on Tuesday!!!

GObama!!!!

Opening Ceremony

2009-01-18T22:30:00.002+05:00

After checking out Bruce and U2's sound check at Lincoln's feet yesterday, I am psyched to be bundled up and on my way to "the mall" for today's speed round concert/opening ceremony. This is really something. And it hasn't even really started yet.

GObama!!

Yesterday while hitting Georgetown for a couple pints, I saw Obama golf balls and "Audacity of Soap" among the thousands of shirts and buttons.