Strollerderby : Secretary of State

Morning News: 'The Monster' to Head State Department

Madeline Holler — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Looks like president-elect Barack Obama will make the big announcement today: Hillary Clinton will officially become a part of his administration as secretary of state. Filling out the other top spots in his national security team are current Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who will remain in the job, and retired Marine General James M. Jones as national security adviser. Susan Rice is expected to be named ambassador to the U.N.

OK, but here's the awkward part:

Remember Samantha Power? She was one of Obama's foreign policy advisers during the campaign -- the one who got busted for calling Hillary Clinton a monster? Well, she's actually a part of the transition team put together to help prepare for Clinton's nomination. Insiders report that she made a big gesture to bury the hatchet and that Clinton received it well. Good. Because we like both of them.

Final thing about the anticipated nomination: Husband Bill jumped through all kinds of hoops to please Obama so that his wife could take the job, including releasing names of donors. Good Bill.

Considering the economy, wars, etc., Obama is said to be working hard to set the right tone for his inauguration Jan. 20th. He has limited the maximum donation amount to $50,000 (typically, it's $250,000). His committee also won't take donations from lobbyists, corporations, political action committees for non-U.S. citizens. And there's been some talk of Michelle opting out of a couture gown for something more pedestrian.

While the Obamas and a packed Washington, D.C., celebrate the new administration, Laura Bush and her husband will be heading back to Dallas. She told Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press yesterday she plans to continue working on behalf of women and children in Afghanistan.

Current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is heading to India on Wednesday in the wake of the attacks on Mumbai last week. She will offer condolences and also support for the Indian government.

In interesting health news, voters in Switzerland approved a new program that will provide heroin for addicts at clinics around the country. Switzerland has long provided clean needles and designated areas for users to shoot up, but supporters say this next step will cut down on crime and improve the health of heroin junkies.

Photo: JCU.edu

Morning News: Palin Turkey Slaughter Not a Hallmark Moment

Madeline Holler — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Sarah Palin pardoned a local turkey at a Wasilla farm yesterday, apparently her first-ever such act as a governor. So maybe it was an unfamiliarity with, what, slaughter scenes?, that kept her unaware of what was going on right behind her. It's like a three-minute Coen brothers movie -- she talks about what she's thankful for, a turkey's getting its neck broken.

I case you're wondering, distracted -- or can't make it through the video -- Palin's in charge of cooking the turkey at her family's Thanksgiving (her sister and mom bring everything else).

Also in the news, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed while giving a speech last night at the Federalist Society dinner in New York.

By George, George W. is already (or is it finally?) saying good-bye! The president is setting aside an hour a day in these final weeks of his presidency to tell staffers and their families thanks and all that.

Also, don't believe what you read on Huffington Post, Bush administration officials are saying. The lame duck president definitely did NOT get dogged by other world leaders who appear in a video to not want to shake Bush's hand (the guy does look a little mopey though, no?)

Curiosity about the new president has gotten a bunch of Verizon employees in hot water. Barack Obama's transition team says there's been a security breach as some bored techies have snooped into the president-elect's cell phone bill records.

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will suspend home foreclosures between Nov. 26 and Jan. 9. The mortgage giants will use that time to decide which borrowers qualify for help. So, happy holidays to all those underwater with their mortgages!

The NY Times is reporting that a part of the deal between Brangelina and People magazine -- who won the bid for exclusive pics of the twins -- included writing only positive articles about the couple now and forevermore. And the magazine agreed! Hence, you'll never see Brangelina called "Brangelina" in People. Because the very exposed couple hate being called Brangelina! Incidentally, the NY Times piece very much flatters Jolie -- She's brilliant! She's marvelous! -- leading us to wonder whether they signed a contract with Brangelina too.

Finally, a dad tore a pit bull off his daughter in Oregon and saved her life. She was riding in a tire swing when he heard her screaming. Gruesome. The father managed to turn the dog's attack onto him, pried his jaws open, had a neighbor beat the crap out of it and eventually someone shot the dog.

Morning News is taking the week of Thanksgiving off, but we'll return with more headlines Dec. 1, including one most likely announcing Hillary Clinton as the next U.S. secretary of state (Bill ponied up all his financial records and made unprecedented disclosures and concessions so his wife could have the job. Payback's a bitch, ain't it, Bill?).

Morning News: Woman to Head Homeland Security

McCain Beats Obama!

Stevens Loses; Senate Dems Now at 58

Anti-Gay Church Lays Off Workers (After Spending Gobs on Prop 8)

The Second Thing Michelle Said After Obama's Historic Win

Is Hillary Back?

Pregnant With Palin

Video: HuffPo

Morning News: Stevens Loses; Senate Dems Now at 58

Madeline Holler — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:30:00 GMT

Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, the guy who risked it all for a free grill, a back massager and a new deck, has lost his bid for re-election. Stevens, who likely would have won handily, had it not been for those pesky election year felony charges, lost narrowing to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. All of this adds up to nearly enough Democrats for a filibuster-proof Senate and a nightmare scenario for Republicans.

Oh, and Stevens will also likely seek a presidential pardon. (Of course, he is. Come on, George ... do one courageous thing before you leave office and tell him to serve his time.)

Is Hillary playing hard to get? Or is it that Bill, her husband, is hard to vet? Who knows, but apparently accepting the Secretary of State position is not a foregone conclusion. Insiders say she is torn between joining Barack Obama's cabinet and staying in the Senate to get healthcare legislation written and passed.

Know who else wants to stay in the Senate?

Obama rival and Hillary Clinton pal John McCain. He brought together a bunch of advisers to put together a political action committee -- a signal he intends to run for re-election in 2010.

Obama's cranking through the possible appointments: Eric Holder, a deputy attorney general under Bill Clinton, will likely be offered the attorney general job today.

This warms the heart: Dick Cheney and Alberto Gonzales were both indicted by a Texas grand jury on charges related to prisoner abuse.

Back to the Clintons -- Don't Ask Don't Tell, the bill that allowed gays to serve in the military bud forbid them from being gay might be overturned. The bill's sponsor says it'll happen in Obama's first year in office.

We reported recently on a hospital superbug that is giving thousands and thousands diarrhea. That superbug? Also showing up in loads of supermarket meat. Break out the veggie kabobs!

The parent company of Lean Cuisine is recalling a bunch of the frozen chicken meals. Not because of the gurgly tummy issue from the supermarket meat, rather these meals may contain some foreign matter. Ugh!

OK, so we've all gotten used to Bush's total incompetence regarding Hurrican Katrina. Looks like Hurricane Ike victims are faring no better. Months later, some families are still waiting for trailers, having spent their life savings on campers to live out of on their front lawns. The emergency services in this country are so embarrassing!

Anti-Gay Church Lays Off Workers (After Spending Gobs on Prop 8)

The Second Thing Michelle Said After Obama's Historic Win

Morning News: Is Hillary Back?

Photo: Politico

Post-Election, Women Hate Sexism Almost as Much as Feminism

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:34:00 GMT

A recent survey on post-election attitudes to sexism reveals that a majority of Americans live in La La Land. For starters: While most men don’t believe there is gender bias in the media or at home, almost half (4 in 10) “freely admit to having sexist attitudes towards a female president.”

Espousing similarly mind-boggling contradictions, the vast majority of women believe that Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton were treated unfairly by the media—but would be mortified to call themselves “feminists.” Only 20 percent of women identify as feminist, and even fewer (17 percent) would be supportive of their daughters’ using the label.

Merriam Webster defines feminism as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” In other words, most women are embarrassed to label themselves as people who believe in gender equality, but are outraged over the media’s coverage of Palin’s hair. Only 48 percent of women believe that the media treated Clinton fairly, and far fewer female respondents (29 percent) believe that Palin got fair treatment. (Perhaps Palin seemed to get harsher gender-based media coverage because Clinton wasn’t, say, buying $150,000 worth of clothes on the GOP’s dime?)

Sure, some high-profile activists may have given the term “feminist” a more extremist connotation than many women would like it to have, but that doesn’t necessitate rejecting the whole theory. I don’t agree with many of PETA’s over-the-top tactics, but that doesn’t mean I stop calling myself a vegetarian.

Ready for more oblivious sexism? 39 percent of men feel that the role of president is more “naturally suited” to a man than to a woman. I guess that explains why so many more men than women (two-thirds to less than half) believe there is gender equality in the home—the wife just does all the housework because she is more “naturally suited” to it.

On the upside, the poll was relatively small, with 1,000 respondents.

Photo: Jezebel

Dudes for Palin: Vote for the Hot Chick!

Morning News: Anti-Gay Church Lays Off Workers (After Spending Gobs on Prop 8)

Madeline Holler — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:00:00 GMT

It's the embarrassing twist of fate that makes this story so tragically comic.

Focus on the Family, the Colorado Springs-based evangelical Christian ministry and media empire, announced yesterday it would lay off more than 20 percent of its workforce due to financial difficulties. The conservative group, led by its founder and president James Dobson, is coming off a spending spree that pumped more than a half a million dollars in the California Proposition 8 campaign, a gay marriage ban.

Focus on the [very narrow definition of] Family also donated $83,000 worth of non-monetary support to get the ban passed. It was the seventh largest donor group in the nation. And now there are financial problems? Sweet Jesus, you have a sense of humor!

Speaking of Christians with a sense of humor, Mike Huckabee (remember him?) is still going after Mitt Romney in his recently released memoir/political manifesto "Do the Right Thing." Romney's spokesperson replies that Huckabee's digs are petty and beneath the former Arkansas governor.

Newt Gingrich told Bill O'Reilly he thinks all the protests against Prop 8 show "there is a gay and secular facism that wants to impose its will on the rest of us." Or have equal rights, but whatever.

Swedish health officials will no longer classify transvestitism, fetishism, fetishistic transvestism, sadomasochism, gender identity disorder in youth and multiple disorders of sexual preferences as diseases. Sweden, why always Sweden?

Is this a good time to transition to Bill Clinton? Anyway, he might pose a problem to Hillary getting a cabinet position. His non-profit and business dealings might pose a conflict of interest for the possible future secretary of state. It has been so hard to keep loving Bill.

More familial ties: Joe Biden might be gaming the system a bit in order to get his son appointed to his soon (but not too soon)-to-be-vacated Senate seat. Biden's apparently holding out until right before inauguration day, so that Delware's governor-elect can do what he's told and keep a Biden in Congress.

Or Biden's just being a family cave man. Researchers have found evidence of the importance of the nuclear family even way back in prehistoric times.

Are the Obama's getting close to making a school choice for the girls? Reports are they were at Georgetown Day School tossing the ball with their Secret Service agent.

A 16-year-old Japanese school girl might be the first female to play for the major leagues in that country. Apparently she's got a crazy good knuckleball. Ganbatte, Yoshida-san!

Finally, Lord help us! The atheists are organizing!

Morning News: The Second Thing Michelle Said After Obama's Historic Win

Mom Kicked Out of the PTA for Position on Prop 8

Prop. 8 Protests Spawn Hope and Great Photos

Pregnant With Palin

Photo: hellocolorado.com

HIllary and Barack: A Good "Team of Rivals?"

Shannon LC Cate — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:34:00 GMT

Rumor has it that Hillary Clinton is at the top of the Obama cabinet short-list for Secretary of State. According to Politico, out of a field that includes John Kerry and Bill Richardson, Clinton:

"would be most attractive if Obama concludes that he will have to focus his early days in office on the domestic economy, and will have to essentially outsource heavy-duty foreign travel to his secretary of state."

Other gossip suggests that the sometimes acrimonious Democratic primary season is actually a mark in Clinton's favor, since Obama has made it clear that he believes in the leadership style Doris Kearns Goodwin described of Abraham Lincoln. Obama told katie Couric last January,

"[Goodwin] talks about Lincoln's capacity to bring opponents of his and people who have run against him in his cabinet. And he was confident enough to be willing to have these dissenting voices...It's a remarkable study in leadership.”

In spite of the points in Clinton's favor, there is concern among some that her husband, the former president would be too annoying a "back-seat driver" if Hillary were in the Cabinet. Then again, some say having Bill as a known quantity on the team is safer than having him lurking somewhere in the hedges outside the White House.

I think Hillary Clinton would make a terrific Secretary of State. She's tough, but also kind of charming, which seem to me like critical qualities for the job. John Kerry may or may not be tough, but I definitely don't find him charming. Who would you pick?

Morning News: Is Hillary Back?

Are the Childless Unfit To Implement Foreign Policy?

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Senator Barbara Boxer is under fire for comments she made during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding proposed troop expansion in Iraq. Boxer pointed out that neither she nor Secretary of State Condolleezza Rice would "pay a price" for increased troop deaths in Iraq - Boxer because her kids and grandkids are the wrong age, and Rice because she's childless and unmarried.

Ironically, it is the political Right that has labeled Boxer's remarks a "low blow," inappropriately correlating Rice's marital/parental status and her inability to make proper policy choices regarding troop size in Iraq.

While I disagree with Boxer's approach, she raises an excellent point. Isn't it absolute nonsense to have those in power (with little or nothing to lose) making policy decisions that will increase the Iraqi and American death toll?

But neither childlessness nor marital status counts here. American military personnel in Iraq continues to be vastly overrepresented by poor and minority populations, only 5 of whom have parents serving in Congress or the Senate (and none with parents in the President's Cabinet). It's rare that anyone in power ever suffers personally because of our country's war mongering.