Everyone needs to take a break from time to time. My daughter's wedding was Saturday.
I need a break. :-)
Henry M
One good thing that "birthers" have inadvertently done is to make everyone aware of President Barack Obama's birthday. This year, Thomas Pynchon (my favorite author) has a new, more popularly styled book out today.
It is a bittersweet day for me, however, as it was also my father, Sam Musikar's birthday. He was a New York artist who loved jazz, and he would have loved to see the President who beat the Republican stranglehold on Washington, the arts, and the world, celebrate his birthday on the same day as he.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8136918.stm
US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have reached an outline agreement to cut back their nations' stockpiles of nuclear weapons. The "joint understanding" signed in Moscow would see reductions of deployed nuclear warheads to below 1,700 each within seven years of a new treaty. The accord would replace the 1991 Start I treaty, which expires in December. Mr Obama said the two countries were both "committed to leaving behind the suspicion and the rivalry of the past". Separately, Russia also agreed to allow the US military to fly troops and weapons across its territory to Afghanistan, allowing it to avoid using supply routes through Pakistan that are attacked by militants. The two countries also will set up a joint commission to co-operate over energy, and fighting terrorism and drug-trafficking. Military co-operation, suspended since last year's conflict between Russia and Georgia, will be resumed. However, on the contentious issue of US plans to base parts of a missile defence shield in Eastern Europe, the presidents merely said they had agreed to a joint study into ballistic missile threats and the creation of a data exchange centre. 'Reversing the drift'After three hours of talks at the Kremlin on Monday, Mr Obama and Mr Medvedev publicly signed a joint understanding to negotiate a new arms control treaty that would set lower levels of both nuclear warheads and delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles and bombers. US-RUSSIA NUCLEAR DEAL Each country to cut deployed nuclear warheads to 1,500-1,675 (currently 1,700-2,200)Delivery systems to be within 500-1,000 range (currently 1,600)Reductions so be achieved within seven years of new treatyTreaty to be signed before Start I expires in December and include "effective" verification measures."Within seven years after this treaty comes into force, and in future, the limits for strategic delivery systems should be within the range of 500-1,100 units and for warheads linked to them within the range of 1,500-1,675 units," the document said. Under the 2002 Treaty of Moscow, each country is allowed between 1,700 and 2,200 deployed nuclear warheads and 1,600 delivery systems - meaning each side might only be required to decommission a further 25 warheads. Correspondents also point out that the proposed cuts would still leave the US and Russia able to destroy each other many times over. A White House statement said the new treaty would "include effective verification measures" and "enhance the security of both the US and Russia, as well as provide predictability and stability in strategic offensive forces". By setting low expectations for this summit, the US and Russian leaders have been able to appear to achieve more than had been hoped.The flurry of documents that has come out of this first day of discussions has been significant. President Obama sounded confident that a new strategic arms reduction treaty would be in place by the time the existing Start I agreement expires in December.There is a new framework for military-to-military co-operation. There is an extensive document on joint action related to Afghanistan, not least a transit agreement allowing lethal US military equipment and supplies to transit Russia on its way to the front line.The contentious issue of missile defence - where both leaders accepted there were still significant differences - was effectively "kicked into the long grass.Afterwards, Mr Medvedev said the talks had been "very frank and very sincere", but that they had been, "without any doubt, the meeting we had been waiting for in Russia and the United States". "I would like particularly to stress that our country would like to reach a level of co-operation with the United States that would really be worthy of the 21st Century, and which would ensure international peace and security," he said. The Russian leader called Monday's agreement a "reasonable compromise", but cautioned that there remained "differences on many issues", most notably on the proposed US missile defence shield. Mr Obama said he and Mr Medvedev were countering a "sense of drift" and were now resolved "to reset US-Russian relations so that we can co-operate more effectively in areas of common interest". "We've taken important steps forward to increase nuclear security and to stop the spread of nuclear weapons," he said. "This starts with the reduction of our own nuclear arsenal as the world's two leading nuclear powers the United States and Russia must lead by example, and that's what we're doing here today," he added. The US president said he was confident a legally binding disarmament treaty would be signed by the end of the year, when Start I expires. On Tuesday, Mr Obama will meet Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. He said last week that he thought the former Russian president had "one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new". "I think that it's important that even as we move forward with President Medvedev, that Putin understands that the old Cold War approaches to US-Russian relations is outdated, that it's time to move forward in a different direction," he told the Associated Press. Mr Putin responded: "We stand solidly on our own two feet and always look into the future." This summit is aimed at repairing strained US-Russian relations. Under the Bush Administration, ties between Washington and Moscow were considered almost as bad as during the Cold War. The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus, in the Russian capital, says that while the two countries have not put aside all the suspicions of recent years, they are creating mechanisms to enable a much more positive relationship in the future.
US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have reached an outline agreement to cut back their nations' stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
The "joint understanding" signed in Moscow would see reductions of deployed nuclear warheads to below 1,700 each within seven years of a new treaty.
The accord would replace the 1991 Start I treaty, which expires in December.
Mr Obama said the two countries were both "committed to leaving behind the suspicion and the rivalry of the past".
Separately, Russia also agreed to allow the US military to fly troops and weapons across its territory to Afghanistan, allowing it to avoid using supply routes through Pakistan that are attacked by militants.
The two countries also will set up a joint commission to co-operate over energy, and fighting terrorism and drug-trafficking. Military co-operation, suspended since last year's conflict between Russia and Georgia, will be resumed.
However, on the contentious issue of US plans to base parts of a missile defence shield in Eastern Europe, the presidents merely said they had agreed to a joint study into ballistic missile threats and the creation of a data exchange centre.
'Reversing the drift'
After three hours of talks at the Kremlin on Monday, Mr Obama and Mr Medvedev publicly signed a joint understanding to negotiate a new arms control treaty that would set lower levels of both nuclear warheads and delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles and bombers.
US-RUSSIA NUCLEAR DEAL Each country to cut deployed nuclear warheads to 1,500-1,675 (currently 1,700-2,200)Delivery systems to be within 500-1,000 range (currently 1,600)Reductions so be achieved within seven years of new treatyTreaty to be signed before Start I expires in December and include "effective" verification measures.
"Within seven years after this treaty comes into force, and in future, the limits for strategic delivery systems should be within the range of 500-1,100 units and for warheads linked to them within the range of 1,500-1,675 units," the document said.
Under the 2002 Treaty of Moscow, each country is allowed between 1,700 and 2,200 deployed nuclear warheads and 1,600 delivery systems - meaning each side might only be required to decommission a further 25 warheads.
Correspondents also point out that the proposed cuts would still leave the US and Russia able to destroy each other many times over.
A White House statement said the new treaty would "include effective verification measures" and "enhance the security of both the US and Russia, as well as provide predictability and stability in strategic offensive forces".
By setting low expectations for this summit, the US and Russian leaders have been able to appear to achieve more than had been hoped.
The flurry of documents that has come out of this first day of discussions has been significant. President Obama sounded confident that a new strategic arms reduction treaty would be in place by the time the existing Start I agreement expires in December.
There is a new framework for military-to-military co-operation. There is an extensive document on joint action related to Afghanistan, not least a transit agreement allowing lethal US military equipment and supplies to transit Russia on its way to the front line.
The contentious issue of missile defence - where both leaders accepted there were still significant differences - was effectively "kicked into the long grass.
Afterwards, Mr Medvedev said the talks had been "very frank and very sincere", but that they had been, "without any doubt, the meeting we had been waiting for in Russia and the United States".
"I would like particularly to stress that our country would like to reach a level of co-operation with the United States that would really be worthy of the 21st Century, and which would ensure international peace and security," he said.
The Russian leader called Monday's agreement a "reasonable compromise", but cautioned that there remained "differences on many issues", most notably on the proposed US missile defence shield.
Mr Obama said he and Mr Medvedev were countering a "sense of drift" and were now resolved "to reset US-Russian relations so that we can co-operate more effectively in areas of common interest".
"We've taken important steps forward to increase nuclear security and to stop the spread of nuclear weapons," he said.
"This starts with the reduction of our own nuclear arsenal as the world's two leading nuclear powers the United States and Russia must lead by example, and that's what we're doing here today," he added.
The US president said he was confident a legally binding disarmament treaty would be signed by the end of the year, when Start I expires.
On Tuesday, Mr Obama will meet Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
He said last week that he thought the former Russian president had "one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new".
"I think that it's important that even as we move forward with President Medvedev, that Putin understands that the old Cold War approaches to US-Russian relations is outdated, that it's time to move forward in a different direction," he told the Associated Press.
Mr Putin responded: "We stand solidly on our own two feet and always look into the future."
This summit is aimed at repairing strained US-Russian relations. Under the Bush Administration, ties between Washington and Moscow were considered almost as bad as during the Cold War.
The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus, in the Russian capital, says that while the two countries have not put aside all the suspicions of recent years, they are creating mechanisms to enable a much more positive relationship in the future.
Happy Independence Day,
Happy Birthday, USA!
If a Public Option is So Bad, Why are They So Sure that It Would Kill Private Health Insurance?
More progress during Obama's first 120 days than ever before, and the Arabs won't consider disarming. The IRA disarmed! And look how well that's worked. Some people on both sides will be out of a job when they aren't able to point at their enemy and get funds for fighting.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124509630599216151.html
By MARGARET COKER
AMMAN, Jordan -- Arab leaders, both friends and foes of Israel, criticized the peace plan unveiled Sunday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he advocated a demilitarized Palestinian state with limited sovereignty.President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, one of the few Arab nations with diplomatic ties with Israel, said in a public address Monday that Mr. Netanyahu's words "scuttled" chances to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.That reaction by a nation seen as a mediator could complicate President Barack Obama's efforts to push for a solution.Israeli officials have emphasized that Mr. Netanyahu's acceptance of the creation of a Palestinian state in the speech marked a dramatic shift from his previous policies. White House officials called the Israeli's position a good first step.But Arab diplomats from around the Mideast said they were disappointed with the tone of the address, pointing out that Mr. Netanyahu didn't show he was willing to compromise on some key issues that were under negotiation before peace talks foundered.Arabs expressed concern that the Israeli leader, in his 28-minute speech, didn't refer to the Arab peace initiative, which promises recognition of Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from territory it gained in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, and compromises on other issues.Nor did Mr. Netanyahu commit to removing settlements in the West Bank, something the White House and the Arab world see as an impediment to a two-state solution.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Mr. Netanyahu's conditions for peace had "sabotaged" negotiations. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman accused the Israelis of "rigidity" in their thinking.Arab diplomats said they want to see if Mr. Obama dials back pressure on Israel regarding the peace process and keeps a promise, made during an address in Cairo this month, to make sure Israel meets certain responsibilities to achieve peace."Clearly now the ball is in Washington's court. We will now see if [the Obama administration] is serious about being even-handed or not," said a diplomat.Mr. Netanyahu on Sunday demanded that the Palestinians accept Israel as a Jewish nation as a precondition to statehood.That stance -- by Israel's definition of the two-state solution -- would mean the Palestinians must relent on their demand that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced during Israel's war of independence be allowed to resettle in Israel.The statement drew outrage from Israel's closest Arab ally. Mr. Mubarak, who has been a mediator in Palestinian issues and a close U.S. ally, said he had urged Mr. Netanyahu before his speech on Sunday to accept picking up peace talks where they had broken off instead of changing the parameters to achieve peace.
AMMAN, Jordan -- Arab leaders, both friends and foes of Israel, criticized the peace plan unveiled Sunday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he advocated a demilitarized Palestinian state with limited sovereignty.
President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, one of the few Arab nations with diplomatic ties with Israel, said in a public address Monday that Mr. Netanyahu's words "scuttled" chances to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
That reaction by a nation seen as a mediator could complicate President Barack Obama's efforts to push for a solution.
Israeli officials have emphasized that Mr. Netanyahu's acceptance of the creation of a Palestinian state in the speech marked a dramatic shift from his previous policies. White House officials called the Israeli's position a good first step.
But Arab diplomats from around the Mideast said they were disappointed with the tone of the address, pointing out that Mr. Netanyahu didn't show he was willing to compromise on some key issues that were under negotiation before peace talks foundered.
Arabs expressed concern that the Israeli leader, in his 28-minute speech, didn't refer to the Arab peace initiative, which promises recognition of Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from territory it gained in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, and compromises on other issues.
Nor did Mr. Netanyahu commit to removing settlements in the West Bank, something the White House and the Arab world see as an impediment to a two-state solution.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Mr. Netanyahu's conditions for peace had "sabotaged" negotiations. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman accused the Israelis of "rigidity" in their thinking.
Arab diplomats said they want to see if Mr. Obama dials back pressure on Israel regarding the peace process and keeps a promise, made during an address in Cairo this month, to make sure Israel meets certain responsibilities to achieve peace.
"Clearly now the ball is in Washington's court. We will now see if [the Obama administration] is serious about being even-handed or not," said a diplomat.
Mr. Netanyahu on Sunday demanded that the Palestinians accept Israel as a Jewish nation as a precondition to statehood.
That stance -- by Israel's definition of the two-state solution -- would mean the Palestinians must relent on their demand that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced during Israel's war of independence be allowed to resettle in Israel.
The statement drew outrage from Israel's closest Arab ally. Mr. Mubarak, who has been a mediator in Palestinian issues and a close U.S. ally, said he had urged Mr. Netanyahu before his speech on Sunday to accept picking up peace talks where they had broken off instead of changing the parameters to achieve peace.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gMy6C2AiBsrQQ-jwPliaZANmi7kQD983HB282By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN WASHINGTON (AP) — Dick Cheney made clear Sunday he'd rather follow firebrand broadcaster Rush Limbaugh than former Joint Chiefs chairman Colin Powell into political battle over the future of the Republican Party.Even as Cheney embraced efforts to expand the party by ex-Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and the House's No. 2 Republican, Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, the former vice president appeared to write his one-time colleague Powell out of the GOP.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gMy6C2AiBsrQQ-jwPliaZANmi7kQD983HB282By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dick Cheney made clear Sunday he'd rather follow firebrand broadcaster Rush Limbaugh than former Joint Chiefs chairman Colin Powell into political battle over the future of the Republican Party.
Even as Cheney embraced efforts to expand the party by ex-Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and the House's No. 2 Republican, Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, the former vice president appeared to write his one-time colleague Powell out of the GOP.
Asked about recent verbal broadsides between Limbaugh and Powell, Cheney said, "If I had to choose in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh. My take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican."Powell, who was secretary of state under President George W. Bush and held the nation's top military post under President George H.W. Bush, endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president last year. Nonetheless, since the election he has described himself as a Republican and a right-of-center conservative, though "not as right as others would like."
Asked about recent verbal broadsides between Limbaugh and Powell, Cheney said, "If I had to choose in terms of being a Republican, I'd go with Rush Limbaugh. My take on it was Colin had already left the party. I didn't know he was still a Republican."
Powell, who was secretary of state under President George W. Bush and held the nation's top military post under President George H.W. Bush, endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president last year. Nonetheless, since the election he has described himself as a Republican and a right-of-center conservative, though "not as right as others would like."
Henry Mu
Obama Hosts Seder Dinner at White HouseBy Jeff ZelenyPete Souza/White House President Obama hosted a Passover seder at the White House.
President Obama and a collection of guests celebrated Passover Thursday evening with what White House officials believe to be the first Passover Seder dinner hosted by an American president.
Mr. Obama is not Jewish, but White House officials say that while traveling through Pennsylvania during the campaign last year, he surprised his aides by joining an impromptu Passover dinner held by campaign workers in a ballroom of a Harrisburg hotel, so he decided to treat the group to a dinner this year in his new surroundings.
The Seder, held in the Old Family Dining Room at the White House with several aides and their families, included the traditional Passover dishes, matzo ball soup, brisket and kugel. The White House chefs prepared the meal after consulting family recipes from several Seder participants.
While the Obamas hosted the dinner, it was overseen by Eric Lesser, a White House aide who helped organize the Seder in Harrisburg during the campaign last year. He is now a special assistant to Mr. Obama’s adviser David Axelrod.
During the presidential campaign, Mr. Obama struggled to address skepticism from Jewish voters, particularly in the Democratic primary race with Hillary Rodham Clinton. But Jewish groups cheered the presidential Seder, and aides said the White House switchboard was flooded by calls from people seeking an invitation.
KCUF, Still the Most Eclectic Music on the WWW, Now at 128 Kb/s on Shoutcast Unlimited: http://tinyurl.com/kcuf-on-shoutcast-limited and http://www.urdomain.us/kcuf.htm
If Joesephine the Plumber had married Joe the Bartender, would they have named their son Joe the Plumber?
If you liked this message, then please have a look at my blog, http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/henrymu and support and contribute to the the campaign (it’s not over until the polls close): http://tinyurl.com/henrym4obamafundraising
Henry MInformation, Media, and Technology Management Consultant
The RNC is desperately trying to derail the election by whatever means they can, but this is ridiculous!
McCheney Stormtroopers Invade Battleground State Florida
If you liked this message, then please have a look at the rest of my blog, http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/henrymu and please consider donating to the campaign: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/PListe4Obama
New York City has a larger population than all of Alaska, and Washington, DC residents don't have anyone in Congress, but Palin puts Alaska first instead of the United States of America. Seperatist/survivalists are our country's homebred terrorists.
Palin shouldn't be casting stones when she supports these nut-jobs!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Independence_Party
McCain will have to reward the fundamtalists that Palin and his evangelist preacher supporters are bringing into the Republicans ever-narrowing tent if McPalin win in November. Number one on their list is "states rights," which is their shield for banning abortion (see "Pro-Life isn't).
Federal law, enacted by the Congress, executed by the administration, and upheld by the Supreme Court is neccessary to support the rights of the individual, as well as classes of people, e.g. women and gay, that transcend state borders.
If we don't defeat McPalin, the harm done to women will be practically irreperable.
A Rape Victim Speaks
Women are half the population. Imagine what they have in store for the rights of minority groups!
From Daily Kos
McCain Leaps Into a Thicket
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/us/politics/26campaign.html
Still, as a matter of political appearances, the day’s events succeeded most of all in raising questions about precisely why Mr. McCain had called for postponing the first debate and returned to Washington to focus on the bailout plan, and what his own views were about what should be done. Those political appearances are a key consideration for Mr. McCain less than six weeks from Election Day and at a time when some polls suggest he is losing ground against Mr. Obama, especially on handling the economy. The substance of the financial crisis aside, it was already proving a tough stretch for Mr. McCain. Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, his running mate, struggled through questions about her foreign policy credentials during an interview with CBS News. Mr. McCain was lampooned on television by David Letterman. Mr. Obama might not have fared much better. He had come to Washington only reluctantly, opening himself to criticism by Republicans that he was putting his election bid ahead of the need to resolve the Wall Street crisis, and prompting concern among Democrats that his reaction to the events was simply too measured, considering the stakes. Still, by nightfall, the day provided the younger and less experienced Mr. Obama an opportunity to, in effect, shift roles with Mr. McCain. For a moment, at least, it was Mr. Obama presenting himself as the old hand at consensus building, and as the real face of bipartisan politics.“What I’ve found, and I think it was confirmed today, is that when you inject presidential politics into delicate negotiations, it’s not necessarily as helpful as it needs to be,” Mr. Obama told reporters Thursday evening. “Just because there is a lot of glare of the spotlight, there’s the potential for posturing or suspicions.”“When you’re not worrying about who’s getting credit, or who’s getting blamed, then things tend to move forward a little more constructively,” he said.
Still, as a matter of political appearances, the day’s events succeeded most of all in raising questions about precisely why Mr. McCain had called for postponing the first debate and returned to Washington to focus on the bailout plan, and what his own views were about what should be done. Those political appearances are a key consideration for Mr. McCain less than six weeks from Election Day and at a time when some polls suggest he is losing ground against Mr. Obama, especially on handling the economy.
The substance of the financial crisis aside, it was already proving a tough stretch for Mr. McCain. Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, his running mate, struggled through questions about her foreign policy credentials during an interview with CBS News. Mr. McCain was lampooned on television by David Letterman.
Mr. Obama might not have fared much better. He had come to Washington only reluctantly, opening himself to criticism by Republicans that he was putting his election bid ahead of the need to resolve the Wall Street crisis, and prompting concern among Democrats that his reaction to the events was simply too measured, considering the stakes.
Still, by nightfall, the day provided the younger and less experienced Mr. Obama an opportunity to, in effect, shift roles with Mr. McCain. For a moment, at least, it was Mr. Obama presenting himself as the old hand at consensus building, and as the real face of bipartisan politics.
“What I’ve found, and I think it was confirmed today, is that when you inject presidential politics into delicate negotiations, it’s not necessarily as helpful as it needs to be,” Mr. Obama told reporters Thursday evening. “Just because there is a lot of glare of the spotlight, there’s the potential for posturing or suspicions.”
“When you’re not worrying about who’s getting credit, or who’s getting blamed, then things tend to move forward a little more constructively,” he said.
Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia.- Charles M. Schulz but it might just as well have been McSame and Palin'
My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the hell she is.- Ellen DeGeneres and it coulda just a well been about McPalin'
You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake.- Jeannette Rankin (McSame may know a little about wars, but... winning?)
I didn't really say everything I said.- Yogi Berra (too easy!)
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/PListe4Obama
Back last night from much needed No. Cali vacation. Beatiful, unspoiled land. Watched the acceptance speach in an Olema bar after a great dinner. Talked Obama with patrons and waitress!
Fun talking with "burner" Tess on flight into SF from Cincinatti. Hi, Tess!
Not one McCain sticker the whole trip, but the Obama flags, and in some cases I do mean flags, were flying high in San Francisco, up US 1, and out Point Reyes!
Mo' later,
