Posts with the tag chuck hagel

Dems: Napolitano emerges for Homeland Security job [other cabinet]

Mike W — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:43:40 EST

Dems: Napolitano emerges for Homeland Security job
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
25 mins ago [Thu Nov 20, 2008 2:38 pm EST]
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081120/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_cabinet

WASHINGTON -- President-elect Barack Obama is likely to choose Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano to be secretary of homeland security, top Obama advisers and several Democrats said Thursday as the shape of Obama's Cabinet begins to emerge.

The Obama advisers cautioned that no final decision has been made on putting Napolitano in charge of the Homeland Security department, the massive agency created by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But the advisers said she was by far the top contender.

Thus far, Obama has informally selected Washington lawyer Eric Holder as attorney general and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle as health and human services secretary. The plans could be sidetracked by unexpected glitches in the final vetting process, officials note.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton seems more likely than ever to be Obama's secretary of state. Clinton is deciding whether to take that post as America's top diplomat, her associates said.

Among other Cabinet posts: senior Democrats say there is a strong possibility that Defense Secretary Robert Gates would stay temporarily and later give way to former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig. Even so, Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island also are said to be under consideration.

Democrats also say that several people remain in the running for Treasury secretary, including Timothy Geithner, president of Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Lawrence Summers, former treasury secretary and one-time Harvard University president; and former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.

Several news organizations reported Thursday that Chicago businesswoman Penny Pritzker, who was Obama's national campaign finance chairman, was his leading choice to become secretary of commerce. However, Pritzker issued a statement Thursday saying she is not a contender for the post.

Officials say Laura D'Andrea Tyson, the former chair of White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Clinton, is in the running for the Commerce job.

---
complete copyrighted story at link above

EDITORIAL PAGE ENDORSEMENTS PART ONE HEADLINED TODAY AT OPEDNEWS!

Stephen Fox, Contributing Editor New Mexico Sun News — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:33:32 EDT

Obama's Editorial Endorsements: including Washington Post, Fidel Castro, Richard Lugar, Chuck Hagel, & more!

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Obama-s-Endorsements-The-by-Stephen-Fox-081016-633.html

I hope you take a few moments to share your insights in a comment here and at OpEdNews, which then becomes a vital part of a larger dialogue.

Thanks, Stephen Fox
Founder, New Millennium Fine Art Santa Fe NM

Editorial Page Endorsements of Obama>>> Part I >>>The Best of the Best, from the Editorial Pages of America

Stephen Fox, Contributing Editor New Mexico Sun News — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:22:44 EDT

Recent newspaper endorsements of the presidential candidates, selected for the quality of their writing and the depths of their insights

___

Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times endorsed Democrat Barack Obama on Oct. 5:

We now face a future fraught with difficulty. It is no time to fear, but rather to change directions and unite behind a dynamic, thoughtful and progressive leader, Democrat Barack Obama.

He has stirred hope among millions of Americans, many of whom were alienated from politics or marginalized in society. He has restored a sense of idealism and promise that American values will again be our respected guide in the world, that the American dream is still very much alive in our nation, and that what is wrong can be fixed.

Sen. Obama's opponent, Republican John McCain, has long served his country, and as a young man, at great personal sacrifice. But he is not ready to lead America in the 21st century. His view of the world is outdated and unduly restricted by a military lens.

___

The Durango (Colo.) Herald endorsed Obama on Oct. 12:

The United States faces a pivotal choice in this presidential election, and
the alternatives are clear. What is needed in that decision, as in our markets and our dealings with the world, is to act like Americans and approach the future with optimism. Voters should reject the politics of fear and elect Barack Obama.

Obama offers what America now needs: Confidence without swagger,
intelligence without condescension, a mind unencumbered with the baggage of the '60s, and an optimistic outlook eloquently expressed.

After the feckless leadership of the last eight years, the offer of hope is
beyond appealing. It is essential. We need to restore this country's
position as a bastion of human rights and re-establish respect for the
United States government at home and abroad. We must reinvigorate and
restructure our economy, revive the idea that children will be better off
than their parents, and face the 21st century with confidence.

John McCain cannot do that. He is intellectually and emotionally trapped in
a bygone era. And since his 2000 run, the maverick McCain has been replaced by one with a wet finger in the wind.

Obama, however, offers a clear and certain break with the past. And that is
absolutely necessary. It is taking a chance, of course, but that risk is
less than that of continuing Bush's work.

___

The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., endorsed Obama on Oct. 16:

American adults are asking a terrible question as Nov. 4 approaches: Will my children have the opportunities that I was afforded in my youth?

The times call for a steady hand, a confident voice and a messenger who
delivers hope rather than fear.

While the country negotiates some of the most treacherous waters in the last 50 years, (Obama) is the candidate most capable of leading it to a safer shore.

-----------

COLUMBIAN, WASHINGTON STATE
In Our View: Obama for President
As voters consider unprecedented change, this race hinges on leadership and judgment
Thursday, October 16 | 1:00 a.m.

Americans face what is arguably the nation's most historically significant presidential election ever. Either the first black president or the first
female vice president will be elected Nov. 4.

But this election also is a milestone for a reason unrelated to race or
gender. For the first time in 20 years, the next president will not be a
Bush or a Clinton. Never have just two families occupied the White House for so long. Today's typical college freshman has never lived under a president by any other name. It's time for a change.

So it's no surprise that John McCain and Barack Obama are campaigning as
agents of change. All the more reason for voters to participate. In Clark
County, ballots were mailed yesterday.

Any successful reformer must excel in leadership and judgment. In the past
several months, Obama has distanced himself as the superior candidate in
those two areas, and today he receives The Columbian�s endorsement for president. Two quick reminders:

Our opinion is only that, refuted by many, carrying no distinguishable
impact. Our opinion is offered more to stimulate conversation than to change minds.

No candidate is perfect, as evidenced by our 2004 endorsement: Bush,
Reluctantly

Obama carries baggage we consider unsightly, such as the unfair advantages he would grant labor unions. We also are wary of a few past relationships he's had with controversial figures. McCain carries that same baggage, to a lesser degree.

But as we examined leadership qualities of both men, we saw Obama's massive strides in uniting his own Democratic party, even reaching beyond his party to speak to all Americans. McCain, in stark contrast, continues to slog through a fractious Republican Party that often is his worst enemy.

It takes strong leadership skills to enlist record numbers of volunteers and
to continually explore new heights in the polls, as Obama methodically
demonstrates.

As for judgment, Obama chose a running mate who neither hurt him in the
polls nor diverted the spotlight from the main man on the ticket. McCain's
choice has done both. McCain tries to masquerade this recklessness as the
virtue of a maverick. Would he use that same recklessness in appointing
Supreme Court justices and Cabinet members? Which candidate in recent weeks has shown a presidential demeanor? Which could best restore worldwide respect for the U.S.? Which man has tried to soothe not stoke rancor in the homestretch of this campaign? Clearly, that man is Obama.

On the issues, Obama and McCain share similar views on immigration, Social Security and Medicare. Their differences on how to repair the economy are
not overly contradictory. On the Iraq War, Obama prefers a quicker
withdrawal of troops than we would like, but his proven leadership and solid judgment indicate he can resolve the Iraq dilemma collaboratively, certainly not by waving a white flag as McCain repeatedly claims. Both men urge public investment in science and technology. On health care, Obama believes it is a right; McCain believes it is a responsibility. Obama would raise taxes on the rich but not the rest of us, while McCain wants to make permanent the Bush tax cuts of 2003.

Beyond these issues, let's review two popular but empty charges against
Obama. His supposed lack of experience, history reveals, is a red herring.
His 12 years in elected office are more than Abraham Lincoln, Teddy
Roosevelt or Ronald Reagan each brought to the presidency. Too young at 47? Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton were younger. (Also on the
subject of age, is McCain too old at 72? Certainly not.)

America's comparison between the upstart reformer and the venerable war hero inexorably returns to the qualities of leadership and judgment. Obama wins that comparison, and his message of partnerships at home and abroad seals the deal for us.
--------------
THE TENNESSEAN

This newspaper believes Obama would be an inspiring choice at an
extraordinary time for the nation. The country needs a fresh, energetic face
in the White House. Every race for president is important, but the current
confluence of events, including the war on terror, mountainous challenges in the economy and a growing strain upon the nation's health-care system make the current race a call for vigorous new approaches and enthusiasm.

Obama has managed to put a tone of optimism in his campaign at a time it
would be very easy to be downhearted, worried and pessimistic. That
characteristic alone goes a long way in demonstrating the kind of leadership the nation needs.

Obama has made the case effectively that his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, represents too much of the same failed policies that have plagued the nation during the Bush administration. McCain, it must be said, is a genuine military hero and an honorable candidate. His years of service both in the military and in Congress are traits any American should admire. But at this time, at this juncture, McCain does not embody the motivational leader Americans deserve for such crucial issues.

There is no question the economy is foremost on the minds of many Americans today. People are witnessing a financial system in chaos, and they are seeing their personal lives in upheaval because of the problem. People are fearful about their jobs, their retirement, their ability even to meet day-to-day needs. At the moment, the nation is still trying to get a handle on exactly what is happening in its economy, as some of the best economic minds in the country try to sift through possible solutions. Obama offers no magic wand, but he has been effective in linking the crisis to failed economic policies, and he expresses a keen understanding of how the crisis is creating hardship on American families....

Further, Obama demonstrated sound judgment in selecting as his running mate Sen. Joe Biden, whose experience and knowledge of foreign policy prepare him to step in if need be as chief executive. McCain's selection of Gov. Sarah Palin, by comparison, may have shown political savvy, but at the expense of offering a vice president the country could rally around....

The nation could ask for no more. Obama has the opportunity to lift the
United States at a time when its burdens are heavy. His campaign has carried a theme of "Yes We Can," which is exactly the message the nation needs to hear most now.

THE POST-GAZETTE PITTSBURGH

In three weeks, Americans will be called upon to make an exceptional
judgment worthy of the times. The forces of history appear to invite
boldness and the Post-Gazette believes they should be heeded by voting for the only authentic, fresh agent of change in this race, Barack Obama....

Despite the recent nastiness of his campaign. Sen. McCain is essentially a
good man, but he is yesterday's man. His campaign takes its core text from
the "Wizard of Oz": Don't mind the man behind the curtain. That man is
George Bush, the failed magician who cannot be spoken of lest the American people be reminded of what he has wrought and what party he belongs to.

To make their trick work, Mr. McCain and his running mate, Gov. Palin, trade
heavily on being mavericks -- too heavily to be believed.

It is true that Mr. McCain has a capricious streak that has made him a thorn
in the side of his own party on various issues. Yet while he has not joined
the know-nothing brigade in climate change denial, he has picked a running
mate who is a diva in the drill, baby, drill chorus of fossil-fuel adulation. Mr. Obama, while he has recognized the need for more drilling, has put more emphasis on new sources of alternative energy, the only real hope for the future.

On Iraq, Mr. McCain did needle the Bush administration to put in more troops and he makes much of the fact that he backed the surge. That the surge was a success to the point that it reduced bloodshed does not vindicate the wrong decision in the first place to invade a country that was not behind the 9/11 attacks and did not have weapons of mass destruction; Iraq has been a huge diversion from Afghanistan.

All of this Mr. McCain, despite his vaunted experience, got wrong at the
start when Barack Obama recognized the folly. That fundamental error is
still costing the nation $10 billion a month, funds desperately needed at
home, yet Mr. McCain sees the surge as more reason to stay than to plan now to leave and put the war in the hands of the only people who can ultimately win it: the Iraqis. That is what Mr. Obama wants to do in stages and what Mr. McCain only hopes for over the rainbow.

On health care, Mr. McCain's insurance plan is straight from the George Bush playbook, with its heavy reliance on private competition to give Americans
coverage. His $5,000 tax credit for families is a pittance that won't solve
America's national shame, the millions in the ranks of the uninsured. Mr.
Obama's health-care plan will address that directly -- and, no, it won't be
socialism. Americans will still have their choices.

On the economic meltdown, Mr. McCain famously said "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" shortly before it collapsed. Although he has admitted that economics is not his strong suit, he foolishly suspended his campaign briefly to interject himself into a situation that he did not understand and where he was not wanted.

Mr. Obama doesn't have all the answers either, but he does acknowledge what former champion of deregulation John McCain can't: While there's blame to go around both parties, the economic crisis is the final verdict on the failure of the Bush administration.

In this and much else, Mr. McCain is not the steady hand he purports to be,
and nothing proves it more than his reckless selection of Sarah Palin, whose lack of knowledge to take over as president has becoming increasingly
obvious and embarrassing. If Mr. McCain had chosen one of the many
accomplished women in the Republican Party, his candidacy would have the
stamp of seriousness. Instead, it bears the superficial imprint of pandering
populism.

But this election is not just about the shortcomings of Mr. McCain and Ms.
Palin and the failed legacy of a philosophy that they seek to perpetuate
under the hastily erected banner of maverick.

It is about the strengths of Barack Obama, whose rise to prominence is not a fluke or national infatuation but the consequence of his remarkable skills --a keen intellect, noble intentions and the wit and grace to express them in
ways that have inspired millions across the country. He has a rare gift
exactly suited to the fearful times -- he knows the language of reassurance
and hope.

If his were just empty words, this would be just another cheap political
gift. But what he says is carefully considered. In the debates and on the
hustings, Mr. Obama has been the voice of moderation, combining common sense and compassion on issue after issue. When the subject turns to foreign policy, supposedly Mr. McCain's strong suit, Mr. Obama gives no indication that he will have to learn on the job.

That the argument about issues has been essentially won by Sen. Obama is plain from the scurrilous attacks now being launched against his character --
increasingly by Ms. Palin -- alleging guilt by association, unpatriotic
behavior and worse.

This closing blizzard of slime is another attempt to spread the wizard's
curtain further: Don't look at how the economy has impoverished you while a Republican has been in the White House, look at Mr. Obama's passing
acquaintance with an old radical who did bad deeds almost 40 years ago,
because that is more important.

Yes, they apparently do think the American people are that stupid.

On Nov. 4, we believe Americans will heed the better angels of their nature
and recognize that the election of the eloquent Barack Obama -- whose story is a quintessentially American one of impossible odds overcome -- will best answer the pressing call of history.

_______________________

Obama’s ‘Diplomacy’ Wins a Republican Endorsement
By Adam Graham-Silverman, Congressional Quarterly Staff
The ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee parted ways with his party’s presidential nominee Wednesday by endorsing Democrat Barack Obama ’s approach to diplomacy.

In a lengthy speech at the National Defense University, Indiana Sen. Richard G. Lugar weighed the benefits of talking to foreign leaders, including U.S.
enemies, against other actions, such as military force. The issue marks one
of the sharpest divides between Obama and John McCain , who has called the Democratic nominee naive for suggesting that he would sit down with leaders such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Lugar, however, praised Obama, noting that isolation often does not resolve contentious issues.

“He correctly cautions against the implication that hostile nations must be
dealt with almost exclusively through isolation or military force,” Lugar
said in a prepared remarks released before his speech. “In some cases,
refusing to talk can even be dangerous.”

Lugar, however, said McCain is right to warn that “there are times when
diplomatic approaches to rogue regimes have little efficacy.” But he cited
North Korea, which was just removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of
terror, as a diplomatic success story and urged more contact with Syria and
Iran.

This is not the first time Lugar and Obama have seen eye-to-eye on foreign
policy issues. Lugar noted back in July that he was “pleased” to have worked with Obama on nuclear proliferation issues after an Obama ad ran mentioning Lugar by name.

Lugar also used his speech to underscore his concern that U.S. foreign
policy has become too reactive.

“If most U.S. foreign policy attention is devoted to crises fomented by
hostile regimes, we are ceding the initiative to our enemies and reducing
our capacity to lead the world in ways that are more likely to affect our
future,” Lugar said.

___________________________________________

EDITORIAL: Obama for President: We believe the senator from Illinois is the
right man to lead our country in a new direction

The Lufkin Daily News, PULITZER PRIZE WINNING NEWSPAPER IN TEXAS

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Today through Sunday, we're making our endorsements for the 2008 election. Our endorsements are not partisan — we supported George Bush in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004. Our choices reflect whose policies and strengths we think, after careful consideration, will mean a better, stronger economy and way of life for Angelina County, Texas and the United States.

To that end, the choice for this year's president is clear: Barack Obama,
senator from Illinois.

His strength has been to appeal to a broad range of people, including the
vital youth who are tomorrow's leaders. After watching an inflexible
president go overboard in a $700 billion bailout on loyalty for his nominee,
Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, we think it's time for a changing
of the guard.

The East Texas economy is fundamentally doing well, and we're not hitting
highs and lows like other areas, some local leaders have said. But it
remains a fact that while the rich battle it out over billions, poverty is
barking louder than ever at our rural doors. As a litmus test, consider the
Christian Information Service Center, our largest area food bank. It has had
more people than ever through its doors — including more elderly and middle class than ever before.

Hundreds of local families have been impacted as fuel and utility costs
skyrocket, and job losses mount as major employers have circled the drain or gone down altogether. It's hard to remember the fundamentals when you're deciding between buying your medication or keeping the lights on.

Those people who think what's happening nationally has had little effect on
East Texas haven't checked their 401(k)s, or more likely aren't among the
many whose worry is about surviving until the end of the month, let alone
retirement.

It's the working class that are the backbone of this country, and we need
someone to help us share the wealth while still encouraging a free market
economy. We believe Obama has shown more interest in helping the middle class, and has proposed plans to make that happen.

Another consideration is that we should elect a president whose vice
president would be ready to lead if, heaven forbid, the president were to
die in office. We think Joe Biden's experience overwhelms Sarah Palin's
limited appeal as a candidate who would instill confidence during a national
crisis.

At the end of the day, it's about how you and your family will fare — while
still caring how your neighbor and the needy guy down the block is doing.

We're making our voice heard. We hope you'll go to the polls Nov. 4 and do
the same.
____________________________________

HUNTINGTON WEST VIRGINIA:
The Herald-Dispatch editorial board met today. We spent a lot of time
discussing the presidential endorsement, which comes out Sunday.

First, a bit of history. As best I remember, The Herald-Dispatch has
endorsed every Democratic candidate since Jimmy Carter in 1976. Before then, I have no memory. So going by those elections, the HD is 3-5 in agreeing with the American voter.

I can't say here who gets our endorsement, but I can say that the discussion was calm at times and less sedate at others. The thing was that no one was really excited about either candidate.

But we were all over 50, and we have seen too much to be too excited about candidates. None of us sees anyone running as a Messiah who will lead us to the promised land.

________________________________
UNATTRIBUTED, BUT KEEN INSIGHTS:

My own prediction: Obama will win, and Democrats will control both houses of Congress. In 2010, Republicans will regain control of one house, and the
Republicans will win back the White House in 2012. Whether they regain
control of both houses of Congress I cannot say, but I seriously doubt it.

This assumes the Republican Party acts with more intelligence and foresight
than it has shown since 2004.

This year, the Democratic Party had two strong candidates in the primary.
The GOP really had none. For a party that is supposed to be conservative,
the GOP had no strong conservative with wide appeal in the primaries. McCain won almost by default, and if he surprises a lot of us and wins the election this year, it will be more a vote against Obama than a vote for McCain. I have talked with several Republicans, and very few are voting for him. They are either voting for Palin or against Obama. Or they are voting for the Republican candidate, whoever it may be. I know of no one who is voting for McCain because he is John McCain.

You can't do well in the long run if that's your base. But it's what the GOP
did to itself.

____________________________________

Fidel Castro Endorses Obama -- Again
By Humberto Fontova
The American Thinker

Barack Obama's Kenyan cousin Raila Obinga did well in naming his son Fidel Castro Odinga. From Havana this week, Obama's nephew's namesake issued his 2nd Barack Obama endorsement.

"The only thing that abounds in McCain are years" wrote the Stalinist Cuban dictator in his regime's official paper. "His (electoral) adversary far surpasses McCain in intelligence and serenity. And his health is not guaranteed."

So a major concern for Castro is,

"that the lady with the rifles, the inexperienced ex-governor of Alaska, could became U.S. President. We observe that she knows absolutely nothing about anything."

Castro's favoritism towards Democrats is nothing new. "We'd better hope Kennedy wins this election," Fidel Castro confided to a subaltern in 1960. "If Nixon wins our revolution won't last." the Bay of Pigs and Missile Crisis betrayals (of free Cubans) vindicated Castro's foresight a thousand times over.

I admit to imprecision when labeling Fidel Castro a "Stalinist dictator." For the record: the Castro-Che incarceration of political prisoners actually surpassed Stalin's. In her authoritative book, Gulag, Anne Applebaum documents that, all-told, 18 million people passed through Stalin's prison-camps. At any one time 2 million were incarcerated. That was out of a Soviet population of 220 million. Cuba's population in 1960 was 6.4 million. According to Freedom House, 500,000 Cubans (young and old, male and female) have passed through Castro and Che's prison camps. At one point in 1961, 350,000 Cubans crammed Castro's Gulag. Do the math.

"A profound racism exists in the U.S.," continues Fidel Castro in his Obama-endorsement. "It's a miracle that the Democratic candidate has not suffered the fate of other Americans who dreamed of equality and justice like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King."

For the record: Fidel Castro, forcibly overthrew a black Cuban head of state (Fulgencio Batista) and replaced his government with one where only nine percent of the ruling Stalinist party is black and where the prison population is 80- 90 percent black. He jailed the longest suffering black political prisoner of modern history (Eusebio Penalver who suffered longer in Castro's dungeon's than Nelson Mandela suffered in South Africa's.) He sentenced other blacks (Dr Elias Biscet, Jorge Antunez) to 20 year sentences essentially for quoting Martin Luther King Jr. in a public square.

"(Obama) has a habit of looking at his adversary with serenity and laughing at the verbal gaffes of an opponent who looks blankly into space," continues Castro's chucklesome article, where he proceeds to denounce McCain as "a habitual liar, who lacks an ethical code and is an instrument of the "Miami Mafia" (overwhelmingly Republican Cuban-Americans.)

Castro laments the "brutal measures" the U.S. is adopting during "this capitalist crisis," because these "will provoke more inflation, more devaluation and more loss of markets." Thus a McCain victory would be economically disastrous, because, "he was one of the worst students ever at West Point and knew nothing about mathematics, and knows nothing about economic complications."

For the record: Fidel Castro converted a nation with a higher per capita income than half of Europe, the lowest inflation rate in the Western hemisphere, a larger middle class than Switzerland, a huge influx of immigrants and whose workers enjoyed the 8th industrial wages in the world into one that repels Haitians. And this after being lavished with Soviet subsidies that totaled almost ten Marshall Plans (again, into a nation of 6.4 million) -an economic feat that defies not only the laws of economics but seemingly the very laws of physics.

Actually, Castroites have been associates of Obama's associates for decades. "I have been affiliated with the Cuba Council of Churches since the 1980s," boasted Rev. Jeremiah Wright in a sermon on July 16, 2006. "I have several close Cuban friends who work with the Cuba Council of Churches and you have heard me preach about our affiliation and the Black Theology Project's trips to Cuba. The Cuban Council of Churches has been a non-partisan global mission partner for decades. I have worked with them for two decades."

"Non-partisan," Reverend Wright? Not according to Cuban intelligence defector Juan Vives, who from hands-on experience reports that the Cuba Council of Churches is in fact an arm of Cuba's ICAP (Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos) itself an arm of Cuba's DGI, Cuba's secret police, founded and mentored by the KGB and East German STASI. The ICAP's long-time chieftain was Rene Cruz Rodriguez, perhaps one of Reverend Jeremiah Wright's "friends."

Rodriguez' meteoric rise through Cuba's Stalinist bureaucracy was facilitated by his diligence as an early executioner, often beating out Che Guevara and Raul Castro themselves in his zeal to shatter the firing-squad victim's skull with a coup d' grace from his .45.
____________________________________________________

About 100 Napa County-based Barack Obama supporters showed up Monday afternoon on the front steps of the Napa Valley Register building in downtown Napa to protest the newspaper's Sunday endorsement of John McCain for President.

____________________________________
SAN DIEGO CITY BEAT:

Seems kind of pointless to run through a litany of policy areas in which Barack Obama is a far superior choice over John McCain, what with California already signed, sealed and delivered for the Democrat, but we’d like to run up the score and make it a landslide, so we’ll say, briefly, that Obama has shown himself to be the more thoughtful and, dare we say it, more presidential candidate. He’s the guy in whom we’d have far greater trust on the economy, energy, healthcare and foreign policy.

As for McCain, we can go into his past and detail his fondness for industry lobbyists. We can go into his neoconservative, imperialist views on foreign policy that would absolutely be a continuation of the past eight years. We can cite our concerns about how he was once rightly against the Bush tax cuts before he was wrongly for them.

But we’ll simply point to a couple of recent decisions his campaign made. The first was his choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate. It was a cynical move to shore up the conservative Republican base, and it showed no regard for real-world possibilities—such as, What if McCain were to die or be incapacitated while in office? The second was the desperate, disgusting decision to portray Obama as a terrorist sympathizer, which is the kind of thing you do when you have nowhere else to turn, when you know you can’t capture votes on serious policy issues facing Americans.
McCain would likely win this election four years ago—before the public realized how wrong the invasion of Iraq was, before the Republican Party imploded amid scandal after scandal (Cunningham, Foley, Abramoff, DeLay, Craig, Stevens, et al.), before the current president became radioactive and before the economy descended into unimaginable crisis.

So, it’s the right time for you moderate Republicans and you independents to give our guy a chance. McCain’s thinking is no different than Bush’s in the key areas—costly military interventionism, trickle-down economics and free access for lobbyists—and if you really think about it, you’ll realize that it’s unsustainable. Please vote for Barack Obama.

________________________________________

NEBRASKA REPUBLICAN SENATOR'S WIFE ENDORSES OBAMA

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The wife of Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel plans to endorse Democrat Barack Obama.

Lilibet Hagel has scheduled a 10 a.m. news conference in Alexandria, Va., on Tuesday with Susan Eisenhower, the granddaughter of Republican President Eisenhower. Susan Eisenhower also is an Obama supporter.

Hagel, R-Neb., has made no endorsement. Lilibet Hagel said in an Associated Press interview that her decision was independent of her husband. She said she didn't know whether he would make an endorsement or whom he would support.

"You'd have to ask him," Lilibet Hagel said.

She said it will be her first endorsement of a Democrat and that perilous world conditions were a factor.

"The fact is we're in two wars, two of the longest we've ever been in. We've run up a third of our nation's debt in just the past eight years. We're in the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression," she said.

The Hagels know John and Cindy McCain, and she said her endorsement was not meant to slam them.

"This isn't anti-McCain. This is pro-Obama. I'm just convinced he's the right person," she said.

The Hagels vote in Nebraska, but they have lived in Washington's Virginia suburbs since Hagel won his first Senate term in 1996.

A moderate Republican and veteran wounded in combat in the Vietnam War, Hagel has been a fierce and credible critic of the Bush administration's Iraq policies. During the summer, he accompanied Obama and Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was briefly the object of speculation as a possible surprise Obama running mate selection.

The first compendium of the best endorsement editorials from many states, & the top 3 papers in Tennessee! & one by Fidel Castro & the Republicans Lugar and Hagel endorsements

Sarah Palin’s Big Foreign Policy Adventure

Ron Williams — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:16:11 EDT

John McCain’s campaign must have noticed that people are concerned about Sarah Palin’s lack of foreign-policy experience, in spite of the fact that “you can actually see Russia from ... Alaska” (Charlie Gibson Interviews Sarah Palin).

To address her apparent ignorance in this key area, Palin had a spate of meetings with foreign leaders on September 23 in New York City. She first met with President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and then talked to President Álvaro Uribe of Colombia. To end her big foreign policy day, she met with that quintessential American foreign policy wonk, State Henry Kissinger.

So I guess Joe Biden won’t be able to say during the vice-presidential debate that Palin has never met with a foreign leader, but I don’t think her instant educational will convince people who are truly concerned about her knowledge of international affairs.

Senator Chuck Hagel (R, Nebraska), member of the Foreign Relations committee, expressed similar feelings last week, when he said, “She doesn't have any foreign policy credentials.... You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don't know what you can say. You can't say anything." Responding to the assertion that the proximity of Alaska to Russia evidences her foreign-policy experience, Hagel added, "I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense.... That kind of thing is insulting to the American people” (Sen. Hagel doubts Palin's ready).

Even Laura Bush, of all people, said of Palin’s foreign policy background, “Well, obviously, of course, she does not have that.… but I think that she is a very quick study” (Laura Bush Calls Palin “Quick Study”)

Somehow I’m not reassured. When it comes to the person who is a heartbeat away from the presidency, I’d prefer someone who’s ready to do the job right now to a “quick study.”

Hopefully the American electorate is also concerned about Palin’s lack of qualifications and what McCain’s choice of her says about his leadership abilities.

Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel says it is a "stretch" to say Palin is qualified to be president: "I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense"

Stephen Fox, Contributing Editor New Mexico Sun News — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:00:27 EDT

"An Obama-Biden ticket is a very impressive and strong team," said Hagel. "Biden's selection is good news for Obama and America. "

GOP senator: A 'stretch' to say Palin is qualified 18 mins ago WASHINGTON – Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel said his party's vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, lacks foreign policy experience and called it a "stretch" to say she's qualified to be president.

"She doesn't have any foreign policy credentials," Hagel said in an interview published Thursday by the Omaha World-Herald. "You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don't know what you can say. You can't say anything."

Could Palin lead the country if GOP presidential nominee John McCain could not? "I think it's a stretch to, in any way, to say that she's got the experience to be president of the United States," Hagel said. McCain and other Republicans have defended Palin's qualifications, citing Alaska's proximity to Russia.

Palin told ABC News, "They're our next-door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska." Hagel took issue with that argument.

"I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, 'I look out my window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia,'" he said. "That kind of thing is insulting to the American people."

Hagel, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been a vocal critic of the Bush administration since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In July, Hagel traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Though he didn't expect to be asked, Hagel had said he would have considered serving as Obama's running mate. Palin was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, population 6,500, before becoming Alaska's governor in December 2006. Palin visited soldiers in Kuwait and Germany last year and said in an interview with ABC News that her only other foreign travel had been to Mexico and Canada. She also said she had never met a foreign head of state.

Hagel told the newspaper that other governors have been elected to serve in the White House without experience in Washington. He said judgment and character were also important for the job.

"But I do think in a world that is so complicated, so interconnected and so combustible, you really got to have some people in charge that have some sense of the bigger scope of the world," Hagel said. "I think that's just a requirement."

On the Net: Omaha World-Herald: http://www.omaha.com

Permalink: blog.luciolepress.com/2008/09/18/nebraska-republican-sen-chuck-hagel-says-it-is-a-stretch-to-say-palin-is-qualified-to-be-president-i-think-they-ought-to-be-just-honest-about-it-and-stop-the-nonsense.aspx

see also: James Fallows, National Correspondent, Atlantic Monthly, and former Chief Presidential Speechwriter for Jimmy Carter, on the Palin Interview with Charles Gibson, searingly but genteely dissecting her total ignorance of international affairs:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Palin-Interview-The-Unten-by-James-Fallows-Nat-080917-507.html

Your comments and insights are most welcome!

A MUST READ REPORT: Rep. Senator Chuck Hagel on GOP VP choice

Blue Girl in South Carolina — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:54:08 EDT

Just wanted to shed a little more light on this upcoming election from an actual newspaper reporter from the Nebraska State newspaper, the Omaha World-Herald. Below is the copy issued less than an hour ago through the AP (Associated Press). This interview was conducted by the Newspaper with Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In addition to his experience in the US Senate, Hagel was nominated in 1981 by then President Rondal Reagan to serve as the Deputy Administrator of the Veterans Administration - a nomination that was confirmed by the US Senate. He also served in Vietnam during 1968 in the US Army's 9th Infantry Division, where he earned two Purple Hearts and many other military decorations and honors (See Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel's full biography on his public senate website here: http://hagel.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Biography.Home)

GOP senator: A 'stretch' to say Palin is qualified

47 minutes ago

Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel said his party's vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, lacks foreign policy experience and called it a "stretch" to say she's qualified to be president.

Could Palin lead the country if GOP presidential nominee John McCain could not?

"I think it's a stretch to, in any way, to say that she's got the experience to be president of the United States," Hagel said.

McCain and other Republicans have defended Palin's qualifications, citing Alaska's proximity to Russia. Palin told ABC News, "They're our next-door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska."

Hagel took issue with that argument. "I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, 'I look out my window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia,'" he said. "That kind of thing is insulting to the American people."

Hagel, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been a vocal critic of the Bush administration since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

In July, Hagel traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Though he didn't expect to be asked, Hagel had said he would have considered serving as Obama's running mate.

Palin was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, population 6,500, before becoming Alaska's governor in December 2006.

Palin visited soldiers in Kuwait and Germany last year and said in an interview with ABC News that her only other foreign travel had been to Mexico and Canada. She also said she had never met a foreign head of state.

Hagel told the newspaper that other governors have been elected to serve in the White House without experience in Washington. He said judgment and character were also important for the job.

___

On the Net:

Omaha World-Herald: http://www.omaha.com/

Original AP News Story Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080918/ap_on_el_pr/hagel_palin

The original report is published online on the Omaha World-Herald Newspaper here as well: http://www.omaha.com/

Obama Expands Gallup Lead to 49%-40%; McCain Attempts to Backpedal From Endorsement of Obama's Timetable

jgabriel — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:58:22 EDT

First, a nice article from the NY Times, "How Obama Became Acting President":
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/opinion/27rich.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

Senator Chuck Hagel, Republican from Nebraska, denounced McCain's recent attacks (including "Obama would rather lose a war than a political campaign") as "treading on very thin ground." http://thepage.time.com/transcript-excerpt-from-face-the-nation/

McCain seemed to give an endorsement to Obama's 16 month timetable for Iraq, feeling pressure from the Maliki government and from Bush. Then, on 'This Week with George Stephanopoulos", he appeared to try to furiously backpedal. He's even tried to say that Obama is the one who is flip-flopping to HIS position.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/26/us/26mccain.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
http://thepage.time.com/transcript-of-mccain-on-this-week-2/

Obama now pivots to the economy this week, which he alluded to during a speech to minority journalists in Chicago today (McCain was also invited, but declined).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/27/AR2008072701446.html

McCain, more and more, seems to look like an angry old man. He has a history of letting things get under his skin - do we need that kind of person inhabiting the White House?

Why Chuck Hagel is DEFINITELY NOT a VP choice for Barack

Sue — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:27:09 EDT

From: http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-auth.cgi?file=/1954/76457.html

Former voting machine exec looking to become America's next Vice President?

Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2008 - 9:57 am:

Hardly anyone seems to remember this, but in 2004, a trial balloon went up suggesting that Democrat John Kerry team up with Republican John McCain as his running mate.

Mixing Democrats and Republicans on a presidential ticket is an appalling idea. The two power-parties already have a tight fisted grip on American politics. Such semi-mergers will eliminate or manipulate such diversity of choice as we have left.

This weekend, another such merger has been testing public opinion waters. Republican Chuck Hagel is reported by the Associated Press as saying he will consider the Vice President slot with Barack Obama. This particular suggestion traces back to Hagel himself; there is no evidence that Obama has suggested this. The rumors may actually originate from the Republican Party, or could even come from one of the Democratic rivals wanting to get on the ticket with Obama.

As for the idea itself, it's great, if you are in favor of moving to a one-party system and allowing a presidential ticket with ties to the nation's largest voting machine company. Hagel was CEO of one of the nation's most problematic voting machine companies, Election Systems & Software*, before he ran for office. His votes were counted by the company he had been running, while he still had up to $5 million in ownership in it. His campaign finance manager, Michael McCarthy, owned another huge chunk through the McCarthy Group investiment firm.

*American Information Systems (AIS) changed its name to Election Systems & Software (ES&S) in 1997.

Details: http://www.blackboxvoting.org/bbv_chapter-3.pdf

SLIPPERY SLOPE TOWARD A ONE-PARTY SYSTEM

I liked having slightly more illusion about this great nation of ours than this current trial balloon permits. The uniparty concept is perilous.

There is no doubt that this is testing the waters -- by someone. I'm fairly familiar with the characteristic media symptoms when power politics is testing a political idea. This one has been sneaking around quietly in the backwaters -- I first heard about it in May -- and there was quite a bit of talk about it around June 20. But this weekend, it was launched in full force, with three successive Associated Press stories, the last one appearing about midnight (Pacific time) Saturday night.

The story was pushed out as follows:

(Obama) "Obama has invited Chuck Hagel to accompany him to Iraq."
(He also invited a Democrat.)

(Hagel) "I will consider an offer to be Vice President for Obama"

Then, and this is always very creepy to me, these trial balloon stories were immediately set upon by the Internet political propaganda teams. These operatives are as obvious as a rhino in a tea room. After each Obama/Hagel story is posted, up pop half a dozen comment posts, all sounding very much the same. They look something like this:

Gail from Illinois: "I think Hagel would be the ideal running mate, Obama would win in 2008!
MichiganMike: Obama/Hagel 2008!
Sue from Florida: Hagel is exactly what Obama needs!
IndyJohn: Hagel has always been my hero, he'd be a perfect running mate.

Sometimes, the comments are closed off before counterbalance can appear.

CHUCK'S FAVORITE VOTING MACHINES

Hagel worked for the George H.W. Bush administration in the 1980s. Initially, he was chosen to oversee the Agent Orange program for war veterans. His actions were controversial in this program.

Cellular technology pushed into the US by selling off territories in a "lottery" type mechanism. The cushiest territory "lottery" win went to Chuck Hagel, who got to corner the cell phone market in Washington DC and surrounding Virginia and Maryland areas. When Hagel ran for office in 1996, controversies about how he won the lucrative cell phone lottery surfaced in the campaign; I was not able to get specifics.

In the late 1980s, Chuck Hagel went to Saudi Arabia where he got the cell phone network going. He then went to work for George H.W. Bush in a privatization effort.

Originally from Nebraska, he had been living in the Washington DC area all through the 1980s. He moved back to Nebraska to take the helm at ES&S, then called AIS. He headed the AIS Board of Directors while Bob Urosevich ran the company. (As you may recall, Urosevich then went to run Diebold Election Systems.)

In 1994, Bob Urosevich left AIS and Hagel become CEO. This lasted until Hagel announced his run for the US Senate. He announced his candidacy two weeks after stepping down as AIS CEO. He also held stock in AIS and also in its parent company, McCarthy Group. AIS changed its name to Election Systems & Software in 1997.

Michael McCarthy, who heads McCarthy Group, was Hagels campaign finance director. When I first broke the story about Hagel and the voting machine company in 2002, Michael McCarthy's son was working in Hagel's DC office.

Hagel was not expected to win the 1996 primary, but he did, and it was such an upset that it made national news. "Can lightening strike twice?" one headline read, referring to the even more improbable prospects for Hagel winning the general. He did win. AIS/ES&S counted 80 percent of his votes.

By 2000, he was being talked about as the potential running mate for George W. Bush. He made the "short list" but Bush chose Dick Cheney instead. Hagel stated to the press in 2003 that he would consider a run for the presidency, and that was the event that caused me to call Alexander Bolton of "The Hill" to persuade a more mainstream media outlet to run a story on Hagel's voting machine company ties.

Hagel did not disclose his ownership in the voting machine company. He did disclose up to $5 million in McCarthy Group, but failed to disclose the underlying assets of McCarthy Group as required. He did not disclose that he had been CEO of the voting machine company, even though that was clearly required. He was required to list every position held during the past two years; he listed a volunteer position with the Red Cross, but failed to mention that he was CEO of the voting machine company that counted his votes. According to Bolton, Hagel's 1996 documents have been removed from the Senate Ethics Committee repository, along with the letters from the Ethics Committee asking him for proper disclosure.

Sources tell me 2003 Ethics Chairman Victor Baird took the position that Hagel failed to properly disclose the McCarthy underlying assets. Hours before Alex Bolton was set to interview him, Baird resigned. The new ethics chairperson took the official position that Hagel had done nothing wrong.

ES&S is now the largest voting machine company in the US, and certainly one of the most heavily criticized, for miscounting elections, voting machine malfunctions and questionable billing and contract procedures -- although the "most problematic" title is one that is hotly contested by all contenders.

We all need to contact Barack Obama to let him know we will not accept Chuck Hagel as his VP!!!!!

CHOOSING A VP FROM THE SIDELINES

DONALD S METZ — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:01:16 EDT

Sitting on the sidelines, I have come to the conclusion that Obama must choose someone as VP who shares his vision for America and forget the strategy. He needs someone who truly thinks as he does and will bring a voice of unity to the ticket to reinforce his agenda. To me that person is Senator Claire McCaskill.

Senator Claire McCaskill has been a brilliant defender of Obama on the cable news talk shows and would also help with the women and working class vote. More importantly, she is a straight shooter looking to change Washington in the same ways Obama is. Forget conventional wisdom. This ticket would keep the change message clear and strong. An early announcement of Biden as Secretary of State and Hagel as Secretary of Defense would put the desired gravitas in the places it is most needed.

Veepstakes Odds!

JSerby — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:19:25 EDT

Place your bets!

Hillary: She ran half a race, her ultimate downfall. With higher aspirations and a recent history of conflict with Obama, not to mention a newly formed animosity between Bill and Barack, Hillary might not be the best choice. Also, she and her husband would be very difficult to control. However, she did acquire more than half of the primary votes and has faired quite well in many of the swing states, and has the backing of many different demographics within the Democratic Party (Woman, elderly…). Also, the Clinton name definitely brings name recognition on the national scale (for better or for worse).

Odds: 9:1 - Hillary may have some of the power in the swing states and a large following, but there are several other VP-candidates out there that could pick up a good percentage of the vote.

Jim Webb: This first-term Junior Senator from Virginia has been nothing but stellar as a Liberal attack dog in the Senate. He would bring Obama certainly a lot of Military credentials, a history of conflict with McCain, and the support of a VERY important swing state as the senator of Virginia. However, if Obama is looking for a less partisan, more experienced, pro-gun control, and more controllable Vice-President, Barack should look elsewhere.

Odds: 3:1 - Since joining the Senate, Webb has been fighting, if not harder, then just as hard as Obama for reforms that are also important to Barack. Also, don’t forget his military history (that can’t be Swiftboat-ed) and Virginia.

Chuck Hagel: This Senator has been the “Lieberman” cross-over for the Dems. He has seen eye-to-eye with Majority many times in the Senate, especially against continuation of the war. However, on many social issues, particularly abortion, he is quite conservative.

Odds: 20:1 - Hagel may be anti-war and anti-partisanship, but he is still a Republican.

Bill Richardson: He would bring in the Hispanic vote, and provide Obama with support by bring years of executive experience, foreign policy experience, and the support of the “Clinton” side of the party. However, he was the worst in debates. Period. Not to mention, it might be difficult to try and persuade those semi-xenophobic, possibly racist independents out there to vote for an African-American president with a Hispanic-American VP (just being honest).

Odds: 23:1 - “My mind is mush.” Enough said.

Don't pick Hillary as VP - How about Hagel?

Christina K. — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:29:05 EDT

Just my two cents, but I don't think she is a candidate that would be complimentary for Barack. I think it would really undermine the people who've chosen to vote FOR Barack and AGAINST Hillary. At the beginning of the campaign I had said, "You know, I'd really like to see Obama win, but I'd be satisfied if Clinton got the nomination." Then I saw her back pedal and flip flop on things she'd said. I feel like she's sneaky and untrustworthy and I do not want her (back) in the White House.

How 'bout a guy from my home state, Chuck Hagel? He would appeal to some of those working-class voters that the Obama campaign is trying to court. Plus, I feel that he has the drive to "reach across the aisle", as so many people say, to get things done. He offers the same balanced perspective as Obama.

My thoughts on VP - Obama/Sebelius '08

Chuck — Sat, 10 May 2008 11:38:28 EDT

Now that Senator Obama is the presumed nominee, our thoughts move towards who we'd like to see as VP. This post title tells you my preference.

Making Hillary his VP would be against everything Barack stands for - a complete destruction of his principals. So, it's not going to happen. At no point so far has Senator Obama compromised, so he won't start with something so controversial!

For this same reason, he shouldn't pick Evan Bayh. Bayh used horrible tactics against Obama during the Indiana primary campaign, showing his old school leanings.

McCaskill is fantastic, but she is also a Junior Senator, so too inexperienced to be on the same ticket. Barack needs a governor, a general, or an elder statesman (stateswoman). How does he find someone with experience, who also is not too caught into the Washington web?

My choice is Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas: http://www.governor.ks.gov/about/bio.htm and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nHp90Z2NJk. She has had great success in Kansas, is likable, and knows how to run a campaign (she's won twice). Let's not ignore the fact that, as a female, some of those Hillary supporters would feel vindicated.

Bill Richardson has proven through the primary that he is not competent as an executive branch candidate. He should be made Secretary of State.

Wesley Clark often comes across as crazy, like Mike Gravel, so I think he'd hurt the campaign, like Vice Admiral Stockdale hurt Ross Perot's campaign in 1992.

John Edwards - he lost his chance to be VP by not endorsing Obama. By playing it safe, he has at best earned the position of Attorney General.

How about General David Petraeus? Petraeus won't be able to run because he's serving in the Middle East, but he'd be an interesting candidate. Maybe too conservative.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg? That's worthy of a book of comments...

I also would be okay with the idea of Senator Chuck Hagel: http://hagel.senate.gov/public/

Here's an interesting article from way back in December: http://www.nationalledger.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=20&num=17657

Check the excellent comments by politicoswizzlestick, who answered a question about this: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080222114338AAazfDL. The answer starts with, "The Obama camp has thus far wisely not leaked any VP choices..."

What are your thoughts?

Be Not Afraid

N. Julio Barthson - E-Campaign Leader — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:56:37 EDT

Why are some of us losing faith in Barack, panicking and spreading fear among us? What is all this story about Al Gore being needed to come and save us? We have no reason to fear! Barack will win the nomination and he will unite the party for the final victory...

VP forum speculation on 02 22 08

Taube — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:20:39 EST

The VP Speculation Forum suddenly went off this page into our emailboxes today. Can we please use this group instead??

I agree with Carlos, needs to be white male with military/foreign policy credentials, preferably Southern Protestant:

Jim Webb, D, VA, age 60 is ideal. A Reagan Democrat, Webb's son is in Iraq; he was a writer after being Reagan's Sec of Navy, 1st Marine ever to hold that job. Everyone watch his movie "Rules of Engagement". Webb was only new Senator assigned to both Armed Services and Foreign relations. Only other Senator on both committees is Bill Nelson, D, Fl, former astronaut.

Sam Nunn, ret D, GA, is 70, perfect counter to McCain on national security, and Board member of GE, Dell, Chevron and Coca-Cola. No one understands the link between nuclear policy and foreign policy and DOD budgets better than this former Dem chmn of Senate Armed Services Committee whose signature legislation was the re-organization of the Pentagon. Coast Guard service - remember Cuba was the big deal in 1960 and the Coast Guard was really important.

Bob Graham, ret D, FL, and former governor, Florida. Chaired Senate Intelligence committee and voted against Iraq resolution because he HAD read the intelligence.

Wild card: Chuck Hagel, R, NE, retiring. decorated 'Nam grunt and works closely with Obama on nuclear non-proliferation. Amazing life story. Hagel could switch parties. He is Bloomberg's acknowledged preferred running mate.

As to Wesley Clark, his whole political identity is tied to HRC.

As to Mike Bloomberg, management style is SO top-down, not compatible. He can clean up Homeland Security?.

And, as a Jewish female who grew up in the segregated south and has lived in many other regions, I will write it here - anti-semitism runs very deep in this country, as does the fear of black man/blonde white woman. Governor Sibelius could be the 1st female president, but not by being VP.