Political Landscape: September 2009 Archives

The political power couple is a formula that is seen the world over. But Bill and Hillary Clinton's star power and political status put them at a level beyond other leaders.

Bill Clinton first raised the subject of his wife's formidable political wonkishness during his 1992 campaign, assuring voters that if they elected him they'd get "two for the price of one." Senator Hillary Clinton returned the favor during the 2008 campaign, recalling the relative peace during her husband's Presidency and implying it could be retrieved if the Clinton team were in office again.

Their activities are often in synch. Last week, as the United Nations General Assembly opened its doors in New York, so did the Clinton Global Initiative. With Hillary in town for the UN and Bill hosting the CGI events, it was the perfect showcase for their complementary roles. The CGI, founded by Bill Clinton is a glamorous and, in many ways, more pragmatic and effective organization than the United Nations. Despite The Great Recession, CGI members in 2009 made 284 new commitments valued at more than $9.4 billion dollars.

The Clintons took the opportunity of the overlapping events to display their strong relationship. The former president described his wife as "the best public servant our family has produced." Secretary Clinton returned the compliment, saying "I am very proud of my husband, and I think what he has invented and brought to life here is extraordinary."

For America, the Clinton power couple is the best possible outcome of the latest political cycle. We get both a Secretary of State who has relationships in many of the world's capitals and a former President pursuing humanitarian goals that add to our soft power.

Considering the damage done to America's international reputation after eight years of Bush, this two-for-the-price-of-one approach sounds like a good deal.

This silent march took place in Dublin on June 10th, 2009. It was intended to demonstrate solidarity with victims of child abuse in church-run institutions in Ireland in the second half of the 20th century. At that time as many as 150,000 orphans, children and youths from dysfunctional families were taken into these institutions.

The children were forced to work and suffered verbal, physical, emotional and sometimes also sexual abuse. For many of these young persons it had a devastating impact on their entire life. A small part of what happened at that time can be seen in the "The Magdalene Sisters," a movie directed by Peter Mullan.

In 2000 the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was established to investigate and hear evidence about what happened to these children, and to make recommendations about dealing with the effects of the abuse.

In 2009, the commission's report revealed the devastating truth that had been hidden deep inside Irish society. Most Irish knew about the abuse, but it took a few decades for anyone to speak out openly about the details. The scandal of the abuse was described by a few campaigners as Ireland's mini-holocaust. The Christian Brothers Order, which ran many of the institutions, denies all accusations.

During the march, demonstrators expressed their anger and disappointment about how they were treated by the government. Many of them held ration books and other proofs of their presence in institutions. Others left tiny children's shoes at the Irish Parliament building to mark the loss of innocence of the victims.

Last night on Katie Couric's new web show, @katiecouric, conservative commentator Glenn Beck told the CBS anchor some surprising news. Not only would he have voted for Hillary Clinton over John McCain, but he thinks McCain would have been even worse for the country than (in his view) Obama has been.

This is funny coming from the guy who called Clinton an "insane socialist" and a "stereotypical bitch," and who thinks Obama is a racist.

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I was a combat correspondent with the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan. I took this when I was with some British troops--Lima Company, 42 Commando, British Royal Marines--moving forward to a suspected Taliban checkpoint on December 23, 2008. Operation Sond Chara took place in Nadi-Ali, Helmand Province, nicknamed "The Triangle of Death."

For more of my Afghanistan memories, you can read my blog.

I was up at 4 am this morning in order to participate in the Yes Men's latest project -- a fake edition of the New York Post. Two million copies of the fake paper were printed and distributed before dawn this morning by the political activist group, whose pranks combine wit, ingenuity and a lot of secrecy to make serious points about the world we're living in.

The fake Post's front page looks authentic for the sensational Fox News-owned rag. The articles within the 32-page publication look equally real: "Congress to New York: 'Swim For It!'" "Clear & Present Disaster: Pentagon brass warn: Act now or pay later with 'lives'" and "Bon Voyage, Tourism Industry," to name a few. There is even a sports section, comics and, of course, a Page Six. The articles about our damaged planet may be in a fake paper, but the facts are 100% real and checked with experts, say the people behind the elaborate ruse.

"Make eye contact, engage people in conversation" and "Don't yell" were among the directives issued to the volunteers as we wearily clutched our cups of coffee. We picked up the papers and distributed them to media outlets like the AP and "Good Morning America," then to commuter hubs like Grand Central Station and the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn.

The Post project happened today in order to coincide with Climate Week, "a series of high-level meetings and events focused on the most urgent issue of our time: climate change." The week includes things like Carbon Disclosure Project's release of its latest reports, predicted by the Yes Men to be "a bunch of banks and other giant corporations trying to tell everyone what a wonderful job they're doing curtailing their CO2 emissions to save the planet... they'll also be saying that any legislative limits should be fully voluntary." Volunteers were encouraged to attend official events throughout the day in order to hand out as many copies of the paper as possible to participants.

You probably remember that the Yes Men published a fake edition of the New York Times last November, with stories celebrating the end of the Iraq war, a wage cap for CEOs, and the end of economic and health care problems, among other things. They have also published a fake edition of the International Herald Tribune, dated December 19, 2009, reporting that world leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference --which will have just ended--has collectively resolved to drastically improve environmental conditions without further ado.

This activist strategy -- call it "wishful thinking journalism" -- uses ruckuses like these to get people talking. The pranks function as sirens, warning us that disaster is at our doorsteps, now. The early start is making for a long day, but it's more than worth the lost sleep if the effort makes an impact.

If you want to learn more about the Yes Men, check out The Yes Men Fix the World, in theaters October 7th.

"Pres. Obama just called Kanye West a 'jackass' for his outburst at VMA's when Taylor Swift won. Now THAT'S presidential."

That's what Nightline co-anchor Terry Moran posted on Twitter Monday, while listening to the raw feed of an interview the President was doing with CNBC. Obama had quickly asked the reporters listening to "cut the president some slack" and said the remark was off the record. Moran ignored that request.

Clearly this is not the 1960s anymore. If it was, he wouldn't have even had to ask. Back then, the press routinely ignored things like JFK's affairs and the severity of FDR's paralysis.

This may have been a pivotal moment in the history of journalism. ABC quickly had the post deleted and issued a public apology, saying, "There should be a very dark, easily understood line between material that is approved, vetted and published, and material that has yet to reach that standard." ABC also issued a warning to employees about using social networking.

But that "dark, easily understood line" has been crossed--and there may be no going back. The reporters who, by unspoken consent, once upon a time didn't photograph FDR in a wheelchair are now a thing of the past. If JFK were alive today, he could not possibly be as reckless. We now live in a 24/7 era of cable news and social networking sites, not to mention competition from citizen journalists and bloggers who may overhear a conversation at a party and get a scoop by being able to post with no such scruples. The press didn't ignore Kanye's careless remarks, but they are asked to ignore the president's. Is that a good thing? Do we miss the days of the media gatekeepers?

[Image: Flickr]

As David Alm noted earlier, Glenn Beck brought his "Tea Party Express" to Washington, D.C. last weekend in order to protest the President's healthcare plan. I was there too--as a journalist, a videographer, and as a Billionaire.

The satirical political group "Billionaires For Wealthcare" (the reincarnation of "Billionaires for Bush") was also in DC to counter-protest the 9-12ers, and I decided to join them. The Billionaires pretend to be ultra-capitalists, using sarcastic humor and parody, taking right-wing claims to absurd conclusions and then promoting those statements in high hats and pearls. Think of them as a grass-roots Stephen Colbert.

I've always been attracted to Billionaire's sense of honesty, directness, and the need to inject comedy into the unintentionally hilarious political times we're living through. So, tossing my journalistic objectivity aside, I broke out my tux in honor of the occasion. It hadn't seen the light of day since I got drunk at the opera and ended up with mustard on my shirt and the mustard was still there, but this was street theater and not Lincoln Center, so I figured no one would notice.

At 9am, an hour before the march was due to start, the Billionaires lined up along the road, standing on a series of steps leading to a park. These people are well-trained: they picked the spot because it's off the sidewalk, giving them the legal right to stand in place and not have to move along or face arrest as the parade marched past. Standing off to the side of the Billionaires' Greek chorus, I watched (and sometimes participated) as the group chanted and waved signs reading "Bring Back Bush," "Wealthcare, Not Healthcare," and "Walk. It. Off." Some of these had confused marchers nodding--until they realized they were being mocked.

Generally the momentum of the march kept interactions from getting out of hand. An elderly woman whizzed by in her motorized wheelchair, carrying a sign that said "Out With Socialism." The irony of a senior who was possibly indebted to our tax dollars was not lost on the Billionaires, who immediately called after her: "Privatize Medicare!" and waved the sign reading "Stop Socialism: End Medicare Now!"

The 9-12ers were not happy that we were there. Many of them responded with insults, epithets, and racist and xenophobic remarks. One man asked if I was a Jew, then said "Bet ya miss Hitler, don't ya?" I was told that the Billionaires have never encountered such an angry group, not even in the run-up to the 2004 Presidential election. Usually, they say, people laugh and thank the fake rich people for lightening up our brutal political scene, even if they, themselves, disagree with the message.

It was an amazing and instructive day. I was taken aback by the hostility of the 9-12ers to the relatively benign presence of the Billionaires. If people can't even take a joke, then where are we as a country? It's clear to me that things are going to get even crazier--stay tuned.

I'm not the biggest Bill Maher fan -- I thought his 2008 movie, Religulous, was a shallow piece of sophomoric nonsense. I never watch his show, and not just because I don't have cable. But this segment, which the Daily Beast posted on Sunday, seemed to hit the nail on the head when he told President Obama that he needs to stop being such a nice guy.

I don't agree that Obama consistently bows to the pressure of right wing crackpots, as Maher suggests in the clip, citing the President's lack of backbone on the Van Jones issue and dropping end-of-life counseling. But I do think he needs to deal with his opposition more forcefully.

President Obama's speeches last week on health care and education elicited massive protests across the nation, but as Maher says here, what exactly is the problem with what Obama said?

Nothing, unless you believe the conservative propaganda that our president is a death-mongering socialist with an agenda to cleanse the nation of its sick and elderly to make way for a new generation that has been brainwashed by his radical conviction that hard work is good for you.

I don't want Obama to stoop to the level of Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin or the birthers. But I want him to get out there and counter these ridiculous accusations with more force and to once again inspire all of us who voted for change.

President Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the United States, has the opportunity to appoint the first openly gay Cabinet member. According to the new biography, "Barney Frank: The Story of America's Only Left-handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman," by former staffer Stuart Weisberg, Frank is interested in becoming Secretary for Housing and Urban Development. This begs the question why would the powerful House Financial Services Committee Chairman want a lesser cabinet position like that of HUD? Of course, Housing and Urban Development does a tremendous amount of good for the poor -- something that would appeal to an unabashed liberal like Congressman Frank. Barney Frank, however, is one of the most powerful committee chairman and could, in a perfect world, have his pick of Cabinet positions in a future Obama second Presidential administration (if indeed that were to happen). From Politico:

Weisberg writes that Frank "had no immediate interest in a cabinet position," saying that he wants to stay where he is at least two full years under the Obama administration and a "solidly Democratic Senate" so he can work to reestablish good federal housing policy. Only then, Frank mused, would secretary of Housing and Urban Development sound appealing.

Noting that the relevant interview with Weisberg took place before Obama appointed Shaun Donovan as HUD secretary, a Frank spokesman told POLITICO that Frank wants to be clear that Donovan "is the best possible choice for HUD secretary" and he "would be happy if Donovan stayed on in that role."

HUD, of late, is where up-and-coming urban pols who are allies of the sitting President cut their teeth and raise their national profile (Or, in the case of Bush, 41, a zone to cleverly neutralize a potential political rival in Jack Kemp). Perhaps aiming low is Congressman Frank's strategy. Even the staunchest bigot would have no leg to stand on saying Frank did not deserve HUD if he so desired. No one could argue that he is not qualified for that position. While it would be, technically, a demotion with regards to Barney Frank's power, it would also be a political step up for gays everywhere, the breaking of a ceiling. HUD would be far more attainable a cabinet position than, say, Treasury Secretary. One barrier at a time, I suppose.

[Image: Courtesy of US Congress, provided by Wikipedia]

Best. Party trick. Ever. Senator Al Franken, no stranger to sketch comedy, is also pretty good at sketching the country, sideways, at a Minnesota state fair. The Junior Senator from Minnesota showed awesome prowess with a Sharpie in this viral video. This will go a long way in erasing Stuart Smalley from the minds of voters.

Mitch Stewart, Executive Director of Organizing for America, rallies supporters of health care insurance reform at the kickoff for the Health Care Reform Now Express Bus Tour in Phoenix, Arizona on August 26, 2009. The bus made 11 stops, hitting up Albuquerque, New Mexico, Denver, Colorado, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

My motivation was to be in the action and to try my hand at photojournalism. I wanted to document the event and capture human spirit and hope. I did not have a "press pass," so I was inside and with the crowd. The point of view is one of participation which I think helps capture the spirit of the people and the event.

Remember PETA's thoughtless billboard ad in Jacksonville, Florida that asked people to "lose the blubber" by going vegetarian? Mississippi chef, restaurateur, and author Robert St. John, according to the Laurel Leader Call, found it funny and has "pledged to go veg" for 30 days to lose weight. He was, apparently, in the minority. "I think it's rather rude. Yeah we all need to be a little bit healthier and exercise a little bit more, but that sign is very rude," one woman told CBS affiliate WCTV-TV in Tallahassee. Many others were equally offended and PETA has replaced the billboard as they said they would last week. Above is the new ad. All good?

[Image: CBS13.com]