Obama nominated for Nobel Peace Prize?

"President Obama has been in office a little over a month, and already, he has been nominated for Oslo's Nobel Peace Prize, along with Nicolas Sarkozy."

What has he done to deserve it?

http://www.examiner.com/x-2086-NY-Foreign-Policy-Examiner~y2009m2d27-Nobel-Peace-Prize-Obama-or-Sarkozy

In Iraq forever

In 2006, we elected a Democratic Congress, so that Pelosi and Reid would end the war in Iraq.

In 2008, the Democrats nominated and elected the "anti war" candidate who pledged to end the war in Iraq, withdraw our troops, and use the money now spent in Iraq to fund his domestic agenda.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/925995.html

In 2009, the newly elected anti war president finally announced his Iraq policy - - withdraw most troops from Iraq by late 2010, and leave as many as 50,000 troops in Iraq through 2011.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/front-page/story/925704.html

In other words, the man "whose presidential campaign was built initially on his early opposition to the Iraq War and his promise to end it if elected" has just adopted the Bush/McCain/Republican plan to "end" the war:

"The Republican Obama defeated in November for the presidency, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, lauded the plan. ''We have spent enormous amounts of American blood and treasure in Iraq,'' McCain said. ``We are finally on a path to success. Let us have no crisis of confidence now.'' McCain said he agrees with Obama that the United States should keep 50,000 troops in Iraq after the combat troops leave, following the recommendation of U.S. military commanders. . . . The Republican leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives -- Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Rep. John Boehner of Ohio -- also issued statements praising Obama's Iraq policy."
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/front-page/story/925704.html

If all goes according to plan, without hitch or setback, then 5 years after electing an anti war Congress, and three years after electing an anti war president, 50,000 American troops will still be in Iraq.

Does anyone still believe all U.S. troops will be out of Iraq by the end of 2011?

Religion and politics

Regarding Obama's "Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships", "an extension of Bush's office directing tax dollars to faith-based social service agencies", but which Obama has empowered to "actually weigh in on policy matters":

"The mixing of religion and politics has drawn fire from the left and the right. Groups like Americans United for Separation of Church and State accuse Obama of going back on his word by refusing to scrap a Bush policy allowing federally funded religious groups to discriminate against job candidates who don't share their beliefs."

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/925699.html

It continues to amaze me that highly and widely criticized policies of the Bush administration are being continued and even expanded by the Obama administration, with only the slightest comment, notice or criticism.

On the road . . .

with wireless connection problems.

Be back Thursday!

Just say "No"!

"The White House on Friday insisted it's not trying to take over two ailing financial institutions, even as stocks tumbled again. On Wall Street, talk of nationalization of Citigroup Inc., and Bank of America Corp., prompted investors to continue to balk, worried that the government would have to take control and wipe out shareholders in the process.

Citigroup fell 20 percent, while Bank of America fell 12 percent in afternoon trading but also came off their lowest levels. . . .

When a reporter suggested Gibbs could do that by saying point blank that Obama would never nationalize banks, Gibbs would not make that statement, but emphasized: "I think I was very clear about the system that this country has and will continue to have.""

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/story/913522.html

If a portion of the market decline of recent days is attributable to fears that Obama will nationalize banks, and Obama doesn't plan to ever nationalize banks, and Obama wants to help reverse the market decline, Obama must simply and clearly say he will never nationalize banks.

If he won't, don't be surprised if people think he will, and act accordingly.

Was the real purpose of the stimulus bill

. . . to allow governors to go on wild and crazy spending sprees?

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/914452.html

If not, someone in the administration needs to smack down Gov. Crist.

I always thought the appropriate responses to economic difficulty are frugality and fiscal discipline.

Did they lie about foreign involvement in the campaign?

Remember when accusations of foreign involvement in Obama's campaign were dismissed as xenophobic paranoia?

"I want to also, by the way, thank some of the Canadians who came over the border to campaign for me during the election."
Barrack Obama, speaking in Canada
www.politico.com