WE'RE BACK

For the blessed souls who check this site regularly, apologies are in order - we've been on holiday for most of the month. I can't speak for Junius, but I know that I've intentionally kept myself out of the loop for the past several weeks. It's time to get back in the mix... Let us know if there is anything you'd like to see (or not)?

For a number of reasons, we have decided to stop our WEEK IN REVIEW series. Our purpose is not to keep tabs of every minute detail of the Obama presidency, but rather to shed light on specific subjects of interest.

WEEK IN REVIEW: MAR 2-6

Much has transpired over the past two days but I won't get into it yet. Unfortunately, we've been too busy to post the most recent week in review well and on time, but here goes nothing...

The big story in the first days of March was healthcare, an area that needs a whole lot of work. There is no good reason for the all the problems plaguing the medical system in the US. Pharmaceutical and insurance companies continue to rake in billions at the expense of all the rest of us (including many doctors). Unless Obama's healthcare agenda reverses this trend, it will only make matters worse, especially since there is no money to spend. Whatever his plan may be, it will not be easy to fix the problem.

Here's a brief rundown of some things that happened in week nine... 

MONDAY:
 - Obama announced Kathleen Sebelius - a former insurance executive - as his latest pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services. There are still many posts left to fill...

TUESDAY:
 - The President of the United States met with the British Prime Minster... no big deal.
 - Meanwhile, members of Congress debated Obama's massive budget on Captiol Hill
 - In other news the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir. In ambiguously supporting the ICC decision, The president seems to be suggesting that he values justice over peace. If only that were something that applied in other hot zones.

WEDNESDAY:
 - Obama announced plans to overhaul the way that contracts are managed and awarded. While this may seem like bad news for big firms with well-to-do shareholders, it is probably little more than a publicity stunt. 
 - In the evening he hosted members of Congress at the White House in hopes of convincing them to back his budget plans.

THURSDAY:
 - A mass of people attended the White House Forum on Health Reform that lasted all afternoon despite the fact that there is still nobody in charge of that department. Nevertheless, President Obama called for a comprehensive overhaul of the healthcare system (his reforms could cost US taxpayers $2.5 trillion while still leaving over 45 million uninsured) 
 - VP Biden spoke to the AFL-CIO Executive Council in Miami – he reitetreated the WH position that “a strong middle class needs a strong labor movement.” Considering most middle-class workers in the US are not members of any unions, he is probably wrong.
 - While participating in some positive charity work, FLOTUS Michelle Obama had a rather bizarre phot-op at a homeless shelter. 
 - US District Judge James Robertson threw out a lawsuit questioning Obama’s citizenship. He ordered the prosecution to to show why it hadn't violated court rules barring frivolous cases and why the plaintiff' should not have to pay Obama's attorney for wasting his time. Amen to that! Still no news on the other case I keep yapping about.

FRIDAY:
 - Obama spoke at a graduation ceremony for police recruits in Ohio where he sought to justify his gigantic spending bill.
 - Barack toughened his stance on whaling, a move that is sure to upset some people in Japan. I'm not fan of animal cruelty, but I've heard that whale meat is absolutely delicious. 
 - The president announced plans for some more foreign policy appointments... More on this later.
 - Right before the weekend, the White House signaled that limits on stem-cell research would be lifted (more on that some other time).

BEAST IN THE MIDDLE EAST

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: Barack Obama could not have picked anyone worse than Hillary Clinton to be his Secretary of State.  In her first official trip to the Middle East, Bill's wife showed her true colors when speaking about Gaza and Hamas. Like her boss, she continued to spew Bush-era talking points without shame. She spoke to reporters Monday after a Gaza "reconstruction" conference in Sharm El Sheikh. Her demeanor was unpleasant as usual. Here is some of what she had to say: 

"Hamas is not a country. It is an entity that has to understand what the principles for any engagement are, not just from the United States. The Quartet – which consists of the United Nations, Russia, the European Union, and the United States – as well as the Arab League are in agreement that there are certain principles that Hamas would have to adopt in order for any of us to engage with Hamas: recognize Israel, renounce violence, and agree to abide by the prior PLO agreements. Now that is not the United States talking. That is the Quartet and the Arab League. Everyone knows what Hamas must do, and it is up to Hamas."

By putting the onus for political participation squarely on Hamas, Secretary Clinton is making it clear that the US will continue to support Israel blindly, no matter what the consequences. Hamas is ready to negotiate - they have been for years. The problem is that Israeli leaders have no desire to place themselves in any position where a viable peace would be in reach, thus the pre-conditions we keep hearing about.

Hillary Clinton has long been a 'friend' of Israel so nobody should be expecting any surprises from her. If Obama plans to make things better (he doesn't) he'll fire her (he won't). Sadly, there is little hope for improvement with Hill-dog in charge of diplomacy. She will make every effort to stifle any meaningful negotiations by ensuring Israeli interests are never compromised. 

While Obama at least pretends to be reaching out to Iran, his Secretary of State is already signaling that such efforts will be in vain. Surprisingly, she managed to shake hands with Syrian FM Walid Muallem... it's too bad he didn't twist her arm.

WEEK IN REVIEW: FEB 23-27

President Obama started his eighth week in office with a promise to cut the national deficit in half by the end of his first term. Considering the massive spending package he recently signed into law, that may seem a little too optimistic. With time it is becoming ever more clear that despite the dire economic situation we are currently in, our new president intends to spend money we don't have in hopes of making things better. By the end of the week, Barack made his intention to raise the deficit abundantly clear. 

The media highlight of the week was a toss up between an appearance at a Washington Wizards game, and his first 'State of the Union' type speech. It was typical Obama... flourishing rhetoric reminiscent of his campaign days. Unfortunately, the address was quite weak on substance as the Associated Press dutifully pointed out. In many ways, the Republican response was stronger (from a political perspective). While the president sounded more optimistic in discussing what lies ahead, he delivered a laundry list of promises he is unlikely to deliver on them all.

It's too early to pass judgment on the Obama administration's handling of the economic situation, but if his budget proposal is any sign of things to come, there may be real cause for concern. Unsurprisingly, they want to spend a lot of money. Hopes that the stimulus and bailout packages will increase economic growth are probably misplaced. Republicans are gearing up for a fight, and in his weekly video address Obama affirmed his commitment to fight back. There are no real causes for optimism at the time being when it comes to the economy. 

In other news this week, VP Joe Biden presided over the first meeting of the Middle Class Task Force in Philadelphia - the focus was on green jobs. We'll see what actually happens (and how much it costs), but at least the administration appears to be moving in the right direction when it comes to the environment.

Obama laid out his plans for Iraq at Camp Lejeune; among other things, he decided to give the military a little more time to get the job done, electing for a 19 month timeline as opposed to the 16 months he promised while campaign. No big deal really... unless 19 becomes 24 or more. Whatever the case, the military will have its hands full in Afghanistan. It's a rocky road...