SDB Evening News Reads for 082211: Old Fossils, Irene’s Moving On Up and Gaddafi’s Gone?
Posted: August 22, 2011 Filed under: 2012 presidential campaign, Barack Obama, Foreign Affairs, Hillary Clinton, Libya, Main Stream Media, Media, SDB Evening News Reads | Tags: Gaddafi, Hurricane Irene 25 Comments
Good Afternoon!
Here is a run down of some items making news today…
Hurray, it seems we dodged an “Eddie Munster” bullet with the news that Paul Ryan rules out 2012 presidential run.
Ryan, R-Wis., said in a statement he appreciated the support from “those eager to chart a brighter future for the next generation” but would not run for president.
“While humbled by the encouragement, I have not changed my mind, and therefore I am not seeking our party’s nomination for President,” he said. “I remain hopeful that our party will nominate a candidate committed to a pro-growth agenda of reform that restores the promise and prosperity of our exceptional nation.”
Obama looks like he his going to take the kudos on Gaddafi’s ouster. Clinton was the force behind getting involved in Libya…and of course, the negative response in the media when the Libyan revolt started was mostly aimed at her. Now that it seems Gaddafi is out…Obama is getting the media praise.
President Obama Libya Strategy: Vindicated by Gadhafi Downfall? – ABC News
When President Obama announced military intervention in Libya in March, he was criticized by liberals for injecting the United States into a third war, and by conservatives for doing it too slowly.
As the mission dragged on, from “days and weeks” to months, the bipartisan criticism only grew, with charges that Obama was “leading from behind” and violating the War Powers Act in the process.
Now, the impending downfall of Moammar Gadhafi brings one of Obama’s key foreign policy objectives closer to fulfillment, and signals that the president’s strategy was at least partly a success.
“As of today, I think it is a partial vindication of the so-called Obama Doctrine, at least for certain kinds of cases,” said Michael O’Hanlon, a military and foreign policy analyst at the Brookings Institution.
Obama had justified limited, pre-emptive U.S. military action in Libya as part a broad “international mandate for action” and compelling humanitarian interest to prevent “violence on a horrific scale,” all while not requiring formal congressional approval. He charted a course for greater U.S. support for multinational action instead of isolationism or unilateral force.“The robust leadership of the president is pretty clear here,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, “and had a tangible impact on the outcome in Libya.”
ABC does make a slight mention about the small bounce Obama got after Osama’s was killed, and wonders if the same bounce will happen with Gaddafi. They also touch on the fact that Gaddafi is missing…I wonder if he is hiding out in a dug out hole somewhere in the desert.
These next three links are all questions of the day…
Over at CNN, the question is: Libya: Is Gadhafi’s loss Obama’s gain? – CNN Political Ticker – CNN.com Blogs
You can click on that link to see what CNN views think…
Then there is this question of the day over at WSJ: Will President Barack Obama win re-election?
If anyone wants to see what readers of the Wall Street Journal about that question, go ahead and click the link.
Personally I like this question being offered over at Guardian: Would we have been better off with President Hillary Clinton than President Barack Obama? | Poll | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
Given the travails of Barack Obama’s presidency, some say we would have been better off if Hillary Clinton had won the 2008 presidential nomination. Would the world be a better place today if the US had got a Hillary Clinton administration?
If Hillary were president, would we be in a better place? Photograph: Marty Melville/Getty
Would we have been better off with President Hillary Clinton than President Barack Obama? 50% Yes 50% No Poll closes in 2 days (Votes are counted every 60 seconds)
Take a look at what the Guardian readers think about this.
It may be an interesting comparison.
Just a couple more links for you today, Irene is getting stronger…Dangerous Hurricane Irene forms | Earth | EarthSky
Irene, the ninth named storm and first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, immediately formed on August 20, 2011 after hurricane hunters investigated a strong tropical wave (ex-97L) in the eastern Caribbean.
The last time we had nine named storms in the Atlantic Basin prior to August 20, was set back in the years of 1936 and 2005. In other words, 2011 is the 3rd most active Atlantic hurricane season up to now since record keeping began. Irene is going to impact the Southeast United States later this week, and now is the time to be prepared.
Irene is a storm that should be taken seriously. If you live along the southeast coast, please have a plan ready. The intensity forecast for Irene is dependent on the track the storm takes. Irene is now forecasted to move north of Hispaniola, which is great news for them. However, that’s horrible news for the United States. If Irene moves north of Hispaniola, then the storm will remain over warm waters and the mountainous terrain will not disrupt the organization of the cyclone as much. The water temperatures over the Bahamas are extremely warm, and conditions should remain favorable for Irene to steadily strengthen into a major hurricane.
For the latest updates, here is the link to NOAA Hurricane Center: National Hurricane Center
If you haven’t heard, Geological Team Lays Claim to Oldest Known Fossils – NYTimes.com
A team of Australian and British geologists have discovered fossilized, single-cell organisms that are 3.4 billion years old and that the scientists say are the oldest known fossils on earth.
Their assertion, if sustained, confirms the view that life evolved on earth surprisingly soon after the Late Heavy Bombardment, a reign of destruction in which waves of asteroids slammed into the primitive planet, heating the surface to molten rock and boiling the oceans into an incandescent mist. The bombardment, which ended around 3.85 billion years ago, would have sterilized the earth’s surface of any incipient life.
What? 3.4 billion year old fossils? How can that be when the world is only 6 thousand years old? I would like to hear Perry and Bachmann’s explanations for that.
Well, be sure to post any updates or links to things you are reading this afternoon. See y’all in the comments!
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New update on the Guardian question of the day:
Would we have been better off with President Hillary Clinton than President Barack Obama?
48.7% Yes
51.3% No
Link please? I’d like to vote.
It is up top BB, in the evening news post.
Oh, sorry!
No here it is: Would we have been better off with President Hillary Clinton than President Barack Obama? | Poll | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
The numbers are not 48% yes 52% no…
I’d like to vote too. But as Obama is a jaded fantasy, I hold few briefs for what ifs, having been burned before. (This is not to say I have not held a few briefs in my time). However, as I have previously indicated, what’s past is past. And we are past due debating what’s done. Better to ask, what will we do? And who will we support to do it? One would hope that would be somebody who supports us most closely. As briefs are said to do.
I can only think that Obots are spending hours repeatedly voting for Obama so that he doesn’t lose even this unscientific election.
A few other links:
‘Hundreds dead’ in South Sudan cattle raids – Africa – Al Jazeera English
A Look at the ‘Bush-Obama’ Presidency – Truthdig
Large Zone Around Fukushima “Uninhabitable” | FDL News Desk
And one more: Qaddafi’s Downfall, Obama’s Victory – Michael Hirsh – Politics – The Atlantic
Obama’s victory my sweet petuti – Hmmmm, remember when Hill was annoyed that O took so long to put something in place?
And when the front page of Times of London, said, ‘The three women who persuaded the President to take action,” with pictures of Hill, Susan Rice, and Samantha Power.
Romeny is leading Obama in the Gallup poll, 48% to 46%
http://www.gallup.com/poll/149114/Obama-Close-Race-Against-Romney-Perry-Bachmann-Paul.aspx
Obama is only 2 points ahead of Ron Paul.
LOL! Just shows what total sh*t that Gallup polling is. Ain’t no way Ron Paul is winning even 10% of the vote against Obama. Obama is praying to Jeebus that someone as batsh*t as Paul will be the nominee!
Hillary is going to Turkey because of Libya and cut her vacation short. Obama gave a statement,gets all the credit and can stay on vacation.
well that,s not right. 👿
I voted for Hill.don’t think they are counting her votes. 😡
I have no doubt we all would have been better off with Hillary Clinton as POTUS. One example, she would have proposed a modern day HOLC to help those losing their homes to foreclosure to keep those homes. She would have stood up to the rabid, crazy tea nuts and the GOP as she had already fought them for close to 20 years.
I voted in that poll. Thanks for bringing that over.
“Hillary is going to Turkey because of Libya and cut her vacation short. Obama gave a statement,gets all the credit and can stay on vacation.”
Not surprised at all by this. She was always the work horse and he was the lazy, diva show horse.
I’m very happy for the Libyan people getting rid of their monster/lethal nutcase. I’ve supported our action in Libya and was not surprised to learn that it was Clinton, Rice and Power who convinced the faux Nobel Prize winner and do nothing faux POTUS to take the action we did in Libya along with France and England.
And, of course it did not surprise me at all when this happened: http://tinyurl.com/4s69sf2
And, I’ve been waiting all day to read or view something in the news that even mentioned Clinton, Rice and Power in connection with having anything to do with the success in Libya. But, not so for the Dear Leader. Again, not surprised about how he has thus far gotten all the credit for our involvement in Libya.
And, then I came across this display from TP http://tinyurl.com/3uzyqtz and was really pissed. It’s a pic of what is called “Fantastic Four”. And, guess who is missing? SOS Clinton. To be fair, Power isn ‘t getting credit either but she’s much less well known and it seems understandable that whoever created that signage (and made a big deal over at TP) overlooked her. But, Clinton? Clinton is once again being erased from history as she was photo shopped out of that iconic pic in the Situation Room when they caught and killed Osama.
That seems to me a deliberate omission because if the person who made that signage was cognizant of Rices’ involvement how could they not know of Clinton’s? And, even if the people who made that signage weren’t cognizant of Clinton’s involvement in their liberation, TP is aware of her (and Powers) involvement and yet no mention at all of Clinton (or Powers) by those over at TP who wrote that article about the Libyan people’s signage. http://tinyurl.com/3uzyqtz
And, I didn’t see any “fauxgressive” commenters mention Clinton’s omission either which also doesn’t surprise me but, of course, praise for Dear Leader is neaseatingly effusive.
I am so happy Clinton will be leaving after her term is over. I had mixed feelings when she accepted the job but I understood why she did. And, I’m glad she did because I always felt safer with her there than not. But, it’s time for her to leave. This administration is TOXIC and my disgust with the Great Leader and his followers is at an apex.
Thank you for commenting portianne. I always felt Hillary as SOS was my “safety net” in this Obama Administration as well. I look forward to her work for women’s rights when she does retire from public office…I just hope that when she does retire, the PLUB war against women hasn’t brought about a complete ruin of what rights women do have now.
And here is a prime example of the PLUB war on women and children, former fetuses I should say. Dak sent this to me last night…‘Pro-Life’ Republican Kansas Governor Guts Funding For Dying Infants | Addicting Info
I’m also looking forward to her work for women and girls after she leaves as SOS. With Hillary on our side, I have no doubt we will regain a lot of what we lost or will lose. It’s been very troublesome and scary to see this PLUB war against us. We have to be ever vigilant about these hard won rights because those who would do us harm by trying to eradicate them have never given up on their sick mission to bring us all back a century or two. Or, more like back to the Dark Ages.
So, I’m glad Hillary will be there with the rest of us to fight these sick bastards who truly hate women and the women who believe as they do are just as bad if not worse.
I lump Erza Klein in with Dowd…did you see his latest crap?
Defending Obama with a Failure of Imagination | FDL Action
Ezra Klein is not nearly as clever as Dowd. And that’s not a compliment to either one of them.
Ha, you got a point there.
Ezra Klein reminds me of Baghdad Bob. I think Yves at Naked Capitalism pointed that out first.
Latest News on Irene, she is strengthening!
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/205112.shtml?5-daynl?large#contents
HURRICANE IRENE TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092011
750 PM AST MON AUG 22 2011
…IRENE NOW A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE…
REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE
THAT IRENE HAS STRENGTHENED…AND IS NOW A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE
WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 100 MPH…155 KM/H. DETAILS WILL
FOLLOW IN A SPECIAL ADVISORY TO BE ISSUED BY 815 PM AST…0015 UTC.
SUMMARY OF 750 PM AST…2350 UTC…INFORMATION
————————————————–
LOCATION…19.7N 68.7W
ABOUT 200 MI…320 KM SE OF GRAND TURK ISLAND
ABOUT 130 MI…210 KM E OF PUERTO PLATA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…100 MPH…155 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…WNW OR 295 DEGREES AT 10 MPH…17 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…981 MB…28.97 INCHES
$$
FORECASTER BRENNAN
Global warming???
We get heavy winds up here — just had a front pass through (convergence zones) power was out.
My fingers are crossed for a miss of the huge target (landmass) by Irene.