Ventura Trumps Obama

All is not well in the universe . . .

"I will criticize President Obama on this level; it's a good thing I'm not president because I would prosecute every person that was involved in that torture. I would prosecute the people that did it. I would prosecute the people that ordered it. Because torture is against the law."

That's former Navy SEAL, professional wrestler and governor Jesse Ventura. Why is he making more sense than Obama?

Update: From the same interview (speaking on the topic of waterboarding):

"It's drowning. It gives you the complete sensation that you are drowning. It is no good, because you -- I'll put it to you this way, you give me a water board, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I'll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders... "

Reich=Summers?

Interesting tidbits here. Is Larry Summers this administration's Bob Reich? Obama makes the case:

"[T]he fact is that Larry Summers right now is very comfortable making arguments, often quite passionately, that Bob Reich used to be making when he was in the Clinton White House."

I've always regarded Summers as someone likely to have Gordon Gecko on speed dial, and I find it hard to believe he has reexamined his laisez-faire mindset. Also, his track record at Harvard was more than controversial. If if were Bob Reich, I'd be a little peeved.

More on Summers. More on Reich.

The Obama Doctrine?

"I firmly believe that if we're willing to break free from the arguments and ideologies of an earlier era and continue to act, as we have at this summit, with a sense of mutual responsibility and mutual respect and mutual interest, then each of our nations can come out of this challenging period stronger and more prosperous, and we can advance opportunity, equality, and security across the Americas."

Easier said than done.

Future-Proof Jobs

With the future looking bleak, especially from an economic standpoint, it's good to know there are opportunities out there. As I read through the article, I was reminded of Obama's budget and his vision of education as the bedrock of future prosperity. While it's comforting to know these types of jobs exist, I also want to know what we as a society are doing to educate the skilled workers that will be required to power tomorrow's economy.

Ch-arrrgh-t of the Day

(thanks Turner)

Obamaism

"This is not the rigid mentality of an engineer of human souls; it’s the attitude of a community organizer."

Full article here.

(thanks Nick)

North Korea's Failed Test

Everything I've read about North Korea indicates that it's years away from being able to detonate a nuclear weapon in the Western Hemisphere. Therefore, I wasn't all that tuned into its recent missile test. However, as a friend points out, I'm ignoring the bigger picture: the real fear is a North Korean/Iranian alliance.

With North Korea supplying the rocket and Iran supplying the payload, North Korea's test launch seems much, well, scarier. Fortunately, it was a failure.

In context, Obama's recent European tour is all the more encouraging, as the long-absent pragmatism he championed on the campaign trail seems to be making a comeback. Let's hope this is just the beginning, and that Wall Street is next on his agenda.

For the record, I predict that the President's speech in Prague will come to be regarded as a seminal piece of American foreign policy.

He who controls your breadbasket controls your destiny

I loved this NY Times article about the Obamas breaking ground on a vegetable garden in DC and was fascinated by this piece about chickens in the Bronx.

I am also a big fan of Roosevelt/Obama parallels. Turns out Franklin and Eleanor were the last folks to have an edible garden at 1600 Pennsylvania.

Regarding the chickens: they may be just about perfect for urban living. Eggs are delicious and nutritious; chickens make great city dwellers; and, perhaps best of all, they are extremely annoying and cook up nicely (negating the guilt factor and pleasing the palette).

Baracketology

In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush defeated John Kerry in North Carolina, Indiana, Virginia, Florida and Ohio. In 2008, Obama won all five states, coasting to a 365 to 173 electoral victory over John McCain.

As multiple media sources have noted, Obama has spent some time in these states since entering office. In fact, the president has visited eight states that went red in 2004 and blue in 2008 since late January. This should come as no surprise. After all, paraphrasing Dick Cheney, the primary goal of every first term administration is winning a second term. Is it therefore surprising that Obama's recently released NCAA bracket seems to reflect the political status quo?

Taking a closer look, Obama's upset picks are notable. For example, he is opting for Indiana's Butler over LSU in the first round. Not a huge shocker there, as that game could go either way. More suspiciously, Barack's bracket has #11 Temple over the Sun Devils, who are a six seed. Similarly, Barack is favoring Richmond's VCU over UCLA, who made it to the Final Four each of the last three seasons. In a swing state showdown, the President also has Florida St. ahead of Xavier; granted, Florida's 27 electoral votes compare favorably vs. Ohio's 20.

Most suspicious of all, at least in my mind, is that the President has #2 Duke (overrated) going far into the tourney and the #1 seed Tar Heels winning it all. Granted, these are solid teams and storied organizations. Still, Obama is likely sitting pretty with basketball fans in North Carolina, a state he won by about one percentage point in 2008. Conversely, he is likely not making any friends in the Pac-10. Not that that's a problem. Dems already own the West Coast.