quackquack

In 17 months in office, President Obama has already outdone every previous president in pursuing leak prosecutions. His administration has taken actions that might have provoked sharp political criticism for his predecessor, George W. Bush, who was often in public fights with the press.

White House honors legacy of Cesar Chavez by inviting his family over. I worked for the United Farm Workers in the summer of 1986. If they’re who I think they are, the two lovely women on the right were Cesar’s pre-teen granddaughters who always insisted we listen to bubblegum pop on our commute into NYC. Looks like they turned out all right. From part of the White House Proclamation:

Chavez could not sit idly by while such abuses occurred. He became an organizer, a leader and a voice for justice, bringing farm workers together to demand change through boycotts, strikes and other nonviolent demonstrations.  He established the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), which continues to champion his cause to this day. In fact, several of his family members continue to lead the UFW today.

Happy Cesar Chavez day everyone!

micahbales:

This video pretty much says it all about the first year of Obama’s term.

As the chair of a group of people of diverse faiths who have been meeting since 9/11 to promote justice and peace, I agree with President Obama that the Peace Prize is a “call to action.” We hope it will encourage and challenge him not only to fulfill his promises, but to go further. It is not enough to withdraw troops from Iraq, he should also have an exit strategy for promptly withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.

“According to many sources, young emerging Christians need some safe way to rebel. They are not interested in experimenting with drugs, promiscuous sex or even real cigarettes, so they have chosen microbrew beer, R-rated movies, Coldplay and cloves. It makes them feel rebellious as they question their parents’ belief system, but they don’t have to go too far down the road of dangerous behavior or real rock-n-roll music.”

From @djword via @zoecarnate

Yes, it’s coated in a kind of diplomatic double-speak, but listen to it:

“Failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near term (next 12 months) — while Afghan security capacity matures — risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible,” General McChrystal writes.

This is an eight year war and the US’s top general is saying he doesn’t think the other side can be defeated without an emergency influx of more troops.

From the NYTimes:

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Monday announced a temporary increase in the size of the Army of up to 22,000 troops to meet what he called the “persistent pace” of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The increase, to occur over the next three years, will boost the size of the Army to 569,000 active-duty soldiers. An expansion to 547,000 soldiers, announced by Mr. Gates in 2007, was completed in May.

Wait, what’s that? We’re getting word into the studio that Barack Obama did indeed win the election and… won? is serving? can you confirm that? Yes, folks the producers assure me that Barack Obama won the 2008 election and is currently serving as President of the United States and that this escalation is happening under his watch.

Relief to know Michelle doesn’t look fabulous in just anything!

Alternate caption contest! Obama compares sizes w/Italy’s Berlusconi, France’s Sarkozy & Russia’s Medvedev.

Leave your captions in the comments.

Stephen Colbert doing his ultra-patriotic shtick from Iraq. It’s so meta, it’s meta-meta, but it works. Even Obama is in on the joke, even McCain pokes some good natured fun at himself.

Reporter E.J. Dionne Jr. on the selling of the new Liberal Establishment. Obama and the limits of mastery

The White House said on Friday that some Guantánamo detainees would be prosecuted in a military commission system that was a much-criticized centerpiece of the Bush administration’s strategy for fighting terror. Administration officials said they were making changes in the system to grant detainees expanded legal rights, but critics said the move was a sharp departure from the direction suggested by Mr. Obama during the campaign, when he characterized the commissions as an unnecessary compromise of American values. In a statement, President Obama noted that there was a long American tradition of using military commissions, and said the administration was proposing changes to make them provide fairer justice.

House Dem: Obama the new Nixon, Afghanistan the new Vietnam?

NYTimes: “President Obama is seeking to block the release of photographs that depict American military personnel abusing captives in Iraq and Afghanistan, his spokesman said Wednesday, fearing the images could spark a hostile backlash against United States troops.’

Translation: we can’t let people know what we did because if they knew they’d be mad as us. Well, yeah, so let’s actually try to prove to the world that we can be trusted by ending up the last Administration’s coverup.

Standup Barack: President Obama at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.