BHO: Conventional Deficit Approach Differs from 2008

Arianna Huffington: At the moment, the White House seems to be following the standard Washington playbook, which is premised on two dubious assumptions: a) elections are decided by "independents" b) "independents" are always to be found in the middle of the road. So, the Beltway thinking goes, count on those in your base to come out, and run a middle-of-the-road campaign to win over those independents before your opponent can. It's the classic way to run a campaign. And it was proven completely wrong in 2008 by the winning coalition that swept Obama to victory. He didn't win by swerving to the middle. Instead of fighting for the ever-dwindling number of swing voters, Obama fought to win over the much larger number of voters who had turned their backs on the process. It was audacious -- and it worked. But what will happen to all those 2008 first-time voters, many of whom have been disproportionately hurt by the recession?

Jordan Election Has Anti-Israel Theme

There are parliamentary elections in Jordan this week, and I'm sure you'll all be shocked to hear that the elections' major theme is bashing Israel.

Behind the anger expressed by candidates and voters lies US ally Jordan's greatest fear: That if peacemaking collapses, Israel will try to force it to take in the residents of the West Bank and stand as the Palestinian state. Recent talk by right-wing Israelis about the "Jordanian option" has only fueled the belief here that this is Israel's ultimate plan.

"It would mean Jordan's demise and the obliteration of our national identity," Salameh Ghoweiry, an independent candidate, shouted to loud applause to a crowd of Palestinian Jordanians during a campaign speech in his constituency, Zarqa.

The town, east of the capital, Amman, is the hometown of al-Qaida in Iraq's slain leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and is a center for Islamic hard-liners.

Issues of rising inflation, steep increases in fuel and food prices and unemployment have arisen on the campaign trail as some 763 candidates vie for seats in the 120-member parliament in Tuesday's election. But the theme heard most often — and embraced by candidates of all political stripes — is anger at Israel, even more than in past elections in this country that, along with Egypt, is the only Arab state that has reached peace with Israel.

Many candidates trumpet denunciation of Israel on their campaign banners, and on the stump they call for "political resistance" to defend Jordan from the Israeli threat — avoiding any calls for violence — and for ending the peace treaty, a step King Abdullah II is highly unlikely to take. One moderate running for re-election, Khalil Atiyeh, is seen on posters proudly burning the Israeli flag.

"Resisting the Zionist entity and abolishing the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty is a national duty," proclaim the banners of a leftist, Khaled Ramadan, whose official campaign slogan is "Israel is the enemy."

"Since the peace process is dead, Jordan should prepare to confront Israel's atrocious scheme of forcing more Palestinians out of their homes in the West Bank and dump them in Jordan," Ramadan told The Associated Press in an interview.

Jordan is de facto the 'Palestinian state' (contrary to what this article says, it's not 50% but 70% 'Palestinian'). But because a spoiled 'king' and his family had to be given a consolation prize by the British, 78% of the original 'Palestine mandate' was cut off and given to a small group of Bedouin tribes. And now they pretend that they have a separate identity from the 'Palestinians' on this side of the river.

What could go wrong?

(The picture is downtown Amman).

Labels: Hashemite kingdom, Jordan is Palestine, Palestine mandate

posted by Carl in Jerusalem

'Deep Throat' Mark Felt Dies

Mark Felt's Last Birthday August, 2008

US Media Retains Delusions About Venezuela

Allies of President Hugo Chavez's won a strong majority in Venezuela's local elections on Sunday, winning 17 of 22 state governorships and 265 of 327 mayoral races. The opposition made important gains, capturing the Caracas mayor's office and two of the most populous states. Meanwhile Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Caracas on Monday to meet with Hugo Chavez, just one day after a Russian fleet docked in the Venezuelan port of La Guaira. The Russian navy will be conducting joint naval maneuvers with Venezuela in the Carribean. The maneuvers are scheduled to begin on December first. In Caracas, Russian and Venezuelan officials signed a series of accords, including one pledging cooperation in nuclear energy for peaceful uses. The Real News Network spoke to Latin American Studies Professor Miguel Tinker Salas who says, the fact that the opposition was able to make modest gains means it's a victory for Venezuelan democracy, and the Venezuelan political process, and the maturity of the Venezuelan population who participated—over 65 percent in this regional election process.
Although the Chavez party won 55% of the vote, the US reports Venezuela is a one-party dictatorial system.
The Real News Network

Hillary is mad, McCain a Fool

Gore Vidal Hillary is Mad McCain a Fool

Gore Vidal, FirstPost.co.uk

The American writer Gore Vidal has launched a withering attack on the Republican presidential candidate John McCain - "I've never met anyone in America who has the slightest respect for him" - and says he prefers Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton for the Democrats, despite his friendship with Bill and Hillary, claiming her never-give-up strategy is "more or less insane".

"I'd always rather liked her," said Vidal, talking to Melvyn Bragg for Sunday night's South Bank Show on ITV. "She's a perfectly good lawyer... But this long campaign, this daily search for the grail, has driven her crazy."

Vidal said it had taken time for him to warm to Obama. "I liked the idea of him, but he never managed to get my interest. I was brought around by his overall intelligence - specifically when he did his speech on race and religion." In Vidal's opinion, "he's our best demagogue since Huey Long or Martin Luther King".

Asked whether Obama has a similar charisma to that of John F Kennedy, whom Vidal knew because he was related to Jackie Kennedy, the writer responded: "I never believed in Jack's charisma," adding that JFK "was one of our worst presidents". He said Obama was better educated than Kennedy and would come to the presidency with real experience as a senator. "Jack never went to the office - he wanted the presidency and his father [Joseph Kennedy] bought it for him."

Vidal, who has recently returned home to the States after spending 30 years living in Italy, was asked by Bragg whether Obama could beat McCain in November. "You could beat McCain!" he replied. He called the Arizona senator a "goddamned fool" who enjoyed the privilege of a private school education and managed to come bottom of his class, and then "smashed up his airplane" and became a prisoner of war as a result, an incident he has been busy trying to parlay into his being a war hero.

"[McCain] was on television talking about mortgages," said Vidal, "and it was quite clear he does not know what a mortgage is. His head rattles as he walks."

FIRST POSTED

You Can Rig an Election but not an Erection

Zimbabwe: You Can Rig an Election but not an Erection

Posted by Ndesanjo Macha, Global Voices

In countries such as Zimbabwe where media freedom is extremely restricted, new technologies have become powerful tools for political campaigning, communication, advocacy and mobilisation.

Since Robert Mugabe turned the country into a dictatorship, bloggers and civic organisations have resorted to using new tools and applications such as blogs, Flickr, Facebook, SMS, YouTube and mashups to fight for democracy, media freedom and good governance.

SMS
If you are in Zimbabwe and your phone rings, you might be receiving news headline from SW Radio, election update from Kubatana.net or a political joke about Robert Mugabe. Widespread mobile phone access in Africa has made SMS a powerful and useful tool for activists.

Zimbabweans are using SMS to send each other political jokes. Comrade Fatso writes about this particular use of SMS:

Anyone know someone with a truck? There's a guy wanting to move all his stuff from State House to Zvimba. The jokes spread as text messages refer to our aged dictator relocating to his rural home. People really do believe this is a general election - because our generals decide who gets elected. Another joke walking the streets of Harare is that the only difference between an election and an erection is that you can't rig the latter.

The UK-based SW Radio uses SMS to send news headlines to mobile phones:

We now have an SMS news headline service sent to mobile phones.
If you have a friend or relative in Zimbabwe who would like to receive this service please email their mobile phone number to: talk@swradioafrica.com

Robert Mugabe is twittering! He joins the Kenyan President, Mwai Kibaki, on the popular microblogging site, Twitter:

meetings, meetings, meetings. very boring. 12:03 PM April 04, 2008 from web
Ooooo, nervous morning. Sending the wife shopping. She is getting on my nerves. Thinking of shutting the electricity down for laughs. 09:21 AM April 01, 2008 from web
Thinking of live blogging the election results. Good idea? 06:42 PM March 31, 2008 from web
Forcing people to eat election posters. Hey, at least they get fed this week. :) 01:49 PM March 29, 2008 from web
just voted. Guess who I voted for? 01:49 PM March 29, 2008 from web

Zimbabwe Democracy Now has a Zimbabwe Humour page on its website:

A selection of cartoons, movie posters and e-cards about Zimbabwe. These images are presented in the belief that the designers want to reach a wider audience. Thanks to everyone who contributed, you know who you are…

Martial Law in 2008

For some time, the aim of several elitist groups has been to subject the American people to their will. They have established control over information spread by the public schools and by the mass media. Through lobbyists and selective bribery, they have corrupted the government in every way not to serve the interests of the citizens. They have subverted law enforcement and military personnel to suppress liberty.

They gloss over their misdeeds with old Yankee bromides and catch phrases. Preemptive wars become battles to win the hearts and minds of those yearning to be free. Torture nips terrorist activities in the bud. In times of stress, the government can bring order by confiscating weapons. Dissent is un-American.

Martial Law is the best solution for any disturbance, such as losing the 2008 elections.