Obama’s announcement
Sen. Barack Obama will announce his decision on running for President on Feb. 10 in Springfield, Ill., according to a press release. Wonder what the odds are on his jumping in. I’m betting he does.
Inside the House
If you’re a fan of the FOX show House, M.D., you’ll like the NY Times story on how the excellent drama became one of the most popular shows on television after nearly being smothered in the crib.
My only quibble with the piece is the description of Hugh Laurie as “a largely unknown British actor.” I’d say Laurie was a quite well known comic actor in Britain and had a cult following in the U.S. for his roles in Black Adder and Jeeves & Wooster (He was even in one episode of The Young Ones), not to mention his outstanding work in the Stuart Little films (I have little kids). “Largely unknown” makes him sound like he was Brandon Routh pre-Superman.
Obama thinks he’s already President
Sen. Barack Obama has taken a big political risk by proposing legislation — that is, law, not a non-binding congressional resolution — to cap the number of troops in Iraq at the Jan. 10 level and begin a “phased redeployment” no later than May 1, with complete withdrawal by the end of March, 2008.
“The American people have been asked to be patient too many times, too many lives have been lost and too many billions have been spent,” Obama said in a press release. “It’s time for a policy that can bring a responsible end to this war and bring our troops home.”
Very daring proposal. Obama easily could spend months building his campaign on themes of consensus and unity without taking a risky move. Instead, he’s chosen to steal Russ Feingold’s thunder and make the boldest anti-war proposal of any Presidential candidate. For someone so thin-skinned, it’s a surprisingly daring move.
The No. 1 question, however, is whether the plan is constitutional. Based on the press release, I don’t believe it is. It consists of Congress taking command of the armed forces of the United States, which Congress has absolutely no authority to do. This is not Congress defunding the war, but actually ordering the troops home. Only the President has the authority to command the troops in time of war. So on its face Obama’s plan is unconstitutional. Proposing a patently unconstitutional law doesn’t look good for someone who aspires to be President. But then again, it didn’t seem to hurt John McCain much.
Comment from Jared in Washington, D.C.:
But is America legally, constitutionally, ‘at war’? Under the Constitution, Congress and Congress only has the ability to actually declare war, which it didn’t do in this situation. So does the caveat that only the Commander-in-Chief has the ability to command troops during a time ‘of war’ apply to this situation?
Comment from D. Geary in Chicago:
You may be right but as Senator Obama was a constiutional law professor at the University of Chicago law school I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt on constitutional issues.
Summoning Reagan
Politico.com’s Jonathan Martin picks up on something I’ve noticed in the campaign for the GOP Presidential nomination: lots of mentions of Ronald Reagan. And, he points out, that Reagan praise is coming from men who’ve not always been happy to be linked to the Gipper.
Cookie Mom
PrioritiesNH is looking for a Cookie Mom, an actress to dress as a “a wholesome, non-threatening” mother in an “apron, button-down shirt and slacks” and “hand out special Priorities cookies (iced and labeled like our Priorities budget pie pin) and pens, and talk with attendees, reporters and candidates about sensible budget priorities. She will need to be able to conduct short interviews with reporters and to stay in character and maintain composure in high-tension situations.”
Man, does that sound like fun.
Just imagine the entertainment value when Bill Clinton and Bill Richardson discover Cookie Mom.
By the way, isn’t Cookie Mom a little bit, you know, sexist? Just sayin’. Why couldn’t it be Cookie Dad or Cookie Uncle?
Keeping Hillary down
One Iowa supporter of Hillary Clinton is so confident of Hillary’s suitability for the Oval Office that she has concluded that there is one and only one reason the WOB (Wife of Bill) would not win the Presidency next year.
“If she doesn’t get elected, it’s because of sexism — that’s it,” one Jessica Anderson of Centerville, Iowa, told The New York Times.
Well, I’m glad that’s finally cleared up.
Obviously, that also means that the only possible reason Barack Obama and Bill Richardson wouldn’t win would be racism. Looks like no matter who gets elected, America is a bigoted country.
It’s really a shame that Condi Rice isn’t running. If she lost, it would be for racism and sexism! How exciting.
Pelosi’s ethics clock
The leader of the “most honest, ethical and open Congress in history” has violated federal law by failing to disclose that she is a director of a family charity. Rep. Rahm Emanual and Sen. Evan Bayh failed to make similar disclosures.
Let’s see, Pelosi backed ethically challenged Rep. John Murtha for majority leader, and the minimum wage bill she saw through the House initially exempted American Samoa from the wage hike. American Samoa’s delegate to Congress is a Democrat and one of the territory’s largest employers is Starkist, owned by Del Monte Foods of . . . San Francisco.
Maybe Pelosi meant that, like her 100 hours clock, she’d run the most ethical Congress in history starting. . . now! No, wait. . . NOW!
Fill ‘er up
You can get gas for less than $2.00 a gallon at 10 gas stations in New Hampshire, half in Hooksett. I did last night. Felt good to pay less than $30 to fill up.
Those who saw price gouging in the price hikes of last summer are suddenly quiet. I remember the argument that it must be price gouging because the prices would rise overnight even when the gas in the underground storage tanks had not been refilled. So if they’re charging more than they paid for the gas in the ground, they’re obviously gouging. But of course, the prices go down overnight too. No one complains when the station owners take a hit by responding to the market, only when they make a profit doing it. I wonder how many of those Hooksett stations charging $1.99 for unleaded are losing money on the gas just to try to keep their customers from going to the competition.
Giuliani and Iraq
Speaking to Manchester Republicans on Saturday, Rudy Giuliani said, “deep inside the human soul is the desire for freedom.”
Sounds like it was taken directly from a Bush speech. Giuliani was very hawkish. He spoke about the need to stay on the offensive against the terrorists and show the world that we are not afraid to use force. Which raises the question of how Iraq might hurt him. It’s already hurting McCain. Could it be that America’s Mayor, the hero of 9/11, is ultimately undone by the President’s failures in Iraq?
Friday Book Corner
George Edwards is principal of the new, and not yet completed, Bedford High School. He gained a positive reputation in state education circles for his job as founding principal of Bow High School, and he was NH Principal of the Year in 2001. When Bedford High opens its doors next year, it will be perhaps a more important development than many in Bedford realize. Taxes will go up, and so will property values. The town will be even more attractive for families with children, and growth pressure is likely to increase. The town’s reputation for having excellent schools will be tested when the new high school opens, and Edwards will have to perform up to expectations.
I was curious what Edwards reads, so I asked him. Here’s his answer:
“My most recent reading has been predominantly e-mails from parents and community members, with questions about our new school; and applications from candidates for teaching and coaching positions.
“One recent book that I have read is The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvements for Better Results by Doug Reeves. This book was assigned to all of the school administrators in the Bedford School District as the focus for our professional development this school year. It is an excellent book. It has helped me to reflect on what I do as a principal and the effects my decisions have on student achievement.
“I have also read three reports written by citizens of Bedford summarizing their planning for Bedford High School. These report are The Bedford School District Curriculum Research Committee Report, Envisioning Bedford High School and Connections to Life: Final Report of the Bedford School District High School Academic Standards Committee. These reports are extremely well done and thoughtful. They have greatly influenced my work and the work of the Planning Team as we develop the programs for Bedford High School.
“I, like many high school principals in New Hampshire, read Breaking Ranks II: Strategies for Leading High School Reform. This book, published by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), is a follow-up to Breaking Ranks published in 1997. It provides assistance to high school principals to improve student achievement in their schools. It also provides tools to help determine what improvements need to be made and how to make them.
“One of the most thought-provoking books I have read is Savage Inequalities by Jonathon Kozol. This book chronicles the inequalities in educational opportunities in various school districts throughout the United States. It focuses on the high-poverty district of the South Bronx in New York City and contrasts it with the neighboring affluent districts of Westchester County, New York.
“The book I am about to start is Dress your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris. David Sedaris has written several books and was the Class Day speaker at my son’s college graduation. He was a wonderfully interesting and funny speaker, which is what prompted me to read this book.
“Finally, much of my reading takes the form of periodicals. I read many articles that I find, or are sent to me, on a variety of topics. I read at least one newspaper daily and I read several weekly newspapers. I also read a couple different magazines, including Runners World and Sports Illustrated.”
