DOWNLOAD (84)

PLAY (130)

It's been assumed that Barack Obama's planned nomination of Leon Panetta as CIA chief was intended to send a signal to the intelligence community about the use of torture. And Obama made that explicit in his press conference today:

REPORTER: Some are questioning Leon Panetta's lack of intelligence -- lack of experience on intelligence matters. Sorry about that. I know this is tricky for you since you haven't announced him yet but what does he bring to the table for you.

OBAMA: Well, as you noted, I haven't made a formal announcement about my intelligence team. That may be him calling now -- finding out where it's at. I have the utmost respect for Leon Panetta. I think that he's one of the finest public servants that we've had. He brings extraordinary management skills, great political savvy, an impeccable record of integrity. As chief of staff, he's somebody who, to the president, he's somebody who was fully versed in international affairs, crisis management, and had to evaluate intelligence consistently on a day-to-day basis.

Having said all that, I have not made an announcement. When we make the announcement, I think what people will see is that we are putting together a top-notch intelligence team that is not only going to assure that I get the best possible intelligence -- unvarnished -- but that the intelligence community is no longer geared toward telling the president what they think the president wants to hear but instead are going to be delivering the information that the president needs to make critical decisions to keep the American people safe.

I think what you're also going to see is a team that is committed to breaking with some of the past practices and concerns that have, I think, tarnished the image of the agencies and intelligence agencies and U.S. foreign policy. Last point I will make on this is that there are outstanding intelligence professionals in the CIA, DNI and others and I have the utmost regard for the work that they've done and we are committed to making sure that this is a team effort that's not looking backwards but is looking forward to figure out how we're going to serve the American people best.

Of course, a Panetta appointment would send such a signal, since he has been such a pronounced critic of waterboarding and other such practices indulged by the CIA under Bush.

As with all these appointments, though, we should also be looking out for disinformation from the right. Today on Fox, Bill Kristol was trying to stir up opposition to Panetta from the left, pointing out that he was chief of staff at the White House in the 1990s when it began the policy of "extraordinary rendition" (i.e., capturing terrorists and then shipping them to nations where they can be interrogated by governments with fewer prohibitions.

DOWNLOAD (81)

PLAY (138)

It's true that Panetta was CoS at the time Clinton adopted that policy (he signed the executive order in June 1995, during Panetta's tenure), but that is not prima facie evidence he favored it. Moreover, rendition under Clinton occurred only occasionally; as compared to the massive program involving hundreds of prisoners it became under Bush.

Expect, however, for the question to be raised during confirmation hearings. If it's coming from neocons, though, expect it to turn out to be wrong.

DOWNLOAD (89)

PLAY (160)

According to this CNN report yesterday, Barack Obama is looking to woo Republican support for his economic plans. Indeed, Obama is sitting down with some of the GOP leadership on Monday.

But the Village View is pronounced herein by the Politico's Ken Vogel:

As long as Obama is appearing not to be catering to the Left base of the Democratic Party, and is making at least to involve Republicans and not alienate them, I believe he will be able to claim that he is taking a post-partisan approach.

I don't know if that's the actual thinking within the Obama camp, but that's clearly the view of Beltway Insiders who are hoping beyond hope that their whole prefabricated version of reality does not crumble about their ankles entirely: If you just keep the stinking dirty hippies out of the picture and kiss conservative ass, everything will be cool. (That, after all, is their worldview.)

Of course, the reality is that Mitch McConnell has already put the brakes by intimating he'll get out the filibuster on Obama's plan. They'll pay lip service to "bipartisanship" when they meet with Obama, but will do everything in their power to screw him over every step of the way and make sure nothing gets done.

After all, that's what's in their best interest -- otherwise they have little hope of winning in 2010 and none in 2012. And as we've witnessed over the past eight years, the national interest comes in a distant last place for Republicans in that competition.

So it will be interesting to watch this play out over the next weeks and months. We've known all along that Obama is a reach-out-to-your-enemy kind of guy; it's a big part of what made him so electable.

But the experience of the past eight years has made clear that the Republican idea of bipartisanship involves hot pokers and nether regions. When you reach out to them, usually all you have left to show for it is a hand gnawed down to the bone.

If you want a classic example of it, take a gander at the Sean Hannity Forum discussion of Obama's Republican outreach. It includes the following gems:

Nothing is new about Obama, nothing, his lying bs has been around since the Garden of Eden. He is a snake and I recommend the Republicans tell him, do not call me, I will call you

___

It will most likely be the same old story....bipartisan means Conservatives have to cross over to the liberal side and never the other way around. I hope the conservatives can stick to thier guns (before they get outlawed)

___

Obama lied.

Obama cheated.

Obama stole.

Obama helped slaughter living, breathing, helpless babies.

Obama is nothing but a cheap moldy old Hippie Leftover pile of human **** with the same integrity and moral capacity for basic human intelligence I'd look for in a pack of rabid hyenas.

He's going DOWN as fast as I can pray him into the hell he so richly deserves because of the sheer hell he's helped dump on too many American heads.

Right along with the rest of the Greedy Moral Degenerates who helped but that immoral piece of walking human filth into power.

Boss Tweed would vomit over the crimes of the current Democratic Swine Lords of Infinite Greed and Corruption.

Continue reading »