What do you think Obama can do in his second term?

[Leonard Washington]

Am I wrong, or is this a lot of turnover for a just reelected president?

With all the political spin nowadays, I really don't know and I'm too lazy to look it up.

To me it seems normal for people to move on after the first term and get a big payday in their next gig, or return to their old job.

[Elessar78]

You can only kill bin laden once, right?

[visionary]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...washingtonpost

Why I made the right call

Susan Rice is U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

On Thursday I asked that President Obama no longer consider me for the job of secretary of state. I made this decision because it is the right step for this country I love. I have never shied away from a fight for a cause I believe in. But, as it became clear that my potential nomination would spark an enduring partisan battle, I concluded that it would be wrong to allow this debate to continue distracting from urgent national priorities — creating jobs, growing our economy, addressing our deficit, reforming our immigration system and protecting our national security.

[Thiebear]

He sounded like the Palestinians in the last couple of days;
We want to extend tax cuts for the middle class (98% of the population). So he is holding up the debt ceiling deal because of 2% of the 2010 extension of the tax bill?

Why wouldn't you extend the tax cuts now: And then put the bill into the Senate for the 2%? Right after Reid changes the fillibuster rule

[China]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-1...-pentagon.html

Wow. A Republican?

Jewish Leaders Blast Chuck Hagel At White House Hanukkah Party


WASHINGTON — On Thursday night, hundreds of American Jewish leaders visited the White House to celebrate Hanukkah, but many also came with a less celebratory agenda: They were there to deliver a warning to President Barack Obama about the potential nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel.

The buzz around the former Republican senator from Nebraska — seen as a top contender to lead the Department of Defense — has Israel supporters worried. Hagel has been a frequent target for Jewish Democratic and Republican groups for more than a decade, even as he is close to Obama, having been a supporter in 2008 and an appointee to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

“He was one of these worst senators in his party in memory when it comes to Israel,” said one Jewish Democratic operative. “It’s a terrible idea.”

Hagel is hardly overtly anti-Israel, but he's been less sympathetic to the Jewish State than most members of Congress in both parties. He was a critic, for instance, of Israel's assault on the Lebanese group Hezbollah in 2006, and his broader worldview — he's a "Republican realist," the political scientist and archenemy of what he calls the "Israel lobby" Stephen Walt wrote Thursday — is unsympathetic to an emotional American engagement in the Middle East.

And with Susan Rice withdrawing her name from contention to be secretary of state, Republicans are gearing up for fight against Hagel, despite his fading ties to their party.

“Republicans will now turn their attention to blocking a potential Hagel nomination,” said one Senate GOP foreign policy aide, “which could become an ideological litmus test on foreign policy for both Republicans and Democrats.”

Click on the link for the full article

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8BF01G20121216

Obama expected to nominate Kerry to head State Department

U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to nominate Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry to succeed Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, sources familiar with the process said on Saturday.

Kerry, the Democratic nominee for president in 2004 and a stalwart Obama supporter, had been widely tipped as the likely candidate for top U.S. diplomat following the withdrawal last week of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.

The announcement of Kerry's nomination could come as early as mid-week, according to one source knowledgeable of the situation, although it could also be delayed to avoid the impression of an overly-hasty return to politics following the massacre at a Connecticut elementary school on Friday.

The source said the White House is leaning toward unveiling Kerry's nomination as part of a high-profile package that would include his pick for defense secretary.

[visionary]

http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-wa...-politics.html

White House Wavers on Hagel, Considers Others for Defense

Besieged by criticism from right and left, and considerable skepticism from his former Senate colleagues, Chuck Hagel appears to be following the path of Susan Rice as a trial-balloon nominee who finds himself quickly losing altitude in Washington. And as happened with Rice, the White House is now signaling that it may soon puncture Hagel's hopes.

Just as occurred with Rice, the U.N. ambassador whose prospective nomination as secretary of State—leaked to the media—flamed out in the face of widespread criticism of her, President Obama appears to be rethinking his choice for Defense secretary.

A senior administration official told National Journal on Sunday that it was “fair” to say Obama is considering candidates other than Hagel for Defense secretary, in particular Michele Flournoy, who was under secretary of Defense for policy in Obama's first term, and Ashton Carter, the current deputy Defense secretary. Only a week ago, Bloomberg News reported that Hagel was Obama’s top choice.

[visionary]

https://twitter.com/politico

Breaking: EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson will step down after Obama's State of the Union address early next year, the agency confirmed
10:19 AM

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/article...noy_for_secdef

Flournoy for SecDef

Ten reasons the president should ditch Chuck for Michèle.

Michèle Flournoy would make a great secretary of defense. I worked for her for more than two years at the beginning of the Obama administration's first term, and seeing her in action convinced me of it.

Am I biased in her favor? You bet. I've worked with and for many people over the years, and I've had colleagues I wouldn't trust as secretary of the local dogcatchers' association. But I'd trust Flournoy with any job in the nation. And, for the record, I don't want another administration job. I already have a job that I like, and tenure is a beautiful thing. But as a citizen, I'd sure like to see Flournoy back at DoD.

Here are 10 reasons she'd be a terrific choice for defense secretary:

[visionary]

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/po...re_for_a_fight

Obama expected to pick Hagel as opponents prepare for a fight

President Barack Obama is expected to name Chuck Hagel as his choice for defense secretary as early as Monday, as critics of the former Nebraska senator prepare to go to war to fight his expected nomination.

White House officials and sources close to Hagel declined to confirm to The Cable that Hagel is the president's choice to be the replace Leon Panetta at the helm of the Pentagon, but several sources close to the process said have told The Cable that the White House and Hagel have been in touch on a regular basis and that Hagel is indeed the expected pick. Decisions about the timing and logistics of the announcement are being finalized now.

The Cable had previously confirmed that Hagel successfully complete the vetting process, as have Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter and former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy.

Meanwhile, Hagel's detractors are moving forward with their campaign against the nomination, which has been expanding ever since The Cable first reported in November that Hagel was in consideration for the Pentagon post. That campaign has included anonymous Senate aides calling Hagel an anti-Semite, the Washington Post editorial board writing that, "Chuck Hagel is not the right choice for defense secretary," and the Emergency Committee for Israel, which counts among its board members Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol, running a television ad criticizing Hagel's opposition to unilateral sanctions against Iran. "For secretary of defense, Chuck Hagel is not a responsible option," the ad claims.

[visionary]

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/0...eam-85846.html

Obama nominates Chuck Hagel, John Brennan for national security team

President Barack Obama filled out his second term national security team Monday by tapping former Sen. Chuck Hagel to lead the Defense Department and John Brennan as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

The nominations, unveiled in a White House ceremony, came despite weeks of controversy surrounding Hagel’s expected appointment.

[Thiebear]

He will put forth orders that ban the "Selling" of weapons by anyone that isn't Authorized by the Gov't.
This will close down gunshows (i don't really disagree with this) and people selling others their guns, they would have to be sold to authorized shops only.
and then the authorized shops will start getting restrictions on what they can sell.
(simple) way to not infringe, just organizing.

[visionary]

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingne...position-march

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to leave cabinet position in March

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will step down from his cabinet position in the Obama administration and return to Colorado to spend time with his family, his office has confirmed to The Denver Post.

Salazar is expected to broadly announce his departure Wednesday. He has told President Barack Obama that he intends to leave his job by the end of March.

Salazar, 57, will have served a little more than four years in Obama's cabinet after being plucked from his beloved U.S. Senate seat serving Colorado in 2008.

[Koolblue13]

All Balls baby, all balls!

(this is my old roommates pass to the whitehouse, just found the balls thing funny)