Barack Obama Marches On in A Bubble

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Barack's faith in his own words -- ht Lace SOURCE

Huffington Post moved up more than any other major online news source and is now at nearly half the readership of the New York Times online. SOURCE

Obama-McCain Meet Monday SOURCE

Stupid wars. Would Afghanistan qualify? SOURCE

Shaky G20. SOURCE

Marches On in A BubbleThe personal transition for Barack is externally daunting, three blocks to go one for neighbors, agents multiplying, bomb-sniffing dogs, isolation, hermit potential.

But Barack is marching on. And, as ever, learning.

He is learning the territory and contemplating how best to overcome and remembering to keep others -- us -- in mind. A tall order.

He will never, ever, be without the agents. When Nixon came to visit my dad following my dad's aneurism, the agents came first. This was long after his failed Presidency.

As Barack's initiation into the bubble goes on, the likes of Andrea Mitchell are grinding out speculation and tempting us to regurgitate rumors as fact and to indulge in emotional reactions we might reserve for true things, but should hold back on when the truth is a chimera.

This is one reason why, during these days, you will find these pages tending toward thought about such issues as what the shape of change might be, speculative but hardly irrelevant, and paying little attention to news that isn't really news.

When we get blindsided by speculation, we can think of Barack marching on in the bubble and waft him a prayer or two. And be thankful that the days between now and Jan. 20, 2009, are dwindling.

The Obamas have been going to Spiaggia with its lakefront view for years for what they call "date night," including on their anniversary last month and Michelle's birthday earlier this year. "It's always just the two of them," said Tony Mantuano, the chef and co-owner. "Now it's just the two of them and 30 Secret Service agents." SOURCE

Why Not Speculate About Bin Laden Instead? SOURCE

The Web and MSM are rife with speculation about Hillary Clinton being Secretary of State, a team of rivals ploy if serious and a waste of our time if not. My general attitude has been to wait and see, trusting in Obama's reason and taking the likes of Andrea Mitchell with a grain of salt. Turning to Osama Bin Laden, however, I would say that the sourced bit from CNN is more substantive than Hillary speculation. Quoting the CIA's Michael Hayden, the piece notes.

"In fact, [Bin Laden] appears to be largely isolated from the day-to-day operations of the organization he nominally heads," he said.

And no, I am not suggesting we keep Hayden. Is Obama? READ ON

We May Need to Change The High Court Before We Go After Bush and Cheney SOURCE

When it comes to calling Bush and Cheney on the carpet for their desecration of our laws, it may take a new Supreme Court to put teeth into efforts to nab the two. Even if we go after them with all the moral rectitude Congress can muster, there is an unresolved question relating to the immunity rights of former Presidents. It would need to go to the high Court. Can you believe Scalia and Thomas would not protect the folk they "voted" into office, perpetuating their unseemly control of our governance?

The Bailout is Looking More and More Like Iraq II SOURCE

Isn't Bush, the Bailout Savior, looking more and more like the man who hawked the Iraq War without thinking about the consequences? On the basis of faulty intelligence? With a willing chorus of support from an uninformed and compliant Congress?

As I watch clips of how the Bailout was sold, replete with that White House meeting, it seems to me this is simply the Bush MO in action. His Tommy Franks, Mr. Paulson, did not know what he was doing. Bush declared an immediate Armageddon situation and said the economy would tank unless we passed the Bailout. We are just now waking up. Yesterday Bush claimed victory. Next the Surge?


INTERMISSION: Bush's Five Great Accomplishments

The Clinton Team Was Not Made Up of Clintons SOURCE

Another red herring is the notion that because someone who worked for the Clinton's is on Obama's transition teams there is an inevitable tilt toward Obama being Clinton, or something. I do not follow. These are people who have been in the trenches, know the mistakes that were made, did not necessarily approve of what the Clintons wanted, and will now be working for. Does this mean that he will be fighting with his Travel Office, giving away nuclear secrets or dismantling the Glass-Steagall act? I think not. These are days when there is less substantive to write about and more fluff than I have ever seen.

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