News for November 13
November 13, 2008 by Barbara
Filed under News and Analysis
Should He Stay or Should He Go?
According to media reports, President-elect Obama is not only supporting a move to keep former McCain campaigner Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Democratic caucus, but supports keeping him in his position as chairman of the Department of Homeland Security Committee. This comes as Democrats work to both keep him in his position or kick him to the curb. Progressive bloggers examine efforts to help Lieberman keep his position and offer their opinions on why Lieberman should go. What do you think? Should Lieberman keep his spot? Links include:
TPM Election Central | “President-Elect Barack Obama doesn’t “hold any grudges” against Senator Joe Lieberman for opposing his presidential candidacy, and will not take any position on the question of whether Lieberman should be permitted to keep his plum chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee, an Obama spokesperson just confirmed to us.”
AlterNet | “While it’s one thing for Obama to personally forgive Lieberman for the race baiting and other gutter tactics that he engaged in on McCain’s behalf during the campaign, it’s quite another to let the chairmanship of such an important committee, which Lieberman has used for years to prevent Senatorial investigation into no-bid contracts and contractor abuse within the Department of Homeland Security, to serve as an olive branch.”
Jack & Jill Politics | “Lieberman’s comments and conduct around Katrina alone should disqualify him from any position of importance among Democratic leaders not to mention his continued reluctance to hold any hearings around the management of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This guy should not continue to be rewarded with the prominent position of Homeland Security committee chair. We need change and Lieberman has proven he’s interested in swimming against the stream of change. Time to kick a scrub to the curb.”
Politico | “Several top Democratic senators have launched a behind-the-scenes effort to save Sen. Joe Lieberman’s chairmanship, despite calls from a Democratic base seeking retribution for Lieberman’s vocal support of John McCain’s presidential campaign.”
Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images
Guantanamo Closure Called Obama Priority | Washington Post
The Obama administration will launch a review of the classified files of the approximately 250 detainees at Guantanamo Bay immediately after taking office, as part of an intensive effort to close the U.S. prison in Cuba, according to people who advised the campaign on detainee issues.
- Related link: Dismantling Guantanamo | Slate
Bush, Other Leaders to Promote Interfaith Dialogue at UN | CSMonitor.com
After a groundbreaking meeting between Roman Catholic and Muslim religious leaders last week, world political leaders this week are meeting to heighten the visibility and broaden the commitment to interfaith dialogue. On Nov. 12 and 13 at the United Nations, President Bush gathers with a dozen heads of state and other leaders to lend political backing to interfaith initiatives. The prime minister of Britain, leaders of several Muslim nations, and the presidents of Israel, Lebanon, and Palestine are among those participating.
On the Wrong Side of a Cultural Revolution | What Tami Said
There are always a good number of people fighting to maintain the status quo, but when history is written we tend to act as if everyone was in on the revolution. Do the nay-sayers eventually join the fold and never speak of their initial opposition? I’ve never heard anyone actually admit to, say, once believing that rock-n-roll was the devil’s music, thinking the Kennedy presidency would be the downfall of Christianity, or branding MLK a trouble-maker bent on undoing society–but you know someone thought those things.
Google Searches Track Flu Spread | BBC News
Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, has released a new site that tracks the incidence of flu in the U.S. based on terms used in Google searches. … The approach, validated against Centers for Disease Control (CDC) flu records, provides timely data that could be two weeks ahead of government figures.
Barbara Schwartz is the editorial director at the Xenia Institute. She lives in Oklahoma City, Okla., and currently is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa.
