Note on Bittle, Where Does The Money Go?

The authors do not readily identify Treasury securities which are government bonds issued by the United States Department of the Treasury through the Bureau of the Public Debt. They are the debt financing instruments of the U.S. Federal government, and they are often referred to simply as Treasuries or Treasurys.

Alarmingly, the Chinese now hold the second highest total of bonds, not far behind our close ally Japan.

Major Foreign Holders Of Treasury Securities
(in billions of dollars)
Holdings At End Of Period:
Aug 2008
Japan
585.9
China, Mainland
541.0

If China decided to bank elsewhere and take their money out of the U.S., our economy would be in an even more precarious position.

Since 1970, the U.S. has operated under a deficit. In 31 of the past 35 years we have spent more than we have taken in. This is unsustainable. There are really only three options to fix the problem: raise taxes, nibble at the deficit, which the authors show is easier said than done and will not address the $9 trillion debt, or, balance the budget. In short, we can not afford our politicians who have acted so irresponsibly.

Fixing the deficit issue is difficult. A standard mantra is stop government waste, which is admirable, but this is not enough. Another tactic might be to heavily tax the "sin" taxes areas: drugs, cigarettes, etc., but the writers show also that this is an area that only effects 3% of the budget which is only make a slight dent in the problem. Even seemingly good ideas backfire which the authors demonstrate with the yacht tax. The idea was to just heavily tax yacht owners which seems like an idea that would only harm the wealthy. Unwittingly though, the little person was hurt as well. There are many more people who repair boats, sell them, maintain them and generally keep the industry as a whole afloat. They were harmed as well in the yacht tax. The federal budget is more of a conundrum that is ordinarily thought.

One good example is to examine how when even less popular or controversial programs are cut the problem remains. If all spending for the arts, space, foreign aid, and welfare were cut, only 4.08% of the federal budget would be effected. Even making deep cuts won't substantially address the budget problem.

How about bringing the troops home from Iraq? Will that work? Nope, sorry that is no solution either (p. 94). Bush moved the war funding from supplemental to the regular budget, but ending war funding won't close the deficit. The move only helped the funding become more transparent.

Another looming issue is the non-feasibility of continuing Social Security and Medicare. Until now, the programs have been pay-as-you-go arrangements which worked, until now (p. 97). The politicians had their hands in the pockets of working Americans since the money raised through these payments appeared to be a trust fund for Americans. However, the politicians treated the funds as free for the taking and they borrowed those funds to use. As boomers retire, money was available, but as more retire the question will be is there enough to pay the later retirees (p. 104). The illustrative graphs make it clearer just how severe the problem is (p. 105).

The only way out is to cut programs, raise taxes, or borrow more.

The politicians who attempted to level with the American people, even bipartisan stabs at the issue, failed. Gore considered the "lock box" notion a try to hold funds in reserve, and Bush as governor of Texas tried something along the same lines, but they were mocked by comedians and the ideas were abandoned.

By 2040, according to the authors, we will only have three seriously bad choices (p. 107).

They end the work on a more positive note but for the budget ideas to take hold they will need politicians who are honest, serious, and upfront about cutting the budget. I am more pessimistic about our chances.

Times Publishes Current Intelligence Assessment

Source: Cf. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/world/21intel.html?_r=1&ref=world

Global Forecast by American Intelligence Expects Al Qaeda’s Appeal to Falter

By SCOTT SHANE
Published: November 20, 2008

WASHINGTON — A new study of the global future by American intelligence agencies suggests that Al Qaeda could soon be on the decline, having alienated Muslim supporters with indiscriminate killing and inattention to the practical problems of poverty, unemployment and education.

While not contradicting intelligence assessments suggesting that Al Qaeda remains a major threat with a strong presence in the tribal areas of Pakistan, the report says that the group “may decay sooner” than many experts have assumed because of severe weaknesses: “unachievable strategic objectives, inability to attract broad-based support and self-destructive actions.”

“The appeal of terrorism is waning,” said Mathew J. Burrows, head of long-range analysis in the office of the director of national intelligence and a lead author of “Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World.” Mr. Burrows said polls and anecdotal evidence strongly suggested disillusionment among Muslims with Al Qaeda and its methods and goals since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The predicted decline of Al Qaeda is one of the few bright spots in the generally gloomy report, which describes a decline in the United States’ world dominance as China, India and other powers assert themselves.

“Although the United States is likely to remain the single most powerful actor, the United States’ relative strength — even in the military realm — will decline and U.S. leverage will become more constrained,” the report said.

By 2025, it predicted, “the U.S. will find itself as one of a number of important actors on the world stage,” playing “a prominent role in global events” but not a decisive one as in the past.

The report said the global shift from West to East in terms of wealth and economic power “is without precedent in modern history.” Of a projected population increase of 1.2 billion worldwide by 2025, Western countries would account for only 3 percent, it said.

“We’re projecting a multipolar world,” C. Thomas Fingar, chairman of the National Intelligence Council and the government’s top intelligence analyst, said Thursday at a briefing on the report. “The unipolar moment is over, or certainly will be over by 2025.”

The previous report in the Global Trends series, completed in 2004, anticipated continued American dominance through 2020, though it recognized that the emergence of China and India as powers would transform the geopolitical landscape.

The new report describes a world riven by increased conflict over scarce food and water supplies and threatened by so-called rogue states and terrorists, widening gaps between rich and poor and an uneven impact of global warming. It said the chance of the use of nuclear weapons, while remaining “very low,” would rise in the next two decades as nuclear technology spreads.

The report said Russia’s emergence as a world power was “clouded” by persistent corruption and lagging investment in its critical energy industry. It also noted, without naming a specific country, that a government in Eastern Europe “could be effectively taken over and run by organized crime.”

Mr. Fingar acknowledged that the report, in the works for months, did not fully reflect the severity of the global economic crisis. But he said intelligence officials chose not to delay the report, judging that the long-term impact of the economic downturn would not be clear for months.

The Global Trends reports are produced every four years by the National Intelligence Council, which represents all 16 American intelligence agencies, in part to inform long-term thinking by new administrations. The reports project various possible sequences of events in the future; the new publication notes, between dire forecasts, that “bad outcomes are not inevitable.”

Even if Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups gradually lose support, the remaining violent extremists may have access to increasingly lethal technology, including biological weapons, the report found.

The comments on Al Qaeda’s future are based in part on the work of David C. Rapoport, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has studied the cycles of terrorist activity in the past, including those associated with anarchism, Marxism and nationalism.

The report said the global Islamic terrorist movement was likely to outlast Al Qaeda itself, with other groups likely to emerge and supplant it. But it expects a future of frustration and attrition for Al Qaeda, which Osama bin Laden built during the 1990s.

The intelligence agencies noted that Al Qaeda had focused almost exclusively on terrorism, a contrast with groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, which have transformed themselves into political movements.

“Al Qaeda has not achieved broad support in the Islamic world,” the report said. “Its harsh pan-Islamist ideology and policies appeal only to a tiny minority of Muslims.”

The Elect to Outsource More American Jobs

The Elect's top gun to be secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, has been a strong advocate of increasing H-1B visas, a position that means more foreign IT workers can fill jobs that otherwise would go to Americans. Napolitano has urged an increasing for the H-1B visa cap to address what she has argued is a shortage of skilled workers. In September 2007, Napolitano was one of 12 governors who sent a letter to congressional leaders stating:

"Until we are able to address this workforce shortage, we must recognize that foreign talent has a role to play in our ability to keep companies located in our state and country; and therefore, need to ensure the increase availability of temporary H-1B visas and permanent residency visas (green cards)."

The governors urged hiring more foreign talent rather than Americans.

Napolitano "is as rabid a supporter of H-1B as you are likely to find," said Rob Sanchez of Chandler, Ariz., a software engineer who publishes the Job Destruction Newsletter, which is focused on technology-related labor issues.

"Napolitano has publicly and repeatedly called for major H-1B expansion," said Ron Hira, an assistant professor of public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology and author of Outsourcing America, and "in that respect she is no friend of American IT workers."

The Elect is recruiting an administration that has forcefully advocated for increasing the use of foreign tech workers. The recession has not blunted that advocacy.

The major benefactor in the increase of visas are of course the companies based in the U.S. that benefit from hiring cheap labor.

The major contributors to The Elect's campaign include Google, Microsoft, and IBM.

Supremes Get Serious

Cf. SUPREME COURT PRACTICE, 8th Edition, the ultimate SCOTUS resource.

As reported on earlier here, the Leo C. Donofrio suit may have legal legs to stand on. The Supreme Court has taken an extraordinary expedited action in fast tracking the New Jersey Citizen's suit challenging the presidential election.

It is unclear whether the stay application has now been accepted in lieu of a more formal full petition for certiorari (and/or mandamus or prohibition). It would be unusual if this was the case since it is rare but it was used in Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 at 98 (2000):

"The court ordered all manual recounts to begin at once. Governor Bush and Richard Cheney, Republican Candidates for the Presidency and Vice Presidency, filed an emergency application for a stay of this mandate. On December 9, we granted the application, treated the application as a petition for a writ of certiorari, and granted certiorari." (Emphasis added.)

The case has certainly been "DISTRIBUTED for Conference", a process usually reserved for full petitions of certiorari. Stays are usually dealt with in a different manner.

The stay application was originally denied by Justice Souter but under Rule 22.4, Donofrio renewed it to Justice Thomas who did not deny it.

A renewed application is rare.

Justice Thomas has referred the case to the full court.

That much is clear from looking at the docket.

In any case, although it is unclear whether the full court has set this for Conference, or Justice Thomas has done it on his own, the action signifies an affirmative action inside the US Supreme Court testifying to the serious issues raised by this law suit.

Mission Failed

You can fool some of the people, some of the time, but you can't fool all the young people

all the time.

Bishops Warn The Elect

BISHOPS WARN OBAMA ON ABORTION; CATHOLIC LEFT REBUKED

November 12, 2008

In a statement released today, Francis Cardinal George, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, made it clear that the bishops will fight any expansion of abortion rights that may occur under the next administration. Specifically, the bishops are objecting to the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), a bill so sweeping and draconian that it would not only repeal every single state restriction on abortion, it would seriously jeopardize the right of Catholic hospitals and doctors to opt out of performing abortions.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue released the following remarks:

“Cardinal George is right to label FOCA ‘an evil law that would further divide the country.’ At stake are two issues: a) the rights of the unborn and, b) religious liberty.

“First, those who admit that abortion should be rare unwittingly acknowledge that there is a reason to limit its frequency: as Cardinal George said, ‘abortion kills.’ By contrast, no one maintains that root canals should be rare, and that is because this medical procedure—unlike abortion—does not result in the total denial of someone else’s rights.

“Second, religious liberty is enshrined in the First Amendment and cannot be trespassed upon lightly, and certainly not by abortion zealots. Those who support FOCA must realize that if Catholic hospitals are ever required to perform abortions, the bishops will close every one of them; no one would be hurt more than the poor.

“Cardinal George explicitly rejected the ‘common good’ mantra of the Catholic Left that justifies legal abortion while pursuing ameliorative social policies that may reduce abortions. At stake, he said, is the ‘legal protection of the unborn,’ something which is rejected by Catholics United, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholic Democrats. We hope they amend their ways and fall in line with Catholic thought on this grave matter. If they do not, they will become indistinguishable from Catholics for Choice, a fully discredited organization.”

Cf. http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1515

2004 Dems Cover Up Problems Leading to Economic Crisis

C-SPAN coverage from 2004 reveals clearly that the Democrats were aware of and dismissed allegations that the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Scams crisis would harm the country.

My Favorite Photo of The Elect

Zawahiri Blasts The Elect for Abandoning Islam

In a new video AQ promises to heap injury on The Elect as someone who has abandoned Islam.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al-Qaeda deputy, stated:

"You were born to a Muslim father, but you chose to stand in the ranks of the enemies of the Muslims, and pray the prayer of the Jews, although you claim to be Christian, in order to climb the rungs of leadership in America."

The Elect was not an "honourable black American" like Malcolm X, he said, but an "abeed al-beit," a house slave or a "house negro" in the message's English subtitles.

Telepresence (Read Free) Alternatives

In the challenged confines of SMBs no one should question that full-on teleconferencing with big screens showing life-size images are preferable but if these are not are there any options? In other words, are there free alternatives?

It turns out that there are options.

High-resolution video teleconferencing is available from Ekiga. Another possibility is to be found in shared whiteboards by Access Grid. And, last but not least is a 3-D graphics virtual world teleconferencing option from OpenSim.

Obama Birth Controversy Solved: The Elect Was Born in 1776

With the blogosphere controversy around The Elect swirling, I decided to settle the matter once and for all. The Elect must have been born in 1776 along with our Founders as dual citizens of the British Empire and America. Obama was born in Kenya, or Hawaii, or Jupiter or somewhere but it really does not matter. His father was a British citizen thus the Elect has dual citizenship.

And, what does the Constitution say about the issue? The Founders allowed for their eligibility to be President, but naturally they did not want subsequent generations to be governed by a Commander In Chief with dual or split loyalties to foreign powers. The Founders grandfathered themselves in for eligibility. But they would be turning over in their graves knowing that an individual with dual or split international loyalties succeeded them. We had a Revolution for liberty; we had a Revolution for America. Unless The Elect can produce a valid birth certificate verifying he should be grandfathered in as the Founders were I believe we have a coup on our hands. We should return to demanding a government of laws and not of men.

Sharia Compliant Citi Losing 52,000 Employees

Sharia compliant Citigroup is staggering under the loss of losing 52,000 employees over the next few months, the largest reduction by a company since IBM's layoffs of 60,000 employees in 1993, and the 50,000 cuts by Sears that same year. Citigroup's latest round comes on top of the 17,000 cuts that the company has already made. Unless Citi has a Savior in Washington, D.C. Citi seems done for.

Attorney General Nod, Bananas, and Dead Civilians

In a recent report Human Rights Watch recommended that the U.S. Department of Justice end the ties between the Colombian government and paramilitary death squads. Little information will flow now that Eric Holder has relinquished his weighty law practice at Covington & Burling in favor of the U.S. Attorney General nod. Holder has a conflict of interest since he is a defense lawyer for Chiquita Brands in which Colombian plaintiffs seek damages for the murders carried out by the AUC paramilitaries, a terrorist organization. Chiquita has already admitted in a criminal case that it paid the AUC around $1.7 million in a 7-year period and that it provided the AUC with a cache of machine guns as well.

In the Clinton Administration, Holder helped to negotiate Chiquita's plea bargaining with the Justice Department in the criminal case against Chiquita. Subsequently, no Chiquita official received jail time. Moreover, the identity of the key corporoate officials involved in the shenanigans are sealed.

Mario Iguaran, the Attorney General of Colombia, is on record noting that Chiquita's payments to the AUC paramilitaries led to the murder of 4000 civilians.

Memo to the Elect

Here is a memo to the Elect.

As Japan Is, Could Iraq Become?

In the we can all dream department comes a statement from the head of al-Anbar Sahwa (Awakening) council, Abu Resha, who said that it is now the time for Iraq to become a strategic ally of the U.S. Resha added:

“President Bush and other U.S. officials confirmed to me during my last visit to Washington DC that they want to pull out troops from Iraq, after it becomes strong, free and immune to external interventions, especially from Syria and Iran.”

If it were possible to dream, Iraq could become in the Middle East what Japan became in East Asia: a formerly occupied nation, defeated in war, yet developed into a prosperous, balanced economy, and a strategic ally and military power in the region.

Obama Marines Back Up Bush on AFRICOM

Marine Corps Forces Africa, the Marine component of AFRICOM, is now officially activated. The primary focus of the new command will be on engagement through bringing U.S. Marine Corps competencies to the table in support of U.S. Africa Command. AFRICOM, which was first announced by Bush in February 2007, activated on Oct. 1 of this year, was formed in recognition of Africa’s growing strategic value. Previously, responsibilities for military activities on the continent were divided among U.S European Command, U.S. Central Command, and U.S. Pacific Command. Under the new administration, Bush's plan, originally proposed by Donald Rumsfield, will continue.

Candidate Obama: No Lobbyists; Elect Obama: Hires Lobbyists

"I am running to tell the lobbyists in Washington that their days of setting the agenda are over. They have not funded my campaign. They won't work in my White House."

Candidate Barack Obama

Today, after the election, the Elect has now chosen lobbyists to be a part of the Obama administration.

The Elect has 150 staff members being assigned to government agencies between now and Inauguration Day that are former lobbyists and some who were registered as recently as lobbyists this year. A great deal more are executives and partners at firms that pay lobbyists, and former government officials who work as consultants or advisers to those seeking influence.

Henry Rivera, a former Democratic commissioner on the Federal Communication Commission who was involved in planning for the agency’s transition, has dropped out of that role because he had represented clients on communications policy in the last year.

Instead, Rivera is now on the team handling science, technology, space and the arts since the Elect's rules permit people who have lobbied in one area to join an Obama transition team in another. Jim Kohlenberger will assist, he is an executive director of an advocacy group for Internet companies.

Some appointees work in areas where they have recently lobbied.

An Interior Department appointee is Keith Harper, who lobbied earlier this year for Native American tribes.

A Consumer Products Safety Commission is Pamela Gilbert, a former executive director of the agency who recently lobbied for a consumer advocacy group. She has lobbied for the company Barr Laboratories, for an investor group, and for an antitrust enforcement group.

In the Justice Department and civil rights areas is Theodore Shaw, a litigator for an arm of the N.A.A.C.P.

David J. Hayes, part of the areas of energy and natural resources, is the chairman of the environmental practice at the law and lobbying firm Latham & Watkins. He was personally registered as a lobbyist as recently as 2006, for clients including San Diego Gas and Electric.

Sally Katzen, another member of the supervisory group, was registered last year to lobby for the pharmaceutical company Amgen on Medicare reimbursements.

Louisa Terrell, a third member, is on leave from the public policy office of the Internet company Yahoo!

Tom Wheeler, a fourth member, is on leave from a firm that invests in technology companies and before 2004 lobbied for the cable television and wireless industries.

John L. White, a former Clinton official charged with overseeing the new Defense Department, is a partner in a firm that invests in defense contractors.

Michael Warren, charged with overseeing Treasury, is chief operating officer of a firm that lobbies for clients including the U.S.-India Business Council.

Warren became chief operating officer of Stonebridge and has now become a major contributor to the transition in the pivotal areas of the Treasury Department and economic policy. Although not a registered lobbyist, Mr. Warren helped manage Stonebridge while it lobbied the government for clients including the U.S.-India Business Council within the last year as well as Dynergy International, Airbus, and Conoco in earlier years.

Several of the officials have ties to the Fannie Mae, the government-backed mortgage firm whose implosion this fall contributed to the financial meltdown.

These officials include: Thomas Donilon, overseeing the State Department, is a partner in the law and lobbying firm O’Melveny and Myers who until three years ago lobbied for Fannie Mae. Wendy R. Sherman, also reviewing the State Department, once headed Fannie Mae’s charitable foundation. And James Johnson, a former top officer of Fannie Mae, is on the economics and international trade team, charged with reviewing the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.

Christopher Lu, the transition’s executive director may have a conflict in that his wife, Kathryn Thomson, is a lawyer who represents corporate clients dealing with federal environmental regulations, while his older brother, Curtis Lu, is a top lawyer for Fannie Mae.

The vast majority of the lobbyists that the Elect picked are second-tier officials of the Clinton administration, who left during Bush's administration to work in the private sector, usually exploiting the connections they developed in the Clinton years.

Some of these officials cuurently are employed at firms that do business with the agencies they are examining. John O. Brennan, a former Central Intelligence Agency official, is president and chief executive of the Analysis Corporation, an intelligence contractor.

On the NASA review board, Lori Garver is now president of a strategic consulting company, Capital Space LLC, and previously worked for the aerospace company DFI International.

Among the officials charged with reviewing the Securities and Exchange Commission, likely to be scrutinized amid the financial meltdown, is Mozelle Thompson, who runs a legal and policy consulting business for publicly traded companies including Facebook.com.

The Elect has also chosen Jami Miscik, now reviewing American intelligence agencies, was the head of intelligence analysis at the CIA during its biggest mistake: about Iraq’s WMD. Thereafter she become a senior official managing risks in emerging markets for the investment bank Lehman Brothers, until its collapse this fall.

It is business as usual in Washington where the rhetoric never meets the reality.

Elect's Washington Times Ad

This full-page ad regarding the questions about Obama's birth certificate appeared today in the Washington Times National Weekly (Monday November 17th edition).

Elect's Video Birth Controversy Summary

A video summary of Obama's birth certificate forgery in included here.

Polar Bears Hungry Enough to Eat: One Another

Scientists claim Arctic polar bears are so hungry they are eating other bears.

Try here:

According to research and data pins, the polar warming is blamed on humans.

Catholics Urged to Repent for Elect Vote

A Greenville, South Carolina priest has asked his parishioners to repent for voting:

voting for the Elect that is.

Clinton Funds Problematic

Bill Clinton's post-presidential foundation funding, which may be problematic for Hillary Clinton to be named Secretary of State, includes members of the Saudi royal family, the king of Morocco, a fund connected to the United Arab Emirates, the governments of Kuwait and Qatar, as well as ties to international business figures connected to human rights abuses that his wife has outwardly criticized, including the governments of Kazakhstan and China.

China Denies Afghan Role

China denied the possibility of sending troops to join in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suggested China engage in the ISAF in Afghanistan. "Except the United Nations' (UN) peace-keeping operations approved by the UN Security Council, China never sends troops abroad. The media reports about China sending troops to participate in the ISAF in Afghanistan are groundless," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang stated.

Pakistani AQ Terrorist Unfit for Trial

Aafia Siddiqui, 36, is "not currently competent to proceed as a result of her mental disease, which renders her unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against her," U.S. District Judge Richard Berman stated while reporting the results of the psychiatric evaluation.

Siddiqui is suspected of links to al Qaeda and charged with trying to kill American interrogators in Afghanistan. A subsequent hearing on Wednesday will include the possible use of medication to treat her.

Siddiqui, educated at MIT as a U.S.-trained neuroscientist, was detained for questioning in a governor's office in Afghanistan's Ghazni province. She grabbed a U.S. warrant officer's rifle and fired it at the interrogation team, which included two FBI agents. The warrant officer then shot her with his pistol. She was brought to the United States to face charges of attempted murder and assault.

Siddiqui, a practicing Muslim, refused to submit to a strip search or cooperate with prison doctors. Afghan police found documents in her handbag on making explosives, excerpts from the book "Anarchist's Arsenal" and descriptions of New York City landmarks. Since being on the run for five years, in 2004, the FBI called Siddiqui an "al Qaeda operative and facilitator who posed a clear and present danger to America."

Pakistani parliamentarians said she should be released and repatriated to Pakistan.

Time Promotes the Savior

In the primaries he was compared favorably with JFK, until it became obvious he was no JFK, now, before he is inaugurated even, Time is comparing him with FDR. Since Farrakhan has already dubbed the Elect the Messiah, he will soon be elevated to at least sainthood, or he will be considered our Savior.

This is not a bad deal for Time Warner; they only donated $508,148 to Obama's campaign, a cheap price to pay for the publicity of praise.

Berg Interview on the Election Fraud

An short summary of the Philip Berg case against Obama, and his failure to produce evidence of citizenship,

is instructive.

Muslims Back Hussein

Muslims back Hussein. The American Muslim Task Force on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT) released a poll indicating that 89% of American Muslim voters picked Obama over McCain who garnished only 2% of Muslim respondents. This is also the highest American Muslim voter turnout ever reported.

Alan Keyes Files Suit in Cali Against Usurper Obama

Alan Keyes, former presidential candidate, a political activist, and media commentator, filed a lawsuit in California and warns that America may have a 'usurper' in Oval Office unless something is done to stop him. The suit calls on the California secretary of state to prevent the state's 55 Electoral College votes from being cast in the 2008 presidential election until President-elect Barack Obama verifies his eligibility to hold the office. There is no definitive proof that Obama is an American.

Kilcullen on Afghanistan

David Kilcullen, former Australian army officer and anthropology Ph.D, who has advised the American, British, and Australian governments, was one of General Petraeus’s strategic thinkers regarding the Iraq surge; Kilcullen is now a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

In a recent statement in the New Yorker he addressed four main areas of concern in Afghanistan which I quote here:

we are being both out-fought and out-governed for four basic reasons:

(1) We have failed to secure the Afghan people. That is, we have failed to deliver them a well-founded feeling of security. Our failing lies as much in providing human security—economic and social wellbeing, law and order, trust in institutions and hope for the future—as in protection from the Taliban, narco-traffickers, and terrorists. In particular, we have spent too much effort chasing and attacking an elusive enemy who has nothing he needs to defend—and so can always run away to fight another day—and too little effort in securing the people where they sleep. (And doing this would not take nearly as many extra troops as some people think, but rather a different focus of operations).

(2) We have failed to deal with the Pakistani sanctuary that forms the political base and operational support system for the Taliban, and which creates a protective cocoon (abetted by the fecklessness or complicity of some elements in Pakistan) around senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders.

(3) The Afghan government has not delivered legitimate, good governance to Afghans at the local level—with the emphasis on good governance. In some areas, we have left a vacuum that the Taliban has filled, in other areas some of the Afghan government’s own representatives have been seen as inefficient, corrupt, or exploitative.

(4) Neither we nor the Afghans are organized, staffed, or resourced to do these three things (secure the people, deal with the safe haven, and govern legitimately and well at the local level)—partly because of poor coalition management, partly because of the strategic distraction and resource scarcity caused by Iraq, and partly because, to date, we have given only episodic attention to the war.

So, bottom line—we need to do better, but we also need a rethink in some key areas starting with security and governance.

Cf. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/georgepacker/2008/11/kilcullen-on-af.html

Arabs Already Asking for Money From the Elect

"The League of Arab States should take an increased role and be recruited to provide some services in exchange for increased foreign aid development in education and health-care arenas for their impoverished people."

Arsalan Iftikhar, an international human rights lawyer, founder of www.TheMuslimGuy.com, and contributing editor for Islamica Magazine in Washington.

Arabs are already asking Americans for money; the Elect is expected to respond.

The Cost of Havoc: AQ's Price of Terror

The price of terror

Terrorism, as one Treasury official noted, is “not a rich man’s sport.”

An analysis of some of the most notable attacks show that al-Qaida and others it has inspired have spent between $5,000 and $500,000 to carry out the attacks. Although the numbers in most cases is an approximation—and may not include all costs, such as training—they serve as an indicator of how little is needed to get the world’s attention.

Michael Sheehan, the former counterterrorism director for the New York Police Department, says the department has long been guided by a “4 x 10” rule – “10 men + 10 weeks + $10,000 = 10,000-pound bomb.”

This summary bears out the rule.

— 1993 – World Trade Center, New York – approximately $31,000 to cover the costs of bomb components, rentals of the garage used to assemble the bomb and storage lockers for components, telephone calls to and from the Middle East, and plane tickets for travel to and from the United States. Six dead.

— 1998 – U.S Embassy Attacks, Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – less than $50,000 on bomb parts, rooms at a seedy downtown hotel, where the bombing was planned, and on an expensive suburban villa where the bomb was put together as well as satellite phones and laptops. 241 dead.

— 2000 – USS Cole, Aden, Yemen -- $5,000 to $10,000 to cover the cost of explosives, and inflatable boats as well as a camera to record the event. 17 dead.

— 2001 – September 11 attacks, New York and Washington -- $400,000 to $500,000 spent primarily for flight training, travel, and living expenses (such as housing, food, cars, and auto insurance). 2,975 dead.

— 2002 – Nightclub bombings, Bali, Indonesia -- $75,000 to $80,000 spent on explosives and living expenses for the bombers as well as for vehicles used to transport the bombs. Al-Qaida provided the bulk of the funding. 202 dead.

— 2003 – Attacks on two Jewish synagogues, British consulate and HSBC banking offices, Istanbul, Turkey -- $50,000 again spent primarily on the bomb and bombers, but also on vehicles and training suicide bombers. Also financed primarily by al-Qaida’s central operations. 57 dead.

— 2004 – Commuter train bombings, Madrid -- $10,000 mainly to purchase bomb components, rent safe houses and purchase cell phone detonators. 191 dead.

— 2005 – Underground Attacks, London – No more than $14,000, mostly for bomb components as well as travel and training. 53 dead.

Sources: United Nations, Central Intelligence Agency, US Department of Justice, 9-11 Commission.

Cf. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27644191/

Note on Microsoft China Research

A review of mine, marking the 10th anniversary of Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA), will be published.

Another American Terrorist Arrested

An American, Tarek Mehanna, lied to the FBI two years ago during a legitimate terrorism investigation. Mehanna, who has a doctorate from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, was arrested as he was about to flee the country to start a new job in Saudi Arabia. Mehanna was questioned about the whereabouts and activities of Daniel J. Maldonado, a former trainee of an Al Qaeda terrorist camp dedicated to overthrow the Somali government. Maldonado was captured while on the lam and a cooperating witness secretly recorded conversations with Mehanna, who worried about lying to the FBI, according to the affidavit. Maldonado was arrested in January 2007 as he fled Somalia. He became the first US citizen charged with participating in terrorist activities in Somalia. Last year, he pleaded guilty in federal court in Houston to receiving training at a terrorist camp in Somalia alongside Al Qaeda members. He admitted training to use firearms and explosives as part of an effort to help a group called the Islamic Courts Union overthrow the Somali government and install an Islamic state. Maldonado is serving a 10-year prison term.

Catholic Church Drops ACORN Funding

November 12th, 2008
Catholic Church drops ACORN funding

By Drew Griffin and Kathleen Johnston
CNN Special Investigations Unit

(CNN) — The Roman Catholic Church is cutting off funds to the community organizing group ACORN, citing complaints about its voter registration drives in the November 4 election as part of the reason.

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development froze contributions to ACORN, the Association of Community Organizing Groups for Reform Now, in June after the group revealed one of its founders had embezzled nearly $1 million from the group. This week, as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops met in Baltimore, Maryland, the campaign’s chairman said it was cutting all ties with the group.

The CCHD has donated more than $7.3 million to ACORN-related projects over the past decade, including $40,000 to an ACORN chapter in Las Vegas, Nevada, that was raided before the election in an investigation into fraudulent voter registration forms. Among other questionable documents, the ACORN chapter submitted registration forms for members of the Dallas Cowboys football team.

Cf. http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/

Our Next Entangling Alliance

The Founders warned us about getting involved and trying to slay the world's monsters and Americans followed this wisdom for years. In more recent times however we have forgotten this simple admonition because of the pulling at our heartstrings or a favored project or two.

The next entangling alliance that will snag the Elect's administration is most likely to arise from Africa. In one of numerous wrong-headed moves former Secretary of Defense Rumsfield committed us to Africom and the Elect is not likely to disband the extension of an American sphere of influence.

Not surprisingly human rights groups are already clamoring for the Elect to get involved in an area that has no payback for Americans, but a great deal of potential blowback from, in Sudan's troubled Darfur region, where government forces have waged a bloody war against militias that some international critics have characterized as genocide. Either this fiasco or one very similar will plague us during the Elect's administration.

Sudan President Omar al-Bashir has agreed to al cease-fire with rebels, which could give the U.S. an opening if we would be foolish enough to take the bait.

Darfur activist John Prendergast's ENOUGH organization is a project of the Center for American Progress, a Democratic think tank run by Obama's transition co-chairman, John Podesta.

During the presidential campaign, Obama called the crisis in Darfur "a collective stain on our national and human conscience" and said he would make ending it a priority on "day one."

That sounds like a commitment to me; we are doomed to repeat mistakes of getting involved in the region as before.

There is no legitimate American interest, safety, or concern in the region.

We can do simple things that do not further entangle us in other people's issue. The Elect's administration can strengthen the current arms embargo and continue to support investigations by the International Criminal Court into war crimes by al-Bashir, leading Sudanese officials and certain members of rebel groups. Other than lead a moral effort, our duty is done to the region.

The primary responsibility should be borne by China, which has vast oil interests in Sudan. Other than unnecessarily provoking the Chinese Americans do not need the additional burden of Darfur.

New FDR?

How did FDR get us out of the Great Depression? He put people to work.

Will this happen again? I doubt it.

Americans Okay One-Party Rule

In a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey 59% of those questioned think that Democratic control of both the executive and legislative branches will be good for the country, with 38% saying that such one-party control will be bad.

Paul, Congress, and A Little Common Sense

"Since the new alignment of political power offers no real change, we will remain on the same track without even a pretense of slowing the growth of government. With the new administration we can expect things to go from bad to worse."

From time to time we hear some common sense from Congress and this is one such example. Ron Paul has noted publicly what readers have seen on this blog. The change candidate offers no change.

The Republicans strayed so far from their core values that they must earn back the trust of the American people. The Republicans were given power and instead of acting in a fiscally responsible manner they spent as much as if they were Democrats. According to Paul the core values include:

• Limited government power

• A balanced budget

• Personal liberty

• Strict adherence to the Constitution

• Sound money

• A strong defense while avoiding all undeclared wars

• No nation-building and no policing the world

The Republic will not be restored in the next four years but "the need for it will be greater than ever," said Paul.

On a hopeful note Paul added:

In the past two years, I found that when the young people heard the message of liberty, they overwhelmingly responded favorably, fully realizing the failure of the status quo and the need to once again endorse a system of self reliance, personal responsibility, sound money, and a non-interventionist foreign policy while rejecting the cradle-to-grave nanny state all based on the rule of law and the Constitution.

The alternative development is folly.

Paul said: "The march toward a dictatorial powerful state is now in double time."

Kenya Celebrates Their President

Graphic source: Time

Obama's Kenyan relatives, including his step-grandmother Sarah Obama (center top), party in Kogelo village, Kenya, after celebrating their victory in the U.S. elections. Kenya has reason to be proud of their achievement.

Skeptical German Voice of Reason on the Elect

Up to 8 out of 10 West Europeans would have voted for Obama, which points to a religious rather than political phenomenon. The way they see it, George W. Bush is a one-man axis of evil, and Obama the redeemer: "Deliver us, for thine is the kingdom . . ." Europeans want to love America again, and they imagine that a simple act of exorcism (called "elections") will rid them of the curse. But politics is not about redemption. Obama is not what West Europeans dream he is: polite, social-democratic and pacific. In other words, more European than American. Will the Euroswooners still love Obama when he presses them for more troops in Afghanistan and real sanctions on Iran?

Josef Joffe, Journalist and political scientist

Jimmy Redux

Abysmal former President

has promises from the Elect to pursue his failed foreign policy.

Citi JPMorgan Chase: One Hand Washes the Elect

Two banks will helpfully keep people in their homes. At least, that will be the party line but let us look a bit deeper than that.

Sharia compliant Citi will modify $20 billion in home loans in a new program aimed at homeowners who haven't defaulted yet which could help 130,000 mortgage borrowers stay in their homes. This sounds all well and good.

The news follows similar initiatives announced by other banks. In particular I was interested to discover that JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) was another bank which like Citi heralded an enhanced housing rescue effort. JPMorgan Chase's goal is to rescue 400,000 borrowers.

The Citi (C, Fortune 500) effort, dubbed the Citi Homeownership Assistance Program, targets 500,000 Citi borrowers. CitiMortgages CEO Sanjiv Das said he expects that more than a quarter of these people will seek assistance, with mortgages worth about $20 billion.

For borrowers who have yet to default, Citi will freeze or reduce interest rates, extend the lifetime of the loan, or even reduce the loan principal. This lowering of the interest rate is typical of Islamic financing.

Since the banks do not know how well they can do they will need the cooperation of the government. The bottom line is that the bank programs won't be nearly as effective as any massive foreclosure prevention effort that may yet be implemented by the U.S. government.

And there is a possibility that such a program may yet emerge. Congress already enacted its Hope for Homeowners initiative, which will allow borrowers to refinance their mortgages into loans backed by the Federal Housing Authority. Now there is talk of a new $50 billion plan that could bail out as many as 3 million homeowners.

The selling point is that the bank programs do not cost the taxpayers anything so who could object?

JPMorgan Chase expands their housing rescue plan and will put a moratorium on foreclosures until its new program can be implemented in about 90 days. The bank will hire and train more staff to handle the added caseload that the plan will generate. JP Morgan Chase expects to process 400,000 families who will keep their homes during the next two years by working out $70 billion worth of loans. To handle the challenge, the bank will add 300 new counselors, for a total of 2,500, and opening 24 new regional counseling centers.

In the financial meltdown there are companies that are prospering and adding staff to handle the additional load. To be successful in their endeavor though, they will need the assistance of someone in the government, someone on the inside, someone whose campaign they supported with significant donations.

I am just speculating but I wonder if both Citi and JPMorgan Chase have found their man in Washington D.C.

Actually, both companies were noted in a recent 7 November blog post documenting just how much money they contributed to the President-elect:

JPMorgan Chase & Co. $581,460

JP Morgan Chase & Co is one of the nation’s leading financial services firms, offering commercial and consumer banking and credit services, securities brokering and financial consulting. Through its subsidiary Chase Bank, the company is one of the top consumer credit card issuers in the country. As expected, the firm has lobbied heavily on legislation that would affect the nation’s financial industry, including bankruptcy reform and banking deregulation. In 2002, federal investigators launched a probe into the firm’s relationship with former energy giant Enron. Prior to the energy firm’s collapse, JP Morgan Chase had been one of the company’s biggest financial backers.

Citigroup Inc. $581,216

Citigroup is the world’s second largest financial services firm, with $1 trillion in assets. One of the company’s subsidiaries is brokerage firm Salomon Smith Barney, which has been plagued with lawsuits and government investigations into its financing of bankrupt Enron and ailing WorldCom. In 1998, Citigroup’s lobbying helped repeal a federal law that prevented banks from getting into other businesses, allowing the company to acquire an insurance firm. Citigroup continues to lobby on a number of issues, including financial privacy, bankruptcy reform and terrorism reinsurance.

People can stay in their homes, thanks to the banks, and to their man in Washington, bought and paid for.

Additional Challenge to Election

Another challenge to the latest election has surfaced.

Obama's 1984

Graphic source: Patriot Brigade Talk Radio Network

Original wording

Graphic source: Change.gov

Revised

The newly launched official website of President-Elect Obama, Change.gov, originally announced that Obama would “require” all middle school through college students to participate in community service programs; however, after numerous objections the wording was revised, and softened, in an excellent example of a 1984-like change.

The language sparked a revival of the much-publicized video of marching Obama youth and Obama’s “civilian national security force,” which the candidate said in July would be just as powerful and well-funded as the U.S. military.

Elect Gitmo Guy Expounds Legalistically

"I am not going to give a time certain because I think what we have to do is evaluate all those who are still being held in Gitmo. . . . We have to put in place appropriate plans to make sure they are tried, convicted and punished to the full extent of the law, and that's going to require, I think, a review of the existing cases, which I have not had the opportunity to do."

Obama, 10 November 2008

Huh? What does "time certain" mean? We have to evaluate. No kidding. We need to have "appropriate plans." Hmmm, deep. What plan did you have in mind? Oh yes, and slap them on the wrist with the law. Think that will work, eh? What arrogance, you need to personally review these cases and make a reasoned, legal argument. That, my friends, is hubris to the extreme. American law means nothing to our enemies, nor should it, since they are serving God. Man's law is chimera. Yet, the Americans persist in viewing terrorism as a law enforcement issue.

As noted in a perceptive essay:

"Liberal legalism has delegitimized tactics and brutalities that once were accepted, but this delegitimization has occurred only in context of fundamental security and dominance of Western powers."

Professor R. K. Betts, Political Science Quarterly

The U.S. tried the liberal legalistic approach during the Clinton regime and we were attacked consistently. Now that we have a new player on the field the same old tactic will not work again. But, so far, what are left with? The latest indication is that we will work with the same flawed tools to ensure more legal rights for people who seek to kill Americans based on their understanding of God's higher dictates. It will not work. It did not work before, it will not work again.

Country At An All Time Pessimistic Low

All of 16% of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey stated that things are going well; That is about as low as things have gotten. 83% of those polled say things are going badly which is an all-time high. That high pessimist rate is higher than 1992, when George, "It's the economy, stupid,: more than 1980, when Carter was sacked for disappointing the country, and more than 1975, after Watergate and the Nixon pardon.

I am not expecting a miracle or an FDR. We do not produce that kind of leadership in America anymore. We are producing politicians who are receiving despicably high rates of campaign contributions.

Obama Gaffes in First Foreign Policy Conversation

In his first foreign policy discussion, good thing it was not a critical conversation, Obama misled the Polish President, President Lech Kaczynski. Obama told Kaczynski that he intends to continue plans for a missile shield in eastern Europe. If this is true, and this was the public announcement, this would be interpreted as a hard line against Russia. Russia has been infuriated by U.S. plans for the missile-defense installation, which includes basing missile interceptors in Poland. The interceptor rockets would be linked to an air-defense radar system in the Czech Republic. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned this week that Russian missiles will be deployed against the planned system. "The Iskander missile system will be deployed in Kaliningrad region to neutralize, when necessary, the missile shield," Medvedev said. "We are also planning to use the resources of the Russian naval fleet for these purposes." Good thing there were no actual missiles involved. Denis McDonough, Obama's senior foreign policy adviser, had to reverse the understanding that Kaczynski had. Obama has made "no commitment" to plans for a missile defense program in eastern Europe.

This is the first substantive conversation with a foreign entity and Obama has already been vague and unclear, thus, annoying the already aggressive Russians. Obama better learn on the job quickly before serious issues arise because of his lack of experience.

U.S. Treasury Promotes Islamic Finance

The U.S. Treasury is using American tax dollars to teach 'Islamic Finance 101.' The program is "designed to help inform the policy community about Islamic financial services, which are an increasingly important part of the global financial industry."

The Treasury Department has collaborated with Harvard University's Islamic Finance Project to coordinate the event.

Some speakers include Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Neel Kashkari, senior adviser to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Jr.; Harvard Business School professor Samuel Hayes; Mahmoud El-Gamal, chair of Islamic economics, finance and management at Rice University and Islamic finance adviser to the Treasury Department; Sarah Bell of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Yusuf Talal DeLorenzo, Shariah adviser and Islamic scholar; Michael McMillan, chair of the Islamic Legal Forum at the American Bar Association and professor of Islamic finance; and Rushdi Siddiqui, global director for the Dow Jones Islamic Market Indexes and vigorous advocate for Islamic finance.

Islamic finance is a system of banking consistent with the principles of Shariah, or Islamic law.

Islamic finance has reached $800 billion by mid-2007 and growing at more than 15 percent each year. Wall Street now features an Islamic mutual fund and an Islamic index. Oddly of course, though, the U.S. may be the first country that funds anti-American terrorists who are often financially supported through U.S. investments; the U.S. funds its own enemy.

In financial Jihad, America is losing the financial war on terror because Wall Street embraces a subversive enemy ideology on one hand and providing government and corporate life support to state sponsors of terrorism as well. Islamic finance, or "Shariah-Compliant Finance," is a "modern-day Trojan horse" infiltrating the U.S. Shariah is a repressive doctrine that regulates every aspect of life for Muslims, and has already been proposed in Britain, ultimately, it could change American life and laws. The three nations that rule 100% by Shariah law, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan, are among the most horrific human rights abusers in the world.

Obamination Jugend

I don't know if this is exactly how it starts but I would be wary of militant Obamination youth who march and shout out Obama slogans to a biblical 'Alpha, Omega' chant. The scenes from Black Muslim Farrakhan calling Obama the Messiah is alarming enough but

views of teen boys who are in uniform and drill, shout, and profess, 'Yes we can' are ominous. It would make the

Nazis proud.

Obama Backs Bush on Iran

EFPs, EFP cones and other materials seized in a 28 October raid. The cache was found in Iraq after Iran exported the materials to attack Coalition troops. Graphic source: Multinational Division Baghdad.

Ali Larijani, Iran's parliament speaker, has criticized President-elect Obama for saying that Iran's development of a nuclear weapon is unacceptable.

The comments came after Obama was briefed by American intelligence and contradicts what he said during his campaign for the presidency.

During the campaign, Obama stated: "I mean, think about it. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don’t pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us," (Obama’s remarks in Pendelton, Oregon, on 18 May 2008).

Now, I guess the Iranian nuclear threat is of genuine importance, and he may mean "us," as in the U.S. and Israel. The U.S. should back Israel to the hilt as Bush has in the stalled Middle East Peace process

Larijani views Obama's present view along the same lines as Bush's, because he object to "the repetition of objections to Iran's nuclear program, which will be taking a step in the wrong direction."

Obama also said he would help mount an international effort to prevent it from happening.

Larijani was speaking two days after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated Obama, the first time an Iranian leader has offered such wishes to a U.S. president-elect since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"Change" Is Not

As noted consistently, Obama says little about his plans, he notes that it is top priority to implement a "fiscal stimulus" package but he does not relate who or what it is for. Is this code for I will be bailing out more friends on Wall Street or my contributors?

Who knows?

But, as puzzling as that comment might be, another statement is even more troubling.

Hussein said: "state and municipal governments [are] facing devastating budget cuts and tax increases." Governments do not face tax increases; government levies taxes. Does the President-elect understand how taxes work? The people are taxed, not the government. I can only suppose, since there are no details, that Obama intends to funnel money to increase government. This is not a fiscally wise move in budget-challenged times.

Obama is clear that change is not forthcoming; he stated that he intends to "strengthen our economy in the long term."

Not much will change for the American people apparently.

Then, of course, there is the pure fluff: "We have taken some major action to date." Really? Such as? One has to wonder: is an acceptance speech "action," is a first news conference, "action." We don't know but maybe the Obama's kids getting a puppy was the major action. We really don't know what that action reference means.

He stated: "we will need further action." Yes, we will.

The message is clear: "And I have said before and I will repeat again: It is not going to be quick, and it is not going to be easy for us to dig ourselves out of the hole that we are in."

Change is not coming, so much for the "change" campaign.

Obama to Respond by 1 December

The U. S. Supreme Court has set dates in which Barack Obama, the DNC and all co-Defendants are to respond to the Writ of Philadelphia area attorney Philip Berg, which is on or before December 1, 2008. Berg remarked today, “I look forward to receiving Defendant Obama's response to the Writ and am hopeful the U. S. Supreme Court will review Berg v. Obama. I believe Mr. Obama is not a constitutionally-qualified natural-born citizen and is ineligible to assume the office of President of the United States.”

More to follow.

China Hacks House

China, mercenaries for hire, or some foreign entities hacked the White House. This revelation comes after earlier pronouncements that most likely the Chinese had already hacked into Obama's and McCain's campaign computer networks. Previously, there is evidence that Congress was hacked as well.

Out of the Box: Obama Insults

The first chance he got at his initial news conference Hussein put his foot in his mouth by stating: "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances." Nancy, wife of President Ronald Reagan, was mocked in 1988 when the former chief of staff Donald Regan revealed in a book that the First Lady had consulted an astrologer to determine the president's schedule. President Reagan died in 2004 at 93.

But other first ladies, such as former First Lady, Hillary, have reportedly used spiritual advisers. Hussein did not mention Hillary in his insult.

Obama Owes Favors

Candidate Obama declined public financing for the first time since the system's creation and went on to amass a nearly two-to-one monetary advantage over McCain; likewise, congressional races went to the candidate spending the most money by a 93% rate in the House of Representatives and 94% of Senate races. To obviate contribution limits, organizations bundle together many individual contributions.

The biggest contributors include:

University of California $909,283

Goldman Sachs $874,207

Goldman Sachs is one of Wall Street’s most prestigious investment banks. Like others in the securities industry, it advises and invests in nearly every industry affected by federal legislation. The firm closely monitors issues including economic policy, trade and nearly all legislation that governs the financial sector. It has been a major proponent of privatizing Social Security as well as legislation that would essentially deregulate the investment banking/securities industry. In August 2002, following months of corporate scandals, congressional investigators launched a probe into whether stock analysts at Goldman Sachs issued biased investment advice in order to protect corporate clients. The firm tends to give most of its money to Democrats. For example, in 2008 Democrats received funding 73% of the time, Republicans, 27%. Goldman Sachs' former chief executive, Jon Corzine, served in the U.S. Senate as a Democrat from New Jersey. He's now the state's governor.

Harvard University $717,230

Microsoft Corp. $714,108

Microsoft Corp is the world’s top computer software company. It is also one of the biggest campaign contributors in Washington—an astounding fact when you consider that Microsoft is a relatively new player on the political scene. Prior to 1998, the company and its employees gave virtually nothing in terms of political contributions. But when the Justice Department launched an antitrust investigation into the company’s marketing of its popular Windows software, things changed. The company opened a Washington lobbying office, founded a political action committee and soon became one of the most generous political givers in the country. The move eventually galvanized an entire industry, as computer and Internet companies quickly moved to emulate Microsoft’s political savvy.

Google Inc. $701,099

JPMorgan Chase & Co. $581,460

JP Morgan Chase & Co is one of the nation’s leading financial services firms, offering commercial and consumer banking and credit services, securities brokering and financial consulting. Through its subsidiary Chase Bank, the company is one of the top consumer credit card issuers in the country. As expected, the firm has lobbied heavily on legislation that would affect the nation’s financial industry, including bankruptcy reform and banking deregulation. In 2002, federal investigators launched a probe into the firm’s relationship with former energy giant Enron. Prior to the energy firm’s collapse, JP Morgan Chase had been one of the company’s biggest financial backers.

Citigroup Inc. $581,216

Citigroup is the world’s second largest financial services firm, with $1 trillion in assets. One of the company’s subsidiaries is brokerage firm Salomon Smith Barney, which has been plagued with lawsuits and government investigations into its financing of bankrupt Enron and ailing WorldCom. In 1998, Citigroup’s lobbying helped repeal a federal law that prevented banks from getting into other businesses, allowing the company to acquire an insurance firm. Citigroup continues to lobby on a number of issues, including financial privacy, bankruptcy reform and terrorism reinsurance.

National Amusements Inc. $543,859

Time Warner $508,148

America Online and Time Warner merged in 2001 to create one of the largest media companies in the world. The new colossus owns dozens of subsidiaries, including online services, print and broadcast news organizations, cable television companies, movie studios, music companies and publishing houses. Time Warner also owns the Atlanta Braves baseball team, as well as basketball and hockey teams. With so many business interests, the company lobbies on a number of different issues, but right now its biggest concern is over the rules governing television ownership. The company wants the government to relax the rules prohibiting cable television stations from also owning broadcast stations in the same market.

Sidley Austin LLP $492,445

Stanford University $481,199

Skadden, Arps et al $473,424

Wilmerhale Llp $466,679

UBS AG $454,795

Latham & Watkins $426,924

Columbia University $426,516

Morgan Stanley $425,102

Morgan Stanley is one of the world’s top investment banks, offering its clients everything from stock portfolio management to credit services. Like others in the securities industry, it invests in and advises virtually every industry affected by federal legislation. The company, which splits its contributions evenly between Democrats and Republicans, has been a major proponent of privatizing Social Security. Morgan Stanley also has lobbied in favor of proposals to deregulate the securities industry, so that investment firms can further extend their reach into financial services.

IBM Corp $415,196

University of Chicago $414,555

US Government $400,819

Data was accumulated by Opensecrets.org.

OpenSecrets.org is your nonpartisan guide to money’s influence on U.S. elections and public policy. Whether you’re a voter, journalist, activist, student or interested citizen, use our free site to shine light on your government. Count cash and make change.

Cf. http://www.opensecrets.org/index.php

Al-Baghdadi Will Live in the White House: Christians Should Embrace Islam

Islamist forum, Al-Hesbah, posted an audio message by the Emir of Al-Qaeda's "Islamic State of Iraq" (ISI) Abu 'Omar Al-Baghdadi to "the New Rulers of the White House and Their Allies in Other Christian Countries," "...The Warriors of Jihad Hope that, in the Distant Future, They Will Dwell Under the Roofs of the White House." Al-Baghdadi called on the "new rulers of the White House and their allies in other Christian countries" to "embrace Islam," and explained that "[Christians] are the closest religion [to Islam] from among [all world] nations."

President Elect Barry Soetoro's School Record: Indonesian Citizen, Religion, Islam

A copy of Barry Soetoro's--President-elect Obama--school record as an Indonesian citizen also lists his religion as Islam.

President-Elect as Third Term Bush

Rahm Emanuel usually receives attention for his aggressive, pit bull style of politics but I am interested in his biographical details. As we envision if the President-elect will provide something other than the third term of Bush I have to wonder about Emanuel.

I would not expect many differences between the President-elect and Bush since they are closely associated with Israel. Emanuel's father for example, is a Jerusalem-born former member of the Irgun (Irgun Zeva'i Le'ummi), a military Nationalist group treated as a terrorist organization during British rule. His father emigrated to the United States from Israel and Emanuel volunteered as a civilian volunteer in the Israel Defense Forces during the 1991 Gulf War, serving in one of Israel's northern bases, rust-proofing brakes.

I could not imagine the President-elect differing much from Bush on the unqualified support for Israel which places Americans at greater risk.

Lieberman Advised Not to Speak His Mind

Senator Lieberman is in hot water with the Democrats for having expressed himself. Of the President-elect, he said, "Sen. Barack Obama is a gifted and eloquent young man who I think can do great things for our country in the years ahead, but, my friends, eloquence is no substitute for a record, not in these tough times for America."

Obama adviser Robert Gibbs responded sharply by stating that "Joe Lieberman ought to be ashamed of himself for some of the things he said tonight, not as a Democrat but as an American."

This is an odd condemnation from a party source that should prize free speech. Why shouldn't a Senator be able to state his position? It is not anti-American to evaluate a politician. Lieberman rankles nerves, and does not always toe the party line, his independence makes him an effective spokesperson for many Americans.

Note on Holland, Rubicon

This delightful romp through one of history's most fascinating periods is well-written and engrossing. Holland expresses himself clearly and surveys the important personages and momentous occasion of the Republic's downfall.

France Whines, Then Profits from Warfare

Now that the updated Iraqi plans in regard to their purchase of 516 military aircraft, from the United States and France, has been released, its interesting to note how quickly France got involved in the bargain. Once one of most vociferous voices denouncing the U.S. quickly is there to benefit from war munitions.

I think we should always bear in mind that France is out for France and France alone. They have no moral credibility objecting to U.S. plans.

The aircraft would be delivered to Iraq from 2011 to 2015; the first order is for 108 combat aircraft from the US and France, and is to be delivered in 2011.

Surge Objective

"The overall objective is to establish a unified, democratic federal Iraq that can govern itself, defend itself, and sustain itself, and is an ally in the War on Terror. The surge would provide the time and conditions conducive to reconciliation among political and ethnic factions."

The objective of the surge is clearly stated and has been achieved. The prospect of having an ally against Islamofascists in the Middle East would be a godsend. As much as a certain contingent of Americans were either duped by the mainstream media, or wished for an American defeat, it did not happen. The Iraqis are well on their way, making guarded progress as always, to standing up for themselves.

War Time Transition

The current presidential transition is the first during wartime since 1968, when President Lyndon Johnson handed over administration to President Richard Nixon during the Vietnam War.

The top military officers appointed by Bush will remain. Admiral Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has at least one more year on his term in office.

The top U.S. military officer with direct responsibility for Iraq and Afghanistan, will also remain. The chief of U.S. Central Command, General David Petraeus, who is acknowledged with turning around the war in Iraq during the last year and a half.

It is unclear if U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will remain but he has publicly stated he is not interested.

Iraqi Air Force Off the Ground

Along with the latest developments in Iraqi military plans, the Iraqi Air Force is expanding, but it will not be ready until sometime during stage three (2016-2020) of the Iraqi Security Force development plan.

Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle: November 2008 Update

The transition has moved along a bit faster than expected; the details are encouraging.

Both Candidates Hacked

Isn't it great? Not only do we have enough problems with securing our borders but according to a story that Newsweek broke officials at the FBI and the White House told both the Obama and McCain campaigns that they believed a foreign entity or organization compromised their computer systems. Obama technical experts speculated that the hackers were Russian or Chinese or perhaps this is just wishful thinking on the Obama camp's part. They may see, as some of their foreign policy advisers seem to suggest, that China and Russia are our real enemies, not those folks in the Middle East after all.

Obama-Elect Defense Spending About the Same for Bush's Third Term

U.S. defense companies, helped by a 70% increase in military spending since Bush's budget since 2000, may see the trend continue under President-Elect Barack Obama, although the financial crisis is squeezing the federal budget.

U.S. defense spending rose 72 percent to $671.7 billion for fiscal 2008 from $381.3 billion in 2000, after adjusting for inflation and including spending for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The new Democratic administration faces decisions on $125 billion in major weapons programs:

the purchase of additional Lockheed Martin F-22 fighter jets and Boeing Co.’s C-17 transports;

the replacement of Air Force refueling tankers and combat search and rescue helicopters;

the acquisition of a new satellite communication system;

and, a decision to curtail buying the Navy’s DDG-1000 Zumwalt class destroyer, and buy more older DDG-51 type destroyers.

“When a new president is inaugurated, these circumstances that we are talking about now are not likely to change all that much,” Lockheed Chief Executive Officer Robert Stevens stated.

The expected rate will be approximately the same, 4% of the GDP, as defense spending has been. Likewise, the Pentagon also plans to increase the Army’s troop strength by 65,000 and the Marine Corps’ by 27,000 by 2013, adding to the military budget. Obama supports the troop-strength increase. “I don’t see defense spending declining in the first years of the Obama administration,” stated Richard Danzig, Obama’s defense adviser and former Navy secretary.

“The long-term fiscal challenges confronting the United States, linked to rising health-care costs and the aging of the U.S. population, all seem to support the conclusion that the base defense budget is likely to stay relatively flat in real terms,” not counting war costs, Steve Kosiak, a defense budget analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Washington policy group, stated in a report last month.

War is often good for business and the American economy needs a kick, jobs depend on it.

No Rest for Omar

Spain's Interior Ministry has rejected an asylum request from Omar, son of Osama bin Laden. The ministry determined that he did not "meet the conditions necessary for entering Spain."

Obama Lowers American Expectations

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term."

Amidst the rhetoric, the celebration, and the flourish of the phrasing, Obama can always look back and say, `I told you so.' He is lowering American expectations; he stated it in his acceptance speech. Most people will miss this key point in the joy that they feel tonight but he said it loud and clear. Obama is planning to take eight years to accomplish his plans on the scale of an FDR.

Given the seriousness of the issues confronting the next President I wonder if it is realistic to expect much at all.

Roosevelt had four months to come up with programs to address the Great Depression before he took office in 1933; Obama gets just 2 1/2 months to put a government in place.

Unemployment is at 6.1% and predicted to rise as high as 7.5% next year; worried consumers have curtailed borrowing and spending; home foreclosures are common; Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security face huge financial overdrafts; government debt is at its highest point in American history, debts are owed to Japan, China, and Middle Eastern banks flush with cash; and, 152,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq more than five years after the initial action, while an additional 32,000 are in Afghanistan in the sixth year of the war against Islamofascism.

Obama will be pulled politically from the left and from the right. He will face demands for a quicker pullout from Iraq, if he does so, the security issues remain, the sacrifices made by our military will be in vain, and Americans will be no safer, enemies of the U.S. will see this withdrawal as a huge victory as they have proclaimed in the past, and another military return, following this Iraq War, as the Coalition had to return after the First Persian Gulf War may be necessary.

From the acceptance speech, Obama reached for high aspirations, but he is really tempering Americans for lowering their expectations.

Obama certainly has not outlined how he will deal with the recession; its in his lap now.

A huge electoral victory is not change, nor does it indicate success.

LBJ won with 61% of the vote in 1964: an overwhelming Presidential victory. He enacted his Great Society programs in his first two years but his administration essentially folded with as he described it, "That damn war," the escalation of the Vietnam War.

Currently, Obama has offered few specifics on how he would govern.

The economy can certainly provide a powerful motivator. It certainly worked for Hitler.

If I recall my history correctly though, things didn't work out too well then.

Omar Flees Dad; Asks for Spanish Asylum

Omar bin Laden, Osama's son, has asked Spain to grant him asylum. He stepped off a plane at Madrid's airport during a stopover and asked to stay. This story has been around for some time since Omar has publicly called on his father to abandon terrorism. The Spanish Interior Ministry will have 72 hours to reply to his request once it's filed. Omar's flight originated in Cairo, Egypt, and landed in Madrid on its way to Casablanca, Morocco. The request was a surprise to Spanish authorities. Omar is married to a British citizen but he was previously asylum in Britain; he holds a Saudi passport. Omar hasn't spoken to his father since 2000, when he walked away from an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan with his father's blessings. He claims not to know where his father is now.

Affidavit of Obama's Grandmother Confirming Kenyan Birth

An Affidavit of Reverend Kweli Shuhubia is available for perusal. The Reverend interviewed Obama's grandmother with a translator, Bishop Ron McRae, who supplied additional supporting documents, but who most importantly, translated Barack's grandmother from her native Swahili. Obama's grandmother confirmed that Obama was born in Kenya.

Philip Berg, Democratic attorney from the Philadelphia area, has been pursuing this evidence.

Iran Celebrates Taking American Hostages: Waits for Next Opportunity

Iranians called for a U.S. "unconditional withdrawal" from all Islamic states referring to Washington as the "main war-monger and cause of insecurity worldwide." Election day USA is the anniversary of the take-over of the former U.S. embassy in Tehran by university students and followers of the Imam Khomeini in 1979. The embassy was known in Iran as the "Den of Spies." The U.S. is seen as the main cause of insecurity in the world and the Iranians should "fight against oppressive and colonial policies of the world arrogance and Western powers led by the US." The U.S. efforts are against Islamic states, especially Iran, and "resulted from the influence of Zionist lobbies on international organizations as well as the US and its allies pressures on international bodies."

The only thing worse for the U.S. is if we brought back Zbigniew Brzezinski, the U.S. Secretary of State during the Jimmy Carter fiasco of a Presidency.

Wait, it could get worse: Brzezinski has backed one of the presidential nominees, and is an important advisor to this individual, and that nominee might get elected tomorrow.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

Note on Hanson, Carnage and Culture

Hanson argues that the military dominance of the West can be attributed to the idea of dissent, consensual government, and individualism. Hanson rejects racial explanations for this military preeminence, the dominance of technology and disagrees with environmental or geographical explanations such as the thesis advanced by Jared Diamond in Guns, Germs and Steel.

According to Hanson, Western values such as freedom, rationalism, and open dissent are a particulary lethal mix as the West has engaged in warfare. Even when non-Western societies win the occasional victory when warring against the West, it is only a temporary setback and the non-Western culture is dependent of Western tactics, technology, and has no inclination to fight to totally vanquish their foe. Therefore, the "Western way of war" will ultimately prevail. Hanson is careful to point out that Western warfare is not necessarily more (or less) moral than war as practiced by other cultures; but his argument posits that the "Western way of war" is unequalled in its devastation and decisiveness.

Nine battles illustrate a particular aspect of Western culture that Hanson believes contributes to the dominance of Western warfare: the Battle of Salamis 480 BCE, where the Greeks fought as a "free citizens," the Battle of Gaugamela 331 BCE in the decisive battle of annihilation, the Battle of Cannae 216 BCE emphasizing civic militarism, the Battle of Tours/Poitiers 732 CE and the concentration of infantry, the Battle of Tenochtitlan 1521 CE where technology and reason prevailed, the Battle of Lepanto 1571 or a victory for capitalism, the Battle of Rorke's Drift 1879 where British discipline held sway, the Battle of Midway 1942 demonstrating individualism, and the Tet Offensive 1968 where American dissent rose to the fore.

One of the biggest surprises of the book is the numerical superiority of the Americans during Tet. The Americans felt as though they lost though Hanson points out that the Vietcong were really decimated in the American counter-offensive. The work is an important corrective to the current American penchant for defeatism. Not surprisingly then, Hanson argues that the current American conflicts against insurgency and terrorism can result in an American victory.

Kurds Welcome U.S. Bases

Even if the U.N. mandate ends, scheduled for the end of this year, the Iraqi Kurds are prepared to host U.S. military bases in northern Iraq. Massud Barzani, the president of northern Iraq's regional Kurdish administration, said that his government would "welcome" such a move. This development occurred before the presidential election and before Bush becomes a lame duck president.

Obama Garnishes Shamans Support

Peruvian shamans have backed Obama for President. They gathered in Lima to send good vibes to him.

Obama's Illegals

Questions about Obama abound and at least one illegal has been found according to the AP. Zeituni Onyango, a native of Kenya, has been living in Boston despite losing an appeal for asylum four years ago. Obama's campaign is in possession of her $265 donation though and now will have to return the money since Onyango is not legally permitted to donate to Obama because she is not a U.S. citizen.

Note on Mearsheimer and Walt: The Israel Lobby

Mearsheimer and Walt are wrong in retrospect about Iraq so their basic thesis is undercut by the Coalition success in that country. Nonetheless, they provide a rationale for the continuing attacks on America, which this country should consider, the increasing unimportance of Israel as a strategic ally since the collapse of the Soviet Union. They advocate "offshore balancing" which sounds like it may have worked until the necessity of increased presence, particularly ground troops, in the Middle East.

U.S. Deaths in Iraq at Wartime Low

Military deaths in Iraq fell in October to their lowest monthly level of the war, matching the record low of thirteen fatalities suffered in July. Only eight of the thirteen Americans died in combat. The U.S. military suffered 25 deaths in September and 23 in August.

In Afghanistan fifteen 15 U.S. military deaths were reported for October. The monthly toll in that combat theater had been in the 20s since June, when 28 Americans were killed-—the worst one-month total since that war began in late 2001.

The sharp drop in American fatalities, and Iraqi too, in Iraq reflects the overall security improvements across the country following the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida and the rout suffered by Shiite extremists in fighting last spring in Basra and Baghdad. U.S. military commanders repeatedly warn are fragile and reversible.