Giuliani: No Domestic Attacks

Being in the opposition apparently does weird things to you and your memory. For example, you claim that there was no domestic terrorist attack in the US during George W. Bush's rule, despite the fact that your international claim to fame is that you were the mayor of a city that experienced the largest domestic terrorist attack - on September 11, 2001.

(Un)favorability.

The anniversary of his election is coming up, time for a litte Obama related quiz.
A recent poll shows 2 variants of his favorability-unfavorability rating:
a) 28-67
b) 68-23

Guess which rating is for the Southern states.

Via marbury.

The President's Opinion.

To complete my little US health care hat-trick here, a link to a op-ed piece from the New York Times, by Barack Obama himself*:

This is what reform is about. If you don’t have health insurance, you will finally have quality, affordable options once we pass reform. If you have health insurance, we will make sure that no insurance company or government bureaucrat gets between you and the care you need. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan. You will not be waiting in any lines. This is not about putting the government in charge of your health insurance. I don’t believe anyone should be in charge of your health care decisions but you and your doctor — not government bureaucrats, not insurance companies.

The long and vigorous debate about health care that’s been taking place over the past few months is a good thing. It’s what America’s all about.

But let’s make sure that we talk with one another, and not over one another. We are bound to disagree, but let’s disagree over issues that are real, and not wild misrepresentations that bear no resemblance to anything that anyone has actually proposed. This is a complicated and critical issue, and it deserves a serious debate.

Anybody volunteer to spray this on every house wall?


* Or at least published under his name. You never now these days. Nor do I care, really.
Image: wikipedia.org

Would you do that if Barack was watching?

Seriously, would you still do whatever you're doing if Barack Obama was watching?

(via)

The 30 Second Commute.

Even though Obama - and the reporting about President Obama - should be shifting away from personal, celebrity gossip to actual policy and hard work, there is a pretty interesting bit on nyt.com about the new management and the President's attempt to combine work an family:

“Even as he is sober about these challenges, I have never seen him happier,” Mr. Axelrod said. “The chance to be under the same roof with his kids, essentially to live over the store, to be able to see them whenever he wants, to wake up with them, have breakfast and dinner with them — that has made him a very happy man.”

Listen!

The greatest thing about the Bush - Obama transission isn't that finally a politician moves into the White House with whom I actually agree on a few issues. I'm especially looking forward to being able to listen to. His speeches. Press conferences. Statements. I don't think I will agree with every single Obama utterance, but it'll at least be bearable again to listen to him (if not even enjoyable). I had a hard time listening to Bush speak - not just because of what he said, but also because how he said it - and that means a limited ammount of first hand information I could base my own opinion on. With Bush, I could only stand the soundbites. With Obama, I'm actually looking forward to the (possible) end of soundbite politics. That's change I want to believe in.

Speaking of speeches: His speech on election night was pretty amazing, possibly historical, also in form, not only content. That sets up pretty high expectations for tomorrows inaugural address. For starters, here is Obama's brief speech during the inaugural celebration concert .

Dick and - Obama?

I can't help it. I've been looking at Nixon's speeches during the 1968 campaign for a class today, and I have a eerie déjà vu when listening to some of the arguments. I can't help but notice some similarities between Richard Nixon and - Obama. It's really odd, but it's the strategy of claming to speak for the Americans themselves (in Nixon's case: the silent majority) and claiming to go beyond party limits for the sake of America and the necessity of a 'period of negotiation' because "there isn't a place in the world where the United States isn't worse off than it was eight years ago".
I'm not saying there are actual parallel between them (also not that their speeches of performances are similar). But it just struck me as pretty odd, if not creepy.