Buck Naked Politics

Iraqi PM Endorses Obama's 16-Month Withdrawal Plan

by Damozel | Here's the piece in Reuters.  Certainly Maliki made it clear before now that his government wants us out.  Here's what he has said about the 16-month time frame:

When asked in and interview with SPIEGEL when he thinks US troops should leave Iraq, Maliki responded "as soon as possible, as far as we are concerned." He then continued: "US presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes." (Spiegel Online)

Obama himself recently backstepped from any firm commitment, but certainly this is a good sign that the Iraqis are prepared to enable him in keeping his original promise. 

Hillary & Obama, Fund-Raising (and The Amazing Interactive Map), John McCain, & More About Jesse Jackson

by Damozel | This is an AP article saying that Bill Clinton is ready and willing to do whatever Obama asks of him, including (maybe) speaking on his behalf at the convention.   I won't quote from it, but I'm thinking it's bad news for PUMAs who want to believe that Hillary wants them to keep passing around their slam books and making plans to disrupt the convention.  Bill sounds...conciliatory.  Obama should probably consider it.  (If you are thinking 'Doubtful,' read on.)

Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg is planning a fete for Hillary to welcome her back.

Want to see who is donating to the candidates?  Check out this interactive map.  Seriously, it's cool -- Deb's going to love it.

Jon Stewart on Media Reaction to the Obama Cartoon

'Nowhere was the anger at the media greater than in the media.'    Stewart eviscerates our reactive and sensation-loving media. He also had a good suggestion for how the Obama campaign should have responded.

New Yorker Cover: Maureen Dowd Gets it Right (Sort of)

by Deb Cupples |  Yesterday, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd pointed out the absurdity of some reactions to New Yorker magazine's recent cover -- the one that satirized some people's absurd perceptions of Sen. Barack Obama and distracted many people from the well-researched article beyond the cover.

Ms. Dowd also pointed out that even some humorists (whose irreverence has nourished many Americans) are feeling uncomfortable these days about really letting loose:

Stuart Taylor at Newsweek: 'We Must Pardon the Torture Sanctioners...'

by Teh Nutroots |....then they can apologize to the 'Truth Commission' Taylor will set up and we can all move on. 

Did I read this wrong?  Nope: 'To get a full accounting of how U.S. interrogation methods were used, the president should give those accused of 'war crimes' a pass.'   I get angry and then I start spluttering and foam flecks fly out my mouth.  Instead of denouncing this tripe in coherent fashion, I point shaking fingers and make little squealing sounds. 

Here's Brad at Sadly, No! with some graphic photos showing, if you've already forgotten, what makes a war crime a WAR CRIME. 

Obama & the Miffening* of Dem Insiders...

By Damozel | According to The Politico (via Alegre). relations between Obama and Capitol Hill are a leetle strained.  Apparently, some Dems aren't feeling so much Obamamania anymore.

The article describes them as 'miffed.'   

*Please don't email me.  I know it really isn't a word.  I just think it should be.

Jon Swift and Others on Satire-Gate (Obama's New Yorker Cover)

by Damozel |  I admit it.   I am afraid I thought the infamous cover was hilarious. It didn’t occur to me till the condemnation started rolling in that it could be detrimental to Obama in the wrong hands.  I can’t imagine that anyone with a sense of context (or humor) could possibly have taken it as anything but a knock at those who buy into attempts to demonize Obama.

But I understand the concern of those such as Jesse Taylor at Pandagon who perfectly well understand the intent while still feeling concerned that the cover might just give legs to the rumors. And if you don’t believe that there is a segment of the public prepared to swear that the cover is an absolutely literal and accurate accurate depiction of the secret life of the Obamas , see here, here, and here.  Finally, there's a good piece today by SilentPatriot at C&L about why some people are so upset about the cover that may pretty much undercut what I've written here.  You decide.

Obama's Iraq Op-Ed is Confusing (UPDATED)

by Deb Cupples |   When I heard that the New York Times had published an op-ed yesterday by Barack Obama that would clarify his "plan for Iraq," I was eager to read it.  And so I did.  Several times.  But I'm still not too clear about what his "plan" is.

Paragraph 1 states that we should "begin a phased redepolyment of combat troops."   That part is clear.  Paragraph 2 is equally clear: it recaps some of the consequences of the war and re-states Sen. Obama's opposition to the war before the Bush Administration started it.

Then I come to paragraph 3, which states:

Obama: It's Time to Begin to End the War

by Damozel | The New York Times has published an op-ed by Barack Obama.

It’s good news, isn’t it, he pointedly notes, that our troops’ sacrifices have got the Iraqis to a point when their government might actually be about ready to take off the training wheels and ride off without us holding the handlebars? (NYT) 

And whether they are ready are not — see this BBC article clarifying the quote on which Obama relied — isn’t it about as clear as it could possibly be that we can’t go on babysitting them indefinitely, or even very much longer, without severe strain to major muscle groups?

New Yorker Spoofs Obama's Critics, Draws Attention Away from Great Article

by Deb Cupples |  The most recent edition of New Yorker Magazine has an incredibly detailed article about Barack Obama's early years -- how he evolved as a politician in Chicago. Given that Obama may be our next president, it's certainly information that voters might find interesting.

Unfortunately, the article will likely get little attention, because the magazine's illustrator drew the cover pictured to the left.

Yes, you're seeing it correctly: there's a flag in the fireplace, Barack is in foreign garb, and Michelle has a gun slung across her back as she bumps fists with her husband.

Barry Blitt, the artist who drew the cover, explained his motives in an email to a Huffington Post writer:

A Different Angle on Obama's Campaign Finance Numbers

by Deb Cupples |  Campaign-finance junkies tend to believe that dollars from big donors reflect favors that candidates will owe to those donors -- especially money given by corporate employees or bundled by lobbyists. 

Such perceptions might be why Barack Obama's campaign staff has done numerical gymnastics trying to create the impression that Obama's campaign is mostly funded by truly small donors (those who gave a total of $200 or less). You can read about the gymnastics here.

While Obama's staffers have been diligent about comparing percentages, they don't seem too keen on comparing the actual dollar amounts that Obama and McCain have received from "big" donors.

No worries: I have the data and am happy to lay out the comparisons for them.

The Daily Show: One Less Pivot in the Axis of Evil; Magic Wands

George W. Bush is still president; North Korea is downgraded to a slightly less menacing category; Obama talks intelligently about gas prices.

Randomizer: Bush Signs off with Funny Joke to G8, Rove Praises Obama Campaign, Pundits Discuss Obama's Ideology, Dems Prepare to Cave Some More, & Sullivan Fears Obama 'Hubris'

At the G8, Bush departs with one of his trademark kidding-on-the-square one liners:

President George Bush signed off with a defiant farewell over his refusal to accept global climate change targets at his last G8 summit.

As he prepared to fly out from Japan, he told his fellow leaders: "Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter."

President Bush made the private joke in the summit’s closing session, senior sources said yesterday. His remarks were taken as a two-fingered salute from the President from Texas who is wedded to the oil industry. He had given some ground at the summit by saying he would "seriously consider" a 50 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2050. (Independent)

Haha!  That is a ‘funny’ ‘joke’!   

An Eloquent Critic of the Obama Campaign

by Damozel | Among many bloggers who remain critical of Obama and the Obama campaign, one of those I find most powerful and persuasive is Anglachel, who writes both eloquently and intelligently about the divide in the Hillary campaign. 

Here are a couple of quotes from Anglachel's posts, though it's only fair to say that they aren't reducible down to extracts; they are intricately thought through and unified --- the blogging equivalent of origami --- and pulling out a piece here and there isn't really illustrative.

Oh, Grow Up (Yet Another Obama Supporter Thinks Maybe He's Been Had)

by Damozel |More punditry over Obama's perceived tack toward the center.  As I've said before, I never get tired of saying 'I told you so' to people whose support for Obama was all for non-policy-based reasons.  He was charismatic, he energized the young, he made a thrill run up Chris Matthews' leg, he's the first black candidate ever with a shot at the presidency....All those things were true; what isn't true is that he ever committed (barring one or two hot issues, such as FISA and NAFTA) to a truly progressive agenda except when following the lead of one of the other candidates as a matter of strategy.

Building a Better Conservatism

by Damozel | Conservative columnist Steven Greenhut writes:

Syndicated columnist Bob Novak, writing about the surprising number of conservatives who are backing Democrat Barack Obama rather than Republican John McCain for the presidency, captured their widespread sentiment when he quoted one "Obamacon" with impeccable GOP credentials: "The Republican Party is a dead rotting carcass with a few decrepit old leaders stumbling around like zombies in a horror version of 'Weekend at Bernie,' handcuffed to a corpse." These Obama supporters hold no illusions about Obama's liberalism, but they are so angry at the GOP, Novak writes, that they seek a "therapeutic electoral bloodbath."... [I]n a two-party system, when one party screws up royally, the voters reward the other party.' (OC Register; emphasis added)

It's actually quite affirming that some conservatives have decided to rebel against what the Bush administration and its abettors and enablers and are prepared, in the best traditions of democracy, to 'throw the rascals out.'

Obama Clarifies his Position on Late Term Abortions

by Damozel | Obama has clarified his supposed opposition to allowing a woman to have a late term abortion in circumstances when the pregnancy causes the mother mental distress. (The Swamp)  He does not think mere 'mental distress' is a reason to permit such an exception.

According to Linda Douglass, the Obama campaign's senior spokesperson, the senator from Illinois was making a distinction in the magazine interview between medically diagnosed mental illness and the kind of mental distress that an unwanted pregnancy causes many a pregnant mother.  (The Swamp)

He does think such an exception should be permitted in circumstances in which there is medically diagnosed mental illness -- a position that still doesn't really please either side of the abortion argument. (The Swamp) 

Spitefulness Towards Obama: Some Reflections

by Damozel | John Cole is baffled by the intransigence of  Dems, including many recent Obama supporters, who have bashed Obama's every move since the nomination. 

The continued intransigence of left-wing bloggers and liberal Democratic interest groups that make up part of the Democratic voting block remains completely and totally mystifying to me. The utter unwillingness to allow Obama any latitude in framing his positions on issues so that they are more palatable to independent voters, demanding that he adhere to strict and rigid positions with no room for movement or nuance, appears to me to be an unwitting sabotage of a candidate who has always been a center-left pragmatist. Any slight deviation from orthodoxy, real or perceived...is met with derision, assaults on his integrity, and charges of flip-flopping. .

Obama & Europe: Will They Still Love Him Tomorrow?

by Damozel |As I noted earlier, and as this CNN article assures me is still true, this certainly seemed to be true in England when I was visiting back in May.  The people I spoke to could not believe that Obama was my third choice and a long way behind Edwards and Hillary.  They also flat-out did not believe me when I whispered my concern that he holds views at odds with mine.

Why do they love Barack so?

To his European fans, Obama is the symbol of American renewal. They know three things about him. That he is young. That he is African-American. And that he has a Muslim name.

Europeans live in countries with large, unassimilated Muslim minorities. The idea that someone with Obama's name and background could become President of the United States astonishes and impresses them. Europeans are thrilled by the idea that the United States can suddenly transform itself from a pariah in the world into an inspiration to the world. (CNN)

WSJ Compares Obama to Bush; Hillary Supporters Are Still Holding Out; What John McCain Didn't Learn from Vietnam

by Damozel | Is it really Obama who is running for Bush's third term? the Wall Street Journal sternly inquires. First Republicans called him the most liberal Senator ever --- which was never true --- and now they are trying to have it the other way.   It turns out that Obama is deviously taking all McCain's positions before he can get round to it --- or something.    Check out The Wall Street Journal if you want to laugh. Via Steve Benen at Crooks and Liars.

Given John McCain’s record, and rhetoric, Republicans are clearly worried about how voters are going to react to the argument that McCain offers the nation “Bush’s third term.”

In fact, conservatives are so worried about it, the misguided ideologues at the Wall Street Journal editorial page have decided to make a novel argument: it’s Barack Obama, not McCain, who’s actually “running for … Bush’s third term.”