Obama vows to shut down Guantanamo Bay November 17, 2008 - 10:10AM
US President-elect Barack Obama says he will shut down the "war on terror" internment camp at Guantanamo Bay and rebuild "America's moral stature in the world" during a major interview aired on Sunday.
"I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that," the Democrat, who takes office on January 20, told 60 Minutes.
"I have said repeatedly that America doesn't torture. And I'm going to make sure that we don't torture. Those are part and parcel of an effort to regain America's moral stature in the world," Mr Obama added. AFP http://www.brisbanetimes.com.a.....7/1226770317069.html
Obama's CrackBerry habit Jeff Zeleny | November 17, 2008 - 11:27AM
Sorry, Mr President. Please surrender your BlackBerry.
Those are seven words president-elect Barack Obama is dreading but expecting to hear, friends and advisers say, when he takes office in 65 days.
For years, like legions of other on-the-move professionals, Mr Obama has been all but addicted to his BlackBerry - or CrackBerrys as they are sometimes called for exactly that reason..
But before he arrives at the White House, he will probably be forced to sign off. In addition to concerns about keeping email secure, he faces the Presidential Records Act - which puts his correspondence in the official record and ultimately up for public review - and the threat of subpoenas.
A final decision has not been made on whether he could go against precedent to become the first emailing president but aides said that seemed doubtful.
For all the perquisites and power afforded the president, the chief executive of the US is essentially deprived by law and by culture of some of the very tools that other chief executives depend on to survive and to thrive. But Mr Obama seems intent on pulling the office at least partly into the 21st century on that score. Aides said he hoped to have a laptop computer on his desk in the Oval Office, making him the first US president to do so.
Mr Obama is the second president to grapple with the idea of this self-imposed isolation. Three days before his first inauguration, George Bush sent a message to 42 friends and relatives to explain his predicament.
"Since I do not want my private conversations looked at by those out to embarrass, the only course of action is not to correspond in cyberspace," Mr Bush wrote from his old address, G94B@aol.com. "This saddens me. I have enjoyed conversing with each of you."
But in the eight years since, as BlackBerrys have become ubiquitous - and often less intrusive than a telephone - the volume of email has multiplied and the role of technology matured.
Mr Obama used email to stay in touch with friends when he was on the road. He also relied on email to keep abreast of the rapid whirl of events on a campaign day.
"Given how important it is for him to get unfiltered information from as many sources as possible, I can imagine he will miss that freedom," said Linda Douglass, an adviser who was on the campaign.
Even if he does not carry a BlackBerry or a mobile phone, Mr Obama almost certainly will not lack a variety of new forms of communication.
On Saturday, as he broadcast the weekly Democratic radio address, it came with a twist. For the first time, it was also video-taped and archived on YouTube.
Actually, to be accurate that quote is from Barack Obama, not me You cannot possibly be that cynical Aqua that you believe there is a double meaning there. Nice to have a young and energetic, intelligent and classy President in office. Be a change from the Bush Snr and Bush Jr Terms in Office. The colour of his skin does not even come into the equation with my way of thinking. Love that pic of him with his BlackBerry
I wrote this on antoher forum and had debated on weather I should post it here or not. I don't really feel safe to freely share myself on this particular forum (the good isn't taken with the bad...) but after re-reading it, I reckoned it was just one post and that as such there isn't even anything there of me anyway. This was within a couple days of the election results, and it comes rather late when read now:
I watched Hancock yesterday. A lot of people really hate Will Smith movies. I don't find that all of them are just that similar enough to generalise. I haven't seen many of his roles either though, but overall I think the best I could say was that he doesn't necessarily pick great roles to begin with. I guess some of them have been okay, one or two good, and he's been in a couple real blockbusters... nah you know what, I like him as an actor I guess, now that I look at it more. The movie took an awkward turn that I almost couldn't forgive, then I had no faith that the ending would be pulled off, but it somehow was, a little, and I ended up liking the movie, and I cried at the ending. I was heading in another direction so let me get back to that. I'm someone that cries while watching movies sometimes. I can sometimes only watch the end of a movie and cry. In life, however, as an adult I've only really cried for example when my grandfather died or when I one day ended up back in the US and sat under the tree where my grandparents' ashes are buried and talked to them as I was here in Australia when each of them passed away. Apart from that, there have been instances while in deep depression and desperation that I cried, and probably once that I have cried to God over a life circumstance. Overall though, I'm not a person who really shows that. I never was anyway. I can't say that I'm not now, as some things change. I don't like for people to see me cry though. I don't always like my wife to see me cry even, because she'll make a big deal of it and want to hug me and share in some sort of drama that often isn't really anyone's but mine to have, and as such it isn't something I can give away or share. Of course she means well. Working slowly toward where I'm going with this though, I'll reiterate that I'm much more likely to cry while watching the television or a movie than when something real happens.
It was a fantastic production. At times, and much of the time, it was incredibly boring, at times the shenanigans of the campaigning in the primary elections of the Democrats was pathetic and made me feel ashamed to be a voter registered as part of the Democratic party (this means far less than it does in Australia though), and it was yet another wake up call about just what a world we live in and just what a country I come from. It's really easy for me to point the finger from all the way over here but the overall reality is that I'd have to concede that people themselves are the same regardless of geography. So at times it was a production that smacked me in the face and dissapointed me, but I have to talk about the ending and say that it's sort of now just left me with a more realistic perspective... perhaps. Also, at times it was a production that was exciting. It's embarrassing to admit (a little), but the reality is that... ah crap I got distracted for only like 5 seconds and forgot what I was thinking.
Yes, so it was a very long production as well. At times it made my arse numb. Not really but metaphorically. There were moments of vengeance, for example when Hilary was defeated, when the votes weren't yet counted enough to make an accurate prediction but the Obama victory could still be smelled, tasted, and almost... almost savoured. That feeling of almost savouring though, that wasn't the same feeling of what was actually to come.
It was an expensive production. That it happens at all, the way that it does, is really something to scratch my head at, but that it happened this time the way that it did was just something else entirely.
I was happy Obama came along in the first place. He seems like a humble guy when I consider all that he's been through to become the victor, and his ongoing attitude from what little of the production I watched (and even watching a little is like watching a full length movie). I shouldn't have started this paragraph. I'll just say that I could go on for quite a long time about why I didn't like Hilary Clinton and that it had less to do with politics than it should have, why I despised John McCain for political and non-political reasons, the incredible circus act that went on as a whole.... but it would be boring, and much of it would be to just state the obvious.
So when the production ended, when the movie was over, for me as a liberal American, and from the sound of the news room's republican's achors' voices it seemed they felt the same way too, and as someone who can merely watch the end of a movie and cry, I felt that I had just reached the end of an epic production of an incredible story, and even now I hold back tears so that I can see the keyboard in order to keep on typing.
When I watch a movie and cry, I know that its temporary, that its fake. When the reality of the Obama win hit me... I was alone and I was glad for that because I did let many many tears run down my face for quite some time. I was fatigued and had forced myself to stay awake for quite a while waiting for the outcome, but I didn't care, and I didn't care that I knew, as with all good movies, this one would lose its meaning when I woke up and that I was soon to go to sleep. As I watched the TV, they showed a lot of people feeling the same way I was. They showed a lot of black people celebrating. The news anchors were really at a loss for anything good to say because no matter what they could express, I knew that I knew it already and that so did a f*** load of other people... most people who were watching. I wouldn't have wanted to have their job... they had to hold back their feelings so the coverage could continue... they had to stop feeling so that they could do their jobs. They were robbed.
As I watched the camera's pass by a lot of black people smiling and celebrating, and when they cut to footage of Jessie Jackson trying to speak but balling his eyes out, I couldn't help but to think “Is my joy really that warranted, comparatively?” I wondered if I really should be taking as much joy as I was in this Hollywood happy ending. I say “Hollywood happy ending” because it is just one day in what will be many days of a presidency and I know that I may be very unhappy with the decisions made by the guy at a future date.
I very quickly decided that “No”, my tears of joy running down my face and over the sides of my smile were mine, that they surely weren't taking away from anyone else, though it did remind me of the racist world that I come from and that as such I am a product of, that I had to second guess myself to begin with. I couldn't help but to wonder what sort of head trip Jesse Jackson might have put himself through after running for president and losing, knowing he would lose, and really never getting any proper credit for what was undoubtably also a historical contribution. “Did he have conflicting feelings? Was part of him secretly bitter at the Obama win?” I hope not.
This Obama victory was one of the few things in my life that I allowed myself to really take a lot of joy in without my own personal bullshit... the sewage of society... taking control of and ruining for me a little if not at all. I have baggage. I finally did go to bed shortly after, exhausted, though I still had a smile and I still had tears of joy here and there. I wish hadn't been so damn tired and sleep deprived so I could have enjoyed it for longer. Even the best production doesn't last much longer than one sleep.
Without a doubt, the Obama victory was the best production I've ever seen, and I'll always remember it. From here, it has the potential to go on to be a really really bad TV spin off show, and to even further divide the country racially, as racism in the US seems to be more about the anxiety of racism than anything else most of the time... I thought I should share what it meant to me when he won though, and the reality is that unfortunately it isn't even possible to explain. Its as if I tried to throw a rock in the general direction, but hit something else that only shares a slight aspect of the thing I was aiming for. So basically all I've been able to convey is that in the movies, good guys win and dreams happen, and that is what I experienced, except that it was not a movie. Since it was not a movie, the reality is that the story does not end, and that does ruin it.... but to say this still doesn't even come close to just what the “significance” is, or more accureatly just what this symbolises for me, and why. I feel I'd have to write an entire novel just to come close to explaining myself. For now, this will have to do.
I DID read the whole thing, but I don't have anything substantial to say after that post. (But I don't want to ignore it). It was so in depth.. an interesting read though. It was really nice.. exciting.. seeing everyone so happy.. exuberant.. exhilarated () after he won. Lets hope he lives up to it all America's reputation should improve at any rate.
Thanks Dara. I should have mentioned that I wasn't looking for any real reaction to it as just a personal account for me, but thanks for replying. You're really very attentive regardless of weather you're being nice or mean, and it's a good quality.
Anywho, I'm hoping he just makes it into office and through his term without getting shot. I think the reputation of America is sometimes for the wrong reasons, though where it is for the right reason it's really dead on. It comes down to wealth, as do most wars since probably before we had written language, and the economic problems there, that will get worse, and that we will see here, are sort of coming at an unfortunate time given the change of ideology that's going to happen when he takes office. It will be an incredible challenge to work through these times without trying to bully other countries and particularly those in the part of the world where most of the oil is. I would have rather the country been in a more solid economic state when the ideological trend turned.
Thanks Dara. I should have mentioned that I wasn't looking for any real reaction to it as just a personal account for me, but thanks for replying. You're really very attentive regardless of weather you're being nice or mean, and it's a good quality.
Anywho, I'm hoping he just makes it into office and through his term without getting shot. I think the reputation of America is sometimes for the wrong reasons, though where it is for the right reason it's really dead on. It comes down to wealth, as do most wars since probably before we had written language, and the economic problems there, that will get worse, and that we will see here, are sort of coming at an unfortunate time given the change of ideology that's going to happen when he takes office. It will be an incredible challenge to work through these times without trying to bully other countries and particularly those in the part of the world where most of the oil is. I would have rather the country been in a more solid economic state when the ideological trend turned.
Yeah, he's got a really hard job on his hands. People complain about how bad Howard left Australia, but I think he did quite well. Bush on the other hand.. well, Obama will spend his entire term trying to fix the situation he got the USA into. I wonder when Obama will be added to the dictionary thing... Anyway, he's not going to be able to please every country.
MD, like you, I'm hoping too that the Obama production will not turn into a bad TV spinoff, and I don't think it will. Obama has already done what no politician could do, and that was to appeal to the youth of America and truly inspire those that were less fortunate to stand up and make a change. This air of optimism is great and the level of debate in America can only rise from this point on, but now with young faces and from all walks of life that would have otherwise never given a second thought about politics in the past. My mums brother (in Washington state, spokane) was so happy after the election... he said the whole family watched the victory speech on tv and he said it was as if the whole nation stood still for those few minutes. I have a feeling that your story is one that alot of Americans right now can relate to, democrat or republican.
Great black hope January 17, 2009 The Obama inauguration is much more than pomp and spectacle, writes Anne Davies. It's the dawning of a new political age for America - perhaps for the world.
Barack Obama will usher in a new American era when he takes the oath of presidential office on the steps of the US Capitol on Tuesday. Sweeping aside the remaining racial barriers now seems truly possible; the US might again prefer negotiations ahead of direct military intervention in engaging the rest of the world; and the White House will soon belong to the Blackberry-Facebook generation - where everyone participates.
What could be more fitting than this inauguration falling in the 200th anniversary year of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, another Illinois congressman who made it to the White House and who, by ordering the emancipation of slaves in 1863, set America on its long and sometimes troubled course toward racial unity?
For America's 40 million African Americans - 13.5 per cent of the population - it will be a day of extreme emotion, when tears of joy and relief will wash away some of the sorrow for years of hardship and lost opportunities. Thousands of black churches in America have rented an expected 7000 coaches to carry worshippers to Washington to be part of the moment. The convoys will also include an unknown number of yellow school buses.
Among honoured guests will be 330 members of an all-black flying unit, the Tuskegee Airmen, which initially protected US bombers in World War II but could not fly them because African Americans were denied membership of combat units by the US Air Force.
"We grew up in segregation," Roscoe Brown, 86, recalled this week. "The Tuskegee Airmen were the way that the general public became aware that African Americans can do anything." The unit is said to have never lost a bomber it was charged with protecting.
Next week the military will answer to its first African American commander-in-chief, and Brown is brimming with pride.
For some civil rights leaders who marched alongside Martin Luther King jnr, facing hostile mobs and police, the moment will be the inevitable manifestation of the Voting Rights Act and King's political movement. The Reverend Joseph Lowery is one such old campaigner. He will deliver the benediction at the inauguration. "Did I think it would come in 2008? No. I never dreamed I would live to see it but I thank God I am living. I look forward to it," he says.
For the rest of America, perhaps even the world, the new presidency is almost as inspiring. For some it is just the relief of seeing the back of George Bush, whose approval rating has plumbed historic lows. For others, Obama personifies a more united society, one that will take a more global view as it tackles some of the most pressing problems of our age. He is the man who blends race and an international childhood into a single smart yet cool package. Yet he seems somehow like a regular man who cherishes his family.
With such expectations resting on his slender shoulders, Obama is under pressure to deliver a truly spine-tingling speech. It's not just about giving a good show. Inauguration speeches are powerful political levers which can be used to jolt the nation onto a new track by clearly spelling out a common understanding and galvanising a different mindset.
"Kennedy's inaugural address was world-changing, heralding the commencement of a new American administration and foreign policy determined upon a peaceful victory in the West's long Cold War struggle with the Soviet Union over the world's future direction," says Ted Sorensen, his former speechwriter, now a lawyer and historian.
Obama was asked a week ago for the source of his inspiration. He told US ABC's George Stephanopoulos: "You know, I have been reading Lincoln. I am not sure whether that's been wise because every time you read that second Inaugural, you start getting intimidated, especially because it's really short." He also singled out Kennedy's "ask not what your country can do for you" inauguration speech, which Sorensen worked and reworked, road-tested and refined, until he was satisfied the tone and rhythm hit the mark.
"When you have a successful presidential speech of any sort, it's because that president is able to put their finger on the moment we're in. This is the crossroad that we are at, and then to project confidence that if we take the right measures that we can once again be that country, that beacon for the world," Obama said. "And so my focus is to try to be able to describe in simple, plain terms the challenges we face, but then also to let people know I have every intention of working with the American people so that we meet those challenges."
Anne Davies is the Herald's Washington correspondent.
Two weeks into the Obama administration and we have the first admission of a mistake. Three of his nominees for key positions have had to withdraw from contention - one because of an ethics/fraud probe in his home state and two for being under a tax cloud. One of those was supposed to be in charge of watching the US budget while the other was the potential health secretary and Obama’s Obi-Wan, Tom Daschle.
Logged
) after he won. Lets hope he lives up to it all 
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