Obama promises progressive public works program

President Obam said in today's radio address,

"January 20th is our chance to begin anew, with a new direction, new ideas, and new reforms that will create jobs and fuel long term economic growth."

Finally, we're getting some concrete economic help for regular folks through Obama's public works program reminiscent of the Progressive Era's New Deal. The AP writes of today's address,

President-elect Barack Obama on Saturday outlined his plan to create 2.5 million jobs in coming years to rebuild roads and bridges and modernize schools while developing alternative energy sources and more efficient cars.

"These aren't just steps to pull ourselves out of this immediate crisis; these are the long-term investments in our economic future that have been ignored for far too long," Obama said in the weekly Democratic radio address. The economic recovery plan being developed by his staff aims to create 2.5 million jobs by January 2011, and he wants to get it through Congress quickly and sign it soon after taking office.

He called the plan "big enough to meet the challenges we face" and said that it will jump-start job creation but also "lay the foundation for a strong and growing economy."

Aides said the economic plan outlined Saturday went further that the president-elect has gone before.

As expected from a President who actually knows what technology is, Obama's addresses are now being recorded in video and posted to the ChangeDotGov channel on YouTube. As you watch this week's address below, listen for references to progressive values. Could we be ebtering a new Progressive Era?

Obama's cabinet may show how he'll govern

The New York Times reports, in a story entitled, "Obama tilts to center, inviting a clash of ideas," that Obama's cabinet appointment show that he's more interested in pragmatism than ideology.

President-elect Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination with the enthusiastic support of the left wing of his party, fueled by his vehement opposition to the decision to invade Iraq and by one of the most liberal voting records in the Senate.

Now, his reported selections for two of the major positions in his cabinet — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state and Timothy J. Geithner as secretary of the Treasury — suggest that Mr. Obama is planning to govern from the center-right of his party, surrounding himself with pragmatists rather than ideologues.

The choices are as revealing of the new president as they are of his appointees — and suggest that, from its first days, an Obama White House will brim with big personalities and far more spirited debate than occurred among the largely like-minded advisers who populated President Bush’s first term.

What the Times doesn't account for is Obama's combination of vision and pragmatism that has already gotten him this far and, if he plays it right, will take him much farther.

Appointing a cabinet of diverse minds does not a centrist make. Incorporating different voices and thoughts into one's own is--besides just plain political wisdom--a far cry from our last eight years in which the president tried to reel in and silence dissenters. Obama's team of rivals shows that he doesn't let political difference get between himself and another when deciding what is in the best interest of the nation.

Honestly, I want to say to Obama, "Why not place progressives in those positions?" I feel that we would be better off if the government was ideologically homogeneous, though my reason tells me the opposite might be just as--or even more--true. It's not often that I let reason rule over experience; usually I reflect rationally upon my experience, coming to conclusions only after sensing and living through an event that I then think about. But in this case, experience tells me that I am generally happier when I around people I agree with--as most of us likely are. And yet I know I need to push myself to work with people I do not agree with on many issues because, in the end, both of us will probably come out a little bit better off, and a little bit kinder to the other person. Imagine our politicians modeling that comradeship for the rest of us. I can't say that that will happen, but for now at least, I can hope.

The Consequences of Gay Marriage

From GraphJam

Obama girls pick Sidwell Friends

It's decided. The AP reports Sasha and Malia Obama will attend Sidwell Friends School, a private Quaker school in northwest DC. I'm wondering what my Quaker friends would think of this. The two girls wouldn't be the first president's children to attend Sidwell; Chelsea Clinton went there when her father was in the White House. Perhaps the Quaker peace testimony will wear off onto the president. But then again, the school would have to have some sort of security for the girls--armed Secret Service agents even? In any event, one Sidwell board member told the press the Obama girls would "be a great addition to the school." Go Quakers! Go Obamas!

Weekly lolnews roundup

Watch out for Clintonites, Neocons on Obama's cabinet?

AlterNet warns of a possible repeat of the last sixteen years in foreign policy if Obama appoints Clinton and Bush cronies to his team. While Clinton and Bush did not act within the global community in identical fashion, both were far more hawkish than Obama has painted himself as being.

The question is less who will fill the posts in the new administration, but more who and what will they be loyal to as they advise President Obama? Another consideration is if a progressive administration requires cabinet of progressives, or if a team of adversaries is more in the progressive spirit. As with much of Obama's presidency, a cautious, though wait-and-see, approach may be best.

Among those AlterNet is keeping an eye on are Joe Biden, Rham Emanuel, Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, and Richard Holbrooke. Read the analysis of "twenty hawks, Clintonites and Neocons to watch for in Obama's White House" here.

UPDATE Check out MSNBC's interactive short list of Obama's cabinet.

Somali pirates seize opportunity to rise from poverty

What little boy, or little girl even, hasn't wanted to be a pirate? I dressed up as one for at least two Halloweens, once with a nasty mask and toy pistol when I was in elementary school, and again in early adutlhood as the Dread Pirate Roberts in a black banded collar shirt and a bandanna.

And who can forget the genius that is Pirates of the Caribbean? But with the likes of Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones now out of the spotlight, a new band of privateers has emerged from the sea, this time in the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen. Here are a few of them, looking, not surprisingly, more like you and me than the pirates of a seven year old's imagination.

from msnbc.com
There's a reason for their mundane appearance. These pirates are, in fact, exactly like you and me. Well, maybe not exactly, but pretty close compared to Sparrow, Jones or Roberts. Aljazeera, to their credit, has actually spoken with some of the Somali pirates, and reports some interesting findings.

Somalia's pirates are heavily armed groups operating out of ports along the largely lawless coasts of Somalia and its semi-autonomous region of Puntland.

The area is incredibly poor and some of the pirates told Al Jazeera that they were fishermen before turning to crime after international fishing vessels plundered their waters and toxic waste further damaged the industry.

But now the huge ransoms paid by the ship owners for the return of vessels have brought wealth to the port towns, in vast contrast to other areas of the country where 2.5 million people need humanitarian aid, according to UN estimates.

Villas have sprung up along the coast and new vehicles can be seen on the roads, all paid for by the ransoms.

These aren't people who grew up with fantasies of Captain Hook and his cronies. Instead, they had different plans for their lives. They wanted to legitimately work for a living, and many did so until the doctrine of free trade came to dominate their neck of the ocean, allowing legalized privateers--multinational corporations to put it plainly--to raid their waters, steal their fish from under their nets and dump poison back into the habitat, making it impossible for the local fishermen to catch a break.

And what do previously successful people do when opportunity is taken away from them by forces beyond their control? They either starve, or fight to keep from starving. Understandably, many have decided to fight, and they've gotten pretty good at it. The AP reports,

Since the beginning of the year, 39 ships have been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, out of 95 attacked...[and] 17 vessels remain in the hands of pirates along with more than 300 crew members, including a Ukrainian ship loaded with weapons and a Saudi Arabian supertanker carrying $100 million in crude.

The same story says,

"There is no firm deterrent, that's why the pirate attacks are continuing. The criminal activities are flourishing because the risks are low and the rewards are extremely high."

Indeed, the rewards are high, especially when they include pulling one's community out of poverty.

Another AP story reports,

Governments, navies, oil companies and ship owners are scrambling for solutions, and finding few options are ideal.

...The American military's solution has been to advise ships to hire private security. But many in the shipping industry have been reluctant, fearing armed guards will prompt increased violence from pirates.

So far violence has been minimal. The well-organized pirates have almost never harmed hostages and rarely steal cargos, preferring to release for ransoms that some experts say can reach $2 million.

It seems obvious that these pirates are after financial gain, and it would serve states and corporations well to avoid further victimizing the highjackers through armed violence. Instead, those with the power and resources--perhaps the new Obama administration, among others--should work with locals to improve living condition in Somalia through direct aid delivered to villages, rebuild infrastructure, and establish a stable democracy. There would be great incentive for shipping and other industries to become involved in projects such as these, as the need for piracy would diminish greatly; and the world economy would come on step closer to serving the interests of the many, including both those engaged in and under threat from piracy.

To get a clearer idea of what's going on, watch this in depth video from the Rachel Maddow Show.

These aren't the leaks you're looking for

Obama seems to be having trouble keeping a tight reign on his transition. In the midst of the tricky and Herculean effort of reversing eight years of failure, Obama staffers and others involved appear to be chomping at the bit to share information regarding decisions protected by signed non-disclosure agreements, reports The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder, and the press is more than happy to oblige.

John Podesta, co-chief of the transition team, has a message for leaky aides--also leaked to Ambinder--"If you leak, you're gone." Ambinder surmises, and probably rightly so,

My guess is that the sheer size of the universe that Obama's now dealing with - huge agency teams, reams of outside advisers being asked for their opinions - renders silence virtually impossible.

But Ambinder continues, pointing out that such leaks aren't the ones to worry about.

It's important to remember where the "No Drama Obama" meme started: it has less to do with information getting out about decisions than about information getting out about internal deliberations or arguments.

It's kind of amazing, if you think about it, that Obama, according to reports, is a step away from picking his chief political rival to be Secretary of State, and not one hint of serious anxiety about the choice has gotten out.

If the press wants something to chatter against Obama about, they have yet to see the biggest weakness to politicos of all: disloyalty.

And besides, who's to say this latest slew of leaks around Obama's cabinet aren't preapproved? Surely folks like Podesta know the value of tactical leaks.

via Huffpo

UPDATE 19 Nov 2008



Some leaked Obama stories:

• Eric Holder, Attorney General

• Clinton offered Secratary of State

Others? Comment!

Real religious progress

Keith Olbermann in a Minute (Video)

From Huffpo's humor & satire site, 23/6 (almost 24/7; their tagline is "Some of the news, Most of the time"), Olbermann's demeanor and content are perfect for this format!

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Obama's election night Flickr pics

Of all blogs, Lifehacker links to Obama's election night Flickr set of candid shots of family and friends awaiting the returns in their hotel room.

One commenter on Lifehacker asks how this relates to the blog's topic. I'd say this saves obsessed Obamaphiles like myself tons of time in searching for behind-the-scenes pics!

And since they're licensed under Creative Commons, bloggers can post them for all to see!

Here are some of my favs.


He got new shoes.



With his ever-present Blackberry.

Weed, holograms & nerds (video)

This is old news, but I just discovered Zeitgeist. Hilarious!

Wines to benefit Michale Vick's dogs

From the AP

The Vicktory Dogs Wine Collection features colorful portraits of 22 dogs confiscated from Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels that now live at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah.

...Artist Cyrus Mejia, one of the founders of Best Friends, began painting the dogs after they arrived at the sanctuary. Gone in the portraits are any signs of snarling beasts fit for a fight ring. Instead, there are cocked heads, soulful eyes and floppy ears.

“I think he’s been able to capture the real personalities of each of the dogs,” said John Polis, a Best Friends spokesman.

Hahn and his small winery based in Buellton, Calif., jumped at the chance to use the portraits in creating the Vicktory Dogs collection. He said the goal was to show the dogs in a positive light.

...Ten percent of each sale goes to Best Friends. The money will be used to oppose dog fighting around the country and to fight laws that target specific dog breeds, Polis said.

Hahn is also hoping the wines, which went on sale last month, are a starting point for people to talk about dogs and protecting animals.

“We really use these things as a way to push the discussion further,” Hahn said.

Who are progressives?

NOTE: The following is my understanding of progressivism at this moment. I realize that this is only cursory, and that there are plenty of others out there who know far more than I on this matter, so I welcome conversation, questions and corrections about this in the comments

Progressivism is, at its root, a political approach of contextual pragmatism grounded in a far-ranging vision for the good of the community. There are three basic components to this approach: vision, action and community. Additionally, it is non-ideological (nonpartisan), questioning, and emerging.

Progressives do not follow an empty ideology that paralyzes oneself and abuses the other, as both Liberalism and Conservatism tend to do. It does not establish a right/wrong dichotomy between adversaries, but neither does it take away the theoretical/ philosophical foundation of what one believes to be good and right. For this reason, I prefer to generally refer to "progressives" rather than "progressivism."

Progressives in leadership follow a process similar to this:

1. take into consideration a broad range of information and ideas, gathered in part through conversation with persons of diverse opinions who are directly involved in the issues under consideration. Then
   
2. both the feasibility and the motivation of each option are weighed against the values of the leader or leaders in order to
3. decide what will best serve the people of the community in that particular place and time.

Progressives are contextual in that they look at what is happening at the place and time of the decision. For instance, an activist or business person or politician will ask questions like, "What sources of alternative energy are available in our area? What will it take in funding, production, labor and distribution to get methane out of the landfill and turn it into fuel? (This is a project currently under consideration in Wayne County, Indiana.) Who is involved? Who should we ask to be involved?" Progressives look at what is happening right where they are, considering the immediate context for their work.

Progressives are pragmatic because they ask concrete questions. "How exactly will this happen? What is preventing it from happening? What will each portion cost? Who will do what task how and when? Is this practical? Will the work that goes into it be worth the return? Will the people we need to support it be on board? How will all the details work out?"

Progressives are visionary because they ask, "Why are we doing this? What is the purpose of this project, even beyond the immediate return? How will this benefit our community? How has what we have previously done fit with this project? What will the next steps be after this is done? How will this impact the way our community sees ourself? Is this in line with our values and with what is important to us? What is motivating us to do this? How does this fit into the big picture?"

Progressives focus on community because they ask, "What is needed in this/our community? What do the workers and residents and owners and agencies think about this? Who is able to help us? Who is already helping? How can we help our community? How can we help our community help ourselves?"

Progressives ask questions rather than declaring ideology alone. Progressives believe in a different approach to what is possible. Instead of declaring--as do Liberals and Conservatives, "We need (alternative fuel, a new shopping plaza, an inclusive community, etc...) and will fight no matter who gets in the way to get it accomplished!" progressives ask, "What is good for this community, and how can we work together to benefit as many people as possible?"

Progressives are still emerging. I refer to progressives here as "they" rather than "we" because I can't say honestly that this is how I operate in the political arena, or in my own thinking and writing. I strive for this, certainly, but I am coming into this classification of progressivism gradually. I am not always this patient or pragmatic or community-minded; in my ideal view of myself I am these things, but I still have to grow into it--as I think most of us do. This is a new political era we are entering, and we will have to relearn most of what we know of politics and people. Those of us who thought we were already being good tolerant liberals have a long way to go. While progressives typically hold to values of Liberalism, they do not necessarily. Their focus is not on ideology, but on moving their communities forward, together as one people. Those of us who wish to be progressive need to learn these lessons first. If we move ahead without our neighbors, we leave them behind. None of us will progress until we all progress.

For further reading, be sure to check out:

• "What is Progressive?" at AlterNet.
• John Podesta on the difference between liberalism and progressivism (Video) at the Aspen Institute
• Who is progressive? at Center for American Progress Action Fund
• Obama the Visionary Minimalist from The Washington Independent.
  
• What is Progressivism? at Progressive Living
• Learn about the Progressive Era at Digital History
• Progressive Values at Progressive Richmond-Wayne County, Indiana

This list will expand as I find more articles.

Know of a good summary article? Link it in the comments.

Cross-posted at Progressive Richmond-Wayne County, Indiana.

Obama, President 2.0 (Video)

From Huffpo,

President-elect Obama's office gave the media a new way to present him as Franklin Roosevelt 2.0 by announcing Friday that it will be posting weekly addresses - fireside chats for the web generation - on YouTube.

The first address will appear on Change.gov this Saturday, after it airs in audio. An Obama spokesperson says that this innovation is just the beginning of the digital, transparent presidency.

Read the rest of the story, and watch the Obama transition team's first video update by Valerie Jarrett, one of Obama's transition chairs, and newly hired senior White House advisor.

Catholic priest bans Obama voters from communion

Huffpo reports from AP,

A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."

The Rev. Jay Scott Newman said in a letter distributed Sunday to parishioners at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville that they are putting their souls at risk if they take Holy Communion before doing penance for their vote.

"Our nation has chosen for its chief executive the most radical pro-abortion politician ever to serve in the United States Senate or to run for president," Newman wrote, referring to Obama by his full name, including his middle name of Hussein....

"Father Newman is off base," said Steve Krueger, national director of Catholic Democrats. "He is acting beyond the authority of a parish priest to say what he did. ... Unfortunately, he is doing so in a manner that will be of great cost to those parishioners who did vote for Sens. Obama and Biden. There will be a spiritual cost to them for his words."

To Father Newman's credit, his letter does not come across as extermist, or anti-Obama. In fact, he writes,

Barack Obama, although we must always and everywhere disagree with him over abortion, has been duly elected the next President of the United States, and after he takes the Oath of Office next January 20th, he will hold legitimate authority in this nation. For this reason, we are obliged by Scriptural precept to pray for him and to cooperate with him whenever conscience does not bind us otherwise.

At the same time, withholding communion from Obama supporters seems pretty extreme, and pastorally unwise. The president-elect's supporters are not all going out performing abortions (which might give the priest more ground to stand on). Instead, they were voting on a whole package of values and policies, of which abortion was only one part. It seems inconsistent, as well, to pick out abortion but not bring up war, the death penalty, and other forms of interpersonal violence that Obama or McCain support or oppose.

Obama & Progressivism, or Why I believe in Obama

In my immediate social circles, there are folks who support Obama as president unswervingly. At the same time, I have other friends who think that he's not far to the left enough to do much good. I fall primarily in the first group--but for the first time in my life. I was pretty unhappy with Bill Clinton, and I wasn't all that excited about Gore or Kerry. Obama was the first presidential candidate to really grab my attention with his values and policies that, in my opinion, match up pretty well with Progressive values. What first impressed me was his calm in the face of attack politics, refusing to punch back, but instead focusing on the common good of the people.

I'm looking around for some good summaries of Progressive values online (here), and I'll write more as I find more (leave links in the comments). The most succinct statement I could find so far concerns Obama transition chief John Podesta's treatment of the Progressive movement in his book, The Power of Progress: How America's Progressives Can (Once Again) Save Our Economy, Our Climate, and Our Country. Here's a summary of the Progressive vision according to a Wikipedia article on Podesta's work:

1. Progressives stand with people, not privilege;
2. Progressives believe in the Common Good and a government that offers a hand up;
3. Progressives hold that all people are equal in the eyes of God and under the law; and
4. Progressives stand for universal human rights and cooperative global security.

More of his thoughts on Progressivism are here and here.

I've also been thinking about what is important to me in political policy and values, and I think they line up pretty well with what Obama believes in and ran on. Here's a cursory list I came up with:

1. progressive income tax
2. health care available & affordable to all
3. fair wages
4. strong unions
   
5. withdrawal from Iraq
6. diplomacy before force
7. international cooperation
8. public works program to employ workers and update local & national infrastructure
9. alternative sources of fuel & energy
10. boost small business
11. technological innovation to help environment
12. stop corporations from moving overseas
13. increase federal education funding
14. government transparency
15. inspires cooperation

Whether he can pull much of this off in the White House is a different matter; the president only has so much power, plus egos, bickering and lobbyists get in the way. I understand that, so I'm not expecting all of this to happen (I think I'm becoming more pragmatic the older I get), but I think if there were a progressive president who could get policies passed, it would be Obama. He can work with his colleagues on the Hill, and is respected by most of them. And as far as I've seen, Obama doesn't let his ego get in the way; instead he asks "How can we get this done?", gathers a full spectrum of information and opinions, then goes for it in confidence, sacrificing as few of his own values as possible.

One way to see this is, in the words of the Washington Independent, Obama as a Visionary Minimalist. Typically, politicians are either minimalist or visionary, but Obama is both, and therefore, will govern in a way that is new to Washington.

Minimalists, the article says, are those who

do not like to reject the fundamental commitments of their fellow citizens. On environmental questions, sex equality, national security and economic policy, they try to bracket our deepest disagreements. They seek to obtain a consensus on what to do — not on why to do it. Minimalists favor their approach because they think, as a pragmatic matter, it is most likely to work. They also insist that their approach, putting fundamental differences to one side, shows respect to their fellow citizens.

Political minimalism has a distinguished tradition in U.S. politics. In recent history, President George H.W. Bush stands as the leading minimalist. To the extent that Bush succeeded, especially in foreign affairs, it was because he enlisted diverse people, and diverse views, on behalf of the policies he chose.

Visionaries, on the other hand,

have a large-scale vision about the direction in which the nation should go. They believe in big steps, not small ones.

Above all, these visionaries seek to alter the nation's self-conception. In changing policy on the economy, or on national defense, they are entirely comfortable with asserting that their vision is the superior one and that alternative visions should be rejected. When they succeed, they transform how the nation understands itself.

Our greatest presidents — including Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt — have been visionaries. In recent American history, President Ronald Reagan stands as the leading visionary.

How does Obama bring these together?

Obama's minimalism lies in his consistent rejection of the standard social divisions — between red states and blue states, liberal and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans. As he said in his 2004 Democratic Convention speech, "We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states."

Obama shows unfailing respect for those with competing views. In designing policies — on climate change, tax reform, energy conservation, foreign policy — he attempts to produce solutions that will accommodate, rather than repudiate, the defining commitments of his fellow citizens. Even on the most divisive issues of separation of church and state, Obama favors approaches that will attract support from all sides.

But Obama is a visionary too. Unlike most minimalists, he is willing to think big.

When he speaks of change, he means to include ambitious plans for energy independence, universal health care and educational reform. No less than Reagan, he wants to transform the nation's self- understanding. He seeks not only to go beyond the divisions of the 1960s, but also to synthesize deeper strands in our history.

Coincidentally, this description come awfully close to the ends of the statement "What We Believe" at Podesta's Center for American Progress:

As progressives, we believe America is a land of boundless opportunity, where people can better themselves, their children, their families, and their communities through education, hard work, and the freedom to climb the ladder of economic mobility. We believe an open and effective government can champion the common good over narrow self-interest, harness the strength of our diversity, and secure the rights and safety of its people. And we believe our nation must always be a beacon of hope and strength to the rest of the world. Progressives are often described as idealistic enough to believe change is possible and practical enough to make it happen.

I predict that Obama will govern very close to what's been described in this post. If it happens, I will feel vindicated. I'm being hopeful, and viewing Obama and all that he can do in a positive light, because pessimism has gotten the best of me in the past, and because my gut and my heart tell me he is a genuinely good person who will do everything within his power, and more, to benefit our communities, locally, nationally and globally.

What do you think?

The media just got pwned! Vote now!

I made this lol today, and submitted it to Pundit Kitchen, but they won't post it unless you vote and rate it.



More on this "special issue" of the "NYTimes."

Weekly lolnews round up

From Pundit Kitchen

New York Times: Iraq War Ends (Video)

Here's some fake news that gives hope, instead of anger and slimy self-promotion.


New York Times Special Edition Video News Release - Nov. 12, 2008 from H Schweppes on Vimeo.

Obama to try closing Gitmo

While it is impossible for the president-elect to know this early on if closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay is feasible, Obama is planning to do what he can to get it done.

If Obama can do it--and he'll likely have to fight hard--the United States might come to be seen as just a little more sensible and compassionate, not just by our global neighbors, but by our fellow citizens as well. In freeing the prisoners of the current administration, Obama can contribute to freeing this country, along with the rest of the world, from our own fear and hatred.

The Washington Post reports:

The Obama administration will launch a review of the classified files of the approximately 250 detainees at Guantanamo Bay immediately after taking office, as part of an intensive effort to close the U.S. prison in Cuba, according to people who advised the campaign on detainee issues.

Announcing the closure of the controversial detention facility would be among the most potent signals the incoming administration could send of its sharp break with the Bush era, according to the advisers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak for the president-elect. They believe the move would create a global wave of diplomatic and popular goodwill that could accelerate the transfer of some detainees to other countries.

Read the full story.

Obama enacts strict lobbyist rules for transition

It seems Obama's already begun shaking up Washington. From Obama's transition website, Change.gov.

During a briefing today at the Presidential Transition Team headquarters, Obama Transition Co-Chair John Podesta announced the strictest, and most far reaching ethics rules of any transition team in history. The rules are:

• Federal Lobbyists cannot contribute financially to the transition.


• Federal lobbyists are prohibited from any lobbying during their work with the transition.


• If someone has lobbied in the last 12 months, they are prohibited from working in the fields of policy on which they lobbied.


• If someone becomes a lobbyist after working on the Transition, they are prohibited from lobbying the Administration for 12 months on matters on which they worked.


• A gift ban that is aggressive in reducing the influence of special interests.

What does this mean? Norm Ornstein of American Enterprise Institute says,

"Restoring trust in government is a prerequisite to enacting good policy and the tough choices the country needs. This ethics policy for the transition is a far-reaching, bold and constructive step to do just that. The policy may exclude some good people with deep experience in their fields, but it will also exclude those who see government service as a springboard to financial success, or who are more intent on pleasing future potential employers or clients than making tough choices in the public interest. As much as anything, this ethics policy is a statement about the tone and tenor of the Obama administration. It is a good sign."

Obama Presidential Pooch Pardon

In his first post-election press conference, Obama said any dog the first family would get must be hypo-allergenic, and from a shelter if possible. Adopt A Pet (who some local friends of mine do web design work for) is calling on President-Elect Obama to make the ethical pet choice and pardon a shelter dog.

Watch the video, then sign the petition asking Obama to adopt a dog from a shelter.

Can Google beat the flu?

I read from Drudge that Google is collecting search trends related to influenza to share with health care officials. From Drudge,

Dr. Lyn Finelli, chief of influenza surveillance at CDC: "One thing we found last year when we validated this model is it tended to predict surveillance data. The data are really, really timely. They were able to tell us on a day-to-day basis the relative direction of flu activity for a given area. They were about a week ahead of us. They could be used... as early warning signal for flu activity."

Google's nonprofit arm says,

We've found that certain search terms are good indicators of flu activity. Google Flu Trends uses aggregated Google search data to estimate flu activity in your state up to two weeks faster than traditional systems.

If this can tell the CDC where the flu is headed next, is this such a bad thing?

Looking at the city a second time

This pic comes from my brother in Manhattan. He says,

Busker and tape cube artist seen at Delancy Subway station on the Northbound F line on Election Day evening. The two artists were not connected, but spontaneously collaborating...[The tape guy's] is an attempt to see the city differently, and more playfully. It's not too pretentious. I like it, but I'm not sure why. I like that it appeals to Joe the Construction Worker

This reminds me of another New York (and global) project to revision urban space, international park(ing) day, blogged by anna lisa. I wonder if we could get something like this started here in Richmond.

Rest in Peace, Titus

One of the coolest kittens I ever met was my neighbor Mark's cat Titus. Here he is as featured on icanhascheezburger.

A week or so ago, Titus lost his life to a car. Such is city life. You will be missed, Titus.

Olbermann on Prop 8: "This is about the human heart."

This might be Olbermann's best moment yet.



Here's part of his commentary:

The world is barren enough. It is stacked against love, and against hope, and against those very few and precious emotions that enable us to go forward. Your marriage only stands a 50-50 chance of lasting, no matter how much you feel and how hard you work.

And here are people overjoyed at the prospect of just that chance, and that work, just for the hope of having that feeling. With so much hate in the world, with so much meaningless division, and people pitted against people for no good reason, this is what your religion tells you to do? With your experience of life and this world and all its sadnesses, this is what your conscience tells you to do?

With your knowledge that life, with endless vigor, seems to tilt the playing field on which we all live, in favor of unhappiness and hate... this is what your heart tells you to do? You want to sanctify marriage? You want to honor your God and the universal love you believe he represents? Then Spread happiness -- this tiny, symbolic, semantical grain of happiness -- share it with all those who seek it. Quote me anything from your religious leader or book of choice telling you to stand against this. And then tell me how you can believe both that statement and another statement, another one which reads only "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

You are asked now, by your country, and perhaps by your creator, to stand on one side or another. You are asked now to stand, not on a question of politics, not on a question of religion, not on a question of gay or straight. You are asked now to stand, on a question of...love. All you need do is stand, and let the tiny ember of love meet its own fate. You don't have to help it, you don't have it applaud it, you don't have to fight for it. Just don't put it out. Just don't extinguish it. Because while it may at first look like that love is between two people you don't know and you don't understand and maybe you don't even want to know...It is, in fact, the ember of your love, for your fellow **person...

Just because this is the only world we have. And the other guy counts, too.

Via Huffpo.

How to avoid Obama inauguration ticket scalpers

CNN Political Ticker reports,

Organizers of the 56th Presidential Inauguration are warning consumers to be skeptical of tickets being offered for sale online to President-Elect Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony.

With 73 days to go, tickets are already appearing on the Internet with a hefty price tag. On eBay, 18 bidders have driven up one pair to more than $1,000. One Web site, Inauguraltickets.com, is inviting members of the public to place orders, warning "Our prices will reflect the difficulty in obtaining" tickets. Another site, Dreamtix, is offering a variety of seats ranging from $1,400 to $21,000 a pop.

The truth is, you can get you tickets to the greatest party on earth for free--and legitimately:

Carole Florman, Communications Director for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, says "anyone claiming to have tickets to sell right now, or saying that they will guarantee tickets, is not telling the truth." Florman told CNN the 240,000 free tickets to the swearing-in ceremony are currently in a "secure location" and will not be handed out until a few days before. Tickets to the Inaugural Parade and official balls will be handled by a Presidential Inaugural Committee, which has yet to be formed.

The inaugural committee Web site advises members of the public wishing to attend to contact their members of Congress or U.S. Senator and ask to be put on the list for tickets.

The Canadian Press, of all sources, gives the following advice
:

Tickets to balls and other events related to the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration will be hard to come by, but you can always join the crowds along the parade route, and Washington tourism officials say it's not impossible to find a place to stay.

Hundreds of thousands of people always gather along Pennsylvania Avenue to watch the procession from the Capitol to the White House after the swearing-in ceremony. You'll likely see marching bands and floats no matter where you stand, but you're not guaranteed a glimpse of the president and his family. Only bleacher seats require tickets.

The Monday holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Jan. 19, the day before the inauguration, which will also add to the crowds.

Be prepared for cold weather. According to Weather Underground's Trip Planner, since 1993, temperatures on Jan. 20 in Washington have run from an average low of about -3 C to an average high of almost 4. The temperature dipped below freezing in 11 of the past 16 years and only once did it go as high as almost 16C.

...tickets will not be distributed to Congressional offices until the week before the inauguration and will require in-person pick-up.

...Various websites offer information about the inauguration. Destination DC has created a 2009 Presidential Inauguration event on Facebook that anyone with a Facebook account can join. TripAdvisor.com has a forum with all sorts of information. Expedia is also offering booking and advice.

There is always one last--though much less fun--option: C-SPAN.

Will Obama trade Detroit for Colombia?

Despite calls from Obama to take political maneuvering out of the economic crisis, the Bush administration is trying to bargain for their Colombia free trade agreement Dems have been opposing.

From the NYTimes,

The struggling auto industry was thrust into the middle of a political standoff between the White House and Democrats on Monday as President-elect Barack Obama urged President Bush in a meeting at the White House to support immediate emergency aid.

Mr. Bush indicated at the meeting that he might support some aid and a broader economic stimulus package if Mr. Obama and Congressional Democrats dropped their opposition to a free-trade agreement with Colombia, a measure for which Mr. Bush has long fought, people familiar with the discussion said.

The Bush administration, which has presided over a major intervention in the financial industry, has balked at allowing the automakers to tap into the $700 billion bailout fund, despite warnings last week that General Motors might not survive the year.

...But Democrats also indicate that neither Mr. Obama nor Congressional leaders are inclined to concede the Colombia pact to Mr. Bush, and may decide to wait until Mr. Obama assumes power on Jan. 20.

But then again, Obama's holding out on the auto industry for some trade-offs of his own.

Separate from his differences with Mr. Bush, Mr. Obama has signaled to the automakers and the unions that his support for short-term aid now, and long-term assistance once he takes office, is contingent on their willingness to agree to transform their industry to make cleaner, more energy-efficient vehicles.

Of course Obama has special interests knocking on his door.

On his campaign Web site, Mr. Obama said he would oppose the Colombia pact “if President Bush insists on sending it to Congress because the violence against unions in Colombia would make a mockery of the very labor protections that we have insisted be included in these kinds of agreements.”

Organized labor is not the only interest group with influence in the Democratic Party that is weighing in as Mr. Obama plans his transition. Environmentalists are adamant that any aid be conditioned on the auto industry’s dropping of its opposition to higher fuel-efficiency standards and investing more in new technology. That puts them at odds with unions, who oppose any strings, leaving it to Mr. Obama to mediate.

But to be fair, the difference is that Obama's goal is to help protect workers at home (from job loss) and abroad (from violence), and abate global warming, while Bush is aiming to assist his corporate cronies and support an oppressive regime.

Hopefully, Dems can wait it out, relying on the probability that Bush isn't looking to ruin what teeny bit of legacy he could leave the White House with--unless he's totally given up.

Democrats close to both Mr. Obama’s transition team and to Congressional leaders seemed willing to call Mr. Bush’s bluff, calculating that he would not want to gamble that G.M. — an iconic, century-old American corporation with business tentacles in every state — would fail on his watch and add to the negative notes of his legacy.

Some might say it would be a good idea to just let the auto industry fold--either because of a radical free market philosophy, or because of their opposition to capitalism based on large scale manufacturing and commodification. But consider this.

The major automakers — G.M., Ford and Chrysler — are each using up their cash at unsustainable rates. The Center for Automotive Research, which is based in Michigan and supported by the industry, released on Election Day an economic analysis of the impact of one or all of them failing. If the Big Three were to collapse, it said, that would cost at least three million jobs, counting autoworkers, suppliers and other businesses dependent on the companies, down to the hot-dog vendors and bartenders next door to their plants.

The center also concluded that the cost to local, state and federal governments would reach to as much as $156.4 billion over three years in lost taxes and higher outlays for things like unemployment and health care assistance. Separately, some economists say the demise of even one of the automakers could tip the current recession toward a depression.

Obama's got a pretty strong case for bailing out Detroit. Let's just hope he does it with the best intentions--workers and the environment--in mind, and doesn't let the Big Three forget why he did it.

Obama's promise: "I will close Guantanamo"

From Globe and Mail

Activists press Obama to close Guantanamo

November 10, 2008 at 10:33 PM EST

President-elect Barack Obama was challenged Monday to make good on his promise to close the notorious prisons at Guantanamo Bay.

“We have to hold president-elect Obama's feet to the fire if we're going to turn hope into reality,” Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said Monday.

“On day one, with the stroke of a pen, you can restore America's moral leadership in the world,” the ACLU challenged the next president. “We hope that president-elect Obama, as soon as he is sworn in, will take bold action and sign an executive order closing Guantanamo and ending the sham military commissions there.”

Rights groups and all of America's allies, with the exception of the Harper government in Canada, have demanded the closing of Guantanamo.

Mr. Obama pledged more than a year ago to do that. “I will close Guantanamo,” scrap the Bush administration's controversial military tribunals and “adhere to the Geneva Conventions,” Mr. Obama said in 2007. But, in the weeks before his election, he ducked questions about when he might deliver. “As quickly as we can do so prudently,” he said when pressed on a timetable.

While Mr. Obama was unequivocal about closing the Guantanamo Bay prisons, where inmates do not have the protection of the U.S. Constitution, he has been less clear about replacing the military tribunals.

Read the rest of the story.

Postage Fail

I'll bet you five cents this never made it to its destination. Follow this letter's adventures here.



Pic from FAIL Blog.

MSNBC ad highlights --finally!-- liberal bias

Some folks still don't get it. Every single news outlet is biased.

Now the New York Times has taken to criticizing fellow left-leaning outlet MSNBC for its pro-Obama slant in its latest self-promoting commercial with the tagline, "The Power of Change."

If images speak louder than words, does, as one critic claims, the appearance of JFK, and the central placement of Keith Olbermann among the rest of the station's anchors say to viewers, "You're watching a liberal network?" You bet!

And it's about time.


Watch the commercial:

Joe Scarborough Drops The F Bomb on MSNBC

Huffpo had some fun with this.

UPDATE Apparently, this wasn't Joe's first on air profanity. Check this out.

Obama's first press conference is more than words

I just listened to President Obama's news conference, but couldn't watch it live; I was running errands at the time, so I caught on the car radio. Overall I was impressed. His remarks were fairly specific about what he intends to get done as soon as he get into the White House in 74 days.

A particularly urgent priority is a further extension of unemployment insurance benefits for workers who cannot find work in the increasingly weak economy...

we must address the spreading impact of the financial crisis on other sectors of our economy: small businesses that are struggling to meet their payrolls and finance their holiday inventories; and state and municipal governments facing devastating budget cuts and tax increases...

I have made it a high priority for my transition team to work on additional policy options to help the auto industry adjust, weather the financial crisis, and succeed in producing fuel-efficient cars here in the United States. I have asked my team to explore what we can do under current law and whether additional legislation will be needed for this purpose...

It is critical that the Treasury work closely with the FDIC, HUD and other government agencies to use the substantial authority they already have to help families avoid foreclosure and stay in thei homes.

He even got a dig in during the q&a, but some are wondering if it was a good move. Here's one response from NYTimes.com's liveblog of the event.

Mr. Obama is finding out just how much words matter when you’re the president-elect — while he was extra cautious about everything he said about the economy, careful of not influencing the financial markets, he may have been a little flip in his reference to Nancy Reagan’s seances. The blogosphere is already discussing whether he was being disrespectful to the former First Lady.

What frustrates me the most about this press conference is that the media are still a little behind in learning that people want video following an event as major as President Obama's first press conference after the election. As much as I personally love text, society as a whole is going a lot more multimedia, and I often prefer video over text in many newsworthy circumstances. This event was about far more than words, but right now, that's all I can get. Some sites had live feeds, but they're blank now, so if anyone finds the archived video before I can, leave a link in the comments.

UPDATE

Finally...watch the press conference:




And Olbermann's coverage:

Iraq critic Feingold could head Senate foreign relations committee

TheHill.com reports

Vice President-elect Joe Biden leaves an open chairmanship on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that could end up being filled by one of the most outspoken critics of the Iraq war.

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), among the chamber’s most liberal members, is the fourth Democrat in line on the committee, behind Biden, Sen. Chris Dodd (Conn.) and Sen. John Kerry (Mass.).

Dodd said Thursday he plans to stay on as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Kerry is reportedly lobbying to be President-elect Barack Obama’s Secretary of State.

That leaves Feingold, an unapologetic champion of civil liberties and a staunch opponent of the Bush administration’s war in Iraq, next in line. Feingold opposed the war from the start and was the first senator to call for a U.S. troop withdrawal timetable.

Democrats could bypass the Wisconsin senator and choose a more centrist member, such as Sen. Bill Nelson (Fla.), who initially supported the war and could be more open to compromise. But that would rile the party’s left wing.

"It would seem like an extreme move to bypass senators with a great deal more seniority," said Christopher Anders, a senior legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

...And he was the only senator who voted against the anti-terrorism law known as the Patriot Act, in the days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Read the full story here.

The sooner Obama steps in, the better

The Washington Post reports about the presidential transition, quoting President Bush

'This will be America's first wartime presidential transition in four decades. We're in a struggle against violent extremists determined to attack us, and they would like nothing more than to exploit this period of change.'

I thought one of the jobs of the president was to instill confidence in the political system, and to facilitate the peaceful transition of power. With comments like this, Bush invites fear and instability. It is reassuring that, since "no recent president-elect from an opposing party has been received at the White House so soon after an election," Obama is jumping in this soon, meeting with Bush on Monday.

Watch Obama's first press conference, 2:30pm

Watch Obama's first press conference today at 2:30 pm Eastern on C-Span here.

Change has come to dot gov

Obama's got a brand new website, that of the Office of the President-Elect, found appropriately at change.gov. Some things to watch: the blog and the transition directory.

Same sex marriage supporters protest Prop 8

Opponents of California's Proposition 8 banning banning same sex marriage have taken to the streets in protest. The ballot initiative passed with a 4% majority. Same sex marriages that have already taken place seem to be still valid, since Prop 8 is not retroactive. Some are saying the proposition got on the ballot improperly, and are asking the courts to block its implementation. Here's more from MSNBC.

Pundits try to silence Left, say US is really 'Center-Right'

Huffpo covers the conservative backlash to Tuesday's progressive mandate (here and here).

Ever since the American people flocked to the polls and pulled the lever for a change in direction, specifically toward a more progressive set of policies and principles than the ones we'd been getting under George W. Bush and were offered by John S. McCain, right-tilting pundits have fallen all over themselves to insist that the United States remains some sort of 'center-right' nation - this despite the fact that positions they once advertised as 'extreme,' like ending the Bush tax cuts and withdrawing from Iraq, are now, quite clearly, embraced fully as mainstream positions.

Read the rest of the story, plus watch the videos here.

Obama names God-With-Us as chief of staff

President Obama's first cabinet pick is, if names mean anything as they once did, a poignant one. The Gospel of Matthew tells the story of particularly special child whose father is instructed to name him Emmanuel, which means "God is with us." Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is off by one letter, but much has been done with more divergence before; the final given name of the child in Matthew--Jesus--was even more off the mark.

Follow President Obama's picks for his inner circle of twelve fishermen...er, I mean, his cabinet...on Huffpo's Obama's Cabinet Big News Page.

(For the record, I seriously don't think Obama or anyone around him is God incarnate or any divinely sent messenger. But I can't help noticing little things like this without pointing out the correlation.)

UPDATE 9:00am 11/7/08

Here's MSNBC's take on Emanuel's acceptance of the job.

Letter to President Elect Barack Obama from Nelson Mandela (NYTimes)

Dear Senator Obama,

We join people in your country and around the world in congratulating you on becoming the President-Elect of the United States. Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place.

We note and applaud your commitment to supporting the cause of peace and security around the world. We trust that you will also make it the mission of your Presidency to combat the scourge of poverty and disease everywhere.

We wish you strength and fortitude in the challenging days and years that lie ahead. We are sure you will ultimately achieve your dream making the United States of America a full partner in a community of nations committed to peace and prosperity for all.

Sincerely,

N R Mandela

Source: NYTimes, 2 Nov 2008

A Progressive Mandate (Progress Report)

November 5, 2008; by the Center for American Progress Action Fund

Our nation today is only now realizing the extent of the resounding victory for progressive ideals registered on election day. Progressives triumphed in all regions of the country and won overwhelming support from individuals of all different backgrounds. President-elect Barack Obama defeated Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) decisively, winning the most votes in history and the largest share of the popular vote of any presidential candidate in two decades. Candidates running on progressive platforms helped Democrats expand their majorities in both houses of Congress. Democrats now have the most elected members of Congress any party has held since 1995.

Now comes the hard part.

Read the rest of the story here.

Congressional Elections Deliver Progressive Mandate (PRNewswire)

WASHINGTON, Nov 06, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX

Post-Election Report Shows Democrats Campaigned and Won On Bold Progressive Economic Policies

Twenty-six out of the 29 Democratic candidates who won seats previously held by Republicans in the House and Senate championed bold progressive economic positions, according to a new report released by the Campaign for America's Future. The report shows that these progressive candidates' victories represent a swing to the left of 34 votes in the House and 10 in the Senate, reflecting a clear mandate for progressive change.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., newly elected Rep.-Elect Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, and AFL-CIO political director Karen Ackerman joined Campaign for America's Future co-director Robert Borosage on a conference call with reporters to discuss the report's findings.
"This was not simply a change election. It was a sea-change election that marks the end of the conservative era that has dominated our politics over the past three decades," said Borosage. "Democrats won because they campaigned as progressives, not as moderates or conservatives. On core economic issues, voters gave these legislators a mandate for reform."

Sen. Brown said candidates that won were unified around a common set of bold progressive themes.
"This election ushered in the next progressive era for our nation," said Sen. Brown. "From health care to trade to education, progressive values will now be the priority in Washington. It's time to get to work."

Read the rest of the story here.

Who will have President Obama's ear? (Newsweek)

by Howard Fineman, Newsweek; Published Nov 5, 2008 From the magazine issue dated Nov 17, 2008

Barack Obama likes to listen. But as President, there will be a limit to how much time he can devote to it. Who has his ear? A survey of Obama's inner circles (that's plural):

One thing for geeks to watch is Obama's tech connections.

Obama has drawn to his side an impressive cadre of similarly credentialed types, most of them entrepreneurs who are smart about rising sectors of the new economy, especially communications and digital technology. It helps explain why Obama's campaign was a cutting-edge exercise in phone, texting and Web-based salesmanship: it's the business that many of those around him know well, and they will be pushing the use of these techniques (and the prerogatives of these industries) in and around the White House.

Obama's near-flawless run from start to finish (NYT)

The New York Times gives an in-depth look back on Obama's path to presidency.

By Adam Nagourney, Jim Rutenberg and Jeff Zeleny
updated 10:02 a.m. ET, Wed., Nov. 5, 2008

It was the third week of September, and Senator John McCain was speaking to a nearly empty convention center in Jacksonville, Fla. Lehman Brothers had collapsed that day, a harrowing indicator of the coming financial crisis and a reminder that the presidential campaign was turning into a referendum on which candidate could best address the nation’s economic challenges.

On stage, Mr. McCain, of Arizona, was trying to show concern for the prospect of hardship but also optimism about the country’s resilience.

“The fundamentals of the economy are strong,” he said.

A thousand miles away, at Senator Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters in Chicago, the aides who monitored Mr. McCain’s every utterance knew immediately that they had just heard a potential turning point in a race that seemed to be tightening. They rushed out to tell Dan Pfeiffer, Mr. Obama’s communications director, what Mr. McCain, the Republican candidate, had just said, knowing that his words could be used to portray him as out of touch.

Read the full article here.

Obama lovin' at Earlham

As I came onto Earlham College campus this morning, I found this graffiti on the side of Carpenter Hall. The Pal-Item writes of Earlham students' responses to the Obama win.

"I just know that it (Obama's presidency) will be special and it will be generation defining," [Earlham senior Nat Miller] said. "Because this is Generation Obama. My generation is Generation Obama. I feel like youth really carried this election."

'Foreign' message from voting machine delayed Wayne County, IN vote tally

Richmond, Indiana's Election Day live chat gives some explanation for the delay in calling Wayne County (here, here & here). Here are some posts from Jason Truitt, the online editor at Pal-Item.com, that might shed some light on what went down (all times are pm, of course):

6:28 Precinct results from Indiana and Kentucky are starting to come in to CNN.

8:06 I'm going by the projections on our map from USA Today on the homepage. I think they're using AP's calls on when to declare a state one way or the other, and the AP usually likes to play it safe and is the last to call.

8:31 Here's a link to the results page on the county's Web site. The only update there will be is the actual final results: www.co.wayne.in.us/voter/election2008/general/index.htm

9:17 Might be another hour before we get Wayne County's results.

9:45 I'm hearing it might be closer to 11 before Wayne County results are in.

10:15 The Wayne County results still aren't available. The last I heard was it might be 11 before they're ready.

10:18 I don't have an official explanation, but it sounds like there might have been some problems at the Kuhlman Center. It seems those are the results we're waiting on to get final tallies.

10:32 Wayne County's votes are still being counted.

10:33 [Comment From OldVoter] I think Jason said Kuhlman Center ran into a problem?

10:33 Jason Truitt: That's what it sounds like. Last I heard they were waiting on the numbers from the Kuhlman Center.

10:35 I don't know specifics on the problem just yet.

10:38 Still no specifics. Last I heard, it might be 11 before they're in.

10:46 We're trying to find out what's going on with the delay.

11:04 AP gives California, Washington and Oregon to our next president, Barack Obama.

11:18 Wayne County doesn't vote in precincts anymore. We use vote centers. That makes reporting partial results problematic at best.

11:21 I don't know at this point what the nature of the problem at the Kuhlman Center was.

11:23 The results are still counted by precincts, even though we don't vote that way anymore. But you can't release precincts numbers until you have all of the votes counted from all of the vote centers because you don't know where each person in a particular precinct went to vote.

11:33 We're waiting on a phone call from Sue Ann Lower any minute now to fill us in on just what's going on.

11:35 I just heard that officials are indeed waiting for our results to call Indiana for Obama or McCain.

11:47 We're still waiting on the phone call from the county clerk to explain exactly what the problem is.

11:51 Every other county (except two) still vote by precinct. Wayne County has vote centers now where anyone can go to any of the 8 polling places and vote. Because of that, you can't report precinct numbers without first getting all of the votes back from all of the centers.

11:54 We have been promised by the county clerk that we will receive a phone call shortly to explain exactly what "glitches" they're experiencing.

12:05 We're done waiting for a phone call. We've sent a reporter over to where the election officials are for a face-to-face chat.

12:21 OK, here's the latest. A glitch of some sort was preventing the machines from couting the votes. That apparently has finally been fixed, and election officials have begun to tally things up.

12:22 We're told we should have results within minutes.

12:23 We will definitely being following up on this story tomorrow in an effort to get some detailed answers about just what happened here.

12:25 The results are in. 29,085 votes were cast with 14,558 going to McCain and 13,459 to Obama. The rest were split between Barr and write-ins.

12:31 The results are posted now on the county's Web site: www.co.wayne.in.us/voter/election2008/general/final.htm

After a long night, here's what the Pal-Item had to say today:

Unofficial results of the county's 29,085 ballots were released at about 12:10 a.m. today.

"Our project manager got some kind of a message that was foreign to him," Clerk Sue Anne Lower said. "He just didn't want to go on and proceed without getting clarification from the vendor.

"Plus, we were still counting absentee ballots at 11 p.m. (Tuesday)," she said. "We started at 8 a.m. this morning and did not stop. We had 4,300 absentee ballots to count."

Hopefully the foreign message wasn't anything like this.