George Wenschhof
Last night the President laid out his Afghanistan policy - when listening to it live, one could not help but be remembered of the many speeches given by his predecessor; George W. Bush when he justified the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq. Invoking the memory of 9/11, threats to the U.S. and it's national security were on display last night. Disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban continued the theme of the last eight years. In addition, the newly defined mission included the training of the Afghan army which sounded like the same Pentagon refrain from the Viet Nam war.
Propping up a corrupt and flimsy government is never a simple task. Yes, there was an exit strategy aimed at eighteen months from now, but not one the U.S. would be compelled to follow. Absent from the speech was how the U.S. was going to pay the estimated 30 Billion cost of deploying an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. This will not go down as one of the most effective and powerful speeches President Barack Obama has given to date. Politico.com has their take on the speech here.
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Now it is time for testimony on the Hill in support of Afghan buildup - appearing this morning before the Senate Armed Services Committee will be Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and Joints Chiefs of Staff Chair Admiral Michael Mullen. Their job is to get the money and the support from Capitol Hill. The NY Times Caucus Blog has more here.
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Senate Health Care debate continues - today, some amendments are expected to receive votes including one from Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski (D). Her amendment is to include preventative health care services for women. C-SPAN-org has more here.
A plan "B" for the "Public Option" part of the bill that would include some type of "trigger" provision is also being worked on by Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.). TheHill.com has more here.
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Also on the home front is the issue of jobs - unemployment is at 10.2% and an increase in jobs is not on the horizon. Tomorrow, President Obama will convene his jobs summit at the White House to discuss ways to create jobs. MSNBC.com has more here.
As a former administrator for employment and training programs, I have been wondering where is the public service jobs programs that have worked so well over the years since President Roosevelt created the Civilian conservation Corps. These programs put people to work immediately in areas which benefit the public.
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Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Daily Democratic Wire 12-2-2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Daily Democratic Wire 12-1-2009
George Wenschhof
Tonight, at 8:00 PM ET, President Barack Obama will lay out his Afghanistan policy - the televised speech will be delivered at the West Point Academy. By now, most everyone already knows the decision was to send an additional 30,000 troops by May of next year. The goal continues to be the eradication of the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the country and to strengthen the ability of Afghan military to defend itself. The NY Times has more here.
The more difficult question will be how to pay for this troop increase. Republican leadership is already using this anticipated cost as a reason to delay the vote on health care reform. Look to see the President try to establish benchmarks to be reached and a clearly defined exit strategy.
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House Democrats split on idea of stock transaction tax - the proposed 0.25% tax would be applied to transactions involving stocks, futures, and derivatives. It is estimated the tax would raise 150 Billion per year. Initially, the thought was to use half the money to reduce the deficit and the other half for job creation. Look for much more debate on this idea. TheHill.com has more here.
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Meanwhile, Senate debate on the health care bill begins - no surprise it began with fierce opposition from Republicans who consistently referenced the over 2000 pages in the bill and a newly released Congressional Budget Office report which states some Americans would see an increase in costs in their insurance. Politico.com has more here.
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Over in Iraq, U.S. oil companies make inroads - in June of this year, after 5 plus years of war, the first auction of oil fields were a disaster with few takers. Now, quietly last month, U.S. firms; Exxon Mobile and Occidental Petroleum signed agreements with Iraq. The coveted prize the firms wish to capture is the right to develop the rich oil fields in the Basra region in southern Iraq. The NY Times has more here.
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