State of the Union -- Prognostications

CW: As usual, there has been a lot of hoohah, some of which I've ignored, about what the President will say in his State of the Union Address. As this year's address date approaches -- Tuesday -- I guess we'll have to pay some attention to the prognostications, warnings & last-minute advice. We'll start with what the guy who actually knows what's in the address has to say:

Jack Calmes & Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times: "President Obama will outline an agenda for 'winning the future' in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, striking a theme of national unity and renewal as he stresses the need for government spending in key areas and an attack on the budget deficit. Mr. Obama previewed the themes in a video e-mailed Saturday evening to supporters who had helped in his election campaign. But the video made plain that his speech would be geared more broadly toward the political center, to independent voters and business owners and executives alienated by the expansion of government and the partisan legislative fights of the past two years."

Julie Pace of the AP: "Heading quickly into re-election mode, Obama is expected to use Tuesday's prime-time speech to promote spending on innovation while also promising to reduce the national debt and cooperate with emboldened Republicans."

Jonathan Weisman of the Wall Street Journal: "In his video address, Mr. Obama echoed the famous pledge to end the era of big government that was delivered by President Bill Clinton after Republicans swept to power on Capitol Hill in 1995."

Peter Wallsten & Anne Kornblut of the Washington Post: interest groups lobby for a favorable mention in the address.

The New York Times publishes opinions from a host of policy wonks (click here for the master link) on what each would like to hear in the SOTU address. Contributors are Elliott Abrams, Tom Daschle, Andrew Revkin, Alice Rivlin, Michelle Rhee, Jon Cowan & Jim Kessler, Robert Reich, & Dan Savage. (author-specific links).

"Sputnik II." Howard Fineman, January 21: in his State of the Union address, President Obama will model JFK & "rather than focus on new government programs..., will highlight targeted tax cuts, spending restraint and the need to rebuild our technological and educational base for the long term. The president may have no choice but to face stubbornly high unemployment and foreclosure rates throughout his term. So, as he has done on other issues, he will widen the lens, and suggest that we are at an historic -- and hopeful -- pivot point."

See also Robert Reich & Paul Krugman, linked in Sunday's Commentariat, who touch on the State of the Union address.

Just Like Junior High. Jennifer Steinhauer & Carl Hulse of the New York Times, January 22: "... on Capitol Hill, the talk for the last few days has been all about the seating for the president’s [State of the Union] speech and just who will be next to whom. Ever since Senator Mark Udall, Democrat of Colorado, pushed for lawmakers of both parties to mix it up rather than sit among their own in the House chamber as if the other side has cooties, there has been a mad scramble among lawmakers for just the right partner."

The Washington Post has a slideshow of photos & very brief sketches of State of the Union addresses going back to FDR.

The Commentariat -- January 23

Art by Barry Blitt for the New York Times.Frank Rich: "True Grit' has unalloyed faith in values antithetical to those of the 21st century America so deftly skewered in 'The Social Network.'” Rich was the Times film critic some while back, & in this column he returns to his forte. ...

Keith Olberman. New Yorker artwork.... CW: Rich has put in the mood to take a more cinematic look at the news, & Peter J. Boyer of the New Yorker obliges in his comment on Keith Olbermann's divorce from MSNBC: "His critics (and even some of his friends) had always imagined a Howard Beale ending for Keith Olbermann, and in his MSNBC farewell Olbermann more or less obliged." ...

... Here's Boyer's June 2008 profile of Olbermann, also in the New Yorker. ...

... Paul Farhi of the Washington Post on the difficult Mr. Olbermann.

CW: here's a new low for the odious Mitch McConnell -- on Fox "News," he likens President Obama to communist leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Politico liveblog: "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says Tuesday's State of the Union will serve as President Barack Obama's 'trust-but-verify' moment on whether he's serious about reducing federal spending." The term "trust but verify" is one that good Republicans know the demigod Ronald Reagan applied to Gorbachev in arms treaty negotiations. There was nothing wrong with the Reagan policy; there's plenty wrong with using the same terminology when referring to the President of the United States.

** Constitutional law scholar Jonathan Turley in a Washington Post op-ed on celebrity justices: "If justices come to personify political movements, the law appears to be merely an extension of the personalities -- and the politics -- on the bench.... Monday's [Michele] Bachmann-convened summit featuring Scalia magnifies this problem.... The principle of judicial neutrality should not be compromised for a legal seminar." This is really a must-read, start to finish.

Spy Story. Mark Mazzetti of the New York Times: "Duane R. Clarridge parted company with the Central Intelligence Agency more than two decades ago, but from poolside at his home near San Diego, he still runs a network of spies.... Over the past two years, he has fielded operatives in ... Pakistan and ... Afghanistan. Since the United States military cut off his funding in May, he has relied on like-minded private donors to pay his agents to continue gathering information about militant fighters, Taliban leaders and the secrets of Kabul’s ruling class.... For all of the can-you-top-this qualities to Mr. Clarridge’s operation, it is a startling demonstration of how private citizens can exploit the chaos of combat zones and rivalries inside the American government to carry out their own agenda."

Glenn Greenwald reports on Amnesty International's efforts to assure better treatment for alleged WikeLeaks leaker Bradley Manning, who is imprisoned in Quantico. Then he adds this: "... the ACLU has obtained new documents which shed more harsh light on the 190 War on Terror detainees who died in American custody. Specifically, many of these documents ... show that at least 25 to 30 of those cases were 'unjustified homicides,' i.e., murder."

Peter Baker has a long, informative article in the New York Times Magazine about President Obama & his economic team's search for jobs. The article includes a lot of insider-bickering dirt, too. Bottom line, tho -- no great ideas. Best quote, among many -- this one about Larry Summers:

He’s much better at telling you why you’re stupid than creating a system that can produce usable policy solutions. -- Anonymous Insider, of course

The President must not be seduced into believing — and must not allow the public to be similarly seduced into thinking — that the well-being of American business is synonymous with the well-being of Americans. -- Robert Reich ...

... Paul Krugman on Obama's "competitiveness" meme (mostly a crock), Jeffrey Immelt (ditto), & Robert Reich (above, gets it right).

Ken Auletta of the New Yorker: "Was Eric Schmidt pushed [out as Google CEO] or did he jump? Both." The backstory -- New York Times, January 21: "Google made the biggest management shake-up in a decade on Thursday, handing the reins of the company to one of its co-founders in an effort to rediscover its start-up roots.... Larry Page, its 38-year-old co-founder, would take over as chief executive from Eric E. Schmidt, a technology industry veteran who was brought in a decade ago to provide adult supervision, as Silicon Valley calls it. Mr. Schmidt, 55, will remain executive chairman of the company...."

CW: if you want to know what life will be like for women seeking abortions after state legislatures -- & likely the Supreme Court -- chip away at abortion rights, here's an example: Sabrina Tavernise of the New York Times reports on an appalling clinic in Philadelphia, run by Dr. Kermit Gosnell, that responsible agencies failed to investigate for more than 16 years despite multiple deaths, lawsuits & complaints. Here's a more detailed report by Marie McCollough of the Philadelphia Inquirer. ...

... A pdf of the complete grand jury report is here. The Inquirer warns that it contains grusome pictures. The pictures aren't nearly as bad as the testimony.

... Philadelphia Inquirer Editors: "Antiabortion forces will likely use this horrific case to call for further restrictions on the medical procedure. But Gosnell is charged with acts that violated abortion laws already on the books. What's needed, beyond prosecuting Gosnell, is to ensure all women have access to safe and high-quality medical care that is regulated diligently."

What Could Possibly Be Wrong with This? Tim Hoover of the Denver Post: "Less than two weeks on the job, Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler says the $68,500 a year salary doesn't pay enough. That's why Gessler, a Republican, says he is going to be moonlighting as a lawyer for his old law firm -- a firm known for representing clients on elections and campaign law issues, the very areas Gessler is now charged with policing as secretary of state." CW: glaring conflict-of-interest aside, didn't the little snake check on what the AG's salary was before he ran for office? ...

... BUT, local politics being what it is, Ben Smith finds a story to top Gessler's crassness: Gabrielle Giffords' 2010 general election challenger, Republican Tea Party candidate Jesse Kelly -- you know, the guy who ran a campaign event in which he invited supporters to join him in shooting a "fully automatic M-16" to "Get on target for November. Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office" -- is working behind the scenes to "find out how the seat would be filled if Giffords couldn’t serve."

Adios, Olbermann

CW Note: below are links to stories about Keith Olbermann's parting of the ways with NBC. The articles cover several days' reporting & commentary & appear in descending date order. There are a few more stories in The Commentariat for January 24 above.

New York Times: "Keith Olbermann, the highest-rated host on MSNBC, announced abruptly on the air Friday night that he is leaving 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' immediately. The host, who has had a stormy relationship with the management of the network for some time, especially since he was suspended for two days last November, came to an agreement with NBC’s corporate management late this week to settle his contract and step down. In a closing statement on his show, Mr. Olbermann said simply that it would be the last edition of the program. He offered no explanation other than on occasion, the show had become too much for him." Here's the video:

Politico: "The departure was a stealth move, MSNBC insiders told Politico, with many top executives and on-air talent kept out of the loop as the decision was made. It came, one insider said, 'Out of the ... blue!'”

Take Howard Kurtz's analysis for what it's worth, but he does sort of give a good, quick rundown of Olbermann's highs & lows with NBC.

Colby Hall of Mediaite doesn't think it's a coincidence that Olbermann was pushed out the day after the FCC approved Comcast's takeover of NBC. "Today was Jeff Zucker’s last day at the helm, having sent a memo bidding adieu to his staff. Sources close to the situation have told Mediaite that there is no question that Comcast had expressed concerns about Olbermann."

As the New York Post headline has it, "MSNBC Pulls Plug on Gasbag Olbermann."

Here's the MSNBC story, which is pretty plain-vanilla. The story has been updated: "Starting Monday, 'The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell' will move to 8 p.m. ET/PT and 'The Ed Show,' hosted by Ed Schultz, will move to 10 p.m. ET/PT on msnbc, [MSNBC President Phil] Griffin said. 'The Rachel Maddow Show' will continue to air live at 9 p.m. ET/PT."

According to TheWrap, "It was Keith Olbermann's decision to leave his high-profile perch at MSNBC, TheWrap has learned.... But the sudden departure has a history, and the timing does not rule out a preemptive MSNBC move."

Bill Carter of the New York Times: "For the last several weeks, Mr. Olbermann and the network have been in negotiations to end his successful run on MSNBC, according to executives involved in the talks.... The deal was completed on Friday, and Mr. Olbermann made the announcement on his final 'Countdown' hours later. Friday’s separation agreement between MSNBC and Mr. Olbermann includes restrictions on when he can next lead a television show and when he can give interviews about the decision to end his association with the news channel.... The decision was completed a year to the day from the last time NBC decided to end a relationship with an on-air star: Conan O’Brien. Mr. O’Brien’s settlement had similar restrictions."

Prima Donna, Exit Left. Bill Carter & Brian Stelter of the New York Times: "MSNBC never had any doubt about what it was getting when it made Keith Olbermann the face of the network in 2003: a highly talented broadcaster, a distinctive and outspoken voice and a mercurial personality with a track record of attacking his superiors and making early exits." CW: I suppose we shall have to consider this the definitive word on the breakup of MSNBC & Olbermann; it is the New York Times, after all. ...

CW: Niall Stanage, writing in Salon, expresses my sentiments exactly: "The smugness, the narcissism, the never-ending parade of yes-man guests: Goodnight and good riddance!" A number of my friends were totally bummed by Olbermann's exit, & I think they were a little mad at me for kissing him good-bye without a tear. But they're coming around.