The Defense Secretary should be told "look mate, we know you want him but there's 300 million other people in the US, some of whom can probably do a fuck off job themselves. Pick one of them instead".

I was…

Heck no – only a couple of years until their next round of elections innit?

Yes but the Democrat have one massive advantage, whether they deserve it or not — the GOP seems to have decided to learn nothing from their electoral B&D session over the last cycle. I'm seeing any…

Boy, that didn't take long for principle to be undermined. Ta, Craig.

Then again, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin could grow a spine and say he won't support Lynn's nomination with the waiver attached. But I won't hold my breath waiting...

On Thursday, the administration delivered to the Senate Armed Services Committee a waiver to Obama's "ethics pledge" for federal employees

Boy, that didn't take long for principle to be undermined. Ta, Craig.

And therein lies the problem with the military-industrial complex, IMHO. He may very well be the best man for the job, precisely because of his experience.

But that's the problem with influence-peddling, period and full stop. Do people retain the services of Chen & Palmer — the closest thing we have…

Yes, it's not putting a Senate seat on E-Bay or keeping a pile of unmarked bills behind the ice cream in the freezer. But really... not a good look.

And therein lies the problem with the military-industrial complex, IMHO. He may very well be the best man for the job,…

A former Raytheon lobbyist nominated to be deputy defense secretary despite President Barack Obama's ban on hiring lobbyists will sell his stock in the military contracting firm.

However, William J. Lynn won't be…

I thought Friday's (Thursday their time) show was weak, relatively to the past few weeks.

I think the political stuff will take some shaking out, but come a year or so, it will be less of a focus, but still there.

The trouble is, to a degree, they've had relatively…

Mind you, I think their post-inaugruation episodes have been pretty solid so far, even if you can feel the political ground moving underneath their feet.

I thought Friday's (Thursday their time) show was weak, relatively to the past few weeks.

I think the political stuff will take some shaking out,…

Unless Faux News goes away, I'd say he has a job for life.

True, but you wonder whether the show might need an overhaul, rather like the one it had in 2000, when it brought in a lot of new writers (including the original guys behindthe Onion) and switched from…

Unless Faux News goes away, I'd say he has a job for life..

True. I meant to post on this earlier but.....
Did anyone else do a comparison of the reporting on the inauguration between Fox and CNN? Astounding but entirely unsurprising. If that is possible. CNN was, almost like…

Anybody know (OK it'll be almost everybody right?) how to lik to the latest Mark Fiore animation?

I think this may be the permalink.

The somber, elegiac tones before President Obama’s oath of office at the inauguration on Tuesday came from the instruments of Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and two colleagues. But what the millions on the National Mall and watching…

Orderly, bring a stretcher!

lol.

I noticed Leonard Cohen changed his lyrics from " democracy is coming" to "has come to the USA" which I felt was his way of acknowledging the inauguration whilst in our country seeing that he was 'ere annat. He also said that we had a…

I think Leonard always had his tongue in his cheek a bit with that song.

Yes – very much in the vein of "I'm the little Jew who wrote the Bible."

the peaceful, orderly transfer of power which has been going on in the United States for over two and a quarter centuries.

That bloodiest-of-all-American-conflicts Civil War they had sure was peaceful and orderly, too!

the peaceful, orderly transfer of power

Yeh, like their 2000 election..

Oh, ballocky bullshit, Sofie. What happened was the peaceful, orderly transfer of power which has been going on in the United States for over two and a quarter centuries.

I think Leonard always had his tongue in his cheek a bit with that song.

But OTOH, I think it's quite…

As Leonard Cohen so aptly put tonight, "Democracy has come to the USA"......

Oh, ballocky bullshit, Sofie. What happened was the peaceful, orderly transfer of power which has been going on in the United States for over two and a quarter centuries.

Now Mr Cohen might want to share his…

And so a village in Texas gets its idiot back. Couldn't they have reclaimed him sooner?

Howard was active in his advocacy against Hicks declaring him a terrorist without trial, evidence or verifiable information. Howard's sycophancy was condemned here, by some but not all, but rewarded in the US (by Bush awarding him the Freedom medal days before…

While it'd be interesting to hear his story, I fear he's no wordsmith.

No, I don't think he'll be eloquent in the slightest, but I do hope he does provide another version of the story. The government narrative is obscene and needs to be challenged. His military lawyer, Michael Mori,…

It'll be interesting to hear what the former inmate David Hicks, now free from his protection order a month or more , says when he eventually speaks...t

Apparently Hicks wrote poetry while in his Taliban phase. I saw a snatch somewhere, it included the line "there blows the beagle" -…

Indeed an excellent episode.

As Leonard Cohen so aptly put tonight

Yeah, rub it in.

On the subject of how, oh heavens how is Jon Stewart going to cope with the new Obama order and the instantaneous disappearance of anything that can be made fun of in the world, day one went brilliantly.

"Ladies…

WANT!!!

Bwah! I don't know who that is, but I do not believe it is Obama.

I love the one of him facing off with Darth Vader, though. 'Mr Cheney? Is that you under there?'

But Barack Obama’s election allows Americans to feel better about themselves, for electing him President. Chesley Sullenberger’s accomplishment, on the other hand, stresses the benefits of hard work, experience, and coolness under pressure — things that require effort, and that might make…

However, the inauguration is just a moment in history. While Obama’s toastmaster skills are exceptional, his performance as President is an entirely different and more uncertain matter. Yet if the liberal media’s performance to date is any guide, predetermined…

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=w6KDvZorCV8

I'm hopin rectitude isn't some kind of euphemism..

I always thought it was an abreviation: Rectitude = Rectal Attitude.

Gepetto shuffles off to Wyoming in a wheelchair, Pinocchio's packed off to Texas. Pity, really – I'd kind of hoped they'd end up together as an exhibit in some kind of creationist museum, next to the sodomites 'n stegosaurus.

Genius worthy of repeating. Love it.

It needs a caption along the lines of "So long. Thanks for coming. Don't come back."

And George Mitchell, US Special Envoy to Nothern Ireland for the last 13 years, and an active participant in the peace process there, has been named Obama's Middle East envoy.

That has to come in as one of the most difficult jobs in the world right now.

Hope he's getting…

There's a rather touching image of Obama practising for the oath taken by Callie Shell of Time magazine.
While it borders on the obvious cliche, I still found this image pretty striking

Dirck Halstead gives a good background to Callie Shell at Digital Journalist

Four years ago Time…

I think even in last night's show – they were showing up some of the absurdity in comparing the language of the Obama's speech and the Bush ones over…

There's a rather touching image of Obama practising for the oath taken by Callie Shell of Time magazine.

While it borders on the obvious cliche, I still found this image pretty striking

TDS breathed oxygen from the absurdities of the Bush years.

I remember the show being pretty funny pre-Bush, too – although I came in around 1999, which I suppose was at the height of Clintonblowjoborama, segueing nicely into the 2000 election campaign. Hrm. We'll see.

At least Colbert will still…

BTW, did anyone else watch The Daily Showtonight and wonder if the first casualty of the Obama Adminstration will be Jon Stewart?

He – albeit jokingly – said as muxh, himself, last night.

Agreed Craig. TDS breathed oxygen from the absurdities of the Bush years. Is Jon Stewart going to spend the next 4 years doing skits on writer's block?

We'll just have to wait and see, but very little in the last year or so has been about Bush anyhow.

John Williams – you're a thieving hack whose banality is exceeded only by your hubris. Why didn't Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma just play Aaron Copland's setting of 'Simple Gifts' and cut out the middle man?

There is no human event that a John Williams soundtrack won't manage to cheapen.…

I do, but I honestly don't think they're going to have any trouble at all. I thought it was an exceedingly well sustained episode even when it talked about Obama.

I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree there, because it seems to me TDS gets downright feeble…

Bonus: he's an Arab-American.

ou do realise Dick Cheney is out of office? So's Bush.

Gepetto shuffles off to Wyoming in a wheelchair, Pinocchio's packed off to Texas. Pity, really – I'd kind of hoped they'd end up together as an exhibit in some kind of creationist museum, next to the sodomites 'n stegosaurus.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Promising "a new era of openness in our country," President Barack Obama signed several executive orders Wednesday relating to ethics guidelines for staff members of his administration.

"Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency," Obama said.

I thought it was great. "Humanity as a moratorium on making jokes about people on wheelchairs. But this isa day for making history, so..."

And that's my point — you do realise Dick Cheney is out of office? So's Bush.

I thought it was great. "Humanity as a moratorium on making jokes about people on wheelchairs. But this isa day for making history, so..."

And that's my point — you do realise Dick Cheney is out of office? So's Bush.

BTW, did anyone else watch The Daily Showtonight and wonder if the first casualty of the Obama Adminstration will be Jon Stewart?

I thought it was great. "Humanity as a moratorium on making jokes about people on wheelchairs. But this is a day for making history, so..."

ORLY? I thought you liked Copland? Fanfare for the Common Man?

That would be the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Iran, Syria, Burma, North Korea. Hamas as well.

Or Egypt, those wonderful central Asian nations, Saudi Arabia and a whole bunch more that seemed to have slipped your list.

Not like you to wallow in hypocrisy James.

Oh, wait.....

Polishin their guns, I'd imagine..

If I didn't find Sacha to be such a paragon of rectitude I might've taken that as some kind of euphemism.

Hey, I can understand the hatred of John Williams – but I actually liked the version of "A Gift To Be Simple"...waua! Shaker hymns!

So, do I — but I liked it even better when Aaron Copland did it and I don't hateWilliams. He's a perfectly competent film composer and,…

I wonder what all the crazies are going to do with themselves now that chimpybushhitler is gone?

I wouldnt wonder too hard... I'm sure they'll find a new messiah to follow, soon enough?

Has Obama thrown the gays under the bus? Only if he doesn't deliver on policy. If he does, then the fat guy who talks with his eyes shut won't matter.

In much the same sense that it never mattered that a virulent bigot like Jerry Falwell had way too much…

"Cherry-picking and distorting"
there's a crime worthy of some punishment.
raining on parades.
even worse crime.
hang 'em all.

I'd start by saying that characterising Gates as "Bush's man" is one hell of a stretch – he's the man Bush had to accept after his man was…

I understand there's a big party going on in Washington this week, where hundreds of thousands of people are gathering to celebrate Bob Gates' retention as Pentagon chief. I mean, that is what this shindig is all about, isn't…

John Williams – you're a thieving hack whose banality is exceeded only by your hubris. Why didn't Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma just play Aaron Copland's setting of 'Simple Gifts' and cut out the middle man?

There is no human event that a John Williams soundtrack won't manage to cheapen.…

The troofers and all those nutters. Back to disrupting trade talks like Seattle in 1999 I guess.

"I've abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system," President Bush

"I've abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system," President Bush.

chimpybushhitler

Nice that you've matured beyond "Obambi", James.

true, but as time passes there seems to be an increasing national amnesia on much of what happened in SEA. It was not alright.

Though no nation seems to bear a grudge quite like the US – in the early 90s under Clinton they were the last to "normalise" relations…

they do archive it somewhere under the Presidential Records Act (not surprisingly, a post-Nixon piece of legislation)

Except you'll recall that Cheney, Rove et al managed to get around that by hosting their emails in a non-gov GOP domain – and then "losing" backups when challenged by Fitzgerald during his…

I guess Mr Henry does have his uses from time to time...

Sunrise had a very informal tone for the broadcast, and talked pretty much entirely over Warren. They were joking around about something and obviously looked over at the monitor and were like "woah! still going"

Invocation by the Rev Rick Warren
That still rankles. I'm all for outreach and "inclusion", but they couldn't have found an evangelical preacher who isn't quite such a douchebag, and prone to lying about it?

I was watching TVOne's coverage, and lo! up pops Paul 'secret National Party mole' Henry.…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzSmS5JRYdw&eurl=http://www.artsjournal.com/aboutlastnight/2009/01/tt_art_for_politics_sake.html&feature=player_embedded

John Williams – you're a thieving hack whose banality is exceeded only by your hubris. Why didn't Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma just play Aaron Copland's setting of 'Simple Gifts' and cut out the middle man?

And…

Has Obama thrown the gays under the bus? Only if he doesn't deliver on policy. If he does, then the fat guy who talks with his eyes shut won't matter.

In much the same sense that it never mattered that a virulent bigot like Jerry Falwell had way too much…

Should Presidential libraries include archived versions of their administration's webpages or some version of them? Or do they do that already?

I was reading a wired story about the difficulty of the Obama administration continuing the success that the Obama Campaign and Obama Transitition has had online ([[http://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/magazine/17-02/ff_obama|The Wired Presidency:…

The real holdouts are down to 20% of the population.

Sixty million people is a fairly large chorus

I felt that he was honouring the servicepeople rather than the war. No?

true, but as time passes there seems to be an increasing national amnesia on much of what happened in…

I just watched a clip of Beyonce singing 'At Last' for the Obamas' first dance at the inaugural ball. Sweet, and resonant on a few levels.

Certainly sweet and resonant, but what an odd mix of Telethon, Disney-Spectacle-on-Ice and historic occasion that whole televised thing was?

He's not talking to the rest of the world, he's talking to America

Yup. That's the key to the speech.

So where the Bush people. As soon as he was inaugurated they proceeded to delete all of the Clinton records on the whitehouse.gov website, without so much as a backup.

I wondered. Should Presidential libraries include archived versions of their administration's webpages or some version of them? Or do they…

Like others, I'm wary of evangelical Christians and their all-to-often narrow views, however if Warren's views are shifting and his involvement with Obama encourages others to be more open minded then I agree with Quinn's view that it could be beneficial all around.

I think Craig is quite right to…

This marks the first time in history that a president was sworn in by a chief justice that he opposed [when nominated].

Reason:…

Obama lauded Vietnam

I felt that he was honouring the servicepeople rather than the war. No?

Part of the nation's ongoing inability to adapt is the wallowing belief in this sort of bullshit.

True. It frustrates me too. I spend a lot of time yelling at the telly. But saying…

I still am not sure he's quite worked out just what the rest of the world is so pissed off about and how far back this goes.

The alternative explanations are:

He's not talking to the rest of the world, he's talking to America, and just aware that the rest…

1)Lets be real, very large parts of the nation don't want to be included in Obama's vision. And never will.

Those two sets of approval ratings from surveys in he past week were verging on unprecedented. He starts with enormous public goodwill. The real holdouts are down to 20% of…

Just goes to show I shouldn't assume things. For me, it was obvious who'd stuffed up immediately. But I'm not sure why I assumed everyone else would realise it was Roberts.

I did, but I had to hear it again to be sure of it. Obama handled it really well.…

As soon as Bush leaves office, the media will start on the new man, first praising him and then rubbishing him, if he puts one foot wrong. Bush will go up in people's esteem. Look at what…

Paul: I guess we'll see whether the inclusive tone works once the excitement of the inauguration wears off.

A couple of quick thoughts:
1)Lets be real, very large parts of the nation don't want to be included in Obama's vision. And never will.
2) I loved the slaps against Bush…

Or, better still...

Mr Obama! Mr Obama! We can do a deal! I'll buy you a delicatessan in brushed stainless steel!

Similarly,…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00gvflg

On the other hand, the new civil rights section of whitehouse.gov (which apparently went live at 12.01pm EST, because these people are pretty onto it!)

So where the Bush people. As soon as he was inaugurated they proceeded to delete all of the Clinton records on the whitehouse.gov website, without…

I don't want to rain on everyone's nice parade, but Barack Obama is sworn in as President and but 90 minutes later Wellington City is "crippled" by a power cut....

Coincidence?

Oh man, I was totally thinking that. My wife and I were standing in the living room, listening to…

Yes, I'm guessing that it looked a bit like this.

Or, better still...

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=iuPl5BkjMIE

@stephenfry (yes, that Stephen Fry) tweeted "We will raise science to its rightful place". Yes. Yes. Yes!!! and I was very happy.

Rick Warren was a sucky choice

I have only just discovered why. I did not realise this during his prayer.

Which meant I was listening to what he actually said, which was pretty Christian socialist, if you ask me. It did set the tone for the rest of the ceremony.…

Coincidence?

"I'm here to rescue you from the cliches" remarked Miliband.

The one thing the British do superlatively well is irony, though in David Miliband's case I'm not sure it was intentional. I've eaten raw tofu with more personality than that man.

Dick Cheney in a wheelchair.

Yes, I'm guessing that it looked a bit like this.

The presidents new speech writer: Jules from Pulp Fiction.

Roflnui!

But then we realised we'd just had eight whole years of someone doing that, so...

Heh. And what a nice way to bring up the thousandth post.

He had a rare chance, there, too: to execute the office of the president unfaithfully for a few precious minutes.

We entertained some speculation about this too. How could his unfaithful execution manifest itself? But then we realised we'd just had eight whole years of someone doing that, so...

Hey, he's left handed! And he did the curvy thing with his hand not to smudge!

Owmygawd, yet another sinistral! Seriously spooky.

I'm just like Barack Obama. He is my brother.

"time for everyone to chill the fuck out, cut the Red State-Blue State bullshit, and get to work"

The presidents new speech writer: Jules from Pulp Fiction.

But, any picks on the first weblog to assert that Obama isn't the real president because he wasn't sworn in properly, anyone?

Was I the only one who thought it a bit anticlimactic when they announced he had become president even before the oath on account of the fact that…

Still, I was pleasantly surprised by the coverage on Sunrise--especially Oliver Driver's sharp comments.

Meh... I went for TVNZ 7 and it's 'just the facts' approach, because I'm never in the mood for the fatuous boobery of Messers Driver and Henry.

Roberts is only 54… but he has had two seizures. : )

I wouldn't joke about that — apparently Ted Kennedy just collapsed at the Congressional lunch and Bob Byrd isn't too flashy either. I guess the object lesson is: Avoid the chicken at these things. :)

(He also mentioned atheists. Baby steps, I suppose.)

The actual term was 'non-believers', which is rather a demeaning term. I don't believe in anything?

Still, I was pleasantly surprised by the coverage on Sunrise--especially Oliver Driver's sharp comments.

Hey, I just think a little performance anxiety in the elderly is quite understandable.

Roberts is only 54… but he has had two seizures. : )

He messed up the oath. Cute.

It appears it was Roberts who got it wrong.

Just goes to show I shouldn't assume things. For me, it was obvious who'd stuffed up immediately. But I'm not sure why I assumed everyone else would realise it was Roberts.

But, any picks on…

Get over it. ;)

Hey, I just think a little performance anxiety in the elderly is quite understandable. At least he didn't vomit on anyone. :)

2. Aretha Franklin's wacked-out head-bow fascinator thingy. She brings the crazy!

Was I the only one thinking "Melbourne Cup" for a brief shining moment? :)

1. Dick Cheney in a wheelchair. Oh, schadenfreude, how sweet you taste.

He hurt his back moving boxes to his new place apparently!

And I'm sorry for being grinchy here, but it's a shame President Obama chose someone who has compared gays and lesbians to animals — and flat out…

come on, people — give Roberts a break!

Get over it. ;)

Paul wins the dedication to the cause award! 3.45am is horrifying.

Two amusing things:…

I'm not sure how I feel about America's claim to global moral leadership, but I'm enthused by the idea that President Obama will at least stop America from its amoral decline.

And I'm sorry for being grinchy here, but it's a shame President Obama chose someone who has compared gays…

Is anyone else here as totally-US-politics-nerdy as me, and setting an alarm to watch it live?

Yes indeed and it was 3.45am in Sydney. I reminded of a famous line by Bob Hawke who, after Australia won the Americas Cup, said any boss who docked pay from staff for being…

He messed up the oath. Cute.

It appears it was Roberts who got it wrong.

12:37: The Chief Justice in fact screwed up the oath. The Constitution requires:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will…

Perhaps it's different whistles for different dogs, but I heard plenty of not very subtle "time for everyone to chill the fuck out, cut the Red State-Blue State bullshit, and get to work" moments.

I heard both.

"Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our…

Many implied 'Bush, you totally suck and here is why' moments in there.

Perhaps it's different whistles for different dogs, but I heard plenty of not very subtle "time for everyone to chill the fuck out, cut the Red State-Blue State bullshit, and get to work" moments.

Invocation by the Rev Rick Warren

That still rankles. I'm all for outreach and "inclusion", but they couldn't have found an evangelical preacher who isn't quite such a douchebag, and prone to lying about it?

Not a terrible speech, but lots of platitudes and cliches

I actually thought the speech was pretty hard-edged in comparison to his pre-presidential, 'don't frighten the horses' speeches. Many implied 'Bush, you totally suck and here is why' moments in there.

(He also mentioned atheists. Baby steps, I suppose.)

I…

Righto..time to go to sleep.

God I'm slow today

You think you're slow – I thought "2am – that's a bit early for church."

Bugger. I'd hoped a commemorative waterboarding was going to be the departure ceremony of choice.

2am Gates to the Inaugural Ceremony open, Obama attends a church service.
4.30am Senator Dianne Feinstein provides call to order and welcome; Invocation by the Rev Rick Warren; Aretha Franklin performs.
5.30am Vice president-elect Joe Biden sworn into office.
6am Obama takes…

That's not okay, Giovanni.

God I'm slow today.

I can surprise him and beat him to the punch for once.

That's not okay, Giovanni.

The actual inauguration is on around midday EST. I've got to be on campus at 9AM, and it will be interesting to see whether the undergrads are more excited about Obama or the fact…

And to make it even better, I get to NYC next Weds, and as much as I'd like to be there now, I think it's a pretty decent time to be arriving.

Thank you for sharing your ideas on the issues facing the new administration. Over 125,000 users submitted over 44,000 ideas and cast over 1.4…

The other day, curious how far the Obama madness had spread, I Googled the words "Obama sex toy."

God bless America: I was not disappointed.

"You love your candidate. Let him love you back!" gushes the Web site for…

Awaiting the coming day-

Mission Accomplished.

Awaiting the coming day-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KogebxJkHig