Villagers Weep As President Obama Goes His Own Way Without Their Direction
October 15, 2011 No Comment
Click here to view this media Last week, Chris Matthews got all verklempt over his perception that President Obama is a loner who really just doesn’t care much for people, after reading Scott Wilson’s Washington Post article where he engaged in some pretty stupid hand-wringing . This followed some of the more ridiculous speculation I’ve seen in the Villager press like John Cook’s speculative article that our President is clinically depressed. The argument seems to go like this: President Obama isn’t listening to anyone , not the Villagers Who Are Very Serious And Know Everything, nor his cadre of advisers who have thus far steered him in some pretty awful directions. Is it coincidence that the Very Serious Villagers are suddenly concerned about the President’s mental health about the same time that he adopts a more populist (and popular) approach to this wretched economy? Get a load of the collective handwringing: MATTHEWS: Scott, I`ll tell you, a few pieces jump off the page at me, yours did. This president, what is it? Because he seemed to spend a lot of time with us during the campaign. Not a lot of personal one-to-one time with reporters, obviously, we sensed that. But the people felt something from him, I felt something from him obviously. Why does he avoid people and contact with individual people now? SCOTT WILSON, THE WASHINGTON POST: I think part of what you`re describing was the genius of that campaign. People projected what they wanted to on this president. He was wonderful on the stump. He gave sophisticated serious speeches, treated the public with a lot of respect, but the public in abstract largely. And when it comes to governing, the model is very different. It requires a lot of person to person contact, whether it`s with Hill Democrats or donors, and he is not interested in that. He does not like doing that from what I`ve been told. So we’re clear here, what has Tweety’s panties in a bunch seems to be the fact that the President of this United States doesn’t hang out with him anymore, doesn’t toss back a couple of home brews with him like the heady days of the 2008 campaign. Really? Oh, and yes, Tweety goes there, saying he isn’t loving Ed Rendell enough these days. Rendell is a Tweety favorite, as Digby wrote in 2008 : Tweety has been fellating Rendell for the past year, giving him all kinds of face time, particularly throughout the run-up to the Pennsylvania primary, when he was practically on every day. It’s been the most gruesome and blatant suck-up session I’ve ever seen in public. What is this really about? Does Tweety really expect the President to just ring him up and invite him up to the White House for a beer? Yes, I think he does. MATTHEWS: Franklin Roosevelt was probably the greatest president of the 20th century. I think that`s a nonpartisan assessment. He got us through everything, the Depression, the war. He would — here`s FDR felt the need to sit down and play cards every night with members of the Senate and Congress so that he could establish that rapport. He would win card games, he would win money from them, but he would — you know, he knew when he lost — they would never cash the check anyway because they wanted the signature. But he spent quality of time with the big shots of Capitol Hill. Does Obama do that? WILSON: You`ll remember when he started his administration, he usedto invite people over on Wednesday nights for cocktail parties, really madean outreach to members of Congress and others, to say I`m here, I want to know you. I want this to work. It didn`t last very long. It never felt real to people. He didn`t enjoy it, and it faded away in a lot of partisan acrimony. So the answer is no. He does not — he has very few friends, personal and political. He`s a private person, and it`s an odd situation to be in when you`re the most public figure in the world. Imagine that. Here’s a flashback to times past, when Senators Snowe and Collins were invited to the White House and declined, when freshman Representative Jeff Landry declined his invitation , saying he didn’t want to be “lectured”, when John McCain declined his invitation to the 2009 Super Bowl party, and when Speaker John Boehner declined an invitation to an official state dinner , not once, but three times. But the Very Important People have decided Barack Obama is just a guy who doesn’t really like to be around people. He’d rather talk at them than to them, concludes Wilson and Tweety. Hmmm. Here’s some pictures from September and early October. You tell me. Is this a guy who has just isolated himself and hates people, or are Tweety and The Villagers simply melting down over the fact that President Obama isn’t leaping when they say leap?
Continue reading …
Say the name Emilio Estevez and most people think of the “Brat Pack,” when he was a star in popular Eighties youth movies like “The Breakfast Club” and “St. Elmo’s Fire,” or maybe the hockey coach in the “Mighty Ducks” films. Compared to his brother Charlie Sheen, he’s become the quiet, stable brother. But with his new movie “The Way,” Estevez comes into his own as a producer, writer, and director, telling a beautiful story about death, faith, and family. A father – played by his own father, Martin Sheen – mourns the loss of his son by walking for months on the 500-mile “camino” to the shrine of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. In an interview on the Catholic cable channel EWTN, Estevez joked about the horror of making the pitch for this movie about a pilgrimage – no massive special effects, no parade of gore or bedroom scenes with nudity. It’s just an old man hiking across Spain with three people he meets along the way. It’s a small movie, made on a small budget. It’s about our humanity and our spirituality. It’s so easy to imagine Tinseltown’s eyes glazing over.
Continue reading …
The 80-year-old actor, who starred as JR in long-running US series Dallas, will go ahead with filming TNT’s revival of the soap Larry Hagman has been diagnosed with cancer but says he will continue to shoot the new series of Dallas. The 80-year-old actor, best known for playing JR Ewing in the 1980s series Dallas, didn’t specify what type of cancer he had but said it was a “very common and treatable form”. “As JR, I could get away with anything – bribery, blackmail and adultery. But I got caught by cancer,” he said in a statement to America’s TV Guide. The actor is currently working on a new Dallas series for TNT and says he has no plans to pull out because of his illness. “I will be receiving treatment while working on the new Dallas series. I could not think of a better place to be than working on a show I love, with people I love. Besides, as we all know, you can’t keep JR down,” he said. The new Dallas series focuses on the Ewing offspring as they clash over the future of the family dynasty and will also star Patrick Duffy, Charlene Tilton and Linda Gray. New cast members include Jordana Brewster, Julie Gonzalo, Josh Henderson, Brenda Strong and Jesse Metcalfe. Hagman, who also started in the 1960s series I Dream of Jeannie, has had serious health issues in the past – he underwent a life-saving liver transplant operation in 1995 after admitting he had been a heavy drinker. Dallas started in 1978 and continued for 13 seasons to 1991. Hagman was the only actor to appear in all 357 episodes. United States US television industry Television industry Cancer Soap opera Television Drama Lisa O’Carroll guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
• Press refresh or hit auto-update for the latest action • Email scott.murray@guardian.co.uk with your thoughts • Keep up with all today’s games here Wayne Rooney on the bench for Manchester United, with Phil Jones in midfield: De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Young, Jones, Fletcher, Park, Giggs, Welbeck. Subs: Lindegaard, Anderson, Rooney, Hernandez, Carrick, Nani, Valencia. Steven Gerrard starts his first match for Liverpool since this corresponding fixture last season: Reina, Kelly, Carragher, Skrtel, Jose Enrique, Kuyt, Lucas, Adam, Downing, Gerrard, Suarez. Subs: Doni, Agger, Carroll, Henderson, Spearing, Bellamy, Robinson. While we’re waiting, you’ll do well to read this piece on Steven Gerrard by the magnificent Barney Ronay: Steven Gerrard is a period piece out of kilter with modern mores. And what a headline. Only in the Guardian, eh. Now, despite United starting the season strongly, and Liverpool stuttering a wee bit, the home side will fancy their chances today. They’ve won their last three home league games against United, their best run since a streak of nine in a row between 1970/71 and 1979/80. The last time the teams met, Dirk Kuyt scored a hat-trick in this fixture last season, a game in which Luis Suarez was sensational. But United are due one against Liverpool at Anfield, where they’ve not won since December 2007, Carlos Tevez scoring the winner. And here’s a different way to analyse the recent form in this fixture: John O’Shea scored a last-minute winner the season before that, so suddenly United’s record at the home of their bitter rivals is two wins from five matches, which doesn’t look bad at all. In the meantime: United are at Anfield today, match starting at 12.45pm. Kick off in the big Liverpool v Norwich City clash: 5.30pm, Saturday 22 October. You can’t really argue with him – the fixtures between the two teams are always huge – but that’s not going to stop the gloriously stubborn Kenny Dalglish trying. “If that is what he thinks then fine. That is up to Fergie. For me, I’ve always said the most important game is the next one. It’s Manchester United this time and next week it will be Norwich City.” “I have always considered Manchester United versus Liverpool to be the game of the season in English football,” says Sir Alex Ferguson. “We are talking about the two most successful clubs in England historically, and a rivalry that goes back to how industry changed when they opened the Manchester Ship Canal.” Premier League 2011-12 Liverpool Manchester United Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Egyptian-born Ibrahim al-Bana and six others killed in second airstrike to target group in as many weeks A US air strike has killed the media chief for al-Qaida’s Yemeni branch along with six other militants, the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday, in the second high-profile American missile attack in as many weeks to target the terror group in the country. A ministry statement said Egyptian-born Ibrahim al-Bana and six other militants were killed in the south-eastern province of Shabwa on Friday night. Security officials said an American drone carried out the airstrike, which was one of five overnight strikes that targeted suspected al-Qaida positions in Shabwa and the neighbouring province of Abyan in Yemen’s largely lawless south. Friday’s missile attack came two weeks after a US drone strike killed prominent American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, a gifted Muslim preacher and savvy internet operator who became a powerful al-Qaida tool for recruiting in the West. Also killed was Samir Khan, a Pakistani-American who was a propagandist for Yemen’s al-Qaida branch: al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. The latest airstrike underlines the growing use by the United States of drones to hit al-Qaida militants in Yemen in what appears to be a determined effort to remove the threat emanating from the group, blamed for plotting or inspiring a series of attacks on American soil and in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, a staunch Washington ally. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has taken advantage of the political turmoil roiling Yemen. Embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been struggling to stay in power in the face of eight months of massive street protests demanding his exit from power and the defection to the opposition of key aides and military commanders. Yemen al-Qaida Middle East United States Global terrorism US military guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
• Wales 8-9 France • Watch World Cup video highlights, interviews and more A stern decision by the Irish referee Alain Rolland, who reacted to Sam Warburton’s 18th minute tackle on Vincent Clerc by dismissing the Wales captain for dangerous play, gave the men in red a mountain too much to climb as they attempted to reach their first Rugby World Cup final. Trailing by 9-3 to the boot of Morgan Parra with almost an hour gone, Wales refused to submit and closed to within a point of the French thanks to a try by Mike Phillips. A man down for an hour, they dominated the second half but were let down by their kickers, the last of whom, Leigh Halfpenny, fell narrowly short with an attempt from the halfway line four minutes from time. In every other respect, whether with 15 men or 14, Wales were the braver, more adventurous and more accomplished side, and France can consider themselves extremely fortunate to be in the final once again. Wales had been looking for a chance to extend an early lead given to them by James Hook’s eighth-minute penalty and had just enjoyed their best moment with ball in hand — a scything break across France’s 22m line, involving Jamie Roberts and Shane Williams, ending with a wayward pass – when Warburton upended Clerc near the halfway line. The Welshman certainly executed the first half of a spear tackle as he turned Clerc upside down, but seemed to have let go of his opponent well before the winger hit the ground, taking the impact on the back of his neck and his shoulders. Immediately France’s players showed their anger and the Wales captain was trudging to the sidelines, there to be consoled by Adam Jones, who had left the field after 10 minutes with a leg injury. The sport’s rulers are, of course, quite right to try and eradicate the spear tackle from the game, and the nature of the occasion should have no effect on the referee’s decision on such an offence, but to many this will have seemed a marginal call by Rolland. Inevitably the mood of the match changed utterly while Wales regrouped and tried to work out how best to defend their 3-0 lead. Their cause would have been helped had Hook, replacing the injured Rhys Priestland, succeeded with two more penalties in the first half. Instead it was Morgan Parra, preparing to take his kicks against the ugly sound of booing from the Welsh fans, who put over a pair of attempts to give France a 6-3 advantage at the break. The second half was only seven minutes old when Stephen Jones replaced Hook at fly-half, but the old warhorse had been on the field only a matter of seconds when Paul James was penalised for pulling down a rolling maul, giving Parra the opportunity to maintain his perfect record to widen the gap to six points. Suddenly underpowered in the scrum and undermanned in defence, it was apparent that Wales would depend for any chance of recovery on the ability of Phillips, Roberts, Toby Faletau and George North, their most powerful ball-carriers, to drive holes in the French cover. With 58 minutes gone Phillips finally succeeded in making a lethal incursion as he burst around a scrum close to the line, evaded Pascal Papé’s attempted tackle and touched down. Disappointingly, Jones’s attempted conversion hit the outside of the upright. Wales remained on the front foot until the end, but were unable to manoeuvre Stephen Jones close enough to the posts a final, unrequited sequence of two dozen phases. Rugby World Cup 2011 Wales rugby union team France rugby union team Rugby union Richard Williams guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Shadow defence secretary calls on government to widen investigation into links with Adam Werritty, despite resignation The inquiry into Liam Fox’s relationship with Adam Werritty should continue despite the defence secretary’s decision to step down, Labour says. The shadow defence secretary, Jim Murphy, has called on the government to widen the investigation to include a broader investigation of rules governing ministerial conduct. He told the BBC that there were still many unanswered questions, such as who paid for Werrity to fly around the world with the defence secretary and whether they benefited from it in any improper way. “What is the flow of money?” asked Murphy. “Liam treated Adam Werritty as a good friend. Adam Werritty seems to have treated Liam Fox like some sort of franchise to make money from. David Cameron’s hopes that Fox’s resignation on Friday will have drawn a line under the affair were dashed by a deluge of fresh claims about Werritty’s financial affairs. The Daily Mail claimed that Fox had solicited a donation from a company financing Werritty’s activities while he was defence secretary – the most damaging allegation yet. Venture capitalist and millionaire Jon Moulton revealed that Fox approached him after the general election seeking funds for a company, Pargav, set up by Werritty. Moulton told the Times: “Before the election, I had made several, on the record, donations to support Dr Fox following a request from the Conservative party fundraiser. “After the election I was asked by Dr Fox to provide funds to a non-profit group called Pargav involved in security policy analysis and research and after obtaining written assurances as to its activities I provided personal funding to Pargav,” he added. It emerged on Friday that Werritty was the hidden hand behind Pargav, a not-for-profit company which had received funding from six different entities including Moulton and another investment company with links to an organisation that lobbies on behalf of Israel. Moulton insisted that he did not seek or receive any benefits from the Tories as a result of his financial largesse. “Neither I, nor any of my associates, have sought or received any benefit of any form from Pargav. I have not received an account of Pargav’s activities, nor have I been involved at all with Pargav since funding. He added: “I will not be doing this again.” Pressure continued to mount on Fox as it emerged that Lord Bell, PR consultant and one of Fox’s oldest friends, was present when an employee of one of his clients passed bank account details to the Times, which revealed how Pargav was funded. According to the Daily Mail Boulton bought a defence company eight months before giving money to Pargav. In February 2010, Moulton reportedly paid £60m for Gardner UK, which makes components for aircraft including RAF fighter jets and troop transporters. He reportedly gave a sum of up to £35,000 to Pargav in October of that year. The cabinet secretary, Gus O’Donnell, who is heading the internal inquiry to the Fox affair was due to publish his report next week. However Murphy said the goalposts had changed and this inquiry now needed to switch focus. “So we need to know as part of the inquiry just where’s the money? Why has Liam resigned? Let’s continue to carry out the investigation and if need be, broaden the investigation further.” Liam Fox Labour Lisa O’Carroll guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Maher Bets $1 Million ‘Token Black Guy’ Cain Loses GOP Nod, GOPers Want White Candidate
October 15, 2011 No Comment
During the monologue of Friday's Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, host Maher referred to GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain as a “token black guy” as he asserted that establishment Republicans are “freaking out” because they never expected him to be competitive. Alluding to the tendency of guest characters in Star Trek television episodes to be killed off, he cracked: The Republican establishment is freaking out because their token black guy is in the league now. They never expec-, it's like an episode of Star Trek where the black guy beams down to the planet and lives. Maher later went on to bet CNBC's Michelle Caruso-Cabrera a million dollars that Republicans will not nominate Cain, as he made his latest accusation that Republicans are racists: A million to one, I will give you a million dollars. If you think that the Republicans are going to have an election with two black guys against each other, that they don't have a choice to vote for a white man in the general election, that will never happen. Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Friday, October 14, Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO: BILL MAHER: Big news, of course, in the Republican ranks. There is a new – I say this every week – but there is a new frontrunner:
Continue reading …The case of Robert Finn, a Catholic bishop who has been charged with covering up suspected child abuse, is the first of its kind in America A bishop has become the highest-ranking US Catholic official indicted on a charge of failing to protect children after he and his diocese waited five months to tell police about hundreds of images of child pornography discovered on a priest’s computer. Bishop Robert Finn, the first US bishop criminally charged with sheltering an abusive clergyman, and the Kansas City-St Joseph Catholic Diocese have pleaded not guilty on one count each of failing to report suspected child abuse. Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said Finn and the diocese were required under state law to report the discovery to police because the images gave them reason to believe a child had been abused. “Now that the grand jury investigation has resulted in this indictment, my office will pursue this case vigorously,” Baker said. “I want to ensure there are no future failures to report resulting in other unsuspecting victims.” The indictment, handed down 6 October but sealed because Finn was out of the country, says the bishop failed to report suspicions against the priest from 16 December, 2010, when the photos were discovered, to 11 May, 2011, when the diocese turned them over to police. Finn denied any wrongdoing in a statement on Friday and said he had begun work to overhaul the diocese’s reporting policies and act on key findings of a diocese-commissioned investigation into its practices. “Today, the Jackson County Prosecutor issued these charges against me personally and against the Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph,” said Finn. “For our part, we will meet these announcements with a steady resolve and a vigorous defence.” Finn faces a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanour. The diocese also faces a $1,000 fine. After the Catholic sex abuse scandal erupted in 2002, grand juries in several regions reviewed how bishops handled claims against priests. However, most of the allegations were decades old and far beyond the statute of limitations. Until Finn was indicted, no US Catholic bishop had been criminally charged over how he responded to abuse claims, although some bishops had struck deals with local authorities to avoid prosecution against their dioceses. A former secretary for clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Monsignor William Lynn, was charged in February with child endangerment. A grand jury had released a report accusing the archdiocese of keeping some credibly accused clergy in church jobs where they had access to children. Lynn has pleaded not guilty. The grand jury report in Philadelphia and the case in Kansas City have raised questions about how closely other dioceses are following the national discipline policy the US bishops adopted in 2002. Church leaders had promised to remove all credibly accused clergy from church work. United States Religion Catholicism guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
• Press refresh or turn on the auto-update for the latest • Email scott.murray@guardian.co.uk with your thoughts • Watch World Cup video highlights, interviews and more 10 min: A big blow for Wales: a jiggered looking Adam Jones is replaced by Paul James. 8 min: PENALTY! Wales 3-0 France. A delicious kick by James Hook, from tight on the left touchline by the 22. He sets the ball slightly out right, curling it back in between the sticks. That never looked like missing, and will hopefully settle his nerves. If he has any, because that was ice cool. 7 min: Dusautoir is offside as both teams scrabble for the ball down the left after a clever chip down the left by Hook. That’s a penalty within kicking range. “Good morning from Wales,” begins Dr Alimantado. Morning. “The Smiths’ ‘A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours’ seems most appropriate. I’m not sure how to feel today. Wales good at sports is unpossible.” 4 min: Servat breaks down the left, making up plenty of ground. He’s upended, but Yachvili finds touch down by the Welsh 22. Warburton ensures the French can’t build on the field position by clearing upfield. Nothing quite coming off for either side yet. 2 min: Wales win their lineout just outside the French 22, but soon enough Toby Faletau knocks on. Then the Welsh pack goes south in the scrum, and the early pressure is off the French. And we’re off! The first World Cup semi-final is ON, and Wales are 80 minutes away from their first World Cup final! The rain has stopped, and Wales lump the ball straight downfield. Dimitri Yachvili, with his dodgy leg, hacks out down the left. He doesn’t get much distance on the kick, giving Wales good field position right from the off. “I saw a highlights package of the 1987 RWC recently,” begins Gary Naylor unsurprisingly, “and England’s quarter final appeared to be played in a Brisbane public park. Conversions were landing amongst picnickers.” The teams are out. The Mulligan and O’Hare tribute act parps his horn. Then the anthems. First, La Marseillaise . And then the Welsh one the Welsh one . The weather in Auckland: It is tipping down . Handling errors ahoy! Let’s hope it doesn’t get too tempestuous, or this’ll end up looking like England versus Scotland. Redressing the balance re Huw Richards: “Come now, we all know Huw was sent off for trying to use Gary Whetton as a punching bag,” writes our Kiwi pal Sean Carless. “Buck merely put a stop to the nonsense with a wee lovetap.” Venue: The 60,000 capacity Eden Park in Auckland. Kick off: 9am BST. Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland) France: Medard, Clerc, Rougerie, Mermoz, Palisson, Parra, Yachvili, Poux, Servat, Mas, Pape, Nallet, Dusautoir, Bonnaire, Harinordoquy. Replacements: Szarzewski, Barcella, Pierre, Ouedraogo, Trinh-Duc, Doussain, Heymans. Wales: Halfpenny, North, J. Davies, Roberts, S. Williams, Hook, Phillips, Jenkins, Bennett, A. Jones, Charteris, A. Jones, Lydiate, Warburton, Faletau. Replacements: Burns, James, B. Davies, R. Jones, L. Williams, S. Jones, S. Williams. One thing is certain: this is massive . And we’ll be hearing the best two national anthems in the tournament today. That’s two things, isn’t it. Three if you’re counting each anthem. Wales made the semis of the World Cup that year, having seen off England 16-3 in the quarter-finals, a match worth watching again simply for the appalling kicking on display, a ludicrous number of attempts on goal being shanked straight out of play down the wings. They were trounced 49-6 by the hosts and eventual winners New Zealand – Huw Richards was sent off for being clapped around the jaw by Wayne Shelford – but won the third-placed play-off against Australia 22-21. It remains their best performance in a World Cup. But the 24-year wait is over: they’re in the semis again, and today have the chance to go one better. 1987 was a hell of a long time ago. Ronald Reagan was president of the USA. Everton were the football champions of England. The Smiths split up. And if all that doesn’t make you feel so very old, or smugly young, this is the killer: you’d still have to wait another two years to watch the original transmission of the Only Fools and Horses episode where Del falls through the bar . Rugby World Cup 2011 Wales rugby union team France rugby union team Rugby union Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …