Talk about the New Administration

[Pete C]

The election's over.

* * *

Robert Gibbs, a top aide to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on his campaign and in his Senate office, will be named the White House press secretary, a top Democratic official said.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15364.html

[Pete C]

An amusing juxtaposition of headlines on my Times rss feed:

Obama Aides Tamp Down Expectations

By ADAM NAGOURNEY and JIM RUTENBERG
President-elect Obama and his aides are looking to temper hopes that he would be able to solve the nation’s problems or reverse Bush administration policies quickly and easily.
Democrats Vow to Pursue an Aggressive Agenda

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN and CARL HULSE
Congressional leaders promised to make priorities of the economy, health care, energy and ending the Iraq war.

[Gentle Giant]

If Kerry gets tapped for State, and assuming Kennedy is on his last legs, the Mass. senatorial team is poised for an earth-shattering shakeup. There hasn't been an open Senate seat in Mass. since 1984. Kerry and Kennedy have seniority positions and influence that have helped the Commonwealth a lot.

And then there's speculation that Gov. Deval Patrick is on some lists. It will be interesting to see how it all works out.

[stonemonkts]

I hope Kerry doesn't get tapped for anything.

I'm also hoping Larry Summers isn't tapped, but that Volcker is, and accepts Treasury (of course I doubt he wants it). But he would be my choice, despite his age.

I'm worried about Pelosi and friends. Such an unfortunate Dem leader for the times we're in now. The Republican party may be in shambles, but the other party is flush only be default. I hope Obama can be as inspiring to them as he's been to the public at large.

[shrugs]

I hope there is an Executive Order waiting in the wings to overturn the EO that Bush signed early in office making access of Presidential Papers next to impossible.

Reagan's papers are long overdue.

[Monte Smith]

I also hope Kerry doesn't get tapped for anything. Or how about ambassador to Mongolia? He can speak at length about the depradations of Jinjiss Khan.

Obama made a good move by picking Rahm Emanuel to be his ball-breaking chief of staff. Emanuel is the only non-Clinton Clinton White House insider who subjected himself to an election to attain an office. He did pretty impressive work as the Dem in charge of House elections in 2006. He's got competence that should serve Obama well.

[Vince Kargatis]

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

I'm worried about Pelosi and friends. ... I hope Obama can be as inspiring to them as he's been to the public at large.

Hm, I'm pretty sure I don't want to see an inspired Pelosi. Unemployed, yes - but I'm worried an inspired one would be just about the opposite.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

I hope Kerry doesn't get tapped for anything.

I'm also hoping Larry Summers isn't tapped, but that Volcker is, and accepts Treasury (of course I doubt he wants it). But he would be my choice, despite his age.

I'm worried about Pelosi and friends. Such an unfortunate Dem leader for the times we're in now. The Republican party may be in shambles, but the other party is flush only be default. I hope Obama can be as inspiring to them as he's been to the public at large.

I would hate to see Summers, too.

Perhaps Volker could come in for a year or so, while preparing to hand it over to Timothy Geithner or someone else other than deregulators Robert Rubin or Larry Summers.

[Lois Gilbert]

Americans for the Arts Action Fund President and CEO Robert L. Lynch gave
the following statement on the results of Election Day:

“The historic election of Sen. Barack Obama to be the 44th president of the
United States will have tremendous impact on the nation’s arts community,
public schools, and creative workforce. His commitment to arts and arts
education on the campaign trail is just a preview of what his administration
can accomplish. President-Elect Obama demonstrates the leadership and
vision to advance the arts in America through investing in more arts
education in public schools, advocating for increased funding for the
National Endowment for the Arts, promoting cultural diplomacy, and
supporting artists rights.

Yesterday’s election results also expanded the base of support for the arts
in Congress, which will help move arts and arts education initiatives
through the legislative process. Initiatives that will fuel innovation and
creativity are key to our economic recovery and global competitiveness. A
new report issued last month by The Conference Board, "Ready to Innovate,"
touts the importance of arts education in building the 21st-century
workforce. The arts are good for business, good for the economy, and good
for the spirit.

In this election, the Americans for the Arts Action Fund raised the public
dialogue about the arts and arts education throughout the entire campaign
cycle: from presidential primaries in New Hampshire to congressional races
in all 50 states. Through our ArtsVote2008 initiative, we successfully
advocated for presidential and congressional candidates to make strong,
public statements and commitments in support of arts and arts education.
Please view our multimedia timeline for further details on ArtsVote.

On the state and local front, our arts advocacy partners successfully
engaged candidates and voters throughout the country to provide more support for the arts. Specifically in Minnesota, an historic statewide ballot
initiative—the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment—passed amending the state constitution to dedicate a portion of sales tax to support its natural
and cultural resources. This initiative will infuse $30 million alone to
Minnesota cultural organizations, nearly tripling the current budget of the
State Arts Board. An additional $10 million to $20 million will fund arts
education programs, the Minnesota Historical Society, and other local
historical societies. This continues the longstanding trend demonstrating
that voters are willing to invest in public funding of the arts.”

More Detailed Election Impact Analysis
On Thursday, November 20, a detailed analysis of the presidental,
congressional, state and local elections and ballot initiatives will be
presented in a webinar. Several national arts leaders and elected officials
will join the Americans for the Arts Government Affairs Staff in presenting
this information including former Chairman of the National Endowment for the
Arts and newly appointed head of the Obama tranisition team for arts and
culture, Bill Ivey.

The Americans for the Arts Action Fund invites you to listen in to this
special webinar which will be offered free of charge for all Americans for
the Arts and Arts Action Fund Members. You will receive more details in a
separate email arriving soon!

Next Steps:
Americans for the Arts and its Arts Action Fund will be undertaking a number
of comprehensive initiatives to welcome and educate both the new
administration and new members of the House and Senate, but we can’t do this without you! Starting today and in the next few months we ask you to:
Send a letter of congratulations to the new Obama administration on their
victory and appeal to them to begin working on their campaign pledges in
support of the arts and arts education.

Ask all freshmen members of Congress to join the Congressional Arts Caucus
Request that new members become a co-sponsor of the important Artist-Museum Partnership Act, which President-Elect Obama has cited as a priority in his pro-arts platform

Call on Congress to support increased funding for the nation’s cultural
agencies in the new budget year.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Lois Gilbert

“The historic election of Sen. Barack Obama to be the 44th president of the
United States will have tremendous impact on the nation’s arts community,
public schools, and creative workforce."

There is naiveté and then there is an artist's naiveté. I almost want to kick President and CEO Robert L. Lynch.

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

There is naiveté and then there is an artist's naiveté. I almost want to kick President and CEO Robert L. Lynch.

There is ignorance and then there is knuckle-dragging Republicanism. Thank god that we have kicked a few out of office.

[Monte Smith]

Now don't deflate my spirit of postpartisan euphoria, you fuck.

[tippy]

I don't know, I agree with Mr. Smiff. Anyone who thinks promoting arts is on the horizon is thoroughly fooling themselves. There is no money. Priorities should be, at this point, food shelter health care clothing.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by tippy

Priorities should be, at this point, food shelter health care clothing.

Thanks for the agreement, but those aren't priorities for the government, those are priorities for the individual family. OK, health care, being such a large industry and such a fucked up one, is obviously on the agenda for Obama. But I don't see him setting up a federal agency for clothing. Not that gubmint threads wouldn't be ultra-stylee under the Cool Prez. Unless there is a Great Depression in the offing (could be, shit, I dunno, but if this is the largest financial crisis since the Great Depression, it's rather comfy up to now), then I think the priorities will be economic growth, two wars, health care, gay marriage, and loooking goood.

[Gary Sisco]

the depression didn't occur or deepen overnight.

in any case, they won't let their own kind feel enough pain to jump. they'll be given as many gazillions as they need. the rest of us? hey. that's what we're for, hey. taxpayers. 's what they call us, right?

the rest at the top? Hey, they can always live on the yacht.

I got a note from the one and only guy i know who made it -- under his own steam -- service buddy -- into the famous one percent who own most everything. he's in charge of five large companies owned by yet another,larger corporation. A true rootless cosmo -- he lives nowhere and everywhere. He told me today that he supports capital punishment for those who've mismanaged on such a scale. I told him i'd prefer to see them get life at hard, physical, pointless labor, every day, all day.

[Monte Smith]

At least we aren't enduring a Dust Bowl-like agricultural collapse that sends waves of internal refugees to the coasts. Oh shit. I better knock on wood.

[Gary Sisco]

Give them time. In fact, there is a growing crisis in water supply in the midwest. They've just about drained the aquifers.

[Surfer]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

At least we aren't enduring a Dust Bowl-like agricultural collapse that sends waves of internal refugees to the coasts. Oh shit. I better knock on wood.

That is actually on the horizon. A global temp rise of only 2 degrees C over the next century would result in increased and more lengthy droughts in the midwest, and over the longer term, create an arid desert in the middle of the US from Texas to N Dakota. This decrease in precip would also decrease the amount of snowpack in the Rockies that feed the Colorado River, and affect the populations of LV, PHX, and LA.

On the plus side, you'd start seeing tundra thaw in the north of Canada that would open of previously unfarmable land and communities to agriculture. Of course the methane released during the tundra thaw traps greenhouse gases at a rate 30X greater than CO2. So that might be shortlived.

Not sure there's enough wood left to knock on, Monte.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Surfer

Not sure there's enough wood left to knock on, Monte.

Oh there's tons. I got wood right here. So you're telling me that the global warming crisis is so bad that things will be like they were eighty years ago before there was a global warming crisis. Oh well, you all will have to worry. I'm going to enjoy my glass of Greenland zinfindel.

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by rollhead

I would hate to see Summers, too.

Perhaps Volker could come in for a year or so, while preparing to hand it over to Timothy Geithner or someone else other than deregulators Robert Rubin or Larry Summers.

Why don't you want Geithner?
I don't think Summers will be picked but he would be a fine Treasury Secretary.

Obama will be making a big mistake if he picks an 81 year old man to be Treasury Secretary. Volcker today isn't going to be as swift as the Volcker who served as Fed Chairman from 1979-1987.

The SPX is down 10% in two days since Obama's victory. Let's hope picks his Treasury Secretary tonight and picks the right person. Corzine would be another bad pick.

[Jeffrey Wozniak]

We know he's already got the unbiased press in his cabinet


Matthews: My Job Is To Make Obama Presidency a Success

November 6, 2008 - 09:35 ET

Just in time for the new James Bond movie, Chris Matthews has earned himself a new moniker: Odd Job. Matthews says he sees his job as a journalist as doing everything he can to make the Obama presidency a success.

Appearing on "Morning Joe" today, Matthews was reluctant to criticize Rahm Emanuel's kabuki dance over accepting Obama's offer to be chief of staff.

The "Hardball" host (and presumptive candidate for U.S. Senate from PA) was equally unwilling to see the Emanuel episode as evidence of a lack of planning and discipline in the nascent Obama administration. Matthews eventually explained why.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Yeah, well, you know what? I want to do everything I can to make this thing work, this new presidency work, and I think that --

JOE SCARBOROUGH: Is that your job? You just talked about being a journalist!

MATTHEWS: Yeah, it is my job. My job is to help this country.

Matthews wasn't done with his odd new job description . . . An incredulous Scarborough kept pressing, astonished at such a complete 180 from Matthews's repeated insistence during the Bush presidency that he had to hold the government accountable.

SCARBOROUGH: Your job is the make this presidency work?

MATTHEWS: To make this work successfully. This country needs a successful presidency.

Matthews will hardly be alone in that sentiment. Once Obama assumes office, the "speaking truth to power" line we've heard so often during the past eight years will be a thing of the past.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-fi...idency-success

[Surfer]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

Oh there's tons. I got wood right here. So you're telling me that the global warming crisis is so bad that things will be like they were eighty years ago before there was a global warming crisis. Oh well, you all will have to worry. I'm going to enjoy my glass of Greenland zinfindel.

There wasnt a American Desert from Texas to North Dakota, no.

Have a look, click on the North American button:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.co...teractive.html

That's a 1 degree C rise in global temps, which is all but guaranteed, since in the last century we've seen a .8 degree C rise, and our population might triple by 2100.

BTW, you quip about the Greenland zin, but they are now growing grapes and have vineyards in England, which has never been possible before in agricultural history.

[Gary Sisco]

It's happening with or without. Industrial agriculture is reaching the limits of its required groundwater.

Good luck.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Surfer

BTW, you quip about the Greenland zin, but they are now growing grapes and have vineyards in England, which has never been possible before in agricultural history.

Actually there have been eras of wine production in Britain.

[Surfer]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

Actually there have been eras of wine production in Britain.

That's not what I've heard. I'll try to find a link to the original quote.

[Jeffrey Wozniak]

As for the warmest periods in Greenland, looks like there was about a 400 year period that was warmer than now. One thousand years ago.


The Medieval Warm Period in Greenland
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference
Wagner, B. and Melles, M. 2001. A Holocene seabird record from Raffles So sediments, East Greenland, in response to climatic and oceanic changes. Boreas 30: 228-239.

What was done

The authors analyzed a 3.5-m-long sediment core taken from a lake (Raffels So) on an island (Raffles O) situated just off Liverpool Land on the east coast of Greenland for a number of properties related to the past presence of seabirds there, obtaining a 10,000-year record that tells us much about the region's climatic history. Key to the study were biogeochemical data that, in the words of the authors, reflect "variations in seabird breeding colonies in the catchment which influence nutrient and cadmium supply to the lake." Previously-derived proxy records of temperature from two other locations were also employed in the study.

What was learned

The authors' data reveal sharp increases in the values of the parameters they measured between about 1100 and 700 years before present (BP), indicative of the summer presence of significant numbers of seabirds during that "medieval warm period," which had been preceded by a several-hundred-year period of little to no (inferred) bird presence. Thereafter, their data suggested another absence of birds during "a subsequent Little Ice Age," which they note was "the coldest period since the early Holocene in East Greenland." The data also show signs of a "resettlement of seabirds during the last 100 years, indicated by an increase of organic matter in the lake sediment and confirmed by bird observations." However, values of the most recent biogeochemical measurements are not as great as those obtained from the earlier Medieval Warm Period. Reconstructed proxy temperature histories from two Greenland ice cores lead to the same conclusion, indicating higher temperatures during the period from 1100 to 700 years BP than what has been observed over the most recent hundred years.

What it means

As with many other paleoclimate investigations - and contrary to the repeated claims of climate alarmists - the results of this "paleobird" study suggest that the global warming of the last century has not yet returned the planet to temperatures as high as those it experienced during the Medieval Warm Period. Hence, there is no compelling reason to invoke the historical rise in the air's CO2 content as the cause of any portion of the most recent increase in the globe's near-surface air temperature.




http://www.co2science.org/articles/V4/N48/C2.php

[Jeffrey Wozniak]

And more. Just the ending posted, with link to the rest


In conclusion, Greenland, like most of the rest of the world, is subject to a likely solar-induced millennial-scale oscillation of climate that produced a Medieval Warm Period there about a thousand years ago that was approximately 1°C warmer than what it is today; and in contrast to climate-alarmist claims, it has not experienced unprecedented warming over the past few decades. Rather, it has experienced cooling in most places. As a result, Greenland is anything but a shining example of what anthropogenic CO2 emissions might do to earth's climate. In fact, it's a good example of what they likely will not do, i.e., prevent cooling when some other more powerful factor nudges earth's climate in the opposite direction.

http://ff.org/centers/csspp/library/...-15/trends.htm

[Surfer]

English vineyards again….
Filed under: RC Forum Paleoclimate Climate Science— gavin @ 6:21 PM
Readers may recall a thorough examination of the history of English wine here a few months ago - chiefly because the subject tends to come up as a contrarian climate talking point every now and again. The bottom line from that post was that the English wine industry is currently thriving and has a geographical extent and quality levels that are unprecedented in recorded history. So whether vineyards are a good proxy for climate or not, you certainly can't use the supposed lack of present day English vineyards in any serious discussion about climate….

So along comes this quote today (promoting Fred Singer's latest turnaround) (my emphasis):

"The Romans wrote about growing wine grapes in Britain in the first century," says Avery, "and then it got too cold during the Dark Ages. Ancient tax records show the Britons grew their own wine grapes in the 11th century, during the Medieval Warming, and then it got too cold during the Little Ice Age. It isn't yet warm enough for wine grapes in today's Britain. Wine grapes are among the most accurate and sensitive indicators of temperature and they are telling us about a cycle. They also indicate that today's warming is not unprecedented."

Hmmm…. so where did that bottle of Chapel Down in my fridge come from? (thanks Dad!) Or the winners of the 'Best Sparkling Wine' for the last two years at the International Wine and Spirit Competition? This is of course a trivial point, but it demonstrates (once again) that our contrarian friends don't even have a semblence of a desire to get it right. The lure of a talking point clearly trumps the desire for accuracy.

In vino veritas (though not in this case).

You are right, but I still think my overall point is valid.

[Jeffrey Wozniak]

Just what is your overall point?


More on the vineyards in England that Surfer says was never possible before


In Roman Britain the weather was warmer than it is now, and by 1086 when the Domesday survey was carried out there were thirty nine vineyards officially recorded in England, although the actual figure may have been much higher.


http://www.infobritain.co.uk/History...In_Britain.htm

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Surfer

You are right, but I still think my overall point is valid.

That's the great thing about green hysteria.