"The Real Deal" and More for Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Barack Obama image licensed under Creative Commons by Korean Resource Center

Instead of calling it Obama's New Deal (speech), we have opted for "The Real Deal" speech. Of course, we're talking about President Obama's speech to everybody in Congress, the Supreme Court, some select citizens and just about everybody in the world last night, Tuesday, February 24, 2009. Was it ironic or prescient that this speech occurred on the Night of Fat Tuesday? Or not?

Our senior editor (who swears he won't be with us much longer...see our previous posts...) thinks/thought that it was. No he's not getting delusional, not yet. He thought the whole spectacle was somehow a little unreal, even fantastical. There was the supremely grinning Justice Ginsburg - not long out of cancer surgery - and the wide-eyed and ebullient new Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (was she really wearing pink? Did she really kiss Obama?...). We could hardly believe the unearthly liveliness of the spectacle even before the great speech. And Nancy Pelosi was great as the Nation's Cheerleader leading Congress to their feet and everybody else at just about every acknowledgement of the great accomplishments achieved so far by this new administration. Even crotchety (crotchety? curmudgeonly?) John McCain was even pulled to his feet and grimace yet still applaud (was he making snide comments aside to the lady standing next to him? We wonder...)?

Was it all lofty platitudes and high-minded philosophy? Well, some of it, maybe. But it was great oratory, matched only in recent years by Mario Cuomo and in times past by FDR, Cicero and even Pericles (though we were not present at any orations by the last two, though we have read many of the works of the great Cicero - we urge you to read of these greats while you can). In our lifetimes, those certain Democrats have been able to inspire - and even lead - through great oratory and, even, rhetoric. It was, most of the time, a great performance. Which is what most of us wanted, we suspect. We don't want mediocrity from this man and his people and his supporters.

The accomplishments enumerated for the first month are impressive - even historic - even if they are called into question. The begrudging and the naysayers will be difficult to tone down, but the administration and his supporters might be working on that. Just listen to the work of Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews - oh, they're not overt supporters, but they know which way the wind is blowing. And, the previous administration is now almost forgotten - even though it has been only just over a month! How quickly they forget. How quickly history will forget. (Except for a certain flub allegedly committed by Fox News Live last night, see Stargazer's 95050 image on Flickr.com).

We thought we heard resounding applause at certain "Jump-Up" lines just engineered to bring the audience to their feet. Lines like "America does not torture.", "Health care for 11.5 million children." (Madame Pelosi could NOT get to her feet quick enough for that one!) and "A cure for cancer in our lifetimes". The last line may have been a little too optimistic, but the reports coming out of the Oncology field have been very encouraging of late - just visit some links in our previous postings. The engineering of the "Jump-Up" lines and others may have been a little too obvious for some, but if our Big Guy needs to toot his horn a little, that is fine by us.

All in all, we guess it was an exceptional speech. Exceptional because of its oratory, its presentation, the historic time in which it occurred and its speaker. It was also exceptional because of the accomplishments so far by this administration in just about one month's time and not having even reached the hundred day mark! Extraordinary! It was also exceptional in that we have all been given to follow the progress of The Recovery by linking to Recovery.gov. Unfortunately, this was given away only once by Mr. Obama. We wonder, how many have forgotten about that link already? Anyway, that "Audacity of Hope" seems no longer just a throw-away tag line for some movie that departs the cinema screens in two weeks.

And what about the order of the speech? We thought the speech (as well as the speaker) flowed in a precise and exacting and logical order. Its logic was irrefutable. Its commitment was irreversible. Its conclusion, incontrovertible. The last three descriptions are key. Without irrefutability, irreversibility and incontrovertibility, then these tenets of the speech can be refuted, they can be reversed and they can become mired in controversy. Just like the previous administration's tenets. We hope and pray that the latter cannot and will not happen.


Oh, and we forgot to mention, President Obama said America invented something that it did not. What did he mean to say? See our other publication, The Daily Code # 34.

Determined Obama vows to renew US

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7908476.stm

Recovery.gov

http://www.recovery.gov/

Fact check: Obama glosses over some realities

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29377101/

Report card

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/24/speech.poll/index.html#cnnSTCOther1

Mass Layoffs Rising, New Report Shows

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/25/business/main4828332.shtml

Next Up: Major Speech on Iraq Withdrawal

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Business/story?id=6954907&page=1

Full coverage: Why the world is slipping into a recession, and how it affects you

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/business/2007/creditcrunch/default.stm

Report urges EU finance watchdog

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7909274.stm

Home resales drop to slowest pace in 12 years

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29386380/

Quebec pension giant posts $39.8B loss

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/02/25/mtl-caisse-losses-0225.html

Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec

http://www.lacaisse.com/en/

Nortel cutting another 3,200 jobs

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/02/25/nortelmorecuts.html

Turkish plane crash in Amsterdam

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7909683.stm

9 dead in plane crash

http://www.yahoo.com/s/1035364

How to survive a plane crash

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5402342.stm

More crews head to Victoria fires

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7909383.stm

3 Men Set Themselves on Fire in Beijing

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=6953993

3 words to save your home

http://www.yahoo.com/s/1035029

Napolitano: DHS to miss cargo screening deadline

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090225/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/napolitano_congress;_ylt=AjLVspzBjg.lfwTF6aOWflOs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFlbWsybGw4BHBvcwM3MwRzZWMDYWNjb3JkaW9uX3BvbGl0aWNzBHNsawNuYXBvbGl0YW5vZGg-

UAW boss backs Ford contract concessions

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29385390/

How long until Ford also needs bailout?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29304253/

Top two Ford execs to take 30 percent pay cuts

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29375915/

Japan exports drop 46% in January

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7909248.stm

Madoff Judge Won't Waive Claim Deadline

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/25/business/main4828020.shtml

Banking group places $31bn bond order in error

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7909627.stm

Iranians start reactor test run

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7908621.stm

Mumbai attacks suspect is charged


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7908496.stm

Kenyan police 'ordered to kill'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7909523.stm

Border guards mutiny in Bangladesh

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29381742/

Functional Neurons From Engineered Stem Cells

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090224133154.htm

Illegal food additives still a problem in China

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29386325/

Tainted Syringes Killed 5, Prosecutors Say

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/24/health/main4825247.shtml

Drink a day increases cancer risk

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7906355.stm

Health Insurance Essential For Health And Well-being, Report Says

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090224133201.htm

Want to live longer? You need this nutrient

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29104695/