WASHINGTON AFP By openly declaring their views on the Afghan war, US military leaders have placed President Barack Obama in a bind as he faces a fraught decision over the troubled US-led mission. Obama has refused to quickly approve a request from his commanders for a major troop build-up in Afghanistan, insisting first on a full vetting of the current strategy. But while a war council takes place behind closed doors at the White House, top military officers have made no secret of their view that without a vast ground force, the Afghan mission could end in failure.

President Obama has apparently decided that better relations with dictators is more important than meeting with a leader of people oppressed by those dictators: In an attempt to gain favor with China, the United States pressured Tibetan representatives to postpone a meeting between the Dalai Lama and President Obama until after Obama’s summit with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, scheduled for next month, according to diplomats, government officials and other sources familiar with the talks.

Nursing Home Crisis “A Medicare rate adjustment that cuts an estimated $16 billion in nursing home funding over the next 10 years was enacted at week’s end by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — on top of state-level cuts or flat-funding that already had the industry reeling.” “And Congress is debating slashing billions more in Medicare funding as part of health care reform.” “In Washington, D.C., health care interests are resisting President Barack Obama’s plan to pay for his health care overhaul by slowing Medicaid and Medicare spending.

October 2, 2009 Updated birth certificate posts/videos/lawsuits No need to keep emailing. Yes. Orly Taitz’s site was attacked again a few days ago. By my count that is at least five different times. But since I haven’t gone there I domn’t know the specifics. http://drorly.blogspotDOTcom http://defendourfreedomsDOTus http://defendourfreedomsDOTorg http://www.orlytaitzesqDOTcom/blog1/ http://www.orlytaitzesqDOTcom/ Free speech barry style. All it does is give credence to her and the [...]

I have to admit I found this funny:

October 4, 2009 Updated birth certificate posts/videos/lawsuits …with a sex change. New name + new gender = brand new birth certificate Sex change is not the relevant issue. It’s the fact that in at least one instance, brand new birth certificates are issued to adults instead of amending the original. HAWAII Statute: Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. 338-17.7(a) & (4) (B) [...]

  By  Lance Thompson “You’re always the last to know your own reputation.”  I can’t be certain that I coined that phrase, but I am sure that it is an underlying principle of the universe, and even presidents are bound by its laws.   I first noticed the principle in Hollywood, where no matter how washed up a has-been some one is, no one will ever say it to his or her face.  One whose future is past is still welcomed, just not that warmly.  His calls are still taken, at least for a while. 

Another Monday is upon us…  *yawn*. Fortunately, this week should be a bit more exciting than most:  October is the month of book awards! October 6th – 2009 Man Booker Prize Winner Announced October 8th – Nobel Prize for Literature Announced October 13th – 20 Finalists for the National Book Award are Announced (come on guys – you couldn’t come up with something snappier???) Also, we missed the Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist (thank you to KevinfromCanada for making us aware of Canada’s prize.  It seems all of North America needs to work on marketing our literary awards).

Michelle Obama prequeled her disaster of a speech to the International Olympic Committee with a disaster of a speech to Chicagoans who had worked to bring the Olympics to the Windy City . Much attention has been paid to the “sacrifice” portion of her narcissistic discourse, but here is the part that seethed me: I’ve spent much of my first 9 months trying to open the doors to the White House to kids who might not otherwise see themselves having access to these institutions, because that’s where I came from – communities like that where kids never dreamed that they could set foot in the White House , let alone live there…

Last week, the Obama administration finally admitted that it might not be possible to close Guantánamo by the President’s self-imposed deadline of January 22, 2010, when defense secretary Robert Gates told ABC News’ “This Week” that it was “going to be tough” to meet the deadline. The announcement followed what appeared to be strategic leaks by administration insiders, which were designed to blame White House Counsel Greg Craig for the government’s woes.