Jon-Christopher Bua2013-05-21T16:09:50-04:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=jonchristopher-buaCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Jon-Christopher BuaGood old fashioned elbow grease.Obama Team Fends Off Brewing Scandalstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.32796972013-05-15T19:00:00-04:002013-05-15T11:40:19-04:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
The revelations regarding the targeting by the IRS of conservative groups for extra scrutiny and the Department of Justice's efforts to investigate the Associated Press by secretly obtaining the work and home phone records of AP reporters, have actually put the Benghazi incident and the Syria Crisis on the back burner.
Wednesday's briefing was a combative one, focusing mainly on the IRS and the AP as Carney did his level best to return endless volleys of questions and accusations coming from The White House Press Corps.
Carney confirmed that to his knowledge "no one from The White House was aware of the IRS matter until a few weeks ago when the Inspector General of the IRS sent their required notice about their investigation to The White House".
Carney emphasized that The White House needs to see the IG's report before they take any action since at present their only source of information is coming from press reports.
He also declined to say what action the President would take if the reports of what occurred were true.
Today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that FBI and the DOJ are coordinating on a criminal inquiry to see if any laws were in fact broken by the IRS.
Carney also confirmed that The White House learned about the DOJ - AP matter from news reports.
According to reports the DOJ obtained records for over 20 AP related phone lines in their efforts to investigate who leaked classified information relating to the interception of a foiled terrorist plot- similar to the Christmas Bomber.
Carney said that "the information that was leaked is said to have put Americans at risk."
Carney also said "I cannot comment on the DOJ matter because we are not commenting on ongoing criminal investigations".
Carney repeatedly said "The President supports protections for the media to pursue investigative journalism in an unfettered way which needs to be balanced against the need to protect classified information".
The particular leak being investigated was criticized by the Republicans at an earlier date as a leak designed to make the Obama Administration look good. Ironically, it seems now that the very aggressive nature of the investigation itself is coming under intense scrutiny.
Attorney General Holder confirmed that Deputy Attorney General James Cole authorized this action against AP.
AG Holder announced today he is recusing himself from this investigation.
Jay Carney in response to a question confirmed that these latest revelations have not distracted the President from pursing his agenda.
Worth noting, one of the reporters attending today's briefing reminded Carney that the Obama Administration has aggressively prosecuted twice as many leaks as in all prior administrations combined.
Jon-Christopher Bua's blogposts for Sky News appear here.]]>Obama Juggles Domestic Politics and International Diplomacy as He Welcomes Camerontag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.32636282013-05-12T19:00:00-04:002013-05-13T05:07:35-04:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
This visit is occurring as new details emerged on Friday regarding e-mails that show a possible tug of war between the State Department and the CIA over how to tell the story of the Benghazi tragedy and claims by Republicans in Congress that there was attempt to 'cover-up' the facts.
The PM's visit is likely to be a welcome distraction from the Obama administration's efforts to put the an end to the re-examination of Benghazi Incident.
However, the prime minister's visit is also likely to put additional pressure on the President to deal with another festering problem - Syria.
This crisis poses challenges for the Obama Administration on both the domestic and international fronts and is simply not going away.
In response to a question regarding the agenda for the meeting between the President and PM Cameron, who has just met with president Vladimir Putin, on Friday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said, "Well, as is always the case when the President meets with prime minister Cameron, they will speak about a range of subjects. The relationship between our two nations is extraordinarily close, and we work and cooperate on matters across the international spectrum."
When asked for more details and how much of their talk will be on the crisis in Syria, Mr Carney added, "They will also clearly discuss Syria."
Mr Carney also made the point that: "The upcoming G8 will of course be a topic of conversation. The United Kingdom is hosting that important meeting on the international economy.
"They will probably discuss Iran. They will probably discuss the Middle East peace process and a whole host of other issues. That is always the case when these two leaders get together."
Since PM Cameron has just met with president Putin, it seems very likely the two leaders will discuss whether there is any hope for Russian cooperation in the Syrian Crisis.
Their meeting is also happening prior to one between President Obama and Turkish prime minister Erdogan later in the week where PM Erdogan is supposedly headed to the White House with concrete proof of the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Regime.
Time may be running out since both leaders know the US, the UK and other western nations may soon be faced with real proof that Syria has "crossed the red line."
In light of the grave decisions facing these two leaders this White House visit is likely to be 'all business.'
Jon-Christopher Bua's blogposts for Sky News appear here.]]>The Enemy Withintag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.31307112013-04-22T07:23:32-04:002013-04-22T07:35:56-04:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
Four people were killed and almost two-hundred injured and some maimed for life in Boston last week.
All this horror as a result the acts of two young men who were given refuge and greeted with open arms by Lady Liberty.
Like generations before them these immigrants and their family fled the strife of their former homeland, Chechnya for what they hoped was a chance to pursue a better life and fulfill their dreams.
Although the streets are not 'paved with gold' many have taken this journey before, worked hard and enjoyed the success of their labors.
America is clearly a better place for their efforts.
What is not clear is what went wrong here?
How did the generosity of the American spirit shown to them engender such contempt instead of gratitude from these two young men?
Ironically if they were not originally from foreign land, we would simply attribute this horrific act to the work of two mentally ill and deranged individuals - just look at Timothy Mc Veigh of Oklahoma City; Jared Loughner of Tucson; James Holmes of Aurora; and Adam Lanza of
Newtown.
All home grown 'All American Boys' and all equally capable of spreading their own form of terror.
Because Tamerlan and Dzhokar Tsarnaev were born in Russia and came to America as refugees, some in the US Congress have already seized on this case as yet another reason to deny citizenship for many other grateful and hard working individuals who have come to the US
illegally.
Perhaps Tamerlan and Dzhokar were simply too assimilated and had become like other disillusioned young men in America - disconnected from society and reality - having nothing to do with their so-called Chechnyan political heritage.
It is simply too soon to know.
Perhaps we need to ask ourselves just what is the force that pushes our youth to become so disconnected from society, responsibility and our social norms making them targets for radicalization and terror.
This unforgivable act has begun to take its toll on the already strained political discourse here in Washington and across the country.
After a resounding defeat in the last presidential election some brave Republicans - risking the ire of their base - have stepped forward to join fellow Democrats in proposing the first real immigration reform bill since the 1980s.
America needs to find a way to grapple with the tensions of immigration reform and its desire to remain an open and welcoming society or risk becoming a society that eliminates all its freedoms in the name of protecting against terror.
This is a discussion the US began with the passage of The Patriot Act immediately after 9/11 and one that needs to continue until a proper balance is struck.
We've learned that the Russian government alerted the Obama Administration to the activities of Tamleran Tsarnaev. The FBI was reportedly even dispatched to question him. Apparently at that time he did not appear to be a threat.
Is it realistic to expect government authorities in our open societies to continually monitor every so-called suspicious individual forever?
Perhaps the hardest thing to accept is that the US and other open societies will never be
100 % safe.
The plain hard fact is that governments simply will not be able to thwart every terrorist plot whether foreign or home grown. Our shores no longer protect us from these acts either within or afar.
Comprehensive Immigration reform needs to address enhanced border protections as well as the negative economic affects of cheap illegal labor.
As we move beyond the Boston tragedy and learn from the experience, America may also need to examine its well meaning lofty immigration ideals.
America has always been willing give asylum to people who claimed they would be persecuted if they were denied entry or returned to their homeland.
However, we have been notoriously naive about the nature of international events, never fully appreciating the complicated nuisances of these situations in these troubled regions.
Generally, the US is fortunate. Most of our illegal immigrants or undocumented aliens, if you will, come from poor countries in South and Central America. These immigrants are hard working and generally share our values. They have been drawn to the US for a chance to find meaningful work and a better future for their families.
The problem is that our immigration system has been used to satisfy so many different agendas over time.
One of these goals was to serve as a political propaganda mechanism, providing a safe haven from persecution and at the same time thumbing our noses at our cold war antagonists.
In this case perhaps it was a political goal to grant certain Chechnyans political asylum, sending the former Soviet Union a message.
This use of our system may need to be revisited.
However, this should have no bearing on finding a comprehensive solution to our illegal immigration problem for the vast number of immigrants who do value and treasure our system of government and pose no threat.
Some in Congress have already begun using this tragedy as a political football in the warm up to the 2014 midterm elections.
The real challenge here is to create an immigration system that works for all in a balanced way, while weeding out those dangerous individuals who threaten our nation and our way of life.
Jon-Christopher Bua's blogposts for Sky appear here.]]>American Government - You Get What You Deservetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.28993382013-03-18T06:30:44-04:002013-05-18T05:12:01-04:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
Some factions of the Republican Party continue to push for an even more conservative agenda while the younger generation, for the most part, are pushing the party to abandon divisive issues like opposing gay marriage and contraception.
At the same time, Organizing For America 'OFA' - the Democratic PAC seems to be continuing the campaign to raise millions of dollars in an effort to overwhelm it's Republican rivals and aggressively push the passage of the president's legislative agenda without compromise. While other Democrats who worked hard to get the president re-elected hoped that he would be the great conciliator and deal maker in his second term.
These two organizing and fund raising efforts are symptomatic of the same problem. Legislating through compromise has become a 'dirty phrase'. The fine art of deal-making seems to have all but disappeared and a well designed system of checks and balances -the envy of the world - seems to have gone astray.
What went wrong?
Despite the denials of responsibility from both parties, a variety of forces including money, the Citizens United Supreme Court Decision, the Gerrymandering of both safe Republican and Democratic Congressional Districts have resulted in the public's general distrust of Washington.
Have we brought the Great American Experiment to its breaking point?
The system itself was originally created by the founding fathers to force compromise and achieve a balance of the best ideas. In fact, some of the best legislation that has moved the US forward was just that - a result of true compromise and raw politics - political horse trading, if you will. Just look at Abraham Lincoln's effort to abolish slavery or Lyndon Johnson's work to pass the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and Voting Rights Act in 1965.
In fact, for most of the recent past Americans chose some form of divided government - with the president of one party and at least one or both Houses of Congress under control of the other. The few times this was not the case the American people moved back to this model once the excesses of one party control were revealed. Absolute power seems to corrupt absolutely without regard to party - the temptation is simply to powerful to resist.
Today we face even greater challenges. And yet we find that our system of divided government no longer seems able to function and achieve those grand comprises. I remember hearing John Kennedy say basically that in a democracy, referring to America, the people are the boss and they get the government they elect and deserve. These words certainly ring true today.
A failure of the citizenry to be engaged and understand the affects of a myriad of seemingly small changes to the system and their inability to look beyond their own backyard and see the challenges they all face together, may have resulted in a system that discourages the election of what we used to call statesmen.
As we continue to lose the few remaining statesmen and women in Congress who are brave enough to defy the Super PACs and interest groups and do what is right and the people's business, we may find our government unable to meet the supreme challenges we face today.
Instead of concentrating so much on maintaining control, both parties would be wise to engage in a little introspection and consider how they can answer the greater challenges of our time with meaningful compromise bringing the best and brightest ideas together.
Whichever party gets this formula right just might have the American people's support behind them.
Jon-Christopher Bua's blogposts for Sky appear here.]]>The Sequester Asteroid Plunges Toward Washington as Congress Gets Out of Towntag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.27095072013-02-18T05:31:10-05:002013-04-20T05:12:01-04:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
The brand new House and Senate each voted 15 February to recess for the Presidents Day week, which means lawmakers will have just four days -- once they return -- to deal with the $85 billion sequester due to take effect 1 March.
The sequester was a legislative tool designed to scare the Congress into doing its job. It clearly seems to have failed to produce this result.
If it goes into effect, the sequester means across the board cuts in every agency of federal government with no ability to control what is cut and what is not.
This is cutting spending with an 'blunt axe' and not a 'scalpel' and will hit every aspect of government spending.
If it goes into effect, the huge cuts contained in the sequester could push the US economy back into recession and take the rest of the world with it!
Economists argue that pulling this much spending out of the economy could have serious negative economic consequences.
Some believe the negative growth numbers in the last quarter were a direct result of actions which were in anticipation of the sequester cuts going into the effect.
In addition to the sequester there are more budgetary problems on the way. The entire US government runs out of money again 27 March and shortly thereafter the debt ceiling will need to be raised once again.
If the sequester occurs it could affect US Military readiness - while the US is at war - and has the potential to impact almost every aspect of US life and the US economy - including home loans, food safety, travel and the list goes on.
For example, this could pose a nightmare scenario for business and leisure travelers since it would include layoffs of air traffic controllers, TSA employees, customs and immigration officers - estimates include four to five hour delays at airports and average wait time to clear customs will increase by 50 %.
At the moment there is a standoff between the parties. Obama and the Democrats seems to be winning the political argument with most polls showing that Republicans will shoulder most of the blame if this occurs.
Meanwhile the American people are going to have a difficult time understanding why this new Congress is taking a week off with this crisis looming.
Marco Rubio is pre-empting President Obama's March visit to Israel, Jordan and the West Bank.
In a bold political move following upon his SOTU response to President Obama's address to Congress, Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio - Time Magazine 'Republican Savior' and 2016 Presidential Hopeful - is now in the Middle East visiting Jordan and Israel.
Rubio left a Senate website message to his constituents on Saturday mentioning that as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Foreign Relations Committee he will be visiting Jordan and Israel.
He says he looks forward to meeting with King Abdullah as well as other members of the Jordanian government.
He is also interested in learning more firsthand about the impact the Syrian civil war and how the humanitarian crisis that has resulted is impacting Jordan and the region.
In Israel, he says he especially looks forward to meeting with president Shimon Peres and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss various areas of mutual interest, including the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
He looks forward to meeting with Palestinian prime minister Fayyad as well.
It appears that the maverick Senator from 'The Sunshine State' has also managed to upstage secretary of state John Kerry before his likely first official foreign trip which will include Israel, and Egypt scheduled before the end of the month.
Could all this focus on the region mean something positive could actually happen or is it just more political posturing for state-side consumption?
More to come!
Jon-Christopher Bua's blogposts for Sky appear here.]]>SOTU: Obama's Main Eventtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.26436902013-02-08T04:16:53-05:002013-04-09T05:12:01-04:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
Will it have thrills and spills of a NASCAR race?
Or will it have the numbing predictability akin to watching partisan paint drying?
After two thunderous rounds of applause - one during president Barack Obama's first introduction by the sergeant-at-arms while he enters the House Chamber -and the second when he is officially introduced by Speaker of the House John Boehner one thing is certain.
The Republicans will remain silent, sitting on their hands while the Democrats across the aisle will yelp, howl and clap vigorously each time their party leader makes his promises about 'balanced approaches' and 'moving the country forward' into the 21st Century.
Will the 'supremes' including chief justice John Roberts remain dignified throughout offering no outward signs of pleasure or contempt?
Will any one of the Justices actually stay away citing another "previous commitment"?
Another thing is certain the joint chief's of staff, representing all the branches of America's Armed Forces, will sit stoically and obediently in front of their boss the commander-in-chief.
I was fortunate during Bill Clinton's presidency to be invited to attend the president's State of the Union Address to Congress and the nation also know as SOTU.
It was a raucous event from the start.
Just as President Clinton was about to begin his address one Member of Congress screeched "viva el presidente".
An appellation meant to show disfavor with Bill Clinton's $50 billion dollar bail-out of Mexico, which was designed to prevent a potential spill over affect into the US from the collapse of the peso and a total financial meltdown of the Mexican economy in 1995.
The epithet "you lie" shouted by South Carolina Republican representative Joe Wilson in 2010 at Barack Obama's State of the Union, was almost rejoined by speaker Nancy Pelosi's heaving her well known gavel at the Congressman's head.
Although she did restrained herself, her bone-chilling gaze may have produced a more powerful result.
With all the partisan rancor going on here in Washington, this year's follow-up to the presidents inaugural address has the potential to be a pretty lively main event.
According to Article II, Sector 3 of the US Constitution, the president "shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient".
This address has become one of the main forms of communication between the president and the US citizens who basically are his boss.
As tradition warrants president Obama will inevitably proclaim:
"The State of the Union is Sound"
Since the invention of radio and television, the speech has been broadcast live on most networks.
The first of these regular messages to the Congress was delivered by George Washington on January 8, 1790 which was the shortest speech.
President William Howard Taft gave the longest in 1910.
Since then the State of the Union Address has changed in its nature in both content, presentation and delivery.
President Calvin Coolidge was the first president to broadcast his speech by radio in 1923.
President Harry Truman gave the first TV broadcast in 1947 and George W. Bush was the first to do a live web cast of his State of the Union Speech in 2002.
In a formal letter of invitation to the president to address the joint session of Congress on February 12th speaker Boehner wrote - "This will require a willingness to seek common ground as well as presidential leadership. For that reason, the Congress and the Nation would welcome an opportunity to hear your plan and specific solutions for addressing America's great challenges."
With all the recent focus on America's 16th President, choosing Abraham Lincoln's birthday, 12 February, seems like a perfect tribute and perhaps a subtle attempt at bi-partisanship.
So, what's on the menu?
The president is very likely to use this bully pulpit opportunity to make his best case for a balanced approach to avoid the sequester and the related budgetary issues.
Following the rash of gun violence the president will also make a plea to the American people at home for common sense gun control and to empower them to engage the assembled members of Congress before him.
White House press secretary Jay Carney on Wednesday hinted that president Obama could outline his proposal for immigration reform in his State of the Union.
"I would say, broadly speaking, that State of the Union addresses tend to include at least a sample of a president's agenda, Carney said at his daily press briefing. And immigration reform, comprehensive immigration reform, is a very high priority of the president's."
During a recent press conference, president Obama outlined broad objectives for his desired immigration package - although he did not provide specifics.
President Obama said "it should include a continuation of the strong border security measures that we've taken, because we have to secure our borders."
He also said it should contain serious penalties for companies that are purposely hiring undocumented workers and taking advantage of them.
He also mentioned that he thinks that there should be a pathway for legal status for those who are living in this country, are not engaged in criminal activity and are here simply to work.
But his press secretary was reluctant to get ahead of the speech. A wise idea not to preempt the boss.
In an effort to re-define themselves the Republicans have discovered a new found urgency to get the so called immigration issue behind them well in advance of the 2014 midterm elections.
It is abundantly clear that being associated with the extreme views of the Republican party's platform on the immigration issue is a huge millstone around the party's neck which makes any potential outreach to the Latino community all but futile.
It is no surprise then to anyone here in Washington that the Republican's have selected Florida senator Marco Rubio to give their SOTU response Tuesday night.
The choice of Rubio - dubbed by Time Magazine as "the Republican Savior" and "new voice of the GOP" - to deliver the Republican response has major significance.
Rubio, who was elected as part of the Tea Party wave in 2010 is a son of Cuban immigrants and part of a bipartisan group of Senators working on immigration reform legislation.
Rubio will deliver the response in both English and Spanish.
So sit back and enjoy the show.
There will be a little something for everyone.
Jon-Christopher Bua's blogposts for Sky appear here.]]>The Times They Are a Changin'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.26304652013-02-06T09:45:33-05:002013-04-08T05:12:01-04:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
From hiding in the shadows, to Stonewall, to many individual pronouncements to families and friends, to ground-breaking films like Kramer vs Kramer and Philadelphia, the civil rights of Americans who are gay and lesbian have slowly gained acceptance.
Even our most conservative politicians are not totally immune since they too have daughters, sons and friends who are gay or lesbian and may in fact, be gay or lesbian themselves!
The opposition in the US is based on the argument over whether being gay is a result or nature or nurture.
Perhaps one of the most compelling wins for the gay community was the combination of two of the greatest US litigators who joined forces to argue for the civil rights of gays citizens - David Boies and Ted Olson.
These two men are the Democratic and Republican champions of their party's political views.
They can be remembered for taking opposing sides in the US Supreme Court decision Bush vs Gore which decided the outcome of the 2000 Presidential Election.
This fight is far from over.
The conservative right is still fiercely opposed to acknowledging that one is actually born gay or lesbian.
They insist this is a choice of lifestyle which some even believe can be 'reversed' by counselling... another topic!
However, this opposition is literally greying, fading and dying away.
Generation wise there is a huge difference in attitudes, younger people from all parts of the country and from both political parties have a much more accepting attitude when it comes to their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters.
Even the most conservative Republicans recognize anti-gay and lesbian rhetoric is simply not a long term winner.
Many young Republicans including 'Log Cabin Republicans' (a gay and lesbian Republican affiliated group) are pushing their party from within to drop their intolerant views.
Unlike this week's vote in the UK parliament, the recognition of gay marriage is not something that would be likely to originate in the US Congress.
Especially in the Republican dominated House of Representatives.
That being said, we have had several openly gay and lesbian Members of Congress including Rep. Barney Frank from Massachusetts and in this past election the first openly gay Senator Tammy Baldwin was elected to represent the State of Wisconsin.
The ground swell of support for the LGBT community and specifically for gay marriage and legally recognized partnerships has built slowly across the US on a state by state basis.
There are now about 10 states which recognize gay marriage and many others which grant rights similar to those of a marriage in civil unions.
This number continues to grow. The map of the states that have bans on same sex marriage looks striking similar to the shrinking numbers of wins by the Republicans in the last Presidential Election.
Couples who marry in a state where gay marriage is legal and move to a state where it is not have already brought legal cases trying to force their new home to recognize their rights.
Since the US has complete freedom of movement, cases like these are creating a constitutional crisis where the Supreme Court must step in and address the issue once and for all.
This is a case made to order for the Boies and Olson team - and my money is on them to win.
This may be the year that marks a real turning point.
In his second Inaugural address President Obama gave public voice and acknowledgment to the long struggle of gays and lesbians by acknowledging Stonewall along with other well known civil rights events.
President Obama and his administration have done more for gay and lesbian rights than anyone expected - he has repealed the 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' policy in the US military - now allowing gay and lesbian service members to serve openly without fear of discharge for simply being who they are.
Just this week exiting secretary of defense Leon Panetta announced a major military policy change - the US military will now extend some benefits to partners of gay and lesbian service members.
And in a TV interview just before the Super Bowl, President Obama announced his support for access to the Boy Scouts of America for gay young people and even for their lesbian moms as den mothers!
One things seems clear, that despite the fears of some and their desperate desire to hold back the hands of time, gay and lesbian civil rights will be fully recognized just as the civil rights of all African American citizens were in the last century.
After much struggle and pain comes enlightenment and acceptance. It is simply a matter of time.
Bob Dylan had it right... the times they are indeed a changin'.]]>Has the GOP Become the Grand 'Old' Party?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.25651082013-01-28T04:27:48-05:002013-03-29T05:12:01-04:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
Since their resounding defeat in the presidential election, the GOP has been doing some soul searching looking for answers and an identity.
This past week in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Republicans had a retreat and this internal battle was on full and at times embarrassing display.
It seems that the Republican Party has decided that their basic identity - who they are and what they stand for - is not the problem.
Almost all of the Republican leaders continue to deny that their values and principles are the problem - refusing to adjust or update them to meet the changing times, attitudes and demographics.
It also seems that the Republican Party is unwilling to recognize that the next generation of their own party is not as anti-gay, pro-life, anti-immigrant or anti-environment as the older generation who currently form their base.
They are unwilling to recognize the few members of their own party who are brave enough to push for change and are trying modernize the views of the GOP from within.
Instead, they are intent on blaming the delivery of their message and particular messengers for their failures.
For example, they blame the Todd Akins and Richard Mourdocks of their party for sullying their image but they refuse to oppose their underlying philosophy.
What they do openly admit is that there is a demographic problem which must be addressed or the GOP is headed toward extinction.
Since they refuse to deal with the fact that their views and message may simply not be appealing to enough of the American electorate to win, they have started looking for others ways to game the system.
In the last election many people believe that the GOP push for tighter Voter ID laws in many swing states was designed to suppress the minority vote which is traditionally Democratic.
Whatever the motivation, those rules had the opposite affect and motivated voters to go out and vote to protect their franchise.
The latest GOP idea is to change the way electoral votes are awarded on a state by state basis in a way that might give them an advantage in the Electoral College system.
The Republicans in several swing states are trying to change the rules that apportion Electoral College Votes in the presidential election - moving away from the "winner take all" approach of many states.
In these six states - Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Virginia - the Republicans are trying to apportion the Electoral College Votes according to congressional districts won instead of to the presidential candidate who won the state overall.
Under this system, Electoral College Votes would be awarded to the candidate who wins each congressional district.
This system would have created an advantage for Republicans in the last election since the Republican state legislatures have drawn congressional district maps that pack as many Democrats into as few districts as possible.
In other words creating more Republican congressional districts in these states.
Under this system the winner of the popular vote in the state could end up with less Electoral College Votes in the presidential election.
In the last election Obama carried fewer congressional districts than Romney in all these states, but Obama won them by running up big margins in his congressional districts.
This was part of Obama's very tactical campaign strategy.
The electoral demographer Alan Abramowitz calculated that if these six states had used the method the GOP is proposing last year, Romney would have won the election 271-267.
He also reckoned that if every state had counted electoral votes this way, Romney would have won 276-262.
This would have given Romney a victory over Obama who won the election by five million more popular votes.
This legislative effort which at best is 'gaming the system' has been endorsed by the chairman of the RNC Reince Priebus.
There have been efforts in the past to 'fix' or eliminate the Electoral College. It was almost eliminated with bipartisan support in the early 1970s.
However, these efforts were focused on moving the system closer to electing the winner of the popular vote and not on finding a way to allow a candidate who looses the popular vote to become the victor.
We all remember the furor over Bush v Gore 2000!
Since the Democrats do not have control in many of these state legislatures and Governor's Mansions, these changes could become a reality.
Stay tuned! More to come!
Obama New Term - New Team
President Obama's second term team is taking shape. This time the President has picked a team of insiders and not a team of rivals.
In terms of Obama's nominations to key Cabinet positions, there is a clear emphasis on national security and economic and international affairs: Senator John Kerry for State, former senator Chuck Hagel for defense and White House chief of staff Jack Lew for Treasury.
John Kerry - Secretary of State
The John Kerry confirmation hearing was a 'love fest' as Kerry answered questions from his former colleagues on the same Senate Committee he has chaired for many years.
Kerry will be approved!
Chuck Hagel - Secretary of Defense
Thursday will be former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel's turn to defend himself before his former Senate colleagues.
Do not expect a love fest here. Several Republican Senators have already indicated they are planning to extract their pound of flesh.
In addition to his former Republican Senate colleagues who are no longer his friends - like John McCain - there are fiver Super PACs who have has raised over $500 million dollars to finance ad campaigns designed to defeat the Hagel nomination in key targeted states.
This is the first time a post Citizens United Super PAC will be used for this purpose.
These are the same types of Republican and Democratic Super PACs that played an active and significant role in the Republican Primaries and in the General Election.
They do not have to disclose who their donors are and several of them are now focused on the Hagel nomination - 'Americans for a Strong Defense', 'Use Your Mandate' and 'American Future Fund' are just a few.
The Hagel nomination will be attacked in ads from both the right and the left for different reasons.
Along with the Senators who are not fans and the Super PACs, Hagel also has to face the wrath of the George W Bush Neo-Cons including Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Elliot Abrams, Bill Kristol, Richard Perle, Dan Senor, etc. who are already waging war against the former Vietnam War Veteran and Nebraska Senator.
This is a true battle royal for them since Hagel does not share their post 9-11 philosophy of preemptive war.
Hagel has also been criticized for his 'weak' support of Israel and for comments he made about an openly gay nominee for an Ambassador post during the Clinton administration.
The battle over the Hagel nomination is really a 'proxy war' for control of the Republican Party.
Hagel represents the 'old style' wing of the Republican Party that we last experienced with President George HW Bush, Brent Scowcroft, Colin Powell, Richard Armitage - and he is indeed being challenged by the President GW Bush Neo-Cons and the like minded.
This will be a brutal process.
Most informed sources believe the odds are still good that Hagel will be confirmed unless he dramatically fails to give an impressive presentation before his former colleagues.
If the Senate Committee does not fold under outside pressure from these groups, my money is on Chuck Hagel to be confirmed.
Jack Lew - Secretary of the Treasury
A date for the Lew confirmation hearing has not been announced.
With the debt ceiling fight, Sequestration and the other budget battles all put off for another three months, Obama's opponents in the Republican Party are taking a politically calculated break on these issues.
This also has allowed Timothy Geithner, whose last day as secretary was on Friday, the freedom to say Good Bye!
This post also appears on Sky News.]]>The Obama Legacytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24702642013-01-14T04:11:09-05:002013-03-15T05:12:01-04:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
As I have been saying, there is more at stake for Barack Obama, America and the World now in 2013 than there was four years ago.
As in the film Lincoln - Stephen Spielberg's masterful rendition of Doris Kearns-Goodwin's inspiring book Team of Rivals - brought to life by Daniel Day-Lewis' chilling portrayal of our sixteenth president - we have come to another crossroads in America.
This last contentious election, as during the Civil War, has left this country even more divided - with half of its citizens now realising their vision of America is fading away.
More fighting, less governing and constant campaigning will be the watch phrases as president Obama takes his oath of office before America and the world on Monday, 21 January.
Can Barack Obama, like Abraham Lincoln rise above the rancor and lead America into prosperity and peace and find a common ground before he leaves office, still a very young man?
The Speech
This will be Barack Obama's last real opportunity to publicly put down his historical marker detailing what he wishes his legacy to be.
With few exceptions - FDR, JFK and Ronald Reagan - most presidential inaugural addresses do not strike a profound chord that resonates throughout history.
Like JFK, the first Catholic president, Obama has a story to tell not only as the first black president but as the first president elected by the new American demographic - a coalition of minorities.
As with John F. Kennedy the torch has once again been passed to a 'new generation of Americans' that does not look or sound like previous ones or in fact, share their values.
With his second term officially in full swing there will be a 'new' however visibly more mature president Barack Obama taking that oath of office.
Instead of sitting back, taking it all in and trying to be the 'Conciliator-in-Chief' this newly elected Barack Obama is clearly intent on governing like a 'winner' and establishing his legitimacy once and for all.
This term is his chance to live up to the great expectations placed on him including a Nobel Prize which was awarded even before he had a chance to make his mark.
Although he has a very good speech writing team he often pens his own words - You can bet that will pretty much be the case on Monday at the US Capitol.
As public as this inaugural address may be, this will be a very private moment for this very private man.
OBAMA CABINET AND HIS LEGACY
The Cabinet
With his last Cabinet, President Obama selected what many referred to as a 'team of rivals' including his presidential primary opponent and now secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
This time his choices have been described as a 'band of brothers' much to the dismay of his female supporters.
This so called band includes two outspoken Vietnam Veterans who were both heroes in that war, senators John Kerry and Chuck Hagel.
All of the Senior cabinet appointments have not been made yet so the president is likely to correct this perception in the remaining few weeks by appointing some high powered women to the remaining cabinet posts.
Also, don't forget that president Obama's two closest confidants, who have his ear and also have his back are women - first lady Michelle Obama and senior advisor Valerie Jarrett.
The Republicans are not thrilled with president Obama's choices for secretary of defense; Chuck Hagel or secretary of treasury; Jack Lew.
However they cannot battle every choice and my guess is their Republican Leadership will tell them to focus on Hagel - an Iraq War skeptic.
It seems that some of the George W Bush neo-cons - Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Elliot Abrams, Bill Kristol, Richard Perle, Dan Senor, etc. - are already waging war against former Nebraska Senator Hagel.
This is a true battle royal for them since Hagel does not share their post 9-11 philosophy.
They need to be careful here since it is not clear that the war-weary US public, after years of two costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, shares their view on the wisdom of preemptive wars.
Hagel has also been criticized for his 'weak' support of Israel and for comments he made about an openly gay nominee for an Ambassador post in the Clinton Administration.
The battle over the Hagel nomination is really a 'proxy war' for control of the Republican Party.
Hagel represents the 'old style' wing of the Republican Party that we last saw with George HW Bush, Brent Scowcroft, Colin Powell, Richard Armitage - And he is indeed being challenged by the GW Bush neo-cons and the like minded.
Odds are still good that Hagel will be confirmed unless he dramatically fails to give an impressive presentation before his former colleagues in the US Senate.
The confirmation hearings for John Kerry, Chuck Hagel and Jack Lew will all be televised.
Aside from the important question of diversity, what Obama's choices say about his second term is that he wants close allies who share his world view by his side to help him shape his second term agenda and his legacy.
This post also appears on Sky News.]]>Obama vs GOP Congress - Game Ontag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24238902013-01-07T07:49:58-05:002013-03-09T05:12:01-05:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
We start with a strengthened Obama administration and a rather weakened Republican Party and possibly an even more weakened house speaker John Boehner.
Boehner was re-elected speaker of the House of Representatives on 3 January but it was a much too close for comfort vote and much closer than Boehner was expecting.
The Fiscal Cliff Deal
In order to avoid the Fiscal Cliff, Congress cut a deal which came closer to delivering the changes the Democratic base wanted while at the same time seriously disappointing the Republican conservative base by failing to deliver any meaningful cuts to entitlements.
The deal that was accomplished kicked the can down the road on sequestration cuts, entitlement cuts, raising the debt ceiling and the other big budget battles of the day.
The other thing the Fiscal Cliff deal proved is that Obama and his team have no interest in ending their hard fought, well played 2012 Campaign tactics.
Now the President and his White House - DNC team of advisors and spokespeople will continue this effort by going directly to the American People to build public support for their agenda.
So far this tactic has proven to be successful by getting the Republican opposition to cave in and go along with the Obama agenda.
This clever and somewhat effective strategy will become the new normal for Obama's legislative confrontations.
This will also mean a never ending cycle of raising money for ads etc. to win the support of the American people.
This campaign and money machine will paint the Republican opposition as the obstacle toward progress.
From day one of his new Administration through the Mid-Terms in 2014 - this effort will continue until Obama gets a more cooperative Congress one way or another.
In the meantime, Vice-President Joe Biden proved invaluable in using his legislative prowess to help Obama cut the Fiscal Cliff deal. This has raised his stature and may signal a new role for him "Legislator-in-Chief".
Biden's new persona could also fuel the speculation fire as to whether he might want to make a run for it in 2016.
The Debt Ceiling
The next economic fight will be over raising the debt ceiling.
The US government may run out of money to pay its outstanding debt obligations as early as next month.
If Congress does not vote to raise the Debt Ceiling this could mean a total or partial shutdown of the Federal Government.
Despite its identity crisis, it is clear that the Republican Party still believes that the only message they have that still resonates with the American people is 'spending cuts'.
The question here is whether after two bruising defeats is there enough Republican cohesion left to use the debt ceiling battle as a game of Russian roulette with the US and world economies and risk another recession.
Obama's New Administration
As President Obama returns from his abbreviated Hawaiian vacation, he will undoubtedly be naming the new members of his cabinet.
Secretary of Defense
On Monday or Tuesday of this week President Obama is expected to nominate former Republican Nebraska Senator, Vietnam Veteran and Purple Heart Recipient, Chuck Hagel to take Leon Panetta's place.
During his time as Senator, Hagel was an outspoken member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (the Committee which has been chaired by Senator John Kerry for several years).
Chuck Hagel will not be an easy confirmation. There are issues with his previously stated views on Israeli Security, Iran Sanctions, Gays in the Military, etc.
The Hagel nomination will be a fight with the Republicans who are not generally in line with many of his views. There are many Democrats who will have issues with him as well including the fact that Hagel is a Republican.
President Obama has a personal relationship with Hagel since they both worked on nuclear non-proliferation when they were in the Senate together.
It seems clear here that President Obama is trying to assemble a National Security Team that can work together and has already done so effectively.
Director of CIA
Also, President Obama is likely to announce Monday or Tuesday of this week that his replacement for retired General David Petraeus will be Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Adviser John Brennan or acting CIA Director Michael Morell.
Secretary of Treasury
Since there is so much important financial work to do it is not clear how eager President Obama will be to name Secretary Tim Geithner's replacement and work to approve his nominee in the middle of the Debt Ceiling crisis.
However, Geithner has already signalled he expects to go before a Debt Ceiling deal is actually reached.
All indications are that the President will nominate Jacob "Jack" Lew his current White House Chief of Staff - maybe even as soon as this week.
This post also appears on Sky News.]]>Obama's Week Before Christmastag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.23139412012-12-17T04:01:43-05:002013-02-15T05:12:01-05:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
THE NEWTOWN TRAGEDY
Sunday the President faced one of his saddest duties, attending yet another memorial service resulting from one more horrific mass shooting.
The President headed to Newtown, Connecticut to try to be 'Healer-in-Chief' again for the families of the schoolchildren and adults who were brutally murdered on Friday.
President Obama with two children of his own needed no help preparing his speech for Newtown.
He spoke from the heart without a prompter to those grieving and sobbing in the assembly and to a nation looking for a way to absorb what had occurred.
"If we are honest with ourselves we are not doing enough to prevent this... we must change"
He said he will use whatever power he has to help make this change.
The question here is the same one the US has faced time and time again -
What if anything can be done to address the proliferation of guns - specifically assault weapons - in The United States of America?
This is a scoldingly hot political issue, since there are constitutional elements at stake and all the parties involved in the debate are torn and fractured over who is right!
The National Rifle Association ("NRA") is one of the strongest lobbying organizations in America. Although they participate in educational activities on responsible gun ownership they are clearly the premiere gun lobby organization.
If a politician is not 'pro-gun' they might face strong opposition from the NRA - who actively support challengers to defeat any gun control supporting candidates in any given election.
The NRA grades every Member of Congress on their support or lack there of on the issue of gun rights.
Since we don't know what really happened in Newtown as of yet, it is difficult to make a clear recommendation as to what the proper legislative response should be - if you could even get that legislation through this terminally gridlocked Congress.
With still limited information we are told the common elements of this tragedy are once again assault weapons and a troubled youth.
The guns used in this random killing seem to have been legally purchased so it is not clear that legislation restricting gun purchases alone would have effectively addressed this problem.
In all of these cases there is a troubled person at the center of the tragedy who has not been helped or even identified by our current social safety network.
So mental health issues in America, which always take a back seat, may again need to be seriously addressed.
The horrific nature of this incident along with Columbine, Aurora, Virginia Tech and Tucson as well, may finally force legislators in America to take some action.
The President does not have to face another election so it could be the time for some real leadership.
Let's see if Mr Obama can stir up enough legislative support from a Congress who will face their constituents and the NRA in less than two years.
THE FISCAL CLIFF
In addition to coping with the emotionally draining Newtown tragedy, the President still has the Fiscal Cliff issue which is not going away.
It seems that Speaker John Boehner has raised the stakes on Friday by offering to strike a deal that would raise tax rates on millionaires - generating $460 billion over the next decade.
Apparently the Speaker has also attempted to push any fight over the federal debt limit off for a year by pairing this with a promise of dollar for dollar spending cuts.
Although this offer has supposedly been rejected by the Administration since it would not raise enough cash and would do nothing to extend unemployment benefits, some Democrats see this as a breakthrough indicating that serious negotiations may have begun.
So there is possibly some hope yet for a deal before year's end.
OBAMA'S SECOND TERM CABINET
Last week Mr Obama's trial balloon of UN Ambassador Susan Rice as the leading nominee for Secretary of State lost all its air.
In the meantime, it seems Senator John Kerry will be Mr Obama's choice.
Kerry who is the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is imminently qualified. He is also well liked by his fellow Senators - like Republican Senator John McCain.
In addition to his qualifications and the fact that he is well liked by his colleagues in the Senate who must approve the nomination, the Republicans would love to see Kerry leave the Senate giving them a chance at a special election in Massachusetts to fill his seat.
This opens up the possibility that Republican Scott Brown, who lost his seat to Elizabeth Warren on 6 November, will get another shot.
There is already a lot of speculation as to which Democrat would try for this seat.
- Vicky Kennedy (Teddy's Widow)
- Rep Ed Markey (Senior Congressman) the list goes on.
Obama may want a quick confirmation of Kerry especially since it was announced that Secretary Clinton was not only sick with a stomach flu this week but had fallen and hit her head sustaining a concussion.
Due to her illness other State Department Senior Officials will testify before the House Foreign Affairs and the Senate Foreign Relations Committees on Benghazi this Wednesday.
This post also appears on Sky News.]]>Obama-Boehner Dilemmatag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22696412012-12-10T04:51:56-05:002013-02-08T05:12:01-05:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
There are clearly two games going on here - one is purely political (who gets the credit and who gets the blame) and the other is actual deal making.
Both sides have already moved from their original positions - it is clear the Republicans will need to participate in raising revenue and Democrats will have to participate in some sort of entitlement reform - now there is a bit of a stalemate as they try to move the last few inches toward the goal line.
President Obama and Speaker John Boehner met at the White House on Sunday to attempt to make some progress!
The Fiscal Cliff has many components and depending on which party you belong to all or only some of these issues need to be addressed at this time - increasing tax revenues, reforming the tax code, reducing spending, raising revenues, adding stimulus, raising the debt ceiling, extending tax breaks for the middle class, extending unemployment benefits and the list goes on.
There are many possible solutions however, each one comes with a different political price.
If the Republicans raise tax rates they will pay a heavy price in the Midterm elections.
There has even been some talk that Speaker John Boehner could loose his gavel - he actually needs to be re-elected to that position on or about 3 January.
Boehner and his GOP steering committee ousted four conservatives from their committee leadership positions.
There are others waiting in the wings and chomping at the bit for a chance at this position - Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin Smith just to name two.
If Obama fails to raise rates on the wealthiest individuals he will disappoint his base.
Congress could pass an interim 'patch extension' of the status quo to get them beyond year end - they could reach a small compromise on taxes and entitlements or a big compromise. Who knows?
If the Republicans don't get entitlements cuts now - they believe it will never happen.
If Democrats don't get tax increases now - they believe this will never happen.
Both parties are calculating who will be blamed if they fail however, everyone will be hurt if they fail to compromise.
Additionally, there are some Members on both sides who believe going off the Fiscal Cliff is a viable option that could improve their bargaining power.
Unfortunately those who think this way are very wrong.
Obama needs to be careful not to overplay his hand - if he does and the US Economy falls off the Fiscal Cliff back into recession, it will be President Barack Obama who will be held responsible.
No more George W. Bush to blame for the country's economic mess.
President Obama now owns the economy and it is his job to 'right the ship' or the failure to do so will be his Legacy.
In the meantime, if the Republicans fail to meet him part of the way they can be sure that the voters will show their displeasure with them in the 2014 Midterms.
With so many possibilities for reaching a compromise the risks of not reaching a deal seem unacceptable under the circumstances.
Despite what some have said, the financial markets have not taken falling off the Fiscal Cliff into account in current market pricing - they are all actually expecting Congress to cut a deal.
Be aware, if the US government takes this fall and the credit rating agencies downgrade US debt again, this will automatically increase the debt making it even harder to get it under control.
This post also appeared on Sky News.]]>Obama-Boehner Dilemmatag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22696422012-12-10T04:51:56-05:002013-02-08T05:12:01-05:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
There are clearly two games going on here - one is purely political (who gets the credit and who gets the blame) and the other is actual deal making.
Both sides have already moved from their original positions - it is clear the Republicans will need to participate in raising revenue and Democrats will have to participate in some sort of entitlement reform - now there is a bit of a stalemate as they try to move the last few inches toward the goal line.
President Obama and Speaker John Boehner met at the White House on Sunday to attempt to make some progress!
The Fiscal Cliff has many components and depending on which party you belong to all or only some of these issues need to be addressed at this time - increasing tax revenues, reforming the tax code, reducing spending, raising revenues, adding stimulus, raising the debt ceiling, extending tax breaks for the middle class, extending unemployment benefits and the list goes on.
There are many possible solutions however, each one comes with a different political price.
If the Republicans raise tax rates they will pay a heavy price in the Midterm elections.
There has even been some talk that Speaker John Boehner could loose his gavel - he actually needs to be re-elected to that position on or about 3 January.
Boehner and his GOP steering committee ousted four conservatives from their committee leadership positions.
There are others waiting in the wings and chomping at the bit for a chance at this position - Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin Smith just to name two.
If Obama fails to raise rates on the wealthiest individuals he will disappoint his base.
Congress could pass an interim 'patch extension' of the status quo to get them beyond year end - they could reach a small compromise on taxes and entitlements or a big compromise. Who knows?
If the Republicans don't get entitlements cuts now - they believe it will never happen.
If Democrats don't get tax increases now - they believe this will never happen.
Both parties are calculating who will be blamed if they fail however, everyone will be hurt if they fail to compromise.
Additionally, there are some Members on both sides who believe going off the Fiscal Cliff is a viable option that could improve their bargaining power.
Unfortunately those who think this way are very wrong.
Obama needs to be careful not to overplay his hand - if he does and the US Economy falls off the Fiscal Cliff back into recession, it will be President Barack Obama who will be held responsible.
No more George W. Bush to blame for the country's economic mess.
President Obama now owns the economy and it is his job to 'right the ship' or the failure to do so will be his Legacy.
In the meantime, if the Republicans fail to meet him part of the way they can be sure that the voters will show their displeasure with them in the 2014 Midterms.
With so many possibilities for reaching a compromise the risks of not reaching a deal seem unacceptable under the circumstances.
Despite what some have said, the financial markets have not taken falling off the Fiscal Cliff into account in current market pricing - they are all actually expecting Congress to cut a deal.
Be aware, if the US government takes this fall and the credit rating agencies downgrade US debt again, this will automatically increase the debt making it even harder to get it under control.
This post also appeared on Sky News.]]>Obama - Let's Make a Dealtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.21903662012-11-26T04:32:32-05:002013-01-25T05:12:01-05:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
This lame duck Congress and the president have until 14 December to reach a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff - unless of course the leadership wants to extend their actual work session and cut into their precious holiday break.
It seems like the election may have had a real affect on the general attitude here in Washington.
Many are hopeful that those who were defeated or are retiring from Congress will find the courage to do what is required.
Republicans know that many of the Tea Party Members who simply refused to legislate and reach any compromise will be gone.
They also know that they were trounced - President Obama and the Democrats won handily so they must compromise.
The Democrats also know that the electorate voted for a divided government - which means they are also expected to compromise and cut a deal as well.
If the Congress cannot reach agreement the sequestration - across the board cuts in all government spending - will automatically occur and the Bush tax cuts will also expire on 1 January 2013.
The combination of these two events could be deadly to the delicate US economic recovery and send the US back into recession.
If the legislators fail to deliver this time it could mean an immediate financial crisis and a further downgrade and erosion of US credibility in the international financial marketplace.
Key players on both sides are making all the right gestures, sending a message that they are willing to compromise and legislate.
Some top Republicans - like Senators Saxby Chambliss and Lindsay Graham - have gone out on a limb to say they are willing to violate their no new taxes pledge.
This is the pledge that has been signed by 250 Republicans in the House and Senate (under the threat of loosing their jobs).
The pledge is the tool the notorious tax hawk Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform has used to keep a stranglehold on Republicans and prevent them from agreeing to raise taxes in any form whatsoever.
On the other side, key Democrats are also entertaining the concept of entitlement reform - Medicare and Social Security.
Some here in DC think the president and the leaders of both parties should sit down together and see the movie Lincoln for a lesson on how to legislate and get difficult things done - which may include some real horse trading, compromise and ego sacrificing!
While the focus on Capitol Hill may be avoiding a US-Global financial catastrophe, taking place simultaneously is president Obama's challenge to fill his second term senior cabinet posts and get those positions confirmed by the US Senate.
This week president Obama is expected to begin naming his second term cabinet - putting an end to the most popular inside the beltway parlour guessing game for good.
Secretary of State
The most difficult appointment, it seems, is the replacement for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton is clearly a hard act to follow especially with the current problems in the Middle East and elsewhere.
A swift decision and speedy Senate approval is crucial under the latest circumstances.
President Obama has more than floated UN Ambassador Susan Rice's name as a replacement.
This possible choice has become something of a lightening rod since most Republicans (and even some Democrats) think she was less than forth coming in her statements regarding Benghazi.
It remains to be seen whether Obama wants to waste his just gained political capital on this rather difficult appointment while needing all of his bargaining power to challenge Congress to come up with a compromise to avoid the eminent fiscal cliff.
Other possible names floating around for the nation's top diplomatic post include Sen. John Kerry - Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who really wants it - White House national security adviser Thomas Donilon and deputy secretary of state William Burns.
Even 'Explainer-in-Chief' and Obama's top campaign surrogate Bill Clinton's name has been mentioned in some circles.
Other cabinet positions that need to be filled:
Secretary of Treasury
Timothy Geithner has announced he does not plan to stay on.
Possible Replacements - Jack Lew - White House chief of staff and former OMB director, Kent Conrad - chairman of Senate Budget Committee who is retiring from the Senate and Erskine Bowles - former Bill Clinton White House Chief of Staff and the co-chair of the Simpson Bowles Commission.
Secretary of Defense
Leon Panetta has not announced that he is leaving however, there is widespread speculation he plans to step down from his job across the Potomac at the Pentagon.
Possible replacements - Michele Flournoy - former Obama administration undersecretary of defense for policy and Obama 2012 campaign policy advisor; Ashton Carter - deputy defense secretary and senator John Kerry.
Director of CIA
David Petraeus' untimely resignation has resulted in an unexpected opening here.
Possible replacements include - Michael Morrell - acting CIA director; John Brennan - president Obama's chief counter terrorism advisor; and an interesting choice, Republican congressman Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
Secretary of Commerce
This spot is open and is currently filled by acting secretary Rebecca Blank (who could be a replacement); Fred Hochberg - president of Export-Import Bank; Jeffrey Immell - ceo of General Electric; Ron Kirk - US trade representative; and Penny Pritzker - close Obama friend and major financial supporter and surrogate for Obama Campaigns in 2008 and 2012, Hyatt Family heiress and successful Chicago businesswoman in her own right!
Director of Office of Management and Budget
This spot is open and currently filled by deputy director Jeff Zients.
Possible replacements are Jack Lew, white house chief of staff; Doug Elemendorf, director of Congressional Budget Office; Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council and Bill Clinton, senior financial advisor.
Obama's other cabinet level appointments are expected to stay on at least for a while into the second term including attorney general Eric Holder.
This post also appeared on Sky News.]]>Obama Must Make Good on His Election Promisestag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.21169122012-11-12T10:18:50-05:002013-01-12T05:12:01-05:00Jon-Christopher Buahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonchristopher-bua/
They voted back in Barack Obama to get the job done, they kept the Senate under Democratic control and kept the House of Representatives under Republican control.
But they overwhelmingly rejected the Tea Party.
In short, they voted for divided government and sent a clear message that it is time for the President and Congress to work together to get the US fiscal house in order on a plan that is closer to the one proposed by Mr Obama and the Democrats.
Barack Obama won 332 electoral college votes to Mitt Romney's 206
At the moment Mr Obama has a lot of political capital.
We will soon see what he learned in his first term.
Will he be a more engaged and active leader when it comes to legislation?
Only time will tell.
By his initial actions we will see just what he wishes his legacy to be.
What does all this mean? Americans expect their government to work for them.
The people rejected the Republicans' argument of lessening severely the role government plays in the economy and in their lives - including their health and welfare.
One clear result is that "Obamacare" will remain the law of the land.
Superstorm Sandy may have been a clear reminder of one reason why people need an effective federal government to handle the big problems.
We will now see how the troika of the President, the Senate and the House of Representatives interpret this message.
It is crystal clear that the American people expect results on jobs and the economy.
The troika will be put to the test immediately with the issues that must be resolved before this "lame duck" legislative session of Congress ends.
The President and the Congress have only a few short weeks to deal with the huge problem of the "fiscal cliff".
It is clear that there are several complicated aspects to addressing the issues at hand:
:: The expiration of the Bush tax cuts
:: The implementation of the sequestration (the large across-the-board cuts to all federal spending)
:: The need to look like you are honouring your campaign promises
:: The need to ensure that none of the proposed solutions stalls the delicate recovery which is under way
Barack Obama knows John Boehner will not always be right behind him
This does not even include the time required for meaningful legislative tax or entitlement reform.
The President will be meeting with congressional leaders this week. There is bound to be a lot of "muscle flexing".
However any fix to these problems in a meaningful way will require time and attention.
Since there is little time it seems the most likely solution is to agree to kick the can down the road until the new Congress arrives in January.
This would most likely mean a short term extension of the status quo which gives the President and Congress a bit of time to hopefully agree on some sort of "grand bargain".
However it should be noted kicking the can down the road is not likely to receive a great reception from US or international markets, which are expecting a serious proposal to address mounting American debt.
The Republican Party is clearly going through its greatest identity crisis, possibly since its creation. There is already a great deal of hand wringing about whether the message or the messenger was to blame.
One thing seems crystal clear, no matter what your view - whether too far to the right or not far enough - the demographics and numbers simply can no longer add up to a win for the party in its current form.
The times have changed and this is the first presidential election where a coalition of non-white voters elected the President.
The Republicans need to decide who they are and how they can change their ideology and message to appeal to a broader base - Latino, Asian, Black, Women, LGBT and young voters.
Gen David Petraeus admitted to an affair with biographer Paula Broadwell
Despite their internal party angst, there is no chance that the Republicans are going to let one issue simply fade off their radar screen.
The Petraeus story plays right into this since most Republicans believe his resignation just a week before his congressional testimony is no accident.
This story is either part of a cover-up on the Benghazi incident or simply a very tragic and sordid way to end a brilliant military career.
It is bound to figure when Mr Obama holds his first news conference since June on Wednesday at the White House.
Alongside the fiscal cliff and Benghazi, the CIA director's resignation is sure to be among the hot topics at this long-awaited question and answer session.
Also this week, the Republicans meet to elect their new leadership on November 14.
Most seem to think that John Boehner will continue as House Speaker.
However, in light of the soul-searching going on in the Republican Party, do not be surprised if Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan or some of the other "young guns" try to stage a coup.
The Democrats have decided to delay their leadership election until November 29.
There is talk that Nancy Pelosi may want to step down. If she does the two obvious choices to succeed her are Steny Hoyer and Chris Van Hollen - both from Maryland.
It is rumoured that if Mrs Pelosi steps down she will try to engineer it to ensure that Mr Van Hollen is victorious.
And then there are of course others who might be interested in the top spot.
James Clyburn (No. 3 in the minority right now) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz who chairs the Democratic National Committee.