Former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates on Benghazi

The Benghazi Kabuki theater continues as House Republicans push on with “hearing” that some are calling a witch hunt. An apt description… Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told CBS’ Face the Nation that ”some critics of the administration have a “cartoonish impression of military capabilities and military forces.”” Gates, a Republican who was appointed by then-President George W. Bush in 2006 and agreed to stay through more than two years of President Obama’s first term, repeatedly declined to criticize the policymakers who devised a response to the September 2012 attack on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens. “Frankly, had I been in the job at the … Continue reading

Jeanne Shaheen Trounces Scott Brown in Dem Poll

Former Massachusetts senator Scott Brown has been contemplating jumping the MA/NH border to challenge Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Not such a good idea perhaps for Brown. Politico reports that Brown “trails his could-be opponent by double digits in a new poll conducted for the League of Conservation Voters.” Brown’s personal favorability numbers are tepid: 37 percent of Granite Staters said they have a favorable view of him, while 42 percent said they have an unfavorable view. Asked whether Brown should run for Senate in New Hampshire or not, 54 percent answered in the negative. Scott Brown should heed the poll, lest every Democratic activist in Massachusetts crosses the border to help Jeanne Shaheen trounce him on election day, should he … Continue reading

Boston Marathon Bomb Suspect Is Charged, To Be Tried In Federal Court

One week after unleashing hell on the city of Boston, Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been charged with “using a weapon of mass destruction.” The Boston Marathon bombings resulted in three deaths and wounded more than 200 people with injuries that included amputations. In a criminal complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Tsarnaev is specifically charged with one count of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction (namely, an improvised explosive device or IED) against persons and property within the United States resulting in death, and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death. The statutory charges authorize a penalty, upon conviction, … Continue reading

John Kerry Confirmed as Secretary of State

Longtime readers of The Dem Daily know that I hold John Kerry in the highest regard and had the honor of working on his ’04 presidential and for his PAC in ’06. So yes, I’ll just admit it, I’m biased. I am so pleased for John Kerry that he has been confirmed as our next Secretary of State.  I have great faith in his abilities to be a fantastic Secretary of State who will use his great skills of diplomacy for the better of the United States and the world: The 69-year-old Kerry, a veteran of the Vietnam War, has deep roots in foreign service. His father, Richard, was a Foreign Service officer, and Kerry noted at his confirmation hearing … Continue reading

A Letter To The President

Dear Mr. President, The pomp and circumstance of your second inauguration is over, and the American people are ready to follow your lead, well then again maybe only 51% of us.  Stay true to yourself, don’t allow the political tomfoolery of Washington DC deter you or hinder your resolve.  The majority of America voted for you, not because of what we feared from a Mitt Romney presidency, it was because we believed in you.  Mr. President we still believe in hope and change.  We believe in the hope and change of an America where all people, no matter their race, creed, or sexual orientation have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  We still believe in the … Continue reading

Kerry’s Senate Confirmation Hearing Draws Some Heat

Senator John Kerry’s confirmation hearing as Secretary of State was held today. Kerry drew some heat on his Syria policy and he also spoke on Iran’s nuclear program. “The president has made it definitive–we will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he said in his opening statement to the committee. “I repeat here today: our policy is not containment. It is prevention and the clock is ticking on our efforts to secure responsible compliance.” He added, “No one should mistake our resolve to reduce the nuclear threat.” He said Obama “knows that American foreign policy is not defined by drones and deployments alone. We cannot allow the extraordinary good we do to save and … Continue reading

President Obama Stands Up

I found myself more moved today by President Obama, than I ever have been in the past. Today, he spoke my language. Today, President Obama spoke to America about the liberal/progressive values that hold us all up as one nation, together. Is it because he “hears the clock ticking on his last chance to use the power of the presidency on the causes he cares about.” Perhaps… If anyone were wondering whether Obama wanted to lower expectations for his second term … no, he apparently does not. President Obama, in his speech ”became the progressive leader that many liberals thought they were getting when they voted him into office four years ago.” Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post notes: This was a speech that could … Continue reading