Monday 1st December 2008 was a long day commencing around midnight and then continuing except for a couple of brief dozes until eleven pm almost 24 hours on the go, sandwiched between an uninterrupted period of seven hours of deep sleep and seven hours of interrupted sleep overnight but which brought me back to standard body clock time which I will now try and keep to, resisting the temptation to have siestas, even if this means a period of unproductivity There were four events of considerable substance affecting the world outside of my own and at one point the switching between media conferencing was mesmerising.
The first in judged importance is the announcement of the new U. S. A. Presidential National Security and Foreign Affairs Team which appeared to be both impressive and exciting and confirming that that President Elect Obama is more than a man of great vision and extraordinary rhetoric, remembering his performances addressing full stadiums filled with a cross section of citizens of the United States.
Second in importance is the decision of India to formally complain to Pakistan that the initial evidence gained from a capture Mumbai terrorist is that that although he, and it could be the others, are Indian origin Muslims they were all trained by a banned Pakistan group with Al Qaeda links. This may not be as provocative as it might appear, helping to avoid retaliatory attacks on Muslims within India.
Thirdly the response of Cabinet Minister, and close colleague of Prime Minister Ed Brown to the publication of the Joint Inspection report into the ability to Protect Children in the London Borough of Harringey includes (Tottenham) was as impressive and the report is devastating but raises more questions about the inadequacy of the government response since the child’s death. And why oh why does this child have no name. Who speaks for this child? Not the law.
Fourthly was the disclosure of an internal meeting, “accidentally” sent to the Conservative Party Leader which appeared to indicate that the government is attempting to fix what the speaker said and did on Wednesday after the State Opening of Parliament. There was also the first public appearance and identification of the young man who over a period of two years provided a Conservative Shadow Minister with the restricted (low level) information of the type which in the USA is regarded as open. There was also the announcement that the two most senior police officers involved in the arrest of the Member of Parliament have put in applications to become the next head of Police in London and therefore the most important police chief in the UK.
There also appeared to be some progress in resolving the politician situation in Thailand which has affected thousands of tourists, many from the UK
With these developments there would usually have been little time for anything else so it was fortunate that I had a full 24 hours available, spending the first six in writing and rewriting my Blog, attending the dentist in the afternoon, watching a flick for chicks called the Holiday in the morning and the latest episode of Spooks in the evening, eating and eating, completing my three a day of 101 project work.
My problem this morning is that I could spend the rest of the day researching and writing about yesterday and miss the latest developments as well as not attending to other activities. I have decided to attend to one activity, Christmas Cards and Christmas presents after a prolonged breakfast of cereal, toast, tea and puff pastry mince pie while listening to the news and then decide on the rest of the day depending on how I feel and what has happened. The first thing to note is that there is a covering of snow although there is more blue sky with fluffs of white cloud and that the town of Kelso in the Scottish borders has been without gas since a problem with the mains supply which could take three days to rectify, thus leaving 3000 folk of all changes with heating and cooking facilities in some instances.
I had a very good period of activity which also involved physical activity between 9 and 10 am moving completed volumes of 2005-2008 cultural experiences retrospectives from the single bedroom on the first floor display shelving to the second floor mezzanine display units, having moved most of the completed volumes of receipts and other miscellany to the second floor landing display areas, before putting in boxes, labelling and recording as the total available visible display area in the three story ten living room and five passage way areas are now full to brimming of the completed 7900 volumes with about 7800 now on immediate display. The second floor mezzanine display area is also where the public access volumes are located of the profiles of MySpace Friends and other public access My Space information, I also organised Christmas presents, cards, calendars in appropriate groups and made a note of what was left to do, and then commenced on sorting out completed work cards into their sets and volume. As a treat I enjoyed the first can of diet coke for several weeks and write this as the snow begins to melt off the roofs although elsewhere it continues to fall and creates problems for road users.
I hen concentrated attention of 101 project work, deciding on an early lunch of filled pasta shell, which was a mistake deciding on a full portion rather than the usual half portion, followed by a balance, and then shortly a second cup of tea of the day and a mince pie. I switched on the TV for the midday news and this is not working switching itself on and off occasionally getting a brief picture and sound. I have checked all the connections of which there are many without success so have abandoned decide ding that I will undertake a mixture of bringing work further up top date cleaning the area on the floor around the TV in case it is an ongoing problem and undertake further writing listening to a combination of news and music on line.
I also have decided to cut down on what I had planned in relation to the main news items of yesterday beginning with the arrest of the Shadow Minister where the chief constable of the British Railway police is reviewing how the actions in relation to the civil servant and the shadow Minister were carried out. Apparently this will take a week and is not concerned with whether the action was correctly initiated or not and will not deal with the role of the politicians and therefore can be seen as an attempt to defuse the situation prior to the tomorrow‘s State opening of Parliament. I mention this because my research about the President Elect of the USA has revealed a fantastic level of openness and information available on line.
The British Government needs to remind itself that it is the executive of Parliament and guard against regarding Parliament as a necessary evil to be tolerated and manipulated. The warning of what can happen came this lunchtime from Thailand when after a week of occupying the main airport the country’s supreme court has ruled that the present government came to power committing electoral fraud and has been declared illegal with the Prime Minister banned from holding political office for five years. This confirms my belief in the importance of the Rule of Law.
According to www.Change.Gov the site of Transitional Obama Administration
Senator Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
Over nearly four decades in public service, as an attorney, First Lady, Senator, and presidential candidate, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has become one of the nation's foremost champions for children and families and advocates for women's rights and human rights. During the Clinton Administration, she transformed the role of First Lady, fighting for universal health care and helping to lead successful bipartisan efforts to improve the adoption and foster care systems, reduce teen pregnancy, and provide health care to millions of children through the Children’s Health Insurance Program. As a representative of the United States, she championed American interests as well as the rights of women and girls in more than eighty countries around the world. In November 2000, Senator Clinton became the first Lady elected to public office and the first woman elected independently in New York State; she has since won re-election. In the Senate, she has continued to advocate for equal access to health care, education, and economic opportunity for women and girls around the world. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Clinton has fought for and secured in law improved health care for members of the National Guard and Reserves and worked to bring our troops home safely and responsibly from Iraq. She also serves as the only Senate member of the Transformation Advisory Group to the Joint Forces Command, working to modernize our military. And Senator Clinton has continued to fight for quality, affordable health care for every American, working to strengthen the Children’s Health Insurance Program and expand the use of health information technology. Most recently, as a groundbreaking candidate for President of the United States, Senator Clinton became the first woman ever to win a presidential primary, receiving more than 18 million votes as an advocate for working families and a voice for millions of Americans who have felt invisible to their government
The approval of Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State by Congress will not be a formality as Republicans are likely to press for clarification of the future role of Bill Clinton who has trotted around the globe fund raising for his interests, It will be interesting to see if she and her husband get on as well with our Foreign Secretary and South Shields MP David Miliband and his USA born wife and concert trained violinist and Condoleezza Rice a concert trained pianist who performed at the Palace for the Queen yesterday evening.
Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of Defence
Dr. Robert M. Gates was sworn in on December 18th, 2006, as the 22nd Secretary of Defence Before entering his present post, Secretary Gates was the President of Texas A&M University, the nation's seventh largest university. Prior to assuming the presidency of Texas A&M on August 1st, 2002, he served as Interim Dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M from 1999 to 2001. Secretary Gates served as Director of Central Intelligence from 1991 until 1993. Secretary Gates is the only career officer in CIA's history to rise from entry-level employee to Director. He served as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence from 1986 until 1989 and as Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser at the White House from January 20th, 1989, until November 6th, 1991, for President George H.W. Bush. Secretary Gates has been awarded the National Security Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal, has twice received the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, and has three times received CIA's highest award, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal. Secretary Gates received his bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary, his master's degree in history from Indiana University, and his doctorate in Russian and Soviet history from Georgetown University
Secretary Gates is already in position and therefore will not require confirmation and as a Republican nomination will be an important bridge between the present and new administrations. The doctorate in Russian and Russian studies will have been invaluable in past as been more valuable as Russian attempts to rebuild its power based on its control of energy not just to re-establish influence but as a warning to China should its historical ambitions in relation to Russia remain.
The British Russian feud Spying feud was also the subject of Spooks this week in which it emerged that dear sweet and gaining backroom Connie was the Russian spy within the system. During this, the least credible of this and other series Harry appears to have been able to have instantly recover from the intensive drug assisted inquisition while under suspicion as the person who had betrayed the British spying assets in the Russian secret service and state hierarchy.
Eric Holder, Attorney General
Mr. Holder is a litigation partner at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington, DC. During his professional career, Mr. Holder has held a number of significant positions in government. Upon graduating from Columbia Law School, he moved to Washington, DC and joined the Department of Justice as part of the Attorney General's Honours Program. In 1988, Mr. Holder was nominated by President Reagan to become an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was confirmed by the Senate and his investiture occurred in October of that year. Over the next five years, Judge Holder presided over hundreds of civil and criminal trials and matters. In 1993, President Clinton nominated Mr. Holder to become the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. He was confirmed later that year and served as the head of the largest United States Attorneys office in the nation for nearly four years. In 1997, President Clinton appointed Mr. Holder to serve as Deputy Attorney General, the number two position in the United States Department of Justice. He became the first African-American to serve as Deputy Attorney General. Mr. Holder briefly served under President Bush as Acting Attorney General pending the confirmation of Attorney General John Ashcroft. Mr. Holder attended Columbia College, majored in American History, and graduated in 1973. Mr. Holder then attended Columbia Law School from which he graduated in 1976. While in law school, he clerked at the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defence Fund and the Department of Justice's Criminal Division
Eric’s father came to the USA from Barbados at the age of 11 and if his appointment is confirmed he will be the first African American to become the Attorney General. Given that he was give a position by the Regan Administration and was acting Attorney General while the nominee of President Bush, he should not expect to face major difficulties obtaining approval.
Governor Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
Named one of America's Top Five Governors by Time magazine and one of America's top women leaders by Newsweek, Janet Napolitano stands out as a leader in developing innovative solutions to some of our country's greatest challenges. As Governor of Arizona, she's fought for quality schools, affordable healthcare, sensible economic development, a safe homeland, a secure border, and a government that is run efficiently and responsibly. She led the successful effort to create a new grade level in public school by offering voluntary full day kindergarten to every Arizona family. She raised teacher pay, expanded access to health insurance, and saved seniors millions on prescription drugs. Her homeland security background is extensive: as U.S. Attorney for Arizona, Napolitano led the Arizona portion of the domestic terrorism investigation into the Oklahoma City bombing; as Attorney General, she helped write the law to break up human smuggling rings; and as Governor, she implemented the first state homeland security strategy in the nation and opened the first state counter-terrorism centre. She is a leader in coordinating federal, state, local and bi-national homeland security efforts, having presided over large-scale disaster preparedness exercises to ensure well-crafted and functional emergency plans. Napolitano was the first governor to call for the National Guard to assist at the U.S. -- Mexico border at federal expense, and is a leading national voice for comprehensive immigration reform. The past chair of the National Governors Association -- the first woman in history to hold this position -- Janet Napolitano was re-elected in 2006 in a landslide victory as Arizona's 21st Governor. Prior to her election as Governor of Arizona, Napolitano served one term as Arizona Attorney General and four years as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona.
As her name suggests Janet is of Italian background but has a Methodist rather than Catholic background. She was listed as one of eight women could possible run for President in 2008 elect such has been her standing in the USA and she has the most challenging of roles as the first women in the newly created Department of Homeland security.
Susan Rice, Ambassador to the United Nations
Dr. Susan E. Rice served most recently as a Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Obama for America campaign while on leave from the Brookings Institution where she is a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy and Global Economy and Development Programs. Rice currently serves on the Obama-Biden Transition Project Advisory Board. From 1997-2001, she was U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. Prior to that, Rice served in the White House at the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs and as Director for International Organizations and Peacekeeping. Rice was previously a management consultant at McKinsey and Company. She received her B.A. in History with Honours from Stanford University and her M.Phil. and D.Phil. (Ph.D.) degrees in International Relations from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
Dr Rice is a brilliant and inspiring communicator and her statement yesterday suggested that she too has her sights on the USA Presidency 2016. Her appointment is likely to arouse the greatest controversy because she has been outspoken in the past and regarded as inexperienced and inflexible. I could not work it if she is also of African American background or central American background, Hopefully she enjoyed her time at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. This reminds that David Miliband has appeared a much more heavy weight politician since the noise about replacing Gordon Brown ended.
The presentation yesterday also included a contribution from Vice President Elect Joe Biden and where I obtained the impression that he would have a ream coordination role, Joe consistently impressed me throughout the campaign and I would not be surprised if he prove to be the most popular and effect Vice President for many a decade.
There are those who have immediately argued that such a strong team of ambitious individualists are unlikely to function well as a team. President Elect Obama dealt with this head on making two things clear. First that did not want a cabinet and administration of yes men and women but secondly that he was setting policy and taking responsibility and one had the impression he was telling the new team a much as the rest of the world that they had to toe the line or else.
I have one beef though. President Elect Obama as do all USA national politicians have the annoying habit of talking as if the United States is America and one concession they could make if they are serious about regaining moral leadership is to refer their countrymen as North Americans, but putting this to one side I believe he does understand that for the USA to achieve a world moral leadership role it must be earned, not with words but with action which will convince various interests, often interests in deep and prolonged conflict that there is a third way which his Presidency will pursue.
I accept that the USA is the most advanced and important military power in the world although for how long this will continue as China develops its military might alongside its economic strength will depend on how quickly the USA regains its economic momentum. It therefore is not surprising that after establishing his transitional office and appointing his Chief of Staff he concentrated on his Treasury, I will return to the interim office another day because it is only by looking at the numbers and extent that one realises what an extraordinary large and complex system there is in the USA at National and Federal level, given its structure of semi independent States with County and town political structures below that.
In the morning I watched a very enjoyable light weight film called Holiday staring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz with Jude Law. Kate plays an English lass living in a cottage in the Surrey countryside although the film includes a shot of the Cotswolds where she actually lives. She remains attached to the louse of a boyfriend who calls on her when inclined despite keeping from her that he is about to become engaged to another work colleague. She retires in in a constant floor of tears for an extended Christmas New Year holiday break. He approach to life and relationships contrasts to successful Cameron Diaz who owns and runs a company making film trailers and commercials. She also has a relationship with someone who is constantly deceiving and she throws him out of her luxury Malibu California home. They both connect through the internet on a home exchange site for the festive period, Whereas Kate is thrilled by her new environment, Cameron finds the countryside home and isolation unbearable until in walks June Law as Kate‘s brother seeking to crash for the night having drunk too much. She invites him immediately into her bed on the basis of a strangers passing in the night experience. Later she learns he is a widower with two adorable girls under the age of five. Over in California Kate commences two new relationships one is with the music man who works for Cameron’s film company and who is in the same kind of relationship as Kate. She also becomes a friend with a legendary Hollywood script writer who becomes transformed from a memory losing, dependent on using a Zimmer frame old fogy whose condition is significantly worse than mine and whose life she transforms as he transforms her life over a few short hours of taking an interest friendship, Of course the path to happiness for the two young women is not a smooth one and their former partners come to haunt them and take them back to where they were before. However there are plenty of nice heart warming moments in a film which the critics hated but I adored.
I have also previously forgotten to mention unexpected interesting piece of science fiction nonsense from the black and white era of 50 years ago, The Strange World of Planet X. The plot concerns a maniac research scientist experimenting with magnetic fields to an extent that he begins to affect the composition of substances, so the military immediately recognise the ray gun possibilities, but also the super human flying saucer time travellers from , shall we say planet x, who travels are disrupted and who decide to make a friendly visit to try and explain that his work is likely to play havoc with biological procreation and possible tilt the earth of its access. Of course the mad scientist does not want to pay any intention to this so the friends from out space have no alternative but to eliminate him with an even more effective ray gun.
Meanwhile the village wood becomes full of rapidly created insect monsters who have to zapped by the local army shooting each one individually. There is an instant romantic story between the most unlikely of new female computer specialists and the assistant scientist on the project and there is also a new French teacher for the village primary school which is located in a room school house in the middle of the wood, and where one of pupils spend most of her time gathering insects unaccompanied. The film is based on a novel and a seven part TV series run in 1956 which gained some popularity, The interest for me was the extent to which our knowledge as well as out film making ahs progressed since then although I still have my doubts about the implications of the multi billion science experimental project in Switzerland to recreate the big bang theory of the formation of the universe.
The first in judged importance is the announcement of the new U. S. A. Presidential National Security and Foreign Affairs Team which appeared to be both impressive and exciting and confirming that that President Elect Obama is more than a man of great vision and extraordinary rhetoric, remembering his performances addressing full stadiums filled with a cross section of citizens of the United States.
Second in importance is the decision of India to formally complain to Pakistan that the initial evidence gained from a capture Mumbai terrorist is that that although he, and it could be the others, are Indian origin Muslims they were all trained by a banned Pakistan group with Al Qaeda links. This may not be as provocative as it might appear, helping to avoid retaliatory attacks on Muslims within India.
Thirdly the response of Cabinet Minister, and close colleague of Prime Minister Ed Brown to the publication of the Joint Inspection report into the ability to Protect Children in the London Borough of Harringey includes (Tottenham) was as impressive and the report is devastating but raises more questions about the inadequacy of the government response since the child’s death. And why oh why does this child have no name. Who speaks for this child? Not the law.
Fourthly was the disclosure of an internal meeting, “accidentally” sent to the Conservative Party Leader which appeared to indicate that the government is attempting to fix what the speaker said and did on Wednesday after the State Opening of Parliament. There was also the first public appearance and identification of the young man who over a period of two years provided a Conservative Shadow Minister with the restricted (low level) information of the type which in the USA is regarded as open. There was also the announcement that the two most senior police officers involved in the arrest of the Member of Parliament have put in applications to become the next head of Police in London and therefore the most important police chief in the UK.
There also appeared to be some progress in resolving the politician situation in Thailand which has affected thousands of tourists, many from the UK
With these developments there would usually have been little time for anything else so it was fortunate that I had a full 24 hours available, spending the first six in writing and rewriting my Blog, attending the dentist in the afternoon, watching a flick for chicks called the Holiday in the morning and the latest episode of Spooks in the evening, eating and eating, completing my three a day of 101 project work.
My problem this morning is that I could spend the rest of the day researching and writing about yesterday and miss the latest developments as well as not attending to other activities. I have decided to attend to one activity, Christmas Cards and Christmas presents after a prolonged breakfast of cereal, toast, tea and puff pastry mince pie while listening to the news and then decide on the rest of the day depending on how I feel and what has happened. The first thing to note is that there is a covering of snow although there is more blue sky with fluffs of white cloud and that the town of Kelso in the Scottish borders has been without gas since a problem with the mains supply which could take three days to rectify, thus leaving 3000 folk of all changes with heating and cooking facilities in some instances.
I had a very good period of activity which also involved physical activity between 9 and 10 am moving completed volumes of 2005-2008 cultural experiences retrospectives from the single bedroom on the first floor display shelving to the second floor mezzanine display units, having moved most of the completed volumes of receipts and other miscellany to the second floor landing display areas, before putting in boxes, labelling and recording as the total available visible display area in the three story ten living room and five passage way areas are now full to brimming of the completed 7900 volumes with about 7800 now on immediate display. The second floor mezzanine display area is also where the public access volumes are located of the profiles of MySpace Friends and other public access My Space information, I also organised Christmas presents, cards, calendars in appropriate groups and made a note of what was left to do, and then commenced on sorting out completed work cards into their sets and volume. As a treat I enjoyed the first can of diet coke for several weeks and write this as the snow begins to melt off the roofs although elsewhere it continues to fall and creates problems for road users.
I hen concentrated attention of 101 project work, deciding on an early lunch of filled pasta shell, which was a mistake deciding on a full portion rather than the usual half portion, followed by a balance, and then shortly a second cup of tea of the day and a mince pie. I switched on the TV for the midday news and this is not working switching itself on and off occasionally getting a brief picture and sound. I have checked all the connections of which there are many without success so have abandoned decide ding that I will undertake a mixture of bringing work further up top date cleaning the area on the floor around the TV in case it is an ongoing problem and undertake further writing listening to a combination of news and music on line.
I also have decided to cut down on what I had planned in relation to the main news items of yesterday beginning with the arrest of the Shadow Minister where the chief constable of the British Railway police is reviewing how the actions in relation to the civil servant and the shadow Minister were carried out. Apparently this will take a week and is not concerned with whether the action was correctly initiated or not and will not deal with the role of the politicians and therefore can be seen as an attempt to defuse the situation prior to the tomorrow‘s State opening of Parliament. I mention this because my research about the President Elect of the USA has revealed a fantastic level of openness and information available on line.
The British Government needs to remind itself that it is the executive of Parliament and guard against regarding Parliament as a necessary evil to be tolerated and manipulated. The warning of what can happen came this lunchtime from Thailand when after a week of occupying the main airport the country’s supreme court has ruled that the present government came to power committing electoral fraud and has been declared illegal with the Prime Minister banned from holding political office for five years. This confirms my belief in the importance of the Rule of Law.
According to www.Change.Gov the site of Transitional Obama Administration
Senator Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
Over nearly four decades in public service, as an attorney, First Lady, Senator, and presidential candidate, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has become one of the nation's foremost champions for children and families and advocates for women's rights and human rights. During the Clinton Administration, she transformed the role of First Lady, fighting for universal health care and helping to lead successful bipartisan efforts to improve the adoption and foster care systems, reduce teen pregnancy, and provide health care to millions of children through the Children’s Health Insurance Program. As a representative of the United States, she championed American interests as well as the rights of women and girls in more than eighty countries around the world. In November 2000, Senator Clinton became the first Lady elected to public office and the first woman elected independently in New York State; she has since won re-election. In the Senate, she has continued to advocate for equal access to health care, education, and economic opportunity for women and girls around the world. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Clinton has fought for and secured in law improved health care for members of the National Guard and Reserves and worked to bring our troops home safely and responsibly from Iraq. She also serves as the only Senate member of the Transformation Advisory Group to the Joint Forces Command, working to modernize our military. And Senator Clinton has continued to fight for quality, affordable health care for every American, working to strengthen the Children’s Health Insurance Program and expand the use of health information technology. Most recently, as a groundbreaking candidate for President of the United States, Senator Clinton became the first woman ever to win a presidential primary, receiving more than 18 million votes as an advocate for working families and a voice for millions of Americans who have felt invisible to their government
The approval of Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State by Congress will not be a formality as Republicans are likely to press for clarification of the future role of Bill Clinton who has trotted around the globe fund raising for his interests, It will be interesting to see if she and her husband get on as well with our Foreign Secretary and South Shields MP David Miliband and his USA born wife and concert trained violinist and Condoleezza Rice a concert trained pianist who performed at the Palace for the Queen yesterday evening.
Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of Defence
Dr. Robert M. Gates was sworn in on December 18th, 2006, as the 22nd Secretary of Defence Before entering his present post, Secretary Gates was the President of Texas A&M University, the nation's seventh largest university. Prior to assuming the presidency of Texas A&M on August 1st, 2002, he served as Interim Dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M from 1999 to 2001. Secretary Gates served as Director of Central Intelligence from 1991 until 1993. Secretary Gates is the only career officer in CIA's history to rise from entry-level employee to Director. He served as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence from 1986 until 1989 and as Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser at the White House from January 20th, 1989, until November 6th, 1991, for President George H.W. Bush. Secretary Gates has been awarded the National Security Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal, has twice received the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, and has three times received CIA's highest award, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal. Secretary Gates received his bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary, his master's degree in history from Indiana University, and his doctorate in Russian and Soviet history from Georgetown University
Secretary Gates is already in position and therefore will not require confirmation and as a Republican nomination will be an important bridge between the present and new administrations. The doctorate in Russian and Russian studies will have been invaluable in past as been more valuable as Russian attempts to rebuild its power based on its control of energy not just to re-establish influence but as a warning to China should its historical ambitions in relation to Russia remain.
The British Russian feud Spying feud was also the subject of Spooks this week in which it emerged that dear sweet and gaining backroom Connie was the Russian spy within the system. During this, the least credible of this and other series Harry appears to have been able to have instantly recover from the intensive drug assisted inquisition while under suspicion as the person who had betrayed the British spying assets in the Russian secret service and state hierarchy.
Eric Holder, Attorney General
Mr. Holder is a litigation partner at Covington & Burling LLP in Washington, DC. During his professional career, Mr. Holder has held a number of significant positions in government. Upon graduating from Columbia Law School, he moved to Washington, DC and joined the Department of Justice as part of the Attorney General's Honours Program. In 1988, Mr. Holder was nominated by President Reagan to become an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He was confirmed by the Senate and his investiture occurred in October of that year. Over the next five years, Judge Holder presided over hundreds of civil and criminal trials and matters. In 1993, President Clinton nominated Mr. Holder to become the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. He was confirmed later that year and served as the head of the largest United States Attorneys office in the nation for nearly four years. In 1997, President Clinton appointed Mr. Holder to serve as Deputy Attorney General, the number two position in the United States Department of Justice. He became the first African-American to serve as Deputy Attorney General. Mr. Holder briefly served under President Bush as Acting Attorney General pending the confirmation of Attorney General John Ashcroft. Mr. Holder attended Columbia College, majored in American History, and graduated in 1973. Mr. Holder then attended Columbia Law School from which he graduated in 1976. While in law school, he clerked at the N.A.A.C.P. Legal Defence Fund and the Department of Justice's Criminal Division
Eric’s father came to the USA from Barbados at the age of 11 and if his appointment is confirmed he will be the first African American to become the Attorney General. Given that he was give a position by the Regan Administration and was acting Attorney General while the nominee of President Bush, he should not expect to face major difficulties obtaining approval.
Governor Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
Named one of America's Top Five Governors by Time magazine and one of America's top women leaders by Newsweek, Janet Napolitano stands out as a leader in developing innovative solutions to some of our country's greatest challenges. As Governor of Arizona, she's fought for quality schools, affordable healthcare, sensible economic development, a safe homeland, a secure border, and a government that is run efficiently and responsibly. She led the successful effort to create a new grade level in public school by offering voluntary full day kindergarten to every Arizona family. She raised teacher pay, expanded access to health insurance, and saved seniors millions on prescription drugs. Her homeland security background is extensive: as U.S. Attorney for Arizona, Napolitano led the Arizona portion of the domestic terrorism investigation into the Oklahoma City bombing; as Attorney General, she helped write the law to break up human smuggling rings; and as Governor, she implemented the first state homeland security strategy in the nation and opened the first state counter-terrorism centre. She is a leader in coordinating federal, state, local and bi-national homeland security efforts, having presided over large-scale disaster preparedness exercises to ensure well-crafted and functional emergency plans. Napolitano was the first governor to call for the National Guard to assist at the U.S. -- Mexico border at federal expense, and is a leading national voice for comprehensive immigration reform. The past chair of the National Governors Association -- the first woman in history to hold this position -- Janet Napolitano was re-elected in 2006 in a landslide victory as Arizona's 21st Governor. Prior to her election as Governor of Arizona, Napolitano served one term as Arizona Attorney General and four years as U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona.
As her name suggests Janet is of Italian background but has a Methodist rather than Catholic background. She was listed as one of eight women could possible run for President in 2008 elect such has been her standing in the USA and she has the most challenging of roles as the first women in the newly created Department of Homeland security.
Susan Rice, Ambassador to the United Nations
Dr. Susan E. Rice served most recently as a Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the Obama for America campaign while on leave from the Brookings Institution where she is a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy and Global Economy and Development Programs. Rice currently serves on the Obama-Biden Transition Project Advisory Board. From 1997-2001, she was U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. Prior to that, Rice served in the White House at the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs and as Director for International Organizations and Peacekeeping. Rice was previously a management consultant at McKinsey and Company. She received her B.A. in History with Honours from Stanford University and her M.Phil. and D.Phil. (Ph.D.) degrees in International Relations from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
Dr Rice is a brilliant and inspiring communicator and her statement yesterday suggested that she too has her sights on the USA Presidency 2016. Her appointment is likely to arouse the greatest controversy because she has been outspoken in the past and regarded as inexperienced and inflexible. I could not work it if she is also of African American background or central American background, Hopefully she enjoyed her time at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. This reminds that David Miliband has appeared a much more heavy weight politician since the noise about replacing Gordon Brown ended.
The presentation yesterday also included a contribution from Vice President Elect Joe Biden and where I obtained the impression that he would have a ream coordination role, Joe consistently impressed me throughout the campaign and I would not be surprised if he prove to be the most popular and effect Vice President for many a decade.
There are those who have immediately argued that such a strong team of ambitious individualists are unlikely to function well as a team. President Elect Obama dealt with this head on making two things clear. First that did not want a cabinet and administration of yes men and women but secondly that he was setting policy and taking responsibility and one had the impression he was telling the new team a much as the rest of the world that they had to toe the line or else.
I have one beef though. President Elect Obama as do all USA national politicians have the annoying habit of talking as if the United States is America and one concession they could make if they are serious about regaining moral leadership is to refer their countrymen as North Americans, but putting this to one side I believe he does understand that for the USA to achieve a world moral leadership role it must be earned, not with words but with action which will convince various interests, often interests in deep and prolonged conflict that there is a third way which his Presidency will pursue.
I accept that the USA is the most advanced and important military power in the world although for how long this will continue as China develops its military might alongside its economic strength will depend on how quickly the USA regains its economic momentum. It therefore is not surprising that after establishing his transitional office and appointing his Chief of Staff he concentrated on his Treasury, I will return to the interim office another day because it is only by looking at the numbers and extent that one realises what an extraordinary large and complex system there is in the USA at National and Federal level, given its structure of semi independent States with County and town political structures below that.
In the morning I watched a very enjoyable light weight film called Holiday staring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz with Jude Law. Kate plays an English lass living in a cottage in the Surrey countryside although the film includes a shot of the Cotswolds where she actually lives. She remains attached to the louse of a boyfriend who calls on her when inclined despite keeping from her that he is about to become engaged to another work colleague. She retires in in a constant floor of tears for an extended Christmas New Year holiday break. He approach to life and relationships contrasts to successful Cameron Diaz who owns and runs a company making film trailers and commercials. She also has a relationship with someone who is constantly deceiving and she throws him out of her luxury Malibu California home. They both connect through the internet on a home exchange site for the festive period, Whereas Kate is thrilled by her new environment, Cameron finds the countryside home and isolation unbearable until in walks June Law as Kate‘s brother seeking to crash for the night having drunk too much. She invites him immediately into her bed on the basis of a strangers passing in the night experience. Later she learns he is a widower with two adorable girls under the age of five. Over in California Kate commences two new relationships one is with the music man who works for Cameron’s film company and who is in the same kind of relationship as Kate. She also becomes a friend with a legendary Hollywood script writer who becomes transformed from a memory losing, dependent on using a Zimmer frame old fogy whose condition is significantly worse than mine and whose life she transforms as he transforms her life over a few short hours of taking an interest friendship, Of course the path to happiness for the two young women is not a smooth one and their former partners come to haunt them and take them back to where they were before. However there are plenty of nice heart warming moments in a film which the critics hated but I adored.
I have also previously forgotten to mention unexpected interesting piece of science fiction nonsense from the black and white era of 50 years ago, The Strange World of Planet X. The plot concerns a maniac research scientist experimenting with magnetic fields to an extent that he begins to affect the composition of substances, so the military immediately recognise the ray gun possibilities, but also the super human flying saucer time travellers from , shall we say planet x, who travels are disrupted and who decide to make a friendly visit to try and explain that his work is likely to play havoc with biological procreation and possible tilt the earth of its access. Of course the mad scientist does not want to pay any intention to this so the friends from out space have no alternative but to eliminate him with an even more effective ray gun.
Meanwhile the village wood becomes full of rapidly created insect monsters who have to zapped by the local army shooting each one individually. There is an instant romantic story between the most unlikely of new female computer specialists and the assistant scientist on the project and there is also a new French teacher for the village primary school which is located in a room school house in the middle of the wood, and where one of pupils spend most of her time gathering insects unaccompanied. The film is based on a novel and a seven part TV series run in 1956 which gained some popularity, The interest for me was the extent to which our knowledge as well as out film making ahs progressed since then although I still have my doubts about the implications of the multi billion science experimental project in Switzerland to recreate the big bang theory of the formation of the universe.
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