Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : THE WHITE HOUSE -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: pompsander who wrote (25052)	11/5/2008 5:35:53 PM
From: longnshort	1 Recommendation Respond to of 25737

Obama Supporter Waves Communist Flag at Victory Celebration Outside White House breitbart.tv

To: pompsander who wrote (25052)	11/5/2008 6:07:38 PM
From: longnshort	Respond to of 25737

when will Putin put missiles in Cuba, since he doesn't respect Obama Russia to deploy short-range missiles near Poland Nov 5 06:24 PM US/Eastern By STEVE GUTTERMAN and VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press Writers MOSCOW (AP) - Russia will deploy short-range missiles near Poland to counter U.S. military plans in Eastern Europe, President Dmitry Medvedev warned Wednesday, setting a combative tone that clashed with global goodwill over Barack Obama's election. In his first state of the nation speech, Medvedev blamed Washington for the war in Georgia and the world financial crisis and suggested it was up to Washington to mend badly damaged ties. Medvedev also proposed increasing the Russian presidential term to six years from four—a change that could deepen Western concern over democracy in Russia and play into the hands of his mentor, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who has not ruled out a return to the Kremlin. Extending the presidential term could mean a possible 12 more years in the top office for the popular Putin. Echoing Putin, who made criticism of Washington and the West a hallmark of his two-term, eight-year presidency, Medvedev used the speech in an ornate Kremlin reception hall to cast Russia as a nation threatened by encroaching American military might. "From what we have seen in recent years—the creation of a missile defense system, the encirclement of Russia with military bases, the relentless expansion of NATO—we have gotten the clear impression that they are testing our strength," Medvedev said. He signaled Moscow would not give in to Western calls to pull troops from Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, or rescind its recognition of their independence following the August war. "We will not retreat in the Caucasus," he said, winning one of many rounds of applause during the televised 85-minute address. Talking tough, he fleshed out long-promised military measures in response to U.S. plans for missile defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic, former Soviet satellites now in NATO. The Kremlin claims the system is meant to weaken Russia, not defend against Iran, as Washington insists. Medvedev said Iskander missiles would be deployed to Russia's western enclave of Kaliningrad, sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, "to neutralize, if necessary, a missile defense system." The Iskander has a range of about 280 kilometers (175 miles), which would allow it to reach targets in Poland but not in the Czech Republic—but officials have said its range could be increased. Medvedev did not say whether the missiles would be fitted with nuclear warheads. Russia will also deploy electronic jamming equipment, Medvedev said. After the speech, the Kremlin announced Medvedev had congratulated Obama for winning the U.S. presidency, saying in a telegram he was "counting on a constructive dialogue with you on the basis of trust and taking each other's interests into account." In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack emphasized that the planned missile defenses were not aimed at Russia. "The steps that the Russian government announced today are disappointing," McCormack said. "But, again, this is not directed at them. Hopefully one day they'll realize that." Medvedev appeared to be trying to improve Russia's bargaining position in potential talks with the Obama administration on missile defense. His wording suggested Russia would reverse the decision if the U.S. scraps its missile defense plans. "Moscow isn't interested in confrontation, and if Obama makes some conciliatory gestures it will respond correspondingly," said Alexander Pikayev, an analyst at Moscow's Institute for World Economy and International Relations. But independent military analyst Alexander Golts said Medvedev's "confrontational tone" could further harm relations with the United States, which plunged to a post-Cold War low over the war in Georgia. "Russia itself is cutting off the route toward better ties," he said. Regional leaders criticized Medvedev's missile warning. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said it was "certainly the wrong signal at the wrong time" and urged the U.S. and Russia to see change in the White House as an "opportunity for a new beginning." Medvedev suggested the U.S. must make the first move to break the chill. The Kremlin hopes the incoming administration "will make a choice in favor of full-fledged relations with Russia," he said. In addition to calling for a six-year presidential term, he said parliament's term should be extended to five years instead of four and its power over the executive branch increased. Both changes could strengthen the hand of Putin, who can run for president again in 2012 and now heads the dominant United Russia party.

To: pompsander who wrote (25052)	11/5/2008 7:57:43 PM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Respond to of 25737

What happens to Sarah Palin now? Wed Nov 5, 2008 6:06pm EST reuters.com By Steve Holland - Analysis WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Love her or hate her, Sarah Palin was a phenomenon as the Republican vice presidential running mate to John McCain, and the question for the self-styled moose-hunting hockey mom is: What now? Alaska Gov. Palin, plucked from obscurity and thrust on to the national stage to mixed reviews, was publicly cool to talk that she might have caught the presidential bug and seek to run against Democrat Barack Obama in 2012. "I don't know politically where in the world I'll be then," she told reporters on Wednesday in Phoenix. But her interest in playing some kind of national role was evident from the words of McCain himself on Tuesday night in his concession speech after he was defeated by Obama. "We can all look forward with great interest to her future service to Alaska, the Republican Party and our country," he said. Palin, 44, drew huge crowds on the campaign trail, bigger than McCain's. She proved to be a powerful performer in stump speeches, energizing the Republican base. But she was less effective in television interviews, botching a couple of early media encounters to the point that some prominent conservatives said she was too inexperienced to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Her folksy, "you betcha" style was both refreshing and grist for countless jokes on late-night television, giving a career boost to her actress doppelganger, Tina Fey of NBC's "Saturday Night Live." "She clearly has a future in national politics," said Republican strategist Scott Reed. "She has to work to rebuild the parts of her image that became a caricature. But she's extremely popular with the grassroots." "Palin needs to take some time back in Alaska and regroup with her day job. There's plenty of time to plot and scheme after the Christmas holidays," he said. REPUBLICAN VISIONS While Palin was selected by McCain in 2008, if she ran in 2012 she would compete against formidable members of her own party with their own visions like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Republican strategist Tony Fabrizio said Palin is not the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2012. He noted in particular some revelations uncovered by the news media during what amounted to a public vetting of her record once she was picked by McCain. Her acceptance of thousands of dollars in daily travel expenses from the state while living at home and the Republican Party's costly shopping spree to equip her and her family with designer clothing may come back to haunt her. "She needs to go back home and face all of the stuff that's been raked up in the presidential race. Voters in Alaska found out a lot of stuff about Sarah Palin that they didn't know about Sarah Palin. She's got to go back and get herself re-elected," Fabrizio said. Palin's future may depend on how the Republican Party itself changes in response to its defeat. Social conservatives who are warmest to Palin represent a dwindling minority in the party, which was rocked by the Obama victory and will now undergo a period of reflection and soul-searching about the future. Palin was said to have little time for people who did not agree with her socially conservative views. "If she wants to be a voice for a part of the new failed Republican Party, she's going to have to broaden her appeal," said a McCain staff member who asked not to be named. Linda Fowler, a political science professor at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, said a drop in oil prices could hit Alaska's budget and make her job as governor much tougher, jeopardizing her high approval rating in the state. "I think there will be a different environment for her in Alaska both because of the national exposure, which won't necessarily be positive, and because the internal politics of the state will probably change," she said. =========================================================== (Perhaps she will run for the Senate from Alaska --- when and if Stevens is ejected?)

To: pompsander who wrote (25052)	11/6/2008 3:50:49 AM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25737

Sarah Palin "did not know Africa was a continent' say aides From Times Online November 6, 2008 Anne Barrowclough timesonline.co.uk Sarah Palin spent "tens of thousands" more than the quoted $150,000 on clothes for the Republican campaign, met McCain aides in her hotel room dressed in nothing but a towel, and did not know Africa was a continent, according to new reports. Fox news has reported that Mrs Palin did not understand that Africa was a continent, not a country, and did not know what countries were in the North American Free Trade Agreement. In separate claims made in the latest issue of Newsweek magazine, the Republican vice presidential nominee was reported to have been told to buy three suits for the Republican convention, and to hire a stylist. Instead, she went on a spending spree in upmarket stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. Quoting unnamed sources within the McCain camp, the magazine alleges that most of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who "was shocked when he got the bill." An angry aide described the shopping spree as "Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast," and said the truth would eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books. The magazine also claimed that Mrs Palin used low ranking staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards, and that up to $40000 was spent on clothes for her husband Todd. A number of articles of clothing have been lost, the magazine states. The disclosures are made in "How He Did It, 2008," in Newsweek's Special Election Project, a behind-the-scenes account of the presidential election produced the day after the polls closed. The magazine also claims that at the GOP convention in St. Paul, when aides Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter went to her hotel room to brief her, Ms Palin walked into the room wearing only a towel, with another on her wet hair. She told them to chat to Todd, adding: "I'll be just a minute. Other election revelations include that on the night Hillary Clinton officially lost the Democratic nomination, she enjoyed a long and friendly phone conversation with McCain. "Clinton was actually on better terms with McCain than she was with Obama," reports the magazine. "Clinton and McCain had downed shots together on Senate junkets; they regarded each other as grizzled veterans of the political wars and shared a certain disdain for Obama as flashy and callow. "

To: pompsander who wrote (25052)	11/6/2008 3:53:34 AM
From: DuckTapeSunroof	Respond to of 25737

Is Sarah Palin Nipping at Ted Stevens' Heels? The Sleuth Mary Ann Akers... Behind the Scenes in Washington voices.washingtonpost.com We have a fascinating situation in Alaska. Convicted felon Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is clinging to a 2 point lead over his Democratic challenger, Mark Begich. If this lead holds and Stevens, 84, wins reelection, his race will be the biggest shocker of Election Day. And he'll hold a place in history as the first convicted felon ever reelected to the Senate. As the Anchorage Daily News reports, the race may not be decided for two weeks given the roughly 40,000 absentee ballots left to be counted, plus "9,000 uncounted early votes and thousands of questioned ballots." If Stevens does beat the odds and wins his surreal reelection battle, he won't be welcome back in the Senate, where Democrats gained at least five more seats last night with the counting still going strong in yet undecided races. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said this week that even if Stevens wins his race, he shouldn't expect to keep his job on Capitol Hill. "The reality is that a convicted felon is not going to be able to serve in the United States Senate," Reid said. "And as precedent shows us, Senator Stevens will face an ethics committee investigation and expulsion, regardless of his appeals process." And what might happen if his colleagues do kick Stevens out of the Senate, prompting a special election? Who might be in line to replace him? Hint: lipstick; $150,000 wardrobe. Yep, you betcha! Sarah Palin. And although Palin would likely face a legal challenge if she tried to appoint herself or a temporary replacement (a law passed by the Alaska Legislature after Lisa Murkowski's appointment to the Senate by her father, former Gov. Frank Murkowski, requires a special election to fill any Senate vacancies) she would certainly be the frontrunner in any race to replace Stevens. Palin has no made no secret of her desire to stay on the national political scene. And - just ask President-elect Barack Obama - what better place than the Senate to launch your bid for the White House?