ObamaOdrama

Politico reports that Obama signed a waiver Thursday that will allow the Palestinian Liberation Organization to retain its offices in Washington D.C.

Not really startling news but the timing couldn’t be more portentous:

The waiver was released at about the same time that Obama was having a Passover Seder at the White House with friends and members of his staff.

Oy vey!

In light of Iran’s recent claim of now running 7,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges and Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad declaring the nuclear issue a closed case, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the U.S. was still waiting for a response from Iran to engage in talks.

Apparently the U.S. and other U.N. Security Council nations don’t understand that a lack of a response is a response.  Actually Mr. Ahmamembersonlyjacket clearly stated he would only sit down on condition that there were no conditions.

While the U.N. Security Council holds numerous “emergency meetings” that only result in the member nations agreeing to disagree, Iran and North Korea seem quite content to pursue their nuclear ambitions without impunity while our allies in their respective regions begin to realize exactly what George Bush understood.

Shintaro Ito, Japan’s vice minister for foreign affairs, who flew to New York to press for added sanctions, said before Thursday’s talks among the council’s major powers that the credibility of the Security Council would suffer unless diplomats react quickly to the launch.

“If we don’t do adequate and swift action for these serious violations, the existence of the Security Council as a meaningful institution will become doubtful,” Ito said.

“The adequate reaction is to adopt a resolution,” he said. “This is a serious problem for regional peace and security. And also this is a big test for the United Nations Security Council.”

Better check that cowboy diplomacy Ito…

In a recent telephone survey, Rasmussen asked whether people thought capitalism or socialism was better and only 53% of adults responded capitalism was better.

Only 53%, are you serious!?  Who is Rasmussen calling?  How can just 53% favor capitalism while only 14% believe the government would do a better job at running the auto or even less believe it would be good at running the financial firms?

The text messages are quite clear, “US R SSINF.”

According to Reuters, Obama declined to answer multiple questions about the U.S. hostage crisis off the coast of Somalia during a White House event on refinancing.

Now I’m not naive.. I know Americans are taken hostage all around the world which is why I won’t step foot in Mexico.  However, this the first pirate attack on a U.S. flagged vessel in centuries and America’s commander-in-chief can’t stop talking about refis?  You might think the opportunistic Obama would at least take advantage of the media, close-up moment to express his concern for the ship’s captain, Richard Phillips.   Not a peep. 

Of course, he doesn’t care to answer the question because he doesn’t care.  It’s not on his agenda so it’s not on his teleprompter… next question.

Wish I could say this “news” surprised me but unless there are strong indicators that the public is outraged by this or this crisis turns into a successful hostage negotiation, don’t expect to hear much from the Obama…  it’s not his thang.

While America faces both historical domestic and international challenges, Obama is turning to what has served him best over his political career to put America back on the road to prosperity… campaigning.  And if you thought the 2008 presidential race was the longest, most expensive, and most controversial… you ain’t seen nothing yet.

According to the NY Times, Obama will begin addressing the country’s illegal immigration system this year including a legal path to citizenship for 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.

Mr. Obama plans to speak publicly about the issue in May, administration officials said, and over the summer he will convene working groups, including lawmakers from both parties and a range of immigration groups, to begin discussing possible legislation for as early as this fall.

Some White House officials said that immigration would not take precedence over the health care and energy proposals that Mr. Obama has identified as priorities. But the timetable is consistent with pledges Mr. Obama made to Hispanic groups in last year’s campaign.

He said then that comprehensive immigration legislation, including a plan to make legal status possible for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, would be a priority in his first year in office. Latino voters turned out strongly for Mr. Obama in the election.

“He intends to start the debate this year,” Ms. Muñoz said.

The race for 2012 just started.  Actually it started much earlier since technically Obama never stopped campaigning and locking up 12+ million votes has been in the works for quite awhile. 

ACORN, the National Day Laborer Organizer Network, and House Democrats kicked things off in Arizona by requesting the Department of (in)Justice  investigate Sheriff Joe Arpiao’s enforcement of immigration laws.  ACORN was back at it with support from the U.S. Census Bureau to assist in 2010’s redistricting.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) joined the campaign and was whipping up legal and illegal immigrants calling them patriotic and current U.S. immigration laws un-American.  Following the party’s momentum, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced a postponement of immigration raids and a new focus on businesses rather than illegal immigrants.  April Fool’s day wasn’t fooling anyone when Commerce Secretary Gary Locke met with Hispanic special interest groups demanding immigration reform or risk the “future of the United States,”  because the next day the Census Bureau was enlisting Univision, the National Council of La Raza, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials to make sure every illegal would be counted.

Make no mistake about it, the race for 2012 is on and American’s still have much to pay for the inauguration.