Obama passes the initial foreign test

post from AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth on 13 April 2009 12:55:00 AM. © AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth

As much as it is driving the hard right crazy, the rescue mission off Somalia worked. Captain Phillips was rescued during a brilliant mission by the Navy who had been given authority by Obama. As the hostage crisis developed, the hard right had been mocking Obama, hoping that he and yes, America, would fail. As much as they try and run away from their desire to see everything fail during this Obama administration, it is their own hatred of Obama that failed. They have been all too willing to give him none of the credit for a success and all of the blame should anything go wrong. The reality, of course, is that both extremes are not correct though it never works out that way in the real world.

This really was a great day for everyone involved in this crisis and Obama showed everyone that he was willing and able to step up and work well with the military in a crisis situation. The Navy made requests and he worked with them and allowed them to execute the mission with his full support. The problem of piracy will continue and more needs to be done in the region to shut this down but for now, Obama has passed the first non-US test. Unfortunately, to be continued...

"The president's focus was on saving and protecting the life of the captain," one adviser said. Friday evening, after a National Security Council telephone update, Obama granted U.S. forces what aides called "the authority to use appropriate force to save the life of the captain." On Saturday at 9:20 a.m., Obama went further, giving authority to an "additional set of U.S. forces to engage in potential emergency actions."

A top military official, Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, commander of the Fifth Fleet, explained that Obama issued a standing order that the military was to act if the captain's life was in immediate danger.

"Our authorities came directly from the president," he said. "And the number one authority for incidents if we were going to respond was if the captain's life was in immediate danger. And that is the situation in which our sailors acted."

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Considered Forthwith: House Science and
Technology Committee

post from Docudharma - Front Page on 13 April 2009 12:53:14 AM. © Docudharma - Front Page

Crossposted at Daily Kos, Congress Matters and A Little R&R.This is a series I started at Daily Kos and Congress Matters. I figured I would offer it here, too. If ya'll don't like it, let me know. I can handle the falmes.Welcome to the third installment[...]

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Open Thread and Diary Rescue

post from Daily Kos on 13 April 2009 12:32:05 AM. © Daily Kos

US Congressman Jared Polis gives us a personal perspective on one of the world's war zones in My visit to Afghanistan. (YatPundit)

Responding to Glenn Beck's recent invoking of Thomas Paine to encourage American citizens to protest against Obama's proposals, yodafone uses Paine's own words to demonstrate that in fact, Paine Was a Socialist. (ItsJessMe)

First time diarist NextTenWords describes how Gov. Pat Quinn's frugality and General Colin Powell's Yiddish skills were both on display at The Opening Gala For the New Chicagoland Holocaust Museum. (ItsJessMe)

Vladislaw provides us with his latest Space Roundup: Earth's Dwindling Resources Drive Space Exploration. (taylormattd)

A Siegel keeps us informed about the latest anti-climate change propaganda, this time appearing in the "Politics" section of the "liberal" Gray Lady: NY Times: Lets promote a Republican, Global Warming-denier Operative. (taylormattd)

JDSulli rants about having a family that falls "somewhere to the right of Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin" and how extremists don't care about what makes sense to others, in On growing up and extremism. (ItsJessMe)

Gemina13 offers The Hand That Feeds You by simple cooking and sharing. (HansScholl)

Railing against an Obama economic policy that he likens to a "financial Dubya," greenfire wonders if perhaps we have more in common with the teabaggers than we think in Beyond Moral Hazard. (sunspark says)

jotter has this Week's High Impact Diaries: April 4-10, 2009 and High Impact Diaries: April 11, 2009.

virgomusic has today's Top Comments - Easter in Boston Edition!

Please use this as an Open Thread as well as your chance to promote your favorite diaries of the day. Respectful engagement is most welcome here. Please keep in mind that each Diary Rescue's daily purview extends from 3pm PDT yesterday to 3pm PDT today.

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-Rescue

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Is the Chamber of Commerce Using Bailout Money to
Attack Workers

post from Open Left - Front Page on 13 April 2009 12:20:45 AM. © Open Left - Front Page

2 + 2 = 4. So, what do these two excepts add up to? Monday's Wall Street Journal reports:[...]

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A VideoConnect Your Relationships To The World
Around You

post from Texas Liberal on 13 April 2009 12:18:53 AM. © Texas Liberal

The video above, which runs just over two minutes, was made first for my friends to view. But I’ve decided to run it on the blog as well.The video is about how a friendship that may seem to exist in isolation, is in fact connected to the larger world. It’s about how we can apply creativity to our relationships [...]

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Shortsighted Hubris

post from Docudharma - Front Page on 13 April 2009 12:15:54 AM. © Docudharma - Front Page

While Americans celebrate the successful rescue of Richard Phillips, the captain of the Maersk Alabama, I think it is also to keep in mind what now has been set in motion. As the Washington Post reports "U.S. military officials acknowledged Sunday that[...]

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The Nightowl Newswrap

post from They gave us a republic... - Front Page on 13 April 2009 12:15:00 AM. © They gave us a republic... - Front Page

Easter Seals! Hats off to the Navy Seals who put an end to the standoff and freed Captain Phillips today with lethal precision that left three of the four pirates dead and one under arrest. Good for President Obama for approving the mission. That's a strong message to send to the pirates. But we already know that I support chasing them down, killing them and sinking their damned boats.

The worst kind of treachery A former U.S. Marshall who was once a good cop who chased down fugitive gang leaders and brought them to justice, John Ambrose is now facing trial himself. He stands accused of betraying his oath and leaking secrets to the mob. It is alleged that seven years ago he told organized crime figures that a so-called made man in the Chicago mob was a rat who was providing detailed information to federal prosecutors. If convicted, Ambrose faces years in prison.

It's a start CNN is reporting that President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, called Israeli Orime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today and that the two had a "warm and friendly" conversation.

Three in four Americans favor relations with Cuba A new poll by CNN and Opinion Research Corporation shows that three of four respondents favor establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba and two of three think the travel ban should be lifted.

Riots in Thailand continue Violence intensified today as riot police clashed with protesters who want the Prime Minister to resign. The protesters lit fires and blocked off streets, and the government looked weak and ineffectual.

We won! In his "goodbye cruel world" sermon as he stepped down from Focus on the Family, James Dobson conceded that the freakazoids lost the culture war, that no matter how much they hated nor how mean they were about it, it just wasn't enough. And on behalf of my beautiful, happy, healthy and unconditionally loved lesbian daughter and her partner of three years and counting - I would like to tell Mr. Dobson to "suck on this!"

Is anyone truly surprised that Palin popped off without thinking and now has to backpedal? Right after the Justice Department announced that the case against Ted Stevens would be discharged and not retried Sarah Palin opened that ignorant hole in her face and started spouting off that Mark Begich to resign and a special election be held. Now she is insisting that she didn't call for his resignation, she called for a special election - but the only way for that to happen would be for Begich to resign. "I didn't call for Begich to step down, either. I said I absolutely agree that Alaskans deserve a fair, untainted election for the United States senate seat. I'm not splitting hairs on how that happens. I'm saying wonderful, good. I want to see an election that is fair, that isn't influenced unduly by some announcement that the sitting senator was facing a multi-felony count conviction. That's what we were told. Now, come to find out, that wasn't the case." (Subtle and nuance aren't exactly her long suits, are they?)

Apologizing was the least she could do Betty Brown, the Texas state legislator who set off howls of protest nationwide when she said that Asian Americans should change their names to something 'normal' has formally apologized to the Asian-American community.

Foreclosure sales plagued by red tape Distressed properties make up roughly a quarter of U.S. homes for sale. Moving them would go a long way toward stabilizing home prices. But working with the banks, which are typically based far from the homes they're selling, is not as simple as buying from a regular homeowner. Until foreclosures start selling, chances of the housing market recovering are slim. But as bargain hunters turn their attention to foreclosures, many are discovering the toughest challenge is dealing with the banks that repossessed the homes. These banks are usually quick to accept a bid and write a contract. But the closer buyers get to the settlement table, the greater the potential for bureaucratic bungling and the chance the buyers will give up. "Things go wrong, and it takes the bank a lot longer to deal with them," said Vivianne Couts, a Virginia real estate agent. "There are a lot more people involved, many more layers. The Realtor can't always call the bank and say, 'What's going on here?' "

Angel Cabrera takes the green jacket at Augusta At the beginning of the day the focus was on the duel between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson became a three way shootout between Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera. Kenny Perry fell apart and when the smoke cleared, Cabrera was the first Argentine to wear the green jacket.

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GHM Up 11%; AA Reports Earnings; Oil Drives Up
Alternative Energy

I sure hope Daily Profit readers bought some shares of Graham Corp (AMEX:GHM) when I suggested it in the March 19 edition. Graham closed at $9.33 that day. Today, it’s pushing $11 a share for a 16% gain.

Graham is exactly the type of stock I love. It’s in an important sector…

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Earning Season Starts with AA, BBBY, and CVX

Time flies. Seems like earnings season just ended and yet here we are again. But first-quarter earnings kick off tomorrow with Alcoa (NYSE:AA).

Given how far the stock market has come over the last three weeks, you might think stock prices are set up for a fall as the reality of…

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HOV and GHM still in the green

Unemployment numbers continue to rise, but investors are more focused on the hope that the economy has bottomed and may be positioning for recovery. At least for now.

Please note that I said "positioning for recovery." Mortgage rates are down and that seems to be helping the housing market a little.…

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