“A presidency is defined less by what happens in the Oval Office than by what is done by the more than 3,000 men and women the president appoints to government office. Only 600 of them are subject to Senate approval. The rest serve at the pleasure of the president.

We have little doubt that Mr. Obama’s appointees would bring a level of competence, compassion and intellectual achievement to the executive branch that hasn’t been seen since the New Frontier. He has energized a new generation of Americans who would put the concept of service back in “public service.”

Consider that while Mr. McCain selected as his running mate Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, a callow and shrill partisan, Mr. Obama selected Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. Mr. Biden’s 35-year Senate career has given him encyclopedic expertise on legislative and judicial issues, as well as foreign affairs.

The idea that 3,000 bright, dedicated and accomplished Americans would be joining the Obama administration to serve the public — as opposed to padding their resumés or shilling for the corporate interests they’re sworn to oversee — is reassuring. That they would be serving a president who actually would listen to them is staggering.”

You couldn’t ask for more fantastic weather yesterday. The whole holiday has been like that. We have barely seen one fly.

After carefully observing the Democratic and Republican nominees in drawn-out primary struggles as well as in the general campaign, including three debates, the Chronicle strongly believes that the ticket of Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden offers the best choice to lead the United States on a new course into the second decade of the 21st century.

Obama appears to possess the tools to confront our myriad and daunting problems. He’s thoughtful and analytical. He has met his opponents’ attacks with calm and reasoned responses. Viewers of the debates saw a poised, well-prepared plausible president with well-articulated positions on the bread-and-butter issues that poll after poll indicate are the true concerns of voters. While Arizona Sen. John McCain and his running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin have struck an increasingly personal and negative tone in their speeches, Obama has continued to talk about issues of substance.

…

Perhaps the worst mistake McCain made in his campaign for the White House was the choice of the inexperienced and inflammatory Palin as his vice-presidential running mate. Had he selected a moderate, experienced Republican lawmaker such as Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison with a strong appeal to independents, the Chronicle’s choice for an endorsement would have been far more difficult.

and some days I gotta wonder if the NY Times has a bunch of wanna-be journalists or insta-reporters hidden in a closet somewhere

there has to ba an explanation for the lack of institutional memory at the ny times

their latest “wet behind the ears” cubbie is named MARK MAZZETTI

apparently, this IDIOT, MARK MAZZETTI, is all impressed because the bush crooks have some PAPERS

the IDIOT MARK MAZZETTI thinks these papers are somehow related to Iran

I guess the IDIOT MARK MAZZETTI never heard of the evidence that saddam hussain was trying to develop WMDs

I guess the IDIOT MARK MAZZETTI never heard of the forged niger documents, or the sixteen word lie from george bush about the niger uranium forgeries

I assume the IDIOT MARK MAZZETTI is unaware of these facts, cuz the whole article gushes about how important these papers are

where does the ny times find these idiots ???

http://74.125.95.104/search?q=…..#038;gl=us
JUST A FEW POINTS IN THAT REPORT
The policies and actions of Iraq’s neighbors greatly affect its stability and prosperity. No country
in the region will benefit in the long term from a chaotic Iraq. Yet Iraq’s neighbors are not doing
enough to help Iraq achieve stability. Some are undercutting stability.

REMEMBER THIS ONE
The United States cannot achieve its goals in the Middle East unless it deals directly with
the Arab-Israeli conflict and regional instability. There must be a renewed and sustained
commitment by the United States to a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace on all fronts: Lebanon,
Syria, and President Bush’s June 2002 commitment to a two-state solution for Israel and
Palestine. This commitment must include direct talks with, by, and between Israel, Lebanon,
Palestinians (those who accept Israel’s right to exist), and Syria.

I KEEP THINKING THEY NEED TO TAKE “ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO EXIST” AND RESTATE “ISRAEL EXISTS” and then get back to the judgement that the International World Courts decision four years ago that the Wall is illegal, the settlements in occupied Palestinian territories are illegal.
The United States should immediately launch a new diplomatic offensive to build an
international consensus for stability in Iraq and the region. This diplomatic effort should include

Remember the ICC’s decision on the I/P conflict
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl…..10/israel3
every country that has an interest in avoiding a chaotic Iraq, including all of Iraq’s neighbors.
Iraq’s neighbors and key states in and outside the region should form a support group to
reinforce security and national reconciliation within Iraq, neither of which Iraq can achieve on its
own.

Muqtada al-Sadr urges rejection of US-Iraqi pact

By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer Hamza Hendawi, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 21 mins ago

BAGHDAD – Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Saturday called on Iraq’s parliament to reject a U.S.-Iraqi security pact as tens of thousands of his followers rallied in Baghdad against the deal.

The mass public show of opposition came as U.S. and Iraqi leaders face a Dec. 31 deadline to reach agreement on the deal, which would replace an expiring U.N. mandate authorizing the U.S.-led forces in Iraq.

Al-Sadr’s message was read by his aide Sheik Abdul-Hadi al-Mohammadawi before a huge crowd of mostly young men waving Iraqi and green Shiite flags and chanting slogans including “no, no to the agreement” and “yes to Iraq.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..ea/ml_iraq