A new USA Today/Gallup polls finds that Americans selected President-elect Obama as their most admired man of the year, followed by... George W. Bush.
Also, the media continues their obsession with Obama and his church attendance.
And, retailers are not have a joyous holiday season.
After all the smears Republicans tried to launch against Obama, I'm really amazed at how much support he has achieved during the transition. In a new USA Today/Gallup poll, Americans chose the president-elect as their most admired man (living today):
A month before his inauguration, Americans choose Barack Obama as the man they admire most in the world, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. It's the first time a president-elect has topped the annual survey in more than a half-century.
Before you get all excited, take a look at who is number two:
- George W. Bush
Crazy, huh? Granted, Obama received 32% of the vote and Bush only received 5%, but it is a jaw-dropper that ANYONE in this country would chose George W. Bush as their most admired man in the world. Even if it only is 5%. Other men on the list include John McCain, Pope Benedict XVI, Billy Graham and Bill Clinton.
Hillary Clinton won the most votes for admired woman with 20%, but guess who is number two on this list? You betcha it's Sarah Palin. 11% of Americans admire her more than any other woman in the world, which is a very, very sad commentary.
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Politico names the political personalities they will miss hearing from in 2008. I think most Americans will not miss the following on Politico's list: Carly Fiorina (isn't she still under McCain's bus?), Ted Stevens, William Jefferson, Alan Colmes and Dick Cheney. Yes, Politico is going to miss Dick Cheney scowling and responding "so what?" to questions of his mistakes, but I think the vast majority of Americans will be glad to see him go. I know I will!
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Why is there such an obsession in the media about Obama and church?
Barack Obama has long stressed the importance of religion in his life. But as his fellow Christians around the world attended Christmas services on Wednesday and Thursday, the president-elect and his family remained sequestered at their vacation compound on the windward coast of Oahu.
His lack of attendance at formal religious services was obvious and showcased a dilemma faced by Obama, who is between churches and often also expresses concern about bringing the disruption of his security detail into the lives of others.
Still, he has not attended a public church service since before being elected, a departure from the actions of his two immediate predecessors.
OMG! OMG! Does anyone care about this other than the media?
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Speaking of the media, this is pretty funny. A well-wisher dropped off cookies for the pool reporters and photographers covering Obama in Hawaii. After many members of the media started tearing into the cookies, they discovered there was a live cockroach in the bag. Ew!
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So this whole Bush-pardon story is quite interesting. The New York Daily News editorial board says someone needs to answer some questions:
So Toussie's criminal record remains. What remains for the incoming Obama Justice Department is to fully investigate how the awesome and unchecked presidential pardon power was perverted. Whoever did it must be prosecuted and imprisoned.
As Toussie hadn't waited the required five years since the end of his sentence, he wasn't even eligible for a review by the department's pardon attorney. So who broke the rules and pushed Toussie along?
Who processed the unauthorized pardon at the White House and submitted it to the President?
The New York Times reports that it was Fred F. Fielding, the White House counsel, who recommended the pardon.
The Minnesota Independent also finds it interesting that Norm Coleman's connection with Toussie is the second "pardon scandal" he has been involved in recent memory.
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What is on the State of California's wish list for the holidays? Why, high-speed rail, of course:
With the economy in recession, California's plan to ask the federal government for billions of dollars to help build the nation's first high-speed rail system might seem like wishful thinking rather than a feasible financial strategy.
But transportation officials say that California's high-speed rail project seems to be on a fast track to a hefty federal contribution - perhaps as much as $15 billion to $20 billion.
Niiiiiice. The cost of the major line from San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim will cost around $33.6 billion. Obama's transportation policy specifically mentions his support of high-speed rail, so I would think the chances of California getting federal support for this project are very high.
The State of Texas is also hoping to take advantage of federal money to build high-speed rail lines.
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Speaking of federal money, the Washington Post editorial board argues the government's Hope for Homeowners program has been a complete flop and wonders if that will impact the proposed homeowner portion of the next stimulus plan:
Basically, the plan was to offer as much as $300 billion in government-guaranteed home loans to people whose current mortgages exceed the value of their houses; 400,000 people would benefit, it was said. Well, the early returns are in, and the program is, at this point, a flop. There have been only 312 applications, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. At that rate, the three-year program would help only about 5,400 borrowers.
We hate to say we told you so, but -- we told you so. Except that we never guessed that the program would perform quite this poorly. The Bush administration and the program's congressional author, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.), are now engaged in a blame game, with Bush officials saying that the program is a victim of burdensome conditions imposed by Congress and Frank asserting that he only agreed to those conditions as the price of a politically acceptable bill.
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Speaking of foreclosures, there is a growing industry dedicated to "helping" those facing foreclosure negotiate more favorable terms with their banks - for a fee, of course:
Legal Services of Northern Virginia, a nonprofit group, investigated a case involving U.S. Homeowners Assistance of Irvine, Calif., after a client paid the firm $2,500 for help modifying the loan for her Alexandria home. After receiving the money, the company did not return her calls, said Kristi Cahoon, a lawyer with the nonprofit group.
By the time the homeowner, a 75-year-old retired nurse, realized no help was forthcoming, she had fallen behind in her payments and was facing foreclosure, Cahoon said.
How do these people live with themselves? As the article mentions, there are many nonprofits who will provide these services for free or for only a nominal fee.
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This was one of the worst holiday shopping seasons for retailers on record, according to the Wall Street Journal:
No retail sector was spared. Among the biggest losers were electronics and appliances, which fell a combined 26.7% versus a 2.7% gain last year. Women's apparel slid 22.7% compared with a 2.4% drop a year ago. E-commerce showed the most resilience, with online sales falling just 2%. But it was still a disappointment compared with last year when online sales posted a 22.4% gain in the period.
Is it any wonder people don't feel like shopping much right now? If you are worried about losing your job or how you are going to pay your mortgage, even an extra 20% off isn't very tempting. But you know what's not surprising? Retailers want in on the coming stimulus plan.
Desperate retailers are also offering deep discounts and sales today, in what many are calling Black Friday 2.0. Do we really need another Black Friday?
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So what do you think about the CIA handing out viagra like candy in Afghanistan?
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I hope everyone is having a great holiday. Or, if you don't celebrate anything hopefully you are enjoying a little time off from work or some extra time with family and friends. I have been eating so much over the last few days, I am such a rolly polly right now. What's on your mind this morning?