Part I of this week's Angel's Corner, our e-mailed publication for subscribers, will be published tonight.  It will consist of a detailed analysis of the president's trip, and what it portends for our Carterized foreign policy; we'll also reveal the name of the latest winner of our Pompous Fool Award.  This is an important moment, filled with emotion; and there'll be new entries to our Forum, the one place at Urgent Agenda where readers can say anything they wish.

Once again we'll ask readers to please tell friends, relatives, enemies, strange people coming through town, about Urgent Agenda.  It's important that we build readership.  Now that each item is permalinked, you can easily e-mail favorite stories.  Please spread the good word.

WEDNESDAY,  APRIL 8,  2009

LATEST PIRATE UPDATE - AT 10:30 P.M. ET:  From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — A high-seas drama unfolded off the coast of Africa on Wednesday, as Somali pirates seized a United States-flagged cargo ship and held 20 American sailors hostage. The crew managed to retake the ship within hours, but not before the pirates had spirited away the ship’s captain and held him for ransom.

The unarmed container ship, the Maersk Alabama, was the first American vessel to be captured in a wave of pirate attacks off the Horn of Africa, one of the most notoriously lawless stretches of international waters.

COMMENT:  It's reported that ransom talks are going on.  A U.S. destroyer is now on the scene.

This is just musing, and I stress that I have no direct evidence to back up the thought.  However, this is the first American-flagged ship to be seized by pirates in 200 years.  Do you think it would have happened if George Bush were still in the White House?  After all, pirates have been operating off Somalia for years.  But I must share the idea that, when the president of the United States goes abroad and flashes weakness, weakness, and more weakness, this is bound to happen.  Even pirates can assess risk factors.  Now let's see what this government actually does.

April 8, 2009   Permalink

ANOTHER FAMOUS VICTOY - AT 10:04 P.M. ET:  From The Hill:

U.S. envoys met with Pakistani leaders on Tuesday to ensure that the $7.5 billion that President Obama plans to send their way over the next five years will be used to achieve common goals in the fight against extremism.

But according to a Pakistani newspaper, regional envoy Richard Holbrooke and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen came up empty-handed and received a "rude shock" when a proposal for joint operations against al Qaeda and Taliban forces in the volatile tribal regions was rejected.

Dawn newspaper reported that Pakistan also asked the U.S. to turn over the unmanned drone missions over the territory to them, saying that the drone strikes were fueling extremism.

COMMENT:  Why should anyone do anything for the United States when our president goes around groveling, apologizing, and showing such weakness?  The results are starting to come in.

April 8, 2009   Permalink

CHINA WHEELS - AT 4:46 P.M. ET: 

SHANGHAI (AP) - Preliminary figures show auto sales in China reached about 1.03 million in March, exceeding U.S. sales for the third month in a row, state media reports said Wednesday.

Data from 14 major auto makers, accounting for roughly 90 percent of total sales, totaled 1.026 million, the Shanghai Securities News and other state-run newspapers said, citing Chen Bin, head of the Department of Industry at China's main economic planning agency.

COMMENT:  Don't worry.  Obama Motors is roaring into action with cars powered by apple seeds.  Incredible performance, and they taste good too.

April 8, 2009   Permalink

DOW CLOSE - AT 4:37 P.M. ET:  The Dow closed up 48, to 7837, after an indifferent day. 

MORE "ENGAGEMENT" - AT 3:12 P.M. ET:   From AP:

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration said Wednesday it will participate directly in group talks with Iran over its suspect nuclear program, marking another shift from former President George W. Bush's policy.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the United States would be at the table "from now on" when senior diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany meet with Iranian officials to discuss the nuclear issue. The Bush administration had generally shunned such meetings, although it attended one last year.

COMMENT:  So let's see:  We go to these meetings, which have produced nothing.  At these meetings are members of the Security Council, two of which, Russia and China, are friends with Iran.  Germany - which has huge business deals with Iran - also attends. 

And our attendance will produce...?

Will someone in the administration please answer.

The only thing that will move Iran, short of military action, may be cutting off their fuel supplies, because they have such a small refining capacity.  Otherwise, these talks will just drag on through Iran's perfection of a nuclear warhead.  Does anyone in the White House really care?

April 8, 2009   Permalink

PIRATE UPDATE - AT 3:06 P.M. ET:  From the BBC:

There are conflicting reports about whether the US crew of a container ship seized by pirates off Somalia have regained full control of the ship.

Relatives of the Maersk Alabama's 20 crew and Pentagon sources were quoted in the US media as saying the ship was back under control after a struggle.

But more recent reports suggested the captain of the vessel might still be in the hands of the hijackers.

It was the sixth ship seized off Somalia in recent days.

It is reportedly the first time in 200 years that a US-flagged vessel has been seized by pirates.

COMMENT:  We'll watch for updates.  Certainly takes the White House off the hook if it's true.  Of course, again if true, it took a struggle to regain control, which may tell the president something about the value of strength.

April 8, 2009   Permalink

GOP CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT GAINS - AT 9:40 A.M. ET:  We should remember that there's a major congressional election in 19 months.  Rasmussen takes a look at where matters now stand: 

Republicans have pulled within one point of Democrats in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 40% would vote for their district’s Democratic candidate while 39% would choose the Republican. Support for Democratic congressional candidates fell two points this week, while support for GOP candidates gained one point to tie its highest level this year so far.

COMMENT:  Republicans have a real chance next year if they would get their act together and come up with a positive, attractive program.  They must also be constantly in the news, pointing out the disturbing aspects of Obama's domestic and foreign policies.

April 8, 2009   Permalink

GUN CONTROL SUPPORT AT NEW LOW - AT 9:35 A.M. ET:  From The Politico:

The heavy coverage of mass shootings in Binghamton, N.Y., North Carolina, Washington state and the cop killings in Pittsburgh has had little apparent effect on the nation's appetite for new gun laws.

A Gallup Poll out this morning shows support for a ban on private hand gun ownership at an all time low, with 29 percent of respondents saying they support such a law. It's the smallest percentage since Gallup started asking this question 50 years ago. Interestingly, gun control advocacy hit its all time high in 1959, according to this poll. It's important to note that the poll was taken before the massacre in Binghamton, but other mass shootings have been in the news for a few weeks.

The poll may show why virtually nobody in Congress is rolling out new gun control legislation.

COMMENT:  There has also been a run on ammunition and guns in some parts of the country.  It seems that many people predict a period of danger and instability, possibly because of the economy, possibly because of fear of Obama.

People generally understand, I think, that gun control cannot prevent the kind of senseless killings we've seen in the last week.  The mass murderer is not going to be held back by laws. 

April 8, 2009   Permalink

BULLETIN - AT 8:20 A.M. ET:

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Somali pirates on Wednesday hijacked a U.S.-flagged cargo ship with 21 crew members aboard, a diplomat and a U.S. Navy spokesman said.

The Kenya-based diplomat identified the vessel as the 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama and said all the crew members are American. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The U.S. Navy confirmed that a U.S. flagged ship with 21 members of crew was hijacked early Wednesday off the eastern coast of Somalia.

COMMENT:  If the Americans aren't released immediately, this will blow into a major incident, possibly requiring the use of American force.  Now let's see how President Engagement handles this.  These are American citizens.  They've been taken prisoner on the high seas by a hostile regime.   This is an open-and-shut case.  Calling the White House.

April 8, 2009   Permalink

QUOTE OF THE DAY - AT 8:03 A.M. ET:  From that great intellect and visionary:

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, in a speech broadcast on state radio, compared Obama to "a beacon of light in the obscurity of imperialism."

"So far his political discourse has been reasonable, breaking with the arrogance that was prevalent in statements by former US presidents," he said.

COMMENT:  Don't you feel warm and fuzzy all over? 

April 8, 2009   Permalink

BRILLIANT STRATEGY - NOT - AT 7:46 A.M. ET:  Will someone please shut Joe Biden up.  CNN reports on its interview with the vice president:

Also not a concern for Biden: the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The vice president said he was not worried that Israel's new government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would order such an attack.

"I don't believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu would do that. I think he would be ill-advised to do that. And so my level of concern is no different than it was a year ago."

COMMENT:  Joe, why wouldn't he do it?  Why shouldn't he do it?  The Obama administration is in high grovel, and is beginning to make Jimmah Carter look like a tough guy.  Maybe you should spend more time being rough on enemies, and less time pressuring allies.  Start with leaving some ambiguity about possible military action against Iran.  Keep the pressure on.  By saying that Netanyahu shouldn't do it, you're openly saying that America won't.  Not a good strategy when dealing with thugs.  It's a strategy for failure.

April 8, 2009   Permalink

UNBELIEVABLE - AT 7:40 A.M. ET:  Could this possibly be true?  This story is running in Britain's Telegraph, and seems well sourced:

Barack Obama, concerned about offending Britain and Germany, rebuffed strenuous attempts by President Nicolas Sarkozy of France to persuade the new American president to make a trip to Normandy this week.

White House officials travelled to France at the start of March to discuss a visit by Mr Obama to Omaha Beach, the site of the American Cemetery, established in 1944 just after D-Day and where 9,387 American personnel are buried. Among them is Theodore Roosevelt Jr, the eldest son of the 26th US President.

French officials and senior American military officers walked with White House staff through the cemetery discussing how the two presidents might follow the same route. But even before their trip, the White House had decided that Mr Obama would not travel there this week.

COMMENT:  Incredible.  An American president refuses to visit the military cemetery at Normandy because it might offend...the Germans?  Someone might inform this ill-prepared White House that Germany long ago accepted responsibility for Hitler's war, and has no problem with visits to Allied cemeteries.

Oh, it gets worse.  The story says that the White House declined to confirm that Obama will visit Normandy in June to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day.  If he doesn't go, it would be an absolute scandal.  Of course, if he does go, every word he speaks will be compared to Ronald Reagan's stellar performance during the 40th anniversary in 1984.  So I can understand why Obama might bow out.

April 8, 2009   Permalink

TUESDAY,  APRIL 7,  2009

THE STEVENS DISGRACE - AT 8:20 P.M. ET: 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A seething federal judge dismissed the corruption conviction of former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens on Tuesday and took the rare and serious step of ordering a criminal investigation into prosecutors who poisoned the case.

''In nearly 25 years on the bench, I've never seen anything approaching the mishandling and misconduct that I've seen in this case,'' U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said.

Sullivan appointed a special prosecutor to investigate Justice Department lawyers who repeatedly withheld evidence from defense attorneys and the judge during the monthlong trial. Stevens was convicted in October of lying on Senate forms about home renovations and gifts he received from wealthy friends.

COMMENT:  The moral of this story is that whenever you give power to government you must watch it carefully.  We law-and-order types must be just as sensitive to prosecutorial misconduct as we are to judges who let the guilty off easily.  We should recall the nightmare of the child-abuse cases in the 1980s, when many innocent people went to jail for "child abuse" that never occurred.  That scandal was exposed by conservative columnist Dorothy Rabinowitz, of The Wall Street Journal.

But I don't know where Senator Stevens goes to get his life back.

April 7, 2009  Permalink

HANSON ON OBAMA'S LAMENT - AT 7:45 P.M. ET:  Reader Ray Cleveland alerts us to Victor Davis Hanson's comment on the Obama Appalling Apology Tour (my term) of Europe.  Hanson says:

In this great age of atonement, in a mere two or three days the world has been reminded that (1) the U.S. has been arrogant; (2) dismissive and derisive to Europe; (3) was a slave-owning society; (4) practiced genocide against native Americans; (5) did not let blacks vote; (6) was the only nation to have used nuclear weapons; (7) embraced torture; (8) alienated the world under Bush, and on and on. The subtext has been that those of a different race, of a different era, or under a different president have done terrible things, which I, from my own moral Olympus, must now apologize for.

Yes.  Perfection has spoken, and its name is Barack.  Hanson goes on:

A modest suggestion: from now on, every president who wishes to go abroad and review all his lesser citizens' collective past and present sins, with accompanying apologies — to applause from foreigners — must first, in the spirit of New Testament atonement, review his own regrettable transgressions.

And then the sins of Barack are listed - taking campaign funds from AIG; smoking, snorting cocaine, hangin' with Rev. Wright, making disparaging remarks about working-class Pennsylvanians, and joking about the Special Olympics.

I think many of us could add to that list.  Read the piece.  You'll like it.

April 7, 2009  Permalink

3:45 p.m. ET:  I just returned from a Hudson Institute meeting, which is why you haven't heard from me. 

DOW CLOSE - AT 4:01 P.M. ET:  The Dow closed down 187, to 7789 (preliminary figures).  The rally of the past weeks appears to have fizzled.

OBAMA IN IRAQ - AT 3:54 P.M. ET:  The president has made a quick trip to visit troops in Iraq, the right thing to do.  From the Washington Post: 

BAGHDAD, April 7 -- President Obama made a previously unannounced trip to Iraq on Tuesday, his first as commander in chief, and drew wild cheers from U.S. troops when he declared that it was time for Iraqis to "take responsibility for their country."

Obama made the comment in a brief speech to U.S. troops who greeted him at al-Faw Palace after he arrived at Baghdad International Airport following a trip to Europe and Turkey.

"You have given Iraq the opportunity to stand on its own as a democratic country," Obama said. "That is an extraordinary achievement, and for that you have the thanks of the American people."

COMMENT:  The man actually came close to saying that our mission in Iraq has been successful.  What will the American left say?  Will all his commencement addresses be cancelled?  How can he say a thing like that?  Shameful, shameful.

April 7, 2009  Permalink

COME HOME ALREADY - AT 8:37 A.M. ET:  The president is about to return to Washington from his tour of Europe, where he was treated like a rock star.  Unlike rock stars, though, he didn't bring home much from the tour.  He did, however, leave a number of apologies for the United States and he demonstrated what groveling, when practiced by a pro, could be like. 

Here's a late gem from the president, currently in Turkey, as reported by The New York Times:

“I am personally committed to a new chapter in American engagement,” Mr. Obama told the students, who sat in a tight circle around him. “We can’t afford to talk past one another and focus only on our differences, or to let the walls of mistrust go up around us.”

Setting out his perspective on America’s relationship with the Islamic world, Mr. Obama told the Turkish Parliament on Monday that: “America’s relationship with the Muslim community, the Muslim world, cannot and will not just be based upon opposition to terrorism,” he said. “We seek broader engagement based upon mutual interest and mutual respect.”

COMMENT:  When precisely was this not the case?  Right after the 9-11 attacks, President Bush went to a mosque to show respect and draw a distinction between Islam and radical Islam.  The press now chooses not to remember. 

April 7, 2009   Permalink

THE WARS OF WASHINGTON - AT 8:03 A.M. ET:  From The Washington Times: 

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates Monday unveiled a sweeping $534 billion budget proposal that shifts priorities from conventional warfare to counterinsurgency, but it is already provoking opposition from some key lawmakers worried about losing more jobs in a deep recession.

The budget for 2010 would cap production of the F-22 fighter jet and reduce funds for missile defense and other big-ticket items, but more than double unmanned craft used in targeting militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

COMMENT:  The concern in Congress goes well beyond jobs.  There's real concern about cutting missile defense, especially right after the North Koreans provoked us again. 

The Gates proposals will go through many congressional hearings.  Gates is trying to reform the unreformable, the Pentagon's antiquated and sluggish procurement system, which has defied logic and streamlining for years.  Even the most ardent pro-defense officials, like the late Sen. Barry Goldwater, have been enraged by it.  So we wish the secretary well on that.  As for his specific choices, we reserve judgment until hearings are held and all the arguments are presented.  We have made both good and bad choices in the past.  With today's costs, we can't afford many more bad ones.

April 7, 2009   Permalink

OBAMA BASHES BUSH - AGAIN - AT 7:17 A.M. ET:

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- President Barack Obama says it will take time for the world to see how he is leading America in a different direction from his predecessor.

Obama reminded students in Turkey that he opposed the war in Iraq that was started by then-president George W. Bush.

But Obama also said Tuesday that as president he must withdraw U.S. troops in a careful way that doesn't lead Iraq to ''a complete collapse into violence.''

COMMENT:  No, I don't think it will take much time, Mr. President.  Firm resolution has given way to mush.  We can begin there.

Also, President Bush didn't spend his first months in office bashing his predecessor, and never did so on foreign soil.  This may play well for a time, but I suspect more alert foreign ministries around the world wonder whether they can depend on an American president who has so much negative to say about his own country. 

Sometimes the president seems not to realize that he's won the election and that he's not living in the leftist precincts of Hyde Park, Chicago, any longer.

April 7, 2009   Permalink

ANOTHER PROBE? - AT 7:10 A.M. ET:  From The Wall Street Journal:

WASHINGTON -- An Internal Revenue Service official warned nonprofits to be mindful of executive-compensation practices amid public ire over large bonuses at insurer American International Group Inc. and other Wall Street firms that have received federal aid.

Lois Lerner, the IRS's director of tax-exempt organizations, told a gathering of lawyers representing charities Monday that scrutiny of nonprofits' pay practices is likely to increase. Nonprofit leaders should be sure to practice due diligence in making sure their executive pay can be justified through data on comparable practices at similar organizations, she said.

"If you're not looking, we're looking," Ms. Lerner said at Georgetown University Law Center's Representing & Managing Tax-Exempt Organizations conference here.

The IRS has intensified oversight of charities recently, through reports and an overhaul of nonprofits' annual tax form.

COMMENT:  John McCain once said that all causes eventually become businesses.  We have to be uneasy that, once again, the federal government is stepping into the private sector to examine private decisions.  At the same time, there have been appropriately raised eyebrows about the pay scales of some "nonprofits."  (I put it in quotes because some of the "executives" make hefty profits.)  The nonprofit sector should have cleaned itself up years ago, and the boards of directors of nonprofits should be practicing tighter oversight. 

I assume "nonprofits" includes universities.  Someone, preferably a team of tough investigate journalists, should examine the way they spend some of the contributions they solicit each year.  The team might also examine the sources of some of those contributions, like the Saudi government, which spends tens of millions each year to buy influence in the American educational system.  How much have you read about that in the mainstream media?

April 7, 2009  Permalink 

THE GENERAL DEMOTED - AT 6:58 A.M. ET:

April 6 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp. is speeding up preparations for a possible bankruptcy filing even as directors seek deeper savings this week to avoid that outcome, people familiar with the plans said.

The bankruptcy readiness focuses on forming a new company from GM’s best assets if necessary, said the people, who asked not to be named because the matter is private. The cost-cut discussions center on how to go beyond GM’s proposal to slash debt by 46 percent and shed 47,000 jobs in 2009, and will include talks with Treasury officials, the people said.

COMMENT:  I suspect that this is leaking out now to soften the blow, and the psychological impact on the economy, when it happens.

April 7, 2009   Permalink