Monthly Archives: February 2009

Carter, Walt and Mearsheimer, This One’s for You; Freeman Named National Intelligence Council Chairman

Posted on February 26, 2009 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall It is official: Ambassador Charles Freeman has been appointed chairman of the National Intelligence Council. The announcement came Thursday afternoon from the Director of National Intelligence, Dennis C. Blair.  From the Office of the Director of National … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Middle East Politics | 3 Comments

Update on Lobby Attacks Against Freeman’s Appointment To NIC

Posted on February 26, 2009 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall The Washington Post’s Al Kamen has a follow up story on the State Department assignment given to Dennis Ross, discussed in my earlier posting,  However, the smear tactics now being used by the Israel Lobby against Ambassador Charles … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Israel Lobby Smears Ambassador Freeman with Angry Distortions

Posted on February 25, 2009 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall The MSM (Main Stream Media) still has not noticed, but the Israel Lobby is out in full force to scuttle the appointment of Ambassador Charles W. Freeman as the new chairman of the National Intelligence Council. … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East Politics, Politics and Elections | 5 Comments

Why Israel War Backers Are Unhappy With Obama for Considering Freeman For NIC

Posted on February 23, 2009 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall     In his new book, The Inheritance, David E. Sanger describes the impact of a 140-page NIC-produced National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on the Bush White House just before Thanksgiving, 2007. The report was not what the … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East Politics, Politics and Elections | 6 Comments

There is Joy in Mudville! Samantha Power Now Batting for the Obama Team

Posted on February 19, 2009 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall Samantha Power first gained national attention with her 2003 Pulitzer Prize winning book, From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide.  Then Senator and future President Barack Obama read the book. In 2005 he invited the 38 … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East Politics | 2 Comments

Tom Geoghegan Is A Progressive Running to Replace Rahm Emanuel In Illinois’ Fifth; He Could Win

Posted on February 14, 2009 by wallwritings

Update: Thursday, February 19: Tom Geoghegan has just been endorsed in the Fifth District Democratic primary by Democrats for America (DFA).   By James M. Wall                             … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Elections | 3 Comments

A Good Samaritan Comes Upon a Homeless Woman; She is Homeless No More

Posted on February 13, 2009 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall There are not many “good news” stories in politics these days.  But a Florida woman, Henrietta Hughes, was central to one of the few “good news” moments that reached national attention in Fort Myers Thursday. Huffington Post … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion and politics, The Human Condition | Leave a comment

Helen Thomas is Back and Obama Has Her; Now What Does He Do?

Posted on February 10, 2009 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall Update on Sam Stein of Huffington Post,  Below: It was yet another sign that the Bush years are over when 48 minutes into his first White House presidential press conference, President Obama turned to Helen Thomas, … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Elections | 3 Comments

Tom Harkin and Raul M. Grijalva Push Howard Dean for HHS

Posted on February 6, 2009 by wallwritings

by James M. Wall I first met Howard Dean during the early days of his 2004 run for the presidency. He struck me then, as he does now, as a passionate man with progressive ideas, a politician willing to take … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Politics and Elections | 2 Comments

Mitchell’s Two Big Problems: Israel Attempts to Ban Arab Political Parties as Lieberman Grows Stronger

Posted on February 3, 2009 by wallwritings

Updated (February 5) by James M. Wall                         Obama envoy George Mitchell faces two big problems in his effort to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Israelis … Continue reading →

Posted in Middle East Politics | 4 Comments