. . . a college football playoff:

Kroft: I have one last question. As president of the United States, what can you do, or what do you plan to do, about getting a college football playoff for the national championship?

. . . Mr. Obama: This is important . . . I think any sensible person would say that if you've got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, there's no clear decisive winner that we should be creating a playoff system. Eight teams. That would be three rounds, to determine a national champion. It would it would add three extra weeks to the season. You could trim back on the regular season. I don't know any serious fan of college football who has disagreed with me on this. So, I'm gonna throw my weight around a little bit. I think it's the right thing to do.

This has to be at the top of the agenda. My previous post on this paramount issue here.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Here is Obama on 60 minutes giving the unequivocal answer we wanted to hear:

A response to this has been 'Bush said we do not torture.' My reply - Barack Obama is not George Bush. I could not ask for a better answer.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Josh Marshall just can not shake it. Now, I am not in favor of Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State, not because she won't do a fine job, but because I think she would be more valuable to President-Elect Obama and the nation in the Senate.

Marshall clearly opposes Clinton for State, perhaps even on the merits. But instead of making those arguments, he embraces the Clinton Derangement of the Media and the Right Wing and makes it about the Clinton Foundation:

Kroft: There are a number of different things that you could do early pertaining to executive orders. One of them is to shutdown Guantanamo Bay. Another is to change interrogation methods that are used by U.S. troops. Are those things that you plan to take early action on?

Mr. Obama: Yes. I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that. I have said repeatedly that America doesn't torture. And I'm gonna make sure that we don't torture. Those are part and parcel of an effort to regain America's moral stature in the world.

Obama can do these things on Day 1. Of course, closing Gitmo will take some time to do but announcing its closing can happen Day 1. And torture ("enhanced interrogation" as John Brennan describes it) can end and must end immediately. No ifs and or buts.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Greg Craig was named White House counsel. Marcy Wheeler is not pleased.

My take is somewhat different than Marcy's. Craig was trying to justify Barack Obama's flip flop on telecom immunity when he spouted nonsense about FISA expiring. I think he knew that what he was saying was pure nonsense. But then, the real issue is that Greg Craig does not tell the truth and thinks most of us are idiots or do not care about the truth when it comes to Obama. But, in Craig's defense, it seems true that many do not care about the truth when it comes to Obama and warrantless wiretappping, telecom immunity and other such issues. Of course, we do not know YET where Obama will end up on these issues. But I submit that that is precisely the problem.

Update - I am told that on 60 Minutes, Obama was quite forceful on the issue of torture and on closing Gitmo. This is terrific and important news. I will post a transcript and/or video when it becomes available.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Wisconsin's Green Bay Packers fans live for three things (four if you count wearing cheeseheads): alcohol, football championships, and beating (ideally sweeping) da Bears (in pro football's longest consecutive game rivalry). Although you are free to discuss any of those (and the links) in the comments, this post focuses upon the alcohol link. (Coincidentally, though, native Packers fans defeat native Bears fans in per capita beer consumption. We're number one!)

Wisconsinites loves us some beer. And brandy. The elitist New York Times with its fancy east coast values is aghast to learn that a 12 year old child can belly up to a Wisconsin bar and order a Miller Lite, so long as mom or dad or some reasonable facsimile is present and gives permission -- and provided the bartender will serve the kid (more likely in rural taverns where the bartenders own the place and aren't inclined to lecture their patrons about their parenting skills). Wisconsinites are equally aghast to learn that in other states, parents can't bring their children along on a tavern crawl. What kind of family values are those? [more ...]

An accurate and pointed observation by Scott Horton:

What makes a bad prosecutor? It’s simple: Does the prosecutor’s longing for the public limelight, his aspirations for public office, come to overwhelm his dedication to justice, to simply doing the right thing? It’s said that a famous chief prosecutor from Dallas, Henry Wade, summed up the thinking that goes into a really bad prosecutor like this: “any prosecutor could convict a guilty man, but ... it takes a real pro to convict an innocent man.”

Good prosecutors go about their jobs by blending duty, respect for the law and ethics with compassion and understanding. Average prosecutors just try to muddle through the day without upsetting the boss or a judge. There are many more good and average prosecutors than there are bad ones (although the bad ones are far from a tiny minority).

A few prosecutors stand out in their dedication to justice. Horton and the Wall Street Journal both call attention to a district attorney who has been repeatedly praised at TalkLeft: Craig Watkins in Dallas. [more ...]

Tell us what they are yakking about (Hillary at State). I'll be back this evening hopefully.

Oh by the way, how about them Gators?!

One last thing, here is Glenn Greenwald concern trolling again on John Brennan. (I am joking about the concern trollling. I was attacked last week by the Obama Bots for voicing the same concerns.)

This is an Open Thread.

Your feet are going to be on the ground
Your head is there to move you around

An open thread for you.

At the end of the economic summit, President Bush said:

Those of you who have followed my career know that I'm a free market person — until you're told that if you don't take decisive measures then it's conceivable that our country could go into a depression greater than the Great Depressions.

The conclusion -- that a cause-and-effect relationship existed between his free market philosophy and the present fear of an Extra-Great Depression -- went unspoken and presumably unrecognized. [more ...]

I really do not think Obama should offer Senator Clinton Secretary of State myself but I do not have a strong feeling about it one way or the other. I do have a strong feeling, as I have, since 2006, about Bill Richardson. The man should not be allowed near any job with actual responsibility. He is not smart. He is not rigorous. He is, imo, a fool. John Kerry is 10 times the candidate for Secretary of State that Richardson is. And I am no big fan of John Kerry.

Speaking for me only

DesMoinesDem has a great idea - a cleansing confessional of what we got wrong. You first . . . Oh, you want me to go first. Well, can I start on a few things I got right? Ok, I was right about George Bush, Iraq, Alberto Gonzales, John Roberts, torture, warrantless wiretapping, Samuel Alito, running strongly on leaving Iraq in 2006, "throw the bums out," Lincoln 1860, the emerging Dem majority, no Iraq Debacle funding without a timeline, Social Security privatization, Obama as Media Darling and few others.

What I was really wrong about was thinking the Super Tuesday signalled that Obama's demographic limits would cost him the nomination. Obviously it was very close but as John Cole wrote to me - President Obama says hello (to be fair, I knew the Demo nominee would win the Presidency and ALWAYS said so).

Now its your turn.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only