Who's keeping tabs on you? The Forensic Scientist Blog has a list of the top six files the government keeps on you, how to obtain them, and why you should have them.

Cateories: The FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, Earnings Records, Criminal Records and Court Records. According to the blog, if your FBI record is under 50 pages, it's free.

President Obama's speech in Oslo is justly winning some good reviews. The problem of course is that the speech is not one that should be delivered by the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize at the awards ceremony. Jon Chait wrote:

I’m not a big fan of political speeches in general, but I thought President Obama’s Nobel acceptance speech today was unusually good. [. . .] After again acknowledging that he doesn’t really deserve the award-- [. . .] Obama set out his foreign policy worldview.

As someone who agrees with President Obama's foreign policy worldview (including his Afghanistan policy), it just is jarring to me to see the Nobel Peace Prize cheapened in this way. The Peace Prize is supposed to be for great accomplishments in advancing peace or great advocates for peace. It is rare that a President of the United states, due to the nature of the job, can even be considered for the award. It is obvious that President Obama is not worthy of the award (and I say that largely with a sigh of relief -- at this time, I do not want a President worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize.)

I again want to be clear - I think the President made the best of a bad situation. My criticism is solely directed at the Nobel Prize Committee.

speaking for me only

Your turn.

This is an Open Thread.

John Cole writes:

I understand that things are not moving the way many people want them to and with the speed that some desire, but as far as I am concerned things are a HELLUVA lot better than last year. I think in all the doom and gloom, we forget that our President can now speak in full sentences, has not invaded Russia, and is not ducking shoes everywhere he goes. [. . .] [T]here is no chance in hell I am going to be demoralized come November 2010. I’ve been watching the wingnuts- we need to keep them as far away from power as is legally possible. They are dangerous, and this Obama fellow, despite some letdowns, ain’t half bad.

I think Cole is conflating two different issues. What you want from your representatives and the choices you make on election day are not the same things. I think everyone is more than a little demoralized with the Obama Presidency and the Democratic Congress (even me, who worried incessantly about Obama's political style.) They just are not doing as much as they could. At least imo. It seems a strange argument to ask people not to be demoralized because Obama is not as bad as the worst President in history. I get that it would be crazy to vote for the GOP in 2010. I doubt anyone who is demoralized is planning on that. By the same token, I doubt many in the base are enthused with the idea of keeping the Dems in office based on their performance in the last year. And, as the old saw goes, off year elections are base elections.

Speaking for me only

Through no fault of his own, President Obama is obliged to participate in a travesty of a mockery:

Nine days after announcing a major intensification of the war in Afghanistan, President Obama arrived at Norway’s City Hall Thursday to formally accept the Nobel Peace Prize during a series of events to commemorate the award created 108 years ago by Alfred Nobel. “The goal is not to win a popularity contest or to get an award — even one as esteemed as the Nobel Peace Prize,” Mr. Obama said, when asked by a reporter here whether he believed his honor was premature. “The goal is to advance American interests, make ourselves a continuing force for good in the world — something that we have been for decades now.”

He added, “And If I’m successful in those tasks, then hopefully some of the criticism will subside, but that’s not really my concern. And if I’m not successful, then all the praise and the awards in the world won’t disguise that fact.” Mr. Obama flew here overnight from Washington with his wife, Michelle, and a small group of friends and relatives.

(Emphasis supplied.) What can President Obama do? The fools on the Nobel Committee have caused this travesty, not Obama. It is their fault, not Obama's. His statement was just right imo. Hopefully it makes it into his speech.

Speaking for me only

Day got busy.

This is an Open Thread.

Update (TL): Busy day for me too, I'm headed to the jail. First day this week it's not sheer ice on the roads. We're up to 6 degrees outside. If you are lucky enought to be in a warm locale, enjoy.

Considering the source, this is one of the more amusing pieces you will read today. One commenter captures the hilarity:

People might remember a few of us scratching our heads over how so many others drank the kool aid and believed Obama would have mystical powers [. . .] And one of the principal kool aid makers - who was willing to lie in support of Obama over complete bullsh*t nonsense like Clinton rigging the polls in Nevada - is now making a joke about it.

As I said before, I never waste a chance to republish this post:

Ezra Klein generally has the best sources on the health insurance bill and he writes:

The deal looks pretty much like it's looked for the past few days: The Office of Personnel Management will shepherd national, non-profit plans into existence. Medicare will open to folks between 55 and 64 who are eligible for the exchange. If the national non-profit plans don't materialize, then there appears to be a trigger that will call a public plan into the market, but that seems pretty unlikely. All of this, of course, is contingent on CBO giving it a good score.

The camel's nose here is the expansion of Medicare eligibility to a group beyond those 65 and over. That group is defined as persons between the age of 55 and 64 who qualify for the Exchange (stevie makes a great point in comments - if dependents can be covered in a Medicare buy-in this becomes a more meaningful provision - progressives should demand that concession.) It's a start. Lowering the eligibility age now becomes an acceptable concept. Now there needs to be a tweak to all of this imo - the individual mandate must be limited to those persons who will be eligible for the Exchange AND who qualify for the new Medicare expansion and/or the new Medicaid expansion. To wit, you are only mandated to purchase health insurance IF you are eligible for a public insurance plan (Medicaid or Medicare.) I would also support mandating coverage for persons who make $200K a year or more. I also prefer the House funding mechanism.

If the bill can end up in that final form, I would support it.

Speaking for me only

29 years ago tonight, in the middle of Monday Night Football, Howard Cosell announced there had been an "unspeakable tragedy in New York City." John Lennon had been shot. (Video here.)

This is my seventh annual blog post about that night, and how for me, it's a day of both sadness and celebration. [More...]

Lots of news sources are reporting a "broad agreement" has been reached in the Senate on health care.

The AP is further reporting (in an article with a time stamp two hours from now) that the agreement includes tossing the public option. Are they right?

Democratic senators say they have a tentative deal to drop a government-run insurance option from health care legislation. No further details were immediately available.

But liberals and moderates have been discussing an alternative, including a private insurance arrangement to be supervised by the federal agency that oversees the system through which lawmakers purchase coverage. Additionally, talks centered on opening up Medicare to uninsured Americans beginning at age 55, a significant expansion of the large government health care program that currently serves the over-65 population.

Jon at Firedoglake is not impressed with the likely details of the Medicare proposal. It won't cover that many people and is not really a buy-in. By the time they are done, it may not even really be Medicare.

Update: WaPo: The public option is being shelved in favor of other alternatives.

I'm not happy about this, but here it is. Mass. Attorney General and former state prosecutor Martha Coakley won today's Democratic primary election to replace Sen. Edward Kennedy.

The U.N. says drugs are fueling terrorism in Africa. Maybe we'll send troops there too? But wait, it's not just Africa:

For his part, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said drug trafficking was also affecting peacekeeping efforts in Afghanistan, Haiti, Guinea-Bissau and elsewhere.

Maybe we'll send troops everywhere. Or, maybe we could give legalization another look.