LtSaloon: Washington Insider

Rightardia is a big fan of Lt Saloon. RS Jaynes does excellent political art that hits the nail on the head. The comic is one example of many.

Perhaps it is time for the Pillsbury Dough boy to move on. We need a Press Secretary with a little more progressive spirit. We agree with Rep. Alan Grayson's views on Robert Gibbs.

Rightardia would like to see a press secretary with a little more charisma and wit.

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Newsy: Pelosi-Gibbs 'Feud' May Reveal Deeper Rift

After White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs alluded to a potential Republican takeover, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to calm anxious lawmakers' nerves.

Rightardia thinks Gibbs should concentrate on the White House and let Fancy Nancy worry about the House of Representatives.

Apparently the Obama administration is going to help the Congress out with their campaigns after the recent meeting between Congressional and White House staffers.

Intrade shows the GOP with a 57.9 per cent chance of taking back the House.

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CQ Politics: Pelosi Slams Gibbs for ‘Politically Inept’ House Forecast

By Kathleen Hunter and Jennifer Bendery, CQ-Roll Call

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slammed White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs during Tuesday night’s House Democratic Caucus meeting for saying Sunday that Democrats could lose control of the House in November.

Several Democratic sources in the room described a testy scenario that started with Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (N.J.) criticizing Gibbs for saying on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that there is “no doubt there’s enough seats in play” to allow for a House GOP takeover in 2012.

Things heated up as Pelosi jumped in and blasted Gibbs for making “politically inept” comments, according to one source.

“It was bad,” another source said. “She was like: ‘I don’t appreciate it. I don’t know who this guy is. I’ve never met him before. And he’s saying that we’re going to lose the House.’”

A spokesman for Pelosi declined to comment Tuesday night.

Pelosi reportedly said Gibbs’ comments were particularly damaging because they give ammunition to Republicans trying to make the case that Democrats are going to lose in November. “Someone from the White House says it, and [House Minority Whip Eric] Cantor says it, so now you have both sides saying something,” the source said. “So she was very upset.”

At one point, the Speaker turned to Dan Turton, the White House legislative liaison, and demanded to know whether Gibbs was speaking for the White House or for himself. Turton said he did not think Gibbs’ comments were a coordinated statement, the source said.

Pascrell voiced the opinion of many in the room when he complained that the White House has not given much campaign help to House Democrats and that Gibbs’ remarks were “kind of emblematic of that,” the source said.

Rightardia noticed that the GOP House stock shot up after the comment.  See the  Intrade graphic. Gibbs needs to concentrate on the White House and let Fancy Nancy run the House.

source: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003700161

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Israel is openly defying the US on West Bank Settlements

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Israel has approved 50 new settlement units in

the West Bank and plans to build 1,400 more [AFP]

Israel has approved the construction of 50 new homes in a West Bank settlement and announced plans to expropriate more Palestinian land.

The move comes just hours before Israel's defence minister, Ehud Barak, visits the US in a bid to defuse tensions over Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land.

The land grab and new permits come despite a demand from Barack Obama, the US president, for a complete freeze to all Israeli settlement activity, and could exacerbate a rare public spat between the allies.

Barak, who is scheduled to meet George Mitchell, the US Middle East envoy, in New York, told Israel's Army Radio before the trip that he hoped to reach an agreement where "a solution to the settlements can be found".

Compromise possible

Responding to reports that Israel might agree to suspend settlement activity for three months instead of enforcing a total freeze, Ian Kelly, a US state department spokesman, said: "I'm not going to say we're not willing to compromise."

Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, said the US was "optimistic about making progress" in Tuesday's meeting. "I think the president has outlined the responsibilities of all," he added.

"This would be the largest area of land ever confiscated by Israel in one go since 1967"
Hatem Abdel-Qader, Palestinian minister

Despite the Barak-Mitchell meeting, Israel went ahead and approved the 50 new homes in a West Bank settlement on Monday.

The Israeli defence ministry on Monday presented to the supreme court plans to relocate settlers from an illegal outpost in the West Bank to a settlement north of Jerusalem.

And there are plans for another 1,400 housing units at the site, Israel's anti-settlement group Peace Now told the court.

Also on Monday, a spokesman for Israel's Civil Administration, which reports to Barak, said it had placed notices in the Arabic Al-Quds newspaper on Friday, inviting Palestinians who object to the move to expropriate land, to file appeals within 45 days.

"The land in question includes a strip along the shores of the Dead Sea that emerged over the years as the water receded due to shrinkage," the spokesman said.

According to the Al-Quds notices, the land to be expropriated totals 139 sq km and includes plots of land near the major West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim, the spokesman said, without giving further details.

Palestinian objections

The moves drew immediate criticism from Palestinians.

"This would be the largest area of land ever confiscated by Israel in one go since 1967," said Hatem Abdel-Qader, the Palestinian minister for Jerusalem affairs. "We will appeal against this decision."

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, reiterated his stance that peace talks with Israel cannot resume until settlement construction comes to a complete halt.

"We won't accept the continuation of settlements," he said in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has said he will not allow the building of new settlements but will allow construction in existing communities, under what Israel calls "natural growth".

His refusal to order a total freeze has given rise to rare public disagreements between his government and the Obama administration and even raised questions about whether the US will continue to actively support Israel at the UN.

But Gabriela Shalev, Israel's UN ambassador, said on Monday that the Obama administration had assured Israel that it would continue defending it at the UN.

"We were told explicitly [by the Americans] that there are no consultations and no discussions at all within the administration in this direction," Shalev told Israel's Channel Ten television.

Some 500,000 Israelis live among 2.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Source: Agencies

english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/20096300295121896.html

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