We Hear From The Discussion Leader-In-Chief

Obama isn't interested in hearing from Sarah Palin about our nuclear strategy, but he doesn't exactly present himself as The Decider while playing The Derider:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Thursday made clear he was not going to take advice from Republican Sarah Palin when it comes to decisions about the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

Palin, the former vice presidential candidate, has not been shy about criticizing Obama's policies and this week weighed in on his revamped nuclear strategy, saying it was like a child in a playground who says 'punch me in the face, I'm not going to retaliate.'

"I really have no response to that. The last I checked, Sarah Palin is not much of an expert on nuclear issues," Obama said in an interview with ABC News.

The last time I checked, Obama didn't develop a whole lot of expertise in nuclear doctrine while removing the asbestos from Altgeld Gardens, although he did deliver a credulous article on the nuclear freeze back in his Columbia days. There is at least a possibility that the experts advising Ms. Palin are as knowledgeable as the experts advising Obama.

And who is in charge at the White House, anyway?

Pressed further on Republican criticism that his strategy restricts the use of nuclear weapons too much, Obama added:

"What I would say to them is, is that if the secretary of defense and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff are comfortable with it, I'm probably going to take my advice from them and not from Sarah Palin."

One hope that Obama realizes that the Sec Def and JCS Chairman will either resign or "get comfortable" with the decision if Obama orders them to do so. 

As to what Gates actually advised, AllahPundit cites an Oct 2008 speech to suggest that Gates is acquiescing to this policy change rather than recommending it.  Which means that Obama is not taking their advice at all, as is his prerogative.  So why hide behind them?  Why doesn't Obama just thrill his base and say "I'm the boss and I over-ruled these guys"?  Sorry, silly question.

The NY Times said as much in their original story:

To set an example, the new strategy renounces the development of any new nuclear weapons, overruling the initial position of his own defense secretary.

Gates may well have been influenced by the belief that deterrence worked in the first Gulf War - the US and Israel threatened to put all options on the table if Saddam used his chemical or biological weapons, and he seemed to take that threat seriously.

THEN AGAIN:  Here is a 'no first use' summary and discussion which is still on my "To Read" list.

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

Senate seats, that is. I'm starting to believe that a house majority is a lock, and am feeling greedy about making it a comfortable one.

The fight over this goddam healthcare thing has just begun. We're either going to get Paul Ryan-type entitlement reform, or we're going to get a VAT and become indistinguishable from Europe. Which way we go will be determined by the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November, 2012. That's 31 months.

[narciso the harpoon]

She mentioned Arizona, so I think that was it, I'd have to look at the trasncript of the speech to be sure. I just found that particular detail which seemingly went unnoticed at the time, illuminating. She really get animated when it comes to energy

[Clarice]

She gets animated about it, because she knows a lot about it..and her opponents do not. Well, sometime this summer when gas is $4 a gallon, we can start recirculating her remarks.

[Pagar]

"IMO every last one of them should be arrested, their assets seized and jailed in supermax for the rest of their sick little lives."

I nominate Jane's 01:30 post for comment of the day.
Thanks Jane, you said it perfectly.

[Danube of Thought]

Bawney Fwank denounces retirement rumor as right-wing lie.

[Danube of Thought]

Narciso, please take a look at your 8:36 item. I'm interested in it, and would like to know more, but I have no idea who is the antecedent for "she." Are you talking about Palin? And what is the "particular detail?"

[Clarice]

Frank is denying the retirement report.

[narciso the harpoon]

Not surprisingly,Sarah has the right side of the argument, if polls mean anything, in the LUN. and that was of whom I referred DOT

[Pagar]

Just a few moments after I found Jane's comment -- American Thinker has This

Government Is the Biggest Lawbreaker

Lots of comments there, but no one pointing out one of the largest scams of all--the global warming fraud.

[daddy]

"I don't believe this statement from the ANWR article can be true:

There's little precedent, however, for retracting wilderness designations by Congress, so once an area achieves such a status and it's signed into law by the president, it's permanent.

The congress has no power to enact any legislation that cannot be repealed by a subsequent congress."

Thanks DoT and Clarice so much for that info. The way our ADN reporters write it, it is designed to promote the agenda and discourage opposition and it is so helpful to have you guys rebutting and providing education.

Sincere thanks. Please keep it coming.

[narciso the harpoon]

"Friends don't let friends read McClatchy" one of those ADN reporters, Bolstad, is from
my neck of the woods, she was clueless here
as she is over there,

[Clarice]

Here's an update on the Maariv story that Dimona scientists were denied visas by the State Dept and there is in effect an arms embargo on Israel.

http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2010/04/08/breaking-obama-administration-denies-visas-to-israeli-nuclear-scientists/> WH Spin?

[Pofarmer]

FWIW, the feds and state govts permit and regulate pretty much all mining activity.

[Danube of Thought]

FWIW, the feds and state govts permit and regulate pretty much all mining activity.

They do indeed, and have done so for a very long time. But in general the mining companies operate on very long-term leases, both from private property owners and the feds (a huge proportion of the American west is federally owned land). Those leases can't simply be abrogated. As I understand what Salazar has just done, it will not affect existing leases but will temporarily delay the granting of future ones.

[Pofarmer]

Be it an existing or new lease doesn't matter. All they have to do is deny bonding, or come up with a new reclamation protocol, or decide to study this or that before they permit the next hole to be dug. Mining operations aren't(at least the ones I've dealt with) really considered ongoing operations. Each new hole or pit generally has to be separately bonded and approved by the State and Feds. So, they can simply come up with new rules and essentially void the terms of the leases on work not yet done. They might not be able to knock an operator out of the current pit(although I'm sure they could if they wanted to) but they can sure put the brakes on future ones, even if they are on the companies own land.

[Melinda Romanoff]

DoT-

Don't bet they won't be abrogated. Carve out precedent, then establish the law.

They have just over six months to put together their "fait au complit", and they are rushing to do it in recess, by fiat, or, if they have to, by law.

Mind the rush, the subject of their rulings are going to come fast and furious from here on out. Notice the fast twist onto the VAT?

That is going to be the least of it, and is the nose under the tent.

I'm all worked up, gotta go walk the dog or something...

G'night all.

[Clarice]

Mel, Dawn Johnsen had to withdraw because more blue states are turning purple and the Senators in those states couldn't risk a vote for her..the snowball is rolling downhill and Obama will grow increasingly impotent.

Niters.

[daddy]

"Friends don't let friends read McClatchy"

Worthy of framing Narciso. LOL.

[bgates]

The Polish President, Army chief of staff, and more than 80 others have been killed in a plane crash en route to a commemoration of the Katyn massacre in Russia.

In a striking coincidence, the Prime Minister of the Polish Government in Exile during World War II also died in a plane crash, 3 months after Stalin broke off diplomatic relations with Poland over Polish demands for an international investigation into the Katyn massacre.

[Clarice]

It appears the entire top echelon of the Polish government died in this crash.
What a poor country.

[bgates]

What poor neighbors, Clarice.

[Melinda Romanoff]

bgates-

Convenient neighbors, at that.

Big chessboard. I wonder who's next.

[Clarice]

Putin's heading the investigation himself--we can relax knowing it'll all be on the up and up.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Another Matryoshka doll, lovely.