Andrew Connelly's Blog

Joe Biden Speaks at CAPAF

Andrew Connelly — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:12:19 EDT

In an event hosted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Senator Joe Biden, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, rebutted recent foreign policy speeches by Senator McCain and President Bush.

In Bush's address to the Israeli Knesset he castigated those who would engage with the likes of Iran, likening them to the appeasers that eased Hitler's ascent to European dominance before World War II. For many this was a thinly veiled criticism of Barack Obama who has recommended engagement with Iran as the best initial tactic in resolving American disagreements with the regime. Senator Biden lambasted Bush for politicising foreign policy and believes that the only casualty was America's standing abroad, not Obama's at home. For Biden, the comments were part of a tactic to discredit options not pursued by Bush, options which might have avoided the strengthening of Iran and Hezbollah; Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan; and the increasing lack of stability in the Middle East. If we don't talk with countries like Iran, Biden said, there are only two other options - maintenance of the status quo, or war. Neither of these are really acceptable.

Biden made three last major points.

   We must eschew two of the Bush Administrations favourite policies if we are to see progress in the region. First there should be no preconditions for talks with Iran. How are we to negotiate on the major issues if we unrealistically demand that they concede on them before we even start? Secondly the idea of regime change must be rejected. Iraq has proven the ineffectiveness of this tactic (not to mention many more examples throughout America's cold war history, Europe's colonial past etc.). Biden made the case that by hanging this threat over countries like Iran we drive them to seek powerful weapons and regional influence in order to make such an American initiative more difficult.
   A large element of Bush's rationale for staying in Iraq is that withdrawal would allow a resurgence of Al-Qaeda activity and Iranian influence in the country and embolden the former in Afghanistan. Biden actually believes the opposite. Withdrawal should cause both to lose support over ordinary Iraqis and the latter over the Iraqi government. Furthermore, America will be able to strengthen its activities in Afghanistan, pushing more troops and resources into the battle against a Taliban and Al-Qaeda that lost a major recruiting tool after America left Iraq.
   Finally, Biden agrees that the risks of drawing down in Iraq are debatable, that it is difficult to know with a degree of certainty what will happen. He is convinced, however, that the costs of staying are undeniable, that if America remains it will spend billions of dollars and give up hundreds and thousands of lives. That is a heavy cost that must not be paid.

College freshman elected mayor (suggestions for a wittier post title appreciated)

Andrew Connelly — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:25:54 EDT

America's youth are commonly viewed as apathetic and disengaged from politics (though those involved in Campus Progress know that to be untrue) therefore it comes as pleasant news to hear of a 19 year old college freshman being elected mayor of a sizeable (38K people, the state's 11th biggest) town in Oklahoma. Not only will he continue his studies and seek to fulfill his pledge of open government, he apparently will also become the city commander were martial law ever to be declared.

Go Roughers!

American Teen - go and see it (in July)

Andrew Connelly — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:33:24 EDT

Myself and Campus Progress' own Shereen just attended a screening of Nanette Burstein's "American Teen", a documentary following the senior years of a few Indiana high-schoolers. A longer article may follow so I'll hold my tongue for now, I just wanted to say go and see it, it's great!

(though it isn't released until mid July, which in recommendation terms is an age away)

Save the environment...and money.

Andrew Connelly — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:01:11 EDT

There is widespread support in Congress and across the country for new legislation to deal with the increasingly apparent problem of anthropogenic climate change and global warming. However in the opinion of a new report released today by CAP, waiting for Congress is unnecessary because the U.S. already possesses powerful laws which are unfortunately being under-employed in the fight - The Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) - the list is extensive. The latter act, in particular could be better utilised.

NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the likely environmental and social effects of major projects before initiation. Unfortunately, even when this is complied with, the assessment rarely looks at how larger global environmental trends will affect the action over the long term. In an example given by Bill Clinton's Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt, the keynote speaker in an event hosted by CAP to coincide with the report's publication, the Army Corps of Engineers made a major error when planning their Coast 2050 project in Louisiana. The $14 billion endeavour, covering a 10,000 square mile section of the Mississippi delta in Louisiana, ignored the world-wide problem of rising sea levels when making its environmental assessment. According to Mr. Babbitt, 95% of the area is less than 3 ft above sea level and is subsiding (sinking) at an average rate of 1 ft per century. At the time of the assessment, IPCC estimates for the rise in sea levels over the same century were approx. 1 metre (roughly 3 ft). Therefore, over the course of the hundred years most of the area which the Corps would have worked on will end up a foot under water, thus making the project a massive waste.

The CAP report "outline[s] an Executive Order that clarifies what we believe is already a requirement under NEPA — that federal agencies can and should explicitly assess the implications of their actions for greenhouse gas emissions and global warming." It represents an entreaty to the current and future Presidents, a request that they use their executive prerogatives to help apply the existing law properly. Government efficiency, helping the environment - what's not to love?

Communities of Color and the '08 Election

Andrew Connelly — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:01:32 EDT

In a recent Center for American Progress Action Fund event, several experts from the Asian American, Latino, Native American, and African American communities discussed their views on the role minorities are playing in this year's campaigns, how they are participating, how the media are viewing them and how the candidates are treating them in their quest for votes. General themes were the existence of the first ever truly competitive non-white presidential candidacy, the recent decision by the Supreme Court to uphold an Indiana law requiring all voters to present a government issued photo ID on voting day and how building coalitions between America's minority populations was important, but held great challenges.

Some of the most prominent points were:

The contradictory media treatment of minority communities - they are often painted as a general block to contrast with whites and yet there is the portrayal of groups in tension, for example the commonly heard assertion that Latinos would never vote for an African American presidential candidate.

The need to work together as communities of colour to achieve change. One speaker identified the successes that have been achieved when this happens, for example the recent reauthorisation of temporary sections of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) saw cooperation between them despite differing interests. Preclearance, for example (whereby certain, mostly southern, states and counties must apply for federal permission before changing voting laws), is an issue for African Americans who have large populations in the affected states, but was less important to Asian Americans who don't. By contrast Section 203 of the 1975 VRA, which requires bilingual ballots and oral assistance to those who speak Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Native American languages, and Eskimo languages, is not overly critical to African Americans but vital to Asian Americans (Latinos and Native Americans are very interested in both). Despite these diverging interests, the coalition stuck together and achieved success on all fronts.

The problem of working together like this without being portrayed as a monolithic, stereotypical block. There is no such thing as a "Latino voter", an "Asian American voter" or a "minority voter". The important thing is for coalitions within and between communities to realise the differences and be flexible enough to survive diverse opinions.

The reality that some minority groups are left behind. There is very little polling data or media coverage for Asian and Native Americans, for example.

The effect of the recent Supreme Court decision on minority communities will be significant. They are less likely to have the required ID and the resources and time necessary to get it.

All in all it was a very interesting discussion. I took more detailed notes which I can type up if someone desperately wants to read them.

Meeting George Bush or Washing Dishes - Tough Call

Andrew Connelly — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:06:12 EDT

In an interesting and somewhat amusing story, a British man has been arrested by Texas authorities after landing his plane a few miles from George Bush's Crawford Ranch. Maurice Kirk, from Barry in Wales, apparently wanted to personally thank the President for his recent rescue by the U.S. Coastguard after he ditched (presumably a different plane) into the Atlantic off of the Dominican Republic. He is currently undergoing psychiatric assessment - apparently the powers that be found curious his assumption that no one would mind him flying a plane at low altitude over the President's house, though, according to his wife's post on his website, "I understand that he did not fly within the prohibited flight area, and so hope that this difficulty can be resolved quickly, not least because he is due home on 1 May and it's his turn to do the washing-up." The man has obviously lost track of his priorities.