Red Blue Green Zone

Barn in Cavendish, 2009, Paul Bremer

 

--Nihar Patel


Failure or Fall Guy? Paul Bremer has been called both. Shortly after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Bremer took over the Coalition Provisional Authority, and oversaw the administration and reconstruction of the newly liberated country for more than a year. His critics now blame him for allowing billions of reconstruction dollars to go unaccounted, and for disbanding the Iraqi army, which led to years of insurgent violence.

Bremer has defended himself against these charges, and has few regrets about his tenure as head of the CPA.

We called him this week to talk about something else - painting. US News and World Report recently reported that Bremer took up painting shortly after returning from Iraq, and has just launched a website featuring his work.

"I'm still obviously learning, as you can see by looking at my paintings," Bremer told Day to Day host Madeleine Brand. "It's difficult for me because I'm a beginner, so it's frustrating and humiliating."

His work is showing signs of improvement apparently. A painting he completed a month ago, Barn in Cavendish, is considered his best work yet. "According to my severest critic, who is my wife," joked Bremer.

The proceeds from the sale of his paintings are donated to non-profit historical societies in Vermont.

Tags: Iraq | Paul Bremer | art | painting | who knew?

12:29 PM ET | 03-10-2009 | permalink

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What's the State of Your Union?

-- Andy Carvin, aka @acarvin and @nprpolitics on Twitter

As you may have heard, President Barack Obama will address a joint session of Congress tonight. Technically it's not a State of the Union address, as Obama was just sworn in last month, but that didn't stop us from asking people on Twitter to send us their own State of the Union addresses. The catch: it has to be 140 characters or less.

If you've never used Twitter, it's an online community and messaging service that lets you talk with people via the Web, text messaging, instant messaging and the like. It limits these messages, or tweets, to 140 characters or less so they're text-message friendly. It's not much room to craft an entire State of the Union address, but lots of people have risen to the challenge so far. And we'd love to hear from you, too.

Continue reading "What's the State of Your Union?" »

10:17 AM ET | 02-24-2009 | permalink

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A Monument To His Greatness

courtesy Politico.com

 

--Jolie Myers

Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich apparently doesn't care what President-elect Obama, members of the United States Senate and his own state's legislatures think about proper behavior when under investigation for corruption. The Rod does what the Rod wants.

Nothing makes this point better than the fact that he went against all sage advice to name his own pick to Mr. Obama's vacated Senate seat: former Illinois attorney general Roland Burris. Blagojevich praised Burris at a press conference yesterday for his distinguished career and devotion to the great state of Illinois.

Well, Roland Burris also has some things to say about Roland Burris. He's emblazoned his accolades upon a burial tomb in Chicago as he achieves them. I assume he will continue to do so until his death, judging by the sizable swaths of stone left un-engraved.

If this is abnormal behavior, consider me weird. Just last week I sent plans to my crypt architect for my monument to myself. It will include a tribute to my time as a waitress at the Cracker Barrel (employee of the year 2003!) and a moving passage on how my latte making skills saved an ailing Starbucks in Santa Monica.

Tags: Blagojevich | Burris | hubris

11:39 AM ET | 12-31-2008 | permalink

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Political Thanksgiving

NPR composite photo: Getty Images

 

--Steve Proffitt

Every four years, Americans engage in a time-honored tradition.

They sit around a big dinner table, and get into arguments about the Presidential election.

Because this is the first time in eight years since we've elected a new President, we wanted to hear from you about memories of political Thanksgivings past. Or about what you expect - or dread - might happen around this year's table.

Leave us a comment. If yours is particularly funny, horrific or just compelling, we might ask you to phone us and read it. Then we'll run it on the air, and you'll REALLY be in trouble on Turkey Day!

Tags: Thanksgiving | family | politics

12:28 PM ET | 11-19-2008 | permalink

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Coffee and Hope

OBAMAA parks in Ladera Center. Credit: Steve Proffitt/NPR

 

--Steve Proffitt and Alex Chadwick

We've been spending a lot of time at a Starbucks about 15 minutes from our studios. It's an interesting place, for a few reasons. Among others, this is a Magic Johnson Starbucks (there are 110 of them across the country), and maybe THE Magic Johnson Starbucks. This outlet is at a busy intersection in the Ladera Heights neighborhood, home to many comfortable black families in L.A. And it has a large, outdoor seating area, where people hang out, sometimes all day long.

On election day we met a young woman who said she was saving the receipts for every item she bought that day, and anything else she could find with the date on it, November 4, 2008. She remembered a lesson from her junior year in high school, about Japanese-Americans and the World War II internment camps. It's when she realized she was living in a hyphenated country; everyone is a something-American. Not today, she said. Today, I'm an American...and that's all.

We met a woman who said she'd been invited to at least a half-dozen election night parties. We overheard a group of retired folks arguing about the economy. And mostly, we saw a lot of smiles on the faces of people who were filled with hope.

Today, we are back at Magic Johnson Starbucks, talking to people about their reaction to the results. One of the questions we are going to ask: If your cell phone rang, and it was Barack Obama, what would tell him he should do first?

Tags: politics | race

2:46 AM ET | 11- 5-2008 | permalink

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Moms Talk Obama

NPR Staff Photo

 

--Madeleine Brand

I sat down with a group of African-American moms the other day to talk about what it means to them that the country may, for the first time, elect a black president. Well, actually, I was more a fly-on-the-wall, privy to a private conversation I don't usually hear, as I'm not black.

No surprise that everyone in this group is voting for Obama and is happy and proud to do so. Yet their views are more complicated. A couple of the moms voted for Hillary Clinton in the primary, and were skeptical of Barack Obama's celebrity.

"I'm uncomfortable with the idol worship," said Ellen, who is voting for Obama, but not-so-secretly likes Sarah Palin.

Nicole said she didn't want to drink the Obama Kool-Aid initially, but then was put off by what she called Hillary Clinton's sense of entitlement. "He asked for my vote," said Nicole. "That was important."

The moms argued about whether - if Obama is elected - there could be a racial backlash. Shauna said she thought his candidacy has ushered in a new era in race relations. Other moms were more cynical and even fearful that African-Americans could be the targets of anger come November 5th. Our interview ended with this question: what do you tell your children about this election?

Your turn, now. What do you tell your kids? What do you think about what Obama's candidacy has or hasn't done for race relations?

Tags: politics | race

5:47 PM ET | 10-27-2008 | permalink

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The Undecided Project

View Larger Map:

 

Day to Day has heard from dozens of undecided voters explaining why, with just a few weeks to go until Election Day, they are still unsure which candidate for President will get their vote. The show got so many comments, from so many places, that we decided to create a centralized repository for these stories using Google Maps. Each one of the question marks on the map above represents an undecided voter, and you can read their thoughts about the election by clicking on the icon. (The purple push-pins represent Day to Day stories about undecided voters, like Barbara Zimmerman, who we spoke to just before the last Presidential Debate. We'll be adding new stories as they air.)

Now the real question: are you an undecided voter? Would you like to throw your digitized two cents into the pixel pile? If you have a Google Account, you can add your story directly to the map by following the directions at the bottom of this post. Or, if you don't have a Google account, you can send your story (along with your name, and where you live) to undecided@npr.org so that we can add it for you. Either way, we want to hear from you! We'll be featuring undecided voters on the program all week. Drop in your comment on the map, and we might feature it on the air.

--Gary Dauphin

How to Update Our Google Map If You Have a Google Account

1. Go to our undecided map and log into your Google Account
2. Click on "edit" in the left-hand column
3. Search for your general location - Keep in mind that Google Maps can pinpoint your address down to the house, so maintain your privacy by just giving it your zip code or city
4. Click on the "Add a placemark" icon in the upper left hand corner of the map - it looks like a blue, upside-down teardrop. Put the placemark in the your town's general vincity.
5. Write your story in the field provided and give it a title. It, of course, goes without saying that off-color, offensive, objectionable or generally flame-baiting comments will be deleted.
6. For extra credit, choose an icon to represent your contribution. The icons are selectable in the upper-right hand corner of your placemark.
7. Click on "DONE" in the left-hand column when you're finished

If you have any questions or comments about the map, feel free to post them here.

Tags: Google Maps | call outs | election | undecided voters

3:00 AM ET | 10-24-2008 | permalink

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Undecided

--Madeleine Brand

We heard from an undecided, Independent voter on the show.

With less than three weeks until the election, we're wondering: is anyone else still undecided?

If you are, tell us - why? What's going to help you make up your mind? Did the two candidates say anything last night to sway you?

Tags: election | undecided voters

11:54 AM ET | 10-16-2008 | permalink

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McCainalogy

--Gary Dauphin

On today's show, Madeleine spoke to Philip Ballinger, Director of Admissions at the University of Washington, about whether or not the SAT test is an effective predictor of future performance. Afterwards, she and Alex reached back to their own test-prepping days (way back in one case) to toss a few SAT-style analogies back forth. For example:

Madeleine: Mortgage-backed securities are to banking as the Chicago Cubs are to...?

Alex: Baseball?

You get the idea. As a test of our audience's mental acuity, we wanted to get your suggestions on how to best finish this current events analogy:

MAVERICK is to CHANGE as what is to...?

We'll share your best suggestions on air.

Tags: McCain | SAT tests | analogies | call outs | education

11:47 AM ET | 10- 9-2008 | permalink

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It's Hot in Here!

--Madeleine Brand

NPR Photo-composite:
John McCain, Charles Keating, William Ayers, Barack Obama

AP Images

 

Is your workplace feeling a little sensitive?

The presidential race is heating up and maybe nasty political comments among your co-workers are escalating.

One side accuses the other of palling around with terrorists.

One side accuses the other of palling around with criminals.

Here at NPR West, we're talking news all day long, so it happens: someone makes a crack and, well, things get a wee bit uncomfortable.

What's your experience? Is the presidential race affecting relations with your co-workers?

Tags: negative advertising | politics

12:25 PM ET | 10- 7-2008 | permalink

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Debate Watching

--Alex Cohen

Friday nights are usually my time to put work behind me and unwind from the week. It's when I like heading to the movies, hanging out with friends, going out to a nice dinner. Listening to a debate about foreign policy isn't really my idea of chilling out, but that's just what I'll be doing tomorrow.

Even though I'll officially be off-duty as a reporter, there's no way I'd miss this one. It's the first debate in a truly unprecedented election. And now, with Senator McCain calling for it to be postponed and Senator Obama calling for the debate to go on as planned, the drama is at an all-time high. This could be some of the most dramatic Friday night TV in years!!

Continue reading "Debate Watching" »

Tags: debates | politics | television

12:02 PM ET | 09-25-2008 | permalink

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Bailout: Yes or No?

--Madeleine Brand

We heard today on the show that regular people are really angry at the idea of bailing out Wall Street to the tune of $700 billion. They think Wall Street should pay, not taxpayers.

Many are wondering about this provision in the bailout language:

"decisions by the (Treasury) Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."

Andrew Ross Sorkin at the New York Times calls it the "mother of all power grabs."

Senator Christopher Dodd (D), chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, says the plan is "unacceptable." His Republican colleague on the committee agrees. Senator Richard Shelby said today, " We have got to look at some alternatives."

What do you think?

1:47 PM ET | 09-23-2008 | permalink

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Trying to Cap the Genie

-- Steve Proffitt

In advance of its "ABC News Exclusive" interviews with Sarah Palin, the network distributed a detailed memo outlining what, where, when and how excepts from the interview could be used. (The full memo is included in the jump.)

This directive seems to have been ignored in wide quarters.

Certainly that's the case for Google, which owns Youtube. The video site is replete with copies of the interviews.

Politico seems to have violated a number of the provisions of the "agreement" in this piece.

And one could argue that NPR, by featuring a photo, and posting a radio story on our Web site that contains interview excerpts, also transgressed.

Are news organizations - who ought to know that this genie has long been out of the bottle - just wasting their time with these sort of restrictions? What do you think? Is this copyright violation? Are we all pirates? Or should this sort of information be allowed to flow freely?

Continue reading "Trying to Cap the Genie" »

Tags: charles gibson | copyright | fair use | news media | piracy | sarah palin

6:42 PM ET | 09-12-2008 | permalink

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The L-Word

--Madeleine Brand

Why can't we say it? (No, not *that* word)

I mean this one: "Lie" as in "untruth."

We journalists are loathe to say a politician is lying.

Let's take that Bridge to Nowhere. Sarah Palin repeatedly says on the stump, "I said 'thanks, but no thanks' to the Bridge to Nowhere." And yet nearly every news outlet has repeatedly said that's not true; she was for it before Congress withdrew the funding for it.

News organizations often say a politician is "exaggerating" or "mis-stating." We don't use the word "lying" because it implies intent to deceive.

We didn't use the L word during Hillary Clinton's, um, forgetfulness regarding taking cover under Bosnian sniper fire.

We didn't use it when Bill Clinton was parsing the word "is."

And we're not using it now...Yet...

Tags: Bridge to Nowhere | Sarah Palin | politics

5:04 PM ET | 09-12-2008 | permalink

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Your Question for Sarah Palin

--Alex Chadwick and Madeleine Brand

Later this week, the Republican VP candidate will be sitting down for an interview with ABC's Charlie Gibson.

It's Sarah Palin's first big interview since John McCain picked her to be his running mate.

Now ABC and Charlie Gibson probably don't need the help, but wondered - what question do you want Gibson to ask Gov. Palin?

Well, hundreds of you responded, as you can see if you click the comments link below. And we shared some of your suggested questions on in a segment on today's program.

Click to Listen.

PS: We're going to stop publishing comments now. Thanks to all who left a question.

Tags: Sarah Palin | elections | media | politics

9:00 AM ET | 09- 9-2008 | permalink

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Can a Mom Rule?

--Madeleine Brand

What do you think of this? It's from a new PAC, WomenCount, whose founder was a big Hillary supporter: "We will defend Sarah Palin against misogynist smears not because we like her or support her, but because that's how feminism works."

Here's the rest of an email from WomenCount:

It started Friday afternoon with John Roberts on CNN, and then in a slow build over the weekend it became clear what the leading sexist charge would be against Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: Is it appropriate for her to accept the vice presidential nomination given the magnitude of her current family responsibilities?

The question came not just from members of the media but also from voters around the country who wrote in to news organizations and on blogs.

The obvious retort is whether anyone would ask the same question of the father of a four-month-old with Down Syndrome and a pregnant teenager. We think not.

Radio talk host Ed Schultz on CNN Monday night took things even further by declaring that Palin would not be able to focus on her job given her family distractions.

And Washington Post columnist Sally Quinn wrote: "Of course, women can be good mothers and have careers at the same time. I've done both. Other women in public office have children ... but ... a mother's role is different from a father's."

The message? Sarah Palin: bad mother.

On that count we have no doubt these accusations would never be made about a man. In that sense, Sally Quinn is right -- and that's why things have got to change.

The very notion that Sarah Palin should not have accepted this nomination because she is a mother with demanding challenges underscores just how far we have to go.

Throughout the weekend, we have been asked about WomenCount's views on Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee. It is important to distinguish between the broader issue of sexism and the ideology of an individual. WomenCount was born of the passion its founders had for Hillary Clinton's clear view of social issues and progressive values. We cannot pretend that Governor Palin meets any standard of progressive politics or social values.

Regardless of the candidates' ideology, we will work to stamp out sexism when we see it on the campaign trail. To paraphrase the words of one blogger who said it best over the weekend: We will defend Sarah Palin against misogynist smears not because we like her or support her, but because that's how feminism works."

Do you think the attacks against Sarah Palin are sexist?What do mothers, grandmothers and moms-to-be think? Can a mom rule?

Tags: Sarah Palin | elections | feminism

12:27 PM ET | 09- 8-2008 | permalink

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Palin-Truman

--Nihar Patel

In Sarah Palin's convention speech, and today on the stump in Wisconsin, she talked about Harry Truman being from a small town:

A writer observed: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity." I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.

The only reference to this quote I could find was in a Pat Buchanan book called Right from the Beginning. Apparently the writer is Westbrook Pegler, and he had also written this when Harry Truman was nominated for vice president:

"This Truman... is thin-lipped, a hater, and not above offering you his hand to yank you off balance and work you over with a chair leg, a pool cue or something out of his pocket."

And reading this old obit of Mr. Pegler, I found out that Truman referred to Pegler as a "gutter-snipe." Probably with honesty, sincerity and dignity. There are more fun insults traded between Pegler and Truman in the obit.

Obit courtesy of ProQuest Historical Newspapers Database.

Tags: Harry Truman | Sarah Palin | elections | speeches

12:50 PM ET | 09- 5-2008 | permalink

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Red Meat

--Nihar Patel

That's what Sarah Palin's convention speech was described as -- red meat. But the guy who worked with her on it, a journalist and former George W. Bush speechwriter, once penned a well-received book about animal suffering and cruelty called Dominion. You can buy it on Amazon. He doesn't, surprisingly, share Governor Palin's fondness for hunting.

But it just goes to show that even vegetarian Republicans like Matthew Scully know a thing or two about grillin'.

Tags: Matthew Scully | Palin | vegan

2:59 PM ET | 09- 4-2008 | permalink

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Wassila vs. The World

--Madeleine Brand

After last night's speech, here's how Sarah Palin has re-ignited the culture wars:

Sarah Palin = Wassila
Wassila = Small Town, USA
Small Town, USA = the Heartland
The Heartland = guns/religion
Guns/religion = "Bitter"
"Bitter" = Barack
Barack = foreigner
Foreigner = other countries
Other countries do not ≠ America
Wassila vs. The World

Is that math adding up for you?

Tags: Palin | culture war | election

1:16 PM ET | 09- 4-2008 | permalink

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Men Like Her

--Alex Chadwick

According to Madeleine's interview with a Gallup pollster, Sarah Palin hasn't really affected the race. Of course, this is before she speaks at the RNC tonight.

But here's one interesting tidbit: men are much more interested in McCain than women.

According to Gallup, among Independents (who both sides are coveting), men prefer McCain 47 to 42 percent. Women prefer Obama 46 to 39 percent.

And a CBS poll notes that in response to Palin nomination, 17% of men now say they are more likely to vote for McCain. Indeed, Bill Tancer, general manager of research at web-metrics firm Hitwise, notes that interest in Palin is at an all-time high overall:

If you compare the number of searches for "John McCain," "Barack Obama" or "Joe Biden" with those for "Sarah Palin," there's no contest. In just two days, the number of U.S. Internet searches for "Sarah Palin" reached a peak greater than any other political personality in the past three years. [full item]

Now....why would that be?

A Day to Day poll for my brothers:

Tags: Palin | elections

2:23 PM ET | 09- 3-2008 | permalink

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Sarah Palin: Boon or Bust for McCain?

--Madeleine Brand

Here's how the McCain campaign is spinning the Palin pregnancy problem: she's a normal mom with normal problems just like all those working-class-former-Hillary-voters-who-don't-like-Barack.

But here's the thing: how many working moms with a four-month-old baby, who has special needs, and a teenage daughter--who now also has special needs--could also be in a position to run the most powerful nation on earth?

Slate's XX Factor says the Republicans are elevating the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Which raises the question -- why do we need our leaders to at least pretend that they're ordinary?

Tags: Palin | election | motherhood

12:14 PM ET | 09- 2-2008 | permalink

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Wayne Kramer's DNC Diary

Alex Cohen, whose coverage of last week's Democratic National Convention can be found here and here and here, also got a chance to sit down Wayne Kramer, one of the founders of Detroit's seminal rock band MC5. MC5 played at the 1968 Democratic convention and Kramer got a chance to play this week in Denver with Rage Against the Machine. Alex's piece on Wayne didn't make it on air, but you can listen to it here via the link at the top of this page. Wayne was also kind enough to share some impressions of the Denver conclave with us, as well as the only surviving footage of his 1968 performance. It turns out that that concert was recorded for posterity by employees of the Department of Defense in Chicago to monitor the crowd.

Continue reading "Wayne Kramer's DNC Diary" »

Tags: Alex Cohen | DNC Convention

10:12 AM ET | 09- 1-2008 | permalink

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A Heartbeat Away

--Madeleine Brand

There have been lots of questions about Sarah Palin's experience. She's been governor for less than two years. Would she be able to run the country if John McCain (aged 72 as of today) were to die or become incapacitated? That's a legitimate concern. But what I'm also wondering is: would she be able to run the country effectively as a mother of five children, two of whom are really young: seven years old and four months? (And, the four-month-old baby has Down Syndrome.)

I know I could not do my job if I didn't have help with my two small children. My husband gets them up, feeds them breakfast and takes them to school every morning because I'm here before dawn, preparing for the show. And still I wonder--would I be better at my job if I didn't have kids? (And the opposite, too: would I be a better mother if I didn't have a job?)

I'd like to know how Sarah Palin handles being Governor and a mom. Does her husband take care of the children? Does she have full-time help? Does she skip meetings, stint on reading a policy brief, or forgo traveling to spend time with her kids?

It's also interesting that these questions have never come up for Barack Obama, who has two young girls. No one wonders (at least I haven't) whether he'd be less effective as president because he's a father.

What do you think?

5:01 PM ET | 08-29-2008 | permalink

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McCain-Palin? ...Thomas?

--Gary Dauphin

John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate is obviously the story of the day, after Shereen abandoning us. Any thoughts, reactions, first impressions?

The Atlantic's James Fallows has an interesting read:

The Palin pick is not like the choice of Dan Quayle

But it is exactly like the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. That is, an unbelievably obvious but potentially effective attempt to jiu-jitsu the standard identity politics of the moment in a way that flummoxes the Democrats. I would spell out the logic but I think it's obvious and am at a computer for only sixty seconds.

The image to have in mind is not Dan Quayle: a person with quite a bit of grounding in national issues who was added to the ticket in an attempt to jazz it up. Always and only the comparison should be with Clarence Thomas -- with this one interesting difference. Thomas was a shrewd choice not simply because his race made it more complicated for Democrats to oppose him but also because, once confirmed, all evidence suggested to conservatives that he'd be the kind of Justice they were looking for. In Palin's case, this seems to be a choice that looks forward to Election Day, and not one day beyond that.

Tags: Palin

2:08 PM ET | 08-29-2008 | permalink

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What Simon Said

--Alex Chadwick

The Hillary people should read this.

I did, and I've been talking to everybody at NPR West about Relentless: How Barack Obama Outsmarted Hillary Clinton by Roger Stone. He's the chief political columnist at Politico.com, a long-time reporter with Chicago roots. (Click over to his bio and check out the last line on where he's going to be buried.)

For Relentless, Simon talked to two-dozen top people from both campaigns. It feels very thorough and revealing--the best summation coverage I've seen on how Barack won, and why she lost. I've been trying to get an interview with Roger on the show since I read Relentless on Monday, but we couldn't catch up with him in Denver until late yesterday. I'm really glad we got this on today; given news cycles, this is probably the last day we could run it. The interview I did with him is good; you can listen to a longer version of our conversation using the audio link above. But his full pieces are better.

What say you, though? What's your take on Simon's analysis--and the larger question of how Obama won?

Tags: Clinton | Obama | pundits

1:18 PM ET | 08-28-2008 | permalink

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They Want Ralph?

--Madeleine Brand

Is a 2000-style Gore/Nader split what the PUMA people want?

After last night's speech by Hillary Clinton, it seems inconceivable that any of her supporters would still vote for John McCain in the general election. Her message was clear: "no way, no how, no McCain."

And yet Mark Friedland--a Clinton delegate from North Carolina--told me that his wife remains unconvinced and will vote for McCain.

Before last night's speech, polls showed that some 20% of Clinton supporters do not plan to vote for Obama. I wonder if, outside the convention, her speech changed their minds.

Are you among that 20%? What do you think now?

Tags: Clinton | Nader | Obama

11:37 AM ET | 08-27-2008 | permalink

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