Things Noticeable this week

[vannax]

Barack Obama plans intervention in Britain's EU referendum

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...m-intervention


Perhaps Putin should reach out and tell the poor commoners why England would be better off as a client state to a budding Russian Empire next.

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by vannax

Barack Obama plans intervention in Britain's EU referendum

If you read the article, you'll see that it says no such thing.

What it says is

Barack Obama is planning to make “a big, public reach-out” to persuade British voters to stay inside the European Union, the chair of the US Senate foreign relations committee has revealed.

{snip}

Corker, saying America’s problems paled in comparison with the EU, openly discussed with witnesses the best way for Obama to pitch his appeal to British voters. “I know the president is planning to make a pretty big public reach-out in this regard,” he said, adding: “how do you think the people of the UK will respond to us at the highest level embracing this?”

Bob Corker is a Republican, generally a thoughtful guy, but this is just partisan trolling in an election year. Curious that the President should confide his plans in a member of the other party -- a very antagonistic party, particularly in an election year-- doncha' think?

If you read the article with care, you'll find that there is actually zero specific information about the President's intentions in this regard, and that he has to date said nothing at all about the subject.

[vannax]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

If you read the article, you'll see that it says no such thing.

What it says is



Bob Corker is a Republican, generally a thoughtful guy, but this is just partisan trolling in an election year. Curious that the President should confide his plans in a member of the other party -- a very antagonistic party, particularly in an election year-- doncha' think?

If you read the article with care, you'll find that there is actually zero specific information about the President's intentions in this regard, and that he has to date said nothing at all about the subject.

I agree that it's probably just the standard Guardian Rabble Rousing, but all I did was C/P the headline and URL.

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by vannax

I agree that it's probably just the standard Guardian Rabble Rousing, but all I did was C/P the headline and URL.

Its surprising to see it under the byline of the Guardian's "Diplomatic Editor" . . . I'd have thought he'd have been more careful.

There's not even the journalistically obligatory attempt to contact the White House for a comment. . . not even "the White House declined to comment". The only source that they have vaguely related to the Administration is a former aide to Biden, not exactly close to the President . . . and she doesn't have any specific information at all.

Guardian is usually better than that, but its not their invention, Bob Corker really did say what he said.

The question that the article raises is "What's Corker's game here?"

Is it just partisan trolling?

The odd thing about it is that its an issue that few Americans would care much about . . . so its a head scratcher.

[Mal Hombre]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

The odd thing about it is that its an issue that few Americans would care much about . . . so its a head scratcher.

Apparently,The UK's continued membership is important to the US,President Obama is considering whether His intervention would help or hinder the "In" campaign.

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by Mal Hombre

Apparently,The UK's continued membership is important to the US,President Obama is considering whether His intervention would help or hinder the "In" campaign.

I meant its a puzzle why Corker would be playing it this way.

The US does care about Europe and the UK, but we've historically been very circumspect on similar issues. The precedent for the Scottish referendum, for example . . . US was pretty quiet about that. And we've stayed pretty much silent over the years when Quebec has had independence referendums, not saying much beyond an official preference for the status quo.

[Greenman]

I cannot tell you how disappointed and saddened I am in Rolf Harris. Along with the late Tony Hart, they were my inspirations, nay two of my televisual heroes for cartooning and sketching and I would never miss Take Hart, Rolf's Cartoon Time or any of their other shows. I still find it hard to believe these headlines about Rolf are real, but I know they are yet he shows no remorse or at least hasn't said anything about it. He is due to appear in court charged with another 7 counts of indecent assault in March. He has had all his awards/accolades removed and also some paintings - I still wonder what the Queen must be thinking!

I don't know if you ever listen to football or any other sport on the radio but I've noticed the commentators periodically say "just look at that" well we would do, but it's radio you dummy, and only you can see it.!

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by Greenman

I cannot tell you how disappointed and saddened I am in Rolf Harris. Along with the late Tony Hart, they were my inspirations, nay two of my televisual heroes for cartooning and sketching and I would never miss Take Hart, Rolf's Cartoon Time or any of their other shows. I still find it hard to believe these headlines about Rolf are real, but I know they are yet he shows no remorse or at least hasn't said anything about it. He is due to appear in court charged with another 7 counts of indecent assault in March. He has had all his awards/accolades removed and also some paintings - I still wonder what the Queen must be thinking!

I don't know if you ever listen to football or any other sport on the radio but I've noticed the commentators periodically say "just look at that" well we would do, but it's radio you dummy, and only you can see it.!

Just for clarification I would mention that the late artist and television presenter Tony Hart lived a very ordinary and unexceptable private life, was married to the same woman for 50 years until she passed away and had one daughter and two grandchildren. As far as I know his personal reputation is first class.

[Greenman]

Private man yes but his life was anything but unexceptional-he was in the Gurkhas as a young man and you don't get into that without being exceptional. He also designed the first Blue Peter badge and of course went on to be second fiddle to a lump of plasticine called Morph. He made it big in 'Vision On', an art programme for the deaf which he co-presented with Pay Keysel who was herself deaf and featured the very first Aardman animation(a superhero called Aardman) I first heard of him being ill in 2005(whilst I was in Florida-they have the Daily Mail out there) and then it wasn't long before he passed away and we lost a true hero of television childhood.

[Rogerbh]

Antonin Scalia dropped dead - Obama gets to fill his position.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/sup...&ocid=1PRCDEFE
Conservatives across the US are bending over to kiss their asses good bye.