United Liberty

How’s the for a great use of taxpayer funding. The United States will be dropping $1 billion to build a moat (you read that right) at the embassy in London:

The United States has unveiled plans for its new $1 billion high-security embassy in London — the most expensive it has ever built.
[…]
A moat 30 metres (100ft) wide and rolling parkland will separate the building from the main road, protecting it from would-be bombers and removing the need for the blast barriers that so dismayed the people of Mayfair.

The State Department sought to play down the cost of security measures, noting the expense of London building work. But the price puts the London embassy above the US’s most fortified missions, including the Baghdad embassy, which cost $600 million (£390 million) but required a further $100 million of work on air conditioning, and the Islamabad embassy, still under construction, which has cost more than $850 million.

It also does not include the 17.5 per cent VAT demanded by the Treasury on all buildings in Britain and which the US has refused to pay.

Um, this is ridiculous.

Earlier this month, I commented on the indictment of several Blackwater Worldwide security guards for their role in the killing of 17 Iraqis. There’s more news to this story, as apparently during the heat of the Democratic primaries Hillary Clinton cosponsored with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) the Stop Outsourcing Security Act.

The Act specifically called for the Secretary of State, an office she will be occupying next year, to act in making sure that American defense is provided for by the military:

Dan Carlin, the host of the poular podcasts Common Sense and Hardcore History, gave me his thoughts on various subjects, varying from the attacks in India to Obama’s cabinet appointments.

What do you make of rumors that President-elect Obama will be keeping Robert Gates as Defense Secretary?

Well, as far as I can tell I am the only person in the world who doesn’t like the pick (and it sure looks like, at least for the early part of the Administration that Gates IS the likely pick).

For those keeping score at home, Obama’s rumored cabinet picks are now official:

President-elect Barack Obama today picked Sen. Hillary Clinton to be secretary of state. Obama said he had no doubt that Clinton is the right person to lead the state department. Obama also announced that he’s keeping Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his current post and tapped Eric Holder for attorney general.

Is anyone else thinking that the time period between election and inauguration should be sped up? It feels like Obama is already President.

Thanks to former President Bill Clinton, one of the obstacles facing Hillary’s appointment to Secretary of State has been removed.  Despite promises of anonymity to some of the contributors to the William J Clinton Foundation he started, Bill has agreed to disclose his list of donors.

wsj.com- He’ll also refuse donations from foreign governments to the Clinton Global Initiative, his annual charitable conference, and will cease holding CGI meetings overseas.

Many of us are watching with great interest to see how things are shaping up with likely appointments for the new Obama Administration. Given all the talk about “change” in this election, one would hope that the appointments would indicate some definite moves away from the status quo. Obviously the President’s powers to change much of anything are quite limited by the Constitution (not that this has mattered so much to recent Presidents), with foreign policy being the area of greatest potential for change. An initial look at Obama’s likely appointments in matters of foreign affairs and national security leads this writer to question just how much change, if any, will occur in the conduct of foreign affairs.

All signs are pointing towards a Obama Cabinet divided between two heavyweights, Senator Hillary Clinton and Governor Bill Richardson. The inclusion of either is not a surprise when each situation is looked at individually, but bringing both together the resulting combination is bound to bring about epic intra-administration ideological and power struggles. For example one of Clinton’s top surrogates James Carville said (to the NYT) in regards to Richardson’s Obama endorsement earlier this year-

“Mr. Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic,”

Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State?:

Barring a miracle of epic proportions, less than one week from now the nation will choose Sen. Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. But who will this young Senator choose to serve in his cabinet? His choice for Secretaries of State, Defense and Treasury are key decisions that will shape the “Obama Doctrine” and determine whether he governs as a principled leftist, pragmatic leftist, or centrist. While not a perfect candidate, of the names floated thus far, I believe Republican Senator, Chuck Hagel would make the best Secretary of Defense in an Obama Administration.