News that would be funny if it weren't depressing

Obama Press Secretary dismissed this as "silly season," but for me it's more of a sad statement on today's state of affairs.

Next week, President Obama will give a back-to school speech directed at elementary and high school students across the nation. This couldn't possibly controversial, right? Not in today's America, I'm afraid.

Per MSNBC, the planned speech "has provoked a backlash from some within the Republican Party, with the chairman of the GOP in Florida saying the real motive is to indoctrinate students with Obama's "socialist ideology.""

I wish I were making this up. But it gets better. Read on:

Explains the article, "Obama plans to address students across the country on Tuesday with a message about staying in school, working hard and achieving educational goals."

Work hard and stay and school. If that's socialism then color me red.

But let's be fair here and see what the Florida GOP chair, Jim Greer, actually said:

According to the article, he said the event "obligates the youngest children in our public school system to agree with our president's initiatives or be ostracized by their teachers and classmates."

"While I support educating our children to respect both the office of the American president and the value of community service, I do not support using our children as tools to spread liberal propaganda," Greer added.

Liberal propaganda? Someone should inform Greer that Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush also gave similar addresses to students.

But let's hear from some of the other "critics":

"I'll be keeping my kids at home that day," a person identified as "Nascar Dad" wrote on the Tampa Bay Times Web site. "Our school is offering an 'alternative' activity, but if millions of parents across the country keep their kids out of school; Ouch!"

So you're keeping your kids at home, hoping that millions of others do so as well, to make a political point? It's pretty clear who the real tools are here.

What I'm reading: Obamanomics

If you're got some time to kill, check out this captivating piece from The New Republic on Obama's economic policies. The authors, TNR editors Franklin Foer and Noam Scheiber, find many similarities between Obama's philosophies and the central tenants of the behavior economics book Nudge, which I've been meaning to read but haven't gotten to yet.

The key point is that, despite all the histeria of Obama's alleged "socialism," his economics are in fact decidedly market based; instead, Obama and his team aim to tweak incentives so that while people still have freedom to choose, the most favorable decision is what fits the public, as well as individual interest. Here, Obama neither fits the traditional definition of big-government liberal nor the mold Clintonion New Democrat centrist. Foer and Scheiber summarize:

As a theory of government, this approach has much to recommend it. It's resolutely liberal in its ends, ambitious in its means, but also respectful of individual freedom. It is, in other words, a government that is activist but distinctly not socialist.

I stumbled upon this article via the New York Times' new "Idea of the Day" blog, which also includes a number of "must-reads" (the TNR piece was one of these). I'm not sure who has time to read all of them, though!

Hey Joe

In case you missed this, Joe Biden made a stop in Costa Rica Sunday and Monday, meeting with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and various other Central American leaders. Since the paper's political reporter left a couple weeks ago, and the replacement just started this week, I, the lowly intern, got to join one of the staff reporters and cover the event.

I'd actually covered a Biden event before when I was at The Hill two summers ago. Biden was chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committe and I covered one of his hearings on Iraq. He was just as charamatic now as he was then, although it looked like the campaign and responsibilities of the new office had aged him a bit more.

While Biden's often criticized for longwindedness, I'm somewhat fond of his speaking style. He may say a lot, but he'll eventually get back to answering your question by the end. He says what he thinks, sometimes getting himself into trouble, and his candor is refreshing for a politician. For example, on Monday he told the Central American leaders that his primary concern was getting the U.S. economy back on track (which in itself would be a big help to the small countries of the region which do depend on the economic fortunes of the big brother up north) and said concerns such as immigration reform would have to wait. I may not agree with him 100 percent, but that he was willing to be frank and honest was impressive, and hopefully bodes well for U.S.-Latin American relations.

Speaking of answering questions, no, I didn't get to ask one. Only five questions were permitted by the Costa Rican government press officers, and the themes and questioners were decided beforehand. Two went to local press (taken by the daily paper La Nacion and business daily La Republica), two went to wires (AP and AFP) and one to an international paper (we thought we might have a shot at this, but it went to a reporter from Guatemala instead--and yes, there were other countries there than Costa Rica and the U.S., although all the questions were addressed to Biden).

All in all, it was still a very exciting day. Since Leland, the staff reporter, was also covering the event for The Miami Herald, I got to write the story for the daily page (read it here). We also collaborated later this week for the print edition story, and editorial, which I'll post tomorrow when they are published.

Keeping up on the news: Political musings of the week

Living abroad means I cant be the news junkie I am when back home. I only glance at The New York Times Web site a couple times per day, depending on how busy I am at work and how tired I am when I get home. A sad state for any would-be journalist and blogger, I really only get to skim the headlines on Google News. For those lamenting the demise of the news industry, I am part of the problem.

That said, I do get to check out The Sacramento Bee as well (mostly for updates on the sad state of affairs regarding your Sacramento Kings) and was happy to see that the budget finally was passed. I was less happy to see that the state Republicans ousted their leader for his willingness to compromise and openly mocked their own members who were willing to strike a deal (speaking of "being of part of the problem and not the solution"...). This mirrors some of the news I saw this weekend, regarding Republican governors and their political grandstanding on the stimulus package. Thankfully, Arnold was not one of them.

While I voted for his opponent both times, I’m happy to see Arnold assume the mantle of moderation within the Republican Party. It’s somewhat of a shame that he can’t seek the presidency (thanks to the constitution) because I’d much rather see him setting the national Republican agenda than conservatives like Palin or Jindal, both clearly pandering to the conservative base with their eyes on 2012. Of course, political grandstanding is nothing new, but playing politics with the economy in a time of crisis is something I can’t really stand for. I applaud Arnold’s pragmatism, recognizing that tax cuts aren’t the solution all the time. (And really, if you think tax cuts are the solution when the economy is good, and you think tax cuts are the solution when the economy is bad, isn’t that just a sign of the kind ideological indoctrination and blockheaded stubbornness that got us into this mess in the first place? Show some common sense and willingness to adapt to the situation, why don’t you?)

It’s not like the Democrats are blameless either. I just read in today’s Times that Obama’s first forays into Social Security reform are being met with opposition from liberal Democrats and Congressional Leaders. I’ve long said Obama may have more trouble with Democrats than Republicans in Congress. Hopefully, he’ll be able to continue his pledge of bipartisanship and putting national interest above party or ideology. The article notes, I must point out, that analysts agree that both taxes and cuts in spending are needed to solve the problem. Sounds a lot like the California budget crisis doesn’t it? Hopefully, Obama will fare better than Arnold in convincing legislators to do the right thing. What’s clear, however, is that we need more Obamas, and dare I say more Arnolds, to continue to press for a consensus of cooperation, moderation and practicality. A little compromise could go a long way right now.

Now, back to Costa Rica…

Where were you during Obama's inauguration?

I was at La Luz restaurant, in a hotel outside San Jose, reporting a story for the Tico Times. An American owns the place, and put on an event for expats and interested locals wanting to watch the festivities on a big screen. An interesting group, including the American ambassador to Costa Rica, who, despite being a Bush appointee, seemed genuinely moved and excited about the day's events.

It's not the complete version (won't be out until Friday) but here's an excerpt:

A couple minutes past noon Eastern Standard Time yesterday in Washington, D.C., Barack Obama placed his hand on the Bible and was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States of America.

Cheers erupted from the approximately 75 Ticos and U.S. citizens gathered in La Luz Restaurant outside Escazú, where the inauguration was projected on a giant screen.

“Personally, I just felt it was a very terrific moment in our history,” said Timothy Lattimer, regional environmental officer at the U.S. Embassy in San José. “It marks a new beginning, and I think that it sets a great example of how our democracy can renew itself.”

Some grew emotional at the sight of Obama, the nation's first African-American president, assuming its highest office. Obama acknowledged this feat briefly in his inaugural address, noting that a “man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.”

“For me, as an African-American, seeing this opens a world of possibility,” said Gregory Toussaint, from Miami, Florida. “It shatters the highest glass ceiling.”

For many throughout the world, the inauguration also highlighted anticipation for a new era of relations with the United States.

President Oscar Arias told the daily La Nación Monday that the new president must close the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and step up its efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.

For many Ticos, though, yesterday was largely business as usual. While millions around the world sat glued to their television screens to watch the ceremony, San José was much more subdued, with patrons casually glancing at newscasts in sodas over lunch.

“We just have to wait and see if there will be any change,” said Jaqueline Malegro, a waitress at one corner restaurant. “We don't know anything yet."