Green Inaugural Ball Summer Rayne Oakes Interview

Known as the "Eco-Model" as well as a lobbyist/activist for the Green movement, Summer Rayne Oakes speaks about Obama's leadership at the Green Inaugural Ball.


by Suzia van Swol, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service

Senator Schumer happy with 2008 election results

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) gave a press conference on behalf of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee concerning the current state of three Senate races.

Schumer pointed out that the Senate race between Al Franken and Norm Coleman in Minnesota is the closest race in that state’s history, with 206 votes currently separating the two candidates. He also pointed out that the state law requires a recount when races are this close, and said that both candidates should let the officials do their jobs. An “impartial recount must go forward,” said Schumer, criticizing the attacks and intimidation tactics that the right wing was using. He referred to a story that claimed 32 votes had been locked in a car overnight was “completely fabricated by the right-wing.”

In Alaska, the absentee and questionable ballots that are being counted have put Democratic candidate Mark Begich ahead of Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). Although Schumer said he would not make any predictions, he was “cautiously optimistic” that Begich would win.

In Georgia, Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ala.) defeated Democratic candidate Jim Martin but got less than 50% of the popular vote. Under the state law in Georgia, this will require a runoff election between the two candidates. Schumer said he was pleased with the outcome and was hopeful Martin would win in the runoff, and concluded “We’ve added enough Democrats to the Senate to bring change to the American people.”

An optimistic transition for global engagement

Jim Lehrer, anchor for PBS's The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, opened the Center for U.S. Global Engagement's "Impact '08" discussion. He began with the idea that the recent election sent a message from the American people that they want Washington to "run the government competently, not politically." Before beginning the discussion with Paul Begala, the senior transition advisor and counselor to President Bill Clinton, and Michael Gerson, chief speechwriter for George W. Bush, Lehrer outlined the impending influences on the new Obama administration. He said that, in order of importance, President-Elect Obama's transition period will be dominated by reality, spirituality, and ideology. Because ideology is last on this list, Lehrer said that it "was totally irrelevant to most voters."

Begala responded to Lehrer's first question about how the transition from Bush to Obama is going so far with a "so far so good". Because of Obama's "broad, methodical transition team", Begala believes the president-elect is demonstrating how his administration will be run as president. He also advocated a "bipartisan foreign policy" and diversity of ideology, background, and partisanship within Obama's Administration. Gerson agreed, and supported a strong foreign policy team that is "not ideologically the same" as each other.

Globally, both men expressed no doubts that President Obama will have "no choice but to engage internationally", unlike most presidents who focus on domestic issues during their first terms, Begala said. Gerson stated that although there will be a "tremendous conflict of priorities", America cannot afford to back off the international commitments that will ensure safety and health to countries that may harbor anti-American sentiments.

As far as America's image abroad is concerned, Gerson believes that as President, Obama will be given a "chance to start over" by supporting the promises he made during his campaign. Begala echoed these sentiments by highlighting the $2 billion educational fund that Obama spoke about for education around the globe and saying that he "must follow through."

The discussion ended on a very positive note with both men speaking about the optimism witnessed during this time of economic crisis and the two wars that America is involved in. "The great leaders in our culture are always optimistic," said Begala, who also extended that that same optimism runs "very deep in the bones of Obama." Gerson continued that "this is a moment where there's a reason for optimism," with the election of an African-American into the White House. Lehrer concluded with pride, in that these two representatives of two very different parties were using the same words of optimism and pride.

Albright: "Be patient"

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright discussed her new book "Memo to the President: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership" at Georgetown University. She said that unlike previous presidents, President-Elect Obama is going to "inherit the entire emergency room and patient #1 is the economy." Dr. Albright advised that Obama find a set of balances for all sorts of policies that the Bush administration has allowed to fall to extremes. She advised balance of credit lending in America, and of the government's involvement in other financial institutions. Albright also talked about a multilateral foreign policy that would make North Korea abandon their nuclear program, stop Iran from expanding theirs, begin to withdraw troops from Iraq, and end genocide in Darfur and the civil war in the Congo. She warned that America must "be patient," however, and that Obama has a lot more on his plate than many realize.

The United States is now a "center-left nation"

Robert Borosage, Co-Director of the Campaign for America's Future (CAF), said the 2008 election is proof that the U.S. is now a "center-left nation" at a news conference by the CAF today. He backed up his point by saying that on core issues like the economy, foreign policy, and social issues, "Moderates increasingly stand with liberals."

Borosage praised the Obama campaign, saying they had "rewrote the book" on how campaigns are run. He went on to say that Obama had devoted more funds to its ground game than any previous presidential election. Borosage also said Obama's campaign had greater contact with voters utilizing all aspects of media than McCain's. He concluded his remarks adding that Obama's campaign was "far more effective" than McCain's in the last 72 hours before the election.

Stan Greenberg, Chairman and CEO of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, Stan Greenberg said that the 2008 presidential election amounted to "essentially a 10-point swing from the 2004 election." He added that the increased voter turnout among minorities and young people has created a "new alignment" electorally.

Greenberg also claimed than Obama also did better among many existing groups in 2008 than Kerry did in 2004. According to his research, white younger non-college women voted 28 points higher for Obama than they did for Kerry in 2004. He said that the under 30 electorate voted Democrat 26 points higher in 2008, and moderates voted Democrat 20 points higher than in 2004. In regard to the economic debate, Greenberg said, "Republicans lost." He said that they "joined the argument and made the case for the status quo," which led to voters preferring the Democrats on the issue.