Daley Swipes Palin In New Interview

White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley appears to be less than impressed with former Alaska Governor and one-time Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin.

In an interview with Politico’s Roger Simon published this morning, Daley was asked whether he thinks next year’s election between Obama and whoever the GOP selects to run against him will be close.

Daley’s response referenced Obama’s fairly close victory over Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and his running-mate, Palin, in 2008.

“Look at ’08, the president got 53 percent of the vote,” Daley said to Simon. “Against a relatively older candidate who had Sarah Palin as a running mate! And he gets [only] 53 percent of the vote! So why would this not be a close election?”

Daley’s mentioning of Palin in that context seems to imply that she is viewed by the White House as an inferior candidate who may have not belonged on the ticket.

Palin emerged in 2008 as a superstar to conservative voters impressed by her candor and energy. Through her bus tours, Fox News appearances and occasional Facebook rants against Obama, Palin has since been able to elevate herself into a recognized brand in politics.

She created a huge buzz by flirting with a 2012 presidential bid, with flocks of journalists scrambling to cover her every move. But eventually, she announced in early October that she would not run.

Despite her status as a leader in the conservative Tea Party movement, the White House has rarely, if ever, engaged her on the issues.

TRNS reached out to Palin for comment, but has yet to receive a response.

Gaddafi Will Prevail In Long Term, Says U.S. Intel Chief

By Kaeun Yu

The U.S.’ Director of National Intelligence told lawmakers on Thursday that Libyan despot Muammar Gaddafi will prevail in his struggle for power against thousands of rebel forces.

During testimony before the Senate Armes Services Committee, Gen. James Clapper Jr. said “the regime has more logistical resources in terms of the equipment they have, and there are two special brigades which are very loyal to Gaddafi.”

Due to the fact that the entire Middle East region is experiencing what he referred to as “tectonic change,” Clapper warned that the U.S. is in for a “bumpy time,” and advised the Obama administration to seek continued partnership with regional allies in order to deal with the crisis in Libya, Saudi Arabia and other nations.

Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Ronald Burgess Jr., testifying on the war in Afghanistan, predicted that higher levels of violence against the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) are likely to occur in the coming weeks and months.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the top Republican on the committee, told both witnesses that the security challenges facing the U.S. has provided a “window of opportunity” to assist the international community and mitigate the turmoil.

McCain Questions Stability Of Iraq After Troop Withdrawal

By Kaeun Yu

As the United States prepares for a shift in policy in Iraq, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he is not confident Iraq will have the support it needs should troops be withdrawn according to President Obama’s schedule.

“I have real concerns about whether the proposed civilian-led mission that will take the lead once our troops are gone is sufficient to support Iraqi needs of U.S. interest,” said McCain.

Gen. Lloyd Austin, top U.S. military commander in Iraq, also agreed the U.S. is still far from completing its mission. According to Austin, the U.S. Forces and Iraqi Security Forces have just recently begun a collective training regiment to improve security.

“The security environment [in Iraq] continues to improve, but it will remain complex in the threats to stability in 2012,” said Austin. “The government cannot provide security for Iraqi people.”

Current tasks performed by U.S. troops will transition to the tasks of civilians and contractors at the year’s end. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said “our goal is to leave behind Iraq stable.”

Obama Uses Labor Day Speech To Propose Infrastructure Bank

In Milwaukee yesterday, President Barack Obama made his pitch for a new round of spending aimed at jumpstarting the nation’s anemic job market.

The President told a crowd gathered at the city’s annual Labor Day festival that his $50 billion proposal would fund new transportation projects, including improvements to road and airport surfaces, railways and air traffic control systems. Additionally, the funds would spur high-speed rail projects, an investment that is known to be high on the President’s wishlist.

Obama said the projects would be fully paid for, and administered by a new national infrastructure bank run by the federal government that, according to Obama, “will change the way Washington spends your tax dollars.”

With unemployment at 9.6%, the White House says the goal of the proposed initiatives is to breathe life into a sputtering job market. However, opponents of the $50 billion package argue that paying for more spending by ending tax breaks for businesses is not the solution.

‘The American people want us to stop spending, so let’s just give them some certainty,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) over the weekend. “Let’s extend the existing tax cuts, and then let’s give some more tax breaks to small businesses and large, and then maybe the American people will have some confidence.”

Cutting Defense Spending Leaves U.S. Ill Prepared For Future, Says Panel

By Sarah Mamula - Talk Radio News Service

In our current state of economic concern and budget frugality, the notion of cutting defense spending is gaining popularity among Democrats and Republicans alike. However, the independent panel assigned to examine the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) says that in order for the U.S. military to make much needed changes, an increase in budget is vital.

Almost a week after presenting the panel’s recommendations to the House Armed Services Committee, former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and former Defense Secretary William Perry came together once more Tuesday in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee to reemphasize the importance of modernization within the military.

“It’s important to plan a force that we’ll need 10 to 20 years ahead,” said Perry. 

The former Defense Secretary explained many of the panel’s recommendations, including sustaining additions to the U.S. ground forces, augmenting Air Force long-range strike capabilities and increasing maritime forces in the Western Pacific.

“What we have described as a need will be expensive,” said Perry. “But, deferring recapitalization could entail even greater expenses in the long run.”

Many committee members agreed with the panel’s advice regarding potential budget constraints that would deter improvements in U.S. defenses. 

“We are in the midst of a great national debate about the priorities and spending habits of our government driven by the mounting debt,” said Senator John McCain (R-Ariz). “For the first time in a decade, there’s a growing call for real cuts in defense spending and a willingness on both sides of the aisle to consider it.”