Points to ponder from PE Obama's announcement today

[babylonsister]

These are good imo. I can't argue, though I'm sure some will.


CQ Transcript: President-Elect Obama Announces Intelligence Team

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Good intelligence is not a luxury, it is a necessity. The men and women of the intelligence community have been on the front lines in this world of new and evolving dangers. They have served in the shadows, saved American lives, advanced our interests, and earned the respect of a grateful nation. There have been sound reforms and many successes built over the last several years.

But here in Washington, we’ve also learned some tough lessons. We’ve learned that to make pragmatic policy choices, we must insist on assessments grounded solely on the facts and not seek information to suit any ideological agenda. So support those who carry out our intelligence mission, we must give them the resources they need and the clear guidance they deserve.

And we know that to be truly secure, we must adhere to our values as vigilantly as we protect our safety with no exceptions. I’m confident that Dennis Blair and Leon Panetta are the right leaders to advance the work of our intelligence communities. They are public servants with unquestioned integrity, broad experience, strong management skills, and the core pragmatism we need in dangerous times.

snip//

I was clear throughout this campaign and have been clear throughout this transition that under my administration, the states does not torture. We will abide by the Geneva Conventions that we will uphold our highest values and ideals.

And that is a clear charge that I’ve given to Admiral Blair and to Leon Panetta. And I think it is important for us to do that not only because that’s who we are, but also, ultimately, it will make us safer and will help in changing hearts and minds in our struggle against extremists.

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OBAMA: Well, as I said before, Democrats or Republicans, we welcome good ideas. And so the challenge for all of us, I think, is to identify good ideas, good spending plans that deliver on my commitment to create or save 3 million jobs.

OBAMA: I want this to work. This is not an intellectual exercise. And there’s no pride of authorship. If members of Congress have good ideas, if they can identify a project for me that will create jobs in an efficient way, that does not hamper our ability to, over the long term, get control of our deficit, that is good for the economy, then I’m going accept it.

If Paul Krugman has a good idea in terms of how to spend money efficiently and effectively to jumpstart of economy, then we’re going to do it. If somebody has an idea for a tax cut that is better than a tax cut we’ve proposed, we will embrace it.

So, you know, one of the things that I think I’m trying to communicate in this process is for everybody to get past the habit that sometimes occurs in Washington of whose idea is it, what ideological corner does it come from -- just show me. If you can show me that something is going to work, I will welcome it.

If it works better than something I have proposed, I’ll welcome it. What is not an option is for us to sit and engage in posturing or, you know, the standard partisan fights when the American people are out there struggling.

And I don’t expect Congress is going to do that because I think that they understand the urgency of the situation and they’re hearing from their constituents.

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000003006236

[ananda]

1. Obama sounds great!

But the proof is in the pudding,
what happens after inauguration.

[babylonsister]

2. True that, but he's sure sending the message it won't be business

as usual compared to the past 8 years. That gives me comfort.