What Caught My Eye Today

Presidential Transition - So much for enjoying the moment. Barack Obama is wasting no time in getting ready for his next job. Then again, the 76 days will fly by in no time at all. President-elect Barack Obama pivoted quickly to begin filling out his new administration selecting Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel as White House chief of staff. In offering the post of White House chief of staff to Emanuel, Obama turned to a fellow Chicago politician with a far different style from his own, a man known for his bluntness as well as his single-minded determination. Emanuel was a political and policy aide in Bill Clinton's White House. Leaving that, he turned to investment banking, then won a Chicago-area House seat six years ago. In Congress, he moved quickly into the leadership. As chairman of the Democratic campaign committee in 2006, he played an instrumental role in restoring his party to power after 12 years in the minority. At first glance this seems to be a wise move. Obama won in part because of his claim to be able to reach across the aisle. I'm thinking that will mean that he's going to have to rely on others in his Administration to 'turn the screws' when the situation calls for it. Enter Rahm Emanuel.

Potpourri - Today's version focuses on the finally concluded 2008 presidential election.

• Barack Obama spent a record $250 million on local, cable and network television commercials over the past five months. That's more than Burger King, Apple and Gap.
  Well, it's not like he was going to be able to take the money with him to the White House. Plus, with the economic downturn and the dramatic decrease in advertising dollars from traditional sources, Obama was viewed as a white knight by most media outlets.
• 194 newspapers endorsed the Obama-Biden ticket versus the 82 that endorsed McCain-Palin.
  All 276 newspapers should send gift baskets to both tickets for the increased readership that the election coverage brought. Maybe kick in a bottle of bubbly for Palin, seeing as she generated some of the juiciest headlines all by herself.
• 70% of Americans said most journalists wanted to see Obama win the election, versus just 9% rooting for McCain.
  Yeah, that sounds about right. What, you were expected an unbiased press? What country do you live in?
• Sarah Palin is currently third choice among Republicans looking ahead to 2012. 35% favor Mitt Romney, 26% favor Mike Huckabee and 20% back Palin.
  And so it begins. Mark your calendars, boys and girls. Only 1461 days until the next presidential election. God help us all.
• The Bush White House is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on official portraits of Cabinet secretaries, military brass, and other appointees. Among the portraits commissioned is one of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for $46,790.
  And that, my friends, is how a President gives the proverbial finger to all those people who contributed to his historically dismal approval rating.

Rwanda - Rwanda is giving up the language of its former Belgian colonizers. The government announced that schools will now begin teaching in English rather than French, and that all government employees will have to learn English. Officials insist that the decision was not meant as a slam against France, a country that Rwanda accuses of arming Hutu militias during the 1994 genocide. And yet, that's exactly how this comes off. Here's the official rational given for the decision to switch from French to English. "When you look at the French-speaking countries--it's really just France, and a small part of Belgium and a small part of Switzerland." There is the obvious omission of Quebec on that list, but that aside, clearly there is some animosity behind this, despite what the Rwandan government may say to the contrary.

Iran - Uh-oh. Someone's getting tired. I guess being a raving lunatic can be exhausting work. Iranian President Mahmound Ahmadinejad canceled several planned appearances recently saying he was exhausted from overwork. His political opponents claim the matter is a political ploy aimed at making Ahmadinejad appear to be a selfless leader just as his re-election campaign is set to open. His approval ratings have been plummeting recently, as the Iranian economy has been battered by falling oil prices. Now where have we heard this tale before--a presidential figure suffering low approval ratings because the economy tanking on his watch? Ring any bells?

Belgium - A Belgian public television station canceled its planned airing this week of a show about Adolf Hilter's favorite meal? Say what? The broadcaster was going to feature Hitler on an episode of its popular show "Favorite Dish," which profiles the food choices of notable public figures. And Hitler was the best they could come up with? If you were curious, the episode was going to feature trout in butter sauce.