Motley Moose – Archive

On Sunday, March 1st: easily the best three minutes of my day were spent watching part of CBS Sunday Morning, as we will see after the jump ….  

My colleague BeninSC has written two diaries on the theme of being a red state resident, yet fighting-the-good-fight for all that blue state residents aspire to …. and asking for your empathy (if not necessarily your complete understanding). He did so in his own diary first, then graced us with a follow-up the next day. And while he is neither the first (nor will he be the last) to do so …… he did so in his usual, engaging style.

With that background, I have two young men for you to consider as examples of what red state residents could be … if given half-a-chance. And hold-on-to-your-hats: if I told you they are white prep school basketball players … in Waco, Texas … what odds would you place on their actions reflecting liberal … actually, just human empathy for those who are in dire circumstances, with many of them non-white?

Well, somebody forgot to tell student/athletes Hudson Bradley and Ben Martinson of Vanguard College Prep they weren’t supposed to do something like this.

In Gainesville, Texas there is a youth correctional facility for felony offenders, where good behavior is rewarded by a spot on the basketball team. If they’re not on the team, students at Gainesville are not permitted to leave the school – i.e., they can’t travel to cheer on their classmates. Few parents make the trip, leaving the opposing fan section empty at many Gainesville Tornadoes games.

And for the two young men at Vanguard ….. this didn’t sit well. As the video from CBS Sunday Morning shows, they decided to rectify the situation for their opponents. It is altogether possible that this video may be the best three minutes of your day, if you have not yet seen it.

I have no doubt the Gainesville players are correct that many, many years later they will remember this game … and hopefully, it will act as an extra incentive to turn their lives around.

People living in red states (in general), Southern states (in particular) and Texas (to be precise) are often painted with a wide brush. But methinks these two young men – and the classmates whom they inspired; going above-and-beyond mere cooperation – have shown that looks can be deceiving, and have done their state proud. As the Ring of Fire report states, “If a couple of high school kids can be this gracious, then certainly adults in government can do the same thing”.

And should Messrs. Hudson and Ben grow-up to be Republicans? ….. well, I think I can point to them while addressing conservatives in general (and, markedly, the infamous frat house at the University of Oklahoma) and say, “More of this, please” …. without batting an eyelash.

Actually, Pete Townshend of The Who said it best fifty years ago …. The Kids are Alright.

“Higher education is the door to a future of your own making. No American – regardless of their background or station in life – should be priced out of the education they want and need.”

~ President Barack Obama, March 10, 2015

Education Secretary Arne Duncan: The Student Aid Bill of Rights: Enhancing Protections for Student Loan Borrowers

The single most important investment anyone can make in their future is to pursue higher education. But the one thing I often hear from families is that they are worried about the cost.

Too many students are graduating from college feeling burdened by their student loan debt. The Obama Administration has – and will continue to – make college more affordable through increased Pell Grants and education tax credits, while improving transparency so that students and families have the information they need to select schools that provide the best value. Today, we are building on the Administration’s success helping students manage their debt and stay on track.

That’s why today, President Obama has proposed a new Student Aid Bill of Rights that outlines a series of new actions that direct the Department of Education, Department of Treasury, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Science and Technology Policy and Domestic Policy Council, working with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Social Security Administration, to make paying for higher education an easier and fairer experience for millions of Americans.

Video of President Obama’s Speech at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia is below.

Transcript: Remarks by the President Announcing Student Aid Bill of Rights

1:51 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Atlanta!  Hello, Yellow Jackets!  (Applause.)  This is a pretty good-looking crowd here!  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Thank you!

THE PRESIDENT:  He says thank you.  (Laughter.)  I wasn’t directing it specifically at you, but you do look pretty good — what do you think?  (Laughter.)  I mean, I may not be the gauge — you should ask some of the ladies here.  (Laughter.)

Everybody have a seat who has got a chair.  If you don’t have a chair, don’t sit down.  (Laughter.)  Now, I understand George P. Burdell was supposed to introduce me today.  (Laughter and applause.)  But nobody could find him.  (Applause.)

So I want to thank Tiffany for stepping in.  What she did not mention is that her letter to me was not just to express her concern about student loans, she said — in her letter she said, it was also to procrastinate from doing her Thermodynamics homework.  (Laughter and applause.)  That’s a true story.  That is true.  That’s okay.  (Laughter.)  I procrastinate sometimes.  (Laughter.)  As long as you got it done, Tiffany.  Where is Tiffany?  Did you get it done?

TIFFANY:  I got it done!

THE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  (Laughter and applause.)

Let’s give it up for Buzz and the Georgia Tech Band for getting us fired up.  (Applause.)  Also give it up for Governor Nathan Deal, who is here.  (Applause.)  Congressmen Hank Johnson and David Scott.  (Applause.)  Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.  (Applause.)  And the President of this great institution, Georgia Tech, Bud Peterson.  (Applause.)  That’s good.  You’ve got a high approval rating.  (Laughter.)  You do.  Absolutely.

We also have a special guest with us — this is a proud Georgia Tech alum, who just happens also to be the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Sandy Winnefeld is here.  Where’s Sandy?  There he is.  (Applause.)  Before he was the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he was a Navy fighter pilot, which is cooler.  Now he just goes to meetings.  (Laughter.)  What’s up with that?  I told him he’s got to get back on a plane.

It is great to be at one of the finest technical institutes in the world.  (Applause.)  One of the finest in the world.  I mean, you’ve got to be if the Ramblin’ Wreck is still running after all these years.  (Applause.)  That’s a Georgia Tech reference that some of you may not know.  (Laughter.)  I also know that Georgia Tech is terrific because we’ve actually worked with you on several fronts — from promoting advanced manufacturing to unlocking the mysteries of the brain to helping more students become entrepreneurs.  (Applause.)

And the reason I wanted to come here today is because I believe that higher education, as you believe, is one of the best investments that anybody can make in their future.  And it’s also one of the best investments you can make in our country’s future.  So I’m here to say thank you and to tell you I’m proud of you, because I know that it’s not always easy to do what you’re doing.  It takes perseverance.  A lot of late nights in the library and the lab, and you’re wrapping your minds around complex formulas and concepts that, frankly, I don’t understand.  (Laughter.)  But I know they’re complex.  (Laughter.)  And some of you are holding jobs down at the same time, which makes it even harder.

But as frustrating as it may be, and Tiffany expressed some frustrations on occasion, it is worth it.  Higher education has never been more important.  And the message I want to deliver today, not just to you but to the entire country, is the entire nation has to treat it as a priority.

Right now, our economy is growing steadily.  It’s creating new jobs.  You’re going to be going into a job market that’s much better than the one that existed when I came into office six years ago.  (Applause.)  After the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, over the past five years, our businesses have now created 12 million new jobs.  Unemployment continues to come down, and obviously that’s good news for those of you who are graduating soon.  (Applause.)  Yes, that’s right, you want a job.  (Laughter.)  Your parents also want you to have a job.  They don’t want you on the couch.  (Laughter.)

 But I didn’t run for President just to get us back to where we were — I ran for President to get us to where we need to go.  (Applause.)  And where we need to go is a growing middle class with rising incomes and opportunities for everybody who’s willing to work hard.  An America where no matter who you are, what you look like, where you came from, how you started, who you love, what faith you’re a part of, you can make it in this country if you try.  (Applause.)  That’s what America is all about.  (Applause.)

And today, a college degree is the surest ticket to the middle class and beyond.  It’s the key to getting a good job that pays a good income.  And it offers a measure of security, because a college degree tells employers that you don’t just have one set of skills; that you’ve got the continuous capacity to learn new skills, which is going to be particularly important for your generation because the economy is going to churn and change in ways that none of us can even anticipate.

Before we came out here, I was talking to a group, including Sandy Winnefeld, and your Mayor Kasim Reed, Tyler Perry buddies — (laughter) — he wasn’t in Madea, he was Tyler.  (Laughter.)  And we were talking about how rapidly the technology is transforming everything we understand, everything we know –everything from drones, to artificial intelligence, to driver-less cars.  And we don’t yet know how all that is going to shape the nation that you inherit, but we know it’s going to shape it dramatically.  And in order for you to be able to be successful, you’re going to have to adapt, continuously.  The days where you work at one place for 30, 40 years, those days are over.

And so the skillsets you are getting now are going to keep you in that job market.  You’re going to have multiple jobs before you’re 30.  Some of you will have multiple careers.  And we live in a 21st-century economy, where your most valuable asset is your imagination, your knowledge, your ability to analyze tough problems.  And that’s not just true for individual Americans, it’s true for our whole country.

The ability to compete in the global economy depends on us having the world’s most skilled, best-educated workforce.  And by the way, let me just add, it’s also going to be critical for us to maintain our democracy in a complex, diverse society.  (Applause.)

Understandably, when I come to college campuses, there’s a lot of just bread and butter, nuts and bolts, how does this translate into jobs, careers.  But part of what has made America the exceptional nation that it is, is our diversity and our ability to draw from every corner of the world — all the talent, all the ideas — and create this amazing stew.  And the more complex this society, the tougher that becomes.

And so to have all of you possess the ability to listen and to learn from people who aren’t like you — that’s also what you’re learning here, and that’s going to make you more effective to every employer out there.  (Applause.)  But it’s also — it’s going to make you better citizens, and it’s going to make our democracy function better.

But back to the jobs thing.  (Laughter.)  Jobs and businesses will go wherever the best workers are.  And I don’t want them to have to look any further than the United States of America.  I want businesses investing here.  I want Americans getting those new jobs.  That’s how we’re going to lead the world in this century just like we did in the 20th century.  (Applause.)  

So here’s the challenge:  Higher education has never been more important, but it’s also never been more expensive.  The average undergrad who borrows money to pay for college graduates with about $28,000 in student loan debt.  That’s just the average; some students end up with a lot more than that — you know who you are.  (Laughter.)  I’m not telling you anything you don’t know.

And let me say that it’s been established time and time again that Georgia Tech is one of the best bargains around.  You are getting a great education for a great value.  (Applause.)  Which is one of the reasons I’m here; obviously, I wouldn’t go to a place that was a bad bargain and really expensive and no value.  That would not make sense.  (Laughter.)

But even here at Georgia Tech, even with the great value it is, it’s expensive.  And I’m here to tell you, I’m with you.  I believe that America is not a place where higher education is a privilege that is reserved for the few.  America needs to be a place where higher education has to be available for every single person who’s willing to strive for it, who’s willing to work for it.  (Applause.)

And I’ve said this before:  I take this personally.  My grandfather had a chance to go to college because this country decided that when veterans returned home from World War II, they should be able to go to college.  And this government stepped up.

My mother was able to raise two kids by herself, in part because she got grants that helped pay for her education.  And I am only standing here — and Michelle is only where she is today — because of scholarships and student loans and work study. We did not come from families of means.  (Applause.)  We didn’t come from families of means, but we knew that if we worked hard, there was help out there to make sure we got a great education.  That’s what this country gave to us.

And that’s why this has been such a priority for me.  I take it personally because when I look out at all of you, I see myself.  And I remember the fact that it took me 10 years to pay off all our student loans.  We were paying more for our student loans than our mortgage, even after Malia and Sasha were born.  We were supposed to be saving for their college education; we were still paying off ours.

And that’s why we’ve acted again and again to make college more affordable.  Five years ago this month, we enacted the largest reforms to the student loan program in history.  (Applause.)  We cut out the big banks that were taking taxpayer dollars and serving as middlemen in the student loan game, and we said, well, let’s just give the money directly to the students like you.  (Applause.)

So as a result of that change, we saved billions of dollars.  We were to expand tax credits and Pell grants, and put college within reach for millions more middle-class and low-income students across the country.  Then we fought to keep interest rates on student rates — interest rates on student loans low and capped how high those rates can rise.  And as a result, the typical undergrad is saving about $1,500.  We also acted to let millions of graduates cap their loan payments at 10 percent of their incomes, so they don’t have to choose between paying the rent and paying back their debt.  (Applause.)

And by the way, everybody here, if you don’t already know about the income-based repayment program, you need to learn about it because it’s still under-utilized.  But it gives you an opportunity to make sure that if you make a career choice that doesn’t make tons of money, you’re still able to do the responsible thing and pay back your loans at a pace that also allows you to build a family and buy a home and live your lives.

And graduates who go into lower-paying fields like social work or teaching, they’re not going to pay a price for following their dreams because they’re going to have even better options in terms of how they repay their loans.  (Applause.)  So that’s what we did on the student loan side.

Meanwhile, we’re working to hold down the cost of a college education.  So we’re partnering with schools like Georgia Tech on innovative ways to increase value — like your online master’s program in computer science — (applause) — which costs just a fraction of the price of an in-classroom program.

And I sent Congress a bold new plan to bring down the cost of community college to zero.  (Applause.)  Because not everybody may be prepared right away to start a four-year university.  But also, in some cases, even if they could, they may choose to get two years of college free, and then be able to transfer the credits for their four-year education.  We want to make community college, at minimum, just as free and universal as high school is today.  That should be our new baseline.  We want to get out ahead of the curve in terms of where we need to go.  (Applause.)

Earlier today, I took a new action to make it easier for students to pay for college and pay off their loans.  We’re creating a way for you to ask questions about your loans, file a complaint, cut through the bureaucracy, get a faster response.  That’s not just from the government, that’s also from the contractors who sometimes service your loans.   We’re going to require that the businesses that service your loans provide clear information about how much you owe, what your options are for repaying it, and if you’re falling behind, help you get back in good standing with reasonable fees on a reasonable timeline.  And if you’re paying stuff off, you should be paying off the high-interest loans first, not the low-interest ones.  We’re going to take a hard look at whether we need new laws to strengthen protections for all borrowers, wherever you get your loans from.

So we’re trying to tackle this problem from every angle.  There’s no silver bullet.  But we’re trying to make sure that across the board, more and more young people can afford to go to college, and then afterwards, aren’t so burdened with debt that you can’t do anything else.  We want to make this experience more affordable because you’re not just investing in yourselves, you’re investing in your nation.  (Applause.)

But here’s the thing:  We’ve got more to do, all of us — universities, students, parents, financial institutions and, yes, the government, to make sure that you’re not saddled with debt before you even get started in life.  That’s something that’s in all of our interests.

Now, my friends, the Republicans in Congress, are planning to unveil their budget soon.  I’m hoping they have something to offer that will help hardworking young people.  So far, the education bill that they put forward a couple weeks ago is not a good template, it’s not a good start.  I’m hoping it will improve because right now, the way it’s structured, it would let states and cities shuffle education dollars into things like sports stadiums or tax cuts for the wealthy instead of schools.  And it would allow states to make even deeper cuts into school districts that need the most support, send even more money to the most well-off school districts.  We’d invest less per child by the end of the decade than we do now.  So it’s the wrong approach.  We’ve got to be working to make sure every child gets a quality education, every student can afford college.  (Applause.)

And so we’re going to be reaching out to them, trying to get them to see this is a good investment in our economy, it’s a good investment in our national security.  The way that you keep America safe, one of the best, most important ways is to make sure we’ve got a strong economy with a strong workforce.  And all of us have a role to play in making that happen.

So in order to spur more of a conversation to get more folks engaged, we’re going to try something new to help do this.  It’s not a fancy new program.  It’s not — it doesn’t have a complicated acronym.  It doesn’t involve new spending or bureaucracy.  It’s just a simple organizing principle that I want all of us to sign onto, a declaration of values — what I’m calling a Student Aid Bill of Rights.

And it says every student deserves access to a quality, affordable education.  Every student should be able to access the resources to pay for college.  Every borrower has the right to an affordable repayment plan.  Every borrower has the right to quality customer service, reliable information, and fair treatment, even if they struggle to repay their loans.

It’s a simple set of principles that if everybody signed onto — Republicans, Democrats, state legislators, university presidents, members of Congress — it can focus our attention, all these different things that we’re doing, into one simple, basic idea, which is, make sure that when you’re doing the right thing, that your society has got your back and is looking out for you.  (Applause.)

So based on this principle, we’re going to make sure universities are using technology to help students learn at lower costs.  We’re going to make sure that loan servicers can find better ways to help borrowers keep up with monthly payments that they can afford.  We as a country can do more to invest in Pell grants and community college to make sure quality education is affordable for everybody.

So we’re going to just keep on moving on every front.  And we want everybody who agrees with these principles to sit down and work with us, and figure out how they can make these student rights real.  And you’ve got a part to play as well.

We had the great honor of being at Selma this past weekend for the 50th anniversary of the March from Selma.  (Applause.)  And one of the main points I think that all of us made was change doesn’t happen by itself; it happens because people get organized and mobilized and focused, and they push, and sometimes they disrupt and they make folks uncomfortable, and they ask questions about why is it this way instead of that way.

And I want us to think about access to higher education and affordability of higher education in that same way.  I want us to all organize together — not on a partisan basis, it’s not organizing around an election, it’s organizing around a simple idea that everybody should be able to get behind.

And you’re going to have to play the part.  Because what we also made the point of this past weekend is young people typically lead the pack with new ideas, with new initiatives, with new focus, with a new vision.  (Applause.)

So if you agree with the basic values that I outlined, if you believe in a Student Aid Bill of Rights that will help more Americans pay for a quality education, then sign your name to this declaration.

You can go to a website, because you guys like tech stuff.  (Laughter.)  You go to: WhiteHouse.gov/CollegeOpportunity — WhiteHouse.gov/CollegeOpportunity.  Tell your families and classmates and professors to do it.  I’m going to ask members of Congress, and lenders, and as many business leaders as I can find to sign up.

We’re going to mobilize a coalition around this country to get this process moving, because there are a lot of good ideas right now but they’re stalled, or they’re happening piecemeal, or they’re happening in one university, or they’re happening in one state, and they have to happen everywhere.  And we’ve got to mobilize the entire nation to make that happen.  And it’s going to start with students themselves, because if you aren’t asking for something different, if you aren’t asking for help, if you’re not getting mobilized, then folks aren’t going to help you, and then you’ll just be complaining — especially once you graduate and you start having to write those checks.  (Laughter.)

So don’t stop engaging in this issue, even after you graduate, because you’ll be still impacted by it.  And in the meantime, you’ve got to study hard, and work hard, and have fun.  Make some new discoveries.  Inspire us.  Lead us.  Be the Americans that we need you to be.

Every American should have the right to go as far as their talents and hard work will take them.  That is what college is all about.  That is what America is all about. And you embody that basic notion.  You are that talent.  You are an embodiment of what we hope for:  A country that says that everybody, rich, poor, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, gay, straight, man, woman, with disabilities, without — no matter who you are or where you come from, not only can you succeed but you can help everybody else succeed.  That’s the promise that helped us become the greatest nation in the world.  That’s the promise that I need you working for.

Thank you, everybody.  God bless you.  Thank you, Georgia.

END

2:18 P.M. EDT

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)?

Statement by the Vice President on the March 9th Letter From Republican Senators to the Islamic Republic of Iran

“I served in the United States Senate for thirty-six years. I believe deeply in its traditions, in its value as an institution, and in its indispensable constitutional role in the conduct of our foreign policy. The letter sent on March 9th by forty-seven Republican Senators to the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressly designed to undercut a sitting President in the midst of sensitive international negotiations, is beneath the dignity of an institution I revere.

This letter, in the guise of a constitutional lesson, ignores two centuries of precedent and threatens to undermine the ability of any future American President, whether Democrat or Republican, to negotiate with other nations on behalf of the United States. Honorable people can disagree over policy. But this is no way to make America safer or stronger.

Around the world, America’s influence depends on its ability to honor its commitments. Some of these are made in international agreements approved by Congress. However, as the authors of this letter must know, the vast majority of our international commitments take effect without Congressional approval. And that will be the case should the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany reach an understanding with Iran. There are numerous similar cases. The recent U.S.-Russia framework to remove chemical weapons from Syria is only one recent example. Arrangements such as these are often what provide the protections that U.S. troops around the world rely on every day. They allow for the basing of our forces in places like Afghanistan. They help us disrupt the proliferation by sea of weapons of mass destruction. They are essential tools to the conduct of our foreign policy, and they ensure the continuity that enables the United States to maintain our credibility and global leadership even as Presidents and Congresses come and go.

Since the beginning of the Republic, Presidents have addressed sensitive and high-profile matters in negotiations that culminate in commitments, both binding and non-binding, that Congress does not approve. Under Presidents of both parties, such major shifts in American foreign policy as diplomatic recognition of the People’s Republic of China, the resolution of the Iran hostage crisis, and the conclusion of the Vietnam War were all conducted without Congressional approval.

In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which Senators wrote directly to advise another country-much less a longtime foreign adversary- that the President does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them. This letter sends a highly misleading signal to friend and foe alike that that our Commander-in-Chief cannot deliver on America’s commitments-a message that is as false as it is dangerous.

The decision to undercut our President and circumvent our constitutional system offends me as a matter of principle. As a matter of policy, the letter and its authors have also offered no viable alternative to the diplomatic resolution with Iran that their letter seeks to undermine.

There is no perfect solution to the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program. However, a diplomatic solution that puts significant and verifiable constraints on Iran’s nuclear program represents the best, most sustainable chance to ensure that America, Israel, and the world will never be menaced by a nuclear-armed Iran. This letter is designed to convince Iran’s leaders not to reach such an understanding with the United States.

The author of this letter has been explicit that he is seeking to take any action that will end President Obama’s diplomatic negotiations with Iran. But to what end? If talks collapse because of Congressional intervention, the United States will be blamed, leaving us with the worst of all worlds. Iran’s nuclear program, currently frozen, would race forward again. We would lack the international unity necessary just to enforce existing sanctions, let alone put in place new ones. Without diplomacy or increased pressure, the need to resort to military force becomes much more likely-at a time when our forces are already engaged in the fight against ISIL.

The President has committed to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He has made clear that no deal is preferable to a bad deal that fails to achieve this objective, and he has made clear that all options remain on the table. The current negotiations offer the best prospect in many years to address the serious threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions. It would be a dangerous mistake to scuttle a peaceful resolution, especially while diplomacy is still underway.

(h/t TPM)

Reaction to the GOP Senators Letter:

Detroit Free Press Editorial: GOP letter to Iran disgraces America

America looks weakest when its internal arguments spill over into its international diplomacy – something that has been rare in the nation’s history.

That it is happening now is a blot on the 114th U.S. Senate; specifically, on the 47 Republican senators who signed an open letter to the Islamic Republic of Iran, a missive whose sole purpose is to end President Barack Obama’s ongoing nuclear negotiations with that country.

Among the signatories of this letter are Sens. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky; Marco Rubio, R-Florida, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, all three potential 2016 presidential contenders. At minimum, signing such a letter should disqualify each man from holding the high office they seek to degrade.[…]

Orchestrated by Sen. Tim Cotton, R-Arkansas, this letter masquerades as a civics lesson. Addressed to “the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” it begins with a note of condescension: “It has come to our attention while observing your nuclear negotiations with our government that you may not fully understand our constitutional system.” […]

There’s no doubt that congressional backing for any international deal is preferred – congressional support would simplify questions such as whether Obama has the authority to lift congressionally imposed sanctions as part of an Iranian deal, and a ratified treaty carries more weight than an executive order.

But the Republicans who dispatched this letter have done more than embarrass a president they dislike. They have also disgraced themselves and undermined the credibility of the nation whose constitution they took an oath to uphold.

Iranian Foreign Minister

Asked about the open letter of 47 US Senators to Iranian leaders, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Dr. Javad Zarif, responded that “in our view, this letter has no legal value and is mostly a propaganda ploy.  It is very interesting that while negotiations are still in progress and while no agreement has been reached, some political pressure groups are so afraid even of the prospect of an agreement that they resort to unconventional methods, unprecedented in diplomatic history.  This indicates that like Netanyahu, who considers peace as an existential threat, some are opposed to any agreement, regardless of its content.”[…]

Foreign Minister Zarif added that “I should bring one important point to the attention of the authors and that is, the world is not the United States, and the conduct of inter-state relations is governed by international law, and not by US domestic law. The authors may not fully understand that in international law, governments represent the entirety of their respective states, are responsible for the conduct of foreign affairs, are required to fulfil the obligations they undertake with other states and may not invoke their internal law as justification for failure to perform their international obligations.”

The Iranian Foreign Minister added that “change of administration does not in any way relieve the next administration from international obligations undertaken by its predecessor in a possible agreement about Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.” […]

Zarif expressed the hope that his comments “may enrich the knowledge of the authors to recognize that according to international law, Congress may not ‘modify the terms of the agreement at any time’ as they claim, and if Congress adopts any measure to impede its implementation, it will have committed a material breach of US obligations.”

Harry Reid, Senator Minority Leader

“Republicans are undermining our commander in chief while empowering the ayatollahs. We should always have robust debate about foreign policy, but it’s unprecedented for one political party to directly intervene in an international negotiation with the sole goal of embarrassing the president of the United States.”

Jack Goldsmith in Lawfare, The Error in the Senators’ Letter to the Leaders of Iran

Its premise is that Iran’s leaders “may not fully understand our constitutional system,” and in particular may not understand the nature of the “power to make binding international agreements.”  It appears from the letter that the Senators do not understand our constitutional system or the power to make binding agreements.

The letter states that “the Senate must ratify [a treaty] by a two-thirds vote.”  But as the Senate’s own web page makes clear: “The Senate does not ratify treaties. Instead, the Senate takes up a resolution of ratification, by which the Senate formally gives its advice and consent, empowering the president to proceed with ratification” (my emphasis). […]

This is a technical point that does not detract from the letter’s message that any administration deal with Iran might not last beyond this presidency.  … But in a letter purporting to teach a constitutional lesson, the error is embarrassing.

Paul Waldman, WaPo: Republicans are beginning to act as though Barack Obama isn’t even the president

It’s safe to say that no president in modern times has had his legitimacy questioned by the opposition party as much as Barack Obama. But as his term in office enters its final phase, Republicans are embarking on an entirely new enterprise: They have decided that as long as he holds the office of the presidency, it’s no longer necessary to respect the office itself.[…]

It’s one thing to criticize the administration’s actions, or try to impede them through the legislative process. But to directly communicate with a foreign power in order to undermine ongoing negotiations? That is appalling. And just imagine what those same Republicans would have said if Democratic senators had tried such a thing when George W. Bush was president.[…]

And it isn’t just in foreign affairs. In an op-ed last week in the Lexington Herald-Leader, Mitch McConnell urged states to refuse to comply with proposed rules on greenhouse gas emissions from the Environmental Protection Agency. Never mind that agency regulations like these have the force of law, and the Supreme Court has upheld the EPA’s responsibility under the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon emissions – if you don’t like the law, just act as though it doesn’t apply to you. “I can’t recall a majority leader calling on states to disobey the law,” said Barbara Boxer, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, “and I’ve been here almost 24 years.” […]

But as has happened so many times before, Republicans seem to have concluded that there is one set of rules and norms that apply in ordinary times, and an entirely different set that applies when Barack Obama is the president. You no longer need to show the president even a modicum of respect. You can tell states to ignore the law. You can sabotage delicate negotiations with a hostile foreign power by communicating directly with that power.

Welcome to The Moose Pond! The Welcomings diaries give the Moose, old and new, a place to visit and share words about the weather, life, the world at large and the small parts of Moosylvania that we each inhabit.

In lieu of daily check-ins, which have gone on hiatus, Welcomings diaries will be posted at the start of each week (every Sunday morning) and then, if necessary due to a large number of comments, again on Wednesday or Thursday to close out the week. To find the diaries, just bookmark this link and Voila! (which is Moose for “I found everyone!!”).

The format is simple: each day, the first moose to arrive on-line will post a comment welcoming the new day and complaining (or bragging!) about their weather. Or mentioning an interesting or thought provoking news item. Or simply checking in.

So … what’s going on in your part of Moosylvania?

…

The President’s Weekly Address post is also an Open News Thread. Feel free to share other news stories in the comments.

From the White House – Weekly Address

In this week’s address, the President discussed an issue close to his heart: education for adolescent girls around the world. Earlier this week, he and the First Lady announced “Let Girls Learn,” a whole of government initiative that will build on investments we have made and successes we have achieved in global primary school education, and expand them to help adolescent girls complete their education and pursue their broader aspirations.

62 million girls around the world — half of whom are adolescent — are not in school and therefore have diminished economic opportunities. Yet when a girl receives a quality education, she is more likely to earn a decent living, raise a healthy, educated family, and improve the quality of life for herself, her family, and her community. That’s why the President and First Lady have made addressing this problem a priority because every girl has so much to offer to the world, and no girl should be denied her chance to learn.

Transcript: Weekly Address: Let Girls Learn

Hi, everybody. Sunday is International Women’s Day — a day to celebrate remarkable women and girls worldwide, and to re-dedicate ourselves to defending the fundamental rights and dignity of all people.

That’s why, this week, Michelle and I launched a new initiative on a topic that’s close to both our hearts: girls’ education.

It’s called “Let Girls Learn.” And its goal is to help more girls around the world go to school and stay in school. Right now, 62 million girls who should be in school, are not. And that’s not an accident. It’s the direct result of barriers, large and small, that stand in the way of girls who want to learn.

Maybe their families can’t afford the school fees. Maybe the risk of being hurt or kidnapped or even killed by men who will do anything to stop girls from learning is just too great. Or maybe they aren’t in school because they’re expected to get married and become mothers while they’re still teenagers — or even earlier. In too many parts of the world, girls are still valued more for their bodies than for their minds. That’s just plain wrong. And we all have to do more to stop it.

That’s the idea behind “Let Girls Learn.” We’re making it clear to any country that’s our partner — or that wants to be our partner — that they need to get serious about increasing the number of girls in school. Our diplomats and development experts are already hard at work. Our Peace Corps volunteers will play a big role, too. And we’re putting our partnerships with NGOs, businesses and foundations to work on behalf of girls everywhere.

I come to this issue as the leader of the world’s largest economy, and Commander-in-Chief of the world’s most powerful military, and I’m convinced that a world in which girls are educated is a safer, more stable, more prosperous place. When girls are educated, their future children are healthier and better nourished. Their future wages increase, which in turn strengthens their families’ security. National growth gets a boost, too. And places where women and girls are treated as full and equal citizens tend to be more stable and more democratic.

But I also come to this issue as the father of two wonderful young women. And I know that there are lots of girls just like Malia and Sasha out there — girls who are funny and caring and inquisitive and strong, and have so much to offer the world.

It’s a privilege to be the parent of girls. And we want to make sure that no girl out there is denied her chance to learn — that no girl is prevented from making her unique contributions to the world. Because every girl — every girl — deserves our respect. And every girl deserves an education.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

Bolding added.

~

UPDATED: The president’s speech :

Rep. Terri Sewell at 1:59:20

Rep. John Lewis at 2:04:00

President Obama at 2:12:00

Transcript: Remarks by the President at the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches

Today, CSPAN-3 will cover the commemoration of Bloody Sunday live at 12 noon Eastern Time.

Six hundred marchers assembled in Selma on Sunday, March 7, and, led by John Lewis and other SNCC and SCLC activists, crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge over the Alabama River en route to Montgomery. Just short of the bridge, they found their way blocked by Alabama State troopers and local police who ordered them to turn around. When the protesters refused, the officers shot teargas and waded into the crowd, beating the nonviolent protesters with billy clubs and ultimately hospitalizing over fifty people.

President Obama on this weeks events:

“When I take Malia and Sasha down with Michelle next week, down to Selma, part of what I’m hoping to do is to remind them of their own obligations. Because there are going to be marches for them to march, and struggles for them to fight”

There are many stories about the march, few as imbued with symbolism as this one Tweeted by @splcenter: The Untold Story of Why MLK Wore a Hawaiian Lei at Selma

Bright Hawaiian lei will be on full display this weekend when President Barack Obama, civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis and others march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma to mark the anniversary of the civil rights protests.[…]

In photos of the 54-mile third march from Selma to Montgomery on March 21, 1965, Martin Luther King, John Lewis and other demonstrators can be seen wearing the iconic Hawaiian flower garlands.

The journey of those flowers from Hawaii to Alabama started a year earlier, when King delivered a lecture at the University of Hawaii. It was there that he met Rev. Abraham Akaka, the brother of future U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka.

In the lead-up to the third march, as President Lyndon Johnson was making preparations to protect the demonstrators with military policemen and the Alabama National Guard, Rev. Akaka sent gifts of bright white lei from the Pacific Ocean to the Deep South to be draped on the marchers.

For the reverend, it was a symbolic gesture that affirmed Asian-American support for the civil rights movement.

Now, 50 years later, Lewis and Hawaii native Obama will join Asian-American lawmakers Sen. Mazie Hirono and Rep. Mark Takai, among nearly 100 lawmakers, to pay homage to the civil rights movement and “Bloody Sunday.”

The first black president, born in Hawaii, will be wearing a lei to honor the civil rights movement.

This past week, lawmakers have been visiting Selma and the recording their thoughts and impressions about the event today.

Rep. Keith Ellison ‏@keithellison

When John Lewis began March from Selma to Montgomery, he had in his backpack, apple, toothbrush, journal, book

The National Journal published 20 photos of the march:

During the first Selma-to-Montgomery march, 600 civil rights demonstrators were attacked by local and state police. The attack bolstered support for the movement, and the demonstrations that followed eventually led to the Voting Rights Act.

.

50 years later, voting rights are still under attack:

Tens of thousands of people-including President Obama-will travel to Selma this weekend to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” the infamous march that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

The progress since then has been remarkable. Because of the VRA, the number of black, Hispanic and Asian officeholders has skyrocketed from under 1,000 in 1965 to over 17,000 today. “African-Americans went from holding fewer than 1,000 elected offices nationwide to over 10,000,” according to a new report from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, “Latinos from a small number of offices to over 6,000, and Asian Americans from under a hundred documented cases to almost 1,000.” In Alabama, the birthplace of the VRA, the number of black elected officials has increased from eighty-six in 1970 to 757 today.[…]

Despite these dramatic improvements, the right to vote is currently under the most sustained attack since the passage of the VRA.

In 2011 and 2012, 180 new voting restrictions were introduced in forty-one states, with new laws adopted in nineteen states that made it harder to vote, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Many of these laws were blocked in court in 2012, but a year later the Supreme Court gutted the VRA, dealing a devastating blow to voting rights. As a result, twenty-one states had new restrictions in place in 2014.

This trend is getting worse in 2015. In the first few weeks of this year, forty new voting restrictions were introduced in seventeen states. That number will grow as state legislatures consider proposed legislation. Nevada, New Mexico and Missouri are among the states moving to pass voter-ID laws. “It’s surprising and remarkable that in 2015 we’re fighting over the same thing we fought over 50 years ago-the right to vote,” says Wendy Weiser of the Brennan Center. […]

The Selma anniversary offers lawmakers a prime opportunity to move from symbolism to substance. Congresswoman Terri Sewell of Selma recently told me: “My hope is that the bipartisan efforts we’ve made will move people to recommit themselves to restore the teeth back into the Voting Rights Act. Gold medals are great-I think it’s long overdue and much deserved that the foot soldiers are going to finally get their place in history, but the biggest tribute that we can give to those foot soldiers is fully restoring the Voting Rights Act.”

orange version will auto-post at 7am central

Hi. If you look at my timeline, you’ll see I do a lot of diaries about the  Hill Country Ride for AIDS. I haven’t done as many of these this year as I’d like, I’ve been a bit distracted. But I have a commitment to raise at least $2,000 for the Ride. If you want to cut to the chase, here’s my Hill Country Ride for AIDS page, but I hope you’ll come with me below the fold for a good story. And of course music.

Oh – and a picture. Here’s a picture from the year I was top fundraiser, with the amazingly wonderful David Smith, who was the director that year :

A word about David. His 50th birthday was yesterday, and his FB timeline was filled with greetings, as it should be. But they were different than the usual “happy birthday”. Almost to a person, we all posted messages about what a blessing David is, how lucky we are to have him in our lives, and how the wold is so, so much better because he is here.

The Hill Country Ride for AIDS has been going on for a while now & I’ve been at every one. Never ridden every mile of every one, but I’m there every year. David was the executive director for several years, and he is the sweetest, kindest person I have ever met. No, seriously. When David looks at you, he sees the best possible you – I don’t know how to describe what a joy it is to know someone like him. Sixteen (omg, how can it possibly have been that long) years ago, I was a mid-30s, substantially overweight woman who was all worn out from just crossing the finish line at the annual AIDS Walk, held in October. Just a 5K stroll, not a race, and not any great distance. David is standing past the finish, walks up to me with a flyer, looks my 200+ lb self in the eye & says “You can do this”. I look at the flyer & it is for a 2 day, 125 mile bike ride. “You can do this” – is he kidding? I’m worn out from walking a 5K. But he looked right at me & said that. I was so in & have been ever since. I’m telling you this story so you know what this ride is about, and the kind of people who participate. Even when he wasn’t in charge, that kind spirit of David’s permeates this event & organization.

Having someone like that at the heart has made this a very special community. I have never experienced anything but kindness, generosity & warmth from any HCRA function – from the kick off party through the training rides, to the day itself. So I’m an old, fat lady who can barely ride up even the smallest hill – no one cares, no one says I don’t belong with all these real bike riders. Everyone is helpful, everyone is kind. We’re all raising money and riding for a great cause, to help people with HIV & AIDS. Which brings me to the music. I know you thought there was going to be a U2 video. But I had to use this, because even though it was written decades before the Ride started & they knew nothing about it, this song is exactly about the Hill Country Ride:

Everyone is lucky, everyone is kind

On the road to Shambala

Everyone is happy, everyone is so kind

On the road to Shambala

Yes, I know it is corny & goofy, but I’m trying to tell you this is really (no, really) what this ride is like. The Ride is one day of the way you wish the world was. This is why I really need to be the top fundraiser. Not because I get anything, because I don’t – except recognition – and I want to use that to tell people about how fantastic this ride is. Please, please help me do this – if I’m top fundraiser, I really want to pay tribute to my friend David. Here’s my Hill Country Ride for AIDS page.

Here’s a Ride video from a previous year, it has people talking about why they do the Ride – and some adorable kids who rode. It has David speaking at the dinner, about what the Ride is like (and a glimpse of me around 4:15, I wave at the camera). Anyway, I want everyone to know how important this cause is, and how wonderful this community is:

And one more time, here’s my Hill Country Ride for AIDS page – please donate if you can.

and I can’t post a diary without my boys, so here is my favorite song from the new album, I really love the words – there’s no end to grief, that’s why we need to know there’s no end to love