Has President Obama given an undertaking that his new administration will discourage any move against the architects of the Iraq War?

The US Department of Justice website lists all presidential pardons and commutations granted by George W. Bush up to March 2008.

Since then it has released media notification of the granting of least 34 other pardons - 14 in November 2008, 19 in December 2008 and 2 in January 2009.

Now it would be hard to word any pardon for the human rights violations and alleged war crimes committed by the former president, members of the Bush Administration and/or their agents, because George Bush appears to have quashed or suspended many of the US federal legal provisions which recognised or protected against such violations.

However, this does not make the former Bush Administration fire proof and so one is left to wonder if the new US President, Barack Obama, has given the past president an undertaking that neither he or his administration would assist in any international or domestic investigation of these individuals and would resist calls for their prosecution.

I would like to know the answer to that query as would a number of others.

Young Liberals - marching backwards towards the future

After the debacle last year when the Young Liberals were so publicly humiliated by the Senate as it quietly pricked their 'all teachers and uni lecturers are biased lefties' balloon, you might have thought that this brush with the real world would've led to something productive - like a more balanced view of the world.
You'd be dead wrong.
They are holding their annual conference this weekend and the Young Liberals mouthpiece, Noel McCoy, has announced that they want to bring back compulsory national service for those between 17 and 24 years of age.
Though what they think 9 months of conscripted service would do for a fella's country I'm d*mned if I know.
But then most of these young wannabe pollies would be expecting exemptions, wouldn't they?
Liberal Party Federal MPs Malcolm Turnbull, Tony Abbott, Eric Abetz, and Bronwyn Bishop will attend the conference and are perhaps hoping that the media do not notice their attendance at the annual party for young wingnuts who still believe Little Jonnnie Howard was the Second Coming.

Pic from Flickr

'No Drama' Obama now 'Back-up' Barack?

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Seems hard to believe that one simple 35-word sentence could be so publicly scrambled doesn't it?
But what is really hard to believe is that Barack Obama had to take the presidential oath again just so that the rumours would not start flying that he was actually not the US 44th President and Commander-in-Chief.

Obama is not the first president to have to repeat the oath however - Calvin Coolidge and Chester Arthur also mangled the original swearing in and had to repeat the process behind closed doors according to The Washington Post last Wednesday.

What I did notice particularly was that there was no Obama stumble over the additional phrase "So help me God".
That should upset the great number of atheists and agnostics around the globe.

It also gives me pause for thought - if the wording of the oath is mandated by the US Constitution why is it not thought to be an improper oath if additional words are added?

Obama starts his presidency with a blog

On 20 January 2009 the WhiteHouse website was up and running under new management by midday and the first Obama era blog entry was posted.

It was followed a couple of hours later by President Obama's first proclamation which had a disturbingly evangelical tone that does not bode well for a supposedly secular government and society.

The official breakdown of the new faces in the White House and administration:

• President Barack Obama


• Vice President Joe Biden


• First Lady Michelle Obama


• Dr. Jill Biden


• The Cabinet


• White House Staff


• Executive Office of the President


• Nominations and Appointments

Australian workers get 22 per cent less severance pay than rest of world, but Clarence Valley beats that record hands down

According to the Business Spectator last Friday:

Employees laid off in Australia took home close to the least amount of severance pay in the world, according to a global study by Right Management.
The release of the survey came as official figures showed a sharp drop in the number of full-time jobs in Australia in December, as the unemployment rate rose to 4.5 per cent.
Out of 28 countries surveyed by Right Management, Australia came 21st in terms of severance pay and conditions. The survey looked at 1,500 human resource professionals and senior managers, including 101 from Australia.
In cases where employees lost their job involuntarily because of a company restructure or down-sizing, they pocket on average 22 per cent less than their global counterparts, with 2.79 weeks' severance pay per year of service, compared to a worldwide average of 3.6 weeks per year of service.

If the average Australian worker gets less severance pay than his international counterpart, then Grafton abattoir workers in the Clarence Valley must hold the individual world record.
For they frequently find that they are let go with no payout entitlements being paid due to a Byzantine business model involving at various times Ramsey Wholesale Meats, Ramsey Holdings, Ramsey Food Packaging 1 and 2, Tempus Holdings, Paul Allen Contracting Service, Mortimer Administration Service and others.

Here is a brief history.

Sacked meatworkers fear entitlements lost [2006]

Workers 'boned [2006]

Merry Christmas...you're boned [2008]

New Twist as workers fight for lost money [2009]

Sacked meatworkers remain on the hook [2009]

The Member for Page, Janelle Saffin, speaking in The Daily Examiner expressed concerned about the plight of these sacked workers:

"I encourage the sacked workers who have not already done so to contact me or my office individually so that I can advocate on their behalf."

I doubt whether it has slipped Ms. Saffin's notice that some of the same individuals found as directors of Ramsey companies are also spending literally millions in total on bloodstock and race horses.

After two runs in Sydney at this year's autumn carnival, Zizou was acquired from his owners, a Coolmore syndicate, as a foundation sire for one of the best quality breeding operations in the Hunter region, Stuart Ramsey's Turangga Stud at the entrance to the historic Segenhoe Valley, a short drive away from Scone. Owner of a major meatworks on the NSW north coast, Stuart Ramsey has become involved in racing and breeding in a big way in recent years. His breeding operation includes an 80-strong high quality broodmare band, many of which will give Zizou every chance to be another brilliant Golden Slipper performer make it as a first class sire. His base in the Hunter Valley, the Turangga Stud, has a history of horse breeding stretching back more than a half a century.

Perhaps it's time the Deputy-Prime Minister Julia Gillard stirred herself (as the minister responsible for industrial relations legislation) and ensured that any pea-and-shell corporate structuring that has a potential use which would see workers being denied their rights is made illegal under Australian law once and for all.
Rather than listening to the likes of Heather Ridout of the Australian Industry Group who would obviously like the status quo to continue for her members.

What the masses are saying about King Rudd this week

A small sampling from The Courier Mail of what people are saying online about Kevin Rudd's call for wage restraint.
The overall response was mixed, but if the Bananabenders are not really supporting their native son, then it must be on the nose with voters.

John Howard awarded his senior advisors bonuses and I had one thing to say "STUPID, STUPID, STUPID." Now Rudd does the same thing and I still only HAVE one thing to say "STUPID, STUPID, STUPID."
Posted by: andi of Ausie Ausie Ausie 11:38am today Comment 169 of 193

This make me ill.
I had to reduce my work hours at my work and take a pay cut. The union agreed that this was the case as all the floor workers reduced thier hours. My family is going to hurt because of the reduction of my wage but we will manage.
What happened to a 'fair go' Mr Rudd I voted for you to scrap IR laws and to secure not only mine but my kids future. I cant understand what you are saying you give us money to spend at Christmas then turn around and say we are greedy, then give your staff a pay rise. The tough economic times are not the fault of the ALP but what are Mr Rudd and MR Swann going to do other than talk? Why does Mr Rudd giving the elite a pay rise and the worker a bone. This is typical Johnny Howard and Pete Costello Liberal stuff not the ALP. Who side are you on Mr Rudd , because it doesnt look like you are on mine.
Posted by: Simon of Raceview 11:04am today Comment 149 of 193

He giveth with one hand and taketh away with the other ! Well, it's bound to happen when a man thinks that he is God !
Posted by: Brad Coward of Brisbane 8:29am today Comment 39 of 193

Rudd is just following the lead of his mates down the big end of town. Do a good job, get a bonus. Stuff things up completely, still get a bonus.
Posted by: oldefellah of Coral Coast 8:04am today Comment 22 of 193

The irony here is that Rudd's policy 'advisers' would have concocted his latest little spruik that - 'greed is bad, and workers must defer wage claims'. But then...some are more equal than others eh, comrade ?
Posted by: Alf of Carindale 8:04am today Comment 21 of 193

COMRADES ! Some of use are MORE EQUAL than others ! Oink Oink Oink. Greedy little piggies with their snouts in the trough.
Posted by: Denny Crane of Grange 8:01am today Comment 20 of 193

And from the blogs, this example.

The biggest enemy of "working families" is not the financial crisis. It is the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and his offensive and simplistic suggestion that middle Australia should show restraint in wage negotiations so as not to compromise their jobs.People are not morally obliged to remedy problems not of their doing. Families struggling to afford the necessities of modern life made no contribution to the financial problems. They owe nothing to the rest of community when it comes to wage negotiations.The suggestion that more money for bosses equals more jobs for workers breaks the laws of economics and human nature. Trickle-down economics has long been discredited; there are simply too many greedy sponges at the top. Rudd's call for wage restraint is a misguided justification for employers to exploit the vulnerable by undervaluing the toils of their labour.
From Notes on A Civil Society post on 21 January 2009

Hot times on the old farm........

You know the temperature is rising when:

• You go to feed the fish in the pond and there is a black snake doing laps in the pool.
• The chooks refuse to leave the shed and start demanding ice in their water.
• The cows spend all day in the swamp, they turn into hippopotacows.
• The ants only get half way up the wall before they give up.
• Frogs fight one another for a place in the shower while you are using it.
• Ice does not melt it evaporates.
• No matter how much you drink there is not enough for a good pee.
• Dogs don’t want to go for a ride in the paddock basher.
• The blue tongue lizard moves from under the peach tree to under the couch in the living room.
• Politicians say they know what they are doing.
• The corners of the paddock keep curling up.
• The wire in the fences melt.
• The Cat sleeps for 25 hours a day instead of the usual 23 hours.
• Wasps and hornets decide to walk rather than fly.

Add your own favourites in the comments box