White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, pictured here at left in an Oval Office meeting, is leaving his job in the Obama administration. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Robert Gibbs, the White House Press Secretary for the Obama administration, is leaving his post. Gibbs hasn’t given a reason for leaving the White House. He is expected to depart in February.

Robert Gibbs leaving the White House

Robert Gibbs, the White House Press Secretary for the Obama administration is leaving his position as chief liaison to the press for the president, according to the USA Today. There hasn’t been a reason given yet for Gibbs’ departure, though the Obama administration has seemed to have high rates of turnover. It is anticipated that Gibbs will be leaving sometime in February, likely after the president delivers the State of the Union address. He will be remaining an outside adviser and consultant to the President Obama, who has said that Gibbs would “continue to have my ear as long as I’m in this job.” A successor hasn’t been named, though announcements are expected to be made in time.

High turnover in Obama White House

The Obama White House has had high rates of turnover. Not long ago, it was speculated that Joe Biden would leave and Hillary Clinton would become vice president, though it was fervently denied. Former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel departed last year to run for mayor of Chicago. Gibbs’ leaving was not entirely unexpected, and it has been rumored that he may be groomed to take over as chief adviser to the president, a position David Axelrod currently holds.

Tough year awaits

New Congress members are taking their seats today, and many of those seats are being filled with Republicans. The House of Representatives now has a Republican majority, but not in the Senate. Though both parties have been known to be able to compromise at times, a rocky period is anticipated in the months ahead as a Republican majority is likely to come to loggerheads with the White House at some point in the near future.

Sources

USA Today

In 2003, President George W. Bush right lifted U.S. sanctions on Iraq. (Photo Credit: Public Domain/Tina Hager/White House)

In 2003, President George W. Bush suspended U.S. sanctions against the old Iraq regime of Saddam Hussein. At that time, Bush attempted to convince the U.N. Security Council to follow suit, but he was unsuccessful. Seven years later, reports BBC News, the U.N. has voted to eradicate the majority of Iraq sanctions that had been imposed during Hussein’s reign of terror.

Iraq sanctions lifted in light of political progress

The U.N. Security Council reportedly intends for its latest vote on Iraq sanctions to serve as a “thumbs up” to political progress the nation has made. Among the sanctions lifted is one that had been applied to prevent Iraq from expanding its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons program during Hussein’s rule.

The bulk of U.N. Iraq sanctions were imposed against Baghdad in 1991 following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. In line with President Bush lifting sanctions in 2003, the U.N. lifted some trade, investment and conventional weapon sanctions.

Iraq is ‘significantly different’ now

According to the U.N. Security Council, Iraq’s political climate is “significantly different from that which existed at the time of the adoption of resolution 661,” which was levied against the Hussein regime in 1990. Control of oil and natural gas revenue has been returned to Iraq, and sanctions-related programs such as “oil-for-food” have been scrapped, as Iraqi citizens have become more self-sustaining, according to BBC News.

Joe Biden and Ban Ki Moon envision remarkable future

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who served as chairman for the U.N. Security Council meeting, had positive things to say about Iraq’s rejection of religious and political extremism, calling Iraq’s post-sanctions position as being “on the cusp of something remarkable.” U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon shared in Biden’s optimism but tempered the vice president’s remarks by stating that Iraq must work with Kuwait to decide upon borders and war reparations. Otherwise, the U.N. will not agree to end all Iraq sanctions.

Sources

Associated Press

BBC News

Noam Chomsky on reconstructing Iraq

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (right) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo Credit: CC BY-ND/Joel Rosenberg's Weblog)

In no uncertain terms, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. Vice President Joe Biden during a meeting in New Orleans on Sunday that Iran “must be made to fear a military strike against its nuclear program,” reports Israeli media. The Associated Press indicates that this is a significant departure from Netanyahu’s previous path of diplomacy regarding the Tehran nuclear program. A “credible military threat” could do more than economic sanctions to deter the growth of Iran’s rumored nuclear weapons program, said the prime minister.

The ‘credible military threat’ has U.S. officials on edge

Sanctions are doing more damage than anticipated, said U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who is against the immediate credible military threat option. “At this point,” he told the AP, “we continue to believe that the political and economic approach that we are taking is in fact having an impact on Iran.”

Both Israel and the United States are disbelieving of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claims that the Tehran nuclear program is intended to simply produce energy. Yet Israel has stated before that it is willing to go beyond diplomacy and pursue a military option, whereas the United States under the Obama administration has preferred a more diplomatic solution. The Israeli position no doubt relates to Ahmadinejad’s previous statements regarding Israel’s destruction and Israel’s geographic proximity to potential Iranian ballistic missiles.

Spies say enriched uranium supply is sufficient

The AP reports that Israel’s chief of military intelligence stated last week that Iran currently has a sufficient amount of enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb. Soon, Iran will also have enough to make a second bomb. The CIA and United Nations have tended to concur with Israel’s analysis, but while one eye is on Iran, the other is fixed firmly upon Israel in order to detect any potential military action.

It wouldn’t be the first time Israel has taken the offensive against the nuclear capabilities of its enemies. The nation’s air force took out an Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981. However, according to expert testimony given to the Associated Press, taking out an Iranian nuclear program via credible military threat would be more difficult, as many of Iran’s nuclear facilities are either spread out over a large area or located underground.

Sources:

Associated Press

Israel/Iran nuclear war analysis by an anti-new world order voice

The President and Vice President Biden just released their financial disclosure forms. Image from Wikimedia Commons

The White House just released the financial statements of both the President and the Vice President.  Though neither of them are exactly Bill Gates, both Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama are not the wealthiest of Washington impresarios but still not exactly hurting for a cash advance these days.  The President in particular did fairly well for himself as a result of advances and payments he received for his second book, which was a runaway success with readers and sold a lot of copies.  The Bidens, as it turns out, are fairly modest compared with many other Washington heavyweights.

Most expensive gift Biden received was a book

Reportedly, the most expensive gift that Vice President Biden received last year was a book. Granted, it wasn’t an ordinary book, but rather a rare first edition of “Anna Livia Plurabelle,” by James Joyce.  It was actually signed by the author, and is valued at more than $3,000, according to the Houston Chronicle at http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7009468.html.  Joyce is one the Vice President’s favorite authors. Joyce died in 1941, about two years after the publication of the novel, so signed copies of it are rare indeed.

They actually have to

The President, Vice President and many other government officials are required by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to post statements regarding their financial status annually.  The act was signed by President Carter in the wake of the Watergate scandals to prevent financial conflicts of interest.  You can view the statements in depth at the White House Blog, but you”ll need Adobe to read them. The exact figures aren’t available for security reasons.

The President cleans up

It has been rumored that President Obama received millions for the two autobiographical books that he published. The Bidens, on the other hand, hold less than $750,000 in assets and only one home.  That’s a lot for most people but pretty modest by Washington standards.

Beau Biden (right), son of Vice President Joe Biden (left) was recently rushed to a Delaware hospital. (Photo: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue)

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden – the eldest son of American Vice President Joe Biden – made news back in January when he backed down from a possible Senate bid. It was expected that he would follow in his father’s footsteps and ascend the political ladder, but Beau Biden chose his work as Attorney General over life in the Senate – at least for now. But a frightening incident may have changed that timetable and cost the Biden family some emergency cash, according to the Associated Press. Beau Biden was rushed to a Delaware hospital with an undisclosed illness or injury.

Beau Biden is in Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware

Reports indicate that Beau Biden, 41, was awake and alert at the hospital, but news of what prompted him to be taken there has yet to surface. It is known that a Delaware state trooper was on guard at the entrance to the hospital. Security has been arranged to keep out paparazzi, but because so little information is known regarding the nature of Beau Biden’s illness or injury, such scenarios are still conjecture.

From U.S. Justice Department to Delaware AG

In 2007, Beau Biden moved from the U.S. Justice Department to the position of Delaware Attorney General. Before his father Joe Biden became vice president, Beau considered a Senate run. He didn’t take it because he was working on the very high-profile criminal case of Dr. Earl Bradley, a pediatrician accused of sexually assaulting as many as 100 of his patients. Beau Biden’s decision not to run came as a surprise, and the Senate seat had essentially been occupied by a placeholder. That was until Beau Biden’s January announcement. Now the seat Joe Biden once held for 36 years may be in jeopardy.

Beau Biden survived an accident that killed his mother

In the winter of 1972, Joe Biden and family were out looking for a Christmas tree. Out of nowhere, the family’s station wagon was broadsided by a tractor-trailer. Mrs. Biden and her infant son died, while Joe Biden, Beau Biden and Hunter Biden all received critical injuries from which they recovered.

Beau Biden is married and has two young children.

UPDATE: Beau Biden reportedly suffered a mild stroke, but he is expected to recover.

Related Video:

Joe Biden is well-known for his verbal missteps. Image from Flickr.

Nobody has ever accused Vice President Joe Biden of being the most tightly laced politician. During the press conference where Obama announced the signing of the new health care bill, though, Vice President Joe Biden added his own unique take on the moment by saying “this is a big f-ing deal” to President Obama. I’m sure Joe Biden is wishing now that he’d been able to use instant cash loans to make sure the microphones were off.

Biden drops the F Bomb

After announcing President Obama to the press corps outside the White House, Vice President Biden turned away from the microphone to welcome the President. During a quick hug, Biden said into the President’s ear “This is a big F-ing deal!” Biden’s F-bomb was captured on every microphone, video camera and camera in the area. Biden almost certainly meant this to be a private moment, but it ended up being quite public. The White House has reacted to Biden’s F-bomb with amusement more than anything, with the official U.S. Press Secretary’s Twitter account saying “And yes, Mr. Vice President, You’re right…”

See Video of Biden’s “Big Deal” moment

Joe Biden’s history of gaffes

Vice President Joe Biden is fairly well known for saying the things that many others may just be thinking. The signing of the health care bill is not the first time Biden has been caught dropping the F-bomb on live microphones. On March 13, 2009, Biden was caught saying “An hour late, oh give me a f-ing break.” The Vice President has become rather infamous for his “Bidenisms,” and there are some web sites, such as Slate’s Bidenisms, dedicated entirely to recording the Vice President’s gaffes, misspoken statements and outright mistakes.

Biden was right – health care is a big deal

The new health care bill, which President Obama signed into law today, is most definitely a big deal, as Joe Biden pointed out. The health care bill makes significant changes to the health care system over the next 10 years. To see a summary of the new health care bill, see Health Care Reform basics Part 1 and Health Care Reform basics Part 2.

Democrats have hailed the passage of the health care bill as “historic,” while Republicans such as Randy Neugerbauer and David Frum are calling the passage of the bill “tragic.”  The cost of the health care bill is hotly debated, some saying it will start the government on the path of credit repair, others claiming it will cost more than an online cash advance. Either way, Joe Biden was right – health care reform is a “big f-ing deal.”