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PoliBlog (TM): A Rough Draft of my Thoughts

A rough draft of my thoughts...

365.5: Hook’EmJanuary 6

Next Round in the Blago/Burris DramaJanuary 5

Via CNN: Secretary of the Senate rejects Burris appointment

The secretary of the U.S. Senate on Monday rejected the certificiate of appointment for Roland Burris, named by Illinois’ controversial governor to fill Barack Obama’s Senate seat, according to an aide to the secretary.

The aide said Secretary of the Senate Nancy Erickson rejected Burris’ appointment because it does not conform with the Senate rule requiring that the secretary of state — in this case, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White — must sign the certificate of appointment along with the governor.

While on paper, I have no argument with Burris’ qualifications for the seat, I continue to marvel that he was willing to permanently link his political fortunes with Blagojevich. He had to be pretty desperate for the Senate seat to allow himself to become a pawn in this game. Granted: that doesn’t disqualify him from the seat, but it is still raises questions about his character and motivations.

In regards to the entire mess, and after some thought, I have to say that I think that should this drag on long enough, the Senate will have to seat Burris. However, it is smart politics to slow the process down as much as possible in the hopes that Blagojevich is impeached and removed before all is said and done.

On the hand

Panetta to the CIAJanuary 5

So reports Jake Tapper: PEBO Taps Panetta to Head CIA

Democratic officials tell ABC News that President-elect Obama has tapped former Rep. Leon Panetta, D-Calif., to serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Panetta, who served as both director of the Office of Management and Budget and chief of staff for former President Bill Clinton, is well regarded in Washington and served as a member of the Iraq Study Group. But he has little apparent experience in intelligence matters other than during his time in the Army, from which he was discharged in 1966.

First, the headline marks the first time I have seen the acronym PEBO. It makes me think of Peabo Bryson, rather than President-elect Obama.

Second, my initial, and thoroughly unanalytical reponse to the news: really? Panetta? Is he CIA material?

Third, my next reaction: hmm, maybe what we need in the intel community post-Bush is someone from outside the intel community…

OpenOffice 3.0/Ubuntu WeirdnessJanuary 5

Ok, so I am working in OpenOffice 3.0 and I go to try and change the font in a spreadsheet (yes, just change the #@$%! font) and my screen goes black with just an immovable, somewhat enlarged, mouse pointer in the middle of the screen. The system still seems to be running, as I can still here my Sirius/XM radio streaming online in the background.

This happened twice in a row, so I am convinced that it was the attempted font change that did it–both times I was scrolling down the list of available fonts and WHAM, blackscreen.

Two questions:

First, to you Linux types: any way to extricate myself from the black screen aside from ctrl-alt-del?

Second, this ever happen to anyone else?

PoliBlog Available on KindleJanuary 5

I have just been informed that PoliBlog is available for Amazon’s Kindle: Amazon.com: Poliblog: Kindle Store.

Out of curiosity, does anyone out there use the Kindle? (And no, I am not asking to hound you to subscribe–I am sincerely curious).