A Desi Blog for Politics

Congrats Barack H Obama: 44th President of US!

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:35:00 +0000

Hearty congratulation Mr Obama! Hoping for the best from you on this arduous journey. Wishing you all the best...

CNN's Sanjay Gupta Considered for Surgeon General

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:43:00 +0000

As per this report CNN's chief health correspondent is being considered by Obama team for country's next surgeon general.

The transition team is impressed with the combination of Gupta's past government experience, as a White House fellow in 1997 and a special adviser to then-first lady Hillary Clinton, along with his medical career as a neurosurgeon and his communication skills, the transition source said.

Gupta is a member of the staff and faculty of the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. He regularly performs surgery at Emory University Hospital and at Grady Memorial Hospital, where he serves as associate chief of neurosurgery.

If Dr Gupta's appointment is confirmed he would be the first desi in a major government position. He needs to be confirmed by majority Senate vote.

Some additional information in WaPo.

The offer followed a two-hour Chicago meeting in November with Obama, who said that Gupta could be the highest-profile surgeon general in history and would have an expanded role in providing health policy advice, the sources said. Gupta later spoke with Tom Daschle, Obama's White House health czar and nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, and other advisers to the president-elect.

The Michigan-born son of Indian and Pakistani parents, Gupta has always been drawn to health policy. He was a White House fellow in the late 1990s, writing speeches and crafting policy for Hillary Clinton. His appointment would give the administration a prominent official of Southwest Asian descent and a skilled television spokesman.

Gupta, who hosts "House Call" on CNN, has discussed the job offer with his bosses at CBS and CNN to make sure he could be released from his contractual obligations, the sources said.

His role as journalist and physician have sometimes overlapped. During the 2003 Iraq invasion, Gupta was embedded with a Navy unit called Devil Docs and, while covering its mission, performed brain surgery five times, the first of which was on a 2-year-old Iraqi boy.

Gupta's only hesitation in taking the post is said to involve the financial impact on his pregnant wife and two children if he gives up his lucrative medical and journalistic careers. But he is expected to accept the position within days.

Goodbye Kiss for Bush by Shoe

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:43:00 +0000

Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq and Afghanistan over the weekend. In a press conference Bush and Iraqi Prime minister had an unexpected incident happened. An Iraqi journalist has thrown his shoes at Bush, shouting: "This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog. This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."

One of the shoes narrowly missed the president's head and slammed into the wall behind him. Bush was fine and even joked about the incident: "All I can report is that it's a size 10".

This incident really shows the type of contempt Bush has attracted. But at any standard, this is insane specially when it comes from a journalist.

Desi Names Rolling in Blagojevich Scandal

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:00:00 +0000

As per this Chicago Tribune news, desis having connection to both Gov Blagojevich and congressman Jesse Jackson Jr is being investigated in the Senate seat sellout scandal.

As Gov. Rod Blagojevich was trying to pick Illinois' next U.S. senator, businessmen, including Raghuveer Nayak, with ties to both the governor and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. discussed raising at least $1 million for Blagojevich's campaign as a way to encourage him to pick Jackson for the job, the Tribune has learned.

Blagojevich made an appearance at an Oct. 31 luncheon meeting at the India House restaurant in Schaumburg sponsored by Oak Brook businessman Nayak, a major Blagojevich supporter who also has fundraising and business ties to the Jackson family, according to several attendees and public records.

Two businessmen who attended the meeting and spoke to the Tribune on the condition of anonymity said that Nayak and Blagojevich aide Rajinder Bedi privately told many of the more than two dozen attendees the fundraising effort was aimed at supporting Jackson's bid for the Senate.

Among the attendees was a Blagojevich fundraiser already under scrutiny by federal investigators, Joliet pharmacist Harish Bhatt.

These well established desis also attended the India House event:

Iftekhar Shareef, past president of the influential Federation of Indian Associations, said he attended the Saturday fundraiser for the governor at the invitation of Bedi and Nayak. He received the first Overseas Citizen of India card from Indian PM in 2006.

Bedi's brother, Jatinder, an editor at the Indian Reporter newspaper, acknowledged being at the India House event.

Satish "Sonny" Gabhawala, owner of the Chicago Park Hotel in Harvey also acknowledged attending this event.

At this point there is no wrongdoing on any one's part. It looks like Jesse Jackson Jr's supporters were trying to buy the seat for him. We have to find out if it was initiated by congressman himself or by supporters only without his knowledge. Given that congressman had good relationship with Obama, we have to see how much Obama or his advisers were involved in this scandal.

Jindal: Not Interested in 2012 Presidential Bid

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:00:00 +0000

As per this AP story, Lousiana Gov Bobby (Piyush) Jindal is not interested in running for President in 2012. He is considered as one of the frontrunners as a presidential candidate from Republican party.

Jindal, who appeared at a news conference to back Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, was asked if he was interested in being president.

"No," he replied.

Jindal's trip to Iowa last month fueled speculation that he was laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign, and he did not rule out changing his mind over the next few years.

Instead, he said Americans are weary after the longest, most expensive election cycle in U.S. history.

"I think anybody who is even thinking of running would be well served to roll up their sleeves and support our new president," Jindal said. "I told our people, 'It doesn't matter whether you're Republican, Democrat or independent, it doesn't matter whether you voted for him or not, President-elect Barack Obama is our president.'"

In the wake of Republican losses in Congress and a blowout defeat in the presidential race, Jindal is an early favorite among many Republicans for 2012.

I really don't think that this was an honest answer. When someone is up for rerunning as Governor and given that it is too early to guess Obama's performance as a President, "No" makes perfect answer for now. I'm sure he will jump into the race at right time!

Indian Web Users: Obsession with YouTube, Katrina Kaif and Kiss

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:30:00 +0000

As per Google Trend, these are the top 10 obsessions of Indian web users in 2008 in different categories. Pretty revealing, isn't it?

Notable things:

Still people care about sixth pay commission.
Genelia D'Souza is a rising star
Salman Khan is still living
Google tree is really big in India
Two extremes are possible in India: how to gain weight and how to lose weight
Goa is still "the place"!
Namitha is not going away anytime soon!
Bollywood much bigger role to play: to teach how to impress a girl!

Fastest Rising

youtube
orkut
katrina kaif
cricket
irctc
facebook
genelia d'souza
beijing 2008 olympic games
sixth pay commission
ipl

Top Bollywood Celebrities

katrina kaif
aishwarya rai
salman khan
hrithik roshan
kareena kapoor
shahid kapur
deepika padukone
shahrukh khan
mallika sherawat
genelia d'souza

Top holiday destinations

goa
kerala
kashmir
dubai
singapore
australia
london
shimla
switzerland
manali

Top 'how to' searches

how to reduce weight
how to kiss
how to earn money
how to get pregnant
how to learn english
how to gain weight
how to play guitar
how to create a website
how to impress a girl
how to tie a tie

Obama Citizenship Non-Issue!

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:28:00 +0000

Even though the country is struggling with real issues affecting people, there is a section of media that's advancing Obama's birth certificate issue. These nutty blogs and radio programs are claiming that Obama is not a US citizen to qualify as commander-in-chief of US. What is the reason for this claim? Because Obama's father was a British citizen when Obama was born. And they think that Obama's birth certificate is fake.

The director of Hawaii’s Department of Health repeatedly confirmed to various news media query that Obama was born in Honolulu. This FactCheck.org investigation also confirms that Obama was born in USA!

Today the US Supreme Court also turned down the appeal from a New Jersey man Leo Donofrio. There is no merit to the case and evidence to prove Obama's US citizenship is provided that any reasonable person can agree on. Time to move on!

Sonal Shah: Potential Candidate for Secretary of Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:30:00 +0000

As per this Politico story, Sonal Shah is in the list of potential candidates for Secretary of Energy. Right now she is leading the Technology group in Obama's transition team looking at technology, innovation and government reform.

Does she have any experience in the energy sector?

When she was in Goldman Sachs (as a Vice President), focused on their environmental strategy and implementation. Sonal worked on green initiatives, including advising clients and bankers on alternative energy opportunities and how to implement environmental, social and governance criteria for all investments.

Who are other more qualified people in the shortlist?

Leading candidate so far is Dan Reicher, director of climate change and energy initiatives at Google, former assistant energy secretary in charge of efficiency and renewable energy programs in the Clinton administration.

Other potential candidate is Steve Westly, Silicon Valley venture capitalist with a long career in alternative energy.

Here's a long list of potential candidates from Reuters.

Does Obama have any good motivation for nominating Sonal for a highest cabinet position?

Even though the desi voting bloc is not that much, this group is pretty influential in terms of fundraising base. But given that Obama has good internet fundraising base, this may not be a compelling motivation. Other motivation could be to have diverse cabinet.

Sonal is certainly a Obama type candidate. Let us wait and see who gets the nod!

Mumbai Attack: Reason for Government's Slow Response

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:09:00 +0000

This article details what happened between the state Chief Minister was first notified about the attack and the special commandos arrived at the site. Even though the requirement for commandos to arrive at scene of attack is 30 minutes, in this case it took 10 hours!

9:30 pm, shooting was first heard at Mumbai's Nariman House
Chief Minister (CM) was immediately notified about the incident
11 pm, CM contacted Central Home Minister for help - no idea why it took 90 minutes and what exactly CM did in that 90 minutes
2:00 am, the only aircraft to take the 200 commandos to Mumbai was in a different city. A call was made to the pilot to bring the aircraft to New Delhi - No other army aircraft was available in the capital city New Delhi?
2:25 am, the aircraft left New Delhi for Mumbai
5:25 am, the commandos aircraft reached Mumbai - commercial aircraft takes 2 hours to reach Mumbai why the heck this one took 3 hours?
6:05 am, they boarded a bus to the site of attack - may be they spent 40 minutes discussing the plan. But it could have happened in the aircraft, right? No communication system in the aircraft? And why bus - no helicopters or any other faster transportation?

This clearly shows that how ill prepared India was to the terrorist attack. In addition to thinking about how to deal with terrorists from Pakistan India should focus on improving the emergency response system.

Fifth Major Terrorist Attack in India

Should India Attack Pakistan: Obama's Response

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:20:00 +0000

This is an important question Obama was asked today when he introduced his national security team. Does it mean that if India gets an actionable intelligence about Lashkar-e-Tayyaba's target in Pakistan, India can attack the target? It seems Obama agrees with that if the terrorist group's involvement is confirmed. At this point there doesn't seem to be any double standard toward India. Let us see how his position on this matter is going to evolve over time!

Q Thank you, Mr. President-elect. Would India be justified in going after terrorists responsible for the Mumbai attacks if they were on Pakistani soil?
PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA: Well, first of all, I think it's important to reiterate that our condolences, our thoughts and our prayers go out to the people of India, the families that have been affected; and obviously, we're heart-broken by the deaths of the six Americans that were caught up in this tragedy.
I've spoken to Prime Minister Singh and expressed these concerns to him. An investigation is taking place. I was briefed by Secretary Rice throughout the weekend. She's on her way to the region. We've sent FBI to help on the investigation. And I have -- this is one of those times where I have to reiterate there's one president at a time. We're going to be engaged in some very delicate diplomacy in the next several days and weeks. So I think it would be inappropriate for me to comment.
But what I can say unequivocally is that both myself and the team that stands beside me are absolutely committed to eliminating the threat of terrorism, and that is true wherever it is found. We cannot have -- we cannot tolerate a world in which innocents are being killed by extremists based on twisted ideologies. And we're going to have to bring the full force of our power -- not only military, but also diplomatic, economic and political -- to deal with those threats, not only to keep America safe, but also to ensure that peace and prosperity can exist around the world.
So I will be monitoring the situation closely. Thus far, I think the administration has done what's needed in trying to get the details of the situation. And my expectation is that President Zardari of Pakistan, who has already said that he will fully cooperate with the investigation, will follow through with that commitment.
Q Thank you, Mr. President-elect. During the campaign you said that you thought the U.S. had a right to attack high-value terrorist targets in Pakistan if given actionable intelligence, with or without the Pakistani government's permission.
Two questions on that. One, do you think India has that same right? And two, regarding what Karen just said, some people up there on the stage took issue with your saying that. They have strong opinions about issues ranging from Pakistan to the surge. And while they're all committed to having a successful United States, what private assurances have they given you that they will be able to carry out your vision, even when they strongly disagree with that vision, as some of them have been able to do in the past?
Thank you, sir.
PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA: I think that sovereign nations obviously have a right to protect themselves. Beyond that, I don't want to comment on the specific situation that's taking place in South Asia right now.
I think it is important for us to let the investigators do their jobs and make a determination in terms of who was responsible for carrying out these heinous acts. I can tell you that my administration will remain steadfast in support of India's efforts to catch the perpetrators of this terrible act and bring them to justice. And I expect that the world community will feel the same way.
Now, in terms of my team and carrying out my vision, my policies: As I've said, during campaigns or during the course of election season, differences get magnified. I did not ask for assurances from these individuals that they would agree with me at all times. I think they understand and would not be joining this team unless they understood and were prepared to carry out the decisions that have been made by me after full discussion.
And, you know, most of the people who are standing here are people who I've worked with, and on the broad core vision of where America needs to go, we are in almost complete agreement. There are going to be differences in tactics and different assessments and judgments made. That's what I expect; that's what I welcome. That's why I asked them to join the team.

Who were behind the Mumbai terrorist act?

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:55:00 +0000

There was some finger pointing at India's neighbor just after the attack. This report from Guardian confirms that:

The only attacker taken alive during the bloody siege in Mumbai told police he was ordered to "kill until the last breath", it was reported today.

Azam Amir Kasab, 21, from Pakistan, told interrogators the attacks had been meticulously planned six months ago and were intended to kill 5,000 people.

Kasab reportedly said the mastermind of the plot briefed the militants to "target whites, preferably Americans and British".

He said the militants, who were highly trained in marine assault, had arrived in the city by boat. They planned to blow up the Taj Mahal Palace hotel after first executing British and American tourists and then taking hostages.

Police sources said Kasab told officers that he and his fellow terrorists trained in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir for five months before taking a month off before the attacks, the Daily Mail reported.

From this account it looks this killing spree could have been much much worse: they planned to kill 5000 people?

Given the tense situation, Condoleezza Rice is making a trip to India on Wednesday. The real purpose for the trip is still not clear. This is brief statement from Whitehouse press secretary on this trip:

"Secretary Rice's visit to India is a further demonstration of the United States' commitment to stand in solidarity with the people of India as we all work together to hold these extremists accountable".

Fifth Major Terrorist Attack in India

India Terrorist Attack and Global Impact

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:12:00 +0000

Bush is saddened by two American deaths in terrorist attach in India.

In a statement released at the Camp David presidential retreat, Bush says he and first lady Laura Bush are "deeply saddened" that at least two Americans died and many people from other countries were killed and injured in Mumbai.

Bush says the U.S. will continue to cooperate against extremists who offer "violence and hopelessness."

For last few decades India was a lone voice against terrorism. The world didn't hear the voice until 9/11. This latest incident once again reminds us how an incident in a far off place can still kill people from US. Hope the world really understands the global impact of the nemesis.

It seems this attack was carried out to get global attention. India should use this occasion to raise its decibel, get international support against its terrorism fight and take a leadership role to curb it completely. India should realize that just blaming a neighboring country is not a plan against terrorism.

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:34:00 +0000

Since I started this blog I have been getting constant stream of readers from different parts of the world. Keep visiting this blog and let me know if you have any feedback. Heartfelt thanks to all the readers!

Fifth Major Terrorist Attack in India

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:46:00 +0000

In an early morning attack in Mumbai by terrorists today more than 100 people died and hundreds of people injured. This is the fifth terrorist attack in India this year. The attack took place in busy, high profile places: railway station, Taj and Obroi hotels, domestic airport, GT hospitals and Adlabs multiplex. Some foreign nationals were also held hostages.

Here's the list of major terrorist attacks as chronicled by AP:

Nov. 26, 2008: Series of shooting and grenade attacks, including two on luxury hotels, kill at least 78 people and wound at least 200 in Mumbai, India's main commercial city.
Sept. 13, 2008: At least five explosions in crowded shopping areas kill 21 and wound 100 in New Delhi, national capital.
July 26, 2008: Some 16 small bombs explode in Ahmedabad, killing 45.
July 25, 2008: Seven small bombs kill two in Bangalore, hub of India's technology industry.
May 13, 2008: Seven bombs hit crowded markets and streets outside Hindu temples in Jaipur, killing 80.

Terrorist attack in India has been a perennial problem. Thousands of people got killed in these kind of terrorist attacks. Still there doesn't seem to be a comprehensive plan from Indian government to deal with terrorism issue. I think they are looking for leadership elsewhere to solve this problem. Given that terrorist problem is becoming a global issue, India can take a leadership role.

On today's incident major concern for me was how could terrorists attack in so many high profile positions in the same day. Where were the intelligence service from one of the high tech nations? If Indian government has any comprehensive plan to solve terrorist problem, revamping the intelligence service should also be part of that plan.

Team of Rivals or Team of Losers?

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 06:10:00 +0000

Obama is moving pretty fast with his cabinet and administrative picks. No doubt his picks are pretty impressive so far. One thing we hear is how Obama is following Lincoln's model of appointing his former rivals Hillary, Joe (Biden), Richardson, etc. Other way to look at this is they have all been losers. So basically we now have a team of former losers!

I had this post about how women were behind Obama's success. No wonder there are women in his cabinet picks so far: Hillary for Sec of State, Napolitano (not official yet) for Homeland security and potentially one more pick Gov Kathleen Sebelius (one of his early supporter). This pretty much confirms he would have successful presidency! More women power makes him more successful!

There are some question about why the hell he chose Hillary for Sec of State. I listed some of the core reasons for that decision in this post. I know that there would be lot of drama and speculation in media about any minor disagreement, dissent, misunderstanding, etc. But all these would be only in media not in Obama and Hillary relationship. For me it is easy to understand how they both feel about each other after hard fought fight and what happened after that. I think they are competing for who has magnanimous heart!

The thing to be careful now is that there are pretty strong people in Obama's administration. Unless he puts all these personalities under one umbrella, binding them together with core principles for his administration, he would have tough time managing them. But once the core principle is laid out, it is easy to control them when anyone deviates from the principle.

Economic Downturn: What Do We Do?

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:02:00 +0000

When you look at all the economic data like unemployment rate, consumer price index, retail sales, etc you don't get a sense how bad or good things are. But when you see the impact in your family or your community or in your friend circle you really feel the pain.

For last few months I knew that things are not that great, we were not living the same life we used to a few years ago. But today I do feel the pain. There are so many people that you know are either laid off or about to get laid off. The bank you got mortgage from is no more around. You start seeing people getting desperate over their economic situation. You see how worried about-to-get-retired people are.

These are of course bad. But the worse part is I don't get a sense where it is heading. You don't see government taking concrete step to change the course. The recently concluded G20 summit didn't have any concrete plan to stop the global meltdown. It seems even President Bush didn't want to do anything now than passing the burden to Obama.

Obama needs to get started early on his plan to fix the economy. Because of the extraordinary situation we are in he needs to laid out his plans, even though he is still working on forming the team for his administration. That way by the time he is taking charge of Presidency he would be ready to implement the policy change.

In case you are interested in details of Obama's economic policy, you can get it from here: http://change.gov/agenda/economy_agenda

It all sounds good but if I'm jobless with a family to support and a mortgage to pay, it didn't give me any answer how these policies can help me. I think some policies like no-penalty withdrawal from retirement, mortgage tax credit, etc could help but that can't replace my income from job. It all tells me that if I'm having tough time, coming back to normal life may take some time. How long? Let us hope it won't be very long!

Sid Agrawal: Another Desi Tragedy

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:00:00 +0000

While we are still recovering from Karthik Rajaram tragedy, one more tragedy struck us on 11/14 at 3:53pm. This time the victim was Sid Agrawal, the CEO of 4-year old startup company SiPort, who was shot dead by Jing Hua Wu, 47. He worked as a lead product test engineer in this startup. The incident happened in Mountain View, right in the heart of Silicon Valley. Along with the CEO, VP of Operations Brian Pugh and HR Executive Marilyn Lewis were also shot dead.

As per Santa Clara Police Chief Steve Lodge, Wu was laid off from the company early Friday morning, returned at 3 p.m. and requested a meeting with Agrawal, Pugh and Lewis to discuss his potential future employment. He gave no indication of his intentions until he pulled out a 9mm handgun and shot his three victims at 3:53 p.m. We don't know how the company agreed to meet with this guy after he was laid off and sent home in the morning.

Wu was arrested on Saturday morning in his neighbourhood. He is now facing triple homicide charge.

With layoff news coming up everyday in Silicon Valley and elsewhere this shooting has caused major fear in the community.

Sid Agrawal, 56, an electrical engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur. He worked for leading tech companies such as Intel, Bell Labs and Adobe before becoming a serial entrepreneur. SiPort, specialising in digital radio semiconductors, was Agrawal’s fourth venture. Agrawal was survived by wife Asha and two sons Ashish and Ankur.

The company website didn't have any information about the incident. Except the home page all the other pages were not available since the incident took place.

Here's a brief biography on Sid Agrawal from SF Chronicle:

For Agrawal, the shooting ended the life of a 56-year-old renaissance man who started out with almost nothing and became a car racer and a collector of fine art and wine. He arrived in the United States from India in 1975 with little more than a change of clothes and a desire to do better, said his son, Ashish Agrawal.

"It was the American dream," the son said in an interview from his parents' home in Fremont.

The elder Agrawal earned a master's degree in engineering from the University of Southern Illinois, then returned to India, where he met and marry his wife, Asha. After bringing her back to the United States, she sold photo supplies door to door to put him through the University of Chicago's business school.

Agrawal later worked for Intel and others before specializing in launching small startups. He was named SiPort's first chief executive in 2004.

Agrawal was the first in his family to attend college. Now, his sons, Ashish and Ankur, are a UCSF medical school student and a Harvard undergraduate, respectively. And Agrawal had long sent money back to India, underwriting the education of relatives.

"He built his life around others," Ashish Agrawal said, "so even when he's gone, we're still here, and we're a representation of what he's done. I'm happy I'll be able to live my life representing him, and I hope he's proud."

One of the last email conversations Agrawal had was with Steve Fields:

Steve Fields, a contractor who worked with Agrawal and exchanged e-mail with him Friday afternoon. Fields wrote to tell Agrawal that he couldn't finish a particular job because a family matter had come up.

At 2:23 p.m., Agrawal e-mailed back: "It's OK, family comes first."

Our deepest condolences to the affected families.

Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State: A Foolish Choice?

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 06:00:00 +0000

Blogosphere and other news outlet are abuzz with news about Obama's choice for Secretary of State. No, it is not about Kerry or Richardson but Hillary, a formidable Obama rival in the primary battle. Just after Obama's win, the two names floating around for this cabinet position were Kerry, Richardson and couple of other republican senators. Hillary as a serious contender took many people by surprise.

We wouldn't know who is going to get the nod, at least for next few days. Why Obama is even thinking about Hillary in his cabinet? I think there are few important reasons for this consideration:

Kerry and Richardson have been a good surrogate for Obama for long time. Both endorsed Obama during the democratic primary. Hillary was fighting Obama till the last primary election. But after the primary, it is Hillary who helped move her 18 million supporters to Obama, appearing in more than 70 events as Obama surrogate giving good local media coverage. Specially her appearance in three important battleground states Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania helped Obama significantly. Obama must be very pleased with that.
One of Obama advisor said that Hillary's celebrity, credibility and toughness would help in heavy-duty foreign affairs, better than any other candidates in the list. Time is tough and we need tough one to handle this.
Hillary didn't get VP slot, she won't get Senate leadership anytime soon, she can't work on her signature issue health care because the Lion (Sen. Kennedy) is taking charge of that. So how can we unite at least the democratic party (of course, there are still lot of bitter Hillary supporters out there!). This offer could bring all democrats in the same tent!

Ok, this all sounds fine but how about Obama's promise of change, choosing different players to get different result etc. Let us look at some of the concerns raised:

C'mon, this is not the change Obama promised - To deliver change someone qualified should be in charge. Obama could still set the tone so that responsible people can carry out the task.
Obama promised different kind of politics - Well, choosing one of the former rival for a key position is definitely a different kind of politics.
Obama and Clinton can't see eye to eye - Really? Look at the photo, they could see eye to eye even during primary. Seriously, looking at what Hillary has done for last three months, I don't see this an issue. Who knows Hillary could become a star in Obama's successful presidency!

Remember the 3am ad by Hillary. I think Obama wants Hillary to take the 3am call on foreign affairs. :-)

Did Obama Dodge India?

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:00:00 +0000

There was some chatter about how Obama ignored talking to Indian Prime Minister but talked to other world leaders including Pakistan's PM. When Indian PM was asked about it, he told that it was not true.

No, this is not true," Singh said when asked if the newly elected US President had ignored India by not calling him.

"President Obama wanted to talk to me day before yesterday (November 8) (but) we could not establish contact because the time that was suggested was too short for me (to establish contact). Since then, I have been travelling... as soon as I go back (we will try to establish contact)," Singh told reporters on way back to New Delhi from his maiden three-day visit to the energy rich Gulf region.

"I got a very warm letter from him, a detailed letter spelling out his approach to India, his approach to international affairs and therefore, I have every reason to believe that India's relations with the US under President Obama will become stronger than ever before," he said.

There is a bit of distrust about Obama in India. Some reasons for this distrust could be:

Obama didn't warm up to India as McCain did who eagerly supported India-US nuclear deal, supported India for G-8 berth, supportive of outsourcing policy that boosts Indian economy and wanted to continue Bush's policies towards India. McCain's warmth was missing from Obama.
Obama derided about Bush's outsourcing policy during his entire campaign. He never made it clear what exactly his views are about outsourcing. In this IANS interview he did make an attempt to explain his stand on outsourcing.
Obama was vocal about third party involvement in resolving Kashmir issue that Obama thinks is core to good, terror-free Pakistan and Afghanistan. All the past US administrations took a hands-off approach to this issue. India doesn't like this issue to come in the fore-front, giving it an international attention bolstering Kashmir militants hand.

Obama often talks about pursuing common-sense policy on every issue. We have to wait and see what exactly he means!

Update: The call finally happen. Obama called Indian PM and promised to work together with India on all issues. Obama also expressed his desire to make early visit to India.

Read Other India Related Posts

What Sarah Palin Needs to Do for 2012?

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:02:00 +0000

Exactly a week after losing 2008 election, Palin was on Fox News and CNN talking about how she is not responsible for the loss. She will also participate in Republican Governors meeting. I think her reason for appearing in all these TV outlets is to clear her drag-on-the-ticket image that cost McCain's election. Also to get the message out that she is a contender for 2012 presidential election. Listening to all her talk so far I didn't hear anything that would change my impression about her. Also I don't see her floating any strong argument why she is better qualified for 2012 run except that having a women candidate is good for republicans (yes, after democrat's history making African-American win).

It is not effective for Palin to keep repeating that she is not responsible for the loss. Since there is no other positive information to fill the vacuum, this defensive strategy is not helping her. More effective strategy would be to take a break, go for moose hunting and do some homework before coming out on public.

What do you stand for - What are the basic principles you strongly believe in, that you would stand for at any cost, that you would take bullets for? Based on these principles, think through how it affects your standing on all the policies, your outlook, etc.
Make a choice and work on it - Based on the principle, make few policy proposals in Alaska. Take it from A to Z in successfully implementing it in Alaska.
Brag about It - Talk about your principles, what you have done in Alaska and how you achieved it. Make sure that the result of your proposals can be measured and made positive impact for Alaskans. After your "sold-it-on-eBay" debacle you should be careful about what you are bragging about.

This doesn't mean that she has to disappear from public arena and don't need do anything towards her 2012 dream. But first she needs solid work to support the image the she wants to project. This is a must if she has to compete against much accomplished Governors like Bobby Jindal and Mitt Romney!

Secret of Obama's Success: Power of Women!

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:30:00 +0000

By now you have heard so much about Obama's history making win in 2008 presidential election. Have you really figured out the secret of Obama's success?

The first women who played significant role in his life was his mother Ann Dunham who as per Obama was "the dominant figure" in hist formative years. She made him wake up early in the morning at 4am for lessons. Then his toot, the tough grandma, played important role in his adulthood. A woman with a no-frills, no-nonsense Midwestern sensibility she taught Obama to be grounded. Then it was Michelle who shaped him as a tough man. Obama publicly admitted that Michelle is so tough and steely that she could easily beat him in any election. And his two daughters: pretty demanding... Obama had to heed their demand for a puppy!

In primary it was Hillary whom Obama considered as a formidable opponent. He was scared of Hillary throughout the primary and agreed that her tough campaign made him a better candidate.

This history of women in his life made him afraid of Sarah Palin when she was chosen as McCain's VP. He was firing all over the place for few days till he realized that she was not a threat.

So all the women he had to face in his life made him a successful person. If Obama wants to be a good president he knows what to do! Get a tough women who can challenge him pretty much everyday. That's why I thought it makes sense to choose a women Chief-of-Staff. But he lost an opportunity! Let us see how he handles the next opportunity...

Electoral Votes Map for 2004 and 2008 Presidential Elections

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:46:00 +0000

Here's a comparision of Presidential electoral votes in 2004 and 2008 election. It gives a clear picture on how the landscape changed in 2008 compared to previous election. Can the ever-red state change to blue?

Obama Campaign in Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Do you want to see the whole Obama campaign in vivid and lively photos? See this fantastic collection of pictures taken by renowned photographer Scout Tufankjian!

She also has a book published with these amazing collection of photos - YES WE CAN: Barack Obama's History Making Campaign

Change.gov - First step in transparency?

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:23:00 +0000

A new website is up and running for President-elect Obama. You can get upto the minute update on transition, appointments, agenda and other worthy news! You can even apply for a job in Obama's administration. Check it out http://www.change.gov/.

It is not yet upto the mark, but worth a visit!

Who did Condoleezza Rice Vote for?

noreply@blogger.com (Desi Politics) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:07:00 +0000

Country already elected Obama as first black president. This is a historic moment to relish. So many black personalities were teary eyed including Ex-Seceretary of State Colin Powell. Wonder who Rice voted for? In the past she made statements like she was a republican, a supporter of McCain and she would let her decision know in ballot box. Can she realistically vote for McCain when a black candidate is on the ballot box for first time in history? I'm sure once her term ends, she will come out and say who she voted for?

By the way, any idea who did Bush vote for? Well, for president he voted for McCain and for Vice President he cast his vote for Joe Biden! Just kidding!!

A Desi Blog for Politics

Congrats Barack H Obama: 44th President of US!

CNN's Sanjay Gupta Considered for Surgeon General

Goodbye Kiss for Bush by Shoe

Desi Names Rolling in Blagojevich Scandal

Jindal: Not Interested in 2012 Presidential Bid

Indian Web Users: Obsession with YouTube, Katrina Kaif and Kiss

Most Popular

Top searches on Mobile

Top Bollywood Celebrities

Top holiday destinations

Top 'how to' searches

Obama Citizenship Non-Issue!

Sonal Shah: Potential Candidate for Secretary of Energy

Mumbai Attack: Reason for Government's Slow Response

Should India Attack Pakistan: Obama's Response

Who were behind the Mumbai terrorist act?

India Terrorist Attack and Global Impact

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fifth Major Terrorist Attack in India

Team of Rivals or Team of Losers?

Economic Downturn: What Do We Do?

Sid Agrawal: Another Desi Tragedy

Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State: A Foolish Choice?

Did Obama Dodge India?

What Sarah Palin Needs to Do for 2012?

Secret of Obama's Success: Power of Women!

Electoral Votes Map for 2004 and 2008 Presidential Elections

Obama Campaign in Pictures

Change.gov - First step in transparency?

Who did Condoleezza Rice Vote for?