New West Notes

President Barack Obama, accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha, toured a center of the African slave trade yesterday in Ghana.

** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … DIMINISHING RETURNS FROM OBAMA’S SUMMITEERING?

OBAMA TODAY – SUNDAY. President Barack Obama and his family returned to the White House very early this morning following a flight on Air Force One from Accra, Ghana.

Obama has no scheduled public events today.

Obama has had his daily intelligence and economic briefings in the Oval Office.

He phoned Judge Sonia Sotomayor, his pick for the US Supreme Court, to wish her luck in advance of her Senate confirmation hearings, which begin tomorrow.

** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE – SUNDAY. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has private meetings and discussions in and around the Capitol, mostly focusing on California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis.

Schwarzenegger is holding more Big 5 discussions today with Democratic and Republican legislative leaders.

Atmospherics are again positive for a resolution, for what that’s worth, as we’ve heard a number of times before.

One major difference is that banks stopped accepting IOUs on Friday. In 1992, the last time the state government issued IOUs during a big budget stalemate, the San Francisco-based Bank of America accepted the IOUs throughout the impasse, as former Governor Gray Davis, then the state controller, recently recalled. But BofA, an historic mainstay of the California economy, since then was taken over by another, out-of-state, banking conglomerate.

In his weekend video/radio address, President Barack Obama said that his economic recovery act has arrested the nation’s economic freefall and that his policies are setting the stage for a reworked economy.

** OBAMA’S ADDRESS TO THE GHANAIAN PARLIAMENT IN ACCRA, GHANA. (This is the fourth of four tentpole speeches on Obama’s new geopolitics, the first three addresses having taken place in Prague, Cairo, and Moscow. Transcript provided by the White House.)

THE PRESIDENT: (Trumpet plays.) I like this. Thank you. Thank you. I think Congress needs one of those horns. (Laughter.) That sounds pretty good. Sounds like Louis Armstrong back there. (Laughter.)

Good afternoon, everybody. It is a great honor for me to be in Accra and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. (Applause.) I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I’ve received, as are Michelle and Malia and Sasha Obama. Ghana’s history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President of the United States of America. (Applause.)

I want to thank Madam Speaker and all the members of the House of Representatives for hosting us today. I want to thank President Mills for his outstanding leadership. To the former Presidents — Jerry Rawlings, former President Kufuor — Vice President, Chief Justice — thanks to all of you for your extraordinary hospitality and the wonderful institutions that you’ve built here in Ghana.

I’m speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia for a summit between two great powers. I traveled to Italy for a meeting of the world’s leading economies. And I’ve come here to Ghana for a simple reason: The 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra, as well. (Applause.)

This is the simple truth of a time when the boundaries between people are overwhelmed by our connections. Your prosperity can expand America’s prosperity. Your health and security can contribute to the world’s health and security. And the strength of your democracy can help advance human rights for people everywhere.

So I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world — (applause) — as partners with America on behalf of the future we want for all of our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility and mutual respect. And that is what I want to speak with you about today.

We must start from the simple premise that Africa’s future is up to Africans.

I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world. After all, I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family’s — (applause) — my family’s own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story.

Some you know my grandfather was a cook for the British in Kenya, and though he was a respected elder in his village, his employers called him “boy” for much of his life. He was on the periphery of Kenya’s liberation struggles, but he was still imprisoned briefly during repressive times. In his life, colonialism wasn’t simply the creation of unnatural borders or unfair terms of trade — it was something experienced personally, day after day, year after year.

My father grew up herding goats in a tiny village, an impossible distance away from the American universities where he would come to get an education. He came of age at a moment of extraordinary promise for Africa. The struggles of his own father’s generation were giving birth to new nations, beginning right here in Ghana. (Applause.) Africans were educating and asserting themselves in new ways, and history was on the move.

But despite the progress that has been made — and there has been considerable progress in many parts of Africa — we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled. Countries like Kenya had a per capita economy larger than South Korea’s when I was born. They have badly been outpaced. Disease and conflict have ravaged parts of the African continent.

In many places, the hope of my father’s generation gave way to cynicism, even despair. Now, it’s easy to point fingers and to pin the blame of these problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense helped to breed conflict. The West has often approached Africa as a patron or a source of resources rather than a partner. But the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. In my father’s life, it was partly tribalism and patronage and nepotism in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is still a daily fact of life for far too many.

Now, we know that’s also not the whole story. Here in Ghana, you show us a face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only tragedy or a need for charity. The people of Ghana have worked hard to put democracy on a firmer footing, with repeated peaceful transfers of power even in the wake of closely contested elections. (Applause.) And by the way, can I say that for that the minority deserves as much credit as the majority. (Applause.) And with improved governance and an emerging civil society, Ghana’s economy has shown impressive rates of growth. (Applause.)

This progress may lack the drama of 20th century liberation struggles, but make no mistake: It will ultimately be more significant. For just as it is important to emerge from the control of other nations, it is even more important to build one’s own nation.

So I believe that this moment is just as promising for Ghana and for Africa as the moment when my father came of age and new nations were being born. This is a new moment of great promise. Only this time, we’ve learned that it will not be giants like Nkrumah and Kenyatta who will determine Africa’s future. Instead, it will be you — the men and women in Ghana’s parliament — (applause) — the people you represent. It will be the young people brimming with talent and energy and hope who can claim the future that so many in previous generations never realized.

Now, to realize that promise, we must first recognize the fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: Development depends on good governance. (Applause.) That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That’s the change that can unlock Africa’s potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.

As for America and the West, our commitment must be measured by more than just the dollars we spend. I’ve pledged substantial increases in our foreign assistance, which is in Africa’s interests and America’s interests. But the true sign of success is not whether we are a source of perpetual aid that helps people scrape by — it’s whether we are partners in building the capacity for transformational change. (Applause.)

This mutual responsibility must be the foundation of our partnership. And today, I’ll focus on four areas that are critical to the future of Africa and the entire developing world: democracy, opportunity, health, and the peaceful resolution of conflict.

First, we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments. (Applause.)

As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable, and more successful than governments that do not.

This is about more than just holding elections. It’s also about what happens between elections. (Applause.) Repression can take many forms, and too many nations, even those that have elections, are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves — (applause) — or if police — if police can be bought off by drug traffickers. (Applause.) No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top — (applause) — or the head of the Port Authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. (Applause.) That is not democracy, that is tyranny, even if occasionally you sprinkle an election in there. And now is the time for that style of governance to end. (Applause.)

In the 21st century, capable, reliable, and transparent institutions are the key to success — strong parliaments; honest police forces; independent judges — (applause); an independent press; a vibrant private sector; a civil society. (Applause.) Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in people’s everyday lives.

Now, time and again, Ghanaians have chosen constitutional rule over autocracy, and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your people to break through. (Applause.) We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously — the fact that President Mills’ opponents were standing beside him last night to greet me when I came off the plane spoke volumes about Ghana — (applause); victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition in unfair ways. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who risked his life to report the truth. We see it in police like Patience Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. (Applause.) We see it in the young people who are speaking up against patronage, and participating in the political process.

Across Africa, we’ve seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny, and making change from the bottom up. We saw it in Kenya, where civil society and business came together to help stop post-election violence. We saw it in South Africa, where over three-quarters of the country voted in the recent election — the fourth since the end of Apartheid. We saw it in Zimbabwe, where the Election Support Network braved brutal repression to stand up for the principle that a person’s vote is their sacred right.

Now, make no mistake: History is on the side of these brave Africans, not with those who use coups or change constitutions to stay in power. (Applause.) Africa doesn’t need strongmen, it needs strong institutions. (Applause.)

Now, America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation. The essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny. But what America will do is increase assistance for responsible individuals and responsible institutions, with a focus on supporting good governance — on parliaments, which check abuses of power and ensure that opposition voices are heard — (applause); on the rule of law, which ensures the equal administration of justice; on civic participation, so that young people get involved; and on concrete solutions to corruption like forensic accounting and automating services — (applause) — strengthening hotlines, protecting whistle-blowers to advance transparency and accountability.

And we provide this support. I have directed my administration to give greater attention to corruption in our human rights reports. People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. (Applause.) We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don’t, and that is exactly what America will do.

Now, this leads directly to our second area of partnership: supporting development that provides opportunity for more people.

With better governance, I have no doubt that Africa holds the promise of a broader base of prosperity. Witness the extraordinary success of Africans in my country, America. They’re doing very well. So they’ve got the talent, they’ve got the entrepreneurial spirit. The question is, how do we make sure that they’re succeeding here in their home countries? The continent is rich in natural resources. And from cell phone entrepreneurs to small farmers, Africans have shown the capacity and commitment to create their own opportunities. But old habits must also be broken. Dependence on commodities — or a single export — has a tendency to concentrate wealth in the hands of the few, and leaves people too vulnerable to downturns.

So in Ghana, for instance, oil brings great opportunities, and you have been very responsible in preparing for new revenue. But as so many Ghanaians know, oil cannot simply become the new cocoa. From South Korea to Singapore, history shows that countries thrive when they invest in their people and in their infrastructure — (applause); when they promote multiple export industries, develop a skilled workforce, and create space for small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs.

As Africans reach for this promise, America will be more responsible in extending our hand. By cutting costs that go to Western consultants and administration, we want to put more resources in the hands of those who need it, while training people to do more for themselves. (Applause.) That’s why our $3.5 billion food security initiative is focused on new methods and technologies for farmers — not simply sending American producers or goods to Africa. Aid is not an end in itself. The purpose of foreign assistance must be creating the conditions where it’s no longer needed. I want to see Ghanaians not only self-sufficient in food, I want to see you exporting food to other countries and earning money. You can do that. (Applause.)

Now, America can also do more to promote trade and investment. Wealthy nations must open our doors to goods and services from Africa in a meaningful way. That will be a commitment of my administration. And where there is good governance, we can broaden prosperity through public-private partnerships that invest in better roads and electricity; capacity-building that trains people to grow a business; financial services that reach not just the cities but also the poor and rural areas. This is also in our own interests — for if people are lifted out of poverty and wealth is created in Africa, guess what? New markets will open up for our own goods. So it’s good for both.

One area that holds out both undeniable peril and extraordinary promise is energy. Africa gives off less greenhouse gas than any other part of the world, but it is the most threatened by climate change. A warming planet will spread disease, shrink water resources, and deplete crops, creating conditions that produce more famine and more conflict. All of us — particularly the developed world — have a responsibility to slow these trends — through mitigation, and by changing the way that we use energy. But we can also work with Africans to turn this crisis into opportunity.

Together, we can partner on behalf of our planet and prosperity, and help countries increase access to power while skipping — leapfrogging the dirtier phase of development. Think about it: Across Africa, there is bountiful wind and solar power; geothermal energy and biofuels. From the Rift Valley to the North African deserts; from the Western coasts to South Africa’s crops — Africa’s boundless natural gifts can generate its own power, while exporting profitable, clean energy abroad.

These steps are about more than growth numbers on a balance sheet. They’re about whether a young person with an education can get a job that supports a family; a farmer can transfer their goods to market; an entrepreneur with a good idea can start a business. It’s about the dignity of work; it’s about the opportunity that must exist for Africans in the 21st century.

Just as governance is vital to opportunity, it’s also critical to the third area I want to talk about: strengthening public health.

In recent years, enormous progress has been made in parts of Africa. Far more people are living productively with HIV/AIDS, and getting the drugs they need. I just saw a wonderful clinic and hospital that is focused particularly on maternal health. But too many still die from diseases that shouldn’t kill them. When children are being killed because of a mosquito bite, and mothers are dying in childbirth, then we know that more progress must be made.

Yet because of incentives — often provided by donor nations — many African doctors and nurses go overseas, or work for programs that focus on a single disease. And this creates gaps in primary care and basic prevention. Meanwhile, individual Africans also have to make responsible choices that prevent the spread of disease, while promoting public health in their communities and countries.

So across Africa, we see examples of people tackling these problems. In Nigeria, an Interfaith effort of Christians and Muslims has set an example of cooperation to confront malaria. Here in Ghana and across Africa, we see innovative ideas for filling gaps in care — for instance, through E-Health initiatives that allow doctors in big cities to support those in small towns.

America will support these efforts through a comprehensive, global health strategy, because in the 21st century, we are called to act by our conscience but also by our common interest, because when a child dies of a preventable disease in Accra, that diminishes us everywhere. And when disease goes unchecked in any corner of the world, we know that it can spread across oceans and continents.

And that’s why my administration has committed $63 billion to meet these challenges — $63 billion. (Applause.) Building on the strong efforts of President Bush, we will carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS. We will pursue the goal of ending deaths from malaria and tuberculosis, and we will work to eradicate polio. (Applause.) We will fight — we will fight neglected tropical disease. And we won’t confront illnesses in isolation — we will invest in public health systems that promote wellness and focus on the health of mothers and children. (Applause.)

Now, as we partner on behalf of a healthier future, we must also stop the destruction that comes not from illness, but from human beings — and so the final area that I will address is conflict.

Let me be clear: Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at perpetual war. But if we are honest, for far too many Africans, conflict is a part of life, as constant as the sun. There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes.

These conflicts are a millstone around Africa’s neck. Now, we all have many identities — of tribe and ethnicity; of religion and nationality. But defining oneself in opposition to someone who belongs to a different tribe, or who worships a different prophet, has no place in the 21st century. (Applause.) Africa’s diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division. We are all God’s children. We all share common aspirations — to live in peace and security; to access education and opportunity; to love our families and our communities and our faith. That is our common humanity.

That is why we must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justified — never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology. (Applause.) It is the death sentence of a society to force children to kill in wars. It is the ultimate mark of criminality and cowardice to condemn women to relentless and systemic rape. We must bear witness to the value of every child in Darfur and the dignity of every woman in the Congo. No faith or culture should condone the outrages against them. And all of us must strive for the peace and security necessary for progress.

Africans are standing up for this future. Here, too, in Ghana we are seeing you help point the way forward. Ghanaians should take pride in your contributions to peacekeeping from Congo to Liberia to Lebanon — (applause) — and your efforts to resist the scourge of the drug trade. (Applause.) We welcome the steps that are being taken by organizations like the African Union and ECOWAS to better resolve conflicts, to keep the peace, and support those in need. And we encourage the vision of a strong, regional security architecture that can bring effective, transnational forces to bear when needed.

America has a responsibility to work with you as a partner to advance this vision, not just with words, but with support that strengthens African capacity. When there’s a genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems — they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response.

And that’s why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy and technical assistance and logistical support, and we will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. And let me be clear: Our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold in the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa, and the world. (Applause.)

In Moscow, I spoke of the need for an international system where the universal rights of human beings are respected, and violations of those rights are opposed. And that must include a commitment to support those who resolve conflicts peacefully, to sanction and stop those who don’t, and to help those who have suffered. But ultimately, it will be vibrant democracies like Botswana and Ghana which roll back the causes of conflict and advance the frontiers of peace and prosperity.

As I said earlier, Africa’s future is up to Africans. The people of Africa are ready to claim that future. And in my country, African Americans — including so many recent immigrants — have thrived in every sector of society. We’ve done so despite a difficult past, and we’ve drawn strength from our African heritage. With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams in Nairobi and Lagos, Kigali, Kinshasa, Harare, and right here in Accra. (Applause.)

You know, 52 years ago, the eyes of the world were on Ghana. And a young preacher named Martin Luther King traveled here, to Accra, to watch the Union Jack come down and the Ghanaian flag go up. This was before the march on Washington or the success of the civil rights movement in my country. Dr. King was asked how he felt while watching the birth of a nation. And he said: “It renews my conviction in the ultimate triumph of justice.”

Now that triumph must be won once more, and it must be won by you. (Applause.) And I am particularly speaking to the young people all across Africa and right here in Ghana. In places like Ghana, young people make up over half of the population.

And here is what you must know: The world will be what you make of it. You have the power to hold your leaders accountable, and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities, and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease, and end conflicts, and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can — (applause) — because in this moment, history is on the move.

But these things can only be done if all of you take responsibility for your future. And it won’t be easy. It will take time and effort. There will be suffering and setbacks. But I can promise you this: America will be with you every step of the way — as a partner, as a friend. (Applause.) Opportunity won’t come from any other place, though. It must come from the decisions that all of you make, the things that you do, the hope that you hold in your heart.

Ghana, freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom’s foundation. And if you do, we will look back years from now to places like Accra and say this was the time when the promise was realized; this was the moment when prosperity was forged, when pain was overcome, and a new era of progress began. This can be the time when we witness the triumph of justice once more. Yes we can. Thank you very much. God bless you. Thank you. (Applause.)

** OBAMA TODAY – SATURDAY. President Barack Obama, accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha, is in Ghana today. He returns to Washington late in the day on Air Force One.

Following his daily intelligence briefing, Obama held a bilateral meeting with Ghanaian President John Atta Mills at Christianborg Castle in Accra, Ghana.

He then attended an expanded breakfast with President Mills at Christianborg Castle in Accra, Ghana.

Barack and Michelle Obama then attended an event on maternal health at La General Hospital in Accra, Ghana.

Following that, Obama delivered the fourth of his major international addresses when he spoke to the Ghanaian Parliament at the Accra International Conference Center.

Obama discussed America’s relations with Africa in a new world framework, a major address following the others in the series in Prague, Cairo, and Moscow.

Barack and Michelle Obama then met with Head Chief Osabarima Kwesi Atta II.

At 8:15 AM Pacific, the Obama family tours the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana.

This was one of the principal staging areas for the African slave trade. African slaves were kept in the dungeons there for weeks and months before being shipped out to America and Europe.

At 8:45 AM Pacific, Obama delivers remarks at the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana.

At 10:50 AM Pacific, the Obamas attend a departure ceremony at Kotoka International Airport.

At 11:45 AM Pacific, the Obamas depart Accra, Ghana en route to Andrews Air Force Base on Air Force One.

Obama chose Ghana for his major African address because it is something of a beacon of democracy and economic development on the continent. In contrast to his father’s native Kenya.

Illinois Senator Roland Burris announced yesterday that he won’t run next year, removing a headache for the Obama Administration, but also making it inevitable that the U.S. Senate will have no African American members.

With Obama’s encouragement, the G-8 leaders agreed to provide $20 billion in food aid to Africa, mainly in development programs rather than cash which would otherwise likely end up in the pockets of corrupt regimes.

In contrast to his African venture, the G-8 summit looks like a disappointment. While leaders agreed to continue economic stimulus efforts, with the International Monetary Fund projecting a 1.4% contraction in the global economy this year (down slightly from the previous forecast), there’s still concern about continuing unemployment. Which is usually a lagging indicator of any recovery.

The more established industrial countries are at loggerheads with more recently industrializing countries on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. China and India are not on board. As a result, the more established powers agreed to a goal of cutting temperature rises but not specific targets in greenhouse gas reductions.

This means there is a great deal to be done prior to the big Copenhagen conference late this year on climate change.

While at the G-8 summit, Obama said he wants his universal health care plan passed by August. The administration has gained nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars in savings to be applied to the plan through deals with the hospital and pharmaceuticals industries.

** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE – SATURDAY. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger holds private meetings and discussions in in and aroud the Capitol, focusing on California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis.

He has no scheduled public events today.

The situation has devolved into a static storyline, with sniping but no alternative budget plan on the table.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass quietly returned to the Big 5 meeting process yesterday afternoon, with Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders meetings for a few hours.

** OBAMA DOES MOSCOW, AND VICE VERSA. Flying to Italy Wednesday morning for the troubled G-8 summit, President Barack Obama departed Moscow after a very intriguing summit with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

This was the so-called “Reset Summit” to bring American/Russian relations out of the neo-Cold War depths they’d sunk to last year. It certainly succeeded at that, and at some other things as well, especially with regard to sharp reductions in nuclear weapons, aid for the US effort in Afghanistan, and a pullback on NATO expansion, a longtime thorn in the side of Russia. But other sticking points remained, on a US anti-missile shield and on Iran.

All amidst some notable intrigue, some of it generated from the Obama side. …

Unlike most of the rest of Europe, Russia is hardly in the grip of Obamamania. He’s certainly more popular than George W. Bush or John McCain, but that’s damning with faint praise. … From my July 8th column.

** OBAMA’S CONSEQUENTIAL FIRST 4TH: NOKO, AFPAK, IRAQ, RUSSIA, PALIN (PALIN?!) Quite a consequential first 4th of July as president for Barack Obama.

Not only did he have 20 of daughter Malia’s schoolgirl friends over for a Camp David sleepover in honor of her 11th birthday on the 4th of July — just wait till her “Independence Day,” Dad — he had a few other things on his plate, as well as the barbeque for military families and the fireworks show. Not counting his inherited worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

North Korea was to have been the drama of the day. But it turned into a major fizzle. … From my July 4th column.

** THE GOP’S PALIN FOOD FIGHT: WHY NOW? You have to hand it to Sarah Palin. For a sideshow, she’s very good at being the center of attention. Even when she doesn’t want to be.

She had a few big controversies earlier this year — her on-again/off-again headlining of the big GOP congressional fundraiser, her pregnant teenage daughter, the usual Alaska stuff — but she’s hit the jackpot this week with a huge food fight among big name Republicans. What’s unexamined is this question: Why now? … From my July 2nd column.

** TRANSFORMATIVE: LE CINEMA DE MICHAEL BAY. I love the films of Michael Bay. In fact, they are so dramatic and compelling that …

Gotcha! I actually do not love the films of Michael Bay. I don’t hate them, either. And there are a couple that I like. But the fact that it is considered preposterous for a writer — a writer who writes about anything, even wallpaper — to not dismiss Bay’s work in the most vehement of terms points up a dramatic disconnect between the critical community and the movie-going audience.

Bay’s new flick, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, just took in an astounding $200.1 million at the domestic box office in its first five days of release. … From my June 29th essay.

** STAR TREK FIRSTS … 43 YEARS ON. … From my June 23rd essay.

** OBAMA AND THE AYATOLLAH. . … From my June 19th column.

** OBAMA’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT: NORTH KOREA, AGAIN. … From my June 12th column.

** REMEMBERING AMERICA: OBAMA’S D-DAY SPEECH AND TWO DAYS IN JUNE. … From my June 8th column.

** REPOSITIONING AMERICA: OBAMA’S CAIRO SPEECH AS THE ULTIMATE IN EVENT MARKETING. … From my June 4th column.

** TERMINATING THE DARKNESS: HOPE FLOATS, BUT ANXIETY ABIDES. … From my May 31st column.

** THE AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY OF CALIFORNIA’S PROP 8. … From my May 26th column.

** OBAMA: RIDING WITH HISTORY. (NOTE: As Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, this column was the featured column on the top of the front page of the Huffington Post.) … From my January 19th Huffington Post column.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti. While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM AL JAZEERA. With the US entangled in two wars in the region, it’s valuable to keep up with news and perspectives from the leading Middle Eastern-based TV news network. Based in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, Al Jazeera is very influential and more than a bit controversial. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer. The NWN live link to AJ does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** SCHWARZENEGGER’S CALIFORNIA. Here is my series of five columns on the governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Los Angeles Times in debate last fall, prior to the global economic meltdown, with Pulitzer Prize-winning former Times reporter/editor Bill Boyarsky, whose columns are also included. Among them is what I’m sure is the first piece examining Schwarzenegger’s legacy as governor of California. Since he will actually be governor of California until 2011. No technology known to be disruptive to the space/time continuum was used in its preparation.

You can listen to my recent video webchat with Schwarzenegger here.

** TRACK GLOBAL AND NATIONAL ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Having crashed over $147 for yet another record last July 11th, crude oil closed on Friday at $59.89 per barrel. Energy markets are closed on the weekend.

This is up about $26 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program. But oil has been slumping over the past week or so from recent highs on fears that the global economic recovery is happening too slowly.

Your posts are welcome in the Forum.

President Barack Obama met today in the Vatican with Pope Benedict XVI.

** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … DIMINISHING RETURNS FROM OBAMA’S SUMMITEERING?

** QUICK HITS. President Barack Obama’s buddy, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, announced today as the G-8 summit ended that if the proposed US anti-missile shield in Eastern Europe isn’t resolved to Moscow’s satisfaction by September, he will move offensive missiles into Kaliningrad, formerly the Prussian/German city of Konigsberg, a Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic. … Obama is in Ghana for a major address tomorrow. … With California Democrats going after former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorini, a potential challenger to Senator Barbara Boxer, the San Francisco Chronicle today reported that she failed to register her business and foundation with the state. Readers know I don’t take her very seriously as a rival for Boxer. … Former UCLA Chancellor Charles Young, now director of LA’s Museum of Contemporary Art, sued today to try to get the California Supreme Court to invalidate Prop 13 and its requirement for a two-thirds vote to raise taxes. His theory? That the famed initiative did not merely amend the state constitution, but revised it, meaning it needed to go through more of a process than mere adoption in a popular vote. The same theory was used by most gay marriage advocates recently, and quite unsuccessfully, in a challenge to the anti-gay marriage Prop 8. … No progress today in California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis, though there was some more sniping, fairly desultory in nature. SEIU is intimating it may stage a strike of state employees. That seems like a less than brilliant idea to me.

** A SOBERING REPORT FROM THE CALIFORNIA STATE CONTROLLER. Democratic state Controller John Chiang released his monthly fiscal report this afternoon.

“California continues to pay for its history of unbalanced budgets. The State spent $10.4 billion more than it collected last year alone, and is now without enough cash to cover all of its payment obligations,” said Chiang.

“Our major sources of revenue have continued their trend downward, leaving no viable option but to craft a new budget that recognizes California’s recovery has yet to begin.”

Personal income taxes in June were $987 million below (-18.0%) estimates in the May Revision, and sales taxes were short by $154 million (-5.8%). Corporate taxes were $1.31 billion above estimates (41.2%). Corporate taxes in May and June were boosted by a surge of payments from corporate taxpayers hoping to avoid a new State penalty.

The State started the fiscal year with a $1.45 billion cash deficit, which grew to $11.9 billion on June 30, 2009. Borrowed money from special funds provided enough cash to fund State operations through June 30. The Controller faced a large cash shortfall at the end of July, forcing his office to begin issuing registered warrants or “IOUs” to any General Fund payment that was not protected by the State Constitution, federal law, or court decision. Without IOUs, the State would have run out of cash and begun missing those protected payments at the end of July.

While updated cash projections show that IOUs will preserve enough cash to make those protected payments through September, the cash shortfall in October will endanger the State’s ability to make those payments.

** NO EXODUS OF THE RICH FROM CALIFORNIA. The Public Policy Institute of California has a new report undermining the conservative argument that California’s high taxes (which are not actually that high) are driving the rich from California. In reality, says the PPIC survey, it’s the low income who are more likely to leave. Perhaps because of the unemployment situation.

Though the state’s population, biggest in the US, continues to grow, due to native births, more people are leaving California than arriving here. But there is disagreement as to how long that’s been going on. Some say it began at the beginning of the decade; others in the last few years. And the reasons are unclear. One reason may be that the state has an ever-growing population.

** PANETTA ACKNOWLEDGES PAST C.I.A. LYING TO CONGRESS: VINDICATION FOR PELOSI? CIA Director Leon Panetta has recently acknowledged several instances of lying by Central Intelligence Agency officials to Congress, perhaps providing the cover of vindication to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said in the spring that a CIA record showing that she was personally briefed in on the use of torture in interrogation was false. The Senate Intelligence Committee chairman of the time, Florida’s Bob Graham, supported Pelosi’s contention, saying that a similar CIA report about him was also false.

Among the revelations from Panetta is a secret program about which CIA lied to Congress throughout the Bush/Cheney Administration. But there’s not yet disclosure of what that program was, though it is said to directly involve former Vice President Dick Cheney. Whatever it was, it began shortly after 9/11.

** BURRIS STEPS AWAY. Illinois Senator Roland Burris, the only African American in the US Senate, announced today that he will not seek election to the seat to which he was appointed late last year by then Governor Rod Blagojevich. At issue is President Barack Obama’s Senate seat, which Blagojevich is accused of trying to sell. He appointed Burris after the controversy erupted, and Burris was finally seated. However, Burris’s position became untenable once it was shown that he had agreed to raise money for Blagojevich as he sought the Senate appointment.

Burris says he’s not running because of the demands of re-election fundraising. But the reality is that he was simply out of options. Meanwhile, Blagojevich’s former chief of staff has cut a deal to add to the corruption case against the former governor.

** BIPARTISAN HEALTH CARE REFORM COMING UP SHORT FOR OBAMA. ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, the former top Bill Clinton aide, reports that negotiations for a bipartisan universal health care plan are really going nowhere on Capitol Hill.

This makes it likely that Obama and the Democrats will go it alone in Congress. Not an issue in the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said for weeks that she has the votes. But in the Senate, this will test the Democrats’ new 60-vote filibuster-proof majority.

Especially since on a Democrats-only health care bill, Obama will almost certainly include the so-called public option, which would allow Americans to opt for a true national health service.

President Barack Obama, wrapping up his participation in the G-8 summit today in Italy, said he’s pursuing his universal health care plan as a top priority.

** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama wrapped up his participation in the G-8 (group of eight advanced industrial nations) summit in L’Aquila, Italy. The time there is nine hours ahead of California.

He and First Lady Michelle Obama then went to Rome, and to Vatican City.

There they met with Pope Benedict XVI and toured the Vatican.

At 9 AM Pacific, they depart Rome for Accra, Ghana on Air Force One.

At 1:20 PM Pacific, they arrive in Accra, Ghana.

The time in Ghana is seven hours ahead of Ghana.

Obama will deliver a major address in Ghana on Saturday on America in relation to Africa and the Third World.

With Obama’s encouragement, the G-8 leaders agreed to provide $20 billion in food aid, mainly in development programs rather than cash which would otherwise likely end up in the pockets of corrupt regimes.

The G-8 summit does not appear to have been much of a success. While leaders agreed to continue economic stimulus efforts, with the International Monetary Fund projecting a 1.4% contraction in the global economy this year (down slightly from the previous forecast), there’s still concern about continuing unemployment. Which is usually a lagging indicator of any recovery.

The more established industrial countries are at loggerheads with more recently industrializing countries on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. China and India are not on board. As a result, the more established powers agreed to a goal of cutting temperature rises but not specific targets in greenhouse gas reductions.

This means there is a great deal to be done prior to the big Copenhagen conference late this year on climate change.

While at the G-8 summit, Obama said he wants his universal health care plan passed by August. The administration has gained nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars in savings to be applied to the plan through deals with the hospital and pharmaceuticals industries.

Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden is holding a roundtable with small business owners on health care.

A new, though much smaller, round of protests in Tehran is being forcibly dispersed by Iranian security troops.

And there was more disorder today in Iran, where perhaps a few thousand protesters turned out in various parts of Tehran on the day after the 10th anniversary of student protests. They are protesting the promptly declared landslide re-election of radical Islamist President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The protesters were forcibly dispersed by Iranian security forces.

** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger holds private meetings and discussions in Sacramento and Los Angeles, focusing on California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis.

He has no scheduled public events today.

The situation has devolved into a static storyline, with sniping but no alternative budget plans on the table.

** OBAMA DOES MOSCOW, AND VICE VERSA. Flying to Italy Wednesday morning for the troubled G-8 summit, President Barack Obama departed Moscow after a very intriguing summit with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

This was the so-called “Reset Summit” to bring American/Russian relations out of the neo-Cold War depths they’d sunk to last year. It certainly succeeded at that, and at some other things as well, especially with regard to sharp reductions in nuclear weapons, aid for the US effort in Afghanistan, and a pullback on NATO expansion, a longtime thorn in the side of Russia. But other sticking points remained, on a US anti-missile shield and on Iran.

All amidst some notable intrigue, some of it generated from the Obama side. …

Unlike most of the rest of Europe, Russia is hardly in the grip of Obamamania. He’s certainly more popular than George W. Bush or John McCain, but that’s damning with faint praise. … From my new column.

** OBAMA’S CONSEQUENTIAL FIRST 4TH: NOKO, AFPAK, IRAQ, RUSSIA, PALIN (PALIN?!) Quite a consequential first 4th of July as president for Barack Obama.

Not only did he have 20 of daughter Malia’s schoolgirl friends over for a Camp David sleepover in honor of her 11th birthday on the 4th of July — just wait till her “Independence Day,” Dad — he had a few other things on his plate, as well as the barbeque for military families and the fireworks show. Not counting his inherited worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

North Korea was to have been the drama of the day. But it turned into a major fizzle. … From my July 4th column.

** THE GOP’S PALIN FOOD FIGHT: WHY NOW? You have to hand it to Sarah Palin. For a sideshow, she’s very good at being the center of attention. Even when she doesn’t want to be.

She had a few big controversies earlier this year — her on-again/off-again headlining of the big GOP congressional fundraiser, her pregnant teenage daughter, the usual Alaska stuff — but she’s hit the jackpot this week with a huge food fight among big name Republicans. What’s unexamined is this question: Why now? … From my July 2nd column.

** TRANSFORMATIVE: LE CINEMA DE MICHAEL BAY. I love the films of Michael Bay. In fact, they are so dramatic and compelling that …

Gotcha! I actually do not love the films of Michael Bay. I don’t hate them, either. And there are a couple that I like. But the fact that it is considered preposterous for a writer — a writer who writes about anything, even wallpaper — to not dismiss Bay’s work in the most vehement of terms points up a dramatic disconnect between the critical community and the movie-going audience.

Bay’s new flick, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, just took in an astounding $200.1 million at the domestic box office in its first five days of release. … From my June 29th essay.

** STAR TREK FIRSTS … 43 YEARS ON. … From my June 23rd essay.

** OBAMA AND THE AYATOLLAH. . … From my June 19th column.

** OBAMA’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT: NORTH KOREA, AGAIN. … From my June 12th column.

** REMEMBERING AMERICA: OBAMA’S D-DAY SPEECH AND TWO DAYS IN JUNE. … From my June 8th column.

** REPOSITIONING AMERICA: OBAMA’S CAIRO SPEECH AS THE ULTIMATE IN EVENT MARKETING. … From my June 4th column.

** TERMINATING THE DARKNESS: HOPE FLOATS, BUT ANXIETY ABIDES. … From my May 31st column.

** THE AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY OF CALIFORNIA’S PROP 8. … From my May 26th column.

** OBAMA: RIDING WITH HISTORY. (NOTE: As Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, this column was the featured column on the top of the front page of the Huffington Post.) … From my January 19th Huffington Post column.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti. While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM AL JAZEERA. With the US entangled in two wars in the region, it’s valuable to keep up with news and perspectives from the leading Middle Eastern-based TV news network. Based in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, Al Jazeera is very influential and more than a bit controversial. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer. The NWN live link to AJ does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** SCHWARZENEGGER’S CALIFORNIA. Here is my series of five columns on the governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Los Angeles Times in debate last fall, prior to the global economic meltdown, with Pulitzer Prize-winning former Times reporter/editor Bill Boyarsky, whose columns are also included. Among them is what I’m sure is the first piece examining Schwarzenegger’s legacy as governor of California. Since he will actually be governor of California until 2011. No technology known to be disruptive to the space/time continuum was used in its preparation.

You can listen to my recent video webchat with Schwarzenegger here.

** TRACK GLOBAL AND NATIONAL ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Having crashed over $147 for yet another record last July 11th, crude oil is trading around $60 per barrel.

This is up about $26 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program. But oil has been slumping over the past week or so from recent highs on fears that the global economic recovery is happening too slowly.

Your posts are welcome in the Forum.

President Barack Obama today discussed a G-8 agreement on climate change.

** QUICK HITS. The US has released, to Iraqi authorities, five Iranian “diplomats” captured in Iraq two years ago after purportedly causing a lot of trouble for American troops. The Iraqis will undoubtedly release them. The Obama Administration is continue to pursue its strategy of engagement with Iran. … House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to take up a resolution commemorating the life of pop superstar Michael Jackson. The City of Los Angeles is out about $1.4 million from Tuesday’s festivities. … No progress this afternoon in California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis. No new sniping, either, other than what I wrote about earlier in the day. This is a static storyline. … Nevada Senator John Ensign’s parents acknowledged giving about $100,000 to the family of the staff member he had an affair with. Her husband had been one of the top aides to Ensign, a former Senate Republican leader and right-wing presidential hopeful.

** OBAMA BEHIND THE SMILE: SID BLUMENTHAL’S FATE. I’ve known Sidney Blumenthal for a long time. He was a prominent writer for the New Republic, then the New Yorker, and became deeply involved with the Clintons, promoting them heavily during Bill Clinton’s run for the presidency and after. He ended up as a senior advisor in the White House, working closely with Hillary Clinton. After the Clinton White House days, he wrote books and wrote for the Guardian, and with the Clintons.

As time passed, Blumenthal moved from being something of an ideologist to an attack dog. Among his targets were Jerry Brown in the 1992 Democratic presidential primaries, George H.W. Bush in the 1992 general election, Bob Dole in the 1996 general election, and Barack Obama and John Edwards in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appointed Blumenthal to a top position on her staff, as a counselor and messagemeister.

But the Obama White House, recalling Blumenthal’s opposition to Obama in the primaries, rescinded Clinton’s appointment of him to her own staff. Lest you think they are just nice guys who let bygones be bygones.

Hillary, incidentally, will give her first big speech as secretary of state next week, which I will cover in full.

** CALIFORNIA CRISIS UPDATE. At mid-day, there are no substantive developments on California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis. There is, however, more sniping.

The California Teachers Association has produced a TV ad attacking Governor Arnold Schwarzengger for proposing the suspension of Prop 98, which locks up much of the state budget for education spending.

As fights go, this is a remarkably static one. No one has put forward a credible alternative — i.e., one that can actually be passed and that itself passes legal muster — to the budget proposed by Schwarzenegger. Which is not a budget that I like. But, following the failure of the special election initiatives, the situation is what it is. And absent a federal bailout, which is quite unlikely, Schwarzenegger’s budget, in one permutation or another, is the only thing on the table.

** GALLUP POLL: WIDESPREAD SUPPORT IN ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL NATIONS FOR ACTION ON GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION. With newer industrializing countries such as China and India balking at action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, public opinion in more long-established countries is mostly strongly in favor of action.

A Gallup Poll shows that most citizens in industrialized/industrializing countries representing most of the world’s population take climate change very serious and want action taken to stop it.

Leaders from 17 major economies that account for roughly 80% of global emissions will engage in climate change talks Thursday on the sidelines of the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Italy. Nearly all of them represent nations where awareness of climate change is already high, except for Indonesia, India, and South Africa, where high percentages of residents have never heard of global warming or don’t have an opinion.

The G-8 summit is wrapping up in Italy.

** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is participating in the G-8 (group of eight advanced industrial nations) summit in L’Aquila, Italy. The time there is nine hours ahead of California.

Following his daily intelligence briefing, Obama began the day with a bilateral meeting with President Lula of Brazil in the G-5 Building.

Obama then met with G-8 national leaders leaders and the leaders of Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Egypt at the Guardia di Finanz School.

Obama then took part in a working lunch of the leaders of the G-8, +5, Egypt, and six international organizations at the Guardia di Finanza School.

Then came a meeting with representatives of the Junior 8 at the Guardia di Finanza School.

Obama then attended a discussion on world trade at the Guardia di Finanza School.

Obama is now taking part in the Major Economies Forum discussion on the environment at the Guardia di Finanza School.

At 9:30 AM Pacific, Obama delivers a statement to the press regarding the Major Economies Forum discussion on the environment at the Guardia di Finanza School.

The more established industrial countries are at loggerheads with more recently industrializing countries on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

At 11:30 AM Pacific, Obama attends the G-8 dinner hosted by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano at the Guardia di Finanza School.

Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden promotes the Obama economic recovery program in events in Cincinnati, Ohio and upstate New York.

In advance of today’s 10th anniversary of student protests in Tehran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed that his re-election last month was the most democratic in the world.

And there was more disorder in Iran, where perhaps a few thousand protesters turned out in various parts of Tehran on the 10th anniversary of student protests. They are protesting the promptly declared landslide re-election of radical Islamist President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The protesters were forcibly dispersed by Iranian security forces. It was the first attempt at demonstrations in 11 days.

** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger holds private meetings and discussions in and around the Capitol, focusing on California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis.

With no progress in talks, Schwarzenegger is considering another pay cut for state employees, an additional 5%, likely in the form of another unpaid furlough day.

That would bring budget crisis-induced pay cuts for California state workers to about 20%, certainly not what public employee unions had in mind for their members.

Schwarzenegger’s administration is also dealing with a budget complexity, caused by the Prop 98 education funding requirement, that could lead to a loss of some federal stimulus funding.

** OBAMA DOES MOSCOW, AND VICE VERSA. Flying to Italy Wednesday morning for the troubled G-8 summit, President Barack Obama departed Moscow after a very intriguing summit with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

This was the so-called “Reset Summit” to bring American/Russian relations out of the neo-Cold War depths they’d sunk to last year. It certainly succeeded at that, and at some other things as well, especially with regard to sharp reductions in nuclear weapons, aid for the US effort in Afghanistan, and a pullback on NATO expansion, a longtime thorn in the side of Russia. But other sticking points remained, on a US anti-missile shield and on Iran.

All amidst some notable intrigue, some of it generated from the Obama side. …

Unlike most of the rest of Europe, Russia is hardly in the grip of Obamamania. He’s certainly more popular than George W. Bush or John McCain, but that’s damning with faint praise. … From my new column.

** OBAMA’S CONSEQUENTIAL FIRST 4TH: NOKO, AFPAK, IRAQ, RUSSIA, PALIN (PALIN?!) Quite a consequential first 4th of July as president for Barack Obama.

Not only did he have 20 of daughter Malia’s schoolgirl friends over for a Camp David sleepover in honor of her 11th birthday on the 4th of July — just wait till her “Independence Day,” Dad — he had a few other things on his plate, as well as the barbeque for military families and the fireworks show. Not counting his inherited worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

North Korea was to have been the drama of the day. But it turned into a major fizzle. … From my July 4th column.

** THE GOP’S PALIN FOOD FIGHT: WHY NOW? You have to hand it to Sarah Palin. For a sideshow, she’s very good at being the center of attention. Even when she doesn’t want to be.

She had a few big controversies earlier this year — her on-again/off-again headlining of the big GOP congressional fundraiser, her pregnant teenage daughter, the usual Alaska stuff — but she’s hit the jackpot this week with a huge food fight among big name Republicans. What’s unexamined is this question: Why now? … From my July 2nd column.

** TRANSFORMATIVE: LE CINEMA DE MICHAEL BAY. I love the films of Michael Bay. In fact, they are so dramatic and compelling that …

Gotcha! I actually do not love the films of Michael Bay. I don’t hate them, either. And there are a couple that I like. But the fact that it is considered preposterous for a writer — a writer who writes about anything, even wallpaper — to not dismiss Bay’s work in the most vehement of terms points up a dramatic disconnect between the critical community and the movie-going audience.

Bay’s new flick, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, just took in an astounding $200.1 million at the domestic box office in its first five days of release. … From my June 29th essay.

** STAR TREK FIRSTS … 43 YEARS ON. … From my June 23rd essay.

** OBAMA AND THE AYATOLLAH. . … From my June 19th column.

** OBAMA’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT: NORTH KOREA, AGAIN. … From my June 12th column.

** REMEMBERING AMERICA: OBAMA’S D-DAY SPEECH AND TWO DAYS IN JUNE. … From my June 8th column.

** REPOSITIONING AMERICA: OBAMA’S CAIRO SPEECH AS THE ULTIMATE IN EVENT MARKETING. … From my June 4th column.

** TERMINATING THE DARKNESS: HOPE FLOATS, BUT ANXIETY ABIDES. … From my May 31st column.

** THE AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY OF CALIFORNIA’S PROP 8. … From my May 26th column.

** OBAMA: RIDING WITH HISTORY. (NOTE: As Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, this column was the featured column on the top of the front page of the Huffington Post.) … From my January 19th Huffington Post column.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti. While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM AL JAZEERA. With the US entangled in two wars in the region, it’s valuable to keep up with news and perspectives from the leading Middle Eastern-based TV news network. Based in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, Al Jazeera is very influential and more than a bit controversial. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer. The NWN live link to AJ does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** SCHWARZENEGGER’S CALIFORNIA. Here is my series of five columns on the governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Los Angeles Times in debate last fall, prior to the global economic meltdown, with Pulitzer Prize-winning former Times reporter/editor Bill Boyarsky, whose columns are also included. Among them is what I’m sure is the first piece examining Schwarzenegger’s legacy as governor of California. Since he will actually be governor of California until 2011. No technology known to be disruptive to the space/time continuum was used in its preparation.

You can listen to my recent video webchat with Schwarzenegger here.

** TRACK GLOBAL AND NATIONAL ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Having crashed over $147 for yet another record last July 11th, crude oil is trading around $60 per barrel.

This is up about $26 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program. But oil has been slumping over the past week or so from recent highs on fears that the global economic recovery is happening too slowly.

Your posts are welcome in the Forum.

G-8 leaders in Italy today agreed to keep stimulus efforts going to deal with the global recession.

** QUICK HITS. The International Monetary Fund projects a 1.4% contraction of the global economy this year, actually down slightly from its previous forecast. … No progress today on California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis. Also no new alternative proposals. But some more sniping. … Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari acknowledged today that his country fostered Islamic jihadists that are now causing trouble in-country. ..

** OBAMA DOES MOSCOW, AND VICE VERSA. Flying to Italy Wednesday morning for the troubled G-8 summit, President Barack Obama departed Moscow after a very intriguing summit with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

This was the so-called “Reset Summit” to bring American/Russian relations out of the neo-Cold War depths they’d sunk to last year. It certainly succeeded at that, and at some other things as well, especially with regard to sharp reductions in nuclear weapons, aid for the US effort in Afghanistan, and a pullback on NATO expansion, a longtime thorn in the side of Russia. But other sticking points remained, on a US anti-missile shield and on Iran.

All amidst some notable intrigue, some of it generated from the Obama side. …

Unlike most of the rest of Europe, Russia is hardly in the grip of Obamamania. He’s certainly more popular than George W. Bush or John McCain, but that’s damning with faint praise. …

From my new column.

** G-8 TODAY. Stimulus efforts will continue, there will not be new sanctions on Iran, and the big Western countries agree to cut greenhouse gases in half. But developing countries do not. Nor do India or China.

Global economic recovery is not yet guaranteed and governments will worry about the bill for heavy stimulus spending once it has succeeded, world leaders meeting in Italy said on Wednesday.

“While there are signs of stabilisation, including recovery in stock markets, a decline in interest rate spreads, improved business and consumer confidence, the situation remains uncertain and significant risks remain to economic and financial stability,” they said in a statement.

That was the same wording as a statement from the group’s finance ministers a month ago and offered no new optimism for markets on a day when the International Monetary Fund said the world economy was starting to emerge from recession.

The leaders, meeting in the earthquake-hit mountain town of L’Aquila for talks that started with the economy, said they were committed to withdrawing stimulus spending, but only when a recovery looked secure.

President Barack Obama discussed the G-8 (group of eight advanced industrial nations) summit in Italy earlier today.

** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Malia and Sasha flew from Moscow to Rome earlier today.

Obama met with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano at the Quirinale Palace, where they held a joint press avail.

Obama then went to the Guardia di Finanz School in L’Aquila, Italy, where he was greeted by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Obama then participated in the G-8 leaders working lunch and is now participating in a session on global issues.

At 8:45 AM Pacific, Obama and Berlusconi tour the L’Aquila historic center.

At 11 AM Pacific, Obama attends the G-8 working dinner in L’Aquila, Italy.

Riots in China have forced Chinese President Hu Jintao to leave the G-8 summit.

G-8 leaders will discuss the ever so slow economic recovery and how to goose it along, as well as other topics such as Iran and climate change.

But they’ll do it without the leader of the world’s most populous country. Ethnic and religious-based riots in China have turned very violent, and President Hu Jintao left the summit before it began to return to Beijing.

We’ll also get more insight into the outcome of Obama’s Moscow Summit, as Russian President Dmitri Medvedev is also on hand for the G-8 summit.

Meanwhile, back in Washington, Vice President Joe Biden announces that the White House and the hospital industry have struck an agreement for the hospitals to give up $155 billion in future Medicare and Medicaid payments to help defray the cost of the proposed national health care system.

This is in addition to the $80 billion from an earlier agreement with the pharmaceutical industry.

** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger holds private meetings and discussions in and around the Capitol, focusing on California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis.

At noon, he joins Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Belshé and Department of Social Services Director John Wagner in a press conference to discuss his proposed reforms to the CalWORKS program.

The event will be webcast live at www.gov.ca.gov.

Talks were thrown into some disarray Monday when Assembly Speaker Karen Bass refused to participate in the Big 5 meeting of Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders, for reasons discussed on NWN. But the direction of this situation is very clear, and talks will naturally resume. In fact, they already have, on a less formal basis.

But an agreement now does not appear to be imminent.

** OBAMA’S CONSEQUENTIAL FIRST 4TH: NOKO, AFPAK, IRAQ, RUSSIA, PALIN (PALIN?!) Quite a consequential first 4th of July as president for Barack Obama.

Not only did he have 20 of daughter Malia’s schoolgirl friends over for a Camp David sleepover in honor of her 11th birthday on the 4th of July — just wait till her “Independence Day,” Dad — he had a few other things on his plate, as well as the barbeque for military families and the fireworks show. Not counting his inherited worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

North Korea was to have been the drama of the day. But it turned into a major fizzle. … From my new column.

** THE GOP’S PALIN FOOD FIGHT: WHY NOW? You have to hand it to Sarah Palin. For a sideshow, she’s very good at being the center of attention. Even when she doesn’t want to be.

She had a few big controversies earlier this year — her on-again/off-again headlining of the big GOP congressional fundraiser, her pregnant teenage daughter, the usual Alaska stuff — but she’s hit the jackpot this week with a huge food fight among big name Republicans. What’s unexamined is this question: Why now? … From my July 2nd column.

** TRANSFORMATIVE: LE CINEMA DE MICHAEL BAY. I love the films of Michael Bay. In fact, they are so dramatic and compelling that …

Gotcha! I actually do not love the films of Michael Bay. I don’t hate them, either. And there are a couple that I like. But the fact that it is considered preposterous for a writer — a writer who writes about anything, even wallpaper — to not dismiss Bay’s work in the most vehement of terms points up a dramatic disconnect between the critical community and the movie-going audience.

Bay’s new flick, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, just took in an astounding $200.1 million at the domestic box office in its first five days of release. … From my June 29th essay.

** STAR TREK FIRSTS … 43 YEARS ON. … From my June 23rd essay.

** OBAMA AND THE AYATOLLAH. . … From my June 19th column.

** OBAMA’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT: NORTH KOREA, AGAIN. … From my June 12th column.

** REMEMBERING AMERICA: OBAMA’S D-DAY SPEECH AND TWO DAYS IN JUNE. … From my June 8th column.

** REPOSITIONING AMERICA: OBAMA’S CAIRO SPEECH AS THE ULTIMATE IN EVENT MARKETING. … From my June 4th column.

** TERMINATING THE DARKNESS: HOPE FLOATS, BUT ANXIETY ABIDES. … From my May 31st column.

** THE AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY OF CALIFORNIA’S PROP 8. … From my May 26th column.

** OBAMA: RIDING WITH HISTORY. (NOTE: As Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, this column was the featured column on the top of the front page of the Huffington Post.) … From my January 19th Huffington Post column.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti. While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM AL JAZEERA. With the US entangled in two wars in the region, it’s valuable to keep up with news and perspectives from the leading Middle Eastern-based TV news network. Based in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, Al Jazeera is very influential and more than a bit controversial. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer. The NWN live link to AJ does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** SCHWARZENEGGER’S CALIFORNIA. Here is my series of five columns on the governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Los Angeles Times in debate last fall, prior to the global economic meltdown, with Pulitzer Prize-winning former Times reporter/editor Bill Boyarsky, whose columns are also included. Among them is what I’m sure is the first piece examining Schwarzenegger’s legacy as governor of California. Since he will actually be governor of California until 2011. No technology known to be disruptive to the space/time continuum was used in its preparation.

You can listen to my recent video webchat with Schwarzenegger here.

** TRACK GLOBAL AND NATIONAL ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Having crashed over $147 for yet another record last July 11th, crude oil is trading around $62 per barrel.

This is up about $28 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program. But oil has been slumping over the past week or so from recent highs on fears that the global economic recovery is happening too slowly.

Your posts are welcome in the Forum.

Following his very lengthy meeting with President Barack Obama, which left Obama late for his major address of the summit, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the Black Wolf motorcycle club.

**  NEW COLUMN COMING UP  …  OBAMA DOES MOSCOW, AND VICE VERSA.

**  QUICK HITS. President Barack Obama and family fly from Moscow to Rome tomorrow morning for the G-8 summit after a very interesting time with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.  …  No apparent major incidents around the Los Angeles tribute to the late pop star Michael Jackson today. The City of Los Angeles, under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (who’s on vacation in Africa), is on the hook for a few million dollars for this event, and is attempting to raise it.  …  No apparent progress in California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis. With their other plans shot down, predictably, Democratic legislative leaders have proffered no new budget plans.  …  A significant blow to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s hopes to establish the City by the Bay as a major biomedical hub came yesterday when pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced it is pulling out of the project, and its lease. Pfizer was to be the anchor tenant of the nascent hub. …  Former Governor-turned-Attorney General Jerry Brown decided to return some $50,000 contributed by relatives and associates of two people he’s subpoenaed in an investigation of their roles in obtaining big investments for money management firms from public pension funds. … Republican-turned-Democratic Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is proving to be a loyal Democrat, according to a Congressional Quarterly analysis of his votes since switching parties. Absent Specter’s switch, the Democrats would not have 60 votes in the US Senate.

Former Saturday Night Live star Al Franken, sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden, today became the 60th Democratic member of the United States Senate. Franken, author of the #1 bestseller “Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations,” prevailed after the Minnesota Supreme Court tossed aside a Republican challenge to his recount victory in last November’s election.

**  OBAMA SHIFTS U.S. POLICY ON NATO EXPANSION. Following a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that went overtime and caused a delay in the start of his heralded address on American/Russian relations, President Barack Obama altered US policy on NATO expansion.

The change comes around the 27-minute mark of the 31 minutes address playable below.

After defending the territorial sovereignty of Georgia and Ukraine, an implicit criticism of Russia, Obama then shifts gears and says that new members of NATO must meet two new criteria.

One, there must be popular support within the country for its accession to the NATO military alliance.

Two, the country must have demonstrated military capability such that it is able to operate with existing NATO forces.

Georgia and Ukraine almost certainly fail the test on both scores.

Putin has been very adamant for years against the policy of expanding NATO not only into Russia’s traditional sphere of influence, but to its borders.

**  KYRGYZSTAN REVERSES COURSE AND APPROVES CONTINUED U.S. BASE. In an amazing coincidence, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev today signed an agreement allowing the US to continue using its existing base at Manas airport outside the capital city of Bishkek. (Which was named Frunze when mountainous Kyrgyzstan was a Soviet socialist republic, after one of the key founders of the Red Army.)

Manas air base is the central hub of aerial refueling for US and NATO aircraft operating over Afghanistan. It is also a hub for C-17 flights into Afghanistan.

For months, Kyrgyz leaders, apparently prompted by Vladimir Putin, had said that the US would be evicted. There were several incidents causing friction in Kyrgyzstan’s often tumultuous politics, but the main reason seemed to a Russian desire to get rid of the last US base left in Central Asia after 9/11, when Russia helped the US gain several bases there.

But now things are more copacetic between Russia and America, both countries are working together against Islamic jihadists, and the base remains. For a mere $60 million a year paid to Kyrgyzstan, triple the old rate.

President Barack Obama delivered the commencement address today at the New Economic School in Moscow. This is the third major Obama address on America and its role in a new world framework, following on the speeches in Prague and Cairo.

**  EXCERPTS: OBAMA’S COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT THE NEW ECONOMIC SCHOOL IN MOSCOW.

OBAMA ON RUSSIA’S HERITAGE

“I speak to you today with deep respect for Russia’s timeless heritage. Russian writers have helped us understand the complexities of the human experience, and recognize eternal truths.

“Indeed, Russia’s heritage has touched every corner of the world, and speaks to the humanity that we share. That includes my own country, which has been blessed with Russian immigrants, for decades we’ve been enriched by Russian culture, and enhanced by Russian cooperation.

ON RUSSIA’S FUTURE

“To begin with, let me be clear: America wants a strong, peaceful, and prosperous Russia.

“As President John Kennedy said, “no nation in the history of battle ever suffered more than the Soviet Union in the Second World War.”

“So as we honor this past, we also recognize the future benefit that will come from a strong and vibrant Russia.”

ON NUCLEAR ARMS PROLIFERATION

“In the short period since the end of the Cold War, we have already seen India, Pakistan and North Korea conduct nuclear tests. Without a fundamental change, do any of us truly believe that the next two decades will not bring about the further spread of these nuclear weapons?

“That is why America is committed to stopping nuclear proliferation, and ultimately seeking a world without nuclear weapons … And while I know this goal won’t be met soon, pursuing it provides the legal and moral foundation to prevent the proliferation and eventual use of nuclear weapons.

ON GREAT POWER STATUS, “RESET” IN TIES

“In 2009, a great power does not show strength by dominating or demonizing other countries. The days when empires could treat sovereign states as pieces on a chess board are over …

“Given our interdependence, any world order that tries to elevate one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. The pursuit of power is no longer a zero-sum game — progress must be shared.

“That is why I have called for a ‘reset’ in relations between the United States and Russia. This must be more than a fresh start between the Kremlin and the White House, though that is important.

“And I’ve had excellent discussions with both your president and prime minister.

“It must be a sustained effort among the American and Russian people to identify mutual interests, and to expand dialogue and cooperation that can pave the way to progress.

ON NORTH KOREA’S, IRAN’S NUCLEAR AMBITIONS

“Neither America nor Russia would benefit from a nuclear arms race in East Asia or the Middle East. That is why we should be united in opposing North Korea’s efforts to become a nuclear power, and preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“And I’m pleased that President Medvedev and I agreed upon a joint threat assessment of the ballistic missile challenges of the 21st Century, including from Iran and North Korea.

ON RUSSIA’S STANCE ON U.S. MISSILE SHIELD

“I know Russia opposes the planned configuration for missile defense in Europe. My Administration is reviewing these plans to enhance the security of America, Europe and the world. I have made it clear that this system is directed at preventing a potential attack from Iran, and has nothing to do with Russia.

“In fact, I want us to work together with Russia on a missile defense architecture that makes us all safer. But if the threat from Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs is eliminated, the driving force for missile defense in Europe will be eliminated and that is in our mutual interest.

ON VIOLENT EXTREMISM

“Now in addition to securing the world’s most dangerous weapons, a second area where America has a critical national interest is in isolating and defeating violent extremists.

“For years, al Qaeda and its affiliates have defiled a great religion of peace and justice, and ruthlessly murdered men, women and children of all nationalities and faiths. Indeed, above all, they have murdered Muslims.

“These extremists have killed in Amman and Bali; Islamabad and Kabul; and they have the blood of Americans and Russians on their hands.

“They are plotting to kill more of our people, and they benefit from safe-havens that allow them to train and operate — particularly along the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

ON RUSSIA’S HELP ON AFGHANISTAN

“We seek no bases, nor do we want to control these nations. Instead, we want to work with international partners, including Russia, to help Afghans and Pakistanis advance their own security and prosperity.

“That is why I’m pleased that Russia has agreed to allow the United States to supply our coalition forces through your territory. Neither America nor Russia has an interest in an Afghanistan or Pakistan governed by the Taliban.

“It is time to work together on behalf of a different future — a future in which we leave behind the great game of the past and the conflict of the present; a future in which all of us contribute to the security of Central Asia.

ON THE MARKET AND THE GLOBAL CRISIS

“I believe that the market is the greatest force for creating and distributing wealth that the world has known. But wherever the market is allowed to run rampant — through excessive risk-taking, a lack of regulation, or corruption — then all are endangered, whether we live on the Mississippi or the Volga.

“In America, we are taking unprecedented steps to jumpstart our economy and reform our system of regulation. But just as no nation can wall itself off from the consequences of a global crisis, no one nation can serve as the sole engine of global growth.

“And while this crisis has shown us the risk that comes with change, that risk is overwhelmed by opportunity. Think of what’s possible today that was unthinkable two decades ago.

“A young woman with an Internet connection in Bangalore, India can compete with anyone, anywhere. An entrepreneur with a start-up company in Beijing can take his business global.”

ON RULE OF LAW, DEMOCRACY “Freedom of speech and assembly has allowed women, minorities, and workers to protest for full and equal rights at a time when we were denied the rule of law and equal administration of justice has busted monopolies, shut down political machines, and ended abuses of power.

“Independent media have exposed corruption at all levels of business and government. Competitive elections allow us to change course and hold our leaders accountable.

“If our democracy did not advance those rights, than I, as a person of African ancestry, wouldn’t be able to address you as an American citizen, much less a President.

“Because at the time of our founding, I had no rights, people who looked like me. But it is because of that process that I can stand before you as the President of the United States…

“The arc of history shows us that governments which serve their own people survive and thrive; governments which serve only their own power do not. Governments that represent the will of their people are far less likely to descend into failed states, to terrorize their citizens, or to wage war on others.”

ON CRISIS IN HONDURAS

“America cannot and should not seek to impose any system of government on any other country, nor would we presume to choose which party or individual should run a country.

“And we haven’t done as we should have on that front.

“Even as we meet here today, America supports the restoration of the democratically-elected President of Honduras, even though he has strongly opposed American policies. We do so not because we agree with him. We do so because we respect the universal principle that people should choose their own leaders, whether they are leaders we agree with or not.

ON RUSSIA’S YOUNGER GENERATION

“You get to decide what comes next. You get to choose where change will take us. Because the future does not belong to those who gather armies on a field of battle or bury missiles in the ground, the future belongs to young people with the education and imagination to create.

“That is the source of power in this century. And given all that has happened in your two decades on Earth, just imagine what you can create in the years to come …

“As you move this story forward, look to the future that can be built if we refuse to be burdened by the old obstacles and old suspicions; look to the future that can be built if we partner on behalf of the aspirations we hold in common. Together, we can build a world where people are protected, prosperity is enlarged, and our power truly serves progress.

“And it is all in your hands.”

President Barack Obama had a two hour-plus working breakfast with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at Putin’s sumptuous dacha outside Moscow.

** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in Moscow for his summit with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Moscow time is 11 hours ahead of California time.

Obama has had another momentous day in the historic Russian capital.

After some harsh words between the two at long distance, Obama finally met Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. They had a two hour-plus working breakfast at Putin’s dacha in a forest outside Moscow. It’s not clear yet what was said in their meeting, though you can see footage of some of the breakfast on Putin’s veranda here.

While Dmitri Medvedev is the president of the Russian Federation, he served as Putin’s chief of staff and deputy prime minister, and Putin is chairman of United Russia, the ruling political party.

Likely topics included ballistic missile defense, and Russian dislike of America establishing bases in Poland and the Czech Republic,  NATO expansion, and the question of containing Iran, Russia’s decades-long friend of a sort (and centuries-long rival).

Obama had a brief meeting with former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who is highly regarded outside of Russia but inside the state is considered something of an irritant and reminder of the fall of the Soviet Union.

Obama then delivered the commencement address at ceremonies for the 2009 graduating class of the New Economic School at Gostinny Dvor.

You can watch the address above. This is Obama’s major address regarding his view of relations between America and Russia.

Obama then went over to the Kremlin for another  one-on-one meeting with Medvedev, with whom he has established a clear rapport.

Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama then attended a reception and luncheon hosted by Medvedev at the Kremlin. After which, Obama and Medvedev participated in the Parallel Business Summit at the Manezh Exhibition Hall.

Obama then went on his own to the Parallel Civil Society Summit, a group of sedate reformers, at the Metropol Hotel.

Obama met with Russian opposition leaders at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Now he is at a glittering reception with Moscow elite at the Kremlin.

** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger holds private meetings and discussions in and around the Capitol, focusing on California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis.

Talks were thrown into some disarray yesterday when Assembly Speaker Karen Bass refused to participate, for reasons discussed yesterday on NWN. But the direction of this situation is very clear, and talks will naturally resume.

Schwarzenegger will also be monitoring the situation around the memorial service for Michael Jackson in Los Angeles.

Given the media hysteria around Jackson’s death  –  with non-stop coverage on the cable nets, among other things  –  this may be a major security challenge for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

** OBAMA’S CONSEQUENTIAL FIRST 4TH: NOKO, AFPAK, IRAQ, RUSSIA, PALIN (PALIN?!) Quite a consequential first 4th of July as president for Barack Obama.

Not only did he have 20 of daughter Malia’s schoolgirl friends over for a Camp David sleepover in honor of her 11th birthday on the 4th of July — just wait till her “Independence Day,” Dad — he had a few other things on his plate, as well as the barbeque for military families and the fireworks show. Not counting his inherited worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

North Korea was to have been the drama of the day. But it turned into a major fizzle. … From my new column.

**  THE GOP’S PALIN FOOD FIGHT: WHY NOW? You have to hand it to Sarah Palin. For a sideshow, she’s very good at being the center of attention. Even when she doesn’t want to be.

She had a few big controversies earlier this year — her on-again/off-again headlining of the big GOP congressional fundraiser, her pregnant teenage daughter, the usual Alaska stuff — but she’s hit the jackpot this week with a huge food fight among big name Republicans. What’s unexamined is this question: Why now? … From my July 2nd column.

**  TRANSFORMATIVE: LE CINEMA DE MICHAEL BAY. I love the films of Michael Bay. In fact, they are so dramatic and compelling that …

Gotcha! I actually do not love the films of Michael Bay. I don’t hate them, either. And there are a couple that I like. But the fact that it is considered preposterous for a writer — a writer who writes about anything, even wallpaper — to not dismiss Bay’s work in the most vehement of terms points up a dramatic disconnect between the critical community and the movie-going audience.

Bay’s new flick, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, just took in an astounding $200.1 million at the domestic box office in its first five days of release.  … From my June 29th essay.

** STAR TREK FIRSTS … 43 YEARS ON. … From my June 23rd essay.

** OBAMA AND THE AYATOLLAH. . … From my June 19th column.

** OBAMA’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT: NORTH KOREA, AGAIN. … From my June 12th column.

** REMEMBERING AMERICA: OBAMA’S D-DAY SPEECH AND TWO DAYS IN JUNE. … From my June 8th column.

** REPOSITIONING AMERICA: OBAMA’S CAIRO SPEECH AS THE ULTIMATE IN EVENT MARKETING. … From my June 4th column.

** TERMINATING THE DARKNESS: HOPE FLOATS, BUT ANXIETY ABIDES. … From my May 31st column.

** THE AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY OF CALIFORNIA’S PROP 8. … From my May 26th column.

** OBAMA: RIDING WITH HISTORY. (NOTE: As Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, this column was the featured column on the top of the front page of the Huffington Post.) … From my January 19th Huffington Post column.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti. While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM AL JAZEERA. With the US entangled in two wars in the region, it’s valuable to keep up with news and perspectives from the leading Middle Eastern-based TV news network. Based in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, Al Jazeera is very influential and more than a bit controversial. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer. The NWN live link to AJ does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** SCHWARZENEGGER’S CALIFORNIA. Here is my series of five columns on the governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Los Angeles Times in debate last fall, prior to the global economic meltdown, with Pulitzer Prize-winning former Times reporter/editor Bill Boyarsky, whose columns are also included. Among them is what I’m sure is the first piece examining Schwarzenegger’s legacy as governor of California. Since he will actually be governor of California until 2011. No technology known to be disruptive to the space/time continuum was used in its preparation.

You can listen to my recent video webchat with Schwarzenegger here.

** TRACK GLOBAL AND NATIONAL ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Having crashed over $147 for yet another record last July 11th, crude oil is trading around $63 per barrel.

This is up about $29 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program. But oil has been slumping over the past week from recent highs on fears that the global economic recovery is happening too slowly.

Your posts are welcome in the Forum.

President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev held a joint press conference today in the Kremlin. Medvedev speaks fluent English, but is translated here in this Moscow event.

** OBAMA TOMORROW. President Barack Obama is in Moscow July 6-8 for a major summit with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Moscow time is 11 hours ahead of California.

At 10 PM Pacific (tonight), Obama meets with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and has a working breakfast at Putin’s dacha.

This is a meeting in which sticking points such as Iran and missile defense in Eastern Europe will be discussed. While Medvedev is the president of the Russian Federation, he served as Putin’s chief of staff and deputy prime minister, and Putin is chairman of United Russia, the ruling political party.

At 12 midnight Pacific, Obama meets with former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev at Gostinny Dvor.

At 12:15 AM Pacific, Obama delivers the commencement address at ceremonies for the 2009 graduating class of the New Economic School at Gostinny Dvor.

This will be Obama’s major address regarding his view of relations between America and Russia.

At 2:40 AM Pacific, Obama meets one-on-one with President Medvedev at the Kremlin.

At 3:10 AM, Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend a reception and luncheon hosted by Medvedev at the Kremlin.

At 4:25 AM Pacific, Obama and Medvedev participate in the Parallel Business Summit at the Manezh Exhibition Hall.

At 5:20 AM Pacific, Obama participates in the Parallel Civil Society Summit at the Metropol Hotel.

At 6:35 AM Pacific, Obama meets with Russian opposition leaders at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

** CALIFORNIA BUDGET CRISIS UPDATE. Here’s the latest on California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis. Not much to report. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held an event this morning with some country district attorneys promoting his idea to crack down on potential fraud in the now massive, and heavily unionized, in-home health service program. He says it can save hundreds of millions, public employee unions and Democrats say no, with legislative leaders saying they’re open to some reforms, but after the budget. Not unlike a previous pledge by another set of Democratic legislative leaders to get change the redistricting system.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass boycotted this morning’s Big 5 gathering of Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders, complaining that he is jamming the process with new items. Bass had said, according to former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, that she wouldn’t push for new taxes in the guise of fees, but did just that. Only to see it, predictably, fail once again.

I think people have a process to go through to get where this is going. Will Schwarzenegger get these other things he wants? Maybe a few. Will the public employee unions — whose TV ad campaign against the special election package was on the basis that its state spending limit, which they oppose in all circumstances, was too weak — get another round of tax increases to stave off massive cuts? No. Will President Obama save the day for the way things are by stepping in with a big federal bailout for the state government? Don’t bet on it.

President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev have wrapped up today’s summit meetings in Moscow.

** NEW COLUMN COMING UP … OBAMA DOES MOSCOW, AND VICE VERSA.

** LIEBERMAN OUT OF MIDDLE EAST PEACE TALKS. US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell, the former Senate majority leader, met in London today with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to try to jump-start movement on peace between Israel and Palestine. The Obama Administration is opposed to continued settlement by fundamentalist Israelis in the disputed West Bank area.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, a far right figure in Israeli politics, has taken the remarkable step of removing himself from talks with the US. Why? Because Lieberman is himself a West Bank settler.

I predicted that it would be a long time before we saw Lieberman in Washington, if in fact he ever comes. Lieberman is the head of a very far right Israeli party whose support was necessary for Bibi Netanyahu — himself the head of the very conservative Likud — to become prime minister. Lieberman demanded and got the foreign minister post. But it’s an odd portfolio for him, as he and his party are widely regarded as anti-Arab, making it difficult for him to be much of a diplomat with the rest of the world.

On the 4th of July, President Barack Obama welcomed military families to the White House for a barbeque on the South Lawn and a fireworks show. You can enjoy a medley of service anthems played by the Marine Corps Band.

MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

President Barack Obama has another huge week on the international stage. And California politics plods on, with the state’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis still unresolved (though, tellingly, with no change in the underlying, almost inexorable, reality), a very one-sided Democratic gubernatorial race, and a mostly unsettled contest on the Republican side in this sky-blue state.

Obama is in Moscow July 6-8 for a most consequential summit meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. He met for hours today with Medvedev, causing a near one-hour delay in the joint press conference, which ran long. Tomorrow Obama has breakfast with Putin, whom he has not met before, and lays out his view of US/Russia relations in a commencement address at Moscow’s New Economic School.

From Moscow, Obama continues on to Italy for the G-8 (group of eight advanced industrial nations) summit, then goes on to Africa.

The Moscow Summit, perhaps Obama’s most important of the year, has already borne some fruit.

Obama and Medvedev today announced that Russia will allow US supplies, military equipment, and troops to be transported through Russia to the war in Afghanistan. The deal will allow 4500 flights a year through Russian airspace. Aside from a couple of test trips early in the year, then suspended for longer term talks, supplies for US forces have never transited through Russia before. And none of those trips involved American troops or weapons.

This is important as supply lines through Pakistan have come under serious attack in the past, and might again should the current offensive against the Taliban fall short.

Obama and Medvedev also announced agreement on cutting American and Russian nuclear arsenals by nearly one-third, and continued cooperation on containing North Korea.

But other matters are still in discussion, including the proposed anti-missile system in Poland and the Czech Republic, the question of NATO expansion, how to contain Iran, and further assistance with Afghanistan.

Speaking of Iran, the anti-regime demonstrations have essentially been tamped down, the movement against the government clearly not in a pre-revolutionary situation. It will be interesting to see how much an issue last month’s Iranian election is at the G-8 summit.

I suspect that G-8 leaders there will be far more interested in the ever so slow recovery from the global financial meltdown than in the state of Iranian democracy.

In California, the various sides continue their gropings towards some sort of solution to the state’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis. Of course, the general shape of this has been fairly obvious for weeks. No additional taxes, massive cuts, some “borrowing” from other pots of money, very little reserve in reality.

Meanwhile, Michael Jackson mania continues. Though obviously not on NWN.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will have his hands full dealing with tomorrow’s massive memorial for the late pop star.

President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin are holding summit meetings in Moscow.

Note on Delay:

MMQB held on the outcome of a very late-starting Obama-Medvedev press conference  …

The Obamas arrived in Moscow earlier today.

** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in Moscow for his summit with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Obama, traveling with First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha  –  but not with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, still recuperating from elbow surgery  –  arrived on Air Force at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.

Obama then laid a wreath at the Russian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Alexander Garden.

Obama and Medvedev then met one-on-one and held and expanded meeting in the Kremlin.

Following their meetings, Obama and Medvedev are holding a joint press conference in the Kremlin.

At 8:30 AM Pacific, Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama meet with US Embassy personnel. This event will begin late, due to the lateness of the Obama-Medvedev press conference.

At 9:35 AM Pacific, Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have dinner with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and First Lady Svetlana Medvedeva at The Gorkiy. This event will begin late, due to the lateness of the Obama-Medvedev press conference.

Moscow time is 11 hours ahead of California time.

Obama is also monitoring several situations.

** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger holds private meetings and discussions in and around the Capitol, focusing on California’s chronic-turned-chaotic budget crisis.

At 11 AM, Schwarzenegger will meet in the Council Room with a group of county district attorneys regarding their efforts and suggestions on combating fraud in the state’s In-Home Supportive Services program. Following the meeting, Schwarzenegger will hold a press avail.

Schwarzenegger and others say the program, now heavily unionized, is ripe for fraud and want ID checks instituted. Democratic legislative leaders say they want reform, too, but want to hold off for now.

The event will be webcast live at 11 AM at www.gov.ca.gov.

** OBAMA’S CONSEQUENTIAL FIRST 4TH: NOKO, AFPAK, IRAQ, RUSSIA, PALIN (PALIN?!) Quite a consequential first 4th of July as president for Barack Obama.

Not only did he have 20 of daughter Malia’s schoolgirl friends over for a Camp David sleepover in honor of her 11th birthday on the 4th of July — just wait till her “Independence Day,” Dad — he had a few other things on his plate, as well as the barbeque for military families and the fireworks show. Not counting his inherited worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

North Korea was to have been the drama of the day. But it turned into a major fizzle. … From my new column.

**  THE GOP’S PALIN FOOD FIGHT: WHY NOW? You have to hand it to Sarah Palin. For a sideshow, she’s very good at being the center of attention. Even when she doesn’t want to be.

She had a few big controversies earlier this year — her on-again/off-again headlining of the big GOP congressional fundraiser, her pregnant teenage daughter, the usual Alaska stuff — but she’s hit the jackpot this week with a huge food fight among big name Republicans. What’s unexamined is this question: Why now? … From my July 2nd column.

**  TRANSFORMATIVE: LE CINEMA DE MICHAEL BAY. I love the films of Michael Bay. In fact, they are so dramatic and compelling that …

Gotcha! I actually do not love the films of Michael Bay. I don’t hate them, either. And there are a couple that I like. But the fact that it is considered preposterous for a writer — a writer who writes about anything, even wallpaper — to not dismiss Bay’s work in the most vehement of terms points up a dramatic disconnect between the critical community and the movie-going audience.

Bay’s new flick, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, just took in an astounding $200.1 million at the domestic box office in its first five days of release.  … From my June 29th essay.

** STAR TREK FIRSTS … 43 YEARS ON. … From my June 23rd essay.

** OBAMA AND THE AYATOLLAH. . … From my June 19th column.

** OBAMA’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT: NORTH KOREA, AGAIN. … From my June 12th column.

** REMEMBERING AMERICA: OBAMA’S D-DAY SPEECH AND TWO DAYS IN JUNE. … From my June 8th column.

** REPOSITIONING AMERICA: OBAMA’S CAIRO SPEECH AS THE ULTIMATE IN EVENT MARKETING. … From my June 4th column.

** TERMINATING THE DARKNESS: HOPE FLOATS, BUT ANXIETY ABIDES. … From my May 31st column.

** THE AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY OF CALIFORNIA’S PROP 8. … From my May 26th column.

** OBAMA: RIDING WITH HISTORY. (NOTE: As Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, this column was the featured column on the top of the front page of the Huffington Post.) … From my January 19th Huffington Post column.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti. While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM AL JAZEERA. With the US entangled in two wars in the region, it’s valuable to keep up with news and perspectives from the leading Middle Eastern-based TV news network. Based in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, Al Jazeera is very influential and more than a bit controversial. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer. The NWN live link to AJ does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** SCHWARZENEGGER’S CALIFORNIA. Here is my series of five columns on the governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger for the Los Angeles Times in debate last fall, prior to the global economic meltdown, with Pulitzer Prize-winning former Times reporter/editor Bill Boyarsky, whose columns are also included. Among them is what I’m sure is the first piece examining Schwarzenegger’s legacy as governor of California. Since he will actually be governor of California until 2011. No technology known to be disruptive to the space/time continuum was used in its preparation.

You can listen to my recent video webchat with Schwarzenegger here.

** TRACK GLOBAL AND NATIONAL ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Having crashed over $147 for yet another record last July 11th, crude oil is trading around $65 per barrel.

This is up about $31 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program.

Your posts are welcome in the Forum.