[Guest post by DRJ]

Zombietime declares today should be Victory in Iraq Day:

“The moment has come to acknowledge the obvious. To overtly declare a fact that has already been true for quite some time now. Let me repeat:

WE WON THE WAR IN IRAQ

And since there will never be a ticker-tape parade down Fifth Avenue in New York for our troops, it’s up to us, the people, to arrange a virtual ticker-tape parade. An online victory celebration.”

Congratulations on this VI Day to free Iraqis and the US military men and women who made their freedom possible.

— DRJ

[Guest post by DRJ]

From Arkansas — Couple Sues McDonald’s over Nude Pics:

“Phillip Sherman learned that lesson after he left his phone behind at a McDonald’s and the photos [of his nude wife] ended up online. Now he and his wife, Tina, are suing the McDonald’s Corp., the franchise owner and the store manager.

The suit was filed Friday and seeks a jury trial and $3 million in damages for suffering, embarrassment and the cost of having to move to a new home. The suit says Phillip Sherman left the phone at the Fayetteville restaurant in July and that employees promised to secure it until he returned.”

From Wisconsin — Johnny Depp Movie (Indirectly) Causes Bridge to Collapse:

“During filming of “Public Enemies” [with Johnny Depp as bank robber John Dillinger] — Wisconsin’s first film under the governor’s new movie incentives — state highway traffic was diverted away from the center of Columbus, 70 miles northwest of Milwaukee. The detour road couldn’t stand the load — and collapsed.

Dodge County was left with a $116,000 repair. It’s filed a claim against the city of Columbus that could lead to a lawsuit.

But Columbus Mayor Nancy Osterhaus says talks are ongoing between the city, county and film studio NBC Universal, with hopes that they might split the bill for the March mishap.

Maybe Mayor Osterhaus should sign up for Obama’s bridge and road-building program.

— DRJ

[Guest post by DRJ]

With proposals reminiscent of FDR’s New Deal, Barack Obama used this week’s Democratic radio address to introduce his economic plan for America:

“President-elect Barack Obama promoted an economic plan Saturday he said would provide 2.5 million jobs by rebuilding roads and bridges and modernizing schools while developing alternative energy sources and more efficient cars.

“These aren’t just steps to pull ourselves out of this immediate crisis. These are the long-term investments in our economic future that have been ignored for far too long,” Obama said in the weekly Democratic radio address.”

This is good news for people who want jobs operating heavy equipment, hanging drywall, and installing computer cable. It may also be good news for T. Boone Pickens’ wind farm and moped manufacturers.

— DRJ

If I lived in D.C., I would send my children to private school too. But then, I support vouchers to allow parents to have choice in where they send their children school. Obama doesn’t.

Choice for me, but not for thee. Or, as John J. Miller puts it: Choice for me, but not for Rhee. (Michelle Rhee is the D.C. schools chancellor, and a Democrat who supports vouchers.)

UPDATE: Commenter “Foo Bar” claims Rhee doesn’t support vouchers. Foo Bar points to this link which quotes a statement from Rhee as saying:

While Chancellor Rhee hasn’t taken a formal position on vouchers, she disagrees with the notion that vouchers are the remedy for repairing the city’s school system.

John J. Miller’s post, linked above, says:

She’s also a supporter of DC’s limited school-choice program, which lets about 2,000 low-income kids attend private (mostly Catholic) schools with vouchers. As she said about a year ago: “I would never, as long as I am in this role, do anything to limit another parent’s ability to make a choice for their child. Ever.”

I’m happy to let the readers sort out the nitpicking details from these links. The overarching question for me is whether Obama is being a hypocrite on this issue.

[Guest post by DRJ]

Barack Obama plans to continue the Office of Political Affairs, Karl Rove’s office in the White House that was denounced by Democrats and some Republicans:

“President-elect Barack Obama has answered bipartisan calls for the disbandment of the White House office central to the Karl Rove-style politics the Democrat condemned as a candidate. The office stays.

Patrick Gaspard, a New Yorker and longtime labor operative, will head the Office of Political Affairs, the Obama transition announced on Friday.

Gaspard was national political director for the Obama campaign and has been an associate director for personnel for the transition.”

The office was originated by President Ronald Reagan and has been staffed by every President since to give them “a sense of the political impact of policies and legislation.” John McCain vowed to abolish it if he were elected President, and California Democrat Rep. Henry Waxman (who recently dethroned longtime Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell, “destabilizing a seniority system that has governed Democratic politics in the House for decades”) was an especially vigorous opponent of the Office of Political Affairs.

Others are disappointed Obama is not delivering on his promise to change Washington politics:

“Opponents of the office argue that a partisan political office has no business being in the White House.

“It’s not an office that should be subsidized by taxpayers, and it should not be part of the White House itself,” said Craig Holman, a lobbyist with the government watchdog group Public Citizen. The office has no benefit for the public, he said.

“I’m really disappointed,” Holman said of Obama’s decision. “I really didn’t think he was going to keep it.”

Politicians want to be re-elected but I’m sure it’s disappointing for those who think Obama is a different kind of politician. It’s early — Obama hasn’t even been inaugurated — but the media and blogs are already reporting on campaign promises Obama hasn’t kept. That makes me wonder:

I can’t think of any campaign promises Obama has kept. Can you?

— DRJ