The biggest question facing America today is clear from any news bulletin you watch here. What was Kanye West thinking when he interrupted Taylor Swift at the MTV awards? It has been a bad week for one of the great sins of American society- impolite behaviour. Serena Williams is in the gun for threatening to stuff a ….ing tennis ball down the throat of an umpire he called her on a foot fault at a critical moment, and Rep Joe Wilson, a Republican who shouted ” You Lie” at Barack Obama during his speech on healthcare reform to the joint session of Congress.
Had Wilson been a Democrat yelling similar language at George Bush, Fox News would have been screaming about his lack of patriotism. Instead he is being put forward by them and others as the poster child of a resurgent right wing. Today as my group walked through Congressional offices a number had I Support Joe Wilson signs on the doors. He has been rebuked by the Congress, but will have a slot on Fox for the rest of his life if he wants it.
The Republicans, aided by a wacky collection of talkshow hosts, fundamentalists Christians and libertarians think now is the time to shatter the Obama image. It is true that his approval ratings are in decline. Judging from conversations with Americans there is concern that he is getting very bogged down in the healthcare debate, and that their hopes that the bold vision articulated in the campaign can not be delivered on.
Republicans are rallying around healthcare- and the tens of thousands who marched on Sunday here were strident that America is on the slippery path to socialism. Hard to see how a mixed public private healthcare model that the National Party would be happy with is going to do that. But it is simply a rallying point. The Republican strategists are using guilt by association. The funding and other woes of ACORN a non-profit who supported Obama are now leading the news. A global climate change deal is being presented as world government coming to take your job.
These are testing times for Obama who is going to have to use all his political and organising skill to come through unscathed. But it is also giving a nasty tone to politics in Washington, and some Democrats are keen to join in as well.
It even played out in the hotel gym this morning. The battle between two retirees for the remote to watch the news on Fox or, well, anywhere else threatened to get out of hand today. The lines are being drawn here. Hold onto your tennis balls.
Posted in Foreign Affairs. |
Day one of the programme here, and two strikingly contradictory views about the key elements of US Foreign Policy, one from a former senior State Department figure, the other from a Professor from a leading Washington university. Both were full of (unprompted) praise of New Zealand’s efforts in provincial reconstruction in Afghanistan, but had very different opinions of the war in general. It is clear that Americans are worried they are losing support on the issue at home and abroad. Other participants on the course from NATO countries reflected that too.
The bottom line from both speakers was their concern that Obama had so much on his plate domestically that foreign policy issues may not be getting the attention they should. There is particular concern that a deal on climate change might not make it through the senate before the Copenhagen conference in December. Vested interests abound, and with the hoped for bipartisan approach waning (sound familiar) the mood seems dark. Hopefully a solution can be found in healthcare reform and attention can move to other things.
One thing that struck me today was the sense in which multilateralism holds the key to the major FP issues here (climate change, trade, support in Afghanistan) but the US still seems to be distrustful and doubtful of all the major multilateral agencies. More on trade tomorrow so will see if that view is widespread.
Anyway enough Foreign Policy geekery. Lots of differences from my last trip here several years ago. Heaps more people on bikes, WI-FI everywhere, the Dems are well in charge. Coffee still awful. need serious long black.
Posted in Foreign Affairs. |
The Sunday Star Times has an article where Bill English repeats his comments in response to my oral question earlier this year that there will be no pay increases for state sector workers, without some as yet totally undefined productivity gains. Full marks for consistency on this issue Bill (as Tony Ryall continues to admit it is a pay freeze), but a massive fail for this approach.
Those working in the wider state sector are well aware that we are in restrained times, but by ruling out pay increases this far ahead, English is setting himself up for widespread industrial action. It is as the union reps say in the SST story also not acting in good faith. The Police got a 2% increase this year, and much less than that could lead to industrial action in the very near future, let alone next year.
Moreover in two of our most essential services- health and education is Mr English really saying that he will do nothing to support retention and recruitment. There is global demand for doctors and nurses. New Zealand teachers are sought after in the UK. A pay freeze will likely push some off-shore.
Mr English bandies about figures of public servants getting 8-10% increases this year. I would like to hear some actual examples of that. What he is likely referring to in terms of more modest increases are the multi-year deals that some state sector workers got in recent years. To take nurses as an example their pay increases were large, but they came after years with little or no increase and a desperate need to make the profession attractive and sustainable.
But my final question for Bill English is how does the A and E nurse at a hospital demonstrate productivity or a teacher of special needs children? English admits he does not have a measure for state sector productivity and National’s usual definition of productivity- fewer people doing more work- just does not cut it when it comes to our collective health and the education of our children.
Posted in Health, Public Servants and Education. |
As my colleagues are winding up a successful and positive conference (with a rousing speech from Phil Goff) I am sitting in LA Airport on my way to start a US State Department organised (and funded) programme to study US Foreign Policy. This is a great opportunity to talk to decision makers, lobbyists, academics, businesses, unions and ordinary folk in different parts of the US about how they view the world and their place in it, and even where NZ fits in. The agenda is quite broad, so other hot button issues, like healthcare reform, will no doubt be discussed as well.
I understand that many of my meetings over the next few weeks will be ‘Chatham House’ rules but I will try to blog about the ideas and issues that I am discussing. On my programme are people from 20 other countries, so it will be good to get their perspective as well. Failing that you will get my views on the things I see in the good old US of A.
I am feeling a bit like Tom Hanks in that awful looking film about being trapped in a terminal at the moment, but soon enough I will be off to Washington DC to start the programme. In the meantime I am catching up on US news. The healthcare reform debate is still firing along, with the NY Times today reporting that former Republican Presidential candidate Bob Dole, who helped scuttle Bill Clinton’s healthcare plans, is swinging in behind the Obama effort. The general line here seems to be that Obama will get something useful through, but as ever the negotiations are intense.
For those in Wellington Central, my electorate office is still open for business while I am away, and I am still contactable, with other MPs ready at hand if needed. And I plan to be making a few comments about domestic issues, starting with this very soon. Righto, time to track down those chilli fries.
Posted in Foreign Affairs. |
The Dom Post has the story today of the painting over by the Council of one of Wellington’s oldest pieces of graffiti- a homage to Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis. Now, maybe I am biased as a fan of the band, but my question is, when does graffiti become art?This particular piece of graffiti has, according to the Dom, survived 28 years. I am not totally sure about that, but it has certainly been around for a long time. There have been a few attempts at defacing, but each time it has returned stronger, and for the last few years has been left alone.
I dislike graffiti as much as the next person, but for me this was part of the Mt Cook landscape. A nice nod towards the slightly edgy, punky past (and present) of the suburb. A memorial for a person who like a lot of music icons, died too young, but did enough to make a difference.
I reckon the graffiti might re-appear, but it won’t be the same.
Posted in Graffiti and Art. |
