First Things First

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tweeted by, TheObamaDiary.com ‏@TheObamaDiary

President Obama signs the Sandy flood aid bill on his return to the White House today: pic.twitter.com/su74I7jq

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1. He has his priorties right, always. Sometimes too deep for others to see, though.

[No Compromise]

2. Is anyone else concerned this money never actually gets to the victims?

Were the real victims of Katrina helped? The place looks like the hurricane just hit.

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3. kick

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4. Just found this about the Hagel nomination. Hope this happens soon:

Obama is currently coming under heavy fire for his reported choice of former Senator Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary.

Hagel wants to get out of Afghanistan soon, does not want a war with Iran, favors negotiations with Hamas, and supports cuts in military spending.

Not only the neo-conservatives, but some of the most powerful interests in the country, including the right wing of the pro-Israel lobby, have launched a smear campaign.

But so far, Obama has not backed down. This could have something to do with the fact that he no longer has to run for re-election.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/05/paul-krugman-obama-treasury-secretary

Obama is keeping his promises. We need to give him our support, not fall for the neo-conservative disinformation sources.

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5. I guess this is why the President favors Hagel

I just hope he realizes that Hagel doesn't provide as much of a bipartisan hook as a republican choice might offer, because the right-wing doesn't operate with anything but craven opportunism.

We'll be looking for Hagel to make good on whatever promise he's supposed to offer progressives. It's our progressive wing which has the most credibility on issues related to defense and war. Most of the results of the admin policy toward Afghanistan and Iran has been a weak sister of the last administration's approach. More of our troops were killed in Afghanistan on THIS president's watch than the last one; and, there's no evidence at all that this President's surge of force in Afghanistan made the killing of bin Laden a possibility. That's all they have to point to now there. it's a misguided policy in Afghanistan which assumes that our forces are more beneficial than they are disruptive, That's what I'd like to see faced up to and resolved with a massive pullback; immediately if they have the political will.

Iran is all about keeping Israel from moving militarily (overtly) to address their nuclear program . . . Is Hagel down with that? I dunno.

Obviously not my cuppa.

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6. kick