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.

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.

President Obama, you say America stands ready to help African nations hold their war criminals accountable, but you aren’t  willing to investigate the war criminals we have here in the United States. I speak of former President Bush and former Vice President Cheney.  Pres. Obama, your administration has shamefully pursued the same extravegant powers of detention and surveillance that Pres. Bush and V.P. Cheney instituted during their administration and continues to obstruct all attempts in our courts and in Congresss to investigate these illegal programs and bring them into the light.  You’ve failed to uphold your promises for increased transparency in and bring changes to the Federal government.

Now, we’ve learned there are more secret programs under operation by the  CIA.  What will you do with these?  Will you bring them into the light and help reform them, or will you let them stay in the dark?

I was so hopeful whenyou took office that we would see a real change in our government.  I’m deeply saddened and frustrated by your continued support of Bush-era policies and government positions.  I believed you were a better man than you’ve shown yourself to be.

Edit: Updated spelling in title

Gershengorn, left, a partner with RIAA-firm Jenner & Block, represented the labels against Grokster (.pdf) and will be in charge of the DOJ Federal Programs Branch. That’s the unit that just told a federal judge the Obama administration supports monetary damages as high as $150,000 per purloined music track on a peer-to-peer file sharing program.

How is this not a conflict of interest?  Gershengorn is going to direct the people that are involved with current and future cases of copyright infringement.  I guess Obama’s rules covering the ethics commitments of executive branch personnel don’t apply here.  I’m sorely disappointed by these appointments.

A new day has dawned and I am so pleased.  Words fail me as I watch this.

Goodbye Opus.  It’s been real.

I hope you’re happy John McCain.  The tactics you’ve let your campaign advisor use are the proximate cause for all of this.

Edit: Added link to Bellantoni article.

I think Barack Obama should make Colin Powell his Secretary of Defense.  Who better to place over the abused and war-worn military of the United States.  Who better to shepherd it back into the fine tradition of the American military and restore its honor and morale.  Powell would defend his men and women against ill-use and champion their cause with President Obama and the Congress.  And what a blow it would lay to the charges that Obama doesn’t know how to cross the aisle for bi-partisan action.

Choosing Colin Powell for his Secretary of Defense would be a courageous, right, action by President Obama.

Edit: I mistakenly wrote “Secretary of State” in the last sentence.  That has been corrected.