Steven Chu to be Energy Sec’y

According to various media outlets,  Barack Obama is expected to tap Nobel-laureate physicist, Stanford faculty, and current  director of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory,  Steven Chu as his Energy Secretary.

Considering the importance of energy policy – not just for US, but the world – in the coming years, this is a great decision by Obama. Not just because it is a welcome departure from the anti-intellectual stance of the current administration, but also Chu is really serious about global warming.

On a personal level, there are some trivially interesting connections: Chu is an alumni from my graduate school and I have heard him present a really entertaining talk, plus I have been involved in a bit of research emanating (though much much downstream) from his pioneering work on single molecule fluorescence imaging.

Not just a President (5)

(Too lazy to try to work the title into a sentence this time; but more absurdity from the US elections, this time involving the Democrats).

In an attempt to sway voters in the Ohio primary, Hillary Clinton attempts to potray herself in the role of an underpaid, over-worked blue-collared worker.

In her remarks in Youngstown on Tuesday night, Mrs. Clinton allied herself with Americans working on the “night shift” — a phrase that is also the title of a new advertisement that began running in Ohio on Tuesday night. The ad ends with an image of Mrs. Clinton doing paperwork, illuminated by a lamp, as a narrator says, “She’s worked the night shift, too.” (link)

(link via email from Vivek; video can be seen here)

Meanwhile, Barack Obama – yesterday’s media darling – not wishing to be left far behind in the populism race, comes out with absurd policies:

Barack Obama on Monday made an aggressive pitch at Ohio’s blue-collar workers by proposing a “Patriot Employers” plan that would lower corporate taxes for companies that did not ship jobs overseas. (link -free registration required)

Good luck on implementing it. And no word yet on tax-breaks for in-shoring companies. As someone wise commented, ‘[n]eedless to say, this is equally populist even if it is not accompanied by an ad that shows a homeless Obama with a resume in his hand, and the voice-over saying “his job was shipped overseas too”.’

Previous coverage on these lines: 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Not just a President (4)

But certain Americans want a President whose wife (or husband) is patriotically proud of her country . These sections of the American voters are working themselves into an apoplectic tizzy over this statement by Michelle Obama, wife of Presendential contender, Barack:

“For the first time in my adult lifetime, I’m really proud of my country … not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change,” she said. “I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment.” (link)

Apparently the problem with the statement – as it being interpreted – is that she is proud of USA only now and because of her husband while she should have had much to be proud about in the last 20-30 years.

(Btw, how fast can you say political suicide ? or irrelevant issues ?)

No awards for guessing which section of the population is upset. Suffice to mention that they are having a field day with this to the extent of pointing out how another potential first lady responded (doesn’t matter that Obama is yet to scure to Democratic nomination).

“I am proud of my country,” John McCain’s wife, Cindy, said at a campaign stop in Brookfield, Wis., Tuesday. “I don’t know if you heard those words earlier… but I am very proud of my country.”

During a follow up press conference, the Arizona senator was asked if they were responding to Michelle Obama and he deferred to his wife.

She responded: “I just wanted to make the statement that I have and always will be proud of my country.”

Also see this for a better roundup !

Previous absurdities: 1, 2, and 3.