BAGnewsNotes

Sotomayor Confirmation: On the Backs of White Heroes

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Talk about visual wedge tactics.

Take a look at this line of New Haven firefighters filing into the Sotomayor confirmation hearings this morning. (If you don't know the backstory, the Supremes recently overturned Sotomayor's New Haven decision, the court asserting white firefighters, led by the litigious Frank Ricci, were unfairly treated by the tossing out of a promotion exam minority test-takers did comparatively worse on.)

With the glow firefighters continue to carry from 9/11, this line of primarily white "first responders" makes for a vivid non-verbal argument that Sonia is stepping up to the high court on the backs of these white heros. And then, the message is reinforced, if just by chance, with the further scene of Sotomayor talking to a group of black servicemen who form a wall between her and the New Haven contingent.

Notice, by the way, that Ricci himself remains tucked in the background. (He's against the wall just to the left of what looks like the red-haired guy.)

(image: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images. July 15, 2009, Senate Judiciary Committee. Capitol Hill. Washington, DC. )

Rummy Having McNamara For Breakfast

Upon his passing on Monday, I took something of a forensic interest in this photo from the NYT's Robert McNamara slideshow. It pictures the former Defense Secretary with Rumsfeld, then currently in the job, as well as former Secretaries Carlucci and Brzezinski.

Unfortunately, reference to the gathering is pretty slight, while the caption only names the players along with the date of 2003.

Given that the Iraq War began in March of that year and the powerful documentary, The Fog of War (in which McNamara expresses deep regret for his stewardship of the Vietnam War), was released in December, my sense, on first pass, was to question the comity here between McNamara and Rumsfeld.

But then, there are all kinds of other factors to consider, including the ritual of such ceremonial get togethers -- Rumsfeld, the practiced politician, likely appealing to vanity to solicit advice he then wouldn't heed. As well, we also know from his appearance with Director Errol Morris in Berkeley in '04 that McNamara refused to apply his lessons about war to the invasion of Iraq even if he welcomed others to do so.

Taken together, these facts suggest that fraternity goes a long way at the pinnacle of the warrior class.

(image: Stephen Crowley/NYT)

Voting With Her Feet

by guest blogger Cara Finnegan

The BAG has never been afraid to explore the visual politics of feet [1, 2], so let's check out what are most certainly the political toes of the week. They belong, of course, to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Despite fracturing her ankle at La Guardia on Monday, the judge has spent the last few days limping cheerfully through the inane pre-confirmation ritual of meeting with senators (Roland Burris?!). She's got a great pedicure, to be sure. But most professional women I know would not be thrilled to have their toes on such public display, a fact which gives this photo a voyeuristic quality. A metaphor for the entire confirmation process itself? Perhaps. The shrewdly placed signature belongs to Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), who met with Sotomayor on Monday. I can't quite make out what she wrote above her name, but it's pretty safe to say that Landrieu has confirmed Sotomayor with a foot vote.

And guess what? You can too! Never one to miss a beat, Organizing for America (the Obama campaign's presidential offshoot) has created a virtual cast that everyone can sign. Of course they have.

(image: Jim Young/Reuters)

The Enemy Of My Enemy

I was just checking the new additions to the White House Flickr stream.

Given the abuse they've been taking from the former Veep (as well as the premium placed on bipartisanship), you might title this one: "Dick, eat your heart out."

(image Pete Souza/White House. caption: President Barack Obama meets with former Secretary of State, General Colin Powell, in the Oval Office, May 15, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The Woman Who Saved Baseball

More great visual pitching from the White House for Sonia Sotomayor (new pics being released day-by-day):

She's the woman who saved baseball, and what's more all-American than that? (Not to say Red Sox fans might take exception to certain allegiances.) But then, the most telling element here? No, not the Tigers logo on top of the dugout. It's the little blue-and-white alert sign (who said Rush Limbaugh?) opposite the nephews.

(11: 25 am PST - slightly edited)

(image: Sotomayor family via The White House via AP. caption: This undated handout photo provided by the White House shows Sonia Sotomayor with her nephews Conner and Corey Sotomayor at Yankee Stadium in New York. Earlier this week, President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor to the Supreme Court to replace the retiring Justice David Souter)

Sonia: An Eye for Others

It's a beautiful photo released by the White House of young Sonia Sotomayor with her sister and cousins, which is that much more interesting for the angle.

Besides adding mortar to the warm and richly personal portrayal (and marketing) of Sotomayor, the photo reinforces the ethnic dimension of the nomination, the image suggesting an old LIFE Magazine story on Hispanic life in America.

What is also a subtle endorsement (and reflective of her personality, from what I've read) is the way Sotomayor's focus -- at the expense of the attention -- is on the other children.

(photo: Sotomayor family via White House, May 26, 2009)

A Singular Politician

I'm not buying the romanticized image of Specter as the individualist. (What was that other term that was popular recently? "Maverick," was it?) Arlen sucked up to Bush/Cheney and now he's jumped the fence mostly to save his electoral skin.

The image above was part of a group from last Thursday documenting Specter sitting on the the Democrat side of the Senate Appropriations aisle for the first time. With the Senator making noises that sound like someone hedging his bets though, Specter -- drawing on this photo taken right after the committee hearing -- might find it a lonely road.

(image: Mark Wilson/Getty. April 30, 2009. Washington, DC.)

Your Turn: July 23, 1990

(image: Jerome Delay/AFP/Getty Images. caption: This July 23, 1990 file photo shows then US President George Bush (R) announcing his nomination of New Hampshire appellate judge David Souter (L), for the Supreme Court, at the White House in Washington, DC. US Supreme Court Justice David Souter, 69, is planning to retire at the end of the court's current term, US media reported April 30, 2009, giving US President Barack Obama an early opportunity to name a judge to the highest US court)

Rising And Falling With Detroit

click for full size

I was taken by the appearance of the Obama Auto Task Force (standing behind the President as he discusses the Chrysler bankruptcy), the members looking clearly outside their comfort zone. (I appreciate the Truman touch, by the way, although the painting seems to only heighten the look of anxiety amongst the team.)

Not knowing Chrysler's fate until the night before, the team members seemed to appear before the press without their game faces on. (Geithner, in particular, casts a look to Obama like he hopes he knows what he is doing.) What the photo reveals, then, perhaps more clearly than any other so far, is the strength of Obama's leadership -- especially, in house -- in the face of multiple tremendous challenges.

(revised: 1/2/09 1:27 am PST)

Peace Train (Revisited)

Given the news Arlen Specter is ending his ride with the GOP, we're republishing this post from March 24th.

Get your bags together, go bring your good friends too

Cause its getting nearer, it soon will be with you. *

Taken last week, 2/27/09, this White House photo shows Biden and Arlen Specter on their way to Philly for the first meeting of the V.P.'s Middle Class Task Force.

It also reflects (in fact, broadcasts) at least two other things. One is Team Obama's speed and momentum. The other is the Administration's progress in exploiting wingnut wars to lay claim to the political middle. As Fatimah Ali says at the Philly.com, Specter may be in trouble in the polls and exposed on his right flank, but he has been on Capitol Hill for 29 years, he's a survivor, and the guy definitely knows which way the wind's blowing.

Slideshow: Middle Class Task Force Meeting in Philadelphia (White House). *Lyrics: Cat Stevens

(image: Sharon Farmer/White House. 2/27/09)