Politics
Lee Brenner
From his base in Washington D.C Lee Brenner is executive producer of IMPACT, the Myspace political initiative.
As his first project with MySpace, Brenner spearheaded a partnership with MTV, leading to the online interactive political engagement forums of the 2008 Presidential election. He was formerly a senior editorial producer at CNN.
Brenner has a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University and a Masters in International and Public Affairs (MIPA) from the University of Hong Kong.
Check out his Myspace profile, which has a great music playlist, including Milli Vanilli’s Blame it on the Rain.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thailand’s most controversial and - by some measures - most popular Prime Minister in recent Thai history, Thaksin served in office from 2001 to 2006. He was deposed by a military coup and convicted in absentia of abusing power.
Prior to politics, Thaksin was a policeman who made it big selling computer to the force. He went on to found Shin Corporation and Advanced Info Service – the largest mobile phone operator in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.
In addition to the video interview on this blog , I had Thaksin’s first interview upon being elected Prime Minister in 2001.
As a fugitive from Thai justice living in exile, Thaksin splits his time between Hong Kong, Dubai and other countries that do not have extradition treaties with Thailand. He left Britain when his visa was revoked.
Thaksin obtained a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Eastern Kentucky University in the United States in 1975, and three years later received a doctorate in Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University in Texas, with a dissertation on “An Analysis of the Relationship Between the Criminal Justice Educational Process and the Attitude of the Student Toward the Rule of Law.”
Popularity: 3% [?]
Randi Zuckerberg: Helping Politicians Flock to Facebook
Recently caught up with Randi Zuckerberg, marketing director of Facebook, to hear how she is helping other politicians follow Obama’s lead into cyberspace.
Net, a friend who also works for Facebook, described how Israel’s politicians were the latest to use Facebook Connect prominently.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Rumors: Obama’s China and Japan ambassadors
Chris Nelson of Samuels International has the latest rumors on Obama’s appointments for China and Japan ambassadorships:
Many Loyal Readers ask who we are hearing for Obama’s Ambassador to China, now that it does appear the candidates for Japan have been narrowed to Joe Nye and Joe Nye.
If Harvard Prof. Nye is formally offered, and accepts, no group on earth will be more relieved than Japanese journalists here, who have been reporting this as a “done deal” for weeks.
But to be serious, it DOES sound as though the deal is about to be done…so stay tuned.
Whether it comes before Secretary of State Clinton’s North Asia ramble next week (due in Tokyo Feb. 12, then the ROK, winding up in Beijing around Feb. 19) is anyone’s guess.
Sources say A/S EAP Chris Hill, to be succeeded at some point this Spring by Kurt Campbell, will accompany Clinton, something of a “farewell tour” for him, before he leaves for Baghdad.
Parenthetically, several Loyal Readers asked why we didn’t “report” Hill’s selection for Iraq, and the answer is…in the past, whenever we got a rumor of Hill’s job future, we always emailed it to him, and usually within the hour, got a cheerfully “colorful” denial.
This time…nothing either way. So upon reflection, we should have taken Sherlock Holmes’ advice on the dog who didn’t bark, and run with it. Anyhow…next time.
Oh…this started out about “names” for China…
Informed indications are that this posting is seen as VERY important by Obama personally, so don’t be surprised if the final selection is someone who fits several criteria, not the least being a Big Player close to the President himself.
This does not rule out in advance the names we DO hear…but it should put into perspective what the judgment criteria will likely be.
We’ve written in the past that there are two basic types of “lists”…the “this person MUST be given a job, where shall we place?”, and, “this is an important JOB, who can we send?”
In their new book, “Difficult Transitions”, two folks who just happen to be major State Department decision-makers, Deputy Secretary Jim Steinberg, and soon-to-be officially nominated Kurt Campbell A/S EAP, somewhat more cheekily talk about three criteria:
“The Worthies”, defined as recognized experts but not necessarily Big Names or Political Players; “The Allstars”, meaning Big Players who might also be “Must hire…somewhere”; and “The Usual Suspects”…folks who always manage to get their names on lists, but who may not have much more chance for a job than me or thee.
We have far more sense than to even THINK about characterizing the following by ANY possible category, but think it IS useful to see this list of unusually high-quality names, folks with real depth in China affairs, and the USG, going back many years:
Most frequently mentioned, NOT in order, are National Committee on US-China Relations president Steve Orlins, and major political/Obama donor John Thornton, he of the Thornton Center at Brookings…home of the newly-minted Senior Director for Asia, NSC, Jeff Bader;
And in the China specialist/academic cone, most frequently noted are former Clinton DAS Susan Shirk, former Clinton NSC Ken Lieberthal, and David Shambaugh, professor at George Washington U here, and recognized expert on PLA modernization, especially vis-a-vis Taiwan.
For discussion purposes, we asked an informed source “what about Robert Rubin?” and got back, “not confirmable…you know why…”
(Hint…think Citibank, think Daschle, think too much money, think “just too hot right now…”)
If any Loyal Readers think THEY should have been on this list, our lunch calendar is open….you know what to do…
Popularity: 5% [?]
Best Obama Front Pages in the Middle East
Or, more accurately, those that I could find. Send over images of others if you can find them! (Press “more” below to get the full posting.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Best Obama Front Pages in Europe
European papers have already started turning up on the Internet. I will expand this as more come online. (Press on the “more” tab for full list)
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Best Obama Front Pages of Asia
I gathered a collection of the best Obama front pages from across Asia. Coverage was understated in many newspapers - including Indonesia, which I found a little surprising. (Malaysia’s Star marked the occasion with a call to fight Dengue.) Press the “more” button if you only see 4 front pages.
(more…)
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Make your own Obama icon
Funny website put up by Paste Magazine allows you to make your very own Obama icon.
I chose the Dude, of course.
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Video of Mark Ndesandjo playing piano
Below is a Chinese TV report on Mark Ndesandjo’s concert in Shenzhen to benefit a Chinese orphanage. By now, Mark should be on a flight to Washington for the inauguration.
Barack Obama’s half-brother who lives in China, running an Internet company, you can find out more information at the profile page I have compiled on Mark Ndesandjo.
Posted on the Chinese video sharing website Youku, the clip made the front page. This implies a wide awareness of Ndesandjo among the Chinese population. The anonymity that Ndesandjo has tried to maintain may well be over now. The reluctant celebrity has hit it big!
(h/t to Alex Bowman)
Popularity: 5% [?]
Obama half-brother plays Jazz for Shenzhen fundraiser
SHENZHEN, CHINA: A fundraiser last night in Shenzhen featured a unique jazz pianist: Barack Obama’s half-brother.
As I have detailed in the past - and on this profile page about Mark Ndesandjo - Obama’s half-brother has lived in the south China boomtown city of Shenzhen for more than seven years.
The event was organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in South China to benefit Orphans in Shenzhen, South China and Sichuan via The China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation. The China Foundation is sanctioned by both the Chinese Central Government and the United Nations, according to the AmCham.
Ndesandjo is co-chair of the fundraising committee, along with the AmCham president, Harley Seyedin.
Entry was RMB99 (US$14) at the door for an evening of food, drink, great music and a chance to meet the US Consul General and community leaders. Attendees were urged to donate an additional 999 RMB (US$145).
Ndesandjo did not work to publicize his link with Obama in the email or poster publicity. He has worked to support an orphanage in Shenzhen for many years and has never pushed for recognition as Obama’s half-brother.
Ndesandjo started a chain of restaurants in southern China called Cabin BBQ and the publicity for the fundraiser referred to him as a strategic market consultant. This is a reference to his company, World Nexus, that helps Chinese companies set up websites for export.
At the concert, Ndesandjo had “a thin mustache, shaved head and a gold stud in his left earlobe,” the AP reported.
Any mention of Barack Obama?
He told the crowd that chamber president, Harley Seyedin, was fond of the president-elect. Ndesandjo added, “I like my president, too!” That was the closest he came to mentioning Barack Obama.
He also said that would be flying to Washington on Saturday, failing which he would “lose face”.
He played - at times hunched over the keyboard in passion - as his Chinese wife watched, the AP reported. The songs he played began with a Chinese tune called “Liuyang River” followed by what he said was “Chopin’s First Nocturne” and finally a jazz tune by Fats Waller called “Viper’s Drag.”
The event raised a grand total of RMB250,000 (US$36,558).
After the charity event, Ndesandjo chatted with friends and shook hands as he slowly walked out of the venue pursued by journalists hoping for a comment. He slipped into an elevator and continued to ignore questions as the door slowly closed, AP said.
UPDATE: Brent Deverman of Shenzhenparty.com attended the party and took some great photos (two of which appear above.)
Popularity: 7% [?]
Obama Travel Schedule Mashup by Dopplr
Dopplr, a Web 2.0 travel service that lets you know when friends trips coincide with yours, has done a great data mashup of Obama’s campaign travel schedule.
The intent is to demonstrate the Dopplr service, but it also gives you an idea about the amount of travel on the campaign trail. (92 percent of the way to the moon!)
One of my favorite Dopplr features is where they compare your “personal velocity” to an animal. Obama is six-lined race runner lizard.
Full version on the Dopplr website.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Possible Obama Ambassadors to Japan and China
Chris Nelson of Samuels International offers the latest speculation in Washington about Obama’s Ambassadorships to Tokyo and Beijing.
He suggests Bob Rubin??!! who recently quit Citi.
Anyone have further thoughts?
On Monday, we inadvertently started a Japanese media feeding frenzy on who will be Obama’s Ambassador to Tokyo, with a one line comment, “think Joe Nye“.
Last night we noted that Nye himself was being equivocal on whether he was being asked, and whether he would say yes.
Today, there’s a report saying newly-retired Republican Sen. (and big Obama booster) Chuck Hagel, is on the list for Japan.
He isn’t. Tonite, we can supply the answer to some of the “facts”, and more importantly, how to assess the “ambassadorial” reports.
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AMBASSADORS…there are lists, and there are lists. The only lists which really have been
discussed and vetted at the Obama level are of Major Players, in quotes, for whom a Big Job simply HAS to be found, Transition sources make very clear in private conversation.
So when someone tells you so-and-so is on the list for Tokyo, Beijing, London, et al, ask yourself whether they qualify on the basis of a “must hire” senior player…or because those are important postings, and someone important should be picked.
So…Chuck Hagel, Richard Danzig, Susan Rice, maybe even Robert Rubin (who formally quit Citi today)…folks like that are talked about at the Obama Himself level.
These are people personally important to Obama, about whom the question is raised by Obama and his top decision-makers, “what do we offer them?”
What is NOT (yet) taking place at the Obama level is “who are we going to put in country-X”?
Of course there ARE conversations at the senior affected Transition level, sounding out potential candidates for key postings, and that of course includes Beijing, Tokyo, NATO and so forth.
What this means is that after the election, and through this week, conversations at the Obama level were held with folks like Hagel, to be specific, in terms of “what would you like?”
And the conversation included a possible list of jobs, including ambassadorships which Hagel might accept, along with other things.
Our sources say (and New America Foundation blogmeister Steve Clemons reports today) that Hagel politely declined the opportunity to serve in Beijing, Tokyo and London, because he didn’t want to uproot his family, and because he has just launched a new venture with former World Bank president James Wolfensohn.
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JAPAN…Beijing…as noted, we inadvertently started a media feeding frenzy on who Obama will pick for Tokyo, and there’s starting to be one, now, for Beijing.
The “story” on professor and co-author with Rich Armitage of the Nye-Armitage Report of
2000…Harvard’s Joe Nye…has been on a roller coaster all week.
The informed consensus today is that with Hagel (above) clearly saying “thanks, but no thanks” to any ambassadorial slot, the path remains potentially open for Nye IF the Obama folks (with Hillary Clinton’s team playing a role) chose.
It seems clear that informal discussions have been held with Nye, at some level, and that the situation today is that Nye hasn’t said yes, and he hasn’t said no.
However, a cautionary note when you get into discussing “who’s on The List”, and you are not at the Danzig/Rice/Hagel level…the discussion will be more focused on the posting, and the utility of the candidate TO the posting, than on the candidate, and where can he/she be placed?
So, purely for the sake of discussion, while to us Asia/Japan hands, Joe Nye clearly is a nifty choice to send to Japan, for reasons we need not bother to enumerate…ask yourself what happens if Obama and his top people have been asking themselves, “what do we do for Robert Rubin?”
Rubin, who played a major “confidence building” role for Obama’s economic and financial positioning, during the Campaign, formally resigned from Citi today…and there are those who closely monitor the Transiton who say you need to put Rubin on any list for both Tokyo and Beijing.
Our point: make sure you can balance the candidate with the job, and can calculate which is the critical decision-factor, when weighing all the delicious gossip now flowing freely.
And always remember, shocking as it may seem, some folks are, gasp, actually ambitious enough to float rumors about themselves. So always ask yourself why you are hearing what you are hearing, when you hear it.
Still my beating heart…
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Thomas Crampton was a correspondent for the International Herald Tribune and The New York Times for more than a decade, reporting from five continents, writing a column on Asia and covering Asian politics, economics and culture. Currently based in Hong Kong, he writes here about China, the Internet and New Media seen from Asia, while also advising companies on digital communication strategies. For more information click here...
