Mali - Gay Rights - the US Debt Ceiling

Dear readers, it has been an interesting weekend and Monday. Let's run through a few of the items that are sure to stay in the news during the rest of this, the last week before President Obama is inaugurated for his second term. ~~~~~~ (1). The French mission in Mali is still on target, literally, because their bombing sorties have destroyed ammunition and fuel depots in the al-Qaida held north. But Paris has acknowledged that the jihadists are better trained and armed than anticipated. The French media is already asking how long the "war" will last. The government's informal reply is "months." That's a political answer because -- within three days of a military action, the government must inform the National Assembly and if the action continues longer than four months, additional National Assembly approval is required. Stay tuned...and watch for increasing participation from Western allies as France tries to clear West Africa of al-Qaida related jihadists. ~~~~~ (2). In a second French story - but one that reverberates all over the West, some 400,000 French citizens staged a march in Paris on Sunday to express their opposition to President Hollande's plan to legalize same-sex marriages and adoptions. The marchers were polite and quiet, with no intervention by anarchists trashing store fronts. There were young couples with their toddlers, grandparents with children and grandchildren. Ordinary French families. And as they passed churches, often a priest was waiting to wave encouragement. And there were many signs saying that the marchers do not oppose equal civil rights for gays, only marriage, which they see as a quasi-religious engagement, and adoption, which they see as requiring a heterosexual couple for the best welfare of the child. The French Attorney General says she will pursue the president's plan, but there will be a debate and vote in the National Assembly. This is an issue that will continue to occupy people of faith as they see gay people exceeding the boundaries tbey would like to see their government's draw...in America as well as France. ~~~~~ (3). President Obama held a press conference today to call on the Congress - in particular, the GOP-controlled House - to pass a trillion dollar debt ceiling without making it a battle over the current budget, which he would like to negotiate separately. President Obama was at his best...outgoing, pleasant with the press, calmly presidential. But his words were iron-fisted. He will not negotiate over the debt ceiling. He will not agree to combine the raising of the debt ceiling with any budgetary discussions. He will not, in effect, do anything to make House Speaker John Boehner's job doable. Boehner responded with a written statement saying the House will pursue its job of budgeting both currently and by working on solving the galloping national debt problem...without directly saying that he will insist on tying the two together. The positions of Obama and Boehner reflect the political fiscal position chasm in the US today. Both Obama and Boehner know that compromise will finally be required. Will it be Vice President Biden, once more, who proves that Obama is not at home in Washington. Much more to follow. ~~~~~ Have a good week, dear readers, and keep these stories in mind as you follow the news.