Time for Obama to go 'gangsta' on GOP

Civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer made famous the phrase, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired."
For me, I'm sick and tired of Democrats having power and being unwilling to use it. I've always respected Republicans when they had power because they were willing to use it and maybe apologize later.
Today, President Obama walked into the White House briefing room and took some questions, and one of them revolved around recess appointments.
He has watched Republicans block many of his appointments, and now he says he made it clear to them that he will "consider" making some when the U.S. Senate goes into recess.
"One senator, as you all are aware, had put a hold on every single nominee that we had put forward due to a dispute over a couple of earmarks in his state," President Obama said.
"In our meeting, I asked the congressional leadership to put a stop to these holds in which nominees for critical jobs are denied a vote for months. Surely we can set aside partisanship and do what's traditionally been done to confirm these nominations.
If the Senate does not act -- and I made this very clear -- if the Senate does not act to confirm these nominees, I will consider making several recess appointments during the upcoming recess, because we can't afford to allow politics to stand in the way of a well-functioning government."
This is where the president needs to show his toughness and just do it. Forget the threats. The actions of Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, and other Republican obstructionists will continue if President Obama allows them to run roughshod over him. When you're the top dog, you do what you have to do to govern. Allowing Republican senators to continue to deny your appointments is nonsense.
If all of them choose to support a filibuster, then you take it to the American people and show the obstructionists for what they are. You get your grass-roots movement fired up to stand up and do something. The political right used its base to go after Democrats who blocked appointments to the federal bench and other positions. So why not be just as aggressive?
If there are members of your own party who stand in the way, such as Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska, then you also blast them and make them pay for acting so foolishly.
This president got rolled by the Senate over health care. His team made some boneheaded mistakes, and now they are paying for them. Continuing to play footsie with opponents will only get him into more trouble. He should set a deadline to have his folks confirmed. If not, appoint them all during the recess and go on about your business.
Obama's critics keep blasting him for Chicago-style politics. So, fine. Channel your inner Al Capone and go gangsta against your foes. Let 'em know that if they aren't with you, they are against you, and will pay the price.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin.

Former congressman Charlie Wilson dead at 76

Former Democratic Rep. Charles Wilson of Texas, whose support for anti-Soviet forces in Afghanistan inspired the 2007 movie "Charlie Wilson's War," died Wednesday at age 76.
The 12-term congressman, who served the state's second congressional district, had been in a meeting Wednesday morning with a friend when he complained of difficulty breathing, said Yana Ogletree, a spokeswoman for Memorial Medical Center in Lufkin.
The two men were heading to the hospital when they passed an emergency medical services vehicle on the side of the road and stopped for help, she said. Paramedics took Wilson to the hospital emergency room, where he was pronounced dead, she said.
Wilson, who had undergone a heart transplant at Methodist Hospital in Houston in September 2007, moved back to Lufkin when he retired from Congress in 1997 after having served since 1973, she said.
"I had the unforgettable experience of knowing Congressman Wilson when I was at CIA and he was working tirelessly on behalf of the Afghan resistance fighting the Soviets," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates in a written statement.
"As the world now knows, his efforts and exploits helped repel an invader, liberate a people and bring the Cold War to a close. After the Soviets left, Charlie kept fighting for the Afghan people and warned against abandoning that traumatized country to its fate -- a warning we should have heeded then, and should remember today."
"Charlie Wilson led a life that was oversized even by Hollywood's standards," said Texas Gov. Rick Perry in a statement. "Congressman Wilson was fiercely devoted to serving his country and his fellow Texans."
"Charlie was a man of courage and conviction who worked hard, loved his country, and lived life to the fullest," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey, D-Wisconsin. "We will miss him."
Tom Hanks portrayed the flamboyant congressman in the 2007 movie "Charlie Wilson's War," based on the book by George Crile. The book and the film told the story of Wilson's efforts to get weapons to Mujahedeen fighters after Soviets invaded Afghanistan.
"Hanks did a great job," Wilson said in 2008. Wilson also praised the other actors. "They were too close to the truth," he said.
The U.S. Naval Academy grad and Navy veteran was elected to Congress in 1972 -- a Democrat bucking the national Nixon landslide -- and quickly became known for his high-living escapades, which earned him the nickname "Good Time Charlie," and shrewd accumulation of political chits.
His savvy came in handy in the early 1980s, when Wilson, a staunch anti-Communist, decided to help Afghan rebels in their war against the invading Soviet Union. Over several years, working behind the scenes, his efforts to raise funds through his defense subcommittee, to establish a bond with a CIA agent named Gust Avrakotos (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the film) and to negotiate support from Middle Eastern countries helped the Afghans take the upper hand and eventually forced the Soviets out of the country.
Asked what led to the Soviet departure, Pakistani leader Gen. Muhammad Zia ul-Haq was blunt: "Charlie did it," he told CBS News' "60 Minutes."
Some people criticized the film because it didn't do much to highlight what happened in Afghanistan after the Soviets left: the Taliban's takeover of the country and al Qaeda's use of the nation as a base. Wilson was asked in 2008 about the consequences of helping the Mujahedeen fighters.
"I don't think there was a serious blowback," Wilson said. "I think there was the point that [author] George Crile made in the [book's] epilogue, that the Muslims saw that they took down one superpower and then the radical ones thought they could take down another one. But they're wrong."
Wilson is survived by his wife, Barbara Alberstadt Wilson, a sister, a niece and a nephew.
Funeral arrangements are pending.

Toyota: Fix for recalled gas pedals coming Monday

Toyota is set to provide details about its plan to fix recalled gas pedals in the United States early Monday morning.
The automaker said in a media advisory that it will make an announcement at 6:30 a.m. ET on Monday.

The announcement will be followed by the release of a video featuring a company spokesperson as well as a conference call for media.
Toyota spokesman John Hanson told CNNMoney.com on Saturday that the automaker was in the process of "finalizing a program" and that it would come "soon."
Toyota has been in discussions with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the fix.
The recall is to correct a problem that could cause the gas pedal, as it ages and becomes worn, to stick partway down under certain circumstances. Toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. for this problem, although no repair procedure had yet been put in place.
The recall affects Toyota's 2009-2010 RAV4, Corolla and Matrix; 2005-2010 Avalon; certain 2007-2010 Camrys; 2010 Highlander; 2007-2010 Tundra and the 2008-2010 Sequoia. The Camry Hybrid is not included in the recall.
"We're extremely sorry to have made customers uneasy," Toyota president Akio Toyoda told Japanese news agency NHK on Friday. "We plan to establish the facts and give an explanation that will take away the customers' concern as soon as possible."
The Japanese automaker also recalled cars in Europe. That recall involves eight different models, several of which are not sold here. The precise number of vehicles involved in that recall is still under investigation but it could be as many as 1.8 million, Toyota said in a statement.
The gas pedal recall is separate from an earlier one, begun in November to fix a problem in which the gas pedal can become caught on the edge of the removable floormat.
The floormat recall was recently expanded so that it now covers a total of 5.3 million vehicles.
In many cases, the same vehicles are involved in both recalls. It was not immediately clear how many different vehicles, in total, are part of the two actions.
Toyota owners with questions should call Toyota's customer service line at 800-331-4331.

Last U.S. veteran of World War I turns 109

The last surviving U.S. veteran of World War I, former Cpl. Frank Buckles, turns 109 on Monday and is still hoping for a national memorial in Washington for his comrades.
Buckles is expected to deliver remarks during a quiet celebration Monday afternoon at his home in Charles Town, West Virginia.
But the old "Doughboy" -- as World War I American infantry troops were called -- has already been outspoken in recent years, urging congressional lawmakers to give federal recognition and a facelift to a run-down District of Columbia memorial in an overgrown, wooded area along the National Mall.
In December, at 108, Buckles testified on Capitol Hill as lawmakers considered whether to fund renovation and give the site "national" monument status. But rival legislation seeks the "national" designation for a 1920s-era memorial located in Kansas City, Missouri.
Congress has not yet decided on the legislation.
In 2008, the old soldier came to Washington and visited that 1930s-vintage District memorial. In his wheelchair, helped along by a military aide, he slowly crossed the cracks in the flagstone walkway, and saw the cracks in the marble gazebo.
Still sharp at only 107, he noted during that visit that the names engraved along the gazebo's marble walls are only of those who hailed from District of Columbia.
Buckles that day also met with then-President George W. Bush at the White House and Defense Secretary Robert Gates at the Pentagon.
Later in 2008, Buckles was the guest of honor at Veterans Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery. He said he considers it his duty to represent his fellow soldiers.

"I have to," he told CNN, "because I'm the last living member of Americans," who fought in what was called The Great War.
As a soldier in the U.S. Army, Buckles was an ambulance driver for U.S. forces in Europe, and once met commanding Gen. John Pershing, near whose grave the more recent Veterans Day ceremony was held.
Buckles was warmly greeted with standing applause by those in uniform and others who had gathered for the commemoration, but he said he did not think the fuss was about him.
"I can see what they're honoring: The veterans of World War I."
"Time has passed very quickly to me," he told CNN after a wreath-laying, "I've had a lot of activity in the last 90 years."

White House: Medical evacuations of Haitians to resume

Flights transporting critically injured Haitians into the United States will resume within a few hours, the White House announced Sunday afternoon.
The flights were temporarily suspended because of logistical issues including space to care for the injured, White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said Saturday.
"Having received assurances that additional capacity exists both here and among our international partners, we determined that we can resume these critical flights," he said in a statement Sunday.
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The statement, released Sunday afternoon, said flights would resume "in the next 12 hours."
The evacuated patients are those whose medical needs could not be met by doctors working in Haiti. Nearly 23,000 people have been seen by U.S. personnel since the January 12 earthquake, Vietor said.
Some volunteer American doctors in Haiti expect the flights to resume at 11 a.m. Monday, according to Nery Ynclan, a spokeswoman for Dr. Barth Green, of the University of Miami, who is leading a team of volunteers in Port-au-Prince.
Airlifts stopped after there were "concerns about the strain on domestic health capacity," Vietor said. But officials have increased the ability to care for patients through a network of nonprofits and U.S. hospitals, he said.
But earlier reports also cited questions over who would pay for patients' care.
The missing, the found, the victims
The flights stopped Wednesday when some states refused to allow entry to Haitians needing care, according to Navy Capt. Kevin Aandahl, a spokesman for the U.S. Transportation Command. He would not say which states objected.
In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius obtained by CNN, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist asked that the federal government activate the National Disaster Medical System to provide reimbursement to Florida and other states for taking in the patients, who have no insurance.
Florida's health facilities were already strained by winter tourism and seasonal residence migration, Crist said in the letter. But Florida officials said Saturday that the state was committed to assisting Haitian quake victims and had not asked the airlifts be halted.
Florida will play a role in caregiving once flights resume. The state has identified medical facilities that could take in victims, Vietor said in Sunday's statement.

'Avatar' leads box office once again

Well, Mel Gibson has joined Denzel Washington and Dwayne Johnson on the list of stars that couldn't stand up to "Avatar's" box-office might. The film on track to cross Titanic's domestic gross of $600 million in mere days took the top spot again this weekend, falling just 14 percent, which is a smaller drop-off than last weekend. Earning an additional $30 million, "Avatar's" domestic total now stands at $594 million.
Gibson managed to eke out a solid second-place showing with his R-rated revenge drama "Edge of Darkness." Earning an estimated $17.1 million, "Darkness's" opening was a bit beneath the low-$20 million number that many industry insiders were predicting.
But perhaps with its greatest audience being older males who don't go to the movies that often, the number isn't surprising. (There was a call from Jewish community leaders to boycott the film due to Gibson's comments a few years ago. No word yet if that movement gained any traction.)
Third place belonged to Disney's romantic comedy "When in Rome," starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel. which did better than expected with a $12 million take.
Holdovers dominated the rest of the weekend's top 10. "The Tooth Fairy" didn't open to spectacular numbers last weekend, but it held on really well in its second frame, dropping only 29 percent, earning the Dwayne Johnson-family film another $10 million. It now stands at $25 million for 10 ten days in release.
Fifth place went to Washington's "Book of Eli." The R-rated post-apocalyptic drama has held on well since its January debut, dropping 44 percent its third weekend in theaters for a cume of $74 million.
"Legion" took the hardest fall this session. Dropping a steep 61 percent, the Paul Bettany-Dennis Quaid drama earned only $6.8 million in its second weekend for a total take of $28.6 million.
"The Lovely Bones" took the seventh slot with an additional $4.7 million. Its total take, after eight weeks in theaters, is $38 million.
"Sherlock Holmes" held on to 8th place with $4.5 million and a total cume just shy of the $200 million mark.
"Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel" took spot nine, with $4 million and a total take of $209 million, and tenth place went to Nancy Meyers' "It's Complicated," which earned another $3.7 million, putting its overall cume at $104 million.
With Oscar nominations set to arrive Tuesday, it will be interesting to see how things change -- if at all -- at the box office. Have a great week everyone.

Man charged with abusing Haitian boys faces more counts

An American accused of sexually abusing boys he was supposed to help in Haiti now faces additional charges, federal court records show.
Douglas Perlitz, 39, was arrested in September after a federal grand jury indicted him on 10 counts related to the abuse of nine boys over a period of 10 years. Last week, a superseding indictment brought an additional nine counts against Perlitz, and alleges he abused a total of 18 boys.
Perlitz founded and operated a home and school for needy children in Haiti, known as Project Pierre Toussaint, which has since closed.
He is accused of enticing the boys with promises of food and shelter and with gifts such as cell phones and cash, in exchange for sexual acts.
According to the new indictment in federal district court in Connecticut, Perlitz provided money and told one of the boys that he would not be kicked out of the school even if he failed his classes. He allegedly offered another boy and his family money and other benefits, and in another case, gave a television, shoes, clothes and meals to another boy, all in exchange for sexual acts and their silence.
Those who did not cooperate with Perlitz were denied benefits, the indictment states.
Perlitz was arrested in September at his home in Colorado, but he had lived for years in Haiti, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The Haiti Fund Inc., the nonprofit fundraising arm of his project, was incorporated in Connecticut, where Perlitz had attended Fairfield University.
If convicted, Perlitz would face a maximum of 30 years in prison and fine of $2.5 million, according to the Justice Department.