Republicans are pushing the hot-button issue of what will be done about Guantanamo’s prisoners—so much so that Democrats signaled Thursday that they will likely drop language sought by the Pentagon to authorize the use of war funds to relocate the inmates.
The political stakes were underlined when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) made a rare return to his old haunts on the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday to quiz Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the issue. Guantanamo surfaced as well in a closed-door meeting Thursday of the House Appropriations defense panel, which now expects to recommend next week that the relocation language be stricken from a pending $83.4 billion war funding request for Iraq and Afghanistan. - Politico Story
Friday, May 1, 2009
Obama Administration pushes back at FOX
Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett was asked today on the "Brian and the Judge" radio show about the network being snubbed during Obama's third prime-time presser. (h/t Johnny Dollar).
"That was retribution for the Fox network, broadcast network, running with its regularly scheduled programming instead of taking the White House press conference," Garrett said.
"I was warned that it might be considered as part of the overall consideration as to whether or not I'd get called on," Garrett continued. "I wasn't. I can add one and one to make two."
Obama's third presser brought in 28.8 million viewers, but it was a drop of over 20 million from the first East Room news conference. And Garrett questioned whether there's still the same news value.
"I wouldn't be suprirsed if some of the other networks peel off, following Fox's lead," Garrett said. - Politico
The problem that I have is that our local FOX Channel carried the Press Conference. I was so excited when I got home that I didn't have to watch it and could watch my regular show on FOX and when I turned the Channel there he was, OBAMA!!!! UGHHHHHHH!!!!
I don't think this really surprises anyone that they treated FOX like that. It is the way that the Obama Administration has done business from day one. If you don't go along with them, then they will try to pressure you into doing it their way.
School Nurse Performs CPR and Saves Coach, Then Dies
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Santa Clara High School is mourning the loss this week of a school nurse who likely helped save the life of the school's softball coach suffering from a heart attack just moments before collapsing herself. She later died.
On Tuesday, 59-year-old Eileen Bowden gave John Rahbar CPR minutes after he collapsed with no pulse while collecting foul balls following a team practice.
Bowden's actions kept Rahbar alive until paramedics arrived, but then Bowden collapsed.
"After that, Ms. Bowden kind of got up, in just a brief moment, she fell down and seemed to need medical assistance," said Santa Clara School District spokeswoman Tabitha Kappler-Hurley. "So she was taken to Valley Medical Center and unfortunately died en route." - KTVU News Story
On Tuesday, 59-year-old Eileen Bowden gave John Rahbar CPR minutes after he collapsed with no pulse while collecting foul balls following a team practice.
Bowden's actions kept Rahbar alive until paramedics arrived, but then Bowden collapsed.
"After that, Ms. Bowden kind of got up, in just a brief moment, she fell down and seemed to need medical assistance," said Santa Clara School District spokeswoman Tabitha Kappler-Hurley. "So she was taken to Valley Medical Center and unfortunately died en route." - KTVU News Story
Entertainer Danny Gans Dies
(CNN) -- Singer-impressionist-comedian Danny Gans died early Friday at his Las Vegas, Nevada, home, according to the hotel where he was based.Danny Gans was one of Las Vegas' top entertainers and recently moved to the Encore Theatre.
Gans, 52, was voted Las Vegas "Entertainer of the Year" for 11 of the 13 years he has been based there.
Hotel mogul Steve Wynn, who signed Gans to star in his Encore Theatre starting in February, said he was "devastated at the loss of our brilliant, talented and loving friend."
"One of the most unique human beings and entertainers in the world has been taken from us in an unexpected moment," Wynn said. "A profoundly tragic event that leaves us all sad and speechless."
Gans is survived by his wife Julie, two daughters and a son.
His long Vegas run began in 1996, when he gave up his one-man Broadway show and a tour schedule of 200 shows a year for a three-month gig at the Stratosphere Hotel.
He signed a nine-year deal to play in his own 1,250-seat theater at the Mirage Hotel starting in 2000. Some reports put the contract at $200 million. - CNN Story
Withdraw from Iraq - Country Has Most Dangerous Month
(AP) Three U.S. troops have been killed in fighting west of Baghdad, the military said Friday, making April the deadliest month for American forces in Iraq since September.
At least 18 U.S. soldiers died in April, a sharp increase from March's total of nine - the lowest since the war began in March 2003.
The deaths come as a series of deadly bombings in recent weeks has raised concerns that insurgents are stepping up their efforts to re-ignite sectarian bloodshed and derail security gains that have brought overall violence to its lowest levels in recent years.
Most of the violence has targeted Iraqis since the Americans have begun pulling back from inner-city outposts in preparation for a withdrawal from urban areas by the end of June. But attacks have continued against U.S. forces. - CBS News Story
At least 18 U.S. soldiers died in April, a sharp increase from March's total of nine - the lowest since the war began in March 2003.
The deaths come as a series of deadly bombings in recent weeks has raised concerns that insurgents are stepping up their efforts to re-ignite sectarian bloodshed and derail security gains that have brought overall violence to its lowest levels in recent years.
Most of the violence has targeted Iraqis since the Americans have begun pulling back from inner-city outposts in preparation for a withdrawal from urban areas by the end of June. But attacks have continued against U.S. forces. - CBS News Story
Labor Relations Board Decisions - Appeals Court Divided
(AP) The status of some 300 decisions made last year by the labor relations board are in legal doubt, with two federal appeals courts issuing vastly different opinions about their validity on the same day.
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington said Friday that all the decisions handed down in 2008 by the National Labor Relations Board are invalid because they were made by just two members. But the U.S. Court of Appeals located in Chicago said in an opinion issued within the same hour that the votes by two members was sufficient.
The board is supposed to have five members but it had three vacancies because Democrats who controlled Congress objected to President George W. Bush's labor policies and refused to confirm his nominees.
With two appeals court decisions at odds, the Supreme Court is more likely weigh in on appeal. - CBS News
This is what partisan politics brings you. Gridlock. The Democrats did their best to bring the American system to it's knees for years, now they are calling the Republicans the party of No.?
The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington said Friday that all the decisions handed down in 2008 by the National Labor Relations Board are invalid because they were made by just two members. But the U.S. Court of Appeals located in Chicago said in an opinion issued within the same hour that the votes by two members was sufficient.
The board is supposed to have five members but it had three vacancies because Democrats who controlled Congress objected to President George W. Bush's labor policies and refused to confirm his nominees.
With two appeals court decisions at odds, the Supreme Court is more likely weigh in on appeal. - CBS News
This is what partisan politics brings you. Gridlock. The Democrats did their best to bring the American system to it's knees for years, now they are calling the Republicans the party of No.?
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Biden's Advice - Don't Travel on Planes, Trains or Busses
Vice President Joe Biden, discussing the spread of swine flu, said Thursday morning that he would advise against traveling in an airplane or in any confined space -- a comment that an airline spokesman said borders on "fearmongering."
"To suggest that people not fly at this stage of things is a broad brush stroke bordering on fearmongering," American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said. "The facts of the situation at this stage anyway certainly don't support that."
Roughly 250,000 passengers use American Airlines daily, and not a single one of them has tested positive for swine flu, Smith said.
Biden, a longtime Amtrak rider who commuted daily between Delaware and Washington for decades, said on NBC's "Today" show Thursday morning that he wouldn't necessarily advise family members not to travel to Mexico, but "I would tell members of my family, and I have, I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places right now.
"It's not ... going to Mexico, it's that you are in a confined aircraft when one person sneezes, it goes everywhere through the aircraft. That's me. - FOX News Story
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Polls - Confidence in Obama Terrorist Plan Drops
Just 42% of likely voters now believe the United States and its allies are winning the War on Terror, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
That’s down from 50% two weeks ago, down from 62% in early February, and is the lowest level of confidence since June 30, 2008.
Twenty-eight percent (28%) now say the terrorists are winning. That’s the highest number offering that pessimistic assessment since October 2007.
Just over a third (34%) say the situation in Iraq will get better in the next six months, also the lowest level of confidence since last June. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say the situation will get worse. - Rasmussen Story
Obama's Budget Passes
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Congress approved a $3.4 trillion budget for the coming year Wednesday, approving most of President Obama's key spending priorities including increasing in health care, education and alternative energy spending.
Congress approved a budget plan Wednesday, President Obama's 100th day in office.
The spending plan passed without a single Republican vote in either the House or Senate.
The Senate voted for the plan 53-43. Four Democrats, including recent party-switcher Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, voted against it.
Earlier, the House approved the budget 233-193, with 17 Democrats voting against it.
The measure passed two days after congressional Democrats reached an agreement reconciling House and Senate versions of the budget package.
"Today, for the first time in many, many years, we have a president's budget ... that is a statement of our national values," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said during the final debate on the House floor. - CNN News Story
For the first time in a very long time Nancy Pelosi and I agree. This massive Budget does reflect the American Values. Unfortunately it is those values that have crashed the economy. Those values are the ones that say it doesn't matter if you have the money, burrow and spend. Buy everything on credit and worry about the bill later. The Values that say, we can spend it now and let someone else clean up the mess.
Congratulations, you have now passed a budget that by all accounts will drive the USA into the biggest budget deficits in history. With absolutely no possible way of ever getting out of it. Congratulations for Celebrating Values that will ruin the lives of not only this generation, but my kids and their kids.
Thank you Nancy Pelosi!!!! Now please Celebrate and be happy!!!!
Obama's $7 Trillion 4 Year Deficit Budget Closer To Reality
WASHINGTON -- Acting with unusual speed, the House on Wednesday adopted a $3.4 trillion budget outline that endorses much of President Barack Obama's ambitious agenda while permitting the national debt to continue to spiral higher.
While a welcome victory for Democrats, the 233-193 House vote approving the House-Senate compromise budget is only a first, relatively easy step toward Obama's goal of providing health care coverage for all Americans. Next would come arduous negotiations among lawmakers, the Obama administration and a vast array of interest groups.
Not a single Republican voted for the measure; 17 Democrats, mostly from GOP-leaning districts, voted against it.
The Senate will vote on the measure Wednesday afternoon.
With the economy in recession and the bailout of the financial sector costing hundreds of billions of dollars, deficits would rocket to $1.7 trillion for the ongoing budget year, dipping to a still-astonishing $1.2 trillion in 2010. The national debt would rise from today's $11.2 trillion level to $17 trillion at the end of 2014. - FOX News Story
Health Threat Level Raised Again
WHO Raises Flu Pandemic Threat Level To 5
The World Health Organization raises its pandemic alert to phase 5, which is
just one step below level 6, a full-fledged pandemic.
The World Health Organization raises its pandemic alert to phase 5, which is
just one step below level 6, a full-fledged pandemic.
MORE DETAILS: <http://www.wisn.com/
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
FOX News beats CNN and MSNBC Combined in Ratings
April's cable ratings are out, and it looks like Fox News isn't slowing down in the Obama era.
TVNewser notes that Murdoch's network has just beaten CNN and MSNBC combined in every hour from 6pm to midnight -- that's in both total viewers and the key demo (age 25-54). Glenn Beck's ratings continues to soar, too, now up 212 percent in the demo.
Meanwhile, both MSNBC and CNN claim second place victories, according to dueling press releases.
MSNBC, again, has bragging rights by beating CNN in the prime-time demo. As for total viewers, MSNBC claims that it's a "virtual tie" with CNN, the latter winning by just 2,000 viewers. (In March, MSNBC beat CNN for the first time in prime-time).
However, CNN boasts topping MSNBC in total day numbers and total viewers in prime-time. In addition, Nancy Grace -- on sister network HLN -- beat out MSNBC's Keith Olbermann in the demo. - Rasmussen
TVNewser notes that Murdoch's network has just beaten CNN and MSNBC combined in every hour from 6pm to midnight -- that's in both total viewers and the key demo (age 25-54). Glenn Beck's ratings continues to soar, too, now up 212 percent in the demo.
Meanwhile, both MSNBC and CNN claim second place victories, according to dueling press releases.
MSNBC, again, has bragging rights by beating CNN in the prime-time demo. As for total viewers, MSNBC claims that it's a "virtual tie" with CNN, the latter winning by just 2,000 viewers. (In March, MSNBC beat CNN for the first time in prime-time).
However, CNN boasts topping MSNBC in total day numbers and total viewers in prime-time. In addition, Nancy Grace -- on sister network HLN -- beat out MSNBC's Keith Olbermann in the demo. - Rasmussen
Republicans Lead Democrats in Congressional Polling
For just the second time in more than five years of daily or weekly tracking, Republicans now lead Democrats in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 41% would vote for their district’s Republican candidate while 38% would choose the Democrat. Thirty-one percent (31%) of conservative Democrats said they would vote for their district’s Republican candidate.
Overall, the GOP gained two points this week, while the Democrats lost a point in support. Still, it’s important to note that the GOP’s improved position comes primarily from falling Democratic support. Democrats are currently at their lowest level of support in the past year while Republicans are at the high water mark. - Rasmussen Story
Specter - Proposed Rule about Senators Switching Parties
Rattled by the defection of Jim Jeffords in 2001, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter proposed changing the Senate rules to diminish the impact of Senators switching party mid-session -- as he did today.
Specter took to the floor to express his unhappiness with Jeffords' move, and to suggest a rule -- which was never put into place -- "which would preclude a recurrence of this situation" in which a single Senator's move shifted control of the body. (Specter's move today didn't have that effect.)
Here's the relevant portion of Specter's May 14, 2001 speech, which was unearthed by POLITICO's Eamon Javers: - Politico Story
Obama - Welcome Specter, Come to the White House
(CNN) — Newly minted Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter will meet with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at the White House Wednesday Morning.
The three will address the media in the Diplomatic Room at 8 a.m. ET, the White House announced. - CNN News
The payback begins. Obama will have to put his team to work to get Arlen Specter re-elected back in PA. There was no way he was going to be able to do it as a Republican, so now he can get the Scratch my Back and I'll Scratch yours from Obama. He will get the funding from the Dems and the Face Time with the Pres.
Politics as Usual, not really the Change We Can Believe In.
Specters Switch was to Try and Save his Political Career
Sen. Arlen Specter’s jilted former party is pushing the talking point that his switch to the Democratic Party is “an act of self-preservation.”
“[H]is decision ... was a personal decision, limited to his Republican primary prospects in Pennsylvania. Nothing more and nothing less,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., the chairman of the National Senatorial Congressional Committee.
Not to buy into the spin, but they’re actually fairly accurate. And Specter is fully aware of that fact.
“I have traveled the state and surveyed the sentiments of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania and public opinion polls, observed other public opinion polls and have found that the prospects for
winning a Republican primary are bleak,” Specter told reporters on Capitol Hill this afternoon.
Specter, who squeaked past an intraparty challenge from former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., in 2004, was facing the conservative Toomey again. And recent polls showed him being trounced by Toomey in the Republican primary next year. - CBS News Story
“[H]is decision ... was a personal decision, limited to his Republican primary prospects in Pennsylvania. Nothing more and nothing less,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., the chairman of the National Senatorial Congressional Committee.
Not to buy into the spin, but they’re actually fairly accurate. And Specter is fully aware of that fact.
“I have traveled the state and surveyed the sentiments of the Republican Party in Pennsylvania and public opinion polls, observed other public opinion polls and have found that the prospects for
winning a Republican primary are bleak,” Specter told reporters on Capitol Hill this afternoon.
Specter, who squeaked past an intraparty challenge from former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., in 2004, was facing the conservative Toomey again. And recent polls showed him being trounced by Toomey in the Republican primary next year. - CBS News Story
Arlen Specter makes move from Republican to Democrat
I have been a Republican since 1966. I have been working extremely hard for the party, for its candidates and for the ideals of a Republican Party whose tent is big enough to welcome diverse points of view.
While I have been comfortable being a Republican, my party has not defined who I am. I have taken each issue one at a time and have exercised independent judgment to do what I thought was best for Pennsylvania and the nation.
Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.
When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.
Since then, I have traveled the state, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. - FOX News Story
That goes to show you how the game is played. It is all about keeping a job not doing what is right for your people. He knows that his people are against him because he went against their wishes on votes. He also knows that Obama and the Dems owe him a big favor as it was his vote who got them through. Payback time from Obama and the Dems.
Poll- Most Americans Against Investigation into Torture
(CBS) The recent release of detailed memos describing harsh interrogation techniques used on suspected terrorists under the Bush administration has fueled calls for a Congressional investigation.
But most Americans do not want an investigation, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll.
According to the poll, sixty-two percent of Americans do not think Congress should hold hearings to investigate the administration’s treatment of detainees. Only a third of Americans thinks Congress should investigate. That's the same proportion as thought so in February. - CBS News Story
The number will likely go even higher as news has come out that all the reports of multiple, multiple, multiple water-boardings was way over-exaggerated and the bottom line was it was very few. See Story
But most Americans do not want an investigation, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll.
According to the poll, sixty-two percent of Americans do not think Congress should hold hearings to investigate the administration’s treatment of detainees. Only a third of Americans thinks Congress should investigate. That's the same proportion as thought so in February. - CBS News Story
The number will likely go even higher as news has come out that all the reports of multiple, multiple, multiple water-boardings was way over-exaggerated and the bottom line was it was very few. See Story
US Pork Banned by Many Countries due to Swine Flu
After taking hits on product safety for everything from tainted toys to tainted milk, China wasted no time banning U.S. pork imports in the wake of the swine flu outbreak.
China and a string of other countries have moved to ban pork and other meat products from some U.S. states over the past week. The trend on Tuesday drew a rebuke from U.S. officials, who are warning trading partners that such embargoes could trigger "serious trading disruptions."
The Centers for Disease Control and other health organizations insist that the strain cannot be spread by food and that properly cooked pork is safe.
But according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, the Chinese government ordered all pork products from Mexico, Texas, Kansas and California destroyed or returned to the suppliers.
"(The) restrictions on U.S. pork or pork products or any meat products from the United States resulting from the recent outbreak do not appear to be based on scientific evidence and may result in serious trade disruptions without cause," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in a statement Tuesday. - FOX News Story
The Obama Administration has their hands full with this. Now maybe they have a better grasp of what it is like to deal with an emergency and have it snowball out of your control. Happen to Bush with Katrina, nobody (including Obama) gave them a break.
So, no Break Obama. This is your disaster and you are being tested. We will see how you grade out. Good Luck
Waterboarding Reports were False
The New York Times reported last week that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, was waterboarded 183 times in one month by CIA interrogators. The "183 times" was widely circulated by news outlets throughout the world.
It was shocking. And it was highly misleading. The number is a vast inflation, according to information from a U.S. official and the testimony of the terrorists themselves.
A U.S. official with knowledge of the interrogation program told FOX News that the much-cited figure represents the number of times water was poured onto Mohammed's face -- not the number of times the CIA applied the simulated-drowning technique on the terror suspect. According to a 2007 Red Cross report, he was subjected a total of "five sessions of ill-treatment."
"The water was poured 183 times -- there were 183 pours," the official explained, adding that "each pour was a matter of seconds."
The Times and dozens of other outlets wrote that the CIA also waterboarded senior Al Qaeda member Abu Zubaydah 83 times, but Zubayda himself, a close associate of Usama bin Laden, told the Red Cross he was waterboarded no more than 10 times. - FOX News Story
Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter Switching from GOP to Democrat
Sen. Arlen Specter has been in a dog fight with his own constituents back home after his vote on the Stimulus and many other votes lately. There has been wide speculation that he would not be able to win next year against another Republican.
Several Sources are reporting that he is planning a switch from the Republican Party to the Democrats before he faces re-election.
This is most likely a last ditch effort to try and save his job. I am not so sure that it is going to help.
Dem. Russ Feingold - Obama Gets a D on State Secrets
President Obama is receiving a "D" for his handling of state secrets in a "rule of law" report card prepared by fellow Democrat Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin senator who heads a subcommittee on the Constitution."One hundred days into this administration, it's appropriate to assess how well the president has done so far," Feingold told ABC News. "I recognize that some of these issues will take time, but given how important these issues are to the country, Americans deserve a fair assessment of the administration's progress."
Obama's "D" on state secrets, which Feingold characterized as "troubling," is a timely reminder that this is one area where the new president has raised concern among some progressives. In the first 100 days, the Obama administration has invoked the state secrets privilege in three cases: Al Haramain Islamic Foundation v. Obama, Mohammed v. Jeppesen Dataplan, and Jewel v. NSA. - ABC News Story
You know that you are doing a bod job when members of your own party give you bad grades.
Airforce One Flyover - Photop - Apology
(CBS/AP) An airliner and supersonic fighter jet zoomed past the lower Manhattan skyline in a flash just as the work day was beginning Monday. Within minutes, startled financial workers streamed out of their offices, fearing a nightmarish replay of Sept. 11.
For a half-hour, the Boeing 747 and F-16 jet circled the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan skyline near the World Trade Center site. Offices evacuated. Dispatchers were inundated with calls. Witnesses thought the planes were flying dangerously low.
But the flyover was nothing but a photo op, apparently one of a series of flights to get pictures of the plane in front of national landmarks - CBS News Story
Not only was this stupid because it scared many many people who had flashbacks to 9/11, it was an enormous waste of money. The cost to fly just Air Force One was reported a year or two back at $57,000 per hour. Then you have the cost of the F-16's. This was a tremendous waste of Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars.
For a half-hour, the Boeing 747 and F-16 jet circled the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan skyline near the World Trade Center site. Offices evacuated. Dispatchers were inundated with calls. Witnesses thought the planes were flying dangerously low.
But the flyover was nothing but a photo op, apparently one of a series of flights to get pictures of the plane in front of national landmarks - CBS News Story
Not only was this stupid because it scared many many people who had flashbacks to 9/11, it was an enormous waste of money. The cost to fly just Air Force One was reported a year or two back at $57,000 per hour. Then you have the cost of the F-16's. This was a tremendous waste of Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars.
Obama Supports Hamas?
Israel is concerned that the U.S. may be planning to approve funding for a future Palestinian unity government that would include the Islamic militant group Hamas.Israeli officials say the Obama administration has asked Congress to change a U.S. law to allow such indirect funding for Hamas, even though the group is on the State Department's list of terrorist organizations.
According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the Obama administration requested the changes this month as part of an $83-billion emergency spending bill that also includes funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The bill would provide $840 million for the Palestinian Authority and for the reconstruction of Gaza following the Israeli assault on the territory in January.
Gaza is ruled by Hamas, while the more moderate Palestinian Authority, led by U.S.-backed President Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah party, controls the West Bank. The rival factions have been holding reconciliation talks in Cairo with the goal of forming a national unity government. - CBS News Story
Monday, April 27, 2009
Obama Press Secretary Doesn't Answer Many Questions
At Monday’s briefing, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs left an unusually large number of unanswered questions in his wake as he made his way through rows of reporters.
They were key questions, too — ones driving the news of the day, not fringe asides. They focused on the swine flu outbreak and a mock Air Force One photo-op flyover that caused panic in Lower Manhattan.
The briefing’s first question came from The Associated Press’ Jennifer Loven, who asked if the White House was pushing back on the European Union’s recommendation that Europeans cancel any nonessential travel to the United States.
"I did not see that before I came out here," Gibbs said.
"OK, well, it's been in all the stories all day," Loven replied.
Gibbs gave an answer about how the president is handling the crisis, and said he would get back to Loven, who noted, “it used to be that if there was a question of, a follow-up on the briefing, that there would be sort of an asterisk in the transcript or some way to get us the facts.”By the end of the less-than-hourlong briefing, Gibbs stepped away from the podium with a long wish list. - Politico Story
Obama Budget - Creative Accounting?
House and Senate Democrats reached final agreement Monday evening on a five-year budget plan that gives President Barack Obama a clear shot at winning health care reform next fall but scales back his spending and tax cut proposals so as to hit a $523 billion deficit target by 2014.
If successful, that would represent a two-thirds reduction from the nearly $1.7 trillion shortfall projected for this year and would be about $225 billion less than Obama's own projected 2014 deficit of $749 billion, as calculated by the Congressional Budget Office.
But it's still a huge sum by historic standards, and Republicans were unsparing in their criticism, accusing the administration of abusing its power to win health care and adopting "AIG accounting" to hide the worst from voters. - Politico Story
If successful, that would represent a two-thirds reduction from the nearly $1.7 trillion shortfall projected for this year and would be about $225 billion less than Obama's own projected 2014 deficit of $749 billion, as calculated by the Congressional Budget Office.
But it's still a huge sum by historic standards, and Republicans were unsparing in their criticism, accusing the administration of abusing its power to win health care and adopting "AIG accounting" to hide the worst from voters. - Politico Story
FOX Says NO to airing Obama Press Conference
For the first time during this administration, a broadcast network is turning down a White House request to pre-empt its regularly scheduled programming for the president.
The AP reports that Fox — not Fox News — is running an episode of the drama "Lie to Me" on Wednesday night instead of Obama's prime-time "100 days" presser.
The other broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, and NBC — will be airing the news conference. - Politico
It's about time. This President does more News Conferences than I can remember.
Swine Flu hits Washington DC with Partisan Politics
Reports of swine flu outbreaks have come in from five different states so far, but all Washington has caught is a contagious case of finger-pointing.
As the cable networks went 24/7 with influenza coverage Monday, liberal bloggers went after Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Arlen Specter for working to slice $780 million in pandemic planning funds from President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package.
A spokesman for Collins seemed to shift some of the blame to the Obama administration, noting the unfilled seats at the Department of Health and Human Services. The Service Employees International Union, in turn, blamed Senate Republicans for a delay in confirming HHS nominee Kathleen Sebelius.
This kind of partisan sniping, of course, is the congressional equivalent of elevator music. But what about an event that would really capture lawmakers’ attention — an appearance of the dreaded virus on Capitol Hill?
Congress’ attending physician and the House sergeant at arms are working on a plan in case a flu pandemic hits Capitol Hill. A “Dear Colleague” letter sent out Monday by the Office of the Attending Physician stressed hand washing and encouraged members to leave work if they fall ill. - Politico Story
You can blame the Republicans for cutting funding from the Stimulus. They did do that, but so what? There aren't even anybody in the Head Positions of most of the Departments that would have delegated those funds. That is Obama's fault.
You can try to blame the Republicans for holding up the HHS Secretaries Nomination. NO GO! If she would have paid her taxes then there would be no hold up. HER FAULT, not Republicans.
As the cable networks went 24/7 with influenza coverage Monday, liberal bloggers went after Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Arlen Specter for working to slice $780 million in pandemic planning funds from President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package.
A spokesman for Collins seemed to shift some of the blame to the Obama administration, noting the unfilled seats at the Department of Health and Human Services. The Service Employees International Union, in turn, blamed Senate Republicans for a delay in confirming HHS nominee Kathleen Sebelius.
This kind of partisan sniping, of course, is the congressional equivalent of elevator music. But what about an event that would really capture lawmakers’ attention — an appearance of the dreaded virus on Capitol Hill?
Congress’ attending physician and the House sergeant at arms are working on a plan in case a flu pandemic hits Capitol Hill. A “Dear Colleague” letter sent out Monday by the Office of the Attending Physician stressed hand washing and encouraged members to leave work if they fall ill. - Politico Story
You can blame the Republicans for cutting funding from the Stimulus. They did do that, but so what? There aren't even anybody in the Head Positions of most of the Departments that would have delegated those funds. That is Obama's fault.
You can try to blame the Republicans for holding up the HHS Secretaries Nomination. NO GO! If she would have paid her taxes then there would be no hold up. HER FAULT, not Republicans.
FDIC Chair - Reject the notion of Too Big to Fail
Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairwoman Sheila Bair said today that government and the American people need to reject the notion that a bank is simply "too big to fail" -- a 25-year-old idea that she said "ought to be tossed into the dustbin."Instead -- noting that bankruptcy isn't a viable option either -- Bair called for Congress to give her agency more power to close "systemically important" financial firms, expanding on the FDIC's current ability to close commercial banks.
"The past 25 years have seen vast changes in how credit is provided and in the types of firms which provide financial intermediation," Bair said this afternoon at a luncheon at the Economic Club of New York. "Unfortunately, our laws for dealing with financial crises have not kept pace with these changes."
WHO Raises Pandemic Alert Level to Phase 4
In a widely anticipated emergency meeting today in response to the swine flu threat, the World Health Organization announced that it is raising its pandemic alert level to Phase 4 from Phase 3 -- the first time the alert level has been raised above 3 since the system was adopted in 2005.
The Phase 4 designation signifies that the new swine flu virus can cause sustained outbreaks and is adapting itself to spread among humans -- significant steps toward a pandemic. But the ranking does not necessarily mean that a pandemic is a forgone conclusion.
Meanwhile, 20 additional cases of swine flu have been confirmed at a New York City school, boosting the total number of cases to 28, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said today. - ABC News Story
Top Health Posts Vacant in Public Health Emergency
When widespread public health emergencies like swine flu surface, it falls largely on three key people to take charge of the government's response: the secretary of Health and Human Services, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
But nearly 100 days into the Obama administration, all three of those critical posts are vacant. - ABC News Story
But nearly 100 days into the Obama administration, all three of those critical posts are vacant. - ABC News Story
Mary Ann Glendon Won't Accept Medal from Notre Dame
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon won't accept the school's Laetare Medal at commencement next month because of its decision to have President Barack Obama speak to graduates.
Glendon also says in a letter to Notre Dame's president that giving Obama an honorary degree violates the U.S. bishops' 2004 statement that Roman Catholic institutions shouldn't honor people whose actions conflict with the church's moral principles.
Glendon says she's concerned Notre Dame's example could have a ripple effect.
Dozens of bishops have criticized the Obama invitation because of his support for abortion rights and embryonic stem-cell research.
The Laetare Medal is considered the most prestigious honor for American Catholics. - FOX News
New Yorker Angry over Air Force One Flyover
At a White House press briefing Monday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dodged questions about the flyover, even referring the media to the White House (that he represents).
Gibbs said he had no other information about the flyover other than news reports he had seen. "I was working on other things," Gibbs said. "You might be surprised to know I don't know every movement of Air Force One or what happens to it."
Although the shoot was authorized, the normal system of public notification broke down, multiple officials said.
The DOD would not answer specific questions about the promotional flight.
Bloomberg said he was so furious he wasn't told about the photo op, that before he talked further to his own staff and agencies about the lack of notice to him, he wants "to calm down."
"Poor judgment would have been a nice way to put it," Bloomberg said of the government flyover. - ABC News Story
Asia Using Thermal Screeners to Monitor for Swine Flu
In an effort to flag potential carriers of the swine flu, some Asian countries reportedly are using scanners that automatically measure the body temperatures of people crossing the border and arriving at airports.
But automatic thermal scanning is not available to U.S. customs officers, who have to rely on their intuition when they think someone who is ill is entering the country.
The U.S. started border screenings over the weekend at all airports, seaports and land crossings. Anyone who exhibits flu symptoms -- including fever, cough, sore throat, headaches, fatigue and in some cases diarrhea and vomiting -- is supposed to be isolated, given a surgical mask to wear and then screened by an officer from the Centers for Disease Control. - FOX News Story
Grade your Governmental Leaders Online
After 26 years spent working for the Senate, Elizabeth Letchworth knows a thing or two about Congress — including how much of a bubble it can be.Now off Capitol Hill, Letchworth is poised to launch a new website next week that aims to keep members in touch with the rest of the country. Gradegov.com will allow users to give individual members a letter grade, A through F. The site will display each lawmaker’s average, as well as breakdowns by political party and by grades sent by voters who actually live in a member’s district.
“The more and more pundits you have, [and] it seems like everybody now does a poll, it seems like we’ve lost the American public’s ability to just say it in their own words,” said Letchworth, who worked for the Senate from 1975 to 2001, rising from a page to become the first woman Republican secretary of the Senate, an elected officer of the chamber.
The site’s tagline: “They work for you. Remind them.” - Politico Story
You definitely want to check this site out. Pretty eyeopening compared to what you would have thought the grades to be. www.gradegov.com
Democrat Fighting against Cap & Trade
Forget Evan Bayh and the gang of centrist Senate Democrats.As the Obama White House pushes to reform Wall Street, control global warming, achieve energy independence and step up the war in Afghanistan, its real problem could be Sen. Byron Dorgan.
“I’m not in Washington, D.C., to serve President Obama or to serve any interests other than the interests of this country or the interests of this state,” Dorgan said in an interview with POLITICO. “North Dakotans know — they know that I’m fiercely independent.”
For Dorgan’s sake, they’d better. The Democratic senator is up for reelection in 2010 in deeply red North Dakota, and the state’s Republican Party is eager to tie him tightly to the most liberal elements of President Barack Obama’s agenda.
That may be easier said than done.
Dorgan is skeptical of Obama’s choice of Lawrence Summers and Timothy Geithner to resurrect the economy, arguing that the two men helped build the financial system that is now in shambles.
Hailing from an energy-producing state, Dorgan holds critical committee positions that will allow him to push for expanded energy production and fight a global warming bill if it’s too tough on coal. - Politico Story
Democrats Struggle on Cap & Trade
Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are postponing consideration of their landmark climate change measure, as moderate Democrats on the panel continue to voice their frustration about a proposal to cap carbon emissions.
Authors of the legislation were expected to roll out their ambitious proposal in greater detail this week, during a series of public meetings before the panel's Energy and Environment subcommittee. But Republicans on the committee alerted GOP members on Monday morning that the start of that markup would be delayed, according to multiple GOP aides.
"We have it on good authority that there will be no cap and trade markup in Subcommittee this week," David Cavicke, the staff director for committee Republicans, wrote other members' offices on Monday morning. "The Democrats are still looking for votes." - Politico Story
Pelosi on Defense after Torture Memos Released
Nancy Pelosi didn’t cry foul when the Bush administration briefed her on “enhanced interrogation” of terror suspects in 2002, but her team was locked and loaded to counter hypocrisy charges when the “torture” memos were released last week.Many Republicans obliged, led by former CIA chief Porter Goss, who is accusing Democrats like Pelosi of “amnesia” for demanding investigations in 2009 after failing to raise objections seven years ago when she first learned of the legal basis for the program.
“As soon as the president made the decision to release [the memos], I was telling people that the Republicans were going to come after us, saying she knew about it and did nothing,” said an adviser to Pelosi (D-Calif.), speaking on condition of anonymity. “And I’m sure we’re going to get hammered again when they release all those new torture photos,” the person said.
But Pelosi’s allies were less prepared to confront the fallout from her convoluted answers during three sessions with reporters last week — answers that raised new questions and handed Republicans a fresh line of attack on a speaker at the height of her power. - Politico Story
U.S. Lawmakers Arrested at Protest
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Five members of Congress were among among those arrested Monday outside the Embassy of Sudan for crossing a police line during a demonstration against genocide in Darfur. "You have to find a way to dramatize an issue," Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia) told CNN as he was led away in handcuffs.
The other U.S. lawmakers who were arrested during the protest are Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts), Donna Edwards (D-Maryland), Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota), and Lynn Woolsey (D-California).
Lewis faces a misdemeanor charge of trespassing, after he refused three warnings from police to stay behind a barricade established toprotect the diplomatic compound located along Washington's Embassy Row. - CNN News Story
You have access to the biggest media machine in the world and access to the President of the United States and instead you go out and act unlawfull to get attention?Just a few weeks ago everyone was out bashing the Tea Parties as ridiculous, but this is ok?
This is the Democratic Double Standard that exists in Washington. If I believe in the cause then there are no barriers, If I don't then it is ridiculous.
Earth Quake near Acapulco, Mexico
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- A strong quake measuring 6.0 in magnitude struck southwestern Mexico on Monday, and it was felt about 175 miles away in Mexico City, according to a CNN producer and the U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS measured the quake's epicenter in the state of Guerrero about 43 miles northeast of Acapulco. The preliminary magnitude is 6.0, but that could change.
CNN's Lonzo Cook said he felt the temblor in Mexico City - CNN NewsAir Force 1 Photo Shoot Creates Major Scare in New York
A photo shoot involving a 747 used as Air Force One and two fighter jets flying at low altitude led to hundreds of frightened calls from residents and workers in Lower Manhattan this morning, triggering memories of 9-11 as many evacuated their offices. The president was not aboard.Although the shoot was authorized, the normal system of public notification broke down, multiple officials said.
"It scared a couple of million people," one airport official said.
Witnesses told ABCNews.com that they were "shocked" and "running scared" when the planes flew overhead. - ABC News Story
Who had this bright idea? I can't imagine who would have of thought this to be a good idea.
Small Business Brace for Tax Battle with Obama
Gail Johnson doesn't think of herself as wealthy. The former pediatric nurse has spent 20 years building a chain of preschools and after-school programs that accommodate sick children so working parents can keep their jobs.
But, like most small-business owners, Johnson reports her profit on her personal tax return. In a typical year, she and her husband make more than $500,000, according to her accountant, a figure that throws them squarely into the ranks of the richest Americans -- and makes them a prime target for the Obama administration's tax policy.
Since last year's campaign, President Obama has vowed repeatedly not to increase taxes for families making less than $250,000 a year. That pledge, while politically popular, has left him with just two primary sources of funding for his ambitious social agenda: about 3 million high-earning families and the nation's businesses.
Johnson, with her company, falls into both categories. If Obama's tax plans are enacted, her accountant estimates that her federal tax bill -- typically, around $120,000 a year -- would rise by at least $23,000, a 19 percent increase.
"You hear 'tax the rich,' and you think, 'I don't make that much money,' " said Johnson, whose Rainbow Station programs are headquartered near Richmond. "But then you realize: 'Oh, if I put my business income with my wages, then, suddenly, I'm there.' " - CBS News Story
But, like most small-business owners, Johnson reports her profit on her personal tax return. In a typical year, she and her husband make more than $500,000, according to her accountant, a figure that throws them squarely into the ranks of the richest Americans -- and makes them a prime target for the Obama administration's tax policy.
Since last year's campaign, President Obama has vowed repeatedly not to increase taxes for families making less than $250,000 a year. That pledge, while politically popular, has left him with just two primary sources of funding for his ambitious social agenda: about 3 million high-earning families and the nation's businesses.
Johnson, with her company, falls into both categories. If Obama's tax plans are enacted, her accountant estimates that her federal tax bill -- typically, around $120,000 a year -- would rise by at least $23,000, a 19 percent increase.
"You hear 'tax the rich,' and you think, 'I don't make that much money,' " said Johnson, whose Rainbow Station programs are headquartered near Richmond. "But then you realize: 'Oh, if I put my business income with my wages, then, suddenly, I'm there.' " - CBS News Story
EU Warns against Travel to USA or Mexico
MADRID — EU health officials urged Europeans on Monday to postpone nonessential travel to the United States and Mexico because of the swine flu virus, and Spanish health officials confirmed the first case outside North America.
China, Russia and Taiwan said it would quarantine visitors showing symptoms of the virus amid a surging global concern about a possible pandemic.
World stock markets fell as investors worried that the deadly outbreak could go global and derail any global economic recovery. Airlines took the brunt of the selling.
The virus was suspected in up to 103 deaths in Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak with more than 1,600 cases suspected, while 20 cases were confirmed in the United States and six in Canada. - FOX News Story
Bipartisanship Missing in Obama first 100 Days
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- There's little debate that Democrats who run Congress mark President Obama's 100-day milestone with some significant victories.First and foremost, they passed the president's $787 billion measure intended to stimulate the economy with warp speed, meeting his February deadline.
Congressional Democrats also made good on promises to push through several priorities that President Bush had refused to sign into law.
They finally approved last year's bill to fund the government, with significant increases in spending for things such as education, health care and transportation.
And Democrats passed long stalled legislation for children's health insurance -- the State Children's Health Insurance Program, known as S-CHIP -- as well as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act mandating equal pay for women in the workplace.
But the slew of legislative achievements during Obama's first 100 days have come at the cost of bipartisanship. - CNN Story
Obama - Swine Flu "not a cause for alarm"
The outbreak of swine flu in North America is not a cause for alarm, President Obama said Monday, calling the government's decision to declare a health emergency a "precautionary tool."Obama said the government is "closely monitoring" emerging cases of the strain, as the United States launches border screening for swine flu exposure.
"This is obviously a cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert," Obama said. "But it's not a cause for alarm."
As the U.S. president urged calm, countries around the world were trying to grapple with the outbreak and prevent it from spreading. The European Union advised against nonessential travel and China, Russia and Taiwan moved to quarantine visitors amid a surging global concern about a possible pandemic. - FOX News Story
Are you kidding me? Not cause for alarm? What would it take to be a cause for alarm. Over a 100 dead in Mexico and this thing is spreading like a wild fire. Mexico City is all but deserted as people stay locked in their homes as precaution.
I think Alarm is exactly what we need to stop this right now. If people don't get alarmed and start doing their part in protecting themselves then what is going to slow this thing down?
Swine Flu Locks Down Mexico City
MEXICO CITY – The cardinal said Mass in a shuttered cathedral. Soccer teams played to empty stadiums. A televised variety show filled its seats with cardboard cutouts. Mexico's overcrowded capital locked itself indoors Sunday, terrified by a new strain of swine flu that was spreading around the world. Mexico City residents — chilangos, they're called — are accustomed to living in public view. They eat greasy tacos at stands along smog-choked avenues, play pickup soccer games on potholed streets and snuggle with sweethearts on benches in tree-lined parks.
But on Sunday even the enormous Zocalo plaza, where throngs of families congregate for street performances and open-air concerts, was all but empty. A handful of women wearing surgical masks knelt on the plaza's stones and prayed, their arms reaching upward in a lonely vigil.
Soldiers in surgical masks shooed away the faithful at the cathedral, pointing to a board with pieces of paper.
"There are no baptisms," one read.
"No confirmations," read another.
"No Masses," said a third.
Inside, Cardinal Norberto Rivera delivered a sermon to nearly empty pews, his pleas for divine intervention relayed over television and radio. - Yahoo News Story
In Midst of Swine Flu - Obama Administration Missing Key Health Officials
The Obama administration declared a “public health emergency” Sunday to confront the swine flu — but is heading into its first medical outbreak without a secretary of Health and Human Services or appointees in any of the department’s 19 key posts.
President Barack Obama has not yet chosen a surgeon general or the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His choice to run the Food and Drug Administration awaits confirmation.
In an unusual Sunday briefing at the White House, acting CDC Director Richard Besser appeared on camera with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Obama homeland security adviser John Brennan to announce the emergency declaration in response to the swine flu outbreak.
Napolitano is the former Arizona governor, and Brennan is a longtime CIA counterterrorism specialist once thought to be in line to run the agency. - Politico Story
I guess instead of the all of the fun Mr. Obama has been having going around the Country and Globe acting like a Super Star he should have been concentrating on filling out key positions in his Administration. Instead here we set with an Emergency and we are missing all of the key people in the Key Departments for this Emergency.
President Barack Obama has not yet chosen a surgeon general or the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His choice to run the Food and Drug Administration awaits confirmation.
In an unusual Sunday briefing at the White House, acting CDC Director Richard Besser appeared on camera with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Obama homeland security adviser John Brennan to announce the emergency declaration in response to the swine flu outbreak.
Napolitano is the former Arizona governor, and Brennan is a longtime CIA counterterrorism specialist once thought to be in line to run the agency. - Politico Story
I guess instead of the all of the fun Mr. Obama has been having going around the Country and Globe acting like a Super Star he should have been concentrating on filling out key positions in his Administration. Instead here we set with an Emergency and we are missing all of the key people in the Key Departments for this Emergency.
Nascar Fans Injured In Last Lap Crash
TALLADEGA, Ala. — Seven fans sustained minor injuries after being struck by flying debris when Carl Edwards' car went airborne into the safety fence on the final lap of the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. Track medical director Bobby Lewis said none of the injuries was life-threatening but two women were airlifted to Birmingham hospitals. Lewis said one, who was taken to UAB Hospital, likely had a broken jaw and also had a cut on her mouth. The other was transported to Brookwood Hospital because of an unspecified medical condition but was not hurt.
Lewis said they were airlifted because of traffic, not the severity of the injuries.
Edwards was trying to block a move from race winner Brad Keselowski, and contact sent his spinning car over Ryan Newman's hood and into the fence on the frontstretch.
The fence held and Edwards' car landed back on the track, but it still caused quite a scare.
The other injured fans were treated and released, with two choosing to seek treatment locally from their own doctors, track spokeswoman Kristi King said. It wasn't clear if the fans were hit by debris from the car or the fence. - FOX News Story
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Leahy - We need to Investigate
Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Face The Nation Sunday that a non-partisan "truth commission" to investigate the authorization of controversial interrogation techniques (such as waterboarding) is necessary so that America can come to terms with "what happens when we lose our national honor.""I know some people say, 'Let's turn the page,'" Leahy said. "Frankly, I'd like to read the page before we turn it." - CBS News Story
This is a Senator for you. He wants to read this page in history, but back a couple of months he sure didn't take the time to read the massive bailout bills that he voted for.
He claims that it is not out of vengeance, what a croc, that is exactly what it is all about. Whether Waterboarding is considered torture or not is up to interpretation. Many say that it is not as it has no long term effects, many say that it is. It is very divisive, just like the debate over abortion. There is no way that you can make everyone happy on this issue.
Iraq - Military Raid Oversteps - Criminal
BAGHDAD — Iraq's prime minister denounced a deadly U.S. raid on Sunday as a "crime" that violated the security pact with Washington and demanded American commanders hand over those responsible to face possible trial in Iraqi courts.
The U.S. military, however, strongly denied that it overstepped its bounds and said it notified Iraqi authorities in advance — in accordance with the rules that took effect this year governing U.S. battlefield conduct.
The pre-dawn raid in the southern Shiite city of Kut ended with at least one woman dead after being caught in gunfire and six suspects arrested for alleged links to Shiite militia factions.
But efforts were quickly launched in an attempt to tone down the dispute. - FOX News Story
Chrysler and UAW Reach Agreement
DETROIT — The United Auto Workers union says it has reached a concession agreement with Chrysler, Fiat and the U.S. government.
The union said the deal is painful but takes advantage of the second chance the company was given by the Treasury Department.
The government rejected Chrysler's viability plan in February and said it could not stand on its own.
The union deal means the company has cleared another major hurdle as it races toward a Thursday deadline to restructure and sign an alliance with Italy's Fiat Group SpA. - FOX News
What to do about Gitmo Detainees
WASHINGTON -- It's more than just a tough sell for Attorney General Eric Holder this week to persuade European allies to accept Guantanamo detainees.
"It's a 'mission impossible' for him, I think," one German analyst said ahead of Holder's arrival in London on Sunday.
President Obama has set a goal of closing the U.S. military detention facility in Cuba by this coming January, and his administration is edging toward taking some prisoners to the U.S., most likely to Virginia. They are Chinese Muslims known as Uighurs. Their supporters claim say they never should have been at Guantanamo in the first place.
Republicans in Congress say Guantanamo should remain in operation and they are mobilizing to fight the release of detainees into the United States.
Against that backdrop, Holder hoped to reassure skeptical Europeans without generating too much public opposition back home. After meetings in London and Prague, the attorney general gives a speech Wednesday night in Berlin about Guantanamo.
Austria's interior minister, Maria Fekter, has insisted her country would not take any prisoners. "If the detainees are no longer dangerous, why don't they stay in the U.S.?" she asked.- FOX News Story
hmmmmm. Obama just didn't think this one through. He just went and said close it. Now he has to figure out what to do with the people there. I agree with Austria, if they aren't dangerous Mr. President release them here in the US. Let's see how that plays out.
Health Emergency USA - SWINE FLU!!!
WASHINGTON -- The United States has activated an emergency plan to combat swine flu as the Obama administration announced measures Sunday to contain the sometimes deadly virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified the strain of swine flu and is prepared to distribute a quarter of the U.S. stockpile of 50 million doses of anti-viral medications in places around the country where swine flu has been located or may be expected to spread, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a briefing at the White House.
Travel advisories have not been issued by the State Department, Napolitano said, nor is the United States going to screen passengers on flights arriving from Mexico. She said funds have been freed up in case a larger response is needed.
Hand-washing, mask-wearing and other measures will help prevent the spread, Napolitano said explaining how the public can help slow potential contaminations.
"If you are sick, stay home," Napolitano said. "Take all of those reasonable measures that will help us mitigate and contain" the illness. - FOX News Story
Majority of Americans Concerned About Americas Long Term
Americans appear more upbeat about the direction the country is taking in the short term but are growing more pessimistic about its long-term future.
While an increasing number of Americans say the United States is heading in the right direction, a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% now think America’s best days have already come and gone. That negative assessment is up six points from a month ago, twelve points since Inauguration Day, and is now at the highest level of pessimism since May - Rasmussen StoryObama Disapproval Rating Continues to Climb
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 35% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack
If you read the media reports, Obama's polling numbers remain high. What they are not telling is that his Disapproval numbers continue to climb and it is mostly among younger voters 35 years of age and younger.
McCain says - Country Needs to Move Forward
Arizona Sen. John McCain suggested today that the push to investigate and possibly prosecute Bush administration officials who crafted the legal basis for the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques," such as waterboarding, may have grown from a desire to "settle old political scores."Appearing on CBS’ Face The Nation Sunday, the former Republican presidential nominee — who was himself tortured as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese — said, "Are you going to prosecute people for giving bad legal advice?" He suggested that Washington should ignore calls to investigate who was behind government lawyers writing memos which gave legal cover to the use of torture on detainees.
"We need to put this behind us," he told host Bob Schieffer. “We need to move forward. … We need a united nation, not a divided one."
McCain reiterated that he has always opposed torture, noting that it can be a recruiting tool for America’s enemies, as was the case with news of America's mistreatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. But prosecutions would not ultimately benefit the country, he said. He compared the current situation to President Ford’s decision to pardon President Nixon following the Watergate scandal.
"Most people in retrospect believe that the Ford pardon was right, because we moved on. We've got to move on," said McCain. - CBS News Story
This is all about Partisan Politics. If they go after the Bush Administration over the torture memos or anything else for that matter then you open Pandora's Box. The next Administration will then go after the Obama Administration and so on and on and on.
It is just another Political Tactic of Partisan Politics.
Obama Calls for Pay as You Go Legislation
President Obama is looking to the past to help reduce growing federal budget deficits threatening the country's future.
In his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday, Obama called on Congress to pass a pay-as-you-go legislation, known as PAYGO, that would require new federal spending to be offset by budgetary cuts or tax hikes.
"We need to adhere to the basic principle that new tax or entitlement policies should be paid for," he said, asserting that PAYGO "helped transform large deficits into surpluses in the 1990s. Now we must restore that sense of fiscal discipline."
Fiscally conservative Democratic lawmakers, known as Blue Dogs, told Obama on Friday that they're working on a PAYGO plan and that they prefer to offset new spending with spending cuts elsewhere. Rep. Baron Hill of Indiana will introduce legislation next week, a Democratic aide told FOXNews.com
The federal deficit is projected to hit a record high of more than $1.8 trillion this year, due in large part to the government providing aid to Wall Street firms and other struggling companies, as well as Obama's $787 stimulus package. Pay-as-you-go legislation wouldn't affect that spending. - FOX News Story
It is pretty clear that all though this is good legislation, it might not be good for us. It has been made crystal clear by Obama and the Democrats that they have no intention on slowing the spending spree, which means that if this legislation passes they will come back to us and say that they have no option but to raise taxes. It will be the law, not that they want to raise our taxes, but that they have no choice. can you say SMOKE SCREEN!!!!!
Severe Weather Outbreak Expected Today
The Storm Prediction Center is predicting a Severe Weather Outbreak today for the area on the left.
Persons in these areas need to monitor for quickly changing weather and be prepared for possible warnings.
Severe Storms Hit Many Parts of Midwest
Utility crews in southern Michigan have been working to restore power to thousands of homes and businesses blacked out by thunderstorms that raked the region with wind up to 70 mph. DTE Energy spokeswoman Lorie Kessler said Sunday that power had been restored to about half of the 125,000 customers that lost service in Saturday's storms.
Michigan's Consumers Energy also had customers affected. Spokesman Jay Jacobs said Sunday that electricity has been restored to all but 3,700.
Saturday's thunderstorms also battered parts of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Officials said lightning killed a motorcyclist in Kansas.
Possible tornadoes caused scattered damage in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. There were no immediate reports of severe injuries. - ABC News Story
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)