Government's Stress Test - A Big Con?

Wall Street finished the week with another champagne-popping rally as investment managers exhaled after the government published the results of its stress tests on the nation's major banks.

The healing process has begun, Quincy Krosby, the chief investment strategist at Hartford Investments told the New York Times. "You're seeing more conviction buying the banks, where investors are culling the weak from the strong and going into the strong names. The strong will get stronger and the weak will get weaker."

But the headlines buried the real lede.

On the face of it, Wall Street's rally came in response to the better-than-expected news that 10 of the banks must raise $75 billion in new capital. Turns out, however, that the banks had a significant hand in shaping the outcome of their own government-administered exams.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that that the smaller-than-expected deficit number came about because the Federal Reserve applied a "different measurement of bank-capital levels than analysts and investors had been expecting, resulting in much smaller capital deficits." The Journal reported that: - CBS News Story

Obama Preparing to Raise Taxes

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration will propose $60 billion in new tax increases over 10 years on wealthy estates, businesses and others to make up for shortfalls in its fund to pay for an expensive overhaul of the health-care system.

The measures go beyond plans the White House has announced in the past few weeks. Officials said that upon further analysis they realized that they had overestimated savings and tax increases proposed in February to help pay the bill.

The full proposals will come Monday when the White House releases a detailed analysis of its budget blueprint. Administration officials described the new proposals not as tax increases, but as eliminating "tax loopholes."

One element would raise an estimated $24 billion over 10 years by tightening estate-tax rules, giving taxpayers less flexibility to minimize their liability on inherited goods by claiming a different value on the same item for different transactions. - FOX News Story

Nascar Driver Jeremy Mayfield Fails Drug Test

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Jeremy Mayfield was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR on Saturday for failing a random drug test, becoming the first driver to violate a toughened new policy that went into effect this season.

Mayfield tested positive for a banned substance last weekend at Richmond International Raceway.

"In my case, I believe that the combination of a prescribed medicine and an over the counter medicine reacted together and resulted in a positive drug test," Mayfield said in a statement. "My doctor and I are working with both Dr. (David) Black and NASCAR to resolve this matter."

Black of Aegis Sciences Corp. in Nashville, Tenn., has worked on testing programs with the NFL, Indy Car and more than 70 NCAA Division I colleges.

NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter would not reveal what banned substance Mayfield used, but Hunter said it was not an alcohol-related offense. - FOX News Story

Severe Weather Kills 6 in Midwest

ST. LOUIS — Residents of the Midwest cleared away wreckage Saturday following a wave of powerful storms that splintered homes, knocked out power to thousands and killed six people.

Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed Friday in Kansas, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri and 150,000 Missouri utility customers lost power. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency.

In southern Illinois, more than 63,000 customers of the utility Ameren still had no electricity Saturday, the company said. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Saturday declared three southern counties disaster areas.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear declared an emergency in central and south-eastern sections of his state Saturday, and West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin made the same declaration for six counties in that state.

Trees were down and windows were broken on the campus of Southern Illinois University's Carbondale campus, but the school said weekend commencement ceremonies would go on scheduled. Friday's graduation ceremonies were canceled. - FOX News Story

Obama to Restart Military Commisions

Government officials say the Obama administration is preparing to restart military commissions established at Guantanamo Bay, the Washington Post has reported.

Obama obtained a four-month suspension of the commissions in the beginning of his administration that is set to expire May 20. Officials tell the Washington Post that Obama will seek a 90-day extension as early as next week.

After the extension, it is expected that Obama will revive the commissions, under new rules that would offer terror suspects greater legal protections. A lawyer briefed on the plan told the Washington Post that the commissions will subsequently restart on American soil.

The commissions will block the use of evidence obtained by harsh interrogations, sources told the Washington Post. - FOX News Story

Obama's Refinancing equals Tax Cut Statement - Not Quite True

President Obama's assertion to homeowners that refinancing their mortgage loans now with interest rates at a near-record low equates to a tax cut isn't that cut and dried, according to tax analysts.

Obama said at his third press conference last month that the housing plan his administration has launched has "already contributed to a spike in the number of homeowners who are refinancing their mortgages, which is the equivalent of another tax cut."

But tax analysts told FOXNews.com that lower mortgage rates actually reduces tax savings.

"While there could be overall savings by refinancing and lower monthly payments, there also could be reduced tax benefits as less interest is paid," said Gil Charney, an analyst for The Tax Institute at H&R Block. - FOX News Story

Afghanistan President Wants Stop to Air Strikes

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called on the US to halt air strikes in his country, following an attack that reportedly killed scores of civilians.

Mr Karzai, who is in Washington, told CNN air strikes were "not acceptable".

Afghan officials say more than 100 civilians died when US jets attacked targets in the western Farah province.

The incident overshadowed a summit on Wednesday between the President Barack Obama, Mr Karzai, and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari.

"We demand an end to these operations... an end to air strikes," Mr Karzai told CNN.

He said the deaths were "definitely" the result of US air strikes and not Taleban militants, as some US military officials had suggest - BBC News Story

Venezuela President Takes over all Oil Operations

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has sent troops to take over companies that provide services for the oil industry.

"This is a revolutionary offensive," he told workers near Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela's main oil-producing area.

Military vehicles were used as the state oil company seized supply boats and two US-owned gas facilities.

Mr Chavez nationalised Venezuela's main oil assets two years ago. The fresh drive comes as falling oil prices put state finances under pressure.

The move places hundreds of boats, several ports and an estimated 8,000 oil workers under state control. - BBC News Story

And this is the Leader Obama chose to hang with during his trip to South America?

Investigate Members of Congress about Torture

During a scantly noticed exchange in a Thursday Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) asked Attorney General Eric Holder a potentially explosive question -- given the furor over Nancy Pelosi's 2002 interrogation briefing.

Alexander wanted to know if the AG would consider investigating what House and Senate members knew about torture and when they knew it. And Holder didn't exactly reject the idea. - Politco News Story

By all means. If you are going to go after Bush Administration Officials then you have to Investigate and go after the members of the House and Senate that knew about it. They can't have it both ways. Those who knew about the techniques and did not stop them, can't turn around now and say it was illegal and not be held just as accountable. Mrs. Pelosi.

Obama New Transparent WH not so Transparent

As Washington prepares for President Barack Obama’s first White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, members of the White House press corps are grumbling about a spate of background briefings by “senior administration officials” who can’t be quoted by name.

But will they do anything about it?

After a “senior administration official” briefed reporters on a conference call about Chrysler last week, the Associated Press’s Jennifer Loven circulated an email among her colleagues suggesting some kind of joint action to protest the use of not-for-attribution sessions.

“We’ve been concerned about the needless use of ‘on-background’ briefings when it comes to sharing straightforward information,” AP spokesman Paul Colford told POLITICO, adding that the AP had “relayed” its views “to other news organizations in Washington” and is “eager to work with them in addressing the issue.”

But when the White House held two more background briefings this week – one on the president’s budget, the other on Pakistan and Afghanistan — AP’s reporters and all the other usual suspects were there. - Politico News Story

Unemployment Reaches 8.9%

(CBS/AP) The pace of layoffs slowed in April, with employers cutting 539,000 jobs, the fewest in six months. But the unemployment rate climbed to 8.9 percent as many businesses remained wary of hiring given all the economic and financial uncertainties.

The Labor Department tally wasn't nearly as deep as the 620,000 job losses that economists were expecting. The rise in the unemployment rate from 8.5 percent in March matched economists' forecasts.

If laid-off workers who have given up looking for new jobs or have settled for part-time work are included, the unemployment rate would have been 15.8 percent in April, the highest on records
dating back to 1994.

One analyst thinks the "worst has passed" in terms of job losses in the recession.

Companies also keep a tight rein on workers hours. The average work week in April stayed at 33.2 hours, matching the record low set in March.

Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost a net total of 5.7 million jobs. - CBS News Story

Just think, had Obama not spent his $1 Trillion Dollars on Stimulus these figures would have been much much worse. Really? I can think of Hundreds and Probably Thousands that deserve to be in an unemployment line, but Obama saw fit to hand them a big old check (bailout).

4 Dead in Missouri After Severe Storms Sweep Through

ST. LOUIS — Severe thunderstorms in the Midwest have killed four people, collapsing a church and knocking out power to thousands.

In southern Missouri, Butler County sheriff's Deputy Ryan Thurman says two people were killed Friday near Poplar Bluff when wind knocked a tree onto their car.

In Dallas County, a man in his 70s had a fatal heart attack after wind lifted him and his wife from their home and threw them into a building.

Officials in Wilson County, Kan., say a person died there, but no details were immediately available.

In Illinois, Jackson County emergency management official Derek Misener says he suspects that area may have had multiple tornadoes with "substantial countywide damage and injuries."

He had no immediate reports of deaths. - FOX News

Strong Storms and Tornadoes Kill 3 in Missouri

Severe weather that included strong winds and heavy rain has claimed the lives of three people in southern Missouri. And the National Weather Service is looking into reports of tornadoes touching down in various regions of the state.

Two of the victims were a man and a woman in Butler County who were killed when a tree hit their car. A third person lost his life as a result of a heart attack brought on when he was blown out of his home by a possible twister that rumbled through Dallas County.

In addition to the deaths there are numerous injuries from the storms, including an injury to a Southwest Baptist University student in Bolivar who was hurt by flying debris.

There is also plenty of property damage. Among the buildings destroyed is Fair Grove High School. Earlier this year storms ripped the roof off an elementary school in Fair Grove. - Missourinet

Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death

Even if this was off the cuff, it's not going to go over well with the sports bosses at CBS.

The network's golf analyst, David Feherty, writing a column in D Magazine about the George and Laura Bush moving to the Dallas area, says U.S. soldiers would shoot Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid:

"From my own experience visiting the troops in the Middle East, I can tell you this, though: despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Osama bin Laden, there’s a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death."

This column, part of a series of first-person pieces in the Dallas magazine, was brought to our attention by the folks at Media Matters, which quickly added a statement of outrage.

"Mr. Feherty’s violent comments about Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid are disgusting,” said Eric Burns, President of Media Matters. “Suggesting that our troops would attack the leaders of the very democracy they’ve sworn to sacrifice their lives for is an insult to their integrity, honor, and professionalism. CBS Sports should demand its golf analyst apologize to our soldiers.” - Politico

I am not sure that he is off base. The comments may not be the most politically correct, but it sounds down right honest. When the DHS Secretary calls Vets a high risk for recruitment of terrorist and the Right Wing, Extremist, maybe politically correctness is gone.

But only if you talk about Republicans.

MoveOn not Moving with Specter

One of the nation’s largest liberal advocacy organizations, MoveOn.org , is resisting efforts to clear the Democratic primary field for Republican-turned-Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter.

The political arm of MoveOn flexed its muscle Friday by releasing the results of an online poll that showed the vast majority of the group’s roughly 170,000 members in Pennsylvania– 85 percent –would consider supporting a Democratic challenger against Specter.

The group expressed concern over Specter’s vote against President Obama’s $3.4 billion budget just one day after defecting to the Democratic Party. MoveOn also cited comments Specter made in an appearance on “Meet the Press” last weekend suggesting he would oppose a public health insurance option that some Democrats would like to see included in any health care reform proposal. - Politico Story

Obama Aid Resigns Over Air Force One Photo Op

Louis Caldera, the man who approved the low-flying Air Force One plane that panicked New York City, delivered his resignation Friday as the White House released a photo of the plane flying over Ellis Island.

President Obama has accepted the resignation, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement.

Caldera apologized the day after the April 27 incident that sent New Yorkers out into the streets as the 747 followed by two F-16s flew low over the Manhattan skyline.

In his resignation letter, the former Army secretary said that he has concluded that the controversy surrounding the photo shoot "has made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office."

"Moreover, it has become a distraction to the important work you are doing as president. After much reflection, I believe it is incumbent on me to tender my resignation and step down as director of the White House Military Office," he wrote. - FOX News Story

Notre Dame Takes Heat from Vatican on Obama Visit

One of the Vatican's highest ranked clerics and a frequent critic of President Obama said Friday that Notre Dame is causing a "scandal" by giving the president an honorary degree and a platform to address graduates at its commencement next weekend.

'The proposed granting of an honorary doctorate at Notre Dame University to our president, who is so aggressively advancing an anti-life and anti-family agenda, is rightly the source of the greatest scandal," said Archbishop Raymond Burke, who is the prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican's highest court.

Burke, the former archbishop of St. Louis and vocal opponent of giving communion to politicians who support abortion rights, told Catholics at a national prayer breakfast in Washington, D.C., that "with unparalleled arrogance, our nation is choosing to renounce its foundation on the faithful."

He pointed to several Obama administration decisions that he said have damaged "the fundamental society that is the family," citing the repeal of the conscience clause, which prohibits health care workers from refusing to participate in abortion-related services; repeal of the Mexico City policy, which allows federal funding to be used abroad to provide abortions; presidential support of the Freedom of Choice Act, which prevents government from in any way denying or interfering with a woman's right to choose; and support of the U.S. Population Fund, which he noted supports China's one-child policy - FOX News Story

Pelosi Changes Story again on So Called Torture

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted Friday that she was briefed only once about the "enhanced" interrogation techniques being used on terrorism suspects and that she was assured by lawyers with the CIA and the Department of Justice that the methods were legal.

Pelosi issued a statement after CIA records released this week showed that Pelosi was briefed in September 2002 on the interrogation methods. The briefings memo appeared to contradict the speaker's claims that she was never told that waterboarding or other enhanced interrogation methods were being used.

"We were not -- I repeat -- were not told that waterboarding or any of these other enhanced interrogation methods were used," Pelosi said on April 23.

The emphasis seems to be on "were used," even though she conceded in a statement released Friday that she was told they would be used.

"As I said in my statement of December 9, 2007: 'I was briefed on interrogation techniques the (Bush) administration was considering using in the future. The administration advised that legal counsel for both the CIA and the Department of Justice had concluded that the techniques were legal,'" she said. - FOX News Story

What a blow hard. OK, so you were advised that they were legal. You knew what they were and advised by the DOJ and CIA that they were legal. They haven't changed their belief that they were legal, so why have you?

Her story keeps changing. Depends on what she thinks everyone knows. Thats a politician for you.

Obama to Cut Benefits for Slain Officers Families

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is asking Congress to slash almost in half a 43-year-old Justice Department program that provides death, disability and education benefits to the families of slain police and public safety officers.

President Obama's 2010 budget reduces funding for the Public Safety Officers' Death Benefits Program from $110 million this year to $60 million for next year's budget.

The program, which pays benefits of more than $300,000 to the survivors of a safety officer killed in the line of duty, received $118 million in 2008.

A Justice Department finance spokeswoman told FOX News that the proposed cut is a false statistic because the program requires "mandatory funding," which means the money is automatically paid to all the families of slain officers.

The proposed reduction to $60 million pertains to a projection for the Justice Department's planning purposes and last year's figure was high because it included a number of families that weren't in the system before, Justice spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said.

"Any family member who is eligible for benefits under this program will receive them," she said. "If the amount of claims surpasses the amount requested, the program will be further funded." - FOX News Story

Brett Favre Reportedly to Stay Retired, for Now

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) - For Brad Childress, it was just another day at the office. And, for now, Brett Favre is not wearing purple.

The Minnesota Vikings' dalliance with the supposedly retired quarterback didn't reach the stage of face-to-face, close-the-deal talks Thursday — and maybe they never will.

Yahoo! Sports reported that Favre called Childress sometime Wednesday or early Thursday and told the coach he wants to stay retired. Favre's longtime agent, Bus Cook, reiterated for the second straight day that his famously fickle client hadn't changed his plan to stay out of the game.

ESPN and USA Today said Cook told reporters in Mississippi, where Favre lives, that the former MVP was still retired — though the agent added that Favre could always change his mind in the future.

One certainty was Childress spent office hours at work in Minnesota.

After reports the coach was to travel south for discussions with Favre, Twin Cities television station KMSP broadcast video of his early-morning arrival at Winter Park. - FOX Sports Story

Diamondbacks Fire Manager Bob Melvin

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin will be fired by the end of the day Thursday, according to a person familiar with the decision.

The person told The Associated Press of the decision on condition of anonymity because it had yet to be announced.

Melvin's firing comes after a disappointing start by the Diamondbacks, who entered Thursday 8 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. He had one year left on his contract.

Arizona lost 4-3 in 10 innings at San Diego on Thursday afternoon. KTAR, the team's flagship radio station, was the first to report that Melvin would be replaced.

A message left on general manager Josh Byrnes' cell phone was not immediately returned.

It was not known who would replace Melvin, the winningest manager in the team's brief history. The Diamondbacks were expected to return from San Diego on Thursday, and the team opens a six-game homestand against Washington on Friday night. - FOX Sports Story

AG Says Some of Gitmo Detainees not Terrorist

Attorney General Eric Holder tried to reassure worried lawmakers Thursday that no Guantanamo Bay detainees thought to be terrorists will be released into the United States.

Holder testified at a Senate hearing on the Obama administration's budget for the Justice Department.

"We don't have any plans to release terrorists," said Holder.

But he also said some of the Guantanamo Bay detainees will be released, indicating the Obama administration believes some of those held there are not terrorists.

From the very beginning of the hearing, he faced questions about his plans for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center. President Obama has ordered the center closed by January 2010.

Republicans critical of Obama's plan claim Guantanamo detainees cannot legally be brought to the U.S. because federal law bars entry to anyone who has received terrorist training.

Sen. Richard Shelby, a Republican, pressed Holder to say whether he believed he had the authority to release someone with terrorist training into the U.S.

The attorney general did not directly answer Shelby's question, but said the government does not have any plans to release terrorists.

"With regard to those who you would describe as terrorists, we would not bring them into this country and release them, anyone we would consider to be a terrorist," Holder said.

He added the government has no plans to release anyone considered a terrorist in a foreign country, either.

Last week in Europe, Holder said about 30 Guantanamo detainees have been approved for release. He has been asking European countries to take some of them, but that may be difficult if the U.S. does not also take some. - FOX News Story

I am sure that they are being held at Gitmo because they are fun loving nice people. Give me a break. They are bad people, that is why they are in Prison. Wake up.

Obama's Press Guy Makes fun of NBC and GE

I have to tell ya, this guy is truly an idiot. When he can't answer the question or doesn't have the answer he attacks people or makes a stupid comment. His boss sits and says how much he understands the cuts people are making and this moron laughs at it.

Report Shows - Pelosi Knew about Enhanced Interrogations

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefed on the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” on terrorist suspect Abu Zubaydah in September 2002, according to a report prepared by the Director of National Intelligence’s office and obtained by ABC News.

The report, submitted to the Senate Intelligence Committee and other Capitol Hill officials Wednesday, appears to contradict Pelosi’s statement last month that she was never told about the use of waterboarding or other special interrogation tactics. Instead, she has said, she was told only that the Bush administration had legal opinions that would have supported the use of such techniques.

The report details a Sept. 4, 2002 meeting between intelligence officials and Pelosi, then-House intelligence committee chairman Porter Goss, and two aides. At the time, Pelosi was the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee.

The meeting is described as a “Briefing on EITs including use of EITs on Abu Zubaydah, background on authorities, and a description of particular EITs that had been employed.”

EITs stand for “enhanced interrogation techniques,” a classification of special interrogation tactics that includes waterboarding.

Pelosi, D-Calif., sharply disputed suggestions last month that she had been told about waterboarding having taken place. - ABC News Story

Drew Peterson Finally Arrested

CHICAGO — Local media reports say Drew Peterson was arrested Thursday in connection with the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

Peterson will likely be charged in the death of Kathleen Savio, who was found dead in a bathtub in her home on March 1, 2004, according to CBS2chicago.com.

MyFOXChicago.com reported that Peterson was arrested at 5:35 p.m. Thursday after state police surrounded his car. Peterson was alone in his car at the time.

Six state police searched Peterson's home, MyFOXChicago.com reported.

Peterson has been a suspect in the disappearance of his 23-year-old wife Stacy Peterson, who vanished on Oct. 28, 2007, from her Bolingbrook, Ill., home.

In the months following Stacy Peterson's disappearance, Savio's body was exhumed and her 2004 bathtub drowning death was re-classified as a homicide. - FOX News

Well that didn't take long. Only 7 years!!!

Gitmo Fight Heats up in Washington

Republicans are trying several tactics to prevent detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from reaching the United States, introducing legislation aimed at stopping the transfer of terrorists and offering amendments to an emergency war funding bill to deny funding for closing the facility.

Republican leaders accuse President Obama of endangering American lives by calling for Gitmo to be closed without a plan as to where the detainees will go next.

Several GOP lawmakers on Thursday introduced the Keep Terrorists Out of America Act, which prohibits the Obama administration from transferring or releasing any suspected terrorists at Guantanamo to any state without expressed approval from the state's governor and legislature. The legislation also demands the administration certify to Congress that certain requirements have been met.

"The world did not suddenly become safe in January 2009. There are still terrorists around the world who are committed to killing Americans and destroying our way of life. A number of those terrorists are being held at the prison in Guantanamo Bay right now," said House Minority Leader John Boehner. "If the administration is allowed to proceed, they won't be there for long. In fact, they may be right here, in the United States." - FOX News Story

Obama Proposes Very Small Cut in Budget

WASHINGTON -- The ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee said Thursday he's not impressed by President Obama's proposal to cut $17 billion out of the federal budget.

Appearing on FOX News, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., said it's important to place the $17 billion figure in the context of the president's $3.4 trillion budget.

"It's as if you took a teaspoon of water out of the bathtub while you left the spicket on at full speed," he said.

"Basically right now we're running up a debt that is so high as a percentage of our gross national product that we couldn't even get into the European union," he said. "I mean we're headed to third-world country status if we keep this up."

Obama's $17 billion proposed cut represents a roster of 121 budget cuts and equals about one-half of 1 percent of the $3.4 trillion budget Congress has approved for next year.

Obama said the cuts appear small only in Washington.

"All across this country, Americans are responding to difficult economic times by tightening their belts and making tough decisions about where they need to spend and where they need to save," Obama said Thursday as he unveiled the details.

"The question the American people are asking is whether Washington is prepared to act with the same sense of responsibility," he said. "I believe we can and must do exactly that." - FOX News Story

When you increase your budget substantially then say you are cutting that by less than 1% are you saving anything? ABSOLUTELY NOT! This $17 Billion Cut is the same as a person making $40,000 a year cutting something that saves them $200 a year. That amounts to less than $17 a month in savings. Great Job Mr. Obama, your cooking now. I can see that deficit dropping. Come on and get serious. This is not CHANGE!!!! Maybe it is, just in the wrong direction.

Climate Change Bill - No Go for Democrats

As the clock ticks on a self-imposed deadline, Rep. Henry Waxman is facing fire from all sides over his landmark measure to curb carbon emissions.

After months of haggling, he still doesn’t have a deal that moderates will support. On Wednesday, he had to back offhis threat from a day earlier to skip a key subcommittee vote after members raised a ruckus. And, to top it all off, the president and others are breathing down his neck to wrap up work on climate change so that Waxman can turn his focus to the blockbuster fight of the summer over health care reform.

“Henry has some decisions to make,” said Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), a key moderate voice in the negotiations. “Everyone has been very clear about where they need to be to get to ‘yes.’ ... The chairman has a very good read of the committee.”

This is the first real test for House Democrats since Barack Obama moved into the White House. Failure to move this climate change measure through the chamber would be a body blow to the whole party — even if isn’t going anywhere in the Senate. And negotiations, to this point, have only highlighted the divisions Waxman must try to bridge. - Politico Story

Obama Plans $17 Billion Budget Cut - Deficit still a Record

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The White House on Thursday will detail a proposal to save $17 billion next year by eliminating or reducing 121 federal programs, according to a senior administration official.

Roughly $11.5 billion of the savings would come from the discretionary side of the fiscal 2010 budget -- that is, for programs whose funding is not automatic. And roughly half of the savings would come from non-defense programs, the official said Wednesday.

-----

A few weeks ago, the president announced that he had asked his cabinet members to cut $100 million from their agencies' expenses, a number budget analysts characterized as symbolic at best.

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But it was unclear Wednesday whether the $17 billion in savings in 2010 would be used to fund other federal programs or to reduce the country's growing deficit.

The House and Senate have agreed to amore than $3.5 trillion budget outline for fiscal 2010, which begins Oct. 1. That's roughly the size of the president's budget request. The proposals Congress and the president are making, however, would push long-term deficits significantly higher. - CNN News Story

Favre - Unretiring Again? Minnesota Vikings?

Brad Childress isn't waiting to talk to Brett Favre.

The Vikings coach is expected to fly to Mississippi later today to meet with the former Packers and Jets quarterback Wednesday night and Thursday, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported.

The report, citing "a person with knowledge of the situation," said Childress will have dinner with Favre on Wednesday and start discussions about joining Minnesota.

The "in-depth" part of the meeting will be Thursday, according to the report.

Favre spent 16 seasons in Green Bay, retiring in 2008 after leading the Packers to the NFC title game. He changed his mind a few months later, which set up a long and messy soap opera that ultimately led to his trade to the Jets.

It was believed all along that Favre, after hearing Green Bay's plans to go with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, wanted to come to NFC North rival Minnesota so he could exact some revenge on the Packers. - FOX Sports Story

ENOUGH ALREADY! I am so sick of hearing about Brett Favre. He was a great Quarterback in his time, but that has since past. He is as well known for his timely interceptions as he is for his 4th quarter drives. He tipped his hand as to what kind of guy he was when he retired from the Packers then bashed them for not taking him back when he later changed his mind. He is not about the team, he is all about himself.

Arlen Specter - Repubs Hate Him, So do Dems

Arlen Specter infuriated Senate Republicans when he bolted from their party last week. Now he’s alienated just about everybody in the Senate Democratic caucus, too.

Since declaring himself a Democrat last Tuesday, Specter has defied Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the White House on virtually everything that’s come down the pike: the budget, mortgage reform, the Al Franken-Norm Coleman race, even President Barack Obama’s appointment of Dawn Johnsen to head the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel.

All while quibbling over whether he said he’d be a “loyal Democrat” — and insisting that he had an “entitlement” to transfer his Senate seniority from one side of the aisle to the other.

The blowback came Tuesday night: On a voice vote, the Senate voted to strip Specter of his 29 years of seniority, effectively transforming him in a blink-and-you-missed-it-moment from one of the most senior senators in the body to a lowly freshman on most committees. - Politico Story

You sure can't feel sorry for this loser. He switched Parties because he knew the Republicans would not re-elect him. Too bad the Dems aren't standing with him either.

Specter - Democrats Promised Me I would Keep my Seniority

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Democratic leader in the Senate promised Sen. Arlen Specter he would retain his seniority when he jumped from the Republican to the Democratic party, Specter told CNN Wednesday, but faced "pushback" from other Democratic senators.

On Tuesday the Senate confirmed that Specter had lost his seniority in a resolution that set out committee assignments for the entire Senate. The resolution was approved on a unanimous voice vote.

The full Senate voted Tuesday to strip Specter of his seniority, dropping him to the bottom of the pile on every committee he sits on.

The action came on a resolution — passed on a unanimous voice vote — that set out committee assignments for the entire Senate. - CNN News Story

Guess what? They Lied! You elected to join that party and now you have. It is called politics Senator, I will tell you what you want to hear and then do what I want. Welcome aboard Junior Senator.

Chrysler Won't Pay Back Taxpayer Loans

Taxpayers may never get back billions of dollars lent to Chrysler, according to various reports.

Testifying in bankruptcy court on Monday, one of the top financial advisers overseeing Chrysler's restructuring said the U.S. government may never get back its loans to the company.

"They're offering financing with a low likelihood of being repaid," said Robert Manzo, an executive director for Capstone Advisory Group LLC, according to the Associated Press.

Manzo's comments mirror the assumptions he listed in Chrysler's bankruptcy filings last week, CNN Money reports. As part of its Chapter 11 reorganization, Manzo wrote Chrysler expects the U.S. Treasury to forgive a $4 billion bridge loan the automaker received during the Bush administration, a $300 million fee on that loan, and the $3.2 billion in financing the Obama administration approved last week to help the company stay afloat while it is in bankruptcy. - CBS News Story

Would you look at that? While Obama is selling us on the load of crappy crap crap, about the Investment for our future he is secretly handing out Billions of taxpayer dollars without a real expectation of ever getting paid back.

What about FORD and GM, this seems pretty unfair to them?

Was Swine Flu Outbreak Overblown? YES!!!

(CBS) In light of the media coverage of the H1N1 flu outbreak over the past week and a half, you could be forgiven for being slightly surprised you aren't dead yet.

Consider this series of questions asked by CNN's John Roberts last Monday, which were flagged by NPR: "Is this the killer virus that we've all been fearing for decades? Is it just a threat? Is this 1976, where we had a small, contained outbreak, or is this 1918, where 20 million people died worldwide?"

Scary stuff. In fairness to Roberts, he was just asking questions about how bad things could get - not asserting that they were definitely going to get there. But when the specter of a "killer virus" is raised - and when media outlets (including CBS News) pepper their aggressive coverage with words like "pandemic" and breathlessly report each new diagnosed case - it's reasonable to expect that many will fear the worst. - CBS News Story

How come no-one has come out and just said, "we made a mistake and this wasn't as bad as it was made out to be"? The media coverage and the actions of Local, State and Federal Government officials would have led you to believe the world was coming to an end.

Obama Admin Decides to Release Photo from New York Scare

The White House plans to soon release a photo from the controversial Air Force One-style flyover in Manhattan last week, despite claiming earlier that there was no need to release any official images from the incident.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Wednesday that an internal report will probably be completed this week.

"We'll release its findings and release a photo," he said.

That was after Gibbs indicated Tuesday that the White House would not release any images.

"I've watched CNN," he said at the time, noting the considerable coverage from amateur footage. "I didn't notice a lack of archival material from that flight."

The flyover triggered panic among New Yorkers as well as the internal review by the Obama administration. - FOX News Story

BIG SHOCKER!!!! Obama Administration changes its mind and does something after it says it will not. I am so surprised at how quickly and how often they do this.

Environmentalist Saved by Oil Tanker

If nothing else, Mother Nature has a sense of irony.

Two British environmental activists, whose carbon-neutral voyage to Greenland's polar ice cap resulted in a storm-induced mayday call, were rescued by (wait for it) … an oil tanker.

The activists, Raoul Surcouf and Richard Spink, were two weeks into their adventure aboard the Fleur, a 40-foot yacht outfitted with solar panels and a wind turbine, according to British daily The Guardian. Thousands of schoolchildren had planned to follow the green expedition online.

But the weather was not cooperative. The ship encountered hurricane-force winds and waves battered the vessel, strong enough to destroy the solar panels and the ship's generator. The yacht capsized a total of three times before the crew was forced to issue a distress call to the coast guard and hope for rescue.

"The decision was made that the risk to our personal safety was too great to continue," Spink said in a statement.

Those hopes were realized in the form of the 113,000-ton tanker Overseas Yellowstone, carrying 680,000 barrels of oil. The ship picked up the Fleur's crew about 400 miles off the Irish coast. - CBS News Story

FBI - Not doing it's Job with Terrorism

(CBS) Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the FBI’s top priority has been tracking and stopping potential terrorist attacks against the United States.

But, a new report Wednesday from the Justice Department’s Inspector General says the FBI has been lax in updating the nation’s terror watch list, CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reports.

The report, which looked at 216 terrorism investigations, reveals the FBI has often been late in submitting names of suspected terrorist to the watch list, and in a few cases, has never added the names.

And the report says 12 suspects, who should have been added to the list, may have traveled into or out of the United States.

In addition, Inspector General Glenn Fine also found in 8 percent of the cases the FBI failed to remove names of terror suspects who had been cleared for one reason or another. - CBS News Story

More AIG Bonus Information - Almost Half a Billion $$$$

The AIG bonus debacle keeps getting bigger.

Responding to detailed questions from Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the company now says it doled out more than $454 million in bonuses to its employees for work performed in 2008, a marked increase from the $120 million it claimed in March to have paid out.

Cummings told Politico, which first reported the story, that he was "shocked to see that he number has nearly quadrupled this time."

"I simply cannot fathom why this company continues to erode the trust of the public and the U.S. Congress, rather than being forthcoming about these issues from the start," he told Politico.

These numbers are in addition to the $165 million in retention bonuses paid to employees of a division of the company known as AIG Financial Products. The disclosure of those payments triggered a political wildfire earlier this year. - FOX News Story

Navy's Corvette - Ready for Piracy Fight

The United States Navy unveiled a new high-tech ship it says can chase down pirates off the coast of Somalia faster and more aggressively than previous vessels could.

The USS Freedom can go up against massive enemy fleets and is one of the fastest ships in the Navy to date, its commander said in a FOX News "America's Newsroom" exclusive.

"It's more than an evolutionary step forward, it's a revolutionary step forward," Cmdr. Michael Doran told FOX News on Tuesday. "It's highly automated and it's very fast. ... For a piracy mission, we can go out there and cover more water with fewer ships."

Click here for photos.

The USS Freedom has a modular design and requires fewer crew members, he said — about 40 total. It can go up to 45 mph.

"What we can do is we can go out there and cover more water with fewer ships because of the sprint speed of the ship," Doran told FOX News. "We can tailor the ship to perform that counter-piracy mission."

Some are calling it the Navy's corvette.

"It is kind of like driving a sports car around," Doran said. "All of my friends have told me, 'drive it like you stole it, drive it like you stole it.'" - FOX News

Dems Remove Specter from Seniority Role

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Arlen Specter was in the driver's seat when the Senate Judiciary Committee grilled the two newest Supreme Court justices back in 2005, but the Pennsylvania senator won't be front and center next time.

Specter jumped from the Republican party to the Democratic party last week, putting the Democrats within reach of a 60-seat "supermajority" that could make it all but impossible for Republicans to block Democratic legislation.

On Tuesday the Senate confirmed that the party switch dropped him to the bottom of the heap in terms of seniority.

That means he will be the very last to speak when the Judiciary Committee questions President Barack Obama's yet-to-be-named nominee to replace Justice
David Souter — after even Sen. Ted Kaufman of Delaware, who has been a senator for all of four months.

In fact, only two of the 18 other senators on the committee have been in the upper house longer than Specter — and he has been in the Senate longer than seven other committee members put together.

But there is more at stake than Specter's ego or bragging rights. - CNN

Fed Says NO to Help on Credit Cards

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve rejected a request to force credit card companies to immediately halt retroactive interest-rate increases on existing balances, Democratic Senator Charles Schumer said Tuesday.

Schumer and Christopher Dodd, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, asked the Fed last month to use its emergency powers for rescuing banks to also help credit card consumers being slapped with unexpected rate increases.

"The Federal Reserve's failure to protect consumers from these outrageous rate increases is unconscionable," Schumer said.

"The Fed has acted swiftly to use its emergency powers to steady teetering financial institutions. It is fair to ask why they won't use the same powers to aid American families who are at just as great a risk." - ABC News Story

I don't know why this surprises anyone, especially Democrats. Helping Main Street has not even been in the Top 10 of things to do in this Administration. It has been all about helping Big Business. They claim it is the Republicans that are all about Big Business, but I beg to differ. Explain to me ONE thing in the stimulus or bailout that has gone to help Main Street.

They have bailed out Banks. They have bailed out and helped Automakers. They are buying up Bad Debt.

If it was about helping Main Street, they would force mandatory dropping of Interest Rates, Tax Cuts to get money moving, Subsidize essentials to unlock tight money at the MAIN STREET level. The money they are pouring into the Banks and Automakers is not going to do much for trickling down to Main Street.

Specter's Move from GOP to Dem has ignited a Firestorm

Sen. Arlen Specter's decision to become a Democrat was supposed to be the easy path to reelection.

So much for that.

Specter's move ignited a firestorm in Pennsylvania and beyond. It's left him with new enemies in both parties, even though he has a set of powerful friends that includes President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., told ABC News that while he hasn't made up his mind, he's closer to seeking the Democratic Senate nomination than he was before the party switch, given the way the Democratic establishment has sought to rally behind Specter before Pennsylvania voters get a choice.

"How this was done gives me grave concerns. That's not the ideal that we came to Washington for," Sestak said. - ABC News Story

White House Won't Release Pictures of NY Flyover

If a 747 and supersonic jet fighter buzz the Manhattan skyline as part of an ill-conceived photo-op, but the pictures are never seen, did it really happen?

The White House hopes not.

The photos of Air Force One's low flyover of Manhattan will not be released, CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller confirms.

The operation, carried out by the Defense Department and designed to capture one of the president's planes near national landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, sent panicked New Yorkers rushing from their office buildings April 27, fearful of a terrorist attack reminiscent of 9/11. - CBS News Story

Go figure. Obama feels it necessary to release memos of debatable torture that cause a huge uproar around the world, but the pictures of his own Administrations stupidity will be under lock and key? Oh yea, this is that Government Transparency we hear so much about.

Not Global Warming - Global Cooling?

Could reduced sunspots be tied to temperatures on Earth?

That's what has astrophysicists and meteorologists wondering as the sun enters a prolonged "quiet period," a deviation from the usual 11-year sunspot cycle in which the dark blobs on our star's surface ebb and flow, reports National Geographic News.

And there may be a link to global warming — or, in this case, cooling. Current theories link an earlier solar quiet time to the "Little Ice Age," a cold snap that lasted from about 1300 to 1800 in Europe and North America.

During such "solar minimums," as they're called, the sun dims a bit, magnetic activity is reduced and solar storms are fewer. No one knows how long each will last until it's over.

The Maunder Minimum, a period of extremely low sunspot activity from about 1645 to 1715, coincided with the coldest part of the Little Ice Age, when Dutch canals regularly froze during the winter.

This past January, the Dutch canals again froze, for the first time in 16 years. - FOX News Story

Specter Honeymoon with Dems Quickly Ending

Nearly a week after Democrats welcomed Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter into the fold and Republicans got acquainted with Specter’s prospective challenger, Pat Toomey, both sides are showing signs of buyer’s remorse.

Suddenly Specter’s path to reelection as a Democrat is looking far from certain, as progressives recoil at some aspects of Specter’s voting record and two prominent candidates refuse to bow out. On the GOP side, the more Republicans look at the Pennsylvania political landscape, the more questions they have about whether Toomey is the right fit against Specter in a general election.

Specter’s initial warm welcome from his new party has given way to a more tepid greeting, as liberal groups chafe at Specter’s continued opposition to key elements of the party agenda — like the $3.4 trillion budget, which he voted against last week, and the Employee Free Choice Act.

Specter did little to ingratiate himself with his new party colleagues over the weekend, when he disputed a Wall Street Journal report that said he promised President Barack Obama he would loyally support his agenda.

“I did not say I would be a loyal Democrat. I did not say that,” Specter insisted Sunday on “Meet the Press.” - Politico Story

Swine Flu No More Dangerous than Ordinary Flu

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The swine flu virus that has sparked fear and precautions worldwide appears to be no more dangerous than the regular flu virus that makes its rounds each year, U.S. officials said Monday.

"What the epidemiologists are seeing now with this particular strain of U.N. is that the severity of the disease, the severity of the flu -- how sick you get -- is not stronger than regular seasonal flu," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday as the worldwide number of confirmed cases of swine flu -- technically known as 2009 H1N1 virus -- topped 1,080.

The flu has been blamed for 26 deaths: 25 in Mexico and one in the United States, according to the World Health Organization.

Still, Napolitano noted, the seasonal flu results in "hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations" and roughly 35,000 fatalities each year in the United States - CNN News Story

Now we have our answer. Yes, the Government and WHO are drastically overreacting to this whole flu out break.

Schools closing for a week at a time, canceling trips, Obama wanting billions to fight it, daily and sometimes multiple times a day updates.

All of this for nothing more serious than the typical flu that goes around every single year.

ACORN - Charges Filed in Nevada

LAS VEGAS -- Nevada authorities are accusing the political advocacy group ACORN and two former employees of illegally paying canvassers to sign up new voters last year.

Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto filed charges Monday alleging the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now had a handbook and policies requiring employees in Las Vegas to sign up 20 new voters per day or be fired.

Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller and Masto say that's voter registration fraud, and it violates state law banning quotas for registering new voters.

A criminal complaint filed in Las Vegas Justice Court accuses ACORN and two former employees of 39 low-level felonies.

ACORN spokesman Scott Levenson in New York blames rogue former employees for the allegations. He says ACORN will fight the charges in court. - FOX News

Rep. Bachmann - Obama's Blown his wad, spending Orgy

Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) — who was put on the Earth to help reporters deal with slow, rainy Mondays — had some interesting turns of phrase during a weekend rally with Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Referring to President Obama's stimulus and budget, which she vehemently opposed, Bachmann said:

"We have seen an orgy of spending [break in the tape]. ... The government spent its wad. ... Notice there's no TelePrompter here."

(video from DustyTrice.com)

Bachmann, hair whipping in the wind, standing in front of a huge American flag, also complained that Obama's tax policy was class warfare-ish:

"Instead of being the Great Uniter, this president is becoming the greatest divider we've ever had in the history of our country," she added. - Politico

Democrats say NO to Obama's Request for $80 Million to Close Gitmo

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Pushing back at a request from President Obama, congressional Democrats are dropping the administration's request for $80 million to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, who is drafting an emergency war funding bill, told reporters he supported the president's plan to close the prison, but said more details were needed. "So far as we can tell there is yet no concrete program for that," said the Wisconsin Democrat. "And while I don't mind defending a concrete program, I'm not much interested in wasting my energy defending a theoretical program. So when they have the plan they're welcome to come back and talk to us about it."

According to Democratic aides, the Obama administration requested $50 million for the Defense Department and $30 million for the Justice Department to close down Guantanamo prison. - CNN

Bush Library Raises $100 Million in 100 Days

George W. Bush often has said that historians will vindicate his presidency. And since he left office, he's moving fast to give them the tools.

Longtime financial backers of the 43rd president have raised more than $100 million for a presidential library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas that will house his official papers, sources close to Bush told TIME. Much of the money was collected in the 100 days or so since Bush left the White House, a pace much faster than that of his recent predecessors. At least so far, none of it has come from overseas, the sources said.

The Bush fundraising effort, compared to that of his predecessor, is off to a brisk start. Bill Clinton's library planners had hoped to receive pledges of $100 million within a year of the end of his presidency, but a pardons scandal delayed that achievement for another year, said Skip Rutherford, who chaired the Clinton library committee. - CNN

Obama Going After Tax Havens and Loopholes

Members of the business community today are starting to sound off in opposition to President Obama's new plan to crack down on offshore tax evasion, denouncing the initiative as a "foolish" program that would do more harm than good.

Critics argue the president's effort to raise taxes on the overseas profits of U.S. companies could damage U.S. multinational corporations.

"His proposals would put American corporations at a great disadvantage, which is a very foolish policy in a competitive global marketplace," said Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute.

Announced earlier today, the Obama administration's two-part plan would remove tax deductions for companies that take jobs overseas and reduce the amount of taxes lost to overseas tax havens.

"If financial institutions won't cooperate with us, we will assume that they are sheltering money in tax havens and act accordingly," Obama said in announcing the plan today in Washington, adding that the government will also hire 800 new IRS agents to enforce it. - ABC News Story

Well, Americans can feel a little better temporarily. It appears that Obama is formulating an Army of IRS Agents that are going after every penny that they can get their hands on. When they can't get enough to cover the spending, the taxes will go up on us.

This plan has a tremendous down side. You can get so caught up in the loopholes and tax havens that you make it impossible for American Business to compete in a global marketplace. Go after the Illegal Activity, but don't just assume, as Obama Stated he would do, that everyone is guilty.

Specter - Kemp Would be Alive if We Spent More

Jack Kemp would still be alive if the federal government had done a better job funding cancer research, Sen. Arlen Specter said Sunday, one day after Kemp, the 1996 Republican vice presidential nominee and former congressman, died of cancer.

The Pennsylvania senator, who last week switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, made the claim on two Sunday shows.

On CBS' "Face the Nation," Specter suggested that one of the reasons he left the GOP was because it did not share his interest in funding medical research. - FOX News

The National Cancer Institute had a $4.8 billion budget in fiscal 2008. Since the early '70s, the National Cancer Institute's budgets have totaled more than $80 billion, according to historical budget statistics.

"We are spending more money on cancer research -- public and private -- than President Nixon ever dreamed," said one column critical of Specter's comments on The American Thinker blog.

In a statement to FOXNews.com, the American Cancer Society's chief medical officer said there's "room for more progress" but noted the achievements researchers have made in past decades in the areas of cancer prevention and treatment.

Otis Brawley said that while more than 560,000 Americans will likely die this year from cancer, there is evidence that more than 530,000 have not died since 1991 "because of the war on cancer." - FOX News Story

Supreme Court Weighs in On Janet Jackson Wardrobe Malfunction

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a federal appeals court to re-examine its ruling in favor of CBS Corp. in a legal fight over entertainer Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction.

The high court on Monday directed the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia to consider reinstating the $550,000 fine that the Federal Communications Commission imposed on CBS over Jackson's breast-baring performance at the 2004 Super Bowl.

The order follows the high court ruling last week that narrowly upheld the FCC's policy threatening fines against even one-time uses of curse words on live television.

Last year, the appeals court threw out the fine against CBS, saying the FCC strayed from its long-held approach of applying identical standards to words and images when reviewing complaints of indecency.

The appellate court said the incident lasted nine-sixteenths of one second and should have been regarded as "fleeting." The FCC previously deviated from its nearly 30-year practice of fining indecent broadcast programming only when it was so "pervasive as to amount to 'shock treatment' for the audience," the court said.

The FCC appealed to the Supreme Court. The case had been put off while the justices dealt with a challenge led by Fox Television against the FCC's policy on fleeting expletives.

The case is FCC v. CBS Corp., 08-653. - FOX News

WHO Likely to Raise Alert Level to 6 - Declare Pandemic

The World Health Organization is likely to raise its alert for the H1N1 swine flu outbreak to the highest level and declare a pandemic, its director indicated in an interview published on Monday.

"Level six does not mean, in any way, that we are facing the end of the world. It is important to make this clear because (otherwise) when we announce level six it will cause an unnecessary panic," Reuters reported WHO Director General Margaret Chan told Spanish newspaper El Pais.

"Flu viruses are very unpredictable, very deceptive... We should not be overconfident. One must not give H1N1 the opportunity to mix with other viruses. That is why we are on alert," she reportedly told the newspaper. - FOX News Story

Obama Administration - No Overreaction to Swine Flu

Senior Obama administration officials said Sunday that the government is not overreacting to swine flu -- even as criticism grows that the media and government are overblowing its potential impact.

"With a new infectious agent, a new emerging infection, you may only get one shot at trying to limit the impact on health so you come at this very aggressively," said Richard Besser, acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "As you learn more, you're able to tailor your response. As we gain more information, I fully expect we will be able to tailor that further."

On CBS' "Face the Nation," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano added: "No, I don't think you can say there's been overreaction. You have to get ahead of flu." - Politico Story

Specter - Loyal Democrat?

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) is flatly denying a report that he pledged to be a 'loyal Democrat' when he talked to President Barack Obama last week about changing parties.

Specter's denial came in an exchange Sunday with the host of NBC's "Meet the Press," David Gregory, who read verbatim from a Wall Street Journal report that quoted Specter as saying to Obama: "I'm a loyal Democrat.I support your agenda." The quotes were attributed to unnamed sources "familiar with the White House."

"You misquote me. I did not say would be a loyal Democrat. I did not say that," Specter told Gregory, somewhat indignantly.

"I did not say, 'I'm a loyal Democrat.' I read once another mistake in a newspaper, some newspaper," Specter said, arching his eyebrows, without elaborating. - Politico Story

Swine Flu - Overblown or Real Danger?

(CNN) -- As the number of swine flu cases rises around the world, so is a gradual backlash -- with some saying the threat the virus poses is overblown.

Workers in South Korea, where one case of swine flu is confirmed, disinfect a terminal Sunday at Incheon airport.

By Sunday, 898 cases of the virus, known as influenza A (H1N1), had been confirmed in 18 countries, the World Health Organization said. The number of fatalities was at 20, including one in the United States.

"There is too much hysteria in the country and so far, there hasn't been that great a danger," said Congressman Ron Paul, a Republican from Texas. "It's overblown, grossly so."

Paul, who was a freshman congressman during a swine flu outbreak in 1976, said Congress voted to inoculate the whole country at the time.

Twenty-five people died from the inoculation while one person was killed by the flu, Paul said, adding that he voted against inoculation. Watch Ron Paul talk about 1976 swine flu »

The United States' only death this year from the virus was a 22-month-old boy in Texas who was visiting from Mexico. The other 19 deaths happened in Mexico.

"I wish people would back off a little bit," Paul said.

Others shared Paul's sentiment, saying the fear of the flu has gotten out of hand.

"We have people without symptoms going into the emergency rooms asking to be screened for swine flu at the expense of people with real illness," said Cathy Gichema, a nurse in Pikesville, Maryland.

"Schools are being shut for probable causes -- sending these kids congregating to the malls. How is that helping?" Gichema said.

Dr. Mark Bell, principal of Emergent Medical Associates, which operates 18 emergency departments in Southern California, said the level of fear is unprecedented. - CNN News Story

I have been wondering and asking the same thing. We have a flu season here were single schools will have an outbreak of 20, 30, or more out with it at a single time. They don't close down those schools. Heck, it doesn't even make the nightly news.

Have we overblown this whole thing?

Rice Defends Administration's Interrogation Methods

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice defended the Bush administration's policies on the interrogation of terrorism suspects Sunday, saying former President George W. Bush would not have authorized anything illegal.

"He was also very clear that we would do nothing -- nothing -- that was against the law or against our obligations internationally," Rice said during an appearance at a Washington school.

A Senate Intelligence Committee report released in April showed Rice was among top Bush advisers who approved the CIA's use of waterboarding -- a technique considered a form of torture for centuries -- on terrorism suspects in its custody. Recently released Bush administration memos showed Justice Department officials argued that waterboarding, sleep deprivation and other coercive practices did not violate U.S. laws against torture.

The disclosures have led to calls for investigations of former Bush administration officials. But Rice said Bush "was only willing to authorize policies that were legal in order to protect the country" after al Qaeda's September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

"I hope people understand that it was a struggle, it was a difficult time," she said. "We were all terrified of another attack on this country because September 11 was the worst day of my life in government -- watching 3,000 Americans die because these people attacked us." But she added, "Even under those most difficult circumstances, the president was not prepared to do something illegal." - CNN News Story

This is one of those Damned if you do, Damned if you don't. I personally don't happen to believe that anything that I have read in the memos constitutes wrong doing on the part of anyone involved. However, even if you do call it torture, what do you do. You are in custody of someone that you know has information about a possible attack. If you don't do anything more and an attack happens, then everyone will be attacking you for not doing everything in your power to stop it. If you do something and stop an attack or get information then you are attacked for possible torture. Give me a break.