Archives: June 2006
Supreme Court Says Guantanamo Trials Illegal
President George Bush refused to rule out military tribunals for inmates at Guantanamo Bay detention center despite the Supreme Court ruling on Thursday that he had overstepped his authority in creating military war crimes trials for Guantanamo detainees. The 5-3 verdict is seen in Washington as a rebuke to the administration’s effort to keep terror suspects out of US judicial system.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Reid: "A raise for workers before a raise for Congress"
Democrats went to the mat with their push for an increase in the federal minimum wage on Tuesday by vowing to block a congressional pay hike unless some of the lowest-paid hourly workers get their first raise in a decade. Congress votes soon on giving itself a raise, but Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada says the Senate is going to have to earn its raise by putting American workers first. "A raise for workers before a raise for Congress."» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Obama: Dems Should Find Religion
Sen. Barack Obama, D-IL, scolded his colleagues on Wednesday for failing to "acknowledge the power of faith in the lives of the American people," and said the party must compete for the support of evangelicals and other churchgoing Americans. "Not every mention of God in public is a breach to the wall of separation. Context matters," Obama, the only black in the Senate, said in remarks prepared for delivery to a conference of Call to Renewal, a faith-based movement to overcome poverty.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Flag & 1st Amendment Unchanged After Senate Rejects Flag Burning Ban
By the smallest of margins, the Senate on Tuesday rejected a constitutional amendment that would have given Congress the power to ban flag burning. The vote in favor of the measure was 66 to 34, a single vote short of the 67 votes required for a two-thirds majority. Such a majority would be necessary in the Senate and House before a constitutional amendment could be sent to each of the states for ratification. The vote is part of a series planned by Republicans on abortion, guns, religion and other priority issues for social conservatives ahead of November's mid-term elections.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
White House Attacks NY Times
President George Bush called "disgraceful" newspaper disclosure of his administration's secret CIA-Treasury program to track millions of financial records in search of terrorist suspects. The White House singled out The New York Times, saying it broke a long tradition of keeping wartime secrets. "The fact that a newspaper disclosed it makes it harder to win this war on terror," Bush said Monday, leaning forward and jabbing his finger during a brief question-and-answer session with reporters in the Roosevelt Room. The three huge newspapers - The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal - defended their coverage of the story, saying publication has served America's public interest.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Bush Mum on Buffett's Historic Generosity
With nary a word of praise from Washington, the two wealthiest people on the planet combined their fortunes this week to create the biggest charitable foundation in the world. It's odd to see the world's second richest man, billionaire investor Warren Buffett, transferring some $31 billion of stock to the world's richest man, software mogul Bill Gates. But Buffett says he's giving his money through Gates, specifically through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, because it can do a better philanthropic job with his money than he can. The donation is thought to be the largest charitable gift ever in the US, and it's a gift that comes wrapped in great promise and considerable challenges.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Abortion Foes Rally Their Troops
Anti-abortion activists who are a big part of the Republican coalition are working to ensure that President Bush's sagging popularity won't harm re-election prospects for incumbents who've supported their cause, but they are afraid that one of America's sharpest wedge issues may not withstand a legal challenge when one develops over a far-reaching South Dakota law banning almost all abortions. "It's going to be a difficult year," said Karen Cross, political director for the National Right to Life Committee , which is holding its annual, three-day meeting in Nashville. "We're going to try to protect our pro-life incumbents and win open seats and defeat pro-abortion [pro-choice] candidates or incumbents."» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Cheney, Others Want Their Secrets Kept!
Vice President Dick Cheney and a powerful New York Republican want the Bush administration to prosecute the press for printing stories about secret government strategies in the war on terror. Rep. Pete King, R-NY, is fired up after The New York Times and several other newspapers ran stories Friday about a program the Bush administration says it uses to monitor thousands of foreign financial transactions. "The New York Times clearly broke the law," said King, the House Homeland Security Committee chairman, Sunday, attacking the paper and government leakers for revealing a program he says has helped capture a number of al Qaida leaders. But one Republican who has been critical of the White House's clandestine surveillance programs, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, R-PA, said The Times deserves a little slack. "We have seen the newspapers in this country act as effective watchdogs," Specter said on "Fox News Sunday."» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Dean says 'Stay the course' Not a Plan - Warning: May Cause Explosive Anger
In his party's weekly radio address Saturday, the head of the Democratic Party went for the jugular, accusing the Bush administration's "failed political leadership and lack of foresight and planning" for turning US soldiers into targets for the Iraqi insurgency. Howard Dean accused Republicans of lacking a plan to move forward after more than three years of violence and said the Republican slogan to "stay the course" was not an option. He emphasized the Democratic call for a phased withdrawal of US troops to begin by year's end. "The Republicans don't have a plan. 'Stay the course' is not a plan. Saying the problems in Iraq will be left to the next president, is not a plan."» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Abramoff Probe Grows...
In the first trial connected to the scandal surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a jury has found former top Bush administration aide David Safavian guilty on four counts of lying and obstructing justice. In January Abramoff pleaded guilty to fraud, tax evasion and bribing public officials in return for political favors. And newly released documents in the investigation shed light on how the lobbyist secretly routed his clients' funds through tax-exempt organizations with the acquiescence of those in charge, including prominent conservative activist Grover Norquist, who may now want to get a lawyer. Abramoff is now helping prosecutors in the ongoing inquiry which has reached the highest levels of government.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
If it's Illegal, Change The Law
Despite constant White House claims that changes to laws were unneeded to empower the National Security Agency to eavesdrop — without court approval — on communications between people in the US and overseas when terrorism is suspected, the administration and Congress appear ready to agree to legislation that would make it official, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said Sunday. Specter and other critics have contended the program skirted a 1978 law that required the government to get approval from a secretive federal court before American citizens could be monitored.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Bipartisan House Votes to Give Bush Line-item Veto
Thirty-five House Democrats sided with Republicans on Thursday to give the president a line-item veto after weakening it. The House passed the bill by a 247-172 vote, but the measure must still pass the Senate, by no means a certainty. The bill would allow the president to single out items contained in appropriations bills he signs into law, and it would require Congress to vote on those items again. It would take a simple majority (51 percent) in both the House and the Senate to approve the items over the president's objections.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Mom 'n' Pop Terrorists Indicted
Seven men have been charged with plotting to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago and attack FBI offices in Miami. The men, five from the US and two from Haiti, hoped to wage a "full ground war" against the US, according to the charges brought against them. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller cited the breakup of the alleged conspiracy by seven members of the Florida-based "Seas of David" to bomb the 110-story Sears Tower in Chicago and federal buildings in Miami’s Dade County as an example of the growing threat posed by mom 'n' pop terror operations born and bred in the United States.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
House Votes to Cut The Estate Tax
To the relief of wealthy people everywhere, after shooting down a raise in the minimum wage the House voted Thursday to cut taxes on inherited estates and relieve the financial burden on heirs left with estates worth up to $10 million. Republicans temporarily set aside their ambition to abolish the tax. Instead, they voted to exempt from taxation individual estates up to $5 million and couple's estates up to $10 million, while also easing the impact on even richer families. The vote was 269-156. The White House called the bill "a step in the right direction." The compromise measure now goes to the Senate. Democrats argued that it is more unfair to give millionaires a tax cut while denying thousands of poor workers a higher minimum wage.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Vice President Cheney's Short Memory
Hoping Americans will forget that a year ago Vice President Dick Cheney said the insurgency in Iraq was in its "last throes," on Thursday the vice president told CNN's John King in an interview that "The worst possible thing we could do is what the Democrats are suggesting." But the vice president has been wrong before. On March 16, 2003, shortly before the war began, Cheney told NBC's Meet the Press: "I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators. ... I think it will go relatively quickly, ... (in) weeks rather than months."» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Democrats Forget There's No "I" in Team
A possible timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq has sparked a theatrical debate in the US Senate. Democratic Party senators have put forward two proposals - a full exit by July 2007, or a phased exit to begin this year but without a deadline to finish withdrawal. Republicans derided the proposals, saying the different options were evidence of splits within Democratic ranks. Despite no Democrat in any plan calling for retreat from Iraq, Texas Republican John Cornyn chose to spin it that way: "The policy of retreat and defeatism, and simply giving up, is not one that serves our nation well."» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Southern Republicans Delay Renewal of 1965 Voting Rights Act
The House abruptly dropped plans Wednesday to vote on a renewal of the Voting Rights Act, a momentous law from the civil rights era, after House Republicans disagreed on whether to require bilingual ballots and federal oversight of Southern states. The dissension in a closed session meeting grew so intense Republican leaders postponed indefinitely a scheduled vote to renew the act. "That ought to be a significant embarrassment as they fan around the country trying to skim off a few black votes in the next four months," said Representative Artur Davis, a Democrat from Alabama.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Republicans Intend to Defeat Minimum Wage Increase for Ninth Year
Minimum-wage earning Americans should not expect a raise this year as Republicans are poised to apply an obscure Senate rule today to defeat a vote on it later today. Election-year maneuvering is likely to cause the $5.15-an-hour federal minimum wage to remain unchanged for the ninth straight year. Democrats had proposed to raise it to $7.25 an hour, but Senate Republicans are using a legislative trick to force the measure to get 60 votes to pass, as opposed to requiring the normal 51. In the measure's place, Republicans are offering an increase to $6.25 but say they will pair it with reductions in overtime pay and tax cuts for businesses - a move that appears likely to arouse enough Democratic opposition to kill all attempts to raise the minimum wage this year.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
National Guard Will Guard the Nation in New Orleans
Living up to their name, US National Guard troops have arrived in New Orleans to patrol the streets and guard the city for the first time since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina last September. Mayor Ray Nagin called in the National Guard and state police after five teenagers were gunned down together on Saturday and another man was stabbed to death on Sunday in an argument over beer. In addition to the 100 National Guard members with law enforcement experience, 60 state police officers are expected in the city. The Guard will patrol the most devastated parts of the city still in tatters after Hurricane Katrina, leaving local police to concentrate on sections of the city that are returning to life fastest.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Republicans Decide to Postpone Immigration Issue Until After Elections
Afraid to vote on an issue that divides their own party, House Republican leaders on Tuesday vowed to hold hearings across the country to expose the flaws in the Senate's "I swear it's not amnesty!" guest worker immigration plan before entertaining any compromise with the House's get-tough approach. The move will mean a welcome delay to congressional negotiations to form new legislation on the high-profile issue that should put immigration on the backburner until after this November's mid-term elections.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Japan Withdraws Small Non-Combat Troop Contingent From Iraq
It's hard to find good help. US troops in Iraq will have the assistance of one less nation soon as Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has officially ordered Japan's 550 non-combat troops to come home from Iraq. The announcement brings an end to a mission that has divided his country. Although no timetable was given, it is expected that the withdrawal will begin at the end of this month. The announcement comes as the bodies of two US soldiers kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents Friday night were found on a farm south of Baghdad.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Vice President Cheney Wants Credit
Vice President Dick Cheney wants a little credit for keeping America safe since the Sept. 11 attacks. On Monday he said that aggressive US action is responsible for preventing new terror attacks on American soil. Stating the obvious by saying that "Nobody can promise that we won't be hit," Cheney credited a determined offense against terrorists abroad, improved intelligence-gathering and preventive steps at home for thwarting or discouraging terror attacks. Never mind that the number of terrorist attacks worldwide increased nearly fourfold in 2005 to 11,111, the largest single-year increase in decades, with strikes in Iraq accounting for 30 percent of the total, according to statistics released by US counterterrorism officials last April.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Al-Qaeda Planned US Cyanide Attack
An al-Qaida cell in the United States came within 45 days of launching a cyanide attack on the New York subway system that could have killed as many people as the attacks of September 11, according to a new book given broad credence by American police and intelligence officials. The plan was called off just weeks before it was due to be carried out in 2003. The revelations are contained in a new book excerpted by Time magazine. The attack, masterminded by Saudi militants, was called off by Osama Bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Unnamed US officials confirmed their knowledge of the plot to the New York Times.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Witnesses Describe Kidnapping of 2 US Soldiers in Iraq
An Iraqi insurgent group linked to al-Qaida claimed Monday it had kidnapped two US soldiers who were seized in Yusifiyah, south of Baghdad. Insurgents opened fire on a patrol of 12 soldiers in three jeeps after they began carrying out security spot-checks on drivers crossing a bridge over the Euphrates River on Friday. But as two of the vehicles and nine of the infantry pursued the gunmen, a second, heavily-armed group emerged from date groves along the road and overran the remaining Americans, killing one. Witnesses said the two US survivors were then disarmed and bundled into two cars. Nothing has been heard of them since.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Have Warrant, Will Enter (Without Knocking First)
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck a blow against an age old rule that police officers must "knock and announce" themselves before entering a private home. Of the well-established part of 4th Amendment law, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said last year, "I'm what you call an originalist, one who believes the Constitution should be interpreted exactly as it was adopted." But last week Scalia wrote a majority opinion for the court abandoning the venerable principle that the police have to knock before entering a home to serve a search warrant. And President George W. Bush's two recent Supreme Court appointments have now provided the votes for a 5-4 decision to abandon the rule. The court ruled that police with a search warrant may rush into a house without giving the required warning to the occupants and may use the evidence found there.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Hamas Unhappy But Still Welcomes Palestinian Aid
The Hamas-led Palestinian government has reluctantly embraced an international plan to provide indirect humanitarian aid to Palestinian areas. Speaking after the "Quartet," made up of the United States, the EU, the UN and Russia, announced that they would back an EU proposal to provide support for local health services, guarantee fuel supplies and provide for the basic needs of poor Palestinians, a Hamas spokesman said any funds for impoverished Palestinians were welcome. The European Union proposed the agreement and hailed its acceptance. The EU gives about $632m a year to the Palestinians, making it by far the biggest aid donor, but the new plan is controversial because it bypasses the Hamas-led government with funding going directly to aid groups.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Some Democrats Aren't Voting With Their Conscience on Iraq
The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives stuck to its record of providing absolutely no checks and balances on the Bush administration last week when it voted 351-67 to authorize another $66 billion in "emergency" spending for the nations building and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Of the 351 votes to continue with the status quo, 204 came from Republicans while 146 came from Democrats. Perhaps to reduce guilt and shame among Democrats who've been critical of the war in Iraq yet still voted to continue funding the war indefinitely, the "emergency" funding package was also tied to another $28.5 billion for Hurricane Katrina assistance, border security and farm subsidies, items that could have just as easily been funded as part of separate spending bills.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Report Finds Marines Did Shoddy Job Investigating Haditha Massacre
US Army Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the second-ranking commander in Iraq, has completed review of a report into the alleged massacre and cover-up of 24 civilians in Haditha, finding that Marine officers failed to ask the right questions, an official close to the investigation said Friday. Nothing in the report points to a "knowing cover-up" of the facts by the officers supervising the Marines involved in the November incident, the official said. Rather, a soft cover-up, whereby officers from the company level through the staff of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Baghdad failed to demand "a thorough explanation" of what happened in Haditha.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
North Korea Is Still Out There
Japan has issued a frightening warning to North Korea to abstain from conducting a possible ballistic missile test. The test launch of a missile across the seas north of Japan would constitute a security breach of a 2002 bilateral agreement. The announcement was based on information from US, South Korean and Japanese media reports that North Korea had started preparations for the test launch of a long-distance Taepodong-2 missile that could be fired within the next few days. A Taepodong-2 missile is capable of reaching as far as the US mainland with a light payload.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Iran Considering Incentives
Iran will eventually cooperate in nuclear negotiations to abandon its suspected development of nuclear weapons, according to Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres on Friday. In an interview with foreign media in Kazakhstan, Peres said Iran would suffer deepening poverty and isolation if it spurned international appeals for it to halt its nuclear activity. Noting that Iran's population had more than doubled since 1990, and that unemployment and drug addiction were worsening as the country devotes huge resources to military development, Peres said he doesn't think the Iranians "have much of a choice."» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Republicans Sure Americans Prefer Flawed Decisiveness to Divided Anxiety
The Republican strategy to focus attention on the war in Iraq is simple: no matter how upset people are by President Bush's handling of the war, doubts about the direction Democrats might set on national security are worse. House Republicans planned an election-year debate on Iraq to show support for U.S. troops, but more importantly to force lawmakers, particularly Democrats, to take a position on withdrawing American forces from the conflict. On Friday, when the House votes on a nonbinding resolution that praises U.S. troops, identifies Iraq as part of the larger War on Terror and says an "arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment" of troops would threaten national security, Democrats remain divided.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
US Deaths in Iraq Hit 2,500, Wounded at least 18,000
The number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq has reached 2,500, the Pentagon said on Thursday, more than three years into a conflict that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said would last no more than six months. But the news came after a senior Iraqi official in Baghdad said his country's security forces had seized al Qaeda in Iraq documents giving key information about the militant group's network and the whereabouts of its leaders. Using words that have been spoken by others before, National Security Adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie told a televised news conference in the Iraqi capital, "We believe this is the beginning of the end of al Qaeda in Iraq."» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Republicans Toy With Divided Democrats
With November elections around the corner, House Republicans are trying to force divided Democrats to confront their demons. The GOP wants to put all members on record in support of President Bush's wartime policies by staging a symbolic vote, as early as Thursday, on a GOP-offered resolution that praises U.S. troops and rejects setting "an arbitrary date" for withdrawing them from Iraq. Stymied by their inability to offer amendments to the Republican-drafted resolution supporting President George W. Bush's conduct of the war in Iraq, Democrats such as House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Rep. Louise Slaughter and Rep. Neil Abercrombie are considering a walkout. Others like Marty Meehan of Massachusetts, who wants to discuss an exit plan for U.S. troops, believe the motives behind calling for the vote are sincere and said they're willing to participate in the debate with Republicans.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Bush Plans Largest Marine Sanctuary
In what is being called the best thing the Bush administration has done over the last six years for the oceans and for the environment, the White House decided to invoke the 1906 National Antiquities Act and create a national monument for the first time during Bush's presidency, a senior administration official told the Associated Press on Wednesday. "The president is creating the world's largest marine protected area," said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense, an environmental group based in New York City. "It's as important as the establishment of Yellowstone." The plan designates a marine sanctuary spanning nearly 1,400 miles of the Pacific Ocean northwest of Hawaii to Midway Atoll, creating the largest protected marine reserve in the world.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
US House Approves $94.5bn Spending Bill for Wars, Borders, Hurricane Relief
The US House of Representatives passed a $94.5 billion bill today to pay for continuing US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, hurricane relief, bird flu preparations and border security at home.The House-Senate compromise bill contains $66bn for the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing the cost of the three-year-old war in Iraq to about $320bn. Operations in Afghanistan have now tallied about $89bn, according to the Congressional Research Service. The bill, which passed by a 351-67 vote, had only minimal debate last night.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
FEMA Funds Spent on Sex Change, Season Tickets
Rampant fraud as requests for emergency assistance poured in after Hurricane Katrina has cost taxpayers more than $1 billion, according to a new report by the investigative arm of Congress. One applicant listed as his address the Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans. FEMA promptly issued a check for $2,358 for rental assistance. Thousands of examples of alleged fraud and abuse described in the report include season football tickets for one applicant, a tropical vacation and even a divorce lawyer for another. Prison inmates, a person who spent 70 days at a Hawaiian hotel, and a person who stocked a party with Dom Perignon champagne all were able to wrongly get taxpayer help, according to evidence that gives a new black eye to the nation's disaster relief agency.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Sens. Clinton, Kerry Ideologically Differ on Iraq War
While good fortune continues to visit Republicans this month, the Democratic Party's continued division over the Iraq War displayed itself at the Campaign for America's Future annual conference this week in Washington, D.C. A liberal crowd both booed and cheered Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton after she encouraged Democrats to have a "difficult conversation" about their position on the Iraq war in order to win over middle-of-the-road voters. Speaking with a vagueness that many Democrats have grown weary of, Clinton said: "We have to talk about the range of issues that are on their [voters'] minds that they talk about around the kitchen table." And her remarks on Iraq put her in stark contrast to a potential opponent for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, Massachusets Sen. John Kerry.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Ex-Reagan Aide, Former Lobbyist Vie in Va. -- BTW, They're Both Democrats
War hero and former Reagan Navy secretary James Webb is the man Senate Democrats want to lead the ticket in Virginia against Republican Sen. George Allen in this fall's election. Why? Because they're convinced he could win. "He's our best hope for defeating Allen in November," said Sen. Charles Schumer (D) of New York, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, in a statement last week.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Rove Clear of Charges in CIA Leak
The prosecutor in the CIA leak case on Monday advised senior White House advisor Karl Rove that he won’t be charged with any crimes in the investigation into the leak of a CIA officer’s identity, effectively ending the nearly three-year criminal investigation that had at times focused intensely on Rove. Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin, said he had heard the news from the special prosecutor in the case, Patrick Fitzgerald.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Western Governors Take Lead on Global Warming
A bipartisan group of western governors on Sunday formally acknowledged that greenhouse gases are on the rise and said their states need to take action to reduce global warming while meeting growing energy demand. Taking steps that the Bush Administration has declined to take so far, the bipartisan Western Governors' Association unanimously passed a resolution Sunday calling on states and cities to reduce human-caused greenhouse gases, but it contained no specifics on what action should be taken.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Courts Weigh in on Domestic Spying Program
The Bush administration’s controversial warrantless wire-tapping program faces its first big court test on Monday, when a federal judge in Detroit hears a direct challenge to the program's legality for the first time. A hearing in the case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union against the National Security Agency is scheduled before US District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor. The ACLU has asked the judge to immediately halt the warrantless wiretapping program.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
War Supporters Claim Iraq A Safer Place Than The US
Iraqi civilian death statistics complied by Rep. Steve King, R-IA, known for his extreme right-wing views, indicate that Iraq actually has a lower civilian violent death rate than Washington, D.C. and pre-Katrina New Orleans. According to King, who readers may recall said that the torture at Abu Ghraib "amounts to hazing," Iraq is substantially safer than several foreign countries. "I began to ask myself the question," King said, "if you were a civilian in Iraq, how could you tolerate that level of violence. What really is the level of violence?"» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Bush Gets Bounce From Zarqawi's Death
Polling done on Thursday, June 8, for the IBD/TIPP Presidential Leadership Index gave Bush a 44.2 rating, up from 39.1 in the prior days of June and 38.9 in May. The last time the Index reached this level was in December, when it hit 44.3. Readings below 50 are negative. Raghavan Mayur, president of TIPP, a unit of TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence, said the sudden rise in sentiment on a range of issues, including America's standing in the world, suggests Bush's bounce is "totally attributable" to Zarqawi. Bush got a similar jump after the capture of Saddam Hussein in December 2003.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Guantanamo Suicides a 'PR move'
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Collen Graffy has described the suicides of three detainees at the US base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as a "good PR move to draw attention." The suicide deaths of the three detainees over the weekend is likely to increase pressure on the Bush Administration to close down the controversial facility, stocked with prisoners from the US-led invasion of Afghanistan 4 1/2 years ago. President George Bush expressed what White House spokesman Tony Snow described as "deep concern" over the deaths of the men, two Saudis and a Yemeni, who hanged themselves with nooses made of sheets early on Saturday night. But the commander of the Guantanamo facility, Rear Admiral Harry Harris, put it differently when he told a news conference that the suicides were an act of warfare.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Democrats Getting Ahead of Themselves
Rep. John Murtha, 73, a 16-term Democrat known for his close ties to the military and his outspoken opposition to the war in Iraq, said Friday that he will run for House majority leader if Democrats win control of the House in November. "I would appreciate your consideration and vote and look forward to speaking to you personally about my decision," he wrote. Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran, is more conservative than most of his other colleauges in the House: he opposes abortion rights and follows the Republican platform on gun ownership.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Bush Says Iraq Violence May Escalate With Zarqawi's Death
Violence in Iraq may escalate in the coming weeks following the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al- Qaeda agent in Iraq, President George W. Bush said, not that many observers were surprised by the news. "The terrorists and insurgents will seek to prove they can carry on without Zarqawi,'' who headed by most accounts the 14th largest insurgent network in Iraq. "The work ahead will require more sacrifice and the continued patience of the American people,'' the president added.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Stinging Defeat for Internet Freedom
US politicians, most of them Republicans, have rejected attempts to enshrine the principle of Net neutrality in legislation. Some fear the decision will mean Internet Service Providers like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon will start deciding on behalf of customers which websites and services they can visit and use. The vote is a defeat for Google, eBay and Amazon which wanted the Net neutrality principle protected by law. Many also consider it a defeat for consumers.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Iran Faces Early Summer Deadline Or Else
Iran must respond within weeks to an international offer of incentives to suspend its nuclear program, President Bush has said. Iran had to respond to the offer in "weeks, not months," a first clear time frame since the offer. Speaking alongside the Danish prime minister at his retreat in Camp David, Maryland, President Bush repeated that Iran would face consequences if it failed to respond. "We've given the Iranians a limited period of time - you know, weeks, not months - to digest a proposal to move forward. And if they choose not to verifiably suspend their [nuclear enrichment] program, then there will be action taken within the UN Security Council."Yes, be afraid. Be very afraid.
» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Native Hawaiians Still Aren't Native Americans
A bill that would give Native Hawaiians a special national status similar to that of American Indians has failed to reach the floor of the U.S. Senate for the sixth year in a row. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, said he would try again to get the bill to a vote. A cloture vote this week failed by 56-41, four short of the 60 needed to end debate, the Honolulu Advertiser reported.
» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
DeLay Says Goodbye To His Friends in Congressional Black Caucus
In a touching farewell on Thursday, former Majority Leader Tom DeLay bid farewell to his many friends in Congress. Closing out his 21-year career in the House of Representatives, DeLay broke down in tears after a standing ovation that lasted 90 minutes left him, for once in his life, speechless. Farewell, Tom. You will be missed. Good luck with all the legal problems.
» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
First Commissioned US Army Officer to Publicly Refuse to go to Iraq Faces Jail
A patriotic Eagle Scout who had hoped to make the Army his career, 1st Lt. Ehren K. Watada says the war in Iraq is illegal and that he will not deploy with his Fort Lewis unit when it leaves in two weeks. Watada, who turns 28 today, did not tell his mother he had joined the Army until after he signed enlistment papers in March 2003 just before he graduated from Hawaii Pacific University. He reported for boot camp in June.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
What Does The Death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Mean?
Rising from the life of a Jordanian street thug to become an al Qaeda figure and the symbol of "holy war" in Iraq, 39-year-old Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death during a U.S. airstrike Wednesday night will surely have an impact, but what kind of impact is still unclear. His followers immediately vowed to continue their fight.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
June 6th Primary Election Results a Mixed Bag for Democrats
Republicans will be fielding more moderates in this November's general election as hard liners lost their primary races nationwide.As eight states held primaries, New Jersey Republicans chose Tom Kean Jr., the son of a popular former governor, to challenge Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez in the fall. In Alabama, voters passed a ban on gay marriage by a huge 4-to-1 margin.
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Gore's Movie Scores Big With Film Critics
"In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to." - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times Read the reviews here!
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Fed Chairman Bernanke's Lost Music Video
A friend of mine forwarded this to me. It's a music video from the Columbia Business School. This is what the kids at Columbia Biz do to you if you take the job they wanted their dean to get. click me!» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Bush and Republicans Focus on Gay Marriage
President George W. Bush has hit the stump again to urge the US Senate to pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage when it debates the issue this week. Not having enjoyed the job approval support of a majority of Americans for the past 18 months, with renewed vigor the president today said marriage between a man and a woman was the most fundamental institution of civilization, and it still needed protection from "activist judges."» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
Movie Review: An Inconvenient Truth
The peak of Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro was covered in snow when Elvis and the Beatles rocked American pop music. Today, the snow is all but gone. Glaciers around the world have been melting, lakes drying up, hurricanes where there were never hurricanes before, shrinking polar ice caps and record high temperatures. The 10 warmest years in history were in the last 14 years.» There's more to this entry. Click here for the rest of it.
2002 Iraq War Vote Remembered
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) on Friday declared his vote against theIraq war the best he has cast since being elected in 1962. His October 11, 2002 vote, cast in the pre-dawn morning hours of that now fateful day, was one of only 23 cast against Joint Resolution 114, which authorized the use of American force against Iraq. Among its many consequences, the vote wounded the Democratic Party, and the wound has far from healed. It set Kennedy, Boxer, Byrd and others against the likes of Biden, Kerry and Clinton - members of their own party.
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Federal Marriage Amendment Debate Begins Monday, June 5th
“I am against gay marriage because I believe that marriage is for men and women. I don’t support gay adoption either because I believe that society ought to aim for the ideal, and the ideal is for a man and a woman to adopt children.” -President George W. BushDo you agree with President Bush against gay marriages and adoptions by gay parents?
| Option | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Yes, I agree with the president. | 3 | 15 |
| No, he is wrong. | 17 | 85 |
Total votes: 20
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