G.O.P. Receives Obama Parody "Obama the Magic Negro" had Mixed Reviews

I think this was a bit odd myself. I think these people would be trying to figure out how to fix their broken party. And quit trying to poke fun at the person who beat them. It is pretty bad when you could put anyone in the democratic nomination and they were guaranteed to beat you. I think Obama will be great don't get me wrong. I just think they really messed up a great opportunity to make this country even greater. Now it is the democrats turn.

By JASON DePARLE

WASHINGTON — To the issues that divide the Republican Party, there comes one more. Some Republicans find humor in the song “Barack the Magic Negro.” Some most definitely do not.

The debate was joined last week after a candidate for party chairman from Tennessee, Chip Saltsman, distributed the parody, which was broadcast on the Rush Limbaugh radio show last year and questions President-elect Barack Obama’s racial authenticity.

Speaking to The Hill newspaper on Friday, Mr. Saltsman, a longtime Republican operative, described it as a “light-hearted” gift that would be received in “good humor” by members of the Republican National Committee.

In a party that had big losses this year among minority voters, not everyone took it that way.

“I am shocked and appalled,” Mike Duncan, the current party chairman, said in a statement released Saturday. Mr. Duncan is competing for a second term against Mr. Saltsman and four others.

“This is so inappropriate that it should disqualify any Republican National Committee candidate who would use it,” Newt Gingrich, a Republican former House speaker, said in an e-mail message. Referring to Mr. Obama, Mr. Gingrich said, “There are no grounds for demeaning him or for using racist descriptions.”

Saul Anuzis, the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and another candidate for party chairman, said, “This isn’t funny, and it’s in bad taste.”

There are two black candidates for the post, J. Kenneth Blackwell, a former Ohio secretary of state, and Michael Steele, a former lieutenant governor of Maryland. On Saturday, Mr. Blackwell dismissed the fuss as “hypersensitivity.”

“All competitors for this leadership position are fine people,” he said in an e-mail message.

The dispute illustrates a larger Republican challenge in the months ahead: how to oppose the first black president without seeming antiblack. There are no black Republicans in Congress, and a party spokesman could name only 2 blacks among the 168 members of the national committee. Katon Dawson, the chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, resigned from an all-white country club in preparing for his campaign to be party chairman.

The parody is sung to the tune of “Puff the Magic Dragon” by a character meant to be the Rev. Al Sharpton, the civil rights advocate and sometime political candidate. The character laments that white liberals vote for Mr. Obama while shunning his brand of more confrontational racial politics.

“Barack the Magic Negro,” the character says, “made guilty whites feel good/They’ll vote for him and not for me/Cause he’s not from the ’hood.”

The song was written by a parodist, Paul Shanklin, whose work frequently airs on Mr. Limbaugh’s show, and Mr. Limbaugh has defended it against critics who called it racist. Mr. Limbaugh said that it was inspired by an opinion column in The Los Angeles Times by a black writer, David Ehrenstein, who likened Mr. Obama to “warm and unthreatening” black figures like the actors Sidney Poitier and Morgan Freeman.

Mr. Saltsman distributed the song in a compilation of works by Mr. Shanklin, whom he described to The Hill as “a longtime friend.” Mr. Saltsman did not return phone calls on Saturday.

President Bush: Automakers to get $17.4B

I can't believe this thing passed even though Congress turned them down. I guess we don't live in a democrazy anymore.

By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – Citing danger to the national economy, the Bush administration came to the rescue of the U.S. auto industry Friday, offering $17.4 billion in emergency loans in exchange for concessions from the deeply troubled carmakers and their workers.

At the same time, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Congress should authorize the use of the second $350 billion from the financial rescue fund that it approved in October to rescue huge financial institutions. Tapping the fund for the auto industry basically exhausts the first half of the $700 billion total, he said.

President Bush said, "Allowing the auto companies to collapse is not a responsible course of action." Bankruptcy, he said, would deal "an unacceptably painful blow to hardworking Americans" across the economy.

One official said $13.4 billion of the money would be available this month and next, $9.4 billion for General Motors Corp. and $4 billion for Chrysler LLC. Both companies have said they soon might be unable to pay their bills without federal help. Ford Motor Co. has said it does not need immediate help.

Bush said the rescue package demanded concessions similar to those outlined in a bailout plan that was approved by the House but rejected by the Senate a week ago. It would give the automakers three months to come up with restructuring plans to become viable companies.

If they fail to produce a plan by March 31, the automakers will be required to repay the loans, which they would find very difficult.

"The time to make hard decisions to become viable is now, or the only option will be bankruptcy," Bush said. "The automakers and unions must understand what is at stake and make hard decisions necessary to reform."

He said the companies' workers should agree to wage and work rules that are competitive with foreign automakers by the end of next year.

And he called for elimination of a "jobs bank" program — negotiated by the United Auto Workers and the companies — under which laid-off workers receive unemployment benefits and supplemental pay from their companies for 48 weeks. If they remain laid off beyond that, they move to a jobs bank in which the company provides about 95% of their pay and benefits. Until the most recent contract, people could remain in the jobs bank for years. Early this month, the UAW agreed to suspend the program.

Bush's plan is designed to keep the auto industry running in the short term, passing the longer-range problem on to the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama.

Paulson said that with the help for the carmakers, the government will have allocated the first half of the largest government bailout program in history.

He said he was confident that the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. have the resources to address a significant market crisis if one should occur before Congress approves the use of the second half of the rescue fund.

Paulson said he would discuss the process with congressional leaders and Obama's transition team "in the near future."

The White House package is the lifeline desperately sought by U.S. automakers, who warned they were running out of money as the economy fell deeper into recession, car loans became scarce and consumers stopped shopping for cars.

The carmakers have announced extended holiday shutdowns. Chrysler is closing all 30 of its North American manufacturing plants for four weeks because of slumping sales; Ford will shut 10 North American assembly plants for an extra week in January, and General Motors will temporarily close 20 factories — many for the entire month of January — to cut vehicle production.

Bush said the auto manufactures have faced serious challenges for many years: burdensome costs, a shrinking share of the market and plunging profits. "In recent months, the global financial crisis has made these challenges even more severe," he said.

The president said that on the one hand, the government has a responsibility not to undermine the private enterprise system, yet on the other hand, it must safeguard the broader health and stability of the U.S. economy.

"If we were to allow the free market to take its course now, it would almost certainly lead to disorderly bankruptcy and liquidation for the automakers," he said.

"Under ordinary economic circumstances, I would say this is the price that failed companies must pay," the president said. "And I would not favor intervening to prevent the automakers from going out of business. But these are not ordinary circumstances.

"In the midst of a financial crisis and a recession, allowing the U.S. auto industry to collapse is not a responsible course of action."

Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli thanked the administration for its help.

In a statement Friday morning, Nardelli said the initial injection of capital will help the company get through its cash crisis and help eventually return to profitability. He said Chrysler was committed to meeting the conditions set by Bush in exchange for the money.

Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally said his company would not seek the short-term financial assistance but predicted the aid would stabilize the industry.

"The U.S. auto industry is highly interdependent, and a failure of one of our competitors would have a ripple effect that could jeopardize millions of jobs and further damage the already weakened U.S. economy," Mulally said.

General Motors said the short-term loans would help preserve jobs and "lead to a leaner, stronger General Motors."

"We know we have much work in front of us to accomplish our plan. It is our intention to continue to be transparent as we execute our plan, and we will provide regular updates on our progress," the automaker said.

Bush considering "orderly" auto bankruptcy

What an Idiot. No wonder all the stocks plummeted right after he talks.

By JENNIFER LOVEN, AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON – The Bush administration is looking at "orderly" bankruptcy as a possible way to deal with the desperately ailing U.S. auto industry, the White House said Thursday as carmakers readied more plant closings and a half million new jobless claims underscored the deteriorating national economy.

With General Motors, Chrysler and the rest of Detroit anxiously awaiting a White House decision on billions of dollars in emergency federal loans, press secretary Dana Perino said it wasn't simply a choice between government rescue and the disastrous collapse of a major industry.

"There's an orderly way to do bankruptcies that provides for more of a soft landing," she said. "I think that's what we would be talking about."

President George W. Bush, asked about an auto bailout, said he hadn't decided what he would do but didn't want to leave a mess for Barack Obama who takes office a month from Saturday. A White House decision on helping the troubled automakers could come as early as Friday.

Bush, like Perino, spoke of the idea of bankruptcies orchestrated by the federal government as a possible way to go — without committing to it.

"Under normal circumstances, no question bankruptcy court is the best way to work through credit and debt and restructuring," he said during a speech and question-and-answer session at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington think tank. "These aren't normal circumstances. That's the problem."

Perino emphasized there were still several possible approaches to assisting the automakers, including short-term loans from the Treasury Department's $700 billion Wall Street bailout program.

The Big Three automakers said anew that bankruptcy wasn't the answer, as did an official of the United Auto Workers who called the idea unworkable and even dangerous. GM said a report that it and Chrysler had restarted talks to combine was untrue.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Capitol Hill that grim new unemployment data heightened the urgency for the administration "to prevent the imminent insolvency of the domestic auto industry."

The California Democrat said Bush has the legal authority to act now, and should attach the accountability standards that were included in a $14 billion House-passed and Bush-supported carmaker bailout that died in the Senate last week. That plan would have given the government, through a Bush-appointed "car czar," veto power over major business decisions at any auto company that received federal loans.

Pelosi spoke after the government announced that initial claims for unemployment benefits totaled a seasonally adjusted 554,000 last week.

The comments in Washington came a day after Chrysler LLC announced it was closing all its North American manufacturing plants for at least a month as it, General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. await word on government action. General Motors also has been closing plants, and it and Chrysler have said they might not have enough money to pay their bills in a matter of weeks.

Separately, there were worries that GMAC LLC, which provides financing for GM vehicle and dealer loans along with home mortgages, could be forced to file for bankruptcy itself. GMAC was having trouble finding adequate support from its bondholders for a debt transaction that would allow it to become a bank holding company and gain eligibility for the $700 billion rescue package.

Prices of GM and Ford stocks fell sharply Thursday after the remarks out of the White House. Ford, unlike General Motors and Chrysler, is not seeking billions in federal bailout loans, but a collapse of the other two could hurt Ford as well.

Alan Reuther, the United Auto Workers' legislative director, said the union urged the administration during a meeting this week to follow the provisions included in the House-passed auto aid bill.

Congressional aides in both parties who have been closely following the discussions suggested the talk of bankruptcy could be a tactic to extract more hefty concessions from the companies and union in exchange for granting short-term loans from Treasury's financial industry rescue fund.

Perino said one factor preventing an announcement of action by the administration is that discussions continue with the various sides that would have to sign on to a managed bankruptcy — entities such as labor and equity holders in addition to the companies themselves.

A senior administration official said the talks between Bush officials and the Big Three and their stakeholders amount to information-gathering, not negotiating.

The White House has repeatedly emphasized its opposition to "disorderly bankruptcy" — presumably a Chapter 7 filing that would effectively shut down a company and require liquidation of assets. That has left on the table the possibility of forcing one or more automakers into a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which allows a firm to keep operating while under a court's purview.

Harlan Platt, who teaches corporate turnarounds at Northeastern University in Boston, said the government may be waiting for an offer of an ownership stake in the companies, much as it received in return for capital plowed into banks. "You really have to ask the question: If this is good enough for Wall Street, why isn't it good enough for Detroit?" he said.

On Thursday, spokesmen for Chrysler, GM and Ford generally referred to their previous comments that bankruptcy was not a workable solution. The car companies argue that no one would buy a vehicle from a bankrupt company for fear that the company might not be around to honor warranties.

"We continue to work with the administration to find a solution to this liquidity crisis," said GM spokesman Tony Cervone.

Chrysler spokeswoman Shawn Morgan noted previous statements against bankruptcy by CEO Robert Nardelli. Financing for even a prepackaged bankruptcy would be difficult to get in the current tight credit market, Chrysler has said.

The National Automobile Dealers Association also spoke out against bankruptcy for car companies "in any way shape or form, orderly or disorderly, prepackaged or unpackaged, managed or unmanaged," said spokesman Bailey Wood.

Bush said the auto industry is "obviously very fragile" and he is worried about what an out-and-out collapse without Washington involvement "would do to the psychology" of the markets.

"There still is a lot of uncertainty," he said.

At the same time, the president said anew that he is worried about "putting good money after bad," meaning taxpayer dollars shouldn't be used to prop up companies that can't survive the long term.

He revealed one other consideration — that Obama will become president in just over a month.

"I thought about what it would be like for me to become president during this period. I believe that good policy is not to dump him a major catastrophe on his first day in office," Bush said.

___

Associated Press writers Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Ken Thomas in Washington, Tom Krisher in Detroit and Bree Fowler in New York contributed to this story.

IG report says Blackwater may lose license in Iraq

I think Blackwater should have lost their license a long time ago. They must have some friends in high places or we don't have a better alternative. Which I find hard to believe. I think these people care even less about helping the people in Iraq more than the politicians that put us there.

By MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee, Associated Press Writer –

AFP/File – Blackwater security guards aboard a helicopter as it flies over Baghdad in 2006. Three US federal prosecutors …

WASHINGTON – An internal State Department report says Blackwater Worldwide may lose its license to work in Iraq and recommends that the agency prepare alternative means to protect its diplomats there.

The 42-page draft report by the State Department's Inspector General says the department faces "numerous challenges" in dealing with the security situation in Iraq, including the prospect that Blackwater may be barred from the country. The department would have turn to other security arrangements to replace Blackwater, officials said.

The State Department had no immediate comment on the report itself, but deputy spokesman Robert Wood said that after the probe is done, officials would look at "whether the continued use of Blackwater in Iraq is consistent with the U.S. government's goals and objectives."

It is not clear how the State Department would replace Blackwater. It relies heavily on private contractors to protect its diplomats in Iraq, as its own security service does not have the manpower or equipment to do so. The report suggests that one way to fill the void would be for the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service to beef up its presence in Iraq.

"The department faces the real possibility that one of its primary Worldwide Personal Protective Services contractors in Iraq — Blackwater (Worldwide) — will not receive a license to continue operating in Iraq," says the recently completely report.

The report is labeled "sensitive but unclassified."

An official familiar with the report said initially that it would recommend that department not renew Blackwater's contract when it expires next year. But that specific language is not included in the document, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

The official said later that such a recommendation would not be made until after an investigation of last September's incident in Baghdad's Nisoor Square in which Blackwater guards killed 17 Iraqis is complete. Five guards have been indicted on manslaughter and other charges stemming from that incident. The company was not implicated.

A decision on how U.S. diplomats in Iraq are to be protected will be left to the Obama administration, which will be in place when Blackwater's contract comes up for renewal in the spring.

Terminating the North Carolina-based company's Iraq contract will be difficult for incoming Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton because no other private security contractor has its range of resources, particularly its fleet of helicopters and planes.

Current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ordered a review of the department's use of private security firms after the Nisoor Square incident. The Inspector General's report is an analysis of how recommendations in that review have been implemented and includes several key findings, including that the department plan for the possibility that it may no longer be able to rely on private contractors like Blackwater.

Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrell declined to comment, saying the company has not yet seen the report. The company has said in the past, though, that it plans to largely get out of the security contracting business to concentrate on training and other projects.

Blackwater has won more than $1 billion in government contracts under the Bush administration, a large portion of which has been for work in Iraq, where among its duties is protecting diplomats based at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

State Department officials have praised Blackwater's work in Iraq, noting that no personnel under the company's protection has been killed. However, after Nisoor Square incident, the firm came under heavy criticism for the actions of its employees, which were immune from Iraqi law under legal protections dating from the U.S.-led occupation of the country.

Immediately after that incident, the State Department stepped up its supervision of Blackwater employees in Iraq, including posting a Diplomatic Security agent in every convoy the company escorts and installing video cameras in its vehicles.

And, the immunity enjoyed by Blackwater employees and other private security guards who protect civilians in Iraq will soon come to an end under a new U.S.-Iraqi security pact that will take effect on Jan. 1.

U.S. investigators have linked Blackwater guards to 70 shooting incidents involving civilians before Nisoor Square and only two since then.

___

Associated Press writer Matt Apuzzo contributed to this report.

Obama named Times Person of the Year 2008

I was wondering what it was taking them so long. Obama is the very easy choice for the person of the year. I only have one problem with it though. It is that he hasn't even done anything yet. I would wait to see if he can fix the problems with the country before I would say he is a great man. They jumped the gun with Bush when they named him person of the year. I would have to say the same thing about Hitler and Stalin when they named those two person of the year back in the day. Of course they thought those two people were going to be great. And in some respects they were.

Posted by Jason Tuohey

It may come as no shock that Time magazine named Barack Obama its "Person of the Year," but the magazine's online package does offer one surprise -- previously unseen photos of the president-elect from his formative years at Occidental College.

Time's managing editor Richard Stengel said the magazine picked Obama for his constant presence in news coverage throughout the year, and for being elected president at a "periolous" and "critical" time in American history.

Obama "energized Americans in a way that we haven't seen in a long time," Stengel said on CNN today.

Time's online package provides previously unpublished photos of Obama at Occidental College, which he attended from 1979 to 1981. The black-and-white photos were taken in 1980 by Lisa Jack, an aspiring photographer at the time, and show Obama wearing a hat and striking a variety of poses. Take a look at the photos.

Obama's time at Occidental College is a largely overlooked period of his biography, but one where he began to lay the seeds for his future in public service and politics.

The Globe's Scott Helman chronicled Obama's maturation this August in an article and video on the president-elect's years at Occidental. Here's a taste:

"Much has been made in this presidential campaign, both good and bad, of Obama's Ivy League pedigree - his bachelor's degree from Columbia University, and his law degree from Harvard, where he led the prestigious Law Review. But it is during the two years Obama spent at Occidental, a small liberal arts school in Los Angeles, that he started on the path that has led to the Democratic presidential nomination."

Obama Picks Arne Duncan for Education Post

By Sam Dillon

Arne Duncan (Photo: Charles Bennett/Associated Press)

President-elect Barack Obama will name Arne Duncan, the superintendent of schools in Chicago, to be his Secretary of Education, a senior Democratic official and a second person close to the decision said.

Mr. Duncan is a Harvard graduate whose friendship with Mr. Obama began on the basketball court and flowered into frequent discussions of education policy.

He has seven years’ experience as chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third-largest school district, where he has earned a solid reputation for confronting pressing issues in public education, like how to raise teacher quality, how to transform weak schools and when to shutter those that are irredeemably failing.

Word of the selection comes as Mr. Obama’s transition team said Monday that he would make an important announcement on Tuesday morning at the Dodge Renaissance Academy, an elementary school that Mr. Duncan and Mr. Obama visited together in October 2005.

Bush thrown shoe - Iraqi shoe-throwing reporter becomes the talk of Iraq

I have to say that this was awesome. I only have one thing to say to the guy. AIM LOWER NEXT TIME. It would of been so great because they were talking about how Bush was a liberator, but yet when he is around the people they throw whatever they have at him. I am surprised though that this made it to the news in America.

By Waleed Ibrahim Waleed Ibrahim –

Reuters – Saudi men read an English-language Saudi newspaper with the headline 'Bush 'shoed' during Iraq visit' …

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush has become the talk of Iraq, hailed by marchers as a national hero but blasted by the government as a barbarian.

The little-known Shi'ite reporter, said to have harbored anger against Bush for the thousands of Iraqis who died after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, had previously made headlines only once, when he was briefly kidnapped by gunmen in 2007.

TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi remained in detention on Monday, accused by the Iraqi government of a "barbaric act." He would be sent for trial on charges of insulting the Iraqi state, said the prime minister's media adviser, Yasin Majeed.

His employer, independent al-Baghdadiya television, demanded his release and demonstrators rallied for him in Baghdad's Sadr City, in the southern Shi'ite stronghold of Basra and in the holy city of Najaf, where some threw shoes at a U.S. convoy.

"Thanks be to God, Muntazer's act fills Iraqi hearts with pride," his brother, Udai al-Zaidi, told Reuters Television.

"I'm sure many Iraqis want to do what Muntazer did. Muntazer used to say all the orphans whose fathers were killed are because of Bush."

Zaidi shouted "this is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog," at Bush in a news conference he held with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during a farewell visit to Baghdad on Sunday.

The journalist then flung one shoe at Bush, forcing him to duck, followed by another, which sailed over Bush's head and slammed into the wall behind him. Throwing shoes at someone is the worst possible insult in the Arab world.

Zaidi was dragged struggling and screaming from the room by security guards and could be heard shouting outside while the news conference continued after momentary mayhem.

'BARBARIC'

The government said Zaidi had carried out "a barbaric and ignominious act" that was not fitting of the media's role and demanded an apology from his television station.

Al-Baghdadiya television played endless patriotic music, with Zaidi's face plastered across the screen.

A newscaster solemnly read out a statement calling for his release, "in accordance with the democratic era and the freedom of expression that Iraqis were promised by U.S. authorities."

It said that any harsh measures taken against the reporter would be reminders of the "dictatorial era."

The Iraqi Journalists' Syndicate said Zaidi's "far from professional" and irresponsible conduct had placed it in an "embarrassing and critical" situation. Nevertheless, it called on Maliki to release him for humanitarian reasons.

"It was the throw of the century. I believe Bush deserves what happened to him because he has not kept his promises to Iraqis," said Baghdad resident Abu Hussein, 48.

Parliamentary reaction was mixed, with some saying Zaidi chose the wrong venue for his protest. Others cheered.

"Al-Zaidi's shoe is the most famous shoe in the whole world," said Fawzi Akram, a Turkman lawmaker loyal to anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

A Libyan charity group chaired by leader Muammar Gaddafi's daughter, Aicha Gaddafi, gave Zaidi an award for bravery.

Zaidi, now in his late 20s, spent more than two days blindfolded, after armed men kidnapped him in November 2007. He said at the time that the kidnappers had beaten him until he lost consciousness, and used his necktie to blindfold him.

He never learned the identity of the kidnappers, who questioned him about his work but did not demand a ransom.

Colleagues say Zaidi resented Bush, blaming him for the bloodshed that ravaged Iraq. It did not appear that he had lost any close family members during the sectarian killings and insurgency, which in recent months have finally begun to wane.

(Additional reporting by Haidar Kadhim and Wissam Mohammed; Writing by Michael Christie; Editing by Dominic Evans)

Joe Biden gets New Puppy, Beats Obama

Malia and Sasha Obama apparently aren’t the only ones who were promised a puppy if they stuck it out through the presidential election.

Vice President-elect Joe Biden picked out a German shepherd pup last weekend from a breeder near his Delaware home, according to a local newspaper report.

Biden was reportedly promised the post-election dog by his wife, Jill, who would tape pictures of different dogs on the back of the seat in front of Biden on his campaign plane.

The vice president-elect picked out a month-old male German shepherd from a breeder in Chester County, Pa., according to the Daily Local News. The breeder told the paper Biden wanted a family dog that was social and obedient and said Biden's granddaughters will name him.

The puppy will be delivered to the Bidens at the vice presidential residence after the Inauguration and after the breeder trains him, the paper reports.

Nancy Sutley to Head White House Council on Environmental

This looks like it is a solid addition to the future presidents cabinet. But if anyone can tell me why it isn't then please feel free to comment. Maybe you will be able to change my mind or the mind of other readers. I think it is cool though that Nancy Sutley is Openly Gay.

By LIZ SIDOTI –

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama has selected a deputy mayor of Los Angeles to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality, transition officials said Wednesday. Nancy Sutley is the first prominent member of the gay and lesbian community to earn a senior role in the Democrat's new administration.

With many of his top White House and Cabinet posts filled, Obama now is focusing on fleshing out his natural resources and environment team, and could formally introduce his choices for interior secretary, energy secretary and environmental protection agency chief within weeks if not days.

Two transition officials disclosed Sutley's selection on the condition of anonymity because Obama had not yet made the announcement.

Sutley supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Democratic primary and was a member of her Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender steering committee.

The deputy mayor for energy and environment in Los Angeles and the mayor's representative on the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Sutley has a long record of working on environmental and natural resources policy.

She previously served on the California State Water Resources Control Board, which is responsible for protecting water quality and resources throughout the state, and was the energy adviser to former Gov. Gray Davis. During President Bill Clinton's administration, Sutley was an EPA official, including being a special assistant to the EPA administrator in Washington.

Obama has chosen much of his Cabinet, with the most prominent positions — treasury, justice, state and defense — already filled, and he is now turning to other posts. He is expected to officially name former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle as his secretary of health and human services as early as this week.

Officials close to Obama's transition say former New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection commissioner Lisa Jackson and Mary Nichols, who heads the California Air Resources Board, are in the running for the EPA administrator post. Both women worked at the EPA under Clinton EPA chief Carol Browner, who is leading the energy and environmental policy team for Obama's transition.

Browner, who ran the agency for 8 years, is expected to be named to a new position in the Obama White House overseeing energy, environment and climate matters. But officials say there was still some discussion over whether Browner would share her duties with Sutley or another adviser on energy and environmental matters.

The position of interior secretary is still in flux.

Support for John Berry, the director of the National Zoo and a former assistant secretary at the department, was growing, officials said. Gay and lesbian advocacy groups backing Berry, who is gay, were expected to meet with the transition team in Washington on Wednesday.

But officials said Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva and California Rep. Mike Thompson were still in the running to lead the agency, depending on how other positions shake out.

Associated Press Writer Dina Cappiello contributed to this report.

Report: Rod Blagojevich, Illinois Governor Arrested

Well there is always something going on behind closed doors of the political machine. This is one of those few times that it gets aired out and the American People get to witness it. And some of these politicians like Blagojevich think they can get away with anything. Like most politicians do I guess.

CHICAGO – Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on Tuesday on charges that he brazenly conspired to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder.

Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in the sale of Wrigley Field, according to a federal criminal complaint. In return for state assistance, Blagojevich allegedly wanted members of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired.

A 76-page FBI affidavit said the 51-year-old Democratic governor was intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps over the last month conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat for personal benefits for himself and his wife, Patti.

Otherwise, Blagojevich considered appointing himself. The affidavit said that as late as Nov. 3, he told his deputy governor that if "they're not going to offer me anything of value I might as well take it."

"I'm going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain," Blagojevich allegedly said later that day, according to the affidavit, which also quoted him as saying in a remark punctuated by profanity that the seat was "a valuable thing — you just don't give it away for nothing."

The affidavit said Blagojevich also discussed getting a substantial salary for himself at a nonprofit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions.

It said Blagojevich also talked about getting his wife placed on corporate boards where she might get $150,000 a year in director's fees.

He also allegedly discussed getting campaign funds for himself or possibly a post in the president's cabinet or an ambassadorship once he left the governor's office. He noted becoming a U.S. senator might remake his image for a possible presidential run in 2016, according to the affidavit. And he allegedly said a Senate seat would also provide him with corporate contacts if he needed a job and present an opportunity for his wife to work as a lobbyist.

"I want to make money," the affidavit quotes him as saying in one conversation.

The affidavit said Blagojevich expressed frustration at being "stuck" as governor and that he would have access to greater resources if he were indicted while in the U.S. Senate than while sitting as governor.

U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald said in a statement that "the breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering."

"They allege that Blagojevich put a for sale sign on the naming of a United States senator," Fitzgerald said."

Messages left for Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero and at the governor's press office were not immediately returned Tuesday morning.

Among those being considered for the Senate post include U.S. Reps. Danny Davis and Jesse Jackson Jr.

The affidavit outlined a Nov. 10 call between Blagojevich, his wife, his chief of staff — John Harris, who also was arrested Tuesday — and a group of advisers in which Harris allegedly suggested working out an agreement with the Service Employees International Union.

Under the plan, Blagojevich would appoint a new senator who would be helpful to the president-elect and in turn get a job as head of Change to Win, a group formed by the union. The union would get an unspecified favor from Obama later.

Nothing in the court papers suggested Obama had any part in the discussion. In fact, Blagojevich allegedly said in the same conversation that Obama most likely would not appoint him as secretary of health and human services or to an ambassadorship because of the negative publicity that has surrounded the governor for three years.

One day later, according to the affidavit, Blagojevich allegedly told an associate he knew Obama wanted a specific Senate candidate but "they're not going to give me anything except appreciation." He finished the remark with an expletive.

Blagojevich also was charged with using his authority as governor in an attempt to squeeze out campaign contributions.

Corruption in the Blagojevich administration has been the focus of a federal investigation involving an alleged $7 million scheme aimed at squeezing kickbacks out of companies seeking business from the state. Federal prosecutors have acknowledged they're also investigating "serious allegations of endemic hiring fraud" under Blagojevich, who has a $177,412 salary, though it's unclear whether he accepts the total.

Political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko who raised money for the campaigns of both Blagojevich and Obama is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of fraud and other charges. Blagojevich's chief fundraiser, Christopher G. Kelly, is due to stand trial early next year on charges of obstructing the Internal Revenue Service.

According to Tuesday's complaint, Blagojevich schemed with Rezko, millionaire-fundraiser turned federal witness Stuart Levine and others to get financial benefits for himself and his campaign committee.

Federal prosecutors said Blagojevich and the chairman of his campaign committee have been speeding up corrupt fundraising activities in the last month to get as much money as possible before the end of the year when a new law would curtail his ability to raise contributions from companies with state contracts worth more than $50,000.

According to the affidavit, agents learned Blagojevich was seeking $2.5 million in campaign contributions by the end of the year, with a large part allegedly to come from companies and individuals who have gotten state contracts or appointments.

The affidavit also outlines Blagojevich conversations related to Tribune Co., which has been hoping to sell Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs which the publishing giant also owns.

Blagojevich was quoted in court papers as telling Harris in a profanity laced Nov. 4 conversation that his recommendation to Tribune executives was to fire the editorial writers "and get us some editorial support."

Harris is quoted as telling the governor Nov. 11 that an unnamed Tribune Owner, presumably CEO Sam Zell, "got the message and is very sensitive to the issue."

The affidavit said Harris quoted a Tribune financial adviser as saying cuts were coming at the newspaper and "reading between the lines he's going after that section," apparently meaning editorial writers. Blagojevich is quoted as saying: "Oh, that's fantastic."

"Wow," Blagojevich allegedly replied. "Keep our fingers crossed. You're the man. Good job, John."

Harris allegedly told Blagojevich in his conversation with the financial adviser he had singled out deputy editorial page editor John McCormick as "somebody who was the most biased and unfair."

After hearing that, Blagojevich allegedly stressed to the head of a Chicago sports consulting firm that it was important to provide state aid for a Wrigley Field sale.

Blagojevich took the chief executive's office in 2003 as a reformer promising to clean up former Gov. George Ryan's mess.

Ryan, a Republican, is serving a 6-year prison sentence after being convicted on racketeering and fraud charges. A decade-long investigation began with the sale of driver's licenses for bribes and led to the conviction of dozens of people who worked for Ryan when he was secretary of state and governor.

FBI spokesman Frank Bochte said federal agents arrested the governor and Harris simultaneously at their homes at 6:15 a.m. and took them to the Chicago FBI headquarters.

He did not have any details about Blagojevich's arrest, only that he was cooperative with federal agents.

"It was a very calm setting," he said.

The governor was to appear later Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan to answer the charges. The time was not immediately set.

___

Associated Press Writer Don Babwin contributed to this report.

Barack Obama says he won't smoke cigarettes in the White House

Rob Manker

December 8, 2008

While the burning question of whether he smokes still rages, Barack Obama says he definitely won't be lighting up in the smoke-free White House.

The president-elect addressed the subject during a television interview aired Sunday, acknowledging that he has sneaked a few puffs.

"There are times where I've fallen off the wagon," Obama said on NBC's " Meet the Press."

The does-he-or-doesn't-he question has been the butt of ongoing speculation.

Obama told the Tribune in February 2007 that he had quit at his wife's urging, but his comments this year have been somewhat hazy. He said in February that he was chewing stop-smoking gum Nicorette, in June that it had been months since his last cigarette, and in a November interview with Men's Health magazine that he was indeed smoking again—occasionally.

"But I figure, seeing as I'm running for president, I need to cut myself a little slack," he told the magazine, adding that he sometimes bummed a smoke along the campaign trail.

Obama's comments Sunday didn't really clear the air.

"I've done a terrific job, under the circumstances, of making myself much healthier," the president-to-be said. "And I think that you will not see any violations of these rules in the White House."

He said in the White House. That doesn't mean he might not sneak a few drags out in the Rose Garden.

Early results favor opposition in Ghana election

It is always good to see democracy working in other countries. Especially when they are one of the few stable ones such as Ghana. Hopefully they can continue to grow and become a glowing star for all of Africa to look on and want the same thing and work towards it. And get rid of all the war lords and pirates around that continent.

By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI - Associated Press Writer

ACCRA, Ghana -- Ghanaians walked the streets holding radios to their ears and congregated next to TV sets Monday as early results in one of Africa's few stable democracies showed the opposition leading by a sliver.

With only a quarter of the precincts counted, there is plenty of room for change. But early results showed opposition candidate John Atta Mills leading the ruling party's Nana Akufo-Addo by some 10,000 votes.

The opposition's base is the urban poor concentrated in the capital, who live in areas that have largely been left untouched by Ghana's stunning economic growth. Results are expected to begin trickling in from the countryside, where the ruling party has traditionally led.

Rebecca Blackwell

AP Photo - People sit under signs explaining the voting process as they wait for polls to open in Accra, Ghana, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. An estimated 12.4 million registered voters, roughly half the country's population of 23 million, will choose from one of eight candidates to succeed President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two terms as required by law.

Rebecca Blackwell

AP Photo - Local residents watch election workers count ballots at a polling station in Jamestown in the Odododiodoo Constituency of Accra, Ghana Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. An estimated 12.4 million registered voters, roughly half the country's population of 23 million, will choose from one of eight candidates to succeed President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two terms as required by law.

Rebecca Blackwell

AP Photo - Opposition Presidential candidate John Atta Mills casts his vote at a polling station in Regimanuel Estate in Accra, Ghana Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. An estimated 12.4 million registered voters, roughly half the country's population of 23 million, will choose from one of eight candidates to succeed President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two terms as required by law.

Rebecca Blackwell

AP Photo - Alimatu Banasi casts her vote for president at the Victory International polling station in the Kakuudi neighborhood of Accra, Ghana Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. An estimated 12.4 million registered voters, roughly half the country's population of 23 million, will choose from one of eight candidates to succeed President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two terms as required by law.

Rebecca Blackwell

AP Photo - Voters wait patiently in line to cast their votes for president at the Accra Girls Secondary School in Accra, Ghana, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. An estimated 12.4 million registered voters, roughly half the country's population of 23 million, will choose from one of eight candidates to succeed President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two terms as required by law.

Rebecca Blackwell

AP Photo - Rosemond Anim, right, is handed a presidential ballot by a poll worker before voting at Accra Girls Secondary School in Accra, Ghana, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. An estimated 12.4 million registered voters, roughly half the country's population of 23 million, will choose from one of eight candidates to succeed President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two terms as required by law.

Rebecca Blackwell

AP Photo - Freemia Adiui, wearing traditional Ghanaian clothes, casts his vote for president at the Victory International polling station in Kakuudi neighborhood, in Accra, Ghana Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. An estimated 12.4 million registered voters, roughly half the country's population of 23 million, will choose from one of eight candidates to succeed President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two terms as required by law.

Rebecca Blackwell

AP Photo - Local residents cheer as ballot counting shows opposition party candidate John Atta Mills getting more votes than ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, at a polling station in Jamestown in the Odododiodoo Constituency of Accra, Ghana Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. An estimated 12.4 million registered voters, roughly half the country's population of 23 million, will choose from one of eight candidates to succeed President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two terms as required by law.

Rebecca Blackwell

AP Photo - A Ghanaian woman casts her vote for president at the Accra Girls Secondary School in Accra, Ghana, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. An estimated 12.4 million registered voters, roughly half the country's population of 23 million, will choose from one of eight candidates to succeed President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two terms as required by law.

Rebecca Blackwell

AP Photo - Election workers and observers dispute a ballot as local residents look on at a polling station in Jamestown in the Odododiodoo Constituency, Accra, Ghana Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008. An estimated 12.4 million registered voters, roughly half the country's population of 23 million, will choose from one of eight candidates to succeed President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two terms as required by law.

According to a statement released by the country's Electoral Commission, Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress, or NDC, has 48.98 percent of the vote with 63 out of 230 precincts reporting.

Akufo-Addo, whose New Patriotic Party, or NPP, has been in power for the past eight years, is close behind with 48.55 percent of the vote.

In a year that has seen disputed elections in both Kenya and Zimbabwe, voters here are keenly aware that they are viewed as a role model for the rest of the continent.

"I am proud that my country is a democracy," said Salomey Tackie, who along with several hundred neighbors waited for results outside her polling station late Sunday in one of the capital's crowded shantytowns.

People crowded to watch the votes being count, even standing on boxes to get a view. The onlookers were overwhelmingly pro-opposition and they whooped loudly each time they saw the NDC stack get higher.

When all the ballots had been put in their proper piles, the monitor began counting them - holding up each individual ballot so that the people could see. They chanted with him, "One, two, three ... ." They erupted into celebration when the NDC finished the tally with 517 to the NPP's 125 votes.

Like its neighbors, Ghana has a history of coups and one-party rule, but since the 1990s when coup leader Jerry Rawlings agreed to hold elections, it has been on a fast track to democracy. It has held four elections since 1992, first bringing Rawlings to power, then current President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two terms in office.

When he does, it will mark the country's second successive transfer of power from one democratically elected leader to another, a litmus test of a mature democracy that only a handful of African nations have passed.

Bill Gates presses Obama on stimulus package, foreign aid

Isn't it interesting that someone who has nothing to do with politics is now trying to get into the game in an effort to try and sell more Microsoft product. He might be seeing that the ipods are kicking his butt and Gates is trying to get into the news to do whatever he can to get his company in the news.

(CNN) -- Microsoft founder Bill Gates told CNN on Wednesday that he hopes President-elect Barack Obama and Congress immediately craft a wide-ranging stimulus package, to help jump-start the nation's sputtering economy, and double the United States' commitment to foreign aid.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates spoke exclusively Wednesday with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

"Clearly we need a stimulus that doesn't undermine the incentive for businesses to be careful about their spending and making those correct investments," Gates told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in an exclusive interview airing on The Situation Room on Wednesday and Thursday.

Gates, one of the world's richest men and founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is also calling on Obama to increase investments in the nation's education system and spur technological advances to improve agriculture, prevent disease, and promote economic growth in the world's poorest nations.

"The key point I'd make is that in addition to that stimulus, you've got to fund the kind of scientific work and educational investments that could really have us be a much better country as we emerge from the recession," he said. Watch Gates discuss economy »

On his Web site, Obama has pledged to double the United States' annual investment in foreign aid to $50 billion by the end of his first term, with the goal of fully funding debt cancellation for poor nations and fighting AIDS and global poverty.

In the interview with CNN, Gates said he thinks Obama will live up to that commitment.

"Obviously it's the Congress that gets to actually vote the final decision for how the money is spent, but I do think he will get to that commitment," Gates said. "I am thrilled to be able to see that people are responding to the success stories. Aid from the United States did go up in the last eight years."

The interview came shortly before the Microsoft founder delivered a wide-ranging speech at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., during which he reiterated his call for a major new stimulus package to spur job growth.

"Spending is the only way we'll ever come out of this downturn, and with businesses, state governments and consumers pulling back, the federal government must step forward," Gates told the crowd.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has distributed more than $17 billion in grant commitments in all 50 states and 100 countries. In his interview with CNN, Gates said he had personally given more than $30 billion to the foundation.

Deccan Mujahideen claims responsibility

MUMBAI, India (AP) — A media report says a little-known group, the Deccan Mujahideen, has claimed responsibility for the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

The Press Trust of India news agency said Thursday the group sent emails to several media outlets.

Teams of heavily armed gunmen attacked a crowded train station in southern Mumbai and Leopold's restaurant, a well-known Mumbai landmark, along with the two hotels and a police station.

Officials say at least 78 people were killed and another 200 wounded. In addition, the attackers were holding hostages Thursday morning.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

MUMBAI, India (AP) — A top police official says gunmen are holding hostages at two luxury Mumbai hotels after opening fire on a crowded Mumbai train station, hotels and a restaurant popular with tourists.

A.N. Roy, a senior police officer in Mumbai, says the hostages are being held at the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels.

Teams of heavily armed gunmen attacked a crowded train station in southern Mumbai and Leopold's restaurant, a well-known Mumbai landmark, along with the two hotels and a police station.

Washingtonienne Jessica Cutler Engaged

Remember Washingtonienne Jessica Cutler? She was the young oversharing blogger who got fired from Capitol Hill because she blogged up a storm about her after-work sexual exploits—much of it with older, well-known politicos, some of it paid. Sample blog excerpts: "W = a sugar daddy who wants nothing but anal. Keep trying to end it with him, but the money is too good." She got famous on Wonkette and outed. She turned the debacle into a respectable-selling novel, The Washingtonienne, posed for Playboy, went broke, and inked an HBO deal. Then there were a bunch of rumors that she was working as an escort—or at the very least, was buddies with a madam who provided girls to Eliot Spitzer. But love is to make an honest woman out of her—she's engaged now, reports Wonkette via Reliable Source, to a dude named Charles Rubio. He's a lawyer! Let's learn more about him.

Here he is! He's 28 and an associate at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in New York. It says here that Charlie got his JD in 2007 from NYU, and got his BBA and BS at the University of Texas. A nice Southern boy. Cutler, 30, told Reliable Source that they met "randomly in a bar."

Update from Jessica: We e-mailed Charles, but she responded:

"Charles is working and I'm about to go do my Thxgiving shopping, [but] I want to respond! We met in March of this year. We sort of did everything backwards: He asked me if I wanted to have kids with him before he proposed. After asking my Dad for his blessing, we went to Cartier and he bought me a Love bracelet instead of a ring (because I tend to lose things). On the way home from the store, he formally proposed in Grand Central about a month ago.

Most Important Election in Venezuela

On Nov. 23 in Venezuela will be the most important vote of its political history.

The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) wants, with the support of President Chavez, to introduce to Venezuela a neo-communist regime that is called "Socialism of the 21st Century." Opposition groups are united with the aim of fighting for a political system known as the Social Democracy.

This is the only opportunity open to Venezuela to introduce a multiparty political with the goal of seeking a balance of power in a country where supporters of President Chavez have all the powers (executive, legislative and judicial branches) and control in 20 States Country and in most municipalities.

With only one day for these important election. The national newspapers and TV are reporting on their political predictions.

The Venezuelan political system is fully automated and these elections are more complex than the previous ones, because everyone has to vote for five or seven choices at a time limit of three minutes.

Venezuelans are hoping that this activity is transparent and there is no fraud as in previous ballots. The Electoral Council has invited 170 people to observe this political process.

Then I will report forecasts for this important election.

Forecasts of journalists are very different. For example, the editor of Las Truths of Miguel believes that the ruling party would win six governorates safe and the opposition would win five governorates safe. Miguel believes that the governorates that could earn the government are: Vargas, Anzoategui, Apure, Cojedes, Falcon and Monagas and the governorates that could win the opposition are: Nueva Esparta, Zulia, Portuguesa, Sucre and Guarico. And immediately pointed out that in the remaining 11 governorates there is a technical tie.


The Journal Fifth Day 52 journalists from around the country have predicted the election this way:

In the CENTRAL REGION: Caracas, Miranda, Carabobo, Aragua and Guarico, the forecasts are:

CARACAS: The specialist's El Universal that the Mayor of Caracas may have a final "picture" between Antonio Ledezma and Aristobulo Isturiz. And the thought that in the Liberator municipality win Jorge Rodriguez to beat the opposition Stalin Gonzales.

The specialist of VEA Journal said that Aristobulo Isturiz and Jorge Rodriguez is the winner with 8 percent over their contenders from the opposition (Ledezma and Gonzalez).

The specialist for the newspaper El Nacional predicts: Aristobulo win in the Mayor and the municipality of Chacao the opposition win with Emilio Grateron and in the Libertador municipality win Jorge Rodriguez. In the municipality of Sucre there is a technical tie between Carlos Ocariz and Jesse Chacon.

MIRANDA: The El Universal believes that will win Governor Diosdado Cabello as though it has a high percentage of rejection he can win with a 36 percent. But Miguel said that there exists a technical tie. In contrast, the editor of the Journal Progress also says he believes that there is a technical tie. El Nacional said that the fighting is tough and may win Governor Diosdado Cabello of PSUV.

CARABOBO: In this state Henrique Salas Feo he has tops polls as Mario Silva (PSUV) does not have a high convening power and Acosta Carles want to repeat with his excellent publicity "we are together, so good ". The Daily Evening News said that polls taken for a winner Salas Feo, but Acosta Carles could win. The editor of La Costa believes that Salas Feo win and Mario Silva has a lot of rejection in Carabobo. Miguel also believes that Salas Feo win.

ARAGUA: The newspaper the Aragueno believes that there is a technical tie between Rafael Isea (PSUV) and Henry Rosales (which would be continuity of the Current Governor Didalco Bolivar). While it appears that ISEA is the first choice as candidate of the PSUV with 37 percent against 32 percent for Rosales. It's a very tough fight.

GUARICO: The editor of the newspaper Antenna thinks Lenny Mannuit should win and the loser would be William Lara (PSUV). It's a tough choice but Mannuit has many chances of winning said Miguel.

In the western region, comprising by states: Falcon, Lara, Cojedes, Barinas, Apure and Yaracuy, the forecasts are as follows:

FALCON: The candidate of the opposition Goyo Graterol has the potential to 5 percent on Stella Montilla. Miguel said that Stella's ruling coalition would win the governorship.
LARA: It seems that the candidate's PSUV Henry Falcon could win. Miguel says the same thing.

COJEDES: The choice is tough but the PSUV Teodoro Bolivar could win in front of Alberto Galindo. Miguel also believes that Bolivar will win.
BARINAS: it seems that Julio Cesar Reyes can win and Rafael Simon Jimenez may lose (unitary candidate of the opposition), but Adam Chavez's brother President Chavez will not win.

APURE: It is possible to win Jesus Aguilarte ( PSUV) and Miriam Montilla may lose. It's the same prognosis of Miguel.

YARACUY: seems to win Julio Leon Heredia (PSUV) and opposite Edward Capdevielle may lose.

In the Zulia Region: Gian Carlos Di Martino's PSUV lose in front of Pablo Perez that would be the Governor of Zulia.

In the Andean: consisting of the States Tachira, Trujillo and Merida forecasts are:

TACHIRA: Everything points to the possible candidacy of unitary Cesar Perez Vivas, although Leonaldo Salcedo appears to have the first option that is the candidate of the PSUV.

MERIDA: There is a technical tie between William Davila of the opposition and Marcos Diaz Oreland's PSUV, but Davila has a better chance.

TRUJILLO: A hard-fought contest between the PSUV Hugo Cabezas and Octaviano Mejias (Patriotic Alliance) and Enrique Catalan of the Opposition has no strength.

In EASTERN REGION: consisting of the States Anzoategui, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Bolivar, Delta Amacuro and Sucre, the forecasts are:

ANZOATEGUI: Tarek William Saab's PSUV, has a chance to repeat as governor, with 30 percent on Gustavo Marcano of the opposition.

MONAGAS: It is possible that the PSUV Jose Briceno is the new governor of that state. A front Moncho Fuentes.

NUEVA ESPARTA: Can repeat Morel Rodriguez the current governor of the opposition and William Farinas (PSUV) will lose.
BOLIVAR: A very confusing choice but Rangel Gomez is leading the polls in front of Andres Velasquez, who has sounded much.

SUCRE: it seems that won the independent Eduardo Morales Gil.

DELTA AMACURO: Pedro Santaella of PSUV will win.

ABSTRACT:

WELL THIS IS THE SUBJECT OF ELECTIONS. IN SUMMARY, according to those forecasts:

The governing would win with the official party PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela):

Vargas, Yaracuy, Bolivar, Monagas, Anzoategui, Tachira, Caracas, Miranda, Falcon, Lara, Cojedes, Apure, Barinas, Delta Amacuro (14 states and Caracas)

The Opposition win: Trujillo, Merida, Carabobo, Guarico, Zulia, Sucre, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa (eight States), and losing in Caracas.

This is the start of searching for a better political balance in the country and to combat intolerance and unacceptable fact of political prisoners and waste the money of the people in political campaigning in the country and in other countries such as Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua.

Desiree Rogers named special assistant to the president

Hopefully this isn't another Monica in the making. At least if it is then she Desiree Rogers is better looking than Monica. So that at least would mean that he has higher standards.

Chicagoan Desiree Rogers is expected to be named special assistant to the president.

White House social secretary, sources said.

In her new job, Chicagoan Desiree Rogers would be in charge of social functions at the White House for Barack Obama. She would be the first black to hold that job.

Will Obama's plan pay off? Obama to name Geithner to economic post Richardson to be commerce secretary Read Lynn Sweet's blog Special section: 44 | Barack Obama

Rogers is currently president of social networking for Allstate Financial, a unit of the Northbrook-based insurance firm.

In her new job, Rogers would be in charge of social functions at the White House for Barack Obama.

She would be the first black to hold that job.

In her current position, Rogers is to build a social network to help Allstate's middle-income customers gain more insight into investing and saving for retirement. She started that job this summer.

Rogers, a longtime Obama supporter, previously had been the first female African-American president of Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas.

Obama Appoints Christina Romer to Chair Council of Economic Advisers

Another one for the cabinet. Looks like it is a good choice too, since Romer wrote for the Encyclopedia Britannica On the Great Depression. Of course times have change, but as the old saying goes, those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. Hopefully she knows what not to do and can help us get out of the economic decline.

Christina Romer, of UC Berkeley, has been appointed to Chair President Elect Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. Romer wrote, if not the book, at least the chapter for Encyclopedia Britannica, The Great Depression. News of her appointment should make liberals and women who opposed the appointment of Lawrence Summers, who many predicted (including today's Wall Street Journal) would get this job, somewhat happy, though it looks like Summers will be named White House economic director.

Professor Romer and her husband David were both advisers to the Obama campaign and they hold two seats on the committee which decides when the U.S is officially in a recession.


The Romers are macroeconomists, who study the big picture in economics. They've also studied the way tax cuts affect the economy and government spending. A UC Berkeley article reported,

What they found about both issues surprised them. Tax cuts provide powerful short-run stimulus to the economy, but there is little evidence that tax cuts restrain government spending.

"It turns out," Christina explains, "that tax cuts have led, eventually, to tax increases. Basically, something has to give. What we thought gave when you cut taxes was spending, but we seem to find that in postwar U.S. history what actually gives is the tax cut itself. A substantial fraction of a tax cut is typically undone in the subsequent five years."

The appointment may telegraph Obama's intentions regarding Fed Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke. Romers wrote a paper, Choosing the Federal Reserve Chair: Lessons from History. Like Bernanke, she has a history of a connection to Princeton University, where she was an assistant professor from 1985-1988.

Romer graduated from College of William and Mary in 1981 and from M.I.T., with a Ph.D., in 1985. In 1994, she co-authored, with her husband, a paper, "What Ends Recessions?"

It's clear, Obama is appointing someone smart, with strong academic credentials. Unlike Treasury Secretary appointee Geither, who is overflowing with experience, Romer is an academic who's specialized in "getting" the big picture.