The 4th of July: America’s Independence Day is normally filled with the 3 F’s – food, friends (and/or family) and fireworks. It’s also a great day for parents to slip in a little education and help our children understand what it is we are celebrating. Here are some great quotes about freedom and liberty to get you started.
“The greatest enemy of individual freedom is the individual himself.” ~ Saul Alinsky
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves” ~ Abraham Lincoln
“Liberty is the breath of life to nations” ~ Bernard Shaw
“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide” ~ Napoleon Bonaparte
“Where liberty dwells, there is my country” ~ Benjamin Franklin
“We stand for freedom. That is our conviction for ourselves; that is our only commitment to others. ”
~ John F Kennedy
“Freedom is the oxygen of the soul” ~ Moshe Dayan
“All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope”. ~Winston Churchill
“Better to starve free than be a fat slave” ~ Aesop
“Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. What would a man not pay for living?” ~ Gandhi
“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” ~.Martin Luther King, Jr.
“That’s why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women – students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors — found the courage to keep it alive.” ~ President Barrack Obama
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Helen Thomas: Not Even Nixon Tried to Control the Media Like Obama
By Penny Starr and Fred Lucas
(CNSNews.com) - Following a testy exchange during Wednesday’s briefing with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas told CNSNews.com that not even Richard Nixon tried to control the press the way President Obama is trying to control the press.
“Nixon didn’t try to do that,” Thomas said. “They couldn’t control (the media). They didn’t try.
“What the hell do they think we are, puppets?” Thomas said. “They’re supposed to stay out of our business. They are our public servants. We pay them.”
Thomas said she was especially concerned about the arrangement between the Obama Administration and a writer from the liberal Huffington Post Web site. The writer was invited by the White House to President Obama’s press conference last week on the understanding that he would ask Obama a question about Iran from among questions that had been sent to him by people in Iran.
“When you call the reporter the night before you know damn well what they are going to ask to control you,” Thomas said.
“I’m not saying there has never been managed news before, but this is carried to fare-thee-well--for the town halls, for the press conferences,” she said. “It’s blatant. They don’t give a damn if you know it or not. They ought to be hanging their heads in shame.”
During today’s briefing, Thomas interrupted a back-and-forth between Gibbs and Chip Reid, the White House correspondent for CBS News, when Reid was questioning Gibbs about who was going to decide what questions would be asked of President Obama in a townhall meeting that was scheduled to take place in Annandale, Va., today.
Gibbs then had an exchange involving Reid and Thomas that went as follows:
Gibbs: “… But, again, let's--How about we do this? I promise we will interrupt the AP's tradition of asking the first question. I will let you [Chip Reid] ask me a question tomorrow as to whether you thought the questions at the town hall meeting that the President conducted in Annandale—“
Chip Reid: “I'm perfectly happy to—”
Helen Thomas: “That's not his point. The point is the control--”
Reid: “Exactly.”
Thomas: “We have never had that in the White House. And we have had some, but not-- This White House.”
Gibbs: “Yes, I was going to say, I'll let you amend her question.”
Thomas: “I'm amazed. I'm amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency and—”
Gibbs: “Helen, you haven't even heard the questions.”
Reid: “It doesn't matter. It's the process.”
Thomas: “You have left open—”
Reid: “Even if there's a tough question, it's a question coming from somebody who was invited or was screened, or the question was screened.”
Thomas: “It's shocking. It's really shocking.”
Gibbs: “Chip, let's have this discussion at the conclusion of the town hall meeting. How about that?”
Reid: “Okay.”
Gibbs: “I think—“
Thomas: “No, no, no, we're having it now--”
Gibbs: “Well, I'd be happy to have it now.”
Thomas: “It's a pattern.”
Gibbs: “Which question did you object to at the town hall meeting, Helen?”
Thomas: “It's a pattern. It isn't the question—”
Gibbs: “What's a pattern?”
Thomas: “It's a pattern of controlling the press.”
Gibbs: “How so? Is there any evidence currently going on that I'm controlling the press--poorly, I might add.”
Thomas: “Your formal engagements are pre-packaged.”
Gibbs: “How so?”
Reid: “Well, and controlling the public—”
Thomas: “How so? By calling reporters the night before to tell them they're going to be called on. That is shocking.”
Gibbs: “We had this discussion ad nauseam and—”
Thomas: “Of course you would, because you don't have any answers.”
Gibbs: “Well, because I didn't know you were going to ask a question, Helen.
Go ahead.”
Thomas: “Well, you should have.”
Reporter: Thank you for your support.
Gibbs: “That's good. Have you e-mailed your question today?”
Thomas: “I don't have to e-mail it. I can tell you right now what I want to ask.”
Gibbs: “I don't doubt that at all, Helen. I don't doubt that at all.”
Thomas, 89, has covered the White House during every presidency since John F. Kennedy’s.
(CNSNews.com) - Following a testy exchange during Wednesday’s briefing with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas told CNSNews.com that not even Richard Nixon tried to control the press the way President Obama is trying to control the press.
“Nixon didn’t try to do that,” Thomas said. “They couldn’t control (the media). They didn’t try.
“What the hell do they think we are, puppets?” Thomas said. “They’re supposed to stay out of our business. They are our public servants. We pay them.”
Thomas said she was especially concerned about the arrangement between the Obama Administration and a writer from the liberal Huffington Post Web site. The writer was invited by the White House to President Obama’s press conference last week on the understanding that he would ask Obama a question about Iran from among questions that had been sent to him by people in Iran.
“When you call the reporter the night before you know damn well what they are going to ask to control you,” Thomas said.
“I’m not saying there has never been managed news before, but this is carried to fare-thee-well--for the town halls, for the press conferences,” she said. “It’s blatant. They don’t give a damn if you know it or not. They ought to be hanging their heads in shame.”
During today’s briefing, Thomas interrupted a back-and-forth between Gibbs and Chip Reid, the White House correspondent for CBS News, when Reid was questioning Gibbs about who was going to decide what questions would be asked of President Obama in a townhall meeting that was scheduled to take place in Annandale, Va., today.
Gibbs then had an exchange involving Reid and Thomas that went as follows:
Gibbs: “… But, again, let's--How about we do this? I promise we will interrupt the AP's tradition of asking the first question. I will let you [Chip Reid] ask me a question tomorrow as to whether you thought the questions at the town hall meeting that the President conducted in Annandale—“
Chip Reid: “I'm perfectly happy to—”
Helen Thomas: “That's not his point. The point is the control--”
Reid: “Exactly.”
Thomas: “We have never had that in the White House. And we have had some, but not-- This White House.”
Gibbs: “Yes, I was going to say, I'll let you amend her question.”
Thomas: “I'm amazed. I'm amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency and—”
Gibbs: “Helen, you haven't even heard the questions.”
Reid: “It doesn't matter. It's the process.”
Thomas: “You have left open—”
Reid: “Even if there's a tough question, it's a question coming from somebody who was invited or was screened, or the question was screened.”
Thomas: “It's shocking. It's really shocking.”
Gibbs: “Chip, let's have this discussion at the conclusion of the town hall meeting. How about that?”
Reid: “Okay.”
Gibbs: “I think—“
Thomas: “No, no, no, we're having it now--”
Gibbs: “Well, I'd be happy to have it now.”
Thomas: “It's a pattern.”
Gibbs: “Which question did you object to at the town hall meeting, Helen?”
Thomas: “It's a pattern. It isn't the question—”
Gibbs: “What's a pattern?”
Thomas: “It's a pattern of controlling the press.”
Gibbs: “How so? Is there any evidence currently going on that I'm controlling the press--poorly, I might add.”
Thomas: “Your formal engagements are pre-packaged.”
Gibbs: “How so?”
Reid: “Well, and controlling the public—”
Thomas: “How so? By calling reporters the night before to tell them they're going to be called on. That is shocking.”
Gibbs: “We had this discussion ad nauseam and—”
Thomas: “Of course you would, because you don't have any answers.”
Gibbs: “Well, because I didn't know you were going to ask a question, Helen.
Go ahead.”
Thomas: “Well, you should have.”
Reporter: Thank you for your support.
Gibbs: “That's good. Have you e-mailed your question today?”
Thomas: “I don't have to e-mail it. I can tell you right now what I want to ask.”
Gibbs: “I don't doubt that at all, Helen. I don't doubt that at all.”
Thomas, 89, has covered the White House during every presidency since John F. Kennedy’s.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
U of Del: four students with “probable” swine flu
By Susan Snyder
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Four students at the University of Delaware have been identified with "probable" cases of swine flu, the University of Delaware announced in a special health alert to staff and in a notice on its web site tonight.
The students, who were experiencing mild flu like symptoms, were treated at the university's health services center on Monday, and the Division of Public Health received preliminary test results confirming the probable cases on Tuesday, the university said.
None of the four students have traveled to Mexico recently, said Jay Lynch, health and social services department spokesman. One had been to New Jersey, one to Florida and one to Chicago over spring break, however. Officials are unsure how the students may have come in contact with the illness, he said.
Lynch noted that a new definition of "probable" swine flu cases was issued at 3 p.m. yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and that under that definition, the University of Delaware cases qualified. The day before they would not have.
"This is really evolving," he said.
He said it made sense for the university, a sprawling campus of 20,000 students and many buildings, to remain open, as opposed to the school in New York, which shut down after many cases were reported.
"The University of Delaware is not just one building," he said.
What's important is that students with symptoms stay away from others as they would if they had other illnesses.
He's not sure when the CDC will have the results of the tests which are needed to confirm whether the students have swine flu.
Delaware Gov. Jack Markell will hold a news conference at 11 this morning in his office in Wilmington to provide details on the cases.
The university and the public health division plan to conduct clinics on campus this morning to assess and treat other students with symptoms. The location of the clinic was to be announced this morning.
But classes will continue as usual, officials said, although some large campus activities may be rescheduled.
About 9 p.m. tonight, shortly after the university began sending out emergency messages by text and email to staff and students, more students showed up at the health center for medical help, said Andrea Boyle, a university spokeswoman.
The campus community is in a state of "concern" about the probable swine flu cases, she said.
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Four students at the University of Delaware have been identified with "probable" cases of swine flu, the University of Delaware announced in a special health alert to staff and in a notice on its web site tonight.
The students, who were experiencing mild flu like symptoms, were treated at the university's health services center on Monday, and the Division of Public Health received preliminary test results confirming the probable cases on Tuesday, the university said.
None of the four students have traveled to Mexico recently, said Jay Lynch, health and social services department spokesman. One had been to New Jersey, one to Florida and one to Chicago over spring break, however. Officials are unsure how the students may have come in contact with the illness, he said.
Lynch noted that a new definition of "probable" swine flu cases was issued at 3 p.m. yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and that under that definition, the University of Delaware cases qualified. The day before they would not have.
"This is really evolving," he said.
He said it made sense for the university, a sprawling campus of 20,000 students and many buildings, to remain open, as opposed to the school in New York, which shut down after many cases were reported.
"The University of Delaware is not just one building," he said.
What's important is that students with symptoms stay away from others as they would if they had other illnesses.
He's not sure when the CDC will have the results of the tests which are needed to confirm whether the students have swine flu.
Delaware Gov. Jack Markell will hold a news conference at 11 this morning in his office in Wilmington to provide details on the cases.
The university and the public health division plan to conduct clinics on campus this morning to assess and treat other students with symptoms. The location of the clinic was to be announced this morning.
But classes will continue as usual, officials said, although some large campus activities may be rescheduled.
About 9 p.m. tonight, shortly after the university began sending out emergency messages by text and email to staff and students, more students showed up at the health center for medical help, said Andrea Boyle, a university spokeswoman.
The campus community is in a state of "concern" about the probable swine flu cases, she said.
Toddler in Texas becomes 1st swine flu death in US
HOUSTON (AP) — A 23-month-old toddler in Texas became the first confirmed swine flu death outside of Mexico as authorities around the world struggled to contain a growing global health menace that has also swept Germany onto the roster of afflicted nations. Officials say the death was in Houston.
Kathy Barton, a spokeswoman for the Houston Health and Human Services Department, said Wednesday that the child had traveled with family from Mexico to Brownsville in South Texas. The child became ill in Brownsville and was taken to a Houston hospital and died Monday night, she said.
"Even though we've been expecting this, it is very, very sad," Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday of the infant's death. "As a pediatrician and a parent, my heart goes out to the family."
President Barack Obama said this morning that Americans should know the government is doing all it can to control virus. Obama also says schools should consider closing if the spread of the swine flu virus worsens.
Canada, Austria, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, Britain and Germany also have reported cases of swine flu sickness. Deaths reported so far have been limited to Mexico, and now the U.S.
As the United States grappled with this widening health crisis, Besser went from network to network Wednesday morning to give an update on what the Obama administration is doing. He said authorities essentially are still "trying to learn more about this strain of the flu." His appearances as Germany reported its first cases of swine flu infection, with three victims.
"It's very important that people take their concern and channel it into action," Besser said, adding that "it is crucial that people understand what they need to do if symptoms appear.
"I don't think it (the reported death in Texas) indicates any change in the strain," he said. "We see with any flu virus a spectrum of disease symptoms."
Asked why the problem seems so much more severe in Mexico, Besser said U.S. officials "have teams on the ground, a tri-national team in Mexico, working with Canada and Mexico, to try and understand those differences, because they can be helpful as we plan and implement our control strategies."
Sixty-six infections had been reported in the United States before the report of the toddler's death in Texas.
The world has no vaccine to prevent infection but U.S. health officials aim to have a key ingredient for one ready in early May, the big step that vaccine manufacturers are awaiting. But even if the World Health Organization ordered up emergency vaccine supplies — and that decision hasn't been made yet — it would take at least two more months to produce the initial shots needed for human safety testing.
"We're working together at 100 miles an hour to get material that will be useful," Dr. Jesse Goodman, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration's swine flu work, told The Associated Press.
The U.S. is shipping to states not only enough anti-flu medication for 11 million people, but also masks, hospital supplies and flu test kits. President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion in emergency funds to help build more drug stockpiles and monitor future cases, as well as help international efforts to avoid a full-fledged pandemic.
"It's a very serious possibility, but it is still too early to say that this is inevitable," the WHO's flu chief, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, told a telephone news conference.
Cuba and Argentina banned flights to Mexico, where swine flu is suspected of killing more than 150 people and sickening well over 2,000. In a bit of good news, Mexico's health secretary, Jose Cordova, late Tuesday called the death toll there "more or less stable."
Mexico City, one of the world's largest cities, has taken drastic steps to curb the virus' spread, starting with shutting down schools and on Tuesday expanding closures to gyms and swimming pools and even telling restaurants to limit service to takeout. People who venture out tend to wear masks in hopes of protection.
The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States rose to 66 in six states, with 45 in New York, 11 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one each in Indiana and Ohio, but cities and states suspected more. In New York, the city's health commissioner said "many hundreds" of schoolchildren were ill at a school where some students had confirmed cases.
The WHO argues against closing borders to stem the spread, and the U.S. — although checking arriving travelers for the ill who may need care — agrees it's too late for that tactic.
"Sealing a border as an approach to containment is something that has been discussed and it was our planning assumption should an outbreak of a new strain of influenza occur overseas. We had plans for trying to swoop in and knockout or quench an outbreak if it were occurring far from our borders. That's not the case here," Besser told a telephone briefing of Nevada-based health providers and reporters. "The idea of trying to limit the spread to Mexico is not realistic or at all possible."
"Border controls do not work. Travel restrictions do not work," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said in Geneva, recalling the SARS epidemic earlier in the decade that killed 774 people, mostly in Asia, and slowed the global economy.
Authorities sought to keep the crisis in context: Flu deaths are common around the world. In the U.S. alone, the CDC says about 36,000 people a year die of flu-related causes. Still, the CDC calls the new strain a combination of pig, bird and human viruses for which people may have limited natural immunity.
Hence the need for a vaccine. Using samples of the flu taken from people who fell ill in Mexico and the U.S., scientists are engineering a strain that could trigger the immune system without causing illness. The hope is to get that ingredient — called a "reference strain" in vaccine jargon — to manufacturers around the second week of May, so they can begin their own laborious production work, said CDC's Dr. Ruben Donis, who is leading that effort.
Vaccine manufacturers are just beginning production for next winter's regular influenza vaccine, which protects against three human flu strains. The WHO wants them to stay with that course for now — it won't call for mass production of a swine flu vaccine unless the outbreak worsens globally. But sometimes new flu strains pop up briefly at the end of one flu season and go away only to re-emerge the next fall, and at the very least there should be a vaccine in time for next winter's flu season, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health's infectious diseases chief, said Tuesday.
"Right now it's moving very rapidly," he said of the vaccine development.
Besser appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," CNN and CBS's "The Early Show."
Kathy Barton, a spokeswoman for the Houston Health and Human Services Department, said Wednesday that the child had traveled with family from Mexico to Brownsville in South Texas. The child became ill in Brownsville and was taken to a Houston hospital and died Monday night, she said.
"Even though we've been expecting this, it is very, very sad," Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday of the infant's death. "As a pediatrician and a parent, my heart goes out to the family."
President Barack Obama said this morning that Americans should know the government is doing all it can to control virus. Obama also says schools should consider closing if the spread of the swine flu virus worsens.
Canada, Austria, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, Britain and Germany also have reported cases of swine flu sickness. Deaths reported so far have been limited to Mexico, and now the U.S.
As the United States grappled with this widening health crisis, Besser went from network to network Wednesday morning to give an update on what the Obama administration is doing. He said authorities essentially are still "trying to learn more about this strain of the flu." His appearances as Germany reported its first cases of swine flu infection, with three victims.
"It's very important that people take their concern and channel it into action," Besser said, adding that "it is crucial that people understand what they need to do if symptoms appear.
"I don't think it (the reported death in Texas) indicates any change in the strain," he said. "We see with any flu virus a spectrum of disease symptoms."
Asked why the problem seems so much more severe in Mexico, Besser said U.S. officials "have teams on the ground, a tri-national team in Mexico, working with Canada and Mexico, to try and understand those differences, because they can be helpful as we plan and implement our control strategies."
Sixty-six infections had been reported in the United States before the report of the toddler's death in Texas.
The world has no vaccine to prevent infection but U.S. health officials aim to have a key ingredient for one ready in early May, the big step that vaccine manufacturers are awaiting. But even if the World Health Organization ordered up emergency vaccine supplies — and that decision hasn't been made yet — it would take at least two more months to produce the initial shots needed for human safety testing.
"We're working together at 100 miles an hour to get material that will be useful," Dr. Jesse Goodman, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration's swine flu work, told The Associated Press.
The U.S. is shipping to states not only enough anti-flu medication for 11 million people, but also masks, hospital supplies and flu test kits. President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion in emergency funds to help build more drug stockpiles and monitor future cases, as well as help international efforts to avoid a full-fledged pandemic.
"It's a very serious possibility, but it is still too early to say that this is inevitable," the WHO's flu chief, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, told a telephone news conference.
Cuba and Argentina banned flights to Mexico, where swine flu is suspected of killing more than 150 people and sickening well over 2,000. In a bit of good news, Mexico's health secretary, Jose Cordova, late Tuesday called the death toll there "more or less stable."
Mexico City, one of the world's largest cities, has taken drastic steps to curb the virus' spread, starting with shutting down schools and on Tuesday expanding closures to gyms and swimming pools and even telling restaurants to limit service to takeout. People who venture out tend to wear masks in hopes of protection.
The number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States rose to 66 in six states, with 45 in New York, 11 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one each in Indiana and Ohio, but cities and states suspected more. In New York, the city's health commissioner said "many hundreds" of schoolchildren were ill at a school where some students had confirmed cases.
The WHO argues against closing borders to stem the spread, and the U.S. — although checking arriving travelers for the ill who may need care — agrees it's too late for that tactic.
"Sealing a border as an approach to containment is something that has been discussed and it was our planning assumption should an outbreak of a new strain of influenza occur overseas. We had plans for trying to swoop in and knockout or quench an outbreak if it were occurring far from our borders. That's not the case here," Besser told a telephone briefing of Nevada-based health providers and reporters. "The idea of trying to limit the spread to Mexico is not realistic or at all possible."
"Border controls do not work. Travel restrictions do not work," WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said in Geneva, recalling the SARS epidemic earlier in the decade that killed 774 people, mostly in Asia, and slowed the global economy.
Authorities sought to keep the crisis in context: Flu deaths are common around the world. In the U.S. alone, the CDC says about 36,000 people a year die of flu-related causes. Still, the CDC calls the new strain a combination of pig, bird and human viruses for which people may have limited natural immunity.
Hence the need for a vaccine. Using samples of the flu taken from people who fell ill in Mexico and the U.S., scientists are engineering a strain that could trigger the immune system without causing illness. The hope is to get that ingredient — called a "reference strain" in vaccine jargon — to manufacturers around the second week of May, so they can begin their own laborious production work, said CDC's Dr. Ruben Donis, who is leading that effort.
Vaccine manufacturers are just beginning production for next winter's regular influenza vaccine, which protects against three human flu strains. The WHO wants them to stay with that course for now — it won't call for mass production of a swine flu vaccine unless the outbreak worsens globally. But sometimes new flu strains pop up briefly at the end of one flu season and go away only to re-emerge the next fall, and at the very least there should be a vaccine in time for next winter's flu season, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health's infectious diseases chief, said Tuesday.
"Right now it's moving very rapidly," he said of the vaccine development.
Besser appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," CNN and CBS's "The Early Show."
Monday, April 13, 2009
Portuguese water dog Obama girls name their new puppy 'Bo'
By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – Bo? No jest. The first family has settled on a first pet — a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog that the Obama girls are naming Bo.
The selection was one of the White House's most tightly kept secrets.
President Barack Obama's daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, picked a black and white pup, a White House official speaking on the condition of anonymity told The Associated Press Saturday night.
The dog is a gift from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who owns several Portuguese water dogs himself.
"We couldnt be happier to see the joy that Bo is bringing to Malia and Sasha," Kennedy said in a statement. "We love our Portuguese water dogs and know that the girls — and their parents — will love theirs, too."
The Washington Post reported in its online editions Saturday night that Obama's daughters chose the name Bo for the pup because first lady Michelle Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley. The name for the dog was an apparent reference to the singer "Bo" Diddley.
White House aides told the AP that the office of the first lady arranged an exclusive deal on the dog story with the Post. The officials, who demanded anonymity because of the deal with the Post on exclusive details, said the dog was not in the White House as of Saturday evening.
Throughout the day Saturday, celebrity Web sites and bloggers were abuzz with rumors of the first family's selection of a Portuguese water dog; one site even claimed it had pictures of the future first pet.
The president had embraced the frenzy: "Oh, man, now, that's top secret," Obama joked Friday to reporters.
Obama promised his daughters a puppy during the campaign.
"This is Washington. That was a campaign promise," Obama said when he appeared on Jay Leno's talk show last month, as the audience roared with laughter. "No, I'm teasing. The dog will be there shortly."
The president and first lady had said their choice was down to either a Portuguese water dog or a Labradoodle because they were considered good pets for children who have allergies, as Malia does.
WASHINGTON – Bo? No jest. The first family has settled on a first pet — a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog that the Obama girls are naming Bo.
The selection was one of the White House's most tightly kept secrets.
President Barack Obama's daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, picked a black and white pup, a White House official speaking on the condition of anonymity told The Associated Press Saturday night.
The dog is a gift from Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who owns several Portuguese water dogs himself.
"We couldnt be happier to see the joy that Bo is bringing to Malia and Sasha," Kennedy said in a statement. "We love our Portuguese water dogs and know that the girls — and their parents — will love theirs, too."
The Washington Post reported in its online editions Saturday night that Obama's daughters chose the name Bo for the pup because first lady Michelle Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley. The name for the dog was an apparent reference to the singer "Bo" Diddley.
White House aides told the AP that the office of the first lady arranged an exclusive deal on the dog story with the Post. The officials, who demanded anonymity because of the deal with the Post on exclusive details, said the dog was not in the White House as of Saturday evening.
Throughout the day Saturday, celebrity Web sites and bloggers were abuzz with rumors of the first family's selection of a Portuguese water dog; one site even claimed it had pictures of the future first pet.
The president had embraced the frenzy: "Oh, man, now, that's top secret," Obama joked Friday to reporters.
Obama promised his daughters a puppy during the campaign.
"This is Washington. That was a campaign promise," Obama said when he appeared on Jay Leno's talk show last month, as the audience roared with laughter. "No, I'm teasing. The dog will be there shortly."
The president and first lady had said their choice was down to either a Portuguese water dog or a Labradoodle because they were considered good pets for children who have allergies, as Malia does.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Is America on The Road to Fascism?
By John Wallace
Mr. G. Richard Wagoner, the chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors, was recently forced to resign his position because of pressure from the Obama administration. He was told that if he didn't leave, the Obama administration would not give General Motors any more federal bailout money. President Obama also told General Motors and the Chrysler Corporation that if they wanted more federal bailout money, they would have to shrink and refocus their businesses according to his (the federal government's) wishes.
In our country's history, there have been some limited instances of the federal government exercising some sort of control over private industry, but that was during wartime. The current assault on American capitalism by the Obama administration is unprecedented in both its scope and speed and should raise the red flag of alarm for all freedom-loving Americans.
World history has shown us that the implementation of strict government controls over private industries has been one of the first steps in the introduction of various forms of Fascism to formerly free countries. The practice of a government taking control of private industries was refined by Benito Mussolini in Italy in the 1920's and it is called 'corporatism.'
According to Wikipedia, political scientists use the term 'corporatism' to describe "a practice whereby a state, through the process of licensing and regulating officially-incorporated social, religious, economic, or popular organizations, effectively co-opts their leadership or circumscribes their ability to challenge state authority by establishing the state as the source of their legitimacy, as well as sometimes running them, either directly or indirectly." Mussolini described it more simply when he said, "Fascism should more appropriately be called corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."
Some corporatist-style regimes of the 20th century included those of Benito Mussolini of Italy (1922-1945), Adolph Hitler of Germany (1933 to 1945); Francisco Franco of Spain (1936 to 1973); Juan Peron of Argentina (1943 to 1955) and even our own President Franklin Roosevelt (1933 to 1945) during the 'New Deal.' The Mussolini, Hitler, Franco and Peron regimes were brutal, totalitarian, Fascist dictatorships, but not all the regimes that had a corporatist foundation were fascist. The Roosevelt administration, despite its many faults, could not be described as fascist, but the 'New Deal' program was definitely corporatist.
Corporatism boils down to this: The government tells industry (and eventually labor unions) what to do and that they must do it for the supposed good of the country, or else their individual leaders will pay a price. Does this sound similar to what is happening to the auto industry today?
Where in the U.S. Constitution does it authorize the President of the United States to fire the head of a major private corporation just because he disagrees with his management policies? Where in the U.S. Constitution does it authorize the President of the United States to decide what kind of cars a private company will build? or what kind of car I will drive? President Barack 'Mussolini' Obama is taking this country down a very dangerous road and a road that America has never taken before.
Confucius said "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Are the 'corporatist' policies of President Obama and his administration just the first steps of many in a move towards a government takeover of our major industries? Are these policies much different than those that Mussolini and Hitler initiated in the early stages of their rise to power?
With the Politburo in our expanding federal government now having the power to hire and fire the leaders of major private corporations and to tell the auto makers what cars they can produce, will they soon be telling Americans what kind of cars they can drive; how much money they can earn; where they can go to school, what sodas they can drink, what foods they can't eat, where they can travel, what national ID card they must carry at all times and it will impose any number of other restrictions on them. Look at California, where the state legislature is currently considering banning black cars by 2012, for some bogus global warming reason.
Thomas Jefferson said: "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have." Americans must remember that we cannot fully enjoy our freedoms and liberties in America unless we keep our government limited. As our government grows and becomes more intrusive, as it is today, it is our freedoms and liberties that are becoming limited.
Welcome to the United Socialist States of America!
If we continue on President Obama's road to socialism, the American people will no longer be free. The question is: "Will we learn to accept our captivity at the hands of our new masters or will we be willing to do something about it?"
John Wallace
"For Freedom, Liberty and Sovereignty"
New York Campaign for Liberty
Chatham, New York
www.NYCampaignForLiberty.com
Mr. G. Richard Wagoner, the chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors, was recently forced to resign his position because of pressure from the Obama administration. He was told that if he didn't leave, the Obama administration would not give General Motors any more federal bailout money. President Obama also told General Motors and the Chrysler Corporation that if they wanted more federal bailout money, they would have to shrink and refocus their businesses according to his (the federal government's) wishes.
In our country's history, there have been some limited instances of the federal government exercising some sort of control over private industry, but that was during wartime. The current assault on American capitalism by the Obama administration is unprecedented in both its scope and speed and should raise the red flag of alarm for all freedom-loving Americans.
World history has shown us that the implementation of strict government controls over private industries has been one of the first steps in the introduction of various forms of Fascism to formerly free countries. The practice of a government taking control of private industries was refined by Benito Mussolini in Italy in the 1920's and it is called 'corporatism.'
According to Wikipedia, political scientists use the term 'corporatism' to describe "a practice whereby a state, through the process of licensing and regulating officially-incorporated social, religious, economic, or popular organizations, effectively co-opts their leadership or circumscribes their ability to challenge state authority by establishing the state as the source of their legitimacy, as well as sometimes running them, either directly or indirectly." Mussolini described it more simply when he said, "Fascism should more appropriately be called corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."
Some corporatist-style regimes of the 20th century included those of Benito Mussolini of Italy (1922-1945), Adolph Hitler of Germany (1933 to 1945); Francisco Franco of Spain (1936 to 1973); Juan Peron of Argentina (1943 to 1955) and even our own President Franklin Roosevelt (1933 to 1945) during the 'New Deal.' The Mussolini, Hitler, Franco and Peron regimes were brutal, totalitarian, Fascist dictatorships, but not all the regimes that had a corporatist foundation were fascist. The Roosevelt administration, despite its many faults, could not be described as fascist, but the 'New Deal' program was definitely corporatist.
Corporatism boils down to this: The government tells industry (and eventually labor unions) what to do and that they must do it for the supposed good of the country, or else their individual leaders will pay a price. Does this sound similar to what is happening to the auto industry today?
Where in the U.S. Constitution does it authorize the President of the United States to fire the head of a major private corporation just because he disagrees with his management policies? Where in the U.S. Constitution does it authorize the President of the United States to decide what kind of cars a private company will build? or what kind of car I will drive? President Barack 'Mussolini' Obama is taking this country down a very dangerous road and a road that America has never taken before.
Confucius said "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Are the 'corporatist' policies of President Obama and his administration just the first steps of many in a move towards a government takeover of our major industries? Are these policies much different than those that Mussolini and Hitler initiated in the early stages of their rise to power?
With the Politburo in our expanding federal government now having the power to hire and fire the leaders of major private corporations and to tell the auto makers what cars they can produce, will they soon be telling Americans what kind of cars they can drive; how much money they can earn; where they can go to school, what sodas they can drink, what foods they can't eat, where they can travel, what national ID card they must carry at all times and it will impose any number of other restrictions on them. Look at California, where the state legislature is currently considering banning black cars by 2012, for some bogus global warming reason.
Thomas Jefferson said: "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have." Americans must remember that we cannot fully enjoy our freedoms and liberties in America unless we keep our government limited. As our government grows and becomes more intrusive, as it is today, it is our freedoms and liberties that are becoming limited.
Welcome to the United Socialist States of America!
If we continue on President Obama's road to socialism, the American people will no longer be free. The question is: "Will we learn to accept our captivity at the hands of our new masters or will we be willing to do something about it?"
John Wallace
"For Freedom, Liberty and Sovereignty"
New York Campaign for Liberty
Chatham, New York
www.NYCampaignForLiberty.com
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Michelle Obama's Still Recessionista Chic in J.Crew
by CRISTINA GIBSON
Michelle Obama may be the first lady now, but she's still got love for affordable fashion from J.Crew.
While across the pond in London for Thursday's G-20 summit, she wore J.Crew head to toe on Wednesday, including a pencil skirt, tank and cardigan ensemble from the store.
Total cost for her outfit? Under 500 bucks...$474 to be exact.
Granted, it's still fairly expensive for the average soccer mom, but for a first lady and celebrity with loads of pricey couture to choose from, it's dirt cheap.
Michelle Obama may be the first lady now, but she's still got love for affordable fashion from J.Crew.
While across the pond in London for Thursday's G-20 summit, she wore J.Crew head to toe on Wednesday, including a pencil skirt, tank and cardigan ensemble from the store.
Total cost for her outfit? Under 500 bucks...$474 to be exact.
Granted, it's still fairly expensive for the average soccer mom, but for a first lady and celebrity with loads of pricey couture to choose from, it's dirt cheap.
U.S. Seeks to Drop Case Against Former Sen. Stevens
By Del Quentin Wilber
Washington Post Staff Writer
The Justice Department filed court papers this morning asking a federal judge to toss out the conviction of former senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) on corruption charges.
The move comes as a federal judge was preparing to conduct hearings to probe allegations of prosecutorial misconduct by the team that tried one of the most powerful Republicans in Congress. Stevens, 85, was convicted in October on seven counts of making false statements on financial disclosure forms to hide about $250,000 in gifts and free renovations to his Alaska home. Stevens's attorneys have urged U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan to drop the case and prevent prosecutors from seeking to retry the former senator, who lost a reelection bid about a week after his guilty verdict.
They have argued that prosecutors with the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section withheld key pieces of evidence and mishandled witnesses.
During the trial, Sullivan chastised prosecutors several times for such errors. More recently, the Justice Department was forced to disclose a memo written by an FBI agent who complained of the same things. Sullivan recently held several prosecutors in contempt for failing to comply with a court order. Six members of that prosecution team then withdrew from the case in matters dealing with allegations of misconduct.
In a statement, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said he and other Justice lawyers had reviewed the case and "concluded that certain information should have been provided to the defense for use at trial."
"In light of this conclusion, and in consideration of the totality of the circumstances of this particular case, I have determined that it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the indictment and not proceed with a new trial," Holder said.
"The Department's Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct a thorough review of the prosecution of this matter," he added. "This does not mean or imply that any determination has been made about the conduct of those attorneys who handled the investigation and trial of this case."
Brendan Sullivan, Stevens's lead attorney, has a meeting scheduled at the Justice Department for 10 a.m. He could not be reached for comment, but Stevens's attorneys issued a statement this morning that said they were "grateful" to learn about the department's decision. "That decision is justified by the extraordinary evidence of government corruption in the prosecution of Senator Stevens," they said in the three-page statement. They said the alleged misconduct "was stunning."
Stevens also could not be reached. Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), who beat Stevens in November, issued a statement saying that "the decision by President Obama's Justice Department to end the prosecution of Senator Ted Stevens is reasonable. I always said I didn't think Senator Stevens should serve time in jail and hopefully this decision ensures that is the case."
In a three-page memo filed this morning in U.S. District Court, Justice Department lawyer Paul M. O'Brien, who was brought on to review the case, said he discovered evidence that prosecutors did not turn over notes from an interview in April 2008 with the case's key witness, Bill Allen.
Allen is the former head of Veco, a now defunct oil services company, and a close friend of Stevens who allegedly gave the former senator many of the gifts and funded most of the home renovations.
At that interview, Allen said he did not recall talking to a friend of Stevens's about giving a bill to the former senator for work done on the house, O'Brien wrote.
Two prosecutors took notes on that interview with Allen but did not turn them over to the defense, according to O'Brien.
At trial, Allen testified that he was told by a close friend of Stevens to ignore a note the former senator sent the Veco executive seeking a bill for the home remodeling work. "Bill, don't worry about getting a bill" for Stevens, Allen said the friend told him. "Ted is just covering his [expletive]."
The prosecutors' notes also indicated that Allen estimated the work done on Stevens's house to be about $80,000. Veco billing records, assailed as inaccurate by defense lawyers, estimated the work to have cost $188,000.
"The information could have been used by the defendant to cross-examine Bill Allen and in arguments to the jury," O'Brien wrote.
O'Brien added that granting a new trial "is in the interest of justice." But, "based on the totality of circumstances," the Justice Department would not seek a new trial and would instead ask the judge to "set aside the verdict and dismiss the indictment with prejudice."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters this morning that the Justice Department's actions cost Republicans a Senate seat.
"No question, had this decision been made last year, he'd still be in the Senate," McConnell said.
McConnell said, on a personal note, that the Stevens family no longer has a cloud of potential jail time hanging over the 85-year-old's head. "He and his family must be relieved," McConnell said.
Staff writer Paul Kane contributed to this report.
Washington Post Staff Writer
The Justice Department filed court papers this morning asking a federal judge to toss out the conviction of former senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) on corruption charges.
The move comes as a federal judge was preparing to conduct hearings to probe allegations of prosecutorial misconduct by the team that tried one of the most powerful Republicans in Congress. Stevens, 85, was convicted in October on seven counts of making false statements on financial disclosure forms to hide about $250,000 in gifts and free renovations to his Alaska home. Stevens's attorneys have urged U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan to drop the case and prevent prosecutors from seeking to retry the former senator, who lost a reelection bid about a week after his guilty verdict.
They have argued that prosecutors with the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section withheld key pieces of evidence and mishandled witnesses.
During the trial, Sullivan chastised prosecutors several times for such errors. More recently, the Justice Department was forced to disclose a memo written by an FBI agent who complained of the same things. Sullivan recently held several prosecutors in contempt for failing to comply with a court order. Six members of that prosecution team then withdrew from the case in matters dealing with allegations of misconduct.
In a statement, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said he and other Justice lawyers had reviewed the case and "concluded that certain information should have been provided to the defense for use at trial."
"In light of this conclusion, and in consideration of the totality of the circumstances of this particular case, I have determined that it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the indictment and not proceed with a new trial," Holder said.
"The Department's Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct a thorough review of the prosecution of this matter," he added. "This does not mean or imply that any determination has been made about the conduct of those attorneys who handled the investigation and trial of this case."
Brendan Sullivan, Stevens's lead attorney, has a meeting scheduled at the Justice Department for 10 a.m. He could not be reached for comment, but Stevens's attorneys issued a statement this morning that said they were "grateful" to learn about the department's decision. "That decision is justified by the extraordinary evidence of government corruption in the prosecution of Senator Stevens," they said in the three-page statement. They said the alleged misconduct "was stunning."
Stevens also could not be reached. Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), who beat Stevens in November, issued a statement saying that "the decision by President Obama's Justice Department to end the prosecution of Senator Ted Stevens is reasonable. I always said I didn't think Senator Stevens should serve time in jail and hopefully this decision ensures that is the case."
In a three-page memo filed this morning in U.S. District Court, Justice Department lawyer Paul M. O'Brien, who was brought on to review the case, said he discovered evidence that prosecutors did not turn over notes from an interview in April 2008 with the case's key witness, Bill Allen.
Allen is the former head of Veco, a now defunct oil services company, and a close friend of Stevens who allegedly gave the former senator many of the gifts and funded most of the home renovations.
At that interview, Allen said he did not recall talking to a friend of Stevens's about giving a bill to the former senator for work done on the house, O'Brien wrote.
Two prosecutors took notes on that interview with Allen but did not turn them over to the defense, according to O'Brien.
At trial, Allen testified that he was told by a close friend of Stevens to ignore a note the former senator sent the Veco executive seeking a bill for the home remodeling work. "Bill, don't worry about getting a bill" for Stevens, Allen said the friend told him. "Ted is just covering his [expletive]."
The prosecutors' notes also indicated that Allen estimated the work done on Stevens's house to be about $80,000. Veco billing records, assailed as inaccurate by defense lawyers, estimated the work to have cost $188,000.
"The information could have been used by the defendant to cross-examine Bill Allen and in arguments to the jury," O'Brien wrote.
O'Brien added that granting a new trial "is in the interest of justice." But, "based on the totality of circumstances," the Justice Department would not seek a new trial and would instead ask the judge to "set aside the verdict and dismiss the indictment with prejudice."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters this morning that the Justice Department's actions cost Republicans a Senate seat.
"No question, had this decision been made last year, he'd still be in the Senate," McConnell said.
McConnell said, on a personal note, that the Stevens family no longer has a cloud of potential jail time hanging over the 85-year-old's head. "He and his family must be relieved," McConnell said.
Staff writer Paul Kane contributed to this report.
G-20 protesters break into Royal Bank of Scotland
I think it will be a year or two maybe even less before America will follow England as rejecting these banksters. Hopefully we will get the peoples out there and it will say "stop handing out our money to your friends" The banks who knew they were screwing people over in the long run with bad debts.
By RAPHAEL G. SATTER
LONDON – G-20 protesters in downtown London have smashed windows and entered the Royal Bank of Scotland building. They have also tried to storm the Bank of England.
At least 4,000 protesters have jammed into London's financial district for demonstrations Wednesday. Protesters broke windows and scrawled the word "thieves" on the side of the Royal Bank of Scotland building.
Protesters were also pelting riot police with eggs and fruit and confronting them at barricades.
Earlier Wednesday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Barack Obama held a news conference in London ahead of the Group of 20 summit being held Thursday. World leaders are gathering with hopes of resolving the global financial crisis.
Eight people have been arrested in the G-20 demonstrations so far. There have been no reports of injuries.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
LONDON (AP) — Thousands of G-20 protesters jammed downtown London on Wednesday and some tried to storm the Bank of England, pelting police with eggs and fruit and rocking the barricades designed to control them.
Demonstrators shouted "Abolish Money!" and clogged streets in the financial district known as "The City" even as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Barack Obama held a news conference elsewhere in the British capital.
Protesters had branded the day "Financial Fool's Day" ahead of Thursday's summit of world leaders who are gathering in hopes of resolving the global financial crisis that has lashed nations and workers worldwide.
"Every job I apply for there's already 150 people who have also applied," said protester Nathan Dean, 35, who lost his information technology job three weeks ago. "I have had to sign on to the dole (welfare) for the first time in my life. You end up having to pay your mortgage on your credit card and you fall into debt twice over."
Demonstrators hoisted effigies of the "four horsemen of the apocalypse," representing war, climate chaos, financial crimes and homelessness.
"The greed that is driving people is tearing us apart," said Steve Lamont, 45, flanked by his family and protesters who were banging on bells, playing drums and blowing whistles.
At least eight people were reportedly arrested for having police uniforms. One police officer lost his helmet and demonstrators tossed it around like a trophy and chanted slogans.
Helicopters hovered above the protests and some buildings were boarded up in case the protests turned ugly. Many banks had extra security and hundreds of police officers lined the streets.
Despite the pushing and shoving along the police barricades, there were no reported injuries.
Fearing they would be targeted by protesters, some bankers swapped their pinstripe suits for casual wear and others stayed home. Bolder financial workers leaned out their office windows Wednesday, taunting demonstrators and waving 10 pound notes at them.
Especially in Britain, bankers have been lambasted as being greedy and blamed for the recession that is making jobless ranks soar.
"It seems like everything is in a mess," said protester Steve Johnson, 49, an unemployed construction worker. "You get bankers getting massive bonuses, and the MPs (British lawmakers) are lining their own pockets."
Musician and political activist Billy Bragg said the time was now to make a difference.
"It's better than sitting down shouting at the television at these bankers," he said. "We cannot go back to the way things were before to the million-dollar bonus culture."
Protesters included anarchists, anti-capitalists, environmentalists, students, unionized workers, unemployed workers and others hurt by the global financial crisis.
One protester dressed as the Easter bunny managed to hop through the police cordon but was stopped before he could reach the Bank of England. Another black-clad demonstrator waved a fake light saber at officers.
By RAPHAEL G. SATTER
LONDON – G-20 protesters in downtown London have smashed windows and entered the Royal Bank of Scotland building. They have also tried to storm the Bank of England.
At least 4,000 protesters have jammed into London's financial district for demonstrations Wednesday. Protesters broke windows and scrawled the word "thieves" on the side of the Royal Bank of Scotland building.
Protesters were also pelting riot police with eggs and fruit and confronting them at barricades.
Earlier Wednesday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Barack Obama held a news conference in London ahead of the Group of 20 summit being held Thursday. World leaders are gathering with hopes of resolving the global financial crisis.
Eight people have been arrested in the G-20 demonstrations so far. There have been no reports of injuries.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
LONDON (AP) — Thousands of G-20 protesters jammed downtown London on Wednesday and some tried to storm the Bank of England, pelting police with eggs and fruit and rocking the barricades designed to control them.
Demonstrators shouted "Abolish Money!" and clogged streets in the financial district known as "The City" even as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Barack Obama held a news conference elsewhere in the British capital.
Protesters had branded the day "Financial Fool's Day" ahead of Thursday's summit of world leaders who are gathering in hopes of resolving the global financial crisis that has lashed nations and workers worldwide.
"Every job I apply for there's already 150 people who have also applied," said protester Nathan Dean, 35, who lost his information technology job three weeks ago. "I have had to sign on to the dole (welfare) for the first time in my life. You end up having to pay your mortgage on your credit card and you fall into debt twice over."
Demonstrators hoisted effigies of the "four horsemen of the apocalypse," representing war, climate chaos, financial crimes and homelessness.
"The greed that is driving people is tearing us apart," said Steve Lamont, 45, flanked by his family and protesters who were banging on bells, playing drums and blowing whistles.
At least eight people were reportedly arrested for having police uniforms. One police officer lost his helmet and demonstrators tossed it around like a trophy and chanted slogans.
Helicopters hovered above the protests and some buildings were boarded up in case the protests turned ugly. Many banks had extra security and hundreds of police officers lined the streets.
Despite the pushing and shoving along the police barricades, there were no reported injuries.
Fearing they would be targeted by protesters, some bankers swapped their pinstripe suits for casual wear and others stayed home. Bolder financial workers leaned out their office windows Wednesday, taunting demonstrators and waving 10 pound notes at them.
Especially in Britain, bankers have been lambasted as being greedy and blamed for the recession that is making jobless ranks soar.
"It seems like everything is in a mess," said protester Steve Johnson, 49, an unemployed construction worker. "You get bankers getting massive bonuses, and the MPs (British lawmakers) are lining their own pockets."
Musician and political activist Billy Bragg said the time was now to make a difference.
"It's better than sitting down shouting at the television at these bankers," he said. "We cannot go back to the way things were before to the million-dollar bonus culture."
Protesters included anarchists, anti-capitalists, environmentalists, students, unionized workers, unemployed workers and others hurt by the global financial crisis.
One protester dressed as the Easter bunny managed to hop through the police cordon but was stopped before he could reach the Bank of England. Another black-clad demonstrator waved a fake light saber at officers.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
New York Special Election Is Special Case
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
WASHINGTON — Voters in a House district in New York will elect a replacement on Tuesday for Kirsten E. Gillibrand, the Democrat who replaced Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Senate after Mrs. Clinton became secretary of state.
Even before a vote was cast, the contest was freighted with all kinds of political significance — an early test of President Obama’s political strength, a verdict on the stimulus package, a do-or-die moment for a new Republican national chairman, an early sign of how the 2010 midterm elections are going to go (never mind that they are 20 months way).
To a certain extent, all this is understandable. The new president has invested some political capital in the Democratic candidate, Scott Murphy. Mr. Obama’s image appears in an advertisement that the Democratic National Committee ran in the upstate district — albeit not often — and Mr. Obama’s name is affixed to thousands of e-mail messages that the national committee sent out urging voters to support Mr. Murphy. And Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has taped a radio advertisement on Mr. Murphy’s behalf.
Michael Steele, the new Republican chairman who is trying to get beyond a rocky start, has identified this race as a top target for the Republican National Committee. He has campaigned in the district twice on behalf of the Republican candidate, James N. Tedisco, a state assemblyman. Mr. Steele has directed money and resources toward winning the seat, which was solidly Republican until Ms. Gillibrand snatched it away from a troubled incumbent in 2006.
It is also the first special election since Mr. Obama took office — “It’s the only game in D.C. for people to talk about,” said David Wasserman, House editor of the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan newsletter — and the contest is being fought against the backdrop of the sharp partisan division over Mr. Obama’s economic plan.
“It’s going to be seen as a referendum on President Obama and the stimulus package, and a referendum on Albany’s popularity, and a referendum on Gillibrand’s popularity,” said Howard Wolfson, a Democratic consultant who advised Ms. Gillibrand in her 2006 campaign.
In truth, special elections tend to get more attention and analysis than they deserve (guilty, your honor), and while they might briefly raise or lower the political temperature, they tend not to be predictive of much at all. And in this case, there are many extraneous factors at play, and there is enough conflicting data about the political dynamics of the race to permit either side to make at least a plausible argument that it will win.
“The first thing you can count on is this thing is going to be way overspun,” said Tom Davis, a former Virginia congressman and onetime head of the Republican campaign committee in the House. “I don’t think it portends a thing for the midterms. But it emboldens whoever wins.”
That said, a few lessons will certainly be drawn from the race.
The decision by the Democratic National Committee to feature Mr. Obama — understandable, given his popularity — could carry some small risk to the president. Should Mr. Murphy lose, the result will be seized on by Republicans as evidence that Mr. Obama’s power is fading, though how far this line of thought will travel is an open question.
“I think that’s why he only put a toe in,” Mr. Davis said. “The tradition on this is, in special elections, the president’s candidate typically loses.”
Potentially more interesting, though, is what the vote will say about the political potency of the battle over the stimulus package — whether House Republicans, who voted unanimously against it, made a mistake in putting up a unified front.
Mr. Murphy supported the package; Mr. Tedisco equivocated until, after being taunted by Democrats, he finally said he would have voted against it. By every account, Mr. Tedisco’s awkward handling of the issue helped to transform the race.
“Here’s what I think you do know here: when the Democrats stood strong — when Murphy said, ‘I support the stimulus plan’ — he closed the gap 30 points,” said Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama’s chief of staff. “You know and I know this should not be dead even.”
Mr. Wasserman, of the Cook Report, said: “The race is pretty even right now. But it didn’t start out that way. Republicans started with a known figure. Democrats started off with someone who isn’t known.”
In the closing stage of the campaign, Republicans attempted to focus attention on the Democratic Congress’s deletion of a clause in the stimulus bill that might have prevented the payment of some bonuses to executives of American Insurance Group. Mr. Tedisco used the move to link Mr. Murphy, a venture capitalist, to the bonuses issue, a flash point for many voters.
Until Ms. Gillibrand’s victory in 2006, the 20th Congressional District was solidly Republican; it was one of just six districts in the state that voted for George W. Bush in 2000.
In 2004, the Republican incumbent, John E. Sweeney, was re-elected with 66 percent of the vote; two years later, he narrowly lost to Ms. Gillibrand after his campaign became embroiled in a series of embarrassing episodes. Still, Republicans enjoy a 75,000 edge in voter registration in the district.
“The fact this race is close at all is a big deal,’” said Jen O’Malley Dillon, the executive director of the Democratic National Committee. “It’s a tough, tough district.”
Trevor Francis, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said much the same thing, as both sides gave a preview of what they might be saying Tuesday night.
“This is going to be a tough one,” Mr. Francis said. “Obama won the district and has a 65-percent approval rating there.”
WASHINGTON — Voters in a House district in New York will elect a replacement on Tuesday for Kirsten E. Gillibrand, the Democrat who replaced Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Senate after Mrs. Clinton became secretary of state.
Even before a vote was cast, the contest was freighted with all kinds of political significance — an early test of President Obama’s political strength, a verdict on the stimulus package, a do-or-die moment for a new Republican national chairman, an early sign of how the 2010 midterm elections are going to go (never mind that they are 20 months way).
To a certain extent, all this is understandable. The new president has invested some political capital in the Democratic candidate, Scott Murphy. Mr. Obama’s image appears in an advertisement that the Democratic National Committee ran in the upstate district — albeit not often — and Mr. Obama’s name is affixed to thousands of e-mail messages that the national committee sent out urging voters to support Mr. Murphy. And Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has taped a radio advertisement on Mr. Murphy’s behalf.
Michael Steele, the new Republican chairman who is trying to get beyond a rocky start, has identified this race as a top target for the Republican National Committee. He has campaigned in the district twice on behalf of the Republican candidate, James N. Tedisco, a state assemblyman. Mr. Steele has directed money and resources toward winning the seat, which was solidly Republican until Ms. Gillibrand snatched it away from a troubled incumbent in 2006.
It is also the first special election since Mr. Obama took office — “It’s the only game in D.C. for people to talk about,” said David Wasserman, House editor of the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan newsletter — and the contest is being fought against the backdrop of the sharp partisan division over Mr. Obama’s economic plan.
“It’s going to be seen as a referendum on President Obama and the stimulus package, and a referendum on Albany’s popularity, and a referendum on Gillibrand’s popularity,” said Howard Wolfson, a Democratic consultant who advised Ms. Gillibrand in her 2006 campaign.
In truth, special elections tend to get more attention and analysis than they deserve (guilty, your honor), and while they might briefly raise or lower the political temperature, they tend not to be predictive of much at all. And in this case, there are many extraneous factors at play, and there is enough conflicting data about the political dynamics of the race to permit either side to make at least a plausible argument that it will win.
“The first thing you can count on is this thing is going to be way overspun,” said Tom Davis, a former Virginia congressman and onetime head of the Republican campaign committee in the House. “I don’t think it portends a thing for the midterms. But it emboldens whoever wins.”
That said, a few lessons will certainly be drawn from the race.
The decision by the Democratic National Committee to feature Mr. Obama — understandable, given his popularity — could carry some small risk to the president. Should Mr. Murphy lose, the result will be seized on by Republicans as evidence that Mr. Obama’s power is fading, though how far this line of thought will travel is an open question.
“I think that’s why he only put a toe in,” Mr. Davis said. “The tradition on this is, in special elections, the president’s candidate typically loses.”
Potentially more interesting, though, is what the vote will say about the political potency of the battle over the stimulus package — whether House Republicans, who voted unanimously against it, made a mistake in putting up a unified front.
Mr. Murphy supported the package; Mr. Tedisco equivocated until, after being taunted by Democrats, he finally said he would have voted against it. By every account, Mr. Tedisco’s awkward handling of the issue helped to transform the race.
“Here’s what I think you do know here: when the Democrats stood strong — when Murphy said, ‘I support the stimulus plan’ — he closed the gap 30 points,” said Rahm Emanuel, Mr. Obama’s chief of staff. “You know and I know this should not be dead even.”
Mr. Wasserman, of the Cook Report, said: “The race is pretty even right now. But it didn’t start out that way. Republicans started with a known figure. Democrats started off with someone who isn’t known.”
In the closing stage of the campaign, Republicans attempted to focus attention on the Democratic Congress’s deletion of a clause in the stimulus bill that might have prevented the payment of some bonuses to executives of American Insurance Group. Mr. Tedisco used the move to link Mr. Murphy, a venture capitalist, to the bonuses issue, a flash point for many voters.
Until Ms. Gillibrand’s victory in 2006, the 20th Congressional District was solidly Republican; it was one of just six districts in the state that voted for George W. Bush in 2000.
In 2004, the Republican incumbent, John E. Sweeney, was re-elected with 66 percent of the vote; two years later, he narrowly lost to Ms. Gillibrand after his campaign became embroiled in a series of embarrassing episodes. Still, Republicans enjoy a 75,000 edge in voter registration in the district.
“The fact this race is close at all is a big deal,’” said Jen O’Malley Dillon, the executive director of the Democratic National Committee. “It’s a tough, tough district.”
Trevor Francis, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said much the same thing, as both sides gave a preview of what they might be saying Tuesday night.
“This is going to be a tough one,” Mr. Francis said. “Obama won the district and has a 65-percent approval rating there.”
Ashley Biden Cocaine Video: VP's Daughter Caught Snorting Coke On Tape?
by Mike Baron
Ashley Biden snorting coke on video?. Ashley Biden is the daughter of Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden.
A friend of the daughter of veep is attempting to hawk a videotape that he claims shows Ashley Biden snorting cocaine at a house party this month in Delaware.
Ashley, 27, is now caught up in a cocaine video scandal and there is no doubt that this is particularly distressful considering her father has been crusader against drugs. In fact, he is the one who coined the phrase 'drug czar' in 1982 while campaigning for the 'war on drugs'.
An anonymous male "friend" of Biden took the video, according to Thomas Dunlap, a lawyer representing the seller. Dunlap and another man claiming to be a lawyer showed The New York Post 90 seconds of a 43-minute tape, saying it was legally obtained and that Biden was aware she was being filmed. The Post turned down the opportunity to pay for the video.
The fact that the New York Post won't pay for the video doesn't mean there won't be a bidding war for it. Read more here.
If and when the video is leaked we will post it here.
Ashley Biden snorting coke on video?. Ashley Biden is the daughter of Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden.
A friend of the daughter of veep is attempting to hawk a videotape that he claims shows Ashley Biden snorting cocaine at a house party this month in Delaware.
Ashley, 27, is now caught up in a cocaine video scandal and there is no doubt that this is particularly distressful considering her father has been crusader against drugs. In fact, he is the one who coined the phrase 'drug czar' in 1982 while campaigning for the 'war on drugs'.
An anonymous male "friend" of Biden took the video, according to Thomas Dunlap, a lawyer representing the seller. Dunlap and another man claiming to be a lawyer showed The New York Post 90 seconds of a 43-minute tape, saying it was legally obtained and that Biden was aware she was being filmed. The Post turned down the opportunity to pay for the video.
The fact that the New York Post won't pay for the video doesn't mean there won't be a bidding war for it. Read more here.
If and when the video is leaked we will post it here.
Ria Ramkissoon and 1 Mind Ministries: a Failure of the Court System
Wow words can not describe my dismay on how someone could get away with this. This crap about being brainwashed and stuff is total BS in my opinion and makes me madder that people can get away with that kind of thing.
by Gary Davis
Ria Ramkissoon played a definitive role in killing her son. Ria Ramkissoon was -- or is, take your choice -- part of the "1 Mind Ministries" cult. All Ria Ramkissoon has to do is testify against other cult members who took part in the murder by starvation of her son Javon Thompson. Ria
Ramkissoon must serve five years probation. Oh, one other thing. Ria Ramkissoon will await the resurrection of her son. Amazingly, so will the court system. Of course they made it harder by saying it doesn't count if he comes back as a fig or butterfly. It has to be a person.
This story comes from Dan Morse, a Washington Post Staff Writer, in his article "Plea Deal Includes Resurrection Clause."
I'm stunned, absolutely stunned.
You see the implications here are staggering in so many ways and the ignorance is so voluminous that it is shocking.
First, people are calling 1 Mind Ministries a "Christianity-based" cult. 1 Mind Ministries is no more "Christian-based" than the mafia is based on the Vatican. No church teaches killing toddlers for a rebellious spirit. Anybody who has a toddler knows most of them have them.
The reason Jesus could (and did) rise was that He was God. He showed that by being perfect. By all accounts poor little Javon wasn't God therefore, I'm afraid he's sunk.
Since Ria Ramkissoon was brainwashed she was allegedly too robotic to be held accountable for her actions.
However, the arbitrary number of hours of de-programming chosen by the court, taking away what should be a medical decision in the first place, apparently is going to make her okey-dokey.
It gets better. Ria can't stand trial because she wasn't at fault due to her mental state however, this mental state is acceptable to possibly give someone life in prison; it is an acceptable mental state to remember what was going on just not strong enough to make any valuations on the morality of her acts? Is that about it?
And, of course it only makes sense to let her go free until the "resurrection" occurs, not vice-versa.
The press and commentators as usual are speaking authoritatively about things they know nothing about.
This is not a "Christian-based" cult; they are not looking for a "Jesus-like" resurrection; Javon is not capable of coming back by resurrection any more than the rest of us. Ria should be dealt with. If nothing else she should have to go through the normal insanity process.
You do understand don't you that if the Manson Family back in the 1960's would have had this prosecutor, they wouldn't be in jail
Beyond all the ignorance and idiocy I ask you: "Doesn't this set a trend where people can claim their victim will "rise?" Can't murderers claim their victims aren't "really dead?"
This seems to be erroneous law and, this seems to be dangerous law.
I am stunned, absolutely stunned.
Reference:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033002931.html
by Gary Davis
Ria Ramkissoon played a definitive role in killing her son. Ria Ramkissoon was -- or is, take your choice -- part of the "1 Mind Ministries" cult. All Ria Ramkissoon has to do is testify against other cult members who took part in the murder by starvation of her son Javon Thompson. Ria
Ramkissoon must serve five years probation. Oh, one other thing. Ria Ramkissoon will await the resurrection of her son. Amazingly, so will the court system. Of course they made it harder by saying it doesn't count if he comes back as a fig or butterfly. It has to be a person.
This story comes from Dan Morse, a Washington Post Staff Writer, in his article "Plea Deal Includes Resurrection Clause."
I'm stunned, absolutely stunned.
You see the implications here are staggering in so many ways and the ignorance is so voluminous that it is shocking.
First, people are calling 1 Mind Ministries a "Christianity-based" cult. 1 Mind Ministries is no more "Christian-based" than the mafia is based on the Vatican. No church teaches killing toddlers for a rebellious spirit. Anybody who has a toddler knows most of them have them.
The reason Jesus could (and did) rise was that He was God. He showed that by being perfect. By all accounts poor little Javon wasn't God therefore, I'm afraid he's sunk.
Since Ria Ramkissoon was brainwashed she was allegedly too robotic to be held accountable for her actions.
However, the arbitrary number of hours of de-programming chosen by the court, taking away what should be a medical decision in the first place, apparently is going to make her okey-dokey.
It gets better. Ria can't stand trial because she wasn't at fault due to her mental state however, this mental state is acceptable to possibly give someone life in prison; it is an acceptable mental state to remember what was going on just not strong enough to make any valuations on the morality of her acts? Is that about it?
And, of course it only makes sense to let her go free until the "resurrection" occurs, not vice-versa.
The press and commentators as usual are speaking authoritatively about things they know nothing about.
This is not a "Christian-based" cult; they are not looking for a "Jesus-like" resurrection; Javon is not capable of coming back by resurrection any more than the rest of us. Ria should be dealt with. If nothing else she should have to go through the normal insanity process.
You do understand don't you that if the Manson Family back in the 1960's would have had this prosecutor, they wouldn't be in jail
Beyond all the ignorance and idiocy I ask you: "Doesn't this set a trend where people can claim their victim will "rise?" Can't murderers claim their victims aren't "really dead?"
This seems to be erroneous law and, this seems to be dangerous law.
I am stunned, absolutely stunned.
Reference:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033002931.html
Monday, March 23, 2009
Progress Report: Obama's Top 10 Promises
This is from Politifact.com. It keeps track of politician honesty. More so Obama's campaign promises. Which the top 10 are listed below.
By Angie Drobnic Holan
Two months into his presidency, Barack Obama has made progress on most of the campaign promises that made our Obameter Top 10 list.
We created the list before he took office to show the most significant promises of the 513 in our database. Seven of the 10 show some sort of action. We've rated one Promise Kept, one Compromise, and five In the Works.
Of the three promises that are still rated No Action, Obama has said publicly he intends to pursue them.
Here's a look at our Top 10 and where they stand:
• No. 15: Create a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners Obama proposed a $10 billion foreclosure fund to help struggling homeowners hold onto their homes. He kept his promise and then some, proposing a $75 billion fund. By providing incentives to both lenders and borrowers, the plan allows some homeowners to refinance loans. Obama's plan excludes investors, speculators and people who fraudulently obtained loans, just as he said on the campaign trail. Promise Kept.
• No. 32: Create a tax credit of $500 for workers Obama wanted a Making Work Pay tax credit would yield a maximum credit of $500 for most workers as a rebate on payroll taxes. Congress scaled back the credit to $400 in the economic stimulus legislation passed in Feburary 2009, which Obama signed. Obama put the lower number into his 2010 budget proposal, which has yet to be taken up by Congress. Because of the reduction, we rated this Compromise.
• No. 38: Repeal the Bush tax cuts for higher incomes Obama wants to raise taxes on roughly the top 3 percent of taxpayers in order to help pay for his health care plan. That translates to increases for single people making more than $200,000 or couples making more than $250,000. His 2010 budget includes the rate increases on the two highest income tax brackets, raising the 33 percent bracket to 36 percent and the 35 percent bracket to 39.6 percent. We'll see whether Congress agrees with this one or not. The Obameter says In The Works.
• No. 126: Begin removing combat brigades from Iraq Obama said he would work with military commanders to bring troops home, with combat troops out in 16 months. On Feb. 27, 2009, Obama gave a major speech outlining plans to withdraw from Iraq, and extended the timeline to 18 months. We want to see how the withdrawal actually unfolds, so for now we rate this promise In the Works.
• No. 177: Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center On his second full day in office, Obama issued an executive order to review the disposition of prisoners being held at the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He also ordered that the detention facility be closed within a year. The order establishes a review process with the goal of disposing of the detainees before closing the facility. We rated this In the Works.
• No. 456: Create cap and trade system with interim goals to reduce global warming This is a regulatory plan to curb carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Under the plan, polluters have to pay according to what they emit. Obama hopes that money can help pay for some of his other initiatives, like health care and education spending. His budget says that cap and trade could generate about $150 billion over 10 years. Cap and trade is sure to see a lively debate in Congress. The Obameter says In the Works.
• No. 439: Create 5 million "green" jobs Changing the country's orientation from foreign oil to renewable energy should invigorate the "green" energy sector. That means 5 million jobs, Obama said. We found billions in the economic stimulus bill and in Obama's proposed budget for job creation in the renewable energy sector. We'll be looking for hard evidence to quantify this one before a possible move to Promise Kept. For now, it's In the Works.
• No. 52: Create a National Health Insurance Exchange This is part of Obama's comprehensive health care reform, which includes many other health promises. Under Obama's plan, the creation of a National Health Insurance Exchange would allow all Americans to select a private plan or enroll in a new public one. Obama has said he intends to address comprehensive health care this year, but he hasn't done it yet. We rate this promise No Action.
• No. 422: Create new financial regulations Obama said he wants "common-sense regulations and rules" to "restore accountability and responsibility in our corporate boardrooms." The campaign promise has become even more pressing given the unfolding financial crisis. Obama has said new financial regulations are on his agenda, even discussing the need for them on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. When he unveils his proposal, the Obameter will move, but currently it's No Action.
• No. 441: Reduce oil consumption by 35 percent by 2030 The time frame is long — more than 20 years — but Obama said he hopes his policies will cut U.S. oil consumption by more than a third. He's discussed the need for the country to do this many times since taking office, but the Obameter needs to see some more definitive changes in the nation's energy habits before we change our ruling from No Action.
By Angie Drobnic Holan
Two months into his presidency, Barack Obama has made progress on most of the campaign promises that made our Obameter Top 10 list.
We created the list before he took office to show the most significant promises of the 513 in our database. Seven of the 10 show some sort of action. We've rated one Promise Kept, one Compromise, and five In the Works.
Of the three promises that are still rated No Action, Obama has said publicly he intends to pursue them.
Here's a look at our Top 10 and where they stand:
• No. 15: Create a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners Obama proposed a $10 billion foreclosure fund to help struggling homeowners hold onto their homes. He kept his promise and then some, proposing a $75 billion fund. By providing incentives to both lenders and borrowers, the plan allows some homeowners to refinance loans. Obama's plan excludes investors, speculators and people who fraudulently obtained loans, just as he said on the campaign trail. Promise Kept.
• No. 32: Create a tax credit of $500 for workers Obama wanted a Making Work Pay tax credit would yield a maximum credit of $500 for most workers as a rebate on payroll taxes. Congress scaled back the credit to $400 in the economic stimulus legislation passed in Feburary 2009, which Obama signed. Obama put the lower number into his 2010 budget proposal, which has yet to be taken up by Congress. Because of the reduction, we rated this Compromise.
• No. 38: Repeal the Bush tax cuts for higher incomes Obama wants to raise taxes on roughly the top 3 percent of taxpayers in order to help pay for his health care plan. That translates to increases for single people making more than $200,000 or couples making more than $250,000. His 2010 budget includes the rate increases on the two highest income tax brackets, raising the 33 percent bracket to 36 percent and the 35 percent bracket to 39.6 percent. We'll see whether Congress agrees with this one or not. The Obameter says In The Works.
• No. 126: Begin removing combat brigades from Iraq Obama said he would work with military commanders to bring troops home, with combat troops out in 16 months. On Feb. 27, 2009, Obama gave a major speech outlining plans to withdraw from Iraq, and extended the timeline to 18 months. We want to see how the withdrawal actually unfolds, so for now we rate this promise In the Works.
• No. 177: Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center On his second full day in office, Obama issued an executive order to review the disposition of prisoners being held at the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He also ordered that the detention facility be closed within a year. The order establishes a review process with the goal of disposing of the detainees before closing the facility. We rated this In the Works.
• No. 456: Create cap and trade system with interim goals to reduce global warming This is a regulatory plan to curb carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Under the plan, polluters have to pay according to what they emit. Obama hopes that money can help pay for some of his other initiatives, like health care and education spending. His budget says that cap and trade could generate about $150 billion over 10 years. Cap and trade is sure to see a lively debate in Congress. The Obameter says In the Works.
• No. 439: Create 5 million "green" jobs Changing the country's orientation from foreign oil to renewable energy should invigorate the "green" energy sector. That means 5 million jobs, Obama said. We found billions in the economic stimulus bill and in Obama's proposed budget for job creation in the renewable energy sector. We'll be looking for hard evidence to quantify this one before a possible move to Promise Kept. For now, it's In the Works.
• No. 52: Create a National Health Insurance Exchange This is part of Obama's comprehensive health care reform, which includes many other health promises. Under Obama's plan, the creation of a National Health Insurance Exchange would allow all Americans to select a private plan or enroll in a new public one. Obama has said he intends to address comprehensive health care this year, but he hasn't done it yet. We rate this promise No Action.
• No. 422: Create new financial regulations Obama said he wants "common-sense regulations and rules" to "restore accountability and responsibility in our corporate boardrooms." The campaign promise has become even more pressing given the unfolding financial crisis. Obama has said new financial regulations are on his agenda, even discussing the need for them on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. When he unveils his proposal, the Obameter will move, but currently it's No Action.
• No. 441: Reduce oil consumption by 35 percent by 2030 The time frame is long — more than 20 years — but Obama said he hopes his policies will cut U.S. oil consumption by more than a third. He's discussed the need for the country to do this many times since taking office, but the Obameter needs to see some more definitive changes in the nation's energy habits before we change our ruling from No Action.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Chicago Man Arrested for Allegedly Targeting Obama With HIV-Infected Blood
By Mike Levine
FOXNews.com
A man from President Obama's hometown of Chicago has been arrested for allegedly sending Obama and his staff envelopes containing HIV-infected blood, in the hopes of killing or harming them.
It's only the second time ever that HIV-infected blood has been sent with malicious intent through the U.S. mail system, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said.
In the weeks leading up to Obama's inauguration, Saad Hussein, an Ethiopian refugee in his late 20's, sent an envelope addressed to "Barack Obama" to offices of the Illinois government in Springfield, Ill., according to court documents. The envelope contained a series of unusual items, including a letter with reddish stains and an admission ticket for Obama's election-night celebration in Chicago's Grant Park. Court documents said Hussein, who takes drugs to treat a mental illness, later told FBI agents he is "very sick with HIV" and cut his fingers with a razor so he could bleed on the letter.
Hazmat teams were called in after the envelope was opened, and offices of the Illinois Department on Aging and the Department of Revenue were locked down for nearly two hours, locking 300 staffers in their offices, court documents said.
Hussein, with his brother acting as an interpreter, told FBI agents he was actually "an admirer" of Obama and was "seeking help from the government," according to court documents. He also told them he was hoping to obtain tickets to the inaugural ceremonies in Washington, the documents said.
Days after sending the letter to Obama, Hussein allegedly placed two more letters in the mail, one addressed to "Emanuel," an apparent reference to Obama's current chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. The two letters contained what appeared to be dried blood, the court documents said.
Hussein, who has never held a job in the three years he's been in the United States, was arrested last month. An affidavit filed at the time accused Hussein of "knowingly" mailing letters "containing HIV-infected blood, with the intent to kill or injure another," in violation of federal law.
The affidavit does not address whether the letters could have actually killed or injured anyone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV is spread only through sexual contact with an infected person, through sharing needles with an infected person, or through blood transfusions of infected blood.
The spokesman for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Peter Rendina, expressed confidence that the U.S. mail system is safe.
"To me the U.S. Postal Service is the most secure form of communication in the world," he said. "In no way are we seeing a trend."
After Hussein's arrest, he was placed in a Chicago correctional facility. He has yet to be formally charged. A judge ordered he receive a mental examination to see if he's fit for trial, but as of two weeks ago the court couldn't locate a translator to conduct the examination, according to court documents.
A publicly-appointed attorney representing Hussein declined comment, saying he was "not at liberty to discuss pending criminal matters."
This is not the first time law enforcement officials have had to take Hussein into custody. He was arrested by police in 2006 after starting a fire in the middle of a crowded Chicago intersection. When officers arrived on the scene, he was waiving the Koran in the air and yelling "Allah Akbar," or "God is Great" in Arabic. Court documents said he was transported to a hospital, where he called President Bush a terrorist and criticized American foreign policy. He was not formally charged, but he did spend time in the mental health unit of the hospital.
The latest case marks the second time HIV-infected blood has been sent through the U.S. mail. In 2006 a "disturbed individual" placed a plastic vial of HIV-infected blood in the mail, according to Rendina. The unidentified individual was arrested and charged, and is now receiving psychiatric treatment at a federal medical detention center, Rendina said.
FOXNews.com
A man from President Obama's hometown of Chicago has been arrested for allegedly sending Obama and his staff envelopes containing HIV-infected blood, in the hopes of killing or harming them.
It's only the second time ever that HIV-infected blood has been sent with malicious intent through the U.S. mail system, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said.
In the weeks leading up to Obama's inauguration, Saad Hussein, an Ethiopian refugee in his late 20's, sent an envelope addressed to "Barack Obama" to offices of the Illinois government in Springfield, Ill., according to court documents. The envelope contained a series of unusual items, including a letter with reddish stains and an admission ticket for Obama's election-night celebration in Chicago's Grant Park. Court documents said Hussein, who takes drugs to treat a mental illness, later told FBI agents he is "very sick with HIV" and cut his fingers with a razor so he could bleed on the letter.
Hazmat teams were called in after the envelope was opened, and offices of the Illinois Department on Aging and the Department of Revenue were locked down for nearly two hours, locking 300 staffers in their offices, court documents said.
Hussein, with his brother acting as an interpreter, told FBI agents he was actually "an admirer" of Obama and was "seeking help from the government," according to court documents. He also told them he was hoping to obtain tickets to the inaugural ceremonies in Washington, the documents said.
Days after sending the letter to Obama, Hussein allegedly placed two more letters in the mail, one addressed to "Emanuel," an apparent reference to Obama's current chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. The two letters contained what appeared to be dried blood, the court documents said.
Hussein, who has never held a job in the three years he's been in the United States, was arrested last month. An affidavit filed at the time accused Hussein of "knowingly" mailing letters "containing HIV-infected blood, with the intent to kill or injure another," in violation of federal law.
The affidavit does not address whether the letters could have actually killed or injured anyone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV is spread only through sexual contact with an infected person, through sharing needles with an infected person, or through blood transfusions of infected blood.
The spokesman for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Peter Rendina, expressed confidence that the U.S. mail system is safe.
"To me the U.S. Postal Service is the most secure form of communication in the world," he said. "In no way are we seeing a trend."
After Hussein's arrest, he was placed in a Chicago correctional facility. He has yet to be formally charged. A judge ordered he receive a mental examination to see if he's fit for trial, but as of two weeks ago the court couldn't locate a translator to conduct the examination, according to court documents.
A publicly-appointed attorney representing Hussein declined comment, saying he was "not at liberty to discuss pending criminal matters."
This is not the first time law enforcement officials have had to take Hussein into custody. He was arrested by police in 2006 after starting a fire in the middle of a crowded Chicago intersection. When officers arrived on the scene, he was waiving the Koran in the air and yelling "Allah Akbar," or "God is Great" in Arabic. Court documents said he was transported to a hospital, where he called President Bush a terrorist and criticized American foreign policy. He was not formally charged, but he did spend time in the mental health unit of the hospital.
The latest case marks the second time HIV-infected blood has been sent through the U.S. mail. In 2006 a "disturbed individual" placed a plastic vial of HIV-infected blood in the mail, according to Rendina. The unidentified individual was arrested and charged, and is now receiving psychiatric treatment at a federal medical detention center, Rendina said.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol Palin, says abstinence is unrealistic in interview on Fox News
I wonder how this is going to affect Palins run for the presidency for the future. Especially in the republican party which is supposed to be VERY conservative.
Teen pregnancy? Not really a good idea.
Stopping teen sex? Ain't gonna happen.
So says Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, who told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren Monday night that the abstinence her mom preaches is "not realistic at all."
Bristol Palin's pregnancy, revealed shortly after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) chose Sarah Palin to be his running mate, shook up the last presidential campaign.
Bristol Palin, who gave birth in late December, described the rigors of being a teen mom, and while she wouldn't go into detail why it isn't realistic for guys and gals her age not to have sex, she did say it isn't smart to get knocked up.
"Everyone should wait 10 years," Palin said. "I hope people learn from my story.
"It's so much easier if you're married, have a house and career. It's not a situation you want to strive for."
She denied that her mother's anti-abortion views were the reason she went ahead with the pregnancy.
"It was my choice to have the baby," she said. "It doesn't matter what my mom's views are on it. It was my decision."
But telling her mom that she and her hockey hunk boyfriend, Levi Johnston, were to be parents was tough, she admitted.
"Harder than labor," she said.
Teen pregnancy? Not really a good idea.
Stopping teen sex? Ain't gonna happen.
So says Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, who told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren Monday night that the abstinence her mom preaches is "not realistic at all."
Bristol Palin's pregnancy, revealed shortly after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) chose Sarah Palin to be his running mate, shook up the last presidential campaign.
Bristol Palin, who gave birth in late December, described the rigors of being a teen mom, and while she wouldn't go into detail why it isn't realistic for guys and gals her age not to have sex, she did say it isn't smart to get knocked up.
"Everyone should wait 10 years," Palin said. "I hope people learn from my story.
"It's so much easier if you're married, have a house and career. It's not a situation you want to strive for."
She denied that her mother's anti-abortion views were the reason she went ahead with the pregnancy.
"It was my choice to have the baby," she said. "It doesn't matter what my mom's views are on it. It was my decision."
But telling her mom that she and her hockey hunk boyfriend, Levi Johnston, were to be parents was tough, she admitted.
"Harder than labor," she said.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Obama at White House - Inauguration day 2009
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Barack and Michelle Obama were at the White House on Tuesday to meet with President Bush, as hundreds of thousands gathered at the Capitol for Obama's inauguration.
The Obamas attended a prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church on Tuesday morning and then headed to the nearby White House for a meeting with the outgoing president and first lady Laura Bush.
Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, arrived at the White House shortly before the Obamas. The Obamas, Bushes and Bidens were expected to have coffee at the before heading to the Capitol.
The 9 a.m. church service kicked off a day of events for the man who will become the nation's 44th president at noon ET.
As many as 2 million people are expected to crowd into the area between the Capitol, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial as Obama takes the oath of office.
Gerrard Coles of Norwalk, Connecticut, had staked out a position in front of St. John's.
"Everyone's down here -- hopefully to catch a glimpse of Barack, just for a split second," he said. "I think this was a beautiful thing. It's something I always wanted to do. It's not every day that you get to be a part of history. Rather than just watch it on TV, you actually get to partake in it and you have a story to tell your kids."
A crowd gathered at a barricade near the church was letting children and shorter onlookers move to the front of the crowd so they could get a better view.
Some spectators will be more than a mile from the swearing-in ceremony, watching on giant TV screens erected along the National Mall.
Thousands arrived before daylight Tuesday in standing-room-only trains. They carried blankets and wore Obama scarves to ward off the wind chills of minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
Suburban Washington train stations were jammed. A four-story parking deck at the Springfield, Virginia, station was filled at 5 a.m. Trains rolling into the stop about 15 miles south of the Capitol had no room for the hundreds on the platform.
The Metro rail system's Red Line was shut down about 9 a.m. after a pedestrian was hit by a train, further snarling the already overloaded train service, fire officials said.
On Monday night, visitors wandered around the Mall, snapping pictures and shooting video of the Capitol and monuments.
The scene around Lafayette Square was almost chaotic, with cars turning around in the street as they were confronted with barriers to closed-off areas and clots of pedestrians crossing streets against the light.
The visitors' excitement rubbed off on some of the jaded locals, one of whom said D.C. residents were "cynical of government."
"The energy on the streets is something I've never seen before," said Nancy Wigal, a 45-year-old technical writer who lives in the Mount Vernon Square area. "People are walking lighter, standing taller and are reaching out to one another. It feels like hope. It feels like shared happiness."
The morning began at 4 a.m. for many as those without tickets made a land grab on the Mall, rushing to stake out positions for the ceremony.
After Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden take their oaths of office on the western front of the Capitol, Obama will deliver his inaugural address, which Obama aides say will emphasize that America is entering a new era of responsibility.
In the approximately 20-minute speech, Obama will say America has been hurt by a "me-first" mentality that contributed to the current economic crisis, aides say, and he will call on individuals -- as well as corporations and businesses -- to take responsibility for their actions.
After a formal farewell to President George W. Bush and lunch with congressional leaders, Obama will head up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, where he and his family will watch the inauguration parade from a reviewing stand. The parade begins at 3:45 p.m. ET.
The new president and first lady will then close the night by attending 10 official inaugural balls.
Officials say they really don't know how many will show up, but estimates range from 1 million to 2 million.
Organizers have said about 280,000 people can fit into the secure zones around the Capitol and roughly 300,000 into the area around the parade. A mere 28,000 seats are available on Capitol grounds.
Those with tickets to the inauguration will undergo tight screening, including passing through magnetometers, when they enter the seating area in front of the Capitol.
Spectators without tickets will be routed to the Mall, which for the first time will be open from end to end for an inauguration. Security there will be less stringent.
Jeri Pickett of Rochester, New York, was one of the few who got a ticket.
"I'd just like to see the inspiration of America," said Pickett, when asked what he was expecting from Inauguration Day. "There's so much warmth here now, and excitement -- rejuvenation."
Transportation officials say they will run subway trains on rush-hour schedules starting at 4 a.m. as well as extra buses. The Metro expects more than 1 million riders.
Inauguration events have already drawn record crowds. A crowd attending an inauguration concert Sunday was estimated between 300,000 and 400,000 and stretched from the Lincoln Memorial all the way to the Washington Monument, which stands at the midpoint of the Mall.
While Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan said Monday there was "no credible threat" to the inauguration events, a security cordon has been put in place around the city's core, turning much of downtown Washington into a pedestrian-only zone.
In addition to Secret Service, the security effort will involve 8,000 police officers from the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions, 10,000 National Guard troops, about 1,000 FBI personnel, and hundreds of others from the Department of Homeland Security, the National Park Service and U.S. Capitol Police.
Another 20,000 members of the National Guard are ready to respond if there is an emergency, according to outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.Inauguration Day 2009 - Barack Obama
By ALAN FRAM,
WASHINGTON – The streets of the nation's capital pulsed with expectation Tuesday as crowds determined to witness the swearing-in of President-elect Barack Obama overwhelmed mass transit lines and clogged security checkpoints.
Energized by the historic moment, tens of thousands of people turned this city's orderly grid of streets into a festive party scene. Ready to endure below-freezing temperatures, they streamed up from subway stations and thronged past parked buses, emergency vehicles and street vendors, bound for Pennsylvania Avenue and the National Mall for the inauguration.
"This is the culmination of two years of work," said Obama activist Akin Salawu, 34, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who helped the candidate as a community organizer and Web producer. "We got on board when Obama was the little engine who could. He's like a child you've held onto. Now he's going out into the world."
By 4 a.m., lines of riders formed in suburban parking lots for the Metro transit system, which opened early and put on extra trains for the expected rush. Many parking lots filled up and had to be closed.
Streets around the Capitol quickly filled with people, and security checkpoints were mobbed. The cold registered at 21 degrees Fahrenheit at 7:45 a.m.
Warming tents and other facilities on the Mall were late opening because traffic and crowds delayed staffers from reaching them. Ticket holders approaching the Inaugural site on Capitol Hill awaited security sweeps in a line estimated at thousands.
Connie Grant of Birmingham, Alabama, said she got up at 3:30 a.m. after coming to Washington with a group. Three hours later she was still on 7th street waiting for police to clear the way into the Mall.
She said the wait didn't matter. "I sacrificed and came here. To me, this is very historic. I just wanted to be here."
Christian Alderson of Berryville, Va., went to Memphis, Tenn., in 1968 to support the sanitation workers strike and said he was there when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.
"That day was sorrowful," Alderson, 73, said as he stood near the mall. "This is a dream come true for me."
At the opposite end of town, Georgetown University students chanted "Obama!" and "Fired up Ready to Go!" as they walked down M Street toward the Mall.
A flea-market atmosphere prevailed on downtown streets, with white tents set up to sell Obama T-shirts and mugs as well as food, bottled water, snacks, scarves and footwarmers. The scent of grilled coiled sausages and steaming Chinese food greeted those who walked toward the parade route, more than six hours before Obama would pass by.
As the first waves of people began moving through security screenings, they scrambled for prime viewing spots along Pennsylvania Avenue — sitting on the curb, staking out plots of grass, or clambering on to cold metal benches.
Suburban subway riders also seemed to be in a jubilant mood, despite the early hour. In Fredericksburg, Va., an hour south of Washington, chants of "Obama! Obama!" rang out at a commuter rail station when the line started moving at 5 a.m. for the first trip into Washington.
World history teacher Calvin Adams of Arlington, Va., said he got up extra early so he could witness history being made first-hand and teach it to his classes.
"Eventually I'll teach American history," said Adams, 23. "I'll say, 'This is how it works because I've been there, I've seen it.'"
The joyous mood was tempered only by delays and by the dashed expectations of revelers eager to get an up-close look at history.
Alice Williams, a 51-year-old teacher of gifted children from Kansas City, Mo., had the coveted purple ticket that would placed her in front of the Capitol, but she got caught in the crowd bottleneck and instead was stuck a half mile away.
"We got blocked off; there was too much traffic and no guidance," she said forlornly. "I've been walking for an hour and a half. All I want to do is see my president sworn in"
One parade entrance was supposed to open at 7 a.m. The crowd, which was one-block deep, counted down at 7 a.m. The gate did not open. The chants got louder at 7:30 a.m., but the gates remain closed.
D.C. police have projected inaugural crowds between 1 million and 2 million. Planners say attendance could easily top the 1.2 million people who were at Lyndon B. Johnson's 1965 inauguration, the largest crowd the National Park Service has on record.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Obama speech issues dire warning on economy
Hopefully something will be done to bring us out of this recession before we head into a full blown depression. Which is what I think it going to happen. This just isn't one presidents fault either. Sure some added more than others, but this is a trend that has been going on for awhlie now. Both sides of the aisle are responsible for this too.
By Michael McAuliff
Barack Obama is warning in his starkest language yet that America is headed for an economic disaster if the country doesn't act quickly.
In a speech set for early this afternoon, Obama is warning that the nation risks spawning an entire generation of despair in an abysmal depression that lingers for years with double-digit unemployment and plummeting family incomes.
"I don't believe it's too late to change course, but it will be if we don't take dramatic action as soon as possible," Obama warns in excerpts of his speech.
"If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years," he says. "A bad situation could become dramatically worse."
The dire forecast is at least in part a sales job that seems aimed at priming the nation to accept one of the largest government interventions in the country's history, as Obama and Democrats in Congress craft a massive economic recovery plan that will cost $770 billion at a minimum, and could reach $1.3 trillion in tax breaks and spending.
That means blasting an even larger hole in the already massive deficit — and getting Congress and the public to go along with it.
"There is no doubt that the cost of this plan will be considerable," Obama says. "It will certainly add to the budget deficit in the short-term. But equally certain are the consequences of doing too little or nothing at all, for that will lead to an even greater deficit of jobs, incomes, and confidence in our economy."
Private businesses will be vital to the effort, Obama says, but only Uncle Sam can haul them out of the ditch first.
"At this particular moment, only government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift us from a recession this deep and severe," he says. "Only government can break the vicious cycles that are crippling our economy - where a lack of spending leads to lost jobs which leads to even less spending; where an inability to lend and borrow stops growth and leads to even less credit."
Obama's prescription is to spend lavishly on things like alternative energy and infrastructure to create private sector jobs, while funneling cash to states and cities to keep teachers, cops and firefighters on the job.
On top of that he wants to renovate regulations governing Wall Street and craft fixes for the "bubble or bust" mortgage markets.
And if folks don't listen, Obama warns: "More families will lose their savings. More dreams will be deferred and denied. And our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse."
Putting the case that starkly throws a sharp challenge to Republicans and conservatives who don't like the growing intervention or the ballooning price tag, and leaves them in the tough spot of either trying to downplay the severity of the crisis, or arguing that using the government so comprehensively will actually hurt.
Excerpts of the speech (to be given at George Mason University in Virginia) are after the jump.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Obama names Nancy Killefer 'chief performance officer'
What kind of perfoming will she be doing? Another Monica in the wings it may seem. Another member has been added to the much anticipated preident elect Obama's Cabinet. Only time will tell if he has surrounded himself with the right people in order to be successful.
Killefer, a former Treasury official, will be in charge of eliminating unnecessary government spending and curbing inefficiency. Obama concedes that his stimulus plan will add to deficit. By Peter Nicholas
Killefer, a former Treasury official, will be in charge of eliminating unnecessary government spending and curbing inefficiency. Obama concedes that his stimulus plan will add to deficit. By Peter Nicholas
Reporting from Washington -- President-elect Barack Obama announced Wednesday that he is creating a new high-level position to wring waste and inefficiencies out of government, as part of a broader push to bring more discipline to federal spending.
At a news conference, Obama introduced a "chief performance officer" -- Nancy Killefer, a partner at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and a former Treasury Department official in President Bill Clinton's administration from 1997 to 2000.
At a news conference, Obama introduced a "chief performance officer" -- Nancy Killefer, a partner at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and a former Treasury Department official in President Bill Clinton's administration from 1997 to 2000.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As a candidate, Barack Obama promoted hybrid cars.
Auto enthusiasts have panned the design of the new presidential limo, which will be painted all black.
As president, he'll be handed the keys to one. Sort of.
Shortly after taking the oath of office, Obama will climb into the Mother of All Hybrids -- part car, part truck and, from the looks of it, part tank.
In keeping with recent tradition, the Secret Service will place a brand-new presidential limousine into service January 20 to drive the new president on the 2-mile jaunt down Pennsylvania Avenue during the inaugural parade.
Already, spy photos of the limo -- with patches of gray primer -- have leaked out. And already, the reviews:
"Ugly as sin," says one car enthusiast on an auto Web site. "Can't we make a hotter ride for our pres?"
"Sheesh," says another, "why don't they just transport the president around in an Abrams tank."
One news agency, noting its 8-inch-thick doors, says the limo can withstand a "direct hit from an asteroid." But GM spokeswoman Joanne K. Krell laughed off the comments.
"And it will fix you a latte if you ask," she jokes.
In truth, the new presidential limo is a Cadillac, Krell said, although it is "not a direct extension of any single model."
"The presidential vehicle is built to precise and special specifications, undergoes extreme testing and development, and also incorporates many of the top aspects of Cadillac's 'regular' cars -- such as signature design, hand-cut-and-sewn interiors, etc.," Krell told CNN.
"Cadillac is honored to serve and renew this great tradition," she said. "And it is entirely appropriate that an American president has at his service a great American vehicle."
For much of the country's history, the Secret Service didn't even drive the president, evidently oblivious to the dangers of asteroids.
In the post-Lincoln horse-and-buggy era, it was customary for a security detail to closely trail the president, according to a Secret Service history.
With the advent of automobiles, the Secret Service acquired a 1907 H. White Steamer to follow Theodore Roosevelt's horse-drawn carriage.
White House chauffeurs drove later presidents, until the Secret Service assumed many of the driving responsibilities after Franklin Roosevelt's death in 1945.
In 1965, Lyndon Johnson was the first president to ride in a bulletproof limo in an inaugural parade, less than two years after his predecessor, John F. Kennedy, was shot and killed while riding in an open car.
Cut off from the world
Obama should expect two seemingly contradictory feelings when riding in the presidential limousine, said Joe Funk, a retired Secret Service agent who was President Bill Clinton's driver during part of his career.
"I think he will be surprised about how when he's in the limo, it's a cocoon," Funk said. "The everyday noises will be gone, and he will be totally isolated in this protective envelope."
"At the same time, I think he will be surprised at the communication capabilities, how the phones, the satellites, the Internet -- everything is at his fingertips," he said. "So at one end, you are totally removed from society. The other side of the coin is that he can have any communications worldwide at a moment's touch."
Funk says presidents sometimes chat with the agents, and sometimes don't.
"Every day is different, just like every person," he said. "Sometimes they get in the car and they have a lot on their mind. They're involved in reading material, they're involved in the newspaper, they're talking to local dignitaries or they are talking to Cabinet-level.
"Other times, they are interested in sporting events, in doing the crossword puzzle, interested in the feedback they get from talking to the agents -- primarily the supervisor that sits in the front seat," Funk said.
While the government spares no expense for the presidential limo, the weight of the car makes it less maneuverable and more sluggish than comparable sport utility vehicles, Funk said. And the door and window frames, which accommodate thick ballistic glass, create large blind spots, he said.
Funk's own experience driving Clinton was uneventful, he says, which is a good thing, considering his line of business.
"I was very lucky. We didn't have any close calls," he says. "Everything was very smooth."
But he still considers the experience a career highlight.
"At the end of the day, if you had a good driving day, you do kind of sit back with a certain amount of pride and say, 'I had the president of the United States in the car with me for an hour, two hours, and I got him from point A to point B safely in conjunction with all the other team members,' " he said. "When it's done, you can sit back and take some pride in knowing that you pulled it off."
Available in any color, as long as it's black
One Internet wag, adding to the rampant speculation about the new car, made this prediction: It will be painted black. But environmentalists may ask, will it be green?
Not likely. Car enthusiasts believe the overweight vehicle burns diesel and will have low mileage. And with diesel costing about $2.40 a gallon Monday, versus $1.67 for gasoline, this new limo can't be called an economy vehicle.
"The limousines of yesteryear were designed just well enough to provide protection to get the president out of the situation," says Ken Lucci, CEO of Ambassador Limousine Inc. and owner of two Reagan-era limos. "In today's case, they [the Secret Service] expect a prolonged attack, and they expect an attack that is a lot more violent than [with] a weapon you can hold in you hand."
"It literally is a rolling bunker," he says. "It just happens to have wheels on it."
And it's not a bad vehicle for someone whose job is to fix the economy, even if it won't brew coffee on command.Israeli missile strike hits near U.N. school in northern Gaza, killing several people
The Israeli military stepped up its offensive in Gaza Tuesday, surrounding densely populated Gaza City with its ground forces after at least 50 air strikes pounded the region overnight. 
The incursion followed eight days of air strikes on the territory to stop the rocket attacks, which have killed four Israelis since the military operation began.
The United Nations said one Israeli air attack struck an elementary school in Gaza City where hundreds of Palestinians had taken shelter, killing three men.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency said Asma Elementary school was clearly marked as a U.N. installation. It said over 400 people had been given shelter at the school when it was hit Monday night.
"Well before the current fighting, UNRWA had given to the Israeli authorities the GPS (global positioning system) co-ordinates of all its installations in Gaza, including Asma Elementary School," the agency said in a news release.
"UNRWA is strongly protesting these killings to the Israeli authorities and is calling for an immediate and impartial investigation," it added.
Other air strikes hit the homes of people linked to Hamas, including the Wadi family in Jabalya, Hamas security sources said. Eight people were killed in that strike. An overnight air strike hit the Jabalya home of Imad Siam, one of the leaders of Hamas' military wing. Another attack hit the home of a Hamas-affiliated family in Gaza City, killing at least three, according to an eyewitnesses.
Israel claimed Tuesday to have killed 130 Hamas fighters since beginning a ground offensive at the weekend.
As its forces continued to encircle Gaza City -- which has a population of about half a million people -- European diplomats swarmed into the region trying to pull together the elements for a cease-fire. But neither Israel or Hamas has showed any real interest in international calls for a truce.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told French President Nicholas Sarkozy Monday that Israel wanted a "full solution" to the conflict, not just a cease-fire that allowed Hamas to fortify itself, Mark Regev, Olmert's spokesman said.
"Before the last cease-fire with Hamas began, Hamas had missiles with a range of 20 kilometers," Regev said Tuesday. "By the end of the cease-fire, the range of the missiles grew to 40 kilometers. Israel does not want the next cease-fire to allow them to get missiles with a range of 60 kilometers."
A Hamas rocket penetrated farther than ever before into Israel on Tuesday, landing in the town of Gadera, about 36 kilometers (23 miles) north of the Gaza border, the Israeli military said. On Monday, a rocket hit a kindergarten in Ashdod, about 26 kilometers (16 miles) north of Gaza.
Hamas had fired 30 rockets at Israel by Tuesday afternoon, the Israeli military said. Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida warned Israel that the militants would continue rocket attacks "for many months" and vowed to strike deeper into Israeli territory.
Three Israeli soldiers were killed in northern Gaza late Monday in a "friendly fire" incident involving an explosion from a tank shell that hit a building the troops were in, bringing the Israeli troop deaths from the Gaza ground operation to five, the military said. Two dozen troops were wounded in the explosion -- one critical, three severely.
With no end in sight to the conflict, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated. Hundreds of wounded people swarmed into Gaza's largest hospital and scores of Gazans headed for the morgues -- where two bodies are crammed into each drawer.
"Everybody here is terrorized by the situation," John Ging, the director of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency in Gaza told CNN, from Gaza City. "There's no place that you can be safe if you're a civilian here. It's not safe in your home.
The Israeli military said another 80 trucks with humanitarian aid would be allowed to pass into Gaza on Tuesday at the Kerem Shalom crossing
According to Palestinian medical sources, at least 23 people were killed in Gaza on Tuesday, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 555 since Israel launched its operation on December 27. Most of the deaths are militants, but include at least 100 civilians, the sources said. Another 2,750 Palestinians have been injured, most of them civilians, the sources said.
The Israeli ground assault was launched Saturday night. Israel says it is the second phase of an operation to stop militants from firing rockets and mortars into southern Israel.
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